Meriwether-Campbell-Coweta County GaArchives Biographies.....Francis Nixon February 11 1810 - ~1881 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Valerie (Johnson) Freeman vcjfreeman@aol.com July 30, 2003, 7:49 pm Author: Prepared/compiled by Valerie (Johnson) Freeman ~~ July 2003 Francis Nixon was born 11 February 1810 in Oglethorpe Co., GA. Research indicates that Francis’s paternal Grandparents were Francis Nixon (I) and Mary Unknown. Francis (I) made his will on 28 Oct 1787 in Mecklenburg Co., NC showing Wife, Mary, and three sons: Allen, Joseph, and John. (Will book E page 38-39, proved 1788). Widow Mary Nixon married John Tanner on 8 March 1790 in Mecklenburg Co., NC. Sometime after the marriage, John & Mary Tanner moved to Oglethorpe Co., GA. Mary's three boys are mentioned by name in John Tanner's will filed in Oglethorpe County, GA on 9 Jul 1811. The maternal grandparents of Francis Nixon are Samuel Ward & Edith "Eady" Hudson. Samuel served in the Revolutionary War with the Virginia Militia from Lunenburg Co., VA. His will was recorded in Oglethorpe Co., GA on 12 Nov 1842. Francis’s parents, Joseph Nixon and Martha Ward, were married in Oglethorpe Co., GA on 11 January 1809. They are then found in Walton Co,. GA for the 1820 and 1830 censuses. His father died sometime between 1832 & 1840. His mother died in July 1859 from Typhoid in Coweta Co., per the 1860 Mortality Schedule. She was 77 years old, born in Virginia. Her estate settlement was filed in November 1859, naming her living children. Joseph and Martha were buried at the Nixon Family Cemetery (unmarked/abandoned) off Gordon Road near Senoia, Coweta Co., Georgia. On 5 January 1835, Francis signed a warranty deed granting him land in Coweta Co., GA from the Estate of Sarah Kemp. [Sarah's won the land in the 1827 lottery], which was recorded on 7 Jan 1836 in Book D, page 308. The land was in the 1st District, Section 4, Lot 202 - 202.5 acres On 2 March 1837, Francis married Anna Ray in Meriwether Co., GA. The parents of Anna are unknown as of this time. Francis and Anna are then found in Meriwether Co., GA for the 1840 and 1850 censuses. Their children, all born in Meriwether Co.: (1) Thomas W. Nixon b: 1838; d: 30 Aug 1862 in the Civil War - 2nd Manassas, Prince William Co., Virginia. He did not marry. Served with the 19th Regiment, Company C. (2) Joseph J. Nixon b: 12 Oct 1839; d: 15 Jan 1914 in Palmetto, Campbell Co., GA; m. Louisa M. Smith on 23 Dec 1869 in Campbell Co., d/o John B. Smith & Temperance Bailey. He also served with the 19th-C. (3) Martha J. Nixon b: 1842-1843; d: 21 Jan 1921 in Campbell Co.; m. Moses M. Smith, also a child of John B. Smith & Temperance Bailey. She m 2nd to Moses’s brother. Abner Bailey Smith sometime after Aug 1894. (4) Rebecca Ann Nixon b: 1843-1845; d. (after 1880 census) m. James Monroe Windham on 28 Dec 1859 in Campbell Co.; s/o James [Windom] Windham & Martha Ray (Note: I believe, but have not yet proved, that Martha (Ray) Windom and Anna (Ray) Nixon are sisters.) (5) George D./T. Nixon b: 1847; d. ? . He m. Mary "Mollie" E. L. Evans on 26 Dec 1869 in Coweta Co. (6) Wyley W. Nixon b: 1848-1849; d. ?; He never married. On the 1920 census, he is living in Union City, Campbell Co., GA as a border with brother-in-law, A. B. Smith. Anna died in late 1850- early1851. Francis married 2nd to another Ann -- Ann "Annie" Elizabeth Grantham, daughter of Jadok/Zadock Grantham & Elizabeth Lovelace “of” Meriwether Co. She was born 9 Aug 1824 in Georgia. The 1850 Census of Meriwether Co has Annie’s parents on page 337B, family #444-444. Francis Nixon and family are close by on page 338B, family #458-458. Francis and Annie were most likely married in the Summer 1851 in Meriwether Co. Annie died 5 Feb 1905 in Heard Co., Georgia and is buried at Macedonia Baptist Church Cemetery in Macedonia, Heard Co., Georgia. Children of Francis Nixon and Annie Grantham: (1) Mary Susan "Ann" Nixon b: 6 May 1852 in GA; d: Abt 26 May 1891 in Heard Co.; m. Angus Andy Weaver on 20 Dec 1883 in Coweta Co. Buried at Flat Rock Campground in Franklin, Heard Co., Georgia. Her children used the Nixon surname, instead of Weaver, as they were raised by her parents. (2) John H. Nixon b: 22 Nov 1853 in GA; d: 10 Mar 1927 in Heard Co.; buried at Macedonia Baptist Church Cemetery. He did not marry. (3) Margaret "Shug" Frances Nixon b: 19 Nov 1855 in GA; d: 21 Dec 1943 in Heard Co., GA; buried at Macedonia Baptist Church Cemetery. She did not marry. (4) William "Bill" David Nixon b: 1859-1860 in GA; d. after 1920. He m. Martha "Mattie" Jean Norton on 14 Nov 1883 in Coweta Co. (5) Barney "Dock" Zellas Nixon b: 1 Dec 1860 in Campbell Co., GA; d: 8 May 1939 in Blackjack Mountain, Carroll Co., GA. In 1889, he m. Mary Wilson, daughter of Griffin "Griff" J. Wilson & Elizabeth Copeland. They are also buried at Macedonia Baptist Church Cemetery. (6) Malinda "Linda" S. Nixon b: 3 May 1862 in Campbell Co., GA; d: 4 May 1937. She m. John M. Wilson; they are buried at Red Oak Methodist Church Cemetery in Heard Co. (7) Jackson Nixon b: 1864 in Campbell Co., GA; d: Bef 1870 in Campbell Co., GA (8) Clara Cathan Nixon b: 18 Oct 1865 in Campbell Co., GA; d: 3 Dec 1942 in Heard Co., GA; buried at Macedonia Baptist Church Cemetery. She did not marry. (9) Samuel M. David Nixon b: 24 Feb 1868 in Campbell Co., GA; d: 16 Oct 1922 in Heard Co., GA. He married about 1891 to Harriet "Lizzie" Elizabeth Wilson, b: 11 Jan 1871; d: 1914, sister of Mary (Wilson) Nixon. They too are buried at Macedonia Baptist Church Cemetery. Francis is found in the 1880 census of Coweta Co., living in GMD #647/Fourth District, near Handy. This is the northwest section of the county, very close to the Heard County line. He is the only member of his family that can read and write. He states his father was born in Ireland and mother in Virginia. According to family lore, Francis died in Heard Co. in 1881. I have yet to find his burial location, but I believe it would be an unmarked grave at Macedonia Baptist since his widow and several of his children from his 2nd marriage are buried there. Due to the burning of the Heard County Courthouse in 1893, there may have been records for Francis we will never find. This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/gafiles/ File size: 6.6 Kb