Beyond our Elusive William Daniel

He is found with his family in the 1850 Census for Marshall County, Mississippi, Southern Division. He is in household number 494. He is shown as 38 years of age, a farmer with real estate owned valued at $600. He was born in Tennessee. In the column for Persons over 20 years who cannot read or write, the number six is shown. The purpose of this number is unknown since it does not seem to fit the listing. The listing is at the bottom of the page, and there seem to be some numbers in that column and the next that do not seem to make sense. It seems that the census takers that year used those columns to tally idiots or other things. In the 1850 Census there were many Alexander families in the county. Were they all related? Or perhaps some were? They have similar patterns of movement between Alabama, Tennessee, and Mississippi. There is a man named Cyrus Alexander, 70 , a farmer, (he could not read and write) born in North Carolina, who is living with a Webster family in the Northern Division. Richard Webster is 30, married to Narcissa(?) A. Webster, 27. (Could the A stand for Alexander?) Both Richard and his wife were born in Tennessee. Richard Webster could not read and write, but his wife could. There was also a younger Cyrus Alexander who lived in the Northern Division of Marshall Co., Mississippi. Could the older Cyrus have been the father of our William Alexander? In 1860 he is still in Marshall County, Mississippi. The post office is Waterford. His age is unclear. It may be 50 or 51, but I am unsure. He is listed as a farmer. His real estate value is $1600 and the value of his personal estate is unclear. It may be $4500. He is shown to be from Tenn. In the 1860 Census he is listed two families after a family of Hendersons. It is possible that this family is related to his wife. He has one son born in Alabama, and the rest of his children are born in Mississippi.

Census: 1850, Southern Division, Marshall, MS, Series: M432 Roll:377 Page:243 494/494, Wm. Alexander, 38, m, farmer, 600, TN Martha M. Alexander, 31, f, TN Jos. A. Alexander, 10, m, AL, attended school Thos. H. Alexander, 8, m, MS, attended school Mary A. Alexander, 6, f, MS Sarah A. Alexander, 5, f, MS Andrew J. Alexander, 2, m, MS

1860, MISSISSIPPI , MARSHALL, WATERFORD P O, Series: M653 Roll: 587 Page: 273 349/334, William Alexander, 50, m, farmer, $1600, $4,500, TN Martha " , 42, f, AL Joseph " , 20 m, AL, attended school Thomas " , 18, m, MS, attended school Mary A. " , 17, f, MS, attended school Sarah A., 15, f, MS, attended school Andrew, 13, m, MS Susan " , 7, f, MS Martha ", 3, f, MS

1870, Township Range 2, Marshall, Waterford PO, Mississippi, Series: M593 Roll: 740 Page: 473 Alexander, WM., 60, m, w, farmer, 1600, 400, TN M. E., 26, f, w, housekeeper, AL A. J., 22, m, w, farmer, MS Susie, 18, f, w, at home, MS Martha, 13, f, w, at home, MS It appears that his son Joseph and his family probably were living next door to them, but this is not clear since the households are not numbered. He might possibly have lived with them. Also, the age of his wife Martha is incorrect as well as her middle initial.

RESEARCH: Check out the Alexanders who lived in Mecklinberg, NC area perhaps. A William Alexander seems to have been a witness for an application by Henry Massey, step-son of William Massey, who resided in Mecklinberg, SC at that time. Check this out. There was also a William Alexander in Tennessee Revolutionary War records who had a man named Will Henderson, it appears (apparently a judge) signed an affidavit for a pension. Research this link, since this man lived in Tennessee, but served in South Carolina... a possible Henderson connection if the signature is read correctly. These may not have been a parent of our William, but might be a grandparent or other relative.