comelanderJessMartGwin.htm

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Jesse Comelander
and
Martha J. Gwin
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Page updated 18 July 2005

Return to Richard Gwin's (and John and Jane Gwin's) Page

SOURCES: In July 2005, Ms. Elizabeth Daughdril (daughdri at mail dot flex dot net--e.mail address is done this way to discourage address "collectors" and spam) found my website and sent me the following information (all of which appears in this green) for which I am very grateful.
John M. Gwin

Meet John's and Jane's Nine Children!
Here they are in summary--birth order is believed to be correct:

4.1--Mary Gwin--b. ca.1813-1816 (33 in 1850 Census)d. unk.; m1. 27 Dec. 1838 to Drury H. Roark; m2. on 17 May 1849 to Mr. Abel Turner
4.2--Thomas Gwin--b. ca. 1814-1816; data unk.
4.3--Isom Gwin, b. 17 Mar 1817 in Dallas Co., AL territory; d. 7 Dec 1853; m. Mary Burdine Wilson; MBWG m2. 28 Jan 1859 to John Steadman
4.4--William Gwin (18 Dec 1820--29 Apr 1889); m. 12 (13?) May 1842 Rosann "Roe" Carlisle Jones Wilson
4.5--Sarah Gwin, b. ca. 1826; d. 31 Mar 1885); m. 18 Mar 1841 to Louis Basset
4.6--Ann Gwin (ca. 1827--1845); m. 19 Jan 1843 to Joseph Lavalette Basset
4.7--Martha J. Gwin (ca.1828--unk).; m. 22 Apr 1847 to Jesse Comelander
4.8--Chesley R. Gwin; (ca.1828--after 1880); m1. 20 Mar 1850 Frances E. "Fannie" Bell; m2. a widow, Mrs. Blevins
4.9--Louisa A. Gwin; (ca. 1829-30--b. bef. 1830 census); m1?. Mr. Gaviness; m2. on 17 May 1849 Mr. Wm. G. (or J.) McKnight.

Here's Martha J. Gwin in more detail with her husband Jesse Comelander

4.7--Martha J. Gwin, b. ca.1828 (age 22 on 7 Nov 1850 in census); d. betw. 1870 and 1880; probably bd. in Webster Parish, LA; m. 22 Apr 1847 (DCAMR, 1818-1918* concurs) in Dallas Co., AL, to Jesse Comelander, (spelled Comalander on Amanda's gravestone and in Cotten's diary, below) who was first married on an unknown date ca. 1838-9 to an unknown person (see the age of Jesse's oldest son, below) and evidently second on 26 Oct 1844 (this from the book of DALLAS COUNTY, ALABAMA, MARRIAGES, MARRIAGE BOOK I: 1818 - 1845, pg 281) to Amanda J. Harris [b. 13 Sep 1824; d. 3 Jul 1846 according to her gravestone at the Old Cahaba Cem.];

Comelander, Jesse (?) Amanda J. Harris 26 Oct 1844 pg 281
[JMG NOTE:The existence of this seventh child of John and Jane Gwin came as a complete surprise to me, as Uncle James did not have any records of her. Barbara Smith had sent the name with a summary of her late husband Roy's work on the family, the printout dated 18 Sep 1995; therefore, evidently Roy had known about Martha for some time. But none of the documentation was included, so I had no idea whence it came.
The existence of Jesse Comelander was documented, however, appearing in the Wed., 12 Dec 1849 entry of Rev. Cotten's diary where he records, regarding one of the prisoners who was to be executed by hanging that day, that "His hands were bound behind him in an unfeeling manner by Jesse Comalander." As this event occurred some two and a half years after the recorded marriage date of Jesse and Martha, Cotten would have had no cause to mention as fact that Jesse was married to John Gwin's daughter Martha.
And now, 25 Oct 2001, I read in the 1850 Dallas Co. census that Jesse Comelander, age 46, a mechanic, and native of SC, did indeed reside at residence 560 (valued at 2800 dollars) with a woman, "Martha J.", age 22 of AL (young enough to be his daughter!) and five children: J. W., a male age 11; M. J., a female age 8; Elizabeth, age 6; G. P., a male age 3; and Jesse, a male age 1. But if she is John and Jane's daughter, then she is stepmom to at least two of the five children--and possibly twin sister to Chesley, also listed in the same census as age 22!
But now in July 2005 I have received all the abovementioned info from Elizabeth Daudril, and so I have started this page, combining the little I already had with her additional data.]

And here are their known children:

5.1--J. W. Comelander, a stepson to Amanda and Martha, b. ca. 1839 to Jesse and his unknown first wife (age 11 in 1850 census);
5.2--M. J. Comelander, a stepdaughter to Amanda and Martha, b. ca. 1842 to Jesse and his unknown first wife (age 8 in 1850 census);
5.3--Elizabeth Comelander, a stepdaughter to Martha and probably Amanda, b. ca. 1844 to Jesse and either his first wife or Amanda (age 6 in 1850 census--and age 15 in the 1860 census where she is living (visiting?) in Cahawba, AL, in the Grice home with her step-grandparents, John and Jane Gwin!); [JMG Note: If this child were born in 1844, she was probably the daughter of Jesse's first wife, and quite possibly it was complications during her birth that killed this first wife and drove him to Amanda.]
5.4--T. E. Comalander, b. unk.--no birth date listed on gravestone; d. 28 Jun 1846, five days before the death of Jesse's first wife Amanda Harris Comalander; bd. in the Old Cahaba Cem., Cahaba, AL; my best-guess scenario is that the baby died at birth and that Amanda died shortly after of complications therefrom; this then is probably Jesse's child, but certainly not Martha's; also bd. there are a woman likely to be Jesse's sister and a child, b. five days before the "sister" dies; therefore, she is likely the mother of this child.
5.5--George P. (U?) Comelander, a stepson or (more probably) son to Martha, b. ca. 1847 or early 1848 (age 3 in 1850 census); m. 14 Nov 1872 in Webster Parish, LA, to Elizabeth "Betty" P. Johnson (b. unk.; d. ca. 1888); d. 1880, according to family lore; 1 known ch.
6.1--Larkin Comelander, b. ca. 1875, according to family lore; d. unk.
5.6--Jesse Comelander, a son to Martha, b. ca. 1849 (age 1 in 1850 census);
5.7--Henrietta Comelander, b. ca. 1854; m. 5 Apr 1871 in Webster Parish, LA, to Louis A. Barnard (b. unk.; d. unk.); d. 1880, according to family lore; 1 known ch.
5.8--Lucy A. Comelander, b. ca. 1857; m. 14 Mar 1876 in Webster Parish, LA, to William H. Hall (b. unk.; d. unk.); d. 1880, according to family lore; 1 known ch.
5.9--William T. Comelander, b. ca. 1861
5.10--Walter A. Comelander, b. ca. 1867

4 Nov 1850 U.S. Census of Dallas Co., Alabama, Cahawba Beat

Residence Last name First name Age Sex Race Occupation Real
Prop. POB JMG
Comments

560 Comelander Jesse 46 M W Mechanic $2800 SC A widower who evidently needed a mother for his three (if not four) children

Comelander Martha 22 F W AL This is Martha J. Gwin, my gg-grandaunt and seventh child of my ggg-grandparents, John and Jane Walker Gwin.

Comelander I. W. 11 M W AL Could be J.W. instead of I. W.

Comelander M. I. 8 F W AL Could be M. J. instead of M. I.

Comelander Eliz. 6 F W AL Could be the same Eliz. as is seen in the 1870 census of Montgomery Co., AL.

Comelander G. P. 3 M W AL Probably the first child of Martha (Jesse's fifth--four by Amanda). If George were born in 1847 and they were married on 22 Apr 1847, that means that either he was born pre-maturely or he was conceived out of wedlock. If he were born in Jan 1848 or later, his age in the 1850 census could be one or at most two.
George's middle initial is shown as P here but as U in the marriage book below.

Comelander Jesse 1 M W AL Possibly this is the only one of these five children who is the child of Martha and Jesse, as most if not all of the others are Martha's step-children, Jesse's by his first wife.

[John M. Gwin NOTE: The LDS IGI file (of legendary inaccuracy!), while listing correctly our Martha J. Gwin marrying on 22 Apr 1847 in Dallas Co. to Jesse Comelander, ALSO LISTS a Martha J. Gwin marrying on 28 Oct 1847--only 6 months later--in Dallas Co. to a Mr. Richard West! However, I believe this to be either another Martha J. Gwin or a transcription error.]

On Sunday, July 17, 2005, at 09:16 AM, Elizabeth Daughdril wrote:
John, thank you so much for your kind answer. Perhaps by putting our heads together we can figure out a little more about the Comalander/Gwin family.
I had already been to your excellent website! What a wonderul job you have done. "The Bridge to Life" is a wonderful way to explain the plan of salvation...and I quickly bookmarked it for easy reference.
Now for what we learn about Jesse Comalander from the census: You already had the 1850 Dallas Co., AL reference.
Within the last few days I found him in the 1860 Lowndes Co., AL census, Mt. Willing, page 694, living with John Quinn and his wife, who by the way were found on page 25 of the 1850 Dallas Co., AL census, Cahaba P. O. Still have not located Jesse's family in the 1860 census...

1860 Federal Census, Mt. Willing, Lowndes Co., Alabama

First Name Last Name Age Approx.
YOB POB Occupation John Gwin's Comments

J. M. CUMBERLANDER 55 1805 SC Brickmason In 2005, Elizabeth Daughdril found Jesse here in Lowndes County, AL, but could not find his wife and children.

John Quinn

Francis Quinn 56 SC Frances Comelander Quinn--Jesse's sister?

1860 U.S. Census of Dallas Co., Alabama, Cahawba Town

Res. / Fam. Last name First name Age Sex Race Occupation Real
Prop. Pers.
Prop. POB JMG
Comments

518 / 510 Grice W. G. 32 M W Carpenter ----- $300 SC

Grice Eliza 20 F W AL

Gwin John 68 M W Wagonmaker $1200 TN

Gwin Jane 66 F W TN

Roark J. W. 15 M W AL Walter Roark, s/o John and Jane's eldest daughter Mary Gwin and her husband Drury Roark; Drury has died by 1860

Comelander Elizabeth 15 F W AL When I first saw Elizabeth here in 1860, I assumed her mother, Martha, and perhaps her father, Jesse, had died. But in July 2005, Elizabeth Daughdril shared that she had found both alive and well in 1870 in Claiborne Parish, LA! She'd also found Jesse in 1860 in Lowndes Co., AL, so clearly there were other things going on than we had assumed. Current speculation is that John and/or Jane were very ill and needed caregivers, so a combination of the Grices, grandson Walter Roark, and step-granddaughter Elizabeth may have turned out to serve as care-givers. We know Jane would die before 1870, but she is clearly alive as late as 16 Feb 1864, as her name appears on a record of sale of land on Cahawba on that date.

...By 1870 Jesse and family were in Claiborne Parish, LA, page 113, Minden: Jesse M. COMELENDER, 66, b. SC, Brickmason; Martha J., 45, b. AL; George, 22, b. AL; Jesse, 20, b. AL; Henrietta, 16, b. AL; Lucy A., 13, b. AL; William T., 9, b. LA; Walter A., 3, b. LA...

1870 Federal Census, Minden, Claiborne Parish, Louisiana

*First Name*	*Last Name*	*Age*	*Approx.* *YOB*	*POB*	*Occupation*	*John Gwin's Comments*
Jesse M.	COMELENDER	66	1804	SC	Brickmason
Martha J.	COMELENDER	45	1825	AL		Martha J. (Jane?) Gwin, my gg-grandaunt, daughter of John and Jane Walker Gwin. She will die before the 1880 census, as not only is she absent there, but Jesse is listed as a widower.
George	COMELENDER	22	1848	AL		He will marry Miss E. P. Johnson in two years (1872), who, according to "family lore" reported by Ms. Elizabeth Daughdril, will die before the decade is out, as a wifeless George and a child we believe will be his son are living with George's dad in 1880.
Jesse	COMELENDER	20	1850	AL		Jesse may have died before 1880 but more likely is married and living away from the homeplace; regardless, he is absent in that census.
Henrietta	COMELENDER	16	1854	AL		Henrietta will marry Louis A. Barnard the next year, 1871, at age 17, so she will likely appear in 1880 in his family.
Lucy A.	COMELENDER	13	1857	AL		Lucy appears in the next census at age 22. Bu she'll marry William Hall in 1876, so where is he in 1880, since she appears then in her father's home with her maiden name again?
William T.	COMELENDER	9	1861	LA		William appears in the next census at age 19.
Walter A.	COMELENDER	3	1867	LA		Walter does not appear in the 1880 census and has likely died in childhood.

1870 Federal Census, Montgomery Co., Alabama

First Name Last Name Age Approx.
YOB POB Occupation John Gwin's Comments

James Matheson 41 1829 Scotland Painter

Catherine J Matheson 34 1836 Ms. Elizabeth Daughdril writes: Allen Hudson in a post on Ancestry's Comalander message board says he is descended from Jesse Comalander's daughter Catherine who married (1) Adam Crusious and (2) James Matheson.Ý I found Catherine and her second husband in the 1870 Montgomery Co., AL, census, page 478:

Mary E Matheson 5 1865

Elizabeth Comalander 26 1844 Seamstress

In 1880 the family is found in Webster Parish, LA. (It is likely that they did not move...that the parish name changed. Webster Parish was formed in 1871 from parts of Claiborne, Bienville, and Bossier Parishes.) Recorded on page 288, 4th Ward: Jessie COMALAUDER, 77, Wd., b. NC (obviously an error); George U., son, 32, b. AL; Lucy A., dau., 22, b. LA; William, son, 19, b. LA; Larkin, g/son, 5, b. LA.

1880 Federal Census, 4th Ward, Webster Parish, Louisiana

*First Name*	*Last Name*	*Age*	*Estim.* *YOB*	*Relat.*	*Marital* *Status*	*POB*	*FPOB*	*MPOB*	*John Gwin's Comments*
Jessie	COMALAUDER	77	1803	Self	Widowed	NC	NC	NC	Elizabeth Daughdril, from whom I received this data, says that Jesse's POB in this report is "obviously an error," all other sources indicating his POB to be SC. I imagine that the census taker heard that his parents' POB was NC and just put down NC for him as well
George U.	COMALAUDER	32	1848	son	"NA"	AL	NC	NC	Was age 22 in the 1870 census; for the reasons stated below, I believe his is a widower here and the father of Larkin. The father's and mother's POB are clearly wrong here as well,
Lucy A.	COMALAUDER	22	1858	daughter	Widowed	LA	NC	NC	Was age 13 in the 1870 census; she may be a widow here, having married in 1876; however, her last name appears to be Comelander here, not Hall, posing something of a dilemma.
William	COMALAUDER	19	1861	son	"NA"	LA			Was age 9 in the 1870 census.
Larkin	COMALAUDER	5	1875	grandson		LA			This is, according to the "family lore" reported by Ms. Elizabeth Daughdril, the son of George and his wife Elizabeth P. Johnson; Elizabeth has died when Larkin was 2 or 3 (ca. 1878), and George will die in a matter of months, perhaps weeks, at age 32 or 33. But I've not seen Larkin in the Comelander family of the 1880 census of Webster Parish, LA. Elizabeth, is this from lore only?

**Family Marriages:**From ***Webster Parish, LA Marriage Records 1871-1901***, by John C. Head and Wanda Volentine Head:
*Groom's First Name*	*Groom's Last Name*	*Brides's First Name*	*Brides's Last Name*	*Marr. Date*	*Married By*	*File No.*	*Page No.*	*John M. Gwin Comments*
G. U.	Comalander	E. P.	Johnson	14 Nov 1872	Jesse Fuller	Loose papers File #1	126	Elizabeth Daughdril says, "Now for family lore: Almost 30 years ago when I began this fascinating hobby, I was told that Samuel Caldwell Johnston's youngest daughter, Elizabeth (Betty), married George Comalander, and that she died when her only child, Larkin, was only about 2 or 3 years old and that George died when Larkin was 4 or 5. That seems to agree with the 1880 census. (I descend from S. C. Johnston's older daughter Mary Ann.)"
Louis A.	Barnard	Henrietta L.	Comalander	5 Apr 1871	W. P. Kimball	Loose papers File #1	27
William H.	Hall	Lucy A.	Comalander	14 Mar 1876	W. L. Franks	Loose papers File #1	593

From Webster Parish, LA Marriage Records 1871-1901, by John C. Head and Wanda Volentine Head:
G. U. Comalander and E. P. Johnson, page 126, (Loose papers File #1): 14 Nov 1872 by Jesse Fuller
Henrietta L. Comalander and Louis A. Barnard, same file, page 27: 5 Apr 1871, by W. P. Kimball
Lucy A. Comalander and William H. Hall, same file, page 593: 14 Mar 1876 by W. L. Franks
Now for family lore:Almost 30 years ago when I began this fascinating hobby, I was told that Samuel Caldwell Johnston's youngest daughter, Elizabeth (Betty), married George Comalander, and that she died when her only child, Larkin, was only about 2 or 3 years old and that George died when Larkin was 4 or 5. That seems to agree with the 1880 census. (I descend from S. C. Johnston's older daughter Mary Ann.)
Elizabeth

And some interesting queries from Elizabeth--can you help?

Perhaps you can help me unravel this -- In researching Jesse Comalander who married Martha J. Gwin in Dallas Co., AL, I found J. M. Cumberlander, 55, Brick mason, b. SC in the 1860 Lowndes Co., AL census living with John Quinn, 59, b. NC and his wife Francis (sp), 56, b. SC.Ý The marriage records of that county record that Jesse M. Cumberlander signed the bond for their daughter Juliette's marriage to John Luther Maynard.ÝFrances "Quinn" is listedÝin those marriage recordsÝas Frances Cumberlander Quinn.
Ý
I did not find Jesse Comalander's family anywhere in the 1860 census, and pick him up again in the 1870 Claiborne Parish, LA census, page 113.ÝIt was here that Jesse and Martha's son George married into my Johnston family.
Ý
Thank you for any enlightenment you may offer.
Ý
Elizabeth Daughdril

From: "Elizabeth Daughdril" <daughdri at mail dot flex dot net>
Date: Wed Jul 27, 2005 10:34:52 AM US/Mountain
To: "John Gwin" <jmcdgwin@zianet.com>
Subject: Elizabeth COMALANDER
Good Morning John,
I am glad to hear that you are still interested in the family of Jesse Comalander.Ý Several things about him and his family are puzzling.Ý Dallas Co., AL, records seem to indicate that he might have been married perhaps three times, that perhaps Martha J. Gwin was his third wife, not his second.
Ý
Allen Hudson in a post on Ancestry's Comalander message board says he is descended from Jesse Comalander's daughter Catherine who married (1) Adam Crusious and (2) James Matheson.Ý I found Catherine and her second husband in the 1870 Montgomery Co., AL, census, page 478:
Matheson, James................41..........Scotland..........Painter
Catherine J.........................34..........AL
Mary E.................................5..........AL
Comalander, Elizabeth........26..........ALÝ..................Seamstress
This would appear to be the same Elizabeth found in Dallas County in 1850.Ý If Catherine is indeed her sister, Catherine could not be the daughter of Martha J. Gwin.Ý What do we have here?Ý Two Jesses? Several Martha J. Gwins?Ý Any ideas?
Elizabeth

*Residence*	*Last name*	*First name*	*Age*	*Sex*	*Race*	*Occupation*	*Real* *Prop.*	*POB*	*JMG* *Comments*
560	Comelander	Jesse	46	M	W	Mechanic	$2800	SC	A widower who evidently needed a mother for his three (if not four) children
	Comelander	Martha	22	F	W			AL	This is Martha J. Gwin, my gg-grandaunt and seventh child of my ggg-grandparents, John and Jane Walker Gwin.
	Comelander	I. W.	11	M	W			AL	Could be J.W. instead of I. W.
	Comelander	M. I.	8	F	W			AL	Could be M. J. instead of M. I.
	Comelander	Eliz.	6	F	W			AL	Could be the same Eliz. as is seen in the 1870 census of Montgomery Co., AL.
	Comelander	G. P.	3	M	W			AL	Probably the first child of Martha (Jesse's fifth--four by Amanda). If George were born in 1847 and they were married on 22 Apr 1847, that means that either he was born pre-maturely or he was conceived out of wedlock. If he were born in Jan 1848 or later, his age in the 1850 census could be one or at most two. George's middle initial is shown as P here but as U in the marriage book below.
	Comelander	Jesse	1	M	W			AL	Possibly this is the only one of these five children who is the child of Martha and Jesse, as most if not all of the others are Martha's step-children, Jesse's by his first wife.

*Res. / Fam.*	*Last name*	*First name*	*Age*	*Sex*	*Race*	*Occupation*	*Real* *Prop.*	*Pers.* *Prop.*	*POB*	*JMG* *Comments*
518 / 510	Grice	W. G.	32	M	W	Carpenter	-----	$300	SC
	Grice	Eliza	20	F	W				AL
	Gwin	John	68	M	W	Wagonmaker	$1200		TN
	Gwin	Jane	66	F	W				TN
	Roark	J. W.	15	M	W				AL	Walter Roark, s/o John and Jane's eldest daughter Mary Gwin and her husband Drury Roark; Drury has died by 1860
	Comelander	Elizabeth	15	F	W				AL	When I first saw Elizabeth here in 1860, I assumed her mother, Martha, and perhaps her father, Jesse, had died. But in July 2005, Elizabeth Daughdril shared that she had found both alive and well in 1870 in Claiborne Parish, LA! She'd also found Jesse in 1860 in Lowndes Co., AL, so clearly there were other things going on than we had assumed. Current speculation is that John and/or Jane were very ill and needed caregivers, so a combination of the Grices, grandson Walter Roark, and step-granddaughter Elizabeth may have turned out to serve as care-givers. We know Jane would die before 1870, but she is clearly alive as late as 16 Feb 1864, as her name appears on a record of sale of land on Cahawba on that date.