Life History

Notes

• John Thomas Green
  Birth Feb. 11, 1844
  Death May 15, 1915
  Son of Andrew J. Green
  Married to Mary R. and had 9 children:
  Frances V. Green
  Lydia L. Green
  Sylvania Green
  Isaac Green
  James A. Green
  J.B. Green
  John A. Green
  Milton J. Green and
  Mary Emmaline Green
  --  Find A Grave Memorial #24276858, http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=24276858
  
  One or more genealogies report that the middle initial L in Lydia's name is Lovenia.  They provide no documentation and none has been found in public records.  Her name appears in various forms, including Lydia, Liddie, Lydda.
  
  1870 Federal Census, Blount County, Alabama, 26 August, Township 12, PO Blountsville, page 1, Hse/Fam #1
  Green, John 26 M W Farmer $100 Real Estate $300 Personal GA
  Green, Mary 28 F W Keeps House born GA Cannot read or write
  Green, Frances 4 F W born Georgia
  Green, Lyda 3 F W born Georgia
  Green, Elizabeth 3mos F W born Alabama
  
  Going by the birth place and ages of these children, the famliy moved to Alabama between abotu 1867 and 1870.  If the age of Elisabeth is correct and they figured correctly from the census date of 1 June, then Elizabeth was born in January 1870.
  
  Elizabeth does not appear in the 1880 census.  It is likely Elizabeth died before the 1870 census.  The 1900 census reports that Mary had 10 children and only 9 are living.
  
  I note that the 1880 census reports that Liddie L was born in Georgia, which matches the similar record for Lyda in 1870.  A discrepancy is the age occurs here.  Ages are often wrong.  We have learned thorugh long experience with these old records an cultural study that people in this era were not focused on numbers and ages and dates as absolute matters of truth in the modern analytical database sense.  It is likely that this Liddie L is more than 10 years old in 1880, and the round figure 10 was used.
  
  I have found several genealogies that appear to copy each other with no documentation except the 1880 census, that report Elizabeth Liddie L Green as a child of John Thomas and Mary Rebecca.  They appear to have conflated these 1870 and 1880 census reports due to the age discrepancy and have overlooked the birth state.
  
  Interestingly, these genealogies also report Elizabeth Liddie L Green's birth date as 11 Mar 1868, in Blount County, Alabama.  This is between the 1870 ages for Lyda and Elizabeth.  Elizabeth is reported in 1870 as only 3 months old.  It does not seem likely that her parents would have reported a 2-year-old as 3 months old.  And Lyda is reported as 3 years old, which would make her born in 1867 or even possibly 1866.  We have ofund also that birth dates get transpose din family memory, or even incorrectly engraved on gravestones, which are notoriously difficult to correct, and often peple do not notice.
  
  1880 Federal Census, Blount County, Alabama, 15 June, Township 12, District 8, page 24, Hse #224, Fam #231
  Green, John  W M 36 Head Farming GA SC GA [b abt 1844]
  Green, Mary R  W F 35 Wife Housekeeping Cannot read or write GA GA GA [abt 1845]
  Green, Francis V  R W F 13 Dau At Home Cannot write GA GA GA [abt 1867]
  Green, Liddie L  W F 10 Dau At Home Cannot read or write GA GA GA [abt 1870, but cf age 4 in 1870]
  Green, Sylvania  W F 8 Dau At Home AL GA GA [abt 1872]
  Green, Isaac W M 7 Son AL GA GA [b abt 1873]
  Green, James A  W M 5 Son AL GA GA [b abt 1875]
  Green, John A  W M 4 Son AL GA GA [b abt 1876]
  Green, Milton J  W M 1 Son AL GA GA [b abt 1879]

Sources

• 1. 1870 Federal Census, Blount County, Alabama
  • 26 August, Township 12, PO Blountsville, page 1, Hse/Fam #1
• 2. 1880 Federal Census, Blount County, Alabama
  • 15 June, Township 12, District 8, page 24, Hse #224, Fam #231
• 3. Find a Grave Memorial Registry