Mariah ELLIS
Widow and Relic of
[John C. Huston, William H. Buford and Hiram McGill, Sr.]
My maternal second great grandfather was George Ficklin of Montrose, Baldwin County, Alabama. During my years-long search for his immediate family members, I fortunately noted his brother-in-law was Reverend Jeffrey Ellis, T[homas Jefferson] Ellison, born 1813.1
Rev. Ellis’ first wife was Louise Ann Ficklin, George’s sister. Reverend Ellis officiated at numerous weddings, including for his nieces, Millie to Frank Reed, in 18812; and Mary to Samuel Taylor, the year before he died, in 1889.3
During the search, I encountered members of the Ellis tree, namely, Elbert [Ethelbert] Ellis, Lowrey Ellis, and his wife Maria; as well as Jeffrey’s presumptive aunt, Mariah.
Illustration 1: Alabama County Marriages, 1809-1950
Meriah [Mariah] Ellis, age 17, married John Huston, Esquire [sic], at Baldwin County, Alabama, in 1817.4 James Johnston officiated. John Houston was a very wealthy man, holding many land grants thoughout Florida and Alabama.
1Johnnie Andrews; William David Higgins, Creole Mobile : a compendium of the colonial families of the central Gulf Coast 1702-1813, Prichard [Ala.] : Bienville Historical Society, 1974, page 26, “T.J. Ellison.”
2“Alabama County Marriages, 1809-1950,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XTWT-5QQ : 27 September 2017), Frank Reed and Millie Ficklin, 03 Mar 1881; citing Baldwin, Alabama, United States, county courthouses, Alabama; FHL microfilm 1,839,621.
3“Alabama County Marriages, 1809-1950,”, Samuel Taylor and Mary Ficklin, 09 Oct 1889; citing Baldwin, Alabama, United States, county courthouses, Alabama; FHL microfilm 1,839,622.
4“Alabama County Marriages, 1809-1950,” , John Huston and Meriah Ellis, 14 Jul 1817; citing Baldwin, Alabama, United States, county courthouses, Alabama; FHL microfilm 1,839,621.
© 2014-2022
Hello, I am Dawn R Conway. Mariah McGill was my 4th great-grandmother through the Bryars family. I long ago hit a deadend with her. Who were her parents? You mention that she was a woman of color, do you have a source for this?
Also, I am married to a Conway and we have traced his family back to Charles and Chloe Turner Conway in Baldwin County, and Charles and Mattie Henderson Conway of either Pennsylvania or Pittsylvania, VA. You mention there may persons of color in that family, also. I am interest in that connection also. In the Bankester and Tarvin lines, connected strongly to the Conway line, there are Native Americans.
Thank-you for you well sourced and presented information.
Hello, Dawn:
Mariah [Meriah] McGill was born Maria Ellis. As stated in the article, she married numerous times. Her Ellis relatives in Baldwin and Mobile counties were persons of color. Ergo …
Rev. Jeffrey Ellis of Baldwin was my second great grand aunt’s husband. There are a number of other connections. For instance, Frances Ficklin [Fanny Smith] resided in her household prior to marriage and her present-day descendants are also POCs.
Thanks for the information.
Regards,
Carolyn
Hello,
In 1867, for Baldwin County, Alabama, two “colored” men registered to vote: Burrill Bryars and John Bryars. The African American nomenclature was not yet coined.
This finding is consistent with the fact that Lazarus Bryars (Fort Mims survivor) was a “person of color,” -Lazarus John Bryars/Bryers was born 1839 Kings Parish, Manankin Town Va. a French Huguenot. Parents were Edward and Sara Bryers. Lazarus married Unknown wife Sizemore in SC by 1798? Moved to Tensaw, Baldwin County, Al. [[rootsweb.com]]
But there is much speculation that during the last few hundred years many Jews because of religious persecution in Spain, Portugal and France converted to Christianity and remained Jews behind the scenes; and that some Jews migrated to America during the mid seventeenth century as Huguenots rather than Jews. (For instance, Benjamin Durant, and notably William Jacob Manaque [Moniac]). More questions than answers remain on crypto-Jews in France and on French Huguenot descendants in the United States. –
Regards,
Hello, Dawn:
The McGills owned at least one Conway in Mississippi (some parts later Alabama ) see:
Details for
CONWAY, Dave in Petition 21084913
Name: CONWAY, Dave
Petition: 21084913 filed in Mississippi, 1849
Role in Petition:
Color and Gender: black male
Status: slave
ALSO:
Petition 21084913 Details
State: Mississippi
Location: Claiborne
Location Type: County
Salutation: To the Honorable William M. Randolph Judge of Probate of Claiborne County (RANDOLPH, William M.)
Filing Date: 1849-October-22
Ending Date: 1849-December-14
General Petition Information
Abstract: The children and heirs of James McGill seek a citation against their mother, Penelope McGill, and Executor Dugald McCall, requiring them to divide and distribute the estate, “which consists of between one hundred and fifty and two hundred Negro slaves,” stock and cattle.
Result: granted
# of Petition Pages: 2
Related Documents: Order, 14 December 1849; Commissioners’ Report, 27 December 1849
Pages of Related Documents: 5
People Associated with Petition 21084913
Slaves: 189