Reflections From the Fence: Margaret Lydia Lidia Darden, Research Report, the As It Is Series.

Sunday, January 16, 2022

Margaret Lydia Lidia Darden, Research Report, the As It Is Series.

This begins what I hope I can turn into a series of posts, done in a very efficient (make that speedy fast) manner to share some research on the ancestors. This is NOT intended to be the end all to end all report. It's a work in progress, to show you what I have found, right or wrong. Kind feedback is welcomed via comments.

Let's begin - -

Meet Margaret Lydia Lidia Darden. A quick screen shot. Yes, her name could easily be entered as Lydia Margaret, or any variation, see below.

Now, notes I have made along the way, some with ** and comments, and many with notes to USE CAUTION - -

No Find A Grave memorial, January 2022.

USE WITH CAUTION, from FamilySearch:

born 24 Jan 1824

of Southampton Co., Virginia

Margaret Darden

Virginia, U.S., Select Marriages, 1785-1940

No record image

Name: Margaret Darden

Gender: Female

Age: 21

Birth Date: 1824

Marriage Date: 08 Feb 1845

Marriage Place: Southampton, Virginia

Spouse: Henry Fowler

FHL Film Number: 33993

Reference ID: p. 544

**NOTE: Bondsman Joseph Darden, her brother??

Lidia M Fowler

in the 1850 United States Federal Census

Name: Lidia M Fowler

Gender: Female

Age: 27

Birth Year: abt 1823

Birthplace: Virginia

Home in 1850: Nottaway Parish, Southampton, Virginia, USA

Cannot Read, Write: Yes

Line Number: 39

Dwelling Number: 712

Family Number: 712

Household Members Age

Henry Fowler 35 *** Nothing more is found on Henry

Lidia M Fowler 27

Elizabeth Whitfield 27

USE WITH EXTREME CAUTION, not at all convinced this is my gal (sometimes I copy info so I do not forget what I saw, those researchers with leaky memory banks will understand):

M A Fowler

in the 1860 United States Federal Census

Name: M A Fowler

Age: 38

Birth Year: abt 1822

Gender: Female

Birth Place: Virginia

Home in 1860: Eastern District, Isle of Wight, Virginia

Post Office: Smithfield

Dwelling Number: 733

Family Number: 733

Occupation: Spinster

Household Members Age

Elisha Fowler, 30 ***NOTHING more found on Elisha

M A Fowler 38

B A Toller 10

Timothy Toller 8

Nercisia Toller 6

Bettie Toller 3

Sally Toller 1

Margaret Fowler *** NOTE: Marital status not indicated.

in the 1870 United States Federal Census

Name: Margaret Fowler

Age in 1870: 46

Birth Date: abt 1824

Birthplace: Virginia

Dwelling Number: 276

Home in 1870: Jerusalem, Southampton, Virginia

Race: White

Gender: Female

Post Office: Jerusalem

Occupation: Keeping House

Household Members Age

Johnathan Darden 56 ** Likely her brother.

Sallie Darden 46

Margaret Fowler 46

Alice A Brown 40

Martha S Brown 9

Margret L Fowler

in the 1900 United States Federal Census

Name: Margret L Fowler

[Margart L Wybole]

Age: 76

Birth Date: Jan 1824

Birthplace: Virginia, USA

Home in 1900: Franklin, Southampton, Virginia

House Number: 1

Sheet Number: 8

Number of Dwelling in Order of Visitation: 163

Family Number: 163

Race: White

Gender: Female

Relation to Head of House: Aunt

Marital Status: Widowed

Father's Birthplace: Virginia, USA

Mother's Birthplace: Virginia, USA

Occupation: Farm Laborer

Months Not Employed: 0

Can Read: No

Can Write: No

Can Speak English: Yes

House Owned or Rented: Rent

Farm or House: H

Neighbors: View others on page

Household Members Age Relationship

B Frank Vaughan 30 Head

Josepine Vaughan 53 Mother

I Tomas Vaughan 31 Brother

Ada V Vaughan 28 Sister

Edgar L Vaughan 24 Brother

Margret L Fowler 76 Aunt

See also:

Guardianship transferred to father, circa 1836, Southampton County, Virginia

Transcript, in part says, and spacing added for my comments - -

Elisha Darden is assigned guardian of Louisa Ann, Matilda C, Joseph J,

Lydia, *****NOTE FROM CAROL, that comma, may possibly be a spot of dirt and a transcription error - - Margaret,

Here is a screen capture, not the best, but, see what looks like a comma?

Continuing - -

Elizabeth S, Martha J Darden infant children of said Elisha Darden, and thereupon he, together with Jefse Parker and Richard entered into and acknowledged a bond in the penalty of Twelve hundred dollars, conditioned as the Law decrees -- Eliza A Darden, Matilda C Darden, Joseph J Darden,

Lydia M Darden, *** Here her name, is in my opinion, is transcribed correctly.

Elizabeth L Darden, and Martha J Darden infants suing by Elisha Darden their next friend

Court order pertaining to the estate of William Lawrence, decided on 19 December 1836, "Court Order Book 1835-1839;" digitized record collection, Ken Brantley, The Brantley Association of America (https://www.brantleyassociation.com/index.html : accessed 29 July 2021) > Southampton Project > Court Order Book 1835-1839 > images 210-211; citing original court records held by Southampton County, Virginia.

Web address

https://www.brantleyassociation.com/southampton_project/gallery/ct_ob_1835_1839/index3.html

**Note, as of January 2022, this document can be seen online at the URL above, where you can find it in it's entirety, commas, or specks of dirt and all. Copy/paste the URL. Thanks.

And, finally:

Listed as survivor of her sister, Mary Darden Eley, on Mary's Find A Grave memorial:

Mary's notes at Find A Grave (Memorial # 203671527) read:

"Widow of James M Eley.

Survived by three sons, L.P. and W.E. Eley of South Norfolk and J.H. Eley of Suffolk, one brother Rufus Darden of Newsoms, Va., two sisters, Mrs. Lydia M. Fowler of Southampton County, Va., Mrs. Esther Old of Pantico, N.C."

The next sibling that dies (that I have been able to verify/search/feel good about/does not totally disappear), is a sister, Malinda Darden Pittman, that dies in 1907 in North Carolina, no obituary found yet to see if Margaret Lydia Lidia Darden Fowler is listed as a survivor.

* Disclaimers, I use Ancestry dot com, FamilySearch, several newspaper subscriptions, free sites, such as Virginia Chronicles, Virginia Chancery Cases online at the Library of Virginia and more to research my ancestors. I pay for subscriptions, full price.

** This time frame is difficult to research, relationships are not clearly indicated in so many of the sources. My judgements may or may not be correct. Transcriptions may or may not have errors.

*** This time frame, 1800-1900, give or take a decade is a challenge to research in this Virginia area, as they had a love of initials for given and middle names.

**** I hope the usual happens, within hours, sometimes minutes, I do another search and something shows up. Well, I can hope.