Stover Articles

     			By Dorothy Kennedy Partain


	James W. Stafford was born Sept. 11, 1842 in Yalobusha County, Miss,
and married Mrs. Martha Claissa Snow near Acorn, Ark. on Sept. 18, 1902.
"Jim" Stafford was previously married in Clark County to Caddo A.
Matlock and again in Logan County to Malinda Elizabeth. His family was
born to the first two wifes. They were William J.N., ca 1867; Julie M.,
ca. 1873; James Thomas, Feb 1875, who married Nora Etta Moxey in Poteau,
Okla. May 29, 1899; Francis Marion, April 1877, who married Lonie Laurie
Hembree on Feb. 28, 1901 in Acorn; Andrew J. ca 1880 married Maggie Ann
Snow of Acorn Feb. 23,1903; and Robert L. ca 1882.
	James W. was a blacksmith by trade. He applied for his civil war
pension from Polk County, stating that he was in Co A-1-ArI from
1862-65. He had joined at Rock Port, Hot Springs Co. a short distance
from his home in Clark County. He died in Polk County Aug. 14, 1913.
	James Thomas born Feb. 1875, son of James E. and Malinda Elizabeth was
a minister in and around Mena for many years. He and Nora had these
known children; S.E. "Toby", Raymond, Dovie, Adeline, and another
daughter who married R.W. Patton. James T. died Jan.9, 1964 at Mena and
is buried in the Pine Crest Cemetery of Mena; Nora, born Aug. 5, 1880 in
Oklahoma Territory. She died Dec. 30, 1954 and is buried at Pine Crest
Cemetery.
	This Stafford family had a long and couradeous migration from 1849 Cape
Neddich (now York, Maine) where Sylvester Stover was a ferrmay, to
Tiverton, Rhode Island, where  his son Josiah changed his name to
Stafford; married Sarah Lake, and on to  Pasquotank County, North
Carolina where grandson Samuel Stafford left a will naming his children
Sarah, Samuel, Joseph, Mary, and Josiah, who married Sarrah Ivey May 16,
1781. Josiah and Sarah had a large family in and around Craven and
Bladen Counties, North Carolina. The known children were Robert, Ivey,
Merrell, Mary and Joel.
	Josiah and son Ivey North Carolina by 1814 and came to Smith County,
Tennessee, now the area of Macon, Co. (Ridgerunners). Son Robert went to
Illinois. Josiah applied for his Revolutionary War pension in Smith and
Giles and Bedford Counties, where he died May 16, 1835.
	Ivey, along with Joel, moved their families to Yalobusha County, Miss.
before 1840. His son Josiah S. married Elizabeth Washti Whitesides
Barnett July 20, 1841 in Yalobusha County, Miss. James W. was the eldest
of this family. The others were Thomas Jefferson, married Emerlizer
Cuing in Pike County; William Jasper married Leathy Ann Mainard in Clark
County, lived in Perry and Garland Counties, Ark., died in McCurtain
County, Okla. Robert John married Louisa Crews, second Mary Neighbors;
Lewis Ivey married Nancy C. Diggs; Lucy Magill married Nancy C. Diggs;
Lucy Magill married Martin Kennedy, all of Montgomery Coungy; Mary
Elizebath married James Gilbert Ingle; Esther Maneroy married Fayett
Williams, both Clark County; and two half- brothers Alfred Monroe
married Etta Calloway and lived at Norman; and Marion Josiah, who died
young.
	Ivey and sons Josiah and family, William W. and father Ivey moved to
Montgomery County, Ark. after the Civil War. James W. of Acorn lived
most of his life in Logan County, Ark.
	From Sylvester Stover of Cape Neddick (Maine) to Samuel Stafford of
Pasquotank Co., N.C., a period of more than a hundred years, thses
Staffords were Freeman, Yeomen and seafaring people. Joel and Ivey's
sons were also river people. One can assume by following their migration
path that they must have been a very determined and strong charactered
people who fought for and up held the laws of their country. They all
left their names inprinted along the way.

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