On this date in our family history . . . the 18th day of November . . . in the year 1896 . . . probably somewhere in Maine . . . a baby girl is born . . .
She is raised as Helen F. Brackett, and is said to be the daughter of Peter Brackett (1838-1927) and his wife, Elizabeth J. "Lizzie" Merrill (1841-1911). At the time of Helen's birth, Peter is 58, and Lizzie is 55 years of age.
For many years, it was believed that Peter and Lizzie were the birth-parents of Helen's older "sister" -- Eva May Smith (1874-1936) -- until the family lore from Maine was passed on to the Texas descendants that Eva May was actually the daughter of Lizzie's younger sister, Phoebe (1848-1927). Eva May is a maternal great-grandma of the Keeper of this blog.
Even before receipt of this info -- due to the age of Peter and Lizzie at the time of Helen's birth, as well as the gap of almost 23 years between the birth of their two "daughters" (and only children) -- there were questions about Helen's true parentage.
She is enumerated on the 1900 census as 3-year-old Hellen Brackett. And there is a small grave-marker for this little one sitting beside the tombstone of Peter and Lizzie. Engraved on it are the following words :-
Helen F. Dau. of
Peter & Lizzie J. Brackett
Nov. 18, 1896.
May 31, 1906.
Darling, we miss you.
That is all we know at this time. Little Helen needs to be researched further . . . her findagrave memorial page
begotten and not forgotten . . .
On this date in our recent family history . . . the 18th day of September . . . in the year 2007 . . . Gladys Coreen Taylor nee Muston dies in Waco, McLennan County, Texas . . . she is the sixth of seven daughters born to Charlie & Emma Patience (Nettles) Muston (my great-grandparents) . . . and the last one surviving . . . Aunt Gladys is laid to rest beside her husband, John A. Taylor (1909-1990), in the Lexington City Cemetery in Lee County, Texas . . . one of the older sisters of my Aunt Gladys is Ima Lois Pounders nee Muston (1906-1999), who is my paternal grandma . . . in the late 1950s and early 1960s, our little family would drive down the road to Lexington (from Rockdale) on Sunday afternoons to visit with Grandma (Emma) Muston, who lived right across the street from Aunt Gladys and Uncle John . . . so the Sunday visits always included them, too . . . remembering . . .
With much love and appreciation to Aunt Ida and cousin Stuart . . . and to cousin Esther in Lake Jackson . . .
The woman I knew as Aunt Ida was an older sister of my great-grandma, Berta Mary Henry nee Sharp (1873-1955) . . . so she is actually a great-grand-aunt. (Both Ida and Berta Mary are pictured in the collage on the left.) I do seem to remember going to East Texas to visit Aunt Ida when we were kids, but unfortunately I do not have any concrete memories of her.
It is said that it was someone in the Hall family who took the time and made the effort to arrange to record a 90-year-old Aunt Ida's memories of growing up on the Hall Plantation in Houston County, Texas. I am not sure why, but as far as I have been able to determine, not one of Berta Mary's descendants knew anything about this document, or about the stories of the Hall Plantation. I know my first knowledge of most of this information was through this 1962 deposition, which I first laid eyes on twelve years ago [1998]. Whoever did it, and for whatever reason, I am eternally grateful to my 2nd cousin once removed . . . Stuart Arlington Leaverton (1908-2001) . . . for sharing that document with me back in October of 1998 . . . exactly one month after his own 90th birthday.
Earlier this year [2010] I posted a tribute to our Mahala in which I talked extensively about that small packet of information shared by cousin Stuart. That small envelope contained the four pieces of paper referred to above, and shown in the collage. Each of the four is available for viewing as an individual page by clicking on the links below. Shortly after that post about our Mahala, I wrote of my very first hands-on encounter with the 150-year-old original of the 1860-1866 Journal of James Madison Hall (1819-1866). My very awareness of the existence of this Journal was also the result of receiving these four pages of typewritten paper. The notes in italics and [brackets] were added by me . . . the Keeper of this blog . . .
Page 1 of 4 pages :: most of the information on the following page was familiar to me . . . no big surprises here . . .
BEFORE ME, the undersigned authority, on this day personally appeared, Mrs. Ida Mae Sharp Halyard, known to me to be a credible person, who being by me duly sworn, deposes and says as follows:
My name is Ida Mae Halyard and I am 90 years of age. I was born November 3rd., 1871, on the old J. J. Hall Plantation, which is situated about twelve miles Northwest from the town of Crockett in Houston County, Texas, on Elkhart creek.
My father was Samuel H. Sharp and my mother was Mary Alexandrien Lamar [Lemaire] Sharp [my 2nd great-grandparents]. They were married but the one time and then on July 11th., 1861, and there were only six (6) children born to this union, namely:
1. James Hall 'Major' Sharp, a boy, born in the year 1863, and died in the year 1936, and he is buried with his wife, Emma Brightman Sharp, in Glenwood Cemetery in Crockett, Texas.
2. Sam H. Sharp, Jr., born in the year 1867, and died in the year 1921 and he is buried with his wife, Emma Henry Sharp in Lovelady Cemetery at Lovelady, Texas.
3. Maggie Sharp, born November 3rd., 1869, and died in the year 1935. She was married twice; first to John McCann, who was killed by being thrown from his buggy when his horse bolted and ran away, and secondly, to Frank Ward. She is buried in Glenwood Cemetery in Crockett, Texas. There is no marker on her grave, but she is buried next to, and to the left of her son, Earl McCann, whose grave is marked.
Page 2 of 4 pages :: I was not aware of the little girl named Willie before I saw the following page . . . and this is the very first time I heard of our Mahala [my 3rd great-grandma] . . . investigating who Mahala was led me to her father, Elisha Roberts [my 4th great-grandpa] . . . who is mentioned in the pages of Texas history . . . according to the history records on her father, Mahala grew up with the likes of Sam Houston, James Bowie, David Crockett, William B. Travis, and Stephen F. Austin sitting around the dinner table . . . and further investigation into Mahala led me to the lady / cousin in Lake Jackson, Texas who introduced me to a photo of our Mahala as well as to James Madison Hall and his 1860-1866 Journal which makes frequent mention of an assortment of my kith 'n kin in its pages . . .
4. Ida Mae Sharp Halyard, this affiant, born November 3rd., 1871 as stated above. I married George W. Halyard, and he is buried in Glenwood [sic] Cemetery, Crockett, Texas.
5. Berta Sharp, a girl, was born November 10th., 1873, and died in Rockdale, Texas. She was married to Edgar Henry who is also deceased. [my great-grandparents . . . I was born on her 78th birthday]
6. Willie Sharp, a girl, was born in the year 1875, and died about the year 1885. She is buried in the Hall Cemetery on the Ramon de la Garza grant in Houston County, Texas, near Elkhart creek.
My father, Samuel H. Sharp (Sr.), was the son of Mahala Lee Roberts Sharp Hall. I do not know my Grandfather Sharp's given name. My paternal grandparents had one other child, Margaret 'Sis' Sharp, and if there were any more children born of this union, I never heard of them.
My mother, Mary Alexandren [sic] Lamar [Lemaire] Sharp, was born in France [sic] and was of French extraction, but I know nothing about her family history, except that she owned land on the Robeson Survey, Liberty County, Texas, and I still own my inherited interest in this land.
My mother died when I was four years old, and is buried in the Hall Cemetery on the old Hall Plantation on Elkhart Creek, where I was born. There is a marker at her grave. My father never married again again after my mother's death, and died when I was above fourteen years old. He is buried next to and on the right side of my mother, but there is no marker at his grave. My sister, Willie is also buried beside my mother.
Page 3 of 4 pages :: all of the information on the following page 3 was new to me . . . this was the first mention of James Madison Hall . . . I am now in the first year of what will be a seven-year journey with this man and his kith 'n kin . . . transcribing on a daily basis the entries from his now 150-year-old Journal . . .
My Grandmother [Mahala] and my step Grandfather [J.J. Hall] are also buried in the Hall Cemetery, but I do not know where their graves are located.
My Grandmother [Mahala] came from San Augustine to Houston County, and I believe that my father [Sam] and aunt were born there before she came to this County. I do not know anything about her family, except that she had a sister named Margaret, who married a McDonald and lived in Houston County, Texas.
My Grandmother, Mahala Lee Roberts Sharp, married Col. J. J. Hall about the year 1850, and there were only two children born to this union; Roberta Hall, a girl and Horace O. Hall, a boy. J. J. Hall had been married before and had a son named James Madison Hall. If he had any children except these three, I never heard of them.
Horace O. Hall married Florene Kirkpatrick when I was about eight years old, and brought her to the Hall Plantation to live. They are both now dead and are buried in Glenwood Cemetery.
Berta Hall, who was one and the same person as Roberta Hall, married John Downes about the same time her brother married, but she and Downes did not live together very long. She then married Marcus M. Halyard, my husband's uncle, and moved away from Houston County in about the year 1902.
James Madison Hall married my Aunt Margaret Sharp about the year 1860, but he died before I can remember [1866] and left Aunt Margaret with one child, named Florence.
Page 4 of 4 pages :: I had heard of Lou Stewart but did not know how he connected . . . the following page explained who he was . . . the rest of the information on this page was new to me as well . . .
Margaret Sharp Hall, the widow of James Madison Hall, married Frank Stewart and they had two children named Ed Stewart and Lou Stewart. She died about the year 1878, but I do not know where she was buried.
Florence Hall married James Christian who was killed by a man whose name I do not recall. She later married again and moved to a place near Dallas and I never heard of her again.
I have been personally acquainted with the facts set forth in this affidavit both from personal knowledge and from family history. At one time I lived in the old Col. J. J Hall home on Elkhart Creek. This was a story and half house and had two large fire-places."
(Signed by Ida Mae Halyard)
Sworn to and subscribed before me, this the 13 day of September, A.D. 1962.
(Signed by Dennis C. Frazier) Notary Public, in and for Houston County, Texas.
THE STATE OF TEXAS
COUNTY OF HOUSTON
BEFORE ME, the undersigned authority, on this day personally appeared, Ida Mae Halyard, known to me to be the person whose name is subscribed to the foregoing instrument, and acknowledged to me that she executed the same for the purposes and consideration therein expressed. GIVEN under my hand and seal of office, this the 13 day of September, A.D. 1962.
(Signed by Dennis C. Frazier) Notary Public, in and for Houston County, Texas."
This blogpost was prepared for the 98th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy . . . hosted by Jasia at Creative Gene . . . who asked us to discuss a document that helped us break down a brick wall on your family tree . . . and to discuss the information that appears on the document and how it contributes to your family history . . . poster courtesy of footnoteMaven . . .
From September 28, 1840, to November 18, 1851, Nicholas Adolphus Sterne kept a diary of his daily activities, which is a valuable source of information on the period of the republic. The names of some of our kith 'n kin are scattered through these pages. Below you will find what Sterne wrote about on this date in 1843. Mrs. Elisha Roberts is my 3rd great-grandma, Martha "Patsy" Roberts nee Gill (ca. 1781 - 18 Dec 1845) and Mrs. Sublett is one of her daughters, and my 3rd great-grand-aunt, Esther Jane Sublett nee Roberts (1808-1891).
Tuesday the 17th January [1843] weather still moderate-- Concluded not to go any further East, Sabine very high-- Mr Hoya went on with C. H. Gibson to Natchitochez [Louisiana]-- and myself returned to San Augustin [Texas], Stopped on the Road to see my old friend and acquaintance MRS ELISHA ROBERTS also MR AND MRS SUBLETT, arrived at San Augustin at 11 A. M. Dined with Deyoung. heard Miss Morange perform on the Piano-- herself and her Brother performed a Duet composed by Braham it was a treat indeed, such a one as I do not expect again in Texas-- left San Augustin at 2 oclock P. M, and stopped all night at Walter Murrays
On the 24th day of December in the year 1865 . . . The little woman drove up town and purchased divers and sundry toys to be distributed to the children to night by way of presents from St. Nicholas put into their respective stockings.
The quotes above and below, regarding Christmas Eve during the years 1860 through 1865, are excerpts from a daily Journal kept by James Madison Hall (1819-1866).
During this time period, Hall was married to a 2nd great-grand-aunt of the Keeper of this family history blog, who was delighted to find in these daily recordings multiple mentions of some of her 2nd and 3rd great-grandparents, as well as other kith 'n kin.
Monday Dec. 24th 1860. I am still in Liberty and at work in the store, doing but little business. The steamer Swan left for Galveston to day, leaving me behind. I am however passing my time quite pleasantly, weather cool, cloudy & rainy. [Liberty, Texas]
Tuesday December 24th 1861. Today I am engaged in the ware house. I made the boys kill and salt down 1060 lbs. pork. weather clear & cold. I patrolled at night. [Liberty, Texas]
Wednesday December 24th 1862. To day I drove my horse Gladiator and buggy down to Mothers [i.e., Mahala Lee Sharp Hall nee Roberts, my 3rd great-grandma, and stepmother as well as mother-in-law to JMH] and brought up a basket of glass ware. In the evening the little woman [i.e., Margaret A. Hall Stewart nee Sharp] drove down to her Mothers [Mahala] and back to try the horse and buggy. I purchased from Mr. Renfro some fodder & peat. weather cloudy, warm and showery. [Houston County, Texas]
Thursday December 24th 1863. To day the boys are still at work on the stables. I sent John over to Rives; still after the demijohn & wallet also for some whiskey but he did not get any in consequence of the still house having been having been robbed the night before. I ground 12 bushels of corn, and Sam [i.e., Samuel Houston Sharp, my 2nd great-grandpa, as well as stepbrother AND brother-in-law of JMH] ground 3 bushels of wheat. In the evening Capt. Peacock and I rode down to Fathers [i.e., Col. Joshua James Hall] and back. Times are quite brisk at the house preparing for Christmas dinner.* Weather changeable & cool with occasional showers of rain. [Houston County, Texas]
Saturday December 24th 1864. To day the boys assisted me at the mill we ground 4 bushels of wheat & 23 bushels of corn. Weather cloudy & cool with occasional showers of rain. [Houston County, Texas]
Sunday December 24th 1865. To day I am very busy at work at the warehouse. We shipped 146 B/C [i.e., bales of cotton] by an extra train of the T.&N.O. R.R. for Houston. The little woman drove up town and purchased divers and sundry toys to be distributed to the children to night by way of presents from St. Nicholas put into their respective stockings. Weather variable and cool. [Liberty, Texas]
*Preparing for Christmas dinner during this time period would most definitely have included gathering the ingredients for making egg nog ... and since today, the 24th day of December, just happens to be National Egg Nog Day, I am including a receipt for egg nog that is similar to one I found in a cookbook from the years of the war between the states.
Ingredients:
- 12 separated Eggs
- 1 cup granulated Sugar
- 1 cup Bourbon
- 1 cup Cognac
- 1/2 tsp. Salt
- 3 pints Heavy cream
- Grated Nutmeg
Mixing instructions:
Beat yolks until light in color. Slowly add bourbon, cognac, while beating at slow speed. Chill 3 hrs. Add salt to whites, beat to peaks. Whip cream until stiff. Fold whipped cream into yolk mixture, then fold in the beaten egg whites. Chill one hour. Serve with nutmeg sprinkled on top. For thinner mixture add 1 or 2 cups of milk.
Sweethearts Join Hands in 1894 Christmas Wedding
A copy of the following newspaper article turned up in my files -- source unknown. I assume it probably came from my 1st cousin once removed, Georgia Faye (Henry) Kaseberg (1925-2001), as she was always so good about giving me copies of whatever finds she made.
- Bride :: Ella May Hamilton nee Henry :: born 26 October 1875 in Grayson County, Texas :: died 14 December 1967 in Rockdale, Milam County, Texas :: a daughter of my 2nd great-grandparents, William Paschal Henry (1836-1912) and Josephine Wingfield Henry nee Davis (1842-1899)
- Groom :: James David Hamilton :: born 19 September 1872 in Kentucky :: died 03 May 1922 in Rockdale, Milam County, Texas after coming in contact with a high-powered electric wire following a storm :: son of Joseph David Hamilton (1832-1905) and Mary Katherine Hamilton nee Hughes (1842-1906)
Bethlehem Community
To the Messenger:
December 24 [1894].
Once more I come, heralding the news from old Bethlehem. Since my departure it seems that marriage bells have been substituted for [Christ]mas bells. I have attended weddings for the past two weeks and still have several invitations left.
Last Thursday night [i.e., 20th December 1894] both young and old began to congregate at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. W.P. Henry Sr., [my 2nd great-grandparents] for the purpose of witnessing the marriage ceremony between J.D. Hamilton and their daughter, Ella, conducted by Hon. W.D. Wells of Rockdale, with J.B. Henry and Miss Cornelia Bowling, Hubert Phillips and Miss Elma Rettig as attendants.
After which the entire crowd was ushered into the dining room, where they partook of a most wonderful, excellent and appetizing repast.
Well Mr. Editor, as I have an invitation to attend a wedding at Mr. and Mrs. Thos. Phillips, I will close by giving a list of presents. Enclosed please find some of the wedding cake.
The presents were as follows:
- Mr. and Mrs. Thos. Phillips, table cloth
- Miss Della Phillips, glass set
- Miss Isa Phillips, set of casters
- Mr. Hubert Phillips, syrup pitcher
- Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Rettig, cake stand
- Miss Elma Rettig, fruit dish
- Mr. and Mrs. J.C. Bowling, fruit stand
- Miss Nona Bowling, fruit dish
- Miss Cornelia Rettig, head rest
- Mrs. Lizzie Baumgartner of Iowa, photograph case
- Mrs. M.F. Antony, set goblets [i.e., Margaret Frances Antony nee Davis (1833-1912), sister of Mother of the bride]
- Messrs. Wallace Moody and Jno. Gore, pair towels and syrup pitcher
- Mrs. S.H. Sharp, dusting brush [i.e., Emma Sharp nee Henry (1872-1944), sister of the bride, & twin sister of my great-grandpa]
- Mr. J.B. Henry, set cups and saucers and spoons [i.e., Jerome Bonapart Henry (1870-1956), brother of the bride]
- Mr. and Mrs. W.P. Henry Jr., price of present [i.e., William Paschal Henry, Jr. (1868-1941), brother of the bride, & his wife, Annie Mae Henry nee Calvert (1874-1950)]
- Mr. L.O. Stewart, cake plate [i.e., Louis O. Stewart (b. June 1873), a 1st cousin of Berta Mary Sharp (1873-1955) who is the future wife of a brother of the bride, & my great-grandma]
- Mr. and Mrs. W.P. Henry Sr., plates, knives and forks, salt and pepper stand, glass set, pair linen towels, table cloth, set glasses and lamp [parents of the bride, and 2nd great-grandparents of the Keeper of this geneablog]
Sol.
On this date in our extended family history . . . the 20th day of August . . . in the year 1912 . . . Nellie Josephine Henry is born in Milam County, Texas. This lovely woman I knew as Aunt Nellie was actually my grand-aunt, i.e., she was the youngest sister of my maternal grandpa, Robert E. Henry (1905-1976).
Nellie was the 8th of eight children known to have been born to my maternal great-grandparents, Edgar and Berta Mary (Sharp) Henry. She was named for both of her grandmothers -- Mary Alexandrien "Nellie" Sharp nee Lemaire (1843-1876) and Josephine Wingfield Henry nee Davis (1842-1899).
In 1938, Nellie married Alton Brooks Peebles, who happened to be a 3rd cousin once removed to the man Nellie's niece, Roberta, would marry in 1950. (I do not know whether they ever knew they were related!)
- Nellie Josephine Peebles nee Henry
born 20 August 1912 in Milam County, Texas
died 02 November 1996 in Austin, Travis County, Texas
- Alton Brooks Peebles
born 17 August 1913 in Lexington, Lee County, Texas
died 29 July 1991 in Rockdale, Milam County, Texas
Originally uploaded by
In 1891, Miss Mable Pendleton won a gold medal from the Baylor Historical Society for her essay dealing with the history of Bell County, Texas . . . the following statement is an excerpt from that essay . . .
On July 30th, 1850, Mrs. Matilda F. Allen, nee Connell, conveyed to Bell County out of the Connell League, one hundred and twenty acres of land on which was to be located the permanent county seat of Bell County. It is in this land that Belton is now built. Mrs. Allen was the mother of Mr. John Connell.
This Matilda Connell Allen Allen nee Roberts (1808-1879) is an older sister of Mahala Lee Sharp Hall nee Roberts . . . who is a 3rd-great-grandma to the Keeper of this family history blog . . . Matilda's name is mentioned on the above historical marker which is located near the Bell County Courthouse in Belton, Texas . . .
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| *Is this the Lizzie who was married to Peter Brackett? |
On this date in our family history . . . the 28th day of July . . . in the year 1911 . . . Elizabeth J. Brackett nee Merrill is laid to rest in the Laurel Hill Cemetery in Saco, York County, Maine . . . familiarly known as Lizzie, she is an older sister of Phoebe, who is a 2nd great-grandma of the Keeper of this family history blog, AND . . . this Lizzie is the woman who raised Phoebe's daughter (my great-grandma), Eva Mae, as her own child . . .
Biddeford Daily Journal
Friday, July 28, 1911
Service Largely Attended
Funeral of Mrs. Lizzie J. Brackett Was This Afternoon
Funeral services for Mrs. Lizzie J. Brackett were this afternoon at 2 o'clock in her late home on Beach Street, Saco, and were largely attended by relatives and friends. The service was conducted by Rev. H.R. Simonds, pastor of the Advent Christian church, this city, and the singing was by a quartette from the same society.
About the casket were many beautiful flowers, which bore silent testimony to the high esteem in which Mrs. Brackett was held. Among these was a cushion from Mr. and Mrs. T.W.A. Smith, this city, which bore the word "mother." There was also a spray of roses from Mrs. Brackett's little grandson, Thomas W.A. Smith. Besides these there were many other set pieces from the societies to which Mrs. Brackett belonged as well as from relatives and friends.
Interment was at Laurel Hill. The bearers were four members of the Advent church.
Biddeford Daily Journal
Wednesday Evening, July 26, 1911
DEATH OCCURS AT 70 YEARS
MRS. BRACKETT ILL BUT A FEW HOURS
The death of Mrs. Lizzie J. Brackett, wife of Peter Brackett of Saco, occurred at her home, 74 Beach street, about 5 o'clock Tuesday night at the age of 70 years and four months, after an illness of comparatively a few hours. Mrs. Brackett, who had been one of the most active and interested women in patriotic circles, was stricken with apoplexy Monday, since which time until her death Tuesday evening her condition was most critical.
She was born in Scarboro, and was the daughter of William T. and Olive J. (Goodwin) Merrill, and was the oldest of a family of 11 children. Mrs. Brackett had lived for many years in Biddeford and Saco, where she has been a prominent member of the Pythian Sisterhood, the Golden Cross. She was also a member of the Christian Advent church on Hill street. She was possessed of most generous characteristics and was a friend in time of need.
Besides her husband Mrs. Brackett leaves three brothers, Daniel H., George and Fred of Pine Point, and three sisters, Mrs. Phoebe Tripp of Gorham, Mrs. Nellie Sullivan and Emma Snow of Pine Point. The funeral will be Friday afternoon at 2 o'clock from the late residence. Relatives and friends invited without further notice.
*The image of the lady in the collage (above) was shared by a cousin in Maine . . . this woman was identified as "Lizzie Merrill" but the cousin is not sure if it is the Lizzie who married Peter Brackett . . . please do contact benotforgot if you are able to positively identify this woman.
