GURLEYS OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS

This page was begun in September of 2007. The initial information presented here, beyond the webmaster's own immediate family, was provided by Linda (Camden) Goodwin, Dr. Linda Blackman, and Rexaline Parks Mc Carley, all of whom are related to the Gurleys and do family research. 

MARCH, 2010 ADDITION
 Contributed by Cindy Beaton

All of the research that has gone into the information compiled and presented on this page is the work of those credited, and we are most grateful for their contributions.

The webmaster, William R. Carr (who is not a genealogist or serious researcher), is the great grandson of Green and Virginia Tranquoline (Wright) Gurley, and was named after their son, (Uncle) William Gurley. Virginia Tranquoline Wright was the daughter of John and Leave (Camden) Wright of Stonefort, Illinois.

MAY 18, 2017 ADDITION
Contributed by Wolff Morrow.

Please send any corrections or additional information to: webmaster@heritech.com.

First Generation

See March, 2010 ADDITION for a previous generation

Our record begins with John Gurley, of North Carolina, who fought in the Revolutionary War. He married an Elizabeth Edwards. We do not have any dates on John and Elizabeth at this time, but since his first son was born in 1763, John was probably born about 1743 or before.

John and Elizabeth's children were:

  1. George Washington Gurley

  2. Lazararus Gurley

  3. Jerimiah Gurley

  4. John Lewis Gurley

  5. Edward Gurley

  6. William Gurley

  7. Joel Gurley

  8. Robert Gurley

  9. Hugh Gurley

Second Generation

George Washington Gurley (b. 2 Jan. 1763, d. Oct. 1800) married Sarah Isabelle Robinson Bell

George and Sarah's children were:

  1. Hugh Swenton (or Swinton) Gurley

  2. John Anson Gurley – Daughter Chelly, married Solomon Penrod in 1836 had a son David Young Penrod (see note below)

  3. Benjamin Franklin Gurley

Nov. 23, 2008 Query: Hello. I just discovered the website regarding the Gurley's of Southern Illinois. I am descended from John Anson Gurley through his daughter Chelly Gurley and her husband Solomon Penrod. Their son was David Young Penrod (John Anson Gurley's grandson) was my ggg-grandfather. I don't see any info. for Chelly Gurley on the site and I assume that she died young as they married in 1836 and Solomon remarried in 1847. Can you give me any assistance? Thanks.
Karen Harvell rosebrook@prodigy.net

 

Third Generation

Hugh Swinton Gurley (b. abt. 1806, Wayne County, North Carolina. d. 24 Jan. 1854), married Charity Wiggs. Charity is said to have been a Cherokee Indian. They moved to Union County, Illinois. Charity's father was Raiford Wiggs (b. abt. 1785 in Wayne County or Sampson, North Carolina), son of John Wiggs (b. 25 Jan. 1758) and Cherry (?), m. 1782 in Sampson County, North Carolina. Charity married again after Hugh died.

Hugh and Charity's Children were:

  1. John Anson Gurley

  2. Isaiah Gurley

  3. Elizabeth Gurley

  4. Mary Gurley

  5. Melissa Gurley

  6. William Kelly Gurley

  7. Raford (or Raiford) Gurley

Fourth Generation

John Anson Gurley (b. before 1824), married Mary Wiggs on 1 Aug. 1845.

John and Mary's children were:

  1. Martha Ann Gurley, (b. 14 Jan 1851, d. 27 Sept. 1903), m. Francis Goodard (b. 3 Aug. 1852) 15 Sep. 1872

  2. Daniel Woodard Gurley, Lived in Texas

  3. Nancy Jane Gurley, m. Joseph Henry Mc Intire, 18 Oct. 1874, in Union County, Illinois

  4. Mary Elizabeth Gurley

  5. William Swenton Gurley, lived in Texas and had 4 or 5 children

Isaiah Gurley (d. 19 Apr. 1898) married Susan Barber (b. 4 Nov. 1837, d. 4 Feb. 1917), m. Apr. 1855.

Isaiah and Susan's children "who lived to be old" were:

  1. Green Gurley (b. 9 Aug. 1862, d. 20 Dec. 1938), (see  below)

  2. Anthony (Tony) Anson Gurley (b. 6 Mar. 1864, d. 24 Jun 1949)

  3. Mary Gurley (b. 27 Nov. 1869, d. 13 Jun. 1956), m. Duff St. John

  4. Nell Gurley (b. 28 Mar. ?, d. 25 Apr. 1950), m. ___ Craig

  5. Glenn Gurley, m. Alma _____.
    One child: Glenn, Jr. (b. Nov. 19, 1927) married Maudie St. John, 1945, (children: Sharon Jean, Gary Wayne) 

Lucas and Morgan died young, and the rest died in infancy or younger. 

Raford Gurley (b. ?, d. 1854) married Mariah Lodusky Barber (b. 30 Aug. 1828, d. 3 Mar. 1908) m. 2 Jan. 1848, in Union County, Illinois. Susan and Mariah Barber's parents were James Barber and Susan Lee Gibbs, from South Carolina. After Raford died Mariah married William Newton, and later Soloman B. Youngblood.

Raford and Mariah's children were:

  1. Susan "Sula" Gurley, m. ___ Trammel

  2. Mary Elizabeth Gurley (See below) (b. 1 Dec. 1848, d. 14 Mar. 1897), m. 10 Dec., 1865 to James Livingston Jones (b. 26 Sep. 1844, Jackson County TN, d. 23 Feb. 1920, Williamson County, IL)

Two children died young.

Notes on Isaiah and Susan Barber and Raford and Mariah Barber

Excerpt from Marjory Anne (Gurley) Whiting's mother's Notebook by Steve Murphy, Spring of 1985 and contributed to this web site by Linda Blackman.

Dated: Stonefort, Ill. March 10, 1906

     I, Susan (Barber) Gurley, was born Nov. 4, 1837. And married Isiah Gurley, April, 1855, and am the mother of 12 children and had only 10 births.
     Only 4 of my children are now living. I have 18 Grandchildren. I lived with my husband 43 years and 1 day. He died April 19, 1898. I am now 68 years old... (Comment: She died Feb. 4, 1917, age 80 years and 3 months.) [See children listed above under Isaiah Gurley.]

Dated: March 10, 1906

     Mariah L. Barber and Susan Barber were sisters. Isaiah and Raferd were brothers.
     Mariah L. Barber was born Aug. 30, 1828 in Pope Country, Ill. Married Raferd Gurley (Brother of Isaiah) on Jan. 2, 1848 in Union County, Ill. He died in 1854 and left me with 4 children. Then I married D.B. Newton* of Williamson County, Jan. 5, 1958 and had 5 children. He was killed April 22, 1873. Then I married S. B. Youngblood Dec. 27, 1875 and he died 3 years later.
     I have 22 grandchildren, 24 Great Grandchildren. I have had the care of 12 different tribes of children besides my own. And I have taken 4 from the breast and raised them on a bottle. 1st was 1 year old, 2nd was 3 months old, 3rd was 5 months, and 4th was 1 week old.
     I am 77 yrs., 7 mos., and 10 days old at this time. Her 4 Gurley children were: Sulie Trammel, Elizabeth Jones, and 2 sons that died young. [See Raford's children, above.]

* According to Linda Goodwin, Mariah's second husband, D.B. Newton, was shot and killed in Stonefort over a mule trade that ran amok.

 

Extension for Green Gurley 

Green Gurley (b. 1860, d. Dec. 20, 1938), son of Isaiah Gurley, married Virginia Tranquoline "Tran" Wright (b. 1871, d. 1954). Virginia's parents were John Wright and Leave Camden, of Stonefort and New Burnside, Illinois.

Green and Virginia's children were:

(1.) Sybil Gurley [Potts, Carr, Gerard, Huse, Otterpol... Erwin (possibly eight husbands in all)], (b. 1890, d. 1975) Though Sybil married several times, her three children, were all by her first husband, Joseph Potts of Stonefort. They were later adopted by her second husband, George Carr, in 1918 and took his name. Sybil's last husband was Rosco Erwin, of Stonefort. They last lived on a farm near Raleigh, Illinois, and were the last of our family who made their living exclusively from the land. Sybil's children were:

  1. Flora Carr, (b. April 22, 1907, d. Feb. 24, 1984) "Flo" later changed her name from "Flora" to "Florine" but she was always Flo to friends and family. She married Frank Stienmarch and they ran an upholstery shop in Harrisburg. After Frank died, she married Walter "Walt" Skeels, (b. June 12, 1899, d. May 4, 1967). She had no children by either marriage. Walt was the Superintendent of Alcoa Mines at Rosiclare, Illinois.
  2. George William Carr, (b. Oct. 24, 1909, d. June 21, 1991). George married Ruth Bartlett before WWII and was divorced after returning from the front in France. He later married Gertrude Fulkerson. They had no live children, (one still-born, buried at Sunset Lawn cemetery, Harrisburg). George Carr was a very talented artist. (See George Carr Art Gallery) He taught industrial arts at Harrisburg Junior High, where Gertrude also taught, for many years. They lived at the house George built near the "old home place" a mile south of Rudement. Later they moved to Harrisburg, to a home they had built on South Main Street.
  3. James Robert Carr, (b. Oct. 30, 1912, d. 10 August, 2004) Married Mildred Inez Goodman, of Harrisburg, (daughter of Albert and Ruth (Grace) Goodman) by whom he had one child, William Roy "Bill" Carr. Later he married Jewell Baker of Energy, Illinois, but was soon divorced, (1945-6?) and never remarried. His son, Bill, married Luong Thi Doi "Chi" in 1968 in Saigon. They have two children, James Roy Carr, and Lilia Thi Carr. (Both were born in Saigon, Vietnam – (1969 and 1974 respectively) James Roy Carr, married Tracy Sunshine Robinson of Cave-In-Rock, in 1994 (later divorced). They have had one daughter, Chloerisa (Chloe) James Carr. 
(2.) William Gurley. "Uncle Bill" Gurley. (b. Nov. 14, 1892, d. Mar. 21, 1961) married Gladys Ozment and they had one daughter, Joan. Joan married Richard F. Dickerson, and they live in Southern Illinois. Uncle Bill's first marriage ended in divorce and he remarried Olive Smith, (daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Oscar Smith, of Rudement), and they lived a mile south of Rudement, Illinois. The old "homestead" (built in about 1932 from the logs of an older house which had been about half a mile from the new highway – Illinois Route 34) burned in the mid 1990's.

Green and William Gurley, Sybil Erwin, and James Robert Carr, are buried at the Bolton-Trammel cemetery at Stonefort, Illinois, along with several other members of the family. George, and wife Gertrude, and sister Flo, are buried at Sunset Lawn cemetery in Harrisburg, Illinois.

 

Extension for Mary Elizabeth Gurley

This information on Mary Elizabeth Gurley and her Jones descendants was contributed by Linda (Camden) Goodwin. She says, "This was mostly put together by Linda Blackman from information sent by my cousin Betty and myself."

Mary Elizabeth Gurley, born 01 Dec 1848 IL, died 14 Mar 1897, in Williamson County IL. Her parents were Raford Gurley and Mariah Lodusky Barber/Gurley/Newton/Youngblood. She married:

James Livingston Jones, born 26 Sep 1844 in Jackson County TN,
married 10 Dec 1865 in White County IL, died 23 Feb 1920 in Williamson County IL. His parents were Lewis Jenkins Jones (Jinks) and Anna Asenith Isbell

Mary and James are both buried at Bolton-Trammell Cemetery, near Stonefort, Williamson County IL. The children were:

(1) Alveretta Jones, born 03 Mar 1867, White County IL, died 14 Mar 1953, Pope County IL. Married 19 Mar 1885, in Pope County IL, to Shelton Columbus Camden, born 19 Dec 1861 IL, died 15 Mar 1926, Pope County IL. Both are buried at Bolton-Trammell Cemetery Williamson County IL

(2) Juliette (Julia) Jones, born 14 Apr 1869, in White County IL, died 04 Dec 1946. Married 18 Oct 1885 to Eric William Ledin, born 27 May 1857 Sweden (immigrated to US in 1881), died 10 Oct 1927 (Note: they owned and operated the hotel in Stonefort)

(3) Josephine Jones, died young

(4) Susan E. (Sude) Jones, born 14 Feb 1871 IL, died 30 Dec 1955. Married George Buckner, born 16 Jul 1861 AR, died 13 Jul 1923. Both are buried at Bolton-Trammell Cemetery Williamson County IL

(5) Anna Lodusky Jones, born 27 Dec 1872 Williamson County IL, died 1903, Saline County IL. Married Oliver Lewis, born 11 Mar 1873, died 22 Mar 1966. Both are buried at the Joyner Cemetery IL. (Note: They owned a Drugstore in Stonefort. See note below.)

(6) Esther Jones, born 11 Dec 1874 Williamson County IL, died 04 Dec 1969 Saline County IL. Married George D. Wise, born 1865, died 10 Dec 1932. Both are buried at Robertson Cemetery IL (Note: They owned Stonefort hardware store)

(7) Cenith Elizabeth Jones, born 29 Dec 1876 Williamson County IL, died 21 Sep 1966, Saline County IL. Buried at Robertson Cemetery IL. Married George Butler

(8) Adelph Jones, born 1879, Williamson County IL, died May 1881 IL

(9) Ottis (William) Jones, born 03 Feb 1881, Williamson County IL, died 20 Jul 1966. Married Mary (unknown last name), died Jan 1969.

(10) Ammie Soluria Jones, born 31Jul1885 Williamson County IL, died 1965 IL. Married 08 Jul 1912, to Norvell H. Lewis, born 20 Dec 1890, died 07 Oct 1948 (note: They owned hardware store in Stonefort. See Note below.)

(11) Edanus (Amon) Jones, born Jan 1889 Williamson County IL, died 1938.

James Livingston Jones had a second marriage to Alminda Adkins, 09 Sep 1899, in Johnson County IL. Their children:

  1. Everett Jones
  2. Estel Jones (born 17 Jun 1903, died 11 Dec 1948)
  3. Nora Jones, all born after 1900.

NOTE: The Williamson County Historical Society has an online tour of their museum. They have a replica of Oliver Lewis' Drugstore, that had been in Stonefort. He was the husband of Anna Lodusky Jones. Here is the link: http://www.thewchs.com/wchs_tour1.htm

Email: Linda (Camden) Goodwin

 

UNCERTAIN RELATIONS

Anson N. Gurley, Sr. (b 15 Feb 1828, d. 4 Aug 1907) married to Martha Jane Toler (b. 17 Oct 1834, d. 26 Apr 1908). Anson was in Co. F, 11th Illinois Infantry (Civil War), and is buried at the "Gurley Cemetery" in Johnson County, Illinois, near Goreville. (Source: http://www.findagrave.com).

 

SEVEN GENERATIONS
Contributed by Cindy Beaton

...I am a descendent of John Gurley and Mary Wiggs. ...(S)ome of (this information) disagrees with yours, but that’s the fun and frustration of genealogy. Sadly, I don’t have records of all my data sources.

BEFORE YOUR FIRST GENERATION: George Gurley (wife unknown), born c1715 Scotland or VA (this date is only 12 years before his son’s birth, so… ?), died 1771 Southhampton County VA

His children were:

  1. John, b. c1727
  2. George Jr.
  3. Cary
  4. Fathay
  5. Anne

SECOND GENERATION: John Gurley and Elizabeth Edwards Gurley

John, born c1727 and died 04-06-1794, Johnston County NC
Elizabeth, born c1719, Southhampton County VA, died post 1794, Johnson County IL. John & Elizabeth were married c1743

Their children were:

  1. Robert, b. 1744
  2. Joel, b. 1747
  3. William, b. 1749
  4. Edward, b. 1752
  5. Lewis, b. 1755
  6. Lazarus, b. 1757
  7. Jeremiah, b. 1759
  8. George Washington, b. 1762
  9. John, b. 1767

Your site says that their first son was born in 1763, but my records show that their firstborn, Robert, was born in 1744, which pushes back their assumed 
wedding date considerably...

THIRD GENERATION: Hugh Swinton Gurley and Charity Wiggs

My information and yours are the same except: I have 1-24-1854 as Hugh’s death date and you have 1-31-1854.

My records show that their children were:

  1. Anson, b. 1828
  2. John, b. 1830
  3. Isaiah, b. 1832
  4. Elizabeth, b. 1835
  5. Mary, b. 1844
  6. William Russell Kelly, b. 1849

Instead of my Anson and John, you have a John Anson born before 1824... You also have Melissa and Raiford, whom I didn’t have.

FOURTH GENERATION: John Anson Gurley and Mary Wiggs

My records show they were married 8-7-1845 in Union County IL; yours show 8-1-1845. It’s close!

The children I have listed for them are:

  1. William Swinton 1849
  2. Martha Ann 1851
  3. Charity Elizabeth 1853 (you have her listed as Mary Elizabeth)
  4. Nancy Jane 1855
  5. Daniel Woodard 1860

FIFTH GENERATION: My line continues through Nancy Jane Gurley; we both have the same date and place for her marriage to Joseph Henry McIntire (sometimes spelled McIntyre). The 1910 Howe, Grayson Co. TX census says that he could read but not write and she could neither read nor write... Attached photo of them that appears to be on their son John’s wedding day, with his bride Lilley Mae beside him.


Photo courtesy of  Sherri Furber

Joseph, b. 06-11-1854 or 12-16-1854, Anna, Karo County IL, d. 04-10-1926 or 11-10-1928, Howe, Grayson County TX, buried in Hall Cemetery, Grayson County TX

Nancy Jane, b. 11-26-1855 Anna, Karo or Union County IL; d. 01-07-1934 Howe, Grayson County TX; buried in Hall Cemetery, Grayson County TX

Their children were:

  1. John William 1875
  2. Ansley Woodard 1877
  3. Fred Edgar 1879
  4. James Lafayet 1884
  5. Della May 1888
  6. Stella Ettie 1891 (died at 6 mos.)
  7. Mary Evia/Eva M. 1892
  8. Daniel Lee 1895
  9. Emma/Emily Iva 1899

SIXTH GENERATION: John William McIntyre and Lillie Mae Fielder

John William, b. 06-26-1875, Anna, Karo or Union County IL; d. 06-10-1937, IL

Lillie Mae was the oldest of 15 children (her father was married twice), b. 07-20-1875, Hickman County KY; d, 09-04-1955, Mangum, Greer County OK
buried in Riverside Cemetery

John and Lillie Mae were married 07-31-1892 in Denison, Grayson County TX

Their children were:

  1. Viola Jane, b. 1893
  2. Nora Lee, b. 1896
  3. Irene (Icey), b. 1899
  4. Ruby Murtice, b. 1901
  5. Elert / Eligah, b. 1903
  6. J. T., b. 1904
  7. Edith, b. 1908
  8. Ernest, b. 1910
  9. Earl, b. 1912
  10. H.C., b. 1918

SEVENTH GENERATION: Ira Robert McNeil and Viola Jane McIntyre

Ira, b. 07-08-1890, Grayson Co. TX; d. 12-26-1942, Alhambra, Los Angeles Co. CA; buried in San Gabriel Cemetery CA

Viola, b. 11-06-1893, Howe, Grayson Co. TX; d. 11-20-1966, Buena Park, Orange Co. CA; buried in Westminster Memorial Park Cemetery CA

Ira and Viola were married 11-11-1908. Viola married again c1943 after Ira’s death; she married a third time, to James Wilkerson.

Ira and Viola’s children were:

  1. Infant, b. 1909 - died
  2. L.Z. Howard, b. 1911
  3. R.D., b. c1913
  4. Ira Robert, b. 1915
  5. William Ralph, b. 1920
  6. Louis (Bud) Tracy, b. 1922
  7. Thelma Gracie, b. 1922
  8. Roy Lee, b. 1925
  9. Mary Ruth, b. 1928

I hope you find this info useful!

WOLFF MORROW CONTRIBUTES


We heard from a Wolff Morrow on May 18th of 2017 and subsequently. The following is a condensation of three emails.

Greetings,

I recently got the genealogy bug, and have been currently working on my mother's mother's line. Every day I find some new information to fill in more pieces of the puzzle in order to get a clearer history of that part of my family line. It's been a real challenge as many in this line were illiterate farmers that lived in the sticks.
     So getting right down it, I'll just share what I have so far on father-to-father from my grandmother's parents.
     My grandmother: Johnnie Ruth Gurley Washburn Ferguson (preferred to go by Ruth): Born 1919 in Louisiana, died 2009 in Texas.

Her parents:

Henry Nathan Gurley (misspelled as "Henry Nathen Gurley" when tracked in online records): Born 1882 in Arkansas, died 1935 in Louisiana.

Annie Lilian Formby 1885 - 1967

Henry's parents:

William Nathan Gurley: Born 1859 in Arkansas, died 1919 in Arkansas.

Mary (maiden name unknown) ???? - 1902(e) (William remarried in 1904, indicating she likely died possibly the same year as William's mother)

William's parents:

Nathaniel G. Gurley: Born 1822 in Illinois, died 1864 in Little Rock Arkansas military prison. Nathaniel was part of the 1st (Crawford's) Cavalry in company "H" in the Civil War. One research site claims he died in August of 1863, but other records show he died of the measles while being held in military prison in 1864. I tracked down the original prison logs and found a "Nathan Gerlin" that this alluded to, and since there's no record of a "Nathan Gerlin" in the muster rolls, it is believed this was actually Nathan Gurley.

Jane Ann Andrews: Born 1827 in Arkansas, died 1902 in Arkansas

Nathaniel's parents:

Benjamin Gurley: Born 1784 in North Carolina, died somewhere between 1850 and 1860 in Arkansas. This is where my information gets cloudy. I was able to track down a marriage bond from 1811 in Tennessee where Benjamin married Nancy York, born 1789 also in North Carolina. It is likely they met in North Carolina and married after "hitting the road" on off into Tennessee. The next place they ended up is in Illinois by 1822. We know this because their son Nathaniel was born in Illinois at that time. From Illinois, Benjamin ends up in Arkansas and the first record of him living there is a tax payment in 1849.

So I find it quite coincidental that Benjamin had lived in Illinois, where he had his son Nathaniel born. It's my belief that he must be somehow kin to the Gurleys that lived in Illinois at that time, as they both originated in North Carolina.

Sincerely,
Wolff Morrow

Emails continue...

I'm now 90% certain one of Rev. John Gurley's kids was my Benjamin Gurley's father. "Jeremiah Gurley" and "Capt. Lewis Gurley" (Rev. John Gurley's sons) both served in the revolutionary war, and either they are both my Benjamin Gurley's uncles, or even possibly Lewis might be Benjamin's father.

Further hints to this are how Jeremiah Gurley is known to be living in Tennessee by no later than 1818, only seven years maximum from the time Benjamin got his marriage bond in the same state. However, there's a recorded document of pension application for revolutionary war veteran for Jeremiah that specifically states he only had one son "John Gurley", so that rules out him being the father of Benjamin (and more likely an uncle). I've attached Jeremiah's pension application (click to download .pdf file), which is quite fascinating to read over the testimony of the war and how he eventually served with his brother Lewis Gurley.

Also attached is a scan of Benjamin Gurley's marriage bond to Nancy York in 1811 in Williamson County Tennessee. Later when Benjamin finally settled Arkansas, there's an 1850 census which lists his wife as "Nancy", so we know this to be them.

Have a look at these documents and let me know what you think.

Sincerely,

-Wolff Morrow

Marriage Bond
Click on Image to see larger view



 

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