From family group sheet compiled by P. C. Lampley, 12 December 1983.
Joseph, Amanda and James Tarkington lived in Davidson County, Tennessee in 1850, near Amanda's family.
By 1860, the Tarkington family was living in Williamson County, Tennessee. They probably moved there in 1858 after Amanda's uncle James Russell purchased land in Williamson County as trustee for her mother Sobrina Russell.
By 1870, James was no longer living in his parents' household. He had moved in with James and Louisa Sawyer, who were living in Davidson County, Tennessee.
In 1877, James and his brother George worked as guards at the penitentiary.
In 1880, James was still living with James and Louisa Sawyer, but this census revealed something new: his relationship to the head of the household was "Gr. son." Since James and Louisa had married in 1845, James Tarkington could not be the son of a child that they had together. When I first came across this record, my first thought was of the family tree in my father's baby book, which stated that James William Tarkington's mother was Amanda Sawyer. Although Louisa (McDowell) Sawyer's previous husband was Asbury Tarkington, they married in 1832, and Joseph Tarkington was born in 1830. Since Joseph Tarkington married Amanda Russell in 1849, I think that the birth year of 1830 is likely to be correct. For further analysis, see my posts on Amanda Russell and Joseph Tarkington.
James married Anna Malvina Binkley (listed as Louvina D. Binkley on their marriage license; I have found so many variant forms of her name!) on 30 November 1880. They were married by Samuel W. Bransford, Minister of the Gospel.
James and Anna had five children: Laura Belle Tarkington (born 27 August 1881), Mary Magdalene or Margaret Tarkington (born 15 February 1884), Viola Maydell Tarkington (born 15 September 1886), my great-grandmother Anna Gertrude Tarkington (born 16 April 1889), and Robert Vaughn Tarkington (born 15 December 1892).
In 1885, Louisa Sawyer wrote her will. She left her estate to her husband James Sawyer, and specified that after his death, it was to go to her grandson James W. Tarkington. None of Joseph and Amanda Tarkington's other children were mentioned in the will. If James W. Tarkington was her biological grandchild, his siblings would be too. It seems far more likely that she would leave her property to a step-grandson that had lived with her for at least ten years and who she probably had come to think of as a grandson, than that she would disinherit her son and all but one of her grandchildren.
Will of Louisa Sawyer, 28 January 1885.
James William Tarkington died at his parents' home in Nashville on 12 June 1894. The cause of death was emphysema. He was buried at the J. R. Binkley Cemetery in Vaughn's Gap.
Daily American, 13 June 1894, page 5
Nashville Banner, 13 June 1894
It was nice of James William Tarkington to live with his grandparents (biological and step) for so many years. He was probably very helpful to them. His step-grandmother seems to have loved him as her own grandson. And the documentary evidence of this living arrangement provided me with important clues that helped me to identify his mother's father. That was very nice too!
No comments:
Post a Comment