Individual Details

SURNAME SPELLING CHANGE
Somewhere along about the first part of the nineteenth century, the Ayers family members began to spell their surname as "Ayres" rather than the traditional "Ayers." I (JPC) cannot account for the spelling change. I believe the entries may be spelled either way.

The following information was supplied by J. Kennedy:
"From Alabama Records, Vol. 93, Jefferson County, compiled by Pauline Jones Gandrud."

"Letters from Mrs. A. B. Horn, Regent of James Blair Chapter, DAR, Corsicana, Texas: She was searching for these names for a friend, Nov 3, 1942. Moses Ayres married Rachel (McFadde(i)n); they moved from Tennessee and she is buried in Ackerman, Mississippi with her children. Rachel died 3 Sept 1846 and she had a daughter, Selah born (1789) and died 5 Nov (1862), married Obed Childress while living in Tennessee. Their son (Obed-Selah) Obed died 1878 in Arp, Texas. He married Jemima Barron. The mother of Obed (senior) was either a Mrs. Snow or married a Snow after his father died, for he has a half brother, Eli Snow buried where he is buried."

"Note: One Rachel Ayers married Eli Crum in Jefferson County, Alabama, 1827, and Moses Ayers consented to marriage. Deed from Eli Snow and wife Sally to Moses Ayres, Jefferson County, Alabama, 11 Aug 1827, Wit: John Ayers, Allen Ayres. Deed from Moses Ayres and Wife Rachel of Jefferson County, Alabama, to Robert Patterson of Madison County, Alabama, 3 Oct 1827. Celia Childress, wife of Obed Childress relinquished right to dower in certain land in Jefferson County, Alabama in 1837."

"Letter from James Addison Ayres, 790 John Adams Parkway, Idaho Falls, Idaho, 83401, February 15, 1969: I have records showing Moses Ayres was granted 4 tracts of land in the Camden District of Fairfield County, S.C. between 1784-1758. He lived in Tennessee and Mississippi before moving to Jefferson County, Alabama, where he died in 1829 or 1830. His wife was Rachel McFadden. Children: John, b. ca. 1801; Eli, b. Nov 21, 1803; Allen, b. ca. 1809, Rachel; Moses, Jr. Perhaps Selah(or Celia) and several other children - one daughter married a Bibb and they had a son, Eli Bibb. My grandfather, William Eli Ayres was grandson of Moses Ayres. Thomas Eli was father of William Eli Ayres."

LAND PURCHASE, 1816
On November 21, 1816 Moses Ayres, Jr. bought 100 acres of land from his father Moses Ayers, Sr. Senior purchased about 160 acres of this same land in 1811 from a Howell Tatum for a total of $300. He sold this 100 acres of land to his son for $600. (I, JPC, have a full rendition of this Indenture of sale on file. The reader may wish to review a similar Indenture of sale for the exact verbiage in the notes for Moses Ayers, Sr.) The document was witnessed by Obed Childress (Moses, Jr.'s son-in-law) and John Ayers (most likely Moses Jr.'s son; however, his birth date was 1801, making him too young to act as a witness).

ASSIGNMENT OF POWER OF ATTORNEY, 1819
Know all men by these present that I Moses Ayers, Junior of the Alabama Territory Blount County to me hereunto moving and in diverse consideration and good causes do hereby nominate and appoint my brother Daniel Ayers of the State of Tennessee County of Franklin my true and Lawful attorney for me in my name and to my use to ask demand (?) and receive of/from those who have .... any right or claim to a tract of land lying in the State of Tennessee in the County of Franklin being the same tract I bought of my father Moses Ayers which I hold by virtue of a deed and proven in open Court by John Ayers and Obe Childress...witnesses to sell the same to any person or persons who may purchase by those presents Greetings to my said Attorney my ....power of attorney to take purchase and follow such legal courses for the recovering preserving or further obtaining the same or any part those as myself could do ...I personally present...(remainder of document copy too dim to transcribe - JPC) This document was executed April 23, 1819 by Moses Ayers, Junior and was witnessed by Moses Kelly and Jonathon York. (I, JPC, am unsure how Moses Kelly might be related to Moses. Jonathon York might be very distantly related by marriage by virtue of a niece, Elizabeth York, who married a William Childress, Jr.)

May 1819, Franklin County, Tennessee
Then the .... power of attorney from Moses Ayers to Daniel Ayers was Exhibited into open Court and appeared to have been regularly authenticated in the County of Blount Alabama Territory it is ordered by this Court that the same be registered. Let it be Registered. February 26th, 1822.

LAND PURCHASE, 1820
Archives, Jackson, MS, copied 9/20/1944, U.S.A. Certificate #381
Moses Ayres of Jefferson Co. has made full payment in accord with 24 April 1820 Act for sale of public lands. For the west half of the N.W. qt. of sec. 8 of township 17 of Range 2, west in district of Tuscaloosa containing 79 acres and 82 acres and one half acres.

JUSTICE OF PEACE, 1823
Jefferson Co., Vol. X, book 1, page 130
Jesse Cunningham married to Elizabeth Hewitt, June 26, 1823. Solemnized by Moses Ayres, J.P., on July 1. Both parties of age.

SALE OF LAND, 1826
Alabama, Jefferson Co. Deed Books, Vol. 1 -4, Book 3, p. 121
Moses Ayres and wife Rachel Ayres sell land to George L. Green, August 21, 1826.
Rachel McFadden, grantor; Moses Ayres, grantor; William Childress, witness

PURCHASE OF LAND, 1827
Alabama, Jefferson Co., Vol. 5, Book 2, pages 84 - 85
Moses Ayres buys land from Eli Snow and wife Sarah (Sally) Ayres, August 27, 1827
Eli Snow, grantor; Sarah (Sally) Ares, grantor; Moses Ayres II, grantee; William Childress, witness

SALE OF LAND, 1827
Alabama, Jefferson Co. Deed Books, Book 3, p. 86
Moses Ayres and wife Rachel Ayres (her mark) sell land to Robert Patterson of Madison Co., AL., land in District of Tuscaloosa containing 160 acres, October 3, 1827.
Rachel McFadden, grantor; Moses Ayres, grantor

BURIAL WITH FAMILY MEMBERS
In a letter from Lucille Vann Cohen dated 26 AUG 1993 to J.P. Childress, she stated that there is documentation to suggest that Moses Ayres died in 1841 and is buried in Hickory Flat, MS, not in Ackerman with the rest of the family. The documentation was a note from a Mrs. West, who wrote: "You notice there is no record of Moses being buried here (Enon Cemetery in Ackerman, Mississippi). I have a copy of a 5 X 8 piece of paper known by a cousin to be the handwriting of her father, who was Judge C. Lee Crum of Hickory Flat, Mississippi, and a grandson of William Allen Crum. He stated that the grandparents of W.A. Crum were Moses and Rachel, that Moses died in 1841 and is buried in Hickory Flat. Perhaps that is why Rachel went back to Ackerman, to live with Selah."

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Birth	1 May 1774	Halifax, Virginia, United States
Alt Birth	1775	Virginia, United States
Marriage	1790	Fairfield, South Carolina, United States - Rachel McFadden
Residence (family)	1800	Fairfield, South Carolina, United States - Rachel McFadden
Residence (family)	1806	Franklin, Georgia, United States - Rachel McFadden
Military	1812	as a Private in 1 REG'T (PIPKIN'S), W. TENNESSEE MIL. - Tennessee, United States
Residence (family)	1820	Habersham, Georgia, United States - Rachel McFadden
Residence (family)	1840	Centerhill, Habersham, Georgia, United States - Rachel McFadden
Burial	1841	Hickory Flat, Benton, Mississippi, United States
Death	2 Sep 1841	Choctaw, Mississippi, United States
Alt Death	1856	Normandy, Bedford, Tennessee, United States
Alt Burial		Normandy, Bedford, Tennessee, United States

Spouse	Rachel McFadden (1774 - 1846)
Child	Sarah Selah Celia Ayres (1794 - 1867)
Child	William Ayres (1796 - 1849)
Child	David B Ayres (1797 - )
Child	Samuel Ayres (1798 - )
Child	Jacob Ayres (1799 - )
Child	John Ayres (1801 - 1874)
Child	Thomas Eli Ayres (1803 - 1890)
Child	Miriah Jane Ayres (1805 - )
Child	Allen Ayres (1809 - 1886)
Child	Rachel Ayres (1811 - 1858)

Father	Moses Ayres (1747 - 1828)
Mother	Elizabeth Vittito (1750 - 1802)
Sibling	Sarah Izabel Ayres (1777 - 1851)
Sibling	Daniel Ayers (1792 - )