Mahala Jane (Seale) Bradshaw (1816 - 1893)

Ancestors Descendants

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Death 1.2 Timeline 2 Sources

Biography

Mahala J Seale^[1] 4th child of James Seale born 30 Jun 1816 SC, ^[2]

“Mahaly Seals” married John Lawley, a second marriage for him, license dated 8 Dec 1834 in St. Clair co. Marriage date probably 14 Dec 1834^[3]

Daughter Balzora told her children:

..that Grandpa Seale (James Seale) did not want his daughter Mahalia marrying a widower (John Lawley) with a big bunch of children so they planned to elope. One day Mahalia told the family that she was going to gather some turnips. John Lawley was down the road watching for her, so when he saw her come out of the house he galloped up on his horse and swung her up behind him and they rode off and got married^[4]

John Lawley had many real estate transactions in Alabama, the earliest located being is 1823 in Shelby county. His first St. Clair transaction was 5/25/1824 with the granting of 80 in SE St. Clair county very near the 1837 land grant of James Seale. ^[5] Most of his land appeared to lay near the border of Shelby and St. Clair county. He owned acreage immediately east of James Seale’s land (see map)- west 1/2 of SW 1/4 of Section 26, but sold that to Hugh Copeland in 4 Dec 1827. This same acreage was part of James Seale’s estate settlement, but RHSeale hasn't located a deed from Copeland to James. ^[6]

The following map^[7] is in the NE corner of Shelby county, showing some of the land parcels that John Lawley owned at some time, with dates of acquisition. Note that Lawley land adjoins the Shelby-St. Clair border.

Mahalia and John had 13 more children. In 1850 the Lawleys were in Shelby co. AL, a few households from Mahala’s sister Harriet (m. Peter Funderburg). ^[8]

The Lawleys were also enumerated in Shelby county, AL in 1860 with 9 children (and one son-in-law)^[9]

In the 1880 Shelby census Mahalia was listed as widowed. She was living with her granddaughter Julia, with several family members nearby as well as her future husband Jonas Bradshaw, age 70, then married to Mary.^[10]

On 26 Mar 1885 Mahalia remarried, to Bradshaw, Jonas. ^[11] He was a minister and may have preached at Wolf Creek.

John and Mahalia’s children are:^{[citation needed] [12]}

Lawley, Kiziah Catharine	b. 10 Dec 1836 AL
Lawley, Sarah Caroline	b. 30 Oct 1838 AL
Lawley, Gilbert Lafayette	b. 24 Jul 1840 AL
Lawley, Mary Louisa	b. 15 Jan 1842 AL
Lawley, Thomas Benton	b. 4 Nov 1843 AL
Lawley, Amanda Emaline	b. 21 Aug 1845 AL
Lawley, Mahala Rhoda	b. 22 Aug 1847 AL
Lawley, Francis Ann	b. 2 Dec 1849 AL
Lawley, Martha M	b. 30 Sep 1852 AL
Lawley, Missouri	b. 28 Aug 1854 d. 14 Oct 1855
Lawley, Alabama	b. 28 Aug 1854 d. 12 Feb 1856
Lawley, Clarissa Luzany	b. 23 Sep 1856 AL m1) Turner, John L m2) Brown, John W
Lawley, Balzora Jane	b. 2 Dec 1857 AL

Death

Mahala died 26 Aug 1893 St. Clair, AL “She died in church while her (2nd) husband was preaching”^[13]
“Mahala died while listening to her husband preach. She was seated on the front bench. It was thought she was sleeping. Her bonnet had cancelled her face and apparently held her head upright." ^[14]

Timeline

1850, Shelby county, Alabama, dwelling 623. ^[15]
• John Lawley, age 53, farmer, born North Carolina
• Mahaily, age 35, born South Carolina
• John Lawley, age 19, born Alabama
• Lucy Lawley, age 19, born Alabama
• Lewis Lawley, age 16, born Alabama
• Catharine Lawley, age 14, born Alabama
• Sarah Lawley, age 12, born Alabama
• Gilbert Lawley, age 10, born Alabama
• Louisa Lawley, age 8, born Alabama
• Thomas Lawley, age 6, born Alabama
• Emeline Lawley, age 4, born Alabama
• Mahaily Lawley, age 2, born Alabama
• Frances Lawley, age 10/12, born Alabama

The Lawleys were also enumerated in Shelby county, AL in 1860 with 9 children (and one son-in-law)^[16]
• "Jno Lolly" age 63, farmer, born North Carolina
• Mahala, age 44, born South Carolina
• Gilbert, age 20, born Alabama
• Thos, age 18, born Alabama
• Emerline, age 16, born Alabama
• "Mohala" age 14, born Alabama
• Francis, age 12 (female), born Alabama
• Martha, age 10, born Alabama
• Clarasy, age 8, born Alabama
• Balzora, age 3
• "Jos" Henderson, 28 farmer, born Georgia
• Mary Henderson, 19, born Alabama [John and Mahala's daughter]

1870 Federal Census, Beat 11, Shelby county, Alabama, USA, dwelling 37^[17]
• John Lawley, age 73, born North Carolina
• Mahala, age 53, born South Carolina
• Emiline, age 23, born Alabama
• Martha, age 17, born Alabama
• "Clarisa", age 14, born Alabama
• Balzora, age 12, born Alabama
• Julia, age 5, born Alabama (Granddaughter)

1880 Federal Census, Bear Creek^[18], Shelby, Alabama, USA
• M J Lawley, age 60, widowed, born South Carolina
• Julia Lawley, age 16, granddaughter, born Alabama [daughter of Emiline -Living adjacent to Clarissa Turner, Catharine (Lawley) Bradshaw, M E ("Emiline) Patman and Jonas Bradshaw, then married to Mary

Sources

1. ↑ Wyatt Seale Bible record spells it this way. Some records give the spelling "Mahalia"
2. ↑ Bible record of Wyatt S Seale Family Bible
3. ↑ "Alabama County Marriages, 1809-1950," database with images, FamilySearch : 4 November 2017), John Lawly and Mahaly Seals, 08 Dec 1834; citing Saint Clair, Alabama, United States, County Probate Courts, Alabama; FHL microfilm 1,035,441. St. Clair County Alabama Marriage Records, Book 1, 1819-1847, p. 97. Service performed by Hugh Coupland, J.P. This on-line scan of the salvaged original shows the license date as 8 Dec 1834, but the marriage date is torn and missing. An earlier transcription read by Faye Seale Whittle in 1959 read the marriage date as 14 Dec 1834. (Copy shared with RHSeale|1974)
4. ↑ Personal Communication from Balzora's grandchild, Lawrence L Carr, RHSeale, 26 Nov 1997
5. ↑ W1/2SE 1/4 and E1/2NE 1/4 of Sec.26 T17S R2E. See map of Lawley land in St. Clair county.
6. ↑ St. Clair Al Deeds A, 1823-1832
7. ↑ by RHSeale|2000
8. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch: 9 April 2016), Alabama > Shelby > Shelby county > image 98 of 174; citing NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).Federal Census, 1850, St Clair AL. Lawley’s are found on p.218b, dwelling 623. Harriet and Peter are p.218a, dwelling 615.
9. ↑ United States Census, 1860 Shelby county, AL, dwelling 1439, 218. Subscription database on-line, Ancestry.com
10. ↑ "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch: 24 December 2015), Alabama > Shelby > Bear Creek > ED 128 > image 2 of 17; citing NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
11. ↑ "Alabama Marriages, 1816-1957," database, FamilySearch : 9 February 2018), Jonas Bradshaw and M. J. Lawley, 26 Mar 1885; citing reference ; FHL microfilm 1,571,845.
12. ↑ All birthdates are from Personal Communication, Frances P Tuck, to RHSeale|27 May1986
13. ↑ Communication from Lawrence L Carr, RHSeale,Nov 1997.
14. ↑ Personal Communication, Frances P Tuck, to RHSeale, Feb 1998
15. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6789-S6V?cc=1401638&wc=95RF-GPD%3A1031324201%2C1031681101%2C1031954201 : 9 April 2016), Alabama > Shelby > Shelby county > image 98 of 174; citing NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
16. ↑ "United States Census, 1860," database with images, FamilySearch : 24 March 2017), Alabama > Shelby > Not Stated > image 218 of 226; from "1860 U.S. Federal Census - Population," database, Fold3.com (http://www.fold3.com : n.d.); citing NARA microfilm publication M653 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.). United States Census, 1860
17. ↑ "United States Census, 1870," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6767-STQ?cc=1438024&wc=9229-Y46%3A518661001%2C519273701%2C519147901 : 6 June 2019), Alabama > Shelby > Beat 11 > image 5 of 18; citing NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
18. ↑ "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9YBM-9S6D?cc=1417683&wc=X4M4-PTL%3A1589394746%2C1589394945%2C1589395590%2C1589394977 : 24 December 2015), Alabama > Shelby > Bear Creek > ED 128 > image 2 of 17; citing NARA microfilm publication T9, (National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C., n.d.)

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