Thomas Barnett Statham (abt. 1835 - 1901)

Born about 1835 in Greenville, South Carolina, United States [uncertain]

Ancestors

Died 4 Sep 1901 at about age 66 in Elbert, Georgia, United States

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Biography

Thomas's full name comes from his will. According to census records he was born in about 1835 in South Carolina, probably Greenville County where his family was living around this time. His date of death comes from a cemetery survey and is the same date given his Executrix when she exhibited his will (these records have been uploaded).

His family moved from South Carolina to Yalobusha County, Mississippi between 1850 and 1860. In 1859 he witnessed the will of his first cousin, Lafayette (the son of Barnett's brother Augustine Davis Statham), and in 1861 he was enlisted in Co. G, 15th Mississippi Infantry by Lafayette's older brother, Capt. Walter Scott Statham. On the muster roll covering December 1861 to June 1862, Thomas was shown as absent, wounded, but he was back with his company on the next muster roll. In August 1863 he was detailed as a clerk with the post commissary, and he was on the list of soldiers paroled in April 1865.

In the early 1860s while Thomas was serving in the military, his family moved to Randolph County, Georgia and he joined them there after the war.

Marriage and children: On 27 November 1873, Thomas married Olivia H. Smith at the home of her father, George W. Smith, with the Rev. Thomas Muse, the husband of his paternal aunt, Susan, performing the ceremony (Cuthbert (Ga.) Appeal, 28 Nov 1873).

Tragically, Olivia died on 9 November 1878 (Cuthbert (Ga.) Appeal, 15 Nov 1878). She was reported as seriously ill in the November 8th issue, probably due to complications following the birth of son Carl on October 29th.

Carl Statham (Reynolds) was adopted and raised by Robert J. and Missouri Reynolds, appearing in their 1880 Henry County, Alabama household as Charly Reynolds, age 2, son, but as Carl Reynolds, age 21, adopted son, in their 1900 household. Missouri was the daughter of Ben Rice of Randolph County, Georgia according to her gravestone (Findagrave #72694363).

Unidentified child: Thomas and Olivia had another child whose name and gender is unknown but who was apparently older than Carl. This information comes from Thomas's will, in which he left his entire estate to his sister Alice W. Hester "for her kind and tender care of me...[and]...my deceased child."

Thomas's later life and his will

I have not yet found Thomas on the 1880 census but in 1882 he was living in Atlanta at 43 Pulliam (Atlanta city directory, image 265), the same address given for his mother in her death notice (The Weekly Constitution (Atlanta, Ga.), 14 Feb 1882). He appears as Thomas B. Stathan and his name does not come up in a search due to indexing errors.

In 1889, according to his cemetery record, Thomas was committed to the state hospital at Milledgeville. I have not yet found documents related to the commitment but in September 1900 he petitioned the Elbert County court to be adjudged sane and they found in his favor in November. Carl Reynolds was identified as his son in these documents and at the suggestion of Thomas's sister Alice Hester, applied to become guardian of Thomas's property in November 1899; however, he failed to provide the required bond and Alice was appointed instead (images 444-446 from Thomas's estate documents, which have been uploaded).

Thomas's will was published on 31 August 1901 and exhibited in Elbert County court on 7 October 1901; in it he makes reference to his interest in the estate of Walter Green. George Walter Green was the son of Thomas's late sister Emma, who died intestate in Randolph County in June 1899 (Macon (Ga.) Telegraph, 14 Jun 1899). Since he never married or had children and was predeceased by both parents and all his siblings, his estate was left to his mother's surviving siblings and/or their heirs.

Sources

'Johnny Rebs' with Elbert County Connections, from FamilySearch: "Georgia, Elbert County Records, 1790-2002" --> Military records--> Veterans of the War burials 1861-1935.

"Georgia, Marriage Records from Select Counties, 1828-1978, Ancestry.com;

"Georgia Probate Records, 1742-1990," FamilySearch; Elbert Co. Estates, Starke, E.B. & Julia- Stephens, Henry H., images 415-449 (Thomas's petition and will documents)

Thomas's compiled military service record, Fold3.com