52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: # 30 NOT MY John L. Hairston

The solid lines indicate that the connection to the family is documented while
the dotted lines indicate that direct evidence has not yet been found to
make the connection. Click on the family tree to see a larger image.

John is a common name in the Hairston family.  My great-great-grandfather, John Lewis Hairston, born about 1812 in South Carolina, is easily confused with a few other John Hairstons of the same generation.

No Story Too Small

My focus today is John Hairston who was born March 22, 1811 in South Carolina. He is frequently confused with my great-great-grandfather, John L. Hairston, and some part of his life often shows up in John L.’s online family trees.  Ed Bregenzer, one of the compilers of The Hairston History, contacted me in February of 2000 as he thought that I was a descendant of this John Hairston (#30).  

I am referring to this John Hairston as (#30) as this is the 30th week of my 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge and this will help distinguish him from my great-great-grandfather who I will refer to as John L. 

Three similarities found in the table below show why these two John Hairstons are so easily confused.

According to The Hairston History, this John Hairston (#30) is the son of Robert Hairston and Sarah Lang.  If this is correct, he may be the nephew of Hugh Brown Hairston as both Hugh and Robert are thought to be sons of John Hairston and Anne Mary Robertson.  And, if he is the nephew of Hugh Brown Hairston, then he may very well be the first cousin of my great-great-grandfather, John L. Hairston.

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John Hairston (#30 with no known middle initial) married Syrene Thompson on October 5, 1835 in Montgomery County, Alabama.  By the 1840s, he was serving as a Justice of the Peace in Macon County, Alabama. 

In 1850 and 1860, John Hairston (#30) was living in Macon County, Alabama with his wife Syrene and children. As Justice of the Peace, he took a statement from Sarah McElhaney Hairston (probable mother of my John L. Hairston) for a pension request in the year 1854.  

In 1870 and 1880, John Hairston (#30) and his wife were living in Lowndes County, Alabama with or near several of their children.  John died on September 18, 1890 and is buried at the Myrtlewood Cemetery in Fort Deposit, Lowndes County with his wife Syrene and some of their children. His will and probate records can be found at FamilySearch. 

It should now be obvious that the John Hairston (#30) of Macon and Lowndes Counties in Alabama and my great-great-grandfather, John L. Hairston, are not one in the same. However, until this year, I believed that this John Hairston (#30) also had a

middle initial of “L.”  Only in online family trees do you see this “L.” On all court, census, and other records found, his name is simply “John Hairston.”

If you have a John Hairston in your family tree at Ancestry.com, FamilySearch, or some other site, check your tree to determine if you have combined facts from more than one John Hairston. It is easy to do.  If #30 is YOUR John Hairston, please contact me. I have more to share. 

Diana

© 2014

Sources:

"Alabama, Marriages, 1816-1957," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FQ8G-P92 : accessed 02 Aug 2014), John Hearston and Syrene Thompson, 05 Oct 1835; citing reference ; FHL microfilm 1492030.


"Alabama, Probate Records, 1809-1985," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-25316-19407-71?cc=1925446&wc=M6DJ-MM3:220031401,220031402 : accessed 02 Aug 2014), Lowndes > Administration records 1870-1892 vol A > image 42 of 333.

"Alabama, Probate Records, 1809-1985," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-25316-18186-63?cc=1925446&wc=M6DJ-MM3:220031401,220031402 : accessed 02 Aug 2014), Lowndes > Administration records 1870-1892 vol A > image 306 of 333.

"Alabama, Probate Records, 1809-1985," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-25313-10602-69?cc=1925446&wc=M6DV-TN5:220031401,220226501 : accessed 02 Aug 2014), Lowndes > Minutes 1870-1938 vol A-B > image 217 of 463.


"Alabama, Probate Records, 1809-1985," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-25313-8034-39?cc=1925446&wc=M6DK-D66:220031401,220386501 : accessed 02 Aug 2014), Lowndes > Wills 1830-1936 > image 394 of 428.

Ancestry.com. Alabama, Deaths and Burials Index, 1881-1974 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

Ancestry.com. Alabama, Select Marriages, 1816-1957 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc, 2014.

Ancestry.com. Public Member Trees [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2006.

Compiled Military Service Record, Phillip R. Hairston, Pvt., Co. G, 21 Alabama Infantry; Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Alabama; Record Group 109: Records of the Adjutant General’s Office, 1762 – 1984; National Archives, Washington, D.C.; digital images, Phillip R. Hairston's file, Fold3.com (http://www.fold3.com : accessed 28 July 2014)

Compiled Military Service Record, Richard L. Hairston, Pvt., Co. G, 12 Alabama Infantry; Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Alabama; Record Group 109: Records of the Adjutant General’s Office, 1762 – 1984; National Archives, Washington, D.C.; digital images, Richard L. Hairston's file, Fold3.com (http://www.fold3.com : accessed 28 July 2014)

"Find A Grave: Myrtlewood Cemetery." Find A Grave - Millions of Cemetery Records and Online Memorials.. Web. 2 Aug. 2014. <http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&GSln=Black&GSiman=1&GScid=24840&CRid=24840&pt=Myrtlewood%20Cemetery&>.

"Find A Grave: Pilgrims Rest Cemetery." Find A Grave - Millions of Cemetery Records and Online Memorials. Web. 2 Aug. 2014. <http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&GSln=hairston&GSiman=1&GScid=25406&CRid=25406&pt=Pilgrims%20Rest%20Cemetery&>.

Hairston, Victor , and Edward Bregenzer. The Hairston History.  1998. Print.

McElheney, William., no. R. 6697; Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, microfilm publication M804 (Washington, D.C. National Archives and Records Service, 1974); digital images, Fold3 (http://www.Fold3.com : accessed 20 July 2014).

"Mississippi, State Archives, Various Records, 1820-1951," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-21745-68357-35?cc=1919687&wc=MMYG-KNQ:n1410068766 : accessed 24 Dec 2013), Hinds > County tax rolls 1831-1848, Box 3655 > image 286 of 319.

"Texas Items." Galveston Tri-Weekly News.  13 Apr. 1870, 97 ed.: 1. GenealogyBank.com.

Year: 1850; Census Place: Hinds, Mississippi; Roll: M432_372; Page: 165A; Image: 336.

Year: 1850; Census Place: District 21, Macon, Alabama; Roll: M432_9; Page: 241A; Image: 101.

Year: 1860; Census Place: Hinds, Mississippi; Roll: M653_582; Page: 674; Image: 206; Family History Library Film: 803582. 

Year: 1860; Census Place: Southern Division, Macon, Alabama; Roll: M653_14; Page: 786; Image: 305; Family History Library Film: 803014.

Year: 1870; Census Place: Calhoun, Lowndes, Alabama; Roll: M593_25; Page: 437A; Image: 497; Family History Library Film: 545524.

Year: 1880; Census Place: Falls, Texas; Roll: 1302; Family History Film: 1255302; Page: 190B; Enumeration District: 038.

Year: 1880; Census Place: Fort Deposit, Lowndes, Alabama; Roll: 20; Family History Film: 1254020; Page: 117A; Enumeration District: 106; Image: 0536.

Year: 1880; Census Place: Parkers and Brenton, Escambia, Alabama; Roll: 12; Family History Film: 1254012; Page: 191B; Enumeration District: 076.

Year: 1900; Census Place: Fort Deposit, Lowndes, Alabama; Roll: 26; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 0077; FHL microfilm: 1240026.

Year: 1900; Census Place: Sandy Ridge, Lowndes, Alabama; Roll: 27; Page: 5A; Enumeration District: 0080; FHL microfilm: 1240027.