George W. Wilcox (1838 - bef. 1860)

Born 1838 in Alabama, United States

Ancestors

Died before 1860 before age 22 in Cherokee, Alabama, United States

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Biography

In the 1850 census, George (age 12) was living with his parents Hiram Wilcox and Mary Ann Smith Wilcox in Cherokee County, Alabama. His father was a farmer.^[1]

Research Notes There was a confusing mixture of four different men named "George W. Wilcox" that lived in Cherokee and Talladega Counties in the 1850 - 1860 time period, all of whom were likely closely related. Three lived in Cherokee County, George W. Wilcox (b. 1822 TN), George Wilcox (b. 1855 AL, son of John Wilcox, age 46, b. TN), and the George W. Wilcox who was the son of Hiram & Mary A. Wilcox shown in the 1850 census as having been 12 years old and born in Alabama.

Hiram, John, and the older George W. Wilcox (b. 1822 TN) are suspected to have been close relatives, possibly brothers, based on the proximity of their residences in the 1850 & 1860 census, all were from Tennessee (Hiram listed TN as birthplace in 1850, but VA in 1860, 1870, and 1880 census?), the older George was living with Hiram's family in 1850, both George and John had son's named "Hiram" (e.g. Hiram D.B. WIlcox was John's son born abt 1855 in AL, and W. Hiram Wilcox was George W.'s son b. abt 1859 in AL), while both Hiram and John had son's named George W.

These three Wilcox men were also likely closely related to James Artillery Wilcox that lived in Talladega County, who also had a son George Wayne Wilcox, born about 1839 in Tennessee.

In the 1850 census the George W. Wilcox born about 1822 was living with the Hiram Wilcox family in Cherokee County. In the 1860 census this older George W. Wilcox had a wife Eliza P. Based on the age of his children all being under 10 in the 1860 census, they probably married about 1850-1851. John Wilcox and family were living in household 685 in Cherokee County during the 1850 census, while Hiram's family along with George W. (b. 1822) were in household 679.

In the 1860 census, Hiram's oldest son, James A. Wilcox had married (Amanda J.) and was living in household 369 of the 3rd district of Cherokee County. George W. Wilcox (born abt 1822 in TN) in 1860 was living with his family nearby in household 397 in the 3rd district of Cherokee County. The family of John Wilcox (b. abt 1814 TN) was also living nearby in household 378, while Hiram and his family were in household 54 of the 2nd district of Cherokee County. Hiram had remarried in 1857 to Lucretia Hays following the death of his first wife Mary Ann Smith. George W. Wilcox (b. abt 1838 in AL), the son of Hiram and Mary Ann (Smith) Wilcox would have been about 22 years of age during the 1860 census, but no one of that name and age was noted in Cherokee County.

The George Wayne Wilcox who married Edie Catherine Byrd, is believed to be the son of Thomas Artillery Wilcox, of Talladega County, Alabama. While Hiram Wayne Wilcox (1806-1882) of Cherokee County, Alabama, is believed to be his uncle. Although there is some evidence those relationships are reversed, the balance of evidence seems to support Thomas Artillery as his father. Since Thomas Artillery Wilcox and Hiram Wilcox may have been brothers, their sons named George Wayne Wilcox would have been first cousins.

Additional Supporting Information (see also Wilcox-7747): - Hiram and Mary Ann Wilcox's children are listed as being born in Alabama, except the oldest, Sarah, born in Tennessee (1831). The family was in Cherokee County by the 1840 census. If the 1850 census records for their children's birth locations are correct, then Hiram and his wife moved to Alabama by 1834 and their son George W. Wilcox was born in AL.

- All of the children of Thomas and Alia Wilcox in the 1850 census are listed as being born in Tennessee, including their youngest son James Artillery Wilcox (b. 1845) indicating they did not move to Alabama until after 1845. Thus, their son George Wayne Wilcox was born in TN not AL. George Wayne Wilcox, husband of Edie Catherine Byrd, consistently listed his birth place as TN (1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, and 1900 census records).

- The 1860 census records for G.W. Wilcox, age 18, born TN, are in Talladega County, Alabama, in the household of Thomas and Alia Wilcox. The age does not match exactly the "George W." in Hiram's household in 1850, nor the "Wayne" in Thomas' household in 1850, but the birth place is listed as TN and he was in the household of Thomas, indicating this is more likely his son, George Wayne Wilcox, versus a nephew George Wayne Wilcox.

- "General W. Wilcox" married "Edy C. Bird" in Talladega County, Alabama. Edie Catherine Byrd grew up in Cherokee County, Alabama, and lived very near the Hiram Wilcox family. Thus, she would certainly have known the "George W. Wilcox", son of Hiram Wilcox, but possibly could have met Thomas Wilcox's son, if he had visited his uncle's household in Cherokee County. The marriage location being in Talladega County supports that she married the son of Thomas Artillery Wilcox, otherwise the logical location for the wedding would have been in Cherokee County since both Jacob Byrd (her father) and the Hiram Wilcox family were still living in Cherokee County in the 1860 census.

- The 1870 census finds "Wayne" Wilcox, and wife Eda and their first four children living in Marshall County, Alabama. His birthplace is listed as TN (which would not match that of Hiram and Mary Ann's son).

- The 1880 census finds George W. and wife Edie C. Wilcox living in Cherokee County, Alabama with seven children. George's birthplace is listed as TN. This is where Edy C. Byrd grew up, and she still had two sisters living in Cherokee County at this time, which may explain why they relocated their instead of Talladega County.

- The 1900 census finds the family in Conway County Arkansas. George's birthplace is listed as TN.

- The 1910 census finds George widowed and living in his daughter and son-in-law's household. His birthplace is listed as Alabama, but so are the birthplace's of his parents, which would be incorrect. Thus, the birthplace information was likely incorrect and based only on the family having moved to Arkansas from Alabama.

- George Wayne Wilcox had a daughter, Julina Artillery (Wilcox) Wood (1872-1976). The middle name of "Artillery" is of note since it was associated with Thomas Artillery Wilcox, and was widely handed down through his children and grandchildren. (Also noted, that George did not include Hiram in the names of any of his sons) Thus, it is more likely that Julina's middle name of Artillery was for her grandfather versus a great uncle.

- Three other children of Hiram Wayne Wilcox and Mary Ann Smith moved from Cherokee County, Alabama to Conway County, Arkansas (part of which became Faulkner County, Arkansas). Sarah Wilcox married John David Love and was living in the East Fork Township of what is now Faulkner County in the 1870 census. Elizabeth Wilcox married Barzilla T. Elliott in October 1868 in what is now Faulkner County, Arkansas. They also lived in the East Fork Township of current Faulkner County, Arkansas. William Wilcox was living in his sister Elizabeth's and brother-in-law's household in the 1870 census and married Abby McInturff in Conway County, Arkansas in 1871. They later moved to Scott County, Arkansas on the Oklahoma border and then into Oklahoma. These families had moved to Arkansas prior to George Wayne Wilcox and his family moving to the same area in the 1880's. It is possible these were first cousins (and would have been friends of Edy C. Byrd also), but also support the possibility that these were the siblings versus cousins of George.

- Several of the neighbors of the Hiram Wilcox family from Cherokee County, Alabama, also moved to the Conway County (Faulkner County) area in Arkansas. These include the Love, Nixon, and Hiett families.

The most compelling circumstantial evidence for George Wayne Wilcox to be the son of Thomas Artillery WIlcox and Alia (Moore) WIlcox include: 1) his birthplace being consistently listed as TN vs AL. 2) 1860 census in Talladega County, AL in household of Thomas. 3) Marriage location in Talladega County, AL instead of Cherokee County. 4) Daughter Juliana's middle name being Artillery, which was Thomas' middle name, and was widely handed down through the children and grandchildren of Thomas Artillery Wilcox. (Also noted, that George did not include Hiram in the names of any of his sons) 5) Civil War service in 31st Alabama Infantry, in which James Artillery Wilcox and Thomas D. Wilcox, both sons of Thomas Artillery Wilcox, also served. Hiram Wilcox served in Company H of the 19th Alabama Infantry, while his oldest son, James A. Wilcox served in Company D of the 55th Regiment of the Alabama infantry. It is common for brothers to have served in the same units, and George, James Artillery, and Thomas D. all serving together in the 31st Alabama Infantry supports their having been siblings, although the 31st did enlist men from both Talladega and Cherokee Counties. 6) Proof of Service document provided for George Wayne Wilcox's pension application was provided by (James) Artillery Wilcox in 1903, stating that he had known George Wayne for 55 years. Given that Artillery was only 58 years of age in 1903, this time period is more indicative of a brother than a 1st cousin living two counties away.

If you are aware of additional sourced information regarding the above families, please provide details. However, please do not use other genealogical websites as the primary basis, since erroneous information easily perpetuates itself and has the tendency to "justify" itself as correct simply because it has been copied. That is the same origin of these two George Wayne Wilcox individuals having families reversed on this profile.

Sources

1. ↑ 1850 Census: "United States Census, 1850," database with images
   (FamilySearch Record: MHPT-PL9 : accessed 31 July 2023)
   FamilySearch Image: S3HT-6QK3-C6
   George W Wilcox (12) in Cherokee, Alabama, United States. Born in Alabama
   citing Affiliate Name: The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Affiliate Publication Number: M432; Line: 22; Digital film/folder number: 004187293; FHL microfilm: 2345; Image number: 105; Packet letter: A; Indexing batch: N01174-6.

• "United States Census, 1850", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHPT-P2T : Sun Mar 10 09:40:48 UTC 2024), Entry for Hiram Wilcox and Mary A Wilcox, 1850.