The following information was sent to me by
Robert Bonner
Copied from the book "History of Heard Co. Ga. & Her
People.
| The great-grandmother of Miss Mayhayley
Lancaster was also named Mahala Lancaster, albeit with
the Biblical spelling Mahala. She is first found in the
Burk County, Georgia census of 1820. While census records
were scant at that time, she is only identified in 1820
as being between the age of 26 and 45. She had with her
one female under the age of 10, two males under the age
of 10, two males between the ages of 10 and 16. "She
apparently was a widow." In the 1830 census Mahala Lancaster was living in Troup County, GA. With her was 1 male and 1 female under the age of 5, two males between the ages of 15 and 20, two males between the ages of 20 and 30. "She was then between the age of 40 and 50. Apparently she was a widow again." Nothing else is known of Mahala Lancaster, however, a family member (another great-granddaughter) told the writer "Sister Mayhayley was not the only member of our family named Mahala who told fortunes." Living in Troup and Heard Counties during this period (1830-1850) were three Lancaster males. Their names were Sinclair, William and Lewis. Lewis was the grandfather of Miss A. Mayhayley Lancaster. Lewis Lancaster served with the Georgia Militia in 1829. In 1860, Lewis Lancaster lived in Heard County. With him was his wife, Louisa (Bassett), who was born in Georgia. Lewis recorded that he had been born in North Carolina. He was born in 1808; Louisa, in 1818. Lewis and Louisa had the following children: Sarah, born in 1839; Martha A., born in 1841; John W. B., born November 11th, 1844; Nancy Mahala born in 1850; Lewis S., born in 1850; Agatha L., born in 1856; James F., born in 1858; and Richard L., born on August 26th, 1862. Lewis and Louisa's firstborn son, John W. B. was the father of Miss Lancaster. John W. B. married Eliza Harriet Thaxton who was born May 23rd, 1852, the daughter of James Gideon Thaxton and Amanda Smith. They were neighbors in the Walnut Hill District. Another child of the Thaxtons, James Gideon Thaxton, married the sister of John W. B. Lancaster, Nancy Mahala. Both couples lived in Heard County all of their lives, raised their children and are buried within five miles of each other. The James Gideon Thaxtons are buried in the Salem Methodist Church Cemetery and the John W. B. Lancasters are buried in Caney Head Methodist Church Cemetery. John W. B. and Eliza Harriet had eleven children: Charles William Lewis who was born October 20th, 1871; Sarah, born in 1873; Amanda Mayhayley who was born October 18th, 1876; John Rufus was born in 1877; twins, James Samuel and Sallie who were born September 10th, 1879; twins, Richard S. and Lucinda M. who were born April 19th, 1883; Benjamin Franklin (Bennie) was born May 17th, 1886; Nancy L. was born June, 1890; and daughter Mary I. L. who was born in 1895. Another daughter, Louise's birthday is not known to this writer. The John W. B. Lancaster family was a farm family who lived in the same area all of their lives. The School-aged children attended the local public schools both at the Walnut Hill School and the Frolona School. The family was known for their interest in the Methodist churches, several of the children played musical instruments and each one appeared to have creative, industrious work habits. Mayhayley became the oldest child when brother Charles died February 4th, 1910. At the death of her father, she purchased the family farm and developed a keen sense of entrepreneurship; she taught school, practiced law, bought and sold livestock, owned and operated several small businesses in Franklin and amassed a small fortune in both cash and real estate. She died in Heard County May 22nd, 1955. Her close companion and sister, Sallie, died October 14th, 1964. An era had passed; very few would ever forget the Lancaster family. By Dorothy Davis Moore. |