The Miles Crocker Family Of Paris, Lafayette Co Ms
	Clyde May Lackey, Bettie Bryant Crocker, Luther Robert Lackey

THE MILES CROCKER FAMILY OF PARIS, LAFAYETTE CO MS Author and Submitter: Great Granddaughter, Evelyn Crocker This is the biography of Miles Crocker, who was born 12 Apr 1826, Richland Creek, near Pacolet Mills, Spartanburg County, South Carolina to John and Clora Crocker. He died 09 Jan 1895, at his home one and one/half mile from Paris, Lafayette County MS. He is resting in the Crocker Family cemetery across the road from their old home site. His grandparents were Solomon and Susannah Crocker, Solomon Crocker was a Revolutionary War Hero who fought in the battle of Cowpens. The Crocker Family was one of the Founding Families of the Carolinas before Statehood. On 03 October 1772, Solomon’s father, Arthur Crocker, received a 640-acre grant from King George of England in Carolina, which later became part of the state of South Carolina in 1788. Miles married Elizabeth Bernice, aka, Bettie Bryant 31 Aug 1848 at her great grandfather, John Tolleson’s Buzzard Roost now known as Pacolet, Spartanburg Co S. C.. She was the third daughter of William Tolleson Bryant by his first wife, Lucinda Kirby, daughter of Bolling aka Boaling Kirby and Milley Campbell, daughter of Abraham Campbell and Amy DeHart aka Hart. "The Civil War, 1860 - 1865 Years" Miles Crocker served with the 7th Regiment, South Carolina Reserves (90 days 1862-63) , two of his five brothers were killed during the Civil war, James Crocker was killed in battle at Kingston, N. C. and John Anderson Crocker was killed at Civil War Battle below Richmond Va. [ Gaines Mills]. [Source, Index record from National archives confirm his enlistment. 7th Regiment, South Carolina Reserves (90 days 1862-63)] His other brothers also serve, A. Matterson Crocker, Thomas Marshall Crocker and Henry C. Crocker. N. Robert Crocker, the youngest died in 1862 at age 13. "Their Children" Miles and Bettie Crocker aka Coker [1860 Spartanburg Co SC census] had the following children while living in Spartanburg Co S. C. area. Lucinda E. Crocker, bn. 13 Nov 1849, death may have occurred between 1860 and 1870 census year. Nancy E. Crocker, bn. 19 Mar 1851, death may have occurred between 1860 and 1870 census years. Susan Catherine Crocker, bn. 23 May 1852, m. John T. Mathias, 28 Dec 1876, died: 02 Mar 1881, death due to burns in forest and house fire on Crocker Farm, southeast of Paris, MS., gave issue to two children who died in infancy. James Alfred Crocker, bn. 07 Dec 1853, m: Sarah Ann Webb, 23 Dec 1875, died: Sep 1892, gave issue to eight children, two died in childhood. Juliana Crocker, bn. 17 Feb 1856, died: 19 Jan 1881, Frances Brown Crocker, bn. 27 May 1857, m: her deceased sister’s Mary aka Molly’s husband, William D Kestler, 16 Jan 1887, died: 1934, Gave issue to three children of her own, reared a stepdaughter who was her neice, Agie Kestler and a Crocker nephew. John Henry Crocker, bn. 07 Aug 1858, m: Lara Eva Gandy, 01 Mar 1891 died: 13 Oct 1938, gave issue to 10 children only 6 reached adulthood. Thomas Crocker, bn. Apr. 1860, died: 1877 near Abbeville MS., Sally West Crocker, bn. 08 Sep 1862, m: William Washington Hollowell, 13 Jan 1881; died, 08 Sep 1952, Paris, Lafayette Co MS. gave issue to 8 children. Mary R. Crocker, bn. 04 Apr 1863, m: William D Kestler, 12 Mar 1882, died: 29 Mar 1885, left a daughter, Agie lived to adulthood. Rhoda E Crocker, bn. 02 Sep 1864, m: Alfred Lafayette Lackey, 25 Dec 1883, died 1889.(His mother, Susan Crane Kirby, was also a sister to Adeline Kirby Bryant.] gave issue to five children, two lived to adulthood. Celia Adeline [Addie] Crocker Jan 1868, m: widower Wiley Byron Martin, 05 Apr 1898, died: 1918. Three children of her own and four step children. They had a total of twenty nine grandchildren and sixty-four known great grandchildren, ten are presently living, carrying on the Crocker/Bryant bloodline and their pioneer spirits. Due to the births pattern, they may have had more children who died at birth. There are thirteen un-marked graves in the Crocker Family cemetery. The Miles Crocker bible, that is in possession of this author, Evelyn Crocker is very inconsistence concerning the births or deaths of the Crocker family members. "Mississippi Bound" In November 1865, when the reconstruction began in Spartanburg Co. S. C., the Army of the Confederacy had received their pardons from the Union government by giving their Oath of Allegiances to the Union. The Miles Crocker aka Coker Family decided they had had enough and with encouragement from their Mississippi, Bryant and Kirby relatives decided to migrate to Northern Mississippi. [It has come to my attention that Alfred Tollison Bryant was already living in Lafayette county Mississippi, he came before the Civil War and served with a Mississippi militia. He is the one who most likely convinced Miles and Bettie Bryant Crocker to migrate and settle in Southeast Lafayette County, Mississippi, since their destination was the Alfred and Addie Bryant’s farm.] "According to the Crocker Family Bible, Miles Crocker and family left Spartanburg, 9 Nov. 1865 for the state of Mississippi and landed at A. T. {Alfred Tolleson) Briants 11 Dec. 1865." The Briants lived west of Banner near the Calhoun and Lafayette County line. "Miles and Betty and their ten older children loaded their belonging into a large cover wagon with a team of two oxen and tied a milk cow behind and started to Mississippi. We believe they followed the Indian trails through Georgia and Alabama. The children would ride awhile and walk awhile, when they stopped for the night, the children did their chores. Before they arrived to their destination, one of the oxen died so great grandfather Miles simply harnessed the Milch Cow with the remaining ox and they continued their journey, settling in Lafayette County Mississippi, one mile east of Paris. They completed their journey in thirty-two days. "Kinfolks and Neighbors" The Bryant, Kirby, Gore relatives of Miles and Bettie Bryant Crocker who settled in Southeastern Lafayette Co , North eastern Calhoun, Northwestern Chickasaw and East Yalobusha Counties between 1859 and 1869 were the following, Alfred Tolleson Bryant, his wife, Adeline 'Addie' Kirby, William Kirby Bryant who married Elva Darcy Harvey, Missouri Jane Bryant who married George Washington Vaughn, Hannah A. Bryant and husband, Franklin Harvey, they arrived in 1867,[ His mother was Mary Polly Ann Bryant, a sister to Hannah’s father, William Tolleson Bryant.] Mary Amanda Bryant, who lived with brother, William K and married Andrew Jackson Jack Head in Lafayette Co MS., James Pinckney Bryant (a brother to Bettie Bryant Crocker) and wife also second cousin, Rhoda Carolina Kibry Green Bryant daughter of James T. Kirby of Spartanburg Co SC. [a second cousin as well as sister-in law to Bettie Bryant Crocker and her siblings] Blasingame Kirby (brother of Adeline Kirby Bryant} and family, Bolen C Kirby {also brother of Adeline Kirby Bryant] and family, Birdigh Rector Monroe Kirby {a second cousin of Adeline Kirby Bryant} and Family settled Chickasaw Co. Martha Kirby, a sister of Adeline Kirby Bryant who married Jesse Clark, Mile Hendon Kirby was another brother of Adeline Kirby Bryant, Samuel Monroe Kirby, ½ brother to Addie Kirby Bryant, settled in Lafayette Co The following Gores were children of Miles Crocker’s Aunt Dorcus Crocker Gore, who migrated to Lafayette County neighboring counties of Yalobusha, Calhoun and Chickasaw from Calhoun Co Alabama, Joshua Gore and family settled in Yalobusha Co. MS., Caleb Gore and family settled near Banner Calhoun Co MS., John Ashford Gore, a nephew to Miles Crocker settled near Banner Calhoun Co MS. These were Miles Crocker or his wife, Elizabeth Bernice Bryant’s relatives who settled either in Southeastern Lafayette County or in the neighboring counties of Calhoun or Yalobusha. "Occupation" Miles and Betty Crocker had build several houses on their land for their share croppers who were mostly family members, Miles at one time had 710 acres of land in deeds or deeds of trust according to the Lafayette Co. Land Sectional Index located in the Lafayette Co Chancery Building’s Land office. Miles Crocker not only provided homes for share croppers, he and his sons were blacksmiths, farmers, grist and saw millers in both S. C. and South East Lafayette County MS, as well as a large property owner between Paris and Potlockney MS. The board of Police assigned Miles the duty of keeping the bridges of the Old Sardis road repaired, which joined his property. [Source: the broad of police record in the Chancery Building Land office.] "Crocker Landmarks and Heirlooms" There are local landmarks 1 1/2 mile east of Paris on County Road 428 which still bears the Crocker name, the local people refers to Dickey creek as Crocker creek, there is a deep hole in Crocker creek once known as CROCKER HOLE, where the Baptist once baptized and local people swam. Dean Gandy now owns that part of the creek and has blocked off the swimming and baptismal hole. In addition, there is a heavy wooded area here known as the Crocker Woods; a timber company cut most of this in 2003. Marjorie Reid Morgan Heirs who own 74 acres of the old Crocker Place have replanted it with pine trees. The one acre Crocker Family Cemetery is also in this section. There are two items that belonged to Miles and Bettie Crocker which are still in use today. Their bible and the calender clock which Miles bought in 1877 from a peddler in the old town of Paris. Its story is typed on a sheet of paper and glued in the inside door of the clock. THE STORY OF THE MILES CROCKER FAMILY CLOCK AND CALENDER "The Crocker Clock and Calender was bought in 1872, from a peddler in Paris, Lafaeytte County MS.. He came by train to Water Valley where he exited the train and rented a horse." "He had four bags with him , in each bag he had a large upright mantle clock and calender combination. These clock calenders were about 3 ft by 1 foot. He place two of the bags across the front of his saddle in front of the horn and the other two he place across the back of the saddle on the rump of the horse. Then, begin his trip to Paris, which today is about eleven miles." He sold two of the clock calenders before arriving at Paris, when arriving there he went to the General Store where he found Miles Crocker and a Mr Davis who were inticed to buy the last two clocks for their homes." This was told to me by my Crocker cousin, Sidney Vaughn the present owner of the Crocker Family calander clock Sidney' s mother, Clyde May Lacky Vaughn , who was reared by her Crocker grandparents, husband, Mallard Vaughn bought the Clock & Calender in 1919 when Clyde's Grandmother, his Bryant Aunt, Sidney's and mine Great Grandmother, Bettie E. Crocker's estate was auctioned to settle her debts. When Sidney received the calander clock the veneer above and below the faces were peeling off. Since he was a wood craftman repairing it was simple. When he finished doing so the calander clock appears as new as the day it was bought 130 years ago. Told to Evelyn Crocker by her 1st cousin once removed, Sidney Vaughn, Jan 7 2007. "Their Journey's Ends" Like many of the pioneers of their time, Miles and Bettie Crocker experienced many hardships during their lifetime such as wars, wild fires, economic depression, drought diseases and epidemics. His life between 1865 and 1895 totaled 30 years in Lafayette County and hers between 1865 and 1919, totaled 54 years, 24 years as a widow near Paris, Lafayette County MS. rearing their children and grandchildren, several of the grandchildren were motherless or fatherless orphans. This account of the Miles Crocker family of Paris, Ms. includes only the names of the siblings, in-laws and children of Miles and Elizabeth Bernice aka Bettie Bryant Crocker whose ancestry dates back to Colonial days in Virginia, and Carolina, including such Maiden Names as: Mary Ray, Katherine Clark Thompkins, Joannah Owen, Jemina aka Gemina Bolling, Amy DeHart, Milly Campbell, Anny Muse and Nancy Tolleson.

Gene Phillips, County Coordinator Jeff Kemp - State Coordinator Position Vacant - Assistant State Coordinator Page last Modified: Friday, 09-Mar-2018 02:48:33 CST Copyright © MSGenWeb All Rights Reserved with Full Rights Reserved for Original Contributor Disclaimer: This information may be used by libraries and genealogical societies, however, commercial use of this information is strictly prohibited without prior permission of the owner. If copied, this copyright notice must appear with the information. Additional copyrights may apply to and be noted on individual pages. Information on these free web pages may be linked to but may not be copied other than for personal, not-for-profit research. Return to Lafayette Co MSGenWeb