Sunday, February 06, 2005

Summary of Pertinent Data

Summary of Pertinent Data in Pension Records in the National Archives.
Veteran's Name: Givens, John W.
Case No.: C2563232

Parents: Not mentioned

Births: On February 17, 1836, in "Mackalburg" (Also given as Mecklenburg) County, North Carolina.

Marriage: The Veteran married Nancy Ann Amanda McGill on January 13, 1859 in Escambia County, Florida. In 1903, she was 64 years of age and died shortly thereafter, but the date of her death is not given. On December 24, 1907, the verteran married Alice Fralish in Blue Springs, Alabama. In 1908, she was 35 years of age. (From Bible, Amanda died Aug. 22, 1907).

Children: Laura Ann, born Oct. 26, 1859 (Deaths from Bible), Nov. 23, 1910;
John H. born March 17, 1862; James A. born January 19, 1867, died June 30, 1922; William S. born August 25, 1869, died Sept 19, 1907; Joseph H. born February 28, 1872, died July 26, 1907; Henry T. born September 29, 1874; Green B. born May 18, 1879, died Nov 19, 1904; Gerald Elisha, born April 20, 1862, died April 9, 1907.

In 1898, Henry T. Givens was living in Laurel Hill, (in Walton County at that time), and in 1902, Joseph H. Givens was living in that place.

Other Family: Amanda M. Givens, 13 years of age in 1903 and residing in Laurel Hill, Florida at that date. Relationship to veteran not given. (This was his granddaughter).

Residence: In 1907 the veteran stated that since leaving the service in 1864, he has resided in Baldwin County, Alabama, Escambia County, Florida, Covington County, Alabama, and Walton County, Florida, (now Okaloosa County). The Pension File indicates that he [John W. Givens, the veteran], was residing in Muscogee, Escambia County, Florida in 1893, in Baldwin County, Alabama in 1895, and in Laurel Hill, Walton County, Florida from 1896 until his death. In 1908 his widow was living in Laurel Hill.

Death: The veteran died on August 4, (Also given ?) 1903.

Service: Private, Company B, 1st Regiment, Florida Volunteer Cavalry, Civil War. In an affidavit executed by the veteran on July 2, 1896, he stated that "he has never served in the Confederate States Army."

Pension: The veterans claim for pension was allowed.

Note: Dates of death of dependants was taken from Bible records. This further information also came from Bible:

Laura Givens married H.N. Sowell March 19, 1874 and their children are Gerald Edward Sowell, born July 31, 1877 (never married) and John Hezekiah Sowell, born Aug 22, 1879.

[This may be incomplete as photocopy looked as if content was continued on another page, which I haven't located at this date].

Baldwin County Alabama Research

Givens, Gussie S., b. 25 Jan 1906, d. 08 May 1956, bur. TA
Whistler Cemetery, Whistler, Mobile Co., AL (Interment.net)

Amanda Elizabeth Givens (wife of Samuel T. Taylor) Dec 14, 1847 Washington Co, FL Mar 05, 1928 Choctaw County, AL
Cindy Shambley cindydiane@webtv.net

John M. Givens April 09, 1846 Washington Co, FL Aug 31, 1924 Choctaw County, AL Cindy Shambley cindydiane@webtv.net
(rootsweb.com/~alchocta/death.html)

Givens, Andrew J., b. 6 Apr 1871, d. 19 Nov 1935, Sec D 80
Givens, Delaine A., b. 25 May 1874, d. 25 Jun 1951, m. 7 Jun 1891, w/o William R. Givens, Sec D 80
Givens, Joseph Harvel, b. 10 Feb 1832, d. 24 Feb 1914, Creek Indian, Sec D 80
Givens, William R., b. 24 Feb 1870, d. 14 Jul 1951, m. 7 Jun 1891, h/o Delaine A. Givens, Sec D 80
Givens, Wilma, b. 1914, d. 1914, Sec D 80
Givens, Jr., Lonnie M., b. 26 Nov 1933, d. 5 Sep 1953, Fla. EN3 US Navy, Sec D 80
(interment. net--Fl Bay Co., Millville Cemetery)

Thursday, January 13, 2005

John Hezekiah Givens

Somehow I have temporarily misplaced my Heritage Book of Okaloosa County! However, I find that I was at one point extracting Givens info from it, pages 224 and 364. Don't think I ever finished, but here are some of the notes I took:

John Hezekiah Givens, also known, I believe, as "Bud", received a homestead grant in Laurel Hill. This according to Dr. Mark Givens Weatherly, his grandson. Bud Givens was into the sawmill business and was a prominent business man and financier, who in 1900, founded the Falco Land & Lumber Company near Florala. Some 15,000 acres of timberland were involved. There were Branch Mills in Munson and Blackmon/Blackman. Obie Weatherly ran both mills. This industry embraced both Walton and Santa Rosa County areas (Okaloosa not having been formed as a county at that time). Bud Givens was part Creek Indian and the Yellow River Railroad was another of his interests.

It is believed that the Givens migrated from Scotland to Orange County, Virginia, to North Carolina, to Alabama (Bay Minette). The turpentine and lumber industry were an integral part of their livelihoods.

John Hezekiah (Bud) married Marguerite (or Maggie) Chance of Milton. Listed as children are Lilla Mae, b. 1892, Daisy, Gladys, Johnny (ie), Val, and James. Obie Lee Weatherly married Lilla Mae Givens in 1911 in Tallahassee, Leon County, Florida. Their children were Mabel, b. 1911, Maurice, Maudie (John), John Max Weatherly (of Laurel Hill), and Mark. This from page 363 and 364 of the Heritage Book.