The assistant marshall of Benton County, Alabama, G. C. Ellis, enumerated the 28th district of said county on Friday, 1 November 1850, where he recorded the family of Jesse Graham and Elizabeth Hunnicutt.

“J. Graham.” Jesse Graham, age 27, which suggests a birth year of 1823. His occupation was farmer, and his state of birth was recorded as “Gia,” an unusual abbreviation of Georgia.

“E. C. Graham.” Elizabeth Caroline Hunnicutt, age 30, born circa 1820 in South Carolina.

Jesse and Elizabeth were married in 1839 in Benton County, eleven years prior to this census. It’s likely that all of the children listed next were born in Benton County.

“J. W. Graham.” John William Graham, age 9, born circa 1841 in Alabama.

“T. A. Graham.” Thomas Asbury Graham, age 6, born circa 1844 in Alabama.

“J. S. Graham.” Joseph Sanford Graham, age 4, born circa 1846 in Alabama.

“J. F. Graham.” Jesse Flournoy Graham, age 2, born circa 1848 in Alabama. Note that Jesse’s grave marker in Shady Grove Cemetery in Searcy County, Arkansas has his birth year engraved as 1844. That’s probably incorrect. Since this census was created within two years of Jesse’s birth, it’s to be considered more accurate than a grave marker made over 50 years later.

“R. G. Graham.” Reuben Garrison Graham, age 4/12, born circa July 1850 in Alabama.

The column to the right of age and gender was to indicate color, “white, black, or mulatto,” but was left blank. The empty column between occupation and state of birth was to indicate the value of real estate. The last four columns were to indicate if a marriage had occurred within the year, if children had attended school within the year, persons over 20 years of age who cannot read or write, and “whether deaf and dumb, blind, insane, idiotic, pauper, or convict,” all left blank.

Benton County’s name changed to Calhoun County in 1854.

Bibliography

Ancestry.com. 1850 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch. Year: 1850; Census Place: District 28, Benton, Alabama; Roll: M432_1; Page: 273A; Image: 647. Original data: Seventh Census of the United States, 1850; (National Archives Microfilm Publication M432, 1009 rolls); Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29; National Archives, Washington, D.C.

Jesse Graham grave marker photographed by Ashli B. Graham, 4 June 2011 at Shady Grove Cemetery, Searcy County, Arkansas.

Correspondence with Dr. Harold Graham, February 2013.