Hey There Delila: Mapping An Armuchee Valley Matriarch [Part 3]
Delila Brown Ward has been the focus of two recent posts here at Jordan’s Journey. This will be the third and final piece on Delila.
I’ll end this series by talking about Delila’s beginnings. She was born to William Brown and Nancy Pruitt in Spartanburg County, South Carolina. According to the 1850 census, William Brown hailed from Maryland. They are counted in Union County, South Carolina in 1820, 1830, 1840, and 1850. According to an article by Evelyn Morgan Shahan (writing as Mrs. Maxwell Shahan), the Browns relocated to northwest Georgia in about 1853. This is probably the same time Delila (already married and with a family of her own) also moved to the Armuchee Valley area. In Georgia, William Brown ran a dry goods store (where it was located, I do not know–this is a detail I would love to discover). As the owner of numerous slaves, he no doubt ran a farm as well (Walker 406; Ancesetry.com 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850).
William did not live in Georgia for very long. He died on 2 Jul 1858 in Chattooga County. His wife Nancy survived a number of years longer and lived with her daughter Delila in East Armuchee (Ancestry.com 1860, 1870).
William and Nancy are buried side by side in the Old Bethlehem Cemetery in Chattooga County. The map below shows the location of the cemetery (which is located on private land and not accessible to the general public), as well as the location of East Armuchee cemetery where Delila is buried.
Delila Brown Ward is an interesting figure in my family tree. She is a perfect example of why it’s so important to trace all branches of your tree–both up and down–to see how much you can discover. By looking at Delila’s life I learned about the places my family lived and discovered allies in other notable Armuchee Valley families. As a matriarch of that little valley, I’m sure there are more stories hiding behind her just waiting to be uncovered.
You can read more about Delila and her family in the Jordan’s Journey book. In the meantime, be sure to stay tuned for new photos, writing, videos, and more coming soon.
View Hey There Delila in a larger map
SOURCES
Ancestry.com. 1820 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
Census Place: Union, South Carolina; Page: 131; NARA Roll: M33_121; Image: 239.
Ancestry.com. 1830 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
Census Place: Union, South Carolina; Page: 201; NARA Series: M19; Roll Number: 171; Family History Film: 0022505.
Ancestry.com. 1840 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
Census Place: Union, South Carolina; Roll: 516; Page: 219; Image: 450; Family History Library Film: 0022511.
Ancestry.com. 1850 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009.
Alfred Ward with wife Delila and family: Census Place: , Union, South Carolina; Roll: M432_859; Page: 81B; Image: 414.
William Brown with wife Nancy: Census Place: Union, South Carolina; Roll: M432_859; Page: 69A; Image: 389.
Ancestry.com. 1860 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009.
Census Place: East Armuchee, Walker, Georgia; Roll: M653_139; Page: 748; Image: 211; Family History Library Film: 803139.
Ancestry.com. 1870 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009.
Census Place: Subdivision 145, Walker, Georgia; Roll: M593_180; Page: 301B; Image: 241; Family History Library Film: 545679.
Walker County History Committee, comp. Walker County Georgia Heritage, 1833-1983. LaFayette, GA: Walker County History Committee, 1984. Print.
Take a trip into the past
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According to the Walker County Heritage book, a nice walnut chest was brought over John’s Mountain in a wagon with Delilah’s family. That chest was passed down to the only daughter in every generation since. One of the knobs was chipped. It is still a beautiful heirloom.
I love the story about that chest. It’s so interesting when family stories from generations ago are connected to heirloom items that still exist today.