The Ralph Gordon Kirkley Family Home Page

Robert Kirkley was my grandfather, b. March 1836 (from headstone in Texas State Cemetery); d. March 1926. He was probably born on the family farm in northern Kershaw Co. South Carolina. He had two older brothers, James M. Kirkley, b. Oct. 17, 1830 and Daniel M. Kirkley b. about 1832. James died in July 26, 1912 and is buried at Shiloh U. Methodist Church Cemetery, Kershaw Co., S. C.

Daniel was wounded and captured at the battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg) and had one arm amputated at the shoulder and died Dec. 7, 1862 of typhoid fever.

Robert, my grandfather, married Mary Ann Brown, daughter of Philip Brown and Mary Osteen, after his return from the Civil War and fathered 6 children:

Mary Talula Kirkley b. Oct. 9, 1866 in Sumter, S. C.

Margaret E. Kirkley b. March 31,1869 in Sumter, S. C.

James Horace Kirkley b. April 5, 1871 Sumter. S.C.

David Daniel Kirkley b. June 19, 1873 Sumter. S.C.

Robert Noel Kirkley b. Oct. 17, 1875 Sumter. S.C.

William Lee Kirkley b. Sept. 15, 1884 Marlin, Texas

After Mary Ann's death in 1904, Robert was married to Olivia Durrett, daughter of Albert C. Durrett of Nacogdoches County, Texas and Harriet Fuller, and a son, Ralph, was born Oct. 2, 1907. Ralph is my father, who was 88 when he died in 1994. Olivia had been married twice before, to Hampton Shaver and a Bartlow, and had one child with each mate. She died in 1916 when my father, Ralph, was 8 1/2 years old.

I am eager to find out where the Kirkleys came from (probably England, but need a connection there), when they came to America, how they came, and where they first settled.

Any information about Robert Kirkley and Olivia Durrett will be appreciated.