Keziah Helms (Allbright) Box (abt. 1776 - abt. 1862)

Born about 1776 in Orange, North Carolina, United States

Ancestors

Died about 1862 at about age 86 in Houston County, Texas, United States

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Robert Albright [send private message] and Jose Box [send private message]

Biography

When Keziah "Kizza" Hallmark Helms Albright was born about 1776 her father, John Albright, She married Stephen Franklin Box in 1798 in Franklin, Tennessee. They had 12 children in 20 years.

She was counted in the household of her son, John Box, in 1850 Census of Houston Co. TX. She died in 1862 in Crockett, Texas, having lived a long life of 79 years.

Research Notes

Date of Birth:

There’s some disagreement over Keziah’s date of birth. It’s been listed as either 1776 or 1783. The US Census from 1850 gives her age as 75. This would make the date of birth 1775 or 1776.

Marriages and Name:

Keziah (Allbright) Box is often found in various trees listed as Keziah Helms Albright, Keziah Helms Box, Keziah Helms Albright Box, or Keziah Helms Hallmark Box.

It’s been speculated that perhaps she had a husband with the last name Helms, prior to Stephen Box or that she was a Helms and not an Allbright/Albright. While this is certainly possible,I’m more inclined to belief that, she was an Allbright/Albright and Helms was her middle name based on the following:

“Threads of Ancestors”:

Allbright - Fleming Family Information Contributed by Clara L. Knott, Many, La. Rose Ann Fleming b. 1790, Ga. m. ca. 1811, John Allbright, b. N.C. 1789. “My old family record gives these as some of the brothers and sisters of John Allbright: William, Jacob, Charity, Keziah (Kizza), Katy b. 1781 -1789. The oldest child of Rose Ann and John Allbright was Alexander Fleming Allbright b. 1812” (“Threads of Ancestors”, Leila Ritchie Mize and Jessie Julia Mize, 1956, pp 217).

“The Box Book”, Stephen Box married Keziah Helms (some say Keziah Albright sister of William Albright of Tennessee).

Notes of Lee Lance Allbright (John (1752-1826), Keziah’s father, was Lee Lance’s 4th GGF).

“William was accompanied by three of his sisters when they moved from Georgia to Texas. Katherine “Kay”, Keziah, and Charity. William died March 29th, 1821 at the age of 39. His sisters returned to Madison County, Missouri where William’s father John Allbright Sr. was living and he also died September 26th, 1826. He was buried in Brick House Cemetary Guilford County, North Carolina”.

While portions of this story seems unlikely, it’s no more fantastical than the story of the Box brothers (The Box Book pp 27):

…and so we are told that five Box brothers, namely: Stephen Box, Stilwell Box, John Box, Thomas Griffen Box, and Nelson Box came to Texas, from Tennessee in the early 80’s…

There are elements of truth in both stories. William and his sisters may have gone to, or started for Texas from Georgia. However, no records have been found showing that William made it to Texas, and he is listed as dieing in Missouri in 1821. Keziah married Stephen Box around 1798-1800 and her first child was born in Tennessee in 1801 (possibly 1799, see notes regarding Larkin Box) 20 years before William’s death.

The “five Box brothers” are a combination of fathers, sons, uncles and nephews. None were old enough to have gone Texas in the 1780’s, and most, if not all were deceased by the 1880’s. However, we know that the Box family did go to Texas in 1834 and settled in the Colony of Citison Jose Vehlein.

Children:

“The Box Book” lists the following children for Keziah and Stephen Box:

James Box, John Andrew Box, Margaret “Polly” Box, Dicy Box, Nelson A. Box, Stilwell Box, Sarah S. Box, Thomas Griffen Box, and Stephen F. Box Jr.,

Larkin Box may be a child of Keziah and Stephen Box given my DNA match with one of his descendants; see notes under DNA.

DNA:

Children of Keziah and Their Descendants with DNA Matches to Robert Albright

Larkin Box is not listed as a child of Keziah and Stephen in “The Box Book”. Information was obtained from an Ancestry tree and May be incorrect. “The Box Book” does make reference to a Larkin Box (page 50) born in 1799 in Tennessee that married Frances Miles, on 14 Nov,1820, in Blount Co. Al. Larkin is also listed as living next to two sons of Robert Box Sr., Stephen and John Morris, in Blount County, Al. in 1830. From page 50 of “The Box Book”:

“ I have made mention of these people of Blount Co. Alabama, because there seems to be a definite relationship between them and Stephen and John Morris Box who we.know were brothers of Robert Box, Jr. Exactly how the relationship is, I simply don't know”.

Given my DNA match with a descendant of Larkin, it appears, at least initially, that he is a child of Keziah and Stephen. I would not call it conclusive without other matches to more descendants of the Albright Family that also have no other known relationships to the Box family.

The Box Book by Ophelia Wade, presents, (without evidence) Keziah's LNAB as Helms, or perhaps Albright, and chooses to use Helms. However, Keziah is also "the sister of William Albright of Tennessee," suggesting she was born Albright. ^[1]She was born in 1772 making her 29 years old at the birth of her first child in 1801at a time when women married and bore children at an early age. It seems more likely that she was born Albright and was married to a Helms prior to her marriage to Stephen Box. Unless a conclusive source emerges, Keziah's LNAB should be changed to UNKNOWN. Kie Entrikin Zelms 22 November 2022.

Mize, Leila Ritchie and Mize, Jessie Julia. Threads of Ancestors Telford - Ritchie - Mize. The University of Georgia Printing Department, 1956, pp 217.

Allbright - Fleming Family Information Contributed by Clara L. Knott, Many, La.

Rose Ann Fleming b. 1790, Ga. m. ca. 1811, John Allbright, b. N.C. 1789. “My old family record gives these as some of the brothers and sisters of John Allbright: William, Jacob, Charity, Keziah (Kizza), Katy b. 1781 -1789. The oldest child of Rose Ann and John Allbright was Alexander Fleming Allbright b. 1812”.

Clara Knott is referring to John Allbright Jr. who married Rose Ann Fleming. There’s an online copy of “Threads of Ancestors” at Family Search and reprints are available on Amazon. As the book is not copyrighted (authors request acknowledge of source) Ill post a copy of page 217 in images.

Census

Name: Keziah Box
Event Type: Census
Event Year: 1850 2 Dec
Event Place: Houston County, Texas, United States
Gender: Female
Age: 75
Race: White
Birth Year (Estimated): 1775
Birthplace: North Carolina

Household Role Gender Age Birthplace
John Box M 46 Tennessee
Lucindey Box F 29 Arkansas
Keziah Box F 19 Alabama
Lina Box F 18 Alabama
Texana Box F 12 Houston *
Stephen Box M 10 Houston County
Mary Box F 8 Houston County
John Box M 4 Houston County
Louisa E Box F 1 Houston County
Keziah Box F 75 North Carolina^[2]

Sources

1. ↑ The Box Book with McElroy and Floyd p. 11. FamilySearch Image.
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXL2-5B4 : 9 November 2014), Keziah Box in household of John Box, Houston county, part of, Houston, Texas, United States; citing family 637, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

• “US Census, 1850”, database online. Houston, Texas, USA; page 38, family 637, dwelling 637, lines 7-16, 2 Dec 1850. Listed: John Box 46, Lucinday Box 29, Keziah Box 19, Lina Box 18, Texana Box 12, Stephen Box 10, Mary Box 8, John Box 4, Louisa E. Box 1, Keziah Box 75.
• https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/2C1S-K87.
• Mize, Leila Ritchie and Mize, Jessie Julia. “Threads of Ancestors Telford - Ritchie - Mize”. The University of Georgia Printing Department, 1956, pp 217.
• Wade, Ophelia Richardson “The Box Book with McElroy and Floyd: The Box Families of South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, and Other Parts of the Southeastern United States”, Self Published, Bragg City, Missouri, June 1975, pp 11; FamilySearch Image.
• U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900, Name: Keziah Hallmark, Gender: Female, Spouse Name: Stephen F Box, Number Pages: 1.

Acknowledgements

First-hand information as remembered by Jose Box, Sunday, March 9, 2014.