The Jefferson Clark family of Leon County, Texas: an online case study (part eight)

In this continuing case study, we have explored the use of online resources to research the family of a former slave, Jefferson Clark, of Leon County, Texas. Having learned quite a bit of information about this family using vital and census records, and the 1867 Texas voter registration lists, we then outlined a plan of action for identifying his final slaveowner before being freed, the most important part of researching former slaves. In the third part of this series, we were able to identify several men living in Leon County, in the vicinity of Jefferson Clark, who were also born in either Alabama or Virginia. We were able to obtain additional information about these men from the 1870 federal census, and the 1867 Texas voter registration lists. In the fourth part of the series, we explored which of these men from Alabama were slaveowners, using information from the 1860 federal census population and slave schedules. In the next part, we identified the final two potential slaveowners in the 1850 federal census, living in Noxubee County, Mississippi, where they apparently lived after moving from Alabama. The most recent parts of this case study reviewed what we have discovered about Jefferson Clark and about his potential slave owner, George W. Tubbs.

In each of the earlier parts in this case study, the focus has been on using digital images of records available online. Another large group of resources available for online research are transcribed records. The U. S. GenWeb Project, and other projects exist as hubs, organized by county and state, of transcriptions of many records unavailable elsewhere online. These include probate records, land deeds, cemetery records, military pensions, and many other types of records. We will use these transcribed records from various sites in order to conduct further research on George W. Tubb and some of his associates, before coming to Leon County, Texas. If Jefferson Clark was named in any records prior to becoming a freedman, it would have been in the property records of his slave owner. At this point in our research, any such mention would confirm our hypothesis that George W. Tubb was indeed the owner of Jefferson Clark.

The Mississippi GenWeb (MSGenWeb) page for Noxubee County, part of the U. S. GenWeb Project, contains transcriptions of two estates appearing in the county court records that provide additional information about George W. Tubb, and evidence of the close relationship between George W. Tubb and C. C. Colbert.

The first estate, of a William F. Tubb, contains additional information regarding the family of George W. Tubb. As transcribed by Catherine Cooper for the website, the record reads, in part,

Your petitioner shows that William F. Tubb deceased late of this county, departed this life in said county of Noxubee, where he last resided, sometime in February A. D. 1850 without leaving any last will & testament, so far as your petitioner has been informed or believes; and unmarried and without leaving any wife or children; that he left the following brothers & sisters, to wit: Rebecca Williams widow of Jacob Williams Decd. Lydia Moore, wife of Alexander Moore, all of whom hereunto reside in the State of Arkansas. Mary Petty, widow of Alford Petty. Jane Nunn, wife of John Nunn. Elisha F. Tubb. Susan Tubb & David A. Tubb, all of whom reside in said county of Noxubee. Sarah Moore, wife of William Moore, and Lucinda Cole, wife of Thomas G. Cole, all of whom reside in the State of Alabama: and Elizabeth Williams wife of Job M. Williams, and Isabella Ikard, wife of Milton Ikard, all of who reside in the State of Louisiana: also the children of his deceased brother Richard Tubb who died in the county of Perry & State of Alabama, the ages of whom are unknown to your petitioner. That said decedent left at the time of his death, a small personal estate consisting of a horse & wagg, cattle & debts due him, & amounting to not more than twelve hundred dollars, that your petitioner is the brother of said decedent, and resides in this county; that he believes it important, necessary & proper, for the interest of all concerned, that said estate be administered upon forthwith; he therefore prays that letters of administration upon said estate be granted him upon said estate, upon his taking the oath and giving bond & good & sufficient security according to law.

…

G. W. Tubb
Sworn to & subscribed in open court this the 5th day of August A. D. 1851[1]

The Probate Court of Noxubee Court granted George W. Tubb administration over the estate of William F. Tubb, upon his filing a bond, with Elisha F. Tubb as security.[2] The estate was appraised, and the personal property was sold, which George W. Tubb presented to the Court on 7 Nov 1851.[3]

This estate record identifies the immediate family of George W. Tubb:

Brother William F. Tubb, died in February 1850, Noxubee County
Sister Rebecca (Tubb) Williams, widow of Jacob Williams, living in Arkansas
Sister Lydia (Tubb) Moore, wife of Alexander Moore, living in Arkansas
Sister Mary (Tubb) Petty, widow of Alford Petty, living in Noxubee County
Sister Jane (Tubb) Nunn, wife of John Nunn, living in Noxubee County
Brother Elisha F. Tubb, living in Noxubee County
Sister Susan Tubb, living in Noxubee County
Brother David A. Tubb, living in Noxubee County
Sister Sarah (Tubb) Moore, wife of William Moore, living in Alabama
Sister Lucinda (Tubb) Cole, wife of Thomas G. Cole, living in Alabama
Sister Elizabeth (Tubb) Williams, wife of Job M. Williams, living in Louisiana
Sister Isabella (Tubb) Ikard, wife of Milton Ikard, living in Louisiana
Brother Richard Tubb, died in Perry County, Alabama

These identifications are important to note, as they may assist in later identifying the place of origin of George W. Tubb, as well as the father of these siblings.

The second estate transcribed on the USGenWeb site belonged to one Elizabeth Tubb, and read, in part,

The undersigned, shows, that Elizabeth Tubb, late of said County, departed this life the 31st day of July A. D. 1851 at her residence in this County; that she left her Surviving Twelve children, to wit – Rebecca Williams, who resides in the State of Arkansas, widow of Joab Williams deceased, Lydia Moore, who intermarried with one Alexander Moore, & who also resides in said State of Arkansas, Mary Petty, the wife of Alfred Petty deceased & who resides in said County of Noxubee; Jane Nunn, who intermarried with John Nunn & resides in said County of Noxubee, Sarah Moore, who intermarried with William Moore & who resides in Perry County in the State of Alabama; Elisha F. Tubb who resides in said County of Noxubee; Elizabeth Williams, who intermarried with Job M. Williams & who resides in Louisiana; Susan Tubb who resides in said County of Noxubee, Isabella Ikard, who intermarried with Milton Ikard, who resides in said State of Louisiana; Lucinda Cole who intermarried with Thomas G. Cole, who reside in the County of Choctaw in the said State of Alabama; David A. Tubb of County of Noxubee; & your petitioner; She had also two other children who died before the said Elizabeth Tubb, to wit: Richard Tubb who died in said County of Perry & State of Alabama, leaving a wife & several children, number, names & ages of whom are unknown to your petitioner though some suppose & believe to be over & some under twenty one years of age: and William F. Tubb, who died in said County of Noxubee, unmarried & without children. That said Elizabeth Tubb left three or four slaves, horses, cattle, sheep, hogs, growing crop of corn & cotton, household & kitchen furniture & plantation tools & that she was a widow at the time of her death, that it is necessary & proper for the benefit of said estate & all persons interested that administration be had thereupon forthewith; your petitioner, therefore, being a child of said intestate Elizabeth, and over the age of twenty one years, prays the court to grant him letters of administration upon said Estate, upon his taking the oath, and giving Bond with good & sufficient security according to law, your petitioner furth shows that said Elizabeth Tubb died without leaving any last will and testament, so far as he has been informed, or believes, and that said estate is worth not more than about fifteen hundred dollars. …

And in duty _ _
G. W. Tubb[4]

George W. Tubb received letters of administration on this estate as well, with his brother Elisha again serving as surety on the bond.

This record provides another portrait of the Tubb family (relationships to George W. Tubb noted):

Mother Elizabeth Tubb, died 31 July 1851, Noxubee County
Sister Rebecca (Tubb) Williams, widow of Joab Williams, living in Arkansas
Sister Lydia (Tubb) Moore, wife of Alexander Moore, living in Arkansas
Sister Mary (Tubb) Petty, widow of Alfred Petty, deceased, living in Noxubee County
Sister Jane (Tubb) Nunn, wife of John Nunn, living in Noxubee County
Sister Sarah (Tubb) Moore, wife of William Moore, living in Perry County, Alabama
Brother Elisha F. Tubb, living in Noxubee County
Sister Elizabeth (Tubb) Williams, wife of Job M. Williams, living in Louisiana
Sister Susan Tubb, living in Noxubee County
Sister Isabella (Tubb) Ikard, wife of Milton Ikard, living in Louisiana
Sister Lucinda (Tubb) Cole, wife of Thomas G. Cole, living in Choctaw County, Alabama
Brother David A. Tubb, living in Noxubee County
Brother Richard Tubb, deceased, died in Perry County, Alabama
Brother William F. Tubb, deceased, died in Noxubee County

On 16 March 1852, the inventory and appraisement of Elizabeth Tubb’s estate was recorded in the court. This inventory contained the following slaves:

1 negro man named Charles $600.00

1 boy name Jacob $250.00

1 woman named Jude & woman Lucy (?) worthless[5]

It is clear that she did not own any members of the Jefferson Clark family at the time of her death. The prudent researcher, however, would want to review the 1850 slave schedule for the slaves owned by Elizabeth Tubb during her life, almost exactly one year prior to her death. As can be seen below, she owned quite a few more slaves than appeared on her recorded inventory and sales:[6]

Age	Sex	Race
50	F	B
25	F	B
18	F	B
16	F	B
10	F	B
9	F	B
3	F	B
2	F	B
2	F	B
50	M	B
20	M	B
20	M	B
16	M	B
15	M	B
7	M	B
7	M	B
6	M	B
5	M	B
4	M	B

The sales, dated 24 October 1851, but not recorded until 8 April 1852, show who purchased Elizabeth Tubb’s personal property:

The Sale of the Estate of Elizabeth Tubb

Susan Tubb to one negro man Charles $600.00…

Susan Tubb one B Jacob $210.00

E. F. Tubb to woman Lucy $200…

E. F. Tubb one woman Judy no sale 000.00

G. W. Tubb to one sorrel mare $71.00

Mary Petty to one cow & calf $ 6.00

C. C. Colbert to one ox $12.50

Caleb Reed to one heifer $ 5.50

“ “ 1 Yoke of Oxen $30.00

Caleb Reed to ten head hogs $25.00

Caleb Reed to one lot Plows $ 8.00

Susan Tubb to one bed stid & clothing $13.00

E. F. Tubb to one safe $ 5.00

E. F. Tubb to one Bible $ 2.75

“ “ to one table $ 1.00

“ “ Kitchen sundrys $ 6.00

John Nunn to one bay colt $21.00

Caleb Reed to one ___ $ 7.50

G. W. Tubb to one cow $ 5.00

“ “ 17 head sheep $17.00

“ “ one ox $14.00

G. W. Tubb to ¼ part wagon $30.00

G. W. Tubb to one grind stone $ 1.50

G. W. Tubb $ 8.00

G. W. Tubb one clock $ 8.00

G. W. Tubb life of Josephus $ 1.00

G. W. Tubb ___ irons $ 3.00[7]

As can be seen here, both G. W. Tubb and C. C. Colbert purchased property from the estate of Elizabeth Tubb. The remaining purchasers, except for Caleb Reed, are Elizabeth’s children or sons-in-law. Might there have been a relationship between C. C. Colbert and Elizabeth Tubb?

The Noxubee County, Mississippi Genealogy & History Network contains additional transcribed records of Noxubee County, Mississippi. This site contains transcriptions of the Noxubee County marriage records from 1850 through 1859. Among these marriages is the following:

C. C. Colbert TO Sarah P. Tubb -------------13 Mar 1851[8]

C. C. Colbert apparently did indeed marry a member of the Tubb family, though Sarah is not listed among the children of Elizabeth nor the siblings of William F. Tubb, in the records of either estate. The 1850 federal census population schedule may provide more insight into the exact relationship, though this is probably not relevant to the case at hand. The fact remains that George W. Tubb and C. C. Colbert shared a likely family relationship, and moved together from Noxubee County, Mississippi, to Leon County, Texas.

Additional research will follow in the next part of this series.

[1] Catherine Cooper, transcriber, “William Floyd Tubb, Probate Records, Noxubee County, Ms.,” Noxubee County, MS, USGenWeb (http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~msnoxube/wmtubb.html : accessed 16 Mar 2010); citing “Noxubee County Probate Records, Vol. C, 1851-1855,” page 313.

[2] Catherine Cooper, transcriber, “William Floyd Tubb, Probate Records, Noxubee County, Ms.,” Noxubee County, MS, USGenWeb; citing “Noxubee County Probate Records, Vol. C, 1851-1855,” page 315.

[3] Catherine Cooper, transcriber, “William Floyd Tubb, Probate Records, Noxubee County, Ms.,” Noxubee County, MS, USGenWeb; citing “Noxubee County Probate Records, Vol. C, 1851-1855,” pages 322 (inventory) and 356 (sales).

[4] Catherine Cooper, transcriber, “Elizabeth Tubb, Noxubee County, Mississippi,” Noxubee County, MS, USGenWeb (http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~msnoxube/eliztubb.html : accessed 16 Mar 2010); citing “Noxubee County Court Records, Vol. C, 1851-1855,” page 322-323.

[5] Catherine Cooper, transcriber, “Elizabeth Tubb, Noxubee County, Mississippi,” Noxubee County, MS, USGenWeb; citing “Noxubee County Court Records, Vol. C, 1851-1855,” page 323.

[6] 1850 U. S. Census, Noxubee Co., Mississippi, slave schedule, no district stated, unpaginated, after penciled page, column 2, lines 2-20, George Tubb’s slaves; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed Mar 2010); NARA microfilm publication M432, roll not stated.

[7] Catherine Cooper, transcriber, “Elizabeth Tubb, Noxubee County, Mississippi,” Noxubee County, MS, USGenWeb; citing “Noxubee County Court Records, Vol. C, 1851-1855,” page 356.

[8] Mona Tomlinson, transcriber, “Noxubee Marriages 1850 thur 1859,” Noxubee County, Mississippi Genealogy & History Network (http://noxubeemsgenealogy.us/Marriages/1850-1859_Noxubee_Marriages.pdf : accessed 17 Mar 2010); original source not cited.