Do you ever struggle trying to figure out the structure of a family? I know that I’ve struggled with the family of Lt. Jones A. Crawford. Some of the struggle is with his name: is it Jones or is it James? I believe his name is Jones but sometimes it is indexed as James. Not only is his name confusing but Jones seems to have moved every few years appearing in various census records. While I think I have found him in the 1860, 1870 and 1880 census records, those three records show him with a different wife each time.
In 1860 Johnes Crawford, age 26, is shown as head of a household in Lincoln County, Kentucky. His household includes Mary, age 25, John age 6 and Mary age 2.
While a marriage record for Jones Crawford and Mary Fish has not been found, a Lincoln County, Kentucky deed identifying the heirs of Mary’s mother, Mary Fish, includes four Crawford children: John, Jones, Mary and Alex.
According to her Find A Grave record, Mary Fish Crawford died in January 1862. After Mary’s death, Jones Crawford enlisted in the 14th Regiment of the Kentucky Cavalry and served until March of 1864. In August 1865, Jones Crawford married Amanda Wilson in Montgomery County, Kentucky.
An 1870 census record shows Jones Crawford living in LaClede County, Missouri. His household included his second wife, Amanda, a son John by his first wife and two childen by his second wife: Josiah and Emma.
Two of Mary Fish Crawford’s children (Mary and Jones) are living with their FISH grandmother in Lincoln County, Kentucky.
The youngest child of Jones and Mary (Fish) Crawford, Alex Crawford, is living with his father’s mother, Elizabeth Adams Crawford Joplin in Rockcastle county, Kentucky.
In 1880, a Jones Crawford is found in Marion County, Arkansas. This household contains a 35 year old wife, Adeline; a 12 year old son Joseph and an 8 year old son Charles.
If 12 year old Joseph is the same person as 2 year old Josiah in the 1870 census, then who is Adeline.
Since Jones A Crawford served for the union during the civil war, I started looking for a pension record mentioning these various wives. After a brief unsuccessful search of Internet based resources, I turned to a Facebook friend that had retrieved pension files for me in the past: Brad Quinlin. When I first contacted Brad, we both agreed that finding such a recod was likely a long shot. We also agreed that the record could be filed under a different spelling of the name.
Well, that longshot paid off. Brad found a ‘denied’ pension file for Adline Crawford, wife of Lt. Jones A. Crawford. While the file does not contain a copy of a marriage record, it does have an affidavit stating when and where they were married. Also in the file is the death date for Amanda Crawford.
page 27
Front Side
Declaration for Widow’s Pension
State of Indian Territory
County of Northern District
On this 10th day of April, A.D., one thousand eight hundred and ninety-two
personally appeared before me a Notary Public within and for the county and
State aforesaid, Adline Crawford aged 60 years
a resident of Holdenville, county of Creek Nation
State of Indiana Territory, who being duly sworn according to law, makes the following declaration
in order to obtain pension under the provisions of the act of Congress approved June 27, 1890
That she is the widow of Jones A Crawford, who was
Commissioned under the name of James A Crawford
at _____ on the 16th day of August 1862
as a 1st Lieutenant in Co. G 14th Reg Kentucky Cav Vol
and honorably discharged March 24, 1864, having served ninety days or more during the late
war of rebellion. That the soldier was __ in the military or naval service of teh Untied States except as stated above.That she was married under the name of Adaline Biggs to said soldier
at Protem Mo on the 2d day of February, 1878
by J C Longon Justice of Peace; that there was not legal barrier to the marriage;
that she had been previously married; that the soldier had been previously married.
and that her first husband was named Sidney Biggs
and died in 1873 and the soldiers first wife was named Manda Crawford
and died in 1876
That the soldier died April 20 1891 at Pine Bluff Ark
that she was not divorced form him; that she has not remarried since his death; and that she is without other means of support
than her daily labor.That the said soldier left the following-named children who are living and under sixteen years of age, to wit:
Adline Crawford, widow of Jones A. Crawford (Co. G 14th Reg Kentucky Cavalry Volunteer), pension no. WC 697053, Case Files of Approved Pension Applications, 1861-1934; Civil War and Later Pension Files; Department of Veterans Affairs, Record Group 15, National Archives; Washington, D.C.
This pension file led me to Holdenville, Oklahoma where I was able to find an obituary for Adaline Crawford in the local newspaper.
Passing of Mrs. Adaline Crawford
Adaline Greever Crawford was born in the year 1842 in the state of Kentucky, departed this life at the home of daughter, Mrs. Sensing, June 30, 1911, aged 69 years. She moved with her parents at the age of 18 years form Kentucky to Indiana then moved to Yellville, Ark., where she was united in wedlock with Dr. Biggs. Unto this union there were born five children, one only now living, Mrs. S. D. Chafin. after the death of her husband she was united in wedlock with Jones A. Crawford at Protem, Mo. Unto this union there were two children. Since the death of Mr. Crawford, about April 19, 1889, she has walked alone the lonely path of widowhood. She made her home with her daughter, Mrs. Sensing, in Holdenville, Okla., who was a faithful daughter to her loving mother, and surely no daughter could have been more faithful. She and her husband did all they could to make their mothers last days as comfortable as possible.
Mrs. Crawford left one brother and three daughters to mourn the sad loss of an affectionate sister and mother. She had been failing in health for several months and at last on June 30th at 8 p.m., she found that rest that belongs to the people of god. The day she died she spoke of going and as ready — spoke of God as just and true and as doing all things well, and spoke of of seeing a deceased friend of hers and conversing with her. I have no doubt that her vision was correct. sister Crawford was a true Christian woman, lived an exemplary life and died a Christian death, and as she sank into the fathomless abyes of death he happy spirit arose on the other shore where she now enjoys the society of angels and loved ones and the blood-washed of all the nations in Heaven.
May the Father of al good bless her loved ones left to mourn her absence.
T. D. WeemsThe funeral services of Mrs. Adaline Crawford were held from the home of Mr. and Mrs. Sensing at 4 p.m., July 2, 1911, in Holdenville, Okla. The services were conducted by Rev. t. D. Weems. A large attendance of friends paid their last respects to the departed by attending the funeral and burial. Very appropriate music was rendered by Mesdames A. E. Walker, Diamond, Reed, and Messrs. Walker, Hicks and Snider.
“Passing of Mrs. Adaline Crawford,” Holdenville Democrat (Holdenville, Oklahoma), 7 June 1911, page 4; digital images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : viewed online 5 February 2024).
The following were the pall bearers: G. W. Gornish, E. P. Kelley, J. J. Pollock, G W. Winkler, G. W. Bennet, G. W. Adams.
The burial was held in the Holdenville cemetery.
Mrs. Sensing and husband give their most grateful thanks to all friends for their sympathy and assistance during the illness and death of their mother.
While the pension file and obituary contain conflicting death dates for Jones A. Crawford, they do provide a probable time and place of death making it easier to try and locate records.
Based on the pension file and obituary, I believe Lt. Jones A. Crawford had three wives and childen by each wife.
- Mary Fish
- John Crawford
- Jones Crawford
- Mary Crawford
- Alex Crawford
- Amanda Wilson
- Josiah (or Joseph)
- Emma Crawford
- Charles Crawford
- Adaline Greever Biggs
- Susie Crawford
- Unknown Crawford
I don’t think it would have been possible to piece this family together without the Lincoln county Kentucky deed and the civil war pension file which were documents requested thru the mail.