Robert Graham Family 1850 Census

Exciting News!

It's taken awhile, but I've finally located Robert Graham and family on the 1850 census.

1850 Census Jackson Parish, Louisiana

Transcription:

1) Robert Greyham, 31, male, farmer, value of real estate $250, born Mississippi;
2) Routh Greyham, 36, female, born Kenty [sic], cannot read/write;
3) Sarah C. Greyham, 11 , female, born Mississippi, attending school;
4) Christina E. Greyham, 8, female, born Mississippi, attending school;
5) Wm J Greyham, 7, male, born Louisiana:
6)  Julia A Greyham, 5, female, born Louisiana;
7) Emily Greyham, 4, female, born Louisiana;
8) Lorenza D Greyham, 2, male, born Louisiana;
9) Demal, 1, male, born Louisiana;
10) James Albridge, 27, male, born Louisiana

Locating Robert Graham would have been much easier if the last name indexed on Ancestry.com hadn't been Gresham.   While the census taker had horrible handwriting and the spelling wasn't much better I feel confident from the names and ages of everyone, in this family, that this is indeed our Robert Graham family. 

New Information:

I was really interested to see that there was an older daughter Sarah C. born in Mississippi, whose name I hadn't encountered before.  

Also of interest, was that both Sarah and Christina (the 2 oldest children) were born in Mississippi; this certainly changes some of the history about this family.  With the 2 oldest children being born in Mississippi it is highly unlikely that Robert Graham and Ruth Smith were married in Natchitoches, Louisiana in 1841, as previously thought.  

Elizabeth Graham family connection:

I was hoping that once this census was located Elizabeth Graham, who married Joel Merchant, would appear with the Graham family, as a child.  She does not!  Family tradition tells us that Elizabeth was one of Robert's and Ruth's daughters, but to date I haven't found any hard evidence to support it.  

Some circumstantial evidence is that she and Joel Merchant did live next door toWilliam Jackson Graham's family and only a few houses from Emily and Julia (sisters of William J. Graham and known daughters of Robert Graham) and close to Robert Graham.  Another important point is that Elizabeth  and Joel's marriage license lists Elizabeth's last name as Graham.  So, while she was a Graham we cannot, at this time, be certain that she was Robert & Ruth Graham's daughter. I would like to find further documentation that links Elizabeth firmly to Robert & Ruth Graham, before I can say with complete confidence that she is their daughter.

Another interesting connection: 

In 1870, each of these Graham women: Elizabeth, Julia and Emily had a minor child, last name Walker, living in their households. Two additional Walker children were living next door to Robert Graham in 1870.  This Walker family becomes important in locating Robert Graham on the 1860 census.

The Walker Connection:

It was the Walker children who led me to find Robert Graham on the 1850 census in Jackson Parish, Louisiana.  

From the 1870 Census in Rapids Parish, Louisiana:

• William Walker age 17,  living next door to Robert Graham
• Thomas Walker  age 13, living next door to Robert Graham
• Sarah Walker, age 17, living in the household of Daniel H. Willis and Julia A. (Graham) Willis. 
• Dempsy Walker, age 12, living in the household of William Butter and Emily (Graham) Butter.
• Elizabeth Walker, age 7, living in the household of Joel Merchant and Elizabeth (Graham) Merchant.

All 5 children were born in Louisiana.

On the 1860 census, in Jackson Parish, Louisiana William, Sarah, Dempsy and Jefferson (who is probably Thomas) appear as the children of Thomas and Charity Walker and are living next to Lafayette Walker.  Both Thomas and Lafayette Walker were born in Mississippi.

The fact that the Walker's and Robert Graham were both living in Jackson Parish, LA in 1860, and all 3 were born in Mississippi, along with the fact that the Walker children living with various Graham children in Rapides Parish, LA in 1870 certainly suggests some kind of important connection.

In 1850,  both Thomas Walker and Lafayette Walker are found on the census as the children of Saunders Walker Sr., in Pike County Mississippi, which borders the Louisiana/Mississippi border on the north.   Based on the Graham-Walker connection, whatever it may be, it seems like Pike County Mississippi might be a good starting point to search for Robert Graham in Mississippi.