Lucy "Cella" Harvey

Notes:

On the 1860, 1870 census, his name is shown as Edwin. In 1880, it is shown as Edward.

Mentioned in the Thursday, March 4, 2004 Harry Noble weekly column in the San Augustine Tribune, titled "HARD TIMES: Ayish Bayou at Chinquapin." Edward was a witness in the San Augustine District court case "the State of Texas vs. Ben Albritton" in which Ben Albritton was alleged to have shot three hogs belonging to the widow Mary Harvey

Edward married Lucy Harvey on 16 Oct 1877 in San Augustine County, Texas. Lucy (daughter of Stephen Prather Harvey and Francis Ann Hill) was born on 5 Jan 1858 in Texas; died on 26 May 1926. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Married:
In SABINE COUNTY GENEALOGICAL RECORDS, pps 42-45, it is stated that Lucy and Edward Harvey, who married in 1877, were cousins. Their son, Mack Harvey, wrote, "It is a well known fact that our great-grandfathers were brothers." In one place, he mentions "John" as being one of his great-grandfathers."

John married Roxie A. Gillespie on 14 Nov 1847. Roxie was born about 1830 in Missouri; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

She might instead have been born in Ohio.

Notes:

At the time of the 1860 San Augustine County, Texas census, he owned personal property worth $800.

Stephen married Francis Ann Hill before 1850. Francis was born about 1833 in Alabama; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

The daughter of Sarah Margaret (Sanders) and Francis Hill. ( Source: Joyce P. Hervey)

John married Nancy Scoggins before 1823. Nancy was born before 1795; died about 1833. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

FIRST GENERATION KNOWN BLASSINGAME W.HARVEY OF SAN AUGUSTINE CO., TEXAS By Joyce P. Hervey

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~hervey/HFAV5.htm

Sometime after Sept. 15, 1817 (Nancy {Scoggins} & John Jones Bowie made purchases of property on that date from the sale of the estate of Jonas Scoggins) and before Sept. 11, 1818, Blassingame W. Harvey married Nancy (Scoggins) Bowie, widow of John Jones Bowie. On Sept. 11, 1818, "Nancy Harvey bought 3 lots in the town of Harrisonburg, and on Apr. 21, 1820, in Ouachita Parish, LA, Blassingame W. Harvey and wife Nancy Harvey, 'wife of the said Blassingame W. Harvey' for the sum of sixteen hundred and seventy-five dollars, sold to John J. Harvey 320 acres of the Scoggins old place, in Catahoula Parish, LA, also three town lots in Harrisonburg. The next day, John J. Harvey purchased of Nancy and Blassingame Harvey, two negro slaves, cattle, hogs, two horses, a yoke of oxen, a cart, and all their kitchen and household furniture."

"On Oct. 24, 1820, John J. Harvey 'for the love and esteem which he bears toward his sister-in-law, Nancy Scoggins, Widow Bowie, now the wife of Blassingame W. Harvey, brother of the declarent ... ' John J. gave all the property (lots not mentioned) back to Nancy."

Why would John J. Harvey buy his brother's property and then six months later give it all back to his brother's wife? Perhaps the answer is that Blassingame Harvey was preparing to leave his wife and his brother felt responsible for providing for her. According to tradition in the Harvey family of LA, "Blassingame W. Harvey 'ran off to Texas, leaving Nancy penniless in Ouachita Parish, and she m. his brother'." No marriage records are available to substantiate that the marriage occurred.

In 1830, Nancy was in Catahoula Parish, LA, where she was listed as head of the household on the 1830 census. She died in 1833, but no public record listing her heirs has been found.

Notes:

Married:
FIRST GENERATION KNOWN BLASSINGAME W.HARVEY OF SAN AUGUSTINE CO., TEXAS By Joyce P. Hervey

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~hervey/HFAV5.htm

Nancy and John Harvey probably had the following four Harvey children: Amanda Harvey, b. ca. 1823 in MS; Charles Calvin Harvey, b. 10 Feb. 1825 in LA; John Austin "Aus" Harvey, b. 26 Jan. 1827 in LA; and Daniel Harvey. Whether they belonged to Blassingame or his brother John J. is unclear; however, it is likely that they belonged to John J., since the land transactions cited above seem to imply that Blassingame sold out and left Nancy about 1820. Evidence for the assumption that the above are all Nancy's children comes from San Augustine Co. records.1 Malinda (Bowie) Haggerty and her husband Jefferson Haggerty, along with their young daughter Araminta (b. ca. 1831), Malinda's brother, John Bowie, and three of the four Harvey children named above, i.e. Amanda, Charles Calvin, and John Austin, (Daniel remained in LA) arrived in San Augustine County in 1834 and located near the Blassingame W. Harvey family.

This is how they were listed at the time of the 1835 Sabine District, Texas census:

255. Thomas J. Hagerty 28 married Catholic farmer Malinda, his wife 21 Aramenta, daughter 4 Jane, daughter 5 mo. Nelson, man servant 40 Fan, wife, servant 23 Maria, her child 4 Mareah, her child 5 mo. 256. John Bohe 18 single Catholic farmer Amanda Harvy 12 single Catholic Calvin Harvy 11 Austin 9

Notes:

FIRST GENERATION KNOWN BLASSINGAME W.HARVEY OF SAN AUGUSTINE CO., TEXAS By Joyce P. Hervey

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~hervey/HFAV5.htm

[Editor: The following Harvey family is perhaps related to the family of James Hervey/Harvey of New York ca. early 1800's, (see Vol. 2 No. 2, p. 54 and Vol. 1 No. 2, p. 9). Prior articles of the Bulletin have indicated that Virgil Temple Hervey, descendant of said James Hervey of NY, visited relatives in Texas and was pressed into service in the Confederate Army on one of his trips (ca. 1861-1865). Interestingly, the name Virgil Temple Harvey was given to a child born ca. 1873 to Stephen Prather Harvey of the following family. It seems likely that Virgil T. of New York and Stephen P. of Texas visited and knew, or thought, they were related to each other and that Stephen P. named his young son after his New York "cousin".]

Texas of the 1820's was a region undergoing drastic change. It was a land occupied by Indians, a handful of Spaniards, and growing numbers of American "squatters," with a few Spanish forts and Catholic missions. Texas became part of Mexico when Mexico won independence from Spain in 1821. Being so large and far removed from Mexico's seat of government, and with little manpower, Texas could not be protected from illegal intrusion by American settlers in their push towards the West. Mexico, realizing its problem of protecting Texas from illegal immigration, agreed to allow some colonization of Texas by the Americans, and in 1821 authorized Moses Austin to establish a colony of 300 families in Texas. Much to the Mexican's dismay, this opened a floodgate, which they could not again close to American immigration into Texas. Between 1821 and 1836, 25,000 to 30,000 Americans moved into Texas.

One of these early Texas immigrants was Blassingame W. Harvey, who came to Texas by 1824 and made application for a Mexican land grant.

Who was Blassingame W. Harvey of San Augustine County and where did he come from?

The name "Blassingame" entered the Harvey family as a given name in Charlotte (formerly Lunenburg) County, Virginia when Thomas Harvey (b. ca. 1705, d. 1782) married Elizabeth Blassingame (b. ca. 1709) and they named one of their sons Blassingame Harvey (b. ca. 1736).

From Virginia, the name was carried South by descendants and relatives of this couple. Several persons named Blassingame Harvey lived in Georgia: in Burke Co. in 1790-95, 1820, 1824 ; Jefferson Co.; and Washington Co., ca. 1790.

Blassingame W. Harvey of Texas was born in South Carolina ca. 1792- 1794 and died in San Augustine Co., TX on 20 July 1867. (Your editors have not researched South Carolina records to try to locate him there.) He is said to have arrived in Catahoula Parish, LA in 1802, with his brother John J. Harvey and perhaps other relatives. A Thomas and a Charles B. Harvey are listed on many records of that parish.

When Blassingame W. Harvey left Louisiana, he probably headed toward San Augustine, TX because it was on the only convenient road to the interior of Texas from the landward side. When he reached the Ayish Bayou near San Augustine, where he settled, he found cleared fields, evidence of prior habitation by persons who had moved on. He found some old-timers who had "squatted" their land and established farms. Cotton farms worked by Negro slaves sprang up as the population of the area increased. The rolling hills and valleys covered with hardwood trees, the clear cold streams of water, the fertile soil, abundant wild life and game birds all no doubt helped convince him to put down some roots.

A colonization law passed by Mexico ca. 1823-1824 allowed a married man to be granted by the Mexican government a "league and a labor" of land in Texas, the league (4428 acres) for pastureland and the labor (177 acres) for cultivation. The law required that the colonist be a citizen of Mexico, obey the laws of Mexico, belong to the Roman Catholic Church, and live on the land he was granted. However, there was no provision made for conveyance of titles to the land until about 1834. Meanwhile, the settlers had no claim to their land except their occupancy of it or "squatters rights." Nevertheless, Blassingame W. Harvey received title to his "league" of land on 20 Feb. 1835 and his "labor" of land in Jan. 1838


May not be the same Blassingame Harvey:

Historical Collections of Ga. Vol.3

Page 11-William Wooldrige to wife Sarah, 100 acres where we did live and five slaves Jack, Jenny,Rachel, Lucy and Isby, all stock, furniture for life. To son Richard slaves Cate, Ceasar,and Pheby in his possession.To son William, slaves Frank, Sam and Nelly. To son Thomas slaves Chas, Abel,and Nancy. To son Gibson slaves James, Cain, and Sucky. To son Edward slaves Winny, Sarah and a wagon. To daughter Sally Hidspeth, slaves Ceasar, Joan, and Nancy for her life and then at her death to her children. To daughter Patty Davis slaves Isaac and Peg for her life and then to her children. Mentions debts owed by Phillip Ryon and BLASSINGAME HARVEY. Exors: sons Thomas and Gibson and wife Sarah. Signed Dec.6, 1797 recorded July 25, 1798 Elbert Co.Ga.

(Collections of Dubie Hudspeth: http://www.geocities.com/blsa44/Ralphhudspethjr.html)

Blassingame married Elizabeth Mary Ann Prather on 3 Sep 1826. Elizabeth (daughter of Stephen Prather and Tamora Elizabeth Ploudon) was born on 16 Aug 1810 in Catahoula Parish, Louisiana; died on 22 Jul 1855 in San Augustine County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]