Person Page 1,449

Josiah Blackwell

Parents

Father	James Blackwell (b. 6 April 1754, d. about 1836)
Mother	Elizabeth Sarah Price (b. 1754, d. 1790)

Children with Sarah Barnett (b. about 1775, d. 1826)

Son	Joroyal H Blackwell+ (b. 16 January 1803, d. 19 August 1876)
Son	Starling Willis Blackwell+ (b. 23 August 1804, d. 25 June 1860)
Son	David Glenn Blackwell (b. 1806, d. 1818)
Daughter	Mary Cynthia Blackwell+ (b. 1810)
Daughter	Agnes Blackwell+ (b. circa 1812, d. 1880)
Son	James Barnett Blackwell (b. 14 February 1814)
Daughter	Martha Patsy Blackwell+ (b. 28 January 1818)

Biography

Person Source		Josiah Blackwell had person sources.1
DNA Verified		108 DNA matches through Josiah Blackwell
ChildParent1,1
Anecdote		My direct line continues with Josiah Blackwell who is at least the most colorful of all my ancestors. He was in Spartanburg County, South Carolina with his parents and other of his relatives in the early 1800's. Sometime about 1801-2 he married Sarah Barnett the daughter of Joroyal Barnett and his wife the former Agness Glenn, the daughter of Tyree Glenn of Surry County, North Carolina. Joroyal at this time was probably the pastor of the Boiling Springs Baptist Church which had Josiah and others of his family as members.  Josiah at this time evidently lived on land he owned in common land with a George Lewis and this is where he began to raise his family. His first child was Joroyal H. Blackwell born 16 Jan. 1803, and following close behind was Starling Willis Blackwell, born 23 August 1804. In early 1807 Josiah received a grant of 70 acres on a tributary of the Lawson fork called the Stanton Branch and was adjacent to the land that he already owned in common with a George Lewis. It was in this same year that his third son, David Glenn Blackwell, was born. In 1810 his first daughter, Mary, was born and Josiah and his family are shown on the Federal census for that year. He is shown as being between 26 and 45, Sarah is shown as being between 26 and 45, with three sons under 10. However, he must have had someone living with his family at this time because instead of the one daughter under 10 you would expect there are two females shown under 10 plus one female between 16 and 26. Who this may have been is not known but it may have been the widow and children of George Lewis. Josiah and Sarah had just three more children, Agnes born about 1812, James Barnett born 14 February 1814 and Martha Patsy born 28 January 1818. Josiah and his family are listed in the census records of 1820 for Spartanburg County, South Carolina as well as being mentioned numerous times in the minutes of the Boiling Springs Baptist Church. At this time Joroyal Barnett, Josiah's father-in-law was the pastor of the church and remained so until his death on 6 June 1812. It appears that another of Joroyal's daughters was married to a Blackwell, Nancy Barnett married James Blackwell, a younger brother to Josiah sometime before 1809 when she joined the Boiling Springs Baptist Church by letter. A week after her father's death a report was made to the church body concerning Nancy Blackwell. She was found to be in a "pregnant condition, her husband being absent for a long time". Three ladies were appointed to interrogate her Mary Lewis (George Lewis' widow?), Elizabeth Lewis (a sister-in-law) and Sarah Blackwell (her sister). At the July 1812 meeting the ladies reported that Nancy Blackwell had confessed her guilt and she was then declared out of fellowship with the church. During the next few years Josiah himself is brought before the church body numerous times for drinking and/or using bad language. Each time he confesses his guilt and asks forgiveness and is restored to fellowship. In the 12 February 1814 meeting of the church there is a conflict between Josiah and a Jacob Belcher. Evidently Josiah thought Jacob Belcher was trying to persuade some of the young men to enlist (the War of 1812 was in progress at the time). After Jacob Belcher and Josiah were unable to agree to settle their dispute, a decision was left to the church which voted in favor of Jacob Belcher. Land records show that during 1825 and 1826 Josiah began selling his property and in October 1826 he and his wife requested and were granted letters of dismission from their church. The next record we have of Josiah and his family is in 1829 when they are listed as members of the Wahoo Baptist Church in Clermont, Hall County, Georgia. At the time of this move and shortly before arriving in Hall County, Georgia. Sarah Blackwell evidently died as she is not listed joining the Wahoo Baptist Church with Josiah in 1829 and she is not found on the 1830 census for Hall County . Josiah remained a widower through 1850 as is shown by the census for that year, but soon afterwards he met and married a thirty-six year old widow, Mary --?-- with a two year old daughter, Martha. Despite being in his mid-70's Josiah and Mary were blessed with two children, Drusilla in 1851 and William in 1853. Also in 1853 Josiah's oldest son Joroyal petitions the court to have his father declared legally insane. Josiah's drinking and bad language continued to be a problem even up to this time and after being forgiven and restored to fellowship many times the church finally reached its limit with him and he was excluded from membership at the 4 Mar. 1854 church meeting. Josiah was still living at the time of the 1860 census, which listed Mary Blackwell, age 46 as the head of the household, Josiah, age 83 is listed as insane, Martha (Mary's daughter by her first marriage), age 12 and born in Tennessee, Drusilla, age 9 and William, age 7. As one would expect, there was much hard feelings between Josiah's second wife and his children (she was about the same age as Josiah's youngest son). It has been reported by members of the family that Mary was jealous of Josiah's first wife and the family still had some dishes that had been brought to America from England by the Barnett (Bernard) family, which she took outside and broke. Another incident involved a beautiful, prize horse that Josiah owned. Mary accused Josiah of worshipping the horse more than he did the Lord and told him the Lord would do something to the horse. A few days later when Josiah went to feed the horse he found it dead and when his son, Joroyal came to investigate he found poison in the horse's trough. It is believed that Josiah died in about 1863 although no exact date is known. Mary and the children disappear and research to date has not discovered where they moved.2
Birth	about 1777	He was born about 1777 in Surry, North Carolina, United StatesBGO.1
Marriage	1801	He and Sarah Barnett were married in 1801 in Spartanburg, South Carolina, United StatesBGO.1
Residence	1810	He lived in Spartanburg, South Carolina, United StatesBGO, in 1810.3
Census (F)	1810	He and Sarah Barnett were enumerated on the census of 1810 in Spartanburg, South Carolina, United StatesBGO.1,4
Residence	1820	He lived in Spartanburg, Spartanburg, South Carolina, United StatesBGO, in 1820.5
Census (F)	1820	He and Sarah Barnett were enumerated on the census of 1820 in Spartanburg, South Carolina, United StatesBGO.1,6
Anecdote	about 1827	Move to Georgia. Ancestry report says 1825-26 Josiah sold property in SC. Oct 1826 Josiah & Sarah request to depart Boiling Springs Baptist Church. 1829 Josiah & family join Wahoo Baptist Church, Clermont GA. Some trees show Sarah d. 1826. JDBSr7
Residence	1830	He lived in Hall, Georgia, United StatesBGO, in 1830.8
Residence	1840	He lived in Hall, Georgia, United StatesBGO, in 1840.9
Anecdote	about 1850	Second Marriage. Josiah married widow Mary ?, b. 1814 in NC. She had a daughter Martha, born 1848 in Tenn. Josiah & Mary had two children Drusilla, b. 1851 and William, b. 1953. No info about this second family after 1860 census and Josiah's death.7
Marriage	1850	He and Sarah Barnett were married in 1850 in Hall, Georgia, United StatesBGO.
Residence	26 August 1850	He lived in Hall, Georgia, United StatesBGO, on 26 August 1850. Name: Losea Blackwell, Age: 73, Birth Year: abt 1777, Birth Place: North Carolina, Gender: Male, Race: White, Occupation: Farmer, Industry: Agriculture, Real Estate: 800, Record ID: 8054::18709025.10
Anecdote	1853	Legal and Health Issues. Per Ancestry report, son Joroyal petitioned court to have Josiah declared legally insane. 1854 Excluded from church membership due to continued drinking and bad language.7
Residence	19 June 1860	He lived in Argo, Hall, Georgia, United StatesBG, on 19 June 1860. Name: Josiah Blackwell, Age: 83, Birth Year: abt 1777, Birth Place: South Carolina, Gender: Male, Race: White, Post Office: Argo, Personal Estate Value: 400, Record ID: 7667::11222774, Disability Condition: Insane, Household Members: Mary Blackwell, Marth11
Death	about 1863	He died about 1863 at age ~86 in Hall, Georgia, United StatesBGO.1
Burial	1863	He was buried in 1863 at Old Location Wahoo Baptist ChurchBG in Lumpkin, Georgia, United StatesBGO.

Citations

1. [S117] LAWright56, online http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/16536434/person/641354958, (.)
2. [S415] Robert Van Blackwell, (http://daveblql.tripod.com/BLKSVAN.HTM)
3. [S257] Ancestry.com, 1810 United States Federal Census, Year: 1810; Census Place: Spartanburg, South Carolina; Roll: 61; Page: 361; Image: 00330; Family History Library Film: 0181420
4. [S257] Ancestry.com, 1810 United States Federal Census
5. [S243] Ancestry.com, 1820 United States Federal Census, 1820 U S Census; Census Place: Spartanburg, Spartanburg, South Carolina; Page: 256; NARA Roll: M33_120; Image: 322
6. [S243] Ancestry.com, 1820 United States Federal Census
7. [S2249] Ancestry.Com, Tree Name: JD Blackwell Family Tree, Tree Owner: Elmina J. Hilsenrath, Tree ID: 170724429, URL: https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/170724429/person/352221690039/facts, Page.Access Date: 19 July 2022
8. [S244] Ancestry.com, 1830 United States Federal Census, 1830; Census Place: Hall, Georgia; Series: M19; Roll: 18; Page: 124; Family History Library Film: 0007038
9. [S245] Ancestry.com, 1840 United States Federal Census, Year: 1840; Census Place: Disrict 505, Hall, Georgia; Roll: 42; Page: 194; Family History Library Film: 0007044
10. [S239] Ancestry.com, 1850 United States Federal Census, Year: 1850; Census Place: District 38, Hall, Georgia; Roll: 72; Page: 357b
11. [S242] Ancestry.com, 1860 United States Federal Census, Year: 1860; Census Place: District 434, Hall, Georgia; Roll: M653_126; Page: 46; Family History Library Film: 803126