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in the excerpts of the 1849-1855 Diary of Rev. J. L. Cotten of the Methodist Church of Cahawba, AL |
Comments Updated 15 Apr 2006
27 Jul 2000: Mrs. Barbara Smith, widow of the late Roy Lester Smith, sent me copies of some of Roy's work. Roy is a direct descendent of my ggg-uncle, Isham Gwin, brother of my gg-grandpa, William Gwin, both of Cahaba, AL. Our common ancestors are Isham and William's parents, John and Jane Walker Gwin. Among that work is a 16-page typewritten transcription containing excerpts from the diary of the Rev. (C. J. L.?) Cotten--some 58 entries, almost all of which contain references to my Gwin, Basset, and/or Wilson ancestors (which references appear in boldface in the list below). Indeed, references to over eighty different individuals are made here, and I hope that this posting may help some of you with your research. In a 26 Jan 1997 letter to Barbara Ward, Roy said the diary copies were sent to him by the Cahaba Project where the original manuscripts of the diary are on loan by the owner.
Related Links: Excerpts from the Diary of Rev. James Cotten, Pastor of the Methodist Church of Cahaba and close friend and confidant of John Gwin, William Gwin, and their families. Excerpts begin 6 Apr 1849 and close 23 Mar 1855.
For a list of marriages in Dallas Co., AL, 1818 - 1845, click: dallcoearlymarriages.htm.
For a list of names mentioned in the book, Memories of Old Cahaba, click: cahabanames.htm.
For a list of names in the index of my Cahaba ancestor's photo album, click: index2photoalbum.htm.
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| 01. Allen, Sister | 01. Sun 28 Apr 1850. | |
| 02. _____, Ann | 02. Sat 11 Feb 1854, Fri 03 Jan 1851 | |
| 03. [Ulmer], Lucy, aka Miss L. | 03. Sun 22 Dec 1850, Tue 24 Dec 1850, Fri 22 Oct 1852, Thu 04 Jan 1853, Tue 05 Apr 1853, Sat 11 Feb 1854, Fri 23 Mar 1855; | |
| 04. [Ulmer Dr.], Lucy's father | 04. Sat 11 Feb 1854, Fri 23 Mar 1855 | |
| 05. _____, Martha | 05. Thu 04 Jul 1850 | |
| 07. _____, Sister Martha | 07. Thu 06 Dec 1849, Fri 29 Mar 1850 | |
| 08. Babcock, Bro. | 08. Thu 06 Apr 1849; | |
| 09. Babcock, John | 09. Mon 19 Nov 1849, Tue 27 Nov 1849 | |
| 10. Babcock, John's mother | 10. Tue 27 Nov 1849 | |
| 11. Babcock, Sister | 11. Tue 04 Jun 1850 | |
| 12. Baloom the negro | 12. Wed 14 Nov 1849, Wed 28 Nov 1849, Thu 21 Mar 1850, Fri 29 Mar 1850 | |
| 13. Bassett, Bro. | 13. Thu 06 Apr 1849; Sat 30 Jun 1849, Wed 14 Nov 1849, Wed 28 Nov 1849, Tue 25 Dec 1849, Sun 21 Apr 1850, Sun 21 Apr 1850, Sun 28 Jul 1850 | This is almost certain to be Joseph
Basset, since the entry for 21 Apr 1850 says that Cotten baptised
Bro. Basset's infant daughter, Margaret Revel Basset, on that day.
Margaret Revel Basset is Joseph Basset's second child but first by his
second wife,
Louisa Catherine High Blann. MRB was born 29 Sep 1849,
never married, and died 18 Dec 1903.
I don't know when Cotten arrived in Cahaba, but he may not have known John Gwin's daughter Ann who was Joseph Basset's first wife, who died in 1845 at age 18, probably in childbirth. |
| 14. Beene, Infant | 14. Sun 08 Dec 1850 | |
| 15. Beene, Mr. | 15. Sun 08 Dec 1850 | |
| 16. Bell, Judge | 16. Mon 19 Nov 1849 | |
| 17. Bell, Miss | 17. Thu 21 Mar 1850, Fri 22 Mar 1850 | Mary Frances "Fanny" Elizabeth Bell of Bogue Chitto, daughter-in-law of John and Jane Gwin and wife of Chesley R. Gwin |
| 18. Bohanan, Sister | 18. Mon 19 Nov 1849 | |
| 19-20. Bowdon, Old Mr. | 19. Tue 27 Nov 1849, Thu 06 Dec 1849 | |
| 21. Broom, Bro. | 21. Tue 11 Dec 1849, Wed 12 Dec 1849, Thu 27 Dec 1849, | |
| 22. Bush, Sister | 22. Sun 28 Apr 1850 | |
| 23. C., Col. | 23. Sat 05 May 1849 | |
| 24. C., Miss | 24. Mon 29 Jul 1850 | |
| 25. Campbell, Col. | 25. Tue 25 Dec 1849 | |
| 26. Campbell, Mr. | 26. Sat 05 May 1849 | |
| 27. Cobb, Bishop | 27. Sun 28 Apr 1850 | |
| 28. Cole, Mr. | 28. Sun 09 Jun 1850 | |
| 29. Comelander, Jesse | 29. Wed 12 Dec 1849 | John and Jane Gwin's son-in-law, William and Roe Gwin's brother-in-law, and Martha Gwin's husband. |
| 30. Cove, Mr. Jo. | 30. Mon 17 Dec 1849 | |
| 31. Cove, Sister | 31. Fri 22 Mar 1850 | |
| 32. Craig, Mrs. | 32. Thu 21 Mar 1850 | |
| 33. Crocheron, Mrs. Henry | 33. Thu 21 Mar 1850 | Some eight months later, a Mr. H. J. Crocheron, 23, a New York farmer listed as owning $27,300 in real estate, is recorded in the 6 Nov 1850 census of Cahaba as living in residence #600 with wife Julia, 20, and children Howard, 8, and Eugenia, 6. An interesting note is that next door in residence #599 is the McKnight family, William and Louisa A. (Gwin) McKnight, John and Jane Gwin's youngest daughter! |
| 34. Crosby, Sister | 34. Mon 19 Nov 1849 | |
| 35. Curtis, Dr. of Wilcox | 35. Tue 24 Dec 1850 | |
| 36. Divins, (Mr.) | 36. Mon 26 Nov 1849 | |
| 37. Ellis, Bro. | 37. Thu 27 Dec 1849 | |
| 38. Fambro, Col. | 38. Tue 11 Dec 1849, Thu 27 Dec 1849 | |
| 39. Finley, Bro. | 39. Sun 25 Nov 1849 | |
| 40. Francis, Bro. | 40. Thu 26 Apr 1849, Sun 21 Apr 1850, Thu 04 Jul 1850, Fri 03 Jan 1851 | |
| 41. Furlow, Mrs. | 41. Mon 26 Nov 1849 | |
| 42. Garnett, Bro. | 42. Sat 15 Jun 1850 | |
| 43. George, old man [slave] | 43. Tue 28 May 1850 | This is John Gwin's longtime slave. I believe that John and Jane had
no slaves when they came to Alabama from Tennessee (see the 1820 census
for Dallas Co., AL), so he must have acquired this George after moving
to Dallas Co.
According to a biography of John's baby brother's (Richard W. Gwin's) son, William W. Gwin, John's and Richard's father, Isham Gwin, a Baptist pastor in Crowson's Cove, Sevier Co., TN, HATED SLAVERY (though he kept slaves himself) and so FREED his slaves and moved to Indiana, a new FREE state, in order to live away from the institution of slavery. This is speculation (though based on the above biography): I believe that both John and his brother William (also listed in the 1820 census of Dallas Co., AL, as having no slaves) DISAGREED with their father and moved to Alabama in order to own slaves. The reason they brought no slaves with them from Tennessee MAY have been that their father had already freed his own, leaving none to give John and William in their inheritance. |
| 44. Givhan, Dr. | 44. Sat 30 Nov 1850 | |
| 45. Goldby | 45. Thu 21 Mar 1850 | |
| 46. Griffin, Bro. | 46. Tue 24 Dec 1850 | |
| 47. Guinn, Bro. [usu. John] | 47. Thu 06 Apr 1849, Thu 17 May 1849, Sun 05 Aug 1849, Sun 11 Nov 1849, Tue 13 Nov 1849, Mon 26 Nov 1849, Tue 27 Nov 1849, Sun 16 Dec 1849, Thu 27 Dec 1849, Thu 03 Jan 1850, Fri 22 Mar 1850, Sun 21 Apr 1850, Tue 28 May 1850, Sat 01 Jun 1850, Sun 09 Jun 1850, Sat 15 Jun 1850, Thu 04 Jul 1850, Sun 21 Jul 1850, Mon 29 Jul 1850, Sat 30 Nov 1850, Sun 08 Dec 1850, Sun 22 Dec 1850, Tue 24 Dec 1850, Fri 27 Dec 1850, Mon 30 Dec 1850, Fri 22 Oct 1852, Thu 25 Nov 1852, Thu 04 Jan 1853, Tue 05 Apr 1853, Sat 11 Feb 1854, Tue 21 Feb. 1854, Fri 10 Mar 1854 Fri 23 Mar 1855 | John Gwin, husband of Jane Walker Gwin; son of Isham and Mary Canterbury Gwin; and father of Mary, Thomas, Isom, William, Sarah, Ann, Martha, Chesley, and Louisa |
| 48. Guinn, Bro Wm. | 48. Sat 30 Jun 1849, Mon 19 Nov 1849, Sun 25 Nov 1849, Thu 06 Dec 1849, Tue 11 Dec 1849, Wed 12 Dec 1849, Mon 17 Dec 1849, Thu 27 Dec 1849, Wed 02 Jan 1850, Fri 29 Mar 1850, Sun 06 (Oct?) 1850, Tue 08 (Oct?) 1850, Sun 03 Nov 1850, Fri 03 Jan 1851 | William, son of John and Jane, husband of Rosanne Carlisle Jones (Wilson) Gwin |
| 49. Guinn, Charley | 49. Thu 21 Mar 1850, Fri 22 Mar 1850 | Chesley R. Gwin, son of John and Jane |
| 50. Guinn, Isom | 50. Tue 21 Feb. 1854 | Isom Gwin, firstborn of
John and Jane and first husband of Mary Burdine Wilson. He was named
for his grandfather, Isham Gwin (see comments for entry #43 above).
Isom had just died less than three months earlier and was buried at the
cemetery of the Protestant Methodist Church in Athens, Dallas Co., AL (see
photographs of his grave).
Like his grandfather--and namesake--and his father, Isom kept slaves (though his grandfather had freed his own) and left them in his will to his widow and two daughters. |
| 51. Guinn, Miss Louisa | 51. Thu 17 May 1849 | John and Jane's baby and wife of William McKnight |
| 52. Guinn, Mrs. | 52. Thu 19 Sep 1850 | Jane (nee Walker) Gwin, wife of John |
| 53. Guinn, Mrs. Charley | 53. Tue 17 Sep 1850 | Mary Frances "Fanny" Elizabeth Bell (Mrs. Chesley) Gwin, daughter-in-law of John and Jane. |
| 54. Guinn, Old Bro. | 54. Sat., 18 Jan 1851 | John Gwin |
| 55. Guinn, Old Sister | 55. Sun 22 Dec 1850 | Jane Walker Gwin, wife of John and daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth Magill Walker of TN |
| 56. Guinn, Sister Wm. | 56. Sun 28 Apr 1850, Sun 21 Jul 1850 | Rosanna "Roe" Carlisle Jones Wilson (Mrs. William) Gwin |
| 57. Guinn, two Bro. | 57. Thu 26 Apr 1849, Sat 05 May 1849, Tue 25 Dec 1849 | John (father) and William (son) Gwin |
| 58. Hatcher, Mr. | 58. Thu 27 Dec 1849 | I speculate that this person is somehow related to the Hatcher family of Crowson's Cove, Isham Gwin's next-door neighbors in Sevier Co., TN, where John was raised. |
| 59. Hays, Maj. | 59. Thu 21 Mar 1850 | |
| 60. Holston | 60. Sat 15 Jun 1850 | |
| 61. Hoot, Sister | 61. Tue 25 Dec 1849, Sat 01 Jun 1850 | In the 6 Nov 1850 census of Cahaba, a Catherine Hoot , 50, b. SC, is living in residence #586 (next door to John and Jane Gwin and their son Chesley R. and new daughter-in-law Frances E.) with her sons Henry 26, a bricklayer b. in SC; and Robert, 16, b. in AL; and four other people who may possibly be her brother and his wife and family. |
| 62. Horne, Sister | 62. Thu 26 Apr 1849 | |
| 63. Hunter, Sister Charlotte | 63. Fri 29 Mar 1850 | Cotten's entry: "Sister Charlotte Hunter leaves to night
for the North." Evidently this leaving was only for a visit, as eight months
later she's back--but twice?
In the 6 Nov 1850 census of Cahaba, a Miss C. E. Hunter, 27,
b. NY, is living in residence #594, a boarding house.
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| 64. Hunter, Mr. William | 64. Sun 03 Nov 1850 | |
| 65. Jones, Bro. | 65. Thu 06 Apr 1849, Sat 05 May 1849, Fri 03 Jan 1851 | |
| 66. Jones, Mr. | 66. Tue 11 Dec 1849 | |
| 67. Kovnegby, Mrs. | 67. Thu 27 Dec 1849 | |
| 68. Lapsley, Mr. | 68. Sat 05 May 1849 | Cotten's entry: "There is in the same building another lawyer a Mr. Lapsley who seerms to be quite companionable and has read a good deal upon the subject of Theology, but does not profess to be a christian." In the 5 Nov 1850 census, Wm. M. Lapsley, 34, a lawyer b. in KY, is living in Cahaba in residence #551 with his wife, Emily A., 24, and no children. |
| 69. Lapsley, Mrs. Wm. | 69. Thu 21 Mar 1850 | Cotten's entry: "Visited Mrs. Wm. Lapsley and Mrs. Craig." Evidently Cotten has been making his neighbors' acquaintance in pursuing their salvation. |
| 70. Lister, Mrs. | 70. Fri 22 Mar 1850 | Probably Eliza, the wife of Jere Lister, neighbor and business partner of the Bassets. Some eight months later, in the census of 5 Nov 1850, Jeremiah (32, b. GA) and Eliza (25, b. AL) Lister are recorded as living in Cahaba in residence 548 (next door to Joseph and Louisa Basset) with children James (10), Mary (8), and Charles (6). Daughter Mary is the same Mary Ellen Lister who, twelve years later in 1862, would marry Joseph Basset's nephew, Robert George Cheeseman, and move with him to Matagorda, TX |
| 71. Little, Maj. | 71. Mon 17 Dec 1849 | |
| 72. Little, Sibln | 72. Mon 17 Dec 1849 | |
| 73. Lovett, Bro. | 73. Wed 12 Dec 1849, Thu 21 Mar 1850 | |
| 74. Lucus, Bro. | 74. Tue 27 Nov 1849 | |
| 75. Matthews, Col. | 75. Tue 28 May 1850 | |
| 76. McDaniel, Bro. | 76. Sun 22 Dec 1850 | |
| 77. McK., Bro. | 77. Tue 04 Jun 1850 | This must be William McKnight, son-in-law of John and Jane Gwin and husband of their ninthborn and baby, Louisa Gwin McKnight, who is buried next to her mother Jane in Cahaba's New Cemetery. I believe William is buried there also, as his broken stone is also in the cemetery, though some distance away, perhaps moved by the vandals who broke it. |
| 78. McKnight, Bro. | 78. Thu 17 May 1849 | This must be William McKnight, son-in-law of John and Jane Gwin and husband of their ninthborn and baby, Louisa Gwin (see note, above). |
| 79. Meridith, Bro. | 79. Thu 21 Mar 1850 | |
| 80. Moffat, Mrs. | 80. Mon 17 Dec 1849 | |
| 81. Parish, George Lawrence | 81. Sun 08 Sep 1850 | |
| 82. Parish, Mr. | 82. Sun 08 Sep 1850 | |
| 83. Ramsey, Bro. J. Y. | 83. Thu 26 Apr 1849 | |
| 84. Ransom, Mr. | 84. Mon 17 Dec 1849 | |
| 85. Ransom, Mrs. | 85. Mon 17 Dec 1849 | |
| 86. Revel, Margaret | 86. Sun 21 Apr 1850 | Cotten lists this person only by her two given names. Margaret Revel
Basset is Joseph Basset's
second child but first by his second wife, Louisa Catherine High Blann.
MRB was born 29 Sep 1849, never married, and died 18 Dec 1903.
She is listed in the 5 Nov 1850 census as Margaret R. Basset, 1, F., b. AL, d/o Joseph and Louisa. |
| 87. Roberts, Bro. | 87. Wed 14 Nov 1849 | |
| 88. Rowark, Mrs. | 88. Thu 17 May 1849 | Mary Gwin, secondborn of John and Jane and wife first of Drury
Hampton Roark and second of Abel Turner; mother of Walter
Roark and Anna Turner, the latter of whom would marry Mary's
brother William's son, Rufus King Gwin.
(At first I incorrectly pronounced this name /rork/ to rhyme with cork, dork, and pork; however, the correct pronunciation, as I have learned from living descendants and as is verified here by Cotten's phonetic misspelling, is /ROW-ark/, two syllables, the first to rhyme with slow, go, and dough, the second to rhyme with dark, mark, and park.) |
| 89. S., Bro. | 89. Sat 15 Jun 1850 | |
| 90. S., Dr. | 90. Wed 02 Jan 1850 | |
| 91. Saffold, Bro. | 91. Thu 06 Apr 1849 | |
| 92. Saffold, Judge | 92. Sun 11 Nov 1849, Wed 02 Jan 1850, Thu 03 Jan 1850 | |
| 93. Saltmarsh, Bro. | 93. Thu 06 Apr 1849 | |
| 94. Saltmarsh, Dr. | 94. Wed 02 Jan 1850, Tue 28 May 1850, Tue 24 Dec 1850 | |
| 95. Saltmarsh, Sister | 95. Wed 02 Jan 1850 | |
| 96. Shields, Bro. | 96. Mon 30 Dec 1850, Fri 22 Oct 1852 | I speculate that this person is somehow related to Richard Shields, Isham Gwin's next-door neighbor in Crowson's Cove, Sevier Co., TN, where John was raised. |
| 97. Simms, Bro. | 97. Tue 11 Dec 1849, Thu 03 Jan 1850 | |
| 98. Smiley, Bro. | 98. Mon 30 Dec 1850 | A Smyley infant is buried just a few feet from Isom Gwin's grave in the Protestant Methodist Church of Athens cemetery across the road from the old St. Luke's church at Martins Station |
| 99. Snead, Bro. | 99. Wed 28 Nov 1849 | |
| 100. Spaight, Messer. | 100. Sun 21 Apr 1850 | Cotten writes: "SABBATH 21ST APL. 1850--This morning Messer. Spaight and Turner came to know if I would invite some singers who were giving a concert in town last night to do the singing in Church for us. Bro. Bassett went round to see them, but as we were unwilling to give it all up to them, we had none of their aid." The Nov 1850 census records a lawyer, A.W. Speight, 27, b. in AL, as living in resisdence #632. |
| 101. Stouton, Wm. B (R?) | 101. Mon 17 Dec 1849 | |
| 102. Terry, Mr. | 102. Tue 08 (Oct?) 1850 | |
| 103. Thomas, Bro. | 103. Sun 28 Apr 1850 |
| 104. Tipton, Maj. | 104. Sat 15 Jun 1850 | I speculate that this gentleman COULD be related to the Tiptons of Crowson's Cove, Sevier Co., TN, and of Tuckaleechee Cove, Blount Co., TN, one of whom (Joseph Tipton) married John Gwin's younger sister, Virginia Jane Gwin Tipton and followed Isham et al to Indiana. |
| 105. Tipton, Mr. | 105. Thu 27 Dec 1849 | Possibly the same as above |
| 106. Turner, Mr. | 106. Thu 17 May 1849 | Abel Turner, son-in-law of John and Jane, husband of their oldest daughter Mary, and father of Anna Turner who would marry Rufus King Gwin, Anna's own first cousin. |
| 107. Turner, Messer. | 107. Sun 21 Apr 1850 | Probably same as above |
| 108. U., Bro. | 108. Wed 02 Jan 1850, Sun 21 Jul 1850, Sun 28 Jul 1850 | Dr. Ulmer, #112 below |
| 109. U., Dr. | 109. Tue 28 May 1850, Sun 08 Sep 1850, Sun 06 (Oct?) 1850, Sun 22 Dec 1850, Mon 30 Dec 1850 | Dr. Ulmer, #112 below |
| 110. U., Sister | 110. Tue 24 Dec 1850 | wife of Dr. Ulmer, #112 below |
| 111. Ulmer, Bro. | 111. Thu 06 Apr 1849, Thu 26 Apr 1849 | Dr. Ulmer, #112 below |
| 112. Ulmer, Dr. | 112. Sat 05 May 1849, Fri 22 Mar 1850, Tue 24 Dec 1850 | _______ Ulmer, M.D., dear friend of Rev. Cotten, buried at the New Cemetery, Cahaba |
| 113. Ulmer, Mrs. | 113. Sat 11 Feb 1854 | wife of Dr. Ulmer, #112 above |
| 114. Ulmer, Sister | 114. Thu 03 Jan 1850, Mon 29 Jul 1850, Sun 08 Sep 1850, Fri 03 Jan 1851 | wife of Dr. Ulmer, #112 above |
| 115. Walker, Col. | 115. Sun 05 Aug 1849 | I speculate that this gentleman COULD be somehow related to John Gwin's wife, Jane (Walker) Gwin |
| 116. Warford, Mr. | 116. Sun 21 Apr 1850 | |
| 117. Watts, Mr. | 117. Sat 30 Nov 1850 | |
| 118. Wilson, Col. | 118. Sun 21 Jul 1850 | Nathaniel Burdine Wilson, husband of Jane Jones Wilson and brother of Ezekiel Burdine Wilson |
| 119. Wilson, Miss | 119. Thu 19 Sep 1850 | |
| 120. Wilson, Sister | 120. Sun 21 Jul 1850 | Jane Jones Wilson, first wife of Nathaniel Burdine Wilson and mother of all his known children |
| 121. Wilson, the negro | 121 Wed 14 Nov 1849, Wed 12 Dec 1849 | |
| 122. Wright, Bro. | 122. Thu 26 Apr 1849 | |