HISTORY OF THE William H. Thomas and Celia Watson family
Part I
WILLIAM H. THOMAS, born in 1813 in South Carolina, married CELIA WATSON, born in 1823 in Alabama or Tennessee, on May 11, 1837 in Autauga County, Alabama.
According to a bond dated February 23, 1841, William H. Thomas was obligated “in a final sum of Two Hundred Dollars for payment of which we bind ourselves, our heirs, executors or administrators jointly and severally firmly by these presents sealed (?) with our seals and dated 11 May AD One Thousand Eight Hundred and Thirty-Nine. The condition of the above obligation is said that if there be no lawful cause when W. H. Thomas and C. Watson should not be joined together in holy union of matrimony then this obligation to be void, otherwise to remain in full force.” William H. Thomas (seal), George Langford (seal). Recorded February 23, 1841, W. N. Thompson, Clk.
It is known that the Thomas family came to Alabama from South Carolina following a pattern of migration taken by many who eventually found their way to Texas. We do not know the name of William H. Thomas’ father, but we presume that his mother’s name was Faitha because this was a female aged 80 years who was in the household in the 1850 Census of Autauga County.
Thomas settled in the Hester Community near Autaugaville, Alabama which is located on a bend in the Alabama River. Several German families settled the area and began to raise crops although it has been written that the fertile land was good for crops and bad/br human health.
Thomas eventually purchased land in the area, but he was also listed as an overseer on the DeJernette plantation and the Henry H. Staton farm between 1840-1850. In 1842 he was appointed overseer of the road in Beat #6 (Hester) from Camp branch to Benjamin Greens old field by the county commissioners.
(NOTE: Interestingly enough, his great-great-greatgrandson, Donald R. Thomas of Jefferson, retired from the Texas Highway Department in 1992 as a Technical Engineer, roughly the modern-day equivalent of an “overseer” after 40 years of service.
The 1850 census of Autauga County indicates that the Thomas family had living with them: Jonathon M. Thomas, b. 1838, Alabama; Amanda H., b. 1839, Alabama; Samuel L., b. 1841, Alabama; John H. b. 1844, Alabama; Nancy E., b. 1846, Alabama; William T., b. 1848, Alabama, Faitha, b 1770, North Carolina, and Sarah, b. 1805, S. Carolina. Most likely, Faitha was the mother of William H. Thomas and probably had been a widow for some time since she was listed as a “pauper.”
Found in the Autauga County records were at least two commissioners’ reports dated 1842 and 1846 respectively that allowed sums of twenty dollars and twenty-seven dollars to be given to her for support for those years.
Perhaps Sarah was a sister of William H. who was living. As the Civil War erupted, both William H. and his son, Jonathon M. joined as an unmarried relative. So far, the name of their father has not been determined, but it is presumed that he died between 1830 and 1840.
By 1860, the Thomas family was in Union County, Arkansas not far from the town of El Dorado.
The census shows an additional two children were born there, Eldridge F., b. 1854 and Matilda Josephine, b. 1857. Also, listed at this time in the household was Eliza Miles b. 1810 S. Carolina.
Perhaps Eliza, like Sarah, was a sister to William H. Thomas.
A stock brand for Thomas was found in the El Dorado courthouse records dated January 16, 1862 and is described as “a swallow fork and under bit in the right and a crop and split in the left ear.”
A history book on Union County, Arkansas states that the “commissioners from various townships appointed to handle this problem of roads were named on January 31, 1851, as follows: from Brown Township, William Thomas”.
Apparently, the family was in Arkansas with other Cass County, Texas families like the Endsley’s, Alexander’s, and Brown’s.