Person:Mary Nix (4)

MARY ANN NIX: A SHORT HISTORY

I searched for Mary Ann for a long time until I received some much needed assistance from Mrs Wanda Gregory. Following is my sumary of the notes, phone calls and other correspondance with her.

Notes from Wanda Gregory: I am not sure that I can tell the complete story the way Wanda explained it to me, but I am going to try: I am also going to omit many of the minor details she used to prove to herself, and to me, that she had found my Mary Ann.

There are several ways to tell this story, but I am going to take a great leap and tell the ending and then prove it with the details.

Mary Ann did not appear on the 1850 Census in South Carolina with Jennings and the rest of the family. That is not unusual because she would have been 22 and old enough to be married and have started a family of her own. Mary Ann NIX married John Daniel Nix of Jasper County, Mississippi some time between 1846 and 1850. Apparently much closer to 1846, She moved with him to Mississippi and they had a total of 12 children. John D. died between 1880 and 1890, Mary Ann died after 1900, and they are both buried in the Griffin Cemetery in Jackson County, Mississippi.

Now lets prove it! We need to find a tie between the Jennings family and two very common NIX names; Mary Ann and John Daniel. This tie comes by skipping forward 50 years to the 1900 Census for Blount County Alabama. Page 195. Family #205 is John K. Nix and his family, that we know to be John Kelley Nix the second son of Jennings and his second wife Temperance Poole Ellison. However, there is one additional person shown in that family; Mary A. NIX b June 1827 in South Carolina, age 72,Widow with 12 children 5 living. That is Mary Ann from Mississippi, visiting her half brother, but we still have to prove it. Also shown on the 1900 Census for Blount County, Alabama, same page, Family #217 is William Ellison with his family, and his mother, Temperence Pool ELLISON, by now a widow. Also there is another person that cannot be immediately identified, Maggie NIX b June 1863, born in Mississippi, age 36 single. A third female NIX is shown in Altoona, Etowah County, Alabama which is about a mile away from the Ellison home. This is Rebecca Nix also single and living in the home of Jasper N. Rickles as his cook. That makes three females with the name NIX, that cannot be tied to any of the Nix families in the area. Earlier this year I had found Rebecca in the 1910 census for Altoona, but rejected it as being of any value because, well because I did not have the experience that Wanda has.

Wanda, with her experience, continued to search all of the NIX families in the country. In the 1850 Jasper County Mississippi Census she found this family: John D. Nix age 28, b 1822 S.C. with his wife Mary, age 23 b 1827 S.C. Also listed is two children Martha A. age 2 and Mary Jane age 9/12. Also Deares NIX, and Mary Nix which would be Mary Dearest Donald Nix the Mother of John Daniel and Mary NIX the sister of John Daniel and daughter of Dearest. The 1860 and 1880 census for Jasper County shows this family continuing to grow. Then John D. dies between 1880 and 1890. Prior to 1900 the mother, Mary Ann and two of her single daughters come to Alabama to visit her half brother and the rest of the family of her father Jennings Nix, and are captured on the 1900 census. They must have stayed for some time because both the daughters took jobs as cooks and housekeepers. Rebecca was still working for Jasper N. Rickles as a cook for his family in 1910.

We are still left with one additional detail to prove. How did John who was living in Mississippi, and Mary Ann living in South Carolina, meet and marry? Remember this was before the Civil War and travel between Mississippi and South Carolina was not a spur of the moment thing! That also has a logical answer if you are very experienced and have all of the details for all the NIX families at your finger tips. It seems that the family in Mississippi appointed John D. as their representative to return to South Carolina and settle some legal matters associated with his Fathers estate. This trip was planned for 1846 which was a convent time for 18 year old Mary Ann and 23 year old John Daniel. By the time that John returns and appears on the 1850 Mississippi census, he has his fathers estate settled as well as a wife and two young children.

I have continued to search for descendants of Mary Ann and John D. with little success except for the youngest son of the family, also named John D. This is the extent of my discoveries.

The Parents, John D. and Mary Ann, as well as the two single daughters are buried in Griffin cemetery in Jackson County Mississippi. I am assuming that at least four of the twelve children married and possibly have descendants. 1) Martha A., 3) Letty Jane, 9) Mary, and 12) John D. I have told you all that I know about the first three but let me give some more details about the son John D. After the Senior John D. died Mary Ann and daughters Margaret (Maggie), and Rebecca visited the family of Jennings Nix in Altoona, Etowah County, Alabama. Also John D. may have moved to Altoona And stayed. I think I have found him buried in the Altoona Walnut Grove Cemetery, d 22 Oct 1939. I also think that I have located one of his daughters, Verna Nannette, b 26 May 1895, d 12 June 1980 and married to Silas Herman BYNUM, b 9 July 1882, D 16 March 1954.

Jennings Nix and Lucinda �Letty� Alexander. Family Records found in the Alexander�s of Upper SC, page 425. (see book for more details).

This came off of the http://www.cei.net/~cnix/fam01918.htm and is very close to the Alexander Book. The major difference is the acknowledgement of Jenning�s son William, who is NOT listed in the Alexander Book. This was the first time I�ve have seen a date of death for Lucinda or a birth date for William. I am corresponding with this woman who is a direct descendant of Jennings, and who has done extensive research on this family. James �Jennings� Nix was the son of Daniel and Margaret Nix of Pickens District � Eastern Division. He was born 1803 in Ga., and died 24 Feb 1885, Blount Co., Ala. He married 1824 to Lucinda �Letty� Alexander, b 1803 d 4 Aug 1856 Blount Co., Ala. Lucinda �Letty� Alexander was the daughter of David Alexander and Mary White. Jennings married 2nd Mrs. Temperance Pool Ellison.

Children of James �Jennings� Nix and Lucinda �Letty� Alexander: Tyre Nix b 12 Jun 1825 Pickens Co., SC died 19 Apr 1863 Chattanooga, Tn. Married 1848 Pickens Co., SC Lettice Holden. Daniel Nix b 7 Feb 1827 Pickens Co., SC d 1912 Etowah Co., Ala. Married 1st 1845 to Elizabeth Ann Holden of Pickens Co., SC. Married 2nd Nancy L. Turner. Mary Ann Nix b 29 Jun 1828 d aft. 1900 Blount County, Ala. Thomas M. Nix b 27 Jul 1830 SC William T. Nix b 5 Apr 1832 SC

I Am attempting to find the descendants of John D. Nix of Jasper County Mississippi and Mary Ann NIX of the Pickens District South Carolina. John b 1823 and Mary Ann, b 1828, were married between 1846 and 1847 in South Carolina, and had their first child before joining his mother, Mary Dearest DONALD, and extended family in Mississippi. John's Father, Thomas L. NIX died 1833 in Abbeville County, South Carolina, and Mary Dearest and the children moved with the DONALD family to Mississippi. In 1846 John D. returned to South Carolina to settle some of his Fathers legal affairs, that is when he married Mary Ann the daughter of Jennings NIX. The Children of John D. and Mary Ann, as I have them are;

1.Martha A. Daughter, b 1848, d aft 1900 2.Mary Jane, Daughter, b 1849, d bef 1860 3.Letty, Daughter, b 1852, d ????, married David Calvin POSEY, Son also David Calvin POSEEY, 4.Thomas, Son b 1854, d bef 1900 5.Edward, Son, b 1857, d bef 1900 6.Eliza, Daughter, b1860, bef 1900 7.(Unknown),son, b abt 1862, assuming that he died as infant 8.Margaret, Daughter, b1864, did not marry 9.Mary, Daughter, b 1855, married Henry Urey or Urie 10.(Unknown), son, b abt 1868, assuming he died as infant 11.Rebecca, Daughter,b1871, d after 1900, did not marry 12.John D., son,b 1872, See discussion

The Parents, John D. and Mary Ann, as well as the two single daughters are buried in Griffin cemetery in Jackson County Mississippi. I am assuming that at least four of the twelve children married and possibly have descendants. 1) Martha A., 3) Letty Jane, 9) Mary, and 12) John D. I have told you all that I know about the first three but let me give some more details about the son John D. After the Senior John D. died Mary Ann and daughters Margaret (Maggie), and Rebecca visited the family of Jennings Nix in Altoona, Etowah County, Alabama. Also John D. may have moved to Altoona And stayed. I think I have found him buried in the Altoona Walnut Grove Cemetery, d 22 Oct 1939. I also think that I have located one of his daughters, Verna Nannette, b 26 May 1895, d 12 June 1980 and married to Silas Herman BYNUM, b 9 July 1882, D 16 March 1954.

There are a few additional details that make this an interesting puzzle. There are two additional ladies of the same general age named Mary Ann, John D. has a sister named Mary Ann Nix, and there is a Mary Ann Carter that some researchers have assigned as the wife of John D, Also both Mary Ann and John D. were both from NIX families, however I have not found them related. Also there is a fairly large NIX family in Mississippi, that may be related to John D. but not To Mary Ann, except by marriage. Can anyone help me?

Notes from Wanda Gregory: I am not sure that I can tell the complete story the way Wanda explained it to me, but I am going to try: I am also going to omit many of the minor details she used to prove to herself, and to me, that she had found my Mary Ann.

There are several ways to tell this story, but I am going to take a great leap and tell the ending and then prove it with the details.

Mary Ann did not appear on the 1850 Census in South Carolina with Jennings and the rest of the family. That is not unusual because she would have been 22 and old enough to be married and have started a family of her own. Mary Ann NIX married John Daniel Nix of Jasper County, Mississippi some time between 1846 and 1850. Apparently much closer to 1846, She moved with him to Mississippi and they had a total of 12 children. John D. died between 1880 and 1890, Mary Ann died after 1900, and they are both buried in the Griffin Cemetery in Jackson County, Mississippi.

Now lets prove it! We need to find a tie between the Jennings family and two very common NIX names; Mary Ann and John Daniel. This tie comes by skipping forward 50 years to the 1900 Census for Blount County Alabama. Page 195. Family #205 is John K. Nix and his family, that we know to be John Kelley Nix the second son of Jennings and his second wife Temperance Poole Ellison. However, there is one additional person shown in that family; Mary A. NIX b June 1827 in South Carolina, age 72,Widow with 12 children 5 living. That is Mary Ann from Mississippi, visiting her half brother, but we still have to prove it. Also shown on the 1900 Census for Blount County, Alabama, same page, Family #217 is William Ellison with his family, and his mother, Temperence Pool ELLISON, by now a widow. Also there is another person that cannot be immediately identified, Maggie NIX b June 1863, born in Mississippi, age 36 single. A third female NIX is shown in Altoona, Etowah County, Alabama which is about a mile away from the Ellison home. This is Rebecca Nix also single and living in the home of Jasper N. Rickles as his cook. That makes three females with the name NIX, that cannot be tied to any of the Nix families in the area. Earlier this year I had found Rebecca in the 1910 census for Altoona, but rejected it as being of any value because, well because I did not have the experience that Wanda has.

Wanda, with her experience, continued to search all of the NIX families in the country. In the 1850 Jasper County Mississippi Census she found this family: John D. Nix age 28, b 1822 S.C. with his wife Mary, age 23 b 1827 S.C. Also listed is two children Martha A. age 2 and Mary Jane age 9/12. Also Deares NIX, and Mary Nix which would be Mary Dearest Donald Nix the Mother of John Daniel and Mary NIX the sister of John Daniel and daughter of Dearest. The 1860 and 1880 census for Jasper County shows this family continuing to grow. Then John D. dies between 1880 and 1890. Prior to 1900 the mother, Mary Ann and two of her single daughters come to Alabama to visit her half brother and the rest of the family of her father Jennings Nix, and are captured on the 1900 census. They must have stayed for some time because both the daughters took jobs as cooks and housekeepers. Rebecca was still working for Jasper N. Rickles as a cook for his family in 1910.

We are still left with one additional detail to prove. How did John who was living in Mississippi, and Mary Ann living in South Carolina, meet and marry? Remember this was before the Civil War and travel between Mississippi and South Carolina was not a spur of the moment thing! That also has a logical answer if you are very experienced and have all of the details for all the NIX families at your finger tips. It seems that the family in Mississippi appointed John Daniel as their representative to return to South Carolina and settle some legal matters associated with his Fathers estate. This trip was planned for 1846 which was a convent time for 18 year old Mary Ann and 23 year old John Daniel. By the time that John returns and appears on the 1850 Mississippi census, he has his fathers estate settled as well as a wife and two young children.

Jasper County, MS 1850 Federal Census (INDEX File 3 of 3)

This Census was transcribed by Karolyn Hathcock <kyhath@aol.com> and proofread by Earline Kaelin for the USGenWeb Archives Census Project, http://www.usgenweb.org/census.

Copyright 1998 by Karolyn Hathcock <kyhath@aol.com>

USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent.

Thanks to S-K Publications for providing the census page photocopies from which this transcription was made. The complete original, handwritten census of this county is available in book form (including a typed index) from S-K Publications, PO Box 8173, Wichita KS 67208 (www.skpub.com/genie/census.html).

THIS IS AN INDEX SORTED BY LAST NAME. FOR THE COMPLETE CENSUS INFORMATION, OPEN THE FILE IN THE FILE NAME COLUMN.

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PG# LN# LAST NAME FIRST NAME AGE BIRTH PL FILE NAME

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43B 41 Nix Dear** 40 South Carolina pg0042a.txt 52B 16 Nix E. 24 South Carolina pg0042a.txt 52B 18 Nix Honor V. 10/12 Mississippi pg0042a.txt 43B 37 Nix John D. 28 South Carolina pg0042a.txt 52B 17 Nix Katharine E. 22 Mississippi pg0042a.txt 43B 39 Nix Martha A. 2 Mississippi pg0042a.txt 43B 38 Nix Mary 23 South Carolina pg0042a.txt 44A 1 Nix Mary 25 South Carolina pg0042a.txt 43B 40 Nix Mary Jane 9/12 Mississippi pg0042a.txt

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Comments by Dalton J. Nix: Entry 43B 37 is John D. NIX the husband of Mary Ann NIX

         43B 38 is Mary Ann the daughter of Jennings And Lucinda
         43B 39 is Martha A. thier first child
         43B 40 is Mary Jane their second child
         43B 41 is Mary Dearest Donald, the Mother of John D. Nix
         44A 1   is Mary Ann NIX sister of John D. Nix and the Daughter of Mary Dearest Donald and John D. Nix .  For some reason the elder John D NIX missed the census. (That was because he died in South Carolina before the others moved to Mississippi)   I do not know the other three.

>Dalton�J.�Nix�- Apr�12,�2003�� Edit�|�Delete�|�Viewers�|�Reply�to�this�item< ��� Lynda: � You hit the jack pot with your last list of NIX families. Near the bottom you have John D. NIX as the son with Mother of Mary "Dearest" Donald, and his sister Mary NIX. � I have worked this problem for so long that I can do it from memory. � I will dig up all of the details and send that latter. � I have her full name as Mary Ann, she is the older sister of John D. I have not proven his middle name yet, but it may be Donald from his mothers family. � Their Father Thomas Littleberry NIX died in South Carolina and "Dearest" took her children and went with (or maybe joined) other members of her family in Mississippi. � About 1845 the family elected John D. to return to South Carolina to settle some legal matters related to their Fathers estate. � The next time I heard from him he had returned to Mississippi and appeared on the 1850 census with a new wife, Mary Ann NIX, and two children born in South Carolina. � This new Mary Ann NIX is not to be confused with the slightly older Mary Ann NIX, the sister of John D. � Also she should not be confused with Mary Ann Carter of the same age. � Several members of the NIX family did marry members of the Carter family,but this John D. did not mary � Mary Ann Carter. � You can bet that I went down many a dark path before I got all of that straight. � Now just who did John D. marry? � His wife was the only daughter of my G(3)Grandfather Jennings NIX of Pickens District South Carolina. � I have not been able yet to track these two families to a common ancestor, so I do not know if they were cousins. � Soon after Mary Ann left home Jennings and the rest of the family moved to Blount County, Alabama. � Mary Ann and John D. went on to have a total of 12 children, but several died young and several of the daughters never married. � To date I have been able to trace only the youngest son, and you would be correct if you guessed his name to be John D. � His first wife died young after they had three daughters, two of which died young also. He married a second time but they had no children. � He is buried in The Altoona/Walnut Grove Cemetery, Etowah County,Alabama. � His mother, Father and several sisters are buried Griffin Cemetery in Jackson(?) � Mississippi. � � As far as I can determine this NIX line has terminated.

From Wanda Gregory, 1696 Bancroft Road, Mc Donald, Tennenssee 37353

Children by Lucinda Alexander Tyree NIX b 6 Dec 1825 Daniel NIX b 7 feb 1827 Mary Ann NIX B 28 June 1828 or 19 June 1828 m. John D. NIX

        NOTE; cousin Julia MURPHRE made this notation on information she gave to Ludie INGRAM, wife of Kelly INGRAM, son of Clara NIX, dau of John D. KELLY NIX. 
        Additional note by DJN: Cousin Julia Murphree would be the daughter of Daniel NIX and     HOLDEN 

1900 U.S. Census � Alabama � Blount � All Townships ��ED# 16 Apparently Altoona was not a big town in 1900, and they were still undecided about what Conty they were in. This appears in District 16, Rays and Thompson, Blount County, Alabama Predient 28, Thompson, enumerated by me on 20 day of June 1900,Samuel O. Higgins, page 195(stamped) A side, EU District #16 sheet 12, line 23

image 20 of 33, family 205, Residence 205 NIX, John K. head, W., M, June, 186, 19, m, 20, Alabama, South Carolina, South Carolina Farmer,

     , Tinsey J. wife, W, F, Sep, 1863, ?,?,?, 6, AL,SC, AL, 
     , ??nley C., son, W, m, Aug 1881, 18, s, AL, AL, AL, 
     , Clara C., daughter, W, F, Dec, 1885, 14, S, AL, AL, AL, 
     , Millia A., daughter, , F, Aug, 1888, 11, s, AL, AL, AL. 
     , Spencer P., son, W, M, Dec, 1892, 7, s, Al, Al, Al, 
     , Folossie, K, daughter, W, F, Oct, 1895, 4, s, Al, Al, Al, 
     ,Lney, M, daughter, W, F, May 1898, 2, s, Al, Al, Al, 
     , Mary A., sister, W, F, June 1827, 72, wd, 12, 5, SC, SC, SC, 

Note: The final female would be Mary Ann the Daughter of Jennings and the Half Sister Of John Kelly. She had married John D. Nix and lived in Mississippi. Note also that she reports 12 children born and only 5 living at that time. Also she reports that seh and bothof her parents were born in South Carolina, in the 1880 census in Mississippi, she reported that she was born in Mississippi and did not know where her lparents were born.

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1900 United States Federal Census about Mary A Nix Name: Mary A Nix Home in 1900: Thompsons, Blount, Alabama Age: 72 Estimated birth year: abt 1828 Birthplace: South Carolina Relationship to head-of-house: Sister Race: White Occupation: View image Neighbors: View others on page Household Members: Name Age John K Nix 29 Lusey T Nix Huley C Nix 18 Clara C Nix 14 Nillia A Nix 11 Spencer P Nix 7 Florrie K Nix 4 Lucy M Nix 2 Mary A Nix 72

Search > Census > U.S. Census > 1860 United States Federal Census > Mississippi > Perry > Southern District, image 20 of 47, residence 131, family 121  ?? are the entries reversed? how can there be more residences than families?? Line #2 Nix, John 39, M, Color W, Miller, SC

    , Maryann, 33, F, W, SC
    , Letty, 9, F, W, Miss,
    , Marthann, 12, F, (appears that he was attempting to write Martha Ann)
    , Thomas, 6, M, Miss
    , Edward, 3, M, Miss
    , Eliza, 1/12, F.  Miss

Search > Census > U.S. Census > 1880 United States Federal Census > Mississippi > Jackson > All Townships > District 152. image 58 of 60, Moss Point, Beat 3, resience 230, Family 325, Nix, John D. W, M, 60, Laborer, Miss, Do not know, do not know,

    , Mary W, F, 55, Wife, Keeping House, Do not know, do, not know
    , Mary, w, F, 14, Daughter, at home, MS. MS, MS, 
    , Margaret, W, F, 16, daughter, at home, MS, MS, MS, 
    , Rebecca, W, F, 9, daughter, MS, MS, MS, 
    , John, W, M, 7, son, MS, MS, MS, 

The "do not know" response by both parents to where were your parents born is strange. Both knew very well where they were born, and it was not Miss. Also they must have known where their parents were born. Could loosing the Civil war have anything to do with the answer?