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John Jefferson Culpepper

John Jefferson Culpepper

Male 1797 - 1885  (87 years)

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  • Name John Jefferson Culpepper 
    Born 4 Nov 1797  Orangeburg dist., SC Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Male 
    Died 4 May 1885  Clanton, Randolph Co., Alabama Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Buried Concord Baptist Cemetery, Randolph Co., AL Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Person ID I2954  MyTree
    Last Modified 15 Aug 2009 

    Father John William Culpepper,   b. 1 Oct 1772, Camden District, SC Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 13 May 1855, Wadley, Randolph Co., Alabama Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 82 years) 
    Mother Nancy J. Gillespie,   b. Abt 1778, St Davids Parish, Cheraw, Chesterfield, SC Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 25 Jul 1848, Randolph Co., AL Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 70 years) 
    Married 18 May 1794  Richland Dist., SC Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Family ID F4611  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Catherine Bell,   b. 1797, Lexington Co., SC Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Abt 1865, Almond, west of, Wadley, Randolph Co., AL Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 68 years) 
    Married Abt 1816  Lexington Co., SC Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Children 
     1. Mary Ann Elizabeth Culpepper
     2. William Washington Culpepper,   b. 14 Apr 1834, Upson County, Georgia, USA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 2 Mar 1918, Marshall County, Ala Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 83 years)
     3. John J. Culpepper
    +4. Robert Jefferson Culpepper,   b. 2 Jul 1830, Upson Co., Georgia Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 10 Dec 1919, Joppa, Cullman Co., Alabama Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 89 years)
    Last Modified 17 Jul 2017 
    Family ID F4609  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Photos
    John Jefferson Culpepper
    John Jefferson Culpepper

  • Notes 
    • Occupation: Farmer

      Census 1800: (free wh male 0-10)
      Census 1800: 4 Aug 1800, Lexington District, SC, Unaccounted for is 1
      female 0-10., Head of Family=John Culpepper
      Census 1810 (free wh male 10-16)
      Census 1810: 6 Aug 1810, Richland District, SC, Unaccounted for are 1
      male 0-10 and 1 female 16-26., Head of Family=John Culpepper2,3

      Tax roll*: bt 1822 - 1824, Baldwin Co., GA4

      1830 Census 1830 1 Jun 1830, Upson Co., GA,
      Unaccounted for is 1 Male 5-10., free wh male 15-20=John J. Culpepper,
      free wh female 10-15=Mary Ann Elizabeth Culpepper, Catherine Culpepper


      1832 Land Lottery Upson Co., GA, lot 380/19/3 in what became Paulding
      Co., GA.

      1840 Census 1840 1 Jun 1840, Chambers Co., AL:
      free wh female 40-50=Catherine Bell, free wh male 05-10=William
      Washington Culpepper, free wh male 05-10=Robert Jefferson Culpepper,
      free wh female 15-20=Mary Ann Elizabeth Culpepper

      1850 Census Chambers Co., AL., p. 413, family 435:
      John Culpepper 53 SC farmer $300 real estate.

      1860 Census Almond P. O. near Louina (now Wadley), Randolph Co., AL.,
      p. 838, #1526:
      John J. Culpepper 63 SC.

      1870 Census Louina P. O. (now Wadley) Randolph Co., AL., p. 572, #6:
      John J. Culpepper 72 SC.

      1880 Census Randolph Co., AL., ED111-2:
      John Culpepper 82 SC SC SC.

      Mrs. J. W. (Ira Gay) Deam of Gay, GA, preserved John Jefferson
      Culpepper's birth data from John Culpepper, Senior's Bible and Mrs. D.
      W. (Lavyn Wright) Sisco transcribed the information as follows: "John
      J. Culpepper b. November 4, 1797 on Saturday at 10 o'clock A.M.

      John Jefferson's parents are believed to have been living in
      Orangeburg District, SC at the time of his birth in an area which was
      designated Lexington District in the 1800 census and which later
      became Lexington Co., SC. In the 1800 census, John Jefferson's father,
      John Culpepper, was listed as a head of household with his young
      family, including, John Jefferson Culpepper, in Lexington District,
      SC. By 1810, John Jefferson's parents had moved the family back across
      the Congaree River to Richland District, SC. Possibly this took place
      in 1807 when John Jefferson's father, John was made an administrator
      of Daniel Peek's estate. John Jefferson was recorded with his parents
      in the 1810 census of Richland District, SC. Some time after this
      census, John Jefferson would have moved with his parents to Edgefield
      District, SC which shared a portion of its eastern border with
      Lexington District, SC.

      Although no record has been found, John Jefferson Culpepper is
      believed to have married Catherine Bell by 1816 in Edgefield District,
      SC where their parents owned land. A son, born circa 1817, gave his
      place of birth as Georgia in the 1850 census. Although it is possible
      that the couple moved to Georgia and returned by 1820 when their next
      child was born, it is more likely that the son, who was not living
      near his parents at the time of the 1850 census, simply knew that he
      had grown up in Georgia and said that he had been born there.
      Unfortunately, neither John Jefferson nor his father, John Culpepper,
      has been located as a head of household in the 1820 census of South
      Carolina or Georgia. However, since John Culpepper, Senior was granted
      land in Edgefield District, SC in 1814 and he sold land there in 1823,
      the family is presumed to have still been in South Carolina in 1820
      and it is possible that John Jefferson and Catherine were still in
      Edgefield District, SC in 1820 as well, living near Catherine's
      widowed mother, Barbary Bell, but overlooked in the census.

      John Jefferson's father, John Culpepper, is known to have moved his
      family to Georgia when son, Lewis P. Culpepper, was about seven years
      old meaning that the family probably moved in the Fall of 1823. John
      Jefferson and Catherine (Bell) Culpepper presumably moved their young
      family to Georgia about this same time although when Barbary Bell,
      Catherine (Bell) Culpepper's mother, died in 1826, John Jefferson and
      his wife apparently returned to South Carolina to settle the estate.

      A land lottery was held in Georgia in 1827. In order to take part in
      the lottery, John J. Culpepper would have to have been in Georgia for
      at least three years, i.e., at least since April 1824. As a married
      man and a citizen of the United States and who had lived in Georgia
      for three years, John Jefferson would have been eligible for two draws
      in the lottery. According to Land Lottery Register No. 11 published by
      Grantland & Orme, on April 2, 1827 "John J. Culpepper" from Captain
      Turner's District, Monroe Co., GA drew lot #230 which was 202 ½ acres
      in District 5 of Section 1, Lee Co., GA. The land was in Randolph
      County, GA when John sold it: "JOHN J. CULPEPPER of Upson Co. to
      REUBEN BYNAM of Randolph Co. Lot #230, 5th
      Dist. Wit.: Eldridge Glabonip, William Caper, J.P." (Randolph Co. GA
      Deeds)

      John moved to Upson Co., GA where he is found in a 27 Feb 1829 land
      record (A 434/5) deeding the Lee County land to his father, John
      Culpepper, for $5.00: Georgia_______This Indenture made the 29th day
      of February Upson County__in the year of our Lord one Thousand eight
      hundred and Twenty nine between John J. Culpepper of the State and
      County aforesaid of the one part and John Culpepper of the State
      aforesaid and county of Monroe of the other part. Witness that the
      said John J. Culpepper for and in consideration of the sum of five
      dollars to him in hand paid at and before the sealing and delivery of
      these presents the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged - and also
      for the better securing the said John Culpepper against the payment of
      several promisory notes made payable to Benjamin Richardson by the
      Said John J. Culpepper for thirty Dollars Each dated on the sixth day
      of May eighteen hundred and Twenty Eight and due Six months after date
      for thirty Dollars each and if not punctually paid interest from date
      and to which Said notes the Said John Culpepper is security with the
      Said John J. Culpepper. And also for the better Securing the Said John
      Culpepper the payment of a promisory note given to him by the Said
      John J. Culpepper for the Sum of twenty five dollars having even[?]
      date with these presents and due one day after date hath bargained
      sold conveyed and confirmed to the Said John Culpepper his heirs
      Executors administrators and assigns the following real and personal
      property that is to say Lot Number two hundred and thirty in the
      fiftheth[?] district of Lee County Containing two hundred two and a
      half acres more or Less and Drawn by the Said John J. Culpepper in the
      last land Lottery of this State To have and to hold the Said bargained
      premises to him the Said John Culpepper his heirs Executors
      administrators and assigns to his and their own proper also[?] and
      beproof with all and singular the members rights and appertinances
      thereof in fee simple. And the Said John J. Culpepper states[?] his
      heirs and assigns will warrant and defend the right title and
      possession of the Said Lot tract or parcel of Land to him the Said
      John Culpepper for and in consideration as aforesaid has this day
      bargained and Sold to the Said John C. Culpepper [this is the only
      document which has been found which assigns a middle initial to John
      Culpepper, Senior. Apparently the clerk was trying to distinguish John
      Culpepper, Sr. from John J. Culpepper and, since John Culpepper was
      living in another county, perhaps did not realize that he was John J.
      Culpepper's father and therefore, John Culpepper, Sr. Since John
      Culpepper, Senior was literate and at least two copies of his
      signature are known to exist, it is unlikely that the "C" was his
      mark. If the middle initial was "C." the name was not passed on to any
      of his sons although there was a grandson and a great-grandson named
      Charles William Culpepper. There was a John Cowan Culpepper, a son of
      Sampson Culpepper, but he is believed to have been living in Laurens
      Co., GA at this time and he had no known connection to John Jefferson
      Culpepper] the following Personal property to wit, one brown mare colt
      about Two years old, one bay mare colt about three years old, five
      cows & Calves now in the possession of the Said John C. Culpepper and
      the yearlings also five Sows & Pigs in the possession of the Said John
      C. Culpepper together with all and every part of the said income of
      the income Mentioned [aforementioned?] Stock of Cattle horses and hogs
      and the Said John J. Culpepper will warrant and forever defend the
      right and title of the Said personal property to him the Said John
      Culpepper his heirs and assigns. Now the foregoing Indenture is upon
      the following condition and it is expressly understood between the
      Said John J Culpepper and the Said John Culpepper that if the Said
      John J Shall at all times hereafter hold the Said John harmless
      against the payment of the three notes here in before mentioned given
      to the Said Benjamin and against the payment of any part thereof and
      Shall also well and truly pay to the Said John the note given to him
      for twenty five Dollars and here in before mentioned according to the
      tenor of Said state together with all lawful interest accruing thereon
      then the above indenture and all rights and benefits arising therefrom
      to be utterly null and void as though the same had never been made
      otherwise to remain in full force and virtue. In Witness whereof the
      Said John J. Culpepper has hereunto Set his hand and affixed his Seal
      the day and year first above written. Signed sealed and delivered in
      the presence of ______his Thomas X Bulman__________________John J.
      Culpepper [seal] ______mark John Gardner J.P.
      ________________________Recorded this 12th May 1829

      "John J. Culpepper" was listed in the 1830 Upson Co., GA census with
      his wife and 1 male 10-15 years of age, 1 male 15-20 years of age, and
      1 female 10-15 years of age. The older boy has not been identified. If
      a son, then John Jefferson and Catherine (Bell) Culpepper would have
      to have married when they were 11-16 years of age and the son has not
      been identified in later census records. But the age would also match
      that of John Jefferson Culpepper's younger brother, William Henry
      Culpepper, who has not been found in the 1830 census and who married
      in 1831 in Upson Co., GA.

      As a fortunate drawer in the 1827 lottery, it is not clear that John
      Jefferson Culpepper was eligible for the 1832 Gold Lottery unless for
      some reason he was considered NOT to have "taken out a grant for said
      land lot." In any event "John J. Culpepper" won Gold Lot 380 in
      district 19 of section 3. This would have been a 40 acre lot near the
      lower center border of Paulding Co., GA. It is not known if John
      Jefferson ever mined his Paulding Co., GA land or if he sold it but by
      1840 he had moved on to Chambers Co., AL. Possibly the family moved in
      1835 or 1836 along with John J. Culpepper's brothers, Francis and
      James. Or perhaps the family moved in 1837 after the marriage of John
      Jefferson's son, John J. Culpepper. The elder John J. Culpepper was
      listed in the 1840 census of Chambers Co., AL. One male and one female
      40-50 were recorded, presumably John and his wife, Catherine. Two
      males 5-10 and one female 15-20 were listed in the household,
      presumably the three younger children, Robert, William and Elizabeth.
      The "John J. Culpepper" recorded in the 1840 census of Upson Co., GA
      (1m 0-5 1m 20-30 1f 15-20), was a son of John Jefferson and Catherine
      (Bell) Culpepper who was born approximately 1817, who married
      Elizabeth Stallings in 1837, and who would have had a son, Lewis L.
      Culpepper, who would have been approximately two years old in 1840.
      The John Jefferson Culpepper family remained in Chambers Co., AL at
      least until 1850 when John Culpepper was listed as a farmer in the
      1850 Chambers Co., AL census with his wife, Catherine, and son,
      William. Their daughter, Elizabeth, who had married Robert Johnson,
      was living next door.

      In the 1850 census, John Jefferson Culpepper was listed as having real
      estate valued at $300. However, 22 Aug 1850 "John J. Culpepper" bought
      or was granted 139 46/100 acres of land (Certificate or Warrant
      68.157) in the South East part of Section 3 of Township 22 South,
      Range 10 East of Randolph Co., AL. This land appears to be to the
      northwest of what is now Wadley and southeast of Almond. The land
      appears to be split from the southeast corner to the northwest corner
      by route 77. Presumably, John Jefferson Culpepper moved with his wife
      and youngest sons to Randolph Co., AL about this time. However, the
      second marriage of William Washington Culpepper, John Jefferson and
      Catherine (Bell) Culpepper's youngest son, took place in Chambers Co.,
      AL Dec 1855 at the home of William's brother, Robert J. Culpepper, and
      John Jefferson Culpepper was a bondsman. Possibly, since John
      Jefferson lived close to the Chambers Co., AL border, he just went
      back for the occasion. In 1860, John J. Culpepper was listed with his
      wife, Catherine, and grandson, John J. Culpepper, at Almond P. O. near
      Louina (now Wadley), Randolph Co., AL. John J. Culpepper was listed in
      the 1870 census of Louina P. O. (now Wadley) Randolph Co., AL. John
      was living near the families of his two sons, Robert and William and a
      grandson, John Jr. According to p. 112 of Historical Records of
      Randolph County, Alabama 1832-1900 from the 12 Feb 1875 issue of the
      Randolph Enterprise the following had their land sold for taxes: On
      March 1, 1875 the property belonging to the following named persons
      was to be sold at public auction to the highest bidder from the Court
      House in Wedowee... BEAT VIII _____Township 21, Range 10... John J.
      Culpepper... W. W. Culpepper....

      John Jefferson Culpepper would have been 77 years old when he lost
      this land which was north of the land he purchased or was granted in
      1850 and John Jefferson apparently still owned land nearby since he
      was noted in the 1880 census of Randolph Co., AL. John William
      Culpepper wrote in an 18 Aug 1994 letter that Mrs. John (Edith
      Champion) Zuber, a great-great granddaughter of John Jefferson
      Culpepper, told him that John Jefferson Culpepper lived on the land
      which Mrs. Zuber's mother's sold in 1950.

      John William Culpepper wrote 18 Aug 1994 that he had located Mrs. John
      (Edith Champion) Zuber, a great-great-granddaughter of John Jefferson
      Culpepper. John William believes that the land that Edith's mother,
      Mrs. M. A. (Inez Culpepper) Champion, sold in 1950 was the land that
      had originally belonged to John Jefferson Culpepper's father, John
      Culpepper. The land appears to have been a 58.84 acre lot which was
      noted as Fraction C of section 14 in Township 22 Range 10 of Randolph
      Co., AL. The land is south of Wadley on the Chambers County line and
      Route 22 crosses diagonally through the bottom half of the land. It
      was originally granted to William Culpepper 21 Feb 1850. Mrs.
      Champion's grandfather, William Washington Culpepper, a son of John
      Jefferson Culpepper, would have been only 15 years old at that date so
      it is assumed that William Henry Culpepper, John Jefferson Culpepper's
      brother, was granted the land. John Culpepper, Sr. is known from
      census records to have been living near present day Wadley in 1850 and
      an extant letter from him to a son, Francis G. Culpepper, indicates
      that he owned land in the area but only his sons show up in land
      records. Since John Culpepper, Sr. had "broken up housekeeping" by
      1853, it is assumed that he was living on one of the parcels that was
      in the name of one of his sons. John William wrote of a visit to Mrs.
      Champion's former property: You will see that rt. 22 leaves Wadley in
      a Southwesternly direction. The home of current residents, Mr. and
      Mrs. J. T. Edge, is approximately 3/4 of a mile from Wadley, on Rt. 22
      [near the Chambers Co., AL line]. I don't know how far east the
      property extends [it appears to extend to a point where a secondary
      road branches south to Chambers Co., AL], but I believe it extends
      north to Hutton Creek [it appears to cover about 2/3 of the distance
      from the Chambers Co., AL border to Hutton Creek].... Mrs. John Zuber,
      (Edith Champion Zuber) daughter of Inez Culpepper Champion [Mrs. M. A.
      Champion], daughter of Robert Benjamin Culpepper, son of William
      Washington Culpepper, son of John Jefferson Culpepper advises that her
      mother sold the property to Mrs. Edge's father in the 1950's.... She
      said that John Jefferson Culpepper lived at the place with his wife
      and two sons and remained there after their sons moved to Sand
      Mountain [Marshall Co., AL]. John and his wife are buried at the
      Concord Baptist Church Cemetery, located half way between Wadley and
      Roanoke, Alabama [John Jefferson Culpepper and his wife, Catherine,
      are not listed in an index to Concord Church Cemetery records possibly
      because the graves were unmarked or because the markings can no longer
      be read].... Mrs. Zuber stated that her mother lived at the home place
      until her husband died and a few years after but found it too much
      work and moved. It was after she moved that the house on Rt. 22 burned
      to the ground.

      In a 3 May 1994 letter, John William Culpepper wrote of attempting to
      locate the location of the house: We located the owner of the property
      and his wife a Mr. J. T. Edge and his wife Marian.... J. T. Edge took
      up back of his home over a hill and a short way down the other side of
      a dirt road where a house used to be. We found the well and a few
      cedar trees but no visible ground parks of a home. This was the
      location site mentioned by a lady they talked with who identified the
      Edge Place as being the former Culpepper property and residence of
      John and Nancy [Nancy appears to have died in Georgia before John came
      to Alabama]. We noticed that about 150 yards east of the Edge house,
      which fronts on State route 22, there stands two tall rock chimneys
      approximately 45 to 50 feet apart. He took us to the site and said the
      log house was large with a dog trot in the middle and when they came
      here there were people still living in the house. He said a nearby
      well which was covered with branches is 90 feet deep. The Edge house
      is the location of the original house but a few feet further back from
      the semi circular drive. The original house burned and scorched the
      nearby trees which he said were planted by Charles Culpepper the
      botanist who moved to the Washington area. The old road used to go
      between the inside of the drive and the current road, Rt. 22. Facing
      the Edge home on the left of the house but on the other side of the
      old road was a carriage shop and on the east side of the drive was a
      blacksmith shop. Mr. Edge said the property was a Culpepper land
      grant....

      Mrs. Deam and Mrs. Sisco preserved the Bible record of John Jefferson
      Culpepper's death: d. May 4, 1885.

      The Concord Baptist Church cemetery is about 3 ½ miles east of where
      John Jefferson Culpepper was living, on Route 22, on the opposite side
      of the Tallapoosa River. It is on the same side of the river as the
      now defunct town of Louina which was replaced about 1900 as a
      population center by Wadley on the opposite of the river. Is it
      possible that this is also where John Culpepper was buried?

      Photograph: say 1855, Randolph Co., AL, This photo was provided by
      Mary Lillian Butler Pierce (1915-2000) of Albertville, and later of
      Huntsville, AL. The owner or location of the original is unknown. Mrs.
      Billy Wendell Dunn (Marina Sylvia Hiscock) of Arab, AL, may have more
      information.