Temperance Powell

Female, #3311, (14 Nov 1814 - 3 Feb 1891)

ParentJames Powell (10 Aug 1780 - 20 Nov 1848)
ParentCelia Hilliard (16 Jan 1783 - 13 Sep 1855)
Temperance Powell|b. 14 Nov 1814\nd. 3 Feb 1891|p3311.htm|James Powell|b. 10 Aug 1780\nd. 20 Nov 1848|p3809.htm|Celia Hilliard|b. 16 Jan 1783\nd. 13 Sep 1855|p3810.htm|||||||||||||

Birth*14 Nov 1814 Temperance was born at Georgia on 14 Nov 1814.1 
 She was the daughter of James Powell and Celia Hilliard. 
Marriage*circa 1832 She married John Smith Culpepper at Georgia circa 1832. 
Married Namecirca 1832 As of circa 1832, her married name was Culpepper. 
(free wh female 20-30) 1840 Census1 Jun 1840 Temperance was probably a free white female, age 20 and under 30, in John Smith Culpepper's household, on the 1840 Census on 1 Jun 1840 at Lee Co., Georgia.2 
Probate5 Jul 1849 She was the administrator of John Smith Culpepper's estate at Dooly Co., Georgia, on 5 Jul 1849.3 
1850 Census*1 Jun 1850 Temperance was listed as the head of a family on the 1850 Census on 1 Jun 1850 at Dooly Co., Georgia.4 
Probate*21 Feb 1856 Temperance listed to benefit in John Smith Culpepper's will at Dooly Co., Georgia, on 21 Feb 1856.5 
Probate*30 Jan 1860 Temperance listed to benefit in Celia Powell's will at Dooly Co., Georgia, on 30 Jan 1860.6 
1860 Slave Census*1 Jun 1860 Temperance was listed as a slave owner on the 1860 Census at Dooly Co., Georgia.7 
1860 Census*1 Jun 1860 Temperance was listed as the head of a family on the 1860 Census at Byromville, Dooly Co., Georgia.8 
1870 Census*1 Jun 1870 Temperance was listed as the head of a family on the 1870 Census at Dooly Co., Georgia.9 
1880 Census*1 Jun 1880 Temperance was listed as the head of a family on the 1880 Census at Dooly Co., Georgia.10 
Death*3 Feb 1891 She died on 3 Feb 1891.1 
Burial*circa 4 Feb 1891 Her body was interred circa 4 Feb 1891 at Sunset Historical Cemetery, Camilla, Mitchell Co., Georgia.1 
Biography* Most early records of Dooly County, GA, were destroyed in a courthouse fire in early 1847. Thus, for example, there are no marriage records before about March, 1847. Only a few court records survived the fire.

Watts Powell practiced law in Dooly County. For many years, his son, Watts B. Powell was Clerk of Courts of Dooly County and was thus thoroughly familiar with the records of that county. He sent me a photocopy of the Family Register of James Powell and Celia Hilliard Powell. The Bible was inherited by Rebecca Powell and was handed down in the Yawn family. In 1963, the Bible was in possession of Starling Yawn of Byronville, GA.

"Temperance Powell third daughter of James and Celia Powell was born in Washington County on the 14th November 1814."

The register shows that the next child, William Martin Powell, was born in Pulaski County, GA, on 5 Apr 1816. After the birth of Sarah Powell on 3 Jan 1819 and before the birth of Mary Powell on 15 Aug 1821, the James and Celia Powell family relocated to Laurens County, where they appear on the 1820 census with an elderly man in the household. I believe the elderly man was Charles Powell, Sr., father of James Powell, but I have been unable to prove this with other data. [There were several Charles Powells in the records of Laurens County and it gets mighty confusing trying to differentiate them.] Celia's father, Major Hilliard, was still living in Washington County, GA, where he was enumerated on the 1820 census, so the older man could not have been Celia's father.

Watts B. Powell included a section in his Volume II on "Cemetery Listings". Page 268: "Culpepper, John S.: 1806-1849; native of Edgefield District, South Carolina" This tombstone is in the Traveler's Rest Methodist Church Cemetery, located just south of Montezuma in Macon County, GA. James and Celia Powell are buried there, too. I visited the cemetery in the early 1980s but it was so overgrown I was unable to find their headstones. The church building had been abandoned and was in terrible disrepair. I suspect it no longer exists. I have photographs of the church as it appeared in the early 1980s.

It seems that the Powells resided in the part of Dooly County that became part of Macon County. HISTORY OF MACON COUNTY, GEORGIA, by Louise Frederick Hays, reprinted 1979 by The Reprint Company, Spartanburg, SC, includes a census of the tombstones in the Traveler's Rest Methodist [Chruch] Cemtery, beginning on Page 467, where the headstones of James and Celia Powell and John S. Culpepper are reported. This account of John S. Culpepper's tombstone has the words "born" and "died" spelled out. Dooly County "Minute Book A" survived the fire and contains data on the settlement of the estate of John S. Culpepper on pages 68, 69, 75, 81, 86, 97, 104, 126, 133, 164, 212, 257, 312, 367. Temperance Culpepper and Charles Powell were the administrators of the estate. I do not have copies of these pages.

One of the things I have not done in my Powell research is to check the court records of Macon County. This needs to be done for both Powells and Culpeppers. Pages 240 and 504 of the Minute Book show that Charles Powell was guardian of Ambrose Culpepper (who was apparently old enought to choose his own guardian) and also the "orphans" (fatherless children) James Davis Culpepper, Lenora R. Culpepper, Mariettta I. Culpepper, and John Culpepper.

My ancestors James Powell and Hilliard Powell both died in the 1840s, and while searching the ALBANY PATRIOT newspaper for information about them, I found the following regarding the estate of John S. Culpepper in the 28 JUN 1850 issue. Application for letters of adminstration were filed on 22 MAR 1849. [So John S. Culpepper died before that date.] Temperance Powell filed a petition for her dower land, which legal notice began on 22 FEB 1850. Charles Powell, administrator, and Temperance Culpepper, administrix, filed a notice of an Administrators' Sale of all lands and slaves of John S. Culpepper, which legal notice also began on 22 FEB 1850. Another notice of an Administrators' Sale by Charles Powell and Temperance Culpepper began on 18 OCT 1850. There was a reference to land on the north side of Hog Crawl Creek in the First Land District of Dooly County, "five miles below Traveller's Rest on the river road." Dooly County Deed Book B, Page 256, reported by Watts B. Powell, Volume I, Page 215: 18 JAN 1850: "Charles Powell and Temperance Culpepper adms. of the estate of John S. Culpepper, decd. give final receipt to Ambrose Powell adm. the estate of James Powell decd."

Watts B. Powell's list of heads of households in Dooly County in 1840 does not show John S. Culpepper as a head of household. In 1850, Temperance Culpepper was listed as a head of household, residing adjacent to her mother, Celia Powell, who was residing with Celia's daughter, Mary Powell (Mrs. Fielding) Reynolds. Watts B. Powell's Volume II, Page 169. In Dwelling 426: Temperance Powell, age 36, born GA, Ambrose, 12 James D., 9 Lenora R. L., 6, Mary Etta J. [Marietta J.], 4, John L., 1, Sary A. Brown, 18. So my review finds no evidence that John S. Culpepper and Temperance Powell Culpepper had any surviving children except those who appeared on the 1850 census of Dooly County and in the settlement of the estate of John S. Culpepper, including Guardian's account.

Watts B. Powell's genealogy of James and Celia (Hilliard) Powell and their descendants was pubished in 1967 in THE ASA JOINER FAMILY OF MITCHELL COUNTY, GEORGIA, VOLUNE 1, compiled by A. H. Clark of Waycross, GA. Printed by the Cooper Press, Inc., Jacksonville, FL. See page 306-317. Pages 316-317 is the full transcript of the James and Celia Powell Bible Record. Only five children of Temperance Powell Culpepper shown on the 1850 census were listed on Page 309 of this genealogy. Reports that Temperance Powell Culpepper had any additional children requires documentary proof. Temperance would have been about age 18 when Sarah A. Brown was born so it is plausible that "Sary" was another daughter who had married. However, Dooly County Marriage Book A, with entries beginning about MAR 1847, contained no marriage of a Mr. Brown to a Miss Sarah (Sary) _?_. Maybe "Sary" was a just a "servant", such as a "nanny". Temperance was probably busy with farm work and needed help caring for her youngest children....

Robert T. ("Bob") Strong, Jr., Madison, AL

(Names referenced above: Temperance Powell Temperance Powell).11 

Family

John Smith Culpepper (27 Aug 1806 - 6 Mar 1849)
Marriage*circa 1832 She married John Smith Culpepper at Georgia circa 1832. 
Children

Last Edited 9 Oct 2004

Citations

  1. USGenWeb Archives.
    http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/copyright.htm
    http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/ga/mitchell/cemeteries/sunset.txt
    Sunset Historical Cemetery, Camilla, Mitchell Co., GA
    + Temperance Culpepper, 14 Nov 1814 - 3 Feb 1891 (wife of John S. Culpepper).
  2. 1840 Federal Census, United States.
    Page 183 (Image 21), District 915, Lee Co., GA
    John S. Culpepper, 1M0-5, 1 M30-40, 2 F0-5, 2 F10-15, 1 F20-30.
  3. Dooly County Court of the Ordinary, Dooly Co GA Appraisements and Inventories, 1838-1863, Salt Lake City, UT: Genealogical Society of Utah , 1964, Repository: LDS Family History Library - Salt Lake City, Call No. Film # 366,149 - 366,150.
    Inventories & Appraisements 1847-1863, page 120.
  4. 1850 Federal Census, United States.
    Page 257A, District 24, Dooly Co., GA
    Temperance Culpepper, 36, F, $4,000, GA
    Abrose Culpepper, 12, M, GA
    James P. Culpepper, 9, M, GA
    Lenora R. S. Culpepper, 6, F, GA
    Mary Etta J. Culpepper, 4, F, GA
    John L. Culpepper, 1, M, GA
    Lasy A. Brown, 18, F, GA.
  5. Dooly County Court of the Ordinary, Dooly Co GA Deed Books A-F, Salt Lake City, UT: Genealogical Society of Utah , 1964, Repository: LDS Family History Library - Salt Lake City, Call No. Film 366,674 et. al..
    Book D-282.
  6. Dooly County Court of the Ordinary, Dooly Co GA Deed Books A-F, Salt Lake City, UT: Genealogical Society of Utah , 1964, Repository: LDS Family History Library - Salt Lake City, Call No. Film 366,674 et. al..
    Book E-222.
  7. 1860 Federal Census, United States.
    Dooly Co., GA, Slave Schedule
    Temperance Culpepper (3 slaves): 22F, 10F, 10F.
  8. 1860 Federal Census, United States.
    Page 420, Byronsville PO, Dooly Co., GA
    Temperance Culpepper, 45, F, Farmer, $1400/2595, GA
    J. D. Culpepper, 19, M, GA
    A. Culpepper, 22, M, Laborer, GA
    Lenora Culpepper, 16, F, Domestic, GA
    M. Culpepper, 14, F, GA
    John Culpepper, 11, M, GA
    Poctus(?) Clark, 6, F, GA.
  9. 1870 Federal Census, United States.
    Page 381B, Family 1204, Drayton PO, Dooly Co., GA
    Tem Culpepper, 55, F, Farmer, $400/$325, GA
    Mary Culpepper, 24, F, GA
    John S. Culpepper, 21, M, GA.
  10. 1880 Federal Census, United States.
    Page 542A (43), Dwelling 405, ED 20, District 1, Dooly Co., GA
    Tempe Culpepper, Self, F, Wid, 67, --- , GA/NC/NC
    Marietta Culpepper, Dau, F, S, 33, --- , GA/GA/GA
    John S. Culpepper, Son, M, S, 30, --- , GA/GA/GA.
  11. E-mail of 08 Sep 1998 from Robert T. Strong, Jr. <e-mail address>