52 Ancestors (2020) – Week 1: Fresh Start

This is my third year working on this year-long prompt, hosted by Amy Johnson Crow. I will write each week in one of my two blogs, either Mam-ma’s Southern Family or at My Trails Into the Past. I have enjoyed writing about my children’s ancestors in new and exciting ways.


I have several ancestors who either made fresh starts before the Civil War, or made them after the end of the Civil War. These ancestors all moved to Texas, where probably the draw of available land lured them. Once one family member went, others followed.

From my maternal grandfather’s side

My three-times maternal great-grandmother, Amanda A. (Haley) Jones (1827-1904), first followed her husband, Benjamin W. Jones (1822-1864) during the Civil War and after his death, she moved first to Hays County, Texas, and then to Comanche County.[1]

A three-times maternal great-grandfather, Samuel Johnston (1816-bef 1869), must have seen the writing on the wall about the upcoming war in the south. He moved his family to Titus County, Texas sometime in the early 1860s.[2] He passed away sometime before 1869 and later his wife, Elizabeth (McCormack) Johnston (and children moved to Comanche Co, Texas sometime between 1870 and 1880.[3]

Benjamin F. Selman (1795-1873) and Sarah (Bean) Selman (1798-1868), my maternal four-times great-grandparents, came to Texas from Tennessee/Alabama before 1850. They were living in Cherokee County with their five children in 1850.[4] Here is someone who might be a candidate for a Texas State Genealogical Society Heritage Certificate, specifically the Texas First Families Certificate, if they arrived before 19 Feb 1846, or the Gone to Texas Pioneer Certificate, for those who were living in Texas prior to 1866. I have not researched this family much, having gotten most of the information about them from pages of a book sent to me by my mother’s cousin, Sandra Bay Hall. This would be a great project to work on during my trip to the Family History Library in late May.

From my maternal grandmother’s side

Ellis W. Lancaster (1808-1866) and his wife Elizabeth (Neel) Lancaster (1811-1881) came from Shelby County, Kentucky, through Lewis County, Missouri, to Kaufman County (now Rockwall Co), Texas in the late 1850s.[5]  His sons served with the Confederate units from Texas.[6]

Nathan H.O. Polly (1820-1902) and his wife, Lydia M (1828-1912), came to Texas from Kentucky sometime before 1850, where he was living in Dallas County.[7] He was a circuit-riding minister.

James Madison Coor (1833-1889) didn’t leave Copiah County, Mississippi until after 1880. It is possible that he followed one of his daughters and her husband to Erath County, Texas. A newspaper article described his arrival to the area.[8]

Abner Ebenezer Loveless (1851-1929) arrived in Texas sometime between 1904 and 1908 from Faulkner County, Arkansas, where he was a farmer and part-time Baptist minister.[9] His wife, Eliza A. (Rodgers) Loveless (1854-1907) in Faulkner County.[10] Likely, he moved to Texas to be near his son, James A Loveless. Three of his youngest children came with him: Robert, William H, and Lela Ann.


[1] She first appeared in the 1868 Hays County tax roll: "Texas County Tax Rolls, 1846-1910," Familysearch (http://www.familysearch.org), Hays Co, 1868, Amanda Jones (image 14). She moved to Comanche County before 1880: 1880 U.S. census, Comanche Co, Texas, pop. sched., prec No 3, ED 30, p 95a, fam 170, W. George Knox, digital images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com); citing NARA T9, roll 1297.
[2] He first appeared in Titus County tax records in 1862: "Texas County Tax Rolls, 1846-1910," Familysearch (http://www.familysearch.org), Titus Co, 1862, p. 32, Samuel Johnson, FS dig film 4653615.
[3] 1880 U.S. census, Comanche Co, Texas, pop. sched., Prec 3, p 95, household 171, fam 179, J. Marion Johnston,   digital images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com); citing NARA T9, roll 1297.
[4] 1850 U.S. census, Cherokee Co, Texas, p 887, fam 561, Benj Selman, digital image, Ancestry  (http://www.ancestry.com:); citing NARA M432, roll 909.
[5] He purchased land from Henry McHenry and Mary Standifer on 2 Feb 1859. See Rockwall County, Texas, Deeds, v. I, p. 360, Samuel H McHenry to EW Lancaster and v. I, p. 362-63, Mary Standifer to EW Lancaster, FHL film 1302480.
[6] J.R. Lancaster served with the 18th Texas Cavalry; Wm T. Lancaster served with the 20th Texas Cavalry; George W. Lancaster served with the 6th Texas Cavalry.
[7] 1850 U.S. census, Dallas Co, Texas, pop. sched., p. 93 (stamped), dwelling 305, family 314, Nathan H. O. Polly, digital images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com: ), citing NARA M432, roll 910.
[8] “Kikers Mill,” Stephenville Empire, 6 Jan 1883, p. 3.
[9] He sold land to T.M. Loveless on the 31 Dec 1904: see Faulkner Co, Arkansas, Circuit Clerk records, Deeds, Bk 29, p. 98, Warranty Deed, E. Loveless to T.M. Loveless. On 12 September 1908, he married Mellissa M Settle. See Erath County, Texas, Marriages, Bk L, p. 42, 1908, E Loveless to Mrs MM Blount, FHL film 1026028.
[10] Desmond Walls Allen, Pence Funeral Home Conway, Arkansas 1904-1926 Vol II (Rapid Rabbit Copy Co, Conway, AR), p 51, Eliza Loveless.

Copyright © 2020 by Lisa S. Gorrell, Mam-ma's Southern Family, All rights reserved.

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