Finding Your Folks: Frances Boyd and Mark Tidwell

For those who may be curious, my mystery caller did call back and I pointed her to the Old Campbell County Historical Society’s research room. She was thrilled to learn about it.

This week I want to explore the family of another child of William Tidwell and Mary Amelia Jones, Mark Tidwell, who married Frances Boyd.

I was quite disappointed, both in the lack of information available on the children of Frances and Mark and the inability of myself to find any more. I was only able to find information on two children — one through trustworthy records and the other from Internet sources (“iffy” at best).

But what I can do, in addition to giving you information on the two children, is give you information on Frances Boyd, who just happens to be my fourth great-aunt.

We already know Mark’s background ... that his father, William Tidwell, was the orphan of a Revolutionary War soldier ... that William and his brother, Benjamin, came from South Carolina to Georgia with their guardians, married, and made their way to the Coweta-Meriwether area where they became wealthy landowners.

Mark was born about 1813 in Putnam County, the second son and fourth child of his parents. When he was about 14, his parents moved to western Georgia and settled in the Mt. Carmel area of Meriwether County, near the Flint River and Line Creek, and practically right on the Coweta County line. It was there Mark grew to manhood and it was there he met his future bride, Frances (Fanny) Boyd, daughter of Robert Boyd and Rosannah Stewart. Frances and Mark were neighbors.

According to Bible records found which belonged to her older brother, John Boyd, Frances was born 11 Oct. 1812 in Newberry County, S.C., the next to youngest child of her parents. Frances had a younger brother, Jefferson, born in 1814, but he never shows in the family or in the censuses and probably died as a child. There were 12 children in the Boyd household and Frances saw most of them marry and leave home in Newberry — all except her brother David B. Boyd, born in 1810. David is later mentioned several times in the administration of the estate of William Tidwell, Frances’ father-in-law, as is Frances’ older brother, Hugh Boyd.

Frances’ brothers William, Hugh and Joseph Boyd, and her sister Rosannah Boyd Sloan (Richard), all married and moved to Georgia, settling in the Mt. Carmel area of Meriwether in the late 1820s and early 1830s, as shown by deeds. Her brother John was a little more adventurous and went all the way to Perry County, Ala., along with his father-in-law, John Blackburn.

Frances’s sister Mary Boyd (Atchison) remained in Newberry with her husband and later died, and her sister Jane (seen also as Jennet) married Sam Abernathy and moved from Newberry first to DeKalb County, Ga. and later to Chambers County, Ala.

Frances’ family appears in various Newberry court records and in the Newberry census from 1790- through 1830 but what happens after that can only be assumed.

In 1830, Robert and Rosannah, David and Frances Boyd, all show in the Newberry census. By 1840, Robert was in the Meriwether County census (a male, age 80-90), living with his son, William. Records show Robert bought land in Meriwether as early as 1833-1834. There is no mention of his wife in any of his transactions. So, whether Rosannah died in Newberry and Robert brought his two remaining children, David and Frances, to Meriwether, or whether Robert and Rosannah together moved with the children to Georgia is unknown. Rosannah was not alive in 1840, however, because Robert made his will that year and she is not mentioned.

Three other sons also are not mentioned in the will but appear in John’s Bible records mentioned earlier — James, Robert and Jefferson — and they are presumed to have died before 1840.

I mention Frances’ family in such detail because it is my sincere belief that they were very closely related to the family of James Boyd of the Bethany Boyds. So close, in fact, that I believe Robert Boyd and James Boyd’s grandfather, John “Buckles” Boyd, were brothers. One need only to search and compare Newberry and Meriwether court documents to discover the circumstantial but almost overwhelming evidence that would lead to this conclusion. And both Boyd families interacted with most of the Tidwells.

Mark Tidwell and Frances Boyd were married about 1837, although I was not able to find a marriage record for them in Meriwether, Coweta, Pike or Fayette counties. Their first child, Mary J. Tidwell, was born 3 Nov. 1838 so they were probably married in late 1837 or early 1838. Four boys followed Mary — all born in Meriwether County — William about 1840, Robert about 1842, John about 1845 and James about 1848.

Mark’s father died in 1837, Frances’ father died in 1847, and Mark’s mother died in 1852. With handsome inheritances received from all, it would appear this might be the time for Mark and Frances to strike out for greener pastures.

And this they did, moving first to Chambers County, Ala. (for the 1860 census) and on to Carroll County, Ga. (for the 1870 census).

Since I want to give as much detail as I can about their children, I will save the rest of the story for next week. Please write if you have anything to add to this family. I have already heard from a descendant of Benjamin Tidwell (Mark’s brother) and Martha Moody and I will include her information in a future column.

Although I don’t have time to research for you, I welcome stories about your ancestors who lived in the south metro Atlanta area. Send your stories to me at The Citizen, P.O. Drawer 1719, Fayetteville, GA 30214. By e-mail (which I prefer), I can be reached at jkilgore@thecitizen.com or JodieK444@aol.com.

Until next week, happy hunting!