52 Ancestors Challenge - Hansel Benton Coburn - b.1817 NC, d.after 1870 TX - Week 34

Hansel Benton Coburn was my 3rd great grandfather.  In April I wrote about his daughter, Hannah Jane Coburn.  I haven't been able to locate much on Hansel, so I'll just go over what I do know.

Hansel was born around 1817 in North Carolina.  Both the 1860 and 1870 Federal Censuses show this.  The first record we see with Hansel's name is his marriage record to Miss Mariam Hannah Barrett in Fayette County, Tennessee on 18 July of 1839.  Mariam was born April 25, 1821, in South Carolina and was the daughter of David Barrett and Elizabeth Whitten.  This marriage record is found on Ancestry.com, and it is mentioned in a family bible that was owned by Albert Gallatin Barrett, Mariam's brother.  A copy of that bible can be found here.

The next mention of Hansel is on Ancestry.com in their U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s.  Their information is cited from The First Settlers of Houston County, Texas, by Gifford White (St. Louis, MO.: Ingmire Pub., 1983. 35p.).  This states he arrived in Texas in 1840.

I found a Poll Tax List for Houston County for the year 1846, online at Rootsweb.  It isn't a pictured copy of the document, but a transcribed list.  Hansel "Cobern" is listed as one of the residents.

On Ancestry.com there is a file called Texas, Index Card Collection, 1800-1900.  In the file, they show a card written for Hansel Coburn.  It states:

Coburn, Hansel

County Commissioner

May 29, 1847

2 - 1/3

Page 68

Houston County

What this exactly means, I'm not sure.  Was Hansel the County Commissioner of Houston County in 1847???  And what does 2 - 1/3 mean?  Could that be the book the information was found?  Something I need to look into when I get the chance.

I can't find Hansel in the 1850 Federal Census, however, I do believe he was living in Houston County.  On the 1860 Federal Census we see him living with his family in Beat 5, Houston County.  In the household was:

• H. Coburn, 43 years, Farmer, born in North Carolina
• Mariam Coburn, 39 years, Housewife, born in South Carolina
• Harriet Coburn, 13 years, born in Texas
• Jane Coburn, 10 years, born in Texas
• Margaret Coburn, 3 years, born in Texas
• Willie Coburn, 1/2 year, born in Texas
• Louisa Parker, 3 years, born in Texas (not sure who Louisa Parker may be?)

The Non-Population Census of 1860 shows an H. Coburn living in Beat 4 of Houston County.  The census lists the following property for Hansel:

• 30 Improved acres of land
• 270 Unimproved acres of land
• $1,000 Cash value of farm
• $200 Value of farming implements and machinery
• 3 Horses
• 10 Milch Cows
• 2 Working Oxen
• 50 Other Cattle
• 50 Swine
• $995 Value of livestock
• 400 Bushels of Indian Corn
• 5 Bales of Cotton

On January 8, 1863, at the age of 46, Hansel enlisted as a Private in Company B, of the 11th Brigade, at Crockett in Houston County.  His commanding officer was Captain William Wortham.  I'm not an expert on the Civil War, but just a brief online search has led me to believe that the people in this Brigade were considered "Texas State Troopers."  From what I understand, they weren't part of the Confederate Army, but worked under the State of Texas.  Either way, he only enlisted for 3 months.  I'm not sure he ventured outside of Texas.  The info on Hansel can be found on Ancestry.com in their Texas, Muster Roll Index Cards, 1838-1900, and in the remarks area it states:

"R&F 83; Enr. & Mus. off. Col. L.W. Cooper; 1 Rifle; Co. std. at Camp Shiloh, Houston Cty., Texas Jan. 8-63; 1 MR dtd. Jan. 8-63."

In June, I was contacted by someone who read my post on Hansel's daughter Hannah Jane Coburn.  They told me Hansel was mentioned 3 times in the journal of James Madison Hall.  The journal just mentions a "Mr. Coburn," but it might be him.  The first entry was dated February 9th, 1864, and mentions he was heading to Magnolia, which is about 100 miles south of Crockett, Houston County, where Hansel may have been living at the time.  On June 18th & 19th, J.M. Hall mentioned "Mr. Coburn" again, this time returning home from Magnolia.

November 20, 1869, Hansel is seen on a voter registration list found on Ancestry.com (Texas, Voter Registration Lists, 1867-1869).  He is shown as living in Bell County, Texas at the time.  On this registration, it says he had been a resident of Texas for 29 years (which shows he moved to Texas in 1840), and he had been a resident of Bell County for 2 years.  So he must have moved around 1867.

1870 Federal Census shows Hansel in Beat 3 of Bell County now.  He is living with his wife and two children, Margaret (Maggie), and Willie.  This census also shows Hansel as born in 1817 in North Carolina.

In 1880 we can't find Hansel on the Federal Census, but his wife Mariam is shown as Mrs. M.H. Coburn living in Justice Precinct no. one of Bell County as a widow.  In her house is Wm. McCreary, her son-in-law, Mattie Bell McCreary, her daughter, a grand daughter Ada Bell McCreary, and a boarder named Ewing McCreary.  Hansel must have passed away between 1870 and 1880.

As always, if you have any questions, or concerns, about the information in this post, please leave me a message. I'd be happy to answer any questions or share what information I have on the individuals listed above. Thanks for reading!!

52 Ancestors Challenge - Week 13 - Hannah Jane Coburn born April 30, 1850 in Texas

Hannah Jane Coburn (Colbourn), my great, great grandmother, is the subject of this weeks 52 Ancestor Challenge.  We'll refer to her as Jane, since that is what is written on our family bible sheets.  Jane was born April 30, 1850 probably in Houston County, Texas.  Her parents were Hansel Benton Coburn and Mariam Hannah Bennett.  They were early residents of Houston County, arriving in 1840 according to the US & Canada Passengers & Immigration List Index, 1500s-1900s on Ancestry.com.  The source is listed as "WHITE, GIFFORD. The First Settlers of Houston County, Texas. St. Louis, Mo.: Ingmire Pub., 1983. 35p."

The next record we find of Jane is the 1860 census from Beat 5, Houston County, Texas.  She is living with her parents and her siblings: Harriett age 13, Margaret age 3, and Willie age 1/2 a year.  There was also another 3 year-old living in the house by the name of Louisa Parker.  I don't know the relation of Louisa to the family.

From family data given to me by other family members, we find Jane married on July 23, 1867 to Thomas William Holcomb in Belton, Bell County, Texas.  Later, in the 1870 federal census, we see Jane and Thomas living in Beat 5, Bell County, Texas.  Their first child, Mary, is also shown, age 5 months.

Skip to the 1880 census, and we find the family living in Morgan, Bosque County, Texas.  In the household, we find Thomas and Jane along with their children: Mary age 10, Wilburn age 7, Alfred age 5, Zetha age 2, and Charles age 4 months.  In my records, I have a couple of other children who aren't mentioned: , Eva born 1882, Benton Rogers born 1885, and Barney born 1886.  These 3 wouldn't have been on the census anyhow, since they were born after 1880.  Benton is my great-grandfather, and my connection to Jane.

Since the 1890 federal census was destroyed, we will now jump to the 1900 federal census.  The family has moved and is now living in Precinct No. 6, Milam County, Texas.  There are only 2 children living at home, Eva at age 17 and Benton at age 15.  The 1900 census also states that Jane has had 8 children with only 6 living as of 1900.  I believe Barney passed away as a child, but not sure who the other child was?

In 1910, we see Jane in the federal census, but listed as a widow.  I don't know why, but our family bible reads that Thomas died November 6, 1919.  Could they have meant 1909?  You can see the entry to the right.  Either way, Jane is shown living with her daughter Zetha, Zetha's husband Fred Brown, and their 5 children.  They are living in Justice Precinct No. 5, Mitchell County, Texas.

By the age of 69, in 1920, she had moved in with her son Charley.  Charley, Jane, and his wife and children were living in Justice Precinct 1, Lubbock County, Texas.

If the record to the right is correct, we can see Jane passed away June 30, 1927.  However, there is a death certificate for Jane and it says she died July 8, 1927.  It says she died of heart failure, and was found in her bed.  She was living in Lubbock at the time, and her son Charles Andrew was the informant. 

There is no cemetery listed for Jane.  It just says she was buried in Lubbock Texas on July 8, 1927.  The undertaker is listed as A.C. Sanders  A.C. Sanders created the Sanders Funeral Home in the 1930's in Lubbock, and it is still in the same location today.  Not sure if they would be able to tell us where Jane would be buried though.  Her son Charles was buried in the Lubbock City Cemetery in 1964, so she may have also been buried there.  The cemetery was created in 1892 according to their website.

If you have any questions, or concerns, about the information in this post, please leave me a comment. I'd be happy to answer any questions, or share what information I have on the individuals listed above. Thanks for reading!!