Advertisement

William Robert Abercrombie

Advertisement

William Robert Abercrombie

Birth
Calhoun County, Alabama, USA
Death
2 Aug 1885 (aged 47)
Jefferson County, Alabama, USA
Burial
Leeds, Jefferson County, Alabama, USA Add to Map
Memorial ID
View Source
William Robert Abercrombie was the son of:
Father: Isaac "Crumbie" Abercrombie, b. 23 Oct 1811, Laurens Co., South Carolina, d. 23 Sep 1855 Arbacoochee, Cleburne Co., AL.
Mother: Nancy Jane Dowdy, b. 30 Nov 1818 Georgia, d. 11 Jun 1912 St. Clair County AL, bur. Bethel Baptist Church Cemetery, Odenville, St. Clair Co., AL. She died at the home of her son, James Witt Abercrombie.

Isaac and Nancy Jane (Dowdy) Abercrombie were wed on 02 Nov 1837 at Benton Co., AL.

William Robert Abercrombie was actually born in Benton, Co., AL on 30 Jul 1838. Benton County, which was established on 18 Dec 1832, no longer exists. It was named for Thomas Hart Benton, a member of the United States Senate from Missouri. On January 29, 1858 Benton County was renamed Calhoun County in honor of John C. Calhoun, famous member of the United States Senate from South Carolina.

The 1850 US Census of Benton Co., AL enumerated the household of 38 Y/O Isaac Crumby (Abercrombie), a farmer born in South Carolina, and his 31 Y/O wife, Nancy Jane (Dowdy) Abercrombie, born in GA. Also living in the household were their children, all of whom were born in AL: 11 Y/O William Robert Abercrombie; 9 Y/O Henry Monroe Abercrombie; 6 Y/O James Witt Abercrombie and 2 Y/O Mary Elizabeth Abercrombie. NOTE: Living three households away was the family of 46 Y/O Michal (Michael) Dowdy, and his 48 Y/O wife, Hannah plus their children. He was Nancy Jane (Dowdy) Abercrombie's older brother. Michal married, as her second husband, Hannah (Abercrombie) Baxter, a widowed older sister by 8 years of Isaac Abercrombie, on 02 May 1834 at Carroll Co., GA. Michael was a grist mill operator (miller) and was enumerated in the 1840 and 1850 US and Alabama State Censuses of Benton Co., AL living near his sister, Nancy Jane Abercrombie and her family.

William Robert Abercrombie married Martha Adline Robertson on 13 Aug 1857 at St. Clair Co., AL. They moved to Leeds, Jefferson Co., AL sometime between 1860 and 1870.

The 1860 US Census of St. Clair Co., AL enumerated the household of 21 Y/O William Robert Abercrombie, a farmer, and his 19 Y/O wife, Martha Adline (Robertson) Abercrombie. Also in the household was their 7 months old son, John Henry Thomas Abercrombie. Living in the household next door was 44 Y/O William Fendol Robertson and 45 Y/O wife, Margaret Stracener Robertson, the parents of William Robert Abercrombie's wife, Martha Adline (Robertson) Abercrombie. Living in the household on the other side of the William Robert Abercrombie household was the 44 Y/O widow, Nancy Jane (Dowdy) Abercrombie, a farmer. She and her husband, Isaac Abercrombie (1811-1855), were the parents of William Robert Abercrombie. Living in Nancy's household were five younger siblings of William Robert Abercrombie.

The 1870 US Census of Cedar Grove (Leeds) AL enumerated 31 Y/O William Robert Abercrombie and his 30 Y/O wife, Martha Adline (Robertson) Abercrombie. William's occupation was merchant with his own mercantile store in Leeds, Jefferson Co., AL. Also living in their house were their children: 10 Y/O John Henry Thomas Abercrombie, 8 Y/O William Fendol Abercrombie, 6 Y/O James Isaac Abercrombie and 4 Y/O Mary Cornelia Abercrombie. William Robert Abercrombie's occupation was merchant.

The 1880 US Census of Leeds, Jefferson Co., AL enumerated 41 Y/O William Robert Abercrombie and his 41 Y/O wife, Martha Adline (Robertson) Abercrombie. William Robert Abercrombie's occupation was dry goods merchant. Among the children listed was their 18 Y/O son, William Fendol Abercrombie, who was also listed as a dry goods merchant, so he was obviously working in his father's dry goods store in Leeds, AL but he died in 1886 shortly after his father. Also in the household was their 16 Y/O son, James Isaac Abercrombie, who in 1880 was working as a farmer but before 1900 (see 1900 US Census), probably soon after the 1886 death of his older brother, William Fendol Abercrombie, became employed in the family dry goods store in Leeds, AL. Also living in the household in 1880 were their other children: 14 Y/O Mary Cornelia Abercrombie, 9 Y/O Martha Elizabeth Abercrombie and 6 Y/O Andrew Jackson Abercrombie.

After William Robert Abercrombie's death in 1885, his oldest son, John Henry Thomas Abercrombie, took over ownership/management of the store. John Henry Abercrombie sold the store in 1907 to his younger brother, Andrew Jackson Abercrombie, Sr. and moved to Birmingham in order to go into real estate sales. Andrew Jackson Abercrombie, Sr. took over management/ownership of the store in 1907 and retained management until just before 1920. The store was rented out at that time as a dry goods store.

The children of William Robert and Martha Adline (Robertson) Abercrombie were:
1) John Henry Thomas Abercrombie b. 22 Oct 1859 St. Clair Co., AL, d. 14 Apr 1929 Birmingham, Jefferson Co., AL, m. Frances Ella Godwin.
2) William Fendol Abercrombie b. 14 Nov 1861, St. Clair Co., AL, d. 10 Dec 1886 Leeds, Jefferson Co., AL, m. 27 Dec 1882 Sarah Edna Williams.
3) James Isaac Abercrombie, b. 19 Dec 1863 St. Clair Co., AL, d. 24 Feb 1940 Birmingham, Jefferson Co., AL, m. Margaret King.
4)Mary Cornelia Abercrombie b. 14 Feb 1866 St. Clair Co., AL, d. 28 May 1945 Birmingham, Jefferson Co., AL, m. 1) 03 Sep 1884 John F. Parsons, 2) 24 Jun 1893 Churchill Alexander Williamson.
5) George Washington Abercrombie b. 17 Jan 1869 St Clair Co., AL, d. 06 Feb 1870 St Clair Co., AL.
6) Martha Elizabeth Abercrombie (See below).
7) Andrew Jackson Abercrombie, Sr. b. 26 Sep 1873 St. Clair Co., AL, d. 05 Nov 1950 Birmingham, Jefferson Co., AL, m. (1)1893 Fannie Gillespie, (2) Vennie Ream Fulton on 31 May 1906 at Leeds, Jefferson Co., AL
8) Robert Abercrombie b. 01 Jul 1885 St. Clair Co., AL, d. 08 Jul 1887 St. Clair Co., AL.

Bio by Gresham Farrar.
William Robert Abercrombie was the son of:
Father: Isaac "Crumbie" Abercrombie, b. 23 Oct 1811, Laurens Co., South Carolina, d. 23 Sep 1855 Arbacoochee, Cleburne Co., AL.
Mother: Nancy Jane Dowdy, b. 30 Nov 1818 Georgia, d. 11 Jun 1912 St. Clair County AL, bur. Bethel Baptist Church Cemetery, Odenville, St. Clair Co., AL. She died at the home of her son, James Witt Abercrombie.

Isaac and Nancy Jane (Dowdy) Abercrombie were wed on 02 Nov 1837 at Benton Co., AL.

William Robert Abercrombie was actually born in Benton, Co., AL on 30 Jul 1838. Benton County, which was established on 18 Dec 1832, no longer exists. It was named for Thomas Hart Benton, a member of the United States Senate from Missouri. On January 29, 1858 Benton County was renamed Calhoun County in honor of John C. Calhoun, famous member of the United States Senate from South Carolina.

The 1850 US Census of Benton Co., AL enumerated the household of 38 Y/O Isaac Crumby (Abercrombie), a farmer born in South Carolina, and his 31 Y/O wife, Nancy Jane (Dowdy) Abercrombie, born in GA. Also living in the household were their children, all of whom were born in AL: 11 Y/O William Robert Abercrombie; 9 Y/O Henry Monroe Abercrombie; 6 Y/O James Witt Abercrombie and 2 Y/O Mary Elizabeth Abercrombie. NOTE: Living three households away was the family of 46 Y/O Michal (Michael) Dowdy, and his 48 Y/O wife, Hannah plus their children. He was Nancy Jane (Dowdy) Abercrombie's older brother. Michal married, as her second husband, Hannah (Abercrombie) Baxter, a widowed older sister by 8 years of Isaac Abercrombie, on 02 May 1834 at Carroll Co., GA. Michael was a grist mill operator (miller) and was enumerated in the 1840 and 1850 US and Alabama State Censuses of Benton Co., AL living near his sister, Nancy Jane Abercrombie and her family.

William Robert Abercrombie married Martha Adline Robertson on 13 Aug 1857 at St. Clair Co., AL. They moved to Leeds, Jefferson Co., AL sometime between 1860 and 1870.

The 1860 US Census of St. Clair Co., AL enumerated the household of 21 Y/O William Robert Abercrombie, a farmer, and his 19 Y/O wife, Martha Adline (Robertson) Abercrombie. Also in the household was their 7 months old son, John Henry Thomas Abercrombie. Living in the household next door was 44 Y/O William Fendol Robertson and 45 Y/O wife, Margaret Stracener Robertson, the parents of William Robert Abercrombie's wife, Martha Adline (Robertson) Abercrombie. Living in the household on the other side of the William Robert Abercrombie household was the 44 Y/O widow, Nancy Jane (Dowdy) Abercrombie, a farmer. She and her husband, Isaac Abercrombie (1811-1855), were the parents of William Robert Abercrombie. Living in Nancy's household were five younger siblings of William Robert Abercrombie.

The 1870 US Census of Cedar Grove (Leeds) AL enumerated 31 Y/O William Robert Abercrombie and his 30 Y/O wife, Martha Adline (Robertson) Abercrombie. William's occupation was merchant with his own mercantile store in Leeds, Jefferson Co., AL. Also living in their house were their children: 10 Y/O John Henry Thomas Abercrombie, 8 Y/O William Fendol Abercrombie, 6 Y/O James Isaac Abercrombie and 4 Y/O Mary Cornelia Abercrombie. William Robert Abercrombie's occupation was merchant.

The 1880 US Census of Leeds, Jefferson Co., AL enumerated 41 Y/O William Robert Abercrombie and his 41 Y/O wife, Martha Adline (Robertson) Abercrombie. William Robert Abercrombie's occupation was dry goods merchant. Among the children listed was their 18 Y/O son, William Fendol Abercrombie, who was also listed as a dry goods merchant, so he was obviously working in his father's dry goods store in Leeds, AL but he died in 1886 shortly after his father. Also in the household was their 16 Y/O son, James Isaac Abercrombie, who in 1880 was working as a farmer but before 1900 (see 1900 US Census), probably soon after the 1886 death of his older brother, William Fendol Abercrombie, became employed in the family dry goods store in Leeds, AL. Also living in the household in 1880 were their other children: 14 Y/O Mary Cornelia Abercrombie, 9 Y/O Martha Elizabeth Abercrombie and 6 Y/O Andrew Jackson Abercrombie.

After William Robert Abercrombie's death in 1885, his oldest son, John Henry Thomas Abercrombie, took over ownership/management of the store. John Henry Abercrombie sold the store in 1907 to his younger brother, Andrew Jackson Abercrombie, Sr. and moved to Birmingham in order to go into real estate sales. Andrew Jackson Abercrombie, Sr. took over management/ownership of the store in 1907 and retained management until just before 1920. The store was rented out at that time as a dry goods store.

The children of William Robert and Martha Adline (Robertson) Abercrombie were:
1) John Henry Thomas Abercrombie b. 22 Oct 1859 St. Clair Co., AL, d. 14 Apr 1929 Birmingham, Jefferson Co., AL, m. Frances Ella Godwin.
2) William Fendol Abercrombie b. 14 Nov 1861, St. Clair Co., AL, d. 10 Dec 1886 Leeds, Jefferson Co., AL, m. 27 Dec 1882 Sarah Edna Williams.
3) James Isaac Abercrombie, b. 19 Dec 1863 St. Clair Co., AL, d. 24 Feb 1940 Birmingham, Jefferson Co., AL, m. Margaret King.
4)Mary Cornelia Abercrombie b. 14 Feb 1866 St. Clair Co., AL, d. 28 May 1945 Birmingham, Jefferson Co., AL, m. 1) 03 Sep 1884 John F. Parsons, 2) 24 Jun 1893 Churchill Alexander Williamson.
5) George Washington Abercrombie b. 17 Jan 1869 St Clair Co., AL, d. 06 Feb 1870 St Clair Co., AL.
6) Martha Elizabeth Abercrombie (See below).
7) Andrew Jackson Abercrombie, Sr. b. 26 Sep 1873 St. Clair Co., AL, d. 05 Nov 1950 Birmingham, Jefferson Co., AL, m. (1)1893 Fannie Gillespie, (2) Vennie Ream Fulton on 31 May 1906 at Leeds, Jefferson Co., AL
8) Robert Abercrombie b. 01 Jul 1885 St. Clair Co., AL, d. 08 Jul 1887 St. Clair Co., AL.

Bio by Gresham Farrar.


Advertisement