Elizabeth, Wife of Ambrose Chapman

© Kathy Duncan, 2017

Documentation for the surname of Ambrose Chapman's wife Elizabeth has eluded me for years. They lived in Marion County, Georgia and are buried in Phillipi Baptist Church Cemetery in neighboring Schley County, Georgia. Both were born in South Carolina in the first decade of the nineteenth century.

For years I've seen her name as Elizabeth Griggs or Greggs. Supposedly, she was Ambrose's second wife. His first wife was supposedly Elizabeth Allen. No one has ever come forward with any documentation to support either wife. Did their names come down through oral tradition? A family bible?

Then along came FamilySearch.org with their growing collection of records. It is possible to search for documentation for an individual through the family tree and attach the documentation or source. On FamilySearch a large number of children have been attributed to Ambrose Chapman.

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Many of these children did not die until the early twentieth century, which means they might have death certificates that name their father AND mother. One of the best strategies for research is to gather as much information on all the children as possible. With that in mind, I started using FamilySearch's search engine to link sources to the Chapman children.

The first the death certificate that I found was for son Ambrose Taylor Chapman, who died 5 January 1930 in Marion County, Georgia:

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While Ambros Chapman is named as the father, the mother is given as "unknown." That of course, is disappointing.

The second death certificate that I found was for daughter Mary Jane (Chapman) Woodall, wife of Abner Woodall, who died 23 April 1927 in Taylor County, Georgia. 

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Her death certificate provides the information that her father was Ambers Chapman and her mother was Elisabeth Griggs. This the only documentation that I have ever found for Elisabeth Griggs. Of course, Mary Jane's death was 87 years after her birth and 53 years after Elisabeth's death, so it is a secondary source at best. Still, it's the only documentation that I have so far for the Griggs surname.

I still have hope of setting eyes on the death certificate for daughter Martha Dandridge (Chapman) Allison who died in 1928 in Ashley County, Arkansas.

Maria Guadalupe Gurule's Family Tree

This is the family tree for Maria Guadalupe Gurule, wife of Juan Domingo Salazar. Note that her great grandfather is Santiago Gurule aka Jacques Grolet of the ill fated La Salle expedition. I cannot vouch for the accuracy of the parentage of Maria Petra Montoya. 

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Juan Antonio Leyba's Family Tree

This is the family tree for Juan Antonio Leyba, husband of Rosalia Madrid: 

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Maria Rosa Leyba's Family Tree

This is the family tree for Maria Rosa Leyba, wife of Jose Ramon Sandoval:

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Rosalia Madrid's Family Tree

This is the family tree for Rosalia Madrid, wife of Juan Antonio Leyba. Note that her great grandfather was Roque de Madrid. 

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Maria Carolina (Sandoval) Selph's Family Tree

This is the family tree for Maria Carolina Sandoval, wife of Iley Nunn Selph:

James Junius Galt Family Tree

This is the family tree for James Junius Galt, husband of Mary Ann Brown:

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Florence May (Brown) Galt's Family Tree

This is the family tree for Florence May Brown, wife of Thomas Reason Galt:

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Walter Ballard Graham's Family Tree

This is the family tree for Walter Ballard Graham. He was the husband of Beulah Frances Galt.

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Lavinia Emily (Burton) Selph's Family Tree

This is the family tree for Lavinia Emily Burton, wife of Rev. Duncan Hyder Selph:

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Hardy Julian Selph's Family Tree

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Mary Ellen Graham's Family Tree

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Mary Ann (Brown) Galt's Death Notice

© Kathy Duncan, 2017

Sometimes an obituary or death notice cannot be found in the area where an ancestor lived. Maybe one was not published. Maybe there are no surviving newspapers. Maybe the newspaper has not been digitalized yet. For whatever reason the information eludes us.

Sometimes, however, the notice appears in a newspaper where an adult child lives. Such is the case for the death notice of Mary Ann (Brown) Galt, wife of James J. Galt. 

The Galts had a daughter named Georgia, who married a man named Heath. A search turned up this death notice for her mother Mary Ann (Brown) Galt's death and further clues that Georgia married Sanford Heath and was a resident of Montrose, Colorado.

Notice that in keeping with the time, Mary Ann (Brown) Galt is identified only as Mrs. J.J. Galt. If I had not already known where she lived, this tells me that she resided in Appleton City, Missouri.

Charles Albert Brown

© Kathy Duncan, 2017


Charles Albert Brown was the son of John Deloss and Nancy (Johnson) Brown. He was still living at home in 1891 when The Portrait and Biological Album of Sangamon County, Illinois was published by the Chapman Brothers. 

Birth record of Charles Albert Brown:

Chas. Albert Brown, male, born 18 March 1878 in Nixon Twp., DeWitt, Illinois. Father: John Deloss Brown. Mother: Nancy Johnson.
[Illinois Births and Christenings, 1824-1940, FamilySearch database]

Between 1910 and 1940, Charles moved from Fresno County, California to Merced County, California. He divorced his first wife Sadabel (Austin?) and married as his second wife Gladys Cook, leaving his two children with Sadabel.

1895:

Sadabel Austin is listed in the class of 1895 in the Los Angeles, California Public Schools.
[Source: "High School Alumni." Annual Report of the Board of Education and  Superintendent of the City Schools: With Rules and Regulations of the Public Schools of the City of Los Angeles by the Los Angles (Calif.) Board of Education, p. 140]

April 1910, Pleasant Valley Twp., Fresno County, California:

37-37
Brown, Charles A. Head M W 32 M-1 8 b. IL fb. IL mb. IL
-----Sadie A. wife F W 32 M-1 8 2-1 b. IL fb. IL mb. IL
-----Bob B. son M W 4 S b. CA fb. IL mb. IL

1914:

Sadabel Austin Brown, a housewife of Coalinga, is listed as a summer session student at the University of California.
[Source: University of California, Berkeley, 1914, Summer Catalogs]

WWI Registration:

Charles Albert Brown, 396 Pleasant, Coalinga, Fresno, CA, age 40, b. 17 March 1878. Salesman: Cross Timber Co. Nearest relative: Sadabel Brown. 12 Sept 1918.

1920, Merced, Merced County, California:

Brown, Sadabel wife F W 33 M b. IL fb. IL mb. IL
-----Bob B. son M W 14 S b. CA fb. IL mb. IL
-----Beverly B. dau F W 4 S b. CA fb. IL mb. IL

25 April 1930, Merced County, California:

170-170
Brown, Charles A. Head M W 51 M 21 b. IL fb. IL mb. IL
-----Gladys, wife F W 38 M 20 b. CA fb. Canada mb. IL

1930, Merced County, California:

217-217
Brown, Sadabelle Head FW 50 D b. IL fb. IL mb. IL
-----Bob Brown M F 24 S b. CA fb. IL mb. IL
-----Beverly son F W 14 S b. CA fb. IL mb. IL

20 April 1940, Merced County, California:

24-50
Brown, Charles Head M W 61 M H-4 b. IL 1935- same house
-----Gladys, wife F W 48 M H-1 b. CA 1935 - same house

12 April 1940 Berkley, Alameda County, California:

Burdette, Sadabell A. Head F W 58 D H-4 b. IL 1935 - same place
-----Brown Bob B. son M W 34 S C-2 b. CA 1935 - Merced

WWII Registration:

Charles Albert Brown, 4 East 17th St., Merced, Merced County, California, age 64, b. Weldon, Ill., 17 March 1878, Employer: Cross Timber. Person who will always know where he is: Gladys E. Brown.

Death Records:

Charles A. Brown b. 17 March 1878, Illinois, d. 14 March 1968, Merced, California. Mother: Johnson
[Source: California Death Index, 1940-1997, FamilySearch database]

Charles A. Brown is buried in Merced Cemetery District, Merced, Merced County, California.

Bob B. Brown b. 5 August 1905 in California, d. 24 May 1965, Alameda California. Mother: Austin