A One-eyed Horse

The following and seemingly unimportant newspaper article about a stray one-eyed horse doesn't appear to be all that interesting, except that it places Wm. Graham (son of Robert and Ruth) and his brother-in-law Joel Merchant (husband of Christiana Elizabeth Graham) in Rapides Parish, Louisiana on 24 April 1867.

Since both men lived most of their lives in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, it again doesn't seem to make much difference that we know this particular date placing them in this locality.  However, according to family lore we believe that most, if not all of the Graham family fled to Texas during the Civil War.  Both Wm. Graham and Joel Merchant served in the Confederate army during the war.  Thanks to this little article combined with Joel Merchants marriage to Christiana Elizabeth Graham on 24 Jan 1867, we know that the Graham family had moved back from Texas by, at least early 1867.

 

Chronicling America - The Library of Congress

The Louisiana Democrat. (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, April 24, 1867, Image 1
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82003389/1867-04-24/ed-1/seq-1/ 

Image provided by Louisiana State University; Baton Rouge, LA

ESTRAY

TAKEN UP and estrayed before me by Gadie Johnson---a DARK BAY HORSE, with blaze face, hind feet white, roach mane and short tail, left eye out, ten years old, thirteen and a half hand high, and branded thus: [see image for brand]  Appraised by Joel Merchant and Wm. Graham to be worth Twenty-Five dollars in currency.
  
    The owner is requested to come forward, prove proverty, pay charges, and take him away within sixty days, or the said Estray will be sold according tot law.  Wm. RANDOLPH, a17-47-Printers fee $7 50. J. P.

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.