Biography of Jeremiah Smith Thompson Dudley, Lowndes, Alabama http://files.usgwarchives.net/al/lowndes/bios/dudley-jst.txt ================================================================================ USGENWEB NOTICE: All documents placed in the USGenWeb Archives remain the property of the contributors, who retain publication rights in accordance with US Copyright Laws and Regulations. In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, these documents may be used by anyone for their personal research. They may be used by non-commercial entities so long as all notices and submitter information is included. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit. Any other use, including copying files to other sites, requires permission from the contributors PRIOR to uploading to the other sites. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. This file was contributed and copyrighted by: Michael V. Sims < michaelvsims@nyc.rr.com> ================================================================================ May 2006 "Jeremiah Smith Thompson Dudley" written by Florence A. Middleton transcribed ca. 1972 by Rosa Lyon Traylor submitted 2006 by Michael Vaughn Sims Jeremiah Smith Thompson Dudley was born in Milledgeville, Ga., September 16, 1825. His parents were living at Eatonton, (Putnam County), Ga., when they moved to Lowndes County in 1837. His father, Edward Dudley, a saddler by trade, was born in 1795 at St. Augustine, Fla., and died at Farmersville, Alabama in October [26th] 1873. His mother, Mary Thompson, was the daughter of Jeremiah Smith Thompson, of New York and Beatrice Fleming. The latter was among those citizens fo Wales who were banished by England because of an insurrection to the Isle of Teague. Beatrice was then only 12 years of age. This Beatrice came to Farmersville, Lowndes County, Alabama, with her daughter's family. She was born in Edinburg[h], Scotland in 1759 and died at Farmersville, Alabama in 1859 in her 99th year. Jeremiah Smith Thompson Dudley married Ellen Oliver, daughter of Andrew Oliver, (a native of Ireland) and Elizabeth Collins of Butler County, Alabama. Ellen was born at Mobile Pt. in 1828, an only child. Her parents were drowned in a storm in Mobile Bay. Ellen was about 2 1/2 or 3 years old at the time and her bachelor uncle, Ben Oliver, saved her from drowning and later raised her. She knew him as Uncle Oliver. He lived between Farmersville and Braggs. When Ellen was 18 and Jerry was 21 they first met at the Methodist Church west of Pleasant Hill. Three months later they were married - December 22nd, 1846. This church still stands and is owned by Negroes. When Jeremiah (Jere) asked Ellen to marry him she consented, then said, "Wait a minute." She went into the house and returned with her Bible, saying, "If we're to start life together, we must live with this book and by it." Everyone who ever visited their home overnight could testify that they held family prayer twice a day. He lived almost 25 years after her death in January 1894 and he kept up the custom as long as he lived. [Jeremiah Dudley died October 1, 1918 at age 93.] He built their house from logs he hewed under the shade of the big water-oaks. The water-oaks are gone but the house still stands. The house is on the hill opposite his father's old home and a brook and valley run between them. Here he began farming in 1847. As his family grew to school age, he gave much time to teaching as competent teachers could not be found. He was a stern school-master and held the 3 R's in high repute. He demanded the best from every child. Jeremiah Dudley served in the Civil War as courier. His most important battles were Chicamauga and Dalton, Ga., and Atlanta. He saw one of his brothers shot in two; another, fatally wounded, died in his arms. The third died of fever in the army camp. He himself received no wounds. When the cannon's roar at the Battle of Selma had died down - this roar was heard at Benton, Collirene and Farmersville - the people were told that, "Wilson's Raiders will be turned loose on the country tomorrow." So Ellen prepared. After the children were asleep she called the faithful old slave, Joe, by name. Together they wrapped each ham, side and middling in a "crocker sack." Then with the young colored boy, Jack, to help, they had him climb the oak with a rope about his waist. The tree had been topped so the foliage was green and thick at the time, which was April [1865]. Jack drew each piece of meat up by rope one at a time. He was careful not to break the new limbs of the tree as he was told to be cautious. They were well hidden by the green foliage. Ellen hid her little money and jewels in tin cans under plants in the newly plowed garden. The raiders found little besides the few chickens and pigs and mules which she had not sent to the woods. Jeremiah and Ellen had nine children; one died in infancy. Three times they felt called on to care for the orphans of their kin - each time for several years. (His sister, Mary, left one son to their care.) His brother, John, left 3, all quite young. Ellen's first cousin, left 6; two of whom stayed several years with them. When Edward Dudley came to Lowndes County his brother, Jack, came too. He married Julia Reese of Lowndesboro. They are the ancestors of the Benton Dudleys. Jere was a member of the Board of Revenue in Lowndes County from 1878 to 1896. He was a steward in the Methodist Church all his mature years. He and his sons, Oliver and Smith, kept up this church through the years and it is a beautiful little country church today. No doubt the Dudleys were the founders. His home was always the preacher's home, for they always found a welcome there. As a member of the Board of Revenue, he had to be in Hayneville at 9 o'clock on specified Mondays. The roads were bad, days short, so he prepared to leave Sunday, late, and spend the night in Haynveville. Now, in those days, the churches held that Sunday began at sundown Saturday and ended at sundown Sunday. Ellen had prepared early supper, he saddled his horse. It was a cloudy day and they had no time-piece. When they assumed the sun was down, he left. Now, he lived two miles beyond Farmersville. As he passed a neighbor's house, he was surprised to catch a glimpse of a red setting sun. Next Sunday, Ellen was annoyed and mortified when after service, the preacher asked: "Will Brother Dudley please come forward? It is our painful duty to church you today. It has been reported that you have failed in the proper observance of the Sabbath." One of his neighbors then went forward and testified that Brother Dudley had passed his home the preceeding Sabbath as the sun set - attending to worldly business. As his house was two miles farther back, he must have left home at least one half hour earlier. Brother Dudley explained that he had no time-piece and it was a cloudy day. He was told to apologize to the church, which he did and was told to be more careful thereafter. So he was exonerated and reinstated in the church. No man was ever more loyal to his church and he honored God every day. He was a proper man respected and honored by all who knew him. His integrity and honor were never questioned. Jeremiah had a keen sense of humor. Once, when over 70, he asked a preacher who was about his age, if he knew a verse in the Bible where women were commanded to kiss the men. "Why no," the preacher remonstrated. "I know the Bible and there is no such verse." "Oh, yes, there is - 'Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so unto them'," he said. He liked to tell this little joke. ***************** Additional information about the Dudley family copied from the papers of Florence A. Middleton: Mary Thompson Dudley (wife of Edward Dudley) had come from a family of devout Methodists. Her mother was Elizabeth Beatrix Fleming, who was born in Edinburg[h], Scotland in 1759 and died at Farmersville, Alabama, in 1859. She was among those banished by the British to the Isle of Teague. She later moved to Charleston, S.C. After her marrieage to J. S. Thompson of New York, they moved to Eatonton, Ga. Their daughter, Mary, had been happily married to Edward Dudley in 1823. He was a native of St. Augustine, Florida, but at the time of their marriage he was a resident of Milledgeville, Ga. Fourteen years later, around 1837, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Dudley moved to Farmersville, Lowndes County, Ala. There they spent the remainder of lives. They reared a large family but one one, *Jerry (Jere) live to a ripe old age. Mr. Edward Dudley himself had never shown the energy his wife manifested, though he was a good friend and neighbor. He liked to take time for an occasional joke and he was not overfond of work anyway. His wife usually wore a serious countenance for she was always busy at something and in the meantime planning another job. *Jerry was Jeremiah Smith Thompson Dudley who married Ellen Oliver; they were father and mother of Maria Ellen Dudley, who married David Hinton Middleton January 21, 1873. ****************** It is said that whenever any of Jeremiah Smith Thompson Dudley's grandchildren wrote him a letter, he marked their mistakes and returned the letter to them, telling them to look up the misspelled words in the dictionary.