The actual reason for his failure to file is not given. The
county clerk however states as I have transcribed ”....he
is a colored man and uneducated and has to depend on others to illegible
him in such matters, that he has acted in good faith of his homestead and has
complied with the law as far as he was able to understand same. The promises considered
he prays the department of public lands to allow illegible his final proof to be
received and final receipt & patent issue to him…”
Researching the African-American genealogy of the following surnames Bearden, Brumfield, Bullock, Caston, Conerly, Downs, Bridges, Edwards, Gatlin, Goff, Hill, McEwen, Power, Raybon, Leonard, Smith, Stacher, & Wynn. From the following states Georgia, Mississippi, Illinois, South Carolina, Texas, Tennessee & Louisiana.
Thursday, April 19, 2018
Jack Gatlin Part 5
Jack Gatlin and his wife Alice Conerly Gatlin were homesteaders of land in Pike County, Mississippi. Jack Gatlin made homestead entry number 103.23 on July 1, 1880. The requirement
to obtain a land homestead was the final proof. Jack failed to file his proof before
the expiration of the seven years after homestead entry. Written notice was given in the Pike County, Mississippi
newspaper The Magnolia Gazette for six publications from June 3, 1887 to July
9, 1887.
Tuesday, September 19, 2017
Jack Gatlin Homesteader Part 4
Robert Brumfield Testimony
In the process of a homestead application, it was necessary to have at least two people to testify that the applicant had lived on the land. Robert Brumfield was the second witness to verify that Jack Gatlin was a homesteader. Jerry Conerly was the other witness. At the time of Robert Brumfield's testimony, he was a 51 year old farmer. His birth year would have been 1836.
There were a series of testimony questions. In question 3 Are you related to the claimant or in any way interested in the claim, or are you connected with him in business of any kind? "I am not--- no way interested or connected with him. I am only a neighbor of his."
In questions 4 through 8, Robert explains that he lives about a half mile away from Jack and he has lived on his property for 16 years which would have been in 1871. Two other neighbors are Tom Magee and Gail Brumfield live further away. He lives nearer to him than any one else. Robert can not give a description of the land. He has known Jack Gatlin for 17 years.
Robert Brumfield's testimony agrees with that of Jerry Conerly. Jack Gatlin a farmer, has lived with his family on his land since March, 1879. He has seen him working on the land. "Saw him many times, too many to remember and every time I passed, I saw him at work ... I saw him building his house there. He has lived there seven years and lives there now."
His description of improvements made on the homestead correspond to that given by Jerry Conerly. In question 23, Robert states "I think the land is worth $300.00 and has never offered for sale that I know of." The value of three hundred dollars in 2017 is $7468.05. Robert Brumfield states in questions 26 through 28 Jack has planted crops for the season and "I think he intends to remain on the land after making final proof.
His description of improvements made on the homestead correspond to that given by Jerry Conerly. In question 23, Robert states "I think the land is worth $300.00 and has never offered for sale that I know of." The value of three hundred dollars in 2017 is $7468.05. Robert Brumfield states in questions 26 through 28 Jack has planted crops for the season and "I think he intends to remain on the land after making final proof.
Jack provided witnesses concerning his homestead yet almost failed to receive his homestead. More information to come.
----The Tree Gardener
----The Tree Gardener
Tuesday, August 15, 2017
Jack Gatlin Homesteader Part 3
Jerry Conerly Testimony
In the process of a homestead application, it was necessary to have at
least two people to testify that the applicant had lived on the land. Jerry Conerly was one of the witnesses to verify
that Jack Gatlin was a homesteader. At
the time of his testimony, he was a 50 year old farmer. His birth year would have been 1837. He states that Jack Gatlin was his son-in-law. Jerry
Conerly lived on his land for 12 years and Jack lived about a mile away. Tom
Magee and Gail Brumfield are Jack Gatlin’s neighbors who live about a half a
mile away.
Jerry states that he has known Jack for about 18 years living in various
places in Pike County. Jack Gatlin was
34 years old in 1887 at the time of his testimony therefore Jerry Conerly knew
him since he was 16 years old.
Jerry Conerly states that Jack is a self-employed farmer
with no boarding place on the land. He
describes the homestead as pine land, timber and farming. The timber on the land has been used only for
fencing and farming purposes. Jerry states that he has “been on the land a
number of times too many to remember.”
In Question # 21 State in detail
the character of the improvements; what they consist of, and when they were
made; the value of each distinct improvement, fully describing the same; also
weather they were made by the claimant or by some other person.
Jerry’s testimony gives a detailed description of Jack’s
family house. The ”Dwelling house , a boxed house of one room with a gallery,
with 3 doors and 2 windows, a dirt chimney, a kitchen” On the
homestead, there also was a “ log house with one door dirt chimney, a smoke
house built with logs; a chicken house made of logs and split pickets; log corn
crib with double slabs and a loft overhead; 3 log cotton houses; they were
built at different times during the seven years by the claimant, but do not
know when each house was built. He has
fences and cleared lands. They are valued as follows: Dwelling house worth about $35 ($871.21 in 2017), kitchen worth about 10 dollars ($248.94 in 2017), smoke house $10 ($248.94 in 2017), chicken house $5 ($124.97 in 2017), corn crib, stables worth about $30($746.81 in 2017) , cotton house about $30 ($746.81 in 2017)."
In Question #23 and 24 inquires about the estimated value of the
land and how long the claimant has lived on the land. Jack Gatlin and his
family have occupied the land since March, 1879. “The land is worth $300 and
never been offered for sale that I (Jerry) know of.”
Jerry
states he believes that the family resides on the land and “by seeing him there
and at work, and seeing his family there I know he has been living there.
Jerry Conerly signs his testimony with an X.
----The Tree Gardener
Tuesday, August 1, 2017
Jack Gatlin Homesteader Part 2
Jack Gatlin homestead testimony
In the testimony of the homestead claimant, there are a
series of questions. These records often have interviews of the homesteader and
neighbors providing written oral history and
on a timeline.
Jack Gatlin at the
time of his homestead testimony was 34 years old in July 16, 1887. His post office address was Walker's Bridge. As a native born citizen, he never filed a prior homestead. He describes the land as ordinary pine land with pine trees and farming.
He made the homestead entry July 1, 1880 and he
built a house in March, 1879. He made
improvements with about $100 which is the equivalent of $2,353.57 in 2017. He states that he has lived nowhere else.
Question #19 Where have you voted since establishing
residence on this land, and where did you last vote and how long have you voted
there? Ans. I voted in Holmesville &
have always voted there. He states that he was only absent from the land to
attend church, visit neighbors and the town on business. His family at that time was a wife and six
children.
Jack was asked did he and his family live in the house during the winter after filing with a reply of they did.
In questions # 28 to 30 he provided an account of all his material
assets which included the house, furniture, farm implements and livestock. He had a box house was 20 x 27 (540 square
feet) with another box house, several
out houses, smoke house, corn crib for a total value of $610.00 which is the
equivalent of $15,185.04 in 2017.
Questions #33-35 Jack
planted crops for seven seasons consisting of corn, cotton and peas. During the first
season, he cultivated 8 acres, 9 acres the second season and continued to
increase until he had planted 40 acres. I suspect that this detailed inventory
was made by the county clerk so they could levy taxes.
In questions 38- 44 Jack states he pays his taxes in Magnolia,
Mississippi and there are no other improvements for tax assessments and he
alone made the homestead entry not to benefit
anyone else.
--- The Tree Gardener
Thursday, June 22, 2017
Jack Gatlin Homesteader Part 1
Jack Gatlin was a farmer in Pike County, Mississippi. He obtained his land through the homestead application #10323 which was initially filed in June 26, 1880. He was 21 years old at that time. On the application, it states "that I prevented from attendance at the land office in person by reason of distance and want of means." It is not clear who actually submitted the application.
The homestead process to obtain land consisted of filing an application, improving the land and filing a deed of title. The homesteader had to live on the land for 5 years, improve the land by planting crops and build a dwelling 12 feet by 14 feet size. Proof of residency also had to be established before the deed was issued. To prove residency on the land. witnesses had to testify the homesteader had been on the land.
Jack Gatlin witnesses where Jerry Conerly, Robert Brumfield, Henry Brumfield and Robert Collins. In the Bureau of Land Management records, the testimony of the claimant Jack Gatlin and two of his witnesses Jerry Conerly and Robert Brumfield are written. I will share the testimonies in following posts.
Monday, June 12, 2017
Jack Gatlin Family
I have featured on
several blog posts Eddie Brumfield Sr.
paternal line his father Willis C. Brumfield. These are the decendants of Liddie who was married to first Louis Brumfield and then Calvin Caston. I
am still searching for more information. There are
other branches that are connected to Liddie Brumfield Caston descendants.
Two branches from Eddie
Brumfield Sr. maternal line are Gatlin and Conerly. In two previous blogs, I have already discussed Willis C. Brumfield and Neathie Gatlin Brumfield and their children which the family is listed in the 1910, 1920, 1930 and 1940 Pike County, Mississippi
Federal Census. The links are at the bottom of this blog post.
Jack Gatlin was born September, 1851 and died October 24, 1924
Neathie Gatlin was
born September 23, 1882 in Pike County to Jack Gatlin Sr. and Alice Conerly.
Neathie is listed in the 1900 Pike County, Mississippi Federal Census with her parents and some of her siblings. Edmond Gatlin her older brother was married to Elnora Magee in January, 1899 and living in a separate household listed below his parents and siblings on the census enumeration. On
the census record Jack and Neathie were married for 25 years.
Jack Gatlin Sr. and Alice Conerly Gatlin date unknown |
Neathie is listed in the 1900 Pike County, Mississippi Federal Census with her parents and some of her siblings.
Enlargement of 1900 census |
HOUSEHOLD
|
ROLE
|
SEX
|
AGE
|
Jack
Gatlin
|
head
|
M
|
49
|
Alice
|
wife
|
F
|
44
|
William
|
son
|
M
|
20
|
Neathey
|
daughter
|
F
|
18
|
Lumendy
|
daughter
|
F
|
16
|
Rose
|
daughter
|
F
|
14
|
Kathy
|
daughter
|
F
|
13
|
Zella (Zellar)
|
daughter
|
F
|
11
|
Julier
|
daughter
|
F
|
8
|
Jethro
|
son
|
M
|
6
|
Mary
|
daughter
|
F
|
2
|
Edmond
|
Head
|
M
|
23
|
Norah (Elnora)
|
wife
|
F
|
18
|
Jack and Alice Gatlin with children are also enumerated in the 1880 census. Jack Gatlin occupation is listed as farming. I find it interesting that Alice is recorded as "helps in field". Most of the wives in the 1880 census are listed as "keeps house".
Year: 1880; Census Place: , Pike, Mississippi; Roll: 662; Family History Film: 1254662; Page: 347D; Enumeration District: 37; Image: . |
Gatlin
Jack
|
B
|
M
|
27
|
Farming
|
|
Alice
|
B
|
F
|
21
|
wife
|
Helps in
field
|
Harriet
|
B
|
F
|
4
|
daughter
|
At home
|
Edmon J
|
B
|
M
|
3
|
son
|
At home
|
William
|
B
|
M
|
4/12
|
son
|
At home
|
----The Tree Gardener
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