Owen Culpepper of Lauderdale Co., MS

Male, #2333, (circa 1807 - circa 1870)

ParentJoseph Culpepper of Jackson Co. GA (circa 1765 - before 6 May 1816)
ParentNancy (?) (circa 1770 - after 1830)
Owen Culpepper of Lauderdale Co., MS|b. circa 1807\nd. circa 1870|p2333.htm|Joseph Culpepper of Jackson Co. GA|b. circa 1765\nd. before 6 May 1816|p2254.htm|Nancy (?)|b. circa 1770\nd. after 1830|p2257.htm|Joseph Culpepper of Morgan Co. GA|b. say 1731\nd. circa 1821|p2253.htm|(?) Gibson|b. circa 1740\nd. circa 1766|p3084.htm|||||||

Birth*circa 1807 Owen was born at Jackson Co., Georgia, circa 1807. 
 He was the son of Joseph Culpepper of Jackson Co. GA and Nancy (?). 
(free wh male 10-16) 1820 Census7 Aug 1820 Owen was probably a free white male, age 10 and under 16, in Nancy (?)'s household, on the 1820 Census at Jackson Co., Georgia. Unaccounted for are 1 Male 16-26 and 1 Female 10-16..1 
(Fortunate Drawer) Land Lottery1821 He had a fortunate draw in the land lottery in 1821 at Stricklands District, Jackson Co., Georgia, (lot 234-15 in Dooly Co., GA, as one of the "Joseph Culpepper Orphans").2 
Marriage*17 Dec 1827 He married Mary Everett at Hall Co., Georgia, on 17 Dec 1827.3,4 
1830 Census*1 Jun 1830 Owen was listed as the head of a family on the 1830 Census at Jackson Co., Georgia.5 
(Deed Witness) Deed5 Feb 1833 He witnessed a deed grant by John Culpepper of Jackson Co., GA on 5 Feb 1833 at Jackson Co., Georgia.
(John Culpepper to Perry Bowen for $30: 160 acres in Cherokee Co., Lot 279 in 22nd District, 2nd Section as drawn by said John Culpepper of Miller's District, Jackson Co. Wit: Owen Culpepper, Joseph Blair.).6 
1840 Census*1 Jun 1840 Owen was listed as the head of a family on the 1840 Census on 1 Jun 1840 at Lauderdale Co., Mississippi.
(Enumerated in the census but otherwise not identified are 1 M0-5 and 1 F5-10.).7 
Death*circa 1870 He died at Whynot, Lauderdale Co., Mississippi, circa 1870. 
Biography* The names of Owen's children are from the estate of his son Joel, who was killed in the Civil War.
(Names referenced above: Owen Culpepper of Lauderdale Co., MS Owen Culpepper of Lauderdale Co., MS). 
(Witness) Research note14 Jan 2006 Joel Culpepper is presumed to have been a legatee in Joseph Culpepper's 1816 will in Jackson County, GA, as an equal devisee, but was not mentioned by name. Jackson County estate records from the period should be extant, and should be checked for a division of land, a final settlement of the estate, etc, for a list of the names of all of Joseph's children. This might be available from the Georgia Archives, or possibly from the Jackson County courthouse.

Until those documents, if any, can be located, one might ask what evidence there is for the various children of the Joseph Culpepper who died in Jackson County in 1816? Only three children were mentioned in his will, Simeon, Henry, and Sally. And yet he is thought to have had eight or more children.

Those other children are all based for now, as far as this writer knows, on circumstantial evidence.

For example, Joseph's two daughters other than Sarah are attributed to him due to their marriage in Jackson County. Marriages were recorded in the bride's county of residence, and at the time of their marriage there was no other Culpepper family in the county other than the children and widow of Joseph Culpepper.

These daughters also appear as check marks on the 1820 Jackson County census record for Joseph's widow Nancy.

Likewise, the 1820 census indicates that Nancy, widow of Joseph, had four sons living at home, presumed to be Henry, Owen, Joel, and John, who all show up in Jackson County records after 1820, when no other Culpepper family was living in the county. The eldest son, Simeon, a known son from Joseph's will, was himself a head of household in 1820 in Jackson County, Georgia.

It is not clear to this writer which, if any, Jackson County Tax records have survived during the period 1809 to 1836. But if these records are extant, they should be checked for any Culpeppers mentioned. Since 1809 is extant, and available on the Internet, later years mght be available as well. I would suggest contacting the Georgia Archives or the Jackson County Courthouse. Sometimes the tax digest records can be used to establish relationships.

One should note that Joseph Culpepper, the presumed father of Joel, was the only Culpepper whose family stayed in Jackson County over a long period of time. The only other Culpeppers who left an early trace in the county were Malachi Culpepper, who had an early grant there; a Sampson Culpepper, who lived there during 1808 - 1818, and Allison Culpepper, who is mentioned in a couple of deeds. The tax records mentioned above, if any have survived, might pinpoint the exact few years that Allison was there.

Let us begin by noting the earliest proven record of Joel Culpepper in Jackson County. This was his marriage to Amelia / Milly Yarbrough there on 25 Dec 1823. We know that she was the daughter of Joseph Yarbrough (brother of the Rev. Ambrose Yarbrough) and that Joseph and Ambrose were the sons of Jonathan Yarbrough of Anson County, NC (sources can be provided). Note the Yarbrough family connection, as it will be a theme throughout what follows.

This 1823 marriage suggests, at least that Joel Culpepper was a resident of Jackson County, since he married a resident of the county, or else he was from a nearby county. But given the rarity of the Culpepper surname, there were no Culpeppers in any of the surrounding counties at that time. So this particular Joel Culpepper was probably from Jackson County. It was there, at least, that he met and married his bride.

There were several Joel Culpeppers from this time period, all related. The reader must allow me, in the interest of time, to rule out all but two of them. Other than these two who had connections to Jackson County, all the others can be shown to have married someone other than Amelia / Milly Yarbrough, and can be shown to have left records elsewhere than in Jackson County during the time period in question.

As mentioned above, a Sampson Culpepper was living in Jackson County during 1808 - 1818, and he had a son named Joel, born circa 1800. Sampson moved back to Laurens County, GA in 1818, taking his young children with him, including Joel. Sampson appeared on the 1820 census in Laurens County, and a check for son Joel was included in his household. He left a will there in 1822, probated in 1823, mentioning his son Joel. This Joel can only be identified as the Joel Culpepper who moved to Illinois and left descendants there, including a Joel Culpepper Jr. who died in the Mexican War.
While this Joel was only three years older than the Joel who married Ameila Yarbrough, and while he lived in Jackson County, Georgia from 1808 to 1818, as will be shown below, it is easy to distinquish the two Joels from each other. One was closely associated with the children of Joseph (died 1816) and the other (who moved to Illinois) was not.

The 1820 census "checks" showing family members, when compared to wills, distinguish this Sampson of Jackson and Laurens Counties, from the Sampson of Wilkinson County, GA, who is beyond the immediate scope of this discussion.

Since we know the Joel Culpepper who married Amelia / Milly Yarbrough was not the son of Sampson Culpepper, who lived in Jackson County from 1808 to 1818, then what are the other possibilities?

Malachi Culpepper had a Revolutionary War grant in Jackson County, but it is unclear if he ever lived there. He was probably a brother of Joseph Culpepper (died 1816) and Malachi had a son named Joel, who is well documented in Coweta County, GA records.

And then there is Allison Culpepper (circa 1784 - 1854), who is mentioned in an early deed or two in Jackson County. His ancestry has not been firmly established, but he is certainly from this general branch of the family. But he left a detailed will, and did not mention a son named Joel. Nor can any son named Joel be associated with Allison Culpepper by census or other records. For example, all the check marks for sons can be accounted for in Allison's 1820 census record.

So we have at least briefly mentioned all the early Culpeppers in Jackson County, with the exception of the family of Joseph Culpepper who died there in 1816.

And we have shown that by process of elimination, the Joel who married Amelia Yarbrough must have been the son of Joseph Culpepper of Jackson County, as there are no other reasonable possibility. All other Joel Culpeppers from the time period can be otherwise accounted for.

So that raises the question, other than the process of elimination, is there any positive evidence to support the theory that this particular Joel was the son of Joseph of Jackson County? And the answer is yes.

To summarize the main points briefly, Joel can be shown to have moved to the Sumter / Lauderdale County area of AL / MS at the same time as the known sons of Joseph: Simeon and Henry: and brother Owen Culpepper as well. Each of these other brothers named a son Joel. Most of the brothers intermarried with the Yarbrough family, which also moved to this area from Jackson County at the same time. And most of the four brothers mentioned had sons or daughters who married their first cousins, the sons and daughters of the other brothers.8 

Family

Mary Everett (circa 1810 - )
Marriage*17 Dec 1827 He married Mary Everett at Hall Co., Georgia, on 17 Dec 1827.3,4 
Children

Charts Descendants of Joseph Culpepper of Edgecombe Co., NC (Six Generations)
Last Edited 8 Dec 2007

Citations

  1. 1820 Federal Census, United States.
    Page 293, Jackson Co., GA
    Nancy Culpepper, 2 M10-16, 1 M16-18, 2 M16-26, 2 F0-10, 1 F10-16, 1 F16-26, 1 F26-45.
  2. Rev. Silas Emmett Lucas Jr., The Fourth or 1821 Land Lottery of Georgia, Easley, SC: Southern Historical Press, 1986, Repository: LDS Family History Library - Salt Lake City, Call No. 975.8 R2lb.
  3. Ancestry.com, compiler, Georgia Marriages to 1850, Online database at Ancestry.com, 1997.
    http://www.ancestry.com/search/rectype/inddbs/2085a.htm
    Owen Culpeper and Mary Everett on 17 Dec 1827 in Hall Co., GA.
  4. Hall County Court of the Ordinary, Hall County, GA Marriages, 1819-1965, Salt Lake City, UT: Genealogical Society of Utah , 1966, Repository: LDS Family History Library - Salt Lake City, Call No. Films 424,626 & 424,628.
    M. H. Culpepper and Martha Highfill on 31 Dec 1865 by S. G. Davis, J.P. in Hall Co., GA, Book A-458.
  5. 1830 Federal Census, United States.
    Page 339, Jackson Co., GA
    Owen Culpepper, 1 M0-5, 1 M15-20, 1 F0-5, 1 F20-30.
  6. Jackson County, GA Deed Abstracts, Books E-L, 1808-1843, transcribed by Lewis W. Griffin from LDS Film (#376,992, 325,695-7): Deed Book K, page 19.
  7. 1840 Federal Census, United States.
    Page 49, Ancestry.com images 21-22, Unknown Township, Lauderdale Co., MS
    Owen Culpepper, 1 M0-5, 1 M10-15, 1 M30-40, 1 F0-5, 4 F5-10, 1 F10-15, 1 F30-40, 0 slaves
    Simpson Culpepper, 1 M0-5, 1 M5-10, 1 M10-15, 2 M15-20, 1 M20-30, 1 M40-50, 2 F5-10, 1 F10-15, 1 F40-50, 0 slaves.
  8. Lewis W. Griffin Jr., 4307 North 34th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85018, e-mail address, Phone: (602) 955-2597.