Third Generation

23. Abner DURHAM was born on 23 Aug 1779 in Surry County, North Carolina.^20,21 He died on 14 Mar 1856 in Greenville, Meriwether County, Georgia.²¹ Notes for ISAAC/ABNER DURHAM:
e-mail from Larry Mccutchen (to Milly Halterman)
3/3/2009
I am descended from Abner Durham, whom I think was the eldest son of James Durham of Surry Co NC...per Abner's obituary April 14 1856 in Meriwether Co Ga he was born in "Surry Co NC"...per his marker in Greenville Ga he was b 23 Aug 1779...I have just been working on Abner for about a year so I'm late to the Durham genealogy party it seems...ironically I found your emails and name when I too was researching the Wheelus family that lived next to James in Surry Co...have you found any more on them...I have noticed an Abner Wheelus in early Greene Co Ga - so Abner was a name used in that line it seems...
I'll be glad to share what I have on Abner Durham.
Thanks,
Larry McCutchen

3/04/2009
Millie (Halterman),
Abner died in Greenville Meriwether Co Ga ...his marker is in the Greenville City Cemetery...Born 23 Aug 1779 d 14 Mar 1856...I am attaching a link to a copy of his obituary that mentions Surry Co...Abner did not stay in Surry Co long after he turned 21 it appears...that explains why not many records of him exist there...he was in Georgia by ca 1802/3, and he was allowed a draw in the 1805 Ga Lottery as "Abner Derham"...

...here are the only 2 Surry Co NC records I have found of him to date:

John Haggard of Surry to Nath'l Hix of Surry, August 8 1801, 80 pounds, 640 acres on waters of Fall Creek granted by State of NC to Wm Keen Samford...<signed> John Haggard (seal), Wits: Thomas Hix, Abner Durham. Acknowledged in Surry Co Court August term 1801 by said Haggard & ordered to be registered. Teste, Jo Williams, C.C. Source: Surry Co NC Deed Abstracts - Vol I, 1800-1803, by Carol L Snow.

3/18/2009
If Abner was the eldest son of James of Surry Co as it appears, and if he was the eldest son, it may be that the wife of James Durham had a father named Abner - as "Abner" doesn't appear to be a name associated with the Lindsay's...if we ever run across an Abner Wheelus or Abner Woodruff or Abner Coffee etc b ca 1760 it might help...take care.
Larry Mc

------------------------------------------------
April 10, 2009
e-mail from Mccutcheon to Milly (Halterman) with attachment re Durham and Wheelis, Abner Durham researchers.

Interesting! Sion Wheeless was the son of Lewis Wheeless and Sion ended up in Tallapoosa Co., AL, with the rest of my father's Gray line. Abner Wheeless died in Meriwether Co., GA, where my gggg grandfather Gray also lived and (probably) died. If I remember correctly, your Eliazabeth Durham, daughter of James Lindsey Durham married Allen Wheeless. They had a son named Marlin Durham Wheeless. I seem to remember seeing his name as well in Meriwether Co. Yes! His son lived in Woodbury, GA, which is also in Meriwether Co., GA.

I can only tell you approximately when Abner died. It was around 1893, I believe. I will check on that. Unfortunately, they lost the pages which have his administrative papers. Margaret Gray Wheeless' will is there in Meriwether Co. She lists all the children as far as I know. I will try to find it and send it to you. I took photographs as they will not let you photocopy any of the really old stuff. I've not tracked Abner Wheeless, Sr.'s family. He is the one who married Nancy Kimbrough. They were in Greene Co., GA, Jasper is not far off. I will also check on that and get back to you. I seem to remember a will for your Abner Durham. Do you have that??? I'm going back to Meriwether soon. I will see what else I can find. I know I have some marriage records here. I'll try to send all that this weekend.

I also agree with you about exploring allied families and even neighbors. It's how we found the SC Gray's. They lived near the Carter's and Weather's who lived near Arthur (Abner?) Durham! That's how I became acquainted with him. We believe that the Martha Durham who married Sam Weathers is either his daughter or his sister. I suspect daughter.

My mailing address is:

Anne Kemp
40 Camp Ct.
Carrollton, GA 30117

I knew I had seen more information on your Arthur (Abner?):

http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/meriwether/obits/gob488durham.txt

AND

Early Settlers
Early settlers of Meriwether County, according to George White, author of Statistics of Georgia, and Georgia historian Lucian L. Knight, were Abner Durham, Levi Adams, Gen. Hugh Ector, Thomas E. Hardaway, B. Gates, D. C. Rose, William Harris, G. Talbot, David Keith, William Bowles, Joseph Sentell, John H. Jones, J. A. Perdieu, Colonel Welborn, Marshall Martin, David Williams, Dr. Andrew Park, Freeman W. Blount, W. D. Alexander, William Harris, Henry Harris Sr., Isaac Thrash, Allen Rowe, Georgia C. Heard, William Gill, Lewis Pyron, John P. Thompson, J. Hodnett, E. Peavy, Simon Petit, John Jones, Charles B. Harris, C. Campbell, Major Kendall, John H. Jones, E. Bradley, Austin V. Corley, William Sasser, Thomas Clark, Henry G. Clark, Cyprain Bulloch Sr., Catlett Campbell, John L. Dixon, W. P. Norris, William Dunn, William Florence, J. C. Freeman, George Caldwell, John Slaton, and Columbus Gray.

Cyprian Bulloch, Sr. married Margaret Gray Wheeless' sister Lucinda. We think Columbus Gray may have been a relative as my gg grandfather's brother was named Columbus B. Gray. This Columbus would be much older than he was.


Thanks!

Anne


-----Original Message-----
From: SCOTTSBO12@aol.com
To: Akem827@aol.com
Sent: Wed, 1 Apr 2009 7:26 am
Subject: Fwd: James L Durham & son Abner Durham

Anne,
This is great info you have sent...I love to explore these allied families because lots of time they can lead you back to the next generations...I have attached an email from Millie Halterman, you may have already corresponded with her...she is descended from Asahel Durham, a younger bro to my Abner Durham...he named a son "Sion Wheelis Durham" it appears...in fact I mentioned to Millie last week that it would be good to find an Abner Wheelis (sp) as Abner wasn't a name used in the Durham or Lindsay families it appeared - thus it may have come from his mother's family line...

I am going to dig around a lot in the Wheelus family of Meriwether and Tallapoosa Al...if you happen to have any wills of Abner Wheelis or Sion etc I would love to look at a copy...also have you found any records of Abner wheelis before Meriwether...my Abner Durham was in Jasper Co Ga ca 1810...

I have several pages of research on Abner Durham of Meriwether and family worked up...if you send me your mailing address I will send to you.

Later,
Larry McCutchen

---------------------------------------------------------
Notes: From L. McCutchen via email (to Milly Halterman):
"Abner left Surry Co NC ca age 20...drew in the 1805 Ga lottery...md in Putnam Co Ga on 11 Oct 1809 to Frances "Fanny" Cooper dau of Henry Cooper R S...later lived in Jasper Co Ga and is on 1820 census there...moved to Troup/Meriwether Co Ga by 1840 and was a Justice of the Inferior Court in Meriwether until his death in 1856..."

Abner DURHAM and Francis "Fanny" COOPER were married on 11 Oct 1809 in Putnam County, Georgia.²¹ Notes: From L. McCutchen via email (to Milly Halterman):
"Abner left Surry Co NC ca age 20...drew in the 1805 Ga lottery...md in Putnam Co Ga on 11 Oct 1809 to Frances "Fanny" Cooper dau of Henry Cooper R S...later lived in Jasper Co Ga and is on 1820 census there...moved to Troup/Meriwether Co Ga by 1840 and was a Justice of the Inferior Court in Meriwether until his death in 1856..." Francis "Fanny" COOPER (daughter of Henry COOPER) was born about 1787 in Georgia.²⁰ Abner DURHAM and Francis "Fanny" COOPER had the following children:

+65	i.	Abner DURHAM Jr..
66	ii.	Elizabeth DURHAM was born about 1826 in Georgia.20
67	iii.	Henry DURHAM was born about 1827 in Georgia.20
68	iv.	Phillip DURHAM was born about 1828 in Georgia.20
69	v.	Francis DURHAM was born about 1830 in Georgia.20
70	vi.	Amanda DURHAM was born about 1832 in Georgia.20