John Brumfield, son of Charles and Elizabeth Brumfield, was born circa 1768 in North Carolina.[i],[ii]
John married Margaret “Peggy” Kelly, daughter of William S. Kelly and Mary (Durham) Kelly. Margaret was born circa 1772 in Wake, North Carolina. She and John were married 23 October 1788 in North Carolina.[iii],[iv]John’s father and Mary’s father were friends who moved and lived near each other.[v]
In 1800 John and his father, Charles, were living in York, South Carolina.[vi]In 1807 John was witness to three Wills in York County: for Thomas Denman[vii], John Barnett[viii], Sr. and Jean Simeral. The will for Jean Simeral was also witnessed by James Brumfield, who was possibly John’s brother[ix]. In 1810 John and family were still in York County.[x]
John did not remain in the Carolinas. He took his wife and large family and headed south, first to Georgia where they might have spent time with John’s brother, James. In 1811 passports for the family were prepared allowing them to move further south. They needed to obtain passports because the territory of the Creek Nation was located between Georgia and Mississippi.
On 8 November 1811 in Georgia it was ordered that “passports be prepared for the following persons to travel through the Indian Nations to the Western Country, …for Mr. John Brumfield with his wife and eleven children and three negroes from York District.”[xi]
By 1811 John Brumfield and his family were in the area that would become Washington Parish, Louisiana. They were “the first of the name” in the parish.[xii]
Washington Parish was established in 1819 … when the large parish of St. Tammany was divided and the northern half erected as Washington. It was named in honor of George Washington… is bounded on the north and east by the State of Mississippi … Settlements were made in the parish during the opening years of the 19thcentury, while this area was still ruled by Spain. The greater part of the settlers took up their land as “head right” claims on “land script” issued by the Spanish government. Some of the first families that located in this manner were Abner, Thomas and Benjamin Beckham who came in 1807; William Brumfield came 2 years later, and in 1810 was followed by Ezekial Brumfield. Amos, Benjamin and John Richardson also came in 1809-10; Jonathan McGehee and John Simmons took up land under the new government in 1812. After the West Baton Rogue revolution more Americans began to immigrate to this section from the older and more thickly populated states north and east, being attracted by the mild climate and valuable pinelands.[xiii]
It is clear that the Brumfields were among a handful of early families in the area. John and Margaret, their 11 children who were born in York, South Carolina, and their two sons who were born in Louisiana, built a home and put down their roots in the fertile area. Cotton was the biggest crop but hay, oats, corn, potatoes, tobacco and garden vegetables also grew abundantly. Peaches, pears, apples, quinces and pomegranates were also grown.[xiv]
During the War of 1812, Louisiana supplied 7,491 infantry men, 988 cavalrymen, 163 artillery men, and 1,045 men in miscellaneous troops for a total of 9,687 men.[xv]While the youngest sons of John and Margaret were toddlers, the older sons served in the war. Five of John’s sons served. Sergeant William Brumfield, Corporal Willis Brumfield, Private Davis Brumfield, Private Charles Brumfield and Corporal Ridley Brumfield all served in the 12/13 Consolidated Regiment of the Louisiana Militia.[xvi]Fortunately all five of the brothers returned home safely after the war. However, those brothers were not safe from the effects of war. In the future their sons would also take up rifles to defend their homes.
Back in York, South Carolina John’s father, Charles, wrote his will in 1815.The pages of his will mention his wife and seven children, including his son, John. Charles’ estate was to be sold and the profits divided among his children.[xvii]
In 1820[xviii]and 1830[xix]John and family were listed in the US Census in Washington Parish, Louisiana. John died circa 1834.[xx]
[i]Randolph, Ruth Brumfield, and Nell Brumfield, Jacobs Smith. Brumfields Revisited: Ancestors and Descendants of George Y. and Martha Penny Brumfield(Privately printed, 1995).
[ii]Stewart, Charlotte J. Brumfield(Ocean Springs, MS: Blossom Printing, Inc., 1972) 17.
[iii]Stewart, Charlotte J. Brumfield(Ocean Springs, MS: Blossom Printing, Inc., 1972) 17.
[iv]North Carolina, Index to Marriage Bonds, 1741 – 1868; Ancestry(ancestry.com: accessed 2017). Peggy Kelly and John Brumfield.
[v]Brumfield, Albert R. and Alma Del Clawson. Brumfield Histories(LA: privately printed).
[vi]Teeples, G. Ronald, Ronald Vern Jackson, and Richard Moore. South Carolina 1800 Census(Provo, Utah: Accelerated Indexing Systems, 1973) 69.
[vii]South Carolina Department of Archives and History. Will Transcript; Series S108093, Reel 29, Frame 435; digital image (scdah.sc.gov: accessed May 2019) John Brumfield, 1807.
[viii]South Carolina Department of Archives and History. Will Transcript; Series S108093, Reel 29, Frame 431; digital image (scdah.sc.gov: accessed May 2019) John Brumfield, 1807.
[ix]South Carolina Department of Archives and History. Will Transcript; Series S108093, Reel 29, Frame 452; digital image (scdah.sc.gov: accessed May 2019) John Brumfield, James Brumfield, 1807.
[x]1810 US Census, SC, York; digital image, Ancestry (ancestry.com: accessed January 2020) John Brumfield.
[xi]Potter, Dorothy Williams. Passports of Southeastern Pioneers 1770 – 1823 (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 2002).
[xii]Fortier, A., Louisiana: Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, arranged in Cyclopedic Form, Vol. 3(Madison, WI: Century Historical Assoc., 1914) 597-8; digital image, Genealogy Gophers (gengophers.com: accessed July 2017).
[xiii]Fortier, Alcee, Louisiana: Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, arranged in Cyclopedic Form, Volume 2(Louisiana: Tulane University, 1914) 603; digital image, Genealogy Gophers (gengophers.com: accessed August 2017).
[xiv]Fortier, Alcee, Louisiana: Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, arranged in Cyclopedic Form, Volume 2(Louisiana: Tulane University, 1914) 604; digital image, Genealogy Gophers (gengophers.com: accessed August 2017).
[xv]Louisiana in the War of 1812; Family Search (familysearch.org: accessed August 2017.)
[xvi]Index to Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Soldiers Who Served During the War of 1812; digital image, fold3 (fold3.com: accessed Aug 2017).
[xvii]The Will of Charles Brumfield, S108093, Case 10, File405; digital image, South Carolina Department of Archives and History (archivesindex.sc.gov: accessed June 2017).
[xviii]1820 US Census, LA, Washington; digital image, Ancestry (ancestry.com: accessed 2015) John Brumfield.
[xix]1830 US Census, LA, Washington; digital image, Ancestry (ancestry.com: accessed January 2020) John Brumfield.
[xx]Brumfield, Albert R. and Alma Del Clawson. Brumfield Histories(LA: privately printed).
….. 1 John Brumfield b: Abt. 1768
….. + Margaret Kelly b: 1772 NC
……….. 2 William Brumfield b: 1790 SC
……….. 2 Lucy Brumfield b: 1792 York, South Carolina
……….. + Barksdale Statham
……….. 2 Willis Brumfield b: 1794 York, South Carolina
……….. + Nancy Virginia Holmes b: 1797 Georgia, USA
…………….. 3 Margaret Brumfield b: 09 Feb 1819 LA
…………….. + John Seaborn Alford b: 11 Oct 1807
…………….. 3 John Griffin Brumfield b: 1820 LA
…………….. + Louisa Bullock
…………….. 3 Elisha Brumfield b: 23 May 1822 LA
…………….. + Salena Arvozena Jane Warner
…………….. 3 Charles Dawson Brumfield b: 27 March 1823 LA
…………….. 3 Isaac Nelson Brumfield b: 10 Nov 1823 LA
…………….. + Sarah J. Smith b: 23 Nov 1836 MS
…………….. 3 Sarah Brumfield b: 09 April 1824 LA
…………….. + Calvin Smith b: 22 Sept 1812 MS
…………….. 3 Josiah Brumfield b: 02 March 1827 LA
…………….. + Margaret Burch
…………….. 3 William Brumfield b: 05 Jan 1829 LA
…………….. + Sarah Lewis
…………….. 3 Axa Brumfield b: 02 May 1831 LA
…………….. 3 Willis Nathaniel Brumfield b: 31 March 1834 LA
…………….. + Nancy E. Haley
……….. 2 David Brumfield b: 1795 York, SC
……….. + Cynthia Holmes
……….. 2 Charles Brumfield b: 01 Jan 1796 SC
……….. + Harriet Knight
……….. 2 Ridley Brumfield b: 1798 SC
……….. + Susanna Statham
……….. 2 Isaac Brumfield b: 09 March 1801 SC
……….. + Elizabeth Holmes
…………….. 3 Nathaniel Brumfield Jr.
…………….. 3 Jesse K. Brumfield
…………….. 3 Harrison Brumfield
…………….. 3 Lucy Jane Brumfield
……….. 2 James Brumfield b: 1803 SC
……….. + Leah
……….. 2 Elijah Brumfield b: 1805 SC
……….. + Charlotte Temple Ott b: 1815 LA
…………….. 3 Charlotte Angelina Brumfield b: 07 Aug 1855
…………….. 3 Courtney Rebeccca Brumfield b: 11 April 1857
……….. 2 Jesse Brumfield b: 01 March 1807 SC
……….. + Hannah Youngblood b: Abt. 1807 Georgia
…………….. 3 Henry S. Brumfield b: Abt. 1835 MS
…………….. 3 Mary L. Brumfield b: 24 Jan 1837
…………….. 3 Jesse A. Brumfield b: 15 Feb 1839
…………….. 3 Joseph W. Brumfield b: Abt. 1841 MS
…………….. 3 James Monroe Brumfield b: Abt. 1843 MS
…………….. 3 Susan Lucinda Brumfield b: Abt. 1845 MS
…………….. 3 John R. Brumfield b: Abt. 1847 MS
…………….. 3 Leah E. Brumfield b: 26 Oct 1852
…………….. 3 Benjamin Brumfield
……….. 2 Alexander Brumfield b: 1811 York, SC
……….. + Anna
……….. 2 Nathaniel Brumfield b: 1813 LA
……….. + Charlotte Temple Ott b: 1815 LA
…………….. 3 Martin Penn Brumfield b: 15 March 1837 LA
…………….. 3 Jessie Alexander Brumfield b: 27 Sept 1838 LA
…………….. + Martha Elizabeth Alford b: 08 Aug 1846 MS
…………….. 3 John D. Brumfield b: 29 July 1842 LA
…………….. + Zadie Martin
…………….. 3 Sarah Lucy Brumfield b: 21 Nov 1845 LA
…………….. + Isaac Roberts
…………….. 3 Laura Brumfield b: 19 April 1851 LA
…………….. + Needham Alford
……….. 2 John Wilson Brumfield b: 1816 LA
……….. + Cindyrella
Sources:
- Clawson, Alma Dell. “The Brumfield Family”
- Conerly, Luke Ward. SOURCE RECORDS FROM PIKE COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI 1798-1910; 1798-1910; South Carolina, Southern Historical Press, 1989.
- Potter, Dorothy Williams. Passports of Southeastern Pioneers 1770 – 1823. Reprint. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, Inc., 1990.