Ahnentafel #12 Franklin Lafayette Becham and #13 Sarah Lodelia Mathews

Franklin Lafayette (Fate) Becham was born in September 1871 in Crawford County, Georgia to Washington Becham and Ann Catherine Perry.   He was generally called Fate (short for Lafayette) but occasionally appears in the records as Frank.  He lived his entire life in the county and appears with his parents in the 1880 census. 

Sarah Lodelia (Delia) Mathews was born 26 February 1870 in Brooks County,  Georgia to Thomas Franklin Mathews and Susan Catherine Peterman.  The family had moved back to Crawford County, GA by the time she was 10, since she appears there in the 1880 census.  She is with her parents in both the 1870 and 1880 censuses.

Fate and Delia married on 22 December 1895 in Crawford County, Georgia, where he followed in his father's footsteps as a farmer and potter.  Fate's pottery has developed some reknown in Georgia and in fact an example of it is in the Smithsonian American Art Museum.  

 

This photo is of his great-great-

Granddaughter looking at the jug in the Smithsonian. It is the one on the far right.










 In 1900, Frank and Lodelia are renting a farm near Roberta, with their two oldest children Frank and Washington (generally known as W.P.).   This particular census is the first one I ever looked up as a genealogist, back when the only way to find one was at the Archives.  The magic of seeing my grandfather as a young child hooked me totally and I've never looked back.   In this one, they duly note that they've been married 5 years, and have had two children, both of whom were living.

In 1910, they are still on the farm, but the family is now up to 6 children, 5 boys and 1 girl.  Another child has apparently died since Delia states that she has had 7 children but 6 were living.  Their youngest child, another boy Walker, was born two months after this census was taking.   By 1920 they own their farm, although they do have a mortgage on it.  In this census, Frank and his 3 oldest sons were all listed as house carpenters.  The youngest 3 boys were in school and daughter Lucile was married.

About this time, Frank was apparently very involved with the Methodist church, since this is when he had the photo taken of himself and his sons, in the church group. Delia had been noted joining Old Bethel Methodist church in 1897. Fate may have already been a member there since that is where his father is buried. 

By 1930, all the children had left home except W.P., who continued to live there until his death in 1974.   Their son Frank was widowed by this time and had returned home with 4 of his 5 children.  The baby, Sarah, was living with her aunt Lucile.   Fate was listed as a farmer and W.P. was described as a laborer on his father's farm.  Frank was still working as a carpenter.   Fate owned the farm but no value was given for it.

In 1931, Fate and his son Frank went to a family reunion hosted by his sister Ophelia (Mrs. J.W.) Thomason, in Dry Branch GA, celebrating his brother-in-law's 71st birthday.  Also from Roberta were Fate's sisters Mrs Bill (Addie) Smith and Mrs. Virginia Smith.

In 1940, Fate, Delia and Washington are living on the farm they own, now valued at $4700.  Their son Henry lived next door.  Fate was listed as a brick mason laying brick, but not working and he had not worked the census week of 24-30 March 1940.  He had worked 10 weeks in 1939, for which he earned $50.

Fate died on 14 June 1958 age 86 and was buried in the Roberta City Cemetery.  His will left $300 to his wife with the remainder going to his son W.P. with the request that W.P. look after his mother.  The will added that this was just a request, not a stipulation, but W.P. did in fact look after his mother until her death.  Delia in turn died on 15 June 1965, age 95.  I was taken to see her a few weeks before she died and she was the only one of the great grandparents that I was aware of meeting.

Fate and Delia had the following children:

1.  Frank Jones Becham, 1897-1985, married 1) Ola Pauline Bryant and 2) Viola Elizabeth Wade.  
2.  Washington Perry (W.P.) Becham, 1899-1974, never married
3.  Henry Lafayette Becham, 1901-1989, married Edith Williamson.  Remained in Crawford County.
4.  Lucile Delia Becham, 1901-1994, married Robert Edward Hortman.
5.  James Alfred Becham, 1904-1971, married Cecile Laing while serving in the navy in California.  Eventually returned to Roberta after he and Cecile divorced.
6.  Edgar P. Becham, 1908-1936.  Married Verlin Hutto but died of cancer shortly after the marriage.
7.  Walker M. Becham, 1910-1987, married Gladys Johnston.

Fate and Delia Becham and some of their descendents, probably early 1950s.

Unlikely to Pay?

While going through the Crawford County probate records, I found this entry on the inventory of the estate of Daniel Hicks.  His estate, one of the wealthiest in the county, showed a number of accounts owed to him, including this one:

Since those doing the estate inventory were presumably copying from Hick's records, this is apparently what he wrote.  So unless someone used this as a nickname, it looks like Hicks didn't actually expect to get his money back. 

Philip Mathews Revolutionary War Pension application

Declaration

In order to obtain the benefits of the act of Congress passed June 7th 1832 ---

 State of Georgia

 Crawford County

On this the thirteenth day of January eighteen hundred and forty five personally appears in open Court before the Justices of the Inferior Court of said County now sitting Phillip Mathews a resident of Crawford County State of Georgia aged about eighty three years, who being duly sworn according to Law, does on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of an act of Congress passed June 7th 1832.  That he entered the Service as a drafted Militia man in the United States Service and served as here in stated, that he entered the Service under Captain William Robb, Colonel John Pierson Command the regisment in the South Carolina militia from Fairfield District he thinks in the month of May seventeen hundred and eighty one (1781) for a three months term and served out his time faithfully and was discharged about the first of August that year but that he received no written discharge.  That he again entered the Service Seventeen hundred and eighty two for a three months tour as a drafted militia man, under Captain William Hughs and Commanded by Colonel John Perrson.  He served a tour of three months and was discharged but received no written discharge.  That he resided in the State of South Carolina Fairfield district when he entered the service that he marched from his residence to Orangburg Court house about eighty miles distance, the first Tour and was stationed there during the Tour but was ordered on a number of expeditions in teh surrounding country during this time.  The Second tour he was marched from his residence to a place called the four holes or the four hole Bridge about the distance of eighty miles where he was stationed and remained during the three months except for occasional expeditions in the surrounding country; that he has no documentary evidence by which to prove the above narrated service but can prove these by one living witness to wit, one Thomas Nelson now residing in the county of Pike in the State of Georgia and whose testimony he begs leave herewith to submit.  

Interrogatories propounded by the Court

1st Question.  Where and in what year were you born?  (over)

Page 2

1st Answer.  I was borned in Buckingham  County in the State of Virginia and to the best of my recollection in the year 1760.

2nd Q.  Have you any record of your age.  If yea where is it

2nd A.  I recollect having seen a record of my age but it has long since been lost or destroyed.

3rd Q.  Where were you living when called in to Service?  Where have you been living since the revolutonary war?  And where do you now live?

3rd A.  I was living in Fairfield District South Carolina when I was called into the service each time.  I lived in Fairfield District South Carolina until about the year 1824 at which time I moved to Crawford County Georgia where I have lived up to the present time.

4th Q.  How were you called in to the service, were you drafted?  Did volunteer or were you a substitute and if a substitute for whom,

4th A.  I was drafted each time and did not volunteer or substitute.

5th Q.  State some of the names of the regular officers were were with the regular troops when you served such Continental and militia regiments as you can recollect and the general circumstances of your services?

5th A.  While we were stationed at Orangburge General Green General Winn and General Sumpter all visited our Camps.  I suppose for the purpose of inspecting our troops.  Colonel Lacys regiment or a part of it was there (of the militia) there were no continental troops with us as he now recollects while stationed at or near Orangeburg.  When General Green came he commanded or ordered a seige by strategem [one word] in such manner as to induce the enemy to believe that we were sufficiently strong to storm their fortress by mounting pieces of wood to which he intended should appear to the enemy as field pieces.  And in a short time the enemy surrendered the fortress and themselves as prisoners of war.  Some of the prisoners were paroled and the remainder marched to Camden as near as I can recollect.   (over)

page 3

6th Q.  Did you ever receive a regular discharge from the service?  If yea by whom was it granted?  And what has become of it?

6th A.  I never received a regular written discharge.  Our company received an oral discharge each tour and each time by relief taking our place.

7th Q.  State the name of several persons to whom you are known in your present and immediate neighborhood and who can testify as to your character for veracity and their belief of your services as a revolutionary soldier.

7th A.  I am known to Patrick M. Calhoun and Phillip J. Echols.

And he hereby relinquishes all and every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency in any state, Sworn to and subscribed;

[Signed] Thos C. Howard J I C [or JJC]                                  [Signed] Philip Mathews

[Signed]  Lewis F. Hicks J I C

[Signed] John B. Grace J I C

 We Patrick M. Calhoun a clergyman residing in the County of Crawford and State of Georgia and Phillip J. Echols, residing in the same County and State, hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Phillip Mathews who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration, that we believe him to be eighty four years old, that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where lives, to have been a Revolutionary soldier and we concur in that opinion.  Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.

[Signed] Thos. C. Howard JIC               [Signed]  Patrick M. Calhoun M.G.

[Signed] Lewis F. Hicks JIC                   [Signed] Philip J. Echols

[Signed] John B. Grace JIC

Fate and Delia Becham

Franklin Lafayette (Fate) Becham and his wife Sarah Lodelia (Delia) Mathews. Probably taken in the 1940s, in Crawford County, GA.   I had never seen this photo before, but a cousin dug it out of an old box at Thanksgiving..

Military Monday - Vicksburg, Gettysburg and others

150 years ago today, the battle of Gettysburg began and the siege of Vicksburg was in progress.  This seemed like a good time to document my ancestral connections to those and other Civil War battles.

Vicksburg - Pvt Washington W. B. Horne, 57th GA Infantry was wounded during the siege of Vicksburg, losing an arm, and was part of the army that surrendered there on 4 July 1863.  He was paroled and returned to his home in Crawford County, GA.  His brother-in-law James W. Morris served in the same unit and was killed in 1862.  His uncles Thomas and Jeremiah Lewis served in the 45th GA infantry and were killed in 1862 and 1863 respectively. 

Gettysburg - Pvt Moses Thomas Wade served in the 12th NC Infantry at Gettysburg, where he was wounded.  As the army retreated back toward Virginia, he and many others of the wounded were left behind and captured at Williamsport, MD on 14 July 1863.  After a year at the Point Lookout prison camp, he spent the remainder of the war at the Elmyra prison camp in New York. 


Petersburg - Pvt George Washington Hendricks, served in the 64th GA Infantry, company A.  He was listed as absent without leave a few months after the battle.  This was presumably not out of lack of enthusiasm for the cause, since he later named his youngest son John Robert E. Lee Hendricks.

Petersburg - James Gooch, 64th GA Infantry, Company K.  He was captured in July 1864, listed as "a deserter from the enemy."  As such, he took the loyalty oath (to the Union) and was sent to Philadelphia.  A James M. Gooch enlisted in the 11th GA Cavalry in the fall of that year, but it has not been determined if it was the same man or not.  Some family records indicate that he had returned to GA and rejoined the army but this is not verified.

Petersburg and Chancellorsville - Cpl Thomas Franklin Mathews served in the 6th GA Infantry.  He was captured in NC on 8 March 1865 and sent to Pt Lookout MD, where he was released on 29 June 1865.