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(The photograph above was taken at the "Henderson Homeplace" in the Winter of 1923. Grandmother Minnie Jane Henderson Griffin referred to it as "Out in the sticks!")
LEWIS JARRELL HENDERSON
Lewis Jarrell Henderson,CSA, was born 15 April 1828 and died 21 November 1868. He was a son of Berrien "Berry" Sweat Henderson and it is now thought that Nancy Jarrell is his mother. He married Martha Ann Miller, born 25 December 1833 and died 17 May 1918. Martha was a daughter of Ezekiel Stafford Miller and Elender Dyess. Martha and Lewis had seven children and 65 grandchildren.
1. James Monroe "Jim", 28 January 1854 and died 3 October 1928. He married 1 March 1877 Nancy Ann Bennett, 13 September 1860 and died 14 December 1957. Nan was a daughter of John Bennett, son of Henry and Nancy Corbitt, and Sarah Wilson, daughter of Jesse and Mary Snowden, of Clay County, Florida. Jim and Nan had 11 children.
2. Nancy Ellen, 11 January 1856 and died 28 January 1936. She married Felix Winfield "Fee" Thornton. (I don't have their wedding date nor Uncle Fee's dates yet. Is he related to George W. Thornton?) Aunt Nancy and Uncle Fee had 10 children.
3. Ezekiel Stephens "Zeke", 19 August 1857 and died 28 December 1934. He married 31 January 1883, Jane Elizabeth James born 16 June 1865 and died 5 January 1892. She was a daughter of William Thomas James and Sarah Bennett. His second wife was Sarah Jane Britton, born March 1855 and died ?. This marriage was 4 January 1893. Uncle Zeke is buried next to his father in Mt. Pleasant P.B. Cemetery in Waycross, Ware County, Georgia. The cemetery was established in 1837. Uncle Zeke and Aunt Janie had 4 children. (Did he have children with Sarah Jane?)
4. Samuel Lewis "Sam", 31 January 1861 and died 20 October 1934. He married 21 October 1886, Martha Caroline James born 12 January 1872 and died 18 May 1922. Martha was a daughter of Benjamin Wesley James and Eveline Mullis. J.H.Miller, J.P. married the couple and it was recorded by Warren Lott, Ordinary of Ware County on 11 February 1887. Uncle Sam and Aunt Mattie had 14 children.
5. Eliza Elizabeth, 28 February 1863 and died 2 February 1951. Liza married 22 December 1881 John Williams Mixon, 19 April 1852 and died 15 March 1928. John was a son of Abraham and Nancy Parker. Uncle John and Aunt Liza had 10 children.
6. Martha Ann Victoria "Mattie", 15 January 1866 and died 10 August 1964. She married 22 December 1887, Jehu E. Byrd, 7 February 1872 and died 25 June 1938. This family moved to Mississippi.Uncle Jehu and Aunt Mattie had 5 children.(Grandfather Jim was writing to Mattie when he had the heart attack which killed him. Is this letter extant? I was told in growing up that you could see where his pen stopped writing and left a trail down the page. He had beautiful penmanship which has survived him.)
7. Martin Elias "Mart", 15 September 1868 and died 14 April 1933. Mart married circa 1892 Lula Jane Corbitt born 4 February 1876 and died 9 March 1948. Lula Jane was a daughter of Daniel Corbitt and Tobitha James. (Tobitha was a sister of William Duncan and Jane Elizabeth and Benjamin Wesley James.) Mart wanted no funeral. He is buried in Mt. Olive P.B. Cemetery in Manor, Ware County, Georgia. Lula Jane is buried in Booth Cemetery in Manor about a quarter of a mile away. Uncle Mart and Aunt Lula Jane had 12 children.
When you look at the birth dates of these children you see they were born before, during and after the War Between the States.
I have listed here the ages of the children at the time of Lewis' untimely death. James was 14; Nancy was 12; Ezekiel was 11; Samuel was 7; Eliza was 5; Mattie was 2; and Mart was one month and 6 days old. Martha Ann was 35 years old and would turn 36 in December.
About two years after Lewis' death, Martha Ann married George W. Thornton, 2 March 1822 and died 22 February 1895. Martha became a step mother to George and Mary Moody's 9 children. Mary was born 1820 and died February 1870.
Martha Ann and George had two children.
1. Amy Celestine, 1 May 1874 and died 28 December 1940. Amy married William Duncan James (1869 - 1935) a son of William Thomas James (1827 - 1896) and Sarah Bennett (1833 - 1908).
Amy and William raised 13 children.
2. Laura Belle, 25 December 1877 and died ? Laura married James Francis Lloyd who was born 1859 and died 1943. Jim and Laura are buried in Booth Cemetery.
Martha Ann is buried in Mt. Olive Cemetery next to her sister Catherine Miller Lee and brother-in-law, James "Jim" Lee.
George died in Manor. His body was taken by train to Schlatterville, Georgia and from the train taken to High Bluff P.B. Cemetery where he was buried beside Mary Moody Thornton.
When I was puting all this together, I became aware of the tragic drama which these people faced at this time. I find that all sorts of questions came to me about these relatives. Such as, What did Martha Ann do after being left a widow with these small children? Where did she live? How was she supported? How did she meet George? With their large families under one roof, how did they get along?
According to what I can figure out, the youngest four children were still at home when Martha married George. Holly Ann was 22 and married in 1874; Mary Emily was 18 and married in 1876; Rosalia was 12 and married in 1879; Georgia Ann was 9 but I don't have her wedding date nor spouse.
I am eternally grateful that George and Martha Ann married after losing their first spouses.
15 September 1998...a work of love in progress. Thank you Lewis and Martha Ann and George and Mary.
Click here to see George and Mary Thornton page.
Email: wayxga@aol.com
