~ The History of the
Edwards Family
~
In the 1840's, the wild barren forest lands of Alabama began to attract settlers from other states. Many of these who chose to make this move were from Union, Spartanburg and Greenville counties of South Carolina. Their main reason was to obtain new land at low prices.
The fall of 1844 brought many of these settlers to Fayette County.
Among these settlers were George EDWARDS and his wife, Charlotte Temple BOBO. This couple are the ancestors of all the EDWARDS who today live in Fayette County.
George settled in the area that extends from the Wesley Chapel Community below Covin to the Mt. Vernon Community. It is not known who George's parents were or anything about his background. Records indicate that he was born in 1805 in South Carolina.
Charlotte was the daughter of Tillman BOBO and Beulah YARBROUGH of Union County, South Carolina. It was there that Charlotte was born about 1810 and there where she and George married about 1826.
Tillman BOBO died in February of 1844 only a few months before George and Charlotte as well as four of Tillman's other children began the southward journey:
At this time Charlotte's ancestors had been in America over 100 years. Her grandfather, Francis Spencer BOBO, Jr. was born in Culpepper County, Virginia, in 1739. His father was Francis Spencer BOBO, Sr. who was born in Flouney, France, [most likely in Virginia] in the early 1700's.
At the time when Charlotte and George moved to Alabama they had nine children and during the following ten years five more were born thus making a total of 14.
The EDWARDS family apparently consisted of strong, healthy people for none of the 14 died in childhood. All 14 lived to be grown, all married and all, except possibly one, raised families of their own.
Of the 14 children, Pinkney Asberry [EDWARDS] was the oldest. He was born Nov. 12, 1827, and died May 13, 1907. Pinkney married Mary Parthenia WHITWORTH [1840-1932]. This couple lived their lives in Fayette County, AL [and Monroe County, MS] where he, like his father, farmed the land. Pinkney and Mary are buried at Wesley Chapel [Methodist Church Cemetery].
Pinkney and Mary had nine children, several of whom left this area. Two sons, Cleveland and Miles moved to Mississippi, and settled in the Delta land. Another son, Wiley, moved to Oklahoma. Two daughters, Margaret and one who's name has been lost [Louise or Martha] through the ages, moved to Texas and perhaps then on to Oklahoma. A daughter, Mary, married a WALTERS and moved to Pickens County, Alabama. A daughter, Rachel [1874-1960], stayed in the Fayette and Lamar County area. She married three times, first to Jonas CROWLEY, then to Luther DENNIS and last to Jonathan MALONE.
Pinkney's daughter, Nancy [1865-1952], married Lewis HINDMAN. This couple remained in Fayette County all their lives and raised their large family which consisted of one son and seven daughters and also Lewis' one daughter from his first marriage to Elizabeth COLLINS. This daughter was Lockie, who married Ruben T. NEWMAN.
Nancy and Lewis' only son, Esker HINDMAN, lives today in Fayette County with his wife, Mattie Lou WALDROP. Esker and Mattie also raised a large family which consisted of sons; Erskine, Ruell, Hulon and Lewis and daughters; Eva Nell, Genevie, Clara, Martha and Charlotte.
Nancy and Lewis' daughters included Southie, who married Robert SPEED. Dora, who married Belton COLLINS, Annie Mae, who married Lonnie MOORE, Katie, who married Morris WATSON, Lula, who married John William CROWLEY, Mary who died in 1905 at the age of six years and Velma.
Velma [HINDMAN] lives in Fayette County today near Hell's Creek. She married first to Arlie Wilson RASBERRY and second to Willie NORRIS. She and Mr. RASBERRY had a large family. Velma has told me many historical details regarding her ancestors as well as those of her two husbands.
The other son of Pinkney and Mary was George [EDWARDS, 1869-1953], who married Verona NEWMAN [1875-1944]. Verona was the daughter of Baswell NEWMAN and Hannah YARBROUGH.
George and Verona [NEWMAN] lived near Wesley Chapel where they are buried. Their family consisted of four sons and four daughters. The sons were Almous, who was married to a RALEY, Claude, who married a FREEMAN and Felix, who married Wilma WATKINS. Felix and Wilma raised three sons, Kenneth, Joe and Wayne. Wilma, as well as the latter two sons, live near Wesley Chapel today. George and Verona's son Floyd lives near Covin. He has been in poor health for some time. His first wife, Neomia WIGGINS, died young and he then married a widow, Myrtle BOHANNON WINDHAM.
George and Verona's daughters are Lara, who married Tellius WATSON, Dessie, who married a Mr. FAULKNER, Oma, who married Theron A. RALEY and Beatrice, who married first William Earnest BOBO and second, Canton BROWN. Oma and Beatrice live at Cedar Hill today. Beatrice and her husband run the Cedar Hill Grocery there. Beatrice has been very helpful to me by telling me about her EDWARDS ancestors.
The second child of George and Charlotte was Martha A. EDWARDS. Martha was born September 12, 1829, in South Carolina. About 1847 she married William M. DUCKWORTH who was born March 3, 1817. Martha and William lived in Monroe County, Mississippi, for several years before returning to Fayette County, Alabama. They had 11 children of which the older ones were born in Monroe County, Mississippi. Oldest was Sam H., who was born in 1848. Second was Margaret who was born 1850. Third was Mary E. who was born in 1853 and married W.A. "Bud" COLLINS. It is not known what the order of birth of the other eight were. They were: Elizabeth, who married a MORTON, Jeffie, Harriett who married a WEATHERS and Franklin who married a HARRIS.
Emily Virginia was born in 1860 and died in 1941. On December 18, 1878, she married David Jackson PINKERTON. They had seven children who were: Fannie, who married George Washington CARGILE, Albert Ernest "Buddy", who married Mattie BOBO, Harvey A., who married Delia Mae HUFF, Fletcher, who married Ella PARR, Maudie and Velma, who never married and J.W., who died at the age of three days.
Dona was born about 1865 and died in 1900. She married Rolen S. TAYLOR. Della was born about 1865 and died in 1944. She was the second wife of B.M.GUIN.
Perhaps the youngest of the eleven was Joe A., who was born March 22, 1869, and died August 3, 1956. His wife was Doshia E. CARGILE.
The third child of George and Charlotte's was Nancy [EDWARDS], who was born September 11, 1831, in South Carolina. She died April 3, 1913, and is buried at New Hope Cemetery in Monroe County, Mississippi.
She and her husband, Spencer TAYLOR, lived in Alabama before moving on to Mississippi. The family consisted of eight children, all who ended up living in Mississippi. They were: John, Gentile, Charlie, Lou, Jane L., H.D., Francis and C.V.
George and Charlotte's fourth child was Louisa J. EDWARDS, who was born April 11, 1833, and died May 1, 1904 [and] is buried at Wesley Chapel.
Lousia was married November 28, 1872, to Anthony Evingston FOSTER. They lived in Mississippi for most of their married lives. They had only two children: Senny and Anthony Evingston Jr.
The fifth child of George and Charlotte was William L. EDWARDS, was born about 1836. William fought in the Civil War serving as a Private in Company C, 41st Regiment of the CSA Infantry. William married on October 11, 1866, to Cassinda UNDERWOOD. In the 1880's or 1890's they moved to Indian Territory and never returned to Alabama.
William's only known child was Mary Elizabeth who married L.A. CONN in 1883.
The sixth child of George and Charlotte's was George Washington EDWARDS, who was born in 1836 in South Carolina and died in 1909. George Washington was married twice. The first wife was Nancy CALDWELL, whom he married on February 16, 1867. From his first marriage there were two children: Willie and Florance. Florance EDWARDS married January 19, 1888, to John WATSON. Both she and John died in the 1930's and are buried at Mt. Vernon.
Willie EDWARDS was born December 18, 1867, and died January 27, 1942. He married Sarah NEWMAN and raised a family, of two sons and three daughters. These five children were, Fred, who married Carrie PINKERTON, Loda who married Archie RENFROE, Elvie, who married a STOKES and Donnie who married an ATKINS. These four are now deceased. The only living child of Willie's is Lester EDWARDS, who is one of Fayette County's favorite and best citizens.
Lester married Estell PINKERTON on November 2, 1929. They recently celebrated fifty years together. Estell is the daughter of Harvey PINKERTON and the granddaughter of Jack PINKERTON and his wife, Emily Virginia [DUCKWORTH], whose mother was Martha EDWARDS DUCKWORTH.
Lester and Estell live near Hell's Creek and are happy to discuss their family history with anyone who is interested.
George Washington EDWARDS' second wife was Martha SMITH. Their children were: Sudduth, Ben Allen, Verrona, Hattie Newman, Bantie Dickinson, Della Cargile, Mary Pritchett, Minnie Newman and Cara Ann, who died as a baby.
Livingston Perry EDWARDS was the seventh child of George and Charlotte Edwards. He was born January 13, 1841, and died in 1912 in Monroe County, Mississippi. Livingston fought in the Civil War in Company G of the 41st Mississippi Infantry. Livingston married in 1865 to Margaret M. COOK, who died young in childbirth. Livingston then married Susan Martha DILWORTH.
Livingston's family consisted of seven children plus another infant which died at birth. These children were: Annie Estell, Jeffie Minerva, George Winston, Catarrus, Mary Charlotte, Enoch and Martha Jane, all were born and lived in Mississippi.
The eighth child of George and Charlotte's was Thomas F. EDWARDS, who was born about 1842. On December 23, 1868, he married Minerva DILWORTH. This couple raised six children whose names were Allie, Winston, Henry, Baldwin, Boston and Patty. This set also lived in Mississippi where Thomas enlisted in the Civil War in Company G of the 41st Regiment of the Mississippi Infantry.
The ninth child of George and Charlotte's was Cornelius Virginia [EDWARDS], who was born January 6, 1843, according to census records. Virginia married February 20, 1862, to Andrew Jackson NEWMAN. She died in 1916 and he in 1914 and both were laid to rest at Wesley Chapel.
Virginia and Andrew had a large family of eleven children, most of which lived their entire lives in Fayette County. These eleven were William A., who married Sallie BUCKNER; Cassia, who never married; Chaney, who married Mary COLLINS; John P., who married Rebecca COLLINS, Ruben Tillman, who married Lockie HINDMAN; R.B., who married Lillie GILL; Mary Charlotte, who married Gordon MILES; Stacey, who married Addie BOBO; Jim A., who never married; Thomas, who married Biddie RASBERRY; and Francis, who never married. Cornelius Virginia and Andrew Jackson were a very good looking couple. I recently viewed some old pictures of them which are prized and owned by a granddaughter, Ruby NEWMAN LITTLE of Fayette. Ruby, who is one of the seven children of Ruben Tillman NEWMAN, has told me many facts regarding her family history.
The tenth child of George and Charlotte's was Rutha [EDWARDS], who was born in late 1844, thus being the first of the children born in Alabama. Rutha married Matthew BUNN and they lived in Monroe County, Mississippi. Their two children were Lou Virginia and William.
The eleventh child of George and Charlotte's was Mary [EDWARDS], who was born February 16, 1848. She married James M. OAKES, and they lived between Fayette and Vernon near Quakes Chapel, where they are buried. Mary's four children were Johnny Edward, Liza, who married Philip WOODS, Vela, who married Calvin OTTS and Mary Frances, who died at the age of 23.
Charlotte Emeline "Emily" [EDWARDS] was born about 1849 and was George and Charlotte's number twelve child. On January 9, 1878, she married Phillip WHITE. Their children were Jim Washington, Pearl Mollie and Minnie. This entire family moved to Utah
The thirteenth child of George and Charlotte's was Sena [EDWARDS], who was born in 1852 and died in 1926. She and her husband, Humphrey BOBO, lived near Wesley Chapel where they and their three children are buried. These children were Olen, Lottie and Postell.
George and Charlotte's last child was Ace EDWARDS, who was born April 16, 1854, and died March 10, 1913. His wife was Jane SCOTT from Arkansas. They are not known to have had any children. Ace is buried at Oakes' Chapel in Lamar County.
This concludes the listing of the descendants of George EDWARDS and his wife Charlotte Temple BOBO. Their fourteen children had a total of eighty-one children. From this eighty-one there are hundreds and hundreds of descendants in Alabama, Mississippi, and various other states. Their roots all wind back to George and Charlotte who were among the first early Fayette County pioneers.
Source:
Sharlene McGee Stough, "Winding Trails," Fayette County Broadcaster, circa 1980.
Article submitted by Theodore A. "Ted" Edwards and posted here with the author's permission.