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Henry Monroe Abercrombie (1841 - 1893)

Henry Monroe Abercrombie
Born [location unknown]
Ancestors ancestors
[spouse(s) unknown]
Died at age 52 [location unknown]
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Profile last modified | Created 9 Oct 2017
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Biography

Henry was born Feb. 20, 1841. Henry is the child of Isaac Abercrombie Isaac "Crumbie" Abercrombie, b. 23 Oct 1811, Laurens Co., South Carolina, d. 23 Sep 1855 Arbacoochee, Cleburne Co., AL. and Nancy Dowdy Nancy Jane Dowdy, b. 30 Nov 1818 Georgia, d. 11 Jun 1912 St. Clair County AL, bur. Bethel Baptist Church Cemetery, Odenville, St. Clair Co., AL.. [1]

Birth: Feb. 20, 1841 Calhoun County Alabama, USA Death: Nov. 10, 1893 New London St. Clair County Alabama, USA

Henry Monroe Abercrombie was the son of: Father: Isaac "Crumbie" Abercrombie, b. 23 Oct 1811, Laurens Co., South Carolina, d. 23 Sep 1855 Arbacoochee, Cleburne Co., AL. Mother: Nancy Jane Dowdy, b. 30 Nov 1818 Georgia, d. 11 Jun 1912 St. Clair County AL, bur. Bethel Baptist Church Cemetery, Odenville, St. Clair Co., AL. She died at the home of her son, James Witt Abercrombie.

Isaac and Nancy Jane (Dowdy) Abercrombie were wed on 02 Nov 1837 at Benton Co., AL.

Henry Monroe Abercrombie was actually born in Benton, Co., AL on 20 Feb 1841. Benton County, which was established on 18 Dec 1832, no longer exists. It was named for Thomas Hart Benton, a member of the United States Senate from Missouri. On January 29, 1858 Benton County was renamed Calhoun County in honor of John C. Calhoun, famous member of the United States Senate from South Carolina.

The 1850 US Census of Benton Co., AL enumerated the household of 38 Y/O Isaac Crumby (Abercrombie), a farmer born in South Carolina, and his 31 Y/O wife, Nancy Jane (Dowdy) Abercrombie, born in GA. Also living in the household were their children, all of whom were born in AL: 11 Y/O William Robert Abercrombie; 9 Y/O Henry Monroe Abercrombie; 6 Y/O James Witt Abercrombie and 2 Y/O Mary Elizabeth Abercrombie. NOTE: Living three households away was the family of 46 Y/O Michal (Michael) Dowdy, and his 48 Y/O wife, Hannah plus their children. He was Nancy Jane (Dowdy) Abercrombie's older brother. Michal married, as her second husband, Hannah (Abercrombie) Baxter, a widowed older sister by 8 years of Isaac Abercrombie, on 02 May 1834 at Carroll Co., GA. Michael was a grist mill operator (miller) and was enumerated in the 1840 and 1850 US and Alabama State Censuses of Benton Co., AL living near his sister, Nancy Jane Abercrombie and her family.

The 1860 US Census of Cropwell Post Office, Townships 16, 17 and 18 St. Clair Co., AL enumerated the household of the 41 Y/O widow Nancy Jane (Dowdy) Abercrombie, a farmer born in Georgia. Living in the household were her children, all of whom were born in AL: 19 Y/O Henry Monroe Abercrombie, a farmer; 16 Y/O James William Abercrombie; 12 Y/O Mary E. Abercrombie; 9 Y/O John P. Abercrombie, and 5 Y/O Isaac Franklin Abercrombie. NOTE: Living in the household next door was 21 Y/O William Robert Abercrombie, a farmer born in AL, and his wife, Martha Adline (Robertson) Abercrombie, born in AL. Also living in their household was their 7 months old son, John Henry Thomas Abercrombie. William Robert Abercrombie was the son of Nancy Jane (Dowdy) Abercrombie.

Henry married Sarah Ann Elizabeth Kendrick, of St. Clair Co., AL, on 22 Jan 1863 at Shelby Co., AL by James T. Fulmer. Sarah Ann Kendrick was born in January 1847 in Georgia and died on 20 Dec 1921 at Petrey, Crenshaw Co., AL.

The 1870 US Census of Kelly's Creek, St. Clair Co., AL enumerated the household of 29 Y/O Henry Monroe Abercrombie, a merchant born in AL, and his 24 Y/O wife, Ann (Kendrick) Abercrombie, born in Georgia. Their 4 Y/O son, John William Abercrombie, and their 2 Y/O son, Hezakiah Franklin Abercrombie, were also living in the household.

The 1880 US Census of Mundine, St. Clair Co., Al enumerated the household of 39 Y/O Henry Monroe Abercrombie and his 32 Y/O wife, Sarah Ann, born in Georgia. Also in the household were the following children: 1) John William Abercrombie, b. Kelly Creek, St. Clair, Co., AL 17 May 1866, d. 02 Jul 1940 Montgomery, Montgomery Co., AL, m. Rosa Bell Merrill on 8 Jan 1891 at Cleburne Co., Alabama (See bio below). 2) Hezakiah Franklin Abercrombie, b. 04 Sep 1868 Kelly Creek, St. Clair Co., AL, d. 26 May 1926 Jones Co., MS, m. Annie G. Williams on 27 Jun 1894 at St. James Parish, Louisiana. 3) Henry Simmons Abercrombie, b. 01 Oct 1872 St. Clair Co,. AL, d. 31 May 1967 at Petrey, Crenshaw Co., AL, m. Grace Murray 14 May 1899 at Edwardsville, Cleburne Co., AL. 4) Ella Jane Abercrombie, b. 10 Jun 1874 St. Clair Co., AL, d. July 1903, m. John R. Beavers (confirmed by the will of Henry Monroe Abercrombie). 5) Viola Ann Abercrombie, b. 16 Dec 1876 St. Clair Co., AL, d. 09 June 1902 Edwardsville, Cleburne Co., AL.(Childbirth), m. Judge Walter Benjamin Merrill on 23 Dec 1894 at Edwardsville, Cleburne Co., AL. (His 1st wife) 6) Mary Frances Abercrombie, b. 11 Oct 1878 St. Clair Co., AL, d. 10 Jul 1904 Cleburne County, AL, m. Hugh Davis Merrill on 2 Apr 1899 at Cleburne, Cleburne Co., AL.(Politician-Lt. Governor AL)

The following two children were born prior to the 10 Nov 1893 death of Henry M. Abercrombie. 7) Emma Abercrombie, b. 04 Nov 1882, d. 01 Jul 1904, m. William H. Greer(a physician/surgeon) 8) Robert Houston Abercrombie, b. 28 Aug 1887 Kelly Creek, St Clair Co., AL, d. 18 May 1944 Birmingham, Jefferson Co., AL, m. Rose Long

Henry Monroe Abercrombie's will was probated on 04 Jan 1894 in St, Clair Co., AL. His son, John William Abercrombie was an executor. (St. Clair Co., AL, Administrative Record, Vol. "H", 1871-1922).

Note: Dr. John William Abercrombie, the first child of Henry Monroe and Sarah Ann (Kendrick) Abercrombie, was exceptional. FAG has designated him as "famous" but his FAG memorial bio is totally inadequate.

John W. Abercrombie, who was born at Kelley's Creek, St. Clair Co., AL in 1866 attended rural St. Clair County, AL schools and received his A.B degree in 1886 from Oxford College in Calhoun County, AL. He received his LL.B degree (Bachelor of Laws) in 1888 from the University of Alabama. At various times he was a high school principal; held the presidency of Ashland College (1886-1887); principle of Cleburne Institute (1888-1889); president of Bowden College, Georgia (1890-1891) superintendent of public schools in Anniston, AL (1891-1897) and served four years (1896-1898) in the Alabama State Senate [2 years from Calhoun County (1896-1897) and 2 years from Cleburne County (1898-1899)]; president of Anniston College for young ladies (1897-1898). He served as mayor of Edwardsville, Cleburne Co., AL (1889-1890). In 1898, he was elected as the Alabama Superintendent of Education, a post he resigned in 1902 to become the President of the University of Alabama. Abercrombie had declined to be considered for the president's post on previous occasions due to the vast control the trustees exercised over the University's affairs. The trustees gave him control and he proceeded to abolish the University's military system in 1903 and raised the University's academic standards and entrance requirements. He worked to improve the quality of state high school education system by starting a summer school program for teachers.

The University of Alabama conferred a LL.D degree (Doctor of Laws) on John Abercrombie in 1904. The University of South Carolina followed suit in 1905. Under his direction, in 1906, the University celebrated its 75th anniversary and he started a building program in 1906. In 1909, he reorganized the University's administrative structure, creating a system of schools and colleges on which the present University is based. That year the School of Education and the College of Engineering were founded, and the College of Arts and Sciences was reorganized and named. By 1911, Abercrombie had succeeded in transforming the University from a small southern military school into a multicollege university academically more competitive with comparable state institutions around the country.

He resigned the Presidency of the University of Alabama effective September 1, 1911. In 1912 he was elected to the 63rd U. S. Congress as Alabama's U. S. Congressman-at-Large. He was re-elected in 1914 to the 64th Congress, meaning he served from March 4, 1913 to March 3, 1918. He was re-elected State Superintendent of Education (1922-1926) and in other capacities, he continued to address the major problems facing educational institutions within the state.

He married Rosa Bell Merrill on 08 Jan 1891 at Edwardsville, Cleburne Co., AL. She was the daughter of James Benjamin and Elizabeth (Faver) Merrill.

Sources: 1) "The Making of Modern Alabama" by Robert J. Norrell, 1993, pp47-48. 2) "Abercrombie" by Hosmer Branscomb Abercrombie, pp60-63. 3) "History of Alabama and Dictionary of Alabama Biography" by Thomas McAdory Owen, Vol. III, 1921, pp2-3. 4) "The Heritage of Calhoun County, Alabama", 1998, p55.

Bio by Gresham Farrar.

Sources

  1. https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=165419866




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