Family Tree Maker's Genealogy Site: User Home Page Genealogy Report: Ancestors of Charles Henry Fonde

[ Home Page | First Page | Previous Page | Next Page | Last Page ]

Ancestors of Charles Henry Fonde

Generation No. 4

8. John Philip Fonde, born Abt. 1795 in Philadelphia, PA; died Dec 13, 1831 in at sea between Baltimore and New Orleans, (ship Alfred) of illness or duel. He was the son of 16. Andre Fonde and 17. Sarah Esling. He married 9. Elizabeth Stewart Mar 9, 1820 in Washington, D.C..

9. Elizabeth Stewart, born Abt. 1796 in Scotland or Ireland; died Oct 2, 1856 in Mobile, AL. She was the daughter of 18. Samuel Stewart and 19. Mary or Margaret ?.

Notes for John Philip Fonde:
John Philip Fonde had beautiful handwriting. He seems to have invented some form of short-hand and was skilled as a record keeper. He lived in Alexandria and went into Washington to work, recording the proceedings of Congress (according to a letter from his granddaughter,Elizabeth Fonde, to her niece Lydia Kilvborn). He sometimes took his young son Charles Henry with him so that he heard the voices of Clay, Calhoun and Webster. John P. Fonde was an officer in the Columbia Guards. C.H. Fonde remembered him all dressed up with a sword clanking and remembered seeing him acting as a guard of honor on gala occasions. He died quite suddenly on board a ship going from Baltimore to New Orleans. There is a letter from his brother Charles to his wife Elizabeth telling of the sad news that the ship arrived without him. Family legend has it that he died in a duel. The letter from Charles to Elizabeth only says that he died after a very short illness and was buried at sea.

Quoted from the letter written from New Orleans on December 27th, 1831:
"Dear Elizabeth, You are no doubt aware that your husband left Baltimore for this place. The Brig. Alfred, in which vessel he had taken passage, arrived here three days since with the melancholy intelligence that he died at sea on the 13th at 7 o-clock in the morning, after a short illness. I could scarcely believe it but when I saw the trunks and clothing I was too well convinced that they were the property of my poor lost brother John. I have the trunks in possession together with their contents and would send them immediately to Baltimore if I knew who to consign them to. As it is I will retain them until I receive instructions from you. Mother has been very unwell for the past three months, and I dare not mention the circumstances to her yet. I will call on board again shortly and get some of the particulars. At present I can neither talk nor write. Yours affectionately, Charles Fondi P. S. The family are all well I hope."

I estimated the birth year of John P. Fonde to be 1796 based on the documented date of marriage (1820) and the recorded birthdates (baptisms) of Charles, Harriet, Andrew (2), and Mary Ann. There was no record of birth or baptism in Christ Church records for John P. Fonde or his brother Henry, or another possible brother Andrew (who died in 1801). Earlier family research had given his year of birth as 1800, but if he were born in 1800 as previously surmised, he would have been 20 when he married Elizabeth Stewart, and 31 when he died on his way to New Orleans. If he was born in 1796, he would have been 24 in 1820, the same age as his wife Elizabeth. Also, although it has been said by some in the family that Charles was the oldest child, I think it very unlikely that Andre and Sarah would have been married four years before having any offspring, since married women often had their first child in the first year of their marriage. Also, from 1800 census records believed to be for the Andre Fonde family (Andrew Funday), they had 2 sons under 10 and 1 daughter under 10 by 1800.

Nov. 12, 1998: From the FTM CD210, Disk 1, Vol 52, NGS Quarterly, Vital Records from the National Intelligencer, page 111: Fonde, John P., age 37, late of this city, died 13 Jan 1832, at sea while on a passage from Baltimore to New Orleans. He leaves a w. and 2 small child. (18 Jan, 1832).

Although this newspaper record gives the date of death as Jan 13, 1832 I believe that J. P. Fonde died on December 13, 1831 since the letter from his brother Charles to Elizabeth Fonde was dated Dec. 27, 1831 and gives December 13th as the date of John's death. Most likely the letter arrived in January and the news didn't get to the paper until January and the date was misconstrued. At any rate, John Philip's age at death is given as 37 so his year of birth was about 1795.

John P. Fonde was a private in the Washington Artillery during the war of 1812. His name is found in the muster-roll of volunteer artillery, under the command of Capt. Samuel C. Landis, in the regiment of volunteer artillery in the service of the United States commanded by Col. A. M. Prevost, from __ when last mustered, to January 8, 1815. (Roll of Pennsylvania Volunteers in the War of 1812).

Notes for Elizabeth Stewart:
In a letter written by her granddaughter Elizabeth (daughter of Charles Henry Fonde and Lydia Wragg), Elizabeth Stewart is described as coming from a Scotch-Irish family of sea-faring men. They claimed to be related to the royal Stuarts but we have no hard evidence of that connection. She was supposed to have received a heavy gold chain from one of her sea-faring brothers. Her only son Charles Henry was devoted to her and often referred to her fine, intelligent eyes (according to the letter by his daughter Elizabeth). When her husband died she was left with two young children to raise in Washington so she turned to needlework and keeping boarders. Charles, her son, recorded her death in his Bible as October 2, 1856, age 70. I believe the age was miscalculated and that she was only 60 at her death. Otherwise, she would have been about 10 years older than her husband (who I estimate was born about 1795).

Marriage Notes for John Fonde and Elizabeth Stewart:
From FTM, CD210 NGS Quarterly, Volumes 1-85, Disk 1, Vol 30, Vital Records from the National Intelligencer (D.C.), 1820: Fonde, John P. of Philiadelphia, and Miss Eliza Stewart, of this place, were married March 9, 1820, by Rev. Mr. Hawley.

Children of John Fonde and Elizabeth Stewart are:

		i.		Sarah Jane Fonde, born Abt. 1821 in District of Columbia; died Unknown in Mobile, AL; married Thomas H. Weir Abt. 1848 in Mobile, AL; born 1814 in New Providence, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands; died 1864 in Mobile, AL.
	4	ii.		Charles Henry Fonde, born 1826 in Washington DC or Alexandria VA?; died Oct 17, 1881 in Belmont Springs, Miss; married (1) Elizabeth R. McClester Jun 5, 1851 in Mobile, AL; married (2) Camilla Welch Nov 29, 1855 in Springfield, Mass; married (3) Lydia Stickney Wragg Oct 31, 1865 in Mobile, AL.

      12. Archibald Broun, Jr., born Nov 7, 1795 in Charleston, S.C.; died Aug 17, 1863 in Mobile, AL. He was the son of 24. Capt. Archibald Broun and 25. Mary Deas. He married 13. Ann Harleston Dec 15, 1818 in Mobile, AL.

      13. Ann Harleston, born Jan 3, 1797 in Charleston, S.C.; died Jan 5, 1860 in Mobile, AL. She was the daughter of 26. Nicholas Harleston IV and 27. Ann Olney Sommers.

Notes for Archibald Broun, Jr.:
Archibald Broun, Jr., moved his family from Charleston to Mobile, AL, in December, 1833. They were about to depart with a wagon train traveling across country, when three of their children became sick with yellow fever and they were excluded from the trip. The wagon train was later attacked by hostile Indians and everyone was massacred. This event caused the Brouns to change their plans about traveling through Indian territory and they proceeded by a safer route, arriving in Mobile on December 28, 1833.

Children of Archibald Broun and Ann Harleston are:

Nancy Harleston Broun, born Sep 20, 1819 in South Carolina; died Oct 4, 1897 in Mobile, AL.

Notes for Nancy Harleston Broun:
Nancy Harleston Broun was an ardent family historian. Died unmarried.

		ii.		Nicholas Harleston Broun, born May 13, 1821 in Charleston, S.C.; died Aug 16, 1906 in Mobile, AL; married Mary Deas Dec 24, 1850; died Nov 12, 1898.
		iii.		Archibald Broun III, born Dec 3, 1822 in South Carolina; died Dec 4, 1829 in South Carolina.
		iv.		Charles Deas Broun, born Sep 20, 1824; died Jul 10, 1891; married Mary Ellen Mordecai Jan 19, 1854; born Aug 25, 1830; died May 7, 1899.
		v.		Mary Broun, born May 30, 1827 in South Carolina; died May 27, 1888.

Notes for Mary Broun:
Mary Broun was one of the children with yellow fever whose illness caused the family to be delayed on their migration to Mobile. She died unmarried.

vi.

James Harleston Broun, born May 11, 1829; died May 31, 1862 in Battle of Seven Pines near Richmond, VA.

Notes for James Harleston Broun:
James Harleston Broun was another one of the ill children who delayed the trip in 1833. He was killed in the Battle of Seven Pines near Richmond, VA, on May 31 or Jun 1, 1862. His body was returned to Mobile and he is buried in the family cemetery at Spring Hill. Never married.

	6	vii.		Seaman Deas Broun, born Jun 18, 1831 in Charleston, S.C.; died Mar 17, 1889 in Mobile, AL; married Sarah Reynolds Oct 10, 1855 in Selma, AL.
		viii.		Archibald Broun IV, born May 1, 1833 in South Carolina; died Nov 8, 1833 in South Carolina.

Notes for Archibald Broun IV:
Archibald Broun, IV, was one of the 3 children whose illness with yellow fever caused the family to delay their migration to Mobile. He was the only one of the three not to survive.

		ix.		Susan Sommers Broun, born Sep 30, 1834 in Mobile, AL; died Dec 31, 1888.
		x.		Elizabeth Harleston Broun, born Jan 1, 1838 in Mobile, AL; died Feb 4, 1901; married John Winthrop Marston Apr 4, 1866.
		xi.		Anna Caroline Broun, born May 25, 1840; died Nov 30, 1917.

      14. Elisha Reynolds, born Aug 2, 1816 in Wilkes Co. N.C.; died 1872 in Shelby Co., AL. He was the son of 28. Wesley Reynolds and 29. Nancy Eddins. He married 15. Nancy Petty Mar 5, 1835 in Warren Co., TN.

      15. Nancy Petty, born Aug 8, 1817 in Warren Co, TN; died Jan 16, 1883 in Shelby Co., AL. She was the daughter of 30. James Petty and 31. Hannah Dill.

Notes for Elisha Reynolds:
Elisha Reynolds moved from McMinnville, TN to Alabama in 1841. He established and operated a stage coach line from Montgomery AL to Mobile. The most important operation was the contract mail service which was heavily used. He also helped to organize and operate a pony express for the government during the Mexican War. He operated the Mobile to Montgomery link on a government contract. Elisha Reynolds later established a stage coach line from Montgomery to Columbus, Miss. and moved his family from Montgomery to Selma, AL, which was more nearly the center of the route. He was living in Selma at the time of the terrible yellow fever epidemic of 1853. He had four children at the time and was fortunate that none died.

When it appeared that war between the states was inevitable, Elisha Reynolds and his son Henry Clay, both bought farms in St. Clair County in order that their families would have a safe place to stay and a means for sustaining themselves if war should come. The farms were adjoining and located on the Coosa River a few miles south of Pell City. Elisha Reynolds was not allowed to join the army because his mail and transportation service was the only reliable one in the area. After the war he moved to Montevallo where he went into the mercantile business since the advent of railroads and steamboats had brought an end to the stage coach and contract mail service. He operated this business until his death in 1883.

(From the "History of the Broun Family and Related Families" compiled by Robert J. Broun, 1971, pgs. 222-3).

Children of Elisha Reynolds and Nancy Petty are:

	i.	James M. Reynolds, died Unknown; married Fannie S. Boyd Nov 28, 1867; died Unknown.
	ii.	Mack P. Reynolds, married Mattie Meredith.
	iii.	Nannie Reynolds, married E. N. Lide, M.D..
7	iv.	Sarah Reynolds, born Oct 23, 1836 in McMinnville, TN; died Jan 21, 1921 in Mobile, AL; married Seaman Deas Broun Oct 10, 1855 in Selma, AL.
	v.	Henry Clay Reynolds, born Mar 11, 1838; died Oct 20, 1920.
	vi.	Martin Cassity Reynolds, born Sep 6, 1858; died May 1923.

[ Home Page | First Page | Previous Page | Next Page | Last Page ]