Lydia Stafford Howard Franklin Younge Thomas Thigpen
Submitted by Leatha A. Betts, September 2000
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Lydia Stafford Howard Franklin Younge Thomas Thigpen
Lydia Stafford was born 17 Nov 1807, in Florida, probably Leon Co. and
was possibly daughter of Ellis Stafford who had a Spanish land grant in
Rose, Leon Co. Florida in the early 1800's.  She was married to Edward
Lemuel Howard 19 Feb. 1827 in Leon Co. Florida, her brother Richard I.
Stafford married Elinor Bryan 1829 in Leon Co. Florida.
Having one son, Andrew Jackson Howar, she lost her husband Edward L.
Howard in a drowning accident on the Ociella River, just East of St.
Mark's Lighthouse 8 Jun 1832, Edward had been a Veteran of the War of
1812, serving as a Powder Monkey on the Sloop "Peacock" when he was
wounded in the ankle and mustered to Norfolk, Virginia.
He returned to Camden Co. Georgia, where he received a land lottery to
Washington Co. Ga. next door to DeKalb, the family are shown living in
DeKalb on 1830 Census, and Edward Howard brought his family back to
Florida, to work on his shipbuilding and sailing business.  He and
another man were on a small boat, apparently a board Edward Howard
stepped on came up and hit him in the back of the head, knocking him
into the water (or the man he was with did not  like him much.)  He
drowned 8 Jun 1832.
Lydia Stafford Howard and her small son, went to live in Baker/Thomas
Co. Georgia, and she remarried Easom/Esom/Esum Davenport Franklin (who
had first been married to Martha Talbert 19 Jul 1809 in Baldwin Co.
Georgia).  She married him, 16 Mar 1834 in Thomas Co. Georgia and had
three sons:  Leonidas Franklin b. 1834 in Franklin Co. Florida, Cicero
D.(Davenport) Franklin b. 1836 Baker Co. Georgia, and Thomas J. Franklin
b. 23 Jul 1842 Franklin Co. Florida.  Lydia lost her husband Esom in
1842, and she remarried James Younge, a Stevedore, with whom she appears
as Suzannah L. Younge on the 1850 Census in Franklin Co. Georgia with
her sons, Andrew Howard, Leonidas, Cicero and Thomas. She is rumored to
have lost him and remarried twice more, to a ______Thomas and
_____Thigpen.
Lydia Franklin is then found with her son Andrew Jackson Howard and his
wife Martha Ann Franklin, dau. of Francis Marion Franklin and Gatsie Ann
Sutton, son of Easom Davenport Franklin and Martha Talbert, on the 1880
Census in Vernon Parish, La. in the 2nd Ward District.  In 1887, with
the help of Cavil Bray, her attorney and who married Armalete Thomas, a
possible daughter, Lydia applied for a War of 1812, widow's pension for
Edward Lemuel Howard, from Anacoco, Vernon Parish, La. to the US
Government. Her application was denied, even though she states that both
husbands, Edward Lemuel Howard, and Easom Davenport Franklin served in
War of 1812....but she was rejected as she had remarried since their
deaths.
Her son Andrew Howard's daughters Eliza Jane Howard who married Harvey
Self of Vernon Parish, La. and Lydia Ann Howard who married James Hudson
Self are also on the 1880 Census, Vernon Parish, La., as is Francis
Marion and Gatsie Franklin and his son Marion P. Franklin.
"Granny" Lydia Franklin lived to be 104 years old, dying in 1911, and is
buried somewhere in Shreveport, Caddo Par. La.
She is truly an inspiration to the pioneering spirit of the West,
surviving many disasters to go on, leaving many descendants.
Descendants may write to me to add their oral histories to this story.