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Martha Wacker wrote --
> The legatees of John Christian who died in Franklin co. GA
> were his wife Mary; James, John, Abda, Robert B., Gabriel,
> Reuben, Drury, and Rufus Christian, William Oglesby (mar
> Mary Christian) and George Stovall (mar Nancy Christian).
> This is proven by Franklin Co. probate records. There are
> indications that the first two might not have been the children
> of the widow Mary, but of a previous wife.
Volume XII (July 1988) of "The Christian Family Chronicles"
doesn't list James as a son of John and Mary. Could you
(or someone else on the list) please post a brief synopsis
or quote fo these probate records that do mention James?
I'd really appreciate it.
I'm also interested in the mention of a previous wife for
John. Mary BRYANT was born in 1746 to James BRYANT
and Mrs. Clare (---) TRABUE, widow of Antoine [source:
Genealogies of Virginia Families, Vol. 4 pp. 191-192 (1981)].
This family was of Manakin Town and were Huguenots. So,
for her to be the mother of James (who was born 1760-1770
per the 1830 census but probably more like 1760-1762
based on the birth of his first son, William B.) is a bit of
a stretch. She would have had to marry John CHRISTIAN
at about age 14-16, which is not rare. And she could have
named her first-born son James after her father. But it does
call for a bit more research.
And finally, I think that John CHRISTIAN was actually born
prior to 1739, which does fit with a marriage at about 1760.
He is named first in his father Robert's 1749 will, which
implies that he was the oldest son. In 1765 he sold the l
and he inherited, so he must have been at least 21 by then.
That means he was born no later than 1744 rather than the
1748 date listed in "The Christian Family Chronicles"
Volume XII pg. 1104. And, if he was the oldest child of the
5 mentioned in the will, then he was probably born at least
10 years prior to his father's death.
Anyone care to comment on this?
I look forward to some discussion on this.
Vickie Elam White
I
Vickie,
In the 1980's I did a thorough search of the Franklin Co. Ordinary Court
Records deposited at The GA Archives, and published a book on that study
in 1989. If you are near a library with a good genealogy collection, you
might find it. You will not find all these records in the Family
History Centers, because they were not all microfilmed by them, nor by
the GA Archives.
There is no will recorded in Franklin Co. for John Christian, nor have
I seen any evidence of one in Elbert. You find records in both Franklin
and Elbert Co. because John Christian had land in both, and the heirs
lived in both. The 1st date I have is when Abda Christian was appointed
administrator of the estate of John, dec'd ,12 Feb 1805. The Inv. and
Appr't is dated Feb 1805. The last date I can be sure of is the 1803 Tax
Digest.
The receipts signed by the heirs do not state relationship specifically,
but all sign for their legacies, and the amounts they received were
virtually the same, indicating they were of equal relationship.
.
Martha
Martha Acker wrote --
> There is no will recorded in Franklin Co. for John Christian, nor have
> I seen any evidence of one in Elbert. You find records in both Franklin
> and Elbert Co. because John Christian had land in both, and the heirs
> lived in both. The 1st date I have is when Abda Christian was appointed
> administrator of the estate of John, dec'd ,12 Feb 1805. The Inv. and
> Appr't is dated Feb 1805. The last date I can be sure of is the 1803 Tax
> Digest.
> The receipts signed by the heirs do not state relationship specifically,
> but all sign for their legacies, and the amounts they received were
> virtually the same, indicating they were of equal relationship.
Thanks very much for this info.
Vickie Elam White
Vickie,
The legatees of John Christian who died in Franklin Co. GA were his wife
Mary; James, John, Abda, Robert B., Gabriel, Reuben, Drury, and Rufus
Christian, William Oglesby (mar Mary Christian)and George Stovall. (mar
Nancy Christian) This is proven by Franklin Co. probate records. There
are indications that the first two might not have been the children of
the widow Mary, but of a previous wife.
As for James, there is only one in Elbert Co. and Franklin Co. records,
and I believe is the same James who married in VA to Lucy,. dtr of
William Bradley. James is in Elbert Co. records from 1801 through about
1826. James moved to Newton Co. GA. Milton is the only proven son of
James through a deed. While James is not listed in 1830 Newton Co.,
Milton is with a male 60to70 and a female 70to80. I have not seen any
estate records for James listing his children, but I have a list of
strong possibilities, one of which is a William B. Christian.
I cannot say for certain they are all the same person, but a William B.
is found in Elbert Co. records 1814-1824. In 1820 he is listed as 26to
45 with one male under 10, four females under 10 and one 26to45.
A William B. is in Henry Co. GA 1830 age 40to50, with a female 30to40
and one 80to90, and 2 males under 5, three females 10to15, one 15to20
William B. mar 4 Nov 1834 Newton Co. GA Jane Dobbins.The Inventory of
William B,'s estate was dated 31 Mar 1838, Isaac Christian, adm'r. The
names Jane W. and Abda Christian are mentioned. On 29 April 1843
payments were made from the estate to Charles R. Floyd in right of his
wife the former Jane W. Christian. I cannot say with certainty that this
all that is available. If I were you, I would want to search for more
records pertaining to the estate in both Newton and Henry Co.
Martha
Martha Acker wrote --
> The legatees of John Christian who died in Franklin Co. GA were his wife
> Mary; James, John, Abda, Robert B., Gabriel, Reuben, Drury, and Rufus
> Christian, William Oglesby (mar Mary Christian)and George Stovall. (mar
> Nancy Christian) This is proven by Franklin Co. probate records. There
> are indications that the first two might not have been the children of
> the widow Mary, but of a previous wife.
Thank you very much for this! Can you tell me the date the will was
written and when it was proven? Were there any relationships mentioned
for these people?
> As for James, there is only one in Elbert Co. and Franklin Co. records,
> and I believe is the same James who married in VA to Lucy,. dtr of
> William Bradley. James is in Elbert Co. records from 1801 through about
> 1826. James moved to Newton Co. GA. Milton is the only proven son of
> James through a deed. While James is not listed in 1830 Newton Co.,
> Milton is with a male 60to70 and a female 70to80. I have not seen any
> estate records for James listing his children, but I have a list of
> strong possibilities, one of which is a William B. Christian.
I believe Isaac. b. ca 1788 who married Milly WHITE and Presley
b. ca 1785 who supposedly married Sarah B. WHITE are two others.
I suspected Milton was James' son but didn't know for sure. Can
you possibly tell me what this deed says?
> I cannot say for certain they are all the same person, but a William B.
> is found in Elbert Co. records 1814-1824. In 1820 he is listed as 26to
> 45 with one male under 10, four females under 10 and one 26to45.
> A William B. is in Henry Co. GA 1830 age 40to50, with a female 30to40
> and one 80to90, and 2 males under 5, three females 10to15, one 15to20.
Yes, that's my William B. CHRISTIAN.
> William B. mar 4 Nov 1834 Newton Co. GA Jane Dobbins.The Inventory of
> William B,'s estate was dated 31 Mar 1838, Isaac Christian, adm'r. The
> names Jane W. and Abda Christian are mentioned. On 29 April 1843
> payments were made from the estate to Charles R. Floyd in right of his
> wife the former Jane W. Christian. I cannot say with certainty that this
> all that is available. If I were you, I would want to search for more
> records pertaining to the estate in both Newton and Henry Co.
A few other researchers have said that this was William B. Jr. born
ca 1810, but they didn't offer any proof of this. I think it was probably
my William with a second wife, especially if the courts made his brother
Isaac administrator of his estate.
I am more confused than ever, but I also feel that I might be getting
closer to the end of this mystery! Thanks for your help, I would be
lost without all my "cousins" on this list!
Vickie Elam White
Martha,
I forgot to mention that the chronology for James G. CHRISTIAN of
Elbert Co. GA being the son of John CHRISTIAN, son of John and
Mary (BRYANT) CHRISTIAN seems too tight. Since John's father
Robert died in 1749, John was obviously born before then. Do we
know when he was born? I've seen a date of 1748 for both John and
Robert Jr. Were they twins (twins do occur in this family, since
my Lucy Jane was a twin and she was the mother of twins)? Or
was that just a mistake. Anyway, if John was really born in 1748,
then his possible son James, who was born 1760-1770 according to
census records, may have been born ca 1769 if John married at about
age 21. But James' supposed son William B. CHRISTIAN was born
1780-1784 according to census and land records, which doesn't fit.
So, was John actually born several years before his father Robert
died in 1749? Or is it possible that William B. CHRISTIAN was
actually a son of John rather than a grandson of John?
Vickie Elam White
Martha,
> Records I have researched show that John Christian of Amherst Co. VA
> and Franklin Co. GA had a son James. The James Christian who was living
> in Elbert Co. GA d. 1832 to 1840 Newton Co. GA is, I believe, the same
> person.
Do you mean John CHRISTIAN who supposedly married Mary BRYANT?
Yes, I've read the same thing but there was no documentation given.
Was this John the son of Robert CHRISTIAN and Lucy BRADLEY?
That does seem to be a good lead, since my Lucy Jane (daughter of
William B. CHRISTIAN and probable grandaughter of James) named her
eldest son Bryant Allen. I wonder if his full name was William Bryant
CHRISTIAN? Also, I have read that Mary's father was named James
BRYANT Sr., so it would make sense that she'd name a son after her
father.
Supposedly, the will of this John does exist. I have read that he died
in Franklin Co. GA in 1805, but also that his will was filed in Elbert Co.
GA in 1808. So, there is lots of confusion on this man. Have you or
anyone else on the list seen his will? And do you or anyone else know
more about James G. CHRISTIAN, his son?
Vickie Elam White
Vickie,
Records I have researched show that John Christian of Amherst Co. VA
and Franklin Co. GA had a son James. The James Christian who was living
in Elbert Co. GA d. 1832 to 1840 Newton Co. GA is, I believe, the same
person.
This would mean you were on the right track, just a generation off. If
you have questions, I'll be glad to try to answer.
Martha
Martha,
Thanks for writing.
I have heard from Linda and she says that the UPSHAW
granddaughters both married GREENWOOD men, rather
than their mother being married first to a GREENWOOD.
I'm trying to confirm this with documentation now.
Anyway, I was wrong but at least I now have a new avenue
to follow.
On another note, I have just found proof that James G.
CHRISTIAN was not a son of Robert CHRISTIAN and Lucy
BRADLEY. I didn't think he was (there was a problem
with the chronology as well as a few other things) and now
I know I was right. The proof comes when Robert's 1,000
acres of land were divided up after he died: it was divided
3 ways, between sons Robert, John and Drury. So, I'll
have to look elsewhere for James' father.
Take care.
Vickie Elam White
Linda and Vickie, I have only just subscribed, and my head is reeling
from reading the archived messages ! : )
I'll just jump in with my reasoning re William Bradley's bequests. In
the will he specifically named his dtr Mary's son, George Stovall, by a
previous marriage to James Stovall. I think he then wrote the codicil to
make sure that his Greenwood grandchildren by his dtr Elizabeth were
included . I do not know who Elizabeth might have been married to before
Leroy Upshaw. But that's how it looks to me. In those days, a woman's
property became her husband's. So, if either of these two dtrs had died
before their current husbands, the children by a previous marriage
might never receive any part of their grandfather's estate. Maybe
after William wrote the will, his dtr Elizabeth proded him about it.
Interesting, isn't it?
Martha W. Acker
mwacker(a)bellsouth.net
unsubscribe
CHRISTIAN-D-request(a)rootsweb.com wrote:
> Subject:
>
> CHRISTIAN-D Digest Volume 99 : Issue 62
>
> Today's Topics:
> #1 CHRISTIAN 1850 Carroll Co. GA [VEWhite(a)aol.com]
>
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>
> Subject: CHRISTIAN 1850 Carroll Co. GA
> Date: Fri, 17 Sep 1999 22:25:17 EDT
> From: VEWhite(a)aol.com
> To: CHRISTIAN-L(a)rootsweb.com
>
> In 1850, a Mary A. CHRISTIAN age 31 (born ca 1819 in GA) and a Frances
> CHRISTIAN age 11 (born ca 1839 in GA) were living in the household of
> Nathaniel SHELNUT in Carroll Co. GA. Nathaniel married Lucy Jane CHRISTIAN,
> daughter of William B. CHRISTIAN and Sarah H. POSEY of Elbert Co. GA.
>
> Was Mary a widowed sister-in-law of Lucy Jane's?
>
> Vickie Elam White
In 1850, a Mary A. CHRISTIAN age 31 (born ca 1819 in GA) and a Frances
CHRISTIAN age 11 (born ca 1839 in GA) were living in the household of
Nathaniel SHELNUT in Carroll Co. GA. Nathaniel married Lucy Jane CHRISTIAN,
daughter of William B. CHRISTIAN and Sarah H. POSEY of Elbert Co. GA.
Was Mary a widowed sister-in-law of Lucy Jane's?
Vickie Elam White
In a message dated 9/15/99 9:08:00 PM, VEWhite(a)aol.com writes:
<< I'm also wondering why William BRADLEY mentioned his grandchildren
by his daughters Elizabeth and Mary but not by Lucy, Drury and
Martha? And why did he call James CHRISTIAN and Thomas OGLESBY
"friends" rather than sons-in-law? In the case of James CHRISTIAN and
Lucy BRADLEY, is it possible that Lucy was not the mother of James'
children so they were not actually William's grandchildren?
Vickie Elam White >>
Dear Vickie,
I'm guessing that he mentioned the grandchildren by his daughters Elizabeth
and Mary because Eliz. and Mary were no longer living? I have seen that in
other wills.
Linda
In a message dated 9/16/1999 7:57:22 AM EST, Xian78210 writes:
> I'm on the run at the moment, so I can't check it all, but I think you'll
> find all the sources I have in the attachment on Robert's line.
Thank you very much for the descendancy chart for Robert CHRISTIAN
and Lucy BRADLEY. It will take me a while to digest it all, and I'm sure
I'll have several questions to pose to you and the list.
One thing, just off the top of my head, is that my ancestor, Lucy
Jane (CHRISTIAN) SHELLNUT, daughter of William B. CHRISTIAN
and Sarah H. POSEY, named her first-born son Bryant Allen. I
wonder if William's middle name was actually Bryant rather than
Bradley and if he was from the John CHRISTIAN and Mary BRYANT
marriage rather than from James G. CHRISTIAN and Lucy BRADLEY?
What proof do we have that William B. was the son of James G.?
Vickie Elam White
Vickie & Carol & Y'All
Have you seen the photo copy of the original Land Patent for Thomas
Christian (and 275 other Christian grants & patents) at Library of Virginia
site? You can download the image and print it. Files accessable from index
at: http://198.17.62.51/collections/LO.html
If you have any problems, let me know and I will send you copies or grants &
patents for any there.
Life goes on -
Jim Christian - Chattanooga, Tennessee - jsxian(a)mindspring.com
RESEARCHING:
(Maternal)= Barnes - Beall - Burton - Cantrell - Dameron - Howard - Jeanes -
Jenkins - Ladd - Odell - Prather/Prater - Ridgely - Steele - Sprigg
(Paternal)= Burton - Cargile - Christian - Clouse - Huddleston - Hunt -
Leake - Mask - McMahan - Scott - Stockton
"If you cannot get rid of the family skeleton,
you may as well make it dance." - George Bernard Shaw
----- Original Message -----
From: <VEWhite(a)aol.com>
To: <CHRISTIAN-L(a)rootsweb.com>
Sent: Thursday, September 16, 1999 12:06 AM
Subject: Re: Christian - Bradley, Elbert Co. GA
> Linda and Jim,
>
> >The Bradleys and the Christians go 'way back. This will is for William
> >Bradley, Jr., b. abt. 1735, son of William Bradley, Sr. Jr. had a sister
> >named Lucy Bradley, who married Robert Christian, b. abt 1700, who was
son
> of
> >Thomas Christian II and Rebecca New. Thomas II was son of Thomas the
> >Immigrant.
> >
> >William Bradley, Jr. married Elizabeth Christian, but who her parents
were,
> I
> >don't know. (Some say that William Bradley had three wives, but the
> children
> >are credited to Elizabeth Christian.) They had at least 3
children--Martha,
> >Drury and Lucy II. Martha married Thomas Oglesby; Drury married Lucy
> >Christian, daughter of Robert Christian, Jr. b. 1748 (son of Robert
> Christian
> >and Lucy Bradley, above), and a Mary Bradley, whose parents I don't know.
> >Lucy Bradley II married James G. Christian, Sr., b. abt 1750, another son
of
> >Robert Christian and Lucy Bradley (above).
> >
> >Now, when we get to the Upshaw business, it gets interesting. (Remember
> that
> >it was said that William Bradley may have had three wives.) In the
record,
> >there are a number of Drury Christians, about whom there is some
confusion.
> >One of these Drurys is alleged to have had a fair-sized family by a
> mistress,
> >Elizabeth Hunt Upshaw and the children bore the name Upshaw, sometimes
also
> >Christian Upshaw.
> >
> >The Drury Christian in question here was born 1764 to Robert Christian,
Jr.,
> >and Mary Bradley. Here are my notes:
> >
> >Drury Christian's children by Elizabeth Hunt Upshaw are held to be
> >technically illegitimate--that is why they all have "Upshaw" or
"Christian
> >Upshaw" as their family name. Understandably, this has created a certain
> >amount of confusion about Drury Christian. (See the discussion in
Christian
> >Family Chronicles, vol. xii, July 1988, pp. 1102-1104.)
> >
> >It is possible that Drury Christian who cherished Elizabeth Hunt Upshaw
as
> >his "companion" is not the same Drury Christian who married Mourning
> >Christian. The Drury of Elizabeth Hunt Upshaw appears to have died
before
> >Mourning Christian's Drury married her. (1783 vs 1785)
> >
> >The children of Drury Christian and Elizabeth Hunt Upshaw were: John,
> >Elizabeth, Lucy and Sally.
> >
> >Note that William Bradley's will divides some stuff equally between
> Elizabeth
> >UPSHAW and Martha OGLESBY. Martha Oglesby is clearly a daughter of
William
> >and Elizabeth Christian, but how did the Elizabeth Upshaw get in there?
> >
> >I have George H. Stovall as the son of Mary Bradley and James S. Stovall,
> but
> >I don't have Mary Bradley's parents. The way the will reads, this Mary
must
> >have married a second time to Thomas Johnson. The Mary Bradley and James
> >Stovall I have as parents of George Stovall were married in 1784--which
> could
> >fit having a minor son in 1805. So is Mary another daughter of William
> >Bradley, Jr.?
> >
> >Guess who married George Stovall in 1807? Nancy Christian, daughter of
John
> >Christian, b. 1748, son of Robert Christian and Lucy Bradley.
> >
>
> This is all really interesting, but where's the documentation? :-)
>
> Seriously, it seems as if it all makes sense, but I'd love to
> know where the various pieces of info came from so we can
> discuss the theories and see if we all agree? Maybe we can
> get some input from other CHRISTIAN and BRADLEY researchers,
> too. The more the merrier!
>
> I'm also wondering why William BRADLEY mentioned his grandchildren
> by his daughters Elizabeth and Mary but not by Lucy, Drury and
> Martha? And why did he call James CHRISTIAN and Thomas OGLESBY
> "friends" rather than sons-in-law? In the case of James CHRISTIAN and
> Lucy BRADLEY, is it possible that Lucy was not the mother of James'
> children so they were not actually William's grandchildren?
>
>
> Vickie Elam White
>
In a message dated 9/15/1999 11:21:37 PM EST, jsxian(a)mindspring.com writes:
> Have you seen the photo copy of the original Land Patent for Thomas
> Christian (and 275 other Christian grants & patents) at Library of Virginia
> site? You can download the image and print it. Files accessable from index
> at: http://198.17.62.51/collections/LO.html
>
> If you have any problems, let me know and I will send you copies or grants
&
> patents for any there.
I've seen the index cards at the site but for some reason I can't get the
actual documents to download and print. It may have something to
do with this darn AOL, but who knows...
If there is something specific that you think would help, I welcome a
copy. Thanks for the offer.
Vickie Elam White
Linda and Jim,
>The Bradleys and the Christians go 'way back. This will is for William
>Bradley, Jr., b. abt. 1735, son of William Bradley, Sr. Jr. had a sister
>named Lucy Bradley, who married Robert Christian, b. abt 1700, who was son
of
>Thomas Christian II and Rebecca New. Thomas II was son of Thomas the
>Immigrant.
>
>William Bradley, Jr. married Elizabeth Christian, but who her parents were,
I
>don't know. (Some say that William Bradley had three wives, but the
children
>are credited to Elizabeth Christian.) They had at least 3 children--Martha,
>Drury and Lucy II. Martha married Thomas Oglesby; Drury married Lucy
>Christian, daughter of Robert Christian, Jr. b. 1748 (son of Robert
Christian
>and Lucy Bradley, above), and a Mary Bradley, whose parents I don't know.
>Lucy Bradley II married James G. Christian, Sr., b. abt 1750, another son of
>Robert Christian and Lucy Bradley (above).
>
>Now, when we get to the Upshaw business, it gets interesting. (Remember
that
>it was said that William Bradley may have had three wives.) In the record,
>there are a number of Drury Christians, about whom there is some confusion.
>One of these Drurys is alleged to have had a fair-sized family by a
mistress,
>Elizabeth Hunt Upshaw and the children bore the name Upshaw, sometimes also
>Christian Upshaw.
>
>The Drury Christian in question here was born 1764 to Robert Christian, Jr.,
>and Mary Bradley. Here are my notes:
>
>Drury Christian's children by Elizabeth Hunt Upshaw are held to be
>technically illegitimate--that is why they all have "Upshaw" or "Christian
>Upshaw" as their family name. Understandably, this has created a certain
>amount of confusion about Drury Christian. (See the discussion in Christian
>Family Chronicles, vol. xii, July 1988, pp. 1102-1104.)
>
>It is possible that Drury Christian who cherished Elizabeth Hunt Upshaw as
>his "companion" is not the same Drury Christian who married Mourning
>Christian. The Drury of Elizabeth Hunt Upshaw appears to have died before
>Mourning Christian's Drury married her. (1783 vs 1785)
>
>The children of Drury Christian and Elizabeth Hunt Upshaw were: John,
>Elizabeth, Lucy and Sally.
>
>Note that William Bradley's will divides some stuff equally between
Elizabeth
>UPSHAW and Martha OGLESBY. Martha Oglesby is clearly a daughter of William
>and Elizabeth Christian, but how did the Elizabeth Upshaw get in there?
>
>I have George H. Stovall as the son of Mary Bradley and James S. Stovall,
but
>I don't have Mary Bradley's parents. The way the will reads, this Mary must
>have married a second time to Thomas Johnson. The Mary Bradley and James
>Stovall I have as parents of George Stovall were married in 1784--which
could
>fit having a minor son in 1805. So is Mary another daughter of William
>Bradley, Jr.?
>
>Guess who married George Stovall in 1807? Nancy Christian, daughter of John
>Christian, b. 1748, son of Robert Christian and Lucy Bradley.
>
This is all really interesting, but where's the documentation? :-)
Seriously, it seems as if it all makes sense, but I'd love to
know where the various pieces of info came from so we can
discuss the theories and see if we all agree? Maybe we can
get some input from other CHRISTIAN and BRADLEY researchers,
too. The more the merrier!
I'm also wondering why William BRADLEY mentioned his grandchildren
by his daughters Elizabeth and Mary but not by Lucy, Drury and
Martha? And why did he call James CHRISTIAN and Thomas OGLESBY
"friends" rather than sons-in-law? In the case of James CHRISTIAN and
Lucy BRADLEY, is it possible that Lucy was not the mother of James'
children so they were not actually William's grandchildren?
Vickie Elam White
In a message dated 9/15/99 1:54:47 PM, VEWhite(a)aol.com writes:
<< In a message dated 9/15/1999 2:08:08 PM EST, Nikeweenie(a)aol.com writes:
> I'm sorry I don't know the answers to your questions. I think I copied the
> will from the site you mentioned.
OK. With luck, someone else will have seen the original and can help.
Keep your fingers crossed.
> Something else I noticed in a previous posting. One of you mentioned Eliz.
> Hunt Upshaw. I believe there were two Eliz.'s, one was the daughter of
> William Bradley and m. UPSHAW the other is Eliz. HUNT common law wife
> of the
> CHRISTIAN gent.
> Is that right?
So they say. I have not seen the will which leads researchers to say she was
a common-law wife. I believe that the man who married Elizabeth BRADLEY,
William's daughter, was Leroy UPSHAW, but I'm not sure yet. I think that
came from the IGI, so it should be verified. Do you have a reference to the
will that mentions the common-law wife?
Are we having fun yet? :-)
Vickie Elam White >>
Dear Vickie,
are we having fun yet? Almost! I am pasting below a comment from a researcher
that is having as much trouble as I am finding the parents of his Joseph
Edmund Christian. He has studied many different lines of the Christian's and
if you wish to write him I'm sure he would be happy to answer your questions
if he can. His name is Jim Christian and his email is:
Xian78210(a)aol.com
Here are his comments on the Wm. Bradley will:
Dear Linda,
You sure tapped into a tangle. These people are in the Thomas line and
someone should be very happy to have that will, because there's some
confusion in the records I used.
The Bradleys and the Christians go 'way back. This will is for William
Bradley, Jr., b. abt. 1735, son of William Bradley, Sr. Jr. had a sister
named Lucy Bradley, who married Robert Christian, b. abt 1700, who was son of
Thomas Christian II and Rebecca New. Thomas II was son of Thomas the
Immigrant.
William Bradley, Jr. married Elizabeth Christian, but who her parents were, I
don't know. (Some say that William Bradley had three wives, but the children
are credited to Elizabeth Christian.) They had at least 3 children--Martha,
Drury and Lucy II. Martha married Thomas Oglesby; Drury married Lucy
Christian, daughter of Robert Christian, Jr. b. 1748 (son of Robert Christian
and Lucy Bradley, above), and a Mary Bradley, whose parents I don't know.
Lucy Bradley II married James G. Christian, Sr., b. abt 1750, another son of
Robert Christian and Lucy Bradley (above).
Now, when we get to the Upshaw business, it gets interesting. (Remember that
it was said that William Bradley may have had three wives.) In the record,
there are a number of Drury Christians, about whom there is some confusion.
One of these Drurys is alleged to have had a fair-sized family by a mistress,
Elizabeth Hunt Upshaw and the children bore the name Upshaw, sometimes also
Christian Upshaw.
The Drury Christian in question here was born 1764 to Robert Christian, Jr.,
and Mary Bradley. Here are my notes:
Drury Christian's children by Elizabeth Hunt Upshaw are held to be
technically illegitimate--that is why they all have "Upshaw" or "Christian
Upshaw" as their family name. Understandably, this has created a certain
amount of confusion about Drury Christian. (See the discussion in Christian
Family Chronicles, vol. xii, July 1988, pp. 1102-1104.)
It is possible that Drury Christian who cherished Elizabeth Hunt Upshaw as
his "companion" is not the same Drury Christian who married Mourning
Christian. The Drury of Elizabeth Hunt Upshaw appears to have died before
Mourning Christian's Drury married her. (1783 vs 1785)
The children of Drury Christian and Elizabeth Hunt Upshaw were: John,
Elizabeth, Lucy and Sally.
Note that William Bradley's will divides some stuff equally between Elizabeth
UPSHAW and Martha OGLESBY. Martha Oglesby is clearly a daughter of William
and Elizabeth Christian, but how did the Elizabeth Upshaw get in there?
I have George H. Stovall as the son of Mary Bradley and James S. Stovall, but
I don't have Mary Bradley's parents. The way the will reads, this Mary must
have married a second time to Thomas Johnson. The Mary Bradley and James
Stovall I have as parents of George Stovall were married in 1784--which could
fit having a minor son in 1805. So is Mary another daughter of William
Bradley, Jr.?
Guess who married George Stovall in 1807? Nancy Christian, daughter of John
Christian, b. 1748, son of Robert Christian and Lucy Bradley.
So there are some tidbits in there for the record. Nice find, Linda!
Gotta go!
Jim
In a message dated 9/15/1999 2:08:08 PM EST, Nikeweenie(a)aol.com writes:
> I'm sorry I don't know the answers to your questions. I think I copied the
> will from the site you mentioned.
OK. With luck, someone else will have seen the original and can help.
Keep your fingers crossed.
> Something else I noticed in a previous posting. One of you mentioned Eliz.
> Hunt Upshaw. I believe there were two Eliz.'s, one was the daughter of
> William Bradley and m. UPSHAW the other is Eliz. HUNT common law wife
> of the
> CHRISTIAN gent.
> Is that right?
So they say. I have not seen the will which leads researchers to say she was
a common-law wife. I believe that the man who married Elizabeth BRADLEY,
William's daughter, was Leroy UPSHAW, but I'm not sure yet. I think that
came from the IGI, so it should be verified. Do you have a reference to the
will that mentions the common-law wife?
Are we having fun yet? :-)
Vickie Elam White
In a message dated 9/15/99 10:07:52 AM, VEWhite(a)aol.com writes:
<< Linda,
You were kind enough to post a copy of William BRADLEY's 1799
will (proven in 1805), but I noticed something strange. The copy
of the will that is posted on the Elbert Co. GA GenWeb site has
the same strange thing, so I was wondering if you or anyone else
has the original and can check it.
Anyway, in the first part of the will William mentions his daughter
Mary JOHNSON. Then, in the second part he mentions "Thomas
JOHNSON and Mary THOMPSON his wife..." and then in the same
sentence calls her Mary JOHNSON again. Then in the next sentence
he calls them "Thomas JOHNSON & Mary JOHNSON his wife."
Was the Mary THOMPSON just a typo? Or did someone transcribe
it incorrectly? Or did William or the clerk who wrote up his will make
an error?
Vickie Elam White
>>
Dear Vickie,
I'm sorry I don't know the answers to your questions. I think I copied the
will from the site you mentioned.
Something else I noticed in a previous posting. One of you mentioned Eliz.
Hunt Upshaw. I believe there were two Eliz.'s, one was the daughter of
William Bradley and m. UPSHAW the other is Eliz. HUNT common law wife of the
CHRISTIAN gent.
Is that right?
I have looked into this line trying to place my Lewis Jefferson CHRISTIAN b.
1811 in TN somewhere and m. Lavina FRAZIER. I have not been able to find his
parents names or even a clue to who they were. Not even a sibling!
Linda