RICHARD & SARAH FOWLER FAMILY BIBLE of Union Parish Louisiana Submitted for the Union Parish Louisiana USGenWeb Archives by T. D. Hudson, 11/2000 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ************************************************ RICHARD & SARAH FOWLER FAMILY BIBLE of Union Parish Louisiana ========================================================================================== ========================================================================================== The following is a precise transcript of the information recorded on the family pages of Richard and Sarah Fowler's Family Bible. The Bible is now owned by my cousin, Ms. Barbara Brantley. It is fragile and the writing quite faded, and the writing difficult to read in places. In particular, several of the Fowler daughters have their nicknames recorded in the Bible rather than their full names. Several different descendants have transcribed the information from the Bible, and most have made the same mistake, believing that the Bible entry recording the birth of Richard and Sarah's daughter Mantha was Martha. This mistake is understandable, as "Mantha" is not a common name and unless you read the Bible entry carefully the "n" resembles a "r". But the entry is indeed for "Mantha Fowler", as she was known as a child and young adult. In her later years, she went by "Samantha". Richard Fowler was apparently born in Lancaster County South Carolina, the son of John Fowler and Elizabeth Rackley. John Fowler fought for the patriots during the Revolutionary War, and afterwards lived in the Duplin, Sampson and Columbus County area of southern North Carolina and Horry and Lancaster Counties, South Carolina. Richard served in the army during the war of 1812, and lived near his father John in Columbus County until about 1819. At that time he moved to Monroe County Alabama. About 1827 he moved a short distance to the village of Snow Hill, in Wilcox County. He bought a plantation that lay on the county line of Wilcox and Dallas Counties. In the 1830s and 1840s, his daughters married into the Albritton and Scarborough families in that area, and in 1847 several of them moved to Union Parish Louisiana. Richard and Sarah Fowler followed their daughters to Union Parish in November 1850, and he bought a plantation about 8 miles east of Farmerville. He lived next to four of his daughters and their families, and when Richard died between 1855 and 1858, his son-in-law George W. Albritton inherited his old farm. Richard's wife Sarah Fowler died of pneumonia on 6 November 1859. This couple has many descendants in Union Parish today, in the Albritton, Scarborough, Dean, Boatright, Flowers, Miller and other families who married into these. ========================================================================================== ========================================================================================== The Original Pages of the Richard & Sarah Fowler Bible Page 1 1. Elisabeth Fowler Was Born February 2nd in the Year of Our Lord 1813 2. Elvy Fowler Was Born June 24th 1814 3. Sheny Fowler Was Born January 22nd 1816 4. Milly Fowler Was Born December 23d 1817 5. Mantha Fowler Was Born November 19 1819 6. Sarah an Fowler Was Born Aug 22nd 1823 7. R. U. Fowler Was Born June 26th 1825 8. Susanah Fowler Was Born Dec 3d 1827 Parents Age Richard Fowler was Born Jan 17th 1792 Sarah Fowler Was Born May 3d 1790 Page 2 Wm F. Robinson was Born February 10th 1836 Enoch Richard Albritton Was Borne June the 20 1843 James Adrew Albritton Was Borne July 13 1846 George Anderson Albritton was born on march the 15 1870 Eliza Roann Albritton was born march the 22 1872 Gorver Sharrock was born Oct 1 1900 Joseph Washington Dean was born March the 4 1876 Thomas Birtum Dean was born August the 16 1877 Sallie May Dean was born May the 20 1879 Caray Etta Dean was borned July th 5 1881 Addie Pearl Dean Was borned Aug the 7 1884 Lissi Dean Was born November the 24 1885 Page 3 Sarah an Albritton died 4th of Oct 1875 aged 52 yrs 1 month and 12 days George W. Dean Was borned december the 21 1888 Eunice Dean was borned march th 20 1891 Emma Rebecca Dean Was borned May th 6 1893 ========================================================================================== ========================================================================================== ========================================================================================== ========================================================================================== Explanation and Comments ========================================================================================== ========================================================================================== The spellings and punctuation used above are precisely as in the original Bible record. The Bible was published in 1835, so all births recorded on the first page were written after those events occurred. All the births recorded on pages 2 and 3 except for William F. Robinson are known to be the children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, or great-great grandchildren of Richard and Sarah Fowler. Enoch Richard and James Andrew Albritton are sons of George Washington Albritton and his first Fowler wife, either Elizabeth or Milly. G. W. Albritoon married first in about 1842, had the two sons whose births are recorded, and then his wife died. He then married her younger sister, Sarah Ann Fowler in 1850, and they had a large family. Tradition states that the first Fowler wife was Elizabeth, but Enoch R. Albritton's death certificate states that his mother was Milly Fowler. George and Eliza Albritton were children of James Adrew Albritton. The Dean entries are for the children of Rebecca Francis Albritton and Thomas Allen Dean. Rebecca was the eldest daughter of Sarah Ann Fowler and George W. Albritton. "Gorver" (should be "Grover") is the daughter of Caray Etta Dean Sharrock. I cannot positively identify William F. Robinson, although I feel certain he is a grandson of Richard and Sarah Fowler. Their daughter "Sheny" or ("Phiney") married to William Robinson/Robeson in Wilcox County Alabama 28 Dec 1834, and I believe William F. Robinson must be their son. Richard and Sarah's daughter Elvira (Elvy) married Amos Robinson in August 1835, but unless it was a "shotgun" wedding, there was not enough time for William to have been her son. In addition, none of the known children of Elvira and Amos Robinson had their births recorded in the Bible. ========================================================================================== ========================================================================================== ========================================================================================== ========================================================================================== Richard & Sarah Fowler Family ========================================================================================== ========================================================================================== Below is information on the family of Richard and Sarah Fowler. Richard Fowler b. 17 Jan 1792, Lancaster District South Carolina father: John Fowler m. c1812, probably Columbus Co North Carolina mother: Elizabeth Rackley d. 1855-1858, near Farmerville, Union Par LA Sarah Parramore (?) parents: unknown b. 3 May 1790, North Carolina d. 6 Nov 1859, near Farmerville, Union Par LA children: 1. Elizabeth Fowler b. 2 Feb 1813, Columbus Co NC The first wife of George Washington Albritton (1810-1867) was a daughter of Richard and Sarah Fowler. They married in about 1842 and had two sons, Enoch Richard and James Andrew Albritton, born in 1843 and 1846, respectively. G. W. Albritton's wife died between 1846 and 1849, probably in childbirth. In early 1850, G. W. Albritton remarried to his first wife's sister, Sarah Ann Fowler. This much is certain. What is uncertain is which Fowler sister G. W. Albritton married first. Family tradition among the descendents of G. W. Albritton claims that his first wife was Elizabeth Fowler. However, the death certificate of Enoch R. Albritton, the eldest son of George W. Albritton and his first Fowler wife, gave his mother's name as Milly Fowler, the fourth daughter of Richard and Sarah. Other than the Richard Fowler family Bible, no record is known of either Elizabeth or Milly. Until further evidence is found, it is assumed the death certificate of E. R. Albritton is correct, and that Milly Fowler was the first wife of G. W. Albritton. Nothing further is known of Elizabeth Fowler. 2. Elvira Fowler "Elvy" b. 24 June 1814, Columbus Co NC m. (1) 20 Aug 1835, Clarke Co AL to Amos Robinson (2) 1844-1846, Clarke or Wilcox Co AL to Wiley J. Polk d. after 1860, when she lived in De Soto Par LA Elvira Fowler had three children by her first husband Amos Robinson. After her second marriage, she lived in Clarke Co AL until late 1850. During the winter of 1850/1851, she and Wiley followed her parents to Union Par LA, where her sisters Samantha, Sarah Ann, and Susannah lived with their husbands. Elvira and Wiley remained there for a few years, but in the late 1850s they moved to De Soto Par LA, where they were enumerated on the 1860 census. Nothing further is known about Elvira. 3. Sheny/Phiney (?) Fowler b. 22 Jan 1816, Columbus Co NC m. 28 Dec 1834, Wilcox Co AL to William Robinson/Robeson d. unknown Richard Fowler's family Bible records this daughter's name as "Sheny'', but the entry is quite hard to read and is probably a nickname as many of the other entries were. On 28 Dec 1834, a Phiney Fowler married to William Robeson in Wilcox Co AL. Since there were no other Fowler families in Wilcox Co during this time period, it is likely that Phiney was a daughter of Richard. If so, the only reasonable possibility is that "Sheny'' and "Phiney'' are the same person. One bit of data supports this hypothesis: among the grandchildren of Richard Fowler whose births are recorded in his Bible is the birth of William F. Robinson, born 10 Feb 1836. Although Elvira Fowler married Amos Robinson, this marriage took place 20 Aug 1835, nearly six months before the birth of William F. Robinson. Although it is possible that William F. Robinson was a child of Elvira Fowler Robinson who died young (he could have been premature or perhaps Elvira and Amos ``had'' to get married), it seems just as likely, if not moreso, that "William Robeson'' was actually "William Robinson'', that "Phiney Fowler'' and "Sheny Fowler'' were the same person, and that the William F. Robinson born 10 Feb 1836 was their son. No further record has been found of any of them. 4. Milly Fowler b. 23 Dec 1817, Columbus Co NC m. c1842, Wilcox Co AL to George Washington Albritton d. 1846-1849, probably Wilcox Co AL See the discussion for Elizabeth Fowler above for more on her. 5. Samantha Fowler "Mantha" or "Manthy'' b. 19 Nov 1819, Monroe Co AL m. 5 Nov 1837, Wilcox Co AL to Noah Lewis Scarborough d. 28 Nov 1905, near Marion, Union Par LA buried: Liberty Hill/Taylor Cemetery, Union Par LA Samantha and Noah lived in Snow Hill on their parents' farms until the winter of 1847/1848, when they moved to Union Parish Louisiana. They settled about 7 miles east of Farmerville and their farm was next to that of George and Sarah Ann Fowler Albritton's, James R. and Susan Fowler Albritton's, and next to the farm of Richard Fowler. Samantha and Noah remained in Union Parish until their deaths. 6. Sarah Ann Fowler b. 22 Aug 1823, Monroe Co AL m. 3 Jan 1850, Wilcox Co AL to George Washington Albritton d. 4 Oct 1875, near Farmerville, Union Par LA buried: Liberty Hill/Taylor Cemetery, Union Par LA As stated above, George W. Albritton was the widower of Sarah Ann's sister Milly Fowler. He left Alabama in the winter of 1847/1848 with Noah and Samantha Fowler Scarborough and moved to Union Parish Louisiana. It appears he left his young sons, aged 4 and 1 years, in Alabama with the Fowlers. He returned to Snow Hill, married Sarah Ann, and they and his sons then moved to Louisiana. 7. R. Walter Fowler (Richard Walter ?) b. 26 June 1825, Monroe Co AL m. 12 May 1847, Clarke Co AL to Laura A. Talbert d. unknown Richard Fowler's family Bible gives the name of his only son as ``R. U.'' Although the Bible gives the second initial as a ``U'' and not a ``W'', it is believed the ``Walter R. Fowler'' who married Laura A. Talbert in Clarke Co AL in 1847 is this son. No further record has been found of him. 8. Susannah Fowler "Susan" b. 3 Dec 1827, Monroe Co AL m. 1850/1851, probably Wilcox Co AL to James Rountree Albritton d. 28 Sept 1909, Clay Co TX buried: Prairie Point Cemetery, Navarro Co TX Susannah and James R. Albritton followed her parents and sisters to Union Parish Louisiana in the 1850s, and they bought a plantation that adjoined those of Susan's father and her sisters Samantha Scarborough and Sarah Ann Albritton. In the 1860s, they sold their farm in Union Parish and moved to Texas, settling first in Freestone County, and later, Navarro County. By 1900 they were living in Clay County near the Oklahoma border with their daughter. ###################################################################################################