Finding Your Folks: Narrowing the ‘Mary Tidwell’ field

I couldn’t stand it. After finishing the column last week and still having so many unanswered questions, I trotted down to the Coweta County Courthouse last Friday to see if I could find anything that would throw some light on our Mary E. Tidwell situation.

Two Marys — both with exactly the same names, both with fathers named Benjamin, both born just before 1840 and growing up in the same area — what are the chances of that happening? Pretty slim, huh?

The question was, which Mary Tidwell married John H. Byram and Henry Harrison Hayes and had children named Alice and Nancy Byram and Oscar Boyd Hayes? The Mary E. Tidwell shown in 1850 in the home of Benjamin Tidwell and Martha Moody, or the Mary E. Tidwell shown the same year in the home of Benjamin Tidwell and Hannah Permelia Byram? The families of both Benjamin Tidwells were claiming this Mary as theirs.

Last week I pointed out my theory that this Mary E. Tidwell was actually the daughter of Benjamin Tidwell and Nancy Boyd who married in 1837 (in Meriwether County). This Nancy Boyd may have been the sister of James Boyd, who married Milly Tidwell, sister of this Benjamin Tidwell. This particular Tidwell family had many dealings with the Boyd family in Meriwether County.

I theorized that Nancy died shortly after Mary’s birth (as was unfortunately so often the case) and Benjamin, finding himself with an infant and no mother to care for her, married Martha Moody in 1840. Martha raised Mary and she appears in subsequent censuses as if she were Martha’s daughter.

The problem cropped up when I found a notation in the Coweta Cemeteries book that Mary Tidwell Byram Hayes was the daughter of Benjamin Tidwell (No. 2) and his wife, Hannah Permelia Byram who were married in 1832. This couple did, indeed, have a daughter named Mary E. Tidwell.

After my courthouse visit and a little more research, I think I have found more evidence which indicates that our Mary E. Tidwell is more likely connected to the family of Benjamin Tidwell (No. 1) and Martha Moody rather than to that of Benjamin Tidwell (No. 2) and Hannah Permelia Byram.

Accepting this evidence may involve changing some resources which are already in print and I hope nobody gets his nose out of joint over it. The bottom line, and what we all should strive for, is to get the information right, even if it means backing up and taking another look at research that has been accepted for years.

The first thing I found at the courthouse was the estate of John F. Byram, first husband of Mary E. Tidwell, which was administered in Coweta County in 1863. The administrator of the estate was Isham J. Moody, brother of Martha Moody. Isham, along with John Brock, posted a security bond in the amount of $8,000. Those appointed to appraise the estate included John R. Brock, Robert Farmer, Thomas G. King, James Stamps, and B.D. Smith.

That shows one more connection of Mary E. Tidwell to the family of Benjamin No. 1 whose wife was Martha Moody. I did not come across anything which ever indicated any connection or interaction between the Moody family and Benjamin No. 2.

The other evidence I came across was the will of James Byram, father of John F. Byram above. Among the children named in the will was one Hannah P. Tidwell, who was the wife of Benjamin No. 2. Now think a minute.

If Hannah Permelia Byram Tidwell and John F. Byram were brother and sister, and Mary Tidwell (supposed to be the daughter of Hannah Permelia Byram Tidwell) married John H. Byram, she would have married her mother’s brother, in other words, her uncle, however you see it.

Isn’t that a little too close a relationship, even for those times? I think that was what finally clinched it for me. I do not believe this child married her uncle.

If you are a member of this family and have evidence to the contrary, I really hope you’ll let me know.

And, just to round out the information I found at the courthouse, the administration of John F. Byram’s estate was turned over to his wife, Mary E. Byram, after Isham J. Moody petitioned the court to be dismissed. His reason was that he was “leaving the state.”

Looking at the date, 1863, I would be willing to bet that Isham was going off to fight in the Civil War. In December of 1863, Mary took over and posted bond in the amount of $10,000 with Richmond C. Bridges as security.

The will of James Byram, John F. Byram’s father, in addition to naming John F. Byram and Hannah Permelia Byram Tidwell as children, named other children as James A. Byram, Andrew J. Byram, Upton W. Byram, Jean A. Byram, Hannah P. Tidwell, Martha C. Cook, and Amy Brock. Grandchildren named were John Mellon, Lenora Mellon, Hannah L. Mellon, Ann Mellon, Zenas Mellon, James E. Mellon, James Tidwell, James Robinson, Frances Williamson and Hannah P. Hogan. Executors were Upton W. Byram, James A. Byram and John F. Byram, and witnesses were G.W. Arnold, William Cathcart, and Joseph Attaway.

I am reasonably certain that the above reflects an accurate assessment of the Mary E. Tidwell situation. What happened to the other one, I do not know. Those who have a copy of the Coweta Cemeteries book may want to make a notation on page 454 that there is a question about the research on Mary E. Tidwell Byram Hayes.

I welcome stories about your ancestors who lived in the south metro Atlanta area. Send your stories to The Citizen, P.O. Drawer 1719, Fayetteville, GA 30214, or e-mail jkilgore@thecitizen.com or JodieK444@aol.com.

Until next week, happy hunting!