William Calloway Essary was born in June 1850 to James Essary and Parmetta Margaret Harris in Alabama. He married Lucinda Leonard on 21 September 1867 in Perry County, Alabama. William and Lucinda had two children, a boy and a girl. William later married Almarinda Rebecca Martin on 8 October 1899 in Hale County, Alabama. They did not have any children together. William died in February 1930 in Hale County, Alabama.
Table of Contents
Estimating a birth date
Determining a birth date for an individual who lived before vital records were kept can sometimes be a challenge. Census records can give us an estimate of a birth date. Sometimes birth information can be found in death records, obituaries, or family documents. But it can be a challenge if records record a different birth date with each document.
The records for William were fairly consistent. The 1900 U.S. Census gave a birth date of June 1849.1 If that date is accurate, then William would have been 1 year old in 1850. The census was required to be taken in June 1850, but the enumerators were sometimes unable to complete the enumeration so quickly. Fortunately, the enumerators recorded the dates of enumeration on the census sheets.
William Calloway Essary was on the 1850 U.S. Census with his parents. His age was recorded as 6/12 months, which would have placed his birth date in January 1850. But, this specific census page was enumerated in December 1850, which means his birth date was in June 1850, just one year off from the 1900 U.S. Census date. The 1850 U.S. Census was the record created closest to the actual event, so the June 1850 date would be the most reliable birth information for William.2
Missing Siblings
William Calloway Essary’s parents, James and Parmetta Essary, were married about 1840. His older brother, Samuel Jackson Essary, was born on 11 January 1841 in Jasper, Walker County, Alabama.3 William, the next known child of James and Parmetta, was born in June 1850. That creates a 9-year gap between Samuel and William.
Couples typically had children every 2 to 3 years. If there is a large gap between children, it could suggest there are missing children in the family. While it is possible that no children were born during that 9-year gap, it does not seem likely. The children born after William followed, for the most part, the 2-3 year gap.
Since James and Parmetta were married in 1840, they likely did not have any children at the time the census was recorded. The next census was in 1850. If any children had been born and survived between 1840 and 1850, they would have been recorded in the census. If there were children who did not survive, then there may be no records that they ever existed. Those missing children could have been recorded in a family bible or perhaps a headstone, but perhaps not. It is a mystery that cannot be solved due to a lack of records.
Marriages of William Calloway Essary
William’s first marriage to Lucinda Leonard was on 21 September 1867.4 This was just two years after the end of the American Civil War. William would have been 17 years old, and Lucinda was 37. That is a 20-year age difference! Lucinda’s first husband died in 1864, most likely due to the war. She had three children from her previous marriage. William and Lucinda had two more children, John Silas, born in 1870, and Mollie, born in 1873. Lucinda would have been 43 when Mollie was born. Her age may explain why they only had two children together.
William Calloway Essary and Lucinda Leonard’s marriage might have been unusual due to the age difference. However, Reconstruction was a challenging time, especially for women. Many men died in the war, leaving wives and children behind. Lucinda probably did not have many choices available to her for support. Despite the circumstances, the two did not stay together. A divorce could be recorded in court records, or they could have just parted ways.
William married Almarinda Rebecca Martin on 8 October 1899 in Hale County, Alabama.5 Almarinda was two years older than William, so their marriage seems a bit more expected. Almarinda had also been married previously, but was left a widow in 1899. Some of her children from her previous marriage lived with William and Almarinda after their marriage.
Future Research
- Search Hale County, Alabama, court records for evidence of a divorce between William Calloway Essary and Lucinda Leonard sometime between 1880 and 1899.
- Review the probate for William Calloway Essary found on Ancestry. This could give more information about his family.
- Search for a death certificate in Alabama Deaths, 1908-1974. William died in 1930, and a death certificate should have been recorded. It can provide further evidence for William’s birth, death, and family relationships.
Sources
- 1900 U.S. Census, Hale County, Alabama, population schedule, Moundville, Beat no 12, enumeration district (ED) 62, sheet 6A (penned), dwelling 164, family 115, W C Essary household; digital image, Ancestry, (http://www.ancestry.com accessed 2 January 2026); citing NARA microfilm publication T623. ↩︎
- 1850 U.S. Census, Walker County, Alabama, population schedule, 12th District, p. 320 (stamped), dwelling 287, family 287, James Essery household; digital image, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 2 January 2026); citing NARA microfilm publication M432. ↩︎
- “Alabama, Census of Confederate Veterans, 1907, 1921, 1927,” entry for Samuel Jackson Esary, 50th Regiment, Co. K ; digital images, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org : accessed 2 January 2026), image group number 007751224, image 660-661 of 1,718; citing Alabama, State Auditor. ↩︎
- “Alabama, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1805-1967,” entry for Callaway Essry – Lucinda Rhone, 2 September 1867, Perry County, Alabama; digital images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 2 January 2026). ↩︎
- 1900 U.S. Census, Hale County, Alabama, population schedule, Moundville, Beat no 12, enumeration district (ED) 62, sheet 6A (penned), dwelling 164, family 115, W C Essary household; digital image, Ancestry, (http://www.ancestry.com accessed 2 January 2026); citing NARA microfilm publication T623. I have not found a source for the complete date, but the year is supported by the 1900 U.S. Census. ↩︎
