Richard Nelson

[I compiled this information for a site visitor who stumbled onto Watt Hill Cemetery as a child. I don't guaranty the validity of my quick research. gina]

Some of Richard Nelson's family is buried at Smith Chapel Cemetery, not far from Watt Hill. Note that the tombstone looks like it says he was born in 1830 but these records suggest around 1840 so the stone may actually say 1839.

You can't depend on one record to prove when or where people were born. There were no birth certificates until about 1903 and very few rural people reported births until after World War II (around 1945). So I'm guessing that Richard was born in March of 1839 or 1840. Eliza was born either in Louisiana or Alabama in April of 1850 or 1851. She either fudged a bit or got confused or someone else reported her age in 1900. It's very possible that neither of them knew their actual birth dates.

Likewise, names change. They're spelled differently by different enumerators or the family uses nicknames or middle names.

Death certificates are about the same but they caught on a little more quickly than birth certificates and were widespread by about 1920. Marriages have been recorded for hundreds of years because of the legalities of heirship and property ownership.

Eliza J Hill was born about 1865, probably in June or July. This close to the Civil War, it's hard to guess but, most likely, her father was her owner or another slave. Nine months prior to the younger Eliza's birth, the war was still ongoing and slaves had not been freed. Eliza J's death certificate lists her mother as Fannie and Georgia's has Fannie Brown. Eliza J died in 1920 and Georgia died in 1952. (Note that Richard Jr's mother is listed as Pearly Robinson on his death certificate and he died in 1953.)

I found a voter's list for Nov 1869 that I believe contains this Richard's information. There is another voter's list registration for a Richard Nelson in Robertson County in 1867 but is not the same man.

There is no census for 1890. It was enumerated and sent to Washington but it burned in 1921 before it was copied.

So, the story for Richard goes something like this:

Richard Nelson was born a slave in March of 1839 in South Carolina. Nothing more is known of his youth. In December of 1868, Rusk County, Texas, he married a young woman named Puss Willis. By November of 1869, Richard was a registered voter in Rusk County.

By July of 1870, Richard is listed with Eliza Nelson and a little boy named James H Nelson, who was born in Texas in 1869. The couple worked a small farm that they probably rented (or sharecropped) since there is no value listed for Richard's real or personal property. Neither of them can read or write. Included on this census is Eliza J, age 5, who is later described as a step-daughter.

The 1880 Federal Census enumerated Richard and Eliza with Eliz J Hill, James and six younger children. The other children are Georgia An, Jerry, Allen, Mary, William and Lewis, ranging in age from 9 years down to four months old. (Little Lewis had been born that January.) James is the only one who can read and write.

The 1900 Federal Census tells us that Richard is buying his farm and that everyone except the grandchildren can read and write. Richard and Eliza have been married 35 years and Eliza has borne 13 children with 9 still living. They have four children remaining at home. Georgia is now the mother of two children, Cephus, age 5 and Lizzy, almost 4. Georgia's husband has died. Richard and Eliza have three children on this census who have been born since the last census. Rebecca is 17, Richard Jr is 15 and Jefferson is almost 14. There is one other grandchild on this census, Paul Beckworth has just turned 5.

So we now have the names of 11 of Eliza's 13 children: Eliza J, James J, Georgia A, Jerry, Allen, Mary, William, Lewis, Rebecca, Richard Jr and Jefferson. Unfortunately, Richard died on 18 Aug 1904, at the age of about 65, and I didn't find any other information on Eliza. Richard Nelson is buried at Watt Hill Cemetery near Lake Cherokee.
Census records for Rusk County, Texas
1870 July 30
pg 95 (388A) Precinct 3
Richard Nelson Male 28 South Carolina [1842]
Eliza Nelson Female 19 Louisiana
Eliza J Nelson Female 5 Texas
James H Nelson Male 1 Texas
James is farming. I don't know if this Eliza is the "Puss" from the marriage record.

1880 June 14
ED 75, pg 11 (91C) Precinct 3
Richard Nelson Self Male 39 South Carolina [1841]
Eliza Nelson Wife Female 30 Louisiana
James Nelson Son Male 11 Texas
Georgia An Nelson Dau Female 9 Texas
Jerry Nelson Son Male 8 Texas
Allen Nelson Son Male 6 Texas
Mary Nelson Dau Female 4 Texas
Wm Nelson Son Male 3 Texas
Lewis Nelson Son Male 4/12 Texas Jany
Eliz Hill S-dau Female 14 Texas
Richard is a farmer. His parents were born in SC. Eliza's parents were born in SC.

1900 June 6
ED 83, pg 6A Precinct 3
Richard Nelson Head Male 61 Mch 1839 South Carolina m. 35 yrs.
Eliza Nelson Wife Female 47 Apr 1853 Alabama 13/9 children
George A Nelson Dau Female 29 Oct 1870 Texas 3/2 children
Rebeca Nelson Dau Female 17 Sep 1882 Texas
Richard Nelson Son Male 15 Aug 1884 Texas
Jefferson Nelson Son Male 13 Jul 1886 Texas
Paul Beckworth G-son Male 5 May 1895 Texas
Cephus Moffs G-son Male 5 Sep 1894 Texas
Lizzy Moffs G-dau Female 3 Jul 1896 Texas
Richard is still farming. Georgia is widowed.