Arnolds and Vollenweiders of Fayette and Coweta

My dear friend Frances Hanson Arnold shared some information with me quite some time ago on the ancestry of her husband's family. Frances jotted down a note and asked me to take a look at it and mentioned she was interested in how the Seay family tied in to this family. Well, I haven't found the Seay connection, but, once again, I became captivated by the family and how they intertwined with and related to the families in Fayette and Coweta counties.

Frances' husband, Giles Harris Arnold, was the son of James Robert Arnold and Lena Cornelia Vollenweider, the grandson of Thomas Hardeman Arnold and Eletha Ann Cole, and William Carl Vollenweider and Lucinda Permelia Bowers, and the great-grandson of Owen Arnold and Levicey Pollard, William Cole and Susannah Gardner, and Giles Bowers and Mary Ann Morgan. Many of these families were early settlers of Coweta county.

It may take a few weeks to do these families justice, so bear with me if I hand you another two- or three-parter.

The Arnold story began when the Arnolds came from England to America in the early 1700s and settled in the area that is now Washington, D.C. William Arnold, Sr., b. abt 1700, d. abt 1774 in Virginia, married Elizabeth Bostick, b. abt. 1810, d. aft. 1774 and had five known children: William Jr. (aft. 1700-1801); Thomas (1730-); Henry (bef. 1731-) Moses (1735-); and John (bef. 1739-1815). All children were born in Virginia.

Thomas Arnold, son of William and Elizabeth Bostick Arnold, married Mary Allen in 1758 in Cumberland Co., Va. Mary was b. abt. 1735 in Va. She and Thomas Arnold had 10 children, all born in Virginia except the last, a daughter, who was born in Georgia. Their children were:

John m. Susannah W. Young; Elizabeth m. Mordecai Hill; Millie m. Edward Nix ; Betsy m. Thomas Knox ; William W. m. Agnes Jennings; Thomas m. Frances Jennings; Zachariah m. Nancy Beasley; Susannah m. Stephen Arnold; Mary m. William McLeroy; and Martha Patsy (b. in Oglethorpe Co.) m. Aquilla Greer.

William W. Arnold, son of Thomas and Mary Allen Arnold, was b. 19 Nov. 1751 in Cumberland Co., Va., d. 17 May 1832 in Oglethorpe Co., Ga. He married Agnes Jennings, b, abt. 1762 in Va. Agnes was the daughter of Robert Jennings and Rachael Patterson. William and Agnes Jennings Arnold married in 1782 and had the following children:

Allen Jennings (1782-1863) m. Jane Owen; William W. Jr. (abt 1787-1820) m. Elizabeth Echols; Moses Milton (1788-1877) m. Catherine Jones; Mary (1795-) m. Samuel Lumpkin; Sarah (Sally) (abt. 1798-1949) m. Davis Owen; and Berry (abt. 1799-1825) m. Sally Slayton.

Allen Jennings Arnold, son of William W. Arnold and Agnes Jennings, was b. 7 March 1782 in Wilkes Co., Ga., d. 3 May 1863 in Wilkes Co., Ga. He married Jane Owen 21 Dec. 1801 in Oglethorpe Co. Jane, b. 15 Dec. 1784, d. Oct. 1815, was the daughter of Glen Owen and Dorothy Hardeman. Allen and Jane Owen Arnold had the following children:

Owen (1803-1853), m. (1)Levicey Pollard, m. (2) Martha E.M. Carter; Frances Jennings (1805-1891), m. William Buchanan North; William Wynn (1807-1853), m. Chloe Ann Arnold; Juliana Hardeman (1809-) m. Edward Smith.

Owen Arnold, son of Allen and Jane Owen Arnold, married Levicey Pollard, daughter of William Pollard and Polly Allen. They had the following children:

Thomas Hardeman (1831-1911) m. Eletha Ann Cole; Juliana B. (abt. 1836-) m. Henry A. North; James Davis (1838-1910) m. Nancy Seay Owens; William Glenn (1829-) m. Carolyn Frances Unknown; Pauline Sophia (1833-). This last child is a mystery and is still being researched.

Thomas Hardeman Arnold, son of Owen and Levicey Pollard Arnold, was born 12 May 1825 in Wilkes Co., Ga. and died 31 Oct. 1911 in Coweta Co., Ga. He married Eletha Ann Cole 15 July 1851 in Monroe Co., Ga. Eletha, b. 24 Nov. 1833, d. 5 Oct. 1885, was the daughter of William Cole and Susannah Gardner. Thomas and Eletha Cole Arnold are both buried in the Sharpsburg Baptist Church Cemetery. They had the following children, all born in Coweta County:

Julia S. (1852-1915) m. Julius William Noble; Seretha (1854-1882) m. Julius William Noble; William Owen (1856-1904) m. Eula Butts; Bluford Hardeman (1858-1904) m. Delilah Madellon Summers; Thomas Moses (1860-1899) m. Frances C. Johnson; James Robert (1865-1940) m. Lena Cornelia Vollenweider; Elija Glen (1867-1951) m. Emma Frances Summers; John (1868-1869); Rosa Lee (1874-1943) m. Samuel Fuller Summers; and Allen (1878-1928) m. Clara Character.

James Robert Arnold, son of Thomas Hardeman Arnold and Eletha Ann Cole, married Lena Cornelia Vollenweider 22 Sept. 1889. She was the daughter of William Carl Vollenweider of Fayette County and Lucinda Permelia Bowers of Coweta County. Lena was born 6 Oct. 1871 and died 25 Aug. 1949. They had 11 children:

William Leonard (1890-1968), Corrie Lee (1892-1975), Annie Leathy (1894-1970); Mary Pauline (1897-1980); Thomas Lyman (1900-1973); Infant (1902-1902); Paul Eugene (1904-1973); James Clayton (1906-1981); Jesse Carl (1909-1972); Giles Harris (1911-1981); and Ralph Pierce (1914-1977).

Frances has a lot more detail and I hope you will contact her if you are connected to these Arnolds. Her e-mail is ArnoldF1916@aol.com.

Next week, I'll tell you a little more about the Vollenweiders and others behind this family.

Send stories about your Atlanta area ancestors to The Citizen, Drawer 1719, Fayetteville, GA 30214; E-mail jkilgore@thecitizennews.com or jodiek444@aol.com.

Until next week, happy hunting!

(Judy regrets that time does not permit her to do personal research for others. She will willingly share research information on her own family lines, including collateral and allied lines.)