**Great paternal Granduncle/aunt of Eula Claudine Reed
Benjamin Hiram Kennedy:
Parents: Hiram T. Kennedy & Sarah Jane DeWeese
Born: May 22, 1845 (Butler County, Kentucky)
Died: January 7, 1900 (Cunningham, Texas)
Buried: Woodward Cemetery (Lamar County, Texas)
Nancy “Nannie” Jane Wilcox (spouse):
Parents: Jacob D. Wilcox & Elizabeth Ann Miller ?
Born: About 1849 (Texas)
Married: October 29, 1868 (Hopkins County, Texas)
Died: July 21, 1950 (unknown)
Buried: Unknown (unknown)
Children:
- None.
Genealogical Sketch:
On May 22, 1845, Benjamin Hiram Kennedy was born in Butler County, Kentucky.[1] On December 29, 1845, the Republic of Texas was annexed into the United States setting the stage for the Mexican War the following year (1846). With Texas now part of the U.S., he moved with his parents “by ox wagons” for nearly two months from Butler County (Kentucky) over 650 miles west to Harrison County (Texas). In 1846, they reportedly settled three miles east of the town of Marshall, about 20 west of the border of Texas and Louisiana.[2]
- Although many researchers believe his name was Benjamin Franklin Kennedy, he was referred to as Benjamin Hiram Kennedy in “Elzora Bell and Alex Watson and all related families” compiled by Cassie Watson Cook.
According to the 1850 Federal Census, the 8 year-old B. F. Kennedy was living with his parents in household #758 of Harrison County, Texas. Born in Kentucky, B. F. Kennedy was living with his 39 year-old father H. (Hiram) Kennedy (farmer), his 37 year-old mother S. (Sarah) Kennedy, his 15 year-old sister L.E. (Lucinda Elizabeth) Kennedy, his 13 year-old brother P. M. (Pierson Miller) Kennedy, his 11 year-old brother J. M. (Jim Newton) Kennedy, his 10 year-old brother Will Kennedy, his 3 year-old sister S. J. (Sarah Jane) Kennedy, and his one month-old sister M. E. (Mary Ellen) Kennedy. Also living in the same household was the 40 year-old M. L. Kennard and his 27 year-old wife M. A. Kennard (possibly the aunt of B. F. Kennedy). With exception of the two youngest siblings (S. J. & M. E. who were born in Texas), his parents and her older siblings were born in Kentucky. A farmer, M. L. Kennard was born in South Carolina and M. A. Kennard was born in Kentucky.
Sometime around 1855-1857, Benjamin Hiram Kennedy moved with his family 130 miles to Lamar County (Texas) where his father built a home near “Bushy Creek and Sulphur River“.[3]
It is unclear where, if at all, Benjamin Hiram Kennedy and his family were listed in the 1860 Federal Census. It is possible he was the 14 year-old B. F. Kennedy listed as living in household #225 in Precinct #1 of Lamar County, Texas. Born in Kentucky, this B. F. Kennedy was living with his 51 year-old father H. T. Kennedy (farmer), his 49 year-old mother S. L. Kennedy, his 19 year-old brother W. M. Kennedy (farmer), and his 10 year-old sister Ja(?) (Jane?) Kennedy. The parents and brother were born in Kentucky; and the sister was born in Texas. However, his sister Sarah Jane Kennedy would have been 13 years-old (not 10 years-old as listed) and his three younger siblings (Mary Ellen, Cassandra & George) along with his older brother Jim Newton Kennedy (born 1839) were not listed (see cropped image from census below).
- Living nearby in neighboring Hopkins County was the brother of Benjamin Hiram Kennedy, the 29 year-old Parson M. Cannady. Born in Kentucky, Parson M. Cannady was a laborer on the farm and was living with his 19 year-old wife Louisa Cannady. Born in Kentucky, Louisa Cannady was the daughter of Jacob and Eliza Wilcox.
Although there are no Confederate military records, according to the Kennedy family tradition Benjamin Hiram Kennedy joined the his father’s Confederate company (Company C of Col. DeMorse’s 29th Texas Cavalry) after his 18th birthday (see newspaper article below):
THE PARIS NEWS, June 11, 1935 (“Backward Glances” column)
“Horse carried Father and Son in War”
“Leaving their home in Harrison County in the state that grows fast horses , pretty women, and blue grass, Mr. Kennedy and his wife and their children traveled in ox wagons to Lamar County. They were Jim, Miller, Ben, George, Ellen, Lucinda and Cassie. After nearly two months slow travel, they reached Lamar County and Mr. Kennedy settled on a tract near Brushy Creek and Sulfur River. Here he built a shack and began clearing land and farming, increasing his farm acreage each year as the frost felled. Deer, turkeys and other small game were abundant so there was plenty of food and the family fared as as well as did others of those early days. Then the war between the sections began. After a while, the father of the family decided that it was his duty to go with his neighbors into the army that fought for a principle and mounting his horse, a little brown pony call Choc, he rode away, trusting his family to carry on the work of making a home while he was gone…”
“…In 1864, young Ben Kennedy, who had reached his eighteenth year, decided he, too, would take part in the war and joined his father on the battlefront. The father’s enlistment, having expired. He returned to his family and turning his horse over to his son, he came back to Texas and resumed his work. Ben Kennedy rode the horse to the end of the war and when the roar of the cannon and the rattle of muskets ceased, he turned his face to home, still riding the faithful little horse. He reached Bushy Creek at night. There had been heavy rains and the water was wide and deep. Fearing the horse would not make it, Ben tied him to a sapling elm and slipping into the water, swam the creek and was reunited with his parents and brothers and sisters. The next day when the water had subsided, he brought his horse across.”
“…That was seventy years ago. Hiram Kennedy has long since gone to his reward…The old log house that Hiram built still stands…and the elm sapling to which Ben tied his horse has grown into a veritable monarch of the forest.” (see below)
The Paris News (Paris, Texas) dated June 11, 1935, Page 4.
On October 29, 1868, B. H. Kennedy married Nancy J. Wilcox in Hopkins or Red River County, Texas.[4] Nancy “Nannie” Jane Wilcox was the daughter of Jacob D. Wilcox and his wife Elizabeth Ann Wilcox. The sister of Nancy “Nannie” Wilcox (Louisa Wilcox) had married the brother of Benjamin Kennedy (Pierson Miller Kennedy) ten years earlier in 1858. Her niece (Eliza Ann Fields) would later marry another brother of Benjamin Kennedy (Jim Newton Kennedy) in 1874.
According to the 1880 Federal Census, the 25 year-old Benjamin Canedy was a farmer living in household #461 in Precinct #7 of Lamar County, Texas. Born in Kentucky, Benjamin Canedy was living with his 31 year-old wife Nancy Canedy, and his 9 year-old nephew Thomas Wilcox. Both Nancy Canedy and Thomas Wilcox were born in Texas.
- Living in the preceding household (#460) was the brother of Benjamin Kennedy, the 41 year-old James Canaday. Born in Kentucky, James Canaday was a farmer living with his 21 year-old wife Eliza Canady, his 4 year-old son William Canaday, and an unnamed 4 month-old infant Canaday (all born in Texas). Both of the parents of James Canady were born in Kentucky as was the mother of Eliza Canady (her father was born in Tennessee);
- Living in the preceding household (#459) was the widowed mother of Benjamin Kennedy, the 66 year-old Sallie Canaday. Born in Kentucky, Sallie Canaday lived alone and both her parents were born in Virginia;
- Living in the preceding household (#458) was the brother of Benjamin Kennedy, the 24 year-old George Canaday. Born in Texas, George Canaday was a farmer living with his 18 year-old wife Mary Canaday, and his 6 month old son Benjamin Canaday (both born in Texas);
- Living close by in household #469 was the sister of Benjamin Kennedy, the 32 year-old Sarrah Diton. Born in Texas, Sarrah Diton was sick (“new Nalya”?) living with her 32 year-old husband Laron Diton (farmer), her 6 year-old son William Diton, her 4 year-old daughter Beckey Diton, her 12 year-old daughter Sarrah Owns, and a 26 year-old hired-hand James Fubs (all born in Texas).
Picture of Ben Kennedy from “Elzora Bell and Alex Watson and all related families” compiled by Cassie Watson Cook.
Although the never had any children of their own, Benjamin Hiram Kennedy and his wife Nancy “Nannies” Kennedy took in their 5 year-old niece (Izoria “Zora” M. Kennedy) after her father (Benjamin’s brother Jim Newton Kennedy) died in 1889. They raised their niece as their own daughter. Zora Kennedy lived with them until she married William Westbrook on July 17, 1901.[5]
According to the 1900 Federal Census, the 51 year-old Nancy Kenedy owned a farm (household #361) in Precinct #7 of Lamar County, Texas. Born in Texas, Nancy Kenedy was a farmer living with her 15 year-old niece Zora Kenedy (daughter of Jim Newton & Eliza Ann Kennedy) and a 21 year-old servant Ed Ladd (farm laborer). Both of the parents of Nancy Kenedy were born in Kentucky. Zora Kenedy was born in Texas (Nov 1884) as was Ed Ladd (Jan 1879).
- Living close by in household #363 was the sister-in-law and niece of Nancy “Nannie” Kennedy, the 41 year-old Eliza A. Skidmoore. Born in Texas, Eliza A. Skidmoore was living with her 48 year-old second husband Thomas A. Skidmoore (farmer), her 7 year-old daughter Dona Skidmoore, her 5 year-old son Reuse Skidemoore, her 4 year-old son Mitchel Skidemoore, her two year-old son Dempsy Skidemoore, and her 4 month-old son Jessee Skidemoore. Thomas A. Skidmoore and all the children were born in Texas;
- Living in the preceding household (#360) was the nephew of Nancy “Nannie” Kennedy, the 29 year-old Thomas Wilcox. Born in Texas, Thomas Wilcox (James Thomas Wilcox) was a farmer living with his 26 year-old wife Mary Wilcox (married 8 years). Mary Wilcox was the daughter of Thomas A. Skidmoore and his first wife Vaginia (died April 19, 1888);
- Living the preceding household (#359) was the nephew of Nancy “Nannie” Kennedy, the 39 year-old John Sheppard. Born in Texas, John Sheppard was a farmer living wit his 45 year-old wife Eliza W. Sheppard, and his 21 year-old nephew Arthur Reed** (farm laborer). Eliza W. Sheppard was born in Arkansas and Arthur Reed** was born in Texas;
- Living close by in household #357 was the brother-in-law of Nancy “Nannie” Kennedy, the 44 year-old George Washington Kennedy. Born in Texas, George Washington Kenedy was a farmer living with his 38 year-old wife Mary Kenedy, his 20 year-old son Benjamin E. Kenedy, his 17 year-old son Daniel Kenedy, his 14 year-old daughter Sena Kenedy, his 12 year-old daughter Viola Kenedy, his 10 year-old son George L. Kenedy, his 8 year-old son David H. Kenedy, his 5 year-old daughter Ollie D. Kenedy, his 3 year-old son Marion F. Kenedy, his one year-old daughter Mary S. D. Kenedy, and his 59 year-old widowed mother-in-law Desire Malene. Mary Kenedy and her children were born in Texas; her mother was born in Illinois.
In 1904, the Nannie Kennedy married B. F. (Frank) Davis in Lamar County, Texas.[6] It is not known what happened to Nancy “Nannie” Davis after 1904.
Gravestones:
Benjamin H. Kennedy is buried in the Woodard Cemetery in the rural unincorporated community of Minter in Lamar County, Texas. The cemetery is located on County Road 16120, about 6.4 miles north of the town of Cunningham. Other relatives buried in the small cemetery included his brother George Washington Kennedy and his sister Cassandra “Cassie” Bell.
Photo of the headstone for Benjamin Kennedy provided by Mary Hall Ferguson (findagrave.com).
[1] Elzora Bell and Alex Watson and all related families compiled by Cassie Watson Cook, Page 118.
[2] “Hiram Kennedy, Preacher and Soldier“, The Paris News (Paris Texas), February 28, 1935, Page 6; “Horse Carried Father and Son to War” The Paris News (Paris, Texas) dated June 11, 1935, Page 4.
[3] “Hiram Kennedy, Preacher and Soldier“, The Paris News (Paris Texas), February 28, 1935, Page 6; “Horse Carried Father and Son to War” The Paris News (Paris, Texas) dated June 11, 1935, Page 4.
[4] Elzora Bell and Alex Watson and all related families compiled by Cassie Watson Cook, Page 118; Texas Marriage Index (1824-2014); Texas Select County Marriage Index (1837-1965).
[5] Elzora Bell and Alex Watson and all related families compiled by Cassie Watson Cook, Page 117.
[6] Texas Select County Marriage Index (1837-1965); Elzora Bell and Alex Watson and all related families compiled by Cassie Watson Cook, Page 118.
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