Person:Bennett Zachary (1)

Penelope is listed as a widow in the 1860 Newton County, Texas census, enumerated June 23rd.

Bennett Hiram & Clarinda (Bennet) Zachary Family by Clovis La Fleur, May 2000 Bennett Hiram Zachary, son of Benjamin and Elizabeth (Odom) Zachary, grandson of John Zachary, 2nd (to SC), was born about 1809, probably in Barnwell District, South Carolina.[Note 1] Benjamin was reported living in this district in the 1810 census. Barnwell District was formed from part of Orangeburgh, District in 1798. Bennett was probably one of the children mentioned in the Georgia Passport of 1811 which allowed the family passage to the western country. [Note 2]

The family moved to Pike County, Mississippi after November, 1811 when the area was still a territory of the United States. They are shown in a 1816 census for the area and again in the 1820 census for Pike County after Mississippi was admitted as a State.[Note 3] The next record found shows Benjamin, John Zachary, and Bennett H. Zachary as residents of St. Tammany Parish in 1830. This a court document declaring a claim to property mentioning Benjamin Zachary and signed by Bennett Hiram and John. [Note 3a] The 1833 voter census list has three Zachary's as voters named Benjamin, Bennett H., and John Zachary. Bennett Hiram married Clarinda Bennett December 6, 1833 in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana.[ Note 4] There are many Bennet's and Bennett's to be found in St. Tammany Parish and the surrounding Parishes, but none that have been linked to Clarinda. Pauline Stark Moore believes her parents were Rueben Bennett and Sarah Robertson.

On May 1, 1834, in St. Tammany Parish, Bennett Hiram was a witness to a property transaction made by Benjamin, Elizabeth and John Zachary. In December of 1834, Bennett purchased a Covington, St. Tammany Parish town lot from his sister, Martha Caroline (Zachary) Underwood. In 1835, he sold this property to Charles Morgan. This document mentions Clarinda Bennett is the wife of Bennett Hiram and is witnessed by John Zachary, apparently his brother. [Note 4a] Bennet H. Zachary and John Zachary are listed as voters in the 1837 St. Tammany Voter census.

Bennett's sister, Elizabeth Zachary married William Hawley Stark about 1832 in Louisiana. Their first child known to be born in Texas was Lewis Myles Stark, born July 8, 1839. It is possible, Bennett, Clarinda, William Hawley and Elizabeth traveled together to settle in East Texas along the Sabine River sometime between 1837 and 1839. William Hawley Stark received a land grant with a portion of the property next to the Sabine. He would later build a warehouse to service the Steamboats moving up and down the Sabine from the Gulf of Mexico. [Note 5]

In the book, "1840 Citizens of TX, Vol. 1, Land Grants, Bennett is known to have received several land grants by April of 1840 in Jasper County, Texas. [Note 5a] One was issued in October of 1836 (F385) and a second in January of 1840 (W53). In April, 1840, Bennett was elected Justice of the Peace for Belgrade, Jasper County, Texas. It was the first election held for the newly formed community. [Note 6]

The first child reported born to Bennett and Clarinda was William Augusta Zachary in 1841, probably in Belgrade. This year of birth is estimated from the 1850 Newton County census where William is reported to be 9 years old. [Note 7] This birth probably occurred in Jasper County. From the same census, Nancy E. Zachary was born in 1843. Clarinda Died in 1845, according to her tombstone and was buried in the Belgrade Cemetery, referred to as Wilson's Field today. [Note 8] Bennett would marry Penelope Davis in 1847.

Very little is known about Nancy Zachary. She is said to have married William Smith, although I have found no record of this marriage. She is reported to have married Charles B. Dougharty, October 22, 1867 in Newton County. Charles is known to be married to a Nancy in the 1880 census. However, a conflicting source says this would be Nancy Matilda Stark, daughter of William and Elizabeth (Zachary) Stark. Until more documentation can be found, this writer can not be sure if she married either of these individuals. Later, there will be a section on William Augusta and his family.

Bennett Hiram & Penelope (Davis) Zachary by Clovis La Fleur, May 2000 Bennett Zachary married Penelope Moore Davis August 10, 1847 in Newton County. Penelope was the daughter of Winfield "alias William M. Davis" Moore and Nancy Belcher. Winfield fled to what is now Newton County, Texas in 1834 as a fugitive from a murder warrant issued in Georgia. [Note 1] In Texas, he changed his name to William M. Davis. His wife Nancy's slaves brought her and their children Turner, Martha, Penelope and Cynthia Moore/Davis to join him. He brought the oldest son, Pleasant B. Moore/Davis, with him when he came. The Davis Community in Newton County, Texas was named after him.

In 1848, Cynthia A. Zachary was born and in 1850, the year of the first U. S. Census for Texas, Mary M. Zachary was born. In the 1850 census, Bennett is reported to be 41 years old, born in South Carolina, and working as a painter earning $500 a year. Penelope is reported to be 25 years old and born in Georgia. [Note 2]

They would have other children named James (b. 1852), Martha (b. 1854), John Austin (b. 1857), and Frances (b. in 1859), all born in Newton County. [Note 3] The family continued to live in Belgrade, Newton County, not far from the Davis community. Nancy Belcher Davis died in 1857. In May of 1859, a warrant arrived in Newton County for the arrest of the fugitive, Winfield Moore, alias William M. Davis. On May 31, 1859, the Sheriff went to William's home to make the arrest. William excused himself to go get some things for the trip. While the Sheriff waited, a shot rang out. William, a proud man, decided he would rather take his own life than go back to Georgia and face a death by hanging for a murder he didn't commit. [Note 4]

Another tragedy occurred for the family in 1860, for Bennett Hiram would die August 4 of that year. He was buried in the Belgrade Cemetery next to his first wife, Clarinda Bennett. [Note 5] Now widowed, Penelope would later marry Daniel Donohoe, March 24, 1862, in Newton County. More tragedy would strike the Davis family during the Civil War, for two sons of William & Nancy Davis, George Washington and Augustus, would die in the Civil War. [Note 6] George Washington had married Sarah Elizabeth Whitman in 1859. They had one daughter before his death which was reported in Sarah's obituary. However, this has not been verified by any documents to date. The widow, Sarah Davis, would later marry on August 27, 1863, William Augustus Zachary, the step-son of Penelope and son of Bennett Hiram and Clarinda. [Note 7]

On October 15, 1867, the second child of Bennett Hiram and Penelope, Mary Matilda Zachary, married John Lawhorn "Jack" Stark in the home of Penelope in Belgrade, Newton County, Texas. [Note 8] After this date, no further records can be found for Penelope and the family in Newton County. This writer believes around 1870, Penelope and Daniel Donahoe moved to Robertson County, Texas for James Zachary married Mary Elizabeth Ketchum in that county on January 10, 1874. Francis Jane would marry Thomas Milton "Tom" Faulkner January 27, 1876 in Robertson County, and John Austin would marry Fredonia McDonald June 16, 1877 in the same County. [Note 9] The last known residence for Daniel Donahoe and Penelope Davis was in the home of Young Eli Hall and Cynthia Davis in Hardin County . [Note 10] Cynthia Davis was Penelope's younger sister. The date of death for Penelope is not known at this time but probably occurred in Hardin County.