Fondren Family in Lafayette County, Mississippi in 1870

THE MILES CROCKER Family OF PARIS, LAFAYETTE CO MS

Writer and Submitter: Nifty Granddaughter, Evelyn Crocker

This is the biography of Miles Crocker, who was built-in 12 Apr 1826, Richland Creek, near Pacolet Mills, Spartanburg County, South Carolina to
John and Clora Crocker. He died 09 Jan 1895, at his home one and ane/half mile from Paris, Lafayette County MS. He is resting in the Crocker Family unit cemetery across the road from their erstwhile home site.

His grandparents were Solomon and Susannah Crocker, Solomon Crocker was a Revolutionary War Hero who fought in the boxing of Cowpens.
The Crocker Family was one of the Founding Families of the Carolinas before Statehood. On 03 Oct 1772, Solomon�south father, Arthur Crocker, received a 640-acre grant from King George of England in Carolina, which later on became part of the state of South Carolina in 1788.

Miles married Elizabeth Bernice, aka, Bettie Bryant 31 Aug 1848 at her great grandfather, John Tolleson�s Buzzard Roost now known as Pacolet, Spartanburg Co S. C.. She was the third daughter of William Tolleson Bryant by his first wife, Lucinda Kirby, daughter of Bolling aka Boaling Kirby and Milley Campbell, girl of Abraham Campbell and Amy DeHart aka Hart.

"The Ceremonious War, 1860 - 1865 Years"

Miles Crocker served with the 7th Regiment, South Carolina Reserves (90 days 1862-63) , two of his five brothers were killed during the Civil war, James Crocker was killed in boxing at Kingston, N. C. and John Anderson Crocker was killed at Civil State of war Battle beneath Richmond Va. [ Gaines Mills]. [Source, Index record from National archives confirm his enlistment. 7th Regiment, Southward Carolina Reserves (90 days 1862-63)] His other brothers also serve, A. Matterson Crocker, Thomas Marshall Crocker and Henry C. Crocker. Northward. Robert Crocker, the youngest died in 1862 at age 13.

"Their Children"

Miles and Bettie Crocker aka Coker [1860 Spartanburg Co SC census] had the following children while living in Spartanburg Co S. C. surface area.

1. Lucinda E. Crocker, bn. 13 Nov 1849,
   • death may have occurred between 1860 and 1870 census year.
2. Nancy E. Crocker, bn. 19 Mar 1851,
   • death may have occurred betwixt 1860 and 1870 census years.
3. Susan Catherine Crocker, bn. 23 May 1852,
   • m. John T. Mathias, 28 December 1876,
   • died: 02 Mar 1881, death due to burns in forest and firm fire on Crocker Farm, southeast of Paris, MS.,
   • gave event to two children who died in infancy.
4. James Alfred Crocker, bn. 07 Dec 1853,
   • thou: Sarah Ann Webb, 23 Dec 1875,
   • died: Sep 1892,
   • gave issue to eight children, two died in babyhood.
5. Juliana Crocker, bn. 17 February 1856,
   • died: xix Jan 1881,
6. Frances Dark-brown Crocker, bn. 27 May 1857,
   • m: her deceased sister�s Mary aka Molly�south husband, William D Kestler, 16 Jan 1887,
   • died: 1934,
   • Gave issue to three children of her own, reared a stepdaughter who was her neice, Agie Kestler and a Crocker nephew.
7. John Henry Crocker, bn. 07 Aug 1858,
   • m: Lara Eva Gandy, 01 Mar 1891
   • died: thirteen Oct 1938,
   • gave event to 10 children only 6 reached adulthood.
8. Thomas Crocker, bn. Apr. 1860,
   • died: 1877 nigh Abbeville MS.,
9. Emerge Westward Crocker, bn. 08 Sep 1862,
   • g: William Washington Hollowell, 13 Jan 1881;
   • died, 08 Sep 1952, Paris, Lafayette Co MS.
   • gave consequence to 8 children.
10. Mary R. Crocker, bn. 04 April 1863,
    • chiliad: William D Kestler, 12 Mar 1882,
    • died: 29 Mar 1885,
    • left a daughter, Agie lived to adulthood.
11. Rhoda E Crocker, bn. 02 Sep 1864,
    • thou: Alfred Lafayette Lackey, 25 Dec 1883,
    • died 1889.(His mother, Susan Crane Kirby, was also a sister to Adeline Kirby Bryant.]
    • gave issue to v children, two lived to adulthood.
12. Celia Adeline [Addie] Crocker Jan 1868,
    • thou: widower Wiley Byron Martin, 05 Apr 1898,
    • died: 1918.
    • Three children of her own and iv step children.

They had a total of twenty 9 grandchildren and sixty-four known great grandchildren, x are before long living, carrying on the Crocker/Bryant bloodline and their pioneer spirits.
Due to the births pattern, they may accept had more children who died at nascence. There are thirteen un-marked graves in the Crocker Family cemetery. The Miles Crocker bible, that is in possession of this author, Evelyn Crocker is very inconsistence concerning the births or deaths of the Crocker family unit members.

"Mississippi Bound"

In November 1865, when the reconstruction began in Spartanburg Co. S. C., the Army of the Confederacy had received their pardons from the Union regime past giving their Adjuration of Allegiances to the Union. The Miles Crocker aka Coker Family decided they had had enough and with encouragement from their Mississippi, Bryant and Kirby relatives decided to migrate to Northern Mississippi. [Information technology has come to my attention that Alfred Tollison Bryant was already living in Lafayette canton Mississippi, he came earlier the Civil War and served with a Mississippi militia. He is the one who most likely convinced Miles and Bettie Bryant Crocker to migrate and settle in Southeast Lafayette County, Mississippi, since their destination was the Alfred and Addie Bryant�southward farm.]

"According to the Crocker Family Bible, Miles Crocker and family left Spartanburg, ix November. 1865 for the state of Mississippi and landed at A. T. {Alfred Tolleson) Briants eleven Dec. 1865." The Briants lived west of Banner near the Calhoun and Lafayette County line.

"Miles and Betty and their ten older children loaded their belonging into a large cover wagon with a squad of two oxen and tied a milk cow backside and started to Mississippi. We believe they followed the Indian trails through Georgia and Alabama. The children would ride awhile and walk awhile, when they stopped for the nighttime, the children did their chores. Earlier they arrived to their destination, one of the oxen died so neat granddaddy Miles simply harnessed the Milch Cow with the remaining ox and they continued their journey, settling in Lafayette County Mississippi, one mile eastward of Paris. They completed their journey in thirty-two days.

"Kinfolks and Neighbors"

The Bryant, Kirby, Gore relatives of Miles and Bettie Bryant Crocker who settled in Southeastern Lafayette Co , N eastern Calhoun, Northwestern Chickasaw and East Yalobusha Counties between 1859 and 1869 were the following,

1. Alfred Tolleson Bryant, his wife, Adeline 'Addie' Kirby,
2. William Kirby Bryant who married Elva Darcy Harvey,
3. Missouri Jane Bryant who married George Washington Vaughn,
4. Hannah A. Bryant and hubby, Franklin Harvey, they arrived in 1867,[ His mother was Mary Polly Ann Bryant, a sister to Hannah�southward father, William Tolleson Bryant.]
5. Mary Amanda Bryant, who lived with brother, William K and married Andrew Jackson Jack Caput in Lafayette Co MS.,
6. James Pinckney Bryant (a brother to Bettie Bryant Crocker) and wife besides 2d cousin, Rhoda Carolina Kibry Green Bryant girl of James T. Kirby of Spartanburg Co SC. [a 2d cousin as well as sis-in law to Bettie Bryant Crocker and her siblings]
7. Blasingame Kirby (blood brother of Adeline Kirby Bryant} and family,
8. Bolen C Kirby {also blood brother of Adeline Kirby Bryant] and family unit,
9. Birdigh Rector Monroe Kirby {a 2d cousin of Adeline Kirby Bryant} and Family settled Chickasaw Co.
10. Martha Kirby, a sister of Adeline Kirby Bryant who married Jesse Clark,
11. Mile Hendon Kirby was another brother of Adeline Kirby Bryant,
12. Samuel Monroe Kirby, � brother to Addie Kirby Bryant, settled in Lafayette Co

The following Gores were children of Miles Crocker�s Aunt Dorcus Crocker Gore, who migrated to Lafayette County neighboring counties of Yalobusha, Calhoun and Chickasaw from Calhoun Co Alabama,

1. Joshua Gore and family settled in Yalobusha Co. MS.,
2. Caleb Gore and family settled about Banner Calhoun Co MS.,
3. John Ashford Gore, a nephew to Miles Crocker settled near Banner Calhoun Co MS.

These were Miles Crocker or his married woman, Elizabeth Bernice Bryant�due south relatives who settled either in Southeastern Lafayette County or in the neighboring counties of Calhoun or Yalobusha.

"Occupation"

Miles and Betty Crocker had build several houses on their land for their share croppers who were mostly family members, Miles at once had 710 acres of land in deeds or deeds of trust co-ordinate to the Lafayette Co. Land Sectional Index located in the Lafayette Co Chancery Edifice�s State function. Miles Crocker not just provided homes for share croppers, he and his sons were blacksmiths, farmers, grist and saw millers in both
S. C. and S East Lafayette Canton MS, equally well every bit a large belongings owner between Paris and Potlockney MS.
The board of Law assigned Miles the duty of keeping the bridges of the One-time Sardis route repaired, which joined his property. [Source: the broad of police record in the Chancery Building Land office.]

"Crocker Landmarks and Heirlooms"

There are local landmarks i 1/2 mile east of Paris on Canton Route 428 which still bears the Crocker name, the local people refers to Dickey creek as Crocker creek, there is a deep pigsty in Crocker creek in one case known every bit CROCKER HOLE, where the Baptist once baptized and local people swam. Dean Gandy at present owns that part of the creek and has blocked off the swimming and baptismal pigsty. In addition, in that location is a heavy wooded surface area here known as the Crocker Wood; a timber company cut most of this in 2003. Marjorie Reid Morgan Heirs who own 74 acres of the old Crocker Place take replanted information technology with pine trees. The ane acre Crocker Family Cemetery is likewise in this department.

There are two items that belonged to Miles and Bettie Crocker which are still in use today. Their bible and the calender clock which Miles bought in 1877 from a peddler in the old boondocks of Paris. Its story is typed on a sail of newspaper and glued in the inside door of the clock.

THE STORY OF THE MILES CROCKER Family CLOCK AND CALENDER

"The Crocker Clock and Calender was bought in 1872, from a peddler in Paris, Lafaeytte County MS.. He came by railroad train to H2o Valley where he exited the train and rented a equus caballus." "He had four bags with him , in each bag he had a big upright mantle clock and calender combination. These clock calenders were virtually 3 ft past one foot. He place ii of the bags across the front end of his saddle in front of the horn and the other two he place across the back of the saddle on the rump of the horse. And then, begin his trip to Paris, which today is virtually eleven miles." He sold ii of the clock calenders before arriving at Paris, when arriving at that place he went to the General Store where he establish Miles Crocker and a Mr Davis who were inticed to buy the final two clocks for their homes." This was told to me by my Crocker cousin, Sidney Vaughn the present owner of the Crocker Family calander clock Sidney' s mother, Clyde May Lacky Vaughn , who was reared past her Crocker grandparents, husband, Mallard Vaughn bought the Clock & Calender in 1919 when Clyde'southward Grandmother, his Bryant Aunt, Sidney's and mine Not bad Grandmother, Bettie E. Crocker'due south estate was auctioned to settle her debts. When Sidney received the calander clock the veneer above and below the faces were peeling off. Since he was a forest craftman repairing it was simple. When he finished doing so the calander clock appears as new equally the day it was bought 130 years ago.

Told to Evelyn Crocker by her 1st cousin once removed, Sidney Vaughn, January seven 2007.

"Their Journeying's Ends"

Like many of the pioneers of their time, Miles and Bettie Crocker experienced many hardships during their lifetime such as wars, wild fires, economic depression, drought diseases and epidemics.

His life between 1865 and 1895 totaled thirty years in Lafayette County and hers between 1865 and 1919, totaled 54 years, 24 years as a widow near Paris, Lafayette County MS. rearing their children and grandchildren, several of the grandchildren were motherless or fatherless orphans.

This account of the Miles Crocker family unit of Paris, Ms. includes but the names of the siblings, in-laws and children of Miles and Elizabeth Bernice aka Bettie Bryant Crocker whose ancestry dates back to Colonial days in Virginia, and Carolina, including such Maiden Names as: Mary Ray, Katherine Clark Thompkins, Joannah Owen, Jemina aka Gemina Bolling, Amy DeHart, Milly Campbell, Anny Muse and Nancy Tolleson.

Page final Modified: Fri, 09-Mar-2018 02:48:33 CST

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