Francis Marion Mears (abt. 1825 - 1862)

Born about 1825 in South Carolina, USA

Husband of Lucy (Lewis) Graves — married 21 Sep 1856 in Cherokee County, Georgia, United States

Descendants

Died 15 Dec 1862 at about age 37 in Atlanta, Fulton, Georgia, United States

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Linda Mearse [send private message] and Paul Hathaway [send private message]

Biography

Francis Marion Mears was born about 1825 in South Carolina, USA, son of Sarah Elizabeth Unknown (about 1813–after 1880).

Marion (30) married Lucy Lewis (15) (born about 1840 in North Carolina, United States; daughter of Harbard Lewis and Martha (Unknown) Lewis) on 21 September 1856 in Cherokee County, Georgia, United States.^[1] Their known children were:

• Silas Mears (about 1859 – unknown) .
• Harrison Benjamin Mearse (21 September 1861 – 16 July 1938) .
• Emily Marcena Mears (0 September 1863 – after 1930)

In August of 1862, he entered the service of the Confederacy as a private in Co. L, 43rd Regiment, and died December 15 that same year in the hospital at Atlanta. A cause of death was not listed. ^[2]

Research Notes

Only one source, the 1860 census, has supplied his approximate date of birth. Of his known siblings, there is a gap between his date of birth ca. 1825 and the next child ca. 1834. This indicates several possibilities:

• 1) there were other unknown children (however, an 1852 guardianship bond for the orphans of John Mears only lists Francis M., Elizabeth Emily, Nancy M., Anna A., and Sarah M. Mears --- This guardianship bond leads to another question regarding his date of birth...if he were born in 1825 and was 27 years of age in 1852, would he be included in the list of orphans?)
• 2) Francis and his siblings have different mothers and a gap between the marriages created a gap in the children's births (no marriage documents have been located for their father John Mears)
• 3) Francis' age was reported or recorded incorrectly on the 1860 census

Finding the family on the 1850 census could help pinpoint his date of birth. Conversely, knowing his correct date of birth could help locate him on the 1850 census.

BIRTH:
1860 census, age 35 = abt 1825

DEATH/BURIAL: Oakland Cemetery Book of Confederate Burials, February 1862 - July 5, 1864 < https://vault.georgiaarchives.org/digital/collection/adhoc/id/1293> transcribed from the originals in 1884. Location of the originals is unknown. The records currently available are copies of copies and likely contain some transcription errors. There is an entry which is likely Marion. The name is close, his middle initial "M" could be mistaken as an "H". The Regiment is correct, Company "L" could be mistaken for an "I". The month and year are correct. There was no indication if the date was the date of death or admission to the hospital.

From the Empire House Hospital:
F. H. Mears, 43rd Ga. Reg't, Co. I, Dec 3, 1862
burial: Row 9, Number 4

Census Records

Sources

1. ↑ Marriage: "Georgia, U.S., Marriage Records From Select Counties, 1828-1978"
   Georgia Archives; Morrow, Georgia; County Marriage Records, 1828–1978
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 4766 #1199777 (accessed 27 January 2023)
   Francis Marian Mers marriage to Lucy Liewis on 21 Sep 1856 in Cherokee, Georgia, USA.
2. ↑ Military: "U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865"
   National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington, D.C.; Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Georgia; Series Number: M266; Roll: 463
   Ancestry Record 2322 #51122077 (accessed 27 January 2023)
   Name: Marion Mears; Enlistment Date: 1862; Military Unit: 43d Infantry. <6 pg file: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/78814096>
3. ↑ 1860 Census: "1860 United States Federal Census"
   The National Archives in Washington D.C.; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M653; Residence Date: 1860; Home in 1860: Ball Ground, Cherokee, Georgia; Roll: M653_116; Page: 772; Family History Library Film: 803116
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 7667 #10889162 (accessed 27 January 2023)
   Francis M Mears (35), Laborer, in Ball Ground, Cherokee, Georgia. Born in South Carolina.