HOUSTON Genealogy of Robeson co. NC and Smith co. MS

I am researching the HOUSTON/HUSTON/HUESTON family of Robeson co. NC. I am descended from John F. HOUSTON Jr., who was from Robeson co. NC but moved with his family to Mississippi.

Robeson county lies on the swampy North Carolina coastal plain on the border with South Carolina. European settlers included Scottish Highlanders migrating from South Carolina, Welsh, and some French. The county seat, Lumberton, was founded in 1787 and sits alongside the Lumber river.

In the 1790 Robeson co. NC census, there appears a Daniel HOUSTON with 5 whites males under 16 years of age residing in his household. My John HOUSTON Sr. may be a son of this Daniel HOUSTON.

1840 Robeson co. NC census
John HUESTON
1 male 10-15: John, Jr.
1 male 15-20: William
1 male 50-60: John, Sr.
1 female 5-10: Emily
1 female 15-20: Charity
1 female 40-50: Chloe

In November 1840, a John HOUSTON appears on the Committee for the Robeson co. NC 39th District school board. I believe he may be identical to this John HUESTON.

From the NC Marriage Bonds, the following marriage is recorded:
Erick Leggitt HOUSTON, married Eliza Ann THOMPSON on August 22 1840 in Robeson co. NC.

Erick is not enumerated with his family on the 1840 census because he was already married and out of the house that year.

There appears to be another daughter, Beady, who married Angus WILKINSON on December 11 1841 in Robeson co. NC. Due to the difference in ages of Erick and Beady from the other children, I theorize they are John HOUSTON Sr.'s children by an earlier marriage, and that Chloe was a second wife and the mother of Charity, William, John, and Emily.

From the NC Marriage Bonds, the following marriage is recorded:
John F. HUESTON, Jr. married Drusilla SMITH on February 22, 1845 in Robeson co. NC. Bondsman was John
MOORE. Drusilla SMITH was the daughter of John W. SMITH and Christian BRITT of�Britt's Township in Robeson co. NC.

1850 Robeson co. NC census
HUSTON, John, 60
- Cloe, 50
- Charity, 29
- William, 25
- Emily, 17
- Doctor Franklin
- Wm. Britt, 74
- Henry Britt, 15

Living next to them were:

HUSTON, John F., 22
- Drusilla, 23
- John, 4
- William, 2
- Ann, 1

Erick's young family is also found on this census:

HUSTON, E. L., 39, M, Farmer, NC
- Eliza, 27, F, NC
- Susan, 4,�F, NC
- Sarah, 2, F NC
- Nancy Barfield, 70, F, NC

There are no HOUSTONs in Robeson co. in 1860.�The three brothers had all�moved from North Carolina to Mississippi, where they appear on the 1860 Smith co. MS census:

1860 Smith co. MS census
HOUSTON, John F., 30
- Drusilla, 34
- John, 13
- William, 11
- Ann, 10
- Henry, 9
- Elizabeth, 6
- Martha, 4
- Reuben, 6 months

John also had a land patent in Smith co. MS dated May 1 1861.

John Jr.'s brother William Starling HOUSTON married Mary Elizabeth SHAW of SC. Her father was a schoolteacher and she was reputed to have been an herb-doctor and midwife. Their son Frank was born in Alabama, so possibly he was born en route or they lived in that state for a time before moving on to Mississippi. John Jr.'s daughter Martha was also born in Alabama, and she was about the same age as her cousin Frank.

1860 Smith co. MS census
HOUSTON, W.S., 34, M, farmer, NC
- Mary, 25, F, SC
- Frances, 4, M, Ala
- Martha, 2, F, MS
- Sarah Homper, 16, F, MS

I do not know who this Sarah HOMPER is. She might be a relative, but that seems unlikely, since she was born
in MS. Probably a boarder or household help.

Erick Leggett HOUSTON, the elder brother of John Jr. and William, also moved to Mississippi with his family. His first wife, Eliza Ann, had died in Robeson co. NC and he married his second wife, Elizabeth, in Mississippi. Their daughter Nancy was born in Mississippi about 1855. He had a land patent in Smith co. MS dated May 1 1861.�Here is his family in the 1860 Smith co. MS census:

HOUSTON, Arrick, 50, M, farmer, NC
- Elizabeth, 36, F, MS
- Susan, 15, F, NC, attends school
- Sarah, 11, F, NC, attends school
- Nancy G., 5, F, MS
- Emma, 3, F, MS
- Francis G., 1, M, MS
- Catharine ----rie, 67, F, SC
- Panel G. Smith, 27, F, MS, married within the year

John HOUSTON also appears on the 1860 Smith co. slave census, with 10 slaves.

1870 Smith co. MS census
HOUSTON, John F., 50, M, W, Farmer, NC, Value of real estate 200, value of personal estate 500
- Drucilla, 52, F, W, keeping house, NC
- Christian E, 17, F, W, born Mississippi
- Martha J, 13, F, W, born Alabama, cannot read or write
- Reubin G, 10, M, W, born Mississippi, cannot read or write
- Mary E., 8, F, W, born Mississippi
- Robi, 6, M, W, born Mississippi

A few houses down we find his brother Erick and family:

HOUSTON, Erick L., 60, M, W, Farmer, NC, value of real estate 800, value of personal estate 597
- Eliza A., 46, F, W, keeping house, MS
- Susan G., 24, F, W, NC
- Nancy G., 15, F, W, MS
- Emmala J., 13, F, W, MS, at school
- Francis L., 11, M, W, MS, farm laborer, attends school
- Thomas, 9, M, W, MS, attends school
- Julia A., 7, F, W, MS, attends school

Next door is:

HOUSTON, William S., 48, NC, farmer
- Mary E., 35, SC
- Frances M., 14, AL, attends school
- Marcia A., 12, MS, attends school
- Samuel L., 8, MS, attends school
- John O., 5, MS
- Sallie U., 3, MS
- Mary Briley, 35, MS
- Frances C. Briley, 2, MS

Once again, I'm not sure who this Mary and Frances BRILEY are, relations or boarders?

All three HOUSTON brothers were alive as of the 1880 census. John and Drusilla had moved to Hinds co. MS, while Erick and William's families remained in Smith co. MS. From the1880 Boltons Depot, Hinds co., MS census:

HOUSTON, J. Flowers, 53, W, M, farmer, born NC, father born NC
- Drucilla, 56, W, F, keeping house, born NC, father born NC
- Reuben T., 20, W, M, farm laborer, born MS
- Mary E., 16, W, F, born MS
- Jas. R, 14, W, M, farm laborer, born MS

1880 Smith co. MS census
HOUSTON, Wm S., 50, NC NC NC
- Mary E., 45, SC SC SC
- Sam S., 18, MS
- Oliver J., 15, MS
- Sarah V., 13, MS
- Bedia O., 9, MS
- Cary, 4, MS (dau)
- Mudock Shaw, 68, teacher, MS NC SC

Living nearby is William's daughter Marcy and her husband Hugh CHISHOLM, and a few houses down is:

HOUSTON,� Erack, 70, farmer, NC NC NC
- Elisa A., 56, housekeeper, MS NC NC
- Franklin, 21, MS, NC MS
- Thomas, 13, MS NC MS

A few houses down Erick's daughter Julia, age 17, is a boarder in the home of Elisabeth GRANT.

Also in Smith co. MS is what seems to be the family of John and Drusilla's son Henry, who disappears after the 1860 census.

HOUSTON,�H.F., 26, farmer, NC NC NC
- M.A., 22, housekeeper, MS MS MS
- J.W., 3,�MS, NC MS
- R.B., 3 months, MS NC MS�

I am searching for descendants or relatives of this HOUSTON family. Contact Jessica Chisholm at nichol_storm @ yahoo.com (remove spaces around @ symbol)


The family of John Franklin HOUSTON, Jr. and his wife Drusilla SMITH:

  1. John HOUSTON III, b. c. 1846
  2. William HOUSTON, b. c. 1848. He married Mary HORN.
  3. Ann HOUSTON, b. c. 1849. She married John THOMPSON.
  4. Henry F. HOUSTON, b. c. 1851. He married Margaret ANDERSON.
  5. Christian Elizabeth "Betty"�HOUSTON,�1853-1938. She married John Thomas CHISHOLM, brother of Hugh CHISHOLM who married her cousin Marcia.
  6. Martha J.�HOUSTON, b. c. 1855�. She married Joe HORN.
  7. Reuben Thomas�HOUSTON, b.�1860. He married Eva McNEMAR.
  8. Mary E. "Molly" HOUSTON, b. c 1862. She married a BROWN.
  9. James Robert HOUSTON, b. c 1864. He married Lula BEDWELL.

The family of William Starling HOUSTON and Mary Elizabeth SHAW:

  1. Francis Marion "Frank" HOUSTON, 1855-1925. He married Mary THOMPSON.
  2. Marcia A. HOUSTON, b. c. 1857, d. March 3 1921. She married Hugh CHISHOLM, brother of John Thomas Chisholm who married her cousin Betty.
  3. Samuel Lawrence HOUSTON, 1862-1930. He married Mary ANNIS.
  4. John Oliver HOUSTON, 1864-1935. He married Mary "Mollie" ADAMS.
  5. Sallie Udora HOUSTON, b. c. 1867
  6. Bedia Ophelia HOUSTON, b. c. 1871
  7. Cary HOUSTON, b. c. 1875

The family of Erick Leggitt HOUSTON and Eliza Ann THOMPSON:

  1. Susan G. HOUSTON, b. c. 1846
  2. Sarah HOUSTON, b. c. 1848

The family of Erick Leggitt HOUSTON and his second wife, Elizabeth:

  1. Nancy G. HOUSTON, b. c. 1855
  2. Emily J. HOUSTON, b. c. 1857
  3. Francis L. HOUSTON, b. c. 1859
  4. Thomas HOUSTON, b. c. 1861
  5. Julia Ann HOUSTON, b. c. 1863. She married William Ellis GRANT.

Points to ponder: