Amy Johnson Crow of No Story To Small has started a challenge of 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks.
From her blog “The challenge: have one blog post each week devoted to a specific ancestor. It could be a story, a biography, a photograph, an outline of a research problem — anything that focuses on one ancestor. Not only should this get me blogging more, but also to take a deeper look at some of the people in my family tree.”
The focus of My blog posting today is Alice Catherine “Katie” Johns Toler daughter of Shadrach Johns and Mary Boan.
Katie was born in 1844 and first appears in the 1850 census for South Carolina. Her father is 50 years and farming to make a living. Shadrach must have became tired of farming and got an itch to travel and try another line of work. In 1860 we find the family living in Seals Station, Russell County, Alabama and Shadrach occupation is that of a – shingle getter. 1 2
The War starts and Shadrach goes off to war leaving his wife Mary to care for the four children – 2 boys and 2 girls. On 27 Sept 1864 at the age of 64, Shadrach got himself taken prisoner by the Yankee Army at The Battle of Vernon, Florida. He was sent off to Elmira, new York. On 29 May 1865 Shadrach was released from prison. 3
Then in December 1866 the entire family made a trek back to Chesterfield, South Carolina to execute two lands deeds for the sale of property they inherited. At this time they were living in Washington County, Florida. 4
Returning back to Alabama, Alice Catherine Johns weds Joel S. Toler on 30 Sept 1869 in Bullock County, Alabama. 5
The extended family now consists of Shadrach, his wife Mary; daughter Alice Catherine and Anna W.; two sons, Thomas H. and Joseph Henry and son-in-law, Joel S. Toler.
Then the family become a complete mystery. No record of any of the 7 individuals listed above can be found until 1880 Marlboro County, South Carolina.6
Shadrach, his son Joseph Henry, my great grandfather and two grandchildren, May/Mary and William Shadrac Toler are now living in Marlboro, County, South Carolina. Mary and William died with weeks of each other in May and June 1955.
What happen to the other family members – Mary, Anna, Alice, Thomas and Joel is still unknown today. I have exhausted ever lead trying to discover what happened to these five individuals between April 1874 and 3 June 1880 the date of the Census. Alice may had died from complication with the birth of her son William Shadrac in April 1874. Still, there is no explanation for what may have happen to the other family members. The family has not been found in any census for the year 1870. If you have information on this family, please contact me.
Alice Catherine Johns Toler is my Great Grand Aunt
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[1] 1850 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, enumeration district (ED) No ED, page 109A, Line 11, Dwelling 161, Family/161, Household of Shadrach JOHN; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed July 2011); citing National Archives Microfilm M432 Roll 851.
[2] 1860 U. S. Census, Russell County, Alabama, population schedule, Seals Station, Russell County, Alabama, enumeration district (ED) No ED, page 893, Line 7, dwelling 238, family 227, Household of Shadrick Johns; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed July 2011); citing National Archives Microfilm M653_22.
[3] Ancestry, "Civil War Service Records" database, Military Service Records (http://www.fold3.com/ : accessed 23 January 2013), entry for Shadrick Johns, Private; Capt. Parson's Company; Confederate.
[4] Land Deed - S. Johns & Others to Alice Goodwin Deed; 3 December 1866; Deed Book #6; Page(s) 177; Register of Deeds; Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina; 1999.
[5] "Alabama, County Marriages, 1809-1950," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1-9834-45374-94?cc=1743384 : accessed 02 Apr 2014), 1954390 (004539872) > image 321 of 1140.
[6] 1880 U. S. Census, Marlboro County, South Carolina, population schedule, Marlboro County, South Carolina, enumeration district (ED) #108, page 460A, Line 22, Dwelling # 43, Family #43, Household of Shade JOHN; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://ancestry.com : viewed July 2011); citing National Archives Microfilm T9_1235.
Charlie, with all the moves that family made, they could have gone anywhere. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteYes, and their absence from the 1870 Census is a reflection of the people attitude in the South toward the government after the Civil War.
ReplyDelete