William M FORRESTER1,2,3,4,5,6,7

about 18192,3,4,5,6 - 5th Feb 18941,6

Life History

about 1819	Born in South Carolina.2,3,4,5,6
Sep 1846	Birth of daughter Thalia Ann FORRESTER in Georgia.8,9,10,5,11,4,12
16th Sep 1849	Birth of daughter Mary Adelina FORRESTER in Georgia.7,13,4,14,5
1854	Birth of daughter Harriet J FORRESTER in Pickens County, Georgia.7
about 1858	Birth of daughter Nancy M FORRESTER in Georgia.2,4,15,7
Jan 1860	Death of daughter Harriet J FORRESTER in Grassy Knob, Pickens, Georgia
Jul 1861	Birth of daughter Martha Mealle FORRESTER in Jerusalem, Pickens, Georgia.6,16,2,17
about 1866	Birth of son Joseph N FORRESTER in Georgia.18,19,6,20,21
20th Oct 1866	Birth of daughter Louisa Amanda FORRESTER in Georgia.22,23,24,6,2,14,25,26
21st Apr 1873	Death of daughter Mary Adelina FORRESTER in Pickens County, Georgia.7,13,14
1880	Resident in Jerusalem, Pickens, Georgia.6
5th Feb 1894	Died in Jerusalem, Pickens, Georgia.1,6
after 5th Feb 1894	Buried in Jerusalem Cemetery, Pickens County, Georgia.1

Other facts

Married Zenith Elvira BARNES

Notes

1860 Federal Census, Pickens County, Georgia, 13 June, Truckwheel District, PO Saunderstown, page 36 (scan 914), Hse #299, Fam #251
William Forester 41 M Farmer born S Carolina [b abt 1819]
Zenith Forester 37 F born S Carolina [b abt 1823] Cannot read or write
Thala A Forester 14 F born Georgia [b abt 1846]
Mary A Forester 11 F born Georgia [b abt 1849]
Nancy M Forester 5 F born Georgia [b abt 1855]

1870 Federal Census, Pickens County, Georgia, 25 July, PO Jasper, page 111 (scan 55), Hse/Fam #863
Forester William 51 M W Farmer $200 Real Estate $200 Personal born S Carolina [b abt 1839]
Forester Zenith 43 F W Keeping House born S Carolina [b abt 1827] Cannot read or write
Forester Nancy 14 F W Assisting in Keeping House born Georgia [b abt 1856]
Forester Martha M 8 F W At Home born Georgia [b abt 1862]
Forester Louisa 3 F W born Georgia [b abt 1867]
Mullinax Francis 18 F W House Keeper born Georgia [b abt 1852] Cannot read or write

I have not figured out just who this Francis Mullinax is. Living next door is William's parents. William and Zenith's youngest child Joseph N is enumerator in the household of his grandparents. From other family information, there is a child missing here. An Amanda Forrester, who married Robert Berry Smith, has also been reported as another daughter of William and Zenith.

She was born in 1861, but none of the children in the 1860 or 1870 census match this Amanda. Though her Oklahoma death certificate reports that Amanda's parents were "Bill" and "Zenis" Forrester, very close to our William and Zenith, I have found not evidence actually tying her to this William and Amanda Forrester. Nor have I, working with another Forrester researcher, been able to discover alternative parents for Amanda.

1870 Federal Census, Pickens County, Georgia, 25 July, PO Jasper, page 111 (scan 55), Hse/Fam #864
Forester Thomas 76 M W Farmer born N Carolina [b abt 1794] Cannot read or write
Forester Mary 73 F W Keeping House born S Carolina [b abt 1797] Cannot read or write
Forester Joseph N 4 M W born Georgia [b abt 1866]

1880 Federal Census, Pickens County, Georgia, 12 June, Jerusalem, District 163, page 19B, Hse/Family #165
Forrester, William W M 61 Farmer SC NC SC Forrester
Forrester, Zenith W F 51 Wife Keeping House SC SC SC
Forrester, Martha M W F 17 Dau House Keeping GA SC SC
Forrester, Joseph N W M16 Son Work on Farm GA SC SC
Forrester, Louisa L W F 15 Dau Work on Farm GA SC SC
Forrester, Thomas W M 86 Father Widowed At Home NC NC SC

No daughter named Amanda appears in the 1880 census, either, though Amanda Forrester Smith is reported to be a daughter of William and Zenith. A descendant wrote to provide some additional details on this family, while looking for some missing data as well. Terri Escamillo told me that her great grandmother was named Amanda, or Manda/Mandy. Initially it was thought that Manda was the same daughter as Martha, whose middle initial was M.

I had found Martha Forrester in the 1900 census with her mother Zenith, and then found Amanda Forrester Smith in Tennessee in 1900 with her known husband Robert Smith, in Tennessee. In 1910 they show up in Oklahoma, where they lived in Pauls Valley till Amanda died in 1940. This meant Amanda and Martha were not the same person. Terri later confirmed that she also had come to think differently, finding independent evidence about Amanda.

"An early census says Zenith had 7 children, but only 6 living as Thalia Ann, Mary Adalina, Martha, Joseph N, and Louisa N [Louisa L in census records, and another daughter Nancy M]. The birth dates for Manda vary from 1861 to 1866 on the censuses."
-- Terri Smith Escamillo, personal message on genealogy site Our Family Tree, 27 February 2011

In January 2012, I discussed this matter with Terri again, after finding the separate 1900 census records for Martha and Amanda. Terri replied:

"I have never found documents for Amanda when she was a child. I have censuses with William and Zenith and their other children though. The only place I find their names is Amanda's death cert. I have talked to the woman who has the tree with the TN census and it's been a while but I believe it is the Forrester family she is researching the line for her husband's side."
-- Terri Smith Escamillo, note on genealogy site Our Family Tree, 3 January 2012

"Zenith is Zenith Barnes of South Carolina b-1829 and d-1907 Jerusalem Georgia
Other children of Zenith and William Forrester b-1819
Mary Adalina 1849-1873
Nancy M 1855
Martha Forrester birth betwn 1861 and 1866 Jerusalem, Georgia"
-- Terri Smith Escamillo, note on genealogy site Our Family Tree, 27 February 2011

Terri also points out that her ancestor, Amanda Forrester is another daughter of William and Zenith, but she has not found birth or census information on her. Her grave information in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma, indicates she is their daughter. Amanda appears in some Forrester genealogies, but not in others.

William and Zenith are buried side by side in Jerusalem Baptist Cemetery near Jasper, Pickens County, Georgia. William's date of death is given on the stone. His birth date on the broken stone is unreadable. He is identified only by his initials. A memorial is posted on Find a Grave.

W M Forrester
Birth unknown, Death Feb. 5, 1894
Burial Jerusalem Baptist Church Cemetery
Jasper, Pickens County, Georgia, USA
Created by David & Gail Ray Jan 21, 2008
Find A Grave Memorial# 24088137
-- Find A Grave, http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=forrester&GSfn=+&GSbyrel=in&GSdyrel=in&GSst=12&GScnty=494&GScntry=4&GSob=n&GRid=24088137&df=all&

Sources

1. Gravestones of Georgia
2. 1870 Federal Census, Pickens County, Georgia
- 25 July, PO Jasper, page 111 (scan 55), Hse/Fam #863
3. Email Sources
4. 1860 Federal Census, Pickens County, Georgia
- 13 June, Truckwheel District, PO Saunderstown, page 36 (scan 914), Hse #299, Fam #251
5. 1850 Federal Census, Gilmer County, Georgia
- 5 October, Subdivision 33, page 82, Hse/Fam #560
6. 1880 Federal Census, Pickens County, Georgia
- 12 June, Jerusalem, District 163, page 19B, Hse/Family #165
7. Terri Smith Escamillo
8. Mullins-Mullinax Marriages, Mike Taylor Compilation
- Name: http://pages.sbcglobal.net/mike_in_katy;
9. 1870 Federal Census, Pickens County, Georgia
- 8 July, Truckwheel Township, PO Jasper, page 65, Hse/Fam #506
10. 1910 Federal Census, Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma
- 19 April, Asher Ward 1, District 194, page 3A, Hse/Fam #44
11. Ancestry Trees
- Bill Corbin, http://awtc.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=willbill&id=I1170
12. 1900 Federal Census, Chickasaw Nation, Indian Territory
- 23 July, Township 4, District 120, page 53A, Hse/Fam #960
13. Ancestry Trees
- Forrester, http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/10608355/person/-557776758?ssrc=&ftm=1
14. Find a Grave Memorial Registry
15. 1880 Federal Census, Lumpkin County, Georgia
- 8 June, Nimblewill, Georgia Militia District 840, Enumeration District 143, page 11, Hse/Fam #94
16. 1900 Federal Census, Pickens County, Georgia
- 9 June, Jerusalem Township, District 108, page 5B, Hse #86, Fam #89
17. Oklahoma Certificate of Death
18. 1870 Federal Census, Pickens County, Georgia
- 25 July, PO Jasper, page 111 (scan 55), HseFam #864
19. 1900 Federal Census, Lumpkin County, Georgia
- 9 June, Dahlonega City, Enumeration District 96, page 5B, Warwick St, Hse #76, Fam #85
20. 1910 Federal Census, Lumpkin County, Georgia
- 18 April, Dahlonega City, Enumeration District 113, page 2B, Main St, Hse #37, Fam #38
21. Georgia Deaths, 1919-98
22. Ancestry Trees
- Smith, http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/30103154/person/12241566604
23. 1930 Federal Census, Pontotoc County, Oklahoma
- 4 April, Maxwell Township, District 24, page 2A, Hse/Fam #216
24. 1910 Federal Census, Pontotoc County, Oklahoma
- 9 April, Francis Township, District 256, page 14A, Hse #218, Fam #254
25. 1900 Federal Census, James County, Tennessee
- 5 June, Civil District 7, Enumeration District 77, page 3B, Hse #53, Fam #56
26. 1940 United States Federal Census
- 19 April, Stratford, District: 25-22, page 10A, Hse#161, Rent $5