Wedding bells in Texas
It was 121 years ago tomorrow when they stood before a minister, probably in Bexar County, Texas, and said their “I do”s.
On February 19, 1896, Jasper Carlton Robertson was just a couple of months short of his 25th birthday — he would turn 25 on the 18th of April.1 And his bride, Eula, was some 18 months his elder: she turned 26 on the 24th of October before the wedding.2
In the presence of family and friends, this couple — The Legal Genealogist‘s great grandparents, parents of my mother’s mother — was wedded by a Minister of the Gospel3 — and therein lies a puzzle all by itself.
You see, you always want to track down all the players in a record like this. To see what the relationships might have been or perhaps to find more records.
Here, for example, one of the witnesses — S H Wildman — was likely the father-in-law of a cousin of the bride. Stephen H. Wildman’s son, Stephen S. Wildman, was married to Martha “Mattie” Shew, daughter of William Washington and Nancy Elizabeth (Allen) Shew.4 And William Washington Shew was the brother of the bride’s mother.
All of them — the Wildmans and the Shews — were living at the time in the area: the Wildmans in Bexar County,5 the Shews in next-door Atascosa.6
The other witness is a Sparks — S.P., I think — and there are some possibilities there too. Another cousin, Grover Shew, ended up marrying a Sparks from Lamar County some years later. But that one’s still up in the air.
Also up in the air is just where the marriage took place … and who the minister was.
The marriage record appears to be signed by one L. L. Hays, M.G. (Minster of the Gospel). Here’s the image and you can tell me if you think I’m reading it wrong.
So… how hard can it be to find one Protestant minister in Texas in 1896 by the name of L. L. Hays?
Well… a lot harder than I expected.
There isn’t any minister in the San Antonio city directories for the time period by the name of Hays. No church with a paster named Hays, or anything like it. Nobody named Hays, or anything similar, showing up in the surname list as a minister.7
There isn’t any minister named L. L. Hays or Hayes or Haze or Haas or anything else remotely similar that I can find anywhere in Texas in 1880 or in 1900.
There was a Leander L. Hays who was a minister in Liberty, Holt County, Missouri, in 1880.8 He was just 44 then, so still of an age to have been performing weddings in 1896. Alas, he was still in Missouri in 1900, so he’s not a very good candidate for Reverend Hays of Bexar County, Texas, in 1896.
There was a Loyal Hayes in Illinois in 18809 but he’s not a very good candidate either: he died in 1892.10
If I had to take bets, I’d go for the Rev. Lorenzo L. Hays, a Baptist preacher who settled near Cooper, in Delta County, Texas, around 1887,11 even though he’s not in the census as a preacher.
First off, he was a minister, at least according to his and his wife’s obituaries. Neither mentions any time in Bexar County, but both say he served a number of Baptist churches.12
His wife’s obituary says the family spent time in Delta County. And Delta County is where Jasper’s folks had settled just after he was born. His parents, G.B. and Isabella Robertson, can be found there in the 1880 and 1900 censuses.13 So Jasper could have known Rev. Hays from Delta County.
Or they could have met in the San Antonio area. At least a few of the children of this Rev. Hays were born in Bexar County around the middle of the 1890s. For example, son John Robert Hays listed San Antonio as his birthplace and October 24, 1894, as his birthdate when he registered for the draft in World War I.14 That puts Rev. Hays in the right place at the right time.
And there’s reason to think that Jasper at least would have been favorable to a Baptist preacher. His obituary reported that he’d become a member of the Baptist Church near his home in Oklahoma.15
So that’s my theory, at least for now.
But if anybody’s got a better candidate… or knows what church L.L. Hays was serving in the 1890s, I’m all ears…
SOURCES
- See Oklahoma State Board of Health, death certif. no. 3065 (1912), Jasper C. Robertson (15 Mar 1912); Bureau of Vital Statistics, Oklahoma City. ↩
- See Virginia Department of Health, death certif. no. 6367 (1954), Eula Robertson (13 Mar 1954); Division of Vital Records, Richmond. ↩
- Bexar County, Texas, Marriage Book N: 24, Marriage License & Return 14298, J C Robertson and Eula Beard, 19 Feb 1896; digital images, “Texas, County Marriage Records, 1837-1965,” FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : accessed 17 Feb 2017). ↩
- Bexar County, T4exas, Marriage Book L: 238, Marriage License & Return 12188, S S Wildman and Mattie Shew, 22 Dec 1892; digital images, “Texas, County Marriage Records, 1837-1965,” FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : accessed 17 Feb 2017). ↩
- See 1900 U.S. census, Bexar County, Texas, Justice Precinct 5, population schedule, enumeration district (ED) 33, p. 137B (stamped), dwelling/family 135, S S Wildman household; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 17 Feb 2017); citing National Archive microfilm publication T623, roll 1612. ↩
- See ibid., Atascosa County, Texas, Justice Precinct 2, ED 4,p. 228B (stamped), dwelling 67, family 80, William W Shew household; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 17 Feb 2017); citing National Archive microfilm publication T623, roll 1608. ↩
- “Churches and Church Societies,” in Jules A. Appler, General Directory of the City of San Antonio, 1895-96 (San Antonio : p.p., 1895); digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 17 Feb 2017). A line-by-line reading of surnames beginning with the letter H was also negative for 1895 and 1897. ↩
- 1880 U.S. census, Holt County, state, Liberty Twp. , population schedule, enumeration district (ED) 18, p. 21B (stamped), dwelling 46, family 47, Leander L. Hays; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 17 Feb 2017); citing National Archive microfilm publication T9, roll 690. ↩
- 1880 U.S. census, Holt County, state, Liberty Twp. , population schedule, enumeration district (ED) 18, p. 21B (stamped), dwelling 46, family 47, Leander L. Hays; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 17 Feb 2017); citing National Archive microfilm publication T9, roll 690. ↩
- Oak Hill Cemetery, Montgomery County, Indiana, Loyal Hays marker; digital image, Find A Grave (http://findagrave.com : accessed 17 Feb 2017). ↩
- See “Mrs. L.L. Hays, 83, Mills Co. Pioneer, Claimed By Death,” Brownwood (Texas) Bulletin, 29 Dec 1954, p. 24, col. 8; digital images, Newspapers.com (http://www.newspapers.com : accessed 17 Feb 2017). ↩
- Ibid. Also, “Rev. Hays Sertvices Held in Goldthwaite,” Brookshire (Texas) Times, 20 April 1961, p. 2, col. 4; digital images, Newspapers.com (http://www.newspapers.com : accessed 17 Feb 2017). ↩
- 1880 U.S. census, Delta County, Texas, Precinct 3, enumeration district (ED) 20, p. 502(D) (stamped), dwelling 117, family 118, Gustavus “Robetson” household; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 12 Oct 2011); citing National Archive microfilm publication T9, roll 1300. Also 1900 U.S. census, Delta County, Texas, Justice Precinct 1, population schedule, enumeration district (ED) 33, p. 32A (penned/stamped), dwelling 259, family 264, “Gustiva” B and “Isibella” Robertson in Geo Robertson household; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 17 Feb 2017); citing National Archive microfilm publication T623, roll 1627. ↩
- “World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918,” digital images, Ancestry.com (http:// www.ancestry.com : accessed 17 Feb 2017), card for John Robert Hays, no. 121, Mills County (Tex.) Draft Board; citing World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918, National Archives microfilm publication M1509. ↩
- “J.C. Robertson Passes Away,” Frederick (OK) Press, 22 Mar 1912. ↩
In working for many years with both the census records & church records of Barren Co KY and nearby counties, I’ve found that very few ministers were shown as such on the census. They were normally shown as farmers or other occupations. I assume because the latter was their main source of income and where they put in the most hours. So, in looking for a minister, I’ve had to go to the recorded church histories and other sources to find them. In the larger churches who had a full-time minister, they could be shown as ministers.
That’s been my experience as well, Sandi: many ministers were part-time at best and listed as farmers in the census. That comports with the instructions given to the census takers.
Since I’m not writing a lineage book for publication I am not so fussy that I would not accept your hypothesis if it were mine. It’s great if you can document everyone three times independently but where my people came from and when they were there it’s just not possible. There are more than a few that I can’t document at all, not even census. Maybe someday. Maybe never. But I’m not applying to any society. The only people who are even remotely interested are other “cousins” who are working on their branch of the family. We know that no one else cares but us. We are as accurate as we can be with what we have to work with.
It’s not a matter of being fussy so much as having a chance to find more records, Toni. If I can find out what church Rev. Hays served in 1896, there may be church records to go along with the civil records. In other words, tracking down every shred of info on every participant in an event like this is part of the reasonably exhaustive research we always do as genealogists.
Is it possible that while he resided in Missouri, L L Hays traveled as part of his ministry?
I have a relative that was described by family as “a circuit rider.” In his obituary, he was described as being “appointed an elder and travel(ing) extensively throughout the eastern and middle western states.” I have since found a newspaper article that announces a visit to DesMoines Iowa where he spoke in he role with the church.
A circuit rider is possible (and I have one in my own ancestry) but I’d be surprised if the L L Hays here isn’t the Baptist preacher who was in Delta County. Missouri is just too far for any circuit.
Have you looked at any of the Baptist Historical societies?
I’ll definitely be checking Texas Baptist records…
Judy,
At first I thought he might be L.L. Mays, M.G. instead of L. L. Hays. But the letter “H” and “M” just don’t look the same, so I think you’re right to be looking for a name that starts with an “H.” All the ministers I’ve seen with the abbreviations, no matter the denomination, use the abbreviation “M.G.”
As for the Baptist records, I don’t want to be discouraging, but in my searching those, I was told by the Baptist Archives themselves that they don’t keep good records. If, on the other hand, he really was a circuit rider, he was more likely to be a Methodist, and they DO keep excellent records–my gg grandfather was a Methodist circuit rider and I got some great info from their archives. But knowing you, you won’t be satisfied until you dig as far as you can into the Texas Baptist records. Go, girl.
Doris
There definitely were Baptist circuit riders — my own great grandfather was one, in Texas.
Could it be “Cays”
Pretty sure it’s Hays. The witness was S H Wildman, and the H is exactly the same. The groom was J C Robertson and the C was very different.
I would feel fairly confident that the name is L. L. Hayes. There were so many small communities which couldn’t support a full-time minister that it wasn’t uncommon for a minister who farmed or had some other business during the week to serve several church meetings in people’s homes or a community space, but who conducted services in each place perhaps only once a month or so. These may not have been ministers in a bonafide circuit but just ministers who made their own arrangements in small outlying communities. My vote is on the side of your having the correct person in this role!
Judy,
The 1900 Southern Baptist Annual has a list of pastors. It says “This list of pastors engaged in the active work of the ministry is compiled from the Associational minutes for 1899…”
L.L. Hays is listed in Mullin, Texas. He may have been a supply minister where he filled in as needed. You need to figure out what District and Association he served in, then look at the Association minutes.
Thanks very much for that info!
Judy,
The 1898 Southern Baptist Annual which lists the pastors from 1897 has L.L. Hayes is listed in Bexar, Texas. So we’re getting closer.
Here’s info about Bexar, Texas from The Handbook of Texas:
https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hrbdc
Judy,
There is a San Antonio Baptist Association which started in 1858. Their webiste is http://sanantoniobaptist.org/
I’m assuming this is the same organization. I would contact them to see if they know where the minutes for the Annual Sessions for the 1890’s are. Possibly at Baylor or another Baptist University in Texas.
Definitely going to be contacting them, thanks.
How about Lovely Lorenzo
Trigger Mountain Cemetery – Central Texas Communications
Hays Headstone photo: Rev. Lovely Lorenzo : … Burial was in the Trigger Mountain Cemetery under the direction of the … The Rev. Hays helped build Baptist churches …
[Search domain http://www.centex.net] centex.net/~weldon/trigger.html
Thanks! That’s the L L Hays I identified, Ernie — the one who was in Delta County before going to Mills County.
What about county court records? The type where the man would have to go before the judge and state he was a minister of the gospel, so that he could perform marriages, etc.?