Hegwood, Pleasant

Submitted by Lyn Betts

Pleasant "Plez" Hegwood was born between 1821 and 1825 likely in Alabama or Georgia. He was in Kemper county MS. by 1842. (The records below show the spelling variations for his name.)

The 1842 Kemper County MS. Tax Roll listed him as Pleasant Hagewood.
His land patent application in 1843 in Kemper county, MS. stated that he was over the age of 21. Assuming this is correct information sworn to by Christian Scitzs on the affidavit it would mean he was born in 1822 or earlier.

He stated on the 1880 Smith County, MS. Census that he was 56 years old. That would make his birth year about 1824. According to information given on this 1880 census Pleasant's father was born in South Carolina and his mother was born in Georgia.

Pleasant Hagwood/Hegwood lived in southern Kemper County in the 1840's and early 1850's. His property was on the Kipling to Kemper Springs Road near the Blackwater community.
On the affidavit required of a pre-emptive claimant for his land patent in Kemper county, MS. in 1843, Pleasant Hagood appeared before William Downing, Register of the N.E. Land District, Columbus Mississippi, 9th Dist. office. Christian H. Scitzs was a witness claiming to be well aquainted with Pleasant Hagood, that he was a single man above the age of 21 years old, that he moved into a dwelling house, crested on the NE 1/4 of section 14 T9N R16E about the middle of October last. He remained thereon a few weeks and was taken severely ill, & was moved to his mother's house about a mile distant, but returned to said tract which he now claims about the 4th or 5th instant, but claimed it as his only home, while sick and absent' that no other person lives on said tract' that he did not move from his own land to settle on said tract, (meaning he was likely living with his mother) and that he believes him in all his statements--- statements--sworn) and subscribed to before me 9th Dec. 1843 signed Christian H. Scitzs.

1844 Pleasant Hagwood was married to Elen Wright February 12, 1844, in Lauderdale County, Mississippi by Samuel Simmons J P. Source for this record is: Lauderdale County MS. Marriage Record Book "A" 1839-1845 page 134. Both were approximately 20 years old. Pleasant's Kemper county land was not far from the Lauderdale county line. (Ellen Wright was the daughter of Richard M. Wright and Mary Ann Duke Wright that lived near the present day Naval Air Station in Lauderdale county, MS.)

1846 HAGOOD, PLEASANT MS Kemper 9/1/1846 Columbus Land Office 31729 MS1460__.409 NE 14/ 9-N 16-E No Choctaw MS Kemper He obtained 159.67 acres of land.

1850 Kemper county MS. census taken Sept 10, 1850 -Page 153B, dwelling/household 203
Pleasant Haggord, 26, m, farmer, real estate value $450, birthplace Ala (listed Hayford on Ancestry.com)
Ellenor ", 25, f, Ala
Elijah ", 5, m, Miss
Mary ", 4, f, Miss
Thomas ", 3, m, Miss
James ", 2, m, Miss
Alfred Wright, 20, m, laborer, Ala (Ellen's brother)
Julia? Gibson, 15, f, Ala ( Could be Julia A. Gibson that married Thomas K. Godwin Marriage Date: 07 Jan 1857 Lauderdale County, MS)

Children born after the 1850 census with wife Ellen were: Wesley Sanford Hegwood b 1852 and Alfred McKinley Hegwood b 1854
Ellen died between 1854 & 1856.
Children born with 2nd wife Catherine Pace were: Malissa b 1857, Isaac Stephen b 1862 and Victoria Alice Hegwood b 1865.

1854 Tax Roll for Kemper County, MS. doesn't list Pleasant as paying taxes on his land for that year. It is obvious that he transferred the property by December 1854. Pleasant's section, township, & range is listed under these owners:
Scyles, C. H. 14 9 16 160 (Christian Scitzs signed Pleasant's affidavitt for land patent)Scyles, Henry 14 9 16 160 Alexander, Jas. B. 14 9 16 80
By December 01, 1854 Pleasant was living in Smith County, MS.
Pleasant died in 1885 in Smith county, Mississippi