Becky
It is my understanding that there were more than one CANTEY family that
had
plantations in AL or near
......... if my memory is correct, seems there were CANTEYs that
settled
near Columbus Ga just over the state line into AL. Believe he may have
been
a James Cantey. If he was not the first, he later came to take care of the
Cantey plantation. Anyone on the list know anything about these CANTEYs. I
might not be correct, therefore, would like to know of any CANTEYs that
settled near Columbus GA, but actually lived in AL.
Virginia Turner
Virginia -
These are the Russell Co. AL Cantey's that General James Cantey was a
relation of. (Russell Co./Columbus GA are across the Chattahoochee River
from each other and where I grew up.) My ancestor Sarah Catherine (Cantey)
Crowell, dau. of James Cantey/Martha Whitaker, was one of the first settlers
and died there in 1877. She was born in Camden, SC in 1792.
"Our Children's Ancestry" has this to say: "Henry Crowell
and
Sarah Cantey were married, when Sarah Cantey was only sixteen years of age.
A romantic tale has been handed down from one generation to the next
concerning the runaway marriage of Sarah Cantey and Henry Crowell. It is
said that the ardent young lover rode on horseback to his lady's kitchen
window and that his lady, Sarah Cantey, jumped from the window to the
horses' back and they were off with a gallop. They were married in 1808,
settling first in Washington County, Georgia, then in Crawford County,
Georgia, where they established a home near the Flint River on the Indian
Reservation. Later they moved to Fort Mitchell, Russell County, Alabama.
Henry Crowell represented Crawford County in the Legislature in
1834. The story is told that while in the house someone called him an old
man. He firmly defended himself and had his wife with a very young baby
stand up in the gallery.
Sarah Cantey Crowell was originally an Episcopalian, but upon moving to
the Indian Reservation found that the nearest church was Methodist. That
church was miles from their residence. She, however, was a devoted member
and would ride the distance on horseback to attend its services. Mr.
Crowell thought that it was too far to go and so he inquired one day of a
Bishop, visiting in his home, how many members were necessary to form a
church. The Bishop's reply was "Five or six." At the Bishop's next
visit
to the Crowell home he was informed that they had the members. Henry
Crowell named them thus: "Sarah, my wife, and I will quit swearing and will
make Nat Bradford quit swearing, Paddy Carr (the Indian), and Peter, the
driver."
Henry Crowell built the church, which still stands near Roberta,
Georgia. It is still called "Crowell's Chapel" and is in the South Georgia
Methodist Conference.
Mrs. Crowell survived her husband a number of years. She, with her
granddaughter, Kate Crowell, lived first with one, then another of her
children. She was quite a favorite with the members of the family and had
many namessakes, one of which is the writer." (Sarah Cantey Whitaker Allen)
How interesting we Cantey's are ! Note: The church at Roberta, GA was
burned by arsonist not many years ago.