MARBUT FAMILY
JOHANNES MEERBOTT (Meerbol'dt), aka Bott, Marbut, Marbet, Marbot,
Marpot, Marpurt, etc., was born 24 July 1756 in Hochstadt, Hessen-Hanau,
Germany. He was the son of Johann Philipp Meerbott (b. 17 Sept. 1719) and
Anna Margarita Kappes. His grandparents were Johaan Casper Meerbott
(b.1681) and Anna Margaretha Schales. His great grandfather was Anton
Meerbott (b.1655). These all lived in the same region near Frankfurt,
Germany.
According to family legend JOHANNES MEERBOTT was early trained as a
shoemaker but later indentured himself to an auger maker in his hometown
of Hanau. He saved enough money to buy passage to America, arriving in
Philadelphia in the fall of 1784.
(I have recently discovered that Johannes Meerbott came to America as a
mercenary soldier to fight for the British in the Revolutionary War. Such
troops were known as Hessians and are well documented in History. He
landed in Quebec in June of 1776, was captured in October of 1777, held
prisoner at Winterhill, Mass. for a little over a year and was then
marched with other captives to Charlottesville, Virginia where he arrived
in January of 1779. He remained in prison until October 1782 when he
indentured himself to work out his capture. May 12, 1783 a prisoner
exchange took place. Johannes was one of about 5,000 prisoners who chose
to remain in America.)
In 1784 JOHANNES hired himself to a Quaker family, JOSHUA and ANNE INMAN,
from Lancaster County Pennsylvania. The agreement was
that he was to work for them for a certain period of time and would be
given a parcel of land and a mule. After about a year he eloped with the
Inman's daughter, SARAH, and moved to South Carolina in the spring of
1787. Since SARAH married "out of the faith" she was "shunned" by her
Quaker family.
JOHANNES MEERBOTT and his wife SARAH settled in the Bush River District
of Newberry County South Carolina where they soon prospered. Newberry
County S.C. deed records show that JOHN MARBERT purchased several tracts
of land, some from his father-in-law JOSHUA INMAN who appears to have
followed his daughter and son-in-law to South Carolina. (From 1770 until
1822 the largest Monthly Meetings of Quakers in South Carolina were held
at Bush River. The Inmans were a part of these meetings.)
On 3 November 1807 JOHANNES petitioned to become a citizen of the United
States of America. His naturalization papers give his name as JOHN
MARPURT. (Various spellings of his name can be found in early documents
but MARBUT came to be the predominant one.) His seven children born at
that time are listed.
When JOHN MARBUT came to America he brought with him a German Psalmster
dated 1758 in which he recorded his marriage to SARAH (2 April 1787) and
the names and birth dates of each of their children. (Some of the earlier
entries are in German, the latter are in English.) Also an Old Bible has
been used to compile family names and dates as well as the will of JOHN
MARBUT.
Here are the children of JOHN and SARAH MARBUT all born in Bush River
District, Newberry County South Carolina:
1. Joshua Marbut: Born 26 March 1788, married Sarah Longshore 18
February 1808, died 27 February 1863, buried in Conyers Cemetery, Newton,
Georgia.
2. Martha Mathilda "Polly" Marbut: Born 1 Feb. 1791, married Henry
Hendrix 1807/8, died 19 Dec. 1859, buried Liberty Cemetery, Rogersville
Lauderdale County Alabama.
3. JOHN MARBUT: Born 4 October 1794, married ANN THOMAS 30 July
1811, died 28 March 1840, buried Gilbert Cemetery in Giles County Tenn.
4. Phillip Marbut: Born 8 May 1797, married Euodias Thomas (Sister of
Ann) 27 Feb. 1816, died 24 Dec. 1889, buried in Carlton Cemetery in
Verona, Missouri.
5. Daniel Marbut: Born 24 Dec. 1799, married Delphia Spillers 4 June
1818, died 5 Feb. 1857 in Abbeville District S.C.
6. Elizabeth "Billy" Marbut: Born 21 June 1802, married David Boozer
abt 1820, died abt 1824, buried Smyra, Newberry, S.C.
7. Michael M. Marbut: Born 3 Feb/Oct. 1805, married 1. Rebecca
Griffin bef. 1830, 2. Sarah abt 1850, died aft. 1870 in Chattanooga,
Hamilton County Tenn.
8. Sarah "Sally" Marbut: Born 27 Nov. 1808, married George R. Gibson
25 Nov. 1825.
The will of JOHN MARBUT I, was approved 22 September 1823 and recorded in
Newberry, S.C. 11 May 1825. His death probably occurred sometime between
these two dates. He left tracts of land ranging from 50 to 100 acres to
each of his children except the last two daughters to whom he willed a
Negro boy and a Negro woman and child. A Negro man named Amos was left to
John's wife Sarah until her death and was then to be sold and the proceeds
to be divided among the eight children.
Sarah Inman Marbut (born abt 1761) died in 1836. Both John and Sarah are
buried in Newberry S.C. but just where is not known.
JOHN MARBUT, II
JOHN MARBUT, II was born 4 October 1794 in Bush River District,
Newberry County South Carolina. He was the son of JOHN MARBUT, I and
SARAH INMAN MARBUT. On 30 July 1811 he married ANN THOMAS, daughter of
NATHAN and MARY THOMAS, born abt 1795 in Newberry County S. C.
Sometime between 1833 and 1836 JOHN MARBUT and his family left South
Carolina by wagon. Eight weeks later they arrived at Limestone Creek near
Mooresville, Alabama. There his brother Phillip, who had migrated to that
region sometime earlier, met him and brought John and his family to a
place near Kedron in south Giles County Tennessee. This place was called
Marbuts for many years thereafter.
Martha Marbut Hendrix and family, having arrived in Limestone County
Alabama aboard two flat bottom boats, via the Tennessee River, on 29
December 1836, joined her two brothers in Tennessee. Two days after her
arrival Martha wrote to her brothers and sisters remaining in South
Carolina telling of their difficult eight weeks journey and describing
their newfound land.
On the back of Martha's letter was another by Phillip Marbut asking that
his portion from the sale of Amos, the Negro man willed by JOHN MARBUT, I
to his wife SARAH until her death, be sent to him by Stephen Davenport. On
the same day JOHN MARBUT, II gave power of attorney to the same Stephen
Davenport to receive his share of the estate of his "father John Marbot
deceased" and his mother "Sarah Marbot having died and the said Negro man
Amos having been sold." On 25 January 1837 Stephen Davenport received
from "Joshua Morbot and Daniel Morbot" executors, JOHN MARBUT and Phillip
Marbut's share of $101.91 each. Apparently the other children, including
Martha Hendrix, had already received their part in South Carolina.
The children of JOHN MARBUT, II and ANN THOMAS MARBUT were all born in
Bush River District, Newberry County South Carolina, except the last, who
was born in Giles County Tennessee.
1. Mary Marbut: Born 28 August 1812, married John Hendrix 23 December
1830.
2. Daniel Francis Lihu Marbut: Born 12 May 1814, married Matilda
Hendrix abt 1837, died 23 August 1894 in Giles County Tennessee.
3. Dempsey Marbut: Born 10 December 1815; died bef. 1820 in Newberry,
S.C.
4. Thomas Marbut: Born October 1817, died bef. 1820 in Newberry, S.C.
5. Martha Marbut: 28 November 1819, died bef. 1830.
6. Joshua Marbut: Born 29 January 1822, died bef. 1830.
7. David Marbut: Born 3 February 1823, died bef. 1830.
8. Henry Marbut: Born 5 April 1824, died bef. 1830.
9. John Adams Marbut: Born 17 April 1825, married Elizabeth
Longshore/Sanders abt. 1845, died 20 June 1900, buried in Gilbert
Cemetery, Giles County Tenn.
10. Sarah Ann Marbut: Born 28 October 1827, married James A. Morgan
abt. 1845, died 7 July/November 1915 in Anderson, Alabama.
11. James Garner Marbut: Born 15 December 1829, married Mary Prince
abt. 1851, died 1 July 1901, buried in Minor Hill, Tennessee.
12. Philip Frances Marbut: Born 28 December 1831, married Martha Ann
Bassham, died in Civil War May 1862 in Richmond, Virginia.
13. Eodus Everline Marbut: Born 1 October 1833, married Peterson
McGill in 1850/51, died 1870 in childbirth of daughter named Oda.
14. ELUISE/LOUISA CAROLINE MARBUT: Born 23 January 1836 Giles County
Tennessee, married 1. James F. Thomas abt 1854, 2. William Henry Long 19
August 1869, died 30 May 1918, buried in Mitchell Cemetery, Lauderdale
County Alabama.
JOHN MARBUT II died 28 March 1840/24 October 1849, being killed by a
horse. His wife Ann Thomas Marbut died 12 July 1859. Both are buried in
Gilbert Cemetery Giles County Tennessee.
ELUISE/LOUISA CAROLINE MARBUT
ELUISE/LOUISA CAROLINE MARBUT was born 23 January 1836 in Giles County
Tennessee, married JAMES F THOMAS abt 1854. Children
born to LOUISA and JAMES F THOMAS:
1. COLUMBUS LAFAYETTE THOMAS: Born 25 September 1855 in Giles County
Tennessee, married DOVEY MORIER IOWAY WHITE 28 January 1879, died 11 March
1884 in Giles County Tenn. and was buried in Oxford Cemetery.
2. David "Dave" Silas Wilbur Thomas: Born 2 June 1858 in Giles County
Tenn., married Martha Ann White (niece of DOVEY) 29 January 1879, died 17
August 1916 and was buried at Minor Hill, Tennessee.
3. Bettie Jim Thomas: Born 1 April 1861 in Giles County Tennessee,
married Nathan Anderson Warren 22 January 1882, died 21 October 1911 and
was buried in Oak Grove Cemetery in Giles County Tennessee.
JAMES F THOMAS died 13 March 1862 in a hospital while a soldier in the
Confederate States Army. His widow, LOUISA CAROLINE THOMAS, filed
affidavits to receive his personal items and "Twenty One Dollars and
Seventy Five Cents" due him from the army. JAMES F THOMAS is reportedly
buried in Samuel Jackson Cemetery on Salem Road in Giles County Tennessee
in an unmarked grave.
LOUISA CAROLINE THOMAS married William Henry Long 19 August 1869. To this
union were born three children:
1. Infant Long, born 12 October 1870.
2. William Henry Long, Jr. born 28 March 1873, married Mollie
Bullington, died November 1957, buried Minor Hill Tennessee They left no
issue.
3. Dempsy Long, born 2 March 1877, married 1. Belle Cowan, 2. Zilphy
Rogers, died 19 April 1968, fathered eight children by his first wife and two by second.
The 1870 census lists the three children of JAMES F and LOUISA C THOMAS
living with DAVID and MARY E THOMAS.
LOUISA CAROLINE THOMAS died 30 may 1918 and was buried in Mitchell
Cemetery, Lauderdale County Alabama.
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Researcher's Note: My first information on the Marbut Family came from Sue
Davis, Minor Hill, TN; then "Marbut Family Records...copied by Attorney
Flournoy Rivers of Giles County, Tennessee, in 1898..."; "Letter by Sallie
Evelyn Davenport McLemore" printed in Limestone (Al.) Legacy -- Vol. 4, No.
1, Oct. 1981, p. 28,30; South Carolina Naturalizations 1783-1850, by Brent H.
Holcomb; Ancestry and Roots Web; and Johannes Schwalm Historical Association,
Inc.
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