William D. Buckalew, born in Edgefield, SC, in 1795, immigrated to Chambers County, Alabama in 1830. Immigrating with the Bucklews were the families of Johns, Harts, Daniels, Grays and Culbreaths. The Buckalews settled in the Chambers County area known as Buckalew Mountains. (The significance of the Mountains may have been lost when Chambers County Lake was formed.) On December 13, 1852, William Dorsey Buckalew married Julia Ann Hart in Chambers County.
Their children were: William T., born July 23, 1855, in Cusseta, AL.; married Carrie Daniel April 8, 1880. A physician, he died in Blooming Grove, TX in 1925. Robert J., born January 6, 1859, in Cusseta, AL.; married Lilla Hart Dinkins January 12, 1888. Sallie, born January 1, 1861, in Cusseta, AL; married Thomas Jack, May 8, 1890. Mamie, born May 2, 1865, in Cusseta, AL; married John Willliams on January 14, 1893. Seaborn J., born February 3, 1868, in Cusseta, AL; married Edna Rice, February 1909, in Grapevine TX. An engineer, he graduated from Auburn and played on Auburn's first football team. Benjamin F., born October 23, 1872, in Cusseta, AL; married Harriet Whitaker on October 29, 1902. Marion Roby, born March 12, 1875, in Cusseta, AL; married Julia Ann Moore on October 23, 1901, in Lafayette, AL. Eva, born June 1877, in Cusseta, AL; married John T. Hart.
William Dorsey Buckalew followed agricultural pursuits in Chambers County; he was a man of sound reputation, a member of the Masonic fraternity and supporter of the Baptist church. During the War between the States he was connected with the Confederate mail service. He died in 1885.
Roby, the youngest of the five sons of William D. and Julia Ann Hart Buckalew, was only ten years old at the time of his father's death. He remained on the home farm until he was 21 years old. For one year afterward he served as a clerk in the country store of R.J. Combs and Co., near Lafayette. During this time he found himself well adapted for business, particularly along the lines requiring care, judgement, and accuracy, and then followed a course in business college at Lexington, KY.
With this preparation Roby entered the employ of the Bank of Lafayette, with which he continued for ten years. During six years of this period he not only filled a position of trust and responsibility in the bank, but served also as Treasurer of Chambers County. In 1906, when the Chambers County Bank was organized in Lafayette, he was made its first Cashier.
Roby was active in civic, school, and church affairs. He served as Treasurer of the Lafayette unit of Sons of Confederate Veterans. He was a deacon and Church Treasurer of the First Baptist Church of Lafayette. In 1918 he moved to Roanoke, Alabama, to accept the prestigious position of Cashier of the Roanoke Banking Company, at that time the largest bank in East Alabama.
On October 23, 1901, Roby married Julia Ann Moore, daughter of Anderson D. and Nancy Walker Moore, in Lafayette, Alabama. Julia Ann was born in Lafayette on May 23, 1879. Julia Ann died in Roanoke on June 13, 1938, and is buried in West View Cemetery, Lafayette, Chambers County. Marion Roby Buckalew died December 13, 1940, in Roanoke, and is buried next to Julia in West View Cemetery.
Marion Roby and Julia Ann Moore Buckalew had seven children. The first six were born in Lafayette, Chambers County. The youngest was born in Roanoke, Randolph County.
The children were: Vardaman Moore, born October 21, 1902; died in 1982, Mrion Roby, Jr., born July 6, 1905; resides at Merritts Island, FL. William Dorsey, born February 27, 1907; died in 1973. Juliette Ann Buckalew Forbes, born January 9, 1909; died in 1997. Meriwether Walker, born November 3, 1911; resides in Wilmington, DE. John Edwin, born August 18, 1918; resides in Van Buren, AR. Frances Pope Buckalew Henry, born March 21, 1921; resides in Bainbridge, GA.
The Heritage of Chambers Co AL Page 86 Contributed by Linda Brewer
Submitted by: Meriwether Walker Buckalew 7113 Society Dr., Claymont, DE 19703
