Joel Culpepper of Sumter Co., AL

Male, #3971, (circa 1803 - 5 Jul 1875)

ParentJoseph Culpepper of Jackson Co. GA (circa 1765 - before 6 May 1816)
ParentNancy (?) (circa 1770 - after 1830)
Joel Culpepper of Sumter Co., AL|b. circa 1803\nd. 5 Jul 1875|p3971.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 1803 Joel was born at Jackson Co., Georgia, circa 1803. 
 He was the son of Joseph Culpepper of Jackson Co. GA and Nancy (?). 
(free wh male 16-18) 1820 Census7 Aug 1820 Joel was probably a free white male between the age of 16 and 18, 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 
Land Lottery*1821 He had a fortunate draw in the land lottery in 1821 at Stricklands District, Jackson Co., Georgia, (lot 192-8 in Dooly Co., GA).2 
Marriage*25 Dec 1823 He married Amelia Yarbrough at Jackson Co., Georgia, on 25 Dec 1823.3,4 
(Deed Witness) Deed6 Feb 1827 He witnessed a deed grant by Allison Culpepper of Georgia to Ambrose Yarbrough on 6 Feb 1827 at Jackson Co., Georgia.
(Two deeds, same date and page: (1) Allison Culpepper to Ambrose Yarbrough for $100: 40 acres on Candler's Creek, part of a tract granted to David Allen. Wit: Joel Culpepper, Dennis Duncan, and (2) Allison Culpepper to Ambrose Yarbrough for $240: 200 acres on Candler's Creek, part of 1000 acres granted to E. Marbury. Wit: Joel Culpepper, Dennis Duncan.
).5 
1830 Census*1 Jun 1830 Joel was listed as the head of a family on the 1830 Census at Jackson Co., Georgia.6 
Land Lottery1832 He had a fortunate draw in the land lottery in 1832 at Jackson Co., Georgia, (lot 1010/18/3 in what became Paulding Co., GA, and lot 873/3/2 in what became Cherokee Co., GA).7 
Deed27 Aug 1836 He granted a deed on 27 Aug 1836 at Jackson Co., Georgia.
(Joel Culpepper to John Henderson for $800: land on Oconee River & Broad River, 278 acres adjacent to John Henderson, part of 800 acres granted to John Mackie, then to Wm. Mackie, then to Joseph Yarbrough, and by his administrators to said Joel Culpepper. Wit: David Evans.).8 
1850 Census*1 Jun 1850 Joel was listed as the head of a family on the 1850 Census on 1 Jun 1850 at Woods, Sumter Co., Alabama.9 
Voted*1856 He voted in an election in 1856 at Woods, Sumter Co., Alabama.10 
1860 Slave Census*1 Jun 1860 Joel was listed as a slave owner on the 1860 Census at Sumter Co., Alabama, and owned 1 female slave, age 60.11 
1860 Census*1 Jun 1860 Joel was listed as the head of a family on the 1860 Census at Sumter Co., Alabama.12 
Voted1861 He voted in an election in 1861 at Rosserville, Sumter Co., Alabama.10 
Marriage*14 Mar 1861 He married Lucinda W. Lovejoy at Sumter Co., Alabama, on 14 Mar 1861.13 
1870 Census*1 Jun 1870 Joel was listed as the head of a family on the 1870 Census at Sumter Co., Alabama.14 
Death*5 Jul 1875 He died at Sumter Co., Alabama, on 5 Jul 1875. 
Research note*14 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.15 

Family 1

Amelia Yarbrough (circa 1803 - 1860)
Marriage*25 Dec 1823 He married Amelia Yarbrough at Jackson Co., Georgia, on 25 Dec 1823.3,4 
Children

Family 2

Lucinda W. Lovejoy (circa 1822 - )
Marriage*14 Mar 1861 He married Lucinda W. Lovejoy at Sumter Co., Alabama, on 14 Mar 1861.13 
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
    Joel Culpepper and Milly Yarbrough on 25 Dec 1833 (sic) in Jackson Co., GA.
  4. Jackson County Court of the Ordinary, compiler, Jackson Co., GA Marriages, 1805 – 1903, Salt Lake City, UT: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1963, Repository: LDS Family History Library - Salt Lake City, Call No. Films 325,652 - 325,654.
    Joel Culpepper and Milly Yarbrough on 25 Dec 1823 in Jackson Co., GA, Book ABC-143.
  5. 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 L, page 32.
  6. 1830 Federal Census, United States.
    Page 338, Jackson Co., GA
    Joel Culpepper, 1 M0-5, 1 M5-10, 1 M20-30, 2F 0-5, 1 F20-30.
  7. Rev. S. Emmett Lucas Jr., The 1832 Gold Lottery of Georgia, Easley, SC: Southern Historical Press, 1988, Repository: LDS Family History Library - Salt Lake City, Call No. 975.8 R2lb.
    Joel Culpepper, Baughs District, Jackson Co., GA, drew lot 1010/18/3 in what became Paulding Co., GA, and lot 873/3/2 in what became Cherokee Co., GA, 1832.
  8. 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 495.
  9. 1850 Federal Census, United States.
    Pages 340A/Line 32 thru 340B/Line 3, Woods, Sumter Co., AL
    Joel Culpepper, 47, M, Farmer, RE=$500, GA (ID: 3971)
    Milly Culpepper, 47, F, GA
    Hulda Culpepper, 23, F, GA
    Ellen Culpepper, 19, F, GA
    Gabrilla Culpepper, 17, F, GA
    Herbert Culpepper, 15, M, GA
    Matthew Culpepper, 13, M, GA
    Harbin Culpepper, 12, M, AL
    Hardin Culpepper, 10, M, AL
    Melburn Culpepper, 8, M, AL
    Malachi Culpepper, 6, M, AL
    Walker Culpepper, 4, M, AL
    William Culpepper, 21, M, Farmer, GA
    Ambrose Culpepper, 20, M, Farmer, GA.
  10. James T. Dawson, compiler, Sumter County, Alabama Voting Lists: 1834 - 1861 (3 vols.), Meridian, Mississippi: Lauderdale County Dept of Archives and History, 1988, Repository: LDS Family History Library - Salt Lake City, Call No. US/CAN Book 976.141 N4d.
    Joel Culpepper voted at Woods, Sumter Co., AL, on 3 Mar 1856
    Joel Culpepper voted at Woods, Sumter Co., AL, on 4 Aug 1856
    Joel Culpepper voted at Rosserville, Sumter Co., AL, on 5 Aug 1861.
  11. 1860 Federal Census, United States.
    Slave Schedule, Page 23, Southern Division, Sumter Co., AL
    Joel Culpeper owned 1 female slave, age 60.
  12. 1860 Federal Census, United States.
    Page 491B, Lines 15-20, Southern Division, Sumter Co., AL
    Joel Culpeper, 60, M, Farmer, GA
    Milly Culpeper, 55, F, GA
    Hardy Culpeper, 29, M, GA
    Milburn Culpeper, 17, M, AL
    Mariah Culpeper, 15, F, AL
    Dock Culpeper, 13, M, AL.
  13. Family Adventures, compiler, Early Alabama Marriages (36 vols.), Shreveport, Louisiana: J & W Ent., 1991, Repository: LDS Family History Library - Salt Lake City, Call No. US/CAN 976.1 V2e.
    Joel Culpepper married Lucinda W. Blann on 14 Mar 1861 in Sumter Co., Alabama.
  14. 1870 Federal Census, United States.
    Page 143B, Lines 12-16, Cuba, Sumter Co., AL
    Joel Culpepper, 67, M, Wh, Farmer, RE=$400, PE=$500, GA
    Lucinda Culpepper, 45, F, Wh, Keeps house, GA
    Anthony Culpepper, 21, M, Wh, Farm Laborer, AL
    John J. Culpepper, 8, M, Wh, AL
    Lucinda Culpepper, 5, F, Wh, AL.
  15. Lewis W. Griffin Jr., 4307 North 34th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85018, e-mail address, Phone: (602) 955-2597.