The Sisters Kernachan

"Sister" KERNACHAN born Mecklenburg Co., Va., Nov. 3, 1791; died March 1, 1847; moved to Tenn. in 1818; married Abram Kernachan (died March 12, 1833), 1820, and settled in Lauderdale Co., Ala. the same year; four daughters and one son. She married, as a widow, to Robert Kernachan, May 1834.

April 2, 1847
GENEALOGICAL ABSTRACTS FROM REPORTED DEATHS
THE NASHVILLE CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE 1847-1849
By Jonathan Kennon Thompson Smith
Copyright, Jonathan K. T. Smith, 2003

In the above obituary for Martha W. Booth Kernachan, it mentions that she was the mother of 4 daughters and one son. I've so far concentrated on her son, Robert T. Kernachan, Jr.  and his descendants, today, I will take a quick look at the 4 Kernachan sisters. They were ladies of good breeding, and married well, but not ones of luck. 

The 4 were: Mariah C b 1822, Eliza Ann 1823, Matilda Bloomfield 1826 and Mary Lucy 1829.

Mariah and her husband Isaac B. are buried in the Kernachan cemetery in Colbert County, Alabama. 

WILLIAMS, Isaac B.      5 Apr AD 1812 5 Mar AD 1853 aged 39 yrs 11 mos 10 das
WILLIAMS, Maria C.**       6 Apr 1822    1 Sep 1851 aged 29 yrs 4 mos 25 das
   **Consort of Isaac B. Williams & daughter of Abram & Martha Kernachan

ame:
Mariah Kernachan
Spouse:
Isaac B William
Marriage Date:
21 Nov 1838
County:
Lauderdale
State:
Alabama
Source information:
Hunting For Bears

They were married in 1838, and appear in the 1850 census of Lauderdale County, Alabama. 

Mariah Williams
Age:	28
Birth Year:	abt 1822
Birthplace:	Alabama
Home in 1850:	Florence, Lauderdale, Alabama
Gender:	Female
Family Number:	906
Household Members:	Name Age Isaac Williams 30 Mariah Williams 28

Sadly, both Mariah and her husband died within just a few years of this census, she in 1851 and he in 1853. There are no records or tombstones indicating that they ever had children, or what they died of. Mariah's death was reported in the Nashville Christian Advocate, a paper that was actually published by a relative. 

From the Nashville Christian Advocate: Oct 2, 1851

     Maria Williams, wife of James Williams, Daughter of Abram and Martha Kernachan, died September 1, 1851, in the 30th year of her age. 

Her husband was incorrectly named as "James". His tombstone and the marriage license both record his name as Isaac B. Williams. He was born in Kentucky and was the son of Daniel Williams, who also migrated to Alabama. 

The second daughter, Eliza Ann, also lived a very brief life. Born December 3, 1823, she died May 21, 1845, at the age of 21. She was the blushing young bride of her cousin, Frances Harwood Jones, who would remarry and have a family, and become a state representative. She may have died in childbirth, as many young women did in those days. 

From the Nashville Christian Advocate:

March 12, 1881

Colonel FRANCIS H. JONES born Mecklenburg Co., No. Carolina, June 1, 1809; died near Courtland, Ala., February 3, 1881; married (1) Frances Brown; (2) Ann Eliza Kernachan; (3) Antoinette A. Lile, six children; represented Lawrence Co., Ala. in state legislature several terms; had lived briefly years before in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The article mentions that Col Jones lived briefly in Cincinatti, Ohio. It was this time during his marriage to Eliza. The Kernachans had family in Cincinatti, and kept in touch for generations. They were the children of Andrew Kernachan, younger brother of Abraham and Robert, who had remained in Tennesee, after they had migrated there from Pennsylvania, where they first arrived after leaving Donegal, Ireland. The Kernachans kept in touch with and visited the Cincinatti family for generations. 

The third daughter was Matilda Bloomfield Kernachan. The first name "Matilda Bloomfield" was a name, like  "Minerva Tazwell" that was passed through the Jones, Booth and Simmons families that originated in Southside Virginia, for generations. They were likely the names of very early Matriarchs. Minerva Tazewell may have been a member of the Tazewell family for who Tazewell County was named, and had married into the Booth/Jones family. 

Matilda B was born May 16, 1826. She and her husband James Cary Jones, are both buried in the Kernachan cemetery as well. Not only was James C. Jones her cousin, he was also the brother of her sisters Eliza's husband Francis Harwood Jones. Although she was born in the Shoals, and buried there, she did not live there her entire life. 

Matilda B Jones [Matilda B Noel]
Age:	25
Birth Year:	abt 1825
Birthplace:	Alabama
Home in 1850:	Athens, Limestone, Alabama
Gender:	Female
Family Number:	644
Household Members:	Name Age James C Jones 31 Matilda B Jones 25 Eliza A Jones 4 Mary L S Jones 0 Sarah noll Jones 67 Rebecca Sammond 39 Ellen Sammond 21 Rebecca M Sammond 17 Amanda Harriet 36

In 1850, they had moved to Limestone County and daughters Eliza Ann and Mary "LuLu" had been born. Also in the household were great-aunt Sarah "Sallie" Booth Noel, (transcriber mistakenly named her 'Noll Jones' when it fact, it actually just says "Noel".) and sister-in-law Rebecca Ann Charlotte Jones Simmons with her two daughters, Ellen, who would marry Robert T. Kernachan Jr, Matilda's brother and Rebecca Minerva Simmons. I believe Amanda Harriett was a member of the Jones or Simmons family, but have not yet placed her.

By 1860, they had moved to Caddo Parrish, Louisiana with other members of the family, including Vinkler Harwood Jones.

M B Jones
Age in 1860:	34
Birth Year:	abt 1826
Birthplace:	Alabama
Home in 1860:	Ward 1, Caddo, Louisiana
Gender:	Female
Post Office:	Shreveport
Value of real estate:	View Image
Household Members:	Name Age J C Jones 40 M B Jones 34 A E Jones 13 M L Jones 10 S B Jones 8

Daughter Sarah Bloomfield Jones had joined the family.

By 1870, the family had moved to Gavelston, Texas. By then, daughter Eliza Ann (or Ann Eliza as she is sometimes seen, has married William B Norris (transcription error in census again), and the young couple are living with her parents, along with younger children William and Sally and a sister of William Norris, an employee and an unknown young girl named Louisa Oakley.

Name:	Matilda B Jones
Age in 1870:	44
Birth Year:	abt 1826
Birthplace:	Alabama
Home in 1870:	Galveston Ward 2, Galveston, Texas
Race:	White
Gender:	Female
Post Office:	Galveston
Value of real estate:	View Image
Household Members:	Name Age James O Jones 54 Matilda B Jones 44 Lula Jones 30 William E Jones 9 Sally Jones 1 Wm B Morris 22 E amra Morris 32 Jane C Morris 13 M Littleford 48 Louisa Oakley 13

By 1880, the family has returned to Louisiana, to the Lake Charles area. Both James and his son-in-law W. B. Norris became sucessful lumbermen. 

Name:	Matilda B. Jones
Age:	52
Birth Year:	abt 1828
Birthplace:	Alabama
Home in 1880:	Lake Charles, Calcasieu, Louisiana
Race:	White
Gender:	Female
Relation to Head of House:	Wife
Marital Status:	Married
Spouse's Name:	James C. Jones
Father's Birthplace:	Ireland
Mother's Birthplace:	Virginia
Neighbors:	View others on page
Occupation:	Keeps House
Cannot read/write: Blind: Deaf and dumb: Otherwise disabled: Idiotic or insane:	View Image
Household Members:	Name Age James C. Jones 60 Matilda B. Jones 52 Wm. E. Jones 19 Sarah B. Jones 12

James Cary Jones and Matilda B. Jones are both buried in the Kernachan cemetery, along with a number of their children, some who died as infants. 

JONES, Martha Tazewell     7 Apr 1845   15 Jun 1846 aged 1 yr 2 mos 8 das
JONES, Infant             22 Sep 1843    1 Oct 1843 
     inf son of James C. & Martha B. Jones
JONES, William Edward      2 Aug 1860   15 Oct 1882 
     son of James Carey & Matilda Bloomfield Jones
JONES, Sallie Bloomfield  11 Aug 1868   29 Mar 1883 
     dau of James C. & Matilda B. Jones
JONES, James Carey        30 Jul 1819   12 May 1885 father
       Matilda Bloomfield 16 May 1826   11 Oct 1885 mother; nee Kernachan

Many people have mistaken the fact, that since Matilda's middle name was Bloomfield, that her mother's maiden name must have been Bloomfield, but it was not, neither was it Tazewell. It was Booth, as her ties with her siblings and named in their wills, have proven.

The 1880 census shows Eliza and her husband living next door to her parents and siblings. But where is Lulu (Mary L. S. Jones)?

Wm. B. Norris	Anna E.	Lake Charles, Calcasieu, Louisiana	abt 1838	New Hampshire	Self(Head)
View Record	Anna E. Norris	Wm. B.	Lake Charles, Calcasieu, Louisiana	abt 1847	Alabama	Wife
View Record	James C. Jones	Matilda B.	Lake Charles, Calcasieu, Louisiana	abt 1820	North Carolina	Self(Head)
View Record	Matilda B. Jones	James C.	Lake Charles, Calcasieu, Louisiana	abt 1828	Alabama	Wife
View Record	Wm. E. Jones	James C., Matilda B.	Lake Charles, Calcasieu, Louisiana	abt 1861	Louisiana	Son
View Record	Sarah B. Jones	James C., Matilda B.	Lake Charles, Calcasieu, Louisiana	abt 1868	Texas	Daughter

According to records, James C. Jones and Matilda B Kernachan Jones had 6 children. 

An infant son born in 1843 lived 2 months. Martha Tazwell Jones lived one year 2 months and 8 days. 

Annie Eliza (or Eliza Ann) Jones lived a long life from 1856 to 1932. She married a Norris. 

Mary L. S. Jones, or "LuLu"  born abt 1850, at least made it to adulthood, then I've lost track of her. 

William Edward Jones lived to be 22 and his sister Sarah Bloomfield "Sallie" Jones only made it to 15. 


They youngest of the Kernachan Sisters, also married well, also married a distant relative, and also died young. 

She was the first wife of John N. Malone. John Nicholas Malone was the son of George Booth Malone, and the family had migrated to Alabama from the Dinwiddie County area of Virginia. Again, they were distant cousins through the Booth line. 

Mary Lucy and John Nicholas would have 3 children together, but only one who would make it to adulthood. 

Algernon Kennon Kernachan Malone was born in April of 1846 and died as a toddler in 1848. His tombstone in Athens, Limestone County, Alabama designates him as the son of J. N and Mary Lucy. 

Sister Sarah A "Sallie" Malone fared no better. She was born in February of 1848 and died in December of 1850, not quite 3 years old. 

The only child to grow up was Robert Booth Malone, the second child of these three, born March 31, 1847, he lived until April 1, 1933. He remained a citizen of Athens and married Betty Custus and had 9 children. This one son made Mary Lucy Kernachan Malone the sister with the most descendants. 

Her widower, John Nicholas Malone, went on to marry Rebecca Minerva Simmons, the sister of Ellen Simmons who married Mary Lucy's brother Robert and daugther of Rebecca Ann Charlotte Jones Simmons, who is shown in the census above, living with her brother James C. Jones and wife Matilda Kernachan Jones, making this family tie nearly too entwined to explain. 

John N. Malone is featured in Biographies of Limestone County. See below. He was a farmer and statesman of reknown. He and R. M. Simmons Malone would have 6 children of their own. 

MALONE, JOHN N., Attorney-at-law, Athens, Ala., was born in Sussex County, Va. His parents, George and Sallie (Moyler) Malone, natives of Virginia, and of Irish descent, came to Limestone county in 1823, and here spent the rest of their lives, the old gentleman dying in 1847, at the age of sixty-two years ; his wife having preceded him to the other world by about four years. They reared a family of three sons and three daughters, of whom John N., and a sister are the only ones living. One of the sons was a doctor, another a farmer.  The subject of this sketch graduated from La Grange College, Franklin County, Ala., as A. B., in 1830, and subsequently in due course received from the same institution the degree of A. M. He studied law with J. W. McLung, Huntsville: was admitted to the bar in 1841, and practiced law for ten years. Then for the next succeeding ten years, though maintaining his office at Athens, he devoted his time to planting. In 1881, he was elected to the State Senate and was kept there for six consecutive years. After the war, he resumed the practice of law, and farming, and in 1881, was appointed probate judge to fill out an unexpired term of five years, the office having been vacated by the death of John M. Townsend.  Judge Malone was one of the trustees of the Alabama University from 1851 to the outbreak of the war, and has been one of the trustees of the Agricultural and Mechanical School of Auburn since its organization in 1874. Thus we find that he has nearly all his life been interested in the cause of education. He was a delegate to the National Convention at Baltimore in 1852, and supported Franklin Pierce and William R. King. He took an active part in the memorable presidential campaign of 1860; supported Stephen A. Douglas for the presidency ; was opposed to secession because he feared it would be followed by coercion and war; but after Alabama seceded, he cast his fortunes and fate with her, and was intensely Southern in his sentiments and in full sympathy with the Southern Confederacy. 

John N. Malone was married in Lauderdale County in 1844, to Mary Lucy Kernachan, who died in 1848, leaving one son, Robert, now a planter in Limestone County. His second marriage took place in the same county in 1854, to Miss Rebecca Simmons, and to this union have been born two sons and three daughters. The youngest son, Henry, is a farmer: George is a merchant; two of the daughters are married to merchants in Arkansas, and the third one is at home. The family belong to the Methodist Episcopal church and Judge Malone is a Mason. Source: Northern Alabama - Historical and Biographical by Smith & De Land, Birmingham, Ala 1888