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Descendants of John Conway - June 24, 2003

118. MARTHA VIRGINIA⁵ BOYDSTUN (DRUSILLA⁴ GROUND, RHODA CONWAY³ LONG, MARY² CONWAY, JOHN¹) was born 04 Jul 1852 in Dallas Co, TX, and died 16 Mar 1903 in Mansfield, Tarrant Co, TX. She married ANDREW JACKSON DUKES 13 Nov 1873 in Ellis Co, TX; Book C/73; Church of Christ, son of ROBERT DUKES and ELIZA HALL. He was born 11 Apr 1841 in Independence, Jackson Co, MO, and died 28 Dec 1921 in Mansfield, Tarrant Co, TX.

Notes for ANDREW JACKSON DUKES:
Andrew Jackson "Dutch" Dukes was born in Independence, Missouri, on April 11, 1841, the son of Robert Sherard Dukes and Eliza Hall.

He joined the cause of the Confederacy December 26, 1862, and served as a private in Company D, 12th Missouri Cavalry in the Civil War. He was present at muster January and February 1864, was taken prisoner in New Orleans in General E. K. Smith's surrender to Maj. Gen. E.R.S. Canby on May 26, 1865. Dukes was paroled 14 Jun 1865 at Shreveport, Louisiana. According to William F. Dukes, A.J. "had an argument with an enemie's ball during the Civil War before he came to Mansfield. Dad (A.J. Dukes II) said the other day that A.J. told him he was firing at Union soldiers, his rifle at his shoulder and in his hands when he himself was hit. A.J. said that the ball hit his hand first then went into his chest." According to another story, A.J. Dukes claimed the 12th Missouri Cavalry didn't have enough horses to be called a cavalry.

After the war, he returned to his father's home in Kearney, Clay County, Missouri. He was recorded on the 1870 U.S. Census there, occupation, Trader.

As the story goes, A.J. Dukes went to Mansfield, Texas, attracted by stories told him by his superior officer in the cavalry, Captain Johnson. He arrived with 50 cents in his pocket.

Dukes first worked for wages and board for other settlers. As he saved money, he bagen to buy what was known as "black land," when sandy land was preferred for its ability to grow good gardens and orchards. Some of this land was bought for 25 cents an acre, and it dramatically gained value when crops such as cotton began to be propagated in the area.

It was in Mansfield that Dukes met Miss Martha Virginia Boydstun at a dance in the Spring of 1873. When he saw her enter the ballroom with her escort, he turned to the gentleman standing near him and said, "Who is the lady in the door? Introduce me to her. She will be my wife or I will never have one."

A.J. Dukes and Mattie Boydstun were married on November 13, 1873 at the home of her sister, Mary Margaret Boydstun Wolcott. Little Annie Laura David, three years old when Aunt Mat married, made the assertion in 1935 that she possibly was too young to remember the wedding, but, "I certainly remember the 'enfare;' I never before had seen so many pies and cakes."

Martha Virginia Boydstun was the daughter of Jacob Gardner Boydstun and his wife, Drusilla Ground, who were early area settlers.

The Dukes had the distinction of owning Mansfield's first bathtub. The bathtub, having arrived from St. Louis by wagon train, was too big for the kitchen, and the solution was to build a brick bathhouse. Water had to be heated in the kitchen and carried to fill it.

In 1890, Dukes bought the residence of John C. Collier, located west of what was Mansfield Male and Female College from 1870 and 1887. The Dukes alternately called this home "the house on the hill" and "Lonepine." It is located on a sharply rising slope (at the foot of which lived Frances Ralston and her family, one of Roberta Dukes' favorite pals) which provided an excellent view of the then little village of Mansfield. Behind the house, the hill sloped gently down to the edge of the banks of Walnut Creek. In the yard was a pine tree of huge proportions, hence the name, "Lonepine."

The house at 401 East Elm had 15 rooms, many fireplaces, and twelve "outside doors." The main entrance door is at least 8 feet high, and heavy pine and oak woodwork abounds. Major alterations were made during their residence, including the installation of the first indoor plumbing in Mansfield. Three children were raised in this home: Martha Lena Dukes, born October 25, 1874; Leonidas Sherard Dukes, born August 25, 1876, and Roberta Drusilla Dukes, born November 1, 1889.

In an upstairs room, Mattie kept a collection of sea shells, fish scales, and mounted birds of all kinds. She took sea shells and fish scales and dyed them different colors and put them together with wire and formed them into flowers.

Dukes and his family spent most of the hot summer months at their home, "Luff," in Flour Bluff near Corpus Christi. The children were required to go to school only from September to February. Despite sporadic studying, the children were well educated. Lena and Lon studied at Ad-Ran-Jarvis College, and Roberta went to New York City to study music and voice. The Dukes enjoyed fishing. Mattie once caught a 6' 1" tarpon, which A.J. had mounted and put in a glass showcase on the front porch of the house on the hill.

Mattie Dukes died on March 16, 1903, and was buried in the Mansfield Cemetery.

Dutch Dukes considered himself a good judge of character and helped people he believed in. There are many stories about gifts and loans to friends, neighbors, and organizations, but Dukes believed in helping people without fanfare. For example:

One night, A.J. saw a man stealing corn out of his corn crib, grabbed his break-top 38 Smith & Wesson, shot the man and wounded him. When A.J. saw who the man was, he hitched up the horse and buggy and drove to Ft. Worth and put the man in the hospital. He never revealed the identity of the man he shot.

A.J. walked to town every day and sat on a bench in front of the grocery store and talked and joked with friends or sat in the First National Bank, of which he was a stockholder and director. The long walk to town from Lonepine finally convinced Dukes in 1909 that he should trade houses with Dr. William B. McKnight, whose home was only one block from downtown, on the corner of Oak and North Streets (then Cardinal Road). It was originally the home of Dr. Julian T. Feild, one of the founders of Mansfield.

Upstairs in the old McKnight house were three bedrooms and a bathroom. Downstairs was one bedroom, living room, large dining room and kitchen. In the kitchen was a huge iron stove with 8 eyes on top, two ovens below, a warming oven above, and a coil in the fire box that heated the water in the hot water tank. By 1941, the old McKnight home had been torn down and three rent houses built from the material obtained.

In this beautiful home, reminiscent of Jeffersonian architecture, A.J. Dukes died of pneumonia on December 28, 1921. He was buried beside his wife in Mansfield Cemetery.

Lena Dukes married on April 24, 1893 to William Silas Poe. They had one child, Andrew Jackson Poe. Lena Dukes Poe died of "slow fever" on April 27, 1894, when the child was only a few days old. Andrew Jackson Poe never married.

Lon Dukes married May 30, 1898, Margaret Alanzie Hopson. They had two children, Andrew Jackson Dukes and Mattie Faye Dukes.

Roberta Dukes married September 23, 1918, Jewell Moser Richardson. They had one child, Jackson Moser Richardson.

Children of MARTHA BOYDSTUN and ANDREW DUKES are:

269.	i.	MARTHA LENA⁶ DUKES, b. 25 Oct 1874, Mansfield, Tarrant Co, TX; d. 27 Apr 1894, Mansfield, Tarrant Co, TX.
270.	ii.	LEONIDAS SHERARD DUKES, b. 25 Aug 1876, Mansfield, Tarrant Co, TX; d. 25 Feb 1940, Fort Worth, Tarrant Co, TX.
271.	iii.	ROBERTA DRUSILLA DUKES, b. 01 Nov 1889, Mansfield, Tarrant Co, TX; d. 09 Jan 1948, T. E. Schumpert Sanitarium, Shreveport, Caddo Parish, LA.

119. PLEASANT HENDERSON⁵ BECKHAM (MARGARET⁴ GROUND, RHODA CONWAY³ LONG, MARY² CONWAY, JOHN¹) was born 20 Jul 1838 in Easter, Warren Co, KY, and died 14 Aug 1904 in Warren Co, KY. He married (1) PERLINA J. MOULDER 19 Sep 1858 in Warren Co, KY (Pleasant's 1st marriage), daughter of JACOB MOULDER and SARAH EVANS. She was born 20 Aug 1832 in Tennessee, and died 01 Jun 1879 in Warren Co, KY. He married (2) ARTEMISA LOWE Dec 1879 in Warren Co, KY, daughter of JOSEPH LOWE and HANNAH ... She was born 19 Feb 1844 in Warren Co, KY, and died 14 Apr 1932 in Warren Co, KY.

Notes for PLEASANT HENDERSON BECKHAM:
Information on this family group comes from
      Notes of Roberta Dukes Richardson to 1935
      Mary Greathouse
      History of Kentucky, 1886, Perrin, Kniffin, Beatty
      Barbara Jean Hathcock

Pleasant H. Beckham became a teacher at age 18 and went to Texas in 1860, where he taught until 1868.

Barbara Jean Hathcock's notes include a deed in Tarrant County, Texas dated 1 May 1867, but does not give the Deed Book or page number it where it was found. It was an admnistrator's report of sale of 172-1/2 acres, a part of the Henry Russell headright, pursuant to an order of the court at the February term to P. H. Beckham (also called Becham). The land was located about 12 miles south from Fort Worth.

In 1868, he returned to Warren County, KY and engaged in teaching and farming. In 1884, he engaged inthe goods business at Doughty's Creek, better known as Totty's old stand.

Barbara Jean Hathcock shows that Pleasant Henderson Beckham was born 1 mile north of the Barren River at Easter, Kentucky.

A biography of Pleasant H. Beckham which appeared in "History of Warren County, Kentucky" was cited in Barbara Jean's notes. She did not give publishing information, but the article, summarized, said Pleasant was raised a farmer and married 10 Sep 1858 to Perlina J. Moulder, a native of Tennessee and daughter of Jacob and Sarah (Evans) Moulder.

Notes for ARTEMISA LOWE:
Artemesia and her husband Pleasant were both members of the Christian Church.

Children of PLEASANT BECKHAM and PERLINA MOULDER are:

	i.		ROBERT E.⁶ BECKHAM, b. 10 Nov 1859, Warren Co, KY; d. 10 Nov 1859, Warren Co, KY.
	ii.		SIMEON A. BECKHAM, b. 30 May 1863, Warren Co, KY; d. 01 Aug 1871, Warren Co, KY.
	iii.		ANNIE LAURA BECKHAM, b. Oct 1867, Tarrant Co, TX; d. Aft. 1900, Prob. Warren Co, KY; m. .. MITCHELL, Unknown, no children; b. Unknown; d. Unknown.

Notes for ANNIE LAURA BECKHAM:
Barbara Jean Hathcock's notes indicate that Annie Larua is listed on the 1870 US Census living in Elk Springs District, Smiths Grove, Warren County, Kentucky, and is still living there in 1900. She apparently also went to Oklahoma around 1880 when other family members went there, but returned to Kentucky.

272.

iv.

ADDIE B. BECKHAM, b. Abt. 1869, Warren Co, KY; d. 25 Sep 1931, Warren Co, KY.

120. JOHN⁵ BECKHAM (MARGARET⁴ GROUND, RHODA CONWAY³ LONG, MARY² CONWAY, JOHN¹) was born Bet. 1841 - 1842 in Warren or Barren County, KY, and died Apr 1870 in Cherokee Co, KS. He married CYNTHIA KATHERINE RILEY Bef. 1863 in Illinois?, daughter of ROBERT RILEY and SARAH ... She was born 1845 in Indiana, and died Unknown.

Notes for JOHN BECKHAM:
Barbara Jean Hathcock shows a birth year of 1842 and gives the death date and location. She also gives the marriage information and information on the children.

Children of JOHN BECKHAM and CYNTHIA RILEY are:

273.	i.		MILAS⁶ BECKHAM, b. 1863, Illinois; d. Unknown.
	ii.		WILLIAM E. BECKHAM, b. 1864, Kansas (?); d. Unknown.

Notes for WILLIAM E. BECKHAM:
William is shown in Barbara Jean Hathcock's notes as born in Kansas, although his siblings were both born in Illinois, one a year before him and one a year following him.

iii.

SARAH H. BECKHAM, b. 1865, Illinois; d. Unknown.

121. SARAH ANN⁵ BECKHAM (MARGARET⁴ GROUND, RHODA CONWAY³ LONG, MARY² CONWAY, JOHN¹) was born 20 Oct 1844 in Warren or Barren County, KY, and died 16 Mar 1908 in Bowling Green, Warren Co, KY. She married WILLIAM JACOB PEDIGO 19 Jan 1866 in Bowling Green, Warren Co, KY, son of JAMES PEDIGO and CATHERINE WASHER. He was born 25 Aug 1841 in Warren Co, KY, and died 23 Jul 1914 in Kansas.

Notes for SARAH ANN BECKHAM:
Barbara Jean Hathcock gives the birth and death dates and location, as well as the burial location.

Notes for WILLIAM JACOB PEDIGO:
Barbara Jean Hathcock gives the middle name and dates as well as parents of William Pedigo. She also gives all information on the children.

Children of SARAH BECKHAM and WILLIAM PEDIGO are:

274.	i.	EMILY C.⁶ PEDIGO, b. 17 Feb 1868, Texas; d. Unknown.
275.	ii.	VI PEDIGO, b. 29 Apr 1873, Kentucky; d. Unknown.
	iii.	MARGARET PEDIGO, b. 09 Mar 1874, Kansas; d. 15 May 1909, Greenwood Co, KS; m. JOHN H. MCCALLISTER, 10 Jul 1892, Greenwood Co, KS; b. 18 Aug 1871; d. 10 Nov 1961, Kansas.
	iv.	NORA PEDIGO, b. 20 Mar 1875, Kansas; d. Unknown.
	v.	CORA PEDIGO, b. 20 Mar 1875, Kansas; d. Unknown.
276.	vi.	GEORGE WALTER PEDIGO, SR., b. 05 Aug 1876, Kansas; d. 1952, Kansas.
277.	vii.	ELSIE PEDIGO, b. 23 Aug 1879, Kansas; d. Unknown.
278.	viii.	ALMA PEDIGO, b. 18 Oct 1884, Kansas; d. 1980, Kansas.

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