Abbeville District, South Carolina Abel's
by Kenneth O. Sims
please give appropriate credit when using this material
Moses Abel appeared in the 1840 U.S. Census of Benton County (later Calhoun), Alabama at age 40-50. Other Abel's (Able, Able's etc.) in the area of about same age included Joseph, John B., Thomas and James all in Randolph County.
The 1850 U.S. Census shows the following:
- Benton County pg 356:
- Moses Able living with his wife Elizabeth and several children. Moses' age is recorded as 49 and his birthplace as S.C. The ages and birthplaces of the children indicate that this family moved from Tennessee between 1833 and 1835. He purchased land less than a mile from the Cherokee County line in 1843.
- Randolph County pp 299,300,&307:
- John Abel living with his wife Rhoda and several children. His age is recorded as 50 and his birthplace as Tennessee. Both appear to have been recorded incorrectly. The children's birthplaces are all recorded as Tennessee except a one year old. Indications from this census data are that this family moved from Tennessee to Alabama after 1833.
- Joseph Abel living with several children age 30 to age 1. His age is given as 44. His birthplace is listed as South Carolina. The ages and birthplaces of the children indicate that this family moved from Tennessee to Alabama between 1833 and 1835.
- Thomas Abel living with wife Mary and several children. His age is given as 42. His birthplace is listed as South Carolina. The children's birthplaces and ages indicate that this family moved from Tennessee to Alabama between 1829 and 1832.
- Cherokee County pg 65:
- Jane Ables living with several children aged 10 to 22. Her age is given as 40. Everyone's birthplace is given as Tennessee. This Jane is evidently the widow of James Abels who is recorded 1850 Cherokee County, Alabama Mortality Schedule as having died December, 1849 at age 52. The children's names match the names of those attributed by A Twentieth Century History and Biographical Record of North and West Texas byB.B.Paddock(1906) pp. 664-7 to be the children of James and Jane (Morrison) Abel who moved from Monroe County, Tennessee to Calhoun County, Alabama about 1834.
Research in these families indicates the following:
John B. Abel was married to Rhoda (Roxanna) Johnston in Knox County, Tennessee on September 1, 1818. Moses Abel was married to Elizabeth (Betsy) McHenry in Knox County, Tennessee on July 1, 1823. The fact that John B. Abel and Moses Abel were married in the same county in Tennessee and moved to Alabama about the same time would lead one to believe they were of close kin. The fact that John B., Thomas, James, and Joseph all settled in Randolph County would also imply a close kinship. B.B. Paddock records (p 665) that the brothers of James Abel (husband of Jane Morrison) of Calhoun County, Alabama were Moses, Joseph,John, and Thomas and that they were the sons of Moses and Nancy Abel who moved from Ireland to South Carolina.
Linda Abel, whose is researching the descendants of John B. has discovered amnesty oaths in Winston County, Alabama which record that John B. Abel was born in Abbeville District, S.C. on December 22, 1793 and his son Joseph H was born in Blount County, Tennessee October 27, 1837.
The 1790 U.S. Census of South Carolina shows only the following Abel (etc.) names:
- 96 District Abbeville Co.
- Joseph Able
- James Able
- Nancy Able
- Pendleton District
- Jeremiah Abell
- One could assume that Nancy is the Nancy of "Moses and Nancy" of Ireland referred to by Paddock. Since Moses is not listed, it must be that he is dead. Since none of the children attributed by Paddock to Nancy and Moses were born by 1790, and since Moses reported in the 1880 U.S. Census that both of his parents were born in South Carolina; it appears that either Joseph or James was their father. Therefore, speculation can be made that Paddock missed a generation and that Moses and Nancy Abel of Ireland were actually the grandparents of Moses, Joseph, John, James and Thomas.
- The Abbeville, S.C. Abel family does not appear in the 1820 U.S. Census. U.S. Census and other records place various members of this family in Lincoln, Knox, Blount, Monroe and McMinn Counties, Tennessee between 1818 and the mid 1830's.
- The birthdates for the Abel brothers referred to by Paddock can be reasoned as:
- John B. (December 22, 1793)
- James (ca. 1797)
- Moses (ca. 1801)
- Joseph (ca. 1806)
- Thomas (ca. 1808)
- who were born in South Carolina, moved to Tennessee before 1818 where they lived in various counties until the mid- 1830's when they moved to Benton (now Calhoun) and Randolph Counties, Alabama.
