Clay County AlArchives Biographies.....Mitchell, Henry & Mary Avera ca1767 - 1843
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R. L. Guffin rguffin@Stillman.edu May 18, 2009, 2:48 pm
Author: R. L. Guffin
Two Generations of the Descendants of
Henry and Mary Avera Mitchell of Chester Co., SC
By R. L. Guffin
Henry Mitchell was born in or around 1767 in Virginia. His family of origin is not known
but he was raised in an agricultural society and probably learned farming skills from his youth.
It is also apparent that he learned the craft of tailoring as a young man, likely before he left home.
By 1790 he had migrated down to Johnston County, NC. He could have come with friends or relatives
but there were apparently no other Mitchells around him. On September 4, 1792 he was married to
Mary Polly Avera,
the daughter of Jacob and Ann Faile Avera. Shortly after the birth of little Nancy Mitchell,
their first child, on November 12, 1793, this young couple moved down to the north central
portion of Chester County, SC.
Mary Avera was listed as Mary Ann Avera in a 1980 genealogy report on the Mitchell family.
It indicated that was the name listed on her tombstone. However, a closer reading of the tombstone
indicated that the name was Mary Avry Mitchell. Records in Johnston County, NC showed the name as
Avera consistently in the late 1700's. However, we know that Mary had a brother who went by Avery.
Mary's name was actually Polly in their marriage record which was a common nickname for Mary.
Finally, the oldest daughter of Mary's second son was named Mary Avery Mitchell.
This may be a clue as to how the family pronounced the name.
The deed records of Chester County, SC indicated that Henry Mitchell was a Yeoman, meaning
that he was an independent, landowning farmer with the reputation as a good worker.
He had a plantation on Sandy River which was constantly changing in size. He traded freely,
buying and selling both land and slaves. His first known land purchase in Chester County was
100 acres for $100. on November 15, 1797 from a land speculator named Josiah Hill who owned over
12,000 acres and often sold plots to new settlers just arriving in the county. Henry would have
been around thirty years of age at the time.
Henry Mitchell seems to have gotten along well with his neighbors. He had neighbors by the
name of Henry Smith and Moses Smith and later he names a child for each of these men. And he
likely attended the Smiths Chapel Methodist Church where he and Mary were buried. He also
appears to have been a compassionate man. When a son died, leaving two children nearby, he gave
them the land where their father had lived. On another occasion, when a son-in-law in Georgia
died suddenly, he sent money for the support of his daughter and her three children.
Henry and Mary Avera Mitchell were married for eighteen years and ten days and had ten
children, each of whom lived to maturity and were married. Mary Avera Mitchell was 39 when
she died, having been born December 22, 1770 in Johnston County, NC and dying on September 14, 1810
in Chester County, SC. Her youngest child, Elizabeth Mitchell, was only 21 months old when her
mother died. The oldest child was a few weeks short of her seventeenth birthday. Of the ten children
Henry and Mary had together,
there were four girls and six boys.
It was likely in the spring or summer of 1811 when Henry Mitchell married a lady that he had
probably known for some time. She was a widow, Mrs. Nancy Boyd Jones. She had been born around 1777,
the daughter of William and Ann Smith Boyd, and had married Joseph Jones in July of 1794 in Chester County, SC.
Joseph and Nancy had four children, Ann, William, Joseph Jr., and Jonathan when Joseph died in 1808.
With her four added to Henry's ten children, the Mitchell household was likely a lively one. Early in
1812 Nancy knew she was expecting and on June 28, 1812 she gave birth to twin daughters. One of these
daughters did not survive although we have no record as to how long she lived. The surviving twin,
Jane Oliver Mitchell, was the one who filled out the birth pages
of the Mitchell family bible some years later when she was still a girl.
There has been speculation as to why three different Mitchell children had Oliver as a middle
name one in the first marriage and both twins in the second. But no documentation has been provided
as proof.
Henry and Nancy Boyd Mitchell had three more children following the twins, two boys and a girl.
The youngest was Charles Boyd Mitchell who was born in November of 1818 when his father was around fifty-one.
Charles remained in Chester to get married and look after the family affairs following the death of his
father on November 22, 1843. Henry was buried by the side of Mary, his first wife, at the Smiths Chapel
Cemetery north of Chester, SC, the county seat of Chester County, SC. Nancy Boyd Mitchell
died three months after her husband, Henry, and it has been said that she went to live with her daughter,
Jane Oliver Mitchell Lucas, after Henry's death. Jane was probably a member of the Liberty Baptist Church
in Chester County and Nancy was buried in that cemetery. Later Jane and her husband, Thomas Lucas, were
buried there as well.
This fact we know about the Mitchell family. Of the ten children born to Henry and Mary Avera Mitchell,
nine of those left and settled in other states. And of the five children born to Henry and Nancy Boyd Mitchell,
only one moved west and that was the youngest, Charles Boyd Mitchell, who lived in several states before
eventually settling in Texas.
The author descends from Henry and Mary Avera Mitchell through their fifth child and third son,
Hardy Mitchell, named for his uncle, Hardy Avera of Johnston County, NC. For many years the author's research
was centered around Hardy and his family but about five years ago it broadened to include the families of
Hardy's siblings. To date, about ninety-two grandchildren have been found for Henry Mitchell and his two wives.
The remainder of this paper is a summary of that research.
Children and Grandchildren of Henry Mitchell of Chester County, SC by his two wives:
1. Nancy Mitchell, born November 12, 1793 in Johnston Co., NC; m. John Ray around 1812;
said to have moved to TN, then southwest AL, and thence to Greene County, AL where John is said to have died;
the family is found after this in Neshoba Co., MS where Nancy drew land on September 1, 1848. This county was
the place where the family remained until the death of Nancy Mitchell Ray in 1872. Nancy was buried in the
Carolina Presbyterian Church Cemetery and her oldest daughter is buried nearby.
1a. Hulda Huddleston Ray, b. in June of 1814 in SC; m. Andrew Pickens Henry in Greene
Co., AL on September 3, 1833; she died in 1902 in Neshoba Co., MS and is buried in the
Carolina Presbyterian Church Cem.; she and Andrew had ten children.
1b. Sarah Jane Ray, b. ca. 1816 in SC; no further information
1c. Elizabeth Ray, b. ca. 1818 in SC; no further information
1d. Nathan H. Ray, b. ca. 1820 in SC; m. Martha Lee ca. 1843; they had at least eight
children; he was in Neshoba Co., MS in 1860 and not in 1870.
1e. Susan Ray, b. ca. 1822, likely in SC; no further information
1f. William H. Ray, b. ca. 1825 in AL(?); m. Nancy ____ ca. 1845 in AL; had at least 6
children; lived in Neshoba Co., MS before the Civil War.
2. James Mitchell, born May 29, 1795 in Chester Co., SC; m. (1)Margaret McCammon ca.
1816 in Chester Co., SC; moved to Troup Co., GA briefly in the 1820's and then on to Macon County, AL
where he farmed. It is said that James went to apprentice as a carpenter under a Captain McCammon
in SC when he was sixteen years old. He won the favor of the Captain's sister and later married her.
Margaret died in 1850 in Alabama, having been the mother of eight children. Sometime later James Mitchell
married (2)Theresa White but had no children by her. James was industrious and accumulated quite a
bit of land in Alabama. In the 1860 census of Macon Co., AL, James Mitchell is shown as having real estate
valued at $3500. and a personal estate worth $7758. He would have been considered a fairly wealthy man in
his day. It is almost certain that James Mitchell became a Primitive Baptist in Troup Co., GA along with
his brother, Hardy Mitchell, and his sister, Elizabeth Mitchell Shadinger. Each of the three remained in
that denomination the remainder of their lives. As a carpenter he was called upon to
build a meeting house for his own congregation, Mt. Olive Primitive Baptist Church, in 1852. James was
buried at Mt. Olive following his death in Lee County, AL in 1867. His second wife died in 1879 and she
is also buried at Mt. Olive. A sketch written at the time of his death indicated that James and his first
wife had eight children, but only seven of those have been identified. Evidently only three of those were
living when James made his will in Lee County, AL on December 23, 1867.
2a. Mary A. C. Mitchell, b. around 1817 in Chester Co., SC; m. ca. 1836 in AL to Josiah
Payne; they are believed to have had five children prior to Josiah's death in Macon Co.,
AL in 1841; Mary died in Macon County in 1848.
2b. William Milton Mitchell, b. January 10, 1819 in Chester Co., SC; m. Mary Elizabeth
Taylor on June 2, 1842 in Macon Co., AL; answered the call to become a Minister of the
Gospel as a young man and was a Primitive Baptist minister for the remainder of his life;
he not only served as pastor of the Mt. Olive Primitive Baptist Church for decades but for
many years was editor of The Gospel Messenger, a Primitive Baptist periodical. Elder
Mitchell went to the AL Reserves during the civil war at age 46. He was a Private in
Captain Frazier's Company, enlisting on August 20, 1864. His military record listed him
as being 6 feet, 2 inches tall, with blue eyes, light hair, and a dark complexion. He was
also listed as both a farmer and a minister. William and his wife had eleven children
together. William died on February 26, 1901 in Lee County, AL and was buried in the
Mt. Olive Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery.
2c. Lucinda Mitchell, b. ca. 1820 in Chester Co., SC; m. Milledge Towles (1818-1904) on
November 16, 1843 in Macon Co., AL; had one son, James Toliver Towles ca. 1844;
Lucinda died before September of 1846 in Macon Co., AL.
2d. Nancy Mitchell, b. ca. 1822 in Chester Co., SC; m. Francis Taylor on July 28, 1842 in
Macon Co., AL; Nancy died in August of 1842 in Macon Co., AL; no children.
2e. John Henry Mitchell, b. ca. 1824 in Chester Co., SC; m. Nancy Amanda Sharp, b.
1832 in GA, on November 10, 1850 in Macon Co., AL; may have been in the Civil War;
moved to Eclectic, AL which was in Elmore Co., AL when that county was formed in 1866;
they had four children; John reportedly died around 1868 and Nancy lived until 1914.
2f. Elizabeth Mitchell, b. ca. 1826 in SC, GA, or AL; m. George W. Cryer on April 26, 1843
in Macon Co., AL; this family was in Chambers Co., AL in 1860 and later in Elmore Co.
where she died on November 13, 1882; George and Elizabeth Cryer were both buried in
the Good Hope Cemetery. They were the parents of seven known children, one of whom
was killed by lightening as a child in Chambers County, AL.
2g. Hardy Mitchell, b. ca. 1831 in GA or Macon Co., AL; he m. ca. 1852 to Caroline Collins
and both were baptized into the fellowship of the Mt. Olive Primitive Baptist Church in
Macon Co., AL in August of 1854; they were the parents of five children; Hardy enlisted in
Co. D of the 37th AL Infantry Regt. of the Confederate States Army on April 1, 1862 at
Auburn, AL; he was killed near the Battle of Corinth, MS in October of 1862, his name
appearing on a company report dated October 13 as being killed. Caroline Collins
Mitchell died on January 7, 1898 in Lee Co., AL and she is buried in the Mt. Olive Cem.
3. John Mitchell, born March 31, 1797 in Chester Co., SC; he married Mary Harden (1796-1862) on
July 17, 1819 in Chester Co., SC; John became a farmer in Chester County and in
1826 he purchased 104 acres of land on Sandy River from his father. This same piece of land
was sold back to Henry Mitchell in 1839 for $900. and this is likely when John moved his
family to Macon County, AL; John and Mary had five children by that time and they would
have no more in AL; because John did not settle first in western GA, he did not have the
same Primitive Baptist influence as did several of his siblings. He therefore remained in the
Methodist church as had his parents. Like his father and brothers, John Mitchell was very
industrious and the 1860 census indicated that his real estate was valued at $4000. and his
personal estate was worth $7000. This would have made him one of the wealthier farmers in
his part of Macon County. John signed his will on July 12, 1865 and he died on August 15, 1865 in
Macon County. Mary Harden Mitchell had died back on August 7, 1862 and John
was married a second time to a lady whose name just shows up as Mary. The family has
never been able to determine her maiden name. John had one daughter by his second wife
and her name was Susan. John is said to be buried in the family cemetery in Lee Co., AL.
3a. Jane Walker Mitchell, b. Dec. 8, 1821 in Chester Co., SC; she married Nathan Flournoy
Trotter on September 1, 1842 in Macon Co., AL; moved to Helena, AR in 1851 and in 1852
moved to Jacksonville, AR which is now in Pulaski County; Nathan was a prosperous
farmer who owned 600 acres of land and a large Cotton Gin; they were Methodists;
Nathan died in 1895 and Jane on October 9, 1898 in Pulaski County; this family had eight
children, six of whom lived to maturity.
3b. Mary Avery Mitchell, b. December 19, 1823 in Chester Co., SC; she married Milledge
Towles on September 15, 1846 in Macon Co., AL; (he had previously been married to
Lucinda Mitchell, Mary's first cousin, who died young); this couple moved to Panola Co.,
MS where they were the parents of five daughters; Mary died on December 19, 1896 and
Milledge died in 1904 in Panola County.
3c. Margaret A. Mitchell, b. ca. 1825 in Chester Co., SC; she married James Matthias
Cadenhead, called Matt, on December 23, 1849 in Macon Co., AL; this couple moved to
Panola Co., MS around 1866; they raised seven children; Margaret died on September 21,
1886 and was buried in Batesville, Panola Co., MS.
3d. George Harden Mitchell, b. ca. 1828 in Chester Co., SC; married Susan Jane Glaze on
December 10, 1849 in Macon Co., AL; they had two known sons, Burnie and Louis
Mitchell, ages 8 and 2, respectively, in the 1860 census of Macon Co., AL; George is said
to have enlisted in the Confederate Army and was deceased on or before July, 1865.
3e. Elizabeth Amanda Mitchell, b. September 10, 1834 in Chester Co., SC; m. to Winston
Collins on December 25, 1853 in Macon Co., AL; they had at least three children (Mary,
John, and Eudora) and Winston likely died as a Confederate soldier; on January 26, 1897
Elizabeth was married to her brother-in-law, Milledge Towles, following the death of her
sister, Mary. Elizabeth is believed to have died after 1900 in Panola Co., MS.
3f. Martha Dorsey Mitchell, b. September 9, 1837 in Chester County, SC; m. (1)William
B. Collins in the 1850's in Macon Co., AL; there is no evidence of any children and
he may have died in the Civil War; m. (2)Andrew Jackson Wood in November, 1865
in Macon Co., AL; moved around 1867 to Panola Co., MS; had three sons and a dau.;
son George Harden Wood was an M.D. in Panola Co., MS and son, Russell David
Wood, was a Dentist in Panola Co., MS.
3g. John T. Mitchell, b. abt. 1840 in Macon Co., AL; enlisted in Confederate Army and
died at Pt. Lookout, MD on May 28, 1856.
4. Mary Polly Mitchell, b. April 19, 1798 in Chester Co., SC; m. Cornelius Dorsey, Jr.
Abt. 1816 in Chester Co., SC; believed to have moved fairly early in their marriage to
Pickens Co., AL and a bit later to Carroll Co., MS; the oldest son was spokesman for
his mother's heirs at the death of Henry Mitchell in 1843 and there is a chance that both
Cornelius and Polly were both deceased by that time; neither the date nor place of death for
Polly Mitchell are known.
4a. Robert Walker Dorsey, b. January 13, 1818 in Chester Co., SC; m. Nancy Jane Overton
on November 12, 1840 in Carroll Co., MS; they had two sons and three daughters; this
family later moved to Pulaski Co., AR where Robert's first cousin, Jane Walker Mitchell
Trotter and her husband were living; Nancy died in Pulaski County in 1859 and Robert
died there on March 13, 1889.
4b. Henry Mitchell Dorsey, b. April 21, 1819 in Chester Co., SC; m. (1)Mary Elizabeth
Jackson on November 5, 1846 in Carroll Co., MS and by her he had ten children; m. (2)
Nancy UNKOWN bef. 1880 and she was dead by 1881 when he m. (3)Mary Catherine
McKay; Henry moved in his latter years to Fannin Co., TX where he d. October 11, 1890.
4c. John Adams Dorsey, b. February 23, 1821 in Chester Co., SC; m. Margaret UNKNOWN
abt. 1843 in MS and they had six known children; John d. March 3, 1899 in Leake Co., MS
4d. George Harden Dorsey, b. January 20, 1823 in SC or AL; m. Mary Catherine McKay on
December 31, 1846 in Carroll Co., MS; they had eleven children; later moved to Wood Co.,
TX where George died in 1874.
5. Hardy Mitchell, b. November 22, 1799 in Chester Co., SC; witnessed one deed in Chester
Co., SC before moving to Fayette Co., GA with his younger sister, Elizabeth, and her husband; m. Rebecca Post
on October 25, 1827 in Fayette Co., GA; they moved to Troup
Co., GA in the late 1820's where he farmed near the present day town of Hogansville; in 1832
Hardy drew land in the Cherokee Land Lottery and moved to Cobb County, GA about 21 miles north of where
Atlanta is today; he began buying up land wherever he could get it and by 1851 he owned 880 acres and
lived in a two-story plantation house about 4 miles north of Marietta, GA; in West GA Hardy and Rebecca
had become affiliated with the Primitive Baptists just as had his older brother, James; in Cobb County
they were affiliated with the Bethlehem Church for a while and in 1857 joined the Maloney Springs
Primitive Baptist Church about two and a half miles south of Marietta; Hardy Mitchell died three
days after his sixty-first birthday and was buried in the cemetery at Maloney Springs (the cemetery
is still there although the church disbanded many years ago); Rebecca Mitchell, nearly blind in her
last years lived on in the old plantation home; she and several daughters survived the Civil War but
appealed for a reduction of taxes after the war which was granted; she died on June 7, 1885 and was
buried at Maloney Springs with Hardy; she was survived by ten of their eleven children.
5a. John Mitchell, b. July 20, 1828 in Troup Co., GA; m. (1)Nancy Dunn on November 11,
1851 in Cobb County, GA; owned a farm in East Cobb just west of Roswell; served in the
Confederate Army briefly; Nancy Dunn Mitchell died when Gen. Sherman's troops went
into the Mitchell house, bringing in beehives from the yard resulting in the bees stinging
Nancy until she died on July 25, 1864; m. (2)Mrs. Winnerford Watson Boss, a widow who
had one son, on September 27, 1866; John was the father of six children by Nancy and
four by Winnerford; John died on January 18, 1892 in Cobb Co., GA and was buried in
the Willeo Cemetery with both wives buried with him. Winnerford died in 1896.
5b. Henry Mitchell, b. January 13, 1830 in Troup Co., GA; m. Missouri Jolley abt. 1858 in
Cobb Co., GA; he farmed near the Bethlehem Primitive Baptist Church in East Cobb
County; they had six known children; Henry enlisted in Co. D of the 7th GA Infantry Regt.
which was engaged in VA during the Civil War; he was wounded at Perryville; he and
Missouri were separated in the late 1880's but never got a divorce; Henry later lived alone
and at times with his oldest sister; he died on March 12, 1902 and is buried in the Sandy
Plains Cemetery in Marietta, GA.
5c. Elizabeth Ann Mitchell, b. January 12, 1832 in Troup Co., GA; m. in 1851 to William B.
Dunn (brother to Nancy Dunn Mitchell) in Cobb Co., GA; they farmed and had nine
children six boys and three girls; William enlisted in the Second GA Reserves during the
Civil War and was sent to be a prison guard at the Andersonville Prison in South Georgia;
he soon began suffering from Consumption and his wife brought him home; he was never
strong after the war and died on January 8, 1874; Elizabeth Betsey Ann Mitchell Dunn
outlived her husband a little over fifty years and never remarried; (she was the author's
great grandmother); she died April 24,1924 in Cobb County, GA and was buried with her
husband in the Sandy Plains Cemetery in Marietta, GA. She had left the Primitive Baptists
and joined with the Missionary Baptists.
5d. Mary Mitchell, b. December 18, 1833 in Troup Co., GA; m. William Ellsberry Jones on
September 17, 1858 in Cobb Co., GA; William served four years in Co. F of the 19th GA
Infantry Regt.; their seven children were born in GA but this couple moved to Rains Co., TX
in 1879 and shortly thereafter to Hunt Co., TX; William died in 1901 and Mary lived until
July 14, 1919; they were buried in the Lone Oak Cemetery in Hunt Co., TX.
5e. Martha Mitchell, b. May 18, 1838 in Cobb Co., GA; m. James McClain, a widower, on
December 17, 1885 in Cobb Co., GA; she was 47 when she got married; she d. Sept. 21,
1901 and was buried in the Mars Hill Presbyterian Church Cem. in Cobb County, GA.
5f. Nancy Mitchell, b. in 1839 in Cobb Co., GA; she had an eye that was slightly crossed and
she walked with a limp, reportedly caused by a cow kicking her when she was a child; she
never married and spent her declining years at the Confederate Home in Atlanta; her place
of burial is not known nor is the date of her death known.
5g. Emily Mitchell, b. August 19, 1841 in Cobb Co., GA; never married; d. November 30,
1875 in Cobb County, GA and buried with her parents at Maloney Springs Cemetery.
5h. Rebecca Mitchell, b. February 19, 1844 in Cobb Co., GA; m. Thomas M. Smith on March
7, 1865 in Cobb Co., GA; they moved to Atlanta in their latter years; they were the parents
of four known sons and a daughter; Rebecca died, probably in Atlanta on December 3,
1908, and was buried with her parents at Maloney Springs in Cobb County, GA.
5i. Sarah Mitchell, b. July 29, 1845 in Cobb Co., GA; m. William H. Dewees on Dec. 27, 1870
in Cobb Co., GA; they lived in Marietta and raised four children three boys and a girl;
Sarah died on May 8, 1909 in Cobb County, GA and is buried in the Sandy Plains Cem.
5j. Angeline Mitchell, b. April 8, 1849 in Cobb Co., GA; m. William Charles Kemp, her
second cousin, on November 18, 1869 in Cobb Co., GA; she died December 29, 1904 in
Cobb County, GA and is buried with her husband in the New Salem Baptist Church Cem.;
they had two daughters and two sons and lived in the Marietta area for many years.
(Angeline's grandmother, Mary Avera Mitchell, and William's grandfather, Jacob Avera
or Avery Jr. were sister and brother.)
5k. Rhoda Mitchell, b. May 24, 1852 in Cobb Co., GA; m. Aaron Dickerson Kemp (brother of
William Charles Kemp) on January 20, 1875; they farmed on a portion of the old Hardy
Mitchell plantation in Cobb County where they raised fours sons and a daughter; Rhoda
died on August 2, 1904 and is buried in the Sandy Plains Cemetery in Marietta, GA; A. D.
Kemp lived until 1923 and was buried with his wife at Sandy Plains. He and Rhoda were
second cousins, both being great grandchildren of Jacob and Ann Fail Avera of NC.
6. Matilda Mitchell, b. November 4, 1801 in Chester Co., SC; m. to Samuel Conn around 1820 in
Chester Co., SC; there is evidence that Matilda died young; her portion of her
father's estate went to her three daughters at the death of Henry Mitchell; Henry did sell a
tract of land to Samuel Conn in 1833 but Matilda have already been deceased by that time;
it was an 87 acres plot of land sold for $175.; it is evident that Matilda was the only child born
to Henry Mitchell's first wife, Mary Avera, who died and was buried in SC; no grave marker
has ever been found for her.
6a. Mary Conn, b. about 1821 in Chester Co., SC; m. Josephus Johnsey; said to have had
at least one son, John H. Johnsey; no further information.
6b. Hannah Louise Conn, b. August 11, 1825 in Chester Co., SC; m. William George
Ferguson (1811-1879) ca. 1843 in Chester Co., SC; this family moved to FL where they
raised five sons and three daughters; William died in Jackson Co., FL in 1879 and Hannah
lived her last few years in Sumter Co., GA, dying in the little town of Desoto, GA on August
19, 1900.
6c. Nancy Conn, b. ca. 1827 in Chester Co., SC; m. Daniel Morris probably in Chester Co.,
SC; they are mentioned in the settlement of the Henry Mitchell estate but have not been
located in other records.
7. William Oliver Mitchell, b. March 23, 1803 in Chester Co., SC; m. Anna Thomas in Chester
Co., SC in the early 1820's; moved to Troup Co., GA around 1829 to be near his brothers, James and Hardy;
served with American forces in the Seminole War in FL in 1836; moved his family to Harris Co., GA around
1837 and to Heard Co., GA shortly thereafter to be near a
brother, Henry Smith Mitchell; the family was in Talladega Co., AL by 1850 and he entered
public land in that county in 1851; in 1852 he purchased land in Ashville, AL which later
became a part of Clay County; William and Anna had a least six children and possibly
more, with six living to maturity; this family was affiliated with the Missionary Baptists;
William died in Clay Co., AL on August 7, 1874; Anna is said to have moved to Arkansas
following the death of her husband, but she was still living in Clay Co., AL in 1880 with her
youngest daughter, Permelia Thomas, and her husband, with the exact same census
also showing her living with her daughter, Nancy Royster, and her husband.
7a. Mary Elizabeth Catherine Mitchell, b. July 1825 in Chester Co., SC; m. ca. 1842 to
James C. Yates; this family primarily lived and raised their family in Heard Co., GA; it is
said that they had as many as eleven children; James died in 1880 in Randolph Co., AL
and Mary died on February 16, 1889 in Randolph Co., AL and is buried in the Mt. Prospect
Baptist Church Cemetery in Randolph Co., AL.
7b. Richard A. Mitchell, b. January 24, 1827 in Chester Co., SC; m. (1)Martha Johnson on
February 12, 1852 in Talladega Co., AL; they were the parents of three children; the family
moved to Saline Co., AR in 1857 and Martha died there in 1858; m. (2)Rebecca Harris on
December 8, 1859 in Calhoun Co., AR; they had six children; moved after the war to
Montgomery County briefly and then to Polk Co., AR where he owned 440 acres of land
and had a water mill, a grist mill, and a saw mill on the Ouachita River. Richard died in
Polk Co., AR sometime after 1884.
7c. Nancy Mitchell, b. January 16, 1829 or 1830 in Troup Co., GA; m. Bannister or Banister
Royster on January 24, 1850 in Talladega Co., AL; they were the parents of eight children;
He d. in Clay Co., AL in 1888 and Nancy outlived him by 26 years, dying November 11,
1914 in Clay Co., AL. Both are buried in the Smith-Jones Cem. two miles S. of Ashland.
7d. Rebecca Mitchell, b. ca. 1832 in Troup Co., GA; m. Simeon Jasper Davis on October
25, 1849 in Talladega Co., AL; they were parents of nine children; Rebecca d. after 1880
when she was living in Clay Co., AL.
7e. David H. Mitchell, b. ca. 1835 in Troup Co., GA; m. Rebecca Jane Walker on August 27,
1854 in Talladega Co., AL; they were the parents of four known children; David was likely
a Confederate soldier; a David H. Mitchell was in Co. A of the 12th AL Inftry. Regt., but that
company was raised in Mobile and it is unlikely he would have been that soldier; on the
other hand, a D. H. Mitchell was Corporal of Instruction at the Confederate Training Camp
for the then 10th Congressional District of AL and this is more likely our David H.; it has
been assumed that he died somewhere between 1862 and 1870; no further information.
7f. Permelia A. Mitchell, b. ca. 1840 in Heard Co., GA; m. David G. Thomas ca. 1856, prob.
in AL; they had eight known children; David and Permelia were in the 1880 census of
Clay County, she being listed as 39. David is shown in the 1900 census of Clay Co., AL
with a second wife with whom he had been married twenty years, according to the census.
Therefore, it must be assumed that Permelia died in or around 1880 in Clay Co., AL.
8. Henry Smith Mitchell, b. October 30, 1804 in Chester Co., SC; m. Lucy Ann _________;
one source said her maiden name was Nutt, but proof has not been found; this couple likely
married in Chester Co., SC ca. 1827 and moved shortly thereafter to Montgomery Co., AL
with Henry's younger unmarried brother, Benjamin. Henry and Lucy moved to Heard Co.,
GA in the 1830's and lived near his brother, William Oliver Mitchell. It is likely that the first
four children were born in AL and the last seven of their eleven children were born in GA;
Henry farmed and the value of his real estate in 1860 was $500. and the value of his personal
estate was $300. Sometime in the 1850's this family moved over into Calhoun County, AL and lived in the
western portion which was taken into Cleburne County after the war. They
lived just south of the present town of Heflin. After the war most of the family returned to
Heard Co., GA. It is believed that Henry and Lucy died in the 1870's in Heard Co., GA
although no dates of death are known and no burial place has been found.
8a. Mary Jane Mitchell, b. September 15, 1828 in Montgomery Co., AL; m. Jackson J. Eady
on January 4, 1848 in Heard Co., GA; this family had twelve children; Jackson was a
soldier in Co. K, 56th GA Inftry. Regt. during the Civil War and was at the surrender with
Gen. Joseph E. Johnston at Greensboro, NC; he returned home to farm and died some
time after 1880 and is said to be buried in Haralson Co., GA; Mary Jane also died after
1880 and is said to be buried in the Centralhatchee Cemetery in Heard Co., GA.
8b. John D. Mitchell, b. abt. 1830 in Montgomery Co., AL; m. Louisiana ______, likely in
Heard Co., GA; they had three known sons, John M., George H. and Charles H.; John is
believed to have died in the 1870's in Heard Co., GA.
8c. James H. Mitchell, b. abt. 1832, likely in Montgomery Co., AL; m. Ellen McDaniel on
September 2, 1860 in Calhoun Co., AL; they are known to have five children; James was
a 4th Sgt. in Co. I, 48th AL Infantry Regt. enlisted in Calhoun County; his regiment under the
command of Col. William C. Oates, fought at Little Round Top at Gettysburg and other
major engagements in MD and VA; moved back to Heard Co., GA after the war where he
farmed; he and his family are last found in Heard County in 1870; no further information.
8d. Nancy Mitchell, b. abt. 1834, likely in Montgomery Co., AL; was with the family in 1850;
no further information.
8e. Emily Adeline Mitchell, b. October 10, 1836 in Heard Co., GA; m. William Henry
Rhodes on November 18, 1849 in Calhoun Co., AL; this family had ten known children;
they remained in Calhoun Co., AL after the war and when the eastern part of the county
was taken into Cleburne County, they lived there in Wehoga: William Henry had been a
Private during the Civil War in the same company with his brother-in-law, James Mitchell;
around 1890 this family moved to Bosque Co., TX; several of the children were married in
Cleburne Co., AL before the family moved; Emily died June 29, 1919 in Bosque Co., TX
and William died there in 1924.
8f. Henry D. Mitchell, b. abt. 1839 in Heard Co., GA; m. Amanda Julia Rhodes on November
18, 1858 in Calhoun Co., AL; they had one child, Nancy J. Mitchell, in the 1860 census of
Calhoun County; Henry enlisted along with his brother and brother-in-law and was sent to
Virginia with Co. I, 48th AL Infantry Regt.; his family has not been found in census records
following the war.
8g. Lucy A. Mitchell (prob. Lucy Ann), b. abt. 1841 in Heard Co., GA; m. William A. York on
September 9, 1858 in Calhoun Co., AL; moved to Heard Co., GA after the Civil War; they
were there in 1870 and shortly after that they moved to Hill Co., TX; some descendants are
not sure as to whether Lucy died in Heard Co., GA or in TX; but a study of the 1880 census
of Hill Co., TX seems to suggest that Lucy probably moved to TX and died around the birth
of a seventh daughter; William remarried during that decade and seems to have had a son
by his second wife. Date of death and place of burial for Lucy is not known but perhaps she
died no later than 1872 in Hill Co., TX.
8h. Elizabeth Mitchell, b. in July of 1843 in Heard Co., GA; m. John A. Rhodes on Jan. 20,
1859 in Calhoun Co., AL; they had three children, William Henry, John H., and Emily
Jane; John A. Rhodes evidently died prior to 1870; Emily moved to Haralson Co., GA
where she was head of household in 1880 and living with her daughter Emily Jane
Stephens and her husband, William M. Stephens, in 1900; at this time she also had
the care of the three orphan children of her son, John H. Rhodes. In 1910 Elizabeth was
living in Floyd Co., GA with her daughter and son-in-law and in the 1910's she moved to
Cullman Co., AL where her oldest son had moved shortly after 1900; Elizabeth died in
Cullman Co., AL where she died on April 7, 1924; she is buried in the Bethsadia Baptist
Church Cemetery.
8i. William Mitchell, b. abt. 1844 in Heard Co., GA; was six years old in 1850; no further info.
8j. Benjamin Mitchell, b. abt. 1846 in Heard Co., GA; was living as a 24 year old single adult
with Lucius and Margaret Stephens in 1870 in Heard Co., GA; no further information.
8k. Frances Mitchell (female), b. abt. 1849 in Heard Co., GA; probably died young.
9. Benjamin Bryan Mitchell, b. November 15, 1806 in Chester Co., SC; moved with his older
brother, Henry Smith Mitchell, to Montgomery Co., AL around 1828; m. Dorothea Dolly
Fancher, daughter of a wealthy planter, on April 11, 1830 in Montgomery Co., AL; Dolly and
Benjamin moved shortly thereafter to Noxubee Co., MS where all ten of their children were
born; Benjamin chose to move his family to Union Parish, LA in 1850 and it is said that Dolly
died on the way to the new place; Benjamin married (2)to Mary Elizabeth Morrison Oct. 24,
1850 in Union Parish, LA; together they had three sons; Benjamin obtained 120 acres of
public land in Union Parish in January of 1858 and another 160 acres in May of 1861;
And although the value of his real estate was not listed in the 1860 census, his personal
estate was valued at $300.; there is some evidence that their family was Missionary Baptist;
by his first wife Benjamin had seven girls and three boys; tragedy hit the family hard in that
the first son died at the age of 22 and the second son died in the Civil War; of the three sons
by the second marriage, the third died a few months after he was born; interestingly
Benjamin named each of his six sons after one of his brothers; Benjamin died in Louisiana
(Union Parish) in December 2, 1878; his burial place is not known.
9a. Susannah A. Mitchell, b. January 6, 1832 in Noxubee Co., MS; since the family has no
other information on her, it is assumed that she died young.
9b. Mary Elizabeth Mitchell, b. February 26, 1835 in Noxubee Co., MS; m. John M. Ramsey
around 1852 in Noxubee Co., MS; this family moved to Choctaw Co., MS where they had
two sons and a daughter; each of these children raised their families and died in Attala
Co., MS; the date of death or place of burial is not known for Mary.
9c. John Henry Mitchell, b. December 10, 1836 in Noxubee Co., MS and d. August 16, 1858
in Union Parish, LA.
9d. Martha Mitchell, b. August 23, 1838 in Noxubee Co., MS; m. Austin Hiram Youngblood
on August 17, 1856 in Union Parish, LA; they had a daughter, Martha E. Youngblood in
1858; Austin enlisted in Co. E, 12th Louisiana Infantry Regt.; he died as a result of wounds
received at the Battle of Shiloh in TN on April 24, 1862; Martha m. (2)William J. Taylor in
LA probably around 1864; they moved to Scott Co., AR in the late 1860's; they are thought
to have had nine children together; William died before 1900 and Martha was still living in
the home of her youngest daughter, Cecelia Hinton, in Scott Co., AR in 1900 at age 62;
she told the census taker that she had given birth to ten children in all and six were living.
Martha died prior to 1910 and was buried in the Lower Center Point Cem. in Scott Co., AR.
9e. William Alexander Mitchell, b. April 13, 1840 in Noxubee Co., MS; he enlisted in the
Confederate Army and was killed in April, 1862, probably at the Battle of Shiloh.
9f. Tabitha Mitchell, b. January 23, 1843 in Noxubee Co., MS; she m. Leroy T. Bagwell on
January 7, 1864 in Union Parish, LA; they moved to Pike Co., AR ca. 1880; Tabitha died
on January 23, 1896; she and Leroy were the parents of nine children, the first eight being
born in Louisiana; Tabitha was buried in the Kirby Cemetery, Pike Co., AR.
9g. Mariah Jane Mitchell, a twin, born January 6, 1845 in Noxubee Co., AR; m. Lewis
Bagwell on December 29, 1864 in Union Parish, LA; they had three children, the first born
in Louisiana and the latter two in Scott Co., AR; these children were Rosa Ann, Anna
Bell, and John; it is believed that Lewis d. in Scott Co., AR in the 1870's and that the
family moved to NW Louisiana; some sources say that Mariah d. in MS and another said
she died February 9, 1897 in Desoto Parish, LA, just south of Caddo Parish.
9h. Nancy E. Mitchell, a twin, born January 6, 1845 in Noxubee Co., AR; m. Henry Isaac
Kunkel on April 1, 1868 in Union Parish, LA; moved shortly thereafter to Izard Co., AR
where their first child was born; then they moved to Scott Co., AR where they had seven
other children who all lived to maturity; Henry Isaac Ike died in 1910 in Scott Co., AR;
Nancy was living with her daughter, Anna Slater, in Sebastian Co., AR in 1920; it is most
likely that Nancy died in Sebastian or Scott Cos., AR after the summer of 1920.
9i Oliver Perry Mitchell, b. February 1, 1847 in Noxubee Co., MS; m. Antoinette Weldon
on November 21, 1871 in Union Parish, LA; they had three known children and she died
February 10, 1878; Oliver m. (2)Antoinette's sister, Julia Caroline Weldon, on July 4,
1878; this family was still in Union Parish in 1880 but sometime later moved to Lincoln
Parish just south of Union Parish; Julia gave birth to ten children, six of whom survived;
Oliver died in Arcadia, LA on February 3, 1916 and both he and Julia are buried in the
cemetery of Walnut Creek Baptist Church in Lincoln Parish where they were active; Fred
W. Mitchell, 80 year old grandson of Oliver, and son of Oliver and Julia's youngest son,
Frederick Henry Mitchell, now owns his grandfather's 120 acre farm in Lincoln Parish, LA
and is restoring his farm house which was begun in 1888 and finished around 1902.
9j Emily Carolyn Mitchell, b. July 25, 1849 in Noxubee Co., MS; lost her mother before she
was a year old; m. James Allen Cook on May 21, 1849 in Union Parish, LA; they moved
shortly thereafter along with several of her siblings to Scott Co., AR; they were not long in
AR when they moved back to Union Parish, LA where they farmed on a piece of land which
adjoined that of Emily's half brother, James R. Mitchell; Emily was the mother of four
known children, all girls; Emily died on August 16, 1884, likely in Union Parish, LA, at the
age of 35; her place of burial is not known.
Children of Benjamin Bryan Mitchell by his second wife, Mary Elizabeth Morrison:
9k. James Robert Mitchell, b. February 17, 1852 in Union Parish, LA; farmer; m. Frances
Fannie Reynolds on December 24, 1878 in Union Parish, LA; they were living in
Union Parish next to his sister, Emily, in 1880 and they had a one year old son, W. R.
Mitchell; nothing else has been found on this family since they were not in Union Parish,
LA in the 1900 census. (The 1890 census burned and is not available.)
9l. Benjamin Hardy Mitchell, b. April 12, 1856 in Union Parish, LA; m. Martha J. ________
around 1875 likely in Union Parish; he was a farmer in Union Parish, LA in 1880 and they
had three children, two boys and a girl; in 1887 Benjamin was ordained as a Baptist
minister at the Walnut Creek Baptist Church in Lincoln Parish, LA om 1887; in 1891 he got
160 acres of public land in Union Parish; in 1900 this family was living in Jackson Co., TX
where Benjamin was a pastor and their children at this time were Benjamin F., John M.,
Louis H., Ruth B., and Adoniram J.; in 1900 the family shows up in the U. S. census
back in Lincoln Parish, LA where he was listed in the census as a Preacher and a Farmer;
the same five children were living with them in 1910 as were listed in 1900; Benjamin
Hardy has not been found in the 1920 census of LA but three of his sons, Benjamin, John
M., and Judson were each married and living in Richland Parish, LA. We may consider
the possibility that Benjamin Hardy may have moved to Richland Parish (east of Lincoln
Parish) and may have died there prior to 1920.
9m. Charles Thompson Mitchell, b. April 4, 1859 in Union Parish, LA; d. July 4, 1859 in
Union Parish, LA.
10. Elizabeth Mitchell, b. January 1, 1809 in Chester Co., SC; m. Andrew Shadinger ca. 1825
in Chester Co., SC; moved to Fayette Co., GA probably in early 1826 with her older brother,
Hardy Mitchell, who was still single; it is believed that their first two children were born in
Fayette Co., GA and that the third and last was born in Troup Co., GA where the family moved
around 1829 or 1830; Andrew Shadinger was out cutting wood when the wind blew a tree
over on him which killed him on November 10, 1831; Hardy Mitchell was appointed
Administrator of the estate of Andrew Shadinger and guardian of his orphans; Elizabeth was left as a widow at
age 22 and she married (2)Willis Jones on October 4, 1832; she had no children by Willis; estate records
indicate that Mary Shadinger, Elizabeth's only daughter was deceased by 1837 and that Elizabeth raised two boys;
Elizabeth affiliated with the Primitive Baptist Church as did her older brothers, James and Hardy;
Willis and Elizabeth lived for some time in Coweta Co., GA and it believed that Willis died there in the
1850's; Elizabeth Mitchell Jones was living as a widow in Carroll Co., GA in 1860; her
real estate was valued at $3,000. and her personal estate was worth $9,600. which means
that she was a fairly wealthy widow for her time; Elizabeth lived near her oldest son in Carroll
Co., GA and got to see all of his children before she died in 1872 in Carroll County; a grave
marker has not been found for her. It is interesting to note that Elizabeth's father, Henry, got
word of Andrew Shadinger's death in 1831 and her three children each received a legacy
from their grandfather, Henry Mitchell.
10a. John Shadinger, b. July 6, 1826 in Fayette Co., GA; farmer and Confederate soldier who
raised his family in Carroll Co., GA; he m. Frances Ellena Ellen Jones in Coweta Co.,
GA on December 17, 1846; they had five daughters and four sons born between 1847 and
1868; because his brother had no sons who lived to maturity, most all Shadingers in GA
descend from John; John was 36 when he enlisted in Co. I, 2nd Regiment of GA State
Troops; it is said that when State Troops surrendered to Union General James H. Wilson,
John was sick and at home on furlough; an article in the Carroll County Times in 1915
stated that John Shadinger united with the Primitive Baptist Church at Old Emmaus
when he was about 75 years of age and was a faithful member. The article further read,
On last Sunday morning March 14, 1915, just about two o'clock, John Shadinger died, his
remains were laid to rest beside his wife at Emmaus. Elders J. M. Bagwell and W. P.
Merrell conducted the funeral services.
10b. Mary Shadinger, b. ca. 1828 in Fayette Co., GA; d. in Troup Co., GA on or before 1837.
10c. William Shadinger, b. ca. 1830 in Troup Co., GA; went as a young man to Cobb Co., GA
to work as a farm laborer with his uncle, Hardy Mitchell; William met and married
Elizabeth Dunn, daughter of a nearby planter, William Dunn (Elizabeth Dunn's sister,
Nancy Dunn, m. John Mitchell, oldest son of Hardy Mitchell, and their brother, William
B. Dunn, m. Elizabeth Ann Mitchell, oldest daughter of Hardy Mitchell); William
Shadinger and wife had 4 children, William Jr. who died young, and daughters, Julia
Ann, Sarah J., and Martha L.; William enlisted in Co. B, of the 41st GA Infantry Regt.,
the Kennesaw Infantry, he died in Lauderdale, MS in the war on July 4, 1862.
Children of Henry Mitchell by his second wife, Nancy Boyd Jones:
11. Linnay Oliver Mitchell, b. as a twin on June 28, 1812 in Chester Co., SC; believed to have
died young.
12. Jane Oliver Mitchell, b. as a twin on June 28, 1812 in Chester Co., SC; (Jane's given name
has been referred to by her descendants as Jane Olivia Mitchell, however the spelling of her
name comes from her own handwriting in the Henry Mitchell family bible record.) Jane seems to have married
Thomas Lucas around 1826 when she was 14 years old; Thomas was twelve years older than his wife and apparently
a man of sterling character; they are known to have had at least three children and possibly four; Jane
died at age 57 on November 24, 1869 in Chester Co., SC and is buried in the Liberty Baptist Church
Cemetery in Chester Co., SC with her mother and her husband.
12a. Mary Ann Lucas, b. March 25, 1827 in Chester Co., SC; m. Allen Walker in
Chester Co., SC in 1857; he may have been lost in the Civil War; Mary was living
as an unmarried person with her widower father in the 1870 census of Chester Co.,
SC; may have never remarried; said to have died on December 8, 1904 in Chester
Co., SC.
12b. William Jones Lucas, b. January 1, 1831 in Chester Co., SC; Confederate Soldier,
Private in Co. A of the 6th South Carolina Volunteer Infantry Regiment; married
Caroline Delilah Turkett around 1865 in Chester Co., SC; they had a son and
three daughters; William was a farmer near Chester; he died February 19, 1911 in
Chester Co., SC.
12c. Nancy Jane Lucas, b. May 13, 1839 in Chester Co., SC; m. James McCain White
ca. 1857 in Chester Co., SC; they had five daughters and a son; Nancy died on
December 18, 1912 in Chester Co., SC.
12d. Thomas Jefferson Lucas, b. March 26, 1847 in Chester Co., SC; m. Sarah Eliza
Turkett in Chester Co., SC abt. 1870; farmer in Chester, SC; they had three children,
two sons and a daughter; Thomas died January 15, 1925 in Chester Co., SC.
13. Hanna Mitchell (sometimes spelled Hannah), b. February 12, 1814 in Chester Co., SC; m.
John C. Lipford abt. 1835 in Chester Co., SC; they had two boys and a girl; John was an
enterprising young man and by the time of the war he was one of the wealthiest men in all of
Chester Co., SC, owning 1500 acres of land, a strong mercantile business, and 31 slaves, his
worth valued at $74,565.; Hanna died a few months prior to her father, Henry Mitchell, on
May 22, 1843 in Chester Co., SC and was buried in the Liberty Baptist Church Cemetery
where her mother and sister, Jane Lucas, would later be buried. John C. Lipford remarried
in about a year but lost his fortune during the Civil War as well as his sons by Hanna. He took
his own life on April 30, 1866 and was buried beside Hanna in the Liberty Baptist Cemetery.
The monument on Hanna's grave reads, In Memory of Hannah Lipford, consort of J. C. Lipford, who was
b. February 12, 1814 and died on the 22nd of May, 1843, aged 29 yrs., 3 mos., and 10 days, she being a
member of the Methodist E. Church for many years before her death.
13a. James Alexander Lipford, b. July 18, 1836 in Chester Co., SC; m. Ellen _________ in
Chester Co., SC before the Civil War; he was a First Sgt. in the 24th SC Infantry Regiment
and died in the Civil War at Jackson, MS on June 27, 1863.
13b. Catherine Lipford, b. 1841 in Chester Co., SC; m. Henry V. Killian around 1858 in
Chester Co., SC; they had two known children, Jonathan Alexander Killian and Dora
Killian; date of death and place of burial is not known for Catherine.
13c. Henry Mitchell Lipford, b. 1842 in Chester Co., SC; did not marry; died as a soldier in
the Confederate Army around 1864; he was a Private in Co. F of the 6th SC Volunteer
Infantry Regiment.
14. Moses Smith Mitchell, b. April 19, 1816 in Chester Co., SC; farmer; m. Rachel Clarentine
Clementine Downing around 1838 in Chester Co., SC; Moses died on or before 1843 in
Chester Co., SC; Moses and Rachel had two children; because Moses died before the death of his father,
Henry Mitchell, Henry made a deed of gift to the two children of Moses
Smith Mitchell; the deed, dated September 12, 1843 (a month and 10 days before Henry
died) stated that a deed of gift was being made for love and affection, 140 acres of land being
the land whereon my son Moses S. Mitchell died on and where his widow Clemingtine
Mitchell now lives on and adjacent the lands of Thomas Preslar, Jesse Williams, Joseph
Carter's land and run off for my daughter Hannah Lipford. It is estimated that Moses Smith
Mitchell was about 27 years old at the time of his death. Rachel is said to have married a
John Lee Scott about a year after Moses died and they moved to Union Co., SC where she
died in 1858 around the age of 41.
14a. William Moses Mitchell, b. prob. around 1840 in Chester Co., SC; mentioned in his
grandfather's deed of September 12, 1843; no other trace of him has been found; a
20 year old William Mitchell was a painter living as a single man in a boarding house
in Columbia, SC in the 1860 census; this is the right age to be William Moses but there
is no proof. He would have had no living aunts or uncles on the Mitchell side in SC in
1860.
14b. Martha Ann Mitchell, b. prob. around 1842 in Chester Co., SC; mentioned in her
grandfather's deed of September 12, 1843; no other trace of her has been found.
15. Charles Boyd Mitchell, b. November 19, 1818 in Chester Co., SC; the last child born to
Henry Mitchell by his wife, Nancy Boyd Jones Mitchell, Charles received his father's
plantation in a deed of gift, for love and affection, dated September 12, 1843, all the
land whereon I now live, 280 acres, situated on both sides of the road from the Fishdam
on the Broad River to York and near Sealey's Creek, adjacent Joseph Carter's land,
Widow Lee's land, Thomas Preslar's land, Thomas Lucas land, Anna Harden, Ensley
Darby. Charles Boyd Mitchell married a lady around 1841 whose name we have never
learned and by her he had two children; she evidently died shortly after the birth of her
second child and Charles m. (2)Jane A. Carter on February 24, 1846 in Chester Co., SC;
Charles was administrator of his mother's estate following her death in February, 1844; he
Had three half brothers and a half sister by Nancy's first marriage, but one whole sibling,
Jane Mitchell Lucas, still living on the Mitchell side; papers show that Charles Boyd
Mitchell purchased the Mitchell family bible at the sale of his mother's estate for $1.00.
(This bible has remained in the hands of his heirs ever since and is now in the hands of a
descendant's widow in Dallas, TX.) To see a copy of the actual bible page listing all of the
Henry Mitchell children, go to the following web site, courtesy of Debra Boswell Crosby:
http://www.poohbos.com/genealogy/mitchell/henrymitchell.html
Charles Boyd Mitchell sold his father's plantation in Chester Co., SC on October 14,
1850 for $1,750., all the land where I now reside situated on the waters of Sealey's Creek
and adjacent Thomas Lucas (his brother-in-law), Widow Pratt, L. Owen estate, Martha
Carter et all, near Chester Road; near Sandy River. It is believed that Charles moved his
family to AR in 1850, then to Leake Co., MS where he can be found in the 1860 census
he moved to Yell Co., AR in late 1869 and around 1874 to Robertson Co., TX; Charles
and Jane had eight children together; Charles died in Robertson Co., TX on October 19,
1901 as the last surviving child of Henry Mitchell; he was buried in the Mt. Vernon
Cemetery at Calvert in Robertson County, TX.
15a. John Henry Mitchell, b. September 24, 1842 in Chester Co., SC; was with his father
and step-mother in Leake Co., MS in 1860; no more information.
15b. William Thomas Boyd Mitchell, b. October 16 1844 in Chester Co., SC; was with his
father and step-mother in Leake Co., MS in 1860; no more information.
Children of Charles Boyd Mitchell by Jane A. Carter:
15c. Hazle Lafayette Mitchell, b. January 21, 1847 in Chester Co., SC; large for his age,
Hazle is said to have entered Confederate Service at age 14 as a resident of Leake
Co., MS; in 1868 he married Alabama Bruce Crane in 1868 in Leake Co., MS; was
a farmer; moved to Robertson Co., TX; this family had eleven children, eight boys and
three girls; his son, Dr. John Henry Mitchell, owned a ranch in Robertson Co., TX
which has been in the family well over one hundred years and is still occupied by a
great grandson of Hazle L. Mitchell. This family affiliated with the Church of Christ
and Hazle was buried in the West Boone Church of Christ Cemetery when he died
on January 8, 1931.
15d. Moses Smyth Mitchell, b. July 16, 1848 in Chester Co., SC; there is no indication
Moses ever married; he died on February 23, 1879 in Robertson Co., TX.
15e. Ann Elizabeth Mitchell, b. January 2, 1852 in Chester Co., SC; m. James Clement
Freeny on December 6, 1869 in Leake Co., MS about the time her parents and
siblings moved to Yell Co., AR; this family remained in Leake Co., MS and raised two
sons and a daughter; Ann died in Leake Co., MS on October 26, 1935 and was buried
in the Freeny Family Cemetery at Freeny in the southern part of Leake Co., MS. There
are still Freeny descendants in Leake Co., MS in 2009.
15f. Nancy Polinah Mitchell, b. March 31, 1854 in Leake Co., MS and d. October 11, 1859
in Leake Co., MS.
15g. Mary Louisa Mitchell, b. March 26, 1856 in Leake Co., MS; moved with her parents to
Yell Co., AR and then Robertson Co., TX where she married Lewis Milledge Crouch
on October 30, 1874; they raised a boy and four girls; Mary died June 4, 1904 in
Robertson Co., TX. Her mother, Jane Carter Mitchell, was still living at the time.
15h. Lawson Ely Mitchell, b. October 27, 1859 in Leake Co., MS; moved to AR and TX
with his parents; evidently never married; he was boarding in 1900 and 1910; he d.
September 22, 1911 in Robertson Co., TX.
15i. Regina Aline Mitchell, b. March 23, 1862 in Leake Co., MS; m. John Allen Crouch
on September 18, 1879 in Robertson Co., TX; they raised four girls and three boys in
Robertson Co., TX; when Regina died on June 26, 1938 in Robertson Co., TX, she
Had been the last survivor of the ninety known grandchildren of Henry Mitchell of
Chester Co., SC, dying almost 95 years after Henry's death.
15j. Charles Bradley Mitchell, b. September 8, 1867 in Leake Co., MS; d. on February
14, 1870, likely in Yell Co., AR.
This account shows a typical 19th century American family on the move, looking for good land, a good
community, and better opportunities. Of the fifteen children of Henry Mitchell by his two wives, 4 are
buried in SC, 3 are buried in GA, 3 are buried in AL, 2 are buried in MS, 1 is buried in
LA, and I is buried in TX. They knew that Henry left Virginia, perhaps to seek his fortune. He
made an impact in the community where he lived and, for the most part, his children did also.
I want to thank many who have helped me on this project, some from years back, and others in
recent days. Among these have been Debra Boswell Crosby, Jeanette Fain Cornelius, Fred W.
Mitchell, John Henry Mitchell, Jr., Sue Harl, Joe T. Reeves, Ralph M. Lipford, S. Winfield Martin,
Fran Laird, Charles Wiley, Harry Kemp, Bill Avery, Carolyn Stamets, and many others.
April 2009, Tuscaloosa, AL
This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/alfiles/
File size: 60.7 Kb