James Washington Chandler

JAMES WASHINGTON CHANDLER

1814 -- 1903

James Washington Chandler was born in South Carolina on September 12, 1814, the son of Joel Chandler and Rosey Gunnel. Goodspeed History of Arkansas states that the family moved to Cherokee County Alabama when James W. was a boy, and he grew to manhood there. He probably actually grew-up in Georgia since his family lived in various counties of Georgia until after 1842. It is possible that the family was in Alabama for a short time and returned to Georgia.

According to Goodspeed's History of Arkansas, in ca. 1839 or 1840, James Washington Chandler moved to Izard County Arkansas and then moved to Hot Spring County. There he settled in the woods, cleared it into farmland, and lived the remainder of his life.

James W. Chandler's grandson, Benjamin Chandler, believed that when his grandfather left Cherokee County, Alabama he first moved to a village in Missouri that was located on the Arkansas border and remained there one year, and then came to Hot Spring County. At that time Izard County extended to the Missouri line, so it was probably there that he spent the first year in Arkansas

By 1854, James W. Chandler owned 80 acres in Section 10, Township 3S, Range 16W in Hot Spring County. The county lines were changed after 1870 and his home was in Saline County. They were living in Saline Township of Hot Spring County on 27 July 1870, when the census was taken but were in Fair Play Township of Saline County in 1880. By 1900 he owned 120 acres in Section 10, so the family remained on the same piece of land for about sixty years.

James Washington Chandler married Mary "Polly" Ann Camp on December 8, 1841. Mary Ann had been born in Georgia on December 31, 1826. Her parents were Tapley and Temperance Chandler Camp. The Temperance Kamp living with them in 1870 that had been born in South Carolina was her mother. Tapley and Tempe Camp were living next door to the James W. Chandler family in 1850. Tempe Camp was the daughter of John Chandler (1755-1850). Her father and James Washington Chandler’s grandfather had been brothers and had both fought in the Revolutionary War along side of their father, Joel, and two other brothers.

According to their bible James W. and Anna Chandler had eleven children, all born in Hot Spring County Arkansas.

Tapley Chandler b. September 11, 1842. Died September 14, 1843 in Hot Spring County, Arkansas.

Andrew Jackson Chandler b. May 14, 1844. Married Sophrona Ollie Pennington on December 27, 1864. He died November 2, 1890 in Hot Spring County, Arkansas.

Emily Chandler b. May 2, 1846. Married George Ebbs on December 29, 1864. He died September 7, 1966, and she married James T. Cooper on November 28, 1872.

Elizabeth "Betty" Chandler b. April 30, 1848. Married James T. Cooper on December 26, 1869. She died January 19, 1871.

Joel Chandler. . July 13, 1850. Married (1) Mary Margaret Clift on November 19, 1874. She died March 23, 1902, and Joel married her sister, Martha “Matt” Clift on November 1, 1903. Joel died August 17, 1920, in Floyd County, Texas.

John Lewis Chandler b. August 27, 1853. Married Mary Evelyn “Mollie” Hendricks on November 19, 1874 in Saline County, Arkansas. He died July 1, 1940, in Briscoe County, Texas.

Temporance Caroline Chandler b. September 30, 1855. Married Howell C. Clift on October 25, 1877 in Saline County, Arkansas. She died November 2, 1887.

Nancy Adaline Chandler b. April 3, 1858. Married Andrew Y. Lawrence on December 21, 1878 in Saline County, Arkansas.

William Thomas Chandler b. June 12, 1860. Married Eliza Jane Smith on August 18, 1881 in Saline County, Arkansas.

Benjamin McCullock Chandler b. October 9, 1862. Married Martha J. Hendricks sister of his brother, John’s wife. Were married on January 21, 1885 in Saline County, Arkansas. Ben died on December 13, 1890.

Martha Jane Chandler b. October 9, 1862. Married W. Carrel Sehorne on October 6, 1882 in Saline County, Arkansas.

In 1850 James was listed on the Hot Spring County, AR census as a farmer and his real estate was valued at $200. In May 1854 he patented 40 acres of land in range 16W, township 3S, section 10. The 1860 census of Hot Springs Co. lists his real estate valued at $320 and his personal property at $1000.

James W. Chandler’s personal property on the 1862 Hot Spring County tax rolls included 80 acres of land in section 10 of township 3, range 16 and one slave valued at $600. In 1868 in addition to the 80 acres, he was taxed for one mule, two cows, eight sheep, and eighteen hogs. His personal property changed little through 1870 (the last year we have found tax lists to date).

Mary Ann Chandler died on December 19, 1896.

On November 12, 1900, J. W. Chandler sold 120 acres in section ten of township three South, range sixteen West to Wiley Byrd for $100. The deed of sale stated that James was an unmarried man. The deed was recorded on 6 February 1904, in Saline Co., AR. Deed book T, pages 549 and 550.

James Washington Chandler died on August 7, 1903. The place of his and Mary Ann’s burials has not been determined but was probably the Fair Play Cemetery that was near their home.

Return to Chandler Family

Return to Home Page