Terrebonne-Lafourche County Louisiana Archives Biographies.....Roundtree/Rountree/Rowntree, Elisha T. 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Gina LaGrange gbldml@yahoo.com November 11, 2021, 7:20 pm

Source: Internet
Author: Jonathan Guyot Smith


The Saga of Elisha T. Rowntree and the Roundtrees of Lafourche and Terrebonne
Parishes, Louisiana
August 2, 2014 Elisha T. Rowntree, William Rowntree	

The Saga of Elisha T. Rowntree:
How the Roundtree Family Settled in Terrebonne and Lafourche Parishes, Louisiana

My maternal grandmother, Georgiana Roundtree, died suddenly at age 31, in Thibodaux,
Louisiana. My mother was only 5 years of age at that time. She never knew a
grandparent and, of course, barely knew her own mother – but she was keenly
interested in family history. For decades, she wondered who the Roundtrees were and
how they got to Louisiana. Her only clue revolved around a barely-remembered visit
to her childhood home, from a man who spoke vaguely of a possible “Texas
inheritance.” Could her mother have been from Texas? She simply never knew – and
there was no one to ask.

Years of investigation, and the valuable support and help of two cousins – brilliant
genealogist Mary Gregg and wonderful, energetic Barbara Baker – enabled the piecing
together of Elisha T. Rowntree’s story – which begins, to the best of my knowledge,
with one William Rowntree, who died in Goochland County, Virginia, in 1766.

A surviving document identifies William Rowntree’s wife as Dorcas, and it appears
that they had previously resided in Hanover County, Virginia, but there is no
indication as to where they were born. Some descendants believe that William
Rowntree was born in England, settling in Virginia in the 1720s, but this assertion
has not been confirmed. There are Rowntrees in Ireland as well – and the Rowntree
candies are still being manufactured and distributed worldwide.

William Rowntree named several children in his will. One son, Richardson Rowntree,
was bequeathed 200 acres, one slave, and five head of cattle. Another son, Thomas,
was given 250 acres and a slave. Turner Rowntree received William’s manor
plantation, one slave, a copper still and a copper kettle. Randall and Dudley were
presented with one slave each. The ancestor of we Louisiana Rowntrees was also named
William – and we shall refer to him as William II, in order to avoid confusion.
William II was left one slave and the sum of ten pounds, for having cared for his
father during an illness in Hanover County, plus five head of cattle.

William Rowntree II was possibly born in the 1730s. It is believed that he wed one
Jean Fenton on 4 November 1759. They had five children living at the time of
William’s demise in 1776. His plantation was given to Thomas, and the balance of his
land was divided between Samuel and William. Since his offspring were still
adolescents at the time of his passing, William wrote: “My will and desire is that
my children shall be kept and live together on my plantation and, as they come of
age, each one to have their legacy paid unto them – but, while they are under age,
my estate to be kept together and the produce thereof to be laid out to the support,
maintenance, and education of my children….”

Our direct ancestor, Samuel Rowntree, was born in the early 1760s. Several surviving
documents identify his wife as Lucy, and one published biographical sketch of a
descendant further describes the lady as Lucy Tate. Although no service records have
yet surfaced, an affidavit given by one Lewis Powers in 1818 states that Samuel
Rowntree served three years in Captain Woodson’s Company, in Colonel Woodfin’s
Regiment, belonging to the Continental Line in the Revolutionary War. This sworn
statement was accepted, and Samuel’s heirs were awarded a bounty land warrant in
Kentucky.

Samuel Rowntree had at least four children, specifically named in his rather
vaguely-worded will, which reads (in part):

“My will and desire is that all my estate, both real and personal, be kept together
during the natural life of my beloved wife Lucy Rowntree, and after her death to be
kept together until my youngest daughter, Nancy Rowntree, be carried up to lawful
age – at which time my desire is that my two sons, to wit Elisha and William, be
notified, which now are living at Natchez, wishing them to have fifteen days’ notice
before the division takes place, and then the division to take place. My will and
desire is that my daughter, Patsy Ellis, shall enjoy the part of my estate which
falls to her during her natural life, and after her decease my will and desire is
that her children shall all and each of them have an equal part of the said loan of
which I have mentioned. My will and desire is a division take place, at the time
appointed, of all my estate, both real and personal – and I do hereby appoint my
loving wife, Lucy Rowntree, as executrix….”

Samuel was approximately 50 years of age when he died in 1813. His awkwardly-worded
will identifies his sons, Elisha and William, who had ventured forth to seek their
fortunes in Natchez, then something of a boom-town. The married daughter, Martha
(known as Patsy) and a younger daughter, Nancy, are mentioned briefly, but all
displays of affection are reserved for wife Lucy.

Elisha T. Rowntree was a mason by trade, so it may be that he and his younger
brother were apprenticed out to master craftsmen as children. Education seems to
have been highly valued by the Rowntrees, and both Elisha and Samuel apparently
received a good education for their time, place, and family circumstances. We cannot
pinpoint the time when Elisha and William left Goochland County, Virginia, for a new
life in Natchez, but it appears that both were living in Mississippi by 1811.

The earliest record pertaining to Elisha is a document issued by the Orphans’ Court
(later the Probate Court) of Natchez, Mississippi Territory, granting him permission
to wed Charlotte Marshall, the young widow of a man named McWhorter (incorrectly
spelled “McQuirtor” in the document) on 2 January 1812. Charlotte, according to a
Bible record, was born 2 October 1788 and had a daughter by her first marriage,
Elizabeth McWhorter, in Cincinnati, Ohio, on 28 June 1808. Perhaps the McWhorters
arrived in Natchez in 1809 or 1810, after which young Charlotte’s husband died.
Whatever the case, Charlotte wed Elisha Rowntree, who was probably born in 1787.

Fortunately for family researchers, Elisha enlisted to serve in the War of 1812 – or
in its aftermath. His discharge papers, uncovered by researchers in the 1990s,
unlocked the door to a mystery which had plagued family genealogists for many
generations. The document reads as follows:

“By Colonel George T. Ross, commanding the 44th United States Infantry in the
service of the United States: ELISHA ROUNDTREE having faithfully served in the Army
of the United States the term for which he enlisted viz (during the war with
England) and last as a Private in Captain J. J. Miles’ Company of the 44th Infantry,
and having been paid, clothed and subsisted agreeably to law as appears by his
receipt hereto annexed, he is honorably discharged.

“To prevent imposition, here follows a description of the said ELISHA ROUNDTREE. He
was born in RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, is twenty-seven years of age, six feet two inches
high, has dark eyes, dark hair, light complexion, and is, by occupation, a mason.
Given under my hand at New Orleans, this eighth day of April in the year of our Lord
1815….”

There is a fascinating record to be found in the log of the Superior Court of Law
and Equity for Adams County, Mississippi Territory, April Term, 1815, to wit: 
“Charlotte Roundtree vs. Elisha T. Roundtree.   The defendant, Elisha T. Roundtree,
not having entered his appearance in this case according to the rules of this court,
and it appearing to the satisfaction of this court, that the defendant is not an
inhabitant of this territory — Therefore on motion of the complainant’s counsel, it
is ordered that unless the said defendant doth appear and answer the complainant’s
bill on or before the next term of this court, to be holden on the second Monday of
October next, the same will be taken pro confesso, and the matter will be decreed
accordingly.   Theodore Stark – 9th May, 1815.”

What does this signify?  Was Charlotte unaware that Elisha was serving in the
military and was with J. J. Miles’ Company at the Battle of New Orleans? Did she sue
him for desertion? He was discharged on April 8th, 1815, and apparently did not
arrive back in Natchez in time to appear before the court. Charlotte and Elisha were
soon reunited, however, and continued their lives together.  The lawsuit suggests,
however, that perhaps Elisha did enlist without his wife’s knowledge and simply
“went off to war,” leaving Charlotte and the baby in Natchez. The full story will
never be known.

The discharge papers state that Elisha enlisted on 22 May 1814, and that he is
entitled to receive 160 acres of government land for his faithful service. Elisha
filed his claim for the bounty on 1 February 1821, and President James Monroe
awarded him a quarter-section of Arkansas swamp land. Elisha apparently made no
effort to settle there.

Before Elisha’s enlistment, Charlotte had presented him with a baby son, William
Rowntree, born 12 March 1813, in Natchez. The exact date was recorded in a small
record book kept by William in the 1830s and ‘40s, later preserved by Mrs. Lester
Toups (nee Magnolia Roundtree) of Thibodaux, Louisiana. The book reveals that
William was formally educated, having beautiful penmanship and sound grammatical
skills. Five years after William’s birth, Charlotte and Elisha brought a daughter,
Nancy, into the world (1818).

Elisha’s younger brother, William, married Elizabeth Hayes on 16 March 1818. Both
brothers appear on the 1818 tax rolls in Natchez, and both were residing in the
Second Creek district. Elisha named his only son William. William named one of his
sons William E. Rowntree (could the “E” have stood for Elisha?) and – to further
complicate the picture – Brother William assumed temporary guardianship of a minor
named William Rowntree (under the age of 14) in 1826. Could that boy have been
Elisha’s 13-year-old son, William? Where were Elisha and Charlotte that year?

Record-keeping and census taking were flawed then as now, but it appears there was
some movement on the part of both Elisha and William. Elisha appears in the 1816
Territorial Census of Natchez, he cannot be found in the 1820 census. William,
however, does appear in the latter. The brothers were evidently close, as evidenced
by this interesting connection: Samuel Thompson McAlister, who was born in Belfast,
Ireland, in 1802, emigrated to Natchez in his youth and married Charlotte Marshall
Rowntree’s daughter (Elisha’s stepdaughter), Elizabeth McWhorter, on 11 November
1824. This couple, in turn, had a daughter (Mary Ann McAlister) who wed William
Rowntree’s son, James, in 1849. Samuel McAlister had also served as bondsman for
Charles F. Hawley, who wed Nancy Rowntree (Elisha’s daughter) in 1835. Further,
church records in Louisiana would refer to Elisha’s son as William Samuel Thompson
Rowntree, making him McAlister’s namesake — and William, in turn, named one of his
own sons Samuel Thompson Rowntree.

William Rowntree, brother of Elisha, apparently passed away in Mississippi – and
many of his descendants may be found today in California.

Elisha was a mason and contractor by trade. In 1816, he signed a contract with
Dinah, stern widow of Natchez inventor/statesman William Dunbar, to build THE
FOREST, a plantation house, and such accompanying structures as a pigeonhouse,
schoolhouse and slave quarters. According to Natchez historian Mimi Miller, THE
FOREST was evidently the first house in America to feature two-story brick columns.
Elisha, who made the bricks and supervised the construction job, insisted upon
receiving fresh milk and vegetables and hot baths, as well as a large number of
slaves to assist with the labor. THE FOREST burned during the 1850s, but Barbara
Baker reports that Elisha’s brick columns may still be seen today. The Widow Dunbar,
however, balked at Elisha’s price for rounded bricks, which he made on the spot, and
refused to pay. Suit and countersuit followed, the whole matter unresolved for
several years. Expert witnesses in the construction business testified in Elisha’s
behalf, and he was apparently victorious.

In 1819, Elisha and Truman G. Stiles acquired a 70-arpent tract on St. Catherine’s
Creek. The following year, Elisha sold his interest in the property and temporarily
vanished from Natchez records. He was not on the tax rolls from 1820 to 1824.
Perhaps he was at work on a construction project in another area. During this
period, he filed a claim for the land bounty in Arkansas.

The last Mississippi document regarding Elisha which has been recovered is dated 10
May 1830, and concerns Elisha’s borrowing the sum of $400 from one William K.
Willson on the eve of his move to Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, where he was to live
on Bayou Gran Caillou. The co-signer of the note was one John Hutchens. As security,
Elisha put up two slaves: a 28-year-old male called Miles, and an 8-year-old girl,
Mahaly. The kindly Hutchens permitted Elisha to take the slaves along to Louisiana.

Elisha, Charlotte, 17-year-old William, and 12-year-old Nancy, along with three
slaves, were in Gran Caillou, Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, when the 1830 U. S.
Census was taken. A most interesting receipt is on file in the Terrebonne Parish
Courthouse, dated April 1834, from close family friend Samuel Thompson McAlister, to
wit:

“Mr. E.T. Rowntree. Sir: This will be handed to you by my brother, James, who
accompanies your daughter, Nancy. During my absence to Europe last spring and
summer, the sheriff, Mr. Goldby, had an_______issued against my property, as your
security for costs in your suit against W. N. Mercer, amounting to one
hundred-fourteen dollars 16/100 (a copy of which you have on the other side). As I
am hard pressed for money, I will thank you to send the amount to me by my brother,
whose receipt will be good. With my best regards to yourself and Mrs. Rowntree, I
remain your obedient servant, Samuel McAlister.”

Elisha responded by paying the sum, in cash, with these words: “Cash paid for your
schooling daughter Nancy.” Did Charlotte’s son-in-law tutor both Nancy and William?
Could Nancy have been taken to Europe in the spring and summer of 1833? Remarkable
people believed in schooling daughters in early 19th century America. At any rate,
James McAlister escorted 16-year-old Nancy Rowntree to Gran Caillou in 1834, but she
was back in Natchez on 29 December 1835, at which time she and Charles F. Hawley (a
foundryman born in Vermont in 1808) received a license to wed.

Prior to his daughter’s marriage, Elisha sold two slave children in 1934. A
fascinating record recently discovered indicates that on May 31, 1934, Elisha
enrolled a sloop known as THE EXCHANGE as a Terrebonne Parish vessel. He is
described as its owner and the ship’s master. What was this brick mason’s purpose in
acquiring a sloop? Did he intend to use it for commercial purposes, perhaps for the
transportation of construction materials? Nothing very definite is known of Elisha’s
life in Gran Caillou. Why did he go there? How did THE EXCHANGE tie in with his
activities in that area?

There is no town identified as Gran Caillou. It is a bayou, near Houma and in what
is today the town of Dulac, Louisiana. Did he depart Natchez to escape the constant
lawsuits in which builders are doomed to be involved? Did he build plantation homes
in Terrebonne Parish? A few head of cattle were located on the plantation of John
Pelton, a Natchez planter who settled along Bayou Gran Caillou – possibly in a house
built by Elisha. Perhaps it was Pelton who arranged for Elisha to go to Gran
Caillou. We only know that, when Nancy married Charles Hawley, her father was in
Texas.

A fascinating record has been unearthed, dated August 24th, 1835 and signed by one
Ruben Bush, Justice of the Peace of the Parish of Lafourche Interior, to wit: 
“Personally came and appeared before me, Ruben Bush, Justice of the Peace for the
said parish, BARKER DAZEY – and being duly sworn according to laws, deposeth and
sayeth that Elisha Roundtree is justly indebted to him in a sum of forty two dollars
and twenty five cents; that the said Roundtree has no domicile in this parish nor
state, that he believes that he intends to leave the parish and state before he can
obtain justice by the ordinary course of law, and finally that he does not make the
affidavit to vex or injure the said Roundtree, but only for substantial justice.”

It appears that Elisha owed $50 to Barker Dazey (born in 1803 in Delaware and now a
plantation owner in Terrebonne Parish) and signed a note to this effect on August
4th, 1834. He agreed to pay ten per cent interest on the note. On May 29th, 1835,
Elisha paid ten dollars. Barker Dazey did not receive the rest of the money due him,
and a warrant was issued for Elisha to appear before the Justice of the Peace on
August 25th. It would appear that he was by then in the Republic of Texas.

Under what circumstances did Elisha leave the United States? Was he pursuing his
trade as a mason, was he attempting to homestead in Texas, or was there some other
reason for his presence there? A document dated 8 January 1836 places Elisha T.
Rowntree in East Texas during the Texas Revolution:

“The Provisional Government of Texas, in account with Elisha T. Rowntree: Articles
pressed for military purposes, for Captain David Garner of the Municipality of
Jefferson – a rifle-gun of superior quality in lock, touchhole, barrels, etc.,
valued at $75….also one pistol, with all the apparatus thereto belonging, for use
$10.”

“Personally appeared before me, the undersigned, one of the judges in and for the
Municipality of Austin, William H. Scates, of the Municipality of Jefferson, who
after being duly sworn according to law, deposes and says that the above account as
stated is just and true…that, to his knowledge, the above named articles were taken
to arm one of the volunteers in Captain David Garner’s Company. He also states that
Mr. George Erins, who had received the above named articles, was represented to be
one of the most active operators in the Siege of Bexar. The deponent was authorized
by Mr. Rowntree to receive or settle for the gun and pistol as soon as Bexar should
be taken or evacuated by the troops of Cos……..Mr. Elisha T. Rowntree, of the
Municipality of Jefferson, authorized Captain J. O. Blair to settle for the above
named gun and pistol, as soon as the military forces should be driven from San
Antonio….”

Elisha’s rifle and pistol were requisitioned to arm a Jefferson, Texas, volunteer to
fight in San Antonio, and he was seeking compensation – which he presumably never
received. No Texas records exist to show Elisha as a resident of the Municipality of
Jefferson, which consisted of much of present-day Jefferson County (Beaumont),
Orange County, and Hardin County. The original 1830s town of Jefferson is, today,
Bridge City, Texas. Captain David Garner, mentioned above, was living there. William
Scates became a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence. Elisha was living
just across the current Louisiana border – but for what purpose? There were about
250 people living in that section of East Texas at the time Elisha was described as
being “of the Municipality of Jefferson.” He was 48 years old when his fine rifle
and pistol were sent to San Antonio, a few weeks before the Battle of the Alamo.
There were a couple of stores and several dozen homes in the Municipality of
Jefferson. Was he in Texas to build them, or was he seeking his fortune in some
other manner?

Meanwhile, back on the bayous of Louisiana, Elisha’s 23-year-old son, William, wrote
in his journal these words: “William Rowntree’s Book, Lafourche Interior, June 28th,
1836.” On a separate page, a descendant later wrote, “William Rowntree,
Thibodauxville, June 28, 1836: Bookkeeper and Contractor.” The 1840 United States
Census does not show Elisha, who must have been in the Republic of Texas. Daughter
Nancy and her husband, enterprising foundryman Charles F. Hawley, were in Thibodaux
with their first two little sons and one older lady – presumably Charlotte. Why was
Elisha in Texas? In 1834, he sold his two slave children (11-year-old Mahaly and a
9-year-old boy) and by 1835 he was in Texas, around present-day Bridge City. Did he
remain there at work from that point forth? Did he “commute?” Where was he in 1840?

Did Elisha build any brick plantation homes in Terrebonne and Lafourche Parishes?
Surely his son, William, did. Nancy’s husband, Charles Hawley, was a founder of St.
John’s Episcopal Church in Thibodaux and designed the seating. Surely he persuaded
the church to hire his brother-in-law to handle at least part of the construction
job.

In 1838, a Board of Land Commissioners was established to distribute public lands to
Jefferson County citizens. Among Texas residents who had not fled the province
during 1836 – including, of course, Elisha – unmarried men were entitled to
one-third-league grants, and an additional two-thirds league upon marriage. By 1839,
smaller grants of a half-section were more common. The Board existed until 1844,
during which year grants were awarded to 300 people. Was Elisha seeking such a land
grant?

Elisha T. Rowntree apparently died in Texas in 1842. A document prepared by a
Terrebonne Parish justice-of-the-peace on 6 February 1843 states: “You are hereby
commissioned to take an inventory of the stock of cattle left in this Parish on
Bayou Gran Caillou by Elisha Rowntree, deceased in the Republic of Texas, and to
deliver said cattle to the heirs of said Rowntree or their legal representatives.”
This document was affixed to a petition of “Charlotte Rowntree, widow of the late
Elisha Rowntree, and of William Rowntree and Nancy Rowntree, heirs of the said
Elisha Rowntree, all of the Parish of Lafourche Interior, would humbly represent
that the said Elisha Rowntree died one year ago in the Republic of Texas; that his
last domicile in this State was in the Parish of Terrebonne; that he has left
property consisting of horned cattle in the Parish of Terrebonne, and that no
inventory was ever taken of said property.” The petition is signed by Charlotte,
William, Nancy, and Charles F. Hawley.

On 29 April 1843, Elisha’s cows and calves were located on the plantation of John M.
Pelton, all bearing the E. R. brand. John M. Pelton, formerly of Natchez, was then
the most prosperous plantation owner in Terrebonne Parish, owner of DuLac Plantation
and some 100 slaves. It seems likely that Elisha constructed the plantation home.
Sugar cane and cotton were grown there. In 1843, Elisha’s horned cattle were
appraised at a total of $70. It may be assumed that he resided on the vast DuLac
Plantation while he was building it, and that he departed for a big job in Texas
after it was completed – but his work was interrupted by the Texas Revolution.
Surely Elisha left more than a few head of cattle. In 1842, the year of his father’s
demise, son William bought property in downtown Thibodaux. Did he somehow inherit a
sum of money with which to acquire the land? We only know that Elisha was said to
have “died in Texas.” A family legend, still perpetuated, has it that he was
murdered while en route to claim a land grant. Another legend indicates that Elisha
was on his way home to Louisiana with a full money-belt, following completion of a
construction project, and that he was ambushed and killed – but the villains never
found the concealed money. Elisha’s horse was said to have returned home without its
rider. It is an irresistible story, but remains totally undocumented.

There is one final, intriguing document pertaining to Elisha. The Official Journal
of The Senate, of the State of Texas, Sixth Legislature, yields this marvelous
item:

“Austin, July 14, 1856: Mr. Superviele introduced a Bill for the relief of the heirs
of Elisha Roundtree; Read 1st and 2nd times, and referred to the Committee on
Private Land Claims, No. 1.”

Count Antoine Superviele, a French nobleman, was in Texas to invest in land, and
became a State Senator. Why would Elisha’s daughter, Nancy, petition Superviele for
relief fourteen years after her father’s demise? Did he claim public lands which
were never turned over to him, or were somehow given to others following his death
in 1842? Senator Superviele lived in and served San Antonio. Did this grant concern
the battles at the Alamo? The family felt strongly enough about the matter to turn
to the Committee on Private Land Claims in 1856. There is no evidence of a response
from them – but a great-great granddaughter of Elisha recalled a man coming to the
house in Thibodaux around WWI and speaking of a land inheritance in Texas.

On 7 May 1843, just a few days after Elisha’s cattle were inventoried, 30-year-old
William Rowntree wed 20-year-old Marie Rosalie Maronge, with the consent of her
unlettered parents, Francois Maronge and Constance Boudeloche, who made their marks
on the marriage document. The paper, written in French, refers to William as the
“fils legitime majeur de Elisha Rowntree et de Charlotte Marshall.” William and
Marie Rosalie first lived in their home in downtown Thibodaux, where their first
child, Thomas Theophile Rowntree, was born on 28 February 1844.

Because Marie Rosalie Maronge was a French-speaking Catholic, the Rowntrees born to
William and Marie were all baptized into that faith. In William’s journal, he
carefully recorded the fact that the baby, Thomas, was “baptized May 5, 1844, by a
Catholic Priest at Eglise St. Joseph.” Thomas served in the Confederacy and was at
the Battle of Vicksburg. The second child, Joseph Elisha Rowntree (who took the name
“Darden” later in life) was born 19 August 1845 at Bayou Terrebonne, where William
had evidently relocated his construction business. Numerous descendants of “Darden”
still reside in Shriever and Thibodaux, Louisiana.
Samuel Thompson Rowntree (named after Samuel Thompson McAlister) was born 9 May
1847. He lived until 1930 and was the grandfather of former Thibodaux Mayor Alton
“Checkerboard” Roundtree. Samuel’s widowed mother, Marie Rosalie Maronge Rowntree,
lived in Samuel’s household until her death in 1901.
Marie Celina Rowntree, who married Henry Guidry, was born 24 January 1849.

George Armand Rowntree, the great-grandfather of the compiler of these notes, was
born 30 April 1850. He wed Philomene Constant in 1875 and worked alongside his
brothers and sisters as a farmer on the Laurel Grove Plantation, near Thibodaux. He
somehow received schooling, possibly via his godparents, as he is sometimes credited
as being the sole literate child of William Rowntree. In 1880, at age 30, George was
killed by his brother-in-law, Faustin Martin, following a frightful altercation at a
saloon ball. His youngest child (grandmother of this writer), Georgiana Roundtree,
was born just shortly after her father’s murder.

Josephine Ophelia Rowntree, who wed Faustin Martin, was born 20 March 1852.

The last child of William and Marie Rosalie was named William Rowntree, born 18
October 1853. Tragically, he never met his father. William Rowntree died on 1
October 1853, during a horrendous epidemic of yellow fever, seventeen days before
his last child was born. So many people perished during the epidemic that the local
newspaper ceased publishing obituaries. William was 40 at the time of his demise,
and he left debts in the amount of $76. His tool chests, lumber, window glass, paint
brushes, axes, a double-barreled shotgun, and two colts were valued at $153 and were
auctioned off to pay his debts. His illiterate widow raised the seven children with
the help of her Maronge kin, supporting herself by farming. Unable to teach her
children the traditional spelling of the family surname, the “Rowntree” form was
relinquished. Subsequent generations spelled it “Roundtree.”

While William Rowntree no doubt knew many things about his father, Elisha, and the
family roots in Virginia, yellow fever ended his life at age 40. His eldest child,
Thomas, was 9 when William died. In all probability, none of the children heard much
about the family history, so nothing was passed along to subsequent generations.
Only in the 1990s, after decades of research, were the roots of the
Terrebonne-Lafourche Roundtrees traced back to Virginia – and, to this day, it is
not widely recognized that virtually all the Roundtrees in those two places, and
also Orleans Parish, are descendants of Elisha Rowntree – the adventurous builder
from Goochland County, Virginia, who served in the War of 1812 and who was
indirectly involved in the Texas Revolution.

Charlotte Marshall Rowntree, Elisha’s widow, accompanied foundryman Charles Fasset
Hawley and wife Nancy Rowntree (Charlotte’s daughter) to Louisville, Kentucky, where
she died around 1853. Charlotte is buried in Louisville. Charles Hawley prospered
there and owned considerable property. He and Nancy had numerous children (Joseph,
Mary, Minerva, Charles, Walter, Willie, Nora) and a large house in Louisville. When
his youngest child was born, Charles – out of town during the war – asked a friend
to serve as Trustee as he put his house in a trust for the benefit of Nancy and the
children. Nancy evidently died by 1862, and the children filed suit to break the
trust. It has been stated that Hawley was financially successful in building
iron-clad vessels, but the Civil War left him in bad circumstances. He went to
Illinois – but is found in the Kansas City, Missouri, census of 1870, with a
housekeeper and two of his children: 23-year-old Charles and 12-year-old Nora. His
occupation is given as blacksmith.

There are numerous descendants of Elisha T. Rowntree to be found in Thibodaux,
Houma, and Shriever, Louisiana. William Rowntree and Marie Maronge had seven
children, each of whom has descendants in Louisiana. My mother’s uncle, Jimmie
Roundtree, relocated in New Orleans in 1912, where many of his descendants still
reside.


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