Hugghins family ancestor immigrated from Ireland after 1715

Published 3:30 am Saturday, October 13, 2018

Researching the Joseph Thurman Barrow family recently led to identifying one of his lineages known as the Hugghins family. Today’s story will outline what was learned about the genealogy of the Hugghins family that migrated to Covington County from Butler, Ala. Several years earlier, the Huggins family of Covington County was featured in this column. It is not known if the two lines are related, but there is likely a relationship as the earlier generations did not include the extra “h” in their spelling.

The earliest ancestor of the Hugghins family identified through Ancestry family trees was John Huggins. John was born in 1690 in Antrim County, Ireland, and he was married to Mary Carruth who was born there in 1697. They became the immigrant ancestors of this family line by sailing to America and settling in North Carolina. The names of two children for them were found: James and Helen. John died in 1752 in Rowan County, N.C., and Mary, in 1796 in Lancaster County, Penn.

The son, James Huggins, was born in 1715 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, so the family would have migrated after that date. He was married to Elizabeth Isabella Brevard (1722-1813), and they were the parents of at least two sons: James, b. 1745, d. 1793, m. Rachel Jetton; and Robert, b. 1746, d. 1840. Rachel was born in 1749 in Cecil County, Md., and d. in 1846 in Maury County, Tenn. She was the daughter of John Lewis Jetton. James and Rachel were the parents of the following children: Alice Nancy, b. 1777, d. 1881; Mary L., b. 1778, d. 1888; Istella, b. 1779, d. 1854; Elizabeth, b. 1787, d. 1877; John, b. 1789, d. 1848; and Mary, b. 1793, d.1888.

James’s son, John Huggins, was born in 1789 in Iredell County, N.C. He married Diana Price Ryles who was born in 1797 in South Carolina. They were the couple who moved the family to Alabama. He died in 1848 and she in 1869 in Butler County, Ala. They were the parents of the following children: Jesse Benjamin, b. 1824m d, 1889, m. 1846 Sara Rebecca Maxey; John, b. 1825; Missy, b. 1827, d. 1845; Mary, b. 1827; William, b. 1829; James Burrell, b. 1830, d. 1962; Bennett, b. 1832; Luther “Luke” Hillary, b. 1835, d. 1905; and Jane, b. 1840, d. 1917. Most of these children, if not all, were born in Butler County.

The oldest son, Jesse Benjamin Huggins, appears to be the ancestor who added the letter “h” to the surname. Records indicate he was born in 1824 in Butler County, Ala. Some references show Butler, Ala., which is a town in West Alabama, but most often it is the county in South Alabama. Jesse was married in 1846 to Sarah Rebecca Maxey, daughter of John Maxey (1782-1857) and Sally Sarah Brooks (1786-1860). Sarah was born in Georgia, and her parents were born in Virginia.

Jesse Benjamin and Sarah Hugghins wee the parents of the following 13 children: John Greenberry, b. 1848, d. 1917, m. 1868 Leonora Daniel Terry (1845-1908); Sarah Diana, b. 1849, m. Thomas Lindsey; Felix Jefferson, b. 1851, d. 1943, m. 1878 Martha Elizabeth Lindsey; Mary Jane, b. 1853, d. 1934, m. James Robert Lindsey (1853-1922); Melaina Elizabeth, b. 1955, d. 1935, Charles A. Moseley (1851-1942); Jesse Osfrey Oscar, b. 1857, b. 1952; Bates Allen, b. 1859, d. 1918, m. 1893 Lovey Pearson (1876-1944); James Thomas, b. 1861, d. 1918, m. (1) Mrs. C.B. Tate (2) Annie E. Arnold; Rubin Henry, b. 1864, d. 1870; Daniel Richard, b. 1865, d. 1943, m. Winnie Harry; Joseph Anderson, b. 1867, d. 1947, m. Mary Ellen Brumley; Martha Salone, b. 1870, d. 1952, m. James H. Dismuke; and Dellila Allie, b. 1873, m. Richard R. Ridgewell.

Jesse Benjamin’s oldest son, John Greenberry Hugghins, was born in 1848 in Butler County, Ala., and is the one who brought the family into Covington County. He died in 1917 in the Red Level community. He was married in 1868 to Leonora Daniel Terry (1895-1908), daughter of Henry Terry (1802-1883) and Nancy Elizabeth Daniel. Henry was the son of William Terry Sr. and Jane Jenny Bird Smith.

John Greenberry and Leonora Hugghins were the parents of the following 10 children: John Thomas, b. 1870, d. 1944, m. 1894 Alabama Malone Shaver (1875-1951); Sarah Elizabeth, b. 1870, d. 1953, m. Henry Austin Mason (1862-1948); Mary Lettie Viledy, b. 1872, d. 1940: Henry Terry, b. 1873, d. 1947, m. Effie Irene Barrow (1875-1956); Laura Catherine, b. 1875, d. 1958, m. 1899 Thomas Bursa Barrow (1875-1961); James Franklin, b. 1897, d. 1915; Theodocia Ernest, b. 1879, d. 1940; Adren Salone, b. 1881, d. 1949, m. Thomas Bursa Barrow; Birdie Estelle, b. 1888, d. 1971, m. Bennie Jewel Ray (1881-1915); and Delila Albina, b. 1886, d. 1972, m. (1) 1904 Claude Arthur Vickery (1879-1908) (2) Robert Evans Sullivan (1893-1982).

The oldest son, John Thomas Hugghins, was born in 1870 in Red Level, Ala., and grew up there while later living in Jamestown and Herbert in Conecuh County. At his death in 1944, he was buried in the Long Branch Cemetery in the Cohassett community of Conecuh County. In 1894 he was married in Conecuh County to Alabama Malone Shaver, daughter of Frank and Lucinda Shaver. Frank and Lucinda were born in 1845 and 1872 respectively.

John Thomas and Alabama Malone Hugghins reared their children mostly in Conecuh County. They were the parents of the following children: Hubert, b. 1896, d. 1936; Elsie Jewel, b. 1897, d. 1978, m. Horace Stephen Barrow (1894-1975); Herman D., b. 1897, d. 1976; Homer Shaver, b. 1902, d. 1966, m. Addie Mae Sullivan; Pearl Gay, b. 1906, m. Henry Horis Huggins (1902-1989); Hugh Henderson, b, 1908, d. 1991, single; Ruby Faye, b. 1910, d. 2002, m. (1) Wheeler George Foshee (1902-1958) (2) Claude Heygood Hill; Ima Jay, b. 1912, d. 1939, single; Clarramay, b. 1915; and John Hilton, b. 1917, d. 1985.

The third son, Henry Terry Hugghins, was born in 1873 in Red Level. In 1903, he was married in Conecuh County to Effie Irene Barrow (1879-1956). They were the parents of the following children: Henry Terry Jr., b. 1904, d. 1965, m. Willie Alva Sullivan; Willie May, b. 1906; Joseph Cullen, b. 1908, d. 1942 in Gulf of Mexico during WW II; Eugene, b. 1910; J. Trammel, b. 1912, d. 1914; James Lamar, b. 1914, d. 1992, m. Lillian Vera ?; Woodrow Wilson, b. 1916, d. 1934, single; and William Claxton, b. 1923, d. 1998, m. Willie Jean Hassell (1930-1997).

The daughter, Laura Catherine Hugghins, was born in 1875 and was married in 1899 to Thomas Bursa Barrow, son of Josiah M. Barrow (1854-1942) and Mary E. Caton (1854-1914).Thomas Bursa and Laura Barrow were the parents of the following children: Ardis Clifton, b. 1900, d. 1984, m. 1925 Effie Louise Phillips (1899-1974); Roy Luther, b. 1901, d. 1987, m. (1) 1924 Ella Inez Weaver (1900-1990) (2) ca 1940 Myrtie E. Harper (1905-1993); Elmer, b.&d. 1903; Dennis Fleet Sr., b. 1904, d. 1984, m. 1927 Mary Hattie Mims (1904-1997); and Joseph Thurman, b. 1908, d. 1993, m. 1939 Hattie Logan Trout (1912-1974). All the children were born in Red Level, Ala, and most of them died there as well.

Laura Catherine’s sister, Adren Salone Hugghins, was born in 1881 in Red Level. She later married her sister’s former husband, Thomas Bursa Barrow, and they moved to California where they resided and reared two daughters: Edna Mae, b. 1916, d. 1994, m. David Sargent; and Elberta, b. 1922, d. 2002, m. David Woodrow Klingbiel (1917-1955).

The youngest daughter, Delila Albina Hugghins, was born in 1886 and was married first to Claude Arthur Vickers. They were the parents of two Children: Wilsie Lee, b. 1905, d. 1994; and Wilbur Claude, b. 1907, d. 1973. Delila was married second to Robert Evans Sullivan (1893-1982). They were the parents of three children: Robert Earl, b. 1919, d. 2009; Joy Helyn, b. 1922, d. 1932; and a son whose named was listed as private.

There are considerable additional records available on the Hugghins family, so there will be a second story hopefully. The sources for today’s genealogy was Ancestry.com and the family records of Joseph T. Barrow, a Hugghins descendant, who resides in Fort Worth, Tex.

Anyone who should discover an error in the above is requested to contact this writer, Curtis Thomasson, at 20357 Blake Pruitt Road, Andalusia, AL 36420; 334-804-1442; or Email: cthomasson@centurytel.net.