Alabama Mullins Muddle [closed]

Question

I spent the weekend trying to sort out the family of David Mullins of Alabama.  I have a theory about who's who in the Mullins family, but some of the logic seems a bit thin.  I wonder if a kind soul would take a look at David's Research Notes, and comment about strengths and weaknesses of my argument.  The related profiles probably have some incorrect connections as they stand, and there may be some duplicates.  (OK, there are definitely duplicates if I'm right.)  I've left them that way for now, pending an objective review of David's story.  Many thanks!

Answer 1

Herbert, you hit the nail in the head with Eva’s death cert. I have found several death certs with step-parents listed. The difficulty is the Byers surname. I agree that the earlier children cannot be Bratton’s. I believe that if you run with your proposal you will be pretty safe. Of course, if other information shows up later, the relationships can always be corrected.

I commend you for your very excellent detective work.

Comments

Thank you, Pip!

I agree Byars/Bratton is the key.  If you believe Mary Jane Byars and Mary Bratton were the same, the rest mostly follows.  I hesitate because of the merges.  For example, if someone can make a strong case for finding Walter in Alabama after 1880, then my Walter-went-to-Texas angle falls apart.  Well, no rush, they aren't going anywhere. 

Answer 2

Absolutely beautiful - impeccable arguments eloquently presented.

Tell me something Herbert … Pip declined my invitation to trade families a few days ago … can I interest you?  I have the same genre of messes, but a few orders of magnitude more complex - mine have families started in Poland … or maybe Austria … or Galicia … or who knows where depending on what day it was when each one was born and continued in the US, where they all Americanized their names.

Comments

Wow, Gaile, thank you!  You are much too kind. 

The Mullinses are not mine to trade, so you are welcome to them.  But I couldn't take your fam.  You know, you can choose your friends (or the rabbits you chase), but you can't choose your family. 

Answer 3

Im not sure this will help, but in researching james L Vines, husband of Evva Caroline Mullins, I came across this and followed to a marriage of Byars and Bratton,  Might be worth looking into a bit.

Name:     Mary J Byers
Age:     3
Birth Year:     abt 1847
Birthplace:     Alabama
Home in 1850:     Elyton, Jefferson, Alabama, USA
Gender:     Female
Family Number:     67
Household Members:    
Name     Age
Joseph Byers     70
Clarissa Byers     45
Marshmon W Byers     5
Mary J Byers     3
Mary Pullin     80

 in the Alabama, Compiled Marriages from Selected Counties, 1809-1920

  Name:     M. J. Byars
Gender:     Female
Spouse:     T. C. Bratton
Spouse Gender:     Male
Marriage Date:     29 Dec 1867
Marriage Place:     Jefferson
Performed By:     MC
Surety/Perf. Name:     Joseph Byers

Comments

Thanks, Sandra!  The marriage record is already on her profile.  I'll add the 1850 Census - it's the same family as the 1860 Census.

Edit to add:  Here's Eva's profile.  I believe the double 'v' was an error on her death certificate (or its transcription).  I don't think James has a profile yet, but their marriage license is on Eva's profile.  Please feel free to connect!

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 You may have this also, but I didn't take time right now to look..

Joseph Mcpherson Bratton

 in the Alabama, Deaths and Burials Index, 1881-1974

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Text-only collection

• Report issue

Name:	Joseph Mcpherson Bratton
Birth Date:	abt 1872
Death Date:	16 Oct 1958
Death Place:	Wetumpka, Elmore, Alabama
Death Age:	86
Gender:	Male
Father Name:	Thomas Bratton
Mother Name:	Mollie Byars
FHL Film Number:	1908933

  Also in researching James Lafayette Vines, that married Evva Mullins, found his Father James and mother Susan are mentioned to be buried in the Mullins Cemetery in chilton, AL, so seems Mullins and Vines are closer family than thought.  I will be adding james Lafayette Vines some time today.

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I have the same info about Joseph Bratton from the Alabama Death index (it's how I made the connection to the Mullins family).  Yes, the Mullinses and Vineses do seem pretty close.  There are usually Mullins and Vines families on the same or adjacent pages of the Census.  David Mulins's sister Frances married John H Vines, so David had both a brother-in-law and a son-in-law from that family.  I did not look into how John H and James L Vines were related.

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I should also mention that there is a JM Mullins (1872 - 1895) buried in Mullins Cemetery #2.  https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/64760679/j-m-mullins

It's possible he is the Joseph M Mullins in the 1880 Census with David's family.  That would blow up my blended-family theory.  JM shares a headstone with a baby named Dora B Mullins (1874 - 1875).  I don't recognize the other names in that cemetery as members of David and Mary Jane's family, although Robert G Mullins was probably David's brother.

David and Mary Jane (Byars and/or Bratton), and their son Luther, are buried in the Helena Cemetery in Shelby County.

Edit to add:  Major senior Duh! moment!  JM Mullins who died in 1895 could not have been Joseph.  The 1900 Census shows Mary Jane had seven children, and they were all still alive when the Census was counted.  Joseph Bratton and family are on the same 1900 Census page with David and Mary Jane's family.

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John H Vines was an uncle to James Lafayette Vines.