Withrow Family

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THE WITHROW FAMILY � FROM ROBERT WITHROW of NORTHERN IRELAND
to JOSHUA COLUMBUS WITHROW of CALIFORNIA

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I must confess at this point that I have done no extensive research into this family as it is an ancillary line. This information came from various sources, mainly Jim Rudd, the Withrow Family Ass�n, findagrave.com, census records, and other internet resources, but some of it is from other researchers on the internet�thus the words "possibly", "perhaps" and "reportedly" are used often. I include it here for our Withrow family members who are interested. I did my best to verify what I could, guys!

The surname "Withrow" is thought to be of English origin and originally meant "a dweller at a lane through the willow trees." The name Withrow has long been identified as originating in Scotland and later became one of the many Scottish names associated with the Scotch-Irish. One researcher reports that the name may have changed early from Woodrow.

The Withrows are identified as being part of the �Scotch-Irish� Presbyterians (or other protestants) who came to America from Ulster, Northern Ireland. The Scotch-Irish were born in Ireland, and were not of Irish descent at all, but were the Scotch of the Lowlands and English of North England. They colonized Northern Ireland in the 17th century by force of the English to prevent further rebellion, as it had been the region most resistant to English control during the preceding century. It is supposed that the Withrow family moved from Scotland along with other Presbyterians to Northern Ireland before coming to America in the 18th and 19th centuries.


1st generation

ROBERT and JANET (JENNET) WITHROW
from NORTHERN IRELAND to AMERICA

Robert Withrow, Sr. was born in Ireland, perhaps Ulster on 24 June 1692. He must have traveled to America as a single man sometime in the early 1700's. He married Janet (possibly nee May) on 14 May 1714 in Old York, Adams Co., PA. Janet was born 1 Dec. 1686.

The birth dates of Robert, Janet and children appear on the Withrow Family Bible which is described by Don Woods in Message 71 at this GenForum.com link.

Robert Withrow settled in the Brandywine Creek area of Pennsylvania and Delaware in the early 1700's. They moved to PA, then to VA, and on into the Carolinas, typical of many �Scotch-Irish� in America. Robert reportedly died 14 July 1741 in Franklin Co., VA. Janet's death is unknown at this time.


2nd generation

JAMES WITHROW AND ANN EDMON of NC

According to the Withrow Family Bible, James Withrow was born 5 Feb. 1721. He married Ann Edmon on 5 Mar. 1745. Ann was born 17 Feb. 1720-1725. They had 6 children, Aywalt, Thomas, Margaret, Mary, James and John (below). Ann died 1772; James died 1819, both in Buncombe Co., NC.


3rd generation

JOHN WITHROW AND SUSANNAH ASHWORTH, NC to GA

John Withrow was born 30 Nov. 1770 in North Carolina. He married about 1800 in Fairview, Buncombe County, NC to Susannah Ashworth who was born in NC on 12 Oct. 1782. She was the daughter of John Ashworth and Nancy Ann Wood. They moved to Gilmer Co., GA about 1846. He was a gunsmith.

They had eight children: Nancy, James, John, David, Margaret, Jonathan, Josiah, and Thomas. He died 13 May 1850; Susannah died 6 Feb. 1869. Both are buried in Mountaintown Baptist Church Cemetery, Ellijay, Gilmer Co., GA.

A transcription of a letter written in 1916 and housed in the Gilmer County, GA library, indicates that this John Withrow is not the son of James and Ann (Edmon) Withrow, but instead is the son of James� brother, John. The text of the letter is duplicated in GenForum post #906 by Bob Ross in April 2005. I am unclear as to what proof the Withrow Family Association has showing that James is John's father, so I have not changed my information until more information is forthcoming.


4th generation

JAMES WITHROW AND MARY BARBOUR, NC to GA

James Withrow, son of John Withrow and Susannah Ashworth, was born 27 Oct. 1804 in NC. He married Mary Barbour, possibly in Macon Co., NC. Mary was born 11 June 1799. They moved to GA, probably along with his parents. They had six children: James, Nancy A., Joseph Marion (below), Margaret L., John, and Joshua J.

James died 2 Feb. 1892, and is buried in Salem Baptist Church Cemetery, Fannin Co., GA. Mary died 23 Nov. 1863 buried in the same cemetery.


5th generation

JOSEPH MARION WITHROW AND 3 WIVES?

Joseph Marion Withrow was born 4 July 1831 in NC. He married before 1860 to Rachel Minerva Newton. She was born 8 Sept. 1835. They had 6 known children, the last one born about 1869. They are listed on the 1860 census for Hothouse, Fannin Co., GA with children �Cinatha�, James and Alice A. His wife is inexplicably listed as �Margarett�. They are living next door to his parents, James and Mary Withrow, and on the other side, her likely brother, Ebenezer K. Newton.

They are listed in Morganton, Fannin County 1870 census and this time, Joseph is oddly listed as James. One might assume these are different families, but examination of the children and the fact that they are living near others in their immediately family in both censuses, leads me to believe this is the same family.

Sometime between 1870 and 1880, it appears that Joseph and Minerva have separated for in the 1880 census, Joseph is not listed living with his wife Minerva and family. Instead, he is living in Hothouse Twp., North Carolina with a housekeeper whose name I am unable to decipher. (She is listed as "Housekeeper" rather than the usual "Keeping House" commonly used for wives.) Minerva and children are still living in the same area in Georgia. Her youngest child is 11 years old.

According to multiple postings on GenForum (here's one), Joseph ran away with a servant girl (Sarah Louise Odom) and broke Rachel�s heart. He apparently never married Sarah Odom. In the same census as above (1880) Sarah Odom is not living with Joseph, but is living very near Minerva (same page) with 3 children � Flora E.(8), John W.(6), and Joshua C.(3) all with the last name Odom. Also listed is Sarah�s mother, Nancy E. Odom. This is the only census where John and Joshua are listed with the last name of Odom. They used Withrow from this time forward.

Hand-written family information found by the descendants of this family (in our own family) state that the parents of Joshua Columbus Withrow (b. 1877) were Joseph Marion Withrow and Sarah Louise Odom-Manchester. I assume that Sarah married a Manchester man after her time with Joseph Withrow.

From 1900 until 1930, Joseph is living with his third wife, Mattie Martha Gaddis, whom he married about 1889. He had 8 known children with this wife. It was said that he had over 20 children all together.

His property spanned the north edge of Fannin Co., Georgia and the southern edge of Cherokee Co., NC. It is reported that he served as quartermaster for the Union Army in the Civil War and in return was given tax relief for his distillery in Georgia. His son James Hamilton Withrow objected to working at the distillery, so Joseph ejected him and his family (this supposedly is when he began living with Sarah).

Joseph�s first wife, Rachel (Newton) Withrow died 28 Oct. 1887 (of a broken heart, I presume); Joseph Marion Withrow died 15 Aug. 1912; Mattie Martha (Gaddis) Withrow died 18 July 1938. These three are all buried in Salem Baptist Church Cemetery, Fannin Co., GA. Joseph Marion�s picture is posted on his findagrave.com memorial. Many Withrows are buried in this cemetery.

This story written by Joseph was posted on Genforum by Becky, a descendant.

SARAH LOUISE ODOM-MANCHESTER
In the 1900 Polk Co., TN census, Sarah Manchester is living with her son John W. Withrow and his family. She reports being married 17 years with 4 children. In 1910 and 1920, she is listed as the mother-in-law living with a Payne family. Presumably, the wife, Clementine, is her daughter, Clementine (Manchester) Payne. Sarah Louise Odom-Manchester died in 1936. She is buried in Wolf Creek Cem., Macedonia (Cherokee) NC, near her daughter Clementine.


6th generation

JOSHUA COLUMBUS WITHROW AND ABIGAIL BELL, TN to CA

Joshua was born 29 June 1877 in Cherokee Co., NC. He married 1st about 1900 in TN to Mary Alice unknown, born 13 Mar. 1881. They were living in Polk Co., TN in 1900. They had two daughters, Florence E. (b. ca. 1901) and Marie Esta (b. 1902- d. 1903). Mary Alice died on 12 Oct. 1902, shortly after Marie Esta was born.

Joshua married 2nd 25 Dec. 1902 in Fannin Co., GA to Abigail Bell, called �Abby� or �Gally�, daughter of Robert Bell and Elizabeth (possibly nee Hamilton). Abby was born 20 Mar. 1885, the 10th of 11 children of her parents. Joshua never attended school, but taught himself to read and write.

Joshua Columbus and Abby Withrow moved to Northern California in Shasta County before 1910. They lived on land where Lake Shasta is now located. In 1920, they were living in Holtville (Imperial) CA. By 1922, they had moved to Compton (Los Angeles) CA and in 1948, they lived in South Gate (Los Angeles) CA.

Joshua and Abby had 6 children: Ruth (20 May 1904 � 13 Jun 1904), Sarah (20 Jul 1905 � 1 Oct. 1908), James B. (ca. 1907 � 1925), Charles Blaine (1909 - 1984), Violet M. (cir 1915 - ?), Arlene B. (ca. 1920 - ?).

Joshua died 28 July 1960 in Los Angeles Co., CA; Abby died 11 June 1976 in Lynwood (Los Angeles) CA. Both are buried in Rose Hill Mem. Park, Whittier (Los Angeles) CA.


Check out the graves of some of these people on my virtual "Withrow Cemetery" on www.findagrave.com

Click here to view an ancestor chart of this family
Click here to view a migration map of this and related families

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