Joseph B. Fowler? Born 1808 Virginia, USA, 3 children, no wife? Any Ideas?

Question

Joseph B.Fowler was born 1808 in Virginia, according to an 1860 Madison County Alabama Census . No idea if he's widowed, or who he was married to? "Joseph's children found on 1860 census are Thomas(born in Kentucky), Emiline(born alabama) , Isabelle(1852-alabama), Ellen (born 1849 Tennessee) .Ellen  is my G.G.Grandmother on my Tolbert Line--Ellen Fowler married Elisha Tolbert 1868 Madison,Alabama . I know there are many in Virginia, but those Joseph's have wifes with different children as well. I also need a death date for Joseph B.Fowler.  I'm looking for wives and husbands,etc for all the names above.. It's like they just don't exist..All help is appreciated. Thanks

Comments

Joseph B. Fowler, was living in Green County, Kentucky in 1820.  He is listed on the census.  He had only female children.  Also one slave.  I don't know who his wife was at the time.  However, he married Elizabeth Pemberton, shortly later (not her maiden name) who had two children Rhoda Ann and William Pemberton by previous marriage.  In 1850 they were all living in Franklin County, TN.  Rhoda is listed as a Fowler.  William and the other Fowler kids are strangely listed as having the last name of Smith.  Including your Ellen.  

Later Elizabeth Fowler ends up living with her 15 year old son by Joseph B  named William in the home of  her other son William Pemberton and wife Jane Schrimsher in Madison County, AL in 1870.  No more mention of Joseph B. anymore...anywhere.

 William and wife, Jane moved to White County, AR after the war and show there in 1880. But without Elizabeth and William Fowler.

Rhoda Ann Pemberton married William McKinney, they too moved to White County, AR after the war.  They are my great great grandparent's on my paternal side.

I have some other interesting information I'd prefer not to share on this forum that I ran across in my past research.

Tell you ....it took a lot of searching to find this out.  Basically, matching why an Elizabeth Fowler was living with William Pemberton in 1870 is how I got to the TN and KY records of both Joseph B Fowler and William Pemberton in Green County, KY.

---

Cheryl, I've always had the thought of a relationship between the MCKinney and the Fowler name, but was unsure of the connection. I've searched also but never found the Elizabeth Pemberton , and never been able to link a wife to Joseph. In the 1860 Madison County, Alabama census it shows no mother as well but also list mother as being born in Kentucky., list Thomas J age 18 born Kentucky, Emeline age 13 born Alabama, Ellen age 10 born Alabama ( but every other Census shows as Tennessee), and Isabelle age 8 born Alabama. On the 1860 census, William McKinney age 28 and Roda A McKiney/McKinney age 31 are neighbors with Joseph B Fowler and children.

There is a 1850 Census that also shows Roda Ann living with Joseph Fowler with 2/3 children that match the age groups for my Joseph.

I'm related through Ellen Fowler , through my paternal line. I'm very interested in the information you have if you're able to share with me through emails ? I to prefer not add or discuss most information in the forums. Maybe you could shoot me an email to share yours and we can discuss this. I've been in this brick wall with Joseph and my Ellen for years but I still keep searching hoping to find something so I can continue. Thanks so much for contacting me..

---

I don't have a page on Wikitree...but if you do ..private message me.  I tried to private message you but don't have a page.

My email should show up.

If not, I will try to start a page. Let me know.

---

I tried also, but it only shows your first name with no other way to send a message. I have a page, is it not showing send a private message?

---

Look me up by S.Tolbert  it should show, then you should be able to private message. I just checked to make sure. .. You ca also do a search for Henry C. Tolbert- managed by S. Tolbert( that's me) and should show active, then can send a private message. oh, but I am receiving the messages through email,( I just can't reply because its' a "no-reply" from G2G from wikitree?,  although they do match exactly what is posted on wikitree.

---

Looking at the census records again for 1850...I am going to say that it looks like Ellen's mother is Elizabeth (?) (Pemberton) Fowler.   Probably, all the children listed with him at the time they lived next door to Rhoda and William McKinney in 1860.  Elizabeth seems to have moved into the house aways from them, with son by previous marriage, William Pemberton and with her 15 year old, William Fowler.  Why she didn't take any of the girls with her is interesting.

If this proves to be the case we share a GGG grandmother in Elizabeth Fowler.    Ellen and Rhoda Ann being 1/2 sisters.

I'm on Ancestry for years now.  You can look at the tree I have there.    I remember running across Ellen marrying a Tolbert when I researched marriage records for each one of the children in the household with Joseph B in 1860, when I made the connection.  After the civil war...so many of the kids and people went missing on all.

Let me research Wikitree before I join this morning. I really want to share something with you I found and now I can't seem to find what historical record I found it in.  I think it was Franklin County, TN records and may explain why the Fowler/Pemberton clan moved to Huntsville.  I haven't been actively searching for about three years now as I had hit a brick wall on anything prior to Robert McKinney line before 1804/VA.  Just like everyone else it seems.  I'm going to go through all my old emails to my 3rd cousin in Georgia.  She may be the only one I shared with. Hopefully, I cited the record.   She also, shares Elizabeth Fowler as a 3rd grandmother.

---

I just wrote a long reply and it wouldn't accept me as non robot

Before I write again...I'm testing this to see if it goes through.

Cheryl

---

Never mind..I see the reply above the test now.

---

I really look forward to discussing this. wish I could put my personal email up here and then just delete it so we could communicate that way. How do I find you by name on Ancestry.com. I have an page on there, I don't use very often.

---

got your message in my email, But- it won't send a message back to you, even when i put it in myself, just states that the email doesn't exist, and just returns it back to me?

---

If you go onto Ancestry.  The tree is: Cracker Crumbs from a Southern Barrel.   

You can contact me from there.  Or give me your tree which I did try to find, but could not.

I can't find any census records for Ellen and Elijah Talbot after their marriage in Madison County.  I know that I looked for them several years ago after connecting your Ellen to my Rhoda as half sisters.

---

I found your tree but it doesn't offer a "ask them nicely to message or view tree link" above the name, so I can't message you lol... Elisha & Ellen are back in Georgia after the marriage. I've actually got to see how to send you an invite from my tree.. Did you ever make a profile page on here?

---

Cheryl, is it possible for you to contact me again? Thanks

---

@ Cheryl, I wonder if they listed the children's "last name" as Smith merely to distinguish them (perhaps by their mother's maiden name, if we're lucky), from the other children by the second marriage, who were in the same census?

Answer 1

There is a Joseph Fowler who married a Martha Wofford in Madison County, Alabama on 1 April 1818, recorded in Vol. 2, page 65.  Joseph Fowler is listed in the marriage records found in the on-line Madison County, Ala. marriage records found at: mcrc.madisoncountyal.gov/  go to marriage records.  This is a free site maintained by Madison County, Alabama, and the records are maintained on the third floor of the Madison County Public Library in Huntsville, Alabama.  I've been there several times to do research.  The facility is very nice, and the staff are helpful.

Comments

Thanks Carolyn, I'm going to make the ride to Madison County Public Library in Huntsville, Alabama, sounds great and thanks for the advice. I researched the names above in this subject and can find information except for this- If this is my Joseph Fowler, none of the children listed( that I have above) on the 1860 Madsion County, Alabama census are ever mentioned in any of the records with Wofford.. On the 1860 Madison, Alabama Census, it's written est. birth year for Joseph Fowler is 1808; which would make my Joseph Fowler only 10 year old in 1818 , which would be to young for marriage to Wofford. Any other ideas on how to find information on any of the other children, Thomas, Emeline, and Isabella Fowler? I have the info on Ellen, only because she is my relation through the Fowler line through my Elisha H Tolbert.. Thanks for the help,,:)