Levi West was born in 1794 in the Natchez District of (Spanish Louisiana) Mississippi he was the son of Littleberry West and Eleanor Langton Carter.

The family later moved to Merryville, Beauregard Parrish Louisiana where he served as a Pvt. in the 12th & 13th Consolidated Regiment, William Bickham's Militia Company from Beauregard parish Louisiana during the War of 1812.

He fought at the battle of New Orleans where he was wounded in the leg with a bayonet. He married his wife Winnie Elizabeth Bivens in Beauregard parish Louisiana in 1828. He is listed in the 1800 Spanish Mississippi Census, in the 1810 Spanish Mississippi Census and in the 1820 Washington Parrish Louisiana census but by 1835 he is listed in the Bevil Dist. Census. By 1840 he had moved to Natchitoches Parrish where he is listed in the 1840 census. In the summer of 1841 he and his family then moved to the Bevil's Settlement which was a loosely defined community of pre-Republic of Texas settlers who settled between the Neches and Sabine rivers on land that was eventually organized as Jasper and Newton counties. He later was listed on the 1850 Newton County, Texas census. By 1851 according to a statement in a letter written by his brother-in-law Honnor Cryer who was married to his sister Rhoda and who also served with him in the War of 1812, he was living near his sister in Brazoria County Texas.

Later he was given a land grant of a Labor (177 acres) in Caldwell, County Texas. But apparently died before moving there because the grant was re-issued to "Hrs of Levi West" which indicates he had passed away. By the time of the Civil war his family had moved to the Luling area of Caldwell County Texas where his sons served in the Confederate Army. His son Levi Oliver West is listed as a farmer in the 1880 Caldwell County TX Census. Caldwell County was originally a part of Gonzales County until the counties were divided later. In this census listing for his son Levi Oliver West it shows that his father, Levi West was born in Mississippi and that his mother, Winnie Eliza Bivens, was born in Georgia. David West the first child of Levi and Winnie was born in Mississippi, so it is possible that Levi West, was actually born in Mississippi. Also, he could have been born in that part of Mississippi that later became part of Alabama. He died on August 17th of 1852. His will was probated in Newton County in 1852.

-Levi West, Pvt. - William Bickham's Co., LA Militia, War of 1812 .

- by Richard Autry


Spouse & Children

Winnie Elizabeth Bivens (Wife) b. 1804 in Georgia

Married 1828 in Natchez district Spanish LA

1. David West b. 1822 in MS
2. James Berry West b. 4 Sep 1824 in LA
3. Daughter West b. 1825
4. Mary M. West b. 1827
5. William Henry West b. 27 Mar 1829 in Natchez LA
6. Richard Berry West b. 1830 in Natchez LA
7. Isabella Elizabethson West b. 12 Dec 1831 in LA
8. Anthony West b. 1832
9. Aquila West b. 1835
10. Levi Oliver West b. 21 Mar 1837 in Natchez LA
11. Meredith Francis West b. 22 Sep 1839 in Edgerly, Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana
12. Tabitha Jane West b. 14 Feb 1841 in Natchez LA
13. Lydia Arbana West b. 1844
14. Cynthia Ann West b. 1848

Jan McLay is the ggg granddaughter of Levi West and his daughter Tabitha was her gg grandmother. Dollie's daughter Tommie Dement was Jan's g grandmother.

- by Jan McLay

Levi West was my ggg grandfather and his daughter Isabella Elizabethson "West" Cochran was my gg grandmother.

- by Terry Lee Cochran

{Biography by Terry Lee Cochran}