By By LYDIA GRIMES Feature Reporter
This week I am going to start with another family. I don't think I have ever had anything on this particular family, but you never know. After more than eight years I am bound to repeat sometimes. If you have already read this, well maybe someone else hasn't. I wrote it for the Heritage Book of Escambia County and it was submitted to the book by Dorothy Wilson. This column may have additional material added.
This Wilson family in Escambia County descends from William (1804-aft 1880)and Rachel Wilson (1810-aft 1880). They were the parents of nine children, Nathan Wilson (1830) who married Catherine Cooper, William Wilson (1833) who married Phebe T., Irvin Wilson (1837) who married Permelia, Margaret Wilson (1838) who married Joshua S. Hammrick, Daniel Wilson (1841) who married Holly A., Mary Wilson (1842), Jeremiah Wilson (1846) who married Marjory, Matthew Wilson (1846-1926) who married Nancy Carolyn Piggott, and Henry Wilson (1856) who married Elizabeth.
Matthew Wilson married Nancy Carolyn Piggott (1856-1947), the daughter of James Piggott and Sarah Mims. Her grandparents were Thomas and Mary Piggott and Thomas Mims and Carolyn Grace.
Carolyn Grace's father, Samuel Grace (1795-4 August 1882) was born in Hancock County, Georgia and married Hetty Sawyer (d. 1868) on 15 November 1816. His father James Grace (3 August 1769-2 August 1859) was married to Nancy Jane Betts (6 July 1775-4 October 1865), daughter of Samuel and Ibby Betts. Both the Grace and the Betts families lived on the Maryland and Delaware line in Sussex County in Broad Creek Hundred. The James Grace family is listed on the Monroe Territorial Census of 1816, which means that they were indeed early settlers to southern Alabama. They first moved to Hancock County, Georgia where their oldest son Samuel was born. Samuel and Hetty were the parents of at least seven children: James H. Grace who married Eliza A. Salter, Epsie Anne Grace who married Thompson Hamilton Coker, Beatrice Grace who married Andrew Jackson Salter, Mary Jane Grace who married James William Salter, Elizabeth Grace who married Dominque Russo, Carolyn Grace who married Thomas Mims, and Samuel Grace, Jr. Carolyn Grace and Thomas Mims were the parents of one girl, Sarah Mims who married James Piggott.
James Piggott and Sarah Mims were the parents of ten children: the oldest being Nancy Carolyn Piggott who married Matthew Wilson. The Wilsons were the parents of nine children: James Wilson (30 Oct. 1877) who married Sadie Mae Cox, Eugene Wilson (1 March 1878-7 Apr. 1879), Thomas Nathaniel Wilson (7 Feb. 1880) who married Lou Jena Monk, Estle Wilson (Feb.1882-23 Feb. 1948) who married Alice Richardson, Catie D. Wilson (3 Aug1885-12 Aug. 1886), Charles Wilson (27 May 1887) who married Bell Smith, Bulah Wilson (15 Oct. 1890-22 Dec. 1958) who married Marion Parker, David C. Wilson (17 June 1894) who married Sally Brighan, and Barklie Wilson (1896-1968) who married first Grace Rider and second Mabel Rider. A side note to Barklie Wilson is that when he went into the army in 1918 he had no middle initial so the military gave him the letter 'L' taken from his name, which may have been Willson.
Thomas Nathaniel Wilson married in 1903, to Lou Jena Monk (1887-1974) daughter of James B. Monk and Frances Vandora Kirkland. The Monks were also early settlers. They were the parents of at least eight children: Harrison Monk who married Margaret Gibson, Lewis Monk who died at age of 12, Lou Jena Monk who married Thomas Nathaniel Wilson, Travis T. Monk who married Mamie, J. B. Monk, Zula Monk who married William Cowart, Bama Monk who married Leonard Bates, and Bogee Monk.
I have just a little bit more on the Wilson family and I want to do a little bit more on the Grace and the Monk families. I found the Grace information to be very interesting as my best friend and cousin, who lives in Alabaster, is descended, I found, from the same family line. I can't wait to pass along to her what I have found.
I will finish the Wilsons next week and get to the other lines.
Happy Hunting.