History of the William H.Thomas and Celia Watson family
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 23 February 1S41, 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 23 February 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’s father, but we presume that his mother’s name was Faitha because mis 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. There were a number of German families that settled the area and began to raise crops, although it has been written that the fertile land was good for crops and bad for human health. William H. 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 during the 18401850 period. 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-great-grandson. 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 William H. Thomas’ family had living with them: Jonathon M. Thomas, b. 1838, .Alabama; Amanda H., b. 1839, Alabama; Samuel L., b. 184!, Alabama; John H. b. 1844, Alabama; Nancy E., b. 1846, Alabama, William T., b. 1848, Alabama, Faitha, b 1770, North Carolina, and Sarah, b. )805, 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 her for support for the year. 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 he died between 1830 and 1840. By 1860, the William H. Thomas’ family was located 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 tune 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 William H. 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.
William H. Thomas’s oldest son, Jonathon Monroe Thomas, was listed as a married man in the 1860 Acadia County, Arkansas Census. His wife was Martha, b. 1834 in Georgia, but there was another female in the household, Nancy, born 1808 in S. Carolina. It is believed that this, too, is another sister of William H. Thomas and Jonathon’s aunt. Jonathon also had a cattle brand in Union County described thus: swallow fork and under bit in the right ear; Crop split and over-bit in the left. February 7, 1863. Both William H. and sons, Jonathon M., were listed as poll tax payers in Ouachita County by 1853.
Jonathon’s first two children were born in Arkansas, William Arthur Thomas, b. August 6, 1861, and John Henry Thomas, b. December 28, 1868. There may have been other children born between these two because of the long gap in years between their births.
As the Civil War erupted, both William H. and his son, Jonathon M., joined the Confederate Army. William H. enlisted as a private in Co. H, 27 Arkansas infantry on February 25, 1863 at Izard County, and Jonathon M. on April 26, in Hillsboro, Arkansas where he was assigned to Company D, 1st Regiment, Trans-Mississippi Infantry (later called Bell’s Regiment, Arkansas Infantry). William H. Was reported sick within a few months after enlisting and left service before the end of the war. The son, Jonathon M. Was captured at Helena on July 4, 1863 and was transferred to Irvin Block Prison after spending some time in the Overtoil Hospital at Memphis, Tennessee. He remained a prisoner of war until April 4, 1864 when he was sent to Fort Delaware located in the state of Delaware. He was paroled and forwarded to City Point, Virginia in an exchange on March 7, 1865. He had been promoted to Sergeant on February 27, 1863, but after the exchange, he suffered from debilities and was furloughed for thirty days in March 1865. After that, he reported to the Receiving and Wayside Hospital (or General Hospital No. 9) in Richmond, Virginia for a short time before returning home. (NOTE: Again, in a trend toward genetic patterning of his ancestors, Donald R. Thomas served first as a private and finally as a First Sergeant over forty-plus years with the Texas National Guard, 49th Armored Division, retiring in 1992).
The 1870 Davis (Cass) County, Texas Census shows the William H. Thomas family living in Cusseta with three children, Celie, aged 17, Eldridge F., aged 15 and Matilda Josephine, aged 12. Later censuses show the couple with one child at home, the youngest, Matilda Josephine, aged 21 in 1880. Eldred [sic] is listed in this census with wife, Julia Williamson, aged 26, born in Texas and two children, Evalina, aged 2, born in Texas and an infant born in Texas. The same family is listed in the 1910 census.
It is presently unknown when or where William H. and Celia Thomas died and are buried but it is presumed to be sometime after 1880 and probably in Cass County. Their firstborn, Jonathon Monroe Thomas, had another child, Edward Franklin Thomas, after moving to Texas and that child was born in Daingerfield, Morris County, Texas. Jonathon apparently fanned and was overseer for a farm in Cass County belonging to M. E. Moseley.
His children moved to Morris and Upshur Counties where they married as follows. William Arthur, b. 1861, d. 1948, m. Amanda E. Wilson and became parents of seven children, one of which was James Robert (Rob) Thomas, the grandfather of Donald R. Thomas; John Henry, b. 1868, d. 1940’s, m. Mary Ellen Thomas, became parents of three children; Edward F., b. 1871, d. 1944, m. (1) Nora Lee (2) Gloria Whitehead, became parents of two children. James Robert (Rob) Thomas, first son of William Arthur and Amanda Wilson, married Mary Jones and parented at least five children including James Roy Thomas who married Ida Bennett and had two children, Donald Ray Thomas, and Reba Joyce Thomas Houser (now deceased).
It is presently unknown where Jonathon Monroe Thomas died and where he is buried although there is some thought that he may have lived in Marion County during the later years of his life. According to an elderly relative interviewed a few years ago, he and his wife may have attended the South Union Baptist Church of Daingerfield in its original location and may have been buried in the old cemetery which is now inaccessible Onsite inspection of the cemetery revealed no stones with the Thomas name.
William Arthur Thomas purchased acreage in the Holly Springs area near Hughes Springs and lived at that location for many years. His son, James Robert Thomas, lived around Daingerfield for many years but is buried near Avinger. A grandson of William Arthur, James Roy Thomas, is buried in Marion County.
Descendant Donald Ray Thomas is the father of two children, Karl Roy Thomas and Christopher Tennille Thomas, and the grandfather of two granddaughters.
James Robert (Rob) Thomas, first son of William Arthur and Amanda Wilson, married Mary Jones and parented at least five children including James Roy Thomas who married Ida Bennett and had two children, Donald Ray Thomas, and Reba Joyce Thomas Houser (now deceased).
It is presently unknown where Jonathon Monroe Thomas died and where he is buried although there is some thought that he may have lived in Marion County during the later years of his life. According to an elderly relative interviewed a few years ago, he and his wife may have attended the South Union Baptist Church of Daingerfield in its original location and may have been buried in the old cemetery which is now inaccessible Onsite inspection of the cemetery revealed no stones with the Thomas name.
William Arthur Thomas purchased acreage in the Holly Springs area near Hughes Springs and lived at that location for many years. His son, James Robert Thomas, lived around Daingerfield for many years but is buried near Avinger. A grandson of William Arthur, James Roy Thomas, is buried in Marion County.
Descendant Donald Ray Thomas is the father of two children, Karl Roy Thomas and Christopher Tennille Thomas, and the grandfather of two granddaughters.