Alexander Notes

Preparer: E. W. Wallace
Rev Dec 1998
Rev. 6/2002
Rev 5/2003
Rev 12/2003
Rev Feb 2005

     WILLIAM M. ALEXANDER.  (d. after 1850, Copiah Co., MS.) He is listed on page 265, Roll 371, Bk 1, Line 12, Copiah Co. MS census, 1850. He is shown as age 65, blacksmith, b. VA residing in the household of one William Smith. Listed below his name is his son William G. Alexander, age 25, carpenter, born Mississippi, the son who petitioned the court to have his father provide him his inheritance from his grandmother, Jane Keller. Refer to the son's biography.

Martha Alexander, the estranged wife of William M. Alexander, on the other hand, is in another household in the 1850 census, Copiah Co. She is residing with Asa Potter and family. Asa Potter, a son-in-law, had married Matilda Alexander. Refer to Matilda's biography.

This notice appears in The Southern Star (newspaper of Gallatin, MS):

     January 26, 1839 "Married in this county, on Thursday evening last, by Geo. Rea., Esq., Mr. Asa Potter to Miss Matilda, daughter of Wm. Alexander, Esq., all of this county."

     (Betty Couch Wiltshire, MARRIAGES AND DEATHS FROM MISSISSIPPI NEWSPAPERS, V. 3, 1813-1850, Bowie, MD: 1989)

William Alexander was the husband of Martha Keller, the daughter of George and Jane Keller of Wilkinson Co., MS. They were married on or about 16 Sept 1817 in Wilkinson Co., MS, according to the Keller family Bible.

These records of Copiah Co. needs more study. A more complete explanation is found in the bio of the son William G. Alexander.

Copiah Co. Ms Probate & Financial Records 1839-1844 (SL 876,465)

To the honorable Probate court of Copiah County.... the Petitioner of the ... son of William M. Alexander respectfully represents that his father has abandoned his family.... living separately... Jane Keller certain property attaining to the year of maturity which property .... by her father legally represent him as claimant to the property aforesaid ... to protect his rights

John Moore as his guardian

Jane Keller, widow of George Keller, the elder, of Wilkinson Co., MS, previously of Sumter Co., SC was the mother-in-law of William M. Alexander, and John Moore was Jane's eldest son, according to the George Keller Bible record (transcribed).   In other words, Jane Keller was the young man's maternal grandmother. The document indicates John Moore, eldest son of said Jane [Moore?] Keller,
was still living ca 1839-1844 and had migrated with the Keller family from South Carolina to Mississippi Territory.

To reinforce the estrangement of father and son, there is this newspaper excerpt from The Southern Star, Vol. 2 No. 34, 20 July 1839, published at Gallatin, Miss:

Notice forewarns all persons for harboring or trusting my son William on my accounts /s/ Wm. M. Alexander.

(From FAMILY TRAILS, quarterly of Historical and Genealogical Association of Mississippi [Jackson, MS: Aug & Nov 1986]. Vol. 10, Nos. 1 & 2, p. 28)

The next week, 27 July 1839, the following appeared in an issue of The Southern Star:

Trust sale - Deed of trust from Wm. M. Alexander & wife, for the benefit of Saml Scott and Geo. Rea by P S. Catching, trustee. Ibid, P. 29)

Wilkinson Co., MS marriage records shows the following marriage. These are the persons whose names appear in the published George Keller Bible record. George Keller, Jr., aka G. W. Keller, according to the Keller Bible record, is the brother of Martha Keller.

William M. Alexander to Martha Keller, applied 16 Sep 1817 - no return. Bondsman: William M. Alexander and George Keller, Jr

(Nora Scarborough, "Wilkinson County, MS, Marriages, V. 4, p. 15," in FAMILY TRAILS, Jackson, MS, V. I, No. 3, p. 38)

We do not know whether these census records pertain to the same William Alexander.

1820 census, Wilkinson Co., MS shows these males : 0-1-0-0-1 (26 to 45)-0. Females: 2-1-1-0-0

1830 census, East Feliciana Par, LA shows this count: 2 males under 10; 1 male 40-50; 1 female under 10; 1 female 20-30.

Research of probate records of Copiah Co., MS indicate other extended family relationships. As indicated, William M. Alexander was married to Martha Keller, sister of two Keller sisters who married Scott brothers, originally of Sumter Co., SC. Those sisters were Mary Keller married first to Thomas Scott and later to Stephen Flowers of Copiah Co. and also Catherine Keller married to Samuel T. Scott in Wilkinson Col., the home county of the bride.. It is believed that by 1842 Samuel T. Scott had removed to Shelby Co. TX or Harrison Co., TX.

"William M. Alexander Bond as guardian to Cason Scott Heirs Filed May 16, 1842"

(FHL film 905, 487 Copiah Co., MS Probate Records 1823-1875 - Sally-Sellers)

The petition in connection with the bond is barely legible. William M. Alexander gives information that Cason Scott, who in 1842 had been deceased about four years, had owned property in East Feliciana Parish, LA. {does the petition state that the land is in the occupancy of one son?} {Cason Scott left six ? children, five of whom are minors under twenty-one years -- the minors want the petitioner to be their guardian for the purpose of disposing of ... tracts of land, the personal estate of the deceased having duly administered in the probate court of Copiah County.
       "Your petitioner therefore prays tht... guardianship may be granted to your ... petitioner on the persons and property of William, Zachariah, Scynthia, [large blank space] & Tabitha Scott, [jheirs] of the said Cason Scott....
                                              Wm. M. Alexander
16th May 1842

Other documents from this film:

.... we William M. Alexander, William R. Gresham and James M. West... bound unto Stephen H. Johnson, Judge of the Probate Court... in the penal sum of eight hundred dollars... 16 May 1842... Wm. M. Alexander as guardian to William, Zachariah, Scynthia, Tabitha and Elvira minor heirs of Cason Scott deceased [crossed through] of aforesaid county....
                                        W. M. Alexander [LS]
                                         William P. Gresham [LS]
                                         James M. West [LS]

However, on the same date, 16 May 1842, is this record:

[oath of Wm. M. Alexander].... discharge the duty of guardian to said minors, William, Zachariah, Syntha, Tabitha and E[smear] minor heirs of Cason Scott deceased according to the law....
16th day of May 1842
W.W.Cook, clk                              Wm. M. Alexander [LS]

Another William Alexander?

Wiliam M. Alexander is not the same William H. Alexander found in records of Wilkinson Co. He later migrated to Copiah Co. sometime between 1845-1850, as there is an entry in the deed index of Copiah Co.

(FHL 0876433 Copiah Co., MS Deed Index 1845-1850: Vendee Alexander, Wm. H.; Vendor: Medical License - B [blank] A later entry, same vendee, same vendor: C-202 deed of trust. As indicated these notes are from an index only.)

It is unknown to which William Alexander the following deed pertains:

DB D-389: 20 Dec 1820 William Alexander of Feliciana Par., LA to William Winans of Kenyon Co., MS, for $600. ... NW qt of Sec 37; Twp 2 of Range 2 (East} of the Basis Meridian, 162 acres & 89/100 of an acre "as will appear on the face of Patent granted by the US to the said William Alexander." Filed to be recorded 29 Apr 1825.

A William A. Alexander [different middle initial] sold Lot #4 in Sq. No. 24... Main St. to one Arthur Daniel, 12 Sep 1825. However, the body of the deed states that "if the said William M. Alexander shall pay and satisfy the said Arthur Daniel the full amount of four promissory notes ...." The the deed is acknowledged by William A. Alexander and on the following page, 451, Daniel deed back the land to William A. Alexander, consideration $500. (FHL Film 876,533)

The following excerpts are from the WOODVILLE REPUBLICAN. The owner of the land may not be the same William Alexander, As seen below, one William Alexander died in Wilkinson Co. ca 1829:

12 Oct 1824: William Alexander's land is to be sold. 80 Acres, north by Edward McGehee, east by William Goulding [Gaulden?], south by Thomas Keller, & west by Archibald McGehee.

(Wiese, WOODVILLE REPUBLICAN, 24 Jan 1829)

      (Since the land adjoined the land of one of the two Thomas Kellers of early Wilkinson Co., we surmise that this is the William Alexander who married Martha Keller. Refer to the biography of Eleanor Waddell Keller, widow of George W. Keller, for a similar land description. A Wade H. Gaulden appears in the 1830 census, E. Feliciana Par., p. 207, and later one of G. W. Keller's sons married a Florida Gaulden, probably a neighbor. William M. Alexander appears on p. 200 of said census. Details of this census are given below.

     William M. Alexander appears on Copiah Co., MS tax lists of 1828 and 1829.   Perhaps he is the William Alexander (no middle initial) who is also listed for the years 1840 and 1841.   He previously had lived in Wilkinson Co., as his name appears in several of that county's deeds. Refer to the biography of his mother-in-law, Jane Moore (Mrs. George Keller) for a document wherein she deeded a slave to "heirs of the lawful body of my daughter Martha Alexander."

     In 1838, this information appeared in "The Southern Star," V. 1 No. 20, Saturday April 7, 1838, published at Gallatin, MS.

     "Notice - Wm. M. Alexander has opened a blacksmith shop 2 miles from Gallatin between Samuel T. Scott's and Shamburger's mill."

     (FAMILY TRAILS, Vol. 7 No. 1, August 1983 [Jackson, MS: Historical and Genealogical Association of Mississippi], p 44)

The Copiah Co. 1850 census lists the following persons, with Martha Alexander nee Keller living apart in the household of the Potters, p. 265b; however, these two Alexander males are in the same household:

12 840 840 Alexander      William        65   M     Blacksmith   Va
13 840 840 Alexander      William G      25   M   Carpenter     Mi

Refer to Martha Keller's bio which lists her in the household of Potter and wife Melinda, who probably is Martha's daughter.

      Donna Burge Adams, POST OFFICE RECORDS 1832-1900, V. 3, shows the postmaster, date appointed, sureties, where given. The records were taken from National Archives records. At Laurel Hill: William Alexander 7 Mar 1826. In the same locale, at later dates: James Howell, 16 Jan 1830, John T. Alexander, 13 Feb 1831. Refer to biography of Joseph Howell, husband of Elizabeth Scott who was one of two known daughters of Cason Scott the elder of Sumter Co., South Carolina. It is uncertain that the Howells had a son named James Howell.

Possibly William Alexander previously was of Sumter Co., SC, then called Sumter District. Of interest is a Sumter Co. SC conveyance dated 13 Jan 1813 in that jurisdiction indicates that a William Alexander sold for $900 to Elias D. Dick a mill seat on Stoney Run, together with improvements, dam, and all the mill ponds up to high water mark on both sides, etc. Alexander was joined by his wife Mary. (FHL film 355,679) However, later examination of the 1850 census, Copiah Co., gives Alexander's birthplace as Virginia.)

Is the man who died in 1829 in West Feliciana Par., LA the same William Alexander? Based on the 1850 census for Copiah Co., it seems he is not. A Wm. M. Alexander is shown on the tax lists of Copiah Co., MS for the years 1828 and 1829, indicating ownership of property but not necessarily residence. A Wm. M. Alexander also appears in the 1830 census for East Feliciana Parish. Louisiana, page 200, He is a male between 40-50, with two young males 5-10; one female 30-40 and 1 female 5-10. James McDonald, who was to marry Eleanor (Waddell), the widow of George W. Keller, was Alexander's neighbor and appears in the 1830 census, same parish, on page 199. George W. Keller was the brother of Martha Keller Aleaxander.

     1830 census, E. Feliciana Par., LA, p. 200: 1 male between 40-50 and one female between 30 and 40. There were two male children between 50 and 10 and one female child of the same age group.

Recorded in Notarial Book B, pp. 229-30 [signed] P. Fishburn, Not. Pub.

File Designation: Alexander, William M. (1835)

File 6, Doc 1

Petition to L. Saunders, P.J., states "The petition of William
M. Alexander respectfully requests that you will sell at public
auction on the First Monday in January 1836, in the town of Clinton,
to the highest bidder for cash, a Lot of ploughs about fifteen
or twenty Number and waive the usual advertisement. Yours, H.
Clinton. Dec. 26th, 1835. [signed] Wm M. Alexander"
(From US Gen Web copied 11/29/01)

     It appears that Wm. Alexander and his family later moved to Copiah Co., MS where the town of Gallatin was located. This notice appears in The Southern Star (newspaper of Gallatin, MS):

     January 26, 1839 "Married in this county, on Thursday evening last, by Geo. Rea., Esq., Mr. Asa Potter to Miss Matilda, daughter of Wm. Alexander, Esq., all of this county."

     (Betty Couch Wiltshire, MARRIAGES AND DEATHS FROM MISSISSIPPI NEWSPAPERS, V. 3, 1813-1850, Bowie, MD: 1989)

(Based on the 1850 census of Copiah Co., we believe the forename of the bride is Melinda, a favorite name in the Keller and Rose families of Copiah Co.. Also refer to the deed of gift of Jane Keller, the bride's maternal grandmother.)

It is this couple--Asa and Melinda (?) Potter--with whom Martha Alexander, age 60, is residing in 1850 census of Copiah Co. Refer to her biography.

A Younger William M. Alexander

     A William M. Alexander became guardian of the children (five named) of Cason Scott II, deceased. This William A or M. Alexander apparently was a physician, as the Copiah Co. court minutes show he was licensed to practice medicine. However, since it seems clear that one William Alexander was a blacksmith, the identities of two William Alexanders may have been confused.

Other Alexanders

     The following may pertain to relatives of the deceased Wm. Alexander of Wilkinson Co., MS. Their relationship to the spouse of Martha Keller is unknown:

     7 Feb 1835: Married on Thursday, the 5th, by the Rev. T. C. Brown, Mr. Wm. Alexander, to Miss Eliza Combs, daughter of Jonathan Combs, all of this county.   (This marriage apparently is of a different William Alexander.)

     15 Oct 1836: All who are indebted to John C. Alexander are requested to make payment.

          (WOODVILLE REPUBLICAN)

     Other references to John C. Alexander appear in subsequent issues.

(The following may be omitted. Ideas for further research in case I ever get back to reading film. EWW)

Alexanders in Harrison Co., TX

     We believe one or several of the children of William Alexander may have migrated to Harrison Co., TX along with the surviving Scotts, Kellers and Roses.

     From the TEXAS REPUBLICAN, Harrison Co., TX:

     "May 31, 1851. Married near Marshall on Thursday evening the 19th inst by the Rev. J. Taylor, Mr. J. S. Alexander to Miss Margaret Elizabeth McDaniel."

Miscellaneous Notes: ......

These W. Feliciana Par, LA Probate Sales 1815-1883 (film 364-685) should be read

Alexander, Wm From successison of Wm Lemon A-211

Brown, John From est of W & E Alexander B-52

Boyd, Jesse, From est of W & E Alexander B-53

Chew, Thos H, From est of W & E Alexander B-49

.........
A George Alexander was among those recorded as having subscribed to an Oath of Allegiance to the United States in 1798 and 1799, at the time Mississippi became a territory. Previous to that, the inhabitants were former subjects of Spain and of Great Britain although most had migrated from the original 19 U.S. States. Other surnames associated with the Scotts and Kellers of Wilkinson Co., MS and Feliciana Par., LA were: David Davis, John Smith, John and William Vardeman, Charles Cason [any relation?], Nathaniel Norwood [Theophilus Norwood having been an early neighbor of Cason Scott, Sr. of Sumter Co., SC.]