Can anyone help with Texas research, please?

[Janet in Yorkshire]

Allison G Bay(e)s was born in East Yorkshire c1816. (Allison was the birth surname of his great-grandmother. He was illegitimate and when he married in 1851 the vicar very kindly recorded under father's name "Cornelius Glaves and Elizabeth Bays" hence the "G" which Allison used after his marriage.) He worked on East Yorkshire farms in 1841 and 1851, then married Jane Knaggs in St Mary's church Scarborough on 24 November 1851.

Couldn't find the couple after the marriage and was quite startled to eventually unearth Allison and Jane in the 1860 USA census in Rusk, Texas - he was recorded as Harrison Bays, farmer.

I have no evidence of them having any family. They were in Rusk in the 1870 census, then they were recorded in Gregg County Texas in 1876 tax assessment, 1880 census return and 1886 tax assessment. (I also found a reference to A G Bays having served for six months in the 1st Regiment of the Texas State troops 1863-4.)
I haven't found either of them after 1886; but I did find a picture of a grave marker in a cemetery at Kilgore, Gregg County, with the inscription "Allison G Bays born March xx 1816 died 1. 5. 1890 " (I think the birth year on the stone is 1816, although the cemetery record has the dates 1815- 1890.)

I can find no death record for Jane 1886 or after, nor a remarriage for her.
So, please can anyone add to the above sketchy profile for Allison, or discover what became of his wife Jane Bays?
Thanks for reading.

[PhotoFamily]

FindAGrave memorial
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/...allison-g-bays

It is interesting to note that FS has indexed several military records for "A.G.Bays" from Texas for the US CivWar. To see the records, you need a Fold3 sub, and not enough detail on FS's index to tell if it might be his. Here's one

A. G. Bays

Military Service

1863

First Cavalry, State Troops

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FZHM-T3M

Still looking, but for that time period, it's quite possible (likely?) that there was no civil registration of BMD, or the records didn't survive. A local newspaper might have carried an obit, or there might be a probate if he still had assets at time of death.

[PhotoFamily]

Here's a labor of love you could undertake. FS has Gregg Co Probate records online.

https://www.familysearch.org/search/image/index?owc=M4F9-TZ9%3A337777001%3Fcc%3D2016287

[keldon]

This page records a land grant in Gregg County. The information is taken from the Texas General Land Office. I've searched their database and will PM you a pdf of the original grant. Six pages. Some transcribing to done!

http://genealogytrails.com/tex/pineywoods/gregg/landgrants.html

[Janet in Yorkshire]

Photo Family - thank you for all your help. That is the grave marker photo that I have - the accompanying note on Find a grave agrees the dates that I had thought were on the marker.
This differs from the notes on the cemetery site, so great to have some corroboration on year of birth. It is important, because I found an 1815 baptism for a child I had deduced probably to be an earlier brother for Allison - William GLAVES Bays, son of Elizabeth Bays. (Haven't found a burial or any later event for this child.)
If the cemetery record of dates for Allison (1815 -1890) had been correct, then that threw a bit of a spanner into the works, as it were.

As there doesn't seem to be any evidence of a grave or MI for Allison's wife Jane, I am wondering if he died first?? Not that it matters, it's just that I like to tie up all the loose ends whenever possible.

[Janet in Yorkshire]

Keldon, thank you for your contribution. It looks a real asset to my profile re Allison - I've not dealt with land deeds or claims before, so I'm really thrilled by your find. I had a quick skeg at it and will be onto it with my pen and paper at the ready in the morning.

I will also follow up PhotoFamily's lead with the Greg Co probate link. Seems like that's tomorrow taken care of!

[PhotoFamily]

It would be interesting to recover those "A G Bays" military records on Fold3 - Anyone on ftf able to do the lookup?

I don't know how badly Texas was affected, by the Civil War (ended 1865) was devastating to some areas, especially in the Confederacy. It probably also took a significant period of time for those areas to recover.

Another useful sub (or two) would be for newspapers - Newspapers.com and GenealogyBank.com (think I've got those right). Anyone?

FS has a history of Gregg county online. I skimmed it - index is in the back, nothing useful for your search. Longview TX was definitely a larger development, and it was quite close to Kilgore.

[PhotoFamily]

It might be useful to contact these people. I have found local genealogy and history groups, often based out of public libraries, to be quite helpful. Unfortunately, they don't have a link just for genealogy, but a general message for the library would probably connect you
https://longviewtexas.gov/3022/Genea...-Local-History

oh, it looks like you'll have to use social media to connect with them?? I haven't encountered that before!

Also - you might consider contacting the FindAGrave volunteer who manages the memorial...e.g., thank him for the opportunity to find your family member, and does he have any idea of local resources that might shed more light? Seriously, I've had FAG volunteers to amazing things.

[kylejustin]

Maybe try contacting the cemetery for burial records? If they survive, might mention if jane is also in the grave.

[bcbrit]

Hi Janet,

Kilgore has a public library. It might be worth sending them an email and ask a few questions.

kilgorelibrary@cityofkilgore.com.

bcbrit

[Janet in Yorkshire]

Thank you Kyle and bcbrit.
It seems that Kilgore was still pretty "rural" in the time of Allison and as he farmed about 200 acres, I would estimate that he didn't actually live in a village settlement.
According to the info I have found about the cemetery records online, it appears that the information on the burials are from 2 combined records: burials before 1945 were recorded from the tombstones; burials after 1945 were recorded from burial records of the City of Kilgore. So, if there was no (or no surviving) grave marker for Jane in 1945, she would not have been included in the data.

I will try the Kilgore library. Let's hope they can be more helpful than the other couple of USA public libraries I've tried in the past - one referred me to the mayor's office, which never responded, and the other replied that they did not hold any kind of information which would help with my inquiry!

[Janet in Yorkshire]

This morning I googled "Allison Bays +Gregg County TX" and one of the hits was a reference to an Ancestry tree for Allison Bays Stone (1868 - 1905.) The Stone family lived in Rusk Co in 1870, but by 1880 they too were in Precinct 4 Gregg Co!! I have contacted one of the many treeholders with A B Stone in their tree - my gut feeling is that perhaps they were neighbours in Rusk Co and then both lots moved over the border into Gregg Co. Was the Stone child named after my Allison Bays, who had become a family friend??? IF there is a connection, then perhaps the treeholder will be willing to share additional info?
If there is no response, then there are another 73 Ancestry members with Allison Bays Stone in their tree!

I am gradually working my way through other suggestions made up thread.

[PhotoFamily]

FS's catalog says
"Gregg County was created and organized 12 April 1873 from Rusk and Upshur counties. County seat: Longview. Settlement started around 1838."

When I looked at Kilgore library, it didn't seem to have a genealogy interest - Longview does. You could try both.

Good luck with the family trees on Ancestry!

There's also a tree on FS's FamilyTree, but it lacks much detail, doesn't mention the move to Texas

[Janet in Yorkshire]

FS's catalog says
"Gregg County was created and organized 12 April 1873 from Rusk and Upshur counties. County seat: Longview. Settlement started around 1838."

When I looked at Kilgore library, it didn't seem to have a genealogy interest - Longview does. You could try both.

Good luck with the family trees on Ancestry!

There's also a tree on FS's FamilyTree, but it lacks much detail, doesn't mention the move to Texas

Yes, I saw just one on the Ancestry UK site - I'm pretty sure that was added by someone researching Allison's wife Jane Knaggs.
There is nothing about Allison on any of the UK trees - unless a researcher has had sight of the marriage certificate, there is no means of verifying the name of his mother, as there is no bp record. She seems to have been a bit of a lass!! - William b 1815, Allison in 1816, Elizabeth 1820-1822; married in 1823 had 2 daughters with her husband, died in 1836. Very sad that that is all that can be found out about a person.

[keldon]

I’ve found a map which I think shows his land, but check the land grant I sent you and particularly the description of the property.

You’ll also need the link I gave earlier to schedule of land grants.
https://genealogytrails.com/tex/pine...andgrants.html

The plot is described as Rust 3rd file number 484. The same numbers appears on the land grant document.

Now go to Texas history website.

https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth89173/m1/1/zoom/?q=Rusk%20county&resolution=0.7107862151234923&lat=7897.259829329496&lon=958.8650441838405

This is a large map of Rusk County dated 1871. It will take a while to load. Part of Rusk County later became Gregg County.

Look at the top left of the map and find the name Bailey Anderson. Below the letters AN in Anderson you’ll see Jhn B Porter, and to the right adjoining his land is a small square marked A DAYS 3-484 ptd. That I believe is the plot of land and an error been made in his name. You’ll note the numbers match the reference I gave above. You also see that the numbers for the Anderson and Porter plots match the schedule mentioned above. The name Porter also features in your land grant document.

The name Bays also appears on a 1863 Civil War map on this link. Click the link which says the extreme northwest corner of Rusk County - now Gregg County. This matches the location on the first map.

https://www.txrusk.com/maps.htm

The spelling is corrected in this later 1890 map of Gregg County showing the original land grants.
https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67...Gregg%20county

Using these maps and this document on Foreclosure Sales page 45 where it refers to land of Allison Bayes I have worked out the modern map location.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...c0UlKkxq48Xf5m


Ann St, Kilgore, TX 75662, USA.

Google Maps

https://maps.app.goo.gl/ACnZKqBWxmTvfnoe6

Hope this is makes sense.

[Janet in Yorkshire]

Oh Keldon - I am overcome at your kindness Thank you so much for taking so much trouble on my behalf.
Looking at these maps show the great courage Allison must have had to persuade his wife to upsticks and go to a land where there was hardly any habitation and where you just had to create everything yourself.

I am reminded of the sister of my gt-grandfather who, with a husband and a young baby, left the small village where I live now to go to Ontario at about the same time as Allison left England. Decades later, she was one of many early settlers interviewed and told of the heartbreak of her parents when she left - they said they might as well be burying her in the churchyard, as they would never see or hear of her again, adding that if they'd buried her, at least they would have a grave to visit. It really hit home with me - no literacy skills and no postal service as a means of keeping in touch. Two of her husband's brothers and their father also emigrated, but she recounted how she had cried herself to sleep for the first months that she was in Canada. It was late Autumn, they would have to cut down trees and construct a home and another baby was on the way. There was no going back - what determination and single-mindedness they must have had!

I am going to be very busy indeed tonight; luckily I've got new ink cartridges for the printer! I can't thank you enough - you have made one old lady very, very happy!!

[keldon]

Pleased I could help. It made a change to research somewhere out of the UK!
The early emigrants were brave indeed. Nowadays we know so much about our world and other counties. We can anticipate with some confidence what it will be like in a new country. Our forebears did not have that luxury. It shows how desperate some of them must have been.