By Linda Simpson and JD Tew

William Ransom Royalb. May 5, 1825 in Dooly County, Georgia and died 11 May 1904 in Bosque Co. Texas. Buried at MeridianCemetery,Meridian, Bosque County, Texas.William Ransom and wife Mary “Martha” Jenkins had 13 children and 10 lived to marry and those 10 children had 81 grand children. Martha was born 25 Jul 1829 in SC and died 22 Mar 1905 at home just east of Iredell in Bosque Co. TX.

William Ransom Royal and his brother Wilson Young Royal were the sons of Raiford Royal and Nancy Odom of Sampson Co. NC and Dooly Co. GA. Raiford Royal was the son of Young Royal and Edith Blackman of Sampson County, North Carolina.

William Ransom Royal and Wilson Young Royal lived as close buddies and they died as close buddies. Where one moved, both moved. Where one died, both died. But were they detached from their father?Both had large families, no one named Raiford. Read the essay on Raiford Royal in the Jan 2006 Royal News Letter.

The following are the US Census listings for Wm Ransom Royal.

1860c Tallapoosa Co. AL 

Wm Ransom Royal age 36+ in this 1860+ Photo and Mary age 35+

IN 1870, William Ransom Royal is not found, but Wilson Riles was in Upson Co. GA. The above Martha Ann Royal married James Thomas Salter in Upson Co. GA on 29 Feb 1872. This was a leap year. Therefore, William Ransom Royal also lived in Upson Co. GA.

They moved to GA by 1864 and this is the time that Raiford Royal died. We have no proof of any contact with the Dooly family 75 miles away. James Royal, son of William Phillip Royal was born Aug 1877 in Al, so the two families were back in AL by this date.

1880 St. Clair Co. AL 

1900cHamilton Co. TX 

Both brothers moved to HamiltonCo. TX c1895 and most of Wm Ransom Royal’s family also moved to TX(near Waco) and settled in Bosque and Hamilton Co. Texas. None of the family of Wilson Young Royal moved to Texas.

1900c Hamilton Co. TX 

WILLIAM RANSOM ROYAL issue:

1. Elizabeth Royal was born 1851 in GA, likely Macon. She married Thomas Watson in GA in 1874 and this likely was Upson Co. GA. US Census records show her 2^nd child Julia, as born 1877 in Al. Her last and 8^th child Isaac was born in 1891 and Elizabeth died of flu in 1892. Thomas remarried in 1897 and had no more children. This family stayed in St. Clair Co. Alabama.

2. William Phillip Royal was born Apr 1853 in GA. He married Mary Rebecca Pye in 1876 in St. Clair AL. They had 8 children by 1900 and lived in Bosque Co. TX. William Phillip might have been the first to move to Texas as son Chandler is listed as born 1893 in Texas. Only 7 children are identified in the US Census, I believe a daughter was born late 1880 in AL and she got married before the 1900 census was taken. Wm Phillip Royal moved to Kaufman Co., near

Dallas, after his parents died.

3. Martha Ann “Mattie” Royal was born 13 Oct 1855 in Georgia. She married James Thomas Salter 29 Feb 1872 in Upson Co. GA. She gave birth to 15 children and two of them had died by 1900. One of the two was William Zion Royal b12 Dec 1872 and he died 27 Feb 1888. Fourteen of her children are listed in the 1880 to 1910 census. They never moved from Upson Co. GA. Son Ploomer Chester Salter 25 Aug 1894 died 14 Oct 1918 in WWI. James Thomas died 14 Jun 1918 and “Mattie” died 29 Aug 1936.

4. Sarah Francis Royal was born May 1857 in Tallapoosa Co. Alabama. She married Seaborn D. Willingham 10 Nov 1876 in Saint Clair Co. AL. Sarah had 11 children and all are listed in the US Census for Hamilton Co. TX in 1900. Her two youngest sons were born in Texas. This family is not found after 1900.

5. Lucy Royal was born 1859 in Tallapoosa Co. AL. She is listed on the 

1860 US Census with her family and is often mixed up as the same person as her sister Martha Ann Royal. Lucy married 17 Sep 1879 James Gray Beavers. Lucy had six girls and then succumbed to the flu 16 Jan 1892 and her husband died four days later. They are buried in the Mt.PasgahChurchCemetery in St. Clair. Daughters Maggie, then 10, and IDA, then 4, chose to live with grandpa Thomas Beavers.

Sarah or Sallie Beavers then 12 and the oldest, Ollie, Mytle, and little Lucy

Were taken in by grandpa Wm Ransom Royal. These four girls were taken to Texas about 1895. Sarah Beavers married 1898 Wally Jenkins and lived in Bosque Co. TX in 1900.

LUCY Royal and James Beavers 1890

6. Richard Willis “Barnie” Royal was born 6 Jul 1861 in Tallapoosa Co. Al. He married 6 Sep 1883 in St. Clair Co. AL Sarah Martha “Sally” Beavers. They had 14 children and 13 are listed in the 1900, 1910, and 1920 census for Bosque Co. TX.Son William Ransom Royal was born 28 Aug 1891 and survived the 1892 winter flu epidemic, but died on 17 Oct 1917 of flu. Richard named one son Thomas Barnie Royal who was born 13 Feb 1903. Richard “Barnie” died 10 Dec 1949 and wife Martha died 18 May 1939.

7. Mary Antony “Nettie” Royal was born 9 Jan 1863 in Tallapoosa Co. AL. She married 10 Nov 1881 William Fields Patterson in St. Clair Co. AL. Nettie was his 2^nd wife and had 9 children by 1910 and 8 were living in 1900-10 in Hamilton and Bosque Co. TX. Only the three younger children were born in TX. This family is not found after 1920. Nettie or Mary Royal is listed as dying 2 Apr 1933.

8. Ida F. Royal was born 2 Jan 1865, likely in Upson Co. GA. She married 1 Feb 1883 in St. Clair Co. AL, Piquana Daniel Clanton. They and their one son John William Clanton lived in Bosque Co. TX in 1900. Ida is listed as dying 26 Jun 1909. In 1910 P D Clanton lived with his son John William Clanton.

9. Isaac L. Royal was born 24 Aug 1867, likely in Upson Co. GA. He married 1890 Emiline Henson in St. Clair Co. AL. They lived in HamiltonCo. TX in 1900 and Emiline’s brother George Henson lived with them.

There were no children and Isaac L. Royal moved to McClain, OK after the death of his parents. He is listed as dying 12 May 1914.

10. Nancy Louvina Royal was born Nov 1870, likely in Upson Co. GA and married William Norris on 15 Nov 1892 in Saint Clair Co. AL. Louvina had 9 children by 1910 and 8 were still living. They lived in HamiltonCo. TX in 1900 and had moved to Wilbarger Co. TX by 1910. This family was not found after 1910. A 1909 son was named Royal Norris.

SOURCES:

http://www.familysearch.org/The International GenealogicalIndex (IGI) has full names and birthdates on several in the family of Sarah Frances,

Richard Barnie, and Martha A. Royal.

http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi

WorldConnect is a good source, but always verify others research. Thanks to these researchers and others like Wm Tom Royal and Gayle Ledbetter.

http://www.ancestry.com/search/rectype/alldblist.aspx

Ancestry.com has 1790 to 1930 US Census online and indexed. It is smart to cross check the index with Heritage Quest. Currently, Ancestry.com has extracted the names on most names and posted same on index page and this is a good 2^nd opinion on the name.