Finding Your Folks: Miscellaneous Byram family info

I know I promised you James and Henry Parker this week (both children of Martha Byram and John Parker) but they will have to wait. Several things need to be discussed before we continue.

Regarding the Prince family in last week's column: I had mentioned that I could not find any evidence of the relationship of Anderson Prince who married Mary E. Parker and William Prince who married Cassie Louisa Parker, both daughters of Martha Byram and John Parker. After the column was printed, I received an email from Chris Wren, a descendant of Martha and John Parker, who showed evidence that Anderson and William were brothers. Common sense would have led to that conclusion (brothers marrying sisters was a more than common occurrence back then) but I had nothing to base it on.

The 1850 census of Pike County shows Anderson Prince, age 11, and William Prince, age 4, as sons of Joseph (39) and Louisa (37) Prince, both born in Georgia. There were also several other children. The Prince family was sandwiched in between two Jones families and was two households from a Spurlin family (remember that John Parker's first wife was a Spurlin(g).

In 1870, Anderson and William Prince are both in Coweta County, living next door to each other (households 416 and 417) in Senoia. The name is often enumerated as "Price." There is no doubt they were brothers.

Another thing I wanted to tell you is that I received my CD which contains the book, "The Maxeys of Virginia," by Edythe Maxey Clark. Although it does not contain any proof positive that Lucinda and Clarissa Byram were Beverly Byram's daughters, it does contain a lot of material on other Pike County families. The Maxeys appear to have moved almost their entire family from Pike County to Mississippi by 1850 and most of them stayed there. One can see, by marriages, names of other families who were in Pike County previously.

It also showed that the Maxeys came to Georgia and settled first in Oglethorpe County, then Jasper County, then Pike. One very exciting connection was a John Stewart who married Sally/Sarah Maxey, daughter of Walter and Ann Swanson Maxey. One of Martha Byram Parker's sons, James Parker, married a daughter of a John Stewart and it will be interesting to dig in and see if this is the same John Stewart. Just as an aside, Walter Maxey was also the father of Yelvington (Yelverton) Maxey who was the father of James Jackson and John Maxey who married the Byram girls, Clarissa and Lucinda. If they were daughters of Beverly Byram, Martha Byram Parker would have been their sister. Definitely worth looking into.

This book is an excellent reference, well documented and sourced. It was interesting to note that the author also had trouble finding complete records in Pike County. She also had to put together the family/children of Walter and Ann Swanson Maxey the same way I'm having to do Beverly Byram's family, and that is "possible" and "probable" children, in the absence of records.

I also heard from John Byram, author of the book, "Byrams in America," who sent me an updated file on his Virginia Byrams. The update includes Beverly Byram but only gives one child, Clarissa. I told John I would get back to him after I completed my research on Beverly's family.

And last, I received an honest-to-gosh letter (with a stamp and everything) from Joyce C. Heiser of Durant, Okla., who gave me some more Byram information. I have some reservations about part of it but wanted to pass it on so that all of you can mull over it and tell me what you think. Joyce writes:

"My great-great grandmother was Jane Byram born about 1806 in North Carolina. Census said her father was born in Virginia. Jane married Robert W. Cook in Mecklenburg Co., N.C. on 27 Dec. 1831. 1840 census shows the family living in Ga., Coweta Co., Cedar Creek. Shows Robert C. Cook. All their children were born in Coweta County, Ga., except one was born in Alabama. 1850 census shows the family in Randolph Co., Ala. I don't know if Jane is James A. Byram's niece or what.

"I found James A. Byram was married to Ann --?-- before he married Hannah Williamson. Three daughters: Catherine married Basil Smith, Clarissa married --- McBride, and Dicey Jane married Wm. Atchison. Catherine died 1836 and is buried in the Morgan-Attaway-Cook Cemetery in the Cedar Creek Community. If you find her related to James A. Byram please let me know. Sincerely, Joyce C. Heiser, 1209 W. Cedar St., Durant, OK 74701."

Joyce, I have heard from a couple of other researchers who said that Catherine was James A. Byram's daughter and two who said she was his sister. I sincerely believe that all of James A. Byram's children were taken care of in his will. He was so explicit in naming them all, even the grandchildren of his deceased children, I don't believe he would have left out any of his children, whether from a first or second marriage. I do believe Catherine is related and I also believe that the Turner Byram everyone insists on attaching to James and Hannah is connected to Catherine Byram and Basil Smith. Turner was living with this family in 1850. However, I doubt that Turner is the son of James.

As for a first wife named Ann, according to generally accepted research, James A. Byram's grandfather, also a James Byram, is said to have been married to an Ann. I would be very interested in any theories others may have.

Next week: back to the family of Beverly Byram.

Family histories about your ancestors who lived on Atlanta's south side are always welcome. Send them to jkilgore@thecitizen.com or JodieK444@aol.com. Mail to The Citizen, P.O. Drawer 1719, Fayetteville, GA 30214. All letters and e-mails I receive are subject to being used in the column.