John Smith Lavender

After the death of David Lavender of Newberry County, SC, in 1826, his children needed a guardian. Robert Mars, who was husband of David's sister Sarah Lavender Mars/Marrs, was named guardian in 1830.

"The State of South Carolina. To His Honor, William Nelson, Ordinary in and for the District of Newberry.

The humble petition of Robert Mars shewith that William Lavender (a minor of the age of choice), John Lavender, Hugh Lavender, Mary Ann Lavender, Robert Smith Lavender (minors under the age of choice) are entitled to a considerable estate which on account of their minority they are unable to manage -- Wherefore your petitioner prays that he may be appointed the guardian both of the persons and estates of the aforesaid infants. Caldwell & Fair, pro petitioners.

I, Elenor Lavender, the mother of John, Hugh, Mary Ann and Robert Smith Lavender, the within named minors under the age of choice, do hereby consent tot he appointment of the within mentioned Robert Mars as guardian of the aforesaid minors.

This 4 December, 1830 Elender X Lavender, her mark attest Smith Lavender" filed in the Court of Ordinary, Newberry
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John S. Lavender took out Land Patents in Alabama in 1858:

• LAVENDER, JOHN S 6/1/1858 30444 AL St Stephens Twp 24N Range 2E NW¼NE¼ 8 Greene
• LAVENDER, JOHN S 6/1/1858 30444 AL St Stephens Twp 24N Range 2E SW¼NW¼ 9 Greene

He had also bought several plots in T24 R2E, Greene Co., from their original / previous owners. Much of the acreage was mortgaged in 1870 to gain cash for attempting to make a crop of corn and cotton that year. The mortgage in the Deed Book (Greene County, Book Z) was never marked "satisfied." J.S. continued to place liens on his anticipated crops every year through 1873; the last one (1873) was never marked "satisfied," either. J.S. died in 1874.

Children of JOHN SMITH LAVENDER and JULIA ANN FRANCES LAVENDER (she was John's first cousin) are:

1. MARY E. LAVENDER, b. 1838, Alabama; d. Aft. 1894.
2. MARGARET A. LAVENDER, b. 1841, Greene Co., AL; d. Bet. 1879 & 1894, Mississippi. [In probate papers for the estate of Eleanor Lavender, she is listed in two separate places as Margaret E. Bolton.] Not on 1860 census with her parents.
3. ANN E. LAVENDER, b. 1844, Mantua area, AL; d. Aft. 1894; m. MORRIS MCDANIEL, Bef. November 1876; d. Aft. 1894.
4. INDIANA (JANE J.) LAVENDER, b. 1848, Mantua area, AL; d. before 1894 (when her grandfather's estate was probated)
5. [ROBERT S. LAVENDER]
6. ALICE LAVENDER, b. 1853, Alabama; d. Bef. 1870.
7. ARABELLA (BELLE) C. LAVENDER, b. b. Abt 1854 (June 1856?), Mantua area, Pickens County, Alabama; d. Aft. 1894.
8. MARTHA S. (OR C.) (MATTIE) LAVENDER, b. Abt. 1855, Mantua area, Pickens County, Alabama; d. Bet. 1897 & 1898, Panola County, MS.
9. FRANCES (FANNIE) D. LAVENDER, b. 1858, Mantua area, Pickens County, Alabama; d. Aft. 1894; m. C. M. HUDSON, Unknown; b. Unknown; d. Aft. 1894.
10. ELIZA MALISSA LAVENDER, b. Aft. 1860 census (10 in 1870 census, taken July); d. Bet. 1879 & 1894.
11. ADELINE "MAHALA" LAVENDER, b. 1863, Mantua area, Pickens County, Alabama; d. Aft. 1894; m. E. W. ODOM, Aft. 1879; b. Unknown; d. Aft. 1894.

In the 1840 census, John S. Lavender lives in Pickens Co., Southern Dist., with 1 female age 0-5, and his wife Julia Ann. He had 1 male and 4 female slaves.

In the 1850 US Census for Pickens County-Southern Division, Alabama (later Greene County), John Smith Lavender:

• Household Gender Age Birthplace
• John S Lavender M 34 South Carolina
• Julia Ann Frances Lavender F 29 South Carolina
• Mary E Lavender F 12 Alabama
• Margaret A Lavender F 9 Alabama
• Ann E Lavender F 6 Alabama
• Jane J Lavender F 2 Alabama [this was Indiana J. Lavender]
• B F Gamell M 27 Alabama (b. 1823) [mistranscribed; his correct age, per the image, is 27]. Julia Ann Lavender's uncle or cousin; her mother was Mary Ann Gammill. Benjamin F Gammill was a Private in Company E, Mississippi 7th Infantry Regiment (Index to Compiled Confederate Military Service Records, via Ancestry.com). B.F. Gammill appears in Mississippi Marriages, 1889, Choctaw Co., MS.

In the 1850 US Census / Slave Schedule for Alabama, Pickens County-Southern Division: 3 slaves, ages given but no names.

In 1860 census for Pleasant Grove, Southern District, Pickens Co., AL (later Greene County) John S. Lavender lives next to his mother Eleanor/Elender and his deaf brother, William.

In 1870 for Mantua Beat, Greene County, Household #208. His mother and brother comprised Household #215.

In the Estate papers of John Smith Lavender, his brother William (the deaf person) had already died. In an October 13, 1873 document, John S. is listed as brother and heir to William, and as living in Greene County. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9RT2-2ZV?mode=g&cc=197...

Death notice in he Tuscaloosa Gazette (April 23, p. 3) states that he died on April 9 near Mantua.

John Smith Lavender's widow, Julia Ann Frances, presented a bill for J.S.'s services performing farm labor during summer 1873 for his brother William Lavender (called "Senior"), and was paid $31.30 in Oct. 1876, when William Lavender's estate was being settled.

Estate of John S. Lavender was probated in Greene County, Ala. in 1879. It is mis-indexed as John I. He had been declared insolvent in 1878 and his 280 acres of "poor land, hilly and broken, part of which is tillable" near Mantua (Township 24, Range 2E) sold for 50c per acre. He also owed $40 for rent on land owned by Ben Howards. Virgil Snoddy testified before a probate judge that John S. Lavender died on or about April 9, 1874. John Smith Lavender's widow was said to have "removed to Mississippi and since died," and most of his children had removed to Mississippi as well, locations unknown. [See in MEDIA].