Keller

These three family groups are closely linked and in some cases intermarried:
Keller (of Wilkinson Co., MS), Scott (earlier of West and also earlier of East Feliciana Parish, LA), and Rose (earlier of St. Tammany Parish, LA). A good many of the surviving families migrated to the Republic of Texas to what later became Harrison Co., TX. They earlier may have been in Shelby Co., TX.

Preparer: E. W. Wallace
May 1995
Rev May 2003

Revised slightly 1/09

     MARTHA KELLER. (2 Feb 1799-d. after 1850)
Martha Keller's birthdate is found in the George Keller Bible Record as published by the Mississippi Genealogical Society., in Cemetery and Bible Records, George Keller Bible Record (Jackson: MS Genealogical Society, V II).

      What little is known of the George Keller family is found mainly in a transcribed "George Keller Bible Record," published by the Mississippi Genealogical Society in CEMETERY AND BIBLE RECORDS, V. II (Jackson: Nov 1955).   The interpretation is that the Bible had long been held by Nancy or Ann Keller, who was married 2nd) to Ephraim Carnes. The vital statistics of her family are included in the Bible. Then the Bible seemed to pass to a daughter who married a Wade. At the time of transcription, the Bible was held by a woman in or near Copiah Co., MS, the last known home of the widow Carnes.

     This Bible record gives the names, birthdates, some marriage dates, and death dates of children of George Keller and his wife Jane [Moore?], but does not give places of these events. Copies of transcribed pages of the Bible, as they appear in the above publication, are in writer's possession.

Martha Keller married William A. Alexander 16 Sep 1817, Wilkinson Co., MS. ret. 19 Sep 1817 by N. Waddell, J. P.

Martha Keller Alexander had at least two children, one of whom is named in this deed of gift of Jane Keller, widow of George Keller, Sr. and mother of Martha, to Martha's child:

Jane Keller's Deed - Mother of Martha Alexander

From Wilkinson Co., MS DB D-265, made 18 May 1824; rec. 24 May 1824:

     Jane Keller of Wilkinson Co., MS, for a valuable consideration to me .... convey ... a certain Negro woman Rose aged about 18 to the lawful heirs [not named] of the body of my daughter Martha Alexander ... (s) Jane [her X mark] Keller.

(Abstracted from film FHL 876,533, Wilkinson Co. MS deeds)

This newspaper item refers to the marriage of the daughter of William Alexander and Martha Keller:

This notice appears in The Southern Star (newspaper of Gallatin, MS):

     January 26, 1839 "Married in this county, on Thursday evening last, by Geo. Rea., Esq., Mr. Asa Potter to Miss Matilda, daughter of Wm. Alexander, Esq., all of this county."

     (Betty Couch Wiltshire, MARRIAGES AND DEATHS FROM MISSISSIPPI NEWSPAPERS, V. 3, 1813-1850, Bowie, MD: 1989)

(An e-mail message Jan 2003 gives information about George Rea, who was married to Sarah Simpson, a daughter of one of the Keller daughters who married Samuel Simpson. Refer to Rea's biography.)

In the 1850 census, Copiah Co., MS, one Martha Alexander, age 59, born in South Carolina, appears in the household of her son-in-law, Asa L. Potter and his wife Melinda L. Potter, the latter the former Melinda Alexander.

Dwelling 198, 1850 census, Copiah Co., MS. The census needs to be reviewed more thoroughly for further details.

Asa L. Potter, age 35, b Alabama
Melinda L Potter, age 30, b Louisiana
Peninah, age 11, b MS
Charles W., age 9, b MS
Martha E., age 4, b MS
Martha Alexander, age 60, b SC

However, the 1860 census, Copiah Co., MS for the household of A. L. Potter gives Martha's age as 59, born South Carolina.

Page 795 & following page [handwritten], 1860 census, Copiah Co., MS

Line 34, Family 143
A. L. Potter, age 45, M-Meth.Ministry-$5,000; $2,000, b. SC
Melinda        age 40, F b Miss
Peninah        age 18        "
Wesley         age 15        "
Martha          age 10       " )
Sarah            age 8        " )   [these attended school
Mary             age 6         " )
next page
Dora Potter    age 3         "
Elizabeth        age 1        "
Martha Alexander age 59    born SC

     A confusing entry is found under deaths in the Keller Bible record, as transcribed:

     "Martha A. M. Keller departed this life March 21, 1814." This is believed to refer to the daughter of Thomas Keller and his wife Sarah M. Keller, who died as a young child. It cannot refer to the woman who married in 1817. As stated, the item is confusing.

      There is at least one error in the transcription of the Bible record by the Mississippi Genealogical Society: it named Martha "Margaret" whereas the Wilkinson Co. marriage bonds show Martha as the one who married William M. Alexander. Other records bear out that the name was Martha.

     Margaret Keller, Martha's sister, on the other hand, was the wife of Thomas Keller to whom she was married 18 July 1816 (Marriage bonds), who probably is her cousin. There were other Kellers in early Wilkinson Co., but their relationship to each other, if any, to date has not been revealed in records of Wilkinson Co., MS. This Thomas Keller is NOT the same Thomas Keller, early probate judge of Copiah Co. That Thomas Keller is the brother of Martha Keller Alexander. There may be other errors in the transcription of the George Keller Bible, but which have not been detected by this writer.

Alexander and his estranged wife and his son and daughter [were there other children?] appear in Copiah Co., MS records.

     We believe some of the Alexander children migrated to Harrison Co., TX as a number of Alexanders appear in the 1850 census, the first US census taken in Texas after it joined the Union. The children may have been of a previous marriage of Alexander's however, as they seem to have been born in TN and not in LA or MS.

     Additionally, there were some early Texas marriages of Alexander grooms in Harrison Co. and Jefferson Co., TX; i.e., Esquire T. C. [sic] Alexander, 1850, Harrison Co., TX; Thomas K. Alexander, 1850, Jefferson Co., TX. More research is needed.