CHAPTER 8
Chapter 8William Alexander Speer Family
WILLIAM SPEER (1747-1830)
ABBEVILLE COUNTY
SOUTH CAROLINA
HIS LIFE, FAMILY AND
DESCENDANTS
Compiled and Written By
Wade Edward Speer
With Special Help From
George William Whitmire, Sr., Jacksonville, Florida
William Arthur Speer, Jr., Atlanta, Georgia
Portraits By Edward Shanon Wood, Asheville, North Carolina
Published By
Wade Edward Speer
Marion, North Carolina
1998
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NOTES FOR ONLINE BOOK VERSION
Original page numbers did not survive the file conversion to the Internet-ready html format.
Some editing of the original text has been done, such as correcting typos and eliminating unnecessary line spaces.
All images, including portraits, tombstone sketches, house sketches, and signature tracings have been omitted; however the text accompanying the images is retained.
The William Speer Descendent report (Chapter 1) has been omitted. A greatly updated version can be found at:
http://www.familytreemaker.com/ftm/s/p/e/Wade-E-Speer/index.html
http://hometown.aol.com/wspeer1161/myhomepage/heritage.html
{Wade E Speer July 20, 2000}
CHAPTER 8
WILLIAM ALEXANDER SPEER FAMILY
William Alexander Speer3 (William1, John2) was a doctor, land-owner, planter, and family man. He was born in 1811 in Abbeville District, South Carolina and was the seventh child of John Speer2 and Elizabeth Caldwell (CHAPTER 4). Nothing is known about his early childhood.
Marriage
William Alexander3 married Martha Jane Norwood on December 13, 1833. Martha Jane was born about 1818 to Daniel Norwood (1784-1862) and Sarah Harris (1786-1862). Daniel was the son of General John Norwood (?-1798) and Jane Pickens. Jane was the first cousin of General Andrew Pickens and was the daughter of Robert Pike Pickens (?-1787) and Miriam. Robert Pike was the son of William and Margaret Pickens. William was the son of Robert Pickens (1644-?) and Ester Jean B. Bonneau. John was the son of Samuel (?-1789) and Elizabeth Norwood.
Move to Georgia
In 1835, William Alexander3 and Martha Jane moved to Troup County, Georgia to join his uncle Alexander Speer2 (William1). William Alexander3 apparently acquired large land holdings and became a wealthy cotton planter by 1850A. At his death, he left Martha Jane an estate valued at $20,000B, an incredible sum for the post-Civil War period.William Alexander3 also became a doctor, but nothing is known about his practice.
Census
Census records for Troup County, Georgia give the following information on the familyC:
1840 Spier, William A., Head of household w/ 3 males, 1 female, & 9 Slaves.
1850 Spear, William A., Head of household, 39, planter, $9,000 in real estate, born in SC.
Spear, Martha J., 32, female, born in SC.
Spear, John A., 16, male, farmhand, born in SC.
Spear, Daniel N., 13, male, born in GA.
Spear, James W., 3 male, born in GA.
14 Slaves.
1860 Speer, William A., Head of household, 49, Physician, $8,000 in real estate, $12,000 in personal property.
Speer, M. J., 43, female, born in SC.
Speer, Willis, 13, male, born in GA.
Speer, Sallie E., 9, female, born in GA.
Speer, George W., 6, male, born in GA.
15 Slaves.
Hines, Lewis, Head of household, 67, Tax Collector, born in NC
Hines, Rebecca, 56, female, born in NC.
Speer, J. A., 26, male, lawyer, $1,600 in personal property, born in SC.
Speer, D. N., 23, male, lawyer, $1,300 in personal property, born in GA.
Note the variant spellings of 'Speer' in 1840 and 1850 and that sons John and Daniel were living in the Hines household in 1860.
From November seven through the eleventh, 1853, William Alexander3 served as a juror on a Grand Jury in LaGrange, the County Seat.
William Alexander3 was described as:
"...an eminent physician who believed in giving his children the best education which his means could afford, and who illustrated in his own example the fruits of intellectual culture and of high moral character."
D
Death
William Alexander's death date is uncertain. His father's 1865 will refers to "...the children of my deceased son William A. Speer..." (CHAPTER 4) and an 1874 document in his father's probate file is signed by John Andrew Speer4, Executor of William Alexander Speer3, deceased. At least one source gives 1870 as the death dateB. Likewise Martha's death date is unknown. Their tombstones have not been found.
Children
William Alexander3 and Martha Jane had six children:Born Died
1) John Andrew Speer4 13 Nov 1833 10 Nov 1879
2) Daniel Norwood Speer4 6 Jun 1836 18 Apr 1893
3) William James Speer4 Dec 1846 29 Dec 1931
4) James Willis Speer4 bout 1847 Before 1893
5) Sarah Elizabeth Speer4 1852 After 1893
6) George Alexander Speer, Sr.4 18 Nov 1853 27 Aug 1931
1) John Andrew Speer4
is the subject of CHAPTER 9.2) Daniel Norwood Speer4 is the subject of CHAPTER 10.
3) William James Speer4 (William1, John2, William3) served thirty-five years as the Georgia State Treasurer from November 5, 1896 until his death in 1931. On March 31, 1869 he married Geraldine Z. Moreland, whose sister Aurelia Roberta Moreland (1836-1893) married William's brother Daniel Norwood Speer4. Geraldine was born April 4, 1846 and was the daughter of Dr. John Fletcher Moreland (1817-1878) and Sarah Ann Amoss (1822-1877). Geraldine died January 13, 1909 and is buried beside her parents and son J. A. Speer5 in Hillview Cemetery, LaGrange, Georgia (Figure 8-1). In 1907, William James4 married Lula Small (1862-?). Nothing else is known about the family except that they apparently moved to Atlanta. William James4 died December 29, 1931 and is buried in Westview Cemetery in Atlanta (Figure 8-2). He was referred to as ‘Captain’, insinuating that he served in the Civil WarE, however no official records have been found.
William James4 and Geraldine had four children:
Born Died
3-1) J. A. Speer5 ? died at age 27
3-2) Olive May Speer5 ? ?
3-3) Annie Speer5 14 Apr 1870 15 Jul 1947
3-4) Louise Speer5 23 Jul 1880 26 Jul 1959
3-3) Annie Speer5 married a Mr. James.
3-4) Louise Speer5 married a Mr. Arnold.
IN LOVING REMEMBRANCE
OF
GERALDINE M. SPEER
APR. 4, 1846
JAN. 13, 1909
Gone, but not forgotten
A precious one from us had gone,
A voice we loved is stilled,
A place is vacant in our home,
Which never can be filled.
God in His wisdom has recalled,
The boon His love had given,
And though the body slumbers here,
The soul is safe in heaven.
J. A. SPEER
AGE 27, YRS.
ONLY SLEEPING
Figure 8-1
Tombstones of Geraldine Z. Moreland Speer (1846-1909) and J. A. Speer5. Hillview Cemetery, LaGrange, Troup County, Georgia.
WILLIAM J. SPEER
DEC. 27, 1846
DEC. 29, 1931
Figure 8-2
Tombstone of William James Speer4 (1846-1931). Westview Cemetery, Atlanta, Georgia.
4) James Willis Speer4 (William1, John2, William3)--nothing is known about his life. This son may be the same as number 3) William James Speer4.
5) Sarah Elizabeth Speer4 (William1, John2, William3) was born in Troup County, Georgia and married Louis Hicks BeckF.
6) George Alexander Speer, Sr.4 (William1, John2, William3) married Loudie N. Patterson who was born August 22, 1858. Loudie was the daughter of Dr. Patterson and Loudie Norwood. Loudie Norwood was the daughter of Dr. Wesley C. Norwood (1802-1884). Wesley was the son of Daniel Norwood and Sarah Harris who were mentioned earlier as the parents of Martha Jane Norwood, who was the mother of George Alexander Speer, Sr.4 In other words, George Alexander4 married his first cousin once removed.
George Alexander4 followed a banking career in Atlanta and was President and Director of the Capitol City National Bank from 1893 to 1900G. He is buried beside his wife Loudie, his son George Alexander, Jr.5 and his daughter Loudie5 in the Westview Cemetery in Atlanta (Figure 8-3).
George Alexander4 and Loudie had four children:
Born Died
6-1) Jane Speer5 ? ?
6-2) Aurelia Speer5 ? ?
6-3) George Alexander Speer, Jr.5 5 Feb 1893 17 Jan 1924
6-4) Loudie Speer5 20 May, 1900 25 Jun 1924
6-3) George Alexander Speer, Jr.5 is buried in Westfiew Cemetery, Atlanta, Georgia (Figure 8-4).
6-4) Loudie Speer5 married Van H. Burgin and is buried in Westview Cemetery, Atlanta, Georgia (Figure 8-4).
GEORGE ALEXANDER
SPEER
NOV. 18, 1853
AUG. 27, 1931
LOUDIE PATTERSON
WIFE OF
GEORGE A. SPEER
AUG. 22, 1858
FEB. 25, 1932
Figure 8-3
Tombstones of George Alexander Speer, Sr.4 (1853-1931) and Loudie Patterson Speer (1858-1932). Westview Cemetery, Atlanta, Georgia.
LOUDIE SPEER BURGIN
WIFE OF
VAN H. BURGIN
MAY 20, 1900
JUNE 25, 1924
GEO. A. SPEER JR.
SON OF
GEO. A. & LOUDIE N. SPEER
FEB. 5, 1893
JAN. 17, 1924
Figure 8-4
Tombstones of George Alexander Speer, Jr.5 (1893-1924) and Loudie Speer5 Burgin (1900-1924). Westview Cemetery, Atlanta, Georgia.
NOTES FOR CHAPTER 8
A
Johnson, III, F. C., v. I, 1987, p. 488.B
Major, 1989, p. 55.C
Johnson, III, F. C., v. V, 1993, p. 128, 279, 380, 441; also US Census Records, Georgia, 1860.D
Martin, T. H., 1902, p. 703.E
Garrett, F. M., 1954, p. 891.F
DAR Lineage Book, v. 22, 1897, no. 21450, p. 165-6.G
Martin, T. H., 1902, p. 413.