Amanuensis Monday: Family Letters, Part Five

 

April 10, 1936

Dear Bro;

 
I am sending you some material which I got from Mrs. Gibson of Emporia, Kan. about our ancestors.  I am going to Wichita Falls, Texas to-morrow to visit Albert Crenshaw.  Will stay over Sunday and come back Monday.

 

We have had a very dry and cold spring.  No rain to amount to anything since Jan. 1.  We have an Easter vacation of five days.  I am writing a few letters this morning and going to wash my car this afternoon.  Let me hear from you when any news breaks loose in the old stamping ground.  I got the young check.

 

                                                                                        your Bro.

                                                                                             Uncle Fuller
 

Hutchinson, Kansas

Feb. 29, 1932

Dear Mrs. Gibson

 

Isn't your husband head of the English Department at the State Normal?  I believe I studied English under professor Gibson during the summer of 1916, preparatory to securing my teachers certificate.

 

Would surely enjoy meeting you in person.  If nothing unforseen takes place, I hope to attend the conference  at Abilene.

 

I am decended from Alexander Doran, son of Robert Doran a native of Dublin Ireland.  The former born June 2, 1760 in Pennsylvania, moving to Rockingham County, Virginia, then to North Caroline and later to Carter County now Johnson County, Tennessee.  He married Elizabeth Lowry born 1757 in Washington county, Virginia, in 1781 -- (I know nothing further of her, but will try to get more information.  My cousin, Mrs. E. L. McDade is historian for Tennessee, and National Committee of some kind and regent of Tennessee chapter in Mountain City, Tennessee.  She can probably give me some information.)  Continuing with Alexander Doran's history.  He was an ensign in Battle of King's Mountain in Virginia line in 1780, died in 1814 in Carter county now Johnson county, Tennessee.  Their daughter, Rebecca Doran born 1796 died 1870, was married in 1817 to Richard Donnelly, born in 1790, died 1870.  Their daughter, Emoline Donnelly (my great grandmother) was born 1825, died 1900, married Roderick Randons Butler, born 1827, died 1902, Lieut. Colonel in Civil was in Federal Army from Tennessee (cousin of General Ben. H. Butler and U.S. Senator M.C. Butler of South Carolina.)  The former was U.S. Congressman for years in the legislature for ten years all together.  His father was George Butler, mother a Leach of Virginia.  He was born in Wythe County, Virginia 1827, died 1902.  Wish I could trace his history enough to get bar on that side.  Their son, my grandfather, Richard Hugh Butler, born 1847 died 1929, married Anna Ingrahm, born 1849, is still living, in 1868.  Their son, my father, Dr. James Clyde Butler, born 1871, died 1912, in 1895.  Her mother, Florence Leoitia Wills was a Wills.  I am in line for a bar on that side through Lewis Winsell, several of my cousins have joined through him.  Don't know the national numbers at present.

 

The history or war record of Alex. Doran will be found in Summers History of Southwest Virginia, page 854 - 857.

 

Quite a number of my relatives in Tennessee have descended from Alexander Doran.  Two of my Aunts, Inez and Dua Butler, national members 104171 and 160382 and I don't know the other numbers.

 

If any of this information helps you, I shall be glad, and if I can help you any further I will be glad to do so, as I was born and reared in Mountain City and know all these people quite well.

                                                  Sincerely yours,

                                                       Bonnie Lon Butler Fry

                                                       (Mrs. Fry)

   

Tulsa, Oklahoma

March 29, 1934

Dear Mrs. Gibson;

 

I am trying to trace my husbands ancestors, and he is a descendant of Alexander Doran born in 1760.  I am wondering if this is your ancestor also.

 

Here is what information and data I have gathered concerning this Alexander Doran.  He was born in 1760 January 28, in Morris County, N.J.  He enlisted as private in Captain Thomas Reading's company in March 1776.  In 1781 he and his father moved to Hampshire County, Virginia.  In 1836 he resided in neighborhood of Hanging Rock, Va.  He married Sarah Reed in 1791, but I can find no records for her, and believe she died soon after their marriage.  He had a son Joseph Doran who married Luce Fry in 1827.  Joseph and Lucy Fry Doran had son Benjamin Franklin Doran who married Lucy Daniels.  Their daughter Lula Doran is my husband's mother.  I notice in my record's where Elizabeth Doran, daughter of Alexander Doran married a Joseph Smith, and you have in your record that Elizabeth Doran married a Caleb Smith.  I feel sure these lines are the same.  I do not know where Alexander Doran was buried.  There is a possibility that this Alexander married Sarah Reed first, then your Elizabeth Lowry.

 

I would be very happy to learn who the father of Alexander was and more about his ancestors.  We have in our family and old Bible from which I have dates of all Alexander's children and marriages which followed.

 

I myself am a DeHaven descendant, and if you are a descendant of Updegraft there is an all probability a mutual relationship between you and as well as my husband.  Do you have any DeHavens records?  I am only able to trace back to Edward DeHaven born 1757 in Montgomery City, Pa.  He married Rebecca Johnson of Breckenridge County, Ky.  I have a wealth of material concerning the first two generations of DeHavens, Inderhaven, Updegrave and Updegraft; but am unable to connect my Edward DeHaven.  He was probably the grandson of Peter and Sidonia Levering DeHaven, making Jacob Updegraft his uncle.

 

I could go on indefinately about my lines, but it is the Doran lineage I am anxious to establish.

 

Hoping to hear from you in the near future, I am

                                                              yours sincerely,

                                                                    Mrs. E. F. James

P.S.  There is a William Doran still living in Bunceton, Missouri,

4147 South Norfolk

Tusa, Oklahoma

 

Emporia, Kansas

March 19, 1936

My dear Mr. Doran;

 
You were kind and considerate to write me, not to send you duplicate data.  I am, however, enclosing some letters and should like to have you read them and see whether you can straighten the Alexanders out.  I felt that they must be two different menmen but it is surely confusing the way facts pertaining to our Alexander are a part of the life of the other.  I do not see how our Alexander could have served in Washington's staff, or lived in W. Va.  Several years ago I wrote again to Paul Doran asking him to give his version of the truths of the matter, but had no reply.
 
I am hoping to have a chance to spend time enough in Topeka to copy all the Lowry and Doran data in the Annals of Southwest Virginia, -- I had so little time before, just enough to get a part of the Doran data.  I found that it is very inadaquately indexed and that means going through all of it and spending much time.
 
Some years ago I had the complete text of John Lowry's will copied by the clerk in Staunton and am enclosing a typed copy since you may not have it.  I have tried to copy it exactly as sent to me but wonder if some of the spelling is not due to mistakes in typing.  In a note accompanying the copy of the will, the clerk stared that the land mentioned in the will was part of the great Borden tract and was situated in the present Rockbridge county -- taken from Augusta Co. in 1778.
 
If you ever pass through here, I hope that you will arrange to stop.  We should have some interesting subjects in discussion.
 
Please return the letters at your leisure.  Keep the copy of the will.  I have had inquiries of a Peter Doran, of Shirkshinny, Luzeren County, Penn. abt 1840 to 1845, but know nothing of him.
                                                                    Sincerely,

                                                                         Lula Gibson