genealogyellington.html

THE GENEALOGY OF ROBERT (ROBIN) EASLEY, THE FRENCH HUGUENOT IMMIGRANT AND ANN PARKER

Notes From George Woodson Easley Written June 9, 1964

"I never saw my Grandfather William Easley(1813-1854), but I saw my Grandmother Emily Alice (Ellington) Easley (1819-1887) often, as late as my seventh year and possibly the summer of my eighth year. I also remember my grandfather's sister, we called her "Aunt Thornia Bailey." Her husband was Uncle Jack Bailey."

"Grandmother Easley was born an Ellington, and I well remember the Ellingtons. There was Cousin Ben Ellington and his brother, Cousin John Ellington. This is where my father got his name. Cousin Ben and his family were cotton and land brokers."

"My father was the oldest son of William Easley of Talladega, Alabama. The only brothers and sisters who migrated to Texas were: John Ellington Easley (my father); Singleton La Fayette Easley (Uncle Fayette); James Speer Easley (Uncle Jim); Thomas Henry Easley (Uncle Henry) and Alice (Easley) Bowen (Aunt Alice)."

"Alice Easley married H. Booker Bowen, raised seven sons and died soon after the last was born. Their home was near Antelope (Jack County), Texas. They owned the first black angus cattle I had ever seen."
"Uncle Singleton La Fayette married Aunt Laura, had five children: William, Mattie, Laura, Ollie, and Singleton La Fayette JR. (Singleton JR never married and died at age 22.)"
"Uncle James Speer and Aunt Sallie had no children.
"Uncle Thomas Henry and Aunt Alice had two children: Thomas Henry JR and Alice."

History of William Easley and Emily Alice (Ellington) Easley

William Easley was born in Tennessee, February 13, 1813. He came to Talladega County before his 20th birthday. The county was formed April 29, 1832. This made William and his brother, Benjamin, two of the first settlers. According to Volume A of the Community Court Minutes, William Easley was appointed Census Taker for Talladega County on May 6, 1833. William, his brother, Benjamin, and John Staton entered into a bond with Jesse Hill acting as security. In 1834, William Easley, Daniel Conner and A.C. Caldwell were appointed apportioners of hands in Captain Caldwell's Beat. At that time, William Easley was appointed one of a jury of review. The purpose was to mark out a road from the upper corner of Morris's field to Talladega.

William and his brother, Benjamin, were very active in the new settlement of Talladega County. The battle with the Creek Indians had ended and the frontier was being settled fast.

On September 8, 1836, William Easley married Emily Alice Ellington, a younger sister of Dewie Ellington, who later married Susan Lynn Morris. William Easley's wife, Emily Alice Ellington was born December 27, 1819 in Abbeville, S.C. Emily was the daughter of John Ellington, whose father was Jerimiah Ellington of Abbeville, S.C. and was the daughter of Obedience Jones.

In 1845, William Easley was elected Sheriff of Talladega County.

William's and Emily's children were all born in Talladega, Alabama.

John Ellington Easley, born August 19, 1837
Singleton La Fayette Easley, born February 25, 1839
William Elbert Easley, born January, 30, 1841
James Speer Easley born June 9, 1843
Frances Florida Easley born July 28, 1846
George Washington Easley born September 27, 1847
Thomas Henry Easley born May 27, 1850
Emma Harrison Easley born August 7, 1852
Alice Easley born September 22, 1854

William Easley never saw his last child (Alice). He died one month before her birth on August 25, 1854 and is buried at Nichols Cemetery, Alabama Munitions Plant.

The children of William who migrated to Texas with their mother, Emily Alice (Ellington) Easley and their maternal grandmother, Obedience (Jones) Ellington, were:

John Ellington Easley
Singleton La Fayette Easley
James Speer Easley
Thomas Henry Easley
Alice (Easley) Bowen

When Emily Alice (Ellington) Easley migrated to Texas, she left these dear family members behind:

Her beloved husband, William Easley
Her beloved son, William Elbert Easley
Her beloved daughter, Frances Florida Easley
Her beloved son, George Washington Easley
Her beloved daughter, Emma Harrison Easley
Her beloved brother, Dewie Ellington and his wife, Susan Lynn (Morris) Ellington

All are buried in the same cemetery plot in Talladega.

Lois Easley, Our Family Tree 1813-1982 The Easley Times

William's father, Benjamin Easley died, 1852; Williams mother Mary (Murphree) Easley died 1857; William's maternal grandfather, Solomon Murphree died in 1854; Emily Alice (Ellington) Easley's brother, Dewie, died, 1857; Emily's sister-in-law, Susan Lynn (Morris) Ellington died before 1860: Emily Alice's and Dewie's mother, Obedience (Jones) Ellington, traveled to Cass County, Texas with her daughter and grandchildren where she passed away in 1862.

William Easley was a Mason, which was noted on his tombstone by Uncle Carlos. I believe that most, male Huguenots were integrated into the brotherhood of Masonry. Masons usually filled important positions within the communities. William was an prominent pioneer holding key positions within Talladega County.

You will find many deeds to plantations [in William's name] but these were because he was sheriff of Talladega County and took in many pieces of property for non-payment of taxes and as sheriff he auctioned them off and gave them new deeds. This was after the so called panic of 1837.(Uncle Carlos)

One can only speculate about what happened with William Easley, his wife, Emily Alice, and their children. It would seem, after reading William's will, that William wanted to liquidate his holdings and give his children a stake in the new Texas frontier. Perhaps William sensed the hard times to come in the South. Shortly after William's death, in 1854, the boys had their stakes and moved to Douglasville, Cass County, Texas. Three sons appeared in the 1860 Census in Douglasville (John Ellington, Singleton La Fayette and James Speer). They returned to Alabama in 1860 in order to fight with the South against the North. However, they knew -if they survived, their new lives and lands were waiting for them in Texas. Sadly, William Elbert perished in the war and would not realize his stake in Texas.

After William's death and the devastating end to the Civil War, the South lay in ruins, the economy was shattered. Virtually every family lost at-least one family member, farm homes and crops were destroyed or in disparaging states. Survivors were beaten, sick, starving and demoralized. The slaves were freed, but without protection. They were often abused and many were killed by Southern individuals projecting their pain, frustration and anger onto vulnerable and innocent human beings. The way of the South was finished.

As far as the Easley family was concerned, they had already sent their able bodied sons to Cass County, Texas before the Civil War. John Ellington and Singleton La Fayette purchased large amounts of land in Cass County. James Speer was a clerk in Douglasville, Cass County, at 17 years of age and lived in a home with another family, another boarder and the local school teacher. James Speer married but never had children. Singleton La Fayette married Laura, also from Alabama, and showed ownership of land in Cass County in the 1860 Census. John Ellington's holdings were $1600.00 for his land and $1650.00 for his personal belongings. Whether William Elbert lived in Cass County with his brothers, I do not know, as he did not appear on the Cass County Census of 1860. William Elbert was the Easley family sacrifice to war. See Military

Emily Alice, her mother, Obedience, and her sons and daughter saw a life of destruction and death behind them. The war had destroyed their way of life and so many of their loved ones were already dead. With their valuables and newly purchased lands in Texas, a new quest was ahead of them in the large, spreading lands of Texas. Manifest Destiny was in their lineage and the need to keep moving westward was their driving spirit.