NATION/NATIONS FAMILY
From Terry rockingbird@juno.com
My gggg-grandmother was Phoebe Barton b. 1760. She married Joseph Nation, Jr. in 1775. They had 10 children, at least two of which (twins) were born in Pendleton Co. SC. Their first child, Bayless Nations (also listed as Bails Nation) was born in Randolph Co. NC in 1782. This was my ggg-grandfather. I have info on the descendants of these people. What I don't have is info on Phoebe Barton. Any help is appreciated.
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From Debby:
I've been curious about Phoebe Barton who md. Joseph Nation for many years. I've wondered if she were related to my ancestor, Willis Barton (not the Willis from Randolph Co., NC). Since there were many Nation families, I wasn't sure if Phoebe was the one residing in either Jefferson or Walker Co., AL and later in MS, or not? Is she the one who made that trek with the Bartons?
The other Barton/Nation connections are Lydia Barton who md. Daniel Nation and Mary Barton who md. an Abraham? Nation. Are you familiar with any of them?
A Bayless Nation followed the same migratory trail as these Bartons, but I don't know if it is your Bayless Nation or not. Where did your Nations migrate to?
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From Terry:
I know that Bayless Nations and Mary Ferguson married in Jefferson Co. AL. Then they were in Yalobusha Co. MS for a while. Some children were born there. Then they apparently moved to Waelder, TX, not too far from San Antonio, I think between, 1845 and 1854. I'm not sure if Phoebe and Joseph went with them or not.
I'm pretty sure Daniel Nation was a brother of Bayless, I'll have to check my stuff at work to be sure. Also, My Bayless Nations had an uncle or maybe a nephew also named Bayless Nations. I think their names get confused sometimes.
I ran across something somewhere on the net that indicated that Phoebe's last name may have been Nelson. She did have a son with Nelson as the middle name. Maybe she was married to a Barton before she married into the Nation family.
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From Debby:
I have never heard of Phoebe being a Nelson first. That's kind of disappointing since I'm always trying to sift through each clue that might better tie the Bartons into the families in which they belong. This puts us in limbo on her unless we can find further proof one way or the other. Did this person who gave Phoebe's maiden name as Nelson have documentation? I will keep sifting through the evidence, thinking of Phoebe as a Barton until we know for sure that she's not.
You mentioned John Nation, Jr. md. Bethia Robins in Guilford Co., NC. The annotated 1800 Pendleton Dist., SC census mentions that the Bartons and Robins inter-md. before they came to SC, so that is a point in favor of your Phoebe being a Barton somehow associated with my clan. My g-g-g-grandfather, Willis Barton, had one son named Gilford, but he could have been named after a military hero of the day. I've always kept in mind the slight chance that Willis' roots could have gone back to Guilford Co., NC.
You wrote: "John Nation, Sr. married Frances Parsons (born 1678 in Waxall, England). Their son, John Nation, Jr., (born March 28, 1697 in North Peatherton, Somerset, England, died May 1774 in Guilford Co. NC) married Bethia Robins (born 1705 in Crostwekes, New Jersey) in 1720 in Monmouth New Jersey...Their third son, Joseph Nation, Sr. (born 1724 in Monmouth, NJ, died 1820 in Greenville District, NC) married Eleanor Robins (born 1729) in ???. Joseph and Eleanor's son, Joseph Nation, Jr. (born 1755 in Rowan Co. NC, died 1840 in Yalobusha Co., MS) married Phoebe Barton (born 1760) in 1775 I think in Blount or Jefferson Co., AL."
I had tried to find Phoebe and Joseph in Yalobusha Co., but by the 1850 census, could find no trace of them. The above death date of Joseph Nation, Jr. explains that. Had Phoebe died before the 1850 census as well?
You wrote: "Their son, Bayless Nations (Bails Nation, born 1782 in Randolph Co., NC, died 1858 in Gonzales Co., TX) was my ggg-grandfather. I can give you more of his descendants if you wish."
Bayless was born in Randolph Co. where the other Willis Barton lived. Willis wasn't a common name in the Barton clan so I've always kept vigilant in case I'd come up with any other clue which led to a Randolph Co. connection with my Bartons. The fact that Phoebe was living in Randolph as late as 1782 makes me think that either she's not closely aligned with my family or my theories about the roots of my family are in error. I believe [the family of] my Willis (and possible uncle, Moses) were in SC much earlier than that. I copied some Gonzales Co., TX census information a long time ago, knowing it had to fit with the Barton/Nations clan some how. I'm glad to know for sure which Bayless this was.
Another point I'm perplexed about: Bayless and Joseph Nation are both in the 1805 GA land lottery. So was Isaac and John Barton. Several sources indicate John and Isaac were from Laurens Co., SC. Different families claim these Bartons as their own. Some with possible connections to Laurens Co., and some bypass Laurens altogether. If this John and Isaac was aligned to your Joseph and Pheobe, the indications are that this John and Isaac were not from Laurens Co. at all. It could blow a hole in some of our theories.
Have you studied the Barton families who lived in the same areas from which Pheobe came? When it comes to Yalobusha Bartons, I've always thought they originated in Laurens, but why would she be traveling the same course as them if she weren't closely related in some way...unless that was just a common migratory path and her being there the same time as those Bartons was mere coincidence...or else, as I've stated previously, my theories about the roots of these Bartons are in error.
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From Terry:
The site where I saw the Nelson name for Phoebe is http://www.access.digex.net/~danatio/gene/josephna.html. It doesn't say whether that is her maiden name or maybe her first married name. I don't think it mentions any documentation. Keep in mind, her 5th child was named Daniel Nelson Nation. I have found a lot of instances where a son's middle name was his mother's maiden name. But of course, that is not definitive.
Joseph Jr. and Phoebe's son Bayless Nations (listed as Bails, I think that may have been a nickname) married Mary Ferguson 1-17-1824 in Jefferson Co. AL. They came to Gonzales Co. TX from Yalobusha Co. MS sometime between 1843 and 1854 with their daughter Nancy Ann Nation and her husband James Crozier and some of their children. At least the last two of Nancy and James' children were born in Texas in 1854 and 1858. Their oldest child, James Henry Crozier is the father of Edward Theodore Crozier, who is my mother's father. So, Bayless Nations b. 1782 was my ggg-grandfather. Do you have any info on his wife Mary Ferguson? Bayless' father (Joseph Jr.) had a brother named Baylis Nation. I believe this is the Baylis mentioned in the 1805 GA land lottery info. He would have been 45 at the time. Bayless would have been 23 then. And Bayless also had a brother named Joseph W. Nation (who had a twin named James M. Nation) who would have been 21 in 1805. I don't know how to tell whether it was the older Baylis and Joseph or the younger Bayless and Joseph in the lottery info.
You should visit this site for some very interesting information about John Nation, Jr. who was the first Nation to come to America: http://www.access.digex.net/~danatio/gene/jnation.html. There is also some info on Joseph Nation Sr. at: http://www.access.digex.net/~danatio/gene/josephna.html.
Date: Mon, 18 Jan 1999
From: Lil Marlau laumar@cruzio.com
Jaen* P Cowan was born in Ireland March 18, 1825. He came to America in 1843 when he was 18 years of age. None of his family came with him. However, his two younger brothers planned to come at a later date. If Jaen's brothers ever came Jaen never knew of it. He landed in Charleston, South Carolina, but later moved to Mississippi where he lived for some years. Here he met and married Thyria Jane Nation(s). She seems to have been called Elizabeth in later years. They married about 1849.
Thyria Jane had a sister, Nancy Ann, who married James A Crozier. In 1840 the Croziers came to Texas and settled in the Elm Grove community of what is now Fayette Co., Texas. Later the Cowan's came to Texas, first to Gonzales Co. near Belmont (about 1851) then in 1852 John and Elizabeth Cowan came to Fayette Co. and settled near her sister in the Elm Grove Community. Here they resided for the remainder of their life. They reared four sons to adulthood: Willis Davis, Robert Baalis, Andrew Clinton, and William Carroll. Clinton had a twin brother ,John, who died when he was 19 (about 1878)
The eldest son, Willis David, was born about 1851. At the age of 22 he was ordained a deacon in the Elm Grove Baptist Church. This church had been organized in December, 1855 with white members and 7 Negro slaves. John Cowan and James Crozier had been charter members joining by letter. David moved West in 1883 and finally settled at Pecos, Texas, where he was a prominent ranchman for many years. He was an outstanding Baptist Layman.
Robert Baalis Cowan, born Nov. 23, 1853, was converted and joined Elm Grove Baptist Church when a very young man. About 1880, in Fayette Co., Robert Baalis married Miranda Victoria Morris. In 1881 their first child was, Iva Jane was born. Iva became organist in the Elm Grove Church where her father and Uncle were Deacons. Iva had been converted in a protracted meeting which began in August, 1895 and continued for 13 days. About 17 members were added to the church by experience and baptism. Robert Baalis, Jr. (called Rob) was born in July 1883.
Katherine Victoria (called Kate) was born Oct. 21, 1885. Nina Almeda was born Sept. 1, 1889. William Carroll was born in 1893. Homer Roland was born Jan. 8, 1898. In 1901 the Baalis Cowan family moved to [this is in pencil "1st to Bexar Co.?"] to Lockhart in Caldwell County where Claude Morris was born on Aug. 13, 1902. In 1909 they moved to Wilson Co. (Sutherland Springs). Here they raised their family and lived out their life.
Andrew Clinton Cowan and his twin brother John, were born on the 12th of October, 1859. Clinton died at the age of 36 leaving 3 sons and 2 daughters. The sons were Lem D., John M., and Samuel P.
John and Elizabeth Cowan settled in Texas many years before the Civil War, were large land owners, farmers and stock raisers, yet they did not won any slaves. They are both buried in the Elm Grove Cemetery in Fayette Co., Texas as are many of their descendants.
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Sources for this information: Claude Cowan, 1900 U.S. Census, and "History of Elm Grove Missionary Baptist Church—Fayette Co., Texas" compiled by Reuben A Wansley, DDS Houston Texas, June 1955. Special thanks to Vada Cowan for getting us started on the right track. Charles and Joy Coble, 1980. [end of letter LM] [Charles Coble is great grandson to John (Jaen) Cowan. Note that original letter spelling is "Jaen"*]
Date: Sun, 17 May 1998 22:00:47 -0500 From: "Stan Reid" <repas@worldnet.att.net> To: <unikorn9@swbell.net>
You mentioned that you keep track of the Nations because they appear wherever the Bartons appear. Another Reid researcher sent me this:
22 June, 1833, Jefferson County, AL; Isaac Barton and wife Nancy sell to William Reid, 80 acres.... Witnessed by Jonathan Liverman and Isaac Nations.
Do you have anything on these Isaacs?
Date: Sun, 27 May 2001 07:38:42 -0500
From: Jan <jlawson@granbury.com>
I noticed your discourse with Terry Bieler on Joseph Nations and Phoebe (Barton) Nations...I know of Bayless Nations. If [Terry] is correct in the assumption that Daniel Nations was a son of Joseph Nations, Jr. and Phoebe (Barton) Nations then I have something to add. The following information on Daniel Nelson Nations is correct, as far as stated, depending on who his parents were.
Joseph Nations, II (son of Joseph Nation and Eleanor Robins) married Phoebe Nelson.
Joseph Nations, Jr. (son of Joseph Nation, Sr. and Jerretta Vickery) married Phoebe Barton. Jerretta Vickery was the daughter of Elizabeth Nation and Marmaduke Vickery.
To add to the discussion. I have been researching the Moses Barton, Sr. and Frances "Fanny" ? Barton family of Walker Co., AL.
The following are my findings:
[Moses Barton's daughter]...Lydia's first husband was Daniel Nations, son of Joseph Nations, Jr. and Phoebe (Barton) Nations (if this is his correct parentage). I have they married February 14, 1823 Jefferson Co., AL. ("Early American Marriages - AL. 1800-1920" by Jordan R. Dodd, Orem, UT. - Surety: David Murphree).
I have Lydia and Daniel's children as:
Louise Nations
James Nations
Martha Nations
George Washington Nations
Harriman Nations
Joseph Nations b. 8-19-1831 Walker Co., AL. d. 6-9-1931 Walker Co., AL.,
buried Mt. Carmel Cemetery., Walker Co., AL.
William Barton of Walker Co., AL (possible brother of Moses Barton???) md. Bethania Murphree. In 1860 they resided in Upshur Co., TX. They had 6 Nations children living with them. These same Nations children were enumerated with Joseph and Susan Nations in the 1850 census of Nacogdoches Co., TX.