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Genealogy: Finding Your Folks

The Benjamin Franklin Harper family

By Judy Fowler Kilgore

In recognition of the upcoming 150th anniversary of Bethany United Methodist Church, for the next few months we will be running genealogies of several of the families who rest in its historic cemetery. Bethany is in north Fayette County not far from Fairburn and the Fulton County line.

This week we feature the family of Benjamin Franklin Harper and Mary Elizabeth Patton. As of 1977 when the Fayette County cemeteries book was published, the Harper family was represented in Bethany’s cemetery by more graves than any other family.

The following genealogy was submitted by Mary Harper whose husband is a descendant of Benjamin Franklin Harper.

Benjamin Franklin Harper was born 1 Aug. 1817 in Putnam County to John and Leah (Maddox) Harper. Before the 1830 census John Harper had located his large family in Pike County.

On 16 Feb. 1841 Benjamin Franklin married Mary Ann Elizabeth Patton, the daughter of James and Elizabeth (Hunt) Patton. She was born 2 Feb. 1822.

After the 1850 census was taken, he bought land in Fayette County and moved his growing family there. They settled in the Bethany community where they became active members in the Bethany United Methodist Church.

Benjamin Franklin Harper served in the Civil War as a guard at Andersonville Prison. He was a private in Co. J, 1st (Fannin’s) Georgia Reserves. He was described on his pay voucher as being of ruddy complexion with blue eyes and dark hair. He was 46 years old and six feet tall.

Mary Patton died 6 March 1895 and she was buried in the Bethany UMC cemetery. After a respectable period of mourning, Benjamin Franklin married a second time to Mary Jane Starr on 10 March 1896 in Douglas County. She was the widow of Thomas Goodwin Hunt, a relative of his wife. Mary Jane Starr was born 20 June 1843 and died 22 Aug. 1906. She is buried at Pray’s Mill cemetery in Douglas County.

Benjamin Franklin Harper made his will on 11 Jan. 1897 in Fayette County and named all his children in his will. He died 20 Jan. 1897, and was buried in Bethany UMC Cemetery beside his first wife.

Benjamin and Mary Ann Elizabeth (Patton) Harper had 11 children, probably the first six were born in Pike County and the last five were born in Fayette County. Those children include:

1. James Patton Harper, born 22 June 1842, died 21 June 1919. He married (1) Narcissa Jane Harris on 5 Oct. 1865 and (2) Elizabeth Whitaker on 7 Oct. 1887. James Patton and Narcissa Harper are buried at Bethany UMC cemetery.

2. Martha A. E. Harper, born 6 Oct. 1844, died 19 Dec. 1920. She married (1) George W. Stinchcomb 20 Dec. 1871 and (2) Thomas Patrick Weir.

3. Emily Jane Harper, born 9 April 1846, died 3 Aug 1879. She married James William Rivers on 18 Dec. 1866. They are buried at Bethany UMC cemetery.

4. John Hunt Harper, born 2 Dec. 1847, died 8 April 1916. He married (1) Sarah V. Harper on 12 Jan 1869, then her sister (2) Eliza J. Harper. J. H. Harper and both his wives are buried at Bethany UMC cemetery.

5. Robert Franklin Harper, born 27 Sept. 1830, died 15 Jan. 1919. He married

(1) Martha Alice Hoffman on 25 Sept. 1873, (2) Missouri Jones on 12 June 1884,

and (3) Cora Bell Gable on 2 June 1891. Robert Franklin and two of his wives

are buried at Bethany UMC cemetery.

6. William N. Harper, born 23 Feb. 1853, died 23 March 1857.

7. Rebecca Adeline Harper, born 20 June 1855, died 16 March 1930. She married (1) Zachary Taylor Ellington on 8 Dec. 1870 and (2) Henry Thomas Rivers on 7 Jan. 1896. Rebecca Adeline and Zachary Taylor Ellington are buried at Bethany UMC cemetery.

8. Mary Leah Frances Harper, born 12 April 1858, died 29 Oct. 1938. She married James Lafayette Boyd on 12 June 1875. They are buried at Bethany UMC cemetery.

9. William Benjamin Blanton Harper, born 26 Sept. 1860, died 11 March 1943. He married Martha “Mattie” Woods on 11 Dec. 1884.

10. Thomas M. Harper, born 19 June 1863, died 6 Aug. 1863. He is buried at Bethany UMC cemetery.

11. Sarah Elizabeth Tullulah Harper, born 12 Aug. 1864, died 18 June 1940. She married William Guthrie on 30 Dec. 1888. Sarah Elizabeth is buried at Bethany UMC cemetery.

Mary gives as her references: Harper Bible Record published by Georgia Genealogical Magazine, Winter 2003 (where there is a date discrepancy, the date on the tombstone is used); census records for 1830 Pike County; census records for 1840 Pike County; census records for 1850 Pike County; census records for 1860 Fayette County; marriage records for Pike County, courthouse, Zebulon; marriage records for Fayette County compiled by James E. Harper; marriage records for Douglas County, online; tombstones, Bethany UMC cemetery; will of Benjamin Franklin Harper dated 11 Jan. 1897; and Benjamin Franklin Harper’s Civil War records.

Mary has been doing Harper family genealogy for many, many years and I really appreciate her help with the genealogies of these families. She has promised to send more. As you can see, many of the surnames of families who married into the Harper family may also be found on numerous gravestones at Bethany.

I encourage all of you to send your genealogies on those buried at Bethany so that we can honor these founding families on the church’s 150th anniversary.

I welcome all letters and e-mails about genealogy and info on south metro Atlanta families. Send them to The Citizen, P.O. Drawer 1719, Fayetteville, GA 30214; e-mail jkilgore@thecitizennews.com or jodiek444@aol.com. Any letters and/or e-mails I receive are subject to being used in the column.

Until next week, happy hunting!