The “Aunt & Uncle” series of biographical sketches are Artificial Intelligence (AI) compiled narratives of selected individuals from my Genealogical database. The selected AI will used the RootsMagic Individual Summary from my Genealogical Software, Roots Magic. All genealogical data is my research material acquired over the past 46 years of research. Today's Biography of Alexander Brock (1818- bef 1880) was compiled with the assistance of Claude Sonnett 4 and is entitled:
"The Brocks of Chesterfield: Alexander's Family Through Peace and War"
Early Life and Family Origins
Alexander Brock was born in 1818 in Chesterfield, South Carolina, during a time when the young nation was still finding its footing after the War of 1812. He was the son of Benjamin Brock (1790-1870) and Temperance (1800-1880), growing up in the rural agricultural community that would remain his home throughout his life.
Alexander came of age during a period of significant change in South Carolina. The 1820s and 1830s saw the state grappling with questions of states' rights and the nullification crisis, though for farming families like the Brocks, daily life centered around the rhythms of planting and harvest seasons.
Marriage and Family
Around 1842, when Alexander was about 24 years old, he married Timmrah White. Timmrah, born in 1824 in Chesterfield, was the daughter of Hosea White (1781-1853) and Harriett Brock. Interestingly, this means Alexander and Timmrah may have shared some family connection through the Brock line, as such marriages between extended family members were not uncommon in rural Southern communities of that era.
Together, Alexander and Timmrah built their family and raised six children:
Elizabeth (born June 1845) - She never married and lived a long life, passing away on February 15, 1921, at age 75. Elizabeth spent her later years living with her brothers and remained close to the family throughout her life.
Alexander Jr. (born June 1847) - Like his father, he remained in Chesterfield County. He was still living as of the 1900 census when he was 52 years old.
David (born 1848) - David married Eliza Jane White around 1875 and became a farmer. He lived until March 13, 1919, dying of angina pectoris at age 70. He was laid to rest in Brock Cemetery near Brocks Mill.
Ervin Samuel (born October 18, 1849) - Samuel, as he was often called, married three times and had several children. He lived a long life, passing away on October 5, 1931, at age 80, and was buried in Brock's Mill Cemetery.
John (born 1858) - The youngest son before the Civil War, John appears in census records through 1870.
T. Brock (born 1866, female) - Sadly, this daughter was born around 1866 and died sometime after 1870 but before 1880. It's believed that Timmrah may have passed away during or shortly after this child's birth, around 1866, as she no longer appears in records after this time.
Life Through the Decades
The 1850s: A Growing Family
By 1850, the census shows Alexander at age 32, living with Timmrah, age 26, and their young children. The household included 4-year-old Elizabeth, 2-year-old David, and infant Alexander Jr., just 7 months old. The family was farming in Chesterfield, like most of their neighbors.
In January 1856, Alexander participated in the estate sale of A.C. Ellerbre, showing his involvement in the local community's business affairs.
By 1860, the census taker recorded "Alex" at age 42, though curiously listed his wife as "Jenney" (likely a transcription error for Timmrah). By this time, the family had grown to include Elizabeth (17), David (14), Alexander (12), Samuel (9), and young John (2). These were the years just before the Civil War would dramatically change life in South Carolina.
The Civil War Era and After
The 1860s brought tremendous upheaval to South Carolina and the entire South. While specific details of Alexander's involvement in the Civil War aren't documented here, the conflict affected every family in the state. South Carolina had been the first state to secede in December 1860, and the war's impact on farming communities was devastating.
The 1870 census, taken during the difficult Reconstruction period, shows a much-reduced household. Alexander, now listed as age 60, was living with several of his adult children: Elizabeth (23), David (21), Samuel (18), Alexander (16), John (8), and young T. Brock (4, female). Notably absent was Timmrah, suggesting she had passed away, likely around the time of T. Brock's birth in 1866.
Final Years
Alexander Brock died sometime before 1880, as he does not appear in that year's census. He would have been around 62 years old, having lived through the antebellum period, the devastating Civil War, and the early years of Reconstruction.
Legacy
Alexander and Timmrah's children remained in Chesterfield County, carrying on the family name and traditions. In 1914, long after Alexander's death, his sons Samuel and David deeded their portions of a fifty-acre tract of land to their sister Elizabeth "for the love and affection we bear for our sister." This land had come to them through their father Alexander, representing a tangible connection to the family's roots.
The Brock family became well-established in the Cheraw area, with descendants continuing to farm and raise families in the same community where Alexander had lived his entire life. Their story is one of resilience through some of the most turbulent times in American history, maintaining family bonds and community ties across generations.
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