LeRoy Gardner Weaver

LeRoy Gardner Weaver

• Father: Philip J. Weaver

• LeRoy Gardner Weaver was born circa 1824 in Selma, Dallas County, Alabama.
• LeRoy Gardner Weaver appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1850 in Pine Flat, Dallas County, Alabama, living alone. L. G. Weaver appears in the 1850 Slave Schedule with 17 slaves.
• He was a farmer, according to the 1850 census.
• He married Margaret Deborah LeGrand, daughter of William Chambers LeGrand and Jane Green Paul, on 26 October 1852 in Selma, Dallas County, Alabama, with Wm H. Platt, Rector of St. Paul's Protestant Episcopal Church, officiating. The following is recorded in the marriage book: I hereby certify that in the evening of the 26th inst. I joined together in matrimony according to the office of the Protestant Episcopal Church the parties named and designated in the within marriage license, say designated because the Ladies Real name was Margaret LeGrand and by that name was married, McNair being a name added by the claims of friendship and adopting her. (Signed) Wm H Platt, Rector.
• LeRoy Gardner Weaver and Margaret Deborah LeGrand appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1860 in Selma, Dallas County, Alabama. Other members of the household included Mary LeGrand Weaver, Natalie Weaver, Lilly LeGrand Weaver and Eugenia LeGrand Weaver. L. G. Weaver appears in the 1860 Slave Schedule with 5 slaves and 0 slave houses.
• He was a farmer, according to the 1860 census.
• LeRoy Gardner Weaver became a widower at the 25 August 1867 death of his wife Margaret Deborah LeGrand.
• LeRoy Gardner Weaver appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1870 in Selma, Dallas County, Alabama. Other members of the household included Mary LeGrand Weaver, Natalie Weaver, Lilly LeGrand Weaver and Eugenia LeGrand Weaver. Also in the household were three domestic servants.
• LeRoy Gardner Weaver died on 21 March 1895 in Chattanooga, Hamilton County, Tennessee.
• The following appeared on 22 March 1895 in the Birmingham Age-Herald: (Chattanooga, March 21) Col. Leroy Weaver, aged 81 years, died today of bronchitis. With his death passed away one of the quaintest characters of the south of fifty years ago, whose eccentricities could have deligthted Charles Dickens. He was born and reared in Selma, Ala., and was married early in life to Miss Lagrande, relative of the Hon. Ben Hill of Georgia. His father was a pioneer in Alabama, and acquired the famed cane creek or black belt of Dallas coounty from the Indians. [:CR:      Colonel Weaver was at one time estimated to be worth $1,000,000, and was prominently identified before the war with the steamboat business on the Alabama river, while the firm of Weaver and Goldsby were promoters of the Selma, Rome and Dalton railroad, which they built as far as Rome in 1877. President Grant appointed him governor of New Mexico, which office he resigned after three months. He is said to have lost the bulk of his immense fortune in the days of reconstruction through the defalcations of the treasurer of Alabama and trustee of Dallas county, on whose bond he went. Colonel Weaver attained the rank of brevet-colonel in the diplomatic missions on which he was sent by the confederate government, and lost a large portion of his fortune in slaves by the war.
       He was a man of high honor, from an excellent family of the old school, and never recovered from the blow to his pride caused by the loss of his property. He married again, which met with the displeasure of his family, and he came to Chattanooga in 1877, where he has lived an impenetrable mystery to everyone, having no intimates. Nevertheless he was a great student and was a graduate of Princeton, Yale and the University of France. The remains were taken to Selma for burial.
• The following appeared on 23 March 1895 in the Daily Charlotte Observer: (Raleigh, March 22) Telegrams were received yesterday giving the news of the death of Mrs. Bettie, a relative of ex-Governor Holt, and also of the death of Col. Leroy G. Weaver, of Selma, Ala., the father of Mrs. Francis H. Cameron.

• Last Edited: 22 Jul 2014

• Charts: Descendants of LeGRAND John & Margaret Chambers