John A. & Martha (McManus) Bivins Family History

The story passed down through generations, Starts with John A. and Eilzabeth (Boggs) Bivins in Talbot County, Georgia. We're told one of their mothers was a Simmons and we found a marriage record for James Boggs and Polly Simmons in Baldwin County dated September 16, 1808. Elizabeth was born six years later in 1814. The 1840 census for Talbot county shows a James Boggs family enumerated with a female daughter about the age of Elizabeth and also Benj Bivins family living in close proximity to the Boggs. This information brings us to suspect James and Poly (Simmons) Boggs are the parents of Elizabeth.

We can’t confirm Benj and Rhoda Bivins were the parents of John A. Bivins, though there are several reasons we suspect this may be true...

Most of the above is conjecture and without more information we can only speculate who the parents of John A. Bivins and Elizabeth (Boggs) were. If we assume Benj and Rhoda Bivins were John's parents, we can also assign to them three daughters who lived with Rhoda in the Red Bone district of Baldwin County during the 1850 census, Betsy, Nancy and Frances. Frances had at least one son possibly born out of wedlock in 1845 named Francis. Later, after 1850 Frances married Chas Porter and her son's name appears in the 1860 census as Franklin. In all Benj Bivins had at least eleven children, three Boys and eight girls.

We can document the lineage of the Bivins family back to John A. Bivins born around 1800. The earliest records for John are two marriage recordings from Talbot County, Georgia. The first states "John Bivin" married Ellen Booth June 17, 1838. The second shows "John Bevin" married Elizabeth Boggs January 14, 1846. Elizabeth was born about 1814. According to census information John A. & Elizabeth (Boggs) Bivins could not read or write. This is a likely explanation why neither of the wedding records for John spell his name correctly.

In 1850 John and Elizabeth are enumerated in the census with five children; Benjamin age 10, Gracy 5, Mary 3, James Wesley 1, and John 1 month old. It’s likely Benjamin and Gracy were children from John’s previous marriage to Ellen Booth.

The 1860 census enumeration for John and Elizabeth shows three new children Thomas age 8, Joseph 6 and Sarah 4 years old. Missing from this enumeration is John who should be 10 years old. In later census enumerations we discover Thomas’s first name is John and in the 1900 census John T. Bivins' birth date is shown as December 1851. This indicates that John Thomas did have an older brother also named John who died in infancy before he was born.

The last record we can find of Benjamin Bivins is the 1860 census. Whether he died serving the Confederacy we have not been able to determine at this time.

The 1880 census of Talbot County, shows the family pretty much in tact, The remaining three sons have married and are living in separate dwellings on the Family farm and all the daughters are still living with John and Elizabeth.

John A. Bivins died in 1881 and his sons moved their families to Macon County Georgia shortly after. We Haven’t been able to find out whether Mary and Sarah went along with their brothers to Macon County, nor do we know what happened to their Mother Elizabeth (Boggs) Bivins. We do know Gracy resided with her Brother John Thomas's family at least until 1900. We speculate she never married and lived out her years with her younger brother’s family.

We know James Wesley married a Martha Louvaine (McManus) December 12, 1872. She was the daughter of James H. and Mary (Smith) McManus. The couple moved from Talbot county to Macon County Georgia along with the other Bivins brothers, where they each took up their own farms. James and Martha had ten children only six survived to adulthood. We can identify two of the children who died young, one was Ida born about 1877 and died before 1900. The other was Esther M. born in September 1882 she died before 1910. The surviving children were Mary E, Sallie A, John James "Bud", Alice L, Ludie C, and Rosa Mae.

By 1910 James Wesley had given up farming and moved to the City of Macon Georgia where he was an elevator operator for a Cotton Mill.

On Monday October 21, 1912 at the age of 64, after seven weeks of illness James Wesley Bivins died. His Obituary in the Macon Daily Telegraph states his wife Martha L. (McManus) Bivins died six weeks earlier. At the time their youngest daughter Rosa Mae was still living them and working at the cotton mill as a spinner. We assume she cared for the couple during their illness.

Mary E. Bivins married William Etheridge in 1996, he was a farmer from Macon County, Georgia. The couple had at least one son Robert, who was born in May of 1898. The only record we can find for the couple after 1900 is from her father's obituary which states they lived in Normal Park.

Sallie Ann "Annie" Bivins married Lonnie Spinks, he was an engineer for a Box & Crate Company and Later went to work at a flour mill as a machinist. Annie and Lon had 3 children, Erman A, Hurley and Annie R.

John James "Bud" Bivins was a carpet cleaner in Macon Georgia and married a woman named Ollie. The couple had three children; Ethel, John James Jr. who married Alene Purvis and Albert.

Ludie C. Bivins married John R. Hambrick the couple had three children; Horace, Martha and Evelyn. Evelyn was born in 1818 and her father john died shortly after on November 1, 1919. Ludie died at the age of 88 in December of 1969.

Alice Bivins married Loyal Smith, he was a carpenter in Macon Georgia and she was a spooler in a cotton mill. The couple had at least three children Lora, Nellie P. and Lenwood L.

Rosa Mae later married Carl Dovis Rogers, he was an agent for the railroad in Macon Georgia. The couple Had three children Melba Rose, Frances and Carl Dovis Jr.

John Thomas Bivins married Mary A. in 1875 the couple had eight children, by 1900 only six were still living, John T. Jr, Emory T, Joseph Cronic, Fannie Perle A. and Carrie R. The 1900 census enumerates Fannie as Perle A. and 1910 as Fannie P.

John T. Bivins Jr. married Mabel around 1906. The couple had three sons and two daughters. Their first son John E. was born in 1909 and died in infancy. The other children were Etheleen who married Edison L. Howell, John Lee, William A. and Willie M.

Joseph Cronic Bivins married Lollie Mattie Hightower she was the daughter of William T. and Leana Hightower. Joseph and Lollie had at least five children possibly 6. Joseph's first daughter may have been born to a previous marriage. Her name was Nettie, she was born in 1914 and died sometime before 1920. The names of the other children were Fannie P, William T, Annie R, Lena E, and Mary A.

Carrie R. Bivins married Walter Greene Kelly January 22, 1913 the couple had at least four children.

Joseph B. Bivins married Adella “Della” around 1877. The couple moved from Talbot county to Macon County Georgia along with the other Bivins brothers. By 1910 Joseph and Adella moved into the town of Montezuma, GA and Joe went to work for the cotton mill, after he left the mill Joe was a House painter. The couple had six children, 1 son and five daughters. Their oldest daughter Sallie was born in Talbot County, April 1880 and died before 1900. The couples only son was Cyrus "Cy", the daughters were Neiley E, Mattie, Willie, Jhonna "Johnnie".

Cyrus "Cy" B. Bivins married Elizabeth "Lizzie" Greer in 1903 she was the daughter of George and Lucy who owned a farm in Montezuma. When Cy and Lizzie first married they worked a farm in Macon County, by 1920 they were farming near Hobby in Turner, County.

The couple had seven children, Gen Dewy, Dovis "Dover" L, Carlos B, Ocie, Orine, Millard and Clara. Cyrus died in 1929 and Lizzie moved the family to Worth County, Georgia. Dover and Millard who worked in a saw mill, along with Orine and Clara lived with their Mother in Worth, County. Ocie who married J. B. Thompson at the age of 15 lived nearby raising her son Robert S.

Notes

Sources for this narrative include family history passed down through generations, form Martha Louvaine (McManus) Bivins (1851 - 1912). United States Federal Census Records and other local Documents.

Benj and Rhoda Bivins existing as a couple between the years 1770 and 1840 is conjecture formed from researching the 1820 census of Baldwin County, 1830 Upson County and 1840 though 1860 censuses of Talbot county. Placing John A, Betsy, Nancy and Frances Bivins as the children of Benj and Rhoda is an assumption from this research. What follows is an explanation of the logic that formed this speculation.

In the 1820 Baldwin County census Benj Bivins household consists of 2 boys under 10 years of age 1 under 26 (believed to be John A. Bivins) years, 5 daughters, under 10 years, 2 under 16 years, 1 under 26. Benj is shown to be older than 45 and his wife under 45

In the 1830 Upson County census Benj is between 60 and 70 years old and the only male living in the household. There 2 females under age 5, 2 under age 15, 2 under age 20, 1 under age 30 and the wife is assumed to be between 40 and fifty years old.

In the 1840 Talbot County census Benj is between 70 and 80 years old and the only male living in the household. There are 2 females between 10 and 15 years old, 2 between 15 and 20 years old, 2 between 20 and 30 years old and the wife we believe to be Rhoda is shown to be between 50 and 60 years old.

The 1850 Talbot County census Shows Rhoda age 78 with three females; Betsy age 40, Nancy age 30, Frances age 25, and one five year old boy named Franklin.

The 1860 Talbot County Census shows Rhoda age 85 living with Betsy age 50, Nancipa Robinson age 33 and Virginia Robinson age 3. Frances is enumerated as Frances Porter age 57 living with Chas. Porter age 63 and a boy Francis Bivins age 15. This is the first time John A. Bivins' name is shown in any census He is living with his wife Elizabeth (Boggs) and 5 children.

The above mentioned are the only Bivins we know of that lived in Talbot County up to 1860.

These notes were provided by Matthew Bivins Rogers in order to preserve the research and possibly aid other researchers.

Baldwin County Census 1820

Upson County, Georgia Census 1830

Talbot County, Georgia Census 1840,1850, 1860, 1870 & 1880

Macon County, Georgia Census 1900, 1910, 1920 & 1930

Bibb County, Georgia Census 1910

Turner County, Georgia Census 1920

Worth County, Georgia Census 1930

Family tree information from Ancestry.Com was used as clues to help trace the family.