Life History

Notes

• "I believe Mr. Simmons was my ggg-grandmother’s (Sallie Amanda Wakefield [Belknap]) 3rd-and last-husband.  If I am correct, then she would have been married to him when she died.  I have searched for the date of her death and her final resting place for several years, but, so far, no luck.  Sallie (born about 1842) married 1st to Thomas Jefferson Davidson.  He died in 1873.  Two years later, Sallie married 2nd to Col. Charles W. Belknap on December 12, 1875.  Col. Belknap died in 1882.  I then found the marriage record for Mrs. Sallie Belknap and Mr. P.S. Simmons at the courthouse in DeWitt indicating that they married on December 5, 1888."
  --  email to Orville Boyd Jenkins from Libby Beliew, 17 October 2008
  
  The Davidson Family Genealogy had her name as Sarah A, which we would expect from the nickname Sallie:
  "Thomas married Sarah A. on 12 Dec 1875 in Arkansas County, Arkansas. Sarah was born 1842 in Tennessee."
  --  http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~genea/Dzmrtenn.html
  
  In the 1850 census I found Sallie at age 8 with her parents in Bedford County, Tennessee.
  
  1850 Federal Census, Bedford County, Tennessee, 30 November, Civil District 19, page 399 (scan p 200), Hse/Fam #19
  
  W J W Wakefield 37 M Farmer $4000 Real Estate born NC [b abt 1813]
  Malissa Wakefield 30 F born Georgia
  Minerva J Wakefield 13 F b Tennessee
  John A Wakefield 11 M b Tennessee
  Jessee P Wakefield 9 M b Tennessee
  Sally Amanda Wakefield 8 F b Tennessee
  William L Wakefield 6 M b Tennessee
  Susan M Wakefield 4 F b Tennessee
  Martha F Wakefield 1 F b Tennessee
  Thomas W Wakefield 3months M b Tennessee [b August 1850]
  James Blackwell 70 F(?) $2000 Real Estate b Virginia (Name here might Janas (Janice?)
  
  In 1860, Sallie is recorded with her first husband Thomas Jefferson Davidson on a plantation he has bought near Van Buren in Crawford County, Arkansas.  Note his huge real estate value and even larger personal estate.  This is near the Oklahoma border, which is a little surprising, since they are later found in Arkansas County, in the eastern side of the state.
  
  1860 Federal Census, Crawford County, Arkansas, 30 June, Richland Township, PO Van Buren, page 52, Hse #348, Fam #346
  Thos J Davidson 31 M Farmer $10,500 Real Estate b Tennessee
  Sarah A Davidson 17 F b Tennessee
  
  In 1870, they have moved east to St Charles, on the White River, the eastern border of Arkansas County, Arkansas, one county away from the Mississippi River.  They now have three children.
  
  1870 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 7 July, Prairie Township, PO Saint Charles, page 23 (scan p 95), Hse/Fam #183
  Davidson, Thomas J (Thomas Jefferson Davidson) 40 M W Farmer $5000/$1800 Tennessee
  Davidson, Sarah A 28 F W Keep House Tennessee Davidson, Sarah M 9 F W Arkansas
  Davidson, Thomas 6 M W Arkansas (married Ella Burks 16 Feb 1882)
  Davidson, Forsyth 1 M W Arkansas
  Connelly, Maxey 20 M W Farm Labor Mississippi
  
  Sarah Amanda's father is living a couple of doors down from her and Thomas.  He is a 57-year-old widow with several younger children in the household.
  
  1870 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 7 July, Prairie Township, PO Saint Charles, page 23 (scan p 95), Hse/Fam #186
  Wakefield, William J W 57 M W Farmer $3000/$1500 North Carolina Cannot read and write [b abt 1813]
  Wakefield, Thomas H 20 M W Keep House Tennessee Cannot read and write
  Wakefield, James I  18 M W Tennessee Cannot read and write
  Wakefield, Nannie M 16 F W Tennessee Cannot read and write
  Wakefield, Joseph S  14 M W Tennessee Cannot read and write
  Wakefield, Margaret E 16 F W Arkansas Cannot read and write
  
  Davidson family sources also report the marriage of Sallie Amanda to Charles Belknap:
  Sarah A. Davidson, Second marriage on 12 Dec 1875 to Charles W. Belknap
  --  http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~genea/Dzmrtenn.html
  
  1880 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, Prairie Township, page 18
  Belknap, C W (Charles A Belknap) m w 62 Farmer Pennsylvania Mass Mass [b abt 1818]
  Belknap, S A (Sarah A.) f w 37 wife Tennessee Tennessee Tennessee [b abt 1843]
  Davidson, T J (Thomas Jefferson) m w 18 Stepson Arkansas Tennessee Tennessee [b abt 1862]
  Davidson, Forsythe m w 10 Stepson Arkansas Tennessee Tennessee [b abt 1870]
  Davidson, W W (William W) m w 8 Stepson Arkansas Tennessee Tennessee [b abt 1872]
  Davidson, M O (Matthew Oliver) m w 6 Stepson Arkansas Tennessee Tennessee [b abt 1874]
  
  Note the age of the youngest Davidson child here.  Matthew O is reported as age 6.  This would mean he could have been born no later than 1874.  Libby Beliew reports Matthew was born in 1873.  Libby also reports that Matthew's father Thomas Jefferson Davidson died in 1873.  The inset info on Charles Belknap is from the Davidson Genealogy website (http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~genea/Dzmrtenn.html).  Note that Charles is reported as Charles A in contrast to the report here of Charles W.  Libby Beliew also reports him as Charles W.
  
  After the death of C W Belknap, Sallie married widower Pleasant S Simmons.
  
  Arkansas, County Marriages Index, 1837-1957
  P S Simmons
  Gender Male
  Age 44, Birth Year abt 1844
  Spouse's Name S A Belknap
  Spouse's Gender Female
  Spouse's Age 45
  Marriage 5 Dec 1888 Arkansas County
  Marriage License Date 4 Dec 1888
  
  Sally died about 1896.  After her death Pleasant marreid Jennie Miller Seamons.
  
  In the 1900 census, Sally's one child with Pleasant is reproted as Loula, born in 1884 but only 6 years old.  The record should read born in 1894 and 6 years old.
  
  1900 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 6 June, Prairie Township, District 7, page 4A, Hse #55, Fam #56
  Simmons, Pleas S  Head W M  Sept 1874  55 Married 3 yrs  TN NC NC Farmer
  Simmons, Jennie Wife W F Apr 1867  33 Married 3 yrs borne 4 children, 4 living  AR MS MS  Dairy Farmer
  ** Simmons, Loula Daughter W F  Feb 1884 [1894]  6  AR TN TN **
  Simmons, Arthur Son W M  Aug 1897 2  AR TN AR
  Seemons, Lillie Daughter W F  Nov 1884  5  AR TN AR
  Seemons, Ethel Daughter W F  ? 1888  2 [?]  AR TN AR
  Seemons, Tempa Daughter W F  Dec 1882  7  AR TN AR

Sources

• 1. Libby Beliew, email correspondence to Orville Boyd Jenkins, October 2008
• 2. 1860 Federal Census, Crawford County, Arkansas
  • 30 June, Richland Township, PO Van Buren, page 52, Hse #348, Fam #346
• 3. 1870 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 7 July, Prairie Township, PO Saint Charles, page 23 (scan p 95), Hse/Fam #183
• 4. 1850 Federal Census, Bedford County, Tennessee
  • 30 November, Civil District 19, page 399 (scan p 200), Hse/Fam #19
• 5. 1880 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • Prairie Township, p 18
• 6. Ancestry Trees
  • Clayton Genealogy, http://awtc.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=clayton&id=I14457
• 7. Arkansas, County Marriages Index, 1837-1957
• 8. RootsWeb Trees
• 9. 1900 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 6 June, Prairie Township, District 7, page 4A, Hse #55, Fam #56
• 10. Ancestry Trees
  • Libby Beliew, http://awtc.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=:2394651&id=I515079866
• 11. Ancestry Trees
  • Libby Beliew, http://awtc.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=:2394651&id=I515079771
• 12. 1930 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 28 April, Prairie Township, District 24, Page 11A, Hse #215, Fam #216
• 13. 1910 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 7 May, North Prairie Township, District 12, page 9A, Hse/Fam #161
• 14. 1900 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 29 June, Prairie Township, District 7, page 20B, Hse #358, Fam #366
• 15. Find a Grave Memorial Registry
• 16. 1910 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 15 April, Prairie Township, District 13, Page 1A, Hse/Fam #6