Monday, February 20, 2023

The Life of Dorinda Adair

 Dorinda Adair was born about 1820 in Alabama. She was a daughter of Zadock Adair and his wife Sarah Wood.

At age 16, Dorinda Adair married John R. Leath, a local merchant on 17 December 1836 in Lauderdale County, Mississippi.

"Voice of Sumter" edition 3 January 1837

MARRIED --In Lauderdale County [MS] on 17th ult [December 17, 1836] Mr John R Leath, merchant of Daleville to Miss Dorinda Adair.
Voice of Sumter newspaper, Livingston, AL
Web Address
www.genforum.genealogy.com/cgi-bin/pageload.cgi?zadock::adair::6030.html
Voice of Sumter:  Livingston, AL., January 3, 1837 : Third page: First column: 7th paragraph.

This marriage was short lived and Dorinda divorced John R. Leath on 20 December 1841.


The State of Mississippi}
Lauderdale County}

Dorinda Leath, Complainant} Bill for Divorce
vs}                                                    in
John R. Leath, defendant}          Chancery.
On motion of the Complainant and it appearing that the Defendant is a non resident of this State, it is ordered by the Court, that publication be made for three successive months, in the Mississippian, a newspaper published in this State, commanding the defendant to appear and plead, answer or demur to said bill, on the first day of the next term of said Court, to be holden for said County, at the Court House thereof, in the town of Marion, on the 4th Monday in May next, or the same will be taken for confessed, and the cause set down for hearing according.
{L.S.} Witness, the Honorable Henry Mounger, presiding Judge of the Fifth Judicial Circuit Court District, of said state, setting in  Chancery.
Given under my hand and seal of said Court. Issued the 20th of December, A. D. 1841.
Benjamin F. Parker C. C. C. L. C.
January 7, 1842.

After her divorce, Dorinda married her lifetime mate Epps Rivers Brown son of John H. Brown and Sarah Rivers. I haven’t found a marriage licensee or announcement for this marriage but believe it took place about 1842.  The reason for this is three-fold. First, she was still married until 20 December 1841. Second, on 2 Mar 1844, her father Zadock Adair executed a “Deed of Gift” to his daughter Dorinda:

 “for and in consideration of the natural love and affection for which I have and bear unto my Daughter Dorinda aforesaid Brown wife of E. R. Brown of the second part” (DB_D:17-18).

Third, Epps and Dorinda‘s known first born, a daughter, arrived on 19 April 1843. They most likely were married about July 1842.  

Between 1845 and 1847, Epps and Dorinda moved from Lauderdale County, Mississippi to Union County, Arkansas. Their first two children were born in Mississippi and the next eight children were born in Arkansas. In 1855, Epps father John H. Brown died in Lauderdale, Mississippi and his Mother, Sarah (Rivers) Brown moved to Arkansas. She can be found in the  household of her son, Epps Rivers Brown in the 1860 and 1870 Union County Federal Census.

In 1880, Epps and Dorinda still had a house full of children while in their Golden Years.

1880 CENSUS: Franklin, Union County, Arkansas; National Archives Film T9-0057, Family History Film: 1254057; Enumeration District: 270; Image: 0760,  Page 226C, Line 17, Dwelling 80, Family 84; E. R. BROWN, Male, Age 71, born in GA, Father born in NC, Mother born in SC; Dorinda BROWN, Wife, Age 60, born in AL, Parents born in TN; Ann BROWN, Daughter, Age 27, born in AR; Lu BROWN, Daughter, Age 25, born in AR; Mollie BROWN, Daughter, Age 21, born in AR; Lizzie BROWN, Daughter, Age 19, born in AR; Wayman BROWN, Son, Age 17, Born in AR.

Epps Rivers Brown died in 1881. It is not know when Dorinda passed away, only that it occurred between 1880 and 1900. No tombstones or obituary have been found for them. However, this short snippet was found for Judge Epps Rivers Brown. 

Judge Epps Brown, who died recently in Union county, was a native of Georgia, born in 1810.[Arkansas Democrat, Little Rock, Arkansas, 26 Jul 1881, Tue, Page 4, column 4]


Epps Rivers Brown is my 1st Cousin 5X Removed.




______________________

1. Married obituary, Voice of Sumter, Livingston, Sumter County, Alabama, United States, 3 January 1837, Page 3, Column 7. Mr. John R Leath, merchant of Daleville to Miss Dorinda ADAIR.

2. "Bill for Divorce," Legal Notice, The Weekly Mississippian, Jackson, Mississippi, 7 January 1842, Page 4, column 1; Digital On-Line Archives, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/ : viewed & transcribed 3 June 2019); https://www.newspapers.com/. Dorinda Leath, Complainant vs John R. Leath, defendant.

3. Lauderdale County, Mississippi, Deed Book "D": pages 17 & 18, Deed of Gift – Zadock Adair to his Daughter Dorinda Brown; 2 March 1844, Chancery Court, Meridian, Lauderdale County, Mississippi.

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