ANDREW
JACKSON CHANDLER
1844
- 1890
Andrew Jackson Chandler was born 14 May 1844, in Hot Springs County, Arkansas, the second child of James W. and Mary Anna Chandler. Their first child, Tapley, had lived less than a year, so Andrew Jackson was their first child to reach adulthood. The family lived on a farm in Saline Township in northern Hot Springs County near the Saline County line. Andrew attended the neighborhood school and worked on the farm with his father. In 1850, they lived on the farm next to his mother’s parents, Tapley and Temperance Camp. When Andrew was eight years old, his grandfather (Tapley Camp) died and his grandmother and aunt came to live with the Chandlers.
In July 1861, at the age of seventeen, Andrew enlisted in the Confederate army, joining Crawford’s Company D, Eleventh Arkansas Regulars. According to Goodspeed’s History of Hot Springs County, AR., he took part in the battle of Island No. 10 and a great many other battles. He was captured at Island No. 10 and taken to Camp Butler, Springfield, Ill and held as a prisoner until April 1864.
Andrew Chandler returned home to Hot Springs County and married Ollie Pennington on December 27, 1864. Ollie was the daughter of Benjamin and Eliza Pennington. Later census records give her name as Safrona and probate records after the death of Andrew give her name as Sophrona O. J. Chandler. According to Goodspeed, Andrew and Sophrona were the parents of nineteen children and nine were still living in 1890. Nine living heirs are listed in the May 1891 probate records. According to a granddaughter of Andrew’s (Eva Chandler Hughes Cooper, daughter of James M. Chandler) Andrew was the father of eighteen children with there being four sets of twins.
Known children of Andrew and Safrona are:
Benjamin Tapley “Tap” Chandler, b. 1865, d. 1955, mar. (1) Victoria Harris 1 May 1888, (2) Anne M. Orrel Lee. Lived in Hot Springs Co. AR.
Seforna Octava Chandler, b. ca 1868, mar. John C. Davenport. Was living in Erath County, Texas in May 1891.
Tuney O. Chandler, b. ca. 1870, mar. Mr. Martin. Lived in Saline County, AR. in 1891.
Anna Emma Chandler, b. ca. 1871, living in Hot Springs Co., AR in May 1891.
James M. Chandler, b. 11 January 1872, d. 5 November 1925. Lived in Hot Springs Co., AR.
Cintha Emaline Chandler, b. ca. 1877. Was in Hot Springs Co., May 1891. She and Walter were twins.
Andrew Walter Chandler, b. ca. 1877, twin of Cintha Emaline. Was in Hot Springs Co., AR. in May 1891.
Hattie Chandler, b. January 1882. Was in Hot Springs Co., AR. in May 1891.
In 1868 Andrew was taxed for 80 acres in section 16, township 3, range 16 of Hot Springs Co., AR. He also was taxed for two horses valued at $75, two cattle valued at $20, twelve hogs valued at $20, and a carriage valued at $45. Few of his neighbors owned carriages.
By 1890 Andrew owned over 1000 acres of land as well as a cotton gin and a mill. By 1880 the county line had changed such that his parents were living in Saline County, but Andrew’s home remained in Saline Township, Hot Springs County.
In November 1890, Andrew was thrown from a horse and his neck was broken. He died on 2 November 1890 and was buried in the Fair Play Cemetery.
Andrew J. Chandler died without a will, and T. R. McHenry was appointed administrator of the estate. He filed an “Application for Letters of Administration” with the Probate Court of Hot Spring County on 5 May 1891.
At the October Term 1892, Hot Spring Probate Court the widow of A. J. Chandler, Sophrona O. J. Chandler, petitioned for following lands to be set aside as her homestead. (These lands are most likely where their home was located at the time of Andrew's death in 1890.)
SE1/4 OF SE 1/4 SECTION 33, TSP. 3S, R.16W
SW1/4 OF SW1/4 SECTION 34, TSP. 3S, R.16W
N1/2 OF NW1/4 SECTION 3, TSP. 4S, R.16W
The above parcels were joined and were in Hot Springs County.
The following is a newspaper article found in loose papers of A. J. Chandler’s probate file in Hot Springs Co, AR. County Clerks office:
ADMINISTRATORS SALE
Notice is hereby given that in pursuance to an order of the Probate Court of Hot Spring County Arkansas, at its October term 1892, the undersigned administrator of the Estate A. J. Chandler, deceased, did on the 5th day of November 1892, offer for sale, the real estate belonging to said estate, and having received no bids therefor, and more than one year having elapsed since said offer. Will on the 7th day of April 1894, in town of Malvern, between the hours prescribed by law for judicial sales, sell at public auction to the highest bidder on credit of three months. The following described lands belonging to said estate, ordered by the Court to be sold for the payment of the debts of said deceased, to wit:
S.W.1/4, N. W. 1/4 Sec.3 T.4 R16
W.1/2 N.W. 1/4 Sec.34 T.3 R16
Pt. S.E.1/4 S.W.1/4 Sec.34 T.3 R16
E. 1/2 S.E. 1/4 Sec.26 T.3 R16
N.1/2 S. E. 1/4 Sec.2 T.4 R16
in Hot Spring County Arkansas, also W1/2 S.W.1/4, Sec 25, T.3S, R16W in Saline County Arkansas.
This March 12, 1894
T. R. McHenry, Administrator
Sophrona O. J. Chandler, widow of Andrew, later married a Mr. Wallis. She was buried at Fair Play between Andrew and her son, James M. Chandler.