Thomas-Bulloch-Berrien County GaArchives Biographies.....Alderman, Ezekiel 1850 - living in 1913 ************************************************ 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: Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 October 20, 2004, 12:00 pm Author: William Harden p. 842-844 EZEKIEL ALDERMAN, the well known citizen and former hotel man of Pavo, was born in Thomas county, Georgia, August 13, 1850, a descendant of a family that had played its part in America since early colonial times. Mr. Alderman's great-grandfather, David Alderman, was a representative of a good old English family who settled in the United States while they were yet under the rule of Great Britain. He first made his home in New Jersey, but after living there for some time, he moved to North Carolina. There he spent a great many years, but late in life, his wife having died and his children being pretty well grown, he migrated to Bullock county, Georgia, with his family, and resided in that place until his death, which occurred at a good old age. The grandfather of the subject of this sketch, Timothy Alderman, was born in North Carolina in the year 1801, and was a young man when he moved to Georgia with his father. After his marriage, which was solemnized in Bullock county, he changed his place of residence to Berrien county. While living in the latter place he explored the southwestern section of Georgia, and considering that that section of the state offered superior advantages for the settler, in the year 1835, he located at a place now included in Brooks county. At the time of his settlement in his new home, Southwestern Georgia was a wilderness. All kinds of game roved its tangled forests, and the red men still claimed it as their hunting ground. Nothing daunted by the obvious difficulties presented by life in this wild place, Timothy Alderman commenced at once to clear and put under cultivation the tract of timbered land he had brought in what is now the Tallokas district. By the time he had his farm in working condition, settlers were thronging the locality. Timothy Alderman sold out to one of these men and bought a farm south of Quit-man. He resided there two years, but at the end of that time returned to the Tallokas district where he purchased a new farm and several hundred head of cattle, and engaged in stock raising. He died on this farm at the ripe old age of eighty-one years, leaving his wife, with whom he had shared fifty-five years of happy married life, to survive him. She passed away at the age of ninety-two years, after a long and useful life as wife and mother. Her maiden name was Sally Williams and she, like her husband, was born in the state of North Carolina. She reared seven daughters and four sons, namely: Nancy, Polly, Jinsey, Susan, Betty, Martha, and Jane, and James, Ezekiel, Henry and Timothy. James Alderman was born in Bullock county, Georgia, in 1823. He was brought to the southwestern part of Georgia by his father when a mere lad and was reared amid the rigors and inspiring scenes of pioneer days. When he started out in life for himself, he purchased a tract of land about one mile west of Pavo, and there built himself a log house and engaged in farming. There were no railroads in those days and the nearest market he had for his produce was Tallahassee, which was a long and arduous journey from his farm. He hauled his commodities there by team, however, the journey consuming several days. After living on his original farm for several years, James Alderman sold it and purchased some land west of Thomasville. He only lived here two years, and at the end of that time he settled in what is now Brooks county, having bought a fine farm in the western part of the Tallahas district. In the year 1864, when the memorable struggle between the states began, James Alderman enlisted in the Georgia state militia, and went to the defense of Atlanta. He served without interruption until the close of the war and then resumed farming on his last-purchased farm. In 1867 he sold his farm and rented land for a year, during which time he was looking around for an advantageous location. With the idea of finding a good place to settle in mind, he explored Florida, but that state did not come up to his expectations, so he returned to the Tallahas district and bought a farm from William Yates. In the year 1870 he sold his farm to Captain Wells and bought another large farm in the same district. Two years later he disposed of this land also and bought a small farm, upon which he lived for three years. At the end of that time he purchased a farm in the Pavo district. He stocked this farm with cattle and remained there engaged in stock raising until his death, which occurred when he had reached the ripe age of sixty-nine years. The wife of James Alderman and the mother of the subject of this sketch, was Jane Roberts Alderman. She was born in what is now the Tallokas district of Brooks county, the daughter of Elias and Nancy Nevils Roberts. Mrs. Jane Alderman died at the age of sixty-five years, having reared ten children, Eliza, Elias, Timothy, Sally, Nicie, Ezekiel, James, Mary, Charles and Ansel. The subject of this history was raised and educated in Brooks county and commenced his career as an independent farmer on rented land in the same locality. After renting for two years, he bought a tract of land in the Tallokas district from his father, and shortly afterward his father gave him one hundred acres adjoining his farm. He proved very successful in the pursuit of agriculture and added to his original farm until it included 525 acres, besides about one thousand acres of outlying land. In 1901 he removed to Pavo, in order to give his children the advantages of town schools. In Pavo he bought the hotel which he operated so successfully for several years and of which he is still the owner. Although he had the newer interests of town life to distract him, Mr. Alderman did not grow neglectful of his agricultural duties. He rented his farm property out to tenants and still keeps it under his supervision. In the town where he has made his home, Mr. Alderman enjoys the reputation of being not only a man of property, but a well-liked and prominent citizen. He is a valued member of the McDonald Lodge No. 172, of the Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons. The marriage of Ezekiel Alderman to Mrs. Susan Elizabeth (Robertson) Beatty, took place when he was twenty-five years of age. She was the widow of Jackson Beatty and was born in Webster county, Georgia, the daughter of William and Matilda Hale Robertson. Mr. and Mrs. Alderman were blessed with eight children, Laura, Hugh, Prank, Charles, Dency, John, Hezekiah, and Sally Jane. Mrs. Alderman also had one son, Iverson J. Beatty, by her first marriage. Of these children, Laura is now the wife of D. M. Adams and has five children of her own, William E., Stanley, Ruth, Beulah, and Huson. Frank is married to May Simms and is the father of two children, Chester and Minnie Lee. Hugh Alderman married Nannie White from near Atlanta. Additional Comments: From: A HISTORY OF SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA BY WILLIAM HARDEN VOLUME II ILLUSTRATED THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY CHICAGO AND NEW YORK 1913 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/thomas/bios/gbs353alderman.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ File size: 7.5 Kb