Elkanah Anderson (1815 - abt. 1844)

Born 1815 in Hickman, Tennessee, United States [uncertain]

Ancestors

Husband of Mariah (Durning) Anderson — married 1837 (to about 1844) in Tennessee, United States

Descendants

Died about 1844 at about age 29 in Hickman, Tennessee, United States

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Biography

Elkanah was born in 1815, as proven by his marriage certificate noted below. He was the son of John Glenn Anderson and Elizabeth "Betsy" Murray Anderson John Anderson and Betsy Murray. He is one of several Elkanahs in this family, so it is important to keep him separate from the others. The others include his great-grandfather (1720-1766), uncle (1774-1815), first cousin, son of the uncle (1812-1880), and first cousin once removed, the son of John M. Anderson (1827-1893).

Elkanah grew up in Hickman County, TN around many relatives and interconnected families. He married Mariah Durning in 1837, confirmed through an existing marriage record. Barren County, KY. Kentucky, U.S. Compiled Marriages, 1802-1850. Mariah was the daughter of Lewis Durning and Nancy Anderson Durning. Nancy was also Elkanah's first cousin, the daughter of John G.'s older brother Elkanah Anderson (1774-1815, Anderson-27950). These families and others were all part of the Cane Creek community of families and neighbors in southwestern Hickman County and southeastern Perry County.

After their marriage, Elkanah and Mariah had four and possibly five children. In the 1840 Hickman County, TN census, this couple had two female children under 5, but names were not included in those earlier census reports. These two are likely Mary Alice b. 1838 and Sarah Caroline born 1839. Within the next four years, Elkanah and Mariah had two more children, Clay and Nancy Jane, and possibly fifth child Robert, although Robert is uncertain.

By 1844 a tragedy occurred - both Elkanah and Mariah died, reason unknown. Their children were all orphaned. The only known record of these events is the description in the Anderson "Blue Book" Genealogy by Andy Elmer Anderson p. 23[viewer/collection/1030/tree/28323561/person/12029430913/media/9deb8f54-8cb5-4b29-962b-550bc1b59cad?_phsrc=LYE426&usePUBJs=true&sort=-created. That account, from Solomon Anderson of Perry County, ascribes these children to a father James Anderson, which appears to be an error. It reads as follows: "Uncle Jimmy had a wife and some children. The oldest of which was Captain Robert "Bob" Anderson who was Captain in the Confederate Army.... To the best of my research, James Anderson had five children. The oldest and youngest of which I have no record, however, I have almost a complete record of the descendants of the three middle children. Both he and his wife passed away previous to the year 1844 because Louis Durning who was from Perry Co. Tenn. but lived in Franklin Co. Ark. at that time went back to Perry Co. Tenn. and brought the four youngest children to Franklin Co. Ark. and raised them. They were definitely nieces and nephews of Louis Durning." The Blue Book then lists the five children as Robert "Bob" Anderson, Mary Alice Anderson, Sarah Caroline Anderson, Nancy Jane "Jennie" Anderson, and Clay Anderson.

The attribution of these children to "Jimmy" Anderson appears to be an error - they were more likely the children of Elkanah and Mariah Durning Anderson. More extensive research since the Blue Book was written has disproved any James or Jimmy Anderson as one of the original Anderson siblings. Instead, Elkanah and Mariah in the 1840 census lived next door to Lewis Durning, which supports the theory that Lewis (Mariah's father) adopted or took on the children of this couple, and that the orphans described in the Blue Book were in fact the children of Elkanah and Mariah.

Although the Blue Book probably erred in identifying the father of these children, the five children as named in the Blue Book may well be accurate. Three of the four youngest children ended up in Arkansas in the 1860 census living with Lewis During and Nancy Durning, the children's grandparents. They are identified in that census as "Clay Anderson", "M. Anderson" presumably Mary Alice, and "N.J. Anderson" or Nancy Jane. These three are clearly orphaned siblings who were closely related to the Durnings.

Oldest daughter Mary Alice Anderson was born Oct. 17, 1838, per her gravestone. Mary Alice married Richard Hill, in Franklin County, Arkansas on Feb. 26, 1871. She died Jan. 10, 1888 and is buried at the Richard Dick Hill Cemetery in Franklin County, AR. See Find-a-Grave at[1]

Mary Alice's younger sister Nancy Jane "Jennie" was born Jan. 12, 1843, per her gravestone on Find-a-Grave.Find A Grave: Memorial #41579365 She married John Smith Kelly, also in Franklin County. She died Oct. 3, 1903 in Franklin County, AR. John Smith Kelly was related to the Andersons, the son of John Kelly and Sarah Jane Anderson Kelly, who was the first cousin of Nancy Jane's father Elkanah Anderson.

The third orphan in the 1860 census record, Clay Anderson, disappears from the record after 1860, except that he is noted in 1871 newspaper articles as assisting his brother-in-law Richard Hill track down the supposed killers of Richard's young daughter. He may have moved back to Tennessee.

Sarah Caroline was born, according to her gravestone, on Nov. 19, 1839. Find-a-Grave at Find A Grave: Memorial #138735755. This date is somewhat interesting as it indicates she was born only 13 months after her older sister Mary Alice. Sarah Caroline is not listed with her siblings who were living with the Durnings in the 1860 census because she was already married. She is recorded in Family Search, marriage certificate attached, as marrying George Washington Turner in 1856.[2]. This couple appear in the 1860 census in White Rock, Franklin County, with two young children.[3] She died in Franklin County in 1914 as noted in the Find-a-Grave site noted below. Sarah Caroline had a grandson named Clay Anderson Turner, further tying her to the three orphaned siblings.

Robert Anderson is a mystery. The Blue Book claims he was the oldest child, but the 1840 census for Elkanah and Mariah Durning lists only two females under 5 and no males at all. Robert could not have been the oldest. Plus, placing him as the oldest means that Elkanah and Mariah would have had three children between their marriage in 1837 and 1839 - highly unlikely. If Robert were one of the younger children, he would have been an orphan in 1860 and should have ended up in Arkansas with the Durnings. Robert as a sibling is thus doubtful.

None of the children have been located in the 1850 census, thus it is not clear where they were between their parents' deaths and the 1860 census. Lewis and Nancy Durning, who were caring for the children in 1860, were in Weakley County, TN in the 1850 census[4] with their two youngest daughters and no other children.

Sources

• Ancestry Site for William Eugene Anderson, John G. Anderson located at[5]

• Anderson Blue Book, authored by Elmer "Andy" Anderson circa 1960, private publication (can send PDF), summary of life of William Anderson, 1960

• Barren County, KY. Kentucky, U.S. Compiled Marriages, 1802-1850[6], marriage of John G. Anderson to Elizabeth Murray.

• 1820 Census for Hickman County, Tennessee. 1820 U S Federal Census; Census Place: Hickman, Tennessee; Page: 193; NARA Roll: M33_122; Image: 155 [7]

• United States Federal Census : 1830; Census Place: Hickman, Tennessee; Series: M19; Roll: 176; Page: 273; Family History Library Film: 0024534, located at[8]

• "Murder He Wrote: A Father's Revenge Part 2[9]

• United States Federal Census, Hickman County, TN 1840[10]

• United States Federal Census, Franklin County, AR, 1860 listing three orphaned children of Elkanah and Mariah Durning Anderson[11]

• Find-a-Grave listing for Elkanah's daughter Mary Alice Hill at Find A Grave: Memorial #29918893.