The Greens and Smithermans of Bibb County, Part II

Part I is here:

http://alroots3.blogspot.com/2013/10/green-and-smitherman-families-of-bibb.html

This blog entry is about Joseph Green of Bibb County. Joseph may be the brother of Thomas Green and related to Selenea Green. 

JOSEPH'S RECORDS:

1. On September 18, 1837, Joseph Green and Joseph Lawley were bondsmen for Green's marriage to Nancy Garner.

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1-9821-31240-15?cc=1743384&wc=MMLN-K8Z:1838767814

2. Joseph Green married Nancy Garner, widow of Andrew Garner, on September 21, 1837. Judge John W. Suttle performed the ceremony.

https://www.familysearch.org/search/image/show#uri=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.familysearch.org%2Frecords%2Fpal%3A%2FMM9.3.1%2FTH-1-9821-31620-59%3Fcc%3D1743384

3. He was listed as a customer in Morrison's General Store ledger in the Randolph area of Bibb County for 1838 and 1839, as was Thomas. Maybe Thomas was his brother??

http://www.algw.org/bibb/business/morrisonledger.htm

4.  In the 1840 US Cenus for AL, Joseph Green is in Bibb County. In the household are two males 20 - 30 (Joseph & Thomas?), one female 5 - 10, one female 40 - 50 (Nancy) and one 50 - 60. He is next door to William Garner, Nancy's son from her first marriage. Sarah Smitherman Lawrence and Branson Lawrence are next page over. This would make Joseph’s birth year 1810 - 1820. And Nancy's birth year 1790 - 1800. 

So in other words, Nancy was a cougar. Yowza!

http://search.ancestry.com/iexec/?htx=View&r=an&dbid=8057&iid=4409668_00209&fn=William&ln=Garner&st=r&ssrc=&pid=1241647

5. In 1841 Joseph and William Garner appeared in a legal document selling land to Chamblin Davis. Their wives Nancy Green and Olif (Olive) Lathem Garner signed a document giving up their dower rights. I found this document at the Bibb County Court House Annex in August this year. 

Chamblin Davis had been/was married to Delilah Smitherman in 1831. 

6. Here are notes from the Bibb County Court Minutes 1841 at the Al GenWeb:

"Compiled in July 1993 and submitted by Jacquelyn Cox Otts. I hope these notes will provide clues as to the location of these people during this period of time. I have attempted to keep the spelling of the names as I saw them in the records."

"'Martha Rea, for the use of Elijah C. Wallace, vs William Garner and Joseph Green - p. 108.

Defendant made default. Plaintiff to recover $137.96 (promissory note) and costs incurred.'"

Note the connection to Martha Rea/Ray/Wrea.

http://www.algw.org/bibb/court/1841minutes.htm

7. Joseph Green was bondsman for Samuel Smitherman's marriage to Nancy Ferguson on August 28, 1941. Nancy was previously married to Johnson Ferguson, who died. Andrew Garner, Nancy Smitherman Garner's first husband, was bondsman on that marriage. 

It's likely that Nancy Garner Ferguson was Andrew Garner's sister. They were certainly related. 

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1-9820-36363-42?cc=1743384&wc=MMLN-K8J:n2073500804

It's possible and even likely that Joseph died after 1841. Doesn't it make sense that such an ambitious man who marries a rich widow the same age as his business partner would continue to make deals and thus show up in public records? But Joseph has disappeared from the Bibb records as far as I have looked. (Never fear, I'll look again!)

These are the only facts I have been able to discover about Joseph.  I certainly haven't found him anywhere in Bibb after that. There are two Joseph Greens in Shelby County in 1850, but one is too old, and one is too young. There is a Joseph Green of the right age in Marion County, but his wife's name is Martha and she's not the same age as Nancy. Same folks live in Marion County in 1860. Could be Joseph, but...eh. A good family tree for them is here:

http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/8695172/person/392067345

I need another trip to the Bibb County Court House to get more data. 

Ah, Joseph, Joseph. Do you hold the key to the gate in my brick wall????