Leander N. Hawkins (1838 - 1892)

Born 10 Dec 1838 in Union, Georgia, United States

Descendants

Died 18 Jan 1892 at age 53 in Clay, Texas, United States

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Biography

Leander N. Hawkins (1838-1892)

Leander was born in Union County, Georgia on the 10th of December 1838[1]. His parents were David Hawkins and Margaret whose maiden name is uncertain[2]. By inference, the first census that Leander would have been recorded in was the 1840 census of Union County, Georgia where his father was listed as a head of a household there[3]. Leander was first explicitly named in the 1850 census of Murray County, Georgia where his family had moved sometime between the censuses of 1840 and 1850. By the time of the 1860 census, the family had moved on to the Upper Cove District of Walker County, Georgia and Leander was found living with his sister Louisa and her husband John M. Peterson[4].

In all, Leander had ten siblings although only seven are known by name from extant records. His siblings were the following:

A sister born in Tennessee between 1821 and 1825, according to the 1830 census[5]. She also was apparently listed in the David Hawkins household of 1840 [3] when she would have been between the ages of 15 and 19. Unfortunately, this daughter was not listed in the 1850 census with David’s family either because she did not survive, or more likely that she had married and moved out before the 1850 census.

The next sibling, another sister, was Louisa Elizabeth born in June of 1830, probably in McMinn County, Tennessee. She married John M. Peterson before 1860, probably in Walker County, Georgia and had five children. Louisa died sometime after the 1910 census and before that of 1920.

Another unnamed sister was born in Tennessee between 1831 and 1835 according to the 1840 census. Since she would have been between the age of 15 and 19 by the time of the 1850 census and she did not appear in the household of David Hawkins in that year, she, like the first born sister, had either married of died before 1850.

Leander’s next sibling was Francis Marion, born in 1832 in Tennessee, Probably McMinn County. He married Sarah A. (maiden name unknown) about 1858 in Georgia and they had five children. Francis Marion was not in the 1900 census and appears to have died after the 1880 census, but before 1900.

A final unmanned sister was born between 1836 and 1840 according to the 1840 census of Union County, Georgia. Since this sister would have only been about ten to fourteen years old by the 1850 census and she did not appear with the family in the that census, it would appear that she must have died before 1850.

Washington Jones was born 5 June 1836 in Union County, Georgia. He married Rebecca Lorene Payne about 1869, probably in Alabama. They had eight children, all born in Alabama. He died 25 February 1914 in Arkadelphia, Culman County, Alabama at the age of 77.

William Madison was born 21 June 1837 in Murray County, Georgia. He married Delilah J. King about 1860 in Georgia and they had three children. He died 3 March 1922 in Independence County, Arkansas.

Andrew Jackson was born 22 March 1841 in Georgia. He married Eliza Jane Thorne 20 November 1864 in Hempstead County, Arkansas. They had six children, all born in Arkansas. He died 2 September 1904 in Athena, Howard County, Arkansas.

Thomas J. was born in 1842 in Georgia. Nothing further is known of his life.

Allen L. was the last of Leander’s siblings. He was born in 1844 in Georgia. Nothing further is known of his life.

The records of Walker county burned in a courthouse fire of 1883, so marriage records for earlier years back to the county’s formation from Murray county in 1833 were lost. Based on the birth years of Leander’s children, it appears that he married in about 1861 to 1862, most likely in Walker county. The best proof of his marriage comes from the death certificate for Eliza P. Hawkins, widow of Leander Hawkins[6]. That this Eliza was, in fact, the widow of Leander comes from the fact that the information provider for the death certificate was M. R. (Marucy R. Hawkins) Scruggs, the eldest child of Eliza and Leander[7]. Her death certificate indicates that her maiden name was Mathis, daughter of William Mathis and Susan McCorrey. She was born Louisa Prudence Mathis 25 July 1836 in Tennessee[8].

Louisa also filed for a Civil War pension in Collingsworth County, Texas in 1908 for the service of Lee N. Hawkins as his widow (L. P. Hawkins). This claim was rejected, but the indisputable connection to Leander is provided there[9].

The known children of Leander Hawkins and Louisa Hawkins (born Mathis) were the following:

Marucy R. Hawkins was born 19 March 1862 in La Fayette, Walker County, Georgia. She married first, John Franklin Sherrill 10 January 1884 in Ellis County, Texas. John had previously married Catherine Love who had died in 1880, leaving John with an infant son. John and Marucy had three children, one of whom died as an infant. John died 23 June 1887 after just three years of marriage to Marucy leaving her with two infant daughters and a step son to raise on her own. She married next, Isaac Goss Scroggs 31 August 1898 in Clay county, Texas where she had moved to be close to supporting relatives. Marucy and Isaac had no children. After the death of her husband, Isaac, in 1919, she moved to New Mexico to homestead with her two daughters near Roswell. She died 2 July 1940 in Roswell, Chaves County, New Mexico.

Wilson Andrew Hawkins was born 10 September 1864 in Walker County, Georgia. He married Mattie Godfrey 8 December 1890 in Clay County, Texas and they had six children between 1891 and 1908. Wilson died 1 February 1924 and is buried in the Hamlin Memorial Cemetery, Hamlin, Jones County, Texas.

Robert Franklin Hawkins was born in October 1868 in Walker County, Georgia. He married Margaret Ann Eliff 27 October 1894 in Clay County, Texas and they had six children between 1896 and 1915. He died 6 August 1952 in Potter County, Texas.

Amanda S. Hawkins was born 15 September 1870 in Walker County, Georgia. She married B. M. Leuelling 17 December 1889 in Clay County, Texas and they had one child, a son, Ethridge Louis Leuelling in 1891 who was killed in a tornado in 1916. Amanda died 17 May 1893 in Clay County, Texas.

Bettie Lee Hawkins was born 2 July 1873 in Walker County, Georgia. She married Charlie J. Morris 12 December 1897 in Clay County, Texas and they had two children. Bettie died a the age of 29 in Collingsworth County, Texas on 23 February 1913 and is buried in the Fairview Cemetery in Memphis, Hall County, Texas.

Alonzo Decatur Hawkins was the last born of the children of Leander and Louisa. He was born 22 November 1876 in Texola, Beckham County, Oklahoma. Alonzo married Pearl Ann McIntosh in 1903 in Texas and they had six children between the years of 1903 and 1913. He died 16 November 1933 at Amasas Pass, San Patricio County, Texas. He is buried in the Prairie View Cemetery in Amasas Pass.

The 1900 census indicated that Leander and Louisa had a total of eight children with five still living. So there were apparently two more unidentified children that must have died as infants.

While in Georgia during the Civil War, Leander was on the muster roll of the Confederate States of America (CSA) Regiment I, 60th Infantry[10]. He was mustered in at Walker County, Georgia on 6 May 1862 as a 4th Corporal. Leander was wounded on 13 December 1862 at Fredericksburg, Virginia at the battle of Mine Run. He was mustered out 13 December 1863 as a deserter. Proof of his service was apparently not sufficient in 1908 when his widow Louisa filed for a pension that was subsequently denied, probably because he was listed as a deserter. After the war, Leander filed new voter registration and a reconstruction oath in Walker County on 26 July 1867[11].

All of the children of Leander and Louisa, with the exception of Alonzo, were born in Georgia as late as mid-1873. Alonzo was born at Texola, Beckham County, Oklahoma 22 November 1876[12]. This places the move of the family from Walker county, Georgia to western Oklahoma at between July of 1873 and November of 1876. Then, by the time of the 1880 census, Leander had moved his family to Ellis County, Texas, just south of Dallas[13].

Since the 1890 census was mostly destroyed in a fire in 1921, there is no census record available for Leander and his family for that time. Leander created his last will and testament in Clay County, Texas on 7 January 1892 and died there on 18 January 1892[14]. Exactly when he moved his family from Ellis county to Clay county, Texas is not known, however, it is known from his will in 1892 that he owned a 124-acre farm there.

Last Will and Testament of Leander N. Hawkins

Know all men by these presents that I, L. N. Hawkins of the County of Clay and State of Texas, being in feble {sic} health but of sound and disposing mind and memory do make and publish this my last will and testament hereby revoking all former wills by me at any time heretofore made.

First – I direct that all of my just debts shall be paid and all the just funeral expenses be paid out of my estate.

Second – I give to my beloved wife E. P. Hawkins all of my household furniture and the farm upon which I now reside situated in the County of Clay and State of Texas and containing one hundred and twenty four acres of land more or less and all of my horses and cattle and farming utensils and all money, notes and acts that I may have at my death and that she E. P. Hawkins have all of the above described property exclusively as her own during her natural life time and at her death the remainder of same shall be divided between my six children if living. Said children are named M. R. Sherrel (Sherrill), Mandy Louallen (Leuelling), Robert Hawkins, Bettie Hawkins, Lonnie Hawkins, all to share and share alike except that the three girls M. R. Sherrel, Mandy Louallen and Bettie Hawkins shal {sic} each have fifty dollars in money paid to them in low (lieu) of a horse given each of the boys.

Third – I constitute and appoint my wife E. P. Hawkins sole exetrix (executrix) of this my last will and direct that no security shall be required of her as exetrix of said estate.

4th – It is my will that no other action shal {sic}be had in the County Court in the administration of my estate than to prove and record this will and return an inventory and appraisement of my estate.

The foregoing instrument I make and publish as my last will hereunto subscribing my name this 7th day of January A. D. 1892. Signed at my residence in Clay Co. Texas L. N. Hawkins in the presence of two attesting witnesses as follows A. O. Elliff G. C. Thedford Filed Aug. 24, 1893 J. Walker Co. Clerk

Sources

[1] Liberty Cemetery, Clay County, Texas, www.cemeteries-of-texas.com/Wtx/cemetery/Liberty.htm, L. N. Hawkins, Manda S. Leuelling (wife of B. M. Leuelling)

[2] 1850 United States Federal Census Record; Murray, Georgia; https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZYH-1P7; David Hawkins family

[3] 1840 United States Federal Census Record: Union, Georgia, https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHY7-X5B; David Hawkins family (2 2 0 0 0 1 / 1 1 1 1 0 1)

[4] 1860 United States Federal Census Record: Upper Cove District, Walker, Georgia; https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZMK-3JK; J. M. Peterson family (Leander Hawkins)

[5]1830 United States Federal Census Record: McMinn, Tennessee; https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHP4-F42; David Hawkins family (0 0 0 0 1 / 1 0 0 0 1) and Joseph Hawkins family (0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 / 0 0 0 1 1 0 1) and Jeremiah Pack family (2 0 3 0 0 1 / 0 1 0 0 0 1)

[6] Texas Deaths, 1890-1976; https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K3WC-8M7; Eliza P. Hawkins; b. 25 July 1836; d. 23 Oct 1916

[7] 1870 United States Federal Census Record: Subdivision 128, Walker, Georgia; https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MC31-VHD; Leander Hawkins family

[8] 1860 United States Federal Census Record: Town District, Walker, Georgia; https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZMK-3MY; Sussan Mathis family

[9] Alabama, Texas and Virginia Confederate Pensions, 1884-1958; Ancestry.com; Lee N. Hawkins

[10] U.S. Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles; [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2009; Corpl L. N. Hawkins

[11] Georgia, Returns of Qualified Voters and Reconstruction Oath Books, 1867-1869; [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012; Leander N. Hawkins; Walker county, 26 July 1867

[12] Texas Death Certificates, 1903-1982; [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013; Lon D. Hawkins; b. 22 Nov 1876; d. 16 Nov 1933

[13] 1880 United States Federal Census Record: Precinct 7, Ellis, Texas; https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MFN7-K85; Leander Hawkins family

[14] Texas, Wills and Probate Records, 1833-1974; Probate Minutes, Vol. 1-3, 1873-1902; Ancestry.com; L. N. Hawkins, probate 7 Jan 1892

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