52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: #44 James C. Chisum married Martha Elizabeth "Mattie 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
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My great-grandfather, Phillip Hairston, his wife, and daughter left Falls County,

Texas to live in Erath County in 1883. Phillip Hairston's sisters were said to come with him as well; widow Permelia Hairston Noah and her sons, sister, Sarah Jane and maybe the children of sister, Mary Hairston Gilbert. 

James C. Chisum married Martha Elizabeth "Mattie" Hairston on November 4, 1875 in Falls County, Texas. They had three children; Walter, Stella, and Philip. I know that Mattie and her children migrated to Erath County with her family, but I don't know if James C. accompanied her. 

James is said to be the son of Elijah Chisum and Delilah George who can be found in Limestone County, Texas on the 1860 census along with seven children. 

James can be found with his wife and two children on the 1880 United States census of Falls County. He is found again in the Falls County deed index as disposing of property in October 1882. James' trail grew cold as no other record mentioning his name can be found. Did he move to Erath County in 1883 along with the rest of the family? 

Unable to track down James, I moved on to collateral searches of his siblings. and found that at least three of his siblings relocated to Erath County about the same time that the Hairstons moved to Erath.  Sister, Judah, is said to have died in Erath County in 1883, while brothers William E. Chisum, and Hiram S. Chisum were paying taxes in Erath County by 1884. It certainly appears that James might have wanted to go to Erath County. 

So, what happened to James C. Chisum? On August 28, 1884, Martha Elizabeth "Mattie" Hairston Chisum married John A. Thompson. 

One story about James' death is that he and Mattie were in or going to Corpus Christi to sell hides when James was killed by a runaway horse. John A. Thompson, a family friend, went to Mattie's assistance. This story makes sense if James Chisum had moved to Erath County with the others. The Hairston/Chisum/Noah families settled in the Bethel Community very near John A. Thompson. In fact, Phillip Hairston purchased his Erath County land from John's brother, Robert, in late 1883. 


I have found no documents to indicate when and where James died and where he is buried. Some Public Family Trees at Ancestry.com give him a death date of March 30, 1928 and a burial place of as Russell Cemetery in Greer County, Oklahoma. However, that is the death date and burial place of his said to be brother, Hiram S. Chisum. 

Falls County deed records for James C. Chisum and his said siblings need to be looked at. There are tax records for a James C. Chisum in Erath County, but those appear to be an older James C. Chisum. However, it wouldn't hurt to look at deed records as well as some court records in Erath County. 

Diana

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