The Vaughan Family of Wilcox Co AL

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By Bobbye C. Winston

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Origin of Name

Quotes from the book Reminiscenses and Genealogical Record of the Vaughan Family written in 1886 by George E. Hodgdon and published in the Vaughan, Etc. Newsletter in 1984 state that "The family of Vaughan, or Vychan as it was originally written, is one of the oldest in the British Isles. Skilled genealogists in the family have traced their lineage to a Welsh Knight, of the famous 'Round Table'; in the mythic times of 'King Arthur' and have clearly established their line of descent from the ancient kings of Wales. Although the American Vaughan, owing to the lapse of so many generations since the emigration of his ancestors, may be unable to discover the connecting links between them and their British progenitors, nevertheless it may be assumed with almost certainty that all of the names are descended from a common ancestry who dwelt ages ago in West Britain. Among the earliest settlers in nearly all of the English colonies on our Atlantic Coast can be found the name of Vaughan, from whom have sprung numerous branches of the family in this country.

First Generation

Benjamin Vaughn

Benjamin Vaughn was in North Carolina in 1763 and is listed as a taxpayer. He was buying land in Livingston County KY in 1808, the year his grandson, Benjamin Vaughn, was born. Children of Benjamin Vaughn are:

1. John Vaughn

2. Thomas Vaughn, born Aug. 16, 1776 and died 1850 in Webster Co. KY. He settled in Henderson/Union County KY ca. 1807.
For more information on Thomas Vaughn family click here.

3.  William Vaughn died in Hickman Co. KY

4.  James Vaughn - he is possibly a son of Benjamin

5.  Joseph Vaughn who settled in Wilcox County AL

Benjamin Vaughn, a taxpayer in North Carolina in 1763

Benjamin Vaughn listed in the North Carolina Militia in 1776

Benjamin Vaughn granted 86 acres of land in Livingston County, KY in 1808

Second Generation

Joseph Vaughn

Joseph Vaughan was born ca. 1789-90 in Stokes County, North Carolina. He married (1) Susie Pulliam in Kentucky and (2) Sarah Elizabeth Lamb Reaves, the widow of James W. Reaves. Joseph Vaughan moved to Wilcox County around 1816. Susie Pulliam Vaughan was born in what is now Robertson County, KY and died 1808 in Kentucky. Joseph Madison Vaughan is buried in Old Reaves Cemetery in Wilcox County, AL. Sarah Elizabeth Vaughan died before 1840.

Children of Joseph Madison Vaughan and Susie Pulliam are:
1. John Pulliam Vaughan, born February 29, 1804 in Eddyville, Caldwell County, KY. He was a farmer and Baptist minister. He married Rebecca Richards in Wilcox County, AL on June 6, 1831. This family left Wilcox County moving to Chunky, MS (Lauderdale Co., MS) ca 1865. He died there on March 22, 1890. Rebecca Richards Vaughan was born Dec. 20, 1817 in NC and died Feb. 3, 1897 in Chunky, MS. They are both buried at Blue Springs Methodist Church near Chunky, MS. (A descendant of John Pulliam Vaughan states that Rebecca Richards's parents were John Richards and Jemmie Snipes. Also, Rebecca Vaughan's grandfather was named John Richards and her great-grandfather was named Richard Richards.)

2. Pickney Vaughan, born ca. 1806 in KY. Died ca. 1869 in Lauderdale Co. MS.  Married Telitha Stanley, daughter of Isaac and Nancy Stanley, in Wilcox County, AL on June 26, 1830. Telitha Stanley Vaughn died after 1880 in Lauderdale Co. MS. They moved to Lauderdale Co., MS. He opened a school in Lauderdale Co. MS to educate his children and grandchildren and other neighborhood children.

From Paths to the Past, an overview history of Lauderdale Co. MS by Laura Nan Fairly and James T. Dawson

3. Benjamin Vaughan Born ca. 1808 in KY. Married Jane Ann Richards on February 3, 1836 in Wilcox Co., AL. Benjamin died 1888 and is buried in Capell Cemetery (also known as Pebble Hill or Gravel Creek Cemetery) in Wilcox Co., AL.

 

Third Generation

Children of Joseph Vaughn and (2) wife, Sarah Elizabeth Lamb are:
4. Larkin H. Vaughn born ca 1814 in KY. Died after 1870. Place not known. Lived in Monroe Co., AL. Married Mary Ann Bonner born Sept. 8, 1821, her father was Benjamin Bonner.
5. William M. Vaughn, married Mary A. L. Wright.
6. Joseph Madison Vaughn, married Martha Elizabeth Dunn in Wilcox Co. 10/14/1849.
7. Elizabeth L. Vaughan, married Hampton L. Jordan.
8. Sarah (Sallie) Vaughn, married Robert James Henderson on 12/24/1851 with permission of Robert Henderson. Married by John Pulliam Vaughan, minister of the gospel.
9. Polly Vaughn, married Jack Vincent (or Vinson).
10. Catherine Eleanor Vaughn born 1824 and died May 13, 1892. Married Neil Watkins McIntosh, born 1819 and died Dec. 29, 1876.

(The following information on John Pulliam Vaughn family furnished by Mary Harbin Hummer, Stillwater, OK.)

Children of John Pulliam Vaughn and Rebecca Richards are:

1. Calvin Vaughn was born July 19, 1832 and died Sept. 20, 1834.
2. William James Vaughn was born Feb. 15, 1834 in Blacks Bluff, Wilcox County, AL. He was a professor at University of Alabama (where he founded the School of Engineering - This is from The History of the University of Alabama by James Benson Sellers, also a Vaughn descendant), and at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. He died Dec. 1, 1912 in Nashville. He was married to Abbie Maria Scott on Aug. 17, 1865.
3. Harvey Simpson Vaughn was born Dec. 10, 1835 and died in Civil War at Chancellorsville in 1863.
4. Alexander Vaughn was born Nov. 5, 1837. He was a doctor by profession. He died Oct. 5, 1877 and is buried in Chunky, MS. He married Lucinda Hester Ann Thompson on Jan. 19, 1871.
5. Sarah Ann Vaughn was born Dec. 17, 1839 and died Nov. 24, 1909. She married Young Riley Harbin on Dec. 7, 1863.
6. John Pulliam Vaughn, Jr. was born Feb. 25, 1842 and died Sept. 21, 1862. He married Margueritte M___?
7. Mary Jane Vaughn was born April 11, 1844 and died Sept. 3, 1868. She married J. B. Robinson on Sept. 12, 1861.
8. Levi Newton Vaughn was born May 27, 1846 and died Jan. 11, 1917. He married Mary Elizabeth James on Nov. 28, 1868. They are buried at Providence Cemetery near Chunky, MS.
9. Walter Pinkney Vaughn was born July 27, 1848. He was a Baptist minister. He married Martha E. ___on Jul. 23, 1868.
10. Emma Marianna Vaughn was born Nov. 6, 1850. She married W. J. (Jack) Carter.
11. Martha R. Vaughn was born Jan. 21, 1853. She married William Albert Ward on Sept. 15, 1886.
12. Susan Caroline Vaughn was born Oct. 7, 1855 and died Feb. 25, 1932. She married John L. Peavey on March 21, 1884.
13. Laura Ella Vaughn was born Nov. 22, 1857 and died July 4, 1885.

Alexander Vaughn, M.D.	William James Vaughn, Ph.D

Children of Dr. Alexander Vaughan: front L-R: James Enoch; Charles Hardy; Eugenia; John William. Back Row L-R: Robert Estelle; Milton Silas; RB; Edward D.

Children of Pinkney Vaughan and Telitha Stanley are:

1. Martha A. Vaughnborn 1832. Married Blount Johnson
2. G.B.W. Vaughn born 1833 in Wilcox Co. AL and died Dec. 4, 1861 in Nashville, TN. Removed from original grave to Mt. Olivett Confederate Cemetery in Nashville, TN in 1869.
3. Franklin C. Vaughn born Aug. 1836 in AL. Married Almira Brown
4. John Anderson Vaughn born Nov. 28, 1836 and died July 7, 1893 in Gary, TX. Woods Post Office Cemetery. Married Martha Jane Goodwin Brown
5. Nancy J. Vaughn born 1838. Married Eli Mabry
6.Susannah Vaughn  born 1842. Married William Weatherby
7. Thomas P. Vaughan  born 1845 and died March 30, 1915 in Austin, TX. Buried in Texas State Cemetery. Married Sarah F. Moore Goodrich on Feb. 7, 1867.
8. William M. Vaughn  born April 4, 1847.  Died April 15, 1917. Married Mary Catherine Ross on Dec. 4, 1875.
9. Littleberry Vaughn born 1850. Married Fannie M. Brown
10. Emeline Vaughn
11. Eliza Vaughn born 1853. Married Robert W. Maxey

John Anderson Vaughn

Children of Benjamin Vaughan and Jane Ann Richards are
1. Benjamin Thomas Vaughn born 1842 in Lauderdale Co. MS. Died Sept. 26, 1862 in the Civil War.
2. Rebecca (Becky) Vaughan, born 1845 and died 1925. She was considered slow mentally.
3. Susannah Vaughan, born Oct. 20, 1849 and died Jan. 19, 1941. Married Oliver Spencer Henderson on Jan. 7, 1868 in Wilcox Co., AL. They are both buried in Capell Cemetery.

Fourth Generation

Children of Larkin Vaughn and Mary Ann Bonner Vaughn were:

1. Linnie Manerva Vaughn born 1843 in Monroe County, AL. Married on July 7, 1861 to Benjamin Porter in Monroe Co., AL.
2. Winnie E. Vaughn, born 1853.
3. James Vaughn born 1860
4. Catherine Vaughn born Sept. 9, 1862 and died Aug. 18, 1927 in Montgomery Co. TX. Buried at Gourd Creek Cemetery. Married Filmore W. Helton on April 18, 1889 in Monroe Co. AL
5. Nealey M. Vaughn born 1864.  Married a ships officer out of Mobile.

Children of Catherine Eleanor Vaughn and Neil Watkins McIntosh were:

1. Martha A. McIntosh
2. Francis Ann Rebecca McIntosh  born 1851 and died Oct. 10, 1897.
3. John Watkins McIntosh born 1853 and died 1874.
4. Robert (Bob) Farish McIntosh born 1855. Died Feb. 21, 1942.
5. James Columbus McIntosh born March 25, 1853 and died Aug. 25, 1910. Married Millie Dee Nettles on March 18, 1886. Millie Dee Nettles was daughter of George Washington Nettles and Hellen Mary Sadler Nettles and sister to Zach George Nettles.
6. Martha Magnolia McIntosh born Dec. 29, 1860 and died Oct. 1956. Married Samuel Ross Thompson on Feb. 7, 1889.

 

Eades Vaughn (right) with Barney McIntosh of Wilcox County, AL. Both are descendants of Benjamin Vaughn

From the Greene County Independent May 3, 2006 BY:  Betty Banks, Independent Publisher (and a Vaughn descendant) Many old cemeteries in Alabama have been quietly forgotten and lost among the overgrowth in rural areas. Some because there are no longer any descendants left to give grave sites the care they need.  Many other descendants moved to different locations, leaving behind their dead and hoping someone nearer to the community would care for the graves - until generations came and went until finally the cemeteries were no longer even memories. One such lonesome graveyard is located in Wilcox County and it first came into use as a cemetery in the late 1830's. Descendents of those early settlers, some of whom live in Pickens and Greene counties, recently took on the challenge of restoring the old site as best they could, with some hard work from one descendant in particular, Barney McIntosh, Jr. Others helped in various ways who have ancestors buried there. (Dr. Rebekah Vaughn Troutman of Dothan, AL was instrumental in getting this project off the ground and she saw to it that it was finished. She is currently writing a book on the Vaughn family.) It was the first cemetery in the community known today as Sedan, AL. It's the Reeves-Farish-Mallard Cemetery. Sedan is also called Little Utah" and as its name suggests, a number of Mormons populated the area and continue to live there today. The old overgrown burial plot embraced such family members as those bearing last names such as Reaves, Vaughn (Vaughan), Farish, Mallard, Bayles, McIntosh and even probably some members of the Huff and Johnson families, along with other family names long since forgotten.  The little community cemetery finally went out of fashion, and local residents began using the Reaves Chapel cemetery located at the Reaves Chapel Methodist Church. According to old records, the very first person buried in the forgotten cemetery was Sarah Elizabeth Lamb Reaves Vaughn, wife of Joseph (Madison?) Vaughn, Sr. and the mother of James L. Reaves. James L. Reaves was buried there in the fall of 1875, and his wife, Sarah S. Vinson Reaves, who died in 1899, was the last person to be buried there. Joseph Vaughn was the ancestor of Dr. William James Vaughn, the founder of the School of Engineering at the University of Alabama, and Dr. James Benson Sellers, author of the History of the University of Alabama. The old Wilcox County cemetery was nearly destroyed when a sawmill company, Vredenburgh Sawmill Company, cut and hauled timer from the surrounding area, running tractors and logging equipment through it.  All the tombstones are gone now due to this and only a few of the graves can be seen. About two weeks ago some of the Vaughn family descendants visited the graveyard after two years of efforts to mark the site and clear the debris.  Even though the tombstones are gone, some of the graves still bear evidence they were once covered with seashells.  During  the visit some of the family members speculated the seashells could have symbolized Christianity, but none really knew the true reason for seashells so far from the coast. Descendants are not sure what church or churches the first settlers were affiliated with. What these modern day descendants do know is that some of these long dead were from Kentucky and North Carolina and were probably Baptist or Methodist. In the 1890's many people in the area became Mormons. Two weeks ago descendants visited and met at the Reaves Chapel Methodist Church in Sedan. The church is no longer active, but people still meet there annually, have dinner on the ground and discuss the cemetery and what history is known of residents. That's exactly what happened two weeks ago, when a number of the descendants gathered, participated in a service and then visited the older cemetery, where their ancestors who first came to Alabama, lie in their unmarked graves. But now those graves are clean and marked by a fence, and bears a monument in their honor. Seashells on grave in old cemetery Marker at the old cemetery April 2006

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