Rufus William McLain was born in 1823 in Alabama. According to his grave marker, he was born 28 Jan 1823.[1] Online trees show Jesse McClain (1794-1870) and Philloby (Hobson) McClain (1804-1836) as the parents of Rufus William McLain, but no sources are provided to document the relationship. However, land transactions (listed below) show that Rufus inherited land from Joseph McClain (1776-1826) and then he and his wife Martha sold that land to Joseph's other son Joseph Jr. Joseph and his wife Tabitha (York) McClain (abt.1784-abt.1850) have been connected as the parents of Rufus. Concrete documentation would be needed to instead show that Jesse and Philloby are the parents of Rufus.
Rufus married Martha Ragsdale in Bibb County, Alabama in 1846.[2]
On 3 Nov 1847, Rufus W. McLain and Martha J. McLain his wife, of Bibb County, Alabama, sold land in Knox County, Tennessee that they had inherited from the estate of Joseph McLain Sr. to Joseph McClain (abt.1806-aft.1863).[3][4]
On 14 Mar 1850, Joseph McLain, Jr. sold 150 acres of land in Knox County, Tennessee to Jesse Groner. This was one ninth of the estate of Calvin McLain (abt.1800-bef.1847) that had previously been conveyed from Calvin's heirs Rufus W. McLain and wife Martha to Joseph McLain on 3 Nov 1847. (Calvin appears to have died childless and left his estate to his nine siblings.)[5]
In 1850 at age 28, Rufus lived in Bibb County, Alabama with his wife Martha (age 22) and children Sarah J. (age 3) and Francis J. (age 2)[6]
In 1860, he lived in Nacogdoches, Texas with his wife M.J. McLain and children Sarah, E.F., Wm. R., James, and R.W.[7]
Martha died in 1864. In 1865, Rufus married Mary Jane Wade in Nacogdoches, Texas.[8][9]
In 1870, he lived in Nacogdoches, Texas with his wife Mary J. and children Robert, James, Rufus, Charles, Irwin, and Barbary.[10]
In 1880 at age 57, he lived in Nacogdoches with his wife and several children. This census says he was born in Alabama, his father was born in Tennessee, and his mother was born in Alabama.[11]
Rufus passed away July 26, 1886 in Nacogdoches, Nacogdoches County, Texas. He was laid to rest in Rock Springs Cemetery. [12]
Probate: 2 Sep 1886. Nacogdoches, Texas, USA. [13]
see also (GedCom sources that need attention):
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