Joseph G. Bunch (abt. 1849 - 1906)

Born about Apr 1849 in Leake or Attala County, Mississippi

Ancestors

Husband of Eliza (Briscoe) Bunch — married 23 Dec 1872 (to 22 Jul 1878) in Lavaca County, Texas

Husband of Josephine Stone — married 10 Jun 1880 in Johnson County, Texas

Descendants

Died 1906 at about age 56 in Wickes, Polk County, Arkansas

Problems/Questions Profile manager: K Bunch [send private message]

Biography

Joseph's middle initial was G, and he later had a son named Joseph Green Bunch but I see no reason to automatically assume they had the same exact names. It makes just as much sense to me that they'd have different middle names that started with G.

Joseph is first found as a "1" year old in the 1850 Federal census with his parents and sisters in Leake County, MS, leading me to believe he was born about April 1849. I use April because that is the birth month given in the 1900 U.S. Census (Polk County, AR).

As for location, the previously mentioned Leake County, MS shares its northern border with Attala County, MS. This Bunch family predominantly lived in southwestern Attala County (Beat 4). But Joseph's family also lived in Beat 5 for a time, and his father owned land west of modern day Zama, MS and east of modern Patterson, MS. It seems they weren't out there that long (less than a decade) though. As by 1870, Joseph and the rest of his family are back in Beat 4. My determination is (based on deciphering the neighbors' land and census records for many years) these Bunch folks lived in the southern region of Beat 4 - probably close to Newport, if not just west or northwest of there. That is an approximation as none of them actually owned land in Beat 4. As mentioned previously, only Solomon, Joseph's father, actually owned land (but in Beat 5). To simplify things, if you look at a map and drew a square* from Newport to Sallis to Durant to Goodman, that's a pretty good rough idea of their old stomping grounds.

Though obviously this family was in Leake County as well. It is approximately 3 miles from Newport to the Leake County border. I don't know where they lived in Leake as I've mostly been trying to figure out where the matriarch of this family (Matilda Bunch, first found in the 1840 U.S. Census in Attala County) was literally living in 1840. Best I can figure is the same area I've described. Southwestern Attala County in that 'square* region', though trending more west than east. In other words, probably closer to Goodman than the other cities I mentioned.

Joseph's father Solomon is found in an Attala County tax list in 1848, though I cannot find Solomon in Attala in the 1849 tax list - and an 1849 list for Leake County is not available on the Mississippi Dept. of History website. There is probably a good argument that he was born in either adjoining county but since Solomon is not in Attala in the 1849 list, and since Solomon is found in Leake by 1850, I tend to think Joseph was more likely born in Leake County, MS in April of 1849. Not that I'd expect to find any records of his birth. In any case, I've decided to include both Attala and/or Leake as his birthplace until further info is found.

As mentioned, Joseph is listed as "1" (year old) in the 1850 Federal Census in Leake County, Mississippi but he would later claim to have been born in April 1852 in the 1900 U.S. Census. This birth year was also used on his headstone. There is positively no individual named Joseph G Bunch that was born in 1852 Mississippi that I'm aware of. And believe me, I've looked extensively. In addition, everything about this Joseph Bunch of Leake/Attala (b. abt. 1849) fits the later man like a glove. I am 99% sure, only short of absolute confirmation.

Hopefully in time, I'll have edited all these related profiles to make the best case possible. Just know - Joseph G Bunch of Wickes, AR had a son named Solomon or a daughter named Eva (it's a confusing headstone - check the entry for it)...and those two names just happened to be the names of the parents of Joseph of Attala. In addition, Joseph first married Eliza Briscoe - and Eliza Briscoe's brother Albert Jackson Briscoe was in Attala County, MS before they all ended up in the same southeastern (Lavaca and Colorado counties) part of Texas by the early 1870s. Also Joseph's daughter with Eliza Briscoe - Lovie Matilda - shares her middle name with Joseph of Attala's grandmothers first name - Matilda. There are a lot of these too-hard-to-ignore coincidences. More than anything, there is no candidate that even comes close to being a good alternate theory for the origination of Joseph G Bunch. I'm 99% sure when I suggest Joseph Bunch of Attala and Joseph G Bunch of Wickes, Polk County, AR are the same person, even without concrete evidence and even with the birthdate discrepancy...but anyone can feel free to prove otherwise.

Joseph was listed as 10 years old in the 1860 census, with his father and mother Evelyn McCoy Bunch (aka Eve, Eva, Elviria). And he was listed as 20 in the 1870 census, in the household of "E Suggs" (potentially Elizabeth Miller Suggs, widow of Rowland/Rolling Suggs) - both of those census records are in Attala County, MS.

His father Solomon remarried to Elizabeth Fisher at some point in the mid/late 1860s. I can only assume Eva had passed away at some point between the 1860 census and within a few years thereafter. I know of no reason to think they divorced, though it's possible. But if so, why are all her children in other households? Much more reasonable to suggest Eva had passed away. Joseph's father Solomon is nowhere to be found in the 1880 census, and Joseph himself is in Texas by December 1872 to be married to Eliza. This leads me to believe Solomon had probably passed at some point after the 1870 census but before Joseph had left.

As mentioned, Joseph is in Lavaca County, Texas by 1872. This marriage to Eliza is the earliest concrete 100% fact I've found that pertains to Joseph G Bunch - later of Wickes, Arkansas. He cannot be found in the 1880 census, despite the fact he probably should be found in or near Johnson County, Texas. He was married in Johnson County right around the time of the 1880 census enumeration. And his in-laws, the Stones, are found in that very county. His daughter Lovie is found with her aunt Katherine Briscoe Albert in neighboring Bosque County, TX. So perhaps the newlyweds were honeymooning and were skipped in the census records. In any event, Joseph's oldest son Walter - my great grandfather Bunch - was born in May 1881 - his obituary claims he was born in "Jackson County" but I believe this to be a clear case of someone confusing "Jackson" and "Johnson", as his parents were married in Johnson County just 11 months prior to his birth. His mother's sisters and entire family are living there as well - and while Jackson is down near Lavaca County, I just don't know that it makes much sense. I haven't ruled it out, but I'm just including that information here.

Beyond the two marriage records, and oldest daughter Lovie and oldest son Walter's both being born in Texas (six years apart, to different mothers), there isn't any concrete information I've found on specifically Joseph in Texas. No tax lists or other such information. The next oldest son - Joseph Green - is born in Arkansas by June of 1883. Suggesting the family most likely moved from Texas to Arkansas circa 1882 - and that Joseph moved with his wife's family - as the Stones end up there in the same area of Polk County as well. In other words, when Joseph left Mississippi, probably sometime around 1871-72, I have no evidence and no reason to believe Joseph was living near any other Bunches thereafter. His known brother Sol (or "Bud") stayed in the region.

Joseph appears to have spent about a decade in Texas and would spent the remainder of his 24 or 25 years in southwestern Arkansas, in Polk County - where a "Bunch Road" still exists, and a historical "Bunch School" used to exist. Joseph passed away in 1906 at the approximate age of 57 (though his headstone claims 54) and his wife and at least a few of his children are buried at Daniel Cemetery in Wickes, AR.

This entry is a work in progress.

Sources

• Lots of personal research/reasonable deduction
• 1900 U.S. Federal Census - Polk County, Arkansas
• 1894 Land Patent - Polk County, Arkansas
• 1880 Johnson County, Texas marriage record
• 1872 Lavaca County, Texas marriage record
• 1870 U.S. Federal Census - Attala County, Mississippi
• 1860 U.S. Federal Census - Attala County, Mississippi
• 1850 U.S. Federal Census - Leake County, Mississippi