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NICHOLS ANCESTRY SNAPSHOT
December 2, 2008
by
Larry M. Leaman – A Grandson of Leonard Hershel Nichols
DISCLAIMER
The information contained in this document is based upon the writer’s research and contributions made by other family researchers. The data is not to be considered as absolute, as new information is obtained on a daily basis. Due to the poor quality and sometimes conflicting content of some documents, errors in such documents as death certificates and census listings and other official documents the spelling of the names and the official dates of some of the included persons and events may be inaccurate. The owner takes no responsibility for the accuracy of the information in this report and assumes no liability for the misuse of any of the content by readers and/or users of the information presented herein.
Larry M. Leaman ([email protected])
December 2, 2008
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Efforts to trace the history of this particular Nichols family lead to around 1700 in the South when John Nichols was born, probably in North Carolina. It is suspected that he was an immigrant from Europe, but when and where he was born is unknown at this time. Here is a snapshot of what is known.
1. John Nichols – Born circa 1700, probably in the Carolina colony.
Wife – Sara Stout
Children – An unknown number of children, one of whom was Edmond Nichols who was probably born in North Carolina circa 1722.
2. Edmond Nichols
Born circa 1722 in the Carolina colony.
Died - unknown
Wife – Mary (unknown last name) – Born in 1726 in North Carolina.
Children
The Nichols DNA project lists the following children (No listing for No. 3 is provided at that site):
1) Mary NICHOLS b: ABT 1752
2) John NICHOLS b: ABT 1754 in NC
4) Daniel NICHOLS b: ABT 1758 in NC
5) Edmond NICHOLS Jr. b: ABT 1760 in NC
6) Joseph NICHOLS b: ABT 1762 in NC
7) William NICHOLS b: 1765 in Montgomery Co., NC
3. William Walter Nichols (No. 7 above)
Born in 1765 in Montgomery County, North Carolina.
Died on May 16, 1836 or 1838(two different dates given in the abstract – see below) in Lawrence, Alabama.
He fought in the Revolutionary War (see below).
An abstract of the application of William Nichols for a Revolutionary War Pension was heard in court on September 28, 1832. The Court was in Lawrence County, Alabama and was before Judge John White of the
Circuit court. In that abstract William describes entering the Army of the Revolution on October 15, 1780 and his service, including several scouting expeditions, battles and encounters with the Torries.
Wife: According to research by Glenda Nichols he married twice and had children by both women. A Nichols DNA test project appears to confirm a multiple wife history. The first wife was Nancy Park, and it is she that was the mother of a son named William (that William is the next entry on this chronology) who is traceable forward to John Taylor Nichols, Leonard Herschel Nichols and their descendants. It is known that William Walter Nichols married his second wife, Elizabeth Trent on October 4, 1800 in North Carolina. Elizabeth was a considerably younger woman (Elizabeth was born in 1784 while William Walter was born in 1765, nearly 20 years previous). It is assumed that first wife Nancy Park had passed away by then.
William Walter and second wife Elizabeth Trent are known to have had at least 7 children, one of who was a son also named William. The fact that William Walter Nichols had two sons named William by two different wives both born over 30 years apart has led to some significant hurdles and confusion by Nichols descendants as they have sought to trace their ancestry. As of this writing it is believed that this presentation of a two wife and two sons named William history is correct but new information in the future could change this belief.
According to an abstract on Roots Web prepared by Rosemary Nichols Hollis (A descendant of the second son William who lives in Corona, California) regarding William Walter’s service in the Revolutionary War, Elizabeth Trent was born in Montgomery County, North Carolina and that on March 15, 1858, at age 74, she appeared before Judge C.C. Owen in the County of Lawrence, State of Alabama, to seek her late husband’s Revolutionary War pension. This would calculate that she was born in 1784. It reports that at that time she was a widow with the last name of Barrett. This abstract reports William and Elizabeth married October 4, 1800.
Children:
No information has been found on how many children William Walter and first wife Nancy Park had. The Revolutionary War Pension Abstract reports Elizabeth and William had eight or ten children. The Nichols DNA project lists the following eight children of William Walter Nichols and second wife Elizabeth Trent:
2. Edmond NICHOLS b: ABT 1805 in NC/TN
3. Emanuel King NICHOLS b: ABT 1815 in Lincoln, TN
4. Elizabeth NICHOLS b: ABT 1817 in Lincoln, TN
5. Margaret NICHOLS b: ABT 1818 in Lincoln, TN
6. George Washington NICHOLS b: ABT 1819 in Lincoln Co., TN
7. James R. NICHOLS b: 19 May 1824 in Lawrence Co., AL
8. William NICHOLS Jr. b: 27 Jan 1826 in Lawrence Co., AL
See Attachment for abstract information on William Walter Nichols service in the Revolutionary War and other family information that was documented when he and his widow (Second wife Elizabeth Trent) sought his pension.
4. William Martin Nichols (This is the William born to William Walter Nichols and first wife Nancy Park. This William is not the same William shown as no. 8 above).
Born approx. 1788 (this date determined from 1850 Arkansas Census data that listed him as age 62 at that time and as born in North Carolina.)
Died sometime between 1850 and 1860, probably in Sharp County, Arkansas. Possibly is buried in Mt. Pisgah Cemetery, Sharp County, Arkansas
Wife: Dorcas Messer. North Carolina marriage records show that they were married on November 28, 1804 in Pasquotank, North Carolina.The 1850 Arkansas Census showed her as age 62 and having been born in South Carolina. This means that she was born in approx. 1788 also.
The 1850 Census shows them living in Mountain Township, Montgomery County, Arkansas.
Occupation;
Farmer. Glenda Nichols’ research found that tax records report that he owned 240 acres in Sharp County, Arkansas and show him as a Reverend. He is believed to have been a minister of the Church of Christ as was his son (next entry).
Children:
The 1850 Census listed the following children as living with them at that time (Son Samuel was already an adult and living separately):
William, age 18, shown in that Census as born in Arkansas.
Allen, age 16, shown in that Census as born in Arkansas.
Note: Glenda Nichols believes these two children were born in Alabama, not Arkansas and that there is an error in the census entry or the reading of it.
5. Samuel Joseph Nichols (Known as Joseph)
Born on September 1, 1822 in Sharp County, Arkansas.
Died on November 13, 1884 in Sharp County, Arkansas.
Wife: Sarah Richardson, born on January 12, 1824 in Perry County, Alabama. She died on January 25, 1896 in Sharp County, Arkansas.
They were known to be farmers. IN 1860, according to the research of Oretha Turner, Joseph paid taxes on two parcels of land totaling 120 acres, presumably farm land. Mrs. Turner also found that in the 1880 census Joseph was listed as Farmer/Minister, that tax records for Sharp County, Arkansas listed him as Reverend Joseph Nichols and that it is believed he was a minister in the Church of Christ.
The 1850 census shows them also living in Mountain Township, Montgomery County, Arkansas, apparently near or with Samuel’s father, William, and family.
In the 1850 census Samuel Joseph is listed as 26 years old, wife Sarah is listed as 24 years old (This deviates from above stated dates of birth. Such variances due to Census data are not uncommon).
Occupation – farmer, Reverend in the Church of Christ
Children listed on that 1850 Census as living with them at that time are:
1) William, age 9 (William Martin)
2) John, age 8 (John Taylor)
3) Jane, age 6
4) Samuel, age 4 (Research by Oretha Turner regarding a Samuel James Nichols is believed to be this child. That research indicates he was in the Union Army during the Civil War and then on Decemer 12, 1867 married Martha Jane Osborn and that in the 1870 Census they and a daughter were living in Washington Township, Sharp County, Arkansas.)
5) Luisa, age 1
Children listed in the 1860 and 1870 Census are somewhat different. It appears from these two census listings of people in the home that that by 1870 they had 14-15 children, some of whom were adults by then. However, it is possible some of the children listed in these Census listings as living in the same household were grandchildren. One son, William, had disappeared in the Civil War as a Confederate soldier. One story is he was captured by Union forces; the other story is he presumably was killed in battle as he simply disappeared. Son John Taylor also was in the Civil War as a Confederate soldier, while another brother Samuel was in the Union Army serving as a bugler. Thus the Civil War saw Nichols brothers on opposing sides of the dispute.
A son who appeared in the 1860 Census was Robert Johnson Nichols, born July 10, 1855 (according to research done by the late Orthea Turner). That means that Samuel and wife Sarah Richardson had at least 6 children.
6. John Taylor Nichols
Born on October 1, 1844 in Arkansas
Died on May 15, 1903 in Missouri. He is buried in a cemetery in Thorpe, Dallas County, County, Missouri.
Wife: Charlotte Arkansas Carver who was born on December 19, 1856 in Arkansas. After husband John Taylor passed away in 1903 Charlotte remarried four times (according to research by the late Oretha Turner). She died on December 25, 1939 in Springfield, Christian and Green counties, Missouri and is buried in Oak Lawn Cemetery, in Buffalo, Dallas County, Missouri under the last name of Baltz, reportedly the last name of her last husband (number 5). John Taylor, Charlotte and family lived in Arkansas, and then moved to Missouri, living most of their lives in Dallas County, Missouri. Census data shows John as being a farmer.
Children:
Lucinda Emaline Nichols (Emma), born on October 28, 1871 in Evening Shade, Sharp County, Arkansas. Died on February 17, 1920 in Mountain Grove, Texas and Wright Counties, Missouri.John L. Nichols (Jeff), born in April, 1875 in Texas County, Missouri. Date and place of death unknown, but believed to be in Arkansas.
George Washington Nichols, born on Born December 17, 1877 in Texas County, Missouri. Died on February 2, 1952 in Rural Boone Township, Wright County, Missouri. Location of grave is Mt. Zion Cemetery, Wright County, Missouri.
Henry Taylor Nichols, born November 28, 1880 in Mountain Grove, Missouri. Died on July 17, 1935 in Rome, Douglas County, Missouri. Location of grave is unknown.
Lula V. Nichols (Lou), born on April 12, 1884 in Missouri. Died on April 15, 1974 in Buffalo, Dallas County, Missouri. Location of grave is uknown.
Myrtle Alice Nichols, born on September 6, 1888 in ? Missouri. Died on October 29, 1977 in ? Missouri. She and her husband Elbert Wingo are interred in Greenlawn Cemetery in Springfield, Missouri
Leonard Herschel Nichols, born on October 16, 1892 in Mountain Grove, Wright County, Missouri. Died on July 22, 1965 in Pomona, Los Angeles County, California. He and his wife Fannie (Frances) Cora (Kaizer) are interred in Pomona Cemetery Mausoleum, Pomona, California.
7. Leonard Herschel Nichols
Born on October 16, 1892 in Mountain Grove, Wright County, Missouri.
Died on July 22, 1965 in Pomona, Los Angeles County, California. He is interred with his wife Fannie (Frances) Cora (Kaizer) in Pomona Cemetery Mausoleum, Pomona, California.
Wife: Fannie Cora Kaizer. They married on March 19, 1914 in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California. Fannie, known as Frances, was born on August 23 1894 in Nova Scotia Canada. Her full maiden name was Fannie Cora Kaizer. She died on December 24, 1978, in Pomona, Los Angeles County, California.
They lived in Alhambra, Wilmar and Pomona, California. All three of these communities were in Los Angeles County.
Occupation: When he first came to California about 1910, Leonard was an agricultural worker, then worked in construction as a mule skinner/heavy equipment operator, worked in the roofing business and then was a bottled water distribution business owner for over 20 years, and lastly was State of California Correctional Officer working at the California Institution for Men (CIM) in Chino, California.
Children:
Mildred June Nichols
Frances Charlotte Nichols
8) Leonard Herschel Nichols Jr. (#129040)
Robert Russell Nichols
Harry Ellison Nichols
ABSTRACT OF INFORMATION FROM PENSION
HEARINGS RELATED TO REVOLUTIONARY WAR
SERVICE OF WILLIAM WALTER NICHOLS
TO BE ADDED HERE.