DNA matches to the descendants of Mattie Leatherwood who married Alfred Buckner

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.

Alice D Lenoir White and N J Callaway

Alice D Lenoir was born January 30 1859 or 1860 to Robert C Lenoir and Emeline Jones.
(She states in her widow's pension application after the death of N J Callaway that she was born in 1859.  The 1900 census says 1858.   Her tombstone says 1860.)

The 1870 Baker Co., AL census lists Alice D Lenore age 10 in the household of RC Lenore.

She married David Robert White on November 20, 1879 in Chilton County,  Alabama.  This marriage record is available at FamilySearch.org in Alabama County Marriages, 1809-1950.

The 1880 Chilton Co., AL census lists Alice White age 19 wife of Robert White.  They later have two daughters, Eva born November 1880 and Annie born February 1882.



David Robert White died in 1885.  You can view his FindaGrave Memorial here: David R White

Alice Lenoir White marries second N J Callaway on  January 5, 1891 in Chilton County, Alabama.
N J Callaway was widowed and Alice becomes the step-mother of his seven children:  Evan, Lucian, Luther, John, Ammie, Bettie, and  Katie.  They have one daughter together, Gussie Callaway.

The 1900 Chilton County, Alabama census lists N J Callaway, Alice, John, Luther, Katie, Gussie and Eva White.


N J Callaway died 1921 in Chilton County, Alabama.  You can view his FindaGrave memorial here: N J Callaway  His first name is listed as Newton in the 1850 and 1860 census records. All other records say N J.

Alice D Lenoir White Callaway died 1931 in Chilton County, Alabama.  You can view her FindAGrave memorial here:  Alice Callaway
 
You can find the transcribed obituaries of Alice and N J Callaway (here spelled Calloway) at http://www.alagenealogy.com/Some-Obituaries-of-Central-Alabama.htm.
These transcriptions say Alice Drucilia and Newton Joseph.  I do not know if those names are in the original obituaries or were added.  

Susannah Moon Scott

This is a timeline of information concerning Susannah Moon Scott born about 1829 in Sevier County, TN.  While this is factual information taken from records, it outlines what appears to be a not so happy story for the life of Susannah and her sister Mary.  I often wonder why Asenith Moon married Tunis Scott.  She must have been duped or in dire straights. 

Susannah Moon is the daughter of William Moon and Asenith.  William Moon dies around 1841.  His widow Asenith remarries to Tunis Scott around 1842 (based on the age of David Scott in 1850).  (Asenith Moon - Sevier County Deeds 1846)

1850 Sevier County, TN Census - Susannah (age 21)  is in the household of Tunis Scott.  William and Asenith Moon's children are all listed here in the Scott family:  Susannah, Mitchel, Mary, Ludema, John, Malissa, James and Elisabeth.  Also listed are children of Tunis Scott and Asenith ( David, Matilda, and William/Wilson), children of Tunis Scott and Susannah (Martha, age 5 and Mary, age 2), and a child of Tunis Scott and Mary Moon (James).  The woman listed as Ceana Scott is probably Asenith.

1851 Susannah Moon deed as an heir of William Moon
1852 Mary Moon deed as an heir of William Moon
1852 William Mitchel Moon deed as an heir of William Moon
1852 Minor heirs of William Moon

Sometime before 1860, Asenith Moon Scott seems to have died.


Tunis Scott purchases land in Fentress County from David Greer.

1860 Fentress County, TN Census - Susannah Scott is in the household of Tunis Scott.  Also listed are the children of Tunis and Asenith (David and Matilda.  William is no longer listed), the children of Tunis Scott and Susannah (Martha, Mary, Zimaniah, Zephaniah, Alexander and Sarah) and Mary Moon with her children most likely by Tunis Scott ( James, John, William, Landon, and infant Spencer). 

Sometime around 1862-1863, Tunis Scott is shot and killed.

1870 Fentress County, TN Census - Susan Scott is listed with children Zimrod (Zimaniah), Jefferson (Zephaniah), Alexander, James, and Napolean. Napolean Scott was born about 1868 and not a child of Tunis Scott.

Mary Moon is listed separately in the 1870 Fentress County Census with her children.

1874 TN Supreme Court Case, John Greer vs. Susan Scott Estate Dispute (see Tennessee Supreme Court Cases)   John Greer regains possession of the property purchased by Tunis Scott.

1880 Fentress County TN Census - A woman named Susan Ford is living with Asa Johnson and a son named Napolean B.  I believe this may be Susannah Moon Scott.  This is the last record I find of Susannah/Susan Moon Scott.  She most likely dies in Fentress County.

William P Ford and Mary Polly Edens (had a son named Harrison Ford)

From the DNA  test of my husband's grandfather, I found a 3rd-4th cousin match to someone whose ancestor was Mary J Ford (1861 TN - 1928 MO).  Mary J Ford married Claborn Gilliam and they moved to Missouri.  The death certificate of Mary Gilliam says that her father was William Ford and her mother was Pauline Eadens.  I did not know who this Mary J Ford was and how she was connected to my husband's grandfather's Ford family tree.

My husband's grandfather is descended from William Patton Ford (1832-1910) of Scott County, VA.  He was the right age to be the William who fathered Mary J Ford, but who was Pauline Eadens? I already knew that William Ford married Louisa Bishop.  But he was over 30 when he married her, so perhaps he had a previous marriage.

Searching in the online archives of the Library of Virginia, I found a divorce case in Scott County VA for a William and Mary Ford.  Sometimes she was called Mary.  Sometimes she was referred to as Polly.  But the first page had her last name as Evans.  There is testimony from Henry Ford (this is the name of William's father), so I was fairly confident this was our William.  Here is the story that unfolded.

William P. Ford (1832-1910) married first Mary Polly Edens(1834-1919).  Mary Polly Edens was born in Hancock County TN to Isham and Martha Edens.  She married William Ford around 1853, but I have not found the marriage record yet.  Were they married in TN or VA?  And how did they meet? Hancock Co Tn is not far from Scott Co VA, but what is "far" when you are walking or riding a horse?

I checked the 1850 census records and found:

1850 Scott Co VA - William Ford, age 18 is living with his parents, Henry and Ruth Ford
1850 Hancock Co TN - Polly Edens, age 15 is living with her parents Isham and Martha Edens

Around 1853 I am assuming William Ford married Mary Polly Edens.  This is based on the age of their son Lewis Ford who is 7 years old in the 1860 census.

Checking the 1860 census we see:
1860 Scott Co VA  - William Ford, age 27 is living alone
1860 Hancock Co TN - Mary Ford, age 26 is living with her parents Isham and Martha Edens
The census taker noted that Mary Ford was "sickly".   Also listed are children Lewis age 7, Harrison age 5, Martha age 3, and Mary age 7 months.  (Ok, so they had a son named Harrison Ford! Geek moment.  That makes me smile!  Though it's likely he was named Harrison after the president.)  But I believe this infant Mary Ford (actually born either at the end 1859 or early 1860) is the ancestor of the DNA match.

I went back to check the Chancery Court files of Scott Co, VA online at Library of Virginia that I had looked at before to see if any mention was made of children.  I found no reference to their children in the file.  However, in the file's 32 pages you have personal testimony about the relationship of William and Mary Ford.  It seems it was a stormy one including thrown rocks, knives and several death threats!  Their marriage officially ends in divorce in 1866 though it seems they had been living apart for several years.  The testimony of John Tignor, included in the court case, indicates that William's estranged wife Mary is living in Tennessee and presumably already married to a man named Robert Wooten.

So, looking in TN  I found that on January 21, 1866 Mary Ford married Isaac Robert Wooten in Hawkins County, TN.

The 1870 Hancock TN census shows Mary Wooten is living with Robert Wooten and children Lewis Ford, Martha Ann Ford, Mary Ford and Sarah Wooten.(Harrison, sadly, is not among them.  I'll have to research and see if he is living somewhere else or has died.)  Living next door to the Wootens is  John Tignor who gave testimony.


On April 17, 1866 William Ford marries his second wife Louisa Bishop in Scott County, VA.
Louisa Bishop was previously married to James Bishop and had two sons, Lafayette and William Jesse Bishop.

The 1870 Scott Co VA census shows William P Ford age 36 is living with Louisa and children Lafayette and William J (Bishop), Amanda and James L Ford.

In the 1880 Scott Co VA census William and Louisa have added 3 more children, one of which is also named William P and is my husband's great great grandfather.

Here you can see William P. Ford's FindaGrave memorial.

After the death of Robert Wooten, it seems that Mary/Polly marries the friend John Tignor according to this FindaGrave memorial.