The family lived in Georgia from at least 1811 to 1830. Here's how we know: Mattie's application for the War of 1812 pension states that she and Joseph were married in Washington County in 1811. Various GA Tax Digests show the Heltons in Pike and Washington Counties in the 1820's. Most likely they lived near Joseph's mother (???? still to be proved) Mary McDaniel in Washington County. And the family appears in the 1830 U.S. Census:
In the 1830 U.S. Census for GA, Joseph Helton is living in Pike County, GA. Mary is one of the females 10 - 15; she would have been about 11. In the household are one male under 5 (John H.), one male 5 - 10 (Allen), and one male 40 - 50 (Joseph). There are also one female under 5 (Elizabeth), two females 10 - 15 (Martha and Mary), and one female 30 - 40 (Mattie). Neighbors: Shaw, McSwain, Barnes, Wead, Jones, Suddth, Leadbetter, Welding, Taylor, Stewart, Milliner, Crenshaw, Nathan Vinson (who witnessed a deed for Mary McDaniel), and Jones. John McDaniel is a page over. Mary McDaniel is two pages over.
http://search.ancestry.com/iexec/?htx=View&r=an&dbid=8058&iid=4409442_00256&fn=Joseph&ln=Helton&st=r&ssrc=&pid=932423
By 1840 the family had moved to Alabama.
In the 1840 US Census for AL, Joseph Helton is in Kimbrel's, Coosa County. In the household there are one male 5 - 10 (James W.), one male 10 - 15 (John H.), one male 15 - 20 (Allen), and one male 50 - 60 (Joseph). There are one female under 5 (Eliza), one female 10 - 15 (Elizabeth), one 15 - 20 (Martha, 20ish, not yet married to Claiborn Freeman), and one 40 - 50 (Mattie). Neighbors: Gray, Bradshaw, Brown Walker, Les, Kidde, Spencer, Baker, Merredith, Haynes, Joiner, Townsend, Golding, Archibald Kimbrel.
http://search.ancestry.com/iexec?htx=View&r=an&dbid=8057&iid=4409668_00630&fn=Joseph&ln=Helton&st=r&ssrc=&pid=1427589
There is a seven-year gap between the marriage of Mary Helton to Joseph Davis in 1833 (Pike County, GA) and Martha Ann Helton and Claiborn Freeman in 1841 (Tallapoosa County, AL). Mary would have been 15 at her marriage; Martha was 22. Why the difference? One wonders—especially considering that Claiborn (many spellings to his name) would have been about 46 when they married....
...At any rate Martha married Claiborn Freeman on December 19, 1841, in Tallapoosa County. She was 22ish and he was 46ish. But potent. They had several children in the normal course:
• Fleming about 1843
• John M. about 1845
• Jessie M. about 1848
• George W. about 1850
Thus:
In the 1850 US Census for AL, Martha Freeman is living in Tallapoosa County. She is 35, married to Claburn, born GA. In 1850 Claburn Fruman (reads as Freeman, lists as Fruman) is living in Twp 19, Tallapoosa County, AL. He is 54, born GA, a farmer, $100 in real estate, can't read or write. In the household are Martha, 35, Fleming (looks like "Henry"), 8, John, 6, Jessie M., 4, George W., 4/12, Roda Freeman, 90, female, born VA, Nancy, 60, born GA, and James (brother?) born AL. Next door is Francys Fruman, 40, born GA, Rebecca, 18, Westly, 12, Green, 10, Susan, 8, and Littlebery, 7, all born AL. Other neighbors are Barker, Wilder, Haynes, Kern, Simmons, Shackleford, Evans, Watkins, Jones, Vikery, Jeremiah Evans, Charles Chitwood (Chatwood), Bartley Rodgers, James A. Eddins, Edmond Rix, James Simmons.
http://search.ancestry.com/iexec?htx=View&r=an&dbid=8054&iid=4191540-00468&fn=Claburn&ln=Fruman&st=d&ssrc=&pid=16802804
Claiborn died in 1852. See below for proof.
I haven't found any candidates for Martha in the 1855 State Census for AL.
Claiborn died in 1852. See below for proof.
I haven't found any candidates for Martha in the 1855 State Census for AL.
In the 1860 US Census for AL, Martha Freeman is living in Beat 8, Realtown P.O. Western Division, Tallapoosa County. She is 40, has $200 in real estate, $150 personal property, born GA. In the same household are John, 14, Jessie M., 12, George W., 10, and Rebecca J., 1, and Nancy Freeman, 70, born GA. All the rest are born AL. Neighbors include Tabitha B. Baird, James Dent, Martin B. Echols (where son Fleming Freeman is a worker), Walden, Susan Freeman, Burron, Elijah Freeman, and Henry Rix, circuitously related through wife Ann Susanah Eddins, whose brother Blakely married Martha's younger sister Elizabeth.
http://search.ancestry.com/iexec?htx=View&r=an&dbid=7667&iid=4211198_00206&fn=Martha&ln=Freeman&st=d&ssrc=&pid=12719222
According to Martha's application for his War of 1812 pension application, Claiborn died in 1852. Thus the child Rebecca aged 1 living with her in the 1860 Census is clearly not her child with Claiborn, but may be a child of John, Jesse, or another Freeman; or even a grandchild.
In 1863 Martha applied for a survivor's pension based on son Fleming's Civil War service. This pension lists her as living in Tallapoosa County in care of Durden. "Durden" has also been spelled "Darden." There were Durden and Darden families in Tallapoosa from 1840 on. Possibly Martha was living with Elizabeth or Jacob Durden/Darden. In 1860 Jacob was living near neighbors often found around Martha. Here's the link to the pension listing:
http://www.archives.alabama.gov/civilwar/soldier.cfm?id=65624
In the 1866 State Census for AL, there's a Martha Freeman living in Chambers County. It's possible this is our Martha, but we can't say for sure. There's no elder male in the household, so that matches. Chambers County is adjacent to Tallapoosa County, so proximity increases the likelihood. However, in the household are one male 10 - 20, one female 0 - 10, two females 10 - 20, and one female 30 - 40. One female could be Rebecca, but who are the other three people? Martha would have been about 47, so the age of the elder female doesn't match up exactly. The corner of the page is torn, so there are no other entries that could give us more data. My guess is that this IS Martha, but it's impossible to know.
In the 1870 US Census for AL, Martha Freeman is living in Reeltown Beat, Tallapoosa County. She is 41, keeping house, born GA. Also in the household are Tabitha Bard (Baird), 67, $1000, $450; and Robert Bard, a farm laborer, both born GA. White neighbors include Reaves, Sawtelle, Martin Echols (who employed Martha's son Fleming in 1860), Drew (Drury) Pool, McKissock, Boland.
http://search.ancestry.com/iexec?htx=View&r=an&dbid=7163&iid=4257740_00292&fn=Tabitha&ln=Bard&st=d&ssrc=&pid=12986725
I haven't found Martha in the 1880 U.S. Census yet, but according to her pension application for Claiborn's War of 1812 service, she was in Texas by 1875. Thanks to Barbara Graham who posted an image of the index card:
Maiden name of wife: Martha Helton
Marriage date: December 19, 1841
Residence of widow: 1875 Austin County (Buckport P.O.) Tex; 1888 Navarro County (Dresden P.O) Tex.
http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/29058937/person/12516833766/media/1?pgnum=1&pg=0&pgpl=pid%7cpgNum
In the 1900 US Census for TX there is a Martha Freeman living in Maclennan County, TX, 81, with Morgan, who may be Martha. In the 1900 US Census for TX, Martha Freeman is living in McClennan County, Justice Precinct 7, District 91, in the household of Delbert Morgan. She is 81, born Sept. 1818, widowed, wife’s grandmother, born TX, parents born TX. Also in the household are Delbert, 20, Georgie, 18, and Merrion Medders, 13, female, a boarder, but I bet related through the Heltons and the Meadows and the Pullens.
http://content.ancestry.com/Browse/view.aspx?dbid=7602&path=Texas.McLennan.Justice+Precinct+7.91.16&fn=Delbert&ln=Morgan&st=d&pid=70839515&rc=&zp=75
According to Findagrave.com Martha died on August 1, 1901, and is buried in Osage Cemetery, Osage, Coryell County, TX.
And finally, thanks again to Barbara Graham, there's a picture of Martha Helton from late in her life. The picture is here:
http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/29058937/person/12516834023/media/b3b36ac2-89e9-40c6-ba0c-641dce24046b?pg=32768&pgpl=pid
A long, eventful life filled with love and loss.
And finally, thanks again to Barbara Graham, there's a picture of Martha Helton from late in her life. The picture is here:
http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/29058937/person/12516834023/media/b3b36ac2-89e9-40c6-ba0c-641dce24046b?pg=32768&pgpl=pid
A long, eventful life filled with love and loss.