Arthur was the youngest of probably three sons and had a younger sister named Sarah who never married. I only know the name of one of Arthur's brothers for certain, Edward. There was a Chamie Newman who married in Pulaski in 1841 but I've not found another record on him beyond that and have no idea what, if any, connection he has to the John Newman family. I also don't know whether my Newmans are in any way related to the Jesse Newman who was living in Pulaski as of the 1860 census. I've seen nothing that ties these other Newmans to John and his family beyond the common surname.
Sarah and Edward were probably named for their father's parents, Sarah and Edward Newman. Their maternal grandfather was also an Edward. Arthur was probably named for his mother's father, Arthur Brown.
Arthur was still living at home in the 1840 census but probably married shortly after it was enumerated, judging from the age of his oldest child. Although marriage records for Pulaski County are generally available from about 1810, I've found no record of several marriages that are likely to have occurred there; i.e., Edward Newman to (unknown) in about 1835; Canzada Shiver to James P. Cherry in about 1836; Canzada Shiver Cherry to Arthur Newman in 1840; and Catherine Newman to William G. Hunt in about 1859.
Arthur's wife, Canzada, was the daughter of Abraham and Martha Shiver and the widow of James P. Cherry. According to Drexel Shiver's book on the Shivers, Canzada's father owned about 3000 acres in Pulaski County by the late 1830's. On Abraham's death in 1844, his estate was equally divided between Canzada and her siblings Bonapart, Isaac, Jacob, George and Catherine. Arthur applied for guardianship of Canzada's son, William Jackson Cherry, in 1846, entering into bond in the sum of one thousand dollars with his father, John Newman, his security.
Arthur and Canzada had made an impressive start on their family by the 1850 census, with six kids ranging in age from 9 years to one month old: Catherine, James, Abraham, Jane, Georgia and Susan. Canzada's son, William Jackson Cherry was also living with them and Arthur had real estate valued at $5000, probably assisted by what Canzada had inherited from her father. On the 1850 Agriculture Schedule he reported 170 acres of improved land; 537 acres of unimproved land; $5000 as the cash value of his farm; $105 as the value of his farming implements and machinery; livestock valued at $535 (3 horses, 1 ass or mule; 2 working oxen; 15 other cattle; 30 swine); 22 bushels of wheat; 800 bushels of Indian corn; 12 bales of ginned cotton @ 400 lbs each; 70 lbs of wool; 20 bushels of peas and beans; 5 bushels of Irish potatoes; 300 bushels of sweet potatoes; and 30 lbs of butter.
John Newman died in late Nov 1852. Arthur applied for letters of administration on 13 Dec 1852, which were granted in March 1853 when he entered into bond in the sum of $8000. He petitioned for letters of dismission from the estate in February 1858. Arthur's mother, Nancy, died in January 1860.
Four more children had been born to Arthur and Canzada in the intervening decade and in 1860 the household included Nancy, Rebecca, Anna and John. Daughter Catherine had married and left home in about 1859. Their two oldest sons fought in the Civil War but only Abe returned home. James died in Jun 1862 at Savage's Station, Virginia. Between 1860 and 1870, most of their other children would marry off, leaving only Fanny and Rebecca at home as of the 1880 census.
Arthur's sister Sarah never married. She lived with her parents until their deaths, was with her brother Edward in 1860 and with Arthur from at least 1870. She apparently had a disability as she was described as "crippled" in the 1880 census. Edward died in Nov 1879 from "disease of the digestive system."
Canzada died in October 1880, and Arthur remarried a year later, to Martha Sanders, probably the daughter of Miles Sanders whose will was probated in Pulaski County in 1876. Martha was about 45 to Arthur's 65 when they married, but predeceased him four years later. From the 19 Mar 1885 Hawkinsville Dispatch:
"Mrs. Martha Newman, wife of Mr. Arthur Newman, of this county, died very suddenly at their home five miles below Hawkinsville on Saturday night last of apoplexy, aged forty-nine years..."
It's probable that Arthur and Martha had lived after their marriage on the property she inherited from her father, and that he continued to live on there until his death three years later. Arthur and Martha had no children together.
Arthur died suddenly according to his death notice from the 8 Mar 1888 edition of Hawkinsville Dispatch:
"We regret to announce the death of Mr. Arthur Newman, a clever and good old citizen of this county. He died very suddenly with heart disease at his home three miles below Hawkinsville on Tuesday afternoon, March 6th, 1888. He had been up attending to business during the day, and had undertaken of a hearty dinner. His daughter, Mrs. Sheriff Hunt, reached him a few minutes before death. Mr. Newman was seventy-three years of age, and had lived in Pulaski County about forty-five years (sic). His remains were buried this [Wednesday] afternoon in the family burial ground near his old home three miles above Hawkinsville."
Arthur had apparently given or sold his old home place to his daugher and son-in-law, Catherine and W. G. Hunt, and this is where the family burial ground was located in what is now known as Hunt Cemetery. Arthur's was the only Newman grave marker that had survived when I was there in 1981, though I don't doubt that Arthur's parents, sister, brother, first wife and the children and grandchildren who predeceased him were laid to rest there.
In his will, Arthur provided for his sister Sarah's lifetime support from his farm on Big Creek in Pulaski, to be operated by his executor, daughter Nannie C. Wood. Arthur's instructions were that his estate, real and personal, was not to be divided until after Sarah's death, and then to be sold, with one share each to go to Abraham W. Newman, Catherine Hunt, Nannie C. Wood, Georgia Daniel, Susan Partin, and Alice F. Frink, and one share to go to Laura and Hawkins Kinchen, the children of his deceased daughter, Anna. There was a separate bequest of $100 each to the Kinchen grandchildren. Arthur's will made no mention of his daughter Jane.
On petition March 8th, the court ordered that all heirs at law appear and show cause why Arthur's will should not be proved and admitted to record; and that said heirs be personally served with notice and a copy of the petition. All of the named heirs were so served, as was Arthur's daughter Jane, now Mrs. S.J. Matthews. At court on April 2nd, Arthur's will was proved and admitted to record; W.H. Kinchen was appointed guardian ad litem of his children, Laura and Hawkins; and an appraisement of Arthur's estate was ordered (a record I've not yet found). In apparent contravention of Arthur's will, a public sale of his personal estate was held on December 6th, and brought in $955.63.
A return on Arthur's estate was entered into record on 2 Mar 1889. Sarah Newman was witness on a number of receipts wherein the executor paid various people for work done on the estate; i.e., washing, picking and chopping cotton, pulling fodder, cutting and hauling oats. Among the receipts there is one for "one suit of clothes (Buriell)" and a pair of shoes on March 6th; casket and hearse on March 7th; payment to W.G. Hunt "for crying property at the sale of the personalty of said deceased"; payment to W.H. Kinchen, $100 each "in full and final settlement of the specific legacy bequeathed" to Hawkins and Laura Kinchen; and "partial payment of my distributive share as one of the legatees" to A.W. Newman, Mrs. Alice F. Frink, Georgia Daniel, Susan Partin, Catherine Hunt, Mrs. N.C. Woods and W.H. Kinchen in behalf of his children Laura and Hawkins.
Sarah died sometime in 1889, according to Nannie's petition to the court at the November term of court. On December 2nd, the court ordered Nannie to sell the plantation known as Big Creek, "composed of lots and parts of lots" in the 4th district, numbered 248, 249, 232 and 233 and totaling about 535 acres.
- Catherine Newman, b. 14 Jul 1841; m. William G. Hunt
- James Newman, b. ca 1842; d. 29 June 1862, Savage's Station, Virginia
- Abraham William "Abe" Newman, b. 7 Jun 1843; m. Lucy Fenn, Mary Elizabeth "Mollie" Conner
- Sarah Jane Newman, b. ca 1846; m. David F. Matthews
- Georgia Anne Newman, b. 19 Feb 1848; m. Stephen Daniel
- Susan Newman, b. ca 1850; m. John K. Partin
- Hannah "Anna" Newman, b. ca 1852; m. W. Hawkins Kinchen
- Nancy "Nannie" Caroline Newman, b. ca 1855; m. Remus R. Wood
- Mary Rebecca Newman, b. ca 1857; d. 16 Dec 1880
- Arthur John Newman, b. Mar 1860; m. Emma Love
- Fanny Alice Newman, b. ca 1861; m. James S. Frink
Catherine Newman married William G. Hunt in about 1859; inexplicably, a marriage record couldn't be found in Pulaski though that's probably where they married. There was also no marriage record in Worth County, where they were living in 1860, next door to William's parents, William L. and Marthena (Bateman) Hunt.
According to census and other records, Catherine and William G's children included Emma Jane; Octavia; Georgia, m. Abner Basking Miller; Arthur; Susan, m. Robert E. Lee Marchman; Seaborn D.; Allice, m. John Hendley; and Mattie A., m. William Thomas Wallace.
Georgia and Abner Miller's daughter, Susie Roxie Miller, married Bunyon Cornelius Sutton (B.C. or Bun), the younger brother of my great-grandfather John Caleb Sutton.
Susan and Robert Marchman's son, George Marchman, was a contemporary of my paternal grandfather and a lifelong friend of my father's.
Seaborn Hunt, his cousin Roswell Daniel and B.H. "Bart" Henley were involved in a shooting on 5 Jul 1906 that ended with Seaborn slightly injured and Roswell charged with Henley's murder. I haven't yet found any further information and don't know whether Henley might have been related to the John Hendley Seaborn's sister married, but the story was carried in the Baltimore, Maryland and Richmond, Virginia newspapers. Seaborn apparently never married or had children. He died on 3 Dec 1914 and his will named sister Mattie Hunt his executrix. Seaborn is buried at the Hunt Cemetery (as S.D. Hunt).
Catherine Newman Hunt was probably the one known as "Aunt Puss." According to Mary Lou Newman, youngest child of Catherine's brother Abe, she lived with Aunt Puss for a while after her parents died.
William died on 10 Mar 1897 and Catherine on 21 Dec 1911. They're both buried in the Hunt Cemetery near Hawkinsville.
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James Newman enlisted in Co. G, 10th Georgia Infantry on 20 May 1861 and died in the battle at Savage's Station, Virginia, on 29 June 1862. Arthur submitted a claim any back pay and bounty due to James on 11 Apr 1863.
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Sarah Jane Newman: I know little about Jane, who appeared on the census in 1850 (as S.J.) and 1860 (as Jane). I've found no marriage record for her in Pulaski County.
After Arthur's death, an order to appear and show cause why his will should not be proved and recorded was served on a Mrs. Jane Matthews among Arthur's heirs and next of kin. She and Arthur were probably estranged at the time of his death as he didn't name her in his will.
In 1870 and 1880, David and Sarah J. Matthews were living in Pulaski County, but moved to Van Zandt County, Texas by 1900. They had two daughters, Nannie C., m. Thomas L. McPhail; and Johnnie Jane, m. the Rev. Sam M. McPhail, Thomas's brother. David died there on 1 Mar 1903, and Sarah died on 7 Jul 1919. All of them are buried in the Colfax Cemetery in Colfax, Van Zandt County.
According to Noble's extracts from the Hawkinsville Dispatch, David Matthews was the son of James and Elizabeth H. Matthews, who died in Pulaski in Nov 1874 and Nov 1879, respectively. His older brother William H. Matthews (m. Sarah Hendley) was living in Van Zandt County, Texas as of their mother's death. His brother Green C. Matthews (m. Maggie Kinchen) was part of a group of nine men from Pulaski and Houston counties (also including Sarah Jane's brother, Abe Newman) who traveled to Lee County, Arkansas in early 1881, though the purpose of their trip wasn't stated. Green had moved there as of Mar 1882, according to post cards he sent back to Pulaski County. David's brother John G. Matthews died in the Civil War and there, B.F. Matthews died as an infant, and there were three other brothers, names unknown, who were deceased as of 1879. Based on the birthplaces reported in the 1860 census, David's family moved from Houston to Pulaski between 1835 and 1840.
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Georgia Newman married William Stephen Daniel on 25 Feb 1874. According to the marriage notice, William was a resident of Houston County. Based on census records, their children were Cora Rebecca; Roswell Franklin; Robert [middle name possibly Arthur]; Lilly Mae; Willie S. (possibly William Stephen), m. Maggie Lewis; and John Kendrick.
Roswell Daniel, his cousin Seaborn Hunt, and B.H. "Bart" Henley were involved in a shooting on 5 Jul 1906, see notes on Seaborn above. According to information I received some years ago from another family researcher, Roswell killed his cousin Seaborn Hunt at a house of ill-repute; the Daniels mortgaged their farm to hire a lawyer and Roswell was acquitted; and the Daniels paid off the mortgage and moved to Florida. However, this information is not consistent with the above-linked news item or the fact that Georgia and Stephen and most of their children are buried at Orange Hill Cemetery in Pulaski County. Stephen died on 5 Apr 1924 and Georgia on 18 Dec 1928.
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Susan Newman married John K. Partin on 28 Sep 1876. John was shown as a barber on the 1880 census. According to census records their children were Zada L., m. Edward B. English and lived in Bibb County; John N., m. Zoe and eventually moved to Dade County, Florida; and Walter W. Susan and John eventually moved to Finlayson, then to Pineview in Wilcox County.
John died in Pineview on 19 Jan 1917 and was to be interred in "the cemetery at Pope's church" but I haven't yet found his or Susan's grave. According to his death notice, Susan had died several months before, six months according to an item in the Macon Telegraph. John was born in 1846 in Emanuel County, the son of Pleasant P. and Amelia A. Partin. John fought in the Civil War, and he moved to Hawkinsville in 1866. John's brother Robert Love married Ida M. Freeney in Pulaski, and they're both buried in Orange Hill Cemetery. His other siblings were Warren S., m. Sarah F. Greene; and Elizabeth, m. a Thompson. John's paternal grandparents were Kindred and Henrietta Partin of Laurens County.
* * *
Hannah Newman (aka Anna) married W.Hardy Kinchen on 8 Dec 1874. Anna's sister Nannie and Nannie's future husband Remus Woods were attendants, according to the marriage notice. Anna and W.H. Kinchen had three children as of the 1880 census, Laura, Hawkins (as J.H.) and Martha Kinchen. Hawkins and Laura were named in Arthur Newman's will (which was transcribed incorrectly as "son" Hawkins Kinchen - i.e., son-in-law - in Myrick's book of will abstracts) but Martha was not, so she apparently died before 1887 when Arthur's will was written. I haven't yet found any more information on Laura and Hawkins.
W.H. Kinchen remarried, on 12 Jul 1881, to Maggie Jones.
* * *
Nancy C. Newman, or Nannie, married Remus R. Woods on 5 Oct 1876. Based on census records they had the following children: Romulus Remus; Rasdal, died 30 Sep 1881; George N. (possibly Newman); Antoine Mathews; Grover Cleveland; Nannie Aline, m(1) Clarance Rusk Tunnell, m(2) unknown Cade; and Cora Irene, m. unknown Huddle .
Remus R. Woods was born in Oct 1853 in Pulaski County but his family apparently didn't live there much. In 1860 they were in Dougherty County and, to the extent I'm correctly deciphering a sometimes illegible census record, his parents were Marcus or Morris W. and Sarah Wood, both born in Putnam County. He had brothers G. (George?), b. 1844 Houston County; Orin, b. 1849 Houston County; and Jefferson, b. 1850 Pulaski County. Remus was recorded as R.R. Wood, age 6. In 1870, as Remus Wood, age 16, he was working as a laborer in Dougherty and living with Walter C. Reynolds, plantation overseer, so perhaps he was orphaned. I haven't been able to find anything further on his parents or his siblings, and don't know how long before his marriage to Nannie he moved to Pulaski. In the 1880 census, his occupation was shown as grocer.
Nannie was the executor of Arthur Newman's estate in 1888 and, sometime shortly after, she and Remus moved to Franklin County, Arkansas. They were living there in the 1900 census and had a child who was born in Arkansas in 1891. Nannie reported she'd had six children, with six surviving. Also in their 1900 household was nephew Marion T. Woods, born in Texas in Nov 1883, but I have no further information on him.
Remus died in the next decade as the widowed Nannie was living in Van Zandt County, Texas in 1910. Nannie died in 1928 and shares a headstone in Colfax Cemetery with son George, who died in 1906. Daughter Cora Irene Huddle's death certificate gives her parents' names as Romulus Remus Woods and Nannie Caroline Newman. A news item in the Hawkinsville Dispatch (Nobles, p. 19) gives the former as Remus Romulus, and he generally appeared in records as Remus or Remus R., but his son was shown as Romulus Remus Woods on his WWI Draft Registration card.
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Mary Rebecca Newman was still living at home when she died on 16 Dec 1880 of typhoid.
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John Newman married Emma Love on 10 Sep 1877. He died of typhoid fever on 17 Dec 1880.
In August 1880, Arthur had petitioned for guardianship of Emma, to represent her interests in the estate of her deceased mother, Charity Love Pollock, which was in litigation following Charity's death on 7 Feb 1879. Arthur petitioned the court to sell Emma's interest in the estate for $350 to Charles A. and Amos Love, her brothers and the administrators of their mother's estate. John and Emma had no children together.
Arthur petitioned the court in January 1881 to appoint appraisers to inventory and sell John's personal estate so as to provide for the support of his widow. According to his petition, John and Emma had no children.
Emma Love Newman married William Chancey on 23 Jul 1882. On 6 Nov 1882, former guardian Arthur Newman paid $284.04 to new guardian William Chancey, the total principal and interest due to his former ward.
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Anna, Rebecca and John Newman died within days of each other in mid-December 1880, victims of the typhoid epidemic sweeping the area.
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