My husband and his father have several DNA matches to the descendants of Mattie or Martha Leatherwood who married Alfred Buckner in TN. I'm not certain how this Martha Leatherwood is connected to the Leatherwoods from which my husband's family descends. But I am wondering if this Martha Leatherwood is the missing heir of John Leatherwood that I discussed in previous postings.
Searching for Martha Leatherwood, the heir of John Leatherwood
Estate Settlement of Daniel Leatherwood
It seems that Alfred Buckner married a Martha Humphrey in 1878 in Hardeman County, TN. Unfortunately, I cannot find a record of them in the 1880 census. However in the Social Security applications index found at Ancestry.com for John and Ed Buckner, they list their father Alfred Buckner and their mother's name as Mattie Leatherwood, not Humphrey. Also, the death record for daughter Dove Buckner Jackson in Lauderdale county, TN, shows her mother's name as Mattie Leatherwood. This would indicate that Humphrey may have been a name from a previous marriage.
I think Mattie Leatherwood and Alfred Buckner had 4 children: Susie born 1879, Dove born 1880, John born 1882, and Edward born 1885.
There is a marriage record in 1887 in Hardeman county, TN for Alfred Buckner and Mary Warf. There is a marriage record in 1894 in Dyer county, TN for Alfred Buckner and Mattie Thompson. In 1898 there is a marriage record for Alfred Buckner and Belle Sewall in Dyer county TN.
The 1900 Lauderdale County TN census lists Alfred and Belle Buckner along with sons John and Edward Buckner, daughter Susie Baggett, her husband John Baggett and their daughter Martha Baggett. This would indicate Martha Leatherwood Humphrey Buckner possibly died sometime between 1885 and 1887 (if that marriage record is the same Alfred Buckner) or at least before 1898.
The 1900 census indicates Alfred Buckner was born about 1845 in North Carolina. If this Mattie Leatherwood is the heir of John Leatherwood (1833-1863), she could have been born as early as 1850.
John Leatherwood married Hannah Flinn in 1857 when he was 24 years old. They had 3 children: Mary, Columbus and John Jr. that are listed in the 1860 and 1870 census records. There is no mention of a daughter named Martha or Mattie with Hannah Flinn before John's death in 1863. It is possible she is a daughter from a previous marriage or relationship that we don't have record of. She is only mentioned in the estate records of Daniel Leatherwood.
Records for this Mattie Leatherwood who married Alfred Buckner are elusive. But the DNA match means she is connected somehow. Many trees show this Mattie Leatherwood as the daughter of Daniel and Elizabeth Leatherwood. However I don't believe this is correct. Daniel's daughter Martha Leatherwood was born in 1852 and married John S Orr. She is listed in the estate settlement of Daniel Leatherwood as Martha Orr. Her family moves to Texas and is easily traceable in the census records. There is also a Martha Leatherwood age 10 in the household of Daniel Leatherwood in the 1880 census listed as a daughter. She is not old enough to be the wife and mother of the children of Alfred Buckner. I believe this Martha is actually Martha Wilson born before 1870, the daughter of Ellen Leatherwood Wilson who has returned to her father's house because her husband is deceased. This Martha marries a John Payne.
The Mattie Leatherwood who married Alfed Buckner is my great great great grandmother. I'm currently trying to figure out who her parents were. It isn't going well.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment! Would be interested in hearing about anything new you come across.
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