Amelda (Bates) Downs (1824 - 1912)

Born 22 Mar 1824 in Franklin County, Alabama

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 20 May 1912 at age 88 in Batesville, Zavala County, Texas, USA

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Biography

Amelda was born in Alabama in 1824, the daughter of Robert Patrick Bates and Jane (Hill) Bates. She married Isaac Downs in 1839, and they had at least 9 children.

The town of Batesville, Texas, was named after her brother, Elijah Anderson Bates, and she and her family moved there in the 1870's to join him.

A granddaughter of Elijah A. Bates wrote a biography of him and his family which mentioned Amelda. "Amelda Downs was a younger sister of Elijah Anderson Bates, and wife of Judge Isaac Downs, Zavala's first County Judge. It stands out in my early childhood memory that Aunt Amelda was also actively interested in Women Suffrage. At that time, it took courage to align oneself on that side, for fear of being considered queer, but Aunt Amelda was a cultured and intellectual woman, with the courage to uphold a cause she believed to be right. As to my grandfather's views on Woman Suffrage, I am of the opinion that he did not favor it, but rather held to the idea that woman's place was in the home, and her position there too hallowed to risk contamination by getting into politics." (Page 29-30)

Her husband died in 1891 and she survived him until 1912.

She was buried in Edgewood-Woodlawn Cemetery, Batesville, Zavala County, Texas, USA. Her tombstone gives her full birth and death dates.

Sources

• "United States Census, 1850", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MH5M-NQ7 : Fri Oct 06 10:54:40 UTC 2023), Entry for John M Downs and Melda Downs, 1850.

• "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MFJN-DPB : accessed 27 February 2016), Amelda Downes in household of Isaac M Downes, Uvalde, Uvalde, Texas, United States; citing enumeration district ED 134, sheet 518D, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 1330; FHL microfilm 1,255,330.

• "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M3RM-ZC5 : accessed 27 February 2016), Emelda Downes, Justice Precinct 1 Batesville, Zavala, Texas, United States; citing sheet 1B, family 20, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,241,681.

• "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MRQS-S67 : accessed 27 February 2016), Amelda Downs, Justice Precinct 1, Zavala, Texas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 167, sheet 4B, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,375,609.

• "Texas Deaths, 1890-1976," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K3WP-KR8 : accessed 27 February 2016), Amelda Downs, 21 May 1912; citing certificate number 14269, State Registrar Office, Austin; FHL microfilm 2,050,830.

• Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/51446372/amelda-downs), memorial #51446372 for Amelda Bates Downs (1824 - 1912) - Find A Grave Memorial.

• From the Batesville Herald. (Batesville, Tex.), Vol. 12, No. [49], Ed. 1 Friday, August 2, 1912 Page 1: Mr. and Mrs. J. S. [sic for J. B.] Ross and daughter, Miss Tingy, visited relatives and friends here this week. They were also interested in the late Mrs. Downs estate which was approbated and adjusted this week.

Ancestral File Number

File Number: Z6C5-1D

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Theresa Ellenwood for creating WikiTree profile Bates-3317 through the import of LucindaElizaBatesAncestors.ged on Mar 5, 2013.

Click to the Changes page for the details of edits by Theresa and others.