ODOM/ODUM/OLDHAM

   

ODOMS

Like the Hendersons, our Odom research has been quite a journey. The Odom and Henderson lines intersect with the marriage of Sarah Francis Odom and James H. Henderson about 1844 in Mississippi (marriage record not yet found in any of the counties where their families are known to have lived or the surrounding counties. Pike and Simpson Counties had fires and the early records were lost. Marriage date has been calculated by age of oldest child.) The Odom-Henderson line was previously covered in posts #14 through post #18 of this blog.

For many years, most of us researching this Odom line, have known that a Richard Odom was the father of Sarah Francis but various undocumented internet trees do not have the correct Richard and do not have his correct linage. The next few posts on this blog will attempt to present the correct information with documentation.

Richard Odom was probably born before 1792 in South Carolina. By 1820, he was residing in Pike County, Mississippi (1820 U.S. Census; Census Place: Pike, Mississippi; Page: 87, NARA Roll: M33_58; Image 119.) Also about 1820, Richard married his first wife, (First name unknown) Merchant. This marriage record has not been found but the date was surmised by the birth of their first child in 1821. Some trees assert the wife's first name as Mary or Nancy or Sarah or Jane. This needs more extensive research. On this 1820 census only two people were in the household, one male age "of 16 and under 26", and one female age "of 26 and under 49".

The next census record where Richard Odom is found is the 1840 census in Simpson County, Mississippi. (1840; Census Place: Simpson, Mississippi; Roll:217; Page 218; Image: 893; Family History Library Film: 0014841) In the household was the following enumeration: Males: Ages10-14, 2

40-49, 1

Females: Ages 5-9, 1

10-14, 2

15-19, 2

40-49, 1

By 1850, Richard's first wife Unknown Merchant had died and Richard had married Elizabeth Cook, widow of Joseph Purvis. Richard and Elizabeth had no children together.

In 1850, also in Simpson County, Mississippi, Richard's household is listed as follows: #27

Richard Oldham (name misspelled) Age 61 Farmer Born SC or NC

Elizabeth Oldham Age 50 SC cannot read or write

Elizabeth Oldham 20 Miss

James Pervis 13 "

Joseph Pervis 11 "

Alexander Pervis 9 "

(1850; Census Place: Simpson, Mississippi; Roll: M432_381; Page: 289A; Image 78.)

On the same page surrounding Richard are the following listings:

#25 James Henderson Age 21 Farmer Ala

Sara " 24 Miss Daughter of Richard & __Merchant

Allen " 2 "

Richard " 5/12 "

#26 Henry H. Thornhill Age 29 Farmer Miss

Lavina " 27 " Daughter of Richard & __Merchant

Sara A " 1 "

Dolly Oldham 18 " Daughter of Richard & __Merchant

#28 Solomon Thornhill Age 40 Farmer

Eady " 29 Daughter of Richard & __Merchant

John " 7

Asa D " 3

#30 John Oldham Age 23 Farmer Miss cannot read or write

Nancy " 25 Daughter of Elizabeth & Joseph Purvis

Isaac " 6

Mary A " 1

Lucy Pervis 18 Daughter of Elizabeth & Joseph Purvis

Examining Richard's age through the above census records, we can surmise that his age of 61 is about correct in the 1850 census. This would have put his birth in 1790 or 1791.

The 1850 census page listings is really incredible in that so many close family members are clustered, not only in the same county, but as neighbors. As the Odom family is explored going back in time, this same concept of moving and living in family clusters will be seen in previous generations.

Below are the known children of Richard Odom and his first wife, Unknown Merchant.

1. Edith Odom b. 1821 in Simpson County, MS; d. April 1860 Pike County, MS;

Married Solomon Thornhill.

2. James Richard Odom b. ca 1823 MS; d. 1898 Rapides Parish, LA. Married Cinderella Beall.

3. Lavina Odom b. ca 1823 MS; d. after 1860. Married Henry Thornhill ca 1840.

4. Sarah Francis Odom b. 10 August 1826 MS; d. 20 September 1911, Forest Hill, Rapides, LA. Married James H. Henderson.

5. John Odom b. ca 1825 MS; Married Nancy Purvis. d. after 1870 Trinity, TX

6. Elizabeth Odom b. 1830 MS (no other info)

7. Dolly Odom b. 1832 MS (no other info)

Some internet trees have other children listed as follows: Margaret (no other info); James Addison (It seems he has been confused with James R. listed above and also with James Addison son of the above listed James R. Odom and Cinderella Beall)

If we match the known children with the 1840 census, this is the exact result:

Males: 10-14-2: James R. and John

Females: 5-9 - 1: Dolly

10-14-2: Sarah Francis and Elizabeth

15-19-2: Edith and Lavina

Unfortunately, the 1850 census is the last one where Richard Odom appeared as he died in 1853.

Before going back to Richard's ancestors, here are his children and their children. Most of this information was taken from census records.

Edith Odom (1821-Aft 1860 Pike Co., MS) and Solomon Thornhill (1814-April 1860 Pike Co. MS)

John Solomon Thornhill (1843 - 1909)

Asa Denson Thornhill (1847 - 1927)

Amenda Jane Thornhill (1856 - 1942)

Clarissa Thornhill (1857 - 1887)

Minda Ellen Thornhill (1859 - 1942)

Lavina Odom (1823 - Aft 1860) and Henry Thornhill (1818-Apr 1860)

Sara Thornhill b. 1849

Joseph R. Thornhill b. 1850

Leroy Thornhill b. 1853

May or Mary Thornhill b. 1856

James Richard Odom (b.20 Dec. 1823) and Cinderella (or Sinderella) Beall (b.Abt 1824 - Aft 1850)

William W. Odom b. 1846

Nancy Odom b. 1848

Dolly J. Odom b. Aug. 1850

John Odom (b. Abt 1825) and Nancy Purvis (b. Abt 1825)

Isaac Odom b. 1846

Elizabeth Odom b. 1850

Jerry Odom b. 1854

Joseph Odom b. 1856

Richard b. 1858

Sarah Francis Odom (b. 10 August 1826) and James H. Henderson (b. 8 August 1821)

Allen Henderson b. March 1847

Richard Henderson b. December 1849

Caroline E. Henderson b. 5 March 1854

James W. Henderson b. 24 June 1856

Henry Henderson b. 4 September 1858

Sarah Frances Henderson b. 18 February 1862

Yosebia Lavinia Henderson b. 5 July 1865

Summary of known records of Richard Odom:

1813, Marion County, Mississipi tax list, 1 pole, no land. (will be discussed in next post)

1815, Private, 13th Regiment(Nixon's), Mississippi Militia, War of 1812, January 6, 1815 to

February 5, 1815. Captain Moses Collins' Company. Discharged 5th of Feb 1815.

Term of service charged 1 month; Amount of pay 8 dollars.

(Fold 3)

1816 Pike County, Mississippi census, Richard Odum: 1 white male 21+.

1819 Pike County, Mississippi 1 poll $1.

1820 Pike County, Mississippi 1 poll .75

1820 Pike County, Mississippi census, Richard Odom: 1 male 16-26; 1 female 26-44.

(All of above information from Historic Pathways, EShownMills)

1821 Pike County, Mississippi combination tax roll.

1822, 1824, 1825, 1827, 1828, 1829, 1831, 1832, 1833, 1834, 1835 combination tax roll Pike County.

(This information posted on Ancestry Tree by Dawn Driskell of Union, Mississippi)

1834, 1 Sept. Land sale from US Government to Richard Odom of Pike County, Mississippi,

81.5 acres, Washington, Mississippi; Certificate #1521. (Ancestry)

1840 Simpson County, Mississippi census, Richard Odem (see census information above)

1841 Simpson County, Mississippi combination tax roll.

1844 Simpson County, Mississippi personal tax roll. (Dawn Driscoll, Ancestry)

1845 Simpson County, Mississippi personal tax roll. (Dawn Driscoll, Ancestry)

1850 U.S. Census, Simpson County, Mississippi Richard Oldham (see census information above)

The next Post will be about Richard and his Odom ancestors.

JAMES H HENDERSON TIMELINE

JAMES H. HENDERSON TIME LINE

By comparing all of the information now gathered on James H. Henderson (1821 or 1822 - 1909), we now have a fairly accurate timeline for most of his life.

1821 or 1822 - Born in Clarke County, Alabama. (As stated on his Civil War Pension Application)

1846 (approximately) Simpson County, Mississippi (married Sarah Francis Odom) No marriage                  record found but this is where the Odom family was residing and 1846 is one year prior to the              birth of their first child.

1850 Simpson County, Mississippi  U.S. Federal Census.

1860 U.S. Census. Entire family missing but probably in Lawrence County, Mississippi. I have read            line by line both Simpson County and Lawrence County Census records.

1862  Lawrence County, Mississippi (As stated on Civil War Pension Application as his residence               when he joined the Confederate Army.)

1865 Lawrence County, Mississippi (As stated on Civil War Pension Application as his residence at            the end of the War.)

1869 Daughter Dorothy Henderson married Hugh Thompson in Lawrence County, Mississippi.

1870 Lawrence County, Mississippi U.S. Federal Census.

1873 Louisiana (probably Calcasieu Parish) As stated on Civil War Pension Application in 1899, that          he had lived in Louisiana for 25 years "last October" which would have been for twenty-five                years in October 1898 = moved to Louisiana October 1873.

1874 Marriage of daughter, Caroline Henderson to Sylvania Jefferson Dunn in St. Landry Parish,                Louisiana.

1875 Marriage of daughter, Sarah Frances Henderson to James Dudley Dunn in St. Landry Parish,              Louisiana.
         Marriage of son James W. Henderson to Laura Josephine Dunn probably in St. Landry Parish.           (some internet trees say Calcasieu Parish but no actual marriage record).

1880  Calcacieu Parish, Louisiana U.S. Federal Census. (Name misspelled Henneson)

1900 Spring Hill, Rapides Parish, Louisiana U.S. Federal Census.

1909 Died. Spring Hill now known as Forest Hill, Rapides Parish, Louisiana. Buried Butters                        Cemetery.

I hope the above timeline will help those who are researching this Henderson family and will give everyone a perspective on the movement of the family using as many of the records as are available at this time. One note: when the Henderson family moved from Simpson to Lawrence County, Mississippi, the children were young or not yet born so everyone moved. When the family moved from Lawrence County, Mississippi to Calcasieu Parish Louisiana, they all went together, parents, children and spouses and their children. Then, most of them ended up together in Rapides Parish.

If anyone has information to add or correct, please contact me as I would really like to fill in the missing pieces for this Henderson/Odom family.

HENDERSON 3RD POST

HENDERSON

3rd post on Henderson

     The previous two posts have presented and explained the known facts and documents available for James H. Henderson and Sarah Frances Odom Henderson.  In this post, I will attempt to put those bits of information together into a more cohesive picture of their life.  Only assumptions can be made for some of the gaps in records but using the known records surrounding those times, the assumptions are more educated guesses.  Below is a picture of James and Sarah, date unknown, but probably about 1900.

James H. and Sarah Odom Henderson
About 1900

     According to several records, James Henderson was born in Clarke County, Alabama on 8 August 1821.  The year varies somewhat but 1821 or 1822 seem to be correct.  So far, nothing is known of him again until he marries Sarah Frances (Francis) Odom about 1844-1846.  This guess is made because their first child, Allen W. Henderson, was born in May 1847.  No marriage record has appeared but Sarah's family was residing in Simpson County, Mississippi so it is likely that they were married either in Simpson or an adjacent county.  A word here - many internet trees have a marriage place of Bolivar County, Mississippi.  Looking at a map of Mississippi, this seems improbable since Bolivar is way north of Simpson and Lawrence Counties where the Hendersons lived for many years and where the Odoms were already living when James and Frances married.

     In the 1850 census James and Sarah are still in Simpson County and have their first two children, Allen and Richard.  So far, they have not been found in the 1860 census in any of the surrounding counties so it is possible the enumerator missed them.  However, in January 1862, James enlisted to serve in the Confederate Army in Brookhaven, Lawrence County, Mississippi so we can assume that in 1860 they were already living in Lawrence County.  Between 1850 and 1860 four more children were added to the family: Maryann Dorothy, Caroline, James W. and Henry.  James H. was released from service due to an ulcerated foot and leg and began to struggle to farm in order to provide for his family.

     The family was still residing in Lawrence County in the 1870 census and during the 1860's had added the last two children: Sarah Frances in February 1862 which is one month after James enlisted and Yosebia Lavinia in 1865.

     From James' pension application we know that the Hendersons moved from Lawrence County to Calcacieu Parish, Louisiana in October 1873.  They appear there on the 1880 census.  There is a huge gap in their life with the missing 1890 census but in 1900 they are in Forest Hill, Spring Hill Ward, Rapides Parish, Louisiana.  A great number of their family members resided in that area as memorialized in a family picture taken about 1905 at a Henderson reunion.

     Looking at the census records, it is obvious that James and Sarah did not just pick up and move by themselves.  In 1850, living in the second dwelling from James and Sarah, were her parents, Richard and Elizabeth Odom (misspelled Oldham).  On the same page is John Odom - possibly a brother to Sarah and son of Richard.  In 1870 on the same page as the Hendersons is the William Thompson family including their son Hugh B. and wife Maryann D(orothy), the daughter of James and Sarah. In 1880 in Calcasieu Parish, living next door to James and Sarah, are James D. Dunn and wife Sarah Frances (Henderson) Dunn, daughter of James and Sarah.  Three dwellings away is son Richard Henderson and four dwellings away are son James Henderson and wife Laura J. Dunn. In 1900, in Rapides Parish, on the same page as James H. and Sarah is granddaughter, Lavinia M. Dunn and husband Henry Robert Butter.  On the following page is son Henry Henderson and wife Emily and family.

     We don't know what prompted the Hendersons to move from Simpson to Lawrence County, Mississippi then to Calcacieu and on to Rapides Parish, Louisiana.  James was a farmer all his life but maybe they were following their children to new areas as most, if not all, of their children ended up in Louisiana.

     Sadly, by 1900, James H. Henderson had been denied a Civil War pension and struggled to farm enough to feed he and Sarah.  His diseased leg and foot never healed.  They did live surrounded by a large family so, hopefully, they had help when needed.  James died at age 87 on 3 April 1909 in Forest Hill, Rapides Parish, Louisiana.  He is buried in the Butter Cemetery in Forest Hill.  Below is a photo of his marker.

Tombstone James H. Henderson
Butter Cemetery
Forest Hill, Rapides, LA

     Again, there is a discrepancy on James' birth date as the the marker says he was born in 1811.  This has to be a mistake of the engraver or the person giving the information as nowhere is that date indicated in any of the records created while he was alive.

     Sarah Frances Odom Henderson lived another two years, residing with one of their sons in Forest Hill during that time. Sarah died 20 September 1911, age 85.  She is also buried in the Butter Cemetery, Forest Hill, Rapides Parish, Louisiana.  Below is a photo of her marker. Again, there is a mistake in birth date, the marker showing 1816, a full ten years before her actual birth.

Sarah Frances Odom Henderson
Butter Cemetery
Forest Hill, Louisiana