John Patrick Netherland, b. circa 1804 in Scotland

According to the U. S. Census recorded in 1850 in Warren County, Mississippi, John Patrick Netherland, a 46-year old carpenter, was living with his wife, Mary, 30, and a three-month old son, William.  John's place of birth was recorded as Scotland, and Mary's birthplace was Kentucky. By all accounts, John Patrick was married first to Elizabeth Jane Smith, second to Mary Denkins, and third to Abigail Valentine.  His marriage to Elizabeth Jane produced one child, a son named William Bailey Netherland, my maternal great-grandfather.  Ironically, as the 1850 census shows, John Patrick's second marriage to Mary (Denkins) produced another son named "William." If John Patrick Netherland was born in Scotland, as the census record indicates, it seems certain that neither of his parents, Rachel Fenner and William Neatherlin, Sr., were born in Tennessee nor Georgia, as most family researchers have written. Maybe they were, indeed, born in Holland, as other researchers have suggested.

Netherland Family in Southwest Mississippi Territory - Early 1800s

An early census of the Mississippi Territory indicates James, Joseph, Levi, and William Netherland (Jr.) were already residents of the southwest area of what later became the State of Mississippi.  Most Netherland researchers believe the four men were brothers, having been born in Richmond County, Georgia to William Netherland (Sr.) and Rachel Fenner Netherland. According to the census, James was the head of a household in Wilkinson County, while the other three men were enumerated in Lawrence County. In 1816, a census taken in Wilkinson County validates that James continued to be a resident there, and in 1816, a census of Lawrence County confirmed that William, Joseph, and Levi were still residing in that county. In an earlier post I included the names of the ten children born to William Netherland (Sr.) and Rachel Fenner Netherland, my fourth great-grandparents. I am descended from their son, John Patrick Netherland and his first wife, Elizabeth Jane Smith. Their son, William Bailey Netherland, was my maternal great-grandfather.  I invite you to follow me here for future posts about several Netherland families as they migrated from Mississippi into Louisiana and later to Texas.


References: Missisippi State and Territorial Census Records, 1792 - 1866, accessed online via ancestry.com on September 8, 2010

The Children of Rachel Fenner and William Neatherlin

At the time of this post, I have not verified the actual date and place where Rachel Fenner and William Neatherlin were married.  Many researchers believe they were married in Richmond County, Georgia before 1800.  According to most accounts, their union produced ten children.  These children included four daughters, Mary, Sara, Dicy, and Rachel, with the latter most likely being named for her maternal grandmother, Rachel Austin.  Their six sons were named James, Levi, William, Jr., Joseph, John Patrick (my great-great-grandfather) and Lewis Solomon Neatherlin, with William, Jr. carrying forth his father's name. it is interesting to note here that William is a common name in both the Neatherlin/Netherland and the Fenner families.

In the coming weeks, I will be tracing the Neatherlin/Netherland family as it moved from the southwest Mississippi Territory into Louisiana, and later, as various family members migrated further west into Texas.  It was likely in Louisiana that Neatherlin family members apparently changed the surname to "Netherland" and where many of their descendants still live around Winnsboro.  By the mid-1800s, however, a number of these Netherland family members had settled in Texas, where they raised their families and later died and are buried. 

If you are a descendant of any of the ten Neatherlin/Netherland children born to Rachel and William, I would love to hear from you.  

The Fenner - Netherland Union - Rachel and William

Rachel Fenner, the daughter of William Fenner and Rachel Austin, and William Neatherlin, the son of James Neatherlin and his wife, Mary, married and had a large family.  The names of their children were James, Levi, Sarah, William, Jr., Dicy, Joseph, Lewis Solomon, John Patrick, Rachel, and Mary. Their son, John Patrick Netherland, was my maternal great-great-grandfather. Although John Patrick's son, William Bailey Netherland, from whom I descend, lived in Holmes County, Mississippi most of his life, it appears that many other Netherland family members migrated to Louisiana first, and then to Texas. Continue to watch this blog for stories about some of these family members as they moved further westward and integrated into the 19th century culture in Louisiana and Texas.