Graham - Pickren Marriage Records

I was surprised and happy to learn that the 1800s marriage records in Louisiana, and no doubt elsewhere, really comprised more than just the marriage license.  The example below for L. D. Graham and A. V. Pickren, my 2nd great-grandparents, is an example of a 3 part marriage record, consisting of marriage bond, license and the minister's statement of the marriage.  Each provides information vital to the genealogical record and clues for further research.

Marriage Bond

Marriage bonds were taken out a day to several days prior to the marriage.  While no money was actually paid, they served as a guarantee for the marriage.  The security person listed was often a relative of either the groom or the bride.  In the case of L. D. Graham's bond, W. J. P. Byrd served as security.  From, the 1880 Census we learn that W. P. Beird was Victoria Pickren's brother.  

How nice it is to also have both of these men's signatures.

Transcription

State of Louisiana,
Parish of Rapides

Know all Men by these Presents, That we L. D. Graham, as principal, and W. J. P. Byrd as security, are held and firm bound unto the Governor of the State of Louisiana, in the sum of Five hundred ($500) Dollars, for the payment of which we and ourselves, our heirs, executors and administrators, jointly and severally by [missing letters] ese presents.

Dated at Alexandria, the 3 day of May A. D. 1870 Whereas, a license has been this day issued by the Clerk of the District court in and for the Parish of Rapides, to unite in the Bond of Matrimony, the []ove bound, Mr. L. D. Graham and Miss A. V. Pickren.  Now therefore, the condition of the above obligation is such, that if there should exist no legal impediment to this alliance, then the said obligation to be null and void, else to remain in full force and virtue. 

[...]ned in the presence of

Charles Owen                                                    L. D. Graham

                                                                          W. J. P. Byrd

Marriage License 

Transcription

State of Louisiana

Parish of Rapides

To any Justice of the Peace or Minister of the Gospel, who is authorized to celebrate Marriages in and for the Parish of Rapides…. Greeting:

You are Hereby licensed and permitted to unite in the BOND OF MATRIMONY, according to the law and Established Rules Mr. L. D. Graham and Miss A. V. Pickren, Given under my hand ant the Seal of Office as Clerk of the District Court, in and for the Parish of Rapides, the 3 day of May 1870.

[signed] Charles Owen dep Clerk

 Minister's Return

From this document we learn that L. D. Graham and A. V. Pickren were married on 5 May, 1870 at the home of H.C.C. Teagle, rather than at the home of R. Graham, as were many of her sisters. 

One of the witnesses Silas C. Scarborough, was probably A. V. Pickren's step-father.  We know that the newlyweds were living next door (or at least close by) to Silas Scarborough and Mary D. Scarborough from the 1870 census.  We also know that A. V. Pickren's mother M. D. Scarborough (widow) and her brother John E. Scarborough were living with L. D. and Aaron V. Graham in Milam Co., Texas in 1880 (census). 

It would be interesting to know who Napoleon B. White (witness), H. C. C. Teagle (residence of marriage ceremony) and J. F. Marshall, Minster were.  Almost all the other Graham children were married by one of the Willis ministers, and they were married at the home of R. Graham.  This marriage certainly broke with family tradition.  

Another interesting break with Graham marriage tradition was A. V. Pickren's age at the time of marriage.  She was only 14.  All the Graham daughters were at least 18 and most were in the 20-22 age range at the time of their marriages.  And, both sons were over age 20 when they married.  L. D. Graham's only brother William Jackson Graham also married a woman over the age of 20.  So, A. V. Pickren's tender age of 14 years and 4 months was extremely young by Graham family tradition.

I also have doubts about A. V. Pickren's signature on the marriage record.  Her signature style strongly resembles the signature of L. D. Graham.  

Transcription

State of Louisiana

Parish of Rapides

Be it Remembered that on the 5^th day of May 1970, Mr. L. D. Graham and Miss A. V. Pickren personally appeared before me J. F. Marshall in and for the Parish of Rapides, together with the witnesses whose names are subscribed hereto. All witnesses of full age, and resident in the said Parish, and that then and there the said Mr. L. D. Graham and Miss A. V. Pickren {…}oving produced the license required by Law, signified their desire and intention, before us the said Marshall and witnesses to be united in the State of Matrimony: L. D. Graham, and Miss A. V. Pickren were by the said J. F. Marshall in the presence of said witnesses, Joined in Wedlock according to the Laws of the State of Louisiana, and by me the said J. F. Marshall duly pronounced to be Husband and Wife.

In Testimony Whereof, the parties to the said Marriage hereunto affix their signatures, together with me the said J. F. Marshall and the aforesaid witnesses on this 5^th day of May A.D., 1870 at residence of H. C. C. Teagle in the Parish aforesaid.

Witnesses:                                                                                                          [signatures]

S. C. Scarborough                                                                                             L. D. Graham

[illegible]                                                                                                             A. V. Pickren

Napoleon B. White                                                                                          J. F Marshall, Minister of the Gospel   


The 3 combined documents provide additional clues to be researched in the future.  And, while almost all marriage indexes show the date of 3 May 1870 as the marriage date for this couple, having all the marriage documents shows that while the marriage bond and license were acquired on 3 May 1870, the marriage didn't occur for another 2 days -- on 5 May 1870

Lorenzo Dow Graham's Death Information

Lorenzo Dow Graham, my 2nd great-grandfather

Born: 23 Mar 1848, Jackson Parish, Louisiana

Died: 4 Apr 1933 Tampa, Hillsborough Co., Florida 

 

Note: his name is listed as Lorenza not Lorenzo, this happened frequently in the records, but all other information matches correctly for him.

Transcription

Office of Vital Statistics

Florida State Board of Health Certificate of Death

1.       Place of death

County: Hillsborough      District No: 19-01              State File No. 6141-A

Precinct: Ballast Point.   Precinct No: 19-537         Registered No. 98

Length of residence in city or town where death occurred 1 yrs. 6 mos ___ days.

2.       Full Name: Lorenza Dow Graham

a.       Residence No. 3103 Regan St.

3.       Sex: male

4.       Color: White

5.       Widowed

6.       Date of birth: 23^rd of March 1848

7.       Age: 85 years 0 months 11 days

8.       Retired carpenter

9.       Industry or business in which work was done: House

10.   Date deceased last worked at this occupation: 1918

11.   Total time spend in this occupation: 50 years

12.   Birthplace _______ LA.

13.   Father’s Name: Robert Graham

14.   Father’s birthplace: don’t know

15.   Mother’s maiden name: Ruthie Smith

16.   Mother’s birthplace:  don’t know

17.   Informant: Thos. G. Kirk address 3104 Oakellor St.

18.   Burial: Myrtle Hill Date: April 6^th 1933

19.   Undertaker: B. Marion Reed Address: Juniper ??

20.   Filed April 5^th 1933

Medial Certificate of Death

21.   Date of Death: April 4, 1933

22.   I Hereby Certify, that I attended deceased from 4/2  1933 to 4/4 1933.  I last saw him alive on 4/4 1933. Death is said to have occurred on the date stated above, at 6:45 p.m. 

The principal cause of death and related caused of importance in order of onset were as follows:

Cerebral hemorrhage

Contributory causes:

Arterial sclerosis

Hypertension

Signed: illegible dr signature and address.

One new question from the death certificate: who was the informant, Thos. G. Kirk? Was he a close family member whose information could be reliable? 

And here's Lorenza Dow Graham's Obituary from the Tampa Daily News,

 5 April, 1933, page 2 column 5

Lorenzo lived a very colorful life -- more on that in the future.

The One and Only Christiana Elizabeth Graham

In my last blog, I shared my thoughts and the circumstantial evidence suggesting that Robert Graham’s and Ruth Smith’s daughters Christiana and Elizabeth were, in fact, one and the same person. Last week, I received the 37 page Succession packet from the Rapides Parish, Louisiana courthouse in Alexandria, LA for Mrs. Christian E. Merchant. I was really excited to receive this, as I already had the marriage records showing that Elizabeth Graham married Joel B. Merchant on 24 Jan 1867 at the home of R. Graham (probably her father as several of her sisters were also married at R. Graham’s home), establishing that Elizabeth Graham was also Elizabeth Merchant.

The Succession packet details all the events after Elizabeth’s death (1888), wherein, her husband Joel B. Merchant (aka J. B. Merchant) served as administrator to settle her estate. The front cover of the packet clearly states that the file is the court records pertaining to Mrs. Christiana E. Merchant,

and on the 1st page it says “Succession of C. Elizabeth Merchant” 

The text on the 1st page not only establishes the husband/wife relationship between Joel B. Merchant and Christian Elizabeth Merchant, but it also clearly establishes her full name as Christian Elizabeth Merchant, and their residence in Rapides Parish, Louisiana.

This next image is the upper half of the 1st page, which includes the last 2 short images.

[transcription of above image]

“To the Honorable the Judge of the Twelfth Judicial District Court in and for Rapides Parish, La. The petition of Joel B. Merchant a resident of our Parish of Rapides, Louisiana, with respect shows:

That his wife, Christiana Elizabeth Merchant departed this life recently leaving property in community with your petitioner, and leaving also community debts to pay situated in your Parish of Rapides Louisiana — Petitioner shows that it becomes necessary to have an administrator appointed to administer the Succession of the said deceased, and that is entitled to the appointment.”

The file date of Joel B. Merchant’s petition administration was 20 Aug 1888, which establishes that Christiana Elizabeth Merchant’s death as before that date, and the statement of “departed this life recently” suggests that she probably died during the summer of 1888, in Louisiana.

Throughout the document she is referred to by the following variations of her name,which lends credence to the fact that Christiana and Elizabeth were one woman, and demonstrates that she was known by both her first and middle names:

• Christiana E. Merchant
• C. Elizabeth Merchant
• Christiana Elizabeth Merchant
• Mrs. C. E. Merchant

With this new information along with the information in my last blog entry I feel comfortable in saying that Christiana and Elizabeth were the same woman, and that she died in 1888, while living in Rapides Parish, Louisiana.

The rest of the Succession packet deals with the assets, auction of assets, and payment of debts.

Source: Christiana E. Merchant Succession, Rapides Parish succ. File 535(reporting death and full name of Christiana Elizabeth Merchant wife of Joel B. Merchant) Clerk of Court’s Office, Alexandria.

Christiana or Elizabeth or both?

One of the things that bothers me about Robert Graham's and Ruth Smith's list of children is daughters 2 and 3: 

• Christiana E. GRAHAM (Cal 1842-After 1900).  Born in , , Mississippi.
• Elizabeth GRAHAM  (Cal 1842-          ).  Born in Louisiana, USA. 

The things that are causing me trouble are:

Christiana E. Graham 

She only appears on the censuses as a child with her parents Robert and Ruth Graham.

• 1850 Jackson Parish, Louisiana - age  8 born in Mississippi
• 1860 Rapides Parish, Louisiana - age 18 born in Louisiana

She never appears on any record (so far) after 1860.

While it is possible that Christiana E. Graham was married or had died by 1870, so far, I have not been able to locate any marriage or death/burial records in either Jackson or Rapides parishes, LA.

Elizabeth Graham 

She never appears as a child on the census, and only shows up once she is married to Joel E. Merchant.  

So far, I haven't found conclusive evidence that she is the daughter of Robert and Ruth Graham, but here is what I have found, relating to Elizabeth Graham:

• Marriage Bond and Marriage License - 19 Jan 1867 names Joel B. Merchant and Elizabeth Graham
• Marriage certificate from minister - 24 Jan 1867 (transcription follows - highlighting of names added by me)
• "Be it Remembered, That on the 24 day of January, 1867 Mr. Joel Merchant and Miss Elizabeth Graham personally appeared before me D H Willis minister of the Gospel in and for the Parish of Rapides, together with the witnesses G W Smith and D H Willis Jr all witnesses of full age, and resident in the said Parish, and that then and there said Mr. Joel Merchant and Miss Elizabeth Graham  having produced the License required by Law, signified their desire and intention before us the said Minister D H Willis Sr and witnesses to be united in the State of Matrimony. Whereupon, after due proclamation made, and no impediment being suggested, they, the said Mr. Joel Merchant and Miss Elizabeth Graham were by me, the said Minister D H Wills Sr in the presence of the said witnesses, JOINED IN WEDLOCK according to the Laws of the State of Louisiana, and by me the said minister duly pronounced to be Husband and Wife.
  In Testimony Whereof, The parties to the said Marriage hereunto affix their signatures together with me the said Minister D H Willis Sr and the aforesaid Witnesses on this 24 day of January 1867 at the residence of R Graham in the Parish aforesaid.
  [signed] Joel Merchant
  [signed] Elisabeth Graham
  WITENSSES:
  [signed] G W Smith
  [signed] D H Willis Jr 
  Given under my hand this the 24 day of January [signed] D H Willis Sr."
• The fact that they were married at the home of R. Graham (Robert?) is of interest.  The witnesses are also of interest:
• D H Willis Jr was married to another of Robert Graham's daughters: Julia Ann Graham
• G W Smith shares the Smith name with Robert Graham's wife Ruth Smith - a relative, perhaps?

• 1870 Census Rapides Parish - age 28 born in Louisiana
• living close to (listed next family to) William Jackson Graham family (Robert Graham's son) and only a few houses from Robert Graham's daughter Emily Butter and Robert Graham.  
• Additionally, Elizabeth Merchant and 3 of Robert Graham's daughters all have a minor female Walker child living with them. 
• And, living next (on the census) to Robert Graham are 2 Walker boys age 17 & 13 
• Further research on the Walker children shows they are all siblings on the 1850 census - more on them at a later time. 
• it would seem that there is a connection between the Walker children and the Grahams and Elizabeth Merchant. 
• 1880 Census Rapides Parish - age 38 born in Louisiana
• Elizabeth's ages in 1870 and 1880 would also be correct for Christiana E Graham
• Elizabeth Merchant died before 21 Dec 1888 - determined by the following evidence:
• Joel Merchant obtained Marriage license to marry Ella McCall on  21 Dec 1888; they were married on 23 Dec 1888 
• Louisiana Democrat April 10, 1889 page 3 (newspaper partial transcription)
  STATE OF LOUISIANA,
  Parish of Rapides - 12th Judicial District Court.
  Succession of Mrs. C. E. Merchant  No 535
  Whereas JOEL B. MERCHANT, Administrator of the above numbered and entitled Succession [...] -- 
• The initials C.E. certainly suggest that Elizabeth was not her first name, but probably her middle name.  And, the first initial C. matches with Christiana E. Graham. 
• I haven't been able to locate a death notice/certificate or burial place for Elizabeth Merchant
•  

While there is no one piece of evidence that resolves the problem of Christiana and Elizabeth C. Graham, there several lines of circumstantial evidence to suggest that these 2 women were one and the same.

I have ordered all 37 pages of the succession record of Mrs. C. E. Merchant from the Rapides Parish, LA courthouse.  I hope that this record will help solve this identity problem.  -- Stay tuned.

If anyone has any information that contradicts or add additional insight into these two female names I would love to hear from you. 

Robert Graham 1840 Census

After locating the Robert Graham family on the 1850 Census in Jackson Parish, Louisiana and learning that the oldest 2 children were born in Mississippi in about 1839 and 1842 the next logical step was to search for the family on the 1840 Mississippi census.  In 1840 the family would have consisted of:

• Robert Graham age 22
• Ruth Graham age 27 
• Sarah C. Graham age 1

A search of the Mississippi Census quickly turned up only 2 Robert Graham families.  One with 3 members and the other with 5 members, but both in Scott County.  After dismissing the Robert Graham family with 5 members a analysis of the ages of the other Robert Graham family appears to be a perfect match -- as perfect as the 1840 census can provide.  

Robert Graham is the very last entry on this page

The transcript of the census is:

• Robert Graham - male between 20 - 29 years old (Robert would have been about 22 in 1840)
• 1 Female age between 20 -2 9 years (Ruth would have been about 27 in 1840)
• 1 Female age under 5 years (Sarah C. would have been about 1 in 1840)

While this doesn't prove that this family is our Robert Graham family is it is a solid lead that requires some additional research for further evidence.  The next step would be to locate a marriage record for Robert Graham and Ruth Smith in Mississippi prior 1840.  

Other surnames of interest in Scott County, Mississippi in 1840

Other surnames on the 1840 census that could possibly have a connection to the Robert Graham family in Louisiana include the following surnames:

• SMITH (Ruth's maiden name) - there are several Smith families
• DUNN - Robert's grand-daughter Ella (daughter of Lorenzo Dow Graham) married James Dunn, who was born in Mississippi       
• BUCKALOO - the surname (Buckaliew) appears on a gravestone in the Graham Cemetery in Rapid Parish, Louisiana.  John Buckaloo is listed on the same census page as Robert Graham in 1840.

Some research on these surnames is required to determine a link to the Robert Graham family, if any exists.