Rebecca Meharg of St. Clair and Benton Counties Found
Note: As always, please read the endnotes. All information below was found via www.FamilySearch.org except where otherwise noted.
Given the recent success in following the trail of John P. Meharg, I decided to see if I could find anything new on that other elusive Meharg, Rebecca Meharg.
In The Downings of Choccolocco Vol. 1 [and later published on this website as “The Meharg Problem”], I concluded Rebecca Meharg was the daughter of James Meharg and Mary “Polly” Autrey and that she was born in the early 1820s.[1]
Unfortunately, only a single fact was known about Rebecca Meharg.
There is only one record of her name, and that is in a marriage record. On 24 October 1848 in Benton [Calhoun] County, Alabama, Rebecca “Mcharg” married “Jacob J K Kimball.” Worse, the record was an index, just a transcription, not an original document where the names and spelling could be verified. Given that the couple just disappeared—and Mr. Kimball couldn’t be found in any previous records—I concluded there was a “typo” somewhere with the name Kimball. With that in mind, I searched through probate records related to the Kimbrel family of Calhoun County, to no avail. Nothing could be found. I gave up.
But this time, with several years since my last search, things were different.
After my renewed search, I now hypothesize that Rebecca Meharg married Jacob John Kuykendall of Tuscaloosa County, Alabama.[2]
To begin with, it is now possible to view the “original” marriage records for Calhoun County, Alabama. However, that’s not entirely true with some marriage records for Calhoun County. Many mid-19th Century records were transcribed by the county in the late 1800s using a form where the names and dates were just filled it. That is what the record for Rebecca Meharg’s marriage is. The groom’s name, as written in that record, could easily be read as “Jacob J K Kindall” or even “Jacob J K Kendall” as there is no dot over the presumed i. Seeing it written out, one can easily imagine the missing “uy” from the original record of 1848.
A similar looking name doesn’t prove anything, but Rebecca and Jacob Kuykendall of Tuscaloosa County had a son named John H. Kuykendall (1859-1931). His Alabama death record [again, a transcription; the original document cannot be viewed at this time] lists his mother’s maiden name as “Mehard.”[3]
The gravesites for Rebecca and Jacob John Kuykendall are listed at Findagrave with good photos. The creator of those pages listed Rebecca’s maiden name as Meharg, suggesting either they had access to family information I do not or they came to the same conclusion that I have: Mehard = Meharg, and K Kimball = Kuykendall.
According to her gravestone, Rebecca Kuykendall was born 15 October 1822, in keeping with my conclusions regarding Rebecca Meharg being born between 1820 and 1825.[4]
Further research uncovered the following:
According to his gravestone, Jacob John Kuykendall was born on 30 April 1827. Census records state he was born in North Carolina.
1840s – In Minutes of the Annual Conferences of the Methodist Episcopal Church for the Years 1839-1845, Vol 3, the Alabama Conference of 29 December 1842 states that “John Kuykendall” had been “admitted on trial,” and, under the “Talladega District.” Furthermore, a “J Kuykendall” was named as a preacher for “Randolph.”[5] However, “our” Jacob John Kuykendall would have been only 15 in 1842, which makes me wonder if this is another member of his family, perhaps his father. I have found no other indication Jacob John Kuykendall was a minster.[6]
1848 – On 24 October, Rebecca Meharg and “Jacob J K Kimball” married in Benton [Calhoun] County. If they are one and the same as Rebecca and Jacob John Kuykendall [which I believe they are], then their ages at time of marriage were 26 and 21 respectively.
1850 – No trace of Rebecca and Jacob John Kuykendall could be found in the census. But I suspect this is probably a case of the name Kuykendall being completely muddled.
1860 – Rebecca, 38, born Alabama, and “John J Kuykendaul”, 33, farmer, born North Carolina, are listed in the 1860 US Census for Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, post office New Lexington. They are listed with four children: Nancie E., age 11, Wm E., age 9, Sarah A., age 5, and John H., age 3, all born in Alabama. The family appears comfortably off, with the value of real estate listed as $1700 and the value of personal estate as $1885. Nancie’s age is in keeping with the marriage date for Rebecca Meharg and “Jacob J K Kimball” in Benton [Calhoun] County.
The Alabama Civil War Service Database lists “J. J. Kuykendall” as serving as a private in Lumsden’s Battery, 2nd Battalion, Artillery, Co. F. He also states he suffered an injury. He later received a pension, as did his widow [second wife, see below]. [Fold3.com has these records but I was unable to access them.]
1866 – J. J. Kuykendall is listed in the 1866 Alabama Census for Tuscaloosa County. [Ancestry.com has this record, which I did not access. It would be interesting to see how many people were in the household and if his Civil War injury in checked off.]
1870 – I was unable to find any trace of Rebecca and Jacob John Kuykendall in the 1870 US Census,[7] but I suspect they were in Tuscaloosa. [That said, something tells me to look in Mississippi.]
1880 – Rebecca, age 59, and “Jake Kuykendoll,” age 53, are listed in the 1880 US Census in Tuscaloosa County, in Moores Bridge and Marcomville. Only one of their children remains in the household, son John H., 22. Both father and son are listed as farmers.[8]
According to Rebecca Kuykendall’s gravestone, she died 22 June 1885. She was buried at Camp Ground Cemetery, Samantha, Tuscaloosa County, Alabama.
On 25 September 1885, Jacob John Kuykendall married Harriet M. Snyder in Tuscaloosa County.[9] The record is an index, a transcription, without an original to double-check. The groom’s name has been transcribed as “Jacob J. King Kendall.”
1900 – Jacob J. “Kuykendoll,” age 77, born April 1823 [sic], is listed with his wife, Harriet M., 44, born October 1855, in the 1900 US Census for Tuscaloosa County, in New Lexington and Marcumville [sic]. Farmer. Next door to them is son John H. Kuykendall, born October 1859, with his family.
According to his gravestone,[10] Jacob John Kuykendall died on 15 August 1904. He is buried at the same cemetery as his wife, Rebecca, in Samantha, Tuscaloosa County.[11]
This is just the results of a couple days of research. I have little knowledge of the resources available in Tuscaloosa County, and I haven’t done my usual harassing of descendants. So more is probably out there somewhere… and if anyone finds out more, please let me know.
None of this proves, however, a connection between Rebecca Meharg Kuykendall and James Meharg and Mary “Polly” Autrey. But Rebecca was a Meharg living among Mehargs in St. Clair County and Calhoun County, Alabama. She is too old to have been one of the daughters of John Meharg and Mary E. Moody. She does not fit any of the females in the household of Archibald Meharg in the 1830 US Census of St. Clair County. She is too old to be Lewis S. Meharg’s child. And William Meharg’s daughter Rebekah Meharg Roberson (1836-1911) is well documented. The only household where Rebecca fits is that of James Meharg.[12]
___
I endeavored to find out more about the children of Rebecca Meharg and Jacob John Kuykendall, but marriage records were hard to come by. Findagrave.com had good information, but I don’t like to rely on that site and prefer to have a second source. But here is what I uncovered.
1) Nancy E. Kuykendall
26 August 1849 – 12 October 1884[13]
Married:[14]
Benjamin F. Scrivener[15]
25 December 1850 – 6 August 1932[16]
Both buried at Camp Ground Cemetery, Samantha, Tuscaloosa County, Alabama
Had Issue
2) William Eli Kuykendall[17]
15 February 1851 – 1917[18]
Buried: Vashti Cemetery, Vashti, Clay County, Texas
i) Married:[19]
Mary Ann Elizabeth Taylor[20]
26 July 1856 – 7 June 1887[21]
Buried: Camp Ground Cemetery, Samantha, Tuscaloosa County, Alabama
Had Issue
ii) Married: 20 November 1887, Fayette County, Alabama[22]
Matilda Clementine Olive[23]
8 July 1862 – 10 April 1904[24]
Buried: Old Spanish Fort Cemetery, Spanish Fort, Montague County, Texas
Had Issue
3) Sarah A. Kuykendall
29 October 1855 – 7 October 1885[25]
Buried: Camp Ground Cemetery, Samantha, Tuscaloosa County, Alabama
Married: 27 November 1873, Tuscaloosa County, Alabama[26]
Michael R. Tierce[27]
23 January 1856 – 13 September 1928[28]
Buried: Vaughn Memorial Cemetery, Gilmore, Le Flore County, Oklahoma
Had Issue
4) John H. Kuykendall
27 October 1859 – 21 January 1931[29]
Married: 15 December 1886, Tuscaloosa County, Alabama[30]
Dora Ann Shirley
1 November 1868 – 11 January 1937[31]
Both buried at Camp Ground Cemetery, Samantha, Tuscaloosa County, Alabama
Had Issue
[1] To see how I reached this conclusion, please see “The Meharg Problem,” but it was essentially a process of elimination. When all was said and done, all the other “stray” female Mehargs in Calhoun County fit nicely into the family of John Meharg and Mary E. Moody. That left Rebecca Meharg as the early 1820s daughter of James Meharg and Mary “Polly” Autry.
[2] I suspect that members of the Kuykendall family have already come to this conclusion.
[3] Some family trees list her maiden name as “Mehera.” Both names suggest a family source that wasn’t quite legible, such as a mid-19th Century Bible [we should be so lucky!].
[4] The only female child in James Meharg’s household in the 1830 US Census of St Clair County, Alabama, was between 5 and 10 years of age [ie born between 1820 and 1825]. The only female in James Meharg’s household in the 1840 US Census of St. Clair County, Alabama, was 15 to 20 years of age [ie born between 1820 and 1825].
[5] Presumably Randolph County. Both Talladega and Randolph Counties adjoin Benton [Calhoun] County, and if this is the correct “J Kuykendall”, it does put him in the general area with an opportunity to meet Rebecca Meharg.
[6] Although, it is possible I completely missed the obvious.
[7] The 1870 US Census is a pain to search. Worse, in the wake of the Civil War, Southerners were extremely distrustful and many made a point not to be counted.
[8] Notably, the three other Kuykendall children, Nancy E Scrivner, William E Kuykendall, and Sarah A Tierce, can all be found just a page away from each other, and all just a few pages from their parents in the same community in the 1880 US Census.
[9] Given the day and age, this rapid remarriage was not unusual.
[10] Findagrave.com
[11] Harriet M Snyder Kuykendall, October 1855 – 10 February 1919, is buried at Camp Ground Cemetery, Samantha, Tuscaloosa County, Alabama [Findagrave.com and the 1900 US Census for Tuscaloosa County, Alabama].
[12] If my conclusion that Rebecca Meharg Kuykendall was the daughter of James Meharg and Mary “Polly” Autrey is correct, then she is their only known surviving child, and her descendents are their only known descendents. James Meharg had one son by his second wife, Elizabeth Bagley, Giles Driver Meharg, who left descendents.
[13] Based on her gravestone found at Findagrave.com. Her birthday is 10 months after the marriage date for Rebecca Meharg and “Jacob J K Kimball” in Benton [Calhoun] County.
[14] I could not find a date for their marriage.
[15] According to Findagrave.com, he had two more wives, but I did not research this further.
[16] Based on his gravestone found at Findagrave.com
[17] His middle name appears in his children’s Texas birth/christening records found at FamilySearch.org.
[18] There is no photo of his gravestone at Findagrave.com and I cannot confirm his date of death. He does appear in the 1900 and 1910 censuses in Texas. The 1900 census confirms his month and year of birth. The locations for some of his children in those census records indicate he lived in Oklahoma for a while.
[19] I could not find a marriage date for them.
[20] Her gravestone lists her name as Mary Ann E Kuykendall. The Texas death certificate for her son, James Willis Kuykendall, lists her name as Mary Elizabeth Taylor [FamilySearch.org]
[21] June 1887 was a horrible month for the Kuykendall family. Mary Ann shares a gravestone with her 2-year-old daughter, Hannah I, who died on the same day. Two weeks later, 6-year-old John W and 8-year-old Daniel M died on the same day. Given the young age of three of the deceased, illness was probably the cause, but it is also possible something, such as a house fire, occurred, with two of the children dying later from their injuries.
[22] This date is found in family trees at FamilySearch.org but without a source. I could not confirm it.
[23] Her full name appears in her children’s Texas birth/christening records found at FamilySearch.org.
[24] Findagrave.com
[25] Findagrave.com. However, there isn’t a photo of a gravestone.
[26] I could not find an official record. This is from a family tree found at FamilySearch.org.
[27] After Sarah’s death, Michael remarried twice, both in Oklahoma: 2) Etta Freeman on 10 March 1904 3) Martha A Gunter on September 1913. I did not research these ladies further but I believe both had been previously married, and therefore, these are their married names.
[28] From his gravestone at Findagrave.com
[29] From his gravestone at Findagrave.com
[30] Alabama marriage records found at FamilySearch.org. The bride’s name is transcribed as “McClara Ann Shirley.”
[31] From her gravestone at Findagrave.com