Elizabeth Jane (Joiner) Ezell (1828 - aft. 1870)

Born 7 Feb 1828 in Christian, Kentucky, United States [uncertain]

Ancestors

Wife of Jason Ezell — married 7 Feb 1843 in Hopkinsville, Christian, Kentucky, United States

Descendants

Died after 18 Jul 1870 after age 42 in Stewart, Tennessee, United States [uncertain]

Problems/Questions Profile manager: David Fentress [send private message]

Biography

Elizabeth Jane Joiner^[1], also known as Betsey^[2] or Jane^[3], was born in about 1828 probably in southern Christian County, Kentucky to Thomas Joiner II^[1] and Nancy Ezell.
She married Jason Ezell on 7 Feb 1843^[1] in Hopkinsville, Christian County, Kentucky^[1]. The couple had at least 7 children :

Nancy Ezell, b. ~1844^[4]

Thomas Henry Ezell, b. 24 Jul 1846^[5][4][2]

Elizabeth Ann (Ezell) Brandon, AKA "Eliza" b. 1847^[6][4][2]

William Ezell, b. ~1851^[2][3]

Elizabeth Jane (Ezell) Morgan AKA "Fannie"^[2] or "Lizzabeth", b. 15 Nov 1858^[2][3]

Lewis Nathan Ezell, b. 19 Sep 1864^[7][3]

Callie Ezell, b. ~1869^[3].

Date of death unknown (see a discussion of the date of death in the research notes). She probably died in Stewart County, Tennessee. She was buried in the Ezell Cemetery in Bumpus Mills Tennessee^[8][9].

Research Notes

• The gravestone pictured in the FindAGrave source^[9] for Elizabeth Jane is not readable, being covered with a white goo of some sort. The whole FindAGrave entry is 'pretty average' (a New Zealand expression meaning replete with errors). The entry says she was born "Feb 1828" but this is unsourced. The date of death is stated as "25 Mar 1862" also unsourced and inaccurate. However the Tennessee GenWeb has recorded this burial site^[8] and done a much better job but provided no picture. The only issue that could be raised with the record provided by GenWeb is the name of the husband. I have visited the Ezell Cemetery in Bumpus Mills on 6 Jun 2019 and examined the gravestone. It is very difficult to read but I believe that the inscriptions are accurately recorded in the GenWeb report except the name of the husband which is more likely to be "J. E. Ezell" rather than Jason Ezell". My photograph of the stone, taken 6 Jun 2019 is attached to this profile. David Fentress, 20 Jun 2020.
• The date of birth in the three cited census entries calculates to ~1828, ~1827 and ~1826 respectively^[4][2][3]. The date from the GenWeb record "7 Feb 1828" has been used.
• There is a major problem with the date of death of Elizabeth. The only sources found so far derive the date of death from the gravestone and all, including the attached picture of the stone, roughly agree that the date was 1862 or 1863. However, in the 1870 census record^[3], we find that Jane was still alive and well and had given birth to a child in 1864 and another in 1869 (at least we assume that these are children of Jason and Elizabeth Jane as the 1870 census does not identify the relationship to the head of the family). No explanation of this conflict has been found. Gravestones with incorrect dates are not unheard of but a 6 or 7 year difference would be highly unusual. It is also not impossible that the wrong census entry has been used but further searches for another similar family in 1870 have not been successful. There are discrepancies in this 1870 census record. Jason is shown about 6 years older than he should be. A death record for son Lewis (born 1864) has been found^[7] and it complicates the story. Lewis is shown as being born on 19 Sep 1864 to father "Jas Ezell" and mother "unknown". We know that Elizabeth Jane died, at the latest, sometime not long after the 1870 census because Jason took a second wife on 29 Dec 1872 (see Jason's profile). Jason died in early 1880 and the 1880 census finds the two youngest children living with their older sister Elizabeth Jane and her family (see cautionary note in the research notes in the Thomas H. Ezell profile). The birth mother may have been unknown to the informant at the time of Lewis' death in 1931 due to the fact that, from the age of 5 or 6 years, Lewis had not been raised by his deceased mother. Pending a resolution of this issue, "After 18 Jul 1870" has been used as the date of death (this being the enumeration date of the 1870 census).
• The correct name is "Elizabeth Jane Joiner"^[1][8] and NOT "Jane Elizabeth" as purported by the FindAGrave page^[9]. (See also the attached gravestone photo and the research note above regarding date of death. However, as indicated by the 1870 census^[3], she may have been known as "Jane". She may also have been known as "Betsey"^[2]
• Jason Ezell's first wife was Elizabeth Jane (Joiner) b. 1829 - she was possibly known as Betsey or Jane. The second daughter was named Elizabeth Ann (married name Brandon) born 1849 in Kentucky - possibly known as Eliza. The third daughter was named Elizabeth Jane like the mother (married name Morgan) b. 1858 in Tennessee - possibly known as Fannie or Lizzabeth. All these Elizabeths cause unending confusion.

Sources

^{[1] [4] [2] [5] [6] [7] [3] [9] [8]}

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5} "Kentucky, County Marriages, 1797-1954 database with images, FamilySearch (26 September 2018), Jason Ezell and Elizabeth L. Joiner, 7 Feb 1843; citing Marriage, Christian, Kentucky, United States, various county clerks and county courts, Kentucky; FHL microfilm 466,786. This is the marriage contract signed by "Jason Ezell" and "Slaughter Ezell" and attested by "Abram Stites" and says that "Jason Ezell" (male) married "Elizabeth J. Joiner" (female) on 7 Feb 1843 in Christian County, Kentucky
   Kentucky, County Marriages, 1797-1954 database with images, FamilySearch (26 September 2018), Jason Ezell and Elizabeth Jane Joiner, 6 Feb 1843; citing Marriage, Christian, Kentucky, United States, various county clerks and county courts, Kentucky; FHL microfilm 466,786. This is an accompanying document which reads :
   "(to) Wm Abram Stites, Sir, you are hereby authorised to Issue License to Jason Ezell for the marriage of himself and my Daughter Elisabeth Jane, given under my hand this the sixth Day of February 1843, Thomas Joiner, (witnessed by) Jillum(?) Ezell (and) yhomeness(?) Joiner".
   Kentucky, County Marriages, 1797-1954 database with images, FamilySearch (17 May 2018), Jason Ezell and Elizabeth I. Jones, Feb 1843; citing Marriage, Hopkinsville, Christian, Kentucky, United States, various county clerks and county courts, Kentucky; FHL microfilm 1,942,963. This is the entry in the county marriage register and says that "Jason Ezell" (male) married "Elizabeth I. Joiner" (female) in Feb 1843 in Hopkinsville, Christian County, Kentucky.
   Note that the two names are in the register but no further detail so the date and other information is implied from the previous entry and the following entry.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8} United States Census, 1860 database with images, FamilySearch (12 December 2017), Jason Ezelle, 1860. This was enumerated on 12 Jun 1860 in the 4th District, Stewart County, Tennessee and shows :

   "Jason Ezelle" (Male, age 38, born Kentucky, occupation farmer)

   "Betsey Ezelle" (Female, age 33, born Kentucky)

   "Thomas Ezelle" (Male, age 13, born Kentucky)

   "Eliza Ezelle" (Female, age 11, born Kentucky)

   "William Ezelle" (Male, age 9, born Kentucky)

   "Fannie Ezelle" (Female, age 1, born Kentucky).

3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8} United States Census, 1870 database with images, FamilySearch (12 April 2016), Jason Ezell, Tennessee, United States; citing p. 10, family 72, NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 553,063. This was enumerated on 18 Jul 1870 in the 4th District, Stewart County, Tennessee and shows :

   "Jason Ezell" (Male, age 54, born Kentucky, occupation farmer)

   "Jane Ezell" (Female, age 44, born Kentucky)

   "Wm G Ezell" (Male, age 18, born Kentucky)

   "Elisabeth Ezell" (Female, age 12, born Tennessee)

   "Lewis M Ezell" (Male, age 6, born Tennessee)

   "Cally Ezell" (Female, age 1, born Tennessee)

   "Phinneas Jones" (Male, age 24, born Kentucky)

   "John Harges" (Male, age 19, born Tennessee).

4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4} United States Census, 1850 database with images, FamilySearch (12 April 2016), Jason Ezell, Christian county, part of, Christian, Kentucky, United States; citing family 292, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.). This shows the Jason Ezell family living on a farm worth $610 next to Slaughter Ezell, members :

   "Jason Ezell" (Male, age 26, born Kentucky, occupation farmer, illiterate)

   "Elizabeth J Ezell" (Female, age 22, born Kentucky)

   "Nancy M Ezell" (Female, age 6, born Kentucky)

   "Thos H Ezell" (Male, age 3, born Kentucky)

   "Eliza A Ezell" (Female, age 1, born Kentucky).

5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Tennessee Deaths, 1914-1966 database with images, FamilySearch (15 October 2018), Jayson Ezell in entry for Thos. Henry Ezell, 26 Aug 1934; Death, Bumpus Mills, Stewart, Tennessee, United States, Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville. This shows that "Thos. Henry Ezell" (male, white, age 88) died 26 Aug 1934 in Bumpus Mills, Stewart County, Tennessee, Birth Year: 1846, Father's Name: "Jayson Ezell" (born Christian County, Kentucky), Mother's Name: "Elizabeth Joiner" (born Christian County, Kentucky).
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Tennessee Deaths, 1914-1966 database with images, FamilySearch (11 October 2018), Jason Esell in entry for Eliza Ann Brandon, 10 Dec 1917; Death, Clarksville, Montgomery, Tennessee, United States, Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville. This shows that "Eliza Ann Brandon" (female, white, age 70) died on 10 Dec 1917, in Clarksville, Montgomery, Tennessee, Birth Year: 1847, Father's Name: "Jason Ezell" (born Christian County, Kentucky), Mother's Name: "Elizabeth Joiner" (born Christian County, Kentucky).
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2} Tennessee Deaths, 1914-1966 database with images, FamilySearch (15 October 2018), Jas Ezell in entry for Louis Ezell, 21 Sep 1931; Death, Stewart, Tennessee, United States, Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville. This shows that "Louis Ezell" (male, white age 67) died on 21 Sep 1931 in Stewart County, Tennessee. Date of birth: 19 Sep 1864. Father's Name: "Jas Ezell" born Tennessee. Mother's name unknown. Informant: "Greene Ezell" of Bumpus Mills (signed "Mrs. D. E. Greene"). Cause of death Pulmonary Tuberculosis. Medical report signed by "W. F. Greene". Burial at Ezell Cemetery on 22 Sep 1931
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3} TNGenWeb Cemeteries - Elizabeth Ezell Burial Site. This shows "Elizabeth J. Ezell", Birth 7 Feb 1828, Death 25 May 1863, wife of Jason Ezell was buried in the Ezell Cemetery in Stewart County.
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3} Find A Grave: Memorial #28597176 for Jane Elizabeth (Joiner) Ezell (accessed 6 Jun 2020).
   The gravestone is depicted and reads "ELIZABETH J, WIFE OF J. E. EZELL, BORN, FEB 7, 1828, DIED, MAY 25, 1863".
   The entry says "Jane Elizabeth (Joiner) Ezell, Birth Feb 1828, Kentucky, USA, Death 25 Mar 1862 (aged 34), Stewart County, Tennessee, USA, Burial Ezell Cemetery, Stewart County, Tennessee, USA".
   Links to memorials for husband Jason and children Thomas Henry and Nathan Lewis are provided.