Wallingford/Jarlov Family Trees

Annie Debell Wallingford

Written by Nick Wallingford
4 September 2008

Annie Debell Wallingford was the eighth of nine children of Thomas Ginn ("T.G.") Wallingford and his wife Evaline Debell. Of the children who lived to adulthood, we probably know less about her than any of the others. This set of notes attempts to summarise what I have been able to confirm...

ANNIE'S EARLY YEARS

Annie was born on 15 February 1867. The entry in the family bible is faint, written onto the bottom of a page. T.G. and Evaline were still living in the Retreat area of Grimes County, Texas, at that time.

http://qwerty.geek.nz/media/Wallingford/WallingfordBible/bible4.jpg (Wallingford Bible: Birth of Annie Debell Wallingford)

http://wikimapia.org/#lat=30.2593637&lon=-95.969696&z=12&l=0&m=m&v=2 (Location map for Courtney/Retreat (Retreat in centre of map))

Annie's middle name, Debell, comes from Evaline's maiden name. Though all the Debell family seems to spell it without a final 'e', Annie's name sometimes has that, but other times does not. The entry in the Wallingford Family Bible is very difficult to read, but records it as Debell.

At the time of Annie's birth, T.G. and Evaline had two girls and two boys living, as three children had already died young. The youngest of the four still living, James Monroe, died of yellow fever at the age of 9, when Annie was only 9 months old.

http://qwerty.geek.nz/media/Wallingford/WallingfordBible/bible4.jpg (Wallingford Bible: Death of James Monroe Wallingford)

T.G. and Evaline's eighth and last child, named Evaline Debell after her mother, was born when Annie was about 2 1/2 years old. This is one of few births that was not recorded into the family bible, perhaps because the mother never fully recovered from childbirth? Only a few months later, on 15 January 1870, Annie's mother Evaline died, leaving T.G. with 4 girls and a boy to raise, the oldest being Martha ("Mattie") who was not quite 14 years old. Martha Palymra Clark, a niece of T.G.'s, was living with the family as her own parents had died some years before.

http://qwerty.geek.nz/media/Wallingford/WallingfordBible/bible4.jpg (Wallingford Bible: Death of Evaline Debell Wallingford<)

Annie appears as "Anna" in the 1870 census of Grimes County with T.G., Martha ("Mattie"), Eliza, Thomas and Evaline, along with Martha Clark.

http://qwerty.geek.nz/reference/Census/1870GrimesCoTGWallingford.jpg (1870 Grimes County census: Wallingford family)

Sadly, the youngest girl, Evaline, died shortly before her fourth birthday.

http://qwerty.geek.nz/media/Wallingford/WallingfordBible/bible4.jpg (Wallingford Bible: Death of young Evaline)

We have no stories or written materials relating specifically to Annie during her youth - we have very little about any of the children in that 1870s period of time. We do know the family moved a few miles south, from Retreat to the Field's Store area, probably shortly before March 1877, which is when T.G. wrote to apply to transfer from the Retreat Lodge at Courtney to the Pleasant Hill Lodge at Field's Store.

http://qwerty.geek.nz/media/Wallingford/WallingfordTGRetreatLodge.jpg (T.G.'s application to transfer to Field's Store)

In June 1880 Annie (now 13 years old) was living with her sister Mattie and her husband Robert F. Day, along with Annie's brother Robert Thomas (17) and the Day's young girl Edna (1 year old).

http://qwerty.geek.nz/reference/Census/1880WallerCoTRWallingfordWithDays.jpg (1880 Waller County census: Day family )

T.G. was boarding nearby. I cannot confirm the actual locations, but the Day's were family number 74 on the census, and T.G. was boarding with James L. and Maria Boulware, enumerated as family number 8. T.G., incidentally, was the census taker for this area, possibly related in some way to his job as a constable for the area.

http://qwerty.geek.nz/reference/Census/1880WallerCoThomasGWallingford.jpg (1880 Waller County census: J.L. Boulware with T.G. boarding)

James L. Boulware is shown as a "merchant" on the census, but it is not clear in what capacity. While James himself does not get directly related into our family, it is time to look at the Boulware family overall...

THE BOULWARES COME TO TEXAS

Musco and Serena Lewis Boulware moved from South Carolina to Florida sometime shortly after 1850, having had three boys (at least two were living, not sure about the other). In Florida, they continue to have more children - after having had 6 boys in a row, they had 4 daughters!

http://qwerty.geek.nz/reference/Census/1860AlachuaCoFLBoulware.jpg (1860 Alachua County, Florida, census: Boulware family)

http://qwerty.geek.nz/reference/Census/1870AlachuaCoFLBoulware.jpg (1870 Alachua County, Florida, census: Boulware family)

Sometime after July 1870, the family moved to the Field's Store area of Texas.

The 1880 Waller County census shows Musco and Serena with two boys and three girls, living one house away from Henry and Emma Ogg. The oldest of the boys still at home was Reuben, aged 28, and listed as a 'farmer'. T.G., remember, was boarding nearby with Reuben's brother James.

http://qwerty.geek.nz/reference/Census/1880WallerCoReubenBoulware.jpg (1880 Waller County census: Boulware)

WHAT DID ANNIE DO IN 1881???

Now comes something of a mystery, but one with enough clues that I think I can draw some conclusions...

On 3 October 1881, T.G.'s older brother Hiram wrote to him from Indiana, saying:

"I am so glad to once more hear from you and learn that you are well, my dear Brother I can sympathise with you in regard to the conduct of your Daughter Annie, I had the same trial to undergo, it was the hardest trial of my life up to that time, and I thought that I never would get over it and never could forgive her - and I cant forget it yet, but time and circumstances will change our feelings, so you must try and make matters as pleasant as you can and do as near right as you possibly can, two rongs don't make a right, and this matter may ultimately turn out better than you may imagine, but you have my heart felt sympathy - and I hope you will bear it with fortitude and do nothing that you will have to regret."

Later in the same letter, he wrote of his wife Hannah:

"... your Sister Hannah says give you her best love. She is sitting by me at this time she says to tell you to forgive your young erring child and try and treat her kindly as a child."

http://qwerty.geek.nz/reference/WallingfordTGLetters/1881Oct03_HiramToTG.pdf (Letter: Hiram to T.G., 3 October 1881)

Annie would be about 14 1/2 at this time, and probably still living with Mattie and Robert Day. It is my guess that Annie got unexpectedly pregnant - it sure seems to be one of the best answers to the questions raised by Hiram's writing to T.G.

We do not have evidence of any child born to her to fit this time frame, however. It could be that the pregnancy did not go to full term, that the child died at birth, or perhaps died soon after - assuming that my guess about the pregnancy is right!

We do know, however, that Annie and Reuben Boulware had a child a year later - Lena (sometimes called "Mattie") was born 24 September 1882, just one week short of a year from the time Hiram wrote the letter to T.G.

At the time of that birth, Annie was 15 1/2 - and Reuben was 30!

The only other record of Annie from these early 1880s is the mention in a later letter (1900) from Joseph Power, an attorney from Kentucky, that in August 1884 T.G. had a power of attorney to sort out some Debell estate matters, one of them being Anna D. Boulware.

http://qwerty.geek.nz/reference/WallingfordTGLetters/1900_JWPowersToTGWallingford.pdf (Letter: Joseph Power to T.G., January 1900)

THE 1890s...

Annie and Reuben continued to have children through the 1880s and 1890s. In the 1900 Waller County census, they are shown living next door to Andrew Campbell. As Will Sorsby is listed a few households earlier, I believe this would place them on the current FM 1488, just before it makes the hard right hand turn before approaching Field's Store from the west.

Living with them are Mattie L. ("Lena"), Frank R. (also called "Roy" sometimes), Annie V. ("Verna"), Thomas and Katie. The census records that Annie had 7 children, 5 of whom were still alive. As we know of only one child (Ruby, born in 1885) who will have died by this time, it adds credibility to an earlier birth of which we have no details...

Also living with the family at that time is Edna Day, Annie's niece. Given that T.G. was actively working to sort out an inheritance for Edna and her brother Edwin at this time, and paying taxes on a piece of land they owned, gives credence to a belief that T.G. did get along with the family, though we'll probably never know more details.

http://qwerty.geek.nz/reference/Census/1900WallerCoBoulwareCampbell.jpg (1900 Waller County census: Boulwares and Edna Day)

http://qwerty.geek.nz/media/Wallingford/DayWallingford/DayELTax.jpg (Receipt: Tax payment for Day land)

THE GUNFIGHT...

But one of the most dramatic things that happened during the early 1890's was a gunfight in Waller, involving both T.G. Wallingford, his son Robert and his son-in-law Reuben Boulware.

It was reported on 10 November 1892 that an argument between two men concerning an election bet led to a shooting, leaving one man (Charles Quinn) dead and another (C. McConnell) mortally wounded. Involved on the other side of the dispute were Tom Wallingford, Sr., Reuben Boulware and Joe Woods.

The coroner's inquest revealed that the original cause of the trouble was an old grudge. The brother of Quinn had brought a Winchester to the polls and made threats. Boulware, Wood and Wallingford had bail set at $500 each, to answer at the next term of the district court.

On 12 February 1893, at a habeas corpus hearing, Boulware, Wood and Wallingford were charged with the murder of Charles Quinn on 8 November 1892. They applied for bail until the trial. One witness before the grand jury (not named) refused to answer a question. When threatened by the judge with a $100 fine and being put in jail, the witness "promised to act the part of a good citizen" and was told to "go and sin no more." Bail was granted. Boulware and Wood had theirs set at $2,500, Wallingford at $1,000.

The trial was held over until the next term due to a shortage of time, with the defendants "anxious for a trial". District Attorney Pinckney had pushed the criminal docket from the start, with no civil cases having been heard at all during the term.

On 16 August 1894 a two day trial in Hempstead resulted in Joe Woods being acquitted. The case against T.G. Wallingford was dismissed on the motion of the district attorney. Reuben Boulware's case was moved, on motion of the court, to Austin County for final trial. City Marshall Goss was found 'not guilty' of killing Hugh Quinn, ruling he did it through self-defense. Hugh Quinn was an uncle of Charles Quinn.

More than a year later, on 14 January 1896, the case against Reuben Boulware finally went to trial; he was found 'not guilty several days later...

http://www.qwerty.geek.nz/reference/WallingfordTGNewspaperArticles/1892-11-10-Election-tragedy.pdf

http://www.qwerty.geek.nz/reference/WallingfordTGNewspaperArticles/1892-11-11-Released-on-bond.pdf

http://www.qwerty.geek.nz/reference/WallingfordTGNewspaperArticles/1893-02-12-Habeas-corpus-hearing.pdf

http://www.qwerty.geek.nz/reference/WallingfordTGNewspaperArticles/1893-02-14-Allowed-bail.pdf

http://www.qwerty.geek.nz/reference/WallingfordTGNewspaperArticles/1893-02-25-Trial-continues.pdf

http://www.qwerty.geek.nz/reference/WallingfordTGNewspaperArticles/1893-08-09-Change-of-venue.pdf

http://www.qwerty.geek.nz/reference/WallingfordTGNewspaperArticles/1894-08-16-Acquitals-except-Boulware.pdf

http://www.qwerty.geek.nz/reference/WallingfordTGNewspaperArticles/1896-01-14-Boulware-trial-continues.pdf

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CHILDREN?

Annie and Reuben had two more children - Owen and Joe Howard - in the next few years, and one more child (Thomas) died at age 8, in early 1903 - seemingly of "congestion". Thomas Edwin's death certificate must have been one of the very earliest to be recorded in Waller County...

In general terms, the family seems to have gravitated to Hempstead from the Field's Store area, for the most part.

Lena lived in Hempstead for the last five years of her life, dying in 1919 from pneumonia at the age of 36. It does not appear that she ever married.

http://qwerty.geek.nz/reference/DeathCertificates/BoulwareLenaDeathCert.jpg (Death certificate: Lena Boulware)

Roy was a butcher in Hempstead. In 1930 he was living with his Aunt Mamie (sister of Reuben) in Waller County. He died in 1943, aged 54. He, too, appeared to never have married.

http://qwerty.geek.nz/reference/Census/1930WallerCoMamieAndRoyBoulware.jpg (1930 Waller County census: Mamie and Roy Boulware)

http://qwerty.geek.nz/reference/DeathCertificates/BoulwareRoyDeathCert.jpg (Death certificate: Roy Boulware)

Verna was living in Austin at the time of Lena's death in 1919 - she came back to Waller County and acted as the informant for her death certificate. She is reported to have married William ("Willie") Irwin Ethridge in Austin, Texas, in March 1920. She was still, however, in June 1920 shown with the name Boulware as an attendant at the State Lunatic Asylum in Austin, Texas. When married, Verna and Willie moved to Bessemer, Alabama (Willie was born in Alabama) and they had four children. Annie Verna lived until 1976, dying in Bessemer, Alabama (a suburb of Birmingham), aged 84.

http://qwerty.geek.nz/reference/Census/1920TravisCoVernaBoulware.jpg (1920 Travis County census: Verna Boulware at the State Lunatic Asylum)

http://qwerty.geek.nz/reference/Census/1930JeffersonCoALVernaBoulwareEthridge.jpg (1930 Jefferson County, Alabama, census: Verna and her family)

http://www.wikimapia.org/#lat=33.379996&lon=-86.9600487&z=13&l=0&m=m&v=2&search=bessemer.%20alabama (Location map: Bessemer, Jefferson County, Alabama)

Katie married Joseph Luther Mason and lived to the age of nearly 78, dying in 1975. In 1930, her Aunt Eliza ("Lide") and Lide's son Vernon were living with the family in Harris County. Kate and her husband later lived at 207 Moore Street, Navasota.

http://qwerty.geek.nz/reference/Census/1930HarrisCoMason.jpg (1930 Harris County census: Mason family)

http://qwerty.geek.nz/reference/DeathCertificates/MasonKatieBoulwareDeathCert.jpg (Death certificate: Katie Mason)

Owen appeared in the 1920 Waller County census sharing a house with his first cousin, Arthur Moore, Sr. Owen worked as a laborer for the State of Texas, working on the roads, and died in 1936 (age 35) when a truck turned over while he was working in Hempstead. His chest was crushed and he died before reaching the hospital.

http://qwerty.geek.nz/reference/DeathCertificates/BoulwareOwenDeathCert.jpg (Death certificate: Owen Boulware)

We know nothing of Joe Howard, apart from the fact he was the last child to be born. He very likely died before 1910, as he was not on that census with the family.

Finishing Off

In the 1910 Waller County census, the Boulwares had five children still with them: Lena, Roy, Verna, Katie and Owen.

http://qwerty.geek.nz/reference/Census/1910WallerCoBoulware.jpg (1910 Waller County census: Boulware family)

We know very little about the deaths of either Annie or Reuben. Annie died 27 June 1912, at the age of 44. Reuben will very likely have died before 1920 (as he is not on the census then) but I have not found any details at all.

Annie in the early 1880s appears to have been T.G.'s "problem child". Presumably, given all the later family interactions, she was fully forgiven by the irascible T.G. - we have no records, or even family stories, to describe most of the interactions of T.G. and Annie Debell's family. Maybe someday we'll learn more...