The Bagleys of Calhoun County, Alabama, Part One: Elizabeth Bagley Meharg and Her Children
Jack Downing’s maternal aunt, Louise Catherine Brothers, married James H. Bagley. As a result, the name Bagley has a habit of showing up in various records connected to the Brothers and Downing family. What began as an effort on my part to see how the Bagleys were related to each other soon turned into a massive research project, and I got carried away.
This was especially difficult. There were dozens [hundreds?] of Bagleys in the mid- to late-19th Century in Benton [Calhoun] and Talladega Counties, Alabama, and how they were all interrelated was nearly impossible to determine. Worse, the Bagleys had a habit of using the same names over and over again, with not merely fathers and sons having the same names but also uncles, nephews, and cousins. They also had a habit of intermarrying with various families, so that many cousins were, in fact, double cousins. At times, it went beyond frustrating and headlong into madness.
Others have, undoubtedly, been down these paths before. But I wanted to make sure all the information I found was sourced so that others might follow the paper trail and, hopefully, build on these discoveries.
And, in typical fashion, I became fascinated by one Bagley in particular—Elizabeth Bagley, who remarried after the death of her first husband, Josiah Bagley, and became Mrs. James Meharg. Unfortunately, her maiden name is unknown. She and her children are the focus of this article.
The following is, essentially, a glorified outline with tons of endnotes [numbers in brackets], which are important, since that is where all the source material is listed, along with extensive additional information [I recommend printing this piece out]. In the endnotes, there is an incredible wealth of information, including information on all of Elizabeth Bagley Meharg’s known grandchildren. As always, I did most of my research via FamilySearch.org.
If you use information from this article, please credit me for my research.
___________
Elizabeth Unknown[1]
Born: c1803, Tennessee[2]
Died: aft 17 July 1888[3]
1) Married:[4]
Josiah Bagley
Born: Tennessee[5]
Parents: Henry Bagley Jr.[6]
Died: btw 17 March & 17 May 1839, Talladega County, Alabama[7]
2) Married: 10 June 1842, Benton [Calhoun] County, AL[8]
James Meharg[9]
c1801 South Carolina – died aft1870, probably Alabama[10]
Parents: Rebecca and Archibald Meharg[11]
Children by Josiah Bagley:[12]
1. William Henry Bagley[13]
October 1824[14] – 1907, Texas[15]
Buried: Odd Fellows Cemetery, Rockdale, Milam County, Texas
Married: 29 Nov 1849, Talladega County, Alabama[16]
Elizabeth T. Davis[17]
May 1826 – 15 November 1911, Rockdale, Milam County, Texas[18]
Buried: Odd Fellows Cemetery, Rockdale, Milam County, Texas
Had Issue[19]
2. John W. Bagley [20][21] CSA
3 Nov 1828 Tennessee[22] – 17 Mar 1904, Calhoun County, Alabama[23]
Buried: Creswell Cemetery, Eastaboga, Calhoun County, Alabama
Married: 2 May 1881, Calhoun County, Alabama[24]
Martha C. Aiken
18 November 1858 SC – 5 July 1956 Calhoun County, AL[25]
Buried: Trinity Baptist Church Cemetery, Oxford, Calhoun Co, AL[26]
Had Issue[27]
3. James H. Bagley
c1829 Alabama[28] – 29/30 December 1866, Calhoun Co, AL[29]
Married: 23 Nov 1848, Benton [Calhoun] County, Alabama
Louise Catherine Brothers
23 May 1828 Alabama –11 April 1863[30]
Had Issue[31]
4. Martha Bagley
c1831 Alabama – aft 1880[32]
Married: 26 April 1855, Benton [Calhoun] County, AL
John H. Creswell CSA
c1829 Alabama – aft 1870[33]
Had Issue[34]
5. Joseph P. Bagley CSA
28 April 1835 Alabama – 24 December 1884[35]
Buried: Coldwater Baptist Church Cemetery, Calhoun County, AL
Married: 6 Sept 1859, Benton [Calhoun] County, Alabama
Harriet A. Pruitt
15 October 1839Alabama – 30 December 1897[36]
Buried: Coldwater Baptist Church Cemetery, Calhoun County, AL
Had Issue[37]
6. Nathan S. Bagley[38] CSA
c1838 Alabama – June 1879, Calhoun County, Alabama[39]
Married: 13 March 1866, Calhoun County, AL[40]
Matilda C. Elrod [41][42]
c1840/4 South Carolina – aft 1880,[43] possibly btw 1890 & 1892[44]
Had Issue[45]
7. Josiah Bagley CSA, Co B 30th AL Inf
October 1839, Alabama[46] – 14 January 1924[47]
Buried: Rehobeth-Barlow Cemetery, Copiah County, Mississippi
Married: 16 January 1868, Copiah County, Mississippi[48]
Idella C. Hawkins
28 September 1847 South Carolina – 13 October 1909[49]
Buried: Rehobeth-Barlow Cemetery, Copiah County, Mississippi
Had Issue[50]
8. Elizabeth Bagley
3 October 1839/40 Alabama – 29 July 1916, Jones County, Texas[51]
Buried: Spring Creek Cemetery, Avoca, Jones County, Texas
Married: unknown – mid-1850s[52]
Almuth Buyers Crow “A B” CSA
10 May 1834 Alabama – 14 Nov 1914, nr Avoca, Jones County, TX[53]
Buried: Spring Creek Cemetery, Avoca, Jones County, Texas
Had Issue[54]
Children by James Meharg:
9. Giles Driver Meharg[55] “Dick”
Aug 1848 Alabama[56] ̶ 15 Feb 1919, Talladega County, Alabama[57]
Married: 20 November 1872, Talladega County, Alabama [58]
Julia C. Yongue
May 1854 Alabama[59] ̶ 31 Dec 1945 Lincoln, Talladega Co, AL[60]
Had Issue[61]
[1] Elizabeth Bagley appears, more or less, in the following census records:
1830 – I could not find Josiah Bagley in the 1830 census. However, a “Jonah Bagley” appears in the census for Limestone County, Alabama [next door to the part of Tennessee where his father lived]. The household matches the known facts for Elizabeth Bagley and her children. The household includes: 2 boys under 5 [possibly John W. and James H.], 1 boy 5 to 10 [possibly William H. Bagley], 1 male 20 to 30, and 1 female 20 to 30. Their next door neighbor is John Nichols. No trace of a “Jonah” Bagley can be found in the census records after 1830. It is worth noting that in the 1850 census, Elizabeth’s son’s name, Josiah, is mistranscribed as “Jonah.”
1840 Benton [Calhoun] County, Alabama – Elizabeth Bagley is head of household. Eight children are listed -- 2 boys under 5, 1 boy 5 to 10, 2 boys 10 to 15, 1 girl under 5, 1 girl 5 to 10, all consistent with Elizabeth’s known children at this time. There are 5 slaves in the household. [Also of note is next door neighbor James B Nickels. One of the executors of Josiah Bagley’s will was William S Nichols. Marriage records exist for both men in Calhoun County in the late 1830s but I can find no other trace of them. I find myself wondering if Elizabeth Bagley was born a Nichols. Given other names that came up in my research, I also wondered if she could be a Sumner, a Perry, or a Davis.]
1850 Benton [Calhoun] County, Alabama – Elizabeth is listed in the household of her second husband, James Meharg, along with their son, Giles Driver “Dick” Meharg, and six of Elizabeth’s Bagley children [Martha, Joseph P., Nathan S., Josiah, Elizabeth, and John W.].
1860 Middleton, Calhoun County, Alabama – Elizabeth and James Meharg are listed with sons Giles D. Meharg and Josiah Bagley, who is erroneously called “Josiah Meharg.”
1866 Calhoun County, Alabama – James Meharg is listed as head of the family with 2 males 10 to 20 [unknown and Giles Driver Meharg who was 18], 1 male 60 to 70 [James Meharg], and one female 60 to 70 [Elizabeth Bagley]. Next door [but most likely in the same house] is “N S Bagley,” a single male, 20 to 30.
1870 Calhoun County, Alabama – the post office is listed as Alexandria, but this is clearly just west of Morrisville. The Meharg household is next door to Larkin Coker’s household and on the same page as Patton Brothers, with 18-year-old John “Jack” Downing. The Meharg household includes son “G D Meharg” while, strangely, next door is Elizabeth’s 8-year-old Bagley grandson, “F S Bagley”—Frank, son of James H Bagley.
1880 Sulphur Springs, Calhoun County, Alabama – Elizabeth Bagley, a widow, is listed in the household of her widowed daughter, Martha Bagley Creswell, along with three grandsons: Josiah Creswell [erroneously called “Jessie”], James H. Creswell, and John A. Creswell.
[2] Census records. The 1870 and 1880 records list Kentucky, but I believe this is mistake. The census records for her children tend to list Elizabeth’s birthplace as Tennessee.
[3] In The Piedmont Post [Saturday 21 July 1888 edition], in a write-up on community happenings in Cane Creek, Calhoun County, dated 17 July 1888, it states: “Mrs. Meharg is visiting her granddaughter, Mrs. J. S. Wilbanks. She is 84 years old and can go anywhere she wishes without the aid of a stick.” The age of 84 is consistent with the c1803 year I have listed for her birth. Mrs. John Solomon Wilbanks was Touloula Elizabeth Bagley, daughter of James H. Bagley and Louise Catherine Brothers. [My immense thanks to Sarah Price for finding this newspaper piece.]
[4] Most likely, they married in Tennessee—probably in Marshall County or Lincoln County—around 1823. Unfortunately, records for this early are not available and I could not find them in any other county.
[5] Based on census records for his children; however, the Bagley family came from North Carolina, and Josiah Bagley may have been born there.
[6] Of Marshall County, Tennessee. Josiah Bagley predeceased his father, but Josiah’s family is named in Henry Bagley’s will. There is some confusion over Henry Bagley’s wife, whether he had two wives, and if so, which was the mother of his children.
[7] His will was made on 17 March 1839 and probated on 17 May 1839 in Talladega County. His widow, Elizabeth Bagley, and William S. Nichols were named executors. Giles L. Driver is listed as a witness. Later in the Talladega County estate papers, it is stated that “James Meharg hath intermarried with Elizabeth late Elizabeth Bagley widow and relict of and Executrix of Josiah Bagley’s will.” [From a summary of his will and estate papers, Pauline Jones Gandrud Papers, University Libraries Division of Special Collections, The University of Alabama—accessed online via acumen.lib.ua.edu—as well as his Talladega County will, which can be found at FamilySearch.org: “Alabama, Estate Files, 1830-1976”. The rest of his estate papers can be found in Calhoun County, Alabama, as his family moved there after his death. These papers can also be found at FamilySearch.org.]
[8] All marriage records, unless stated otherwise, are from FamilySearch.org: “Alabama, County Marriages, 1809-1950” or “Alabama, Marriages, 1816-1957.”
[9] James Meharg was previously married to Mary “Polly” Autrey with whom he had at least two children: unknown male Meharg born in the early 1820s and Rebecca Meharg Kuykendal (1822-1885) of Tuscaloosa County. [See “The Meharg Problem” and “Rebecca Meharg Found” on this website.]
[10] Based on census records.
[11] It has been a while since I researched Archibald Meharg, but I never found any direct evidence that James Meharg was the son of Archibald Meharg; it is a case of preponderance of the evidence. But I have no doubt James was Archibald’s son. Archibald’s wife, Rebecca, is mentioned with her husband in legal documents in Laurens County, South Carolina. There is speculation she may have been a member of the Bolt family, but I do not know the basis for this hypothesis.
[12] Josiah Bagley’s children are not named in his will. However, his estate papers in Benton [Calhoun] County do list them. The names of all are listed in the University of Alabama summary of Josiah Bagley’s estate papers [see note above], as well as Old Records of Estates and Administrations, Benton (Calhoun) County, Alabama, by Cathrine [sic] Cleek Mann (pages 40-41). I also accessed the original papers via FamilySearch.org and confirmed the names of the children.
The 1850 Census lists Elizabeth’s Bagley children living with her and her second husband, James Meharg, as: John W [22], Martha [17], Joseph P [14], Nathan S [12], Josiah [10], and Elizabeth [10]. Given the ages of these last two children, not only were they twins but Elizabeth Bagley was probably pregnant when her first husband died. Her other two Bagley children—James H. Bagley and William H. Bagley—were already married and living elsewhere. In addition, the estate papers of Patton Brothers state that his orphaned grandson, Frank Bagley, is living with Elizabeth Bagley Meharg—providing further proof to the parental connection between her and James H Bagley.
[13] His middle name is known from this gravestone, a photo of which is at Findagrave.com.
[14] Based on the 1900 US Census for Rockdale, Milam County, Texas. At the time, he was living with his son William Davis Bagley, while his wife, Elizabeth T. Davis Bagley, was living in the household of their daughter, Emma Bagley Lockwood. I was only able to find three census records for William Henry Bagley: 1860 in Caldwell, Burleson County, Texas; 1880 in Rockdale, Milam County, Texas; and 1900 in Rockdale, Milam County, Texas. In all three of these records, William Henry Bagley’s birthplace is listed as Alabama, which I don’t put much stock in. Based on their children’s ages and birthplaces, they were in Mississippi in 1850; however, I cannot find them in that census or in the 1870 Texas census. However, tax rolls for Burleson County, Texas, from 1859 to the 1870s include “W H Bagley.” However, I did not find one specifically for 1870, so the family could have been elsewhere then.
[15] Based on his gravestone at Findagrave.com, which includes a photo.
[16] There were two William H. Bagleys at this time—first cousins, one the son of Josiah Bagley, the other the son of Josiah’s brother Nathan Bagley. Furthermore, each of the two William H. Bagleys married two days apart, one in Benton [Calhoun] County, the other in Talladega County. Which one was Elizabeth Bagley’s son was difficult to determine. Eventually, I discovered the estate papers for Nathan Bagley, who died in 1875, and in those papers are listed the children of his deceased son, William H. Bagley, and their mother, Mary Ann Bagley. Furthermore, consistently in the census records for Talladega County, William and Mary Ann Bagley live with or next door to Nathan Bagley. As a result of this cumulous of information, I knew the William H Bagley who married Elizabeth T. Davis was the son of Josiah and Elizabeth Bagley.
[17] While I have not researched it, I wonder if Elizabeth T. Davis was related [siblings? cousins?] to Nicholas A. Davis (1824-1894), a teacher and Presbyterian minister from Limestone County, Alabama. He was the son of Nathanial Davis, an Alabama state legislator. In 1850, Nicholas Davis was living in the household of Patton Brothers, whose land was near that of James Meharg. The wrench in the idea is the fact that the couple married in Talladega County. The fact that the other William H. Bagley and Mary Ann English were married in Benton [Calhoun] County in a ceremony performed by “N. A. Davis” makes it even more bizarre. But the estate papers of Nathan Bagley in Talladega County make it clear his son, William H. Bagley, married Mary Ann.
[18] The years for her birth and death appear on her gravestone [photo found at Findagrave.com]. Thankfully, someone included her obituary at Findgrave, and it gives the day she died. The date for her birth is from the 1900 US Census for Milam County, where she appears in the household of her daughter and son-in-law, Emma and Henry Lockwood.
[19] Neither the 1900 nor the 1910 censuses [both for Milam County, Texas] list the number of children Elizabeth T. Davis Bagley had. The census records I found included only four, but with large gaps between the children, suggesting the probability of children who were lost. The known children of William Henry Bagley and Elizabeth T. Davis are:
1) Nicholas Josiah Bagley (14 December 1850 – 19 November 1941), listed as widower but wife unknown. He did have a daughter, Mattie Mae Bagley Garrett (7 April 1893 – 24 January 1972). In the 1880 US Census, Nicholas Josiah was in Nolan County, Texas, working as a stockman. He is listed as “Nick J Bagley” 28, born Texas rather than Mississippi as other records state. With him is “Jno P. Bagley”, listed as “cousin”, 24, born Alabama, who matches up nicely with John P. Bagley, son of James H. Bagley [see below]. The area must have been remote; only 3 “households” are listed on the page, and the two men are described as being “on Eagle & Bossier Creeks, S E county.”
2) Martha B. “Mattie” Bagley (February 1854 – 6 May 1901) married W. H. Knight – no issue
3) William Davis Bagley (11 January 1863 – 20 June 1916) married Minnie Lee Mims (27 February 1876 – 9 December 1962) – had issue
4) Emma (July 1867 – November 1931) married Henry Lockwood (18 October 1855 – 8 May 1919) – had issue.
All four children are buried at Odd Fellows Cemetery. Martha Bagley Knight last appears in the 1900 census for Eastland County, Texas. Emma Bagley Lockwood supposedly died in New Jersey but I could find no proof. [Texas Death Certificates, Texas Marriage records, and 1900 US Census at FamilySearch.org, as well as Findagrave.com]
[20] I plan to write a separate piece on John W. Bagley, who has become another fascinating person for me.
[21] His middle name may have been Wesley or Webster. His son is listed as John Wesley Bagley on his World War I draft registration card. However on the record for his second marriage, he [the son] is listed as John Webster Bagley in multiple places on the form, but he signed it “John Wesley Bagley.” All that said, I found no indication he was a Junior. [FamilySearch.org].
[22] Location from census records. However, both the 1880 US Census and the 1900 US Census for Peek’s Hill, Ohatchee, Calhoun County, Alabama, list his birthplace as Alabama. The 1900 census also lists his birth year as 1826 [so either it’s wrong or the year on his gravestone is wrong, either of which is possible]. John W. Bagley appears in six census records, which I will discuss more in a separate piece.
[23] The name on the gravestone is “J W Bagley.” However, in the write up at Findagrave.com—which does not include a photo of the stone—it is listed as “James W Bagley.” Tracy Higgins was kind enough to go over to the cemetery for me. He took photos of the stone and confirmed the dates. Meanwhile, Jim Hicks worked his magic and sent me a newspaper article from The Gadsden Times [21 March 1904 edition] relating the sad death of John W. Bagley on the previous Thursday, which was 17 March 1904, the same date that appears on the gravestone. John W Bagley was killed by a train between Francis and Ohatchee in Calhoun County. His death sounds like a suicide, although there is no way to know for certain.
[24] The transcript for their Alabama marriage record lists the couple as “J W Bagley” and “W C Akin,” but it clearly says “Miss M. C.”
[25] Dates are from her gravestone [photo at Findagrave.com] and “Alabama Deaths, 1908-1974” [FamilySearch.org]. The location for her birth is from the 1900 US Census for Peek’s Hill, Ohatchee, Calhoun County, Alabama. In the 1880 census, she lived with her family next door to John W. Bagley. In 1900, her parents still lived next door—John Edward and Nancy J. Aiken. However, her death record lists her mother as Bertha Rogers. Various online family trees list Nancy J. Aiken’s maiden name as Rogers, but her own Alabama death record from 1920 lists her parents as Willis Boyers and Pattie Meaders. Confused, I looked at the Aiken’s neighbors in 1880. Next door were an older couple, Willis and Martha Rogers. While I cannot explain the “Bertha” [perhaps a misreading of Martha?], I suspect the “Boyers” on Nancy J. Aiken’s death record is a mistranscribed “Rogers.” Furthermore, Pattie is a diminutive for Martha.
[26] At least two of her adult children are buried with her: William J. Bagley and Martha E. Bagley.
[27] The children of John W. Bagley and Martha Candace Aiken are:
1) John Wesley/Webster Bagley (9 February 1882 – 6 September 1961) married i) Emma Frances Moses (1890 – 1936) – had issue; ii) Ida Mae Raymond Kimbrell (7 April 1899 – November 1977) – had issue
2) Martha E. Bagley (16 October 1884 – 25 April 1945)
3) William Josiah Bagley (14 April 1886 – 13 February 1959)
4) Nancy Jane Bagley (3 February 1888 – 11 March 1985) married Ivey Henderson Hutto (31 August 1889 – 12 June 1964) – had issue
5) Mary Lou Bagley (28 November 1896 – 21 February 1961) married Walter Sanford England (7 January 1887 – 3 February 1973) – had issue
6) Joseph Edward Bagley (22 August 1892 – 27 November 1967) married Laura Rebecca Harvey (1893 – 13 December 1956) – had issue
Information based on “Alabama Deaths, 1908-1974,” Alabama marriages, World War I Draft Cards, and Social Security Death Index [all via FamilySearch.org], and memorials at Findagrave.com.
[28] Based on census records. However, in a 1900 census record for his daughter, Seraphina Bagley Moore, his place of birth is Tennessee.
[29] Date of death based on a list of unpaid fees, etc., [essentially a bill] from Dr Philip H. Brothers, included among the estate papers of James H Bagley. Dr Brothers—James’ brother-in-law—visited multiple times in late December 1866. “Visit prescription & medicine” at a cost of $7.00 is listed for the 28th. Then, on the 30th, Dr Brothers paid A B Downing [a local merchant and another of Dr Brothers’ brothers-in-law] for “10 yds Jackonet for Burial purposes” along with a spool of thread. Jaconet is a lightweight cotton fabric. In short, Dr Brothers ordered a burial shroud and charged it to the estate of James H. Bagley. Given that people tended to be buried within 24 hours of death, I conclude that James H. Bagley died on either the 29th or 30th December 1866. [James H Bagley’s estate papers are available at the Anniston Library but can also be viewed on microfilm found at FamilySearch.org. Interestingly, another of Dr Brothers’ brothers-in-law, Elijah B Downing, was the Justice of the Peace to whom this bill was presented.]
[30] Her parents were Patton Brothers and Elizabeth Love. The source for Louise Catherine Brothers’ dates is unknown, but very specific lists, with full names and dates, exist for all the Brothers siblings, suggesting a Brothers family Bible somewhere. These dates match perfectly with well-sourced dates for those siblings for whom additional records exist.
[31] James H. Bagley and Louise Catherine Brothers’ children are named in the estate papers of both their father, James H. Bagley, and their grandfather, Patton Brothers, found in Calhoun County, Alabama. After their parents’ deaths, the underage children lived with various members of the family, including uncle Philip H. Brothers, brother-in-law J. Mitchell Moore, uncle Giles Driver Meharg, and grandmother Elizabeth Bagley Meharg, all of Calhoun County, and uncle Benjamin F. Brothers in St. Clair County. After the mid-1870s, the boys become difficult to trace.
1) Seraphina Bagley (October 1849 – 1 February 1912) married Joseph Mitchell Moore (4 February 1844 – 22 May 1898) – had issue [J. Mitchell Moore’s date of death is from his gravestone at Shady Glen Cemetery on Pelham Range. Seraphina Bagley’s date of birth is from the 1900 US Census for Polkville, Calhoun County, Alabama. The other dates are from family sources; however, I cannot independently verify them.]
2) Touloula Elizabeth “Betty” Bagley (17 February 1852 – 14 December 1920) married John Solomon Wilbanks (30 June 1847 – 9 January 1910) – had issue. This couple is buried at Morrisville on Pelham Range.
3) John P. Bagley (born c1857) – he disappears from Calhoun County records after c1875. However, I found one record of “Jno P Bagley” 24, born Alabama, in the 1880 US Census for Nolan County, Texas, where he was working as a herdman and listed as “cousin” to “Nick J. Bagley.” This gentleman matches Nicholas Josiah Bagley, son of William Henry Bagley [see above]. After that, I could find no further trace of John P. Bagley.
4) William Albert Bagley (14 February 1859 – 5 January 1932) – buried at Morrisville on Pelham Range.
5) Franklin “Frank” S. Bagley – he disappears from Calhoun County records after c1875. However, I found a man matching him in Nolan County, Texas. Franklin S. Bagley (10 November 1861 – 4 January 1945) married Lula Ann Richards/Richie (17 September 1876 – 13 May 1904) – had issue. Both are buried at Fort Chadbourne Cemetery, Coke County, Texas. Unfortunately, I could not find his death certificate to confirm the familial relationship to James H. Bagley and Louisa Catherine Brothers.
Information based on Alabama marriage records, Texas marriage records, Texas death records, and census records at FamilySearch.org and memorials at Findagrave.com.
[32] Based on census records. However, in the 1850 Census for Benton [Calhoun] County, Alabama, she is listed as born c1833 in Tennessee.
[33] Based on census records. The 1860 US Census for Sulphur Springs, Calhoun County, Alabama, includes Henry Creswell, 79, and Polly Creswell, 60, both born in Virginia, along with “Bathing” Creswell, 40, born Tennessee [This name may really be Bethany]. While the census does not say who they are, I suspect they are John H. Creswell’s parents and sister.
[34] Based on census records, the known children of Martha Bagley and John H. Creswell are:
1) Josiah W. Creswell (17 February 1856 – 9 March 1899) married Martha Jane Paul (November 1861 – 26 July 1950) – had issue. One of their children died the day after Josiah. Their daughter, Anna Maggie Creswell married Grover Cleveland Meharg, the son of Martha Bagley Creswell’s half-brother, Giles D. Meharg. [See below.]
2) James H. Creswell (c1859-1898) married i) Fannie A. Ingram (c1860-1892) – had issue; ii) Alta Mulinax (January 1868 – 1905) – had issue [All three are buried at Creswell Cemetery, Calhoun County. However, the gravestones are recent editions with erroneous dates—1829 for James H. Creswell’s birth, 1850 for Fannie A. Ingram’s birth—which reminded me of transcription errors. My guess is the dates used for the stones were written in cursive script and very difficult to read.]
3) William S. Creswell (b. c1861, died btw 1870 and 1880)
4) John A. Creswell (20 April 1868 – 11 September 1911) married Maria Elizabeth “Lizzie” Paul (26 February 1870 – 8 February 1933) – had issue. The 1900 census lists his birth year as 1867 and her month of birth as January.
The family lived at Sulphur Springs, Calhoun County. In the 1880 Census, Martha’s mother, Elizabeth Bagley Meharg, lives with the family. The gravesites for Martha Bagley and John H. Creswell have not been located. At least three of their sons, however, are buried at Creswell Cemetery. The land John H. Creswell purchased in 1859 matches the approximate location of Creswell Cemetery, which leads me to believe this was—as the name implies—their family cemetery and they are all (with the exception of Lizzie Paul Creswell) buried there. Lizzie Paul and Martha Jane Paul were sisters, daughters of Samuel E. Paul and Nancy J. Formby [Alabama marriage records, death records, and census records at FamilySearch.org, Findagrave.com, and the Bureau of Land Management at www.glorecords.blm.gov]
One final note on the Creswell children—in 1875, John E. “Jack” Downing taught a school at Coldwater. Included in his list of school patrons is “Jack Christwell,” whom I believe was John H. Creswell. Also on the list was Joseph P. Bagley [see below], as well as other Bagley cousins. So it would appear, at least for part of 1875, John H. Creswell was alive and that Jack Downing taught the Creswell boys.
[35] Findagrave.com—buried at Coldwater Baptist Church Cemetery, Calhoun County, Alabama. [Since originally researching this, the webpage with his gravestone has been taken down.]
[36] Ibid – her maiden name is on the gravestone and lists her husband’s name.
[37] It is unclear how many children Joseph P. Bagley and Harriet A. Pruitt had. I could only locate the family in two census records: 1860 and 1880, both in Calhoun County, Alabama. [I did locate a Joe Bagley in Oxford, Alabama, in 1870, but none of the names matched up.] Furthermore, few of the death certificates—or at least the transcripts of those documents—listed their parents’ names. Add to this the plethora of Bagleys in Calhoun County in the late 19th Century and early 20th Century. I uncovered the following:
1) Mary Elizabeth “Mollie” Bagley (26 June 1860 – 31 July 1931) married Emery Bartow Chapman (October 1869 – 15 November 1928) – no issue. Both are buried at Coldwater Baptist Church Cemetery. The transcription of Mollie’s very muddled Alabama death record lists her name as “Mollie L. Chapman” with her parents as “Harrit Evretts” and “Joseph Perry,” leading me to wonder if his full name was Joseph Perry Bagley.
2) Thomas Bagley – I found a Thomas J. Bagley (24 September 1861 or 1863 or 1864, died 8 August 1932) in Texas. The birth years are in keeping with the Thomas Bagley found in Joseph P. Bagley’s household in 1880. Thomas J. Bagley married Julia Ann Moore and had children, but I could find nothing to confirm a familial connection to the Bagleys of Calhoun County.
3) Martha J. Bagley (27 May 1865 – 17 February 1952) married James Thomas Amos (17 October 1855 – 8 April 1934) – had issue. The transcript of her Alabama death record lists her parents as Joseph Bagley and “Harriett A Privett.”
4) James N. Bagley (13 October 1873 – 17 July 1916) married Nena Belle Dunn (25 March 1891 – 18 January 1917). There were a lot of James Bagleys in Calhoun County, and even another James N. Bagley, but this one seemed the best fit to the 6-year-old child in Joseph P. Bagley’s household in 1880. This couple is buried at Coldwater Baptist Church Cemetery.
5) Alabama “Bama” Bagley (5 April 1875 – 15 October 1918) married E. P. Erwin. I could not confirm who this man was. Bama is buried at Coldwater Baptist Church Cemetery. There is also a grave for “W. Erwin”—but no additional information or photo at Findagrave.com—leading me to wonder if this might be Bama’s child.
6) Benjamin Franklin Bagley - born December 1878 according to his World War I draft card, but I suspect he was born earlier. This is the only documentation of him I could find after the 1880 census in Calhoun County. He was living in Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma. The only way I knew it was him was his next of kin: “Mrs. Mary Chapman of Anniston.” After that, he disappears. He is not to be confused with the Frank Bagley who married Cornelia Young; they are a black couple.
All information was found via Alabama death records, Texas death records, Alabama marriage records, Texas marriage records, Texas birth records, census records, and the US Draft cards for WWI, all found at FamilySearch.org, as well as memorials at Findagrave.com.
[38] His middle name may have been Sumner or Summers. According to the Alabama Department Archives and History’s Civil War Soldiers database, as well as summaries at FamilySearch.org, a soldier named Sumner or Summers Bagley was also labeled “Nathan Sumner Bagley.” He enlisted in Talladega County, and when information was collected on Confederate soldiers in 1901, he was listed as having died in Calhoun County “since the war.” This sounds like our man, and if so, he may have gone by Sumner.
[39] 1880 Mortality Schedule for Calhoun County, Alabama [Ancestry.com].
[40] In the marriage record, they are listed as “NS Bagley” and “MC Elrod”
[41] Matilda C. Elrod appears in the 1860 US Census for Calhoun County, Alabama, with her parents, Andrew and Lucinda Elrod. Also in the household is her sister, Elvira E. Elrod [given the names of Matilda’s daughter, Elvira’s middle name may have been Elizabeth]. Elvira (1851-1919) is buried in South Carolina. Her gravestone confirms she was the daughter of Andrew and Lucinda Elrod and further states that she was a deaf mute.
[42] It appears Matilda C. Elrod Bagley remarried in 1884, but I cannot be certain. On 14 March 1884 in Calhoun County, Alabama, a Matilda Bagley married “T S Mckenney” [or McKinney]. I believe this is the right Bagley family, due to the reference to the “McCinney House” in Mary Bell Bagley and John William Babers’ marriage record [see below], but I cannot confirm anything. The only T. S. McKinney I could find was Thomas S. McKinney who lived in Sulphur Springs, Calhoun County, in 1880, with his family—the widowed Mrs. Bagley and her family lived in Sulphur Springs, too. Thomas S. McKinney was born c1829 and was roughly ten years older than Matilda C. Elrod Bagley, making her much more likely to be his bride than her 12-year-old daughter, Mattie. Other than the reference on the marriage record to the “McCinney House” [the home of the bride’s mother being a common venue for a wedding at that time], I can find no further trace of Matilda C. Elrod Bagley McKinney.
[43] Dates and location based on census records.
[44] Based on the notation from the Alabama wedding records for her daughters. Mary Belle Bagley’s 1890 Talladega County marriage record states the wedding occurred at “McCinney’s house,” suggesting she was married at her mother’s home. Mattie Lula Bagley’s 1892 Talladega marriage record states the wedding occurred at “John Barber’s Residence,” Mattie Lula’s brother-in-law, suggesting her mother had possibly passed away in the interim.
[45] In 1870, “S H Bagley” and wife Matilda live next door to Martha Bagley Creswell at Sulphur Springs, Calhoun County, Alabama. With the couple is Matilda’s sister, Elvira E. Elrod, and a boy, Andrew Smith, who may have been another Elrod relative. In 1880, widow Matilda Elrod Bagley still lives next door to Martha Bagley Creswell (with whom Nathan’s mother, Elizabeth Bagley Meharg, is living), although, from the birth places of the younger children, they had been living in Georgia for a few years. Based on the census records, their children were:
1) Benjamin Bagley, born April 1870 – died before 1880
2) Matilda Lula “Mattie” Bagley (27 August 1871 – 24 August 1961) married Thomas G. Shaddox (12 August 1864 – 30 June 1933) – had issue. The couple married in Talladega County, Alabama, in 1892. Her marriage record erroneously lists the bride’s name as “Mary L. Bagley.” The record states the ceremony took place at “John Barber’s Residence,” that is, the bride’s brother-in-law’s home. The couple settled in Fannin County, Texas. I was unable to find Mattie’s death record, but those of her children list her maiden name as Bagley. Furthermore, one of her sons had the middle name Sumner. [Mattie is unlikely to be the Matilda Bagley who married “T. S. McKenney” in 1884, because she would have been only twelve years old, while Thomas S. McKinney was 55 at the time.]
3) Elvira Elizabeth Bagley (12 February 1873 – 16 November 1963) – “Bettie” Bagley married Benton Phillips (27 September 1868 – 7 February 1953) – had issue. In 1880, Benton Phillips and his family lived next door to the Bagley household in Sulphur Springs. Bettie’s maiden name of Bagley appears on her gravestone. The couple’s Talladega County marriage license was obtained on the same day as that of “Mollie” Bagley’s on 11 December 1890 [see below].
4) Mary Belle Bagley (27 October 1875 – 28 April 1959) – “Mollie” Bagley married John William Babers (19 September 1861 – 31 October 1944) – had issue. Their Talladega County marriage license was obtained on the same day as that of “Bettie” Bagley’s on 11 December 1890 [see above].The document further states they were married at “McCinney’s house”—that is, possibly her mother’s home. They went to Texas, settling in Fannin County.
5) Thomas Richard Bagley (21 January 1877 – 2 June 1960) – appears never to have married but I cannot confirm this. On his World War I Draft Card, he listed his next of kin as “Mrs. Bettie Phillipps” of “Lincoln, Calhoun, Ala.” He died in Anniston [which means his funeral record would be in the Anniston Library and might include the names of his parents].
6) Martha Ellen Bagley (5 April 1879 – 28 August 1957) – married Raymond D. Griffin (13 March 1856 – 22 August 1940) in 1895, in Fannin County, Texas. Had issue. Her Texas death certificate lists her father as “Sumerlin Bagley.”
Information from Alabama marriage records, Texas marriage records, Alabama death records, Texas death records, census records, and World War I draft cards found at FamilySearch.org, as well as memorials at Findagrave.com.
[46] 1900 Census of Copiah County, Mississippi.
[47] From the application for a veteran’s gravestone [FamilySearch.org]. A death certificate should exist for Josiah Bagley in Mississippi. It could, potentially, list his mother’s maiden name [I am not optimistic]. However, I have been unable to access it.
[48] Familysearch.org – the transcription lists “Isaiah Bagley” and “J C Hawkins.” There is no image of the record—and it looks like the transcriber couldn’t read Victorian era Js or Is. From 1880 to 1920, “Josiah” Bagley appears in Copiah County census records. The 1870 census lists Idella Bagley’s husband as “Silas.” But looking over all the census records, I am certain this is the correct family.
[49] Findagrave. Dates and maiden name based on her gravestone in Copiah County, Mississippi. It lists her as the wife of J. Bagley.
[50] Based on census records, Josiah Bagley and Idella C. Hawkins known children were:
1) Infant Bagley (born May 1870)
2) Eula E. Bagley (born c1871) married James H. Matthews – had issue.
3) William P. Bagley (born June 1872) married Mary B. – had issue [his middle name appears to have been Perry].
4) Blanche C. Bagley (August 1874-1942) married Franklin Sharbrough Perritt (January 1873-1954) – had issue
5) Naomi [?] Ainslie Bagley (21 January 1879 – May 1977) married George Joseph Little (27 January 1882 – 30 June 1860) – had issue
6) Essa Bagley (born September 1881)
7) Effie/Evie Louise Bagley (9 December 1886 – 30 May 1950) married Andrew Jackson Varnado (24 January 1887 – 12 June 1963) – had issue
8) Geneva May Bagley (27 December 1888 – 5 March 1947) married Walter Thomas Little (born 4 January 1889) – had issue
9) Unknown Bagley – the 1900 US Census for Copiah County, Mississippi, states Idella C. Hawkins Bagley had 7 out of 9 children still living.
Researching Mississippi is difficult for me, and as a result, this list is shamefully lacking. The information I found is from census records, Mississippi marriage records, Louisiana death records, Arkansas death records, US Social Security death index, and World War II Draft cards from FamilySearch.org, as well as memorials at Findagrave.com.
[51] Dates based on her gravestone at Findagrave.com and her Texas death record, which lists her as “Mrs. A. B. Crow.” However, I think the birth year of 1840 is incorrect as her father Josiah Bagley had died in Spring 1839. The 1900 Census for Jones County, Texas doesn’t give her birth date.
[52] Elizabeth Bagley is named as the wife of A. B. Crow in some estate papers of her father, Josiah Bagley. In 1860, the Crows were in Sevier County, Arkansas. However, death records state their older children were born in Alabama. From 1880 to their deaths, the couple appears in Texas in census records, first in Wood County, then in Jones County. I have been unable to find them in 1870.
[53] Dates from his gravestone at Findagrave.com and his Texas Death Certificate, which includes his full name. Location for birth from census records.
[54] The 1910 US Census for Jones County, Texas, states that Elizabeth Bagley Crow had 4 out of 10 children still living. Given I couldn’t find the Crows in the 1870 Census, constructing a list of their children has been iffy, but I think I managed.
1) James Crow (born c1857)
2) Mary Emma Crow (6 May 1859 – 23 October 1944)
3) Infant Crow – at Hopewell Cemetery in Wood County, Texas there are two gravestones for “Infant Crow.” Unfortunately, photos are not included at Findagrave.com and no dates are provided. But one says “AB and EC.” Without seeing the gravestones, it is impossible to know for sure, but these may well be A. B. and Elizabeth’s children. Three of their other children are also buried at Hopewell [see below].
4) Infant Son Crow – the second of the two “Infant Crow” graves at Hopewell Cemetery in Wood County, Texas. This one says “Son of E Crow.” Given the gap between Mary Emma and Cumie, I believe these children belong here in the sequence.
5) Cumie Taletha Crow (26 February 1867 – 1 February 1934) married John R. Yarbrough – had issue. Her Texas death certificate gives her name as Carrie.
6) Daniel Richard Crow (6 December 1869 – 16 October 1943) married Lula Mae Hilliard (2 May 1872 – 19 March 1958) – had issue.
7) Margaret Ida Crow (16 June 1872 – 26 February 1957)
8) W. A. Crow (16 August 1874 – 3 September 1877) – the three youngest Crow children share a gravestone at Hopewell Cemetery in Wood County, Texas. Also inscribed on the stone is “Children of A B and E Crow.” A photo of it is at Findagrave.com.
9) L. C. Crow (29 September 1876 – 12 October 1879)
10) A. D. Crow (11 December 1878 – 27 May 1879)
Information based on Texas death records, Texas marriage records, and census records from FamilySearch.org, as well as memorials from Findagrave.com.
[55] There are reports on the internet of family accounts stating Giles might have been adopted. Given Elizabeth’s age at the time of his birth—approximately 45, it’s possible this child was not Elizabeth’s biological child. But it’s not impossible for him to be her child, either. He was born six years after his parents’ marriage, and it is unknown if Elizabeth Bagley and James Bagley had other children [who died] prior to Giles D. Meharg.
[56] Based on 1900 Census for Talladega County, Alabama [FamilySearch.org].
[57] Date of death from Alabama death record for "G D Meharg"; however, it lists his age at death as 50. His estate papers in Talladega County [FamilySearch.org] list his date of death as 13 February.
[58] Alabama marriage records at FamilySearch.org. The bride’s name is transcribed as “Juliann Younger,” but the document clearly says “Julia Youngue.”
[59] Based on 1900 Census for Talladega County, Alabama [FamilySearch.org].
[60] Alabama death record [FamilySearch.org]. It lists her parents as Sam Yongue and Salina Carter.
[61] According to the 1900 US Census for Talladega County, Alabama, Julia Yongue Meharg had 4 out of 5 children still living. Here are the couple’s known children:
1) Selina “Lena” Meharg (born August 1873) married Robert E. Lee (19 July 1865 – 6 August 1917) in Calhoun County in 1892 – had issue. I cannot find any information on Lena after 1920, leading me to wonder if her Alabama death record is horribly muddled or if she left the state.
2) James Henry Meharg (20 July 1877 – 14 July 1954) married Leila Lane Griffin (11 December 1882 – 18 March 1965) – had issue.
3) Giles Driver Meharg Jr. (23 September 1879 – 2 April 1957) married Luna Mae Lawson (28/29 December 1891 – 23 May 1983) – had issue.
4) Grover Cleveland Meharg (3 July 1885 – 27 November 1947) married Anna Maggie Creswell (November 1887 – 4 March 1965) – had issue. Maggie’s Alabama death record lists her parents as “Winston Creswell” and “Martha Paul”—in other words, Josiah W. Creswell and Martha Jane Paul, son and daughter-in-law of Martha Bagley Creswell, Giles D. Meharg’s half-sister [see above].
5) Unknown Meharg
Information based on Alabama marriage records, Alabama death records, World War I draft cards, Social Security Death Index, and census records at FamilySearch.org, as well as memorials at Findagrave.com.