Martha E. (?) Nevill and Children

© Kathy Duncan, 2018

I've spent many years searching for Martha E. _____, the former wife of my ancestor, Grandison D. Nevill, Sr. Very little is known about her. She is undoubtedly on the 1840 Dickson County, Tennessee census with G.D. Nevill and their three sons under age five. She divorced Grandison in 1846. It is likely that in addition to my great-great grandfather, Grandison D. Nevill, Jr., who was born in 1841, that were additional children born between 1840 and 1846.

Grandison D. Nevill Sr. has not been found on any 1850 census. Martha E. Nevill cannot be found on the 1850 census in Tennessee.

There is, however, a Martha E. Nevels on the Tishomingo County, Mississippi census who is a strong candidate to be my Martha:

Tishomingo County, Mississippi 1850

This Martha E. Nevels is 34 years old, born c. 1816 in Tennessee. The children with her are Anderson D. Nevels age 10, born Tennessee; William D. Nevels age 8, born Tennessee; and Susan P. Nevels age 6, born in Tennessee. All of these children would have been born within the time frame for Martha's marriage to Grandison D. Nevill, Sr. The big problem is that Anderson D. Nevels is not exactly the same as Grandison D. Nevill [Jr] although the names are very similar, especially if the census taker did not hear a soft, initial gr sound. This Anderson D. Nevel is the correct age and born in the right location to be Grandison "Granville" D. Nevill, Jr.

For many years, I could not locate Martha E. Nevels or any of these children beyond the 1850 census. However, I believe that now I have found them. They seem to have resurfaced in Winston County, Alabama in 1860:

Winston County, Alabama 1860 census

This page features Martha Nevills, age 43 and born in Alabama, with Jesse Nevills, age 23, born in Alabama and William Nevills, age 19, born in Alabama. The entry continues onto the next page with Susannah Nevills, age 17, born in Georgia. This information was especially hard to find because FamilySearch has Martha, Jesse, and William indexed as "Stevills" rather than Nevills.

Missing from this entry is Grandison D. Nevill, Jr. Jesse Nevills may be one of the older sons who were on the 1840 census. Grandison D. Nevill Sr.'s grandfather was named Jesse Nevill, which strengthens the possibility that this Jesse is a son of Grandison and Martha of  Montgomery County, TN. This William and Susan Nevill are the same age as the children on the 1850 Tishomingo Co., MS census. All of their birthplaces, however, are different - Alabama and Georgia instead of Tennessee.

Then in 1870, Martha and son, Jesse Nevill, turn up in Marion County, Alabama:

Marion County, Alabama 1870 Census

Jesse B. Neville is 31, born in Tennessee, and mother Martha Neville is 60, born in Alabama. In this version, they are both a little older than would be expected. Jesse is shown as being born in Tennessee. Missing from the household is William, who I think died during the Civil War, and Susan, who is probably either married or deceased. At this time, Grandison D. Nevill Jr. is living in Titus Co., Texas, so he should not show up on the census with them.

By 1880, they were Walker County, Alabama: 

Walker County, Alabama 1880 Census

By 1880 Jesse B. Neville, age 42 and born in Tennessee, had married Nancy E. _____. They are the parents of Samuel J. Neville age 2. Mother, Martha E. Neville, age 64 and born in Alabama, is in the household with the added information that her parents were born in Tennessee.

In 1900, Jesse B. Neville, a widower, is on the Fayette County, Alabama census in a boarding house. Also, in that boarding house is a young Nancy E. Neville, who is probably his daughter. 

Fayette County, Alabama 1900 Census

Now, however, I am back to being stuck. I still cannot link this little family group to my Grandison "Granville" D. Nevill, Jr. I have not been able to track sister Susan Neville. I don't have death dates for any of them. But I am making progress toward trying to establish that I am either on the right track or barking up the wrong tree.