Our Family's American History
Records, which can be found in the State of Georgia archives, enabled us to trace our family heritage back as far as the early 1800's. Earlier family reunions and storytelling passed on by our parents, grandparents and great grandparents made it possible for us to draw together information regarding our fore-parents Abram and Hester Crawley. They were united in Wedlock on Crawley Plantation in the early nineteenth century in Social Circle (Walton County), Georgia. (Some of the information may be incomplete although extensive research was done in trying to gather accurate information from historical census records).
Because of the crucial time of slavery, Abram and Hester Crawley, our fore-parents, were slaves "owned" by the Crawley's. The "White" Crawley's who before the Civil War owned a large cotton plantation in Social Circle Georgia, Land Lot #418.
We have no records to determine who their fore-parents were, or where they came from. As we all know, slavery ended with the Civil War, which was fought, mostly in the South, and the State of Georgia was especially hard hit. If accurate records ever existed, they were certainly lost when cities and plantations were burned or destroyed.
However, the United States Department of Commerce Census Records of 1890, indicate that Hester, born in May of 1825, was 75 years old at the time the census was taken. The records also states that she resided with two grand-daughters, Bell Cooper, born in 1882. Ada Crawley, born in 1883; and a grandson, Jesse Graves, born in 1875.
An additional record states that Hester's son George, was born in 1874. His wife's name was Frances and they had a daughter, Mary, two sons, Calvin George and George Jr.
Hester lived to reach the approximate age of 106, and was cared for by her daughter Katie. (This information was provided by Minnie King of Atlanta, whose mother was Katie Crawley). Minnie King lived to reach the age of 100+ and passed away in the 1990's. She was the mother of Idele Ash.
Abraham, was the father of Harvey Crawley (who passed away in December, 2001) and other siblings, whose names will be added later.
Stephen, who married Mary Jane Baccus, was the fore-father of the Louisiana and settled in the area of Mt. Lebanon (Gisbland). They were the parents of eleven children, some born in Georgia and others born in Louisiana; Adolphus, Norcissie, Tom, Amelia, Maggie, Julius, Ray, Alberta, Alunious, Leamon, and Vernell.
No information to date regarding descendants of Bob, Poly, Lue, Georgia, John, Rubin and Dicie.