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 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.