corrections
1813-1885
Born in Lincoln County, Tennessee
Buried in the Mooreville Cemetery, Mooreville, Falls County, Texas
Edward Hardiway Featherston is found in many records in several different states. He is on Crawford County Arkansas tax lists in 1834 and 1835 (AR actually became a state in 1836). But, according to “First Settlers of Red River County Texas” (Gifford White 1981), he is there by May 25, 1837 when he signs a petition concerning Red River land districts. He is still in Red River County in 1840, when he is listed in the Republic of Texas census. (Lamar County was once part of Red River County).By 1844, he is in Scott County AR where he files a petition to be the guardian of Marcus DeLafayette Wilder. (In 1850 this child-then 19-- is living with his brother William G. Featherston in Scott County).Edward is also in 1850 census records with his wife Julia in Scott County (had been part of Crawford County), Arkansas. He is also in the Scott County agricultural census in 1850 and held several offices in that county between 1846 and 1856. By 1860, he is in Newton County Missouri with his wife Julia. By 1870, he is in Falls County, Texas with his wife Sarah (Raines) Nichols.
Edward H. Featherston was married three times. First-- to Eliza Jane Nicholson.
According to Nicholson descendant Barbara Martin, her father was John J. Nicholson, and Eliza was the mother of Edward’s two children, not Julia (second wife). Eliza was killed when Indians attacked the family home (Edward was not home), according to “The History of Lamar County” (Texas) by A.W. Neville (1937): “Indians attacked the home of the Featherstone family near where is now the village of Clardy in southeast Lamar County.” That publication states that “Mrs. Featherstone and a negro woman” were killed in 1840. However, in her father’s will, July 30, 1839, he lists: “To my daughter Eliza Jane McLung Featherston’s children,” so Barbara Martin believes that the attack occurred sometime in 1839, before July 30—as this indicates Eliza was dead by then. Also, she feels like Eliza may have been married first to a McLung or McClung as that name is in John J. Nicholson’s will.
Edward H. Featherston’s second wife was Julia Ann Thompson, the daughter of Micajah and Sarah Thompson. Micajah is living in the household next to his daughter and her husband—Edward Featherston in 1850 in Scott County AR (Hickman Township). Edward is listed as age 37, born TN, with Julia, age 24, born KY. Edward J., age 14, born
AR and John J., age 11, born TX are with them. This is further proof that Julia is not their mother—as she was probably too young to have borne these sons.
In 1860, “E.H.” Featherston is age 46, living in Newton County, Missouri in the Granby township listed as “physician” born in TN. His wife Julia is listed there as only age 31.
Also living with them is a 9-year-old Harriett Burgess, born TN.
He married Sarah Jane Raines (family tradition says that she was Mrs. Nichols but this has not been proven) before 1870, as Edward “Fedderson” (age 57) is in Falls County Texas by then in Precinct 5, in Carolina, Texas. Wife Sarah is age 40, born North Carolina. The only child living with them is an 18-year-old girl named Minerva French. So, it is assumed that Edward only had the two sons. In 1880, “E.H.” Featherston is still in Falls County, and is listed there as age 65, with “S.J.” born NC, age 49. With them are two children listed as “sons”—D.F. and Emmet Bryan.
Family tradition has indicated that Edward H. Featherston was also married to a Mrs.(Jacob) Emeline Tindall. However, in Grundy County Missouri cemetery records, according to Larry Flesher, she and her husband Robert are buried in the Masonic Cemetery: “Fetherstone, Emeline W. (Merrill) w/o 1st Jacob T. Tindall and 2nd Robert N. Fetherstone.” And—“Fetherstone, Robert N. 2nd h/o Emeline W. (Merrill) Tindall.” She died in 1867. A marriage for “E.N. Fetherston” to “Mrs. E.W. Tendall” is dated 18 November 1864 in Grundy County, Missouri. Robert Fetherstone is listed in Trenton, Grundy County, Missouri in both 1870 and 1880 as a “druggist” born in Ireland. So, it is not likely that Edward H. Featherston was ever married to Emeline Tindall, as she was married to a Robert Fetherstone or Fetherston. As of 2005, it was also not known how or if Robert Fetherstone tied into the family.
Submitted by Melinda Richarz Bailey, wife of Sidney Johnson Bailey—descended from Edward Hardiway Featherston through his maternal grandfather, John Bryant Featherston.