Tombstone Tuesday~Eli Whittington

In yesterday’s post we saw the “Petition for Guardian” for two of the three daughters of Eli Whittington and his wife Margaret Elizabeth Brock. The focus today will be on their Father – Eli Whittington.

Photo Courtesy of Julious Burr

Eli Whittington was born in 1840 according to the 1850 and 1860 Census for Chesterfield County, South Carolina. He is enumerated in the Household of Matthew White in both Censuses listed as age 9 and 17 respectively. His tombstone has a birth year of 1840 and a death year of 1876.[1][2]

The Whittington Surname is very limited in the county and the only likely source for Eli’s parents are Moses Whittington and Rachel White. Rachel White Whittington, age 35, is also enumerated with Matthew White in the 1860 Census for Chesterfield County, South Carolina. Matthew and his Wife Jane are the grandparents of Eli Whittington.
On 26 December 1861 Eli Whittington enlisted into the Civil War as a Private with Company A, 4th Cavalry Regiment South Carolina. Eli survived the War,  returns to Chesterfield and marries Margaret Elizabeth Brock about 1868. No marriage records or newspapers account of the marriage exist and the date is calculated based on the birth of their first born child – Massey Lou Jane Whittington, b. 26 June 1869.[3]

Eli Whittington died in 1876 as a very young man approximately 33-36 years old. 

Eli was the only known child of Moses and Rachel White Whittington and they had three daughters before his death in 1876. Thus, the Whittington surname is no longer found in Chesterfield County and to my knowledge the above tombstone and the tombstone of his wife Elizabeth Brock are the only two known WHITTINGTON tombstones to exist in the county. 









 
 
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[1] 1850 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Page 179B-180, Line 36, Dwelling 1246, Family 1246, Household of Matthew WHITE; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 18 November 2012); citing National Archives Microfilm M432 Roll 851.
[2] 1860 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Page 48/117B (stamped), Line 1, Dwelling 333, Family 332, Household of Matthew WHITE; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 18 November 2012); citing National Archives Microfilm M653-1217.
[3] Ancestry, "Civil War Service Records" database, Military Service Records (http://www.fold3.com/ : accessed 30 March 2013), entry for Eli Whittington, Private; Twelfth Battalion, Cavalry (Fourth Squadron Cavalry); Confederate.

Amanuensis Monday~Petition for Guardian

Amanuensis Monday is a genealogy blogging theme. It was started by John Newmark who writes the TransylvanianDutch blog.

His definition of Amanuensis is:
Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

Today’s subject is a Petition for Guardian of R. A. and S. A. Whittington beginning with some background information.
About three years after returning from the Civil War, Eli Whittington married Margaret Elizabeth Brock, daughter of Samuel W. Brock and his wife Martha. Between 1869 and 1874 they had three daughters. Then in 1876, Eli Whittington suddenly died at the early age of of 36 leaving Margaret Elizabeth a widow with three small children. [1] [2]
Margaret Elizabeth then marries Joseph B. Sellers sometime after the 1880 census was enumerated. In early 1890, Margaret Elizabeth Brock Sellers dies leaving two children under the age of twenty-one. Rachel Anna Whittington was 19 years old and Sarah A. Whittington was 16 years old at the time of their Mother’s death. The below Petition for Guardian is part of Estate Folder # 200, Chesterfield County, South Carolina. James P. Brock is the brother of Margaret Elizabeth Brock Whittington Sellers.[3]
 

 
State of South Carolina} in the court of
County of Chesterfield} Probate
Ex Parte } Petition for Guardian
To H. D. Tiller Judge of probate for Chesterfield County
The Petition of the undersigned Respectfully Represents
I. That your petitioners as heirs at law of Elizabeth Sellers Deceased is entitled to the an Estate Real and personal of the value of 100 $50 fifty Dollars
II. That yore Petitioner are as I is miners ovr the age of fourteen years
III. That yore petitioner has no one to take charge of Said Estate for them wherefore yore Petitioner prays that this Court appoint Jas P Brock as there Guardian to take charge of and to controle Said Estate for them and yore Petitioners will ever pray &
Witnefs
J. F. Sellers                                                                  S. A. X Whittington
                                                                                    R. A. X Whittington
 
 
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[1]1870 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Court House, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Page: 296A (Stamped); Line 28, Dwelling 176, Family 176, Household of E[li] Whittington; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 30 March 2013); citing National Archives Microfilm M593_1491.
[2]1880 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Court House, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, enumeration district (ED) #005, Page 325C; Line 42, Dwelling 255, Family 255, Household of Sam BROCK; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed March 2012); citing National Archives Microfilm T9-1225.
[3] Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Probate Files & Loose papers, Appointment of Guardians - S. A & R. A. Whittington; digital images, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org: viewed 30 March 2013); Estate Folder #200.