Third Generation

20. Abraham WALTERS^1,4,8,13 was born in 1781 in Virginia.^1,50 He died on 7 March 1847 at the age of 66 in Henry County, Tennessee.^1,50

Married Mary "Polly" Mann on 14 Sep 1801 in Pittsylvania Co VA. Married (2) Judith Thomas about 1802. Mervin Thomas has a marriage date of 21 Feb 1803, but to a "Polly Thomas". He also suggests a court record dated Dec 1803 which lists Abraham's wife as a Judith, which I believe is correct. I asked Mervin where this record to "Polly" Thomas was located and he replied Pittsylvania Co. I have viewed the microfilm of the Pittsylvania marriage records, which begin considerably before this date and continue for many years after. The only marriage for Abraham which is recorded in Pittsylvania Co is the one to Polly Mann. I later discovered that the marriage to "Polly" or Judith Thomas was in Halifax, also the court record which is November, not December of 1803, is in the Halifax probates.

Halifax County Virginia Marriage Bonds 1753-1854; Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City, 1937
Abraham Walters to Polly Thomas, 21 Feb 1803. Polly Thomas, mother. Wm Thomas, bondsman. [probably the clerk confused the bride's name, listing the mother's name twice]]
Abraham was bondsman in turn for his nephew Jackson Walter who married Judith's sister Tabitha, 11 Apr 1809. Mary Thomas, mother of the bride.

Found on Ancestry.com VIRGINIA MARRIAGES, 1740-1850
Abraham Walters to Polly Thomas, 21 Feb 1803, HALIFAX Co. VA.

25 Jun 1812
Halifax Deed Book 23, p.476 Abraham Walters and Judith to Elizabeth Pugh [her sister] all of Halifax Co for 110 #'s, Half of tract on lower Double Creeks containing 110 acres, it being lot #7 assigned to Abraham Walters & Judith; allotted to them from the estate of Philip Thomas.

Abraham and his brother William moved to Henry Co TN about 1820. Birth dates of Abraham's children with "Juda" were found in a Bible belonging to William's family.

Family Bible states Abraham died at age 66. This would place his birth as 1781 which seems a bit late.

1830 Census, Henry Co TN
Abraham Walters 1m 5-10, 2m 10-15, 2m 15-20, 2m 20-30, 1m 50-60 [Abraham] & 1f 50-60

Another Walters researcher, Mervin Walters, has very confusing information about Abraham, involving other/different wives and Abraham's inability to father children and having stepchildren. One marriage he gave was 2 Jul 1799 in Person Co NC to Elizabeth Beck Long, a widow. I could not find these stepchildren in censuses where they were supposed to be. What I found from census records is that there was an Abraham Walters in St. Lawrence District of Caswell Co NC in 1790 - this is a tax list, not a census - and probably he is too old to be this Abraham. In 1810, an Abraham Walters was in Person Co, age 26-45 with a spouse of the same age and two male children age 10-16. [Abraham Walters, son of Thomas & Lucy had two daughters and a son under the age of 10 in 1810] In 1820, an Abraham Walters was still in Person Co, now with two sons 16-26, himself over 45, spouse over 45, a female child under age 10. Again this family is not possibly the family of Abraham, son of Thomas & Lucy Walters. Obviously some researcher has "blended" the records of these two Abraham Walters, living a county apart.
I found a book of deed abstracts which proves conclusively there was an Abraham Walters living in Person Co - he was the son of a Paul Walters, and was still living there at least as late as 1822.
Person County NC Deed Books 1792-1825
Katherine Kerr Kendall. Baltimore, 1993, Clearfield Co.
Abraham Walters in Person County
p.91 DB D, p.127 Paul Walters to his son Abraham. 200 acres Stories Crek and 200 acres on Stories & Rosemary Creek. Wit: W. Jeffries. Feb. 1809
p.97 DB D, p.182 Paul Walters to son Daniel. 117 acres both sides Miry Crek
Wit: Abraham Walters & Benjamin Chambers. 9 Feb 1810
p.98 DB D, p.189 Paul Walters to son Paul Jr. 117 acres both side Stories Crk. Paul and wife Mary to have farming rights. Wit: Abraham Walters & Benj Chambers
p.172 DB F, p.381 Benjamin Harris sells land on Stories Crk to include mill seat, adj Abraham Walters 27 Apr. 1819
p.186 DB F, p.176 McKissack sells land adj Abrahm Walters. 26 Sep 1822

Deeds from Henry Co TN confirm several of the sons of Abraham:
DB H, p.73-74 7 Feb 1844 Abraham Walters to James Walters. 74 acres. For love and affection I have for my son James.
Wit: Joel Hagler, Bartlet Legins, Samuel Walters, Joseph W. Muzzall
DB H, p.438-4 4 Apr 1845 Abraham Walters to Robert A. Walters, Eliza Jane Walters and Andrew J. Walters for love and affection I have for my three grandchildren. 70 acres.
Wit: Joseph W. Muzzall, Samuel Walters, Thomas Walters
[Sons John and William do not appear in any of these deeds. One or both of them is likely deceased and Abraham is giving them their father's share.]
DH H p.491-2 14 Apr 1845 Abraham Walters to Thomas Walters. 60 acres for the love and affection I have for my son Thomas.
Wit: Joseph W. Muzzall, Thoma P. Evans, Joel Walters
DB J, p.150 17 Mar 1849 Thomas Walters and wife, Martha J. Walters, of Lafayette Co MS to John Travis. 74 acres for $370. Wit: Joel Hagler, A. McCullough.
[This would appear to be the acreage given to James Walters. I don't know how it could be sold by Thomas unless there has been an interim transaction or death.]

Abraham WALTERS and Polly MANN were married on 14 September 1801 in Pittsylvania County, Virginia.^12,40 Polly MANN, daughter of Jesse MANN and Elizabeth SLAYDEN, was born (date unknown).

Abraham Walters married Polly Mann dau of Jesse Mann who consented. Sur: Joel Mann

Abraham WALTERS and Judith THOMAS were married on 21 February 1803 in Halifax County, Virginia.⁸ Judith THOMAS¹³, daughter of Philip THOMAS and Mary [THOMAS], was born (date unknown).

In the papers of Mervin Walters is a very confusing statement regarding Judith. First of all, Mervin claimed that there was a recorded marriage 21 Feb 1803, in Pittsylvania Co for the marriage of a Polly Thomas to Abraham Walters. There is no such marriage now in the marriage book of Pittsylvania Co VA - the only recorded marriage for Abraham is the first one to Polly Mann. He goes on to state that she was evidently the daughter of Phillip Thomas as Abraham Walters & wife Judith were listed as heirs of Phillip, whose wife was Mary, in a record dated in 1804. This is a rather astounding statement since Phillip Thomas of Pittsylvania Co VA never had a wife Mary, and never had a daughter, and lived until 1837 - much is well documented about Phillip. Phillip had a son also named Phillip and the younger Phillip did have a wife Mary, but he was not born until about 1836 and no other man of this name appears to have lived in Pittsylvania Co, although there were at least two unrelated Thomas families living in the area. Phillip Thomas could possibly have been administering someone else's estate in 1804 and the record was misinterpreted. Mr. Walters does state that he had not seen the record.

As it turns out, the marriage to a Thomas lady was in Halifax Co. The record did say Abraham Walters married Polly Thomas, 21 Feb 1803. Polly Thomas, was mother of the bride, Wm Thomas, security. I believe it very likely the clerk made an error in entering the marriage because in all other records, the lady is Judith, or some form of that name. She could have been Mary Judith, or Judith Mary, but middle names were not common and I think simple error more likely.

The probate record mentioned is also in Halifax County, not Pittsylvania. In Halifax County, November of 1803 which mentions James Woody & Lucy his wife, Samuel Peu [Pugh? Pew?] and wife Elizabeth, Mary Thomas, Charles Thomas, Tabitha Thomas, David Field and Nancy, William Thomas, and Abraham Walters and wife Judy. Lucy, Elizabeth, Mary, Charles, Tabitha, Nancy, William and Judith were children and distributees of the estate of Philip Thomas, Dec'd. Mary Thomas, widow, and Administratrix.

Abraham's nephew Jackson Walters married Tabitha Thomas, 11 Apr 1809. Again, Mary Thomas was listed as mother of the bride; Abraham Walters, surety.

Abraham WALTERS and Judith THOMAS had the following children:

102	i.	Mary WALTERS was born on 15 March 1804.⁵⁰
103	ii.	William WALTERS^{55,56,58,67,68} was born on 8 February 1806 in Virginia.⁵⁰ William is in the line of descent of DAR Member #6232367, Shirley Walters Nygaard. William Walters married as his 2nd wife Mary Thomas Stone who was born abt 1836 in Scott Co TN. Date of marriage was 5 Oct 1865. They both died at Gladewater, Gregg Co, Texas. In 1840 there were two William Walters living in Henry Co TN. They could be the two first cousins - one the son of Abraham, the other, son of William & Elizabeth Ball. One was listed as having 2 males, age 20-30 in the household [ William, son of William, would have been about age 27 and had several brothers of similar age], and 1 female age 20-30. The other William Walters was age 30-40 [William, son of Abraham would have been about 34], 1 female under 5 and 1 female age 20-30. The section for young males is obscured by a blot. There was also a William Walters living in Grainger Co TN and one in Washington Co TN, but neither of them fit the families any better than those in Henry Co. 1850 Census. Upshur Co, TX p.208, household 425 Wm Walters, age 38, b. VA [b.1812] M. Walters, age 36, b. VA [b.1814] P. Walters, age 17, b. TN [b.1833 - the 7 is very light and this age easily could have been mistaken for 11, or born 1839 instead of 1833] John Walters, 15, TN W. Walters, 10, TN A. Walters, 8, TN [female] Arthur Walters, 6, TN M. Walters, 4, TN [female] Sam Walters 1, b. TX 1860 Census, Upshur Co, p.467b, Household 1087 Wm Walters, age 54, Farmer, b. VA Marietta, age 47, b. VA Phillip, age 37, b. TN [Either Marietta's age is off, or Phillip's age is off 10 years, likely both are errors. This enumerator has lots of strikeovers, etc. but the numbers are generally easy to read.] William age 19, b. TN Agnis, age 18 b. TN [female] Arthur, age 16, b. TN Robert, age 6, b. TX Samuel, age 11, b. TX Alice, age 9, b. TX 1870 Census, Upshur Co, Coffeeville P.O., p.97, Hh 411 William Walter, age 64, b. VA, Farmer Sarah age 2, b. TX Mary, age 34, b. TN Susan Stone, age 10, b. TX [I was not able to find any of the Walters children, born of Marietta, in 1870.] Gregg Co TX was not formed from Upshur until 1873 1880 Gregg Co TX, Precinct 3, p.462A William W. Walters, age 74, b. VA, as were both his parents Mary T. wife, age 44, b. TN Sarah A. Walters, daughter age 12, b. TX James H. Walters, son, age 10, b. TX [Line of DAR listed at top] Next family on same page Phillip T. Walters, age 48, b. TN, both parents b. VA Samuel R. Walters, brother, age 31, b. TX Alice Walters, sister, age 29, b. TX [The ages of Philip & Samuel are fairly consistent with the 1850 Census] From Robert B. Walters In my search for today, I found a William Walters, born 1806 in Halifax County, Virginia. He died in 1885 and is buried in the Mosely Cemetery, Gregg County, Texas. He was married to Marietta Swift, born about 1814 in Virginia. She died in 1865, and is also buried in the Mosely Cemetery, Gregg County, Texas. The above parties may have had two sons, I.e.: Phillip T. Walters, born about 1839 in Henry County, Tennessee Samuel R. Walters, born 1849 in Texas These last two parties are also buried in the Mosely Cemetery, Gregg County, Texas. Email of 25 Oct 2004. <[email protected]> Some information sent by email seems to indicate that Mary Thomas Stone [Second wife of William? In 1880 census...] was a niece of Judith Thomas, hence she would have been a cousin to William. She is said to have married (1) Manoah F. Stone in Roane Co TN.
104	iii.	Sally WALTERS was born on 22 August 1808.⁵⁰
105	iv.	Thomas WALTERS was born on 3 November 1810.⁵⁰ Thomas married Martha Hagler on 8 May 1845. They are ancestors of Camilla Walters Laughlin. This Thomas, son of Abraham, can't be the one below if he waited until 1845 to marry: Thomas Walters/Waters found in Tennessee in 1840 in Henry County. This is his data. Thomas Walters, 1m -5, 1m 5-10, 1m 10-15, 1m age 30-40 [same age as the two Thomases of Grainger] 1f -5, 1f 5-10, 1f 20-30. He would seem to be the same as a Thomas Waters found in Henry Co in 1830: 1m -5, 1m 20-30, 1f 15-20. 1850 Census. Lafayette, MS, Hh 502 Thos. Walters, 39, b. VA Martha, 21, b. TN John C., 3, b. TN Thomas J., age 1, b. MS 1860 Census. DeWitt P.O., Legrew Twp, Arkansas County, AR, Hh 230 Thomas Waters, 50, b. VA Martha J., 32, b. TN Thomas Jef. 10, b. MS Martha J. 5, b. MS William A., age 5 months, b. AR
106	v.	John WALTERS was born on 25 December 1812.⁵⁰ He died on 2 August 1889 at the age of 76 in Shreveport, Caddo Parish, Louisiana. Apparently twice married. First to Harriet Byron, b. 2 Feb 1828, d. 26 Sep 1849 - buried Oakland Cemetery, Shreveport, Caddo Parish, LA. One known child, Mary Ann, b. Dec 1848, d. 6 Feb 1925, Shreveport - married Lemuel Gustine. Census records also show a son, Richard, born 1846. Second to Sarah C. (Boggs) Stockslager, b. 14 May 1821, Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co, PA, d. 23 Jun 1897, Shreveport. Also buried Oakland Cemetery, as is John Walters. One son - John Bennington Walters, b. 23 Dec 1858, died 16 Nov 1939, Bonham, Fannin, TX. Another son, Harry, age 6, is in the 1860 census. 1850 Census. Shreveport, Caddo Parish, LA, Hh 12 John Walters, 37, Merchant, b. VA Richard F. Walter, 4, b. LA Nannie B. Walters, 20 months, b. LA 1860 Census. Shreveport, Caddo Parish, LA, Hh 539 John Walters, 47, Dry Goods Merchant Sarah, 34, b. LA as were all the children Richard, 15 Nannie, 12 Harry, 6 Benng., 2 Georgia Stockedger, 13 (Stepdaughter - Sarah's child) H. C. Ward, 20, Clerk, b. AL J. W. Wiggins, 24, Clerk, b. LA John Scott, 19, Bookkeeper, b. Scotland R. A. Waller, 27, Bookkeeper, b. TN 1880 Census. Shreveport, Caddo Parish, LA, Hh 205 John Walters, 67, Cotton buyer S. C., 58, wife Georgee, 32, dau (step-daughter) Ben, 21, son, Clerk in Bank A. M. Austin, 38, Boarder, School Teacher, b. TN Nice Young, Black, 41, female, Servant, Cook, b. MS Bettie Young, Black, 10. b. LA The Progress June 26, 1897 Page 2 Christ Gathers His Jewels. Among His earthly sheep the Good Shepherd has been this week, and from the flock took one "without spot or wrinkle," because an occasion rare in Heaven was at hand, and God had need of such for the celebration, Holy. It was in the early hours of the night-day of Wednesday just a little past nine o'clock, that a Heavenly messenger approached the bed on which Mrs. Sarah C. Walters lay ill, touched the invalid and she "fell on sleep," and her sould in charge of the celestial ambassador, set our for the Court of Glory where Christ the Redeemer, waited for her in "green pastures, beside the still waters." With hallowed reverence does the writer essay to speak of the sainted woman whose life now glorified, was that of Dorcas, "filled with good works, and also-deeds which he did." Back, into the past, into the saved realms of child-hood memory now takes us and anumber of children may be seen wending their way towards a common point. It is the Sabbath day, and as these girls and boys enter a certain building the general demeanor of those already seated within, shows it to be a house of God. It is the little white church on the corner of Texas and Fannin street, the time the Sunday school hour. Soon the exercises were in progress and among those most earnestly engaged in teaching of The Way, the Truth and the Life, was Mrs. Walters, and one of her pupils the writer. A spendid teacher was this pure, christina woman, and to-day there are men, no doubt they are legion, whose reverence for God, whose discipleship of the Master is in a large measure due to the fact that in their youth or young manhood they sat at this sweet woman's feet and from her lips heard the precious old story of "the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world." Were chamred with her manner of tellin of the resurrected Christ and how this act supernal too from Death his sting, wrested from the grave its victory over those who live and die in the Lord. In her grave her body was laid away Thursday after-noon, the mound being covered with beautiful flowers, emblems of human esteem, affection and love. The pallearers were Messrs S. B. McCutchen, J. M. Foster, W. H. Johnson, T. L. Stringfellow, C. B. Johnson and C. D. Hicks. Of these the last four had been her Sabbath school pupils and with tender reverence did they discharge this duty: not a sad one, bor the knew that this was but a form of dust; the soul was in the Land Elysian, Christ had been gathering his jewels and with brilliant luster her spirit was set in the royal diadem. To her two surviving children Mrs. P. B. Weaks (always Miss Georgie Stocksledger [Stockslager] to our editor) and Mr. J. B. Walters we will simply rejoice with you in the fact that your noble mother has won the reward of her life work here, and now may not the two angel mothers, yours and ours, unite in prayer around the mercy seat in Heaven and together ask God to deliver from evil the dear ones left behind in this troublous world of trials and temptations? [It appears that The Progress editor, C. D. Hicks penned the above tribute to Sarah Walters.]
107	vi.	James WALTERS⁶⁹ was born on 4 July 1815.⁵⁰ A James J. Walters, age 35, Manufacturer was living in Pittsylvania Co VA in 1850. He was living with several other single men. I have no idea if this is the same James or not.
108	vii.	Joel WALTERS was born on 5 January 1818.⁵⁰ He died before 1850 at the age of 32 in Henry County, Tennessee. Married Mary Wood, 4 Mar 1841, Henry Co, TN 1850 Census. Henry, TN, Hh 150 Mary Walters, 26, b. NC Robert, 8, b. TN Eliza Jane, 7, b. TN Jackson, 6, b. TN Joel, 4, b. TN
109	viii.	Samuel WALTERS^60,70 was born on 1 March 1821.⁵⁰ Married Julia Ann Muzzall, 31 Aug 1843, Henry, TN. Married (2), Lucy Muzzall, 15 Sep 1860, Henry Co. 1850 Census, 7th Civil Dist of Henry Co TN. p.301b, Dwelling 140. Saml Walters age 28, Julia age 24, Frances 6, Orlando 4, and Jane 2. 1860 Census, 19th District, Henry Co, p.491b, Dwelling 2219. Samuel Walters age 39, "officer", b. TN. Susan F. age 15, Orlando age 13, Jane N. age 11, Anne age 7, Sarah W. age 5. 1880 Census. DeRoane, Hempstead Co AR, p.362D Orlanda Walters, age 34, b. TN as were both his parents. Emma age 29, b. AL. Children all born in Texas: Ida age 6, Lucy 5, Ada 3, and Anna 2.