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JOHN GAYLOR (1822-1853)
MARTHA ANN SIMPSON (1827-1887)
Married about 1844 in Warren County, Tennessee
Abt 1867
(Martha married #2: William Brummett 13 Sep 1854 in Barry Co MO)
(Martha married #3: William C. McCord 10 Sep 1867 in Collin Co TX)
John Gaylor was born about 1822 in Tennessee. It is not known for sure where in Tennessee he was born, however, based on census, some circumstantial evidence & recent DNA matches, he is connected to Georgia/Alabama.
John Gaylor was the son of John Gaylor Sr, born abt 1798, is believed to have left North Carolina soon after the War of 1812 with his father JAMES GAYLOR, a Revolutionary War veteran, along with other relatives. The old patriarch James Gaylor, 2d wife Margaret & children later left Gwinett County GA , settling on the Cherokee lands of northwest Georgia about the time son John Sr went to TN & IL. They were considered "intruders" since this land was not yet officially open for white settlement. John Sr's wife Sarah was the daughter of Joseph & Elizabeth Downey who had also settled in Gwinett County, Georgia. Joseph Downey was a Revolutionary War veteran from South Carolina. The Downey family also settled in northwest GA, near the Gaylor's, after it was opened up for white settlement.
It is now believed that John Jr, after reaching adulthood, left Cherokee County,
Alabama & moved back to Tennessee during the 1840's where his sweetheart, Martha Ann
Simpson still resided. Martha was born 11 February 1827, probably in Ohio, but as a
child is believed to have resided near McMinnville in the southwest part of Warren
County, Tennessee, near present day Coffee & Grundy counties. Martha's parents, WILLIAM & MATILDA (ROWLAND) SIMPSON
, were originally from Shenandoah County,
Virginia, leaving that area during the 1820's. It is likely they took the northern route to
the "west", along the Ohio River, residing briefly in Ohio before eventually settling in
Tennessee by 1830. Several of Matilda (Rowland) Simpson's siblings are now believed to
have left Virginia & settled in that area of central Tennessee several years earlier. These
siblings are believed to have included brothers Reason & George Rowland as well as sister
Rosanna (Rowland) Reeder. There were, however, several unrelated Rowland &
Simpson families from North Carolina who also resided in this area of Tennessee.
Martha Simpson married John Gaylor Jr about 1844. A marriage record cannot be
found for John & Martha and the county in which they were married is not known for
sure, but was probably near McMinnville, Warren County. Their son, Andrew Jackson
"Jack" Gaylor was born in 1846/49, probably in Warren County. Daughter Sarah Matilda was
born 1847 & sons Joseph 1845/46 & Abslom in 1849. It is not known if son Andrew Jackson Gaylor was actually Joseph or Abslom. Sarah Matilda was named after her paternal & maternal grandmothers.
Martha's father died in Warren County during the 1840's & her mother Matilda
resided with the Gaylor family when they moved north to the Granville area of southern
Jackson County, Tennessee. This move was made about 1847, since an "unclaimed letter"
for Matilda Simpson is on record at the McMinnville Post Office during that year.
Martha's brother William Rowland Simpson, born 1831, was residing next door with his
young bride Eliza, the daughter of Robert Biggs. William & Eliza Simpson raised their
family near that Granville area of Jackson County, Tennessee. Not much else is known about John Gaylor Jr, but it seems likely they journeyed back to Alabama & Georgia for a brief visit with relatives before beginning their long arduous trip to Barry County, located in the Ozarks of southwestern Missouri. Martha's older sister Roseanna had already settled in Barry County with her husband Rev Joel F. Mitchell about a decade earlier. Rev Mitchell, an ordained Southern Baptist minister, was instrumental in starting several Baptist churches in southwest Missouri and northwest Arkansas, including Twelve Corners Baptist Church near Pea Ridge, Arkansas.
George & Isabella Rowland & their son George P. Rowland, left Franklin County, TN during the 1830's & also settled in this area of Barry County. George Rowland, born 1770's in Virginia, is believed?? (but not proven) to be Martha's uncle, an older brother of Martha's mother Matilda. These Rowlands later moved to nearby Pea Ridge & were members of the Twelve Corners Baptist Church organized by Martha's brother-in-law, Rev Joel Mitchell.
It seems possible that Martha's mother Matilda still resided with them when they moved on to Missouri. As mentioned above, Matilda's other daughter Roseanna Mitchell & possible brother George Rowland's family had settled there several years earlier. It is not know for sure which route John & Martha Gaylor took to Missouri, but it is possible they gathered all of their earthly belongings & took the old trail used by the Cherokees over a decade earlier on the infamous forced removal march called the "Trail of Tears". Many white settlers from Tennessse, AL & GA used this old trail enroute to new lands of the west in southern Missouri and northern Arkansas. This old trail went through Nashville & middle Tennesse, the western corner of Kentucky, southern Illinois to Cape Girardeau, MO, continuing on through southern Missouri & into southern Barry County, Missouri.
It is also possible they boarded a keelboat or steamship & headed down either the Tennessee or Cumberland River. The Tennessee River flowed south from Tennessee into Alabama, then west through northern Alabama, north through western Tennessee & Kentucky, emptying into the Ohio River near Paducah, Kentucky, just south of the Illinois border. The Cumberland River flowed west across northern Tennessee, then north thru Kentucky, emptying into the Tennessee River, south of Paducah.
These are the routes many settlers from Tennessee, Alabama & Georgia took to the lands of the "west". John's parents, John & Sarah (Downey) Gaylor probably took one of these routes, either water or overland, when they left Tennessee & settled in southern Illinois during the 1820's.
The Ohio River flowed west for a few miles before emptying into the Mississippi River near Cairo in the southern tip of Illinois, where Missouri, Kentucky & Illinois join. From there, if John Jr & family took this route, their boat would have journeyed south, down the Mississippi. Then they may have outfitted a wagon & joined up with a wagon train heading cross country over the mountainous and difficult terrain of southern Missouri into Barry County. They settled in southwestern Barry County, Missouri in an area known as Roller's Ridge of the Washburn Prairie, Sugar Creek Township, near what is is now known as the town of Seligman. It is believed that John Gaylor, Jr died about 1853 possibly along the trail & never made it to Barry County.
While in Barry County, the widowed Martha married widower William Brummett in September 1854. Her brother-in-law, Rev Joel Mitchell performed the ceremony. Joel F. Mitchell was a baptist minister, slave owner and Confederate sympathizer who was bushwhacked by Federals during the Civil War.
The turmoil of pre-civil war years was gradually increasing in this area of Missouri, Arkansas, & nearby Kansas during this time of the mid 1850's. The Brummett & Gaylor families were not slave owners, or large land owners, just simple, hard working farmers, who struggled to make a living during their journeys throughout the south. Their neighbors on the Washburn Prairie, including the Mitchells, were mostly slave owners & established land owners, also from the south, but there were also many northerners who had settled all around them. Most of these settlers who were from diverse backgrounds of various areas of the country, both north and south, were good, descent people. However the emotional issues of the day were about to get out of hand with political extremists & local "bushwhackers" from both groups leading the nation to the eventual Civil War. Martha's brother-in-law Rev Joel F. Mitchell, a Confederate sympathizer, was killed by Federal bushwhackers during the war.
From "The First Century of Seligman, Missouri, 1881-1981" is the following:
A couple of years before the war, the Gaylor - Brummett family, also believed to be southern sympathizers, evidently decided that it was time to settle in a safer area where there were fewer northern influences & partisan conflicts between pro and anti slavery or other states rights issues. William Brummett's brother and other relatives had settled in northeast Texas about a decade earlier. William decided to move his family to this area around 1858. It is quite likely that the family traveled in a group of other settlers by wagon train entering northern Arkansas along the old Osage Trail into Fayetteville. Here in Fayetteville, they may have completed the outfitting of their wagons with certain provisions they couldn't find in Barry County.
They most likely headed west into Indian Territory and eventually made it to the Texas Trail, near Fort Gibson and the 3 forks area of the Cherokee Nation. Most early settlers again stocked up and rested as necessary at Fort Gibson after this 2d phase of the trip to north Texas. They headed south along this Texas Trail, which was another major frontier turnpike for freighters and settlers traveling through the Cherokee & Choctaw Nations of Indian Territory. The final phase of this long journey would be crossing the Red River and entering northeast Texas. This road crossed the Red River into Texas at Colbert's "Ferry, just northwest of the area in Fannin County, TX where they settled. The
Gaylor/Brummett family settled a few miles northwest of Ladonia, Fannin County, Texas.
***********************
1867 - Collin Co TX (Marriage Records) They most likely travelled as a group, settling near Ft Gibson of the Cherokee Nation. Martha's son Robert “Bob” Brummett, from her marriage to William Brummett, also
made the move. Martha’s step-son John Brummett remained in Missouri & it is believed
that wife Amanda died young, about 1880, leaving John with 2 young sons. According to
Mitchell family tradition, these 2 sons were left in the care of brother in law James
Mitchell, who resided near Seligman, Barry County, MO. John moved on to Arkansas
where he married Mary Smith & eventually settled in the Cherokee Nation about 1888 &
raised another family near Wagoner.
Nothing more is known about Martha's 3d husband William McCord, but Martha
resided for several years with her daughter, Sarah Matilda. Evidently Sarah’s husband
Ivera Wright died & she married blacksmith, Frederick M. Uhls in 1871. They resided
under permit near Ft Gibson in the Illinois District but later moved to Muskogee. Sarah
Uhls & brother "Tom" Gaylor applied jointly for Cherokee Citizenship in 1878, but were
rejected. Martha's son "Jack" Gaylor and family left the area about 1875 and eventually settled in Wyoming. Her son "Tom" & his Cherokee wife Nancy Alberty settled northeast of Wagoner in the Coweescoowee District of Cherokee Nation and was a rancher on the Gaylor Bend, west side of the Grand River for many years. Son “Bob” Brummett & wife
Lummie also moved to that area but eventually settled in nearby Hulbert. It is believed that Martha moved to the Gaylor Bend area and died at her son Tom’s
home place in 1887. She was buried in the Gaylor Bend Cemetery. Her son "Tom"
Gaylor and other family members were later buried near her. This family cemetery was
among the several small cemeteries which were later relocated to the Pioneer Memorial
Cemetery near Wagoner during the establishment of Fort Gibson Reservoir.
These notes were compiled from material gathered since 1980 by personal research & correspondence. Other than my parents, grandparents, aunts/uncles & other individuals mentioned in the narrative, I am especially grateful to the following "cousins" whose records, photographs, stories & oral traditions, along with my own, helped us all gain a better understanding of our family heritage.
- - - - -
Georgia Hulett & daughter Jean Werts, Dubois, Wyo, descendants of Jack Gaylor
Linda French, Wagoner, OK, descendant of John & Martha's son "Tom" Gaylor
Jim Odell, Mae Windrix & Linda Smith of OK, descendants of Jack Gaylor's half-brother Bob Brummett
Raymond & Carolyn Simpson, descendant of William Rowland Simpson, brother of Martha Gaylor
Gayle Wilcox & Mary Louise Bates of Texas, descendants of Roseanna (Simpson) Mitchell, sister of Martha Gaylor
Ann Corum of Hazel Green, AL, descendant of John & Sarah (Downey) Gaylor
Also, Gertrude Nolan's Gaylor newsletter has been a great help "sorting through" the various Gaylor families.
- - - - - - -
If these notes, excerpts or photos are copied, shared with others, published or displayed on the internet, it will be appreciated that proper genealogical etiquette be observed, acknowledging the compiler. Any "legitimate" additions or corrections, etc. will also be greatly appreciated.
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JOHN & SARAH (DOWNEY) GAYLOR
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1850 - Federal Census (Jackson County, TN) Page 314 15th District
GALER, JOHN,Born TN,Age 28, Farmer/NoLand
Martha,Born TN,Age 22
Joseph, born TN,,Age 5/////Sarah,BornTN,Age4/////Abslom,Born TN,Age1
MATILDA SIMPSON,Born VA,Age 65 (Mother of Martha & William Simpson)
(Son John Thomas "Tom" Gaylor was born after this 1850 census)
(NEXT DOOR)
SIMPSON, WILLIAM,Born TN,Age 18, Elisa 20/TN
(Don's Note: This district #15 (at that time) was near Granville in the southwestern
corner of Jackson County). "Old Cherokee Families", page 225, a book concerning early
settlers of Indian Territory (Okla) states: "John Thomas Gaylor, born June 20, 1851 in
Marion Co., Tennessee."
****************************
Soon after the 1850 census, John & Martha moved their family to Marion Co TN in southern TN near the Alabama & Georgia borders, where their youngest son John Thomas "Tom" Gaylor was born in 1851. This is very near where some of John's relatives still resided in that area of Alabama/Georgia, including his uncle Andrew James Gaylor. John's parents, John & Sarah, had settled farther south in Coosa County, Alabama during this time.
********************************
13 Sep 1854 - Barry Co MO (Marriage Record) MARTHA ANN GAILOR to William
Brumet. J.F. Mitchell, M.G.
(Note: Joel F. Mitchell was a baptist minister. He was a slave owner and Confederate
sympathizer who was bushwhacked by Federals during the Civil War.)
********************************
William Brummett was an older man, born about 1811, whose first wife Nancy Ray
died around 1854. William had several children from his previous marriage to Nancy
Ray. They were Elizabeth, Mary Jane, Narcissa, Martha, William, Johnson & John
Brummett. Mr Brummett became the step-father of the Gaylor children.They resided in
Sugar Creek Township, in an area known as Roller's Ridge of the Washburn Prairie which
was situated about 2 miles northwest of what is now the small town of Seligman, near the
Arkansas line. Their close neighbors, other than Martha's sister Roseanna Mitchell, were
Montgomery Hamilton, the King & Harbin families, & other families who were all
pioneer settlers of that area. Widow Nancy Pallett and her family had settled there from
Cass County MO during the 1850's. Her son Richard Pallett married Roseanna (Simpson)
Mitchell's daughter Martha Jane.
page 11 "During the Civil War, the country about Seligman was divided--Union and Confederate--mostly Confederate. The area was infested with bushwhackers--groups of men, riding horseack and attacking defenseless men and women in their homes--some supported by the Union Army. - - - - - - - - -Some bushwhackers resorted to torture and murder to obtain information as to where people might have gold or silver buried. Another bushwhacker tactic was to set neighbor against neighbor. - - - - - - - - - -
page 203 "Joel F. Mitchell and his son William F. Mitchell were bushwhacked in 1864 just south of the barn on the Mitchell farm. They along with Roseanna Simpson Mitchell, who passed away in 1898 at the age of 82 and John Pallet are buried just north of the original family home. When Joe Mitchell returned home from the Civil War and learned that his father and brother had been bushwhacked, he saddled a horse and left home to find the men who had murdered his father and brother. He was later killed in the state of Texas by some of those same men who murdered his father and brother."
1860 - Federal Census (Ladonia Presc #4, Fannin County, TX)
Brummett, Wm Born TN, aged 50/Farmer/No Land
M.A.(Martha), born 1827 Ohio
Elizabeth21/Narcissa18/MarthaA16/William13/JohnsonM11/John9 (All Brummett's
from William's 1st marr to Nancy Ray)
Also (below) the GAYLOR children from Martha's 1st marriage to John Gaylor
Joel 14/Sarah 13/Abslom 11/John T (Tom) 10
Jefferson Brummett, Age 2 (Son of William Brummett & Martha)
(Don's Note: Not sure if Andrew Jack Gaylor was Joseph/Joel or Abslom. Wm Brummett & Martha's son Robert "Bob" Brummett born after the
census. Martha & family resided in Indian Territory during the year 1870 & since no
federal census records exist for Indian Territory during that year, other children born to
William & Martha can't be identified by name.)
****************************
Martha married William C. McCord in Collin County, TX on Sep 10, 1867. Her son
Jack married Sarah Elizabeth "Sallie" Pendleton 2 days later on Sep 12, 1867. During
this same week, Jack’s step-sister Narcissus Brummett married his wife Sallie's brother
Melvin Pendleton. They most likely journeyed 15 miles to the county seat of McKinney
where the ceremonies were performed and registered with the court.
**********************
30 Jul 1867 - Collin Co TX (Voter Registration)
J.F.. GAYLOR, Born TN Left State (possibly Joseph mentioned in 1850/60 census)
W.G. PENDLETON
(Note: Jack's future brother-in-law next to J.F. Gaylor on the register)
10 Sep 1867 -WILLIAM C. McCORD married MARTHA ANN BRUMETT
12 Sep 1867 - A.J. GAYLOR married SARAH E. PENDLETON
19 Sep 1867 - MELVIN PENDLETON married NARCISSUS BRUMETT
(J.M. Benge, Court Clerk)
*************************
During this same year, they all moved back to Sugar Creek Township of Barry County,
MO for a couple of years. Ironically, Martha & her family were most likely caught up in this unrest and turmoil of post civil war Texas. The very reason they left Missouri a
decade earlier. The political turmoil of this area of Missouri had quieted down
considerably after the war and evidently, the family still had a strong Mitchell family
connection there. While in Barry County, Martha’s daughter Sarah Matilda married
Ivera Wright in 1868. During that same year, Martha’s step-son John Brummett married
her niece, Amanda Mitchell, daughter of Roseanna(Simpson) Mitchell. Baptist minister
Williamson Seamster, the founder of the Rock Springs Baptist Church, performed the
ceremonies. It is believed the family belonged to the Rock Springs Baptist Church during
this period of their return to Missouri. They remained there about two years and then
backtracked into Indian Territory probably using the same Texas & Osage trails.
Children of John & Martha (Simpson) Gaylor:
Born: 7 Jan 1846/49 Warren Co TN
Married 1: SARAH ELIZABETH “Sallie”
PENDLETON 12 Sep 1867 Collin Co TX
Married 2: Margaret Rutledge 4 Nov 1890 Lander, Fremont Co WY (Divorced)
Married 3: Elizabeth Shinholser 11 Jan 1899 Macon, GA
Died: 19 Apr 1921 Yosemite, CA
Buried: Knights of Pythias, Merced, CA
NOT SURE IF ANDREW WAS JOSEPH/JOEL OR ABSLOM MENTIONED IN THE 1850/60 CENSUS.
Child 2: SARAH MATILDA
GAYLOR
Born: 1847 Jackson Co TN
Married 1: Elbert Jordan 20 Apr 1865 Fannin Co TX (Annulled/Divorced?)
Married 2: Ivera B. Wright 4 May 1868 Barry Co MO
Married 3: FREDERICK McDONALD UHLS 16 Aug 1871 Fort Gibson, Cherokee
Nation
Died: 2 Jul 1887 Muskogee Indian Terr
Buried: Greenhill Cemetery, Muskogee
Child 3: JOHN THOMAS “TOM” GAYLOR
Born: 28 Jun 1851 Marion Co TN
Married 1: Martha abt 1871 Ft Gibson, Cherokee Nation, Indian Terr
Married 2: NANCY ALBERTY 15 Apr 1881 Ft Gibson, Cherokee Nation
Married 3: Nancy Foreman 3 Jan 1901 Wagoner, Cherokee Nation
Died: 25 Nov 1902 Muskogee, Indian Terr
Buried: Pioneer Memorial Cemetery, Wagoner, OK
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