Joseph Benjamin CHRISTIAN Frances Elizabeth CHRISTIAN Joseph Benjamin CHRISTIAN Lucinda CHRISTIAN Jason A FORSYTH Thomas Jefferson FORSYTH John A FORSYTH Leonard Jackson FORSYTH Louella Hardeman FORSYTH Louisa TAYLOR Mini tree diagram
Emily CHRISTIAN

Emily CHRISTIAN8,3,9,5,6,7

about 18609 - before Jul 18988,7

Life History

about 1860

Born in Arkansas.1,2,3,4,5,6,7

(most likely)

about 1863

Born in Cass County, Texas.9

(less likely)

23rd Dec 1880

Married Jason A FORSYTH in Cass County, Texas.8

Sep 1881

Birth of son Thomas Jefferson FORSYTH in Bowie County, Texas.7,10

18th May 1883

Birth of son John A FORSYTH in Bowie County, Texas.7,4

23rd Jan 1887

Birth of son Leonard Jackson FORSYTH in Dalby Springs, Bowie, Texas.11,12,7,13,14

15th Jan 1892

Birth of daughter Louella Hardeman FORSYTH in Bowie County, Texas.4,15,16,17,18

before Jul 1898

Died in Bowie County, Texas.8,7

before Jul 1898

Buried in Cedar Creek Cemetery, Red River County, Texas.7,7

Notes

  • Emily was a daughter of Joseph Benjamin Christian and his wife Lousia, whose maiden name is thought to have been Taylor.

    -----------------------
    The Christians [sic] children included Joseph Benjamin, Frances Elizabeth, Lucinda and Emily, all born in Cass County between 1854 and 1862.  Joseph Benjamin married Catherine Smith; Lucinda, Larkin Dycus; and Emily, Jason Forsyth.

    Their mother, Louisa, married a second time, J. S. Jenkins, March 7, 1872, and had one son, Henry.  After her death in 1900, Joseph Benjamin Christian sold the family farm to Lonzo Hicks.
    -----------------------
    --  Damon Veach, Ft Worth Star-Telegram 22 August 1971, Clipping courtesy of Wanda Cox, email to Orville Boyd Jenkins, 5 March 2011

    In 1880, Emily was enumerated in the household of her older single brother Joseph Benjamin Christian.

    1880 Federal Census, Cass County, Texas, 17 June, Precinct 3, District 12, page 20, Hse/Fam #172
    Christian, Joseph W M 24 (Head) Farmer TX TN MS [b abt 1856]
    Christian, Emily W F 25 Sister Keeping House TX TN MS Cannot Write

    In December 1880, Amanda Emily Christian married Jason Forsyth.

    Texas Marriage Collection, 1814-1909 and 1966-2002
    Jason Forsyth
    Emily Christian
    Marriage 23 Dec 1880 Cass County, Texas
    Source Texas Marriages, 1851-1900

    Emily died before 1898, when Jason married his second wife, Lavonia Reed.  Emily's four children are enumerated with Jason and Lavonia in the 1900 census.

    "Emily Christian Forsyth  --  Do you have any information on Emily Christian Forsyth?  Jason Forsyth was my 2nd great uncle.  It appears they had four children and then maybe she passed between 1892 and 1898 when he remarried."
    --  Lynda Soape Lewis, Find a Grave Message to Orville Boyd Jenkins, 2 March 2020

    1900 Federal Census, Bowie County, Texas, 1 June, Precinct 4, District 12, page 1A, Hse/Fam #2
    Forsyth, Jason A Head W M  Jun 1860 39 Married 2 yrs TX MO TN Farmer Owns
    Forsyth, Lavonia Wife W F F[eb?] 1882 18 Married 2 yrs 0 children/0 living TX Unknown TX
    Forsyth, Thomas Son W M Sep 1881 18 Single TX TX TX Farm Laborer
    Forsyth, John Son W M May 1883 17 Single TX TX TX Farm Laborer
    Forsyth, Lenard Son W M Jan 1887 13 Single TX TX TX Farm Laborer
    Forsyth, Ella Dau W F Jan 1892 8 Single TX TX TX

    In the 1910 census, Jason's wife's name is Amanda, which was a name of Emily Christian.  The census reports that this is Jason's second marriage.  This conflicts with the idea that Emily Christian was his first wife and Lavonia was the second.  This and some other discrepancies seems to support the idea that Emily Christian and Amanda Christian are two different persons.

    The record of Jason and Emily's marriage in 1880 matches the ages of children reported in the 1900 census, when Livonia is Jason's wife.  It appears Emily Christian died about 1897 or 1898, since Jason married Livonia Reed in 1898.  Family genealogies have conflated Emily Christian with Jason's third wife Amanda (Mandy) White, so in many genealogies she appears as the single person Amanda Emily Christian.

    Unfortunately, even Amanda White Forsyth's burial memorial on Find a Grave has her name as Amandy Emily Christian Forsyth.  The stone has Amandy E Forsyth.  This would be for Amanda Elizabeth Forsuth.  No dates of birth or death are given on the stone.

    A new cycle of research to clarify this family confirmed the earlier indications that Jason Forsyth had three wives, and provided extensively more records for the whole extended family.  Emily Christian was the first, but died early, after bearing the four children found in many records for the Forsyth family.

    Lavonia died after only about four years and the 1910 census reports Jason Forsyth's wife as Amanda (White), the former widow of Frank M Moore (despite the 1910 report that this is Amanda's first marriage).  The census says they have been married 8 years.

    1910 Federal Census, Bowie County, Texas, 18 April, Precinct 4, District 19, page 2A, Hse/Fam #23
    Forsyth, Jason A Head M W 49 Marriage 2 Married 8 years TX TN TN Farmer Owns
    Forsyth, Amanda  Wife F W 40 Marriage 1 Married 8 years children not rptd AR TN AR [born abt 1870]
    Moore, Audrey Stepdau 16 Single TX AR TX
    Moore, Ola Stepdau M W 14 TX AR TX
    Forsyth, Leonard Son M W 23 TX TX TX

    Another researcher enquires concerning these anomalies and uncertainties.

    Jason and Amanda (Mandy) were still together in the 1920 census above, and in the 1930 census above and the 1940 census below, Amanda was reported as a widow.  We do find that in that era, some women reported themselves as widows instead of divorced, due to social stigma.  After 1940, the only further information found for this Amanda is her burial record, with a memorial on Find a Grave which supplies her birth and death dates, which do not appear on her simple gravestone.

    1940 Federal Census, Bowie County, Texas, 24 April, Justice Precinct 7, District 19-37, page 15B, Hse #268, Owns $400
    Forsyth, Amanda Head F W  72 Widow Grade 6 b Ark same house in 1935
    Goodman, Ora Dau F W 17 Widow Grade H-2 b Texas same house in 1935
    Goodman, Austin Grandson M W 21 Single Grade H-2 b Texas same house in 1935

    The simple footstone has only her name, as Amandy E Forsyth.  The memorial adds her maiden name as Christian, which is supported by parts of the scenario we find.  It does not clarify the anomaly of the 1880 marriage of Jason Forsyth to Emily Christian, followed by apparently the same persona as Jason A Forsyth married to a Lavonia, born only about 1882 according to the 1900 census.

    The eerie similarity of the wife's name 1910 and 1920 censuses to the wife of the 1880 marriage adds another dimension to the mystery, especially since the census ages do not match a birth suitable for the Emily Christian of the 1880 marriage record.

    Amandy E Christian Forsyth (should be Amanda Elizabeth White Moore Forsyth)
    Birth 28 Jul 1868 Arkansas, USA
    Death 31 Oct 1955 (aged 87) Red River County, Texas, USA
    Burial Cedar Creek Cemetery, Red River County, Texas
    Maintained by Lawrence & Sue Dale, Originally Created by Granville & Patricia Murphy Apr 13, 2010
    --  Find A Grave Memorial 51037134, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/51037134/forsyth

    The actual burial for Emily Christian Forsyth appears to be the one with the name spelled Emile:  Emile Forsyth.  Like the other stones for Jason's family, this one has only a name.  This is in the same Cedar Creek Cemetery where Jason and his second wife Amanda Elizabeth White (Amandy E Forsyth)  are buried.

    Emily Christian Forsyth
    Birth 1860 Arkansas, USA
    Death Bowie County, Texas
    BURIAL Cedar Creek Cemetery, Red River County, Texas, USA
    Texas, Marriage Index, 1824-2014
    Jason Forsyth, Emily Christian
    Marriage 23 Dec 1880 Cass, Texas, USA
    Parents:
    Joseph Benjamin Christian 1835-1870
    Louisa Taylor Jenkins 1838-1890
    Spouse Jason Forsyth, 1860 - unknown (m. 1880)
    Sibling Joseph Benjamin Christian 1856-1934
    Half Sibling Henry Jenkins 1876-1880
    Children:
    Thomas J Forsyth 1881-1940
    John A Forsyth 1883-1965
    Louella Hardeman Forsyth Allen 1892-1943
    [Emily Christian was the first wife of Jason Forsyth.  She died some time after the birth of their 4th child Louella in 1982 and before his remarriage in 1898 to Lavonia Reed.]
    Maintained by Lawrence & Sue Dale, Originally Created by Granville & Patricia Murphy 13 Apr 2010
    --  Find A Grave Memorial 51037187, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/51037187/emily-forsyth

Sources

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