James M. Harris and Ann Unknown Family

James Harris was my 3rd great-grandfather. A daughter or step daughter Martha "Mattie" married a James Shewbart and they had Martin Luther Shewbart. Luther Shewbart married Lillie Anthum Johnson and one of their children was my grandmother. 

 James M. Harris and Ann Unknown Family 

James M. Harris informed the Tishomingo County, Mississippi 1850 census taker Assistant  Marshall William Suggs that he was 43 years old and he was born in Kentucky.  ¹

Most researchers give his date of birth as May 7, 1807 in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky. This is probably based on the James Harris that appear in the 1830 census in this county. This James has a wife and two children. ²

A 1821 Muhlenberg land deed record further supports James home and also names his parents:

John and Jane Morgan of Muhlenberg Co, deed to Polly Harris, widow of William Harris, dec’d, and to Charles Harris, Sally Shuffield formerly Sally Harris, Stephen Harris, James Harris, A. Harris, and Betsy Harris, for $170 paid to him by said William Harris in his lifetime, 100 acres on Isaacs Creek in Muhlenberg Co. bordering Charles C. Sumner, Peter Boggess, and Thomas Irvin - Deed Book 5, p. 239, Muhlenberg Co, KY 1821 ³

 James Harris and family appear in a territorial census of 1837 and a James Harris was elected to the police board in newly formed Tishomingo County in 1837.⁴ In 1840 a James Harris and family are living in Tishomingo County, Mississippi and James continues to do things for the county like serve as Justice of the Peace and build roads. ⁵ So when the 1850 census time rolled around and William Suggs came around James and Ann and  seven children were living in the Northern Distict of Tishomingo County. ⁶

Who was James Harris' wife? Early in my research most Shewbart researchers I found listed the wife as Judy Ann and offered no other surname name. The 1850  and 1870 census records gives her name as Ann from Kentucky. There is an 1839 marriage record in Tishomingo County of James Harris to Ann Hynes. No or no other records that support this couple. ⁷ It seems that the prevailing school of thought on the maiden name of James Harris is Ann Ward. However others add Judy, Judy Ann, Annie, and Boyd to her name. In 2025 I choose to leave her with the name Ann.⁸

When William Suggs visited the Harris on September 24, 1850 he recorded the names of the children of James and Ann in this order:

James M 17

Leander         M 14

Catherine M 12

Stephen         M 10

Martha F 8

Matilda         F 5

Lucinda         F 7/12

A moment to consider William Suggs attention to detail. He recored a clearly female named person as a male. However, by all later indications Catherine was a girl. 

Little is known of James and Ann during the 1860's. They are not found in the 1860 census,. There children were building their lives. A James Harris served as 5th Sergeant in Company A the 2nd Mississippi Infantry Regiment. At some point in the next ten years James and Ann, moved to Franklin County, Alabama. 

In 1870 James and Ann were living in Township 7, Range 14 of Franklin County near Nelsonville Post Office. Lucinda was still living with them and it appears that Martha and a child named Georgia were also members of the household. This is believed to be their daughter despite age discrepancies between the two census records. ⁹

As records go after 1870 there is really nothing I can find out about Ann and James excepts their dates of death. A unsourced note stating that James' unmarked grave was pinpointed in Shotts Cemetery in Marion County, Alabama using an old cemetery record book. ¹⁰

Totally different family trees:

Reece Britton Family, by Ron Reese at Ancestry has James Harris being married twice. Once to an unknown person and the second time to Ann Ward. The unknown wife is the mother to three children that I have not found yet. There is no sources for this other family in this tree.Ron descends from Matilda Harris Britton who died in Texas on Jun 10, 1934. The informant of her death certificate knew that James Harris was Matilda's father, but did not know who was Matilda's mother. ¹¹ 

Sources: 

¹ 1850 U.S. census, population schedule, Mississippi, Tishomingo, Northern Division District 4, p. 20 (stamped), dwelling #258, family #258, James Harris; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed July 11, 2025); citing NARA microfilm publication M432, roll #382.

² 1830 U.S. census, Muhlenburg County, Kentucky, p. # 84(pinned), line #18, James Harris

; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 19 July 2025); citing

National Archives microfilm publication M19, roll #40.

³ WikiTree contributors, "James William Harris (1807-1893)," WikiTree: The Free Family Tree, (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Harris-23626 : accessed 13 July 2025).

⁴ Ancestry.com. Mississippi, U.S., State and Territorial Census Collection, 1792-1866 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007.Original data: Mississippi State and Territorial Censuses, 1792-1866. Microfilm V229. 3 rolls. Heritage Quest.; History of Old Tishomingo County, Territory of Mississippi

⁵ 1840 U.S. census, Tishomingo,Mississippi, p. # 216 (stamped), line #16, James Harris,  digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 19 July 2025); citing National Archives microfilm publication M704, roll #219.; History of Old Tishomingo County, Territory of Mississippi, p.37

⁶ 1850 U.S. census, population schedule, Mississippi, Tishomingo, Northern Division District 4, p. 20 (stamped), dwelling #258, family #258, James Harris; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed July 11, 2025); citing NARA microfilm publication M432, roll #382.

⁷ Ancestry.com. Mississippi, U.S., Compiled Marriages, 1826-1850 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 1999.Original data: Dodd, Jordan R, et. al.. Early American Marriages: Mississippi.

⁸ WikiTree contributors, "James William Harris (1807-1893)," WikiTree: The Free Family Tree, (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Harris-23626 : accessed 13 July 2025).

⁹ 1870 U.S. census, population schedule, Alabama, Franklin, Township 7 Range 14, p. # 547(stamped), dwelling #2, family #2, James Harris; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 12 June 2025); citing NARA microfilm publication M593, roll #16.

¹⁰ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/111414067/james_william-harris: accessed July 13, 2025), memorial page for Rev Fr James William Harris (7 May 1807–12 Feb 1893), Find a Grave Memorial ID 111414067, citing Shottsville Cemetery, Marion County, Alabama, USA; Maintained by M Quarles (contributor 48127908).
11 Texas, Death Certificates, 1903-1982 (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013), Ancestry.com, Texas Department of State Health Services; Austin Texas, USA; Texas Death Certificates, 1903–1982.; Ron Reece, "Reece Britton" Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/114608168/person/260137015555/facts: accessed 13 July 2025).

Robert Raleigh Green and Lillie Jane Gray

Robert Raleigh Green was the son of Patrick Terrell Green and Mary Elizabeth Killeen, a daughter of John Killen and Susannah Richardson.  Robert Raleigh married Lillie Jane Gray, a daughter of John Richard Gray and Sarah Gist. 

They had seven children: Nellie, Henderson, Edward (my grandfather), Herbert, Henry, Mary Jane, Fisher Woodrow. Henderson, Mary Jane, and Fisher died very young. Lille died in October of 1918 three months after the death of one month old Fisher. 

Robert, Lillie, Nellie, and William Edward Green. (ca 1909)

After Lille's death Robert married Lonnie McLaughlin. Lonnie had married a Fulks man when she was young and had one child: Bob.   Robert and Lonnie would have had four children: James, Robert, Howard, and Annie. Robert died in August of 1963 of generalized arteriosclerosis. 

Rigdon Irvin Homeplace (2021)

This was originally written in 2001 by Greg Green and is still posted on an old Tripod/Geocities website.  

Rigdon Irvin was probably born in Kershaw County, South Carolina around 1780. By 1832 he was married to Rosamond Mary Ann Lowery and they had ten children.  The last child, Tillman Jefferson Irvin had been born two years before in Kershaw County. In 1832, their eleventh child Martha Jane Irvin was born in Mississippi.  This family was enumerated in the 1840 census. The vast majority of Irvins that lived in the Monroe County, Mississippi and Lamar County, Alabama area descend from the children of this couple.

Much as been said about the location of the actual homeplace of Rigdon Irvin.  There is  circumstantial evidence that suggests that it may have been located directly south of Kenneth Ray’s present day house.  It revolves around a land document, a square well, a photograph, and the memory of one of the oldest living people living in the general area. 

On February 27, 1841 Rigdon Irvin filed a land patent for 39.97 acres of land that encompasses the  SE ¼  of NW ¼  of Section 30 in Township 13 S , Range 16 W (Huntsville Meridian) of Monroe County, Mississippi.  Close examination of this patent on present day USGP topographical maps would place the extreme northeastern corner of this land parcel somewhere directly in front of the home of Kenneth Ray. 

Between 1841 and September 6, 1890, the descendants of Rigdon Irvin acquired the NE ¼ of this section of land. This is known because on the September date Anthony Irvin, a son of Rigdon, and his wife sold the E ½ of NW ¼ to a W.R. Irvin.  The half section exchanged hands two more times within the Irvin family before Susan E. Blaylock Pickle bought it from A.M.”Andy” Irvin on August 8, 1904.  Wes Ray and wife Myrtice, daughter of Susan Pickle, lived on this land until their deaths. 

            Home of Wes and Myrtice Ray (Taken from the well house)

The home of Myrtice and Wes Ray is still standing today. It is situated to the west of Kenneth Ray’s home, approximately thirty yards down a slight grade.  There is little or no yard between the bottom step of the front porch and the road that passes in front of the house. As a young boy, before the road was paved, I remember that the dust from a passing car would not start on its descent from the air before it started settling on the unfortunate folks sitting in the front porch.  In the southwest corner of the so called front yard is located the well from which Wes and Myrtice always got their water.  The well is the second piece of evidence. This well is a square dug well. I always thought that the well box was square and assumed that the actual well hole was round. However, when questioned, Kenneth Ray stated that the well was dug square. Apparently this well has been mentioned in Irvin family legend because I have been ask or told about its existence several times through the years.  It has been said that Rigdon Irvin dug the well himself.  The position of the well would place it within fifty yards of  the extreme northeastern corner of Rigdon Irvin’s original forty acres.

I have gone back to Wes and Myrtice Rays children, Kenneth Ray and Christine Ray Wilson, and ask them about old house sites on the land where they grew up. Specifically I ask them about the area south of the present day road. Based on the USGS topographic maps, I think Rigdon’s original forty acres would be located directly south of the road. The northern boundary may even be in the road, but with out a proper survey I can not be certain.  As far as they know there were two structures south of the present day road. The first structure was located directly in front of Kenneth Ray’s present day home. The other was located where Wes and Myrtice Ray’s barn is located and at the present falling in. The house that once stood where the barn is located is a story in itself. According to Kenneth Ray, the house was a two story house. The bottom was used as a school house. He said that a set of stairs led up to the top floor. The top floor was more or less a loft that was used as sleeping quarters. Wes Ray apparently tore down most of the house and placed the barn directly over  the site. The steps that led to the sleeping loft became the steps to the barn loft. Kenneth said that the chimney rock may still be out there. I have never seen them, nor do I have much interest in moving the snakes out of the way looking for them. According to Kenneth the other house was located south of the road and in front of his house. This house was made of logs.  This I can attest to, because as a young boy I remember digging in the ruins of the home for bottles and other treasures. 

Basically the roof had fallen into the house, but a good deal of the log walls of each side were still standing. In order to venture into the house several rows of logs had to be scaled by this aspiring antique collector.  Probably the key to all of this is Kenneth’s remembrance of one end of the front porch. This end had been boarded up with rough plank lumber. Probably this was a home improvement room addition project of one of Rigdon’s descendants.  Kenneth said that when he was young that they had used the room to dry peas and for other storage purposes.  

I received a copy of the picture above several years ago. Unfortunately I did not record the sender of the picture and to this date I do not know the history of the picture. It is stated on this document that the picture is of Rigdon Irvin’s homeplace. If this is correct, which I have no way of proving, then I propose that this house was the log house that sat directly in front of Kenneth Ray’s home.  The most compelling evidence is the front of the house. Looking at the picture it appears the left side (with the chimney) is log. However, the right side is planked. This side seems to jut outward more than the left side. I think that this is the added on Kenneth spoke of. Probably it is the result of boxing in a portion of the porch.  The family that was photographed in front of the house is also a piece of evidence of sorts. In the document they are identified as the family of Francis Leake Munn. According to Kenneth, he was told by Myrtice Ray, that Munns were living on the place when her mother bought the land.  This seems contradict the land records due to the fact that Susan Pickle bought the land from Andy Irvin and that no Munns are mentioned in the land deeds. However, Kenneth and his wife lived in what he said was called the Andy Irvin place before they built their present day house. This Irvin house was located several hundred yards west of the house in the picture. So it is assumed that Andy was not living in the log house at the time of the land transaction between him and Susan Pickle. Kenneth also spoke of a house that was “up the holler” north of the road and west of the Wes Ray’s house.  So there were appears to be plenty of housing in the general area at the time I am discussing. Enough housing for several other families, like the Munns, to live on the Irvin place.  

In summary, the evidence to locate the actual site of Rigdon Irvin’s homeplace is somewhat circumstantial and sketchy. It is based on the original land records, an unaccredited and unproved picture, the presence of the fabled square well, and the remembrances of Kenneth Ray, and to a lesser extent myself. However, at this time, there seems no other plausible location.  

In 2021 analysis of the cabin indicate single pen construction with dovetail logs and wooden singles.  The front room appears to be roughly planked in. This style home would represent the earliest form of housing and correndspond to what would have been built in the 1830's and 140's by Rigdon Irvin. 

One interesting, or at least I think it is, problem with this theory is the distance between the well and the homeplace. I would hate to know I had to walk forty or fifty yards to get the morning water. I would really hate to have to go that far to  quench my thirst if the house bucket went dry. Kenneth had a possible explanation. The well may have been positioned near where the stock was watered. To him, ease in watering the stock  would have had greater importance than convenience to the house.

Greg Green

January 21, 2001

James Monroe Ray and Bettie Atkins

James Monroe Ray Family

Based on age and what I remember about the picture:

• Top Row (L-R) James Wesley Ray, James Ray, Will Ray
• Two Girls in White (L-R): Sara and Ida 
• Bottom (L-R): Roy, Monroe holding Lillian, Granny Bet

James Monroe Ray was a son of Jasper Newton Ray and Sarah Irvin. He married Bettie E. Aikens were married on 31 Jul 1895. They had the following children:


1. James Wesley Ray was born on 17 May 1896. He died on 13 Jun 1980. He married Myrtice Lulu R. Pickle. They were my great-grandparents. This picture hung on a wall in their house.

2. James "Jeames" Ray was born on 12 Mar 1899.

3. William Ray was born in 1900.

4. Sara Ray was born on 02 Sep 1902.

5. Ida Ray was born in 1905.

6. Roy Reeth Ray[1] was born in 1907

7. Lillian Ray was born on 07 Sep 1911

Monroe and Bettie had another child named Linda. I was told that Linda died as an infant.
Linda Ray died as an infant. In the 1910 Census there is a six month old Annie in the house. This could possible be the child Linda.

David Pickle, Company L 43rd Mississippi Infrantry

David Pickle was child of Robert Pickle and Sarah Aldridge of Monroe County, Mississippi. David was born September 2, 1833 when the Pickle family were living in Fayette County, Alabama. David married Francis J. Carter on October 8, 1857.

David enlisted in Captain S.J. Gholson's  company of Confederate volunteers on April 30, 1862 in Athens, Monroe County, Mississippi. The Gholson Rebels became Company L of the 43rd Mississippi Infantry Regiment. David was on roll in February, April, and June of 1863. The company, including David, was surrendered to Union forces at Vicksburg on July 4, 1863. By general order the entire company was furloughed for 30 days upon which time they were to report to parole camp at Columbus, Mississippi. On October 31, 1863 David was listed as paroled and absent without leave. A note at a later muster roll stated that be had been absent without leave since August 23, 1863. He apparently never returned to duty.


Children of David Pickle and Francis J. Carter:
Robert Pickle was born about 1859 in Mississippi
Florence Pickle was born about 1860 in Mississippi
Manerva Pickle was born about 1863 in Mississippi
Adella Pickle was born about 1865 in Mississippi
Mary Pickle was born on Unknown in Mississippi.

It has been reported that David married a Francis Jane Tyrone.  They had one child -  Andrew Woody Pickle, born 7/12/1867 in Aberdeen, Monroe County, Mississippi. He died April 23, 1930 in Bowman, Arkansas and was buried in Keller Chapel Cemetery, Green County, Arkansas. However, other researchers say that Woody was a son of Francis Jane Carter and David.

In 2018, David's wife is still identified as Francis Jane Carter by some researchers and as Francis Jane Tyrone as others. A Francis J. Pickle applied for a Civil War pension in Craighead, Arkansas.

David died in Craighead County Arkansas and was buried in Pine Hill Cemetery. Jane died in 1904 and was buried in the same cemetery.

Sources:

• Pickle-Ray Family File, Greg Green, February 12, 2018
• 1870 Monroe County Mississippi Census.
• Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Mississippi. Original data from: The National Archives, Retrieved from at 3-Fold February 12, 2018. (http://www.fold3.com).
• David Pickle Find-A-Grave Memorial #84922894
• Francis Jane Tyron Pickle Find-A-Grave Memorial#8492280

Unknown Couple

Unknown Couple

When going through my mother and Daddy house I found a lot of pictures that I did not remember from my childhood. I assume that this picture came out of one of several family homes.

My first thoughts is that this comes from my grandmother Lurlie Green's house. It seems like I can remember this on the dresser in their bedroom. A bedroom that was positioned between the eating room and the living room and twas absent of any type of shutting door.

This could possibly Martin Luther Shewbart and Lillie Anthum Johnston. Daddy said Luther Shewbart was bald headed and sported a big beard and Lurlie looks a lot like this lady.

This picture was in a frame from maybe the 80's. It is not an original picture. It is on Kodak paper, so I think this is a picture of a picture in an oval frame.

Please contact me if you know these people.

Children of Martin Luther Shewbart and Lillie Anthum Johnson (ca 1934)

          Front Row (Left to Right):

• Leland McCullar: second son of  Noah Lacey McCullar  and Zella Shewbart, born in 1931. 
• Noah Lacy McCullar ,Junior: first son of  Noah Lacey McCullar  and Zella Shewbart, born September 20, 1928
•  Martin Luther Shewbart
• Losene Shewbart
• Lillie Shewbart
•  Billy Green: second child of Lurlie Shewbart and Edward Green born November 12, 1930.
• Mary Jo Green: first child of Lurlie Shewbart and Edward Green born March 30, 1928.
• Evelyn Knight: first child of Bertha Shewbart and Burin Knight                                                 

·      

Back Row (Left to Right)
•       Noah Lacy McCullar: Husband of Zella Shewbart
•       Bertha Shewbart Knight holding Ethylene Knight, second child of Bertha and Burin Knight born in about 1934.
•       Zellie Shewbart McCullar
•             Lurlie Shewbart Green
•       Edward Green: Husband of Lurlie Shewbart. He is holding R.L. Green, third child born June 17, 1932 to Edward and Lurlie.
•       Myrtle Shewbart
•       Maybell Shewbart
•        Roy Shewbart.