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In my mind, I imagined the Giddens brothers living and working together in Alabama. Knowing that Isaac, Abraham, and Jacob lived in the southern portion of Alabama, I was surprised to find John Giddens in Madison County. John's home, Madison County, is at the top of the state and borders Tennessee. Isaac and Abraham first lived in Conecuh County bordering Florida. Abraham later moved to nearby Monroe County. Jacob lived in Barbour County bordering Georgia and marked by the circle on the right.[1] |
John Giddens is another Giddens who is thought to be the son of John Giddens, a planter and early settler, in Wayne County, North Carolina. There is no direct evidence showing John as a son of the senior Giddens, but a few documents do provide some convincing indirect evidence. In 1800, the census showed two males living in the senior John Giddens' home between the ages of 16 and 26. The younger John is thought to be one of those males as he was not named a minor in the senior John's probate file in 1802. This would give young John a birth year of no later than 1784.[2]
North Carolina
The first mention of this younger John is in the North Carolina Militia, sixth company detached from the Wayne regiment, during the War of 1812. In a letter, he stated that he served with Jacob Giddens under Reddin Shipp.[3] Jacob, a documented son of the senior John Giddens, served for six months. It appears that John served for a longer period as he also served with Captain Flowers and Captain Tisdale.[4]
John was residing in Wayne County in 1817 when he sold land to Asher Flowers.[5] This land, like land sold by other children of the senior John Giddens, was described as beginning at Jethro's Marsh Branch so it is assumed this was part of his inheritance.[6]
Based on Sampson County court records, John Giddens was living in Sampson County between 1820 and 1824 where he was assigned to patrol in the county as well as assist with maintaining a road.[7]
No other records were found for John Giddens in North Carolina. He was not named as a head of household on the 1810 and 1820 censuses. It is not known if he married while in North Carolina or how he made a living wage.[8]
Marriage Contracts in Alabama
By November 1829, John was in Madison County, Alabama as he signed a marriage contract and married Elenor Kennard, wife of the late James J. Kennard and daughter of Charles King and Penelope Whitfield. The King and Kennard families lived in Duplin County, North Carolina prior to coming to Alabama.[9]
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| Articles of agreement made and entered into the 19th day of November 1829 by and between John Giddens of the County of Madison in the State of Alabama of the one part and Elenor Kinnard [Kennard] of the same County and State of the other part. Witnesseth that whereas a marriage is contemplated and shortly to be solemnized between the said John Giddens and Ellen [Elenor] Kinnard. It is now here expressly agreed contracted and entered into between the parties that if said marriage shall take place that the whole estate both real and personal now owned or claimed by said Elenor together with the whole profits and issues growing out of the Estate aforesaid likewise whatever estate may hereafter be acquired shall be and remain to the Joint support of the said John Giddens and Elenor Kinnard for and during their marriage and not to be subject to the debts of said John Giddens that are now due or may hereafter become due nor to be liable for any contracts of said Giddens that are now made or that may hereafter be made in any event whatever. And it is further agreed between the said parties that after the severance of said marriage either by death or otherwise all the aforesaid Estate with the increase of the slaves shall descend to the legal heirs of the said Elenor Kinnard as she may think most proper to direct either by Will or otherwise. To all the provisions and stipulations contained in said agreement above named the said John Giddens and Elenor Kinard have hereunto set their hands and seals the date above written. |
When John married Elenor, she had eleven or twelve children from her first marriage.[10] The 1830 census of Madison County indicates that six of Elenor's children were living in the household with John and Elenor along with twelve enslaved persons.[11] John and Elenor did not have children and when Elenor died in 1834, her estate was left to her children from her marriage to James Kennard.[12]
John signed another marriage contract in 1836 when he married Nancy Lewis the widow of Samuel Lewis and daughter of George Strong and Mary "Polly" East. She brought a considerable estate to the marriage along with six sons of Samuel Lewis and a number of enslaved persons. This marriage contract appears less restrictive than that of his marriage to Elenor. John and Nancy had four children. Nancy died in August 1840.[13]
The Children of John and Nancy Giddens
Mary Variety Giddens was born in December 1836 in Madison County, Alabama. She married Joel J. Miller on 1 November 1854 in Madison County.*[14]
Lucy Rarity Giddens was born in December 1836 in Madison County, Alabama. She married Robert B. Barksdale on 17 July 1856 in Madison County.*[15]
John Calvin Giddens was born in June 1838 in Madison County, Alabama. He married Mary E. Rikard in about 1860 in Madison County.[16]
Sally Ann Giddens was born in June 1839 in Madison County, Alabama. She married David S. Logan on 26 December 1859 in Madison County.[17]
*I believe that Mary and Lucy were twins. The identical birth months and years were provided on the tree I found on a Rootsweb site.[18] A cursory look at several Ancestry.com's Public Member Trees showed birthdays of 6 December 1836 for Mary and 6 December 1835 for Lucy and no tree was found at Ancestry to indicate they were twins.[19] However, the girls' parents signed the marriage contract in February 1836 and the 1850 census clearly shows the girls with identical ages of 13.[20]
John Giddens
John Giddens was reported to be a farmer on the 1850 census.[21] He was not found in land transactions other than those regarding property of his second wife, Nancy.[22] Both the 1850 and 1860 censuses showed him to be an owner of enslaved persons.[23]
Newspaper research indicated that John Giddens served as county tax assessor for at least two terms in the 1850s.[24]
In 1860, John owned 281 acres of land valued at $2000. He had over 40 pigs and a few other animals as well as wheat, corn, rye, oats, and cotton.[25]
John Giddens died on October 29, 1862.[26] His burial place is unknown.**
**According to an abstract of his obituary, John was 72 years old and had spent 54 of those years in North Carolina.[27] This age would give him a birth year of 1790 which if a son of the senior John Giddens, he would have been twelve years old when his father died in 1802. He was not listed on the probate or in court records with the four minors of the senior John.[28] Regardless of his actual birth date, John spent less than 54 years in North Carolina as his first marriage in Alabama was in 1829.[27]
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Next Steps
Continued research of the siblings and children of John Giddens should reveal more information.
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Gathering Giddens: Elizabeth Giddens, of Wayne County, North Carolina, married William Bryan
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Diana
© 2022 1. "State of Alabama. October 2nd 1866," United States General Land Office, map, Library of Congress (https://www.loc.gov/item/98688440/ : accessed 15 February 2022). Also, "War of 1812 Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files," database with images, Fold3 (https://www.fold3.com/image/313175019: accessed February 17, 2022). Also, "United States Census, 1840," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHT8-8CD : 4 October 2021), Isaac Gideons, Conecuh, Alabama, United States; citing p. 270, NARA microfilm publication (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.). Also, "United States Census, 1840," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/1426560:8057? : 4 October 2021), Abraham Gideon, Conecuh, Alabama, United States; citing p. 269, NARA microfilm publication (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 2.
2. "United States Census, 1800," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHRD-ZJR : accessed 15 January 2022), John Giddens, Wayne, North Carolina, United States; citing p. 856, NARA microfilm publication M32, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 32; FHL microfilm 337,908. Also, "North Carolina Estate Files, 1663-1979," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9CF-2P37?cc=1911121&wc=Q649-S69%3A1066694502%2C183295401%2C1066696236 : accessed 3 January 2022), Wayne County > G > Giddens, John (1802); State Archives, Raleigh.
3. "War of 1812 Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files," database with images, Fold3 (https://www.fold3.com/image/313175019: accessed February 17, 2022).
4. "Indexed Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, 1812-1855," John Giddens (Private), database with images, Fold3 (https://www.fold3.com/record/641285454/john-giddens-private-bounty-land-warrant-applications-index: accessed March 1, 2022).
5. Wayne County, North Carolina, Deed Book 10:485, John Giddens to Asher Flowers, 13 January 1817; digital images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L98Q-QL64?i=485&cat=307067 : accessed 1 December 2021), images 486.
6. Wayne County, North Carolina, Deed Book 13: 5, Asher Flowers to David Giddens, 30 May 1823; digital images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-998Q-7HHG?cat=307067 : accessed 1 December 2021), images 308. Also, Wayne County, North Carolina, Deed Book 9: 437, Jemimah and William Jones to Jesse Flowers, 20 December 1811; digital images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G98Q-Q2W9?i=221&cat=307067 : accessed 1 December 2021), images 598. Also, "North Carolina Estate Files, 1663-1979," database with images, FamilySearch Giddens, John, 1802; State Archives, Raleigh.
7. Oscar M. Bizzell and Virginia L. Bizzell, A Portrait of Nineteenth Century Sampson County as revealed by Sampson County Court Minutes 1820-1830. (Clinton, North Carolina : Sampson County Historical Society, 1993).
8. 1810 U.S. Census, database, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/categories/35/ : accessed 15 February 2022). A search for John Giddens along with spelling variations in all states was unsuccessful. Also, 1820 U.S. Census, database, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/categories/35/ : accessed 15 February 2022). A search for John Giddens along with spelling variations in all states was unsuccessful.
9. Bud King, “Sampson County, NC - The Kings of Six Runs,” Wayne County, NC USGenWeb Archives (http://files.usgwarchives.net/nc/sampson/bios/king03.txt : accessed 22 February 2022). Also, Madison County, Alabama, Deed Book M:506, John Giddens to Elenor Kinnard, Marriage Contract, 19 November 1829; digital images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSKV-G9ZY-7?i=530&cat=90626 : accessed 27 February 2022), images 421.
10. Madison County, Alabama, Loose Records, Case No 10142, Kelly, Mary Eva-No 906, Kennedy, Martin, James J. Kennard, 1824, case 448; Alabama, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1753-1999, digital images, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/9735548:8799? : accessed 27 February 2022).
11. 1830 U.S. Census, Madison County, Alabama, population schedule, p.86, Ranges 1 and 2, John Gideons; digital image, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/1885657:8058? : accessed 8 February 2022); citing National Archives microfilm publication M19, roll 4.
12. Madison County, Alabama, Loose Records, Case No 10142, Kelly, Mary Eva-No 906, Kennedy, Martin, James J. Kennard, 1824, case 448; Alabama, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1753-1999, digital images, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/9735548:8799? : accessed 27 February 2022). Also, Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/157756268/eleanor-kennard : accessed 02 March 2022), memorial page for Eleanor King Kennard (15 Mar 1786–25 Nov 1834), Find a Grave Memorial ID 157756268, ; Maintained by JMM (contributor 48902511) Burial Details Unknown.
13. Sandie Manning Lambert, "Name: manning-massey -- Manning, Massey, Altom, Averett, Johnson and Many More," rootsweb (https://wc.rootsweb.com/trees/183393/I9392/-/ahnentafel : accessed 25 February 2022). Also, Madison County, Alabama, Deed Book Q:33, John Giddens to Nancy Lewis, Marriage Contract, 20 February 1836; digital images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSKV-G9ZY-7?i=530&cat=90626 : accessed 27 February 2022), images 387. Also, Madison County, Alabama, Loose Records, Case No 10142, Kelly, Mary Eva-No 906, Kennedy, Martin, Nancy Giddesn, 1840, case 407; Alabama, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1753-1999, digital images, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/8799/images/005085753_00282?pId=9739378 : accessed 27 February 2022).
14. Sandie Manning Lambert, "Name: manning-massey -- Manning, Massey, Altom, Averett, Johnson and Many More," rootsweb ( https://wc.rootsweb.com/trees/183393/I9392/-/ahnentafel : accessed 25 February 2022).
15. Ibid.
16. Ibid.
17. Ibid.
18. Ibid.
19. Public Member Trees, database, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1030/ : accessed 15 February 2022).
20. Madison County, Alabama, Loose Records, Case No 10142, Kelly, Mary Eva-No 906, Kennedy, Martin, Nancy Giddesn, 1840, case 407; Alabama, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1753-1999, digital images, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/8799/images/005085753_00282?pId=9739378 : accessed 27 February 2022). Also, 1850 U.S. census, Second Regiment 33, Madison, Alabama, population schedule, p. 368b, dwelling 64, family 64, John Giddens household; digital image, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/19031544:8054?ssrc=pt&tid=45260559&pid=6887144834: accessed 11February 2022); citing National Archives microfilm publication M432, roll 9.
21. 1850 U.S. Census, Madison County, Alabama, p. 368b, line 21, John Giddens.
22. Madison County, Alabama, Direct index to real property A-D, E-G(part) 1810-1919 and Reverse index to real property E-G(part), H-M 1810-1919, digital images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/90626? : accessed 27 February 2022). Deeds found naming John Giddens were all related to the Strong family or Nancy Strong's probate. Deeds found were as follows: Q:108-109, Q:403, T:21, O:163, T:585, BB:611, CC:112.
23. 1850 U. S. Census, Madison County, Alabama, slave schedule, 2 Regiment no. 33, John Giddens, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:HRWY-7NN2 : 23 February 2022). Also, 1860 U. S. Census, Madison County, Alabama, slave schedule, 2 District no. 1, John Giddens, page 36, line 33, database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:WKNP-XQW2 : 23 February 2022).
24. "From the Huntsville Advo. The Election," The Jacksonville Republican (Jacksonville, Alabama), 15 April 1855, p.2; database with images, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88954990/john-giddens-tax-assessor/ : accessed 14 November 2021).
25. 1860 U. S. Census, Madison County, Alabama, agriculture schedule, District no. 1, John Giddens, page 9, line 34, database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/6226015:1276?ssrc=pt&tid=45260559&pid=6887144834 : 23 February 2022).
26. Paula Jones Gandrud, Marriage, Death, and Legal Notices From Early Alabama Newspapers, 1819-1893 (Easley, South Carolina : Southern Historical Press, 1981).
27. Ibid.
28." North Carolina Estate Files, 1663-1979," database with images, FamilySearch Giddens, John, 1802; State Archives, Raleigh.
29. Madison County, Alabama, Deed Book M:506, John Giddens to Elenor Kinnard, Marriage Contract, 19 November 1829; digital images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSKV-G9ZY-7?i=530&cat=90626 : accessed 27 February 2022), images 421.
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