By By LYDIA GRIMES Feature Reporter
Last week I received a telephone call from a lady in Mobile who is doing research on several local family ties. She is a descendant of the Black family that I wrote about a few weeks ago. She is also descended from the Scott and Dixon lines. If anyone can help her she would greatly appreciate it. You can reach Mary Staley at 9960 Keystone Court, Mobile, Alabama, 36608 or email her at meps52@aol.com.
This morning I received an email from her with her information which I will pass along to you. She is searching the Scott/Dixon lines. She believes that Thomas J. Scott who married Martha Owens was the father of Samuel Scott who married Laura Sawyer.
Samuel and Laura were the parents of Alvin L. Scott, Addis L. Scott, Frieda Scott, Eloise Scott and Martha L. Scott
Martha L. Scott (30 March 1875-15 Dec. 1951) married Claiborn Dixon (9 July 1870-8 Nov. 1924) in Escambia County, Ala. After his death, she lived in Mobile County but they both are buried at Dixonville Cemetery. They had at least these children, Thomas F. Dixon, Lawrence C. Dixon (16 June 1893-4 April 1968), Thelma R. Dixon, Lomax Dixon (5 Oct. 1903-9 Oct. 1907), Myrtle Dixon (16 March 1909-29 Jan. 1911), Harvey Dixon, Hollis Dixon and William Albert Dixon (12 April 1879-4 March 1966).
William Albert Dixon was probably married more than once. One marriage was to Nancy Emily Lucinda Steele who died in 1928. Their children were William E. Scott (1907), Rufus Alvin Scott (1910), Alberta Scott (1912), Alton Lee Scott (1914) and Bessie M. Scott (1916).
Staley is also looking for more information about Thomas Walker Scott (6 Jan. 1877) who married Mollie Kennedy Steele. Their children were Fletcher B. Scott (1 April 1900) who married Mabel Graves, Corbett Scott (12 March 1902) who married Esther Johnson and Colin Henry Scott (27 April 1904) who married Bessie Blackmon.
If you have information about any of these people, please contact Ms. Staley at the above address.
When I was talking to her I was thinking I knew exactly which Claiborne Dixon married Martha Scott. Now, I am not so sure. My records for the Dixon family are a little confusing, but I told her that I was sure Claiborne Jr. was the son of Claiborne Dixon Sr. and one of his two wives, both named Rebecca.
Claiborne Dixon Sr. was the oldest child of John and Martha Dixon. He was born in 1810 and married first to Rebecca Taylor (1802). They were said to have 11 children, one of whom was Claiborne Dixon Jr. who was born in 1843.
Claiborne Dixon Sr. married the second time to Rebecca Townsend (1830-1916), and they were the parents of 13 children, one of whom was Claiborne Dixon Jr. (1870-1924) who married Martha Scott.
It is possible that two sons of Claiborne Dixon Sr. would have both been named Claiborne Jr. but is it likely? If the first one died as a child or a young man, the second child given the same name would have not been unusual. I don't have any information on the Claiborne who was born in 1843. Claiborne Dixon Sr. would have been 60 years old in 1870 but his wife, Rebecca, would have been 40 years old, which would have make it possible for them to be the parents. If anyone can clear this up, please let me know. I will pass it along to the reader but I would love to set my records straight too.