Marian Langford Hobbs

Marian Langford Hobbs

Marian Langford Hobbs, daughter of Nathan Augustus Hobbs Sr. and Mary Elizabeth Lankford, was born in Georgia, most likely Greene County. I have a birthdate for Marian, but unfortunately, there is an issue with the date. Marian’s tombstone records her birthdate as October 29, 1835. The month and date are probably correct, but, if she was born in 1835, she would have been 10 years old when her first child was born. I don’t think so. So, the question here is what year was she born. It took me writing this post to actually see this date issue, even though other researchers have shared information with me in the past where they noted the discrepancy. The first thing I did after realizing this was to take a look back at census records. In the 1850 census, Marian was 25 years old (born about 1825); in 1860, she was 30 years old (born about 1830); in 1870, she was 40 years old (born about 1830); and in 1880, she was 45 years old (born about 1835). So, it’s a best guess scenario. Her brother Minor was born on July 24, 1830 so my guess is she wasn’t born that year since she was born in October. There is a large gap between the birth of her sister Caroline in 1821 and her brother Augustus in 1829, so a good possibility would be 1825, but I can’t confirm that and I haven’t found any birth records that would help.

Marian had seven siblings—Robert L. Hobbs, Joel Garner Hobbs, Rebecca L. Hobbs, Caroline B. Hobbs, Nathan Augustus Hobbs Jr. (he may have gone by Augustus), Minor Smith Hobbs, and Elizabeth Fanny Hobbs. Marian is my 3rd great grand aunt, with her parents being our nearest common relatives. Her sister Caroline is my 3rd great grandmother.

Marian married John Jenkins in Greene County, Georgia on September 13, 1845. Her name was spelled “Meron” on the marriage certificate. They had four children together—John Nathan C. Jenkins, Marian Louisa Jenkins, Mary Elizabeth Jenkins, and William Jenkins.

John Jenkins-Meron L. Hobbs marriage license (1845)

On August 14, 1850, Marian and John lived in Greshamville (District 145) of Greene County, Georgia. She was enumerated as Maria L. Jenkins, age 25. John was a printer, born in South Carolina. He had real estate valued at $100. With three young children, John (age 4), Louisa (age 2), and Mary (age 5 months), the house would have been a busy one.

By 1860, Marion’s husband John had disappeared so was probably dead, but I have yet to find a record confirming that. I did find several announcements published in The Temperance Banner, a local Penfield newspaper, in the fall of 1852 through at least June 1853, where James L. Tarwater, guardian of John Jenkins (lunatic) was selling the interest of Jenkins’ 160 acres of land in Cherokee county. It’s possible this was Marian’s husband since James L. Tarwater was married to her sister Rebecca so was her brother-in-law. If John was having health issues, I suppose it makes sense that a male family member may have taken guardianship to handle his affairs. But this is something else I have been unable to prove at this point.

On June 4, 1860, the census enumerator found Marion living with her parents in Penfield, Greene County, Georgia. She was enumerated as Marian Jenkins (age 30). Unfortunately, the record does not show her marital status but John was not enumerated with her. Only two of her children were living in the house—Louisa (age 12) and William (age 9). Both were attending school. Marian’s oldest son, John, was living with her brother, Nathan Augustus Hobbs Jr. and his wife Harriet in Penfield. At age 13, John was also attending school. Marian’s daughter Mary (age 10) was living four houses away with Marian’s sister Rebecca Tarwater and her husband James. Marion’s father was the postmaster; her brother Minor was a painter.

One month after the 1860 census was taken, Marian married William Harris McCarty, son of John D. McCarty and Rena Harris, in Greene County on July 8, 1860. William is described by a grandson as having blue eyes, thin, tall, and “straight as a ram rod.”

William McCarty-Marion L. Jenkins marriage license (1860)

In April 1862, William enlisted as a private in Company B of the 55th Infantry Regiment of Georgia. William surrendered with his company at Cumberland Gap in Tennessee on September 9, 1863. It’s been said that “after the Civil War ended, he did not like Yankees and would never wear the color blue.” Marian’s brothers Minor Smith Hobbs and Nathan Augustus Hobbs Jr. both served with the Third Georgia Infantry Regiment, Company C, also known as the Dawson Grays, during the Civil War. Nathan (or Augustus, whichever name he went by) died of wounds received during the Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania on July 2, 1863. Minor survived the war and brought the regimental drum back home to Greene County, holding onto it until old age when he gave it to Captain W. A. Wright, a member of the regiment. The drum eventually made its way to the Georgia State Capitol museum. When my sister discovered that piece of information, she contacted the museum that holds the drum and she, Daddy, and myself were given a personal tour of the drum and Greene County regimental flag that was in storage at the time. Marian’s brother Joel served with Medlin’s Independent Company, Georgia Infantry.

Third Georgia Infantry Regiment, Company C (Dawson Grays) drum

On June 22, 1870, Marian and William lived in Penfield, along with their infant daughter Mattie. The census record noted that Mattie was two months old, born in April. William was a farmer with a personal estate valued at $250. Marion was keeping house. An eight-year-old black girl named Margaret Lankford was living in the home with them.

Marian later in life

On June 14, 1880, Marian and William lived in Penfield. Their last name was enumerated as McCarter. William (Bill) was a farmer and Marion keeping house. The only child in the home was a daughter named Gussie, enumerated as a 10-year-old laborer. Her full name was Gussie Annette McCarty. Gussie’s age isn’t correct is this census record. Her tombstone shows her birth year as 1884 and her obituary lists it as 1883. Gussie’s obituary also notes that she was born in Bairdstown, Oglethorpe County, Georgia, so either the family left Penfield for a short time or Gussie was living with someone else. Her living with another family member is entirely possible as we’ve already seen that happen with Marian’s other children.

Marian’s father Nathan died in Penfield on June 4, 1889 at the age of 99. An Atlanta Constitution article that ran on June 7 marking his death noted that he “was one of the most remarkable men ever raised in the county.” Nathan was buried at Penfield Cemetery in Penfield.




Just five months after the death of her father, Marian died in Penfield at the age of 54 on November 1, 1889. She was buried at Penfield Cemetery. Her tombstone reads "None knew them but to love them, none named them but to praise."

 

I’m happy I chose to blog about Marian because it took me looking at her life timeline to realize the birth date issue. And because I hadn’t really looked at that before, I was posting incorrect information.

References

• "Guardian’s Sale," The Temperance Banner, Penfield, Georgia, September 25, 1852, December 11, 1852, and June 25, 1853.
• Marian L. McCarty tombstone, Penfield Cemetery, Penfield, Georgia.
• Marion Hobbs, North America, Family Histories, 1500–2000.
• Marion L. Jenkins and William McCarty marriage certificate, Georgia, Marriage Records from Select Counties, 1828–1978.
• Memories of Guy Walton George.
• Meron L. Hobbs and John Jenkins marriage certificate, Georgia, Marriage Records from Select Counties, 1828–1978.
• U.S. Federal Census, District 145, Greene County, Georgia, 1850.
• U.S. Federal Census, Militia District 140, Greene County, Georgia, 1870.
• U.S. Federal Census, Militia District 148, Greene County, Georgia, 1880.
• U.S. Federal Census, Penfield, Greene County, Georgia, 1860, 1870.
• William H. McCarty, Georgia, Confederate Pension Applications, 1879–1960.

Rebecca L. Hobbs

Rebecca's stone in Penfield Cemetery

Rebecca L. Hobbs, daughter of Nathan Augustus Hobbs Sr. and Mary Elizabeth Lankford, was born in North Carolina in January 1819. She was the third of eight children—Robert L. Hobbs, Joel Garner Hobbs, Rebecca L. Hobbs, Caroline B. Hobbs, Nathan Augustus Hobbs Jr., Minor Smith Hobbs, Elizabeth Fanny Hobbs, and Marian Langford Hobbs. Rebecca is my 3rd great grand aunt. Our nearest common relatives are her parents. Her sister Caroline is my 3rd great grandmother.

Shortly after Rebecca was born, her family moved to Georgia, settling in Penfield in Greene County.
When Rebecca was 21 years old, she married Jackson C. Phelps on April 1, 1840 in Greene County. I haven’t been able to figure out what happened to Jackson but records show that Rebecca married her second husband, James L. Tarwater, on November 2, 1847 in Greene County. James, born 1814 in Virginia, worked as a cutter in the tailoring business in Penfield.

Jackson Phelps and Rebecca Hobbs marriage certificate

James Tarwater and Rebecca Phelps marriage certificate

The pamphlet Mercer at Penfield 1833-1871: Centennial Celebration, published by Mary Callaway Jones on May 27, 1933, has an entry that leads me to believe Rebecca and Jackson may have divorced because it sounds as if he’s still alive in 1852. The entry reads:

46. THE NATHAN HOBBS HOUSE Nathan Hobbs was Postmaster during part of Mercer's Penfield era. One of his daughters was (1) Mrs. Jackson C. Phelps, (2) Mrs. Jas. L. Tarwater. In 1852 Jackson C. Phelps resided on the corner of Davis and Marshall streets. J. L. Tarwater's home was between No. 17 and No. 18. Another daughter was Mrs. Jenkins.

If you can tell me otherwise, I’d love to hear from you.

On October 29, 1850, Rebecca and James lived in Salem, Greene County, Georgia. The census record shows that she was born in North Carolina. James was a tailor with real estate valued at $500. On October 7, 1854, after a church conference, Rebecca received a letter of admission from Baird’s Baptist Church in Oglethorpe County, Georgia and James received a letter of admission for Penfield Baptist Church. He had previously been granted a letter of dismission. In December 1854, Rebecca was awarded a $5 premium for best wove quilt or coverlet in the Southern Domestic Manufacturers category by the Southern Central Agricultural Society at the Ninth Annual Fair held in Augusta, Georgia. On March 12, 1859, Rebecca and James were admonished by the church for dancing, something people do all the time today, and often in a church. An entry in the Penfield Baptist Church minutes held in the Special Collections section of the Mercer University Library reads:

Church met in conference. Rules of Decorum and minutes of the last meeting were read. … The committee appointed at the last conference to inquire into the reports relative to dancing, made report. Bro. Tarwater made a statement to the church, in which he confessed that himself and Sister Tarwater had been engaged in dancing, acknowledged the impropriety of their conduct, and begged the forgiveness of the Church, pledging themselves not again to engage in such amusement. On motion the forgiveness of the Church was extended to Br. and Siter [sic] Tarwater.

The church was not happy that Rebecca and James danced

The 1860s was a busy time for Rebecca and her family. On June 4, 1860, Rebecca and James lived in Penfield. James was still working as a tailor. His real estate was now valued at $600 and personal estate $750. Rebecca’s 10-year-old niece Mary Jenkins, daughter of her sister Marian, was living in the home. There was also a 23-year-old white male named Homer Neeson in the home with the Tarwaters. Homer was a medical student and had a personal estate valued at $950. He was probably attending Mercer University. Rebecca’s brother Nathan, who served with the Dawson Grays, Company C, Third Georgia Infantry Army of Northern Virginia from Greene County during the Civil War, was killed in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania on July 2, 1863. In July 1864, a year after Nathan’s death, Rebecca’s husband James enlisted at Greensboro, Greene County, Georgia with Capt. Wards Company C of the First Georgia Militia or Mell’s Regiment. James was sent home due to illness after serving only nine months. He was not with his command at the surrender at Appomattox Court House. On May 4, 1867, letters of dismission were granted to both Rebecca and James from the Penfield Baptist Church.

On August 8, 1870, Rebecca, James, and Mary lived in Greensboro. James continued to work as a tailor and his personal estate was again at $500. There was a 16-year-old black male named William Langston who worked as a day laborer living in the home. William could neither read nor write. In 1875, Rebecca spent three weeks tending to her sick husband.

On June 14, 1880, Rebecca and James lived in Penfield. James still worked as a tailor and Rebecca was now enumerated as a farmer. The birthplace for both was recorded as Georgia, not North Carolina for Rebecca or Virginia for James. Neither Rebecca or James were able to read or write. There was a 12-year-old black male servant named Warren living in the home. They lived next door to the Ligon McWhorter family, a prominent family in Greene County. During the 1880s, in addition to working as a tailor, James sold churns, washing machines, and sewing machines. In 1886, Rebecca had a severe illness of some sort—severe enough it was noted that she was recovering in the Georgia Home Journal on August 20.

Rebecca’s father Nathan died in Penfield at the age of 99 on June 4, 1889. An Atlanta Constitution article that ran on June 7 marking his death noted that he “was one of the most remarkable men ever raised in the county.” Nathan was buried at Penfield Cemetery in Penfield.

After 45 years of marriage to Rebecca, James died on July 12, 1893 at the age of 79 in Penfield. He too was buried at Penfield Cemetery. At the time, Rebecca suffered from rheumatism, heart trouble, and shortness of breath. Years later when filing for a widow’s pension, Rebecca stated that James left her without any property. With no income, Rebecca had to depend on the help of charity and the Penfield Baptist Church to survive. She lived in poverty. During the years 1899 and 1900, her support cost $60 or $70 per year of which she contributed nothing.

On June 16, 1900, a widowed Rebecca lived alone in Penfield. This census record confirms that Rebecca never had children of her own. Her next-door neighbors were Joseph and Minnie G. Boswell. In 1948, the Minnie G. Boswell Hospital was built in Greensboro. In 1901, Rebecca filed for an indigent widow’s pension in Greene County on the grounds of age and poverty, conditions she had suffered from for at least 10 years. Records show she was approved for pension at least during the years 1901, 1903, and 1904–1907.

Rebecca signed her last will and testament on September 10, 1908.

Rebecca left her mark on her will on September 10, 1908

It was published by John S. Callaway on November 19, 1909. Her niece, Mary Elizabeth (Jenkins) Moore, who had been named as executrix, acknowledged on December 6, 1909 that she would execute Rebecca’s will. I haven’t found a death record for Rebecca but this leads me to believe she died about November 1909 at about 90 years of age. Rebecca was buried at Penfield Cemetery in Penfield.

Line of Hobbs, Lankford, and Tarwater graves at Penfield Cemetery.
You can see the grave of Jesse Mercer, a prominent Baptist minister from Georgia,
in the back at the end of the line of graves. Mercer University was named for Jesse Mercer.

Although Rebecca had filed affidavits that her husband left her with no property and that she had no income, she bequeathed her 10-acre lot in Penfield known as the Tarwater lot, as well as all of her household and kitchen furniture to “her beloved niece Mary.”

Land survey of Rebecca's property (10 acres) taken in May 1908

References

• “At His Post,” The Greensboro Herald, Greensboro, Georgia, February 25, 1875.
• Jones, Mary Callaway, Mercer at Penfield 1833-1871: Centennial Celebration, May 27, 1933
• “List of Premiums,” Southern Banner, Athens, Georgia, December 21, 1854.
• Marriage Certificate, Jackson Phelps and Rebecca Hobbs, Greene County, Georgia, recorded May 12, 1840.
• Marriage Certificate, James L. Tarwater and Rebecca Phelps, Greene County, Georgia, recorded September 23, 1848.
• “Our Esteemed Friend,” The Greensboro Herald, Greensboro, Georgia, April 6, 1882.
• Penfield Baptist Church Minutes, 1839–1892.
• Rebecca L. Tarwater, Georgia, Confederate Pension Applications, 1879–1960.
• “Summary of the News Throughout Georgia,” The Butler Herald, Butler, Georgia, July 22, 1948.
• “Tailoring,” The Christian Index, Washington, Georgia, January 24, 1845.
• The Last Will of Rebecca L. Tarwater, probated Probate March 6, 1909.
• “‘Uncle’ Nathan Hobbs, 98 Years a Resident of Penfield Passes Away,” The Macon Telegraph, Macon, Georgia, June 6, 1889.
• “Uncle Nathan Hobbs Died in Penfield,” The Atlanta Constitution, June 7, 1889.
• U.S. Federal Census, District 161, Greene County, Georgia, 1850.
• U.S. Federal Census, Greensboro, Greene County, Georgia, 1870.
• U.S. Federal Census, Penfield, Greene County, Georgia, 1860, 1880, 1900.
• Will, Mrs. Rebecca L. Tarwater, probated September 10, 1908.