As most of you know, the search for Richard and Agnes Thornton runs cold prior to the 1820s — and pretty much disappears completely after 1870.  We know that their son, James Monroe Thornton, was born about 1825 in what was then Jefferson County, AL; we know that Richard and Agnes both show on the 1860 census, and that Agnes only shows on the 1870 census.  We also know that a North Alabama land grant/transfer was made to Richard in 1850.  So far, our search for their burial place has not been successful — but we think it near their last known place of residence, the Dublin Post Office District in northeast Fayette County, AL.

A search in late 2002 of three cemeteries near Richard and Agnes Thornton's last known residence did not yield any results; a second look at the census record does not provide me with any additional clues.  I am left with the belief that our discovery of the family ancestry of Richard or Agnes will come through a purely serendipitous connection with some other Thornton in our line.  To that end, I have been trying to make the connection between the Richard Thornton family of Fayette County, AL and that of the David Thornton family of Fayette County, AL.  If we can discover the family connection, if any exists, between Richard and David, perhaps we can then learn who Richard's father, grandfather, etc., are.

As far as I know, the last known documented references to Richard Thornton are in the estate papers of David Thornton.  In a document dated January 1868, which is an inventory of debts owed to the estate of David Thornton, is this entry:
    "Note on Richard Thornton for $20.00 due 1 January 1854 for $20.00.  Dead"
In April 1868, in another list of "bad and doubtful" debts filed with the court is this entry:
    "One on Richard Thornton for $20.00 payable 1 January 1855, dated November 7, 1856"

These references to Richard Thornton are perhaps the last documented evidence we have of his existence — but it is only an assumption that the Richard of the estate papers of David Thornton is our Richard.  But I believe that the Richard of the "bad debt" is our Richard — and, further, I believe that Richard and David Thornton are related — and I believe once we understand the exact nature of the kinship between these two men that we can unravel the mystery of "Who is Richard Thornton."

An argument for a kinship between David and Richard could be made on the somewhat scarcity of folks with the surname of Thornton.  The odds of two sets of unrelated Thornton families showing up at about the same time in the same county of a rural section of Alabama seem unlikely — especially given the fact that during the period of 1800 to 1900, many families, neighbors, in-laws, and friends migrated together.  It was not at all uncommon for several wagon-loads of kin and neighbors to pull up and to move en masse to a more promising area.  David and Richard and their families show in Alabama at about the same time — about 1820.

It is obvious that the political influence and the political affiliations of the David Thornton and the Richard Thornton families are very different during their years in Fayette County.  David was a wealthy landowner, an owner of mills and farms, and his family large and politically influential.  His grandson, P.W. Thornton, lost an arm in the Civil War fighting for the South and later became an office holder in local politics; his son, Thomas Thornton, although never elected to political office, was considered one of the most influential men in the county.  Richard fades from sight — and his family scatters after the Civil War.  Two of Richard's sons died while in the service of the North and a third served in the service of the 1st Alabama Calvary, USA.

The fact that David allowed Richard a debt and did not immediately collect on the debt when it was due — the money was payable in the early 1850s and according to the census, Richard was still alive in 1860 — indicates to me that he was "kinfolk" and the debt was not pressed.  In fact, the court inventory has several over-due debts owed by David's own children which were outstanding at David's demise.  If David was slow to press for repayment from Richard, it may have been because they were cousins or even that Richard was a younger brother of David.  I don't believe they were brothers although their birth years are close: David was born about 1783 and Richard was born about 1790.  It is more likely that they were cousins.  A kinship link between the two men is a premise worth validating.

In any event, the search for Richard Thornton took me to the estate papers of David Thornton.  I am grateful for Lori Thornton for providing photocopies of the estate papers — and what follows is a review/summary of a partial transcription which I have made of those documents.  Elsewhere in this issue is an abbreviated family tree for David Thornton's immediate family — if anyone knows of a family connection between Richard and David, I would appreciate hearing from you.

On October 29, 1867, David Thornton, 84 years of age, died in Fayette County, Alabama.  On November 16, 1867, his grandson, P.W. Thornton, was appointed as the administrator of his estate, a situation made more complicated because David died "Intestate" — without a will.

David, a wealthy mill-owner, farm operator, and land-owner including several lots in the town of Fayetteville, was rumored to be one of the richest men in his parts of the county — and it has been said that his death was the result of a beating he received at the hands of robbers/carpetbaggers, but I do not have proof of that fact.  Consider, however, the time frame: the Civil War was just over — North Alabama was under the control of a new political administration and the slaves David owned were now "freed people of color."  There is evidence that some of David's family primarily supported the cause of the South (grandson P.W. lost an arm in the war while fighting for the CSA) — and the hill county of Alabama where they resided was in the midst of the largest support of the Union found in the South.  Many families of Fayette County provided sons for the Federal armies; to have been on the losing side during the beginning of reconstruction could not have been an enviable position for the David Thornton family and later, as reconstruction came to a close, being on the side of the North could not have been an enviable position for the Richard Thornton family.

In any event, David died without a will and his heirs were scattered all over the nation — some of his heirs lived in Fayette County, AL; some lived in Texas; some lived in Mississippi; some lived in Arkansas; and before his estate was settled, some of his heirs were spread from Alabama across to the Colorado Territory and to California.  The heirs could not agree to a division of the estate so the court ordered the sales of the mills, farms, lots, and personal property — and all of those proceedings with lists and names and amounts are available as court documents which I collectively call The Estate Papers of David Thornton.

Court records from the period of time over which it took the estate to be settled, 1867–1890, are all hand written (The first document was the appointment of an administrator of the estate in 1867 and the last entry is to a court document dated 1890 in which the final legal requirements for settling the estate were completed.).  Reading through the pages of handwritten court documents is a glimpse into a time before typewriters, computers, and even dictionaries as the spelling varies from page to page — a glimpse into the time of our great-great-grandparents.

In these handwritten pages are found the last two known references to Richard Thornton — but his relationship to David Thornton is unknown except that he owed him money and that both David and Richard died before the debt was repaid.  The fact that David allowed the debt to go uncollected for more than a decade beyond its due date indicates to some that perhaps they were blood related — but this is an assumption.  What is known from these papers, however, is that they offer a look at the life and times in Fayette County, AL, during which our great-great-grandparents Richard and Agnes Thornton lived and of the period of time just immediately after their death.

Within days of David's death without a will on October 29, 1867, a petition was filed with the court requesting that his grandson, Presley Wren Thornton, be named as administrator.  This petition dated November 16, 1867, and other documents eventually filed with the court lists the heirs to the estate as seven living sons of David residing in Alabama (two), Mississippi (two), Arkansas (two) and Texas (one); two surviving daughters living in Texas; and four surviving grandchildren of two deceased daughters living in Alabama, Texas, and the Colorado Territory.  (See the family tree elsewhere in this issue.)

On the 16th of November, 1867, the petition to appoint P.W. Thornton as administrator was granted as was an order to appoint Samuel Hollingsworth, James Pickle, and William Hallmark (all of Fayette County, AL) as appraisers for the estate and to do an inventory of the property of the estate.

On the 18th of November, 1867, Hollingsworth, Pickle, and Hallmark did an inventory and appraised each item in the estate which they filed with the court on the 20th of November.  Here is a list of some of the personal items and livestock and their appraised 1867 value (blanks indicate where I could not determine the words or an amount from the court document; question marks indicate questionable spelling):

page 251, The Estate Papers of David Thornton, Fayette County, Alabama, Probate Court

[What follows is a list of items and the appraised value.  The only parts omitted are the vertical lines the scribe put down the page and the subtotals for every 10 to 12 items.  The only thing added were decimal points — none showed in the photocopy.]

Also on November 20, 1867, the court granted a request from the estate's administrator to sell the personal property "at an early day to prevent waste."  The court ordered that the administrator advertise the sale for twenty days and then proceed to sell the personal property on "a credit of twelve months at public auction to the highest bidder" and that he "secure the purchase money arising from said sale by note with good security" and report back to the court.

On December 10, 1867, the personal property of David Thornton was sold at his former residence at public auction — and
P.W. Thornton filed a document with the court listing who bought what item for what amount and who signed the note securing that amount.  This section of the estate papers is a treasure-trove of names of individuals that we can assume to be residents of North Alabama in the 1860s.  The first two entries in the list of highest bidders are:

At court-ordered auctions, I always find it interesting to see what the heirs present may have bid for and bought. One of David's sons, William Thornton, bought the following items with his brother, Thomas Thornton, signing his note:
    2 inch auger     ..50
    1 box               .75
    1 grindstone     .25
    1 chest           1.25

Another Thornton, Isom? Thornton Jr., bought a handsaw for $1.50 and the court document has this entry regarding payment: "Cash to be paid."  Is Isom an heir — and the administrator let him "charge" his purchase?

P.W. Thornton, either the grandson/administrator or the Mississippi son of David with the same name, bought one bucket for $0.35, a "set of razers and strop" for $1.50, and one two-gallon jug for $0.50.  I believe this P.W. to the be grandson rather than the son of David because a note for $2.35 was signed with Thomas Thornton (father of P.W. the grandson) and I. Perry, Securities.

David's son, Thomas Thornton, bought one Man's saddle for $11.50 and one pair of "Match plains"?? for $0.50.  His brother William provided security on his note for $12.00.

The largest amount paid for an item sold from the estate in December of 1867 was $44.00 for a "yoke of oxen" sold to H.C. McCollum.  Second highest priced item sold was the "waggon" mentioned above for $38.00.

Several head of livestock were sold at the auction: "a horse, a yoke of oxen, a red cow, a roan Heifer, a pied Heifer, a Speckeled heifer, a Dark Dun cow, a Black headed cow, a White and Spotted Horse, a Sow and six shoats, and five head of sheep."

One of the most interesting documents to me in the entire set of estate papers is the following addendum to the Sale Bill filed with the court by P.W. Thornton:

"I think it proper to remark that the above cattle, sheep, and hogs were claimed by Harriet Pane a freed woman under an instrument of writing from deceased which I doubted being a good claim and therefore Sold them as above Believing that Said Sale was legally and fully conducted ___ he would ask your Honor its approval and that its report of this same be received, recorded, and filed.  All of which is respectfully submitted.  P.W. Thornton, Administrator" (from page 309, The Estate Papers of David Thornton, Fayette County, Alabama)

Also on Page 375, The Estate Papers of David Thornton, Fayette County, Alabama, is a listing of the notes "given for property, sold, and recovered by Harriet Payne."  There is a list of the persons who bought property but the copy is so bad that the amount cannot be determined.  It is interesting on this list, however, that the "waggon", oxen, cows, heifers, sheep, and hogs are listed as being recovered by Harriet Payne.  On Page 376 are three other entries regarding the saga of Harriett Payne and the livestock: there are entries for amounts paid (amounts not readable) for "Paying J. Pickle cost in case of Harriet Payne,""Paying B.W. Wilson cost in his Suit of Harriet Payne vs Estate," and "Paying William Dutton, no receipt, for wintering cow Sold and recovered by Harriet Payne."

It is obvious that Harriet Payne clearly won her suit against the estate of David Thornton.  What would be even more interesting would be to know of her prior relationship to the estate — is she, for instance, a freed Thornton slave?  And why would David Thornton grant her, in writing, ownership of a portion of his estate?  And when was that document written?  (I have been told that after David was robbed and beaten, that he survived for some time prior to dying but have no proof of that fact.)

Another interesting side issue of my transcription of the estate papers of David Thornton is the case of his son, George W. Thornton.  Throughout the estate papers, the phrase "of unsound mind" follows the name of George W. Thornton (George W. may be the same as George Washington Thornton.).  George lived in Texas at the time of his father's death with his sisters Eppy Moore and Elizabeth Hubbert.  In a list of some of the early members of one of the churches of Fayette County, Alabama, are listed some Thorntons.  George W. is one of those listed.  Did his problem of "unsound mind" develop as a result of injury or disease — or was it a congenital problem?  The estate papers clearly identify him as having a problem and a guardian is appointed to look after his interests in the settlement of the estate.

At the time of David Thornton's death, there seems to have been no standard for cash or monetary reserves.  Cash is identified as either being in "currency green back," in "specie" as either gold or silver.  In an inventory of his accounts were amounts of green back, gold, silver, and notes on banks in Alabama, South Carolina, and Georgia.  His estate also included several notes due the deceased including past due notes on his sons Thomas, William, and Henry and the $20.00 overdue note previously mentioned owed by Richard Thornton, kinship not known.

On April 6, 1868, the land and grist mills developed and operated by David Thornton were sold at public outcry.  The land
and mills were bought by George W. McDonnald (Notes with Samuel Hollingsworth and P.E. Phillips, Securities) for $1,211.00.  The terms of the sale were "half payable twelve Months after date, the other half two years after date.  Said payment to be Made in gold or its equivelant in currency."

Also in April, 1868, the administrator of the estate of David Thornton filed a request with the court to write-off as uncollectable the debts of about sixteen persons — including that of the $20.00 debt owed the estate by the late Richard Thornton.

In June, 1869, the court granted a request by P.W. Thornton to sell the farm and three Fayetteville city lots owned by the estate.  On August 14, 1869, those lots and lands were sold at public outcry. George H. Sparks bought the farm for $295.00 and John C. Moore bought the lots for $84.00.  (The John C. Moore is probably the widower of Martha Thornton Moore, David's daughter who had died prior to David's death.)

Eventually, all of the portions of the estate sold on notes were paid and the cash raised by those sales paid to the heirs.  In papers filed with the court are receipts from various heirs such as:

Elizabeth Hubbert in San Louis Rey, California, received $20.00 US currency, in 1876 and another $60.00 in 1877.

The printing is so poor on some of the court documents dealing with the final disbursement of the funds from the estate that the amounts cannot be read in every case — but the listing of which heir got what and the amount that the item was worth is most interesting.  Property, both real and personal, received by the heirs prior to the death of David Thornton were itemized and, I believe, counted in the final settlement.

Here are how some of the settlements to specific heirs were handled in the court documents:

Thomas Thornton (a son) received real property worth                            900.00
        received personal property, Negra girl Laura who cost                  1006.00
        received a Negra man Mack (whose first cost was 400.00) worth 1000.00
        received a feather bed set worth                                                       20.00

H.W. Thornton (a son) received real property he says worth                   200.00
        received Negro boy Aaron                                                           1000.00
        received money on note in 1860                                                   1050.00
        received bed and clothing                                                                 20.00
            (and this entry: "Said note should have been Credited in full as father requested me to do.
             But not having it with him was never done.  Also to Mr. Wade a few days before his death.
             Thomas Thornton")

William Thornton (a son) received real property worth                          1000.00
        received a personal Negro woman and child worth                       1050.00
        Note paid worth                                                                               80.00
        Bed, clothing for it worth                                                                  20.00

Pressly W. Thornton (a son) received real property cost                        700.00
        received a Negro boy worth                                                        1000.00
        Bed and clothing                                                                             20.00

George W. Thornton (a son) received the following:
        a Negro man which he sold for                                                    1275.00
        Bed and furniture worth                                                                  20.00
        By administrator in gold                                                                125.00
            And the document has this line: George W. Thornton is dead

James M. Thornton (a son) received the following:
        Personal money                                                                          1375.00
        By Administrator                                                                            50.00
        in 1871                                                                                          75.00
        in 1873                                                                                        100.00
        By Administrator                                                                            20.00
        in 1875                                                                                        100.00

Much of this accounting is for goods, money, property, etc. disbursed several years prior to David Thornton's death.  Because this portion of the court documents was so illegible, amounts could not be completely determined — and in several places, the documents were not readable.

And finally, the last entry in the matter of the estate of David Thornton is dated September 1, 1890, page 114 Probate Minutes 5, concerns the granting of ownership of the lots in Fayetteville (previously sold at public outcry to John C. Moore) to Lafayette Moore and Mary Pope, children of the late John C. Moore.  Lafayette and Mary were grandchildren of David Thornton.

(Material extracted from Dee Kruse Descendants of David Thornton, from the Internet sites: Thoren's Family Tree and Hubbert Tree, The Family of James Hubbert; and from Terry Thornton, The Estate Papers of David Thornton.  This family is presented in the hopes that someone can determine the kinship, if any, of Richard Thornton to David Thornton.  Such a connection would be of great interest and of great help to our search for Richard Thornton.)

David Thornton died intestate in Fayette County, AL, October 29, 1867.  David was born in South Carolina but was listed as an unmarried man in the 1803 land lottery, Franklin County, GA.  It is believed he and Bathsheba married in Georgia.  They moved to Fayette County, AL, around 1820 and built the first water mill there.  By 1860, David owned 350 acres in Fayette County, several lots in the town of Fayetteville, and he also owned some land in Yalobusha County, MS.  Thoren's Family Tree has this statement, "It was said he was beaten badly by 'Carpetbaggers'  who thought he had money hidden and he didn't recover."

Their twelve children:
    1.  Thomas Jefferson Thornton, b March 26, 1807–1894
    2.  Henry White Thornton, b December 28, 1808–1893
    3.  William Thornton, b June 18, 1811–1895
    4.  Pressley Wren (a.k.a. "P.R.") Thornton, b June 22, 1813–
    5.  Nancy A. Thornton, b April 8, 1815–1850
    6.  Elizabeth Stallsworth Thornton, b March 2, 1817–1902
    7.  George W. Thornton, b April 20, 1819–
    8.  James M. Thornton, b January 4, 1821–
    9.  Mary Thornton, b January 11, 1823–
  10.  Martha M. Thornton, b January 23, 1830/1827 bd listed in Kruse
  11.  John M. Thornton, b January 23, 1830–
  12.  Eppa Ann Hasseltine Thornton, b January 7, 1833–

1. Thomas Jefferson Thornton, 1807–1894, and first wife Charlotte M. Ray Thornton, 1810–1841 (Two children,
    TJ Jr and PW)  Thomas, son of David Thornton, is mentioned throughout the papers as a resident of Alabama.
    He often signed papers as the agent of P.W. Thornton, Administrator.  The administrator of the estate was
    his son, P.W. Thornton
        a.  Thomas Jefferson Thornton Jr., 1836–
        b.  Presley Wren Thornton, 1840–  .  P.W. is the grandson identified as the administrator of the David
             Thornton estate and as a resident of Alabama.  He would have been about 27 years of age at the time
             of his grandfather's death.

     Thomas Jefferson Thornton, 1807–1894, and second wife Orpha T.C. Randolph Thornton, 1823–
     (Two children, Nancy & EV)
        c.  Nancy Bathsheba Thornton, 1846–1923
                Nancy married Isaac Perry, 1845–1922  (An "I. Perry" is mentioned in the estate papers.)
        d.  E.V. Felenburg Thornton, 1848–

     Thomas Jefferson Thornton, 1807–1894, and third wife Milly W. Powell Thornton, 1820–
        no children

     Thomas Jefferson Thornton, 1807–1894, and fourth wife Clementine Hendrick Thornton
        no children

2.  Henry White Thornton, 1808–1893, and wife Martha Cordelia Goyne Thornton, 1821–1897 (Nine children)
     Henry is the son of David Thornton identified as a resident of Mississippi in the estate papers.
        a.  Sarah Elizabeth Thornton, 1840–
        b.  James David Thornton, 1842–
        c.  Henry Clay Thornton, 1847–
        d.  Bathsheba Thornton, 1849–1940
                Bathsheba married John Reading Blount, 1836–1927
        e.  Martha Cornelia Thornton, 1851–
        f.   Leona Thornton, 1852–
        g.  Thomas Thornton, 1855–
        h.  Eppy Thornton, 1857–
        i.   William Presley Thornton, 1860–

3.  William Thornton, 1811–1895, and first wife Dorothy Ann Fowler Thornton, 1815–1847 (Six children)
     This is the William Thornton identified throughout the estate papers as a resident of Alabama.
        a.  Martha Ann Thornton, 1836–
        b.  Nancy Bathsheba Thornton, 1838–
        c.  Pamila Thornton, 1840–
        d.  Mary E. Thornton, 1841–1911
                Mary married Thaddeus M. Walker, 1836–1915
        f.   John Marshel Thornton, 1843–
        g.  James Presley Thornton, 1845–

    William Thornton, 1811–1895, and second wife Margaret Elizabeth Powell Thornton  (One child)
        h.  Glenn A. Thornton, 1850–1914
                Glenn married Minnie Somerville

4.  Pressley Wren Thornton, June 22, 1813–July 14, 1883
     This is the son of David Thornton identified as "Preston W" or as "Preseley W" of Calhoun County, MS, in the
     estate papers p 249, p 432.  Presley was probably born in Franklin County, GA.  Thoren's Family Tree asserts that
     "in most records he is known as P.R. Thornton."  He married Eleanor Duke (d  March 20, 1885) and they moved
     to Yalabusha County, MS, where both are buried in the Turkey Creek Cemetery, Pine Valley, MS.  According to
     contacts I have in Calhoun County, MS, the cemetery is actually located just across the line in Calhoun rather than
     in Yalabusha County.  Presley and Eleanor had ten children:
        a.  John Marshall Thornton, May 7, 1835–
        b.  William Henry Thornton, February 1837–
        c.  Wiley D. Thornton, ca 1839–
        d.  Presley Wren Thornton Jr., August 8, 1841–
        e.  David Thornton
        f.   Robert Thornton
        g.  Mary Elizabeth Thornton
        h.  James Presley Thornton, August 16, 1852–September 17, 1935
                James Presley Thornton married first wife Olivia Jane Millsaps Thornton about 1874.  He and Olivia
                moved to Los Angeles County, CA, about 1888.  Olivia died about 1898.  James and Olivia had eight
                children:
                    (1) William Walter Thornton, ca 1875–
                    (2) Oscar Thornton ?
                    (3) Daisy Gertrude Thornton, March 5, 1882 (Yalabusha County, MS) – January 2, 1945 (Long
                          Beach Memorial Cemetery, CA)  Married Mack Coy Tolle — and produced line of Thoren
                          Tolle, Thoren's Family Tree.
                    (4) Presley C. Thornton, August 1884–
                    (5) Myrtle Thornton, July 1887–
                    (6) Susan Thornton, November 1889–
                    (7) James Leland Thornton, June 1892–
                    (8) Roy M. Thornton, September 1895–
               James Presley Thornton married second wife May Newell Thornton about 1899 in Clearwater (now
               Paramount), CA.  She died about 1905 and is buried in the Artesia cemetery.
                    no children
               James Presley Thornton married third wife Bertha -----.
                    no children
               James Presley Thornton is buried in Downey Cemetery, Downey, CA, beside a "Mrs Thornton"
               believed to be first wife, Olivia.  Neither grave is marked.
        i.  Abraham M. Thornton, September 1855–
        j.  Grace Thornton, ca 1859–

5.  Nancy A. Thornton, 1815–1850, and first husband Asa Van Hoose (Two children, Susan & Martha)
     This is the Nancy "Vanhouse" of the estate papers; she is identified as a daughter of David Thornton, and as
     the mother of Susan and Martha.
        a.  Susan P. Van Hoose, 1841–1930
                Susan married Rubin J. Stewart, 1831–1917  (Susan is identified as an heir to the estate and as a
                resident of Alabama in the papers)
        b.  Martha Van Hoose
                Martha married John Yearly (Martha is identified as an heir to the estate and as a resident of Texas)
     Nancy A. Thornton, 1815–1850, and second husband William P. Murray (A "W.T. Murray" is identified in
     the estate papers.)
        no children

6.  Elizabeth Stallsworth Thornton, 1817–1902, and husband Mathew Hubbert, 1810–1886 (Fifteen children)
     Elizabeth is identified as a resident of Texas in the papers.
        According to the Hubbert Tree, The James Hubbert Family, Elizabeth was born in Giles County, Georgia, on
        March 2, 1817, and died in San Luis Rey, San Diego Co., CA, on February 16, 1902.  The estate papers have
        a receipt signed from San Luis Rey, CA.
        a.  Sarah Hollingsworth Hubbert, 1834–1853, b in Fayette County, AL
                Sarah married Wiley T. Murray
        b.  Nancy W. Hubbert, 1835–  , b in Fayette County, AL
                Nancy married John W. Murray
        c.  David Crockett Hubbert, 1836–1907, b in Fayette County, AL
                David married Mary Williams Woods
        d.  Robert Henry Hubbert, 1837–
        e.  Andrew Jackson Hubbert, 1839–
                Andrew married Martha A. Davis
        f.  George William Hubbert, 1841–
        g.  Martha Ann Hubbert, 1842–
                Martha married Theodore Martin Price
        h.  James Monroe Hubbert, 1845–  , b in Attala County, MS
                James married Aurelia Jane Ogle
        i.  Presley Thornton Hubbert, 1846–  , b in Attala County, MS
                Presley married Helen Mar Adams
        j.  Eppie H. Hubbert, 1852–
                Eppie married Ben Warren
        k. Washington Irving Hubbert, 1850–
        l.  Mary Jane Hubbert, 1852–  , b in Attala County, MS
                Mary Jane married James McNeil
        m. Elizabeth Hubbert, 1854–  , b in Attala County, MS
                Elizabeth married John Graves
        n.  Susannah Hubbert, 1857–  , b in San Saba, TX
                Susannah married Will Hayes
        o.  Benjamin Franklin Hubbert, 1860–  , b in San Saba, TX

7.  George W. Thornton, 1819–
     Identified as of unsound mind throughout the papers — and as a resident of Texas.

8.  James M. Thornton, 1821–
     Identified as a son of David Thornton and as a resident of Arkansas.

9.  Mary Thornton, 1823–
     Not mentioned in the estate papers.  Perhaps she died prior to 1867.

10.  Martha Thornton, 1827–   , and husband John C. Moore  (Two children, Mary and LaFayette)
       This is the deceased daughter of David Thornton and wife of J.C. Moore mentioned in the estate papers.
       The children of Martha and John Moore are heirs listed in the papers.  They are:
            a.  Mary Moore, a minor, but identified as a resident of Alabama.
            b.  LaFayette Moore, of age who perhaps lives in the Colorado Territory.
        (In the estate papers, one of the last entries is to LaFayette Moore and Mary Moore Pope buying the
        lots in Fayetteville which at one time belonged to their grandfather, David Thornton.)

11.  John M. Thornton, 1830–
       Identified as a son of David Thornton and as a resident of Arkansas.

12.  Eppa Ann Hasseltine Thornton, 1833–   , and husband Lewellen Moore
       This is the Eppy/Eppa Moore, resident of Texas, mentioned in the estate papers.