It’s Family Time~The Joel S. Toler Family, Alabama, Florida and South Carolina

Alice Catherine Johns the wife of Joel S. Toler was born about 1844 in Chesterfield County, South Carolina. At age 6, she was enumerated with her parents Shadrach and Mary Boan Johns on the 1850 Chesterfield County, SC Census.
By 1860, her parents had relocated to Russell County, Alabama where she and the family can be found in the 1860 Census.

In September 1869, Alice Catherine Johns married Joel S. Toler in Bullock County, Alabama. Russell and Bullock share a common county line as seen in the map section posted here:

We next find Alice Catherine (A. C.) Toler mention in two Chesterfield County Land Deed (DB 5: 598-599 and DB 6:177). These two land deeds show the families  (Johns/Toler family) living in Washington County, Florida.

Shadrach and Mary Boan Johns named on first line.

Anna Johns, A. C. [Alice Catherine] Toler and H. J. Johns shown as signatures on the deed.

Joel and Alice Catherine Johns Toler had two Children:

• Mary Toler, b. 2 June 1871; d. 12 May 1955, Marlboro County, SC.
• William Shadrac Toler, b.  5 Apr 1974; d.  19 June 1955, Chesterfield Co., SC

Information on the family is almost none existence after September 1866.  And it wasn't until I found the two children above living with their Grandfather Shadrach, age 80, and Uncle Joseph Henry in the 1880 census that I realized the enormity of some calamity that happen to family sometime before 1880.

Shadrach before returning to Marlboro County where is is enumerated in 1880 lost the following members of his family:

• His wife – Mary Boan Johns, b. 1815
• His daughter Alice Catherine Johns Toler, b. 1844
• His son-in-law Joel S. Toler, age unknown
• His son Thomas H. Johns, b. 1847
• His daughter Anna W. Johns, b. 1854

No information has been found to document what happen to these family members. Shadrach, Joseph Henry, Mary Toler and William Shadrac Toler survived and returned to Marlboro County.

No known death date has been found for Shadrach Johns. His two grandchildren lived a long life both dying within a few weeks of each other in May and June 1955.


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. Land Deed - S. Johns & Others to Alice Goodwin Deed; 3 December 1866; Deed Book #6; Page(s) 177; Register of Deeds; Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, SC; 1999.
4. Bullock County, Alabama, Alabama, County Marriages, 1809-1950, , Marriage of Joel S. Toler & Alice Catherine Johns, 30 September 1869; image, Latter Day Saints, Family Search (http://www.FamilySearch.com : viewed, download 23 May 2014).
5. Ancestry, "Civil War Service Records" database, Military Service Records (http://www.fold3.com/ : accessed 29 May 2014), entry for J. S. Toler, Private; Company A, Alabama 29th Infantry Regiment.; Confederate.

Surname Saturday~Toler

I challenge you, my readers, to grab a cup of coffee or a glass of something cold, sit down at the computer and take on this challenge – Find Joel S. Toler and his new bride Catherine  in the 1870’s census. 

Joel S. Toler is the most mysterious individual that I have in my database. He married my Great Grand Aunt, Alice Catherine “Katie” Johns on 30 September 1869 in Bullock County, Alabama. ¹



I think that Joel severed in the Civil War. I have so little information that I cannot tell if this is the Joel S. Toler or someone else. Regardless, his entire record on Fold3 consists of two pages, an Index page and this page.²  



This document indicates that the above J. S. Toler served as a Private in Company A of the 29th Regiment, Alabama. ³

The document also indicates that J. S. Toler name appeared on a “ROLL OF PRISONERS OF WAR” of men employed in the Commissary Dept., meridian, Miss., Confederate States Army, commanded by Maj. A. E. Love, C. S., surrender at Citronelle, Ala., by Lieut. Gen. R. Taylor, C. S. A., to Maj. Gen. E. R. Canby, U. S. A., May 4, 1865, and paroled at Meridian, Miss., May 12, 1865.
Roll dated Meridian, Miss., May 12, 1865

Joel wife Catherine was named within a Chesterfield County, SC Land Deed on 3 December 1866 (Deed Book 6, page 177 and Deed Book 5, page 598).  Ironically, Alice Catherine in December 1866 signed these deeds as A. C.  Toler.

 

There are some TOLERS in Randolph County, Alabama; it’s a few miles north of Russell and Bullock County where Joel and Catherine and her parents were known to be.  All three counties are in eastern Alabama or on the border with Georgia.

Joel and Alice Catherine Johns Toler had two Children:

• Mary Toler, b. 2 June 1871; d. 12 May 1955, Marlboro County, SC.
• William Shadrac Toler, b.  5 Apr 1974; d.  19 June 1955, Chesterfield Co., SC

In the 1860 census Alice Catherine parents are in Russell County, Alabama.⁴ In Dec 1866 Land Deed, they (Johns family) are shown living in Washington County, Florida. In 1880, Shadrach Johns can be found in the 1880 census with his youngest son, Joseph Henry, and these two Grandchildren. Shadrach is 80 years old.⁵ 




 


Joel and Alice have not been found in any census. I have no birth date for Joel. There is an Alabama death date for a J. S. Toler of 29 January 1916 in Covington. I’m trying to obtain a copy of this death certificate.








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[1] Bullock County, Alabama, Alabama, County Marriages, 1809-1950, , Marriage of Joel S. Toler & Alice Catherine Johns, 30 September 1869; image, Latter Day Saints, Family Search (http://www.FamilySearch.com : viewed, download 23 May 2014).
[2] Ancestry, "Civil War Service Records" database, Military Service Records (http://www.fold3.com/ : accessed 29 May 2014), entry for J. S. Toler, Private; Company A, Alabama 29th Infantry Regiment.; Confederate.
[3] Ibid.
[4] 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.
[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.

52 Ancestors, #14~Alice Catherine Johns Toler

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.