Sarah A. M. (Wroten) Pickering (1834 - 1881)

Born 10 Oct 1834 in Mississippi, United States

Descendants

Died 18 May 1881 at age 46 in Columbia, Arkansas, United States

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Biography

This biography of Sarah A.M. Wroten was written by Jim Pickering. Information presented here comes totally from research. Sarah's life in Arkansas is fairly well documented resulting in a high degree confidence as to the accuracy of the information. However, documentation that has been found concerning the first 14 years of her life is circumstantial, therefore, the confidence level as to the accuracy of information including her parents and siblings is somewhat diminished.

Sara was born 10 October 1834 in Mississippi.^[1] Her family to the extent it has been determined consisted of her parents and three siblings. ^[2]

Father - Wiley Wroten (1792 SC - ?? ??)

Mother - Margret Unknown (1792 SC - ?? ??)

Joel H. Wroten (1825 MS - ?? ??)

Angeline Wroten (1828 MS - ?? ??)

Margaret Wroten (1840 MS - ?? ??)

Sarah M Wroten (10 Oct 1834 - 18 May 1881)

Research Note: In addition to her maiden name and date of birth, the search for Sarah's family was started with two bits of information gleaned from Arkansas records pertaining to Sarah. The 1850 census records indicate that she was born in Mississippi,^[3] and her marriage record indicates that her parents were present and "of" Union County when she was married. Her marriage record transcribed as follows: "This is to certify that on the 12th of December A.D. 1845 in the county of Union & the state of Arkansas I solemnized the rites of matrimony according to the usages of the Baptist Church between John S Pickering aged 22 years and Sarah M. Wroten aged 14 years with verbal consent of her parents, all of Union County & state of Arkansas my credential recorded in the clerks office in Union Co in the year 1846. Filed Dec 14th A.D. 1848, Recorded Dec 15th A.D. 1848"^[4] There was no one with the surname Wroten recorded in the 1840 census in Arkansas. There were a number of Wroten families in Mississippi recorded in census records as early as 1810. As of the 1840 census there were two and possibly three Wroten families that included a daughter age 5 to 10 years. Sarah was age 6 years old in 1840.

• Henry Wroten - Simpson County ; m > 5 = 1 ; m 1-10 = 1 ; m 30-40 = 1 ;; f > 5 = 1 ; f 5-10 = 2 ; f 10-15 = 2 ; f 30-40 = 1.
• Wiley Wroten - Simpson County ; m 10-15 = 2 ; m 30-40 = 1;; f 5-10 = 1 ; f 10-15 = 1
• Urban B. Wroten - Yazoo County ; m 20-30 = 1 ;; f 20-30 = 1 form boxes for f > 5, 5-10, & 10-15 were marked and crossed out so impossible to determine if any young females in family. However E. B. Wroten was listed in the 1850 census in Union County Arkansas. E.B. was eliminated because the oldest female in the household, presumed his wife, would have been 12 years old when Sarah was born in 1834.^[5]

Research Note: No record has been found of Henry Wroten in Union county Arkansas at the time of Sarah's marriage so he was also eliminated as Sarah's father.

Research Note: The remaining Wroten who could be Sarah's father is Wiley Wroten. Wiley patented 120 acres land in Union county in 1 august 1849. ^[6]

Research Note: While Wiley Wroten is the best fit to be Sarah's father, the ages of others listed in his household in the 1850 census are not consistent with a typical family. It is possible that Joel is Wiley's son but that Angeline is Joel's wife, not Wiley's daughter and Sarah's sibling. Also note that both Wiley and Joel are listed with "farming" as occupation and that Joel, not Wiley, was listed with real estate value. This inconsistent with record of land patent by Wiley in 1849.

Sarah married John S. Pickering on 12 December 1848 in a church wedding in Union County, Arkansas.^[4]

Sarah and John first established residence in Claiborne Parish, Louisiana, just across the state line from Union County, Arkansas. ^[3] The 1850 census record shows John S, Sarah M, and five year old Charles Tatum, son of John's sister Mellisa (Pickering) Tatum.

As of the 1860 census John and Sarah were living in Brown Township, Columbia County, Arkansas, and have their family off to a good start although they seem to have had some difficulty establishing roots. From Claiborne Parish, Louisiana in 1850; daughter, Ann, was born in 1852 in Arkansas; daughter, Darkus, was born in 1856 in Louisiana; and son, William, was born in 1859 in Arkansas. ^[7]

Household of John Spencer Pickering - 30 June 1860 - Brown Township:

John Pickering - male age 31 - born TN

Sarah Pickering - female age 25 - born MS

Ann Pickering - female age 8 - born AR

Darkus Pickering - female age 4 - born LA

William Pickering - male age 1 - born AR

William Hyat - male age 21 - born GA

William Jeans - male age 25 - born GA

Edward Hawkins - Male age 21 - born GA

Sarah and John had one more son before the Civil War interrupted their lives. John Spencer, Jr. was born in 1861.

On 26 February 1862 John enlisted in Company B of the 19th (Dockery's) Arkansas Infantry Regiment, Confederate States of America. John was wounded 4 October 1862 during the battle of Corinth and furloughed.^[8]

As of the 1870 census, having survived the Civil War, the family had moved again and were living in Garner Township, Union County, Arkansas. John's occupation was indicated as farmer with real estate valued at $1,200 and personal property valued at $700.^[9]

Household of John S Pickering - 30 June 1870 - Garner Township:

John S. Pickering - male age 43 - born TN

Sarah A. M. Pickering - female age 36 - born MS

Oscella D. Pickering - female age 14 - born LA

William R. Pickering - male age 11 - born AR

John S. Pickering - male age 9 - born AR

Malinda P. Pickering - female age 6 - born AR

Margaret J. Pickering - female age 2 - born AR

David S. Ferguson - male age 22 - born AL

Ann E. Ferguson - female age 17 - born LA

John S. Ferguson - male age 2 - born AR

Research Note: 1) Daughter Ann had married David Ferguson, but was still living with her family along with husband and son John S. 2) The move from Brown Township in Columbia County, 1860 census, to Garner Township in Union County, 1870 census, may not have been significant. The eastern boundary of Brown Township was Union County and the western boundary of Garner Township was Columbia County.

As of the 1880 census John, Sr. had moved his growing family again. This time just back across the county line to Cornie Township, Columbia County, Arkansas.^[10]

Household of John S. Pickering - 14 June 1880 - Cornie Township:,br/>

John S. Pickering - self age 53 - born TN

Sarah A. M. Pickering - wife age 46 - born MS

William R. Pickering - son age 21 - born AR

John S. Pickering, Jr. - son age 19 - born AR

Belinda P. Pickering - daughter age 17 - born AR

Margret I. Pickering - daughter age 13 - born AR

Dorsie L. Pickering - daughter age 4 - born AR

Research Note: John, Sr. and Sarah had another son not listed in any census record. He was Charles Alonzo Pickering born 10 September 1870 in Arkansas, and died 14 February 1871 in Arkansas. He was buried in the Marysville Cemetery, Maryville, Union County, Arkansas. ^[11]

On 2 April 1880 John, purchased 203 acres of “cleared land” from John R Boring for which he paid $640 in cash. The land was located in Township 17 South, Range 19 West, the north east corner of which included what became the Village Cemetery, Village, Columbia County, Arkansas. ^[12]

Just when it seemed that John and Sarah, had finally found the place to be their home, Sarah died on 18 May 1881. She was buried in the Village Cemetery near their farm to be joined there John Sr. Some nine years later.^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} "FindAGrave, Sarah Wroten (10 Oct 1834 - 18 May 1881), Village Cemetery, Village, Columbia County, Arkansas. (https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Pickering&GSiman=1&GScid=2151167&GRid=59505789&)
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1850, Cornie, Union, Arkansas," database with images, FamilySearch (12 April 2016), Wiley Wroten, Cornie, Union, Arkansas, United States; citing family 187, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.). (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCJ7-DXQ)
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} "United States Census, 1850, Claiborne Parish, Louisiana," database with images, FamilySearch (12 April 2016), Sarah M Pickering in household of Jno S Pickering, Claiborne parish, part of, Claiborne, Louisiana, United States; citing family 697, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCJ7-DXQ)
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} "Arkansas, County Marriages, 1837-1957," database with images, FamilySearch (26 September 2017), John S Pickering and Sarah M Wroten, 12 Dec 1848; citing , Union, Arkansas, United States, county offices, Arkansas; FHL microfilm 988,518. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NMP6-LNY)
5. ↑ "United States Census, 1850, Franklin, Union county, Arkansas," database with images, FamilySearch (12 April 2016), E B Wroten, Franklin, Union, Arkansas, United States; citing family 946, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M67W-1TQ)
6. ↑ "U.S. department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, General Land Office Records," database with images, Search Arkansas - Union - Wroten - Wiley. (https://glorecords.blm.gov/search/default.aspx?searchTabIndex=0&searchByTypeIndex=0)
7. ↑ "United States Census, 1860, Brown Township, Columbia County, Arkansas", database with images, FamilySearch (30 September 2017), Sarah Pickering in entry for John Pickering, 1860.(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8WS-DFV)
8. ↑ Gerdes, Edward G. "19TH(DOCKERY'S) ARKANSAS INFANTRY REGIMENT CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA COMPANY B." ARKANSAS Edward G. Gerdes Civil War. 2001. (Accessed 22 September 2017). (http://www.couchgenweb.com/civilwar/dockeryb.html)
9. ↑ "United States Census, 1870, Garner Township Union County, Arkansas" database with images, FamilySearch (12 April 2016), John S Pickenis, Arkansas, United States; citing p. 10, family 63, NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 545,564.(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNCN-96W)
10. ↑ "United States Census, 1880, Cornie, Columbia County, Arkansas" database with images, FamilySearch (24 August 2017), John S Pickering, Cornie, Columbia, Arkansas, United States; citing enumeration district ED 38, sheet 161B, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 0041; FHL microfilm 1,254,041.(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNWM-X6L)
11. ↑ "Find A Grave", database and images (accessed 02 August 2018), memorial page for Charles Alonzo Pickering (10 Sep 1870–14 Feb 1871), Find A Grave Memorial no. 78240889, citing Marysville Cemetery, Marysville, Union County, Arkansas, USA ; Maintained by Iris Meshell (contributor 47354278). (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/78240889/charles-pickering)
12. ↑ ”Warranty Deed”, Columbia County Arkansas property records, Book M, Page 226.