Contributed by Jan J. Barnes
© 2000
Updated 2012
Eli NORTHAM was born about 1790/1791 in NC. He married Mary MCDOWELL prior to 1813. Mary's maiden name was determined from daughter Rachel Stalcup's tombstone where she is listed as the daughter of Eli and Mary McDowell NORTHAM. Mary was born about 1793 in NC. She was possibly the sister of John McDowell who migrated to Simpson County, KY from NC at approximately the same time as Eli and Mary. John McDowell was about 4 years older than Mary, and his land adjoined the Northams. Later, his son Henry McDowell would serve as administrator for the estate of Charlotte Northam Boles Williams, dau of Eli and Mary.
Eli is listed on the Muster Rolls for Richmond County, NC, the Fourth Regiment, Tenth Company detached from the Richmond Regiment. He is listed in his father's, will (George NORTHAM) in Richmond County, NC, Will Bk. 1, page 214. This will was written on April 7, 1818 and proved in April, 1820. Children of George NORTHAM and wife Sarah UNKNOWN: Thomas, Eli, Hester Lawson?, George, William, Salley, John, Rachel, and Powell. (Descendants of George Northam, Sr.) (Descendants of Powell Northam.)
In the will, it states that John was under 21 years of age when the will was written in 1818. We assume that the children are listed in birth order. Eli's brother, George, remained in Richmond Co., NC, John M. NORTHAM moved to Fayette Co., AL, and William NORTHAM is found on the 1820 census record for Simpson Co., KY. He and his wife Telitha filed a lawsuit there in 1827. Powell NORTHAM was listed in tax records for Simpson Co, KY in 1827 and 1828 and his name appears in court records as a juror.
Eli NORTHAM first appears on the Simpson County, KY census in 1820. His brother William is listed there as well, and according to these records is indeed younger than Eli. In 1820, Eli and wife Mary are between the ages of 26-45. The census shows three daughters under the age of 10. William NORTHAM is listed as between the ages of 18-26. Eli is found on the 1830 Sumner County, TN. census. In 1840 and 1850 he is listed in Simpson Co., KY. He owned land in both Simpson Co., KY and Sumner Co., TN. There is no known gravesite for Eli but his wife Mary, as administratrix, sold the last of his land in Sumner Co., TN on 3 Nov, 1856. He began selling most of his land in 1853, and the assumption would be that he possibly became sick at this time. Three of his daughters married in 1853, 1854, and 1855.
Children of Eli NORTHAM and Mary
MCDOWELL:
Harriet NORTHAM married Charles Westly WILLIAMS
on 30 Nov. 1830 in Sumner Co., TN. On the 1840 census, Chas. W. WILLIAMS,
Sumner County, is listed as between 20-30. There are two females listed as
five and under and 2 females listed as 5-10. Harriet was recorded as being
between the age of 15 and under 20 in 1840. On the 1850 census, Sumner County,
she is listed as 33 years of age. Westly WILLIAMS was 40 years of age.
Charles sold his land in 1856 and through the diligence of
researcher Edith Northam he appears next in Warrick Co., IN. Known
children of Charles W. Williams and Harriet
Northam:
The Warrick County Cemetery Book contains the following tombstone information
for Charles, buried next to Harriet and John:
Charles W. Williams, born 20 May 1809; died 23 Dec 1841. The
birth year certainly fits Charles' various ages in the census records, but
the death date is incorrect. The 1880 census shows Charles living
in Warrick with wife Charlotte and brother in law George M. NORTHAM.
Warrick County marriage records show that Charles W. Williams and Charlotte
(NORTHAM) BOLES were married on December 6, 1877.
Buried next to Charles are the following:
Eldora WILLIAMS died June 16, 1876 d/o GR & NJ 1 yr., 4 mths.,
25 days
Infant WILLIAMS died June 6 1879 d/o GR & NJ 1 mth, 11 days
These are possibly the daughters of George WILLIAMS and his wife.
Nancy NORTHAM was born in about 1816. She married William J. Pearson before 1846 probably in Simpson County, KY. They are listed on the 1850 Sumner County, TN census. In 1853, Wm. Pearson purchased 74 acres from Henry McDowell (son of John McDowell). This land bordered Eli Northam's land in Sumner County. The deed was witnessed by George Northam (Nancy's brother) and Richard Pearson. In 1854, William purchased from William T. Morris 50 acres in Sumner County and in 1856 he purchased an additional 24 1/2 acres from Hiram Bradley in Sumner County. The 1860 Sumner Co., TN census shows William, age 41 born in VA and Nancy 41, born in KY. In 1864 William sold 150 acres in Sumner County (recorded in 1867) to Mordecai Cummings. The deed was recorded in both Sumner and Simpson Counties, and he moved his son and wife to Warrick Co., IN, close to Nancy's sister Harriet Williams. Their daughter, Mary Frances, married Madison N. Perkins and remained in Simpson Co. In 1870, Wm. J. Pearson is found in the Warrick Co., IN census a few households away from Harriett and Charles Williams. Their son James M. Pearson is 18 and residing with them. William lists his birthplace as VA, age 54 and Nancy lists hers as TN, age 54. Her parents birthplaces are shown as North Carolina. The 1880 Warrick census shows Wm. J. Pearson, age 62 and Nancy, 63.
Children of Nancy NORTHAM and William J. PEARSON:
Charlotte NORTHAM married Zachariah BOLES (Bowles,
Boyles) on 9 Sept 1856 in Sumner County, TN. There are no known children.
He was married first to Minerva Harper. On the 1860 census, she
was 40 years of age. Charlotte is found in the County Clerk Minutes,
December Term, 1867, petitioning for dower. She married Joseph MASSEY
in Simpson County, Ky. on 16 January 1870, divorced 28 April 1871. She married
Charles W. WILLIAMS in Warrick County,
In. on 6 December 1877, soon after her
sister, Harriett's death. Charlotte came back to Sumner County
shortly before her death and stayed with sisters Elizabeth Northam Johnson
and Phebe Jane Northam Johnson during an illness. The inventory record
for Charlotte Williams, 1887, Sumner County, TN.
has Henry MCDOWELL, husband
of Georgia Ann JOHNSON, as administrator of Charlotte’s estate. These
records show that B.F. and Elizabeth
NORTHAM JOHNSON, P.J. NORTHAM JOHNSON, D.B. JOHNSON (Davis, son of Phebe
Jane and Benjamin Johnson) and M. N. Perkins (see Nancy NORTHAM) collected
on debts and purchased personal property from the estate
sale. Charlotte was buried in
the Massey Cemetery, Simpson Co., KY, next to two nieces, Elizabeth and Barbara
E. STALCUP, daughters of Swen and Rachel NORTHAM STALCUP. Click
here to see the Estate Settlement of
Charlotte Williams.
Elizabeth NORTHAM married B. Franklin JOHNSON
(son of Benjamin JOHNSON and Rebecca TURNER) on 23 Mar 1854. Franklin was
born 4 Apr 1829, died 12 Oct 1899. Both are buried in the Maple Hill
Cemetery, Sumner Co., TN. Known children of B. Franklin JOHNSON and
Elizabeth NORTHAM are:
Rachel NORTHAM married Swen STALCUP b 10 Nov,
1814, d 25 Jan 1905, s/o Swen STALCUP and Barbara MILLER, before 1843. They
both are buried in the McKendree Cemetery in Simpson Co., KY. Children of
Rachel and Swen STALCUP:
George M. NORTHAM was born on 20 Apr 1827 in
Sumner Co., TN. In 1850, he was listed as 22 years old and living with his
father, Eli, Simpson Co., KY census
records. In 1851 he is listed
on the Simpson Co. Tax Lists as owning 63 acres of
land. These records also show him there in 1852 -
1854. In 1860 he is found living
with his sister Charlotte NORTHAM BOLES, and was listed as 27 years old and
"insane" was written beside his name. George has not been found
on census records for 1870, but it is presumed that he was with his sister
Charlotte. He appears with Charles W. Williams and Charlotte on the
1880 Warrick Co., IN census and was listed as 52 years old, working as a
farm laborer. He is buried in Selvin Cemetery in Warrick Co., IN next
to Harriet and Charles. His tombstone inscription shows his death date
as 30 Aug 1883. No marriages were found for
George.
Phebe Jane NORTHAM married Benjamin J. JOHNSON (b 1791, d 20 May 1868, son of Richard JOHNSON and Lucy HUNTER), on 7 Oct 1855 in Sumner County TN. Phebe was 22 and Benjamin was about 64. Phebe was his third wife. They are buried in the Maple Hill Cemetery, Sumner Co., TN. View a picture of Phebe Northam Johnson and a picture of Benjamin J. Johnson.
Children of Phebe NORTHAM and Benjamin JOHNSON:
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