Bad Links?
Other glitches?
Notify Webmaster

Genealogy: Finding Your Folks

Dr. John Rivers and Sarah Hunt Rivers, Part 2

By Judy Fowler Kilgore

This week we continue with the second half of the story on John and Sarah Hunt Rivers who have many descendants buried at Bethany United Methodist Church in Fayette County. This story was researched jointly by Mary M. Harper of Florida (Maryharper@cfl.rr.com) and Tom Howle of Fayetteville (thowle@mindspring.com), and was submitted by Mary.

Sources include: Bethany cemetery headstones; Carol King Garrett family group sheet; Family Puzzlers #647, March 11, 1980, “Robert Rivers Bible Record,” copied about 1952 by Mrs. Leonard (Dorothy) Yoder from the original Bible in the possession of Tabitha Adeline Rivers Blackman; Kirkpatrick, W. E., manuscript, p. 99-101; partition deed, Deed Book H, Page 194, dated Nov. 13, 1847, Pike County, Ga.; and the will of Judkins Hunt, Bk. F, pp 177-179, Hancock Co., Ga., probated Jan. 5, 1818.

John and Sarah Hunt Rivers had 13 children: Mary; Thomas; Martha; Joel; John; Robert Augustus; Elizabeth (Betsy) Green; William Judkins; Nancy Couls; Sarah; James Hunt; Caroline Turner; and Rebecca Ann Franklin. We left off last week with child no. 4, Joel Rivers.

Picking up with child No. 5, Mary writes:

“5. John Rivers was born 26 Aug 1806 in Hancock County, and married 19 Feb. 1829 Elizabeth C. Harper in Pike County. He lived in Kemper County, Miss. by 1837, but died in Newton County on 21 April 1885. His wife died before 1870 in Mississippi. He had nine children: Sarah Comfort m. John McLaurin; John Wesley m. Mildred Ann Boyd. John Wesley died in September 1854 and Mildred m. (2) John M. Howle; Francis A.; Rebecca C.; Harriet A.; Leah W.; Eliza E.; Thomas Hays m. Harriet Melissa Smith; and Lula. (Partition Deed, Bible Record.)

“6. Robert Augustus Rivers, born 15 Jan. 1809 in Hancock County, married Jane Caroline Harper on 28 Nov. 1833 in Pike County. He died 20 June 1891 and is buried in Bethany Cemetery next to his wife.

“In a letter to his nephew in Mississippi, Robert told him that his land was near Campbell County, but in Fayette County. He said the county line ran through his corn crib. His children were John Franklin; Sarah Elizabeth married John Lester (both bur. Bethany Cemetery); William Thomas; James Judkins; Robert A., Jr. married Eliza Elaine Simpler (dau. of William Simpler and Sarah Lester); Eliza Ann married Z. T. Spier (bur. Bethany Cemetery); Josiah Nunally married (1) Rebecca Digby (both bur. Bethany Cemetery), (2) Sarah ‘Shug’ Dewberry (bur. Bethany Cemetery) and (3) Mrs. Effie Pyron; Wyatt Appleton; Epsi Caroline; and Tabitha Adeline married Blackman Lee Thornton. (Bible Record. Partition Deed.)

“7. Elizabeth “Betsy” Green Rivers, born 12 March 1811, married Edmond Jackson Horton on 27 March 1836 in Jasper County. Moved to Sumter County, Alabama. She died about 1853. They had six children: John Thomas; William J.; Sarah A. E.; Stephen W.; Eliza Jain; and Mary Adeline who m. John Wesley Seale. (Bible Record. Partition Deed)

“8. William Judkins Rivers, born 21 August 1813, died before 1847. (Bible Record.)

“9. Nancy Couls Rivers, born 9 Dec. 1815, married 1 May 1834 Thomas Holsey. They had eight children: Robert; Joel A.; James W.; Martha C.; John G.; Mary Jane; Rebecca N.; and Cornelia F. (Bible Record. Partition Deed.)

“10. Sarah Rivers, born 30 Nov. 1817, married 26 Jan. 1836 John C. Horton in Pike County. Moved to Mississippi. She had ten children: William; John; James; Robert; Joel; Alfred; Nancy C.; H. R.; S. J.; and H. E. (Bible Record.)

“11. James Hunt Rivers, born 13 Dec. 1819, married 24 Jan. 1843 Harriet Caroline Leake. He died 3 May 1882. He had three children: Robert Leake; John Garlington m. Marzillie Annette Thomas; and Richard Quinnie m. Addie Pearl Davis. (Bible Record. Partition Deed.)

“12. Caroline Turner Rivers, born 22 Jan. 1822, married 5 Dec. 1839 to Edward C. Bustin. She died 14 Feb. 1893 and is buried in Bethany Cemetery. The children were: Amanda married J. T. Spier; Sarah married John H. Ellington; John; and James. Both sons died young. James was 18 years old when he was thrown from a mule and killed. Edward C. Bustin donated the land for the Bethany Cemetery. The Bustins and all four children are buried at Bethany Cemetery. (Bible Record. Partition Deed.)

“13. Rebecca Ann Franklin Rivers, born 7 Sept. 1823, married 9 Dec. 1841 to Henry F. Jackson. Moved to Alabama. She had three children: William H.; Perlina; and James H. (Bible Record. Partition Deed.)”

I am very grateful for all the help Mary has given me researching these Bethany families and writing stories for the column. I think she has a few more up her sleeve — I know of at least one which we will do next week. Robert Franklin (Frank) Harper, son of Benjamin Franklin and Mary Ann Elizabeth Patton Harper, distinguished himself by having a total of 21 children. His story is truly amazing. A big surprise to me was discovering that one of Frank’s descendants married my first cousin — no, not a Fowler — this one is on my mother’s side. I almost fell off my chair when I was reading Frank’s story. It is truly a small world.

But Frank’s story is for next week as we continue stories and genealogies of the families buried at Bethany.

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!