Rebecca Hodges

1816 - 1870  (54 years)

• Name	Rebecca Hodges
  Born	1816	Franklin County, Tennessee
  Gender	Female
  Reference Number	5244
  Died	1870	Houston, Texas
  Person ID	I5244	Brownlow
  Last Modified	16 Mar 2022

  
  

  Father	Edmund Hodges,   b. 1794, North Carolina ,   d. 31 Jul 1830, Near Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tennessee  (Age 36 years)
  Relationship	natural
  Mother	Sarah McClain,   b. 1798, Georgia ,   d. Aft 1883, Limestone County, Texas  (Age > 86 years)
  Relationship	natural
  Married	29 Jul 1812	Winchester, Franklin County, Tennessee
  Family ID	F1980	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Robert Doak Chapman,   b. 1816, Tennessee ,   d. 17 Oct 1864, Houston, Texas  (Age 48 years)
  Married	6 Oct 1836	Hardeman County, Tennessee   [1]
  Children	1. Martha Frances Chapman,   b. 28 Aug 1838, Houston County, Republic of Texas ,   d. 12 Feb 1922, Near Eddy, McLennan County, Texas  (Age 83 years)   2. John H Chapman,   b. 1840, Shelby City, Republic of Texas Texas ,   d. Aft 1880  (Age > 41 years)  [natural]   3. Robert W Chapman,   b. 1841, Houston City, Republic of Texas ,   d. 17 Oct 1864  (Age 23 years)  [natural]   4. Hetta Chapman,   b. 1843, Houston City, Republic of Texas  [natural]   5. Sarah E Chapman,   b. 1844, Rusk City, Republic of Texas  [natural] + 6. Isaac James Chapman,   b. 1846, Houston City, Republic of Texas   7. Abel Chapman,   b. 1848, Houston City, Texas  [natural]   8. Daniel P Chapman,   b. 14 Apr 1854, Houston County, Texas ,   d. 14 Nov 1915, Chita, Trinity, Texas  (Age 61 years)  [natural]
  Last Modified	16 Mar 2022
  Family ID	F1062	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  While conducting an ancestry search at my local library, I ran across a publication that listed transcriptions of some articles of interest found among the newspapers published in Crockett, Texas between 1853 and 1896. The complete title is Houston County Collection Volume I, Crockett Newspapers, 1853 - 1896, published by Bebe Beasley Ulrich. According to Ms. Ulrich, in Volume 1, Number 2, published February 7, 1890 under the section "Local News - Nevel's Prairie" appears this announcement: Mrs. Rebecca Chapman, of McClellan [sic] County is visiting relatives on the prairie. She lived near Old Randolph for 35 years, moving away from there in 1865. Her old friends will be glad to know that she is still sprightly and bids fair to live a good while yet... While there are not many words printed, it speaks volumes to this researcher. From three sentences I either learned or confirmed that Rebecca Chapman, my fourth great grandmother: •came to Houston County, Texas about 1830 •moved to McLennan County, Texas between 1865 and 1890 •was still alive and in good health in 1890. I already knew that she and her husband, Robert Chapman arrived in Texas shortly after they married in 1836 and settled in Houston County. So the writer was a little off on that one. I have never been able to determine much beyond the 1860 census when Rebecca appeared as a widow with several children in Houston County. I have never found their graves and I have never found Rebecca on a subsequent census report. After reading this article, I did locate a Rebecca Chapman in McLennan County but some details leave doubts as to the whether or not it is her. One daughter, Martha Frances Chapman Smith, did move to that area by 1880 so I am still hopeful that it is her. Even the earliest newspapers carried snippets of community news items that may prove essential to your ancestry search. I do know that Rebecca was living in McLennan Co. in 1890 as there was a newspaper notation about her visiting in Houston Co. in February of that year. After that I have no record of her. I believe she was living with either Martha or her son Isaac who was also a resident of McLennan Co. I do know that Rebecca's mother Sarah Hodges was living in McLennan Co. next door to Mary Alice in the 1880 census. Robert is last seen on the census of 1850 and it is thought that he died during the Civil War as Rebecca collected "Indigent Family" funds after the war was over but have not found any pension or enlistment information. I have gone back a number of generations on the Chapman and Hodges sides too. From Crockett Newpapers, the Gazette, Vol 1, No. 2, February 7, 1890: "Nevel's Prairie Mrs. Rebecca Chapman of McClellan (sic) County is visiting relatives on the Prairie. She lived near Old Randolph for 35 years, moving away from there in 1865. Her old friends will be glad to know that she is still sprightly and bids fair to live a good while yet...We should all love these old pioneers who settled this county in dangerous times when the red man periled the wood with his tomahawk. We should do them honor, and try to make their declining days as happy as possible. We are now reaping the fruits of their labor..." Daughters of the Republic of Texas Application 21510 page 356

  
  

• Sources

  [S10] Marriage License (Reliability: 4).