The Brief Life of Eugene Head

 

Stock photo

When learning of the lives of distant relatives along the bloodline, I'm struck by how often and tragically certain individuals lost children, hence the need, then, for larger families to hope to survive at all. All manner of diseases and accidents for which they had minimal, if any treatment for, lay around every bend.

I wanted to focus breifly on one such child and one such family. Occasionally, I feel as if I am being led by someone other than myself across the veil, as if they ask to be found, to be remembered, for their lives and their existence to be acknowledged. Such is the case of Eugene Head and his family. 

Eugene was born on June 13, 1899 in Weakley County, Texas. He was the son of William Paul Head and Mary Elizabeth "Bettie" Phillips. He was a Great Grandson of Gideon Job Faulkner and wife, Nancy Sellers Faulkner, originally of Anson County, NC, who migrated to Carroll County, Tennesee in it's earliest days. 

Eugene had an older sister, Zelphia R., born in 1898, and a younger sister, Oma Mae, born in 1902

The family managed to avoid the 1900 census, the first after Eugene's birth, but they were probably in Weakley County, Tennessee, where William's mother, Rebecca Alabama Ridgeway Head, was, where William died on October 7, 1904, while working as a brakeman for the Railroad. He was only 34 years old and left Bettie with three small children, Zilphia, 6, Eugene, 5 and Oma, 1. William Paul Head was buried at Mount Moriah Cemetery in Weakley County, Tennessee.  Bettie would then move her children to Fulton County, Kentucky, where she had family, in the very tip-end of Kentucky, bordering the Mississippi River and Tennessee.

Tombstone of William P Head, contributed to Find-a-grave by Mrs. Fenton

The cemetery revealed that William P. Head had had a first wife "L. Z. Head", born in 1870, who had died at the age of 26 in 1896, the year before he married Bettie Phillips. 

Bettie would outlive him by quite awhile and raised her children as best she could. In 1910, the only census in which Eugene appears because the 1900 skipped them, Bettie is running a Boarding House in order to support her children. She may have also gotten a pension from the railway. 

Name:	Bettie M Head
Age in 1910:	40[41]
Birth Date:	1870[1870]
Birthplace:	Tennessee
Home in 1910:	Leitchfield, Fulton, Kentucky, USA
Street:	Riceville
Race:	White
Gender:	Female
Relation to Head of House:	Head
Marital Status:	Widowed
Father's Birthplace:	North Carolina
Mother's Birthplace:	Tennessee
Native Tongue:	English
Occupation:	Keeper
Industry:	Boarding House
Employer, Employee or Other:	Wage Earner
Home Owned or Rented:	Own
Home Free or Mortgaged:	Free
Farm or House:	House
Able to read:	Yes
Able to Write:	Yes
Number of Children Born:	5
Number of Children Living:	3
Out of Work:	N
Number of Weeks Out of Work:	0
Neighbors:
Household Members (Name) Age Relationship Bettie M Head 40 Head Zilpha R Head 12 Daughter Eulie G Head 10 Son Oma May Head 8 Daughter Adam C Cook 44 Boarder Harry B Cook 16 Boarder Clarance W Cook 18 Boarder

The Cook family were boarders and it is revealed that Eugene's middle initial was "G". I wonder if it was for Gideon.

Eugene's short life ended on November 10, 1914 when he succombed to Tetanus. He was 15 years, 5 months and 2 days old. (It always gets me how specific they were on these old death certificates.) Eugene had been helping to support the family by working as a delivery boy for a Grocery Business. I wonder if he had acquired Tetanus from something involving his coarse of work. 

His mother was the informant, and I believe she was so distraught, that when they asked for the name of his father, she instead mixed in the name of her own father, Elbert Pinkney "Pink" Phillips and the coroner wrote "Pink Head", which is a humourous moniker, instead of William Head, whose middle intial of 'P' definately stood for Paul, not Pink. 

The location of Fulton County in realtion to Weakley County, Tennesse. 

Young Eugene G. Head was returned to his home county of Weakley, Tennesee for burial at Mount Moriah with his fathers. 

Name	Eugene Head
Birth Date	13 Jun 1899
Death Date	15 Nov 1914
Cemetery	Mount Moriah Cemetery
Burial or Cremation Place	Weakley County, Tennessee, United States of America

This would be the end of the story of the Brief Life of Eugene Head, but we must continue with the story of his survivors for one small reason. 

Courtesy of Mr. Reece, the tombstone of Eugene Head

While researching the descendant of Gideon Job Faulkner, records for his mother, Bettie, were not adding up. 

Everyone had Bettie mixed up with the below lady, "Mattie", whose name was also Martha Elizabeth Phillips, and she had also been born in Tennesee and was close in age to Bettie. 

Name:	Martha Elizabeth Adams
Gender:	Female
Birth Date:	31 Dec 1868
Death Date:	29 Jun 1902
Death Place:	Comanche County, Texas, United States of America
Cemetery:	Albin Cemetery
Burial or Cremation Place:	Comanche County, Texas, United States of America
Has Bio?:	N
Father:	Elbert Pinkney Phillips
Mother:	Nancy Jane Phillips
Spouse:	John Quincy Adams
Children:	Cora Ann PerryWalter Jefferson AdamsElbert AdamsJohn Linley AdamsJoseph Washington AdamsMary Lou ClementsCharles Frank AdamsVergie M Ayers
URL:	https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/71486761/

She's even linked to Bettie's parents on Find-A-Grave, but Mattie Phillips Adams was an entirely different person than Martha Elizabeth "Bettie" Phillips Head. Rev. John Quincy Adams of North Carolina moved around quite alot and he, himself is buried in Arkansas with his third wife, Nellie. Mattie was his second and he had a first named Fannie. His second wife, Martha Elizabeth "Mattie" Phillips, whom he married on August 17, 1886, in Tansy County, Montana, was the daughter of an Ezekial "Red" Phillips and Deonisha A. "Nishie" Stovall Phillps. I had to straighten out this misconception for future researchers. 

The Correct Martha Elizabeth Phillips had married William Paul Head on February 23, 1897, in Fulton County, Kentucky, about a year after he had lost his first wife. They returned to his home county of Weakley, Tennesee, where their three children were born. Actually, there were five, as reported by Bettie in the 1910 census, two having passed away, within their short, 7 year marriage. 

Name:	Zylphe Head
Age:	21
Birth Year:	abt 1899
Birthplace:	Tennessee
Home in 1920:	Memphis Ward 12, Shelby, Tennessee
Street:	Arkansas
Residence Date:	1920
Race:	White
Gender:	Female
Relation to Head of House:	Daughter
Marital Status:	Single
Father's Birthplace:	Tennessee
Mother's Name:	Martha E Head
Mother's Birthplace:	Tennessee
Able to Speak English:	Yes
Occupation:	Trained Nurse
Industry:	Hospital
Employment Field:	Wage or Salary
Able to read:	Yes
Able to Write:	Yes
Neighbors:
Household Members (Name) Age Relationship Martha E Head 50 Head Zylphe Head 21 Daughter Anna E Head 17 Daughter

Bettie seems to have been a tough lady and very "take charge". She ensured her children were educated, despite not having a husband and never getting remarried. By 1920, five years after loosing her son Eugene, she moved to the city of Memphis. It was easier for a woman to find work in a city than it was in a rural community or small town. There were businesses and people needing temporary accommodations. Her oldest daughter, Zilphia, was by then, at 21, a trained nurse. Oma, seen incorrectly as 'Anna' here, was still in school at 17.

Name:	Miss Zilpha Head
Gender:	Female
Residence Year:	1916
Residence Place:	Memphis, Tennessee, USA
Occupation:	Nurse
Publication Title:	Memphis, Tennessee, City Directory, 1916

Zilpha is listed as a Nurse as early as 1916, when she would have been only 17, herself. 

In fact, in this Memphis City Directory, it tells us that Zilpha is working for the practice of Drs. Pettey and Wallace, Oma is listed without occupation, unusual as she would have been only 14, and Bettie is an employee at the Shelby Bisquit Company. They are all living at 30 East Iowa Street in Memphis. This would have been the year after Eugene's death. Bettie was obviously anxious to get away,

A Tin from Shelby Bisquit Company

Zilphia would remain as a Nurse in Memphis until at least 1925. Also a driven young woman, she would move to Denver, Colorado.

There, she would marry James L. Epley, at Pueblo, Colorado on November 21st, 1928. She would have actually been 30, not 28. James Leroy Epley was originally from Kansas. They would remain in Waveland, Bent County, Colorado for the remainder of their 15 year marriage.  Zilpha would pass away in 1943 at the young age of 45. Her husband, Leroy, would remarry, move to Oregon, and live another ten years. There were no children from either marriage.

Youngest daughter, Oma Elizabeth Head, remained in Memphis. She married James Elmore 'Emo' Mauzey in 1922. There would be one child, a daughter, Jean Elizabeth. Bettie would spend the remainder of her life living with Oma Elizabeth Mauzey in Memphis. After about 20 years of marriage, Oma would divorce Elmo. who worked as an Auto Mechanic and a plumber. He would remarry a woman named Olive, but Oma would not remarry. 

The 1950 census finds all three generations of women living together.  Bettie, 81, Oma, 47, and Jean, 16. Oma, 'Elizabeth' was working as a Mechanics Bookkeeper at a Tire Manufacturer. 

Martha Elizabeth Phillips Head passed away on November 15, 1957, at the age of 90. She was buried at Forest Hill Cemetery Midtown, Memphis, Tennessee.

Oma Elizabeth Head Mauzey died in 1994 at the age of 91 and is buried in the same cemetery. 

Bettie, we found you. Eugene, you are remembered.

William Palmer of Plymouth

Elizabeth Palmer, of Pilgrim origin, was also an ancestor of my son-in-law and grandson. She was the granddaughter of  William Palmer, a Nailer, from Sedbury, England,who arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1622, on the ship "The Fortune", which carried 35 passengers.


Elizabeth Palmer would have grown up as a Pilgrim in Plymouth Colony.


William Palmer the first is mention several times in the early records of the Colony.  In my early post, I mentioned that William Senior received two acres of land for arriving with young son, William Jr. and later, his wife, who arrived on the Ann, two years later, received one acre on Eel River. These allotments seem minuscule compared to the amounts of land granted to my Virginian ancestors who would migrate to North Carolina.

Glimpse into The Fortune

The Fortune was the second ship to arrive, after the Mayflower.  The following link contains a listing of the ships passengers.

Blog on The Fortune

The following photograph of the restored village, shows much what Plymouth would have looked like as the Williams resided there.







William Palmer is found in the Plymouth records a few times. In 1627, there was held a "Division of Cattle on May 22. William "the elder", his wife Frances and son William "the younger", are all mentioned in this document, in the seventh lot, along with Stephen Hopkins.

" “To this lott fell A Black weining Calfe to wch was aded the Calfe of this yeare to come of the Black Cow, wch pueing a bull they were to keepe it ungelt 5 yeares for common vse & after to make there best of it.  Nothing belongeth of thes too, for ye companye of ye first stock: but only half ye Increase. To this lott ther fell two shee goats: which goats they posses on the like terms which others doetheir cattell.”"

Also in 1627, he received a grant of 6 acres near  Reed Pond, an extention of Cold Spring Brook. Researchers have placed this location one half mile north of Plymouth Rock.






He sold this property in Oct of 1632 to John Holmes for 35 sterlings and was described as a house and 6 acres "adjoining to ye Reede Pond".

Prior to that in 1628, William Palmer signed a covenant with William Bassett and Samuel Fuller as Members of the Plymouth Colony of New England, and William Bradford, Capt. Miles Standish and Isaac Allerton and such others as they shall take as partners and undertakers with them on the other party.



In the first tax listing of Plymouth Colony, William Palmer was taxed 7 shilliings. His worth must have grown between 1632 and 1634, because in that year he was taxed 18 shillings and his son 9. At any rate, he was wealthy enough to have servants, at least four of them. In addition to the prior mentioned William Carvanyell, there were two other men and one female maid, at least.

In the following book:

Plymouth Colony, Its History & People, 1620-1691

 By Eugene Aubrey Stratton




It states that on July 23, 1633, William Mendlove was whipped for attempting "uncleaness" with Palmers maid and from running away from his master. Mendlove was also a servant of Palmer and was returned for a reward by Penwatechet, and Indian. This report is again found in this manner:

"being forcibly brought againe by Penwatechet, a Manomet Indian.” Suggesting that Mendlove had escaped previously. 

On August 15th of that same year, Robert Barker transferred his apprenticeship from John Thorpe, who had died, to William Palmer.

Will Palmer is listed as a debtor to Peter Brown deceased in the inventory of his propety taken in 1633 by Miles Standish and Will Brewster.

He is also listed as owing for a servant to John Thorp Carpenter in November of the same year in Carpenters estate records.

1633 was a busy year for Will Palmer. He finally got rid of the troublesome servant, William Mendlove.

• 23 July 1633: “Will Palmer sold the time of service he had in Will Mendloue to Richard Church, for & in consideracon of three pounds starling, to be paid in money or corne, in November next ensuing.”

 

William Palmer, among others, would moved to Duxbury. Some of the others were Miles Standish, Jonathan Brewster, Love Brewster, William Bassett, Steven Tracy and William Sprague.

After the move to Duxbury, William Palmer, the elder, was appointed along with Miles Standish, William Collier, Jonathan Brewster, and Steven Tracy, to lay out a highway to Duxbury in October of  1634. The highway may have failed to appear on time, as he was again called to court, on May 2, 1837 to be one of 12 jurors to set forth the highways around Plymouth, "Ducksborrow" and the "Eele River". In July, of 1837, they delivered their decision, that the highway from Plymouth to Duxbury would begin at the Jones River and pass through the property of Steven Tracy and Francis Sprague. From there, it would "cutt" between Spragues and William Bassett's orchard, to John Washburn's property to Will Palmer's gate. From there through Peter Brown's to Henry Howland's house, through a marsh to John Alden's, and then through a valley to the edge of Phillip DeNoy's farm and then onward to Edward Bumpass's then pass Roland Leyhornes' house and ending at Green's harbor.



These were not unheard of names. In 1634, William Palmer had sold a portion of his land on Eagles Next Creek to Edward Bumpass. A year later, John Washborne bought the lot, which is called "the lot that he had by William Palmer".  The remainder of the lot was sold in September, 1838, when Williams estate was being settled.

In May of 1837, William Palmer was a juror.

William signed his will on November 7, 1837. A week later, an inventory was taken of his estate.


 He maintained a close association with Stephen Hopkins. In 1837, the two friends would be arrested for drinking and partying, but William Palmer, who was fairly aged by this time, 54, which was considered far older in those days than it would be now, would not survive until trial.

Stratton's book reports, "Stephen Hopkins was presented by the Grand Jury for excessive drinking in his house by several men, including Old Palmer.....Widow Palmer and 'Palmer's man', were among the testifying witnesses." It occurred during the cold of January and William Palmer may have died of alcohol poisoning, or an accident arising from the event.






The following is William Palmer's Will.

William Palmer

PLYMOUTH COLONY WILLS AND INVENTORIES

On 2/12 Janry 1637/8, Francis Cooke was a member of the jury which tried the case of John and Elizabeth (Hodgkins) (Palmer) Willis against the executors of the estate of William Palmer, Sr. John Willis was quite visible in the early records. Not a great deal is known about William but he is with some frequency mentioned in early records.

[Vol. 1, fol. 28] A true Coppy of the last Will & testament Willm Palmer th elder proved before the Govnr and Assistants at a Court held the fourth of December in the thirteenth yeare of the Raigne of our Sovraigne Lord Charles by the grace of God of England Scotland ffrance and Ireland King Defender of the fayth &c 1637


I William Palmer of Ducksborrow Nayler being ill in body but of pfect memorie not knowing how nere I am to my death think good briefely to settle my estate, yet hope if God spare life to set downe thinges more perticulerly hereafter. In the meane tyme for the disposeing of my outward estate this is my will & Testament ffirst of all I ordaine my loveing frends mr Willm Bradford mr Edward Winslowe and mr Thomas Prince my Executrs.

Next of all whereas I have marryed a yeong weoman who is deare unto me I desire them to deale well wth her: but my desire is that my estate consisting of lands houseing goods chattells &c may be sould and turned into money, all but such of my mooveables as my Executrs aforesaid shall thinke meete to give her for her present comfort:

next my estate being wholly sould as afore my desire is that my wife may not have lesse then one third thereof. And if in case shee be wth child Then that one other third of my estate be prserved and improved by my Executrs for that child as myne heire.

And that if in case shee be not wth child Then I would have myne Executrs as in conscience they are pswaded out of the remaynder ofmy estate deale wth Rebecca my Grandchild and Moyses Rowly whom I love, but not so as to put it into their father or mothers hands but prserve it for them till they come to yeares of Discretion.

Next my Debts being payd I would have myne Executers to give somewhat to Stephen Tracy and somewhat towards the meeting house at Plymouth, also I would have yeong Rowly to be placed wth mr Partridge that hee might be brought up in the feare of God, and to that end if his father suffer it I give mr Partridg five pounds.

And if in case my sonne Henry or daughter Bridgitt be liveing if they Demaund it I give them fourty shillings a peece if they be liveing

That this is my Deede witnes my hand & Seale the seaventh of Novembr 1637
Witnesses hereunto The marke of
Thomas Burnes Wm Palmer
William Basset
It was the will of the Testator that his wyfe should bee ruled by her auncient mr Edward Winslow in her marriage if she looke to ptake in any pt of this estate otherwise not Also that John Willis have fourty shillings
Witnes
Thomas Burnes
William Basset
Thom Burnes sworne to this will the 4th Decembr 1637 at a Court of Assistants.
Wm Basset deposed to this will the 5th march 1637
Vid. Crt orders

p. 144
An exact Inventory of all the mooveablegoods of Willm Palmr thelder taken the XIIIth of Novembr 1637 by Jonathan Brewster Edmond Chaundler Willia Basset & John Willis 

The children of William Palmer have been determined as follows:

William Palmer and Margaret White Palmer, all born in England:
1) Henry, mentioned in his father's will. Stayed in England.
2) Bridget, mentioned in her father's will. Stayed in England. 
3) Sarah, not mentioned in her father's will, but her son Moses was. 
    Sarah marriend Henry Rowley. She probably died late in 1636. On March 7, 1653, Moses Rowley, grandson of William Palmer, recieved a cow that had been left to him in William's will. Thomas Prence, who was one of the overseers of William Palmer's will was involved in the transaction. 

It is thought that Sarah was the daughter of first wife Margaret because she did not come to Plymouth with William or with Francis.

William Palmer and Francis Blossom Palmer: 

4) William Palmer "the Younger". Came to America with his father on The Fortune. 

William Palmer and Mary Trine Palmer:

5) William Palmer, born June 27, 1634. It was not uncommon for children at this time to bear the same name as an older sibling, especially if they were half-siblings or the older sibling was deceased. 

The grandchild Rebecca, that is mentioned in the will is said to be daughter of  the elder William the Younger.