Georgia: Coweta County: Biography of JOHN D. STAFFORD ==================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store this file permanently for free access. This file was contributed by: Nel Rocklein TAROCKLEIN@aol.com ==================================================================== JOHN D. STAFFORD, a prosperous farmer of Coweta county, is also of the pioneer stock of the state. His grandparents, Anderson and Henrietta (Weatherly) Stafford, were natives of Virginia, who after some years' residence in South Carolina, settled in Pike county, Ga., in 1826, and cleared up a farm in the midst of the forest wilderness, which was their home for the remainder of their lives. Mr. Stafford had been a soldier in the war of 1812. He and his wife were among the early Methodists of this section. It is difficult to realize the many privations endured by these early settlers, or the numerous economies they were forced to practice. Shoes in those days were so costly and difficult to procure that it was customary to go barefooted the greater part of the time, and even on the Sabbath the shoes were carried in the hands until the church was nearly reached, when they were put on and worn through service, and until at a little distance from the church, when they were taken off and carried home again. Ellis Stafford, the son of Anderson, was born in North Carolina in 1809, and accompanied his parents through the vicissitudes of their pioneer life, and at length married Miss Anna Lovejoy, who was the daughter of Eleazar and Mary (Pennington) Lovejoy, natives of Virginia. Mr. Lovejoy was the son of Edward and Jemima (Mobley) Lovejoy, the former a native of Maryland. Eleazar was born in 1779, and about 1794, accompanied his parents to Georgia, where, after a few years' residence among the woods of Jackson county, they moved to Jasper county. In 1803 he married in what is now Jackson county, and served his country in the war of 1812. He and his wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal church. John D. Stafford, the son of Ellis, was born in 1842, and, having received a good common school education, in 1861 entered the state troops under Capt. Milton Tucker. After six months in this service he enlisted under Capt. Tucker, in Company K, Fifty-fifth Georgia regiment. He was not engaged in any of the regular battles of the war, but was in many skirmishes; he served to the end of the war, for fifteen months as guard at Andersonville. The war being ended, he returned to Coweta county, and in November, 1865, married Miss Lizzie Head. This lady was born in Morgan county, Ga., and is the daughter of James and Nancy (Jackson) Head, both natives of Georgia. Mr. Head was born in 1796, and spent his boyhood on the farm, and fought in the war of 1812. His parents, James and Elizabeth J. (Powell) Head, Virginians, had settled in Elbert county, Ga., about 1793, the former having fought in the revolutionary war. Mr. and Mrs. Stafford are both faithful and consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Their union has been blessed with eight children: Emma, Edwin O., Paul, Lamar, Fannie May, Louise, Anna L. and Claude. Mr. Stafford began life for himself empty-handed, but has made a success of his work, his farm being very valuable. He devotes some thirty acres to the culture of grapes, which he has made profitable. He is one of the best farmers and leading men of Coweta county. Transcribed from MEMOIRS OF GEORGIA published by the Southern Historical Association, 1895.