Week 48 - Troublemaker

 

Last week, I may have alluded to the fact that there might be some gossip and a little scandal surrounding the Echols family of Habersham County, Georgia.  While not as shocking as the story of Peter Tallman and his wife, Ann (see Week 25), for the day, the following was surely the talk of the county.

Darius Echols was born in 1779, in Hallifax County, Virginia, the son of Joshua Echols. Sometime around 1790, the family moved to Pendleton County, South Carolina. When the Georgia Land Lottery of 1805 was announced, Joshua, along with his sons Darius, James, John, and Abraham relocated to Franklin County, Georgia.  On 14 September 1804, Darius received a headright of 150 acres of land in what would become Habersham County.  He became well known as a prominent citizen.  Darius had married Tabitha Whitworth around 1800.  The Echols were quite prolific, becoming parents to thirteen children consisting of six sons and seven daughters.  Darius held the office of Justice of the Peace of Habersham County in 1817 and 1819. He then served as Sheriff from 1820 through 1823 (the years such records are available). He sounds like an upstanding fellow, right?

Living in the area was a woman named Hannah Thomas.  Speculation is that she was the widow Thomas, whose husband died around 1820. Her first child, named Joseph, was born circa 1820. Hannah was sixteen years old.  From 1822 to 1825, Hannah had three more children: James Wyly, Martin Riley and Darling. In an 1834 court record, these three children were identified as illegitimate. In 1827, a Georgia Land Lottery offered land for Revolutionary War veterans, their widows, orphans, and even illegitimate children. Hannah listed as “widow R.S” (R.S. standing for Revolutionary Soldier) drew land in Gwinnet and Effingham Counties. She also received two separate draws of 68 and 231 acres in Habersham County for her minor children. Then in 1832, she also drew land in Habersham County for herself, again, listed as a widow.

In 1833, Darius Echols was appointed as Guardian of the Estate of Hannah Thomas’ three illegitimate children.  Speculation is that Darius was the father of the three illegitimate children. In an interview between two Thomas descendants in 1897, it was said that the Thomases were really Echols. There are other written family histories that also indicate the same. By 1840, Darius and his family were next-door neighbors to Hannah Thomas. On 13 July 1849, Darius and Hannah, together, attested to the claim of a woman named Annis Miller who had applied for a pension on her late husband, Robert Miller of South Carolina. Darius and Hannah both swore to have known the man since “early life,” and had heard him recount his service in the Revolutionary war.  While I haven’t spent much time trying to find out much about the Miller’s, it seems odd to me that Hannah would have been the one to swear out the affidavit, rather than Darius’ wife, Tabitha. The words “early life” also seems out of place, since Darius was more than twenty years older than Hannah.  Whose early life are we speaking of?  This is just another of the conundrums that require more research in regards to the Echols.

In the 1850 census, Hannah is listed with her children, still living next door to Darius and Tabitha. Then, in 1851, Darius witnessed a deed when Hannah sold land to her son. In 1855, the law stepped in when Tabitha likely filed a report. At the April 1856 Term of the Habersham County Superior Court, Hannah and Darius were charged with Adultery and Fornication as of 1 October 1855. The complaint also stated, “and at diverse times both before and after,” indicating this was certainly not the first time.  They were reported to be cohabitating even though Darius was married, and Hannah was single.  Interestingly enough, Hannah declared she was guilty, where Darius denied the charges.  Regardless, they were both convicted and fined.  At this time, Darius was seventy-one and Hannah was fifty-one.  This must have been a case of true love, as the couple continued with their affair which likely had lasted more than thirty years by this time.  The 1860 census has Hannah enumerated as a housekeeper in Darius’ household. By this time, Tabitha had moved to Dale County, Alabama, where she was living with her son, Abel. On 15 January 1863, Darius and Hannah were married in Habersham County. It may have been that Tabitha had died at this time, allowing the couple to wed. The law at the time allowed for the legitimization of all children born of this relationship, however as all Hannah’s children were now adults with families of their own, no reason existed to change their names to Echols.  It is rumored there were seven or more illegitimate children born to this union. 

A direct descendant of Darius and Hannah, and also an excellent genealogist, has done much research on the comings and goings of these two.  In a compilation she authored she raised several very important questions.  Was Hannah a rare creature of the time who was an independent woman who took charge of her own life? Or was she completely dominated by Darius who was twenty-five years older, who seduced and impregnated her when she was a widowed teenager?  In her words, “Their relationship of forty-six years lasted much longer than many marriages do today. One hopes there was some true love and devotion between them.” 

Hannah is probably not the only woman with whom Darius had a “close” relationship. Rumors abound among descendants of several other children who were fathered by him.  One includes the son of a woman who reportedly changed his name to Echols.  James Perry Gazaway may well be that child. In the 1850 census, James is enumerated by his birth name of Gazaway, however by the 1860 census, he had changed his name to Echols.  Y-DNA evidence suggests that Darius fathered James, who was the son of Obedience Gazaway.  This might possibly be corroborated by autosomal DNA, as I match in the 5^th – 8^th generations with at least two descendants of James.  

Darius Echols and his legal wife, Tabitha Whitworth, were my fifth great-grandparents.  I descend through their son, Jabal.  While I’m fairly certain Hannah had an abysmal life living amongst the good folk of Habersham County who knew about her indiscretions, what of Tabitha? The humiliation she must have withstood knowing that her husband was unfaithful, and that everyone else knew it, must surely have been agonizing.  I love telling the stories of my celebrated ancestors, but there are still those hanging around in my tree whose lives were much less distinguished or downright unscrupulous. While these stories hold less joy, they are still a part of my family’s history and deserve to be told.