Owen kin

Re: Randy Owen, of “ALABAMA”

As mentioned below, Randy’s great grandfather was Joseph Owen, although the county marriage records list him as J.H. Owens. His whereabouts are still unknown after Joseph Earnest was born.
I have my Owens family in 1860 Cherokee County alabama, Blue Pond, with the following census information:
Newton R. Owens, 28
Louisa Owens (maiden name Mitchell), 30
W Owens, 5
John M Owens, 4
Joseph Owens, 2
Mary E Owens, 1

Newton was killed in the Civil War.

From the 1870 census I have what’s left of the same family:
Owins L, 42
William M, 16
John M, 14
Joseph H, 12
Sousannn M, 8

I believe this Joseph H is Randy’s great grandfather.

As I said, I don’t know where he is buried, but Louisa and William are buried at Black Creek Cemetery. Also at Black Creek are Callie Hester, 1895-1959, his wife Ethel B. Spears Hester, 1897-1977, and their son John Clifton Hester (infant-1920).

 

Speer family – South Carolina/Georgia

SPEER Ancestors

Old Rocky River Presbyterian Cemetery
Calhoun Falls, South Carolina

One of our most notable family lines with respect to the “pioneer heritage” was the Speer family. One of the best documented early Speer ancestor was William Speer, Sr. (1747-1830), who was born in Strebaul, County Antrim, Ireland. William’s father was John William Speer (1723-1771), also an Irishman by birth, but who died in Georgia prior to the Revolutionary War. William, Sr. served several tours of duty in the War of Independence and his life is well documented by his son, William Speer, Jr. (1788-1877). See the Childress/Mathis Family Tree on Roots Web for notes on William Speer, Jr. and further information.

William Speer, Jr. and his family lived for most of their lives around the Calhoun Falls, South Carolina area. There are at least seven Speer interments in the “old” Rocky River Presbyterian Cemetery outside Calhoun Falls. For anyone who really wants a scavenger hunt, one should try to find this “old” Rocky River Cemetery! This cemetery, begun in the 1770′s, was abandoned by the Rocky River Presbyterian Church when it moved to new quarters many decades ago. As of April 2004, there has been a renewed effort to maintain it, as the fresh 6″ diameter tree stumps will attest.

 

Joshua Kennerly Speer – NC

J.K. Speer

Joshua Kennerly Speer was born in 1794, in Yadkin County, North Carolina. He was the son of Aaron Speer; his mother’s name was “Elizabeth.” He was reared in the Baptist faith. His parents were what they then called “Old Baptists,” or Primitive Baptists. Joshua K. Speer accepted the teaching of his father, but could not understand the theories concerning predestination and election. He searched for light from all whom he thought were able to give him help. He held long and interested interviews with the prominent Baptist preachers of his faith. They tried to satisfy his mind, but were unable to do so. He doubted the whole system of the Baptist faith. Some of his preachers told him that his “doubts” were strong evidence that he was one of the elect. However, this did not remove the difficulty from his mind.

 

Speer – Georgia, South Carolina – Land Documents

1815 Laurens?

Estate Partitions in the Washington District Court of Equity, 1803-1826

Pages 63-71a. Petition of Margarett Speirs sheweth that David Speirs, on the – day of September, 1815, died intestate, owning the following tracts of land:

1. Tract whereon he lived at the time of his death, containing 100 acres, on the waters of Little River, conveyed to David Speirs by Elijah Taylor & wife 9 and 10 Nov. 1791.

2. Tract containing 139 acres adjoining David Speirs, William Rodgers, and Thomas Word, granted to the said David Speirs 7 Apr. 1794. (Note: there is a Thomas Word in the 1830 Dale County, Alabama census near James Speer)

3. Tract containing 142 acres adjoining Robert Hunter, Elijah Taylor, Thos. Word, and Alexr McNary, granted to the said David Speirs 5 Dec. 1791.

4. Tract containing 31 acres adjoining Wm Taylor, John Workman, and John Waldrop, granted to Michael Waldrop, Junr, and by him conveyed to the said David Speirs 24 Jan. 1809.

5. Tract containing 170 acres, being part of a tract of 376 acres, conveyed by George Montgomery & John Workman 14 Mar. 1808.

6. Tract containing 150 acres, bounded on Wm Prather, James Starks, John McKelvy, and Francis Stewart, sold as the property of George Dalrymple & conveyed to the said David Speirs by Robert Word, Sheriff of Laurens District 2 Dec. 1805.

7. Tract containing 200 acres in Spartanburgh District, conveyed by Thos. Leatherwood & wife to David Speirs, and which he recovered in an action commenced by him against John Ferry in Spartanburgh Court to Try Titles.

8. One undivided moiety of a tract containing 1000 acres granted to James Smith 4 Mar. 1811 & sold by the sheriff of Laurens District to David Speirs & John Black.

 

Spear/Speir/Speer families in Georgia

Abraham Spears

The First Spear/Speer/Speir families in Georgia

So who was the first Spear/Speer/Speir to travel and settle in Georgia? Although there is no definite proof, it was probably Abraham Spear (or Spears)and Jesse Spears.

The British rewarded loyal and hard working settlers in early Georgia by granting land to these colonists. Records of these grants are documented in British Conveyance Books and some are shown below.

Some Spear/Speir/Spears families remained loyal, or at least sympathetic to the King during the Revolutionary War like Virginia Tobacco Lord Alexander J. Speir.

Others like Indian Affairs Superintendent and Indian Trader Jesse Spears defied the Tories and risked their lives in the bloody fight against the British and the struggle for American independence.

The Abraham Spears outlined below is quite possibly the same Abraham Spears found in Edgefield County, S.C. during the same time period noted. No mention is made in the British Conveyance Book about any land granted to Abraham.

Special notations in parenthesis indicate cross-referenced names found in the book “Spear, Speir, Speer & Friends.”

 

Spear/Speir/Speer families in Georgia

Abraham Spears

The First Spear/Speer/Speir families in Georgia

So who was the first Spear/Speer/Speir to travel and settle in Georgia? Although there is no definite proof, it was probably Abraham Spear (or Spears)and Jesse Spears.

The British rewarded loyal and hard working settlers in early Georgia by granting land to these colonists. Records of these grants are documented in British Conveyance Books and some are shown below.

Some Spear/Speir/Spears families remained loyal, or at least sympathetic to the King during the Revolutionary War like Virginia Tobacco Lord Alexander J. Speir.

Others like Indian Affairs Superintendent and Indian Trader Jesse Spears defied the Tories and risked their lives in the bloody fight against the British and the struggle for American independence.

The Abraham Spears outlined below is quite possibly the same Abraham Spears found in Edgefield County, S.C. during the same time period noted. No mention is made in the British Conveyance Book about any land granted to Abraham.

Special notations in parenthesis indicate cross-referenced names found in the book “Spear, Speir, Speer & Friends.”

 

Speer/Speed family in texas

Descendants of Michael Speed

The family of Mary America Speed-Speer lived in Hopkins County, Texas. She was the sister of William Gaston Speed. He was the recently deceased husband of Mariah Ann Durham- Speed and the father of James Monroe Speed. Both parents of his nephews “Johnnie and “Willie” were recently deceased.

In 1867 James Monroe Speed, as an ex-confederate soldier, migrated from Coosa County, Alabama to Hopkins County, Texas. He was accompanied by his wife Jenni, his eldest child Cora Lee Speed, his mother Mariah Ann Durham-Speed, and his nephews “Johnnie” John Gaston Speed and “Willie” William Montgomery Speed, the sons of William Michael Speed.

 

William Speer – Revolutionary War

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 3

WILLIAM SPEER, SR.

IN THE

REVOLUTIONARY WAR

Imagine yourself, if you can, recently immigrated to a new county and almost immediately becoming embroiled in a bitter revolution against the most powerful nation on earth! Young William Speer1 found himself in just such a situation when, at the age of 25, he left his home in Northern Ireland and immigrated to America. He arrived on the third of September 1772, surely full of enthusiasm and eager to begin his new life. He lived in Pennsylvania for a few years, perhaps with relatives or friends, and moved to Charleston, South Carolina in 1774 just as the American Revolution was beginning. Due to the war, it would be nine more years before William would settle down, get married and begin a family. This chapter attempts to relate what we know about his Revolutionary War service with the political and military history of South CarolinaA. See CHAPTER 2 for the family history of William Speer.

 

Speer Family – Letters

APPENDIX A

Family Letter of 1869 William Speer, Jr.2 (William1) of Monterey, Abbeville County, South Carolina sent the following historic letter concerning his father’s family to John Andrew Speer4 (William1, John2, William3) of LaGrange, Troup County, Georgia in 1869. John was a great grandson of William Speer, Sr1. and was a Georgia State Senator at the time. Although the location of the original hand-written letter is unknown, typed versions of the letter have been published several times and data from the letter has been quoted in many publications. The copy of the letter given below was taken from published transcripts in the LaGrange Reporter (Troupe County, Georgia) and the Gaffney Ledger (Cherokee County, South Carolina). An original copy of the LaGrange Reporter article was provided by George William Whitmire6 of Jacksonville, Florida. Alexander Speer2 (William1) was an editor of the LaGrange Reporter in 1833 (CHAPTER 6).

Monterey P.O., Abbeville District, S. C., Dec 9, 1869.

John A. Speer, Esq.:

Dear John:

I received your letter of August last, and, for several reasons, have not answered until now. You ask me to give you some particulars of my Father’s (your Great Grand Father’s) history, which you mention in several interrogatories, and which I will do, but altogether from recollection.

My Father was born in Ireland in 1747, in the county Antrim, near the town of Stebaul; his name was William. His mother died at his birth; she was the daughter of William Houston, and her name, Margaret; his Grand Father, William Houston, took him and raised him; his Father married again and had four sons, named, Joseph, John, James and Alexander. At about twenty-five years of age he came to America; landed at Christian Bridge, Delaware River, on the 3rd of September, 1772. He lived in the State of Pennsylvania in the year of 1773; he came to Charleston, S.C., in the year 1774. In the year 1775 the Revolutionary war began.

 

Speer/Spear men – during Civil War

37th Alabama Regiment of Volunteer Infantry CSA | Slaton – Stalvy

Spear, Thomas
Private
Company C
POW at Missionary Ridge TN on 25 Nov 1863 and sent to Nashville TN, Louisville KY and on to Rock Island Prison IL

Spears, Archibald C (“Arch”)
Rank Unknown (presumed to be a Private as he is also listed as “Musician”)
Company F
Enlisted 10 Aug 1861 (record predated formation of 37th AL CSA); Listed as “Musician”; Paroled at Greensboro NC 1 May 1865 as part of CONSOLIDATED 37th AL CSA Company F

Spears, Henry W
Private
Company A
Age at Enlistment: 32
Enlisted 5 May 1862 at Abbeville AL by A.C. Gorden; Listed as Private on Muster Roll of Company A dated 13 May 1862 at Auburn AL; Served as Teamster Sep & Dec 1862 and Jan 1863; WIA or sick as he signed his parole at Vicksburg MS on 13 July 1863 in City Hospital as a Private of Co. A of the 37th AL Infantry CSA, and is listed among sick or wounded aboard steamer H. Chouteau bound for Mobile AL via New Orleans LA; Died in service of unknown cause at unknown place/date; Claim for deceased soldier filed 14 Sep 1864 by R.A. Spears, widow

Spears, L
Private
Company A
Enlisted (Conscripted?) __ Oct 1864; paroled at Greensboro NC 1 May 1865 as part of CONSOLIDATED 37th AL CSA Company A

Speer (Speir), Alfred A
Private
Company I
Enlisted 28 Apr 1862 at Lafayette AL after serving 12 months in 7th AL Infantry Regiment CSA; Appears on Muster Roll of “Company ’I’ 37th Regiment, Alabama Volunteers at LaFayette, Chambers County, Alabama, March 6, 1862″ published in 31 July 1901 issue of LAFAYETTE SUN (LaFayette, Chambers County AL) with Privates as “Speer, Alfred A.”; Witnessed the Confederate Pension application of Mrs. B. H. (Lucey) Hammack, widow of Benjamin H. Hammack (Co. I); Relationship unproven, but possibly related in some manner to Joseph Jarrell (Co. I) as his wife’s name known to be Mary Palestine Spiers – see Jarrell’s record