Biography: John Grace

JOHN GRACE - Pioneer Settler of Pike County

John Grace, this author's great, great grandfather, was born Oct. 3, 1798 in Greene County, Georgia, according to the 1867 Voting Registration Loyalty Oaths Individual Pardons, Walker County, Alabama, which was an oath that had to be signed and sworn to, following the Civil War, in order for southerners to vote in the elections. In this signed oath John Grace listed his birth as 3 Oct 1798 in Greene County, Georgia. The 1850 census of Pike County, Georgia lists John's age as 61. This would place the year about 1798 John married Mary (Polly) Caldwell? in Georgia. (Polly is evidently a nickname for Mary.) According to the 1880 census of Walker County, Alabama, Polly's father & mother were born in Georgia. Although many researchers have Caldwell listed as a surname for Polly, this author has found no record to prove that Caldwell is her last name. A native of Pike County, Georgia, where he lived most of his life, John first showed up in Pike County Georgia in the 1830 Census. It is speculated that John moved near Zebulon, Georgia around the time that the County was formed in 1822. It's not known if he drew Pike County land in the Georgia Land Lottery. From what can be determined, all his children were born in Pike County. He and his children were farmers in Pike County until 1859 when they all, except their 2nd son, William, moved to Walker County, Alabama unto government lands. In his later years, according to the 1880 census of Walker County, Alabama, John was a basket maker, probably because his old age limited him from any physical farm labor. John died Nov 16, 1889 in Walker County, Alabama, and is buried at Tubbs Graveyard, southwest of Jasper, Alabama. John and Polly were the parents of nine sons and one daughter and from what can be determined, all his children were born in Pike County. John was about 26 years old when his first child, Daniel, was born and about 47 when his last child, Richard Young, was born. Children of JOHN GRACE and MARY CALDWELL are:

i. DANIEL GRACE, born about 1824 in Georgia; He married SALINA HILL OR HALL.

ii. WILLIAM GRACE, born about 1826 in Georgia. (William did not move with his family to Alabama. He later moved from Pike County to near Rome, Georgia.)

iii. JOHN GRACE, Jr, born about 1828 in Georgia; He died in Walker County, Alabama; John Jr. married HANNAH CULPEPPER abt. 1854 in Georgia; She was born Nov 15, 1835 in Georgia and died May 17, 1887 in Walker Co, Alabama. John Jr: (John lived in Pickens County, Alabama before moving to Walker County, Alabama shortly after the civil war, which ended in 1865. This suggests that he may have moved from Pike County to Pickins County, Alabama at a different time then his parents.

iv. JAMES ANDREW GRACE (Source: 1850 census of Pike County, Georgia, show year only.), b. Feb 11, 1833, Zebulon, Pike County, Georgia; d. Aug 2, 1914, Parrish, Walker County, Alabama and buried in Tubbs cemetery; m. EMILY ODOM, Jan 26, 1860, Walker County, Alabama; b. Mar 5, 1840, Pike or Coweta County, Georgia; d. Jul 9, 1925, Oakman, Walker County, Alabama and is buried in Tubbs cemetery. He was a Free Will Baptist preacher and desired to be buried in a home made coffin and that his bible be buried with him.

v. SOLINA OR SALINA GRACE, b. abt. 1834, Georgia; m. JOHN K. KNIGHT, Dec 26, 1849, Pike County, Georgia; b. Oct 15, 1824, Newton County, Georgia.

vi. JOSHUA (JOSH) BENTON GRACE, b. Mar 2, 1834, Upson County, Georgia (Source: 1850 census of Pike County, Georgia, show year 1835 (year only)); d. May 16, 1875, Walker County, Alabama; m. MARY ANN ADCOCK, Sep 21, 1856, Paulding County, Georgia; b. Dec 16, 1838, Georgia (Source: 1880 Census of Walker County. Alabama.); d. Oct 21, 1923, Walker County, Route #1, Oakman, Alabama.

vii. JACKSON GRACE, b. abt. 1836, Smith County, Tennessee.

viii. THOMAS GRACE, b. abt. 1837 (Source: 1850 census of Pike County, Georgia.).

ix. NATHAN PENNINGTON GRACE, b. May 7, 1842, Zebulon, Pike County, Georgia; d. Jan 7, 1913, Walker County Alabama possibly near Pleasent Grove and is buried at Tubbs cemetery; m. (1) MISSOURI J. ODOM BONNER; b. 1840; m. (2) MARTHA E. RANDOLPH, Dec 12, 1883, Walker County, Alabama; b. Sep 19, 1840, Georgia.; d. Jun 8, 1883, Walker County Alabama, buried in Tubb's Cemetery. Grave located on the south side, by John Sr.'s Grave (Source: Grave stone at Tubb's Cemetery, Walker County, Alabama.).

x. RICHARD YOUNG GRACE, b. Apr 22, 1845, Zebulon, Pike County, Georgia; d. Apr 18, 1915, Monroe County, Mississippi; m. RANDOLPH MYERS, NANCY JANE, Georgia (Source: FTW files of Patsy Clayton); b. Apr 26, 1843, see notes; d. Jan 31, 1931.

This page was last modified on 26 Feb 2009.