Information on this page provided by additionsApril 8, 2003 contributed by Carlyine Gibson Pierce
I have heard John C. Cranfords father is William Cranford and
mother is Nancy
Littleton. John had 2 brothers who also mar. Wilkes girls; Josiah
Cranford
m.Winnifred Wilkes and Elias m.?
John Calvin Cranford was b. 1785 in N.C. He died on his farm
in Walker
Co.,Al. on 12 Feb 1868, and was bur. beside his wife Elizabeth
Wilkes in the
old family Cem. at the foot of Cranford Hill, abt. one mile north
of New Hope
Church of Christ. [ My personal note abt. the cem.; it is on a
hill and has
been strip mined all around. The graves of John and Elizabeth
would have been
lost to us had it not been for an unknown member of the family
who had
markers stating; John Cranford , Pvt. 1 Reg. SC Militia, War of
1812
1785-1868. There is also one of the grave of Elizabeth 1790-1868.]
The first
time my husband and i went there were large stones in the shape
of an old
coffin laying on top of these graves.John's brother Josiah was
in the same
regiment and had the same service as John. Their pay was $8 a
month and were
allowed 2 rations, valued at 18 cents each, while traveling from
Charleston
to their homes. According to family legend John was at the Battle
of New
Orleans. He enlisted as a private in Col. Means's First Regiment
of South
CArolina, on Mar 7, 1815, he was discharged. John married Elizabeth
Wilkes in
Chester Co.,S.C. abt. 1808.
After their mar. they lived in N.C. a short while and then moved
to Chester
Co.,S.C. They lived in the Baton Rouge section of Chester Co.
until abt.
1822, when they moved to Morgan Co.,Al. Elizabeth's mother and
sever younger
brothers and sisters traveled with them to Al. Abner Wilkes, Elizabeth's
father had already run off with Jerusha Brown and the children
she had
already born him. Martha Wilkes remarried in Al. but I have not
found any
info. abt. her. John and Elizabeth lived in Cedar Plains [ which
is now
Falkville, Al.]. They moved on to Walker Co.,Al. this is the land
the farmed
and were bur. on.
Children of John Cranford and Elizabeth Wilkes are.
1.]Abner Cranford; b. abt. 1803 in N.C. d. 22 Feb 1888
in Walker Co.,Al. bur.
McDade Cem. , Walker Co.,Al. [1] mar. Elizabeth Jenkins 26 Jan
1831 in Morgan
Co. Abner and his family moved to Walker Co.,Al. abt. 1822, Abner
and his
first wife Elizabeth Jemkins Cranford, lived in the Pea Ridge
Community of
Fayette Co.,Al. [ there was probably a Wilkes family connection
there] a few
years after their mar. and then moved toWalker Co.,Al. where they
lived and
farmed near what is now Carbon Hill. He entered government land
on 9 Apr
1838. he died at the home of his daughter and son-in-law Sara
Ann Matilda
Cranford and Lewis Thomas Atkins, and was bur. at the McDade Cem.
near
Pocahontas,Al.
Children of Abner and Elizabeth
Cranford are;
1.Lewis Mason b.29 Dec 1831 in Walker Co.,Al.
2.William Cranford; b.Walker Co.,Al.m.[1] Missouri Tinsdale
[2] Mary Knight
3. Martha Cranford [ no info]
Lewis Mason Cranford; b. 29 Dec 1831 and d. 23 Jan 1913.
Lewis ran away from
his family after Abner remarried, and lived with John and Elizabeth
Cranford,
his grandparents.Lewis came into Jefferson Co.,Al. and m. Arlissa
Tawren Posey
on 28 Dec 1854. Tawren was b. 27 Feb 1840 and died 21 Jul 1912.
Lewis Mason
and his family moved from Village Springs [ which is now Blountsville].
County boundries changed a lot over the years. They were early
settlers of
Eddy[ now Arab]. He bought a 2 story building and it became known
as
''Cranford Stand'', a stagecoach Inn on a road from Nashville
to Huntsville,
to Elyton [ Birmingham] and on to New Orleans, La.They had 13
children.
1. Henrietta Cranford,; b. 29 Dec 1855, d. 2 Dec 1919. She m. William M.
Perkins. William was b. 2 Nov 1850 and d. 18 Jan 1935.
2. Evendent Cranford; b. 9 Jan 1857; d. 25 Dec 1930; m. Lindle Lucressetts
Jane Reynolds, b. 24 Jun 1862 and d. 11 Mar 1923. [ According to a grandson
he had several names, Moses Evendent Anquine Seaque Allison Woodville A. N.
Fletcher. His tombstone in Gilliam Springs Cem. carries A.V. Cranford.
3.Joseph William Cranford; b. 9 Jun 1860 and d. 20 Jan 1944. He m. Martha D. Briscoe, b. 23 Jan 1867 and d. 18 Mar 1946. They were m. in Marshall Co.,Al. on 20 Feb 1887. They had 11 children.1.Roxie
2. William
3. Oscar
4. Louis Martin
5. Princie Rena
6. Maryett E.
7. Effie Lee
8. Abner Evendent
9. Betty Elizabeth
10. Daniel Gurtice,
11. Tillous Grady
12. Rosie Belle Ometia. [ Sam and I met Miss Rosie Belle. She was an adorable sweet lady who helped others. She taught school for many years. When she was in college one of her teachers asked why she spelled her name with an e on the end. She replied, I want my name to ring. We went to one reunion in Arab,Al. where she lived and she was helping an older friend up the sidewalk. Rosie Belle was already in her 80's. The last time I called she didn't know who I was. She has probably died now.
4. Dorey Cranford; b. 1864 and m. Dan Prentice. They went to Oklahoma to live. They had 7 boys and 3 girls.
5. Dole Mason;b. 10 Apr 1867 and d. 21 Jan 1950. Never married. He was a criple and a twin. His brother died as an infant.
6. His twin was Amos.
7. Ophelia; b. 4 May 1868 and d. 21 May 1938. She m. Robert Hyatt. He was b. 5 Aug 1865 and d, 30 Apr 1955.
8.Leory; b. 1871 and m. Esse Tipton. They moved to Oklahoma to live, Esse was a school teacher. They had 3 children, 1 boy and 2 girls
9. Erby Tillous ; b.21 Oct 1872 and d. 28 Nov 1940. He m. Josie Alice Soliey on 2 Feb 1899. Alice was b. 10 Apr 1883 and d. 18 Mar 1953. They had 13 children;1. Johnnie
2. Ethel
3. Ferrell
4. Mae
5. Velma
6. Vermont
7. Lloyd
8. Otice
9. Ellis
10. Lester
11. Mary
12. marie
13. Erby10. Rozaine; b. 13 Mar. 1876 d. 30 jun 1943. She m. Willie C. Weaver 'b. 27 Nov 1868 and d. 2 Oct 1950.
11. Rosetta ; b. 13 Mar 1876 and d. 23 Apr 1942. She m. William M. Dalrymple, b. 11 Mar 1871
12. Princis; b. Oct 1880 and m. Jimmy Rigsby
Their children are;
1. Newton J.
2. Nora G.
3. Mary A.
4. Rufus M.
There is a girl Elizabeth of whom no info can be found.
Abner Cranford is described as being tall, rangy with a definitely large
Roman nose and keen brown eyes. He was a strong man and chose to divide his
holdings before he died.
2.]Winnifred Cranford; b. 13 Feb
1811 in Chester Co.S.C. and died 23 Nov 1876 in
Cullman Co,Al. She m. [Rev] David Speegle 8 Oct 1830 in
Morgan Co.,Al. He was
b. 15 Jun 1806 and d. 16 Jul 1890 in Cullman Co.,Al. Both Winnifred
and David
are bur.At Brushy Creek Cem., where so many of the Guthery's and
their
decendants have been bur. it is located S.W. of Trimble Community
in Cullman
Co.,Al.It is located on a hill above where Brushy Creek Chu. of
Christ once
stood. Several acres of land were given by David Speegle, the
father of
Martha Beatrice Guthery on which to build the first church . The
first church
was made of logs and stood for many years. In the early 1900's
it burned down
and a new building was errected with a tall slender steeple. It
was started
in 1908 and completed in 1911. Henderson and Chesley Guthery were
working on
the building when they received word their mother was dead. Chesley
was the
only child living at home by this time. As he left that morning
to go to work
on the church, she was mending his overalls. Since they were working
on a
high part of the building, she told him,''be careful and don't
fall down''.
She always said that and hoped when her time to die came she would
go
suddendly. She did just that.
Winnifred's neice Hannah Gibson Calvert is bur. in the same cem.