Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Today’s column was made possible by Ancestry.com and Ronald Flournoy, a descendant of Elisha Kindred Flournoy who was an early settler in Covington County, Ala. Although a story related to the family was published in this column several years earlier, the additional data allows a revision and update.

The earliest ancestor identified is Jacob Fleurnoir who was born in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1663. The family’s ancestry has been traced back as early as the 1300s in the countries of France, Switzerland and Italy. Some family trees on Ancestry.com show several of the early generations. One tree lists Jacob’s wife as Martha “Marte” Morel (1663-1695) and that she died in Switzerland. It appears the couple lost a few children at an early age and Martha had died before Jacob left Switzerland. Jacob most likely married again after he emigrated.

Jacob and his surviving children emigrated to America by traveling first through Germany and Holland to England where they sailed from Gravesend aboard the Ye Peter and Anthony galley of London. They arrived in Jamestown, Va., on September 20, 1700, after 14 weeks at sea. As they were getting settled, Jacob’s son, Francis, was about 13 years of age. Both of them were granted full citizenship by 1705, and the name was Americanized to Flournoy.

Jacob was granted 133 acres of land near the mouth of Bernard Creek. He became one of the founders of the Manakintown Huguenot settlement and died there in 1721. Francis became a large landowner acquiring thousands of acres in Henrico County which fell in Chesterfield County when it was carved out of Henrico. He died in 1773 on his plantation and was probably buried on the property.

It appears Francis married twice, first in 1712 to Mary Baugh (1687-1770). Second, he married Mary Gibson (1691-1773) in 1730 according to a tree on Ancestry. However, there is conflicting information on some trees regarding Francis’s family. It seems he and one of the wives had a son, James B. Flournoy Sr., who was born in 1730 and lived until 1800. James Sr. became a patriot of the Revolutionary War by providing provisions to the American soldiers. He had a son named James Flournoy II who was born in 1763 in Chesterfield County. James II volunteered for service in the Revolutionary War and served for three months as a private. He resided in Bedford County, Va., from 1785 to 1820 and owned land on Stoney Fork of Goose Creek.

Around 1824, James Flournoy II and his first wife, Margaret “Peggy” Cundiff, migrated to Anson County, N.C. After Peggy’s death, James II was married to Elizabeth Wright. They later moved to an area of Taylor County, Ga., that would become Talbot County. Based on his Revolutionary War experience, James II was granted a State Bounty Land Warrant for 160 acres in Georgia. He died there in 1858 near Butler, Ga., and was buried in a field without a grave marker.

James Flournoy II and his first wife, Peggy Cundiff, were the parents of a son, their youngest son of eight children, named Jonathan Cundiff Flournoy who was born in 1798 in Bedford County, Va. As an adult he was married to Elizabeth McKaskill or McCaskill (1803-1892) in Anson County, N.C. They moved along with his parents to Georgia and lived on his father’s farm. Afterwards they moved to Russell County, Ala. and later, to Pike County, Ala., where he acquired land near the Town of Brundidge. At Jonathan’s death in 1869, he was most likely buried on his farm, but the grave was not marked.

Jonathan and Elizabeth Flournoy were the parents of 10 children, and Elisha Kindred Flournoy, who was born in 1838 in Talbot County, Ga., was the youngest of two sons. Elisha was a youngster when the family left Georgia for Russell County, Ala., and then on to Pike County. In 1860, he was married to Martha Charlotte Haygood, daughter of Rev. Appleton Haygood, Methodist minister, and his second wife, Mary Ramsey Loveless. In 1863, he enlisted for service in the Confederate Army at Brundidge, Ala., and served three years as a private in Company H, 46th Alabama Infantry Regiment. His descendants have several treasured letters he wrote during the war to his beloved Martha and family.

Elisha Kindred Flournoy and his wife, Martha, were the parents of the following eight children: Katie Clyde, b. 1868, d. 1899, m. Richard Henry Wyatt Jr. (1864-1942); Martha Matilda J. “Mattie,” b. 1872, d. 1954, m. Jasper Penwood Blocker; Ida Bell, b. 1873, d. 1891, m. ? Raly/Railey; Atticus Kindred, b. 1875, d. 1958, m. August Eliza Taylor; Charles Haygood, b. 1877, d. 1928, m. (1) 1908 Hazel Adele Moak (2) Mollie Ellison; James Emory, b. ca 1880, m. (1) Lena E. Chesser (2) Bessie M. Huggins; John William, b. 1882, d. 1965, m. Elizabeth Caton (twin); and Lillie Mae, b. 1885, d. 1957, m. John Hansford “Hance” Radford.

The oldest daughter, Katie Clyde Flournoy, was born in 1868 and married circa 1890 to Richard H. Wyatt, son of Richard Henry Wyatt and Louise Anne Varner. They became the parents of the following children: Martin Richard, b. 1891, d. 1971, m. Lillian Meadows; Lorene “Rena” Gertrude, b. 1892, d. 1973, m. Milton Eiland; Laura Estell (twin), b. 1893, d. 1972, m. Eugene Elmer Hammett; Roy Flournoy, b. 1893 (twin), d. 1918 during WW I, single; and Mary Clyde, b. 1897, d. 1947, m. Joseph Benjamin Kelley. Following Katie Clyde’s death in 1899, Richard H. Wyatt was married to Loretta Walton Baker with whom he had the following children: Henry Lefton, b. 1903; Audrie Pemola, b. 1904; Joseph Cassie, b. 1906; Silvia Levada, b. 1908; Florence Julia, b. 1910; Dell, b. 1912; Infant girl, b. 1914; and John Walton, b. 1915.

The second daughter, Mattie W. Flournoy, was born in 1872 and was married in 1906 to Jasper Penwood Blocker (1854-1925), the son of Abrams Blocker (1824-1865) and Nancy S. Beard. Abrams was a Confederate Veteran who enlisted on April 1, 1863, to serve in the CSA as a private in Company D, 57th Infantry Regiment. Jasper had been married previously in 1872 to Nancy Jane Donaldson (1852-1903). This writer did not find the names of any children for either wife.

The oldest son, Atticus Kindred Flournoy, was born in 1875. He was married to Augusta Eliza Taylor (1878-1955), and they were the parents of a daughter, Myrtis or Myrtys Ceil Flournoy, b. 1899, d. 1983. She was first married to Bertram “Bert” Lee McGill, and they were the parents of two daughters: Kathleen McGill who married an Anderson; and Idalyn McGill who married a Stinson. Idalyn was a Flournoy descendant who seriously appreciated her heritage and researched it extensively.

The second oldest son, Charles Haygood Flournoy, was born in 1877. He was married first in 1908 to Hazel Adele Moak (1894-1958). They were the parents of two children: Lovie Mae, b. 1909, d. 1991, m. Delos Wilmer Creel; and Charles Haygood Jr., b. 1947, m. 1968 Linda Kay McMahan. Junior was later married a second time. Charles Sr. was married a second time to Mollie Ellison (1877-1966).

The next son, James Emory Flournoy was born about 1880. He was married first in 1901 to Lena E. Chesser and they had a child in 1905 who was stillborn. Some years later, James Sr. was married to Bessie M. Huggins, and they had a son born in 1940, James Emory Flournoy Jr. “Jimmy.” The family resided for years in Florala, Ala.

The youngest daughter, Lillie Mae Flournoy, was born in 1885. She was married to John Hansford “Hance” Radford (1881-1969), son of William Neel Radford (1849-1907) and Gemana Elizabeth Drinkard (1850-1882). They were the parents of the following children: I.W., b. 1907, d. 1946; John Foster, b. 1910, d. 1950, m. Bernice Rodgers (1915-2006); Irma, b. 1911; Jane, b. 1912; Irene, b. 1912, d. 2006, m. Julian A. Hayes (1901-1977); Martha Dane, b. 1913; and Flournoy James, b. 1916, d. 1984, m. Edith May Thompson.

The youngest son, John William Flournoy, and his family will be featured in next week’s column.

The sources for today’s story include Ancestry.com and the family records of Ronald “Ron” Flournoy, a descendant who resides in Texas. Appreciation is expressed to him for sharing his genealogical records.

Anyone who finds 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.