Currently, there are descendants of the Strickland family residing in Covington County. The line to be reviewed is that of the Stricklands who lived for several generations in Dale County, Ala.

Some of the Strickland descendants of Andalusia have recorded their genealogy and have shared it for today’s column. Their earliest ancestors to be identified lived for a time in Magnolia, North Carolina. Of significant interest to them is that the original name for the area in which they lived was known as Stricklandville since the Strickland family settled there and developed the area. The name was changed to Magnolia in 1857.

When the Stricklands migrated to Alabama, they settled in a community in Dale County and named it Magnolia for their former home in North Carolina. Today, there is left in the community a church and a cemetery, which are located near each other. The site is near the Town of Skipperville.

One descendant, Clara Strickland Myers, resided in Airton of Dale County. She had a small bottle of sand that had been brought by the family from Magnolia in Duplin County. She later gave this keepsake in 1981 to her daughter, Virginia Myers Armstrong Blue, who is the one who compiled the family’s history.

The earliest Strickland ancestor to be identified for this family is Absolum S. Strickland who was born in 1750 in Scotland and died in 1810 in Dublin County, North Carolina. He was married circa 1774 in Dublin County to Sarah Huggins who was born in 1755. It appears that Absolum had at least three brothers: Jesse, b. 1751, d. 1815; Lot, b. 1759, Revolutionary War Veteran; and Mathew, b. 1775, d. 1829.

Absolum and Sarah reared the following children: Richard, b. 1780, m. (10 Sarah ? (2) 1843 Catharine Fredericks; Matthew, b. 1782, m. Catherine ?; Ephraim, b. 1784; Agnes, b. 1786; Mahala, b. 1786, twin to Agnes; Jesse, b. 1789; Rebecca, b. 1791; Charles, b. 1793; and Reuben Jefferson, b. 1795, d. 1859, m. (1) Harriet Wilson (2) Sarah Hickman (3) 1828 Clara Fain (1795-1882).

The oldest son, Richard, and his first wife, Sarah, resided in Magnolia, North Carolina, when their 15 children were born. These included the following: Jesse, b. 1797, d. 1856, m. (1) 1815 Edna Elizabeth Shuttlefield (2) Martha Farmer); Wilson, b. 1799, d. 1848; Bolan, b. 1801, d. 1803; Rebecca, b. 1805; Hardy Jackson, b. 1806, d. 1880, m. Mary ?; Mathew, b. 1807, d. 1883, m. Elizabeth ?; Elizabeth, b. 1808; William, b. 1811, m. Betsy Evans; John, b. 1811, twin; Ephraim, b. 1815; Joseph, b. 1817; James Young, b. 1820; Major, b. 1820, d. 1887, m. Ellen C. ?; David, b. 1821, d. 1903, m. Pearcla Green; and Noah, b. 1823, m. Mary Elizabeth Carter.

After Sarah’s death, Richard was left with the large number of children, so he was soon married to Catharine Fredericks. He and Catharine had seven more children: Nathaniel; Mary Susan, b. 1824; William Ithial, b. 1825, m. Elizabeth ?; Barbara, b. 1826; Elinoy “Ellen,” b. 1828, m. Love Ezell; Calvin Frebet, b. 1830, m. (1) Pricilla Ann Stokes (2) Zilphia McGowen; and Martha.

Absolum’s youngest son, Reuben Jefferson Strickland, died in 1859 in Georgia. He and his third wife, Clara Fain (1793-1882), had the following children: Susan, b. ca 1828, d. ca 1865, m. 1853 Mason Covington Miller; Reuben Fain, b. 1829, d. 1849; Lucretia, b. 1831, m. 1852 Josiah L. Perrett; Mathew M., b. 1833, m. Hester Mathew; and Thomas Jefferson, b. 1835, m. 1860 America Gandy.

Richard Strickland’s oldest son, Jesse Strickland, was a Veteran of the War of 1812. He was in a North Carolina Regiment and was described as being five feet, 10 inches tall, having blue eyes and dark hair. He and his first wife, Elizabeth Shuttlefield, had the following children: Hardy, b. 1816, d. 1899, m. (1) Rebecca Johnson (2) Sarah ?; Sylvania, b. 1818, d. 1888, m. James B. Mathews (1814-1888); Fereaby, b. 1820, d. 1899, m. ? Cain; Edity , b. 1821, d. 1893, m. Charles M. Loftin; Cherry, b. 1829, m. John J. Lassiter; Mary, b. ca 1831, m. (1) ? Owens (2) ? Peoples; and Elizabeth “Betsy,” b. 1834.

Richard’s second son, Wilson Strickland, migrated to Texas by way of Tennessee. He was a volunteer for the Republic of Texas in the War of 1829. He was given an estate in Texas for his military service. He was ultimately awarded three large tracts of land, which were to go to his legal heirs. However, they never received the lands due to the statute of limitations.

Jesse Strickland’s oldest son, Hardy Strickland, and his second wife, Sarah, lived near Clopton in Dale County, Alabama, in the 1870 census. They had the following children: Andrew J., b. 1842, d. young; Ann, m. (1) ? Spears (2) ? Powers; Henry, b. 1845, d. 1926, m. Rebecca ?; Edith Eda, b. 1848; Jesse Thomas, b. 1849, m. Alace Jimmerson (1852-1933); D. Mathew, b. 1851, m. (1) Mary Ann McLendon (2) Pochantas Batchelor; Mary Ann, b. 1853; Mary Susan, b. 1856, m. William B. Brown; and James, b. 1858, m. Chellie Cain.

Hardy’s son, Jesse Thomas or Thomas Jesse Strickland, and his wife Alace Jimmerson, had the following children: Orlando, b. 1875, d. 1940, m. Mary Elizabeth Wilkins; Thomas Asbury S., b. 1880, d. 1942, m. (1) Carrie Brown (20 Cammie Ida Honnie Clark; Bascom, b. 1884, d. 1968, m. Jessie Mathews; Mathews, m. Adella Day; and Mattie, m. Jeff Medley.

Jesse Thomas Strickland’s son, Thomas Asbury, and his first wife, Carrie Brown, had two infant daughters that died at birth. He and his second wife, Sammie Ida Connie Clark, reared the following children: Mary Alice, b. 1904, d. 1986, m. Roman Hardage; Clara, b. 1906, m. (2) William Lester Myers (1895-1973); Blanche, b. 1908, d. 1988, m. Leon Howell; Flora Dell, b. 1910, m. M.C. Wellford; and Tommie, b. 1912, m. O’Neal Burton.

Thomas Asbury’s daughter, Clara Strickland, and her second husband, William Lester Myers, reared the following children: Carolyn Virginia, b. 1925, m. (1) Elmer Clyde Armstrong (2) Charles Gaston Baker (3) L.L. Dickert (4) Dave Blue; Edna Jeanette, b. 1926, m. (1) Joe Dean Laney (2) James Rhoades; and Gwendolyn La Margaret, b. 1937, m. Charles Samuel Jones.

Clara and William Lester Myers’ oldest daughter, Carolyn Virginia, and her first husband, Elmer Clyde Armstrong, reared the following children: Elmer Myers, m. Freida Price; Paul Thomas, m. Julia “Judy” Shaw; Bob Clell, b. (1) Rebecca Mabry Sollie (2) Sheila Bass; and Johnann, m. (1) Douglas Cherry (2) Paul Murnane plus several others.

Appreciation is expressed to Paul Armstrong of Andalusia for sharing the genealogical book compiled by his mother, Carolyn Virginia (Myers) Armstrong, for this writing.

Anyone who has questions related to this family or anyone who has family history they would like to share is requested to contact Curtis Thomasson at 20357 Blake Pruitt Road, Andalusia, AL 36420; call 334-222-6467; or e-mail: cthomasson@centurytel.net.

HISTORICALMEETING:

The Covington Rifles Camp of the Sons of Confederate Veterans will be meeting at 6 p.m. on Thurs., Feb. 5, at the Andalusia Public Library. Compatriot Francis McGowin will be speaking on the life of Nathan Bedford Forrest.