Laura Driggers Johns is my Great Grandmother.
After thirty-five plus years of research today’s posting is meager because little evidence has been found to document her life.
My Great Grandfather, Joseph Henry Johns, was born April 1849 and died 8 April 1929. He was the son of Shadrach Johns and Mary Boan. 1 2
Joseph Henry married between the 1880-1900 censuses and his wife passed away during that time. The exact date of Joseph marriage is unknown but what we do know is that his first born was a son named Walter Joseph, born 2 Aug 1883. This date is from the 1900 census and there is conflict over Walter Joseph’s birthdate.
BIRTH NOTE CONFLICT: 1900 Census shows Walter John born August 1883. Social Security Form 5 shows Walter Johns date of birth as 2 August 1878. He died in Jan 1964. Draft Registration Card shows DOB as 2 Aug 1878. Film #1852503. Tombstone shows birth year of 1899. Social Security Death Index shows a birth as 2 Aug 1895.(You can see that Joseph Henry was not married until after 1880, so we know the 1878 birth date is bogus.)
Great Uncle Walter lived until 31 Jan. 1964. His obituary has no mention of his parents. His South Carolina Death Certificate should become available this year.3
Family folklore maintains that Joseph Henry wife name was Laura Driggers. South Carolina Death certificate #000520 for Nellie Johns Huestes shows her parent as Joe Johns and Laura Driggers. 4
The only Laura Driggers I have found is a 10 year old living with her grandfather Jeremiah Polson/Polston in the 1880 Census. Next door is Joseph Johns. 5
Family Finder on FTDNA says that my DNA match with another descendant of Jeremiah Polston through his grandson Jesse Allen Polston and that we are 2nd to 4th Cousin. My match on FTDNA also has “Driggers” connection.6
Joseph (Joe) and Laura has 8 children between the early 1880’s and July 1898, when their youngest daughter, Mamie was born. Laura is not listed in the 1900 census; Mamie is listed but is gone by 1910. It looks as if Laura did not survive the birth of her daughter and that her daughter Mamie also perished before the 1910 census was enumerated.
After the loss of Laura, Joseph remained single and his NC death certificate shows that he took his own life on 8 April 1929 in McFarland, Anson County, North Carolina. 7
In summary here is what I know about Laura Driggers.
- She was listed as age 10 in the 1880 census.
- She is the Grand daughter of Jeremiah Polston. Jeremiah had at least 3 wives and 23 children; 11 sons and 12 daughters. One of those 12 daughters is the Mother of Laura Driggers for her to be Jeremiah Polston grand daughter.
- She married Joseph Henry Johns most likely before Aug 1883.
- She had 8 known children; five (5) survived to adulthood.
- She died before 1900 most likely due to complications with the birth of her daughter Mamie in July 1898.
- Her parents have not been identified, as of today.
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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] North Carolina, death # #1929 (8 April 1929), Joseph Johns; http://www.Ancestry.com, Anson County, North Carolina.
[3] South Carolina Death certificates become public records fifty years after death.<http://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/South_Carolina_Deaths,_1915-1943_%28FamilySearch_Historical_Records%29>
[4] Nellie Huestes, death certificate 000520 (18 January 1928), Vital Records, Department of Health and Environmental Control, Columbia, Richland County, South Carolina.
[5] 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.
[6] https://www.familytreedna.com/family-finder-compare.aspx
[7] North Carolina, death # #1929 (8 April 1929), Joseph Johns; http://www.Ancestry.com, Anson County, North Carolina.
Hello my name is Naomi Nelson Young. My great grandfather was Walter Nelson, his mother was Lizzie Driggers who married John N Nelson. I have been unable to figure out where she died but she was born around 1850 in South Carolina. My Ancestry.com DNA says I am genetically linked to Jeremiah Polston as well as Archibald Boan and Mary Walton, through their daughter Mary Boan who married Shadrock Johns who married Laura Driggers. I have been unable to figure out who Lizzie's parents were or how I am connected to the Boan and Polston families. This has me aggravated because Lizzie has been my brick wall for 30 years.
ReplyDeleteWell Namoi, you and I shared the same frustration. I have been trying to break down this wall for 41 years. Please write to me at CPurvis1@gmail.com; maybe together we can make some progress. Thanks for reading my blog.
ReplyDeleteHello I am searching the John's family too! Robert John's was my father. But I did not receive his name
ReplyDeleteLanora, as you can see above; your comments were truncated. Would you please re-post.
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