James Buford Abercrombie

b. 23 July 1850, d. 5 March 1912
  • James Buford Abercrombie was born on 23 July 1850 in Cross Keys, Macon County, Alabama, and his mother died about a week after his birth.
  • Charles A. Abercrombie and Malinda Mayes appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1860 in Huntsville, Walker County, Texas. Other members of the household included James Buford Abercrombie. James was the last child of Charles Abercrombie's brother Milo Bolling from his first marriage, and whose mother died shortly after he was born.
  • Leonard Anderson Abercrombie and Lavinia Afton Chilton appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1870 in Huntsville, Walker County, Texas. Other members of the household included James Buford Abercrombie, Mary Lee Abercrombie, Lavinia Chilton Abercrombie, Ella Hadyn Abercrombie and Frances Amelia Abercrombie. Also in the household were three domestic servants.
  • He married Evelina Wood, daughter of William Barnes Wood and Cornelia Josephine Mitchell, on 27 November 1879, with J. Ward, Rector of Grace Church, Galveston, officiating. (It is not clear whether the marriage took place in Walker County or Galveston, or elsewhere.) They were second cousins once removed.
  • James Buford Abercrombie and Evelina Wood appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1880 in Walker County, Texas. Also in the household was one domestic servant.
  • He was a merchant, according to the 1880 census.
  • During the early 1880s, James and Lina Abercrombie were operating a boarding house in Huntsville.
  • Evelina Wood wrote from Willis, Texas, to her grandson Wood Powell in Christian County, Illinois on 12 April 1887, ". . . I came to town last Sunday - Billie, Josie and Lina's two oldest children with us. . . . Lina has been quite sick recently – was not well when I left – I passed last Friday with her. she has a beautiful place a nice but very small house. She keeps a cook & grown nurse. Her time is taken up with out doors work. She says she is determined to raise her meat this year & sell butter enough to pay for her sewing. She can’t bear house work. She is now raising bronze turkies. they are very much larger than the other kind. has sent on for Pekin ducks. Jim A. has been in the Alliance store in Willis the last 7 weeks. He gives the farm no attention whatever, goes home Saturday nights & returns Mondays. Josie keeps Josie Lee altogether and she is a deal of trouble. Her dear patient grand ma says she can not do without her. Billie has so little to do at home for the want of rain. He comes to Willis about three or four times per week. A great deal lovely weather & east wind but no rain. ground too hard to finish planting cotton, garden almost at a stand still – Billie sets out cabbage plants by watering the ground so as to pull them up & water the ground to set them out. His corn looks green & pretty but almost quit growing. . . ."
         Letter in private collection of B. M. Henwood, descendant of Wm Wood Powell; original transcription by R. E. Reichardt.
  • James Buford Abercrombie and Evelina Wood appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1900 in Huntsville, Walker County, Texas. Other members of the household included William Adair Abercrombie, Ella A. Abercrombie, Bolling Anderson Abercrombie, James Smither Abercrombie, Anne Mitchell Abercrombie, Robert Haden Abercrombie, Lavinia E. Abercrombie, John Leonard Abercrombie, Charles Milo Abercrombie and Cornelia Josephine Mitchell. James and son Bolling also were enumerated in Falls County at the prison. Josie Mitchell Wood also was enumerated with her husband in Montgomery County.
  • He was a farmer, according to the 1900 census in Walker County.
  • James Buford Abercrombie appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1900 in Falls County, Texas. Other members of the household included Bolling Anderson Abercrombie, Charles Abercrombie Wood and Alexander H. Abercrombie. James Abercrombie is the sergeant, and Charlie Wood and Alex Abercrombie are prison guards. Alex's father was a 2nd cousin of James Buford Abercrombie, and Charley's father was a 1st cousin of James Buford's wife Lina Wood. In all, eleven guards were enumerated; the fifty prisoners all were identified as farm laborers.
  • He was the convict sergeant, according to the 1900 census in Falls County.
  • James Buford Abercrombie and Evelina Wood appeared in the US federal census of 15 April 1910 in Harris County, Texas. Other members of the household included James Smither Abercrombie, Anne Mitchell Abercrombie, Robert Haden Abercrombie, Lavinia E. Abercrombie, John Leonard Abercrombie, Charles Milo Abercrombie, Joseph Rice Abercrombie and Bolling Anderson Abercrombie.
  • James Buford Abercrombie died on 5 March 1912 at age 61 in Harris County, Texas, at Grantham Avenue at his residence near Houston.
  • His wife Evelina Wood became a widow at his death.
  • The following appeared on 6 March 1912 in The Houston Chronicle: James Buford Abercrombie, aged 62 years, died at his home on Grantham avenue, three miles south of Houston, Tuesday afternoon. He is survived by his widow and nine children: W. A., Bolling A., J. S., Robert H., John L., Milo C., Joe W. and Misses Annie Mitchell and Vinnie E. Abercrombie.
         Mr. Abercrombie was a member of San Jacinto Lodge No. 7, A. F. and A. M., at Huntsville, Texas. The remains will be shipped by Settegast & Kopf Thursday morning at 7:15 o'clock to Huntsville for interment, accompanied by members of the family.
  • He was interred at Oakwood Cemetery, Huntsville, Walker County, Texas.
  • Last Edited: 4 Apr 2016

Family: Evelina Wood b. 23 October 1855, d. 10 January 1918