England Family & Letter

Letter from
Robert Bennett Overby England
of Conyers, Georgia
to his cousin
Joe Cook
in Columbus, Mississippi
January 25, 1907

Conyers, Ga
Jany. 25, 1907

Mr. Joe Cook
Columbus, Miss.

Dear Cousin,

Your letter of the 22 Inst has been received and its contents have been noted with pleasure.

Your grandmother and my father were sister and brother. My father's name was William Garnett England. I do not remember whether Aunt Martha was older or younger than father. My recollection is that your mother's name was Mary. In the early seventies she and her mother - Aunt Martha Harvey - visited us at our home in Oglethorpe County, Ga. This was the last visit, as I remember, of any of the family to us. You were then living in Artesia, Miss. When Aunt Martha and your mother returned home, Cousin James - your brother - and I began a correspondence which lasted for several years. I do not remember who wrote last, but I am sure that I have not heard from him in more than twenty-five years. I think we kept up the correspondence till I got married which was on Dec (? Nov?) 20th 1880.

I have often thought of Cousin James and all the family since we ceased to write and have wondered if he still lives. I have never had the pleasure of seeing any of your family except you mother and I was quite a small boy when she made her last visit to Ga. I remember some of your Uncles, Louis, William, George and James. I think they have all visited us. Some of them have I am sure.

My father died April 1887 in his seventy eight year. Mother died July 1902 in her eightieth year. Brother John, our oldest brother, died October 1900. There are eight of the children still living. Sister Louisa, bros William and Robert in Oglethorpe County, Sister Mary in Lumberton, Miss. Sister Sara in Maryville, Ga., Bros James E., Sherman R. and I are members of the North Georgia Conference. Bro James is stationed, this year, at McDonough, Ga., Bro S. R. is stationed at Sparta, Ga. Bro Sherman has the unique record of having served the full four years in every appointment that he has received except the last and he is now in his third year at Sparta and another will complete the full term there if he lives, which will give him six appointments and twenty-four years in the itinerant ministry. Bro James is in his thirty-third year and I am in my thirtieth year of conference work. We have both completed several full four years in different charges. This is my second year at Conyers and brother James' first at McDonough. Bros William and Robert are both farmers, Sister Mary Matthews of Lumberton, Miss. husband is a farmer. Sister Sara married a Williams who is a successful contractor. Sister Louisa our oldest sister's husband was killed in the war. She lives with her only living daughter.

We have three children, two daughters and one son. Maude, our oldest child is married and has three children, her husband's name is Poole. They live at Cedartown, Ga. He owns a nice farm which he rents to tenants, and he is connected with a large wholesale grocery business. They have a happy family. Annie, our next oldest, is in the Senior class Wesleyan Female College., Macon, Ga. She will graduate in June. She has made a fine record in her college courses. Bennett O., our boy, is sixteen years old and is attending the High School here getting ready for Emory College. We are happy in our family life.

Baldwin County and Milledgeville the county seat - the old capitol of Ga. - is in our Conference District - the Oxford - I have never met in my rounds your Kinsman, Jessie Slocum. I will make inquiry, and if I should get trace of him will be glad to inform you,

I hope you will not worry over this random scroll. Many things have crowded upon my mind as I have written.

Please write me soon, and tell me all about the family connection. If Cousin James is still living, I would be delighted to have a letter from him.

Very Sincerely and Affectionately Yours,
R. B. O. England

Family Charts

Showing the relationship of
Martha Ann England Harvey and William Garnett England
and their children

1 Thomas ENGLAND b: September 19, 1773 in Virginia d: Aft. 1860 in Probably Oglethorpe
   County, GA

. +Elizabeth NOELL b: April 17, 1778 in Virginia m: November 10, 1795 in Cumberland County,
    Virginia d: Bef. 1860 in Probably Oglethorpe County, GA

     2 Nancy ENGLAND b: October 14, 1796 in Cumberland County, VA

     .... +THOMAS STAPLES m: December 20, 1834 in Oglethorpe County, GA

     2 Mary O. ENGLAND b: February 03, 1798 in Cumberland County, Virginia

     2 Elizabeth "Betsy" N. ENGLAND b: December 25, 1801 in Oglethorpe County, Georgia

     .... +LESLEY G. CARTER m: September 22, 1825 in Oglethorpe County, Georgia

     2 Sarah "Sally" ENGLAND b: May 25, 1804 in Oglethorpe County, Georgia

     2 Martha Ann ENGLAND b: October 07, 1806 in Cumberland County, Virginia d: November
        13, 1878 in Lowndes County, Mississippi

     .... +Joseph Anderson HARVEY b: September 05, 1805 in Oglethorpe County, Georgia
            m: August 11, 1825 in Oglethorpe County, GA d: October 08, 1881 in Lowndes County,         
            Mississippi

     2 William Garnett ENGLAND b: May 23, 1809 in Oglethorpe County, Georgia d: April 11, 1887
         near Lexington, Oglethorpe County, Georgia

     .... +MARY ANN SIMS b: March 01, 1822 in Oglethorpe County, GA m: December 15, 1836
            in Oglethorpe County, Georgia d: July 09, 1902 in Oglethorpe County, GA

     2 Rebeeckah G. ENGLAND b: May 07, 1811

     .... +ISHAM CHEATHAM m: April 09, 1851 in Oglethorpe County, GA

     2 John N. ENGLAND b: February 03, 1814 in Oglethorpe County, GA

     2 Thomas ENGLAND b: February 16, 1818 in Oglethorpe County, Georgia

Descendants of Martha Ann England

1 Martha Ann ENGLAND b: October 07, 1806 in Cumberland County, Virginia
   d: November 13, 1878 in Lowndes County, Mississippi

. +Joseph Anderson HARVEY b: September 05, 1805 in Oglethorpe County, Georgia
     m: August 11, 1825 in Oglethorpe County, GA d: October 08, 1881 in Lowndes County, Mississippi

     2 Joseph England HARVEY b: July 22, 1826 in Oglethorpe County, Georgia d: April 02, 1873
        in Lowndes County, Mississippi

     .... +MARY P. KIDD b: October 18, 1841 in Lowndes County, Mississippi m: August 12, 1860 in
            Lowndes County, Mississippi d: July 04, 1875 in Lowndes County, Mississippi

     2 Sara Elizabeth HARVEY b: July 25, 1828 in Oglethorpe County, GA d: July 10, 1835 in
        Oglethorpe County, GA

     2 Martha Ann HARVEY b: January 27, 1831 in Oglethorpe County, Georgia d: January 08, 1880 in
        Lowndes County, Mississippi

     .... +William Henry COOK b: August 11, 1821 in Georgia m: December 09, 1849 in Lowndes  
            County, Mississippi d: August 28, 1885 in Lowndes County, Mississippi *Parents of Joe Cook

     2 William Thomas HARVEY b: August 14, 1833 in Oglethorpe County, Georgia d: April 17, 1879
         in Lowndes County, Mississippi

     .... +ISABELLA "BELLE" MCCOLLUM m: November 24, 1876

     2 Mary Winfield HARVEY b: September 26, 1836 in Oglethorpe County, Georgia d: January 08,   
        1878 in Pickens County, Alabama

     .... +PLESANT L. DOTSON m: September 13, 1855 in Lowndes County, Mississippi

     2 Lewis Clay HARVEY b: February 23, 1839 in Lowndes County, Mississippi d: September 12, 
        1911 in Lowndes County, Mississippi

     .... +SUSIE P DOBY b: November 09, 1857 d: July 16, 1892

     *2nd Wife of Lewis Clay HARVEY:

     .... +MARTHA ALICE KYLE d: August 06, 1910

     *3rd Wife of Lewis Clay HARVEY:

     .... +VIRGINIA C. "JENNY" KIDD b: November 22, 1844 m: May 06, 1862 in Lowndes County,
            Mississippi d: January 06, 1888 in Lowndes County, MS

     2 Jane Katherine HARVEY b: October 09, 1841 in Lowndes County, Mississippi d: January 07,
       1863

     .... +JOHN D. JOHNSON m: December 12, 1861 in Lowndes County, Mississippi

     2 George Prentiss HARVEY b: July 06, 1844 in Lowndes County, Mississippi d: October 13, 1921 
        in Mountain Home, Chilton County, Alabama

     .... +REBECCA CALPERNIA CHRISTOPHER b: October 11, 1842 in Pickens County, Alabama
            m: May 28, 1872 in Pickens County, Alabama d: May 21, 1910 in Hartsell, Morgan County, 
            Alabama

     2 James Taylor HARVEY b: March 27, 1847 in Lowndes County, Mississippi d: May 03, 1918 in
        Pickens County, Alabama

     .... +MARGARET RITCHEY b: 1849 in Mississippi m: 1877 d: August 27, 1925

Descendants of William Garnett England

1 William Garnett ENGLAND b: May 23, 1809 in Oglethorpe County, Georgia d: April 11, 1887
    near Lexington, Oglethorpe County, Georgia

. +MARY ANN SIMS b: March 01, 1822 in Oglethorpe County, GA m: December 15, 1836 in
    Oglethorpe County, Georgia d: July 09, 1902 in Oglethorpe County, GA

     2 Louisa Elizabeth ENGLAND b: April 01, 1838 in Oglethorpe County, GA d: 1930

     .... +John Wesley FLEEMAN m: November 18, 1859 d: 1862 in Battle of Richmond, VA

     2 John Thomas ENGLAND b: September 15, 1840 d: October 1900

     .... +Amelia Ann MATTHEWS b: Abt. 1843 m: December 17, 1865 d: 1896

     2 William Murry ENGLAND b: November 21, 1842 in Oglethorpe County, GA d: July 03, 1922 in
         Oglethorpe County, GA

     .... +Martha Ann Matty NUNNALY b: October 09, 1848 m: January 20, 1870 d: April 20, 1921 in
            Oglethorpe County, GA

     2 Mary R. ENGLAND b: January 13, 1845

     .... +MATTHEWS

     2 James Evans ENGLAND b: June 29, 1847 in Oglethorpe County, Georgia d: July 23, 1931 in
        Jonesboro, Georgia

     .... +SARA RECECCA WILLIAMS b: in Oxford, Georgia m: December 18, 1873 in Oxford,
            Georgia

     2 James Robert Doc ENGLAND b: September 27, 1849 in Oglethorpe County, GA d: November 
        28, 1922 in Oglethorpe County, GA

     .... +Ava Mariah COLQUITT b: August 13, 1852 m: November 28, 1871 d: November 30, 1929

     2 Sara V. ENGLAND b: October 14, 1852

     2 Richard Bennet Overby ENGLAND b: July 25, 1855 in Oglethorpe County, Georgia d: April 28,  
        1920 in East Atlanta, GA

     .... +Myra Grow KINGSBURY b: March 18, 1858 in Carrollton, GA m: December 15, 1880 in
            Fairmont, Georgia d: June 30, 1941 in Atlanta, GA

     2 Sherman Radford ENGLAND b: June 22, 1859 in Oglethorpe County, Georgia d: November 16,
        1929 in Atlanta, Georgia

     .... +JULIA BATTLE m: December 19, 1883

     2 Martha Emily ENGLAND b: August 24, 1863 in Oglethorpe County, GA d: July 15, 1867 in
        Oglethorpe County, GA

Contributed by Bickie Raspilair