Individual Details

From VAN BUREN PRESS, Aug 5, 1882:
The Normal [Teacher's] Institute for the 12th Judicial district met at the Presbyterian Curch in Van Buren on the 2 of Aug. Attendees included Dolph Comstock, Uniontown. [He was 17.]

OBITUARIES, DEATH NOTICES AND NEWS ITEMS EXTRACTED FROM THE VAN BUREN ARGUS, Vol. 2, Fran Alverson Warren, 2001; p.6
30 Jan 1889 Mr. R. Comstock returned last Saturday from Rocky Comfort, Missouri, where he has been for the past six months. [Probably staying with his grandmother Rebeckah Brown]
20 Feb 1889 Mrs. Brown, the grandmother of R. Comstock, and Miss Fannie Davidson, his cousin, came home with that gentleman and remained a few days visiting their relatives.

1890 Reconstructed Census shows R. Comstock in the Uniontown School District; Section 31,Township 11,Range 33
Paid Poll Tax in Crawford County, AR in 1892

R. Comstock, age 24, married T. U. Spier, age 21, on 13 May 1890, Crawford Co, AR; J. B. C. Turman, JP.

OBITUARIES, DEATH NOTICES AND NEWS ITEMS EXTRACTED FROM THE VAN BUREN ARGUS, Vol. 3, Fran Alverson Warren, 2001; p.30-31
20 Jul 1892 UNIONTOWN SCHOOL REPORT Submitted for the Uniontown Subscription School for the term of four and one fourth months, ending July 1st, 1892........ The term closed with an exhibition, which drew a crowd of about 400 people. The program was long, but was met with applause throughout the performance. The next term will be public school, beginning the 11th inst..... Respectfully, R. Comstock, Teacher.

OBITUARIES, DEATH NOTICES AND NEWS ITEMS EXTRACTED FROM THE VAN BUREN PRESS; Fran Alverson Warren, 1895, p.27
11 May 1895 Hon. Randolph Comstock was in from his home - Uniontown - Wednesday. He had just recovered from an attack of the measles, which he contracted while attended the recent session of the Legislature. [This might explain the picture in which Dolph and one of his brothers appeared to have had shaved heads...apparently that was done at times to relieve high fevers.]

OBITUARIES, DEATH NOTICES AND NEWS ITEMS EXTRACTED FROM THE VAN BUREN ARGUS, Vol. 4, Fran Alverson Warren, 2001;
p.12 31 Oct 1894 Hon. R. Comstock, Representative elect from this county, has been cured of a deformed foot by Dr. H. C. Norton. The Doctor, we learn, has two other cures of deformity in that section. [Dolph was always sitting down in family photos.]
p.19 8 Jan 1896 We acknowled a pleasant call on last Friday from Hon. R. Comstock of Uniontown. He informed us that he had an addition to his family - a girl - born December 29, 1895. [Ione Grace]

1900 Census. Union Twp, Crawford, AR, Hh 84
Randolph Comstock, b. Dec 1865, age 34, married 10 years, b. TX, father b. TN, mother b. AR, Teacher, common school
Temperance U., wife, b. Jun 1868, 31, 4 children - 3 are living, b. GA, parents b. GA
Mirand E., dau, b.Feb 1893, 7, b. AR
Sonia, G., dau, b. Dec 1895, 4, b. AR
Sylvia, R., dau, b. Jun 1898, age 1, b. AR

1910 Census. Union Twp, Crawford, AR, Hh 23
Randolph Comstock, 40, married once for 20 years, b. TX, Merchant, General Store
Tempa U., wife, 41, 8 children - 6 are living, b. GA
Ethel, dau, 17, b. AR as were all the children, Teacher, Rural School
Grace, dau, 14
Ruth, dau, 11
Barton, son 9
Klondike, son, 6
Norma, dau, age 2 months

The marriage side of the grave monument for Dolph & Temperance reads "A Happy Home Rendered Lonely and Disconsolate. An Untimely Death of a Dear Good Wife and Mother."
Married by J.B.C. Turman, JP.
It is a tall white obelisk monument in Uniontown Cemetery. His side reads "Thy Trials Ended, Thy Rest Is Won"

Dolph married again after Temp died in 1913 but the marriage apparently did not last. By 1920, Dolph was living with his unmarried children in Uniontown [page 9a of the census]. On page 10a, also in Uniontown is listed an Ellen Comstock, age 54. She was living with her three children, Carolyn age 18, Myrtle, age 17, and John T. age 12, all are Babbs from an earlier marriage. Also her brother, Thomas J. Morton, blind, is livng with her. Paul & Jean Morton, Morton family researchers, state that "Blind Tom" Morton had a sister, Mary Ella, who married Randolph Comstock.

Marriage record from Crawford Co: Randolph Comstock, age 48, to Mrs. Ella Babb, also age 48. 11 Sep 1914. H. M. Gillmore, MG

Supreme Court of Arkansas, 29 Nov 1920. Appeal from Crawford County Chancery Court. Randolph Comstock v. Ella Comstock. Decree of lower court dismissed the complaint, but Plaintiff appealed. Supreme Court reversed the decision and remanded it back to the lower court with directions. This case revealed additional answers about the marriage between Dolph and Ella. They had a prenuptial contract dated 20 Aug 1914, whereby Ella Babb in lieu of dower and widow's rights agreed to take that part of the estate which each child shall inherit, counting herself as a child. They were married 11 Sep 1914 and lived together until about May of 1919. Early in January of 1918, Dolph had paid Ella $2000 which he claims she accepted in settlement of the antinuptial contract. Afterwards Ella refused to sign Dolph's real estate deeds, releasing her dower interest. She admitted she had received the $2000 but denied that it was in settlement. She stated that they could not live peaceably, both having children by former marriages, and they had agreed to separate and he had given her the $2000 to buy a home she could occupy separately. She claimed the contract was void and never acknowledged and she was entitled to the value of her expectant dower interest in any sales proceeds. Dolph they stated that he paid her the $2000 to cover everything up to January 1918 and if they continued to live together and accumulated more money, she would get her share. At the time he did not know they were going to separate. Before the settlement she had purchased a home. After January of 1918, his property had lost value. He had six children and estimated his net worth at the time of the marriage was between $14,000 and $16,000, but at the time he paid Ella the $2000, he doubted that his estate was even worth as much as $14,000. He was aware she was now claiming an interest in his home in addition to her home and wanted the matter settled in case he died first. He told her when he gave her $2000 that she would have no further claims on his real estate and she agreed to it and had signed one or two deeds after that. She left him voluntarily and there was no agreement to her support if she did so as he told her he could not keep up two homes. She replied "I am going if I don't get a cent." She bought the Wood property where she then lived, paying $2000 for it. The lower court decreed that the $2000 was an advancement and constituted a lien on her dower interest and that the ante nuptial contract be canceled, the complain dismissed, and Ella have a judgment for all costs. The Supreme court ruled that the ante nuptial agreement had been just and reasonable. The acceptance on her part of the $2,000 was in lieu of the provisions of the contract and in advance of the contingency that he might die first. She was able to enjoy the benefits of the contract in advance. The decree of the lower was reversed and sent back to the lower court with instructions to enter a decree divesting Ella of any and all interest in the estate of Randolph Comstock.
Reporter: 146 Ark. 266 or 225 SW 621

1920 Census of Farm Land Owners
Wanda M. Gray, 1998
COMSTOCK, RANDOLPH Merchant at Uniontown
COMSTOCK, Ella Lived at Unionstown

Newspaper Clipping - unknown source
"Funeral Rites for Comstock Held from Home
Well Known Man Buried at Uniontown Cemetery With Masonic Lodge in Charge
Funeral services for Randolph Comstock, widely known Crawford County man, who died at his home at Uniontown Sunday morning, following an illnes of several months, were held from the Uniontown Christian church Tuesday, with Rev. G. G. Alexander in charge. Interment was made at the Uniontown cemetery with members of the Masonic Lodge in charge of the service.
Mr Comstock who was 58 years old, is survived by four daughters, Mrs. R. S. Wilson of Van Buren, Mrs. R. C. Mills of Norman Okla, Mrs. Tom Marshall and Miss Norma Anne Comstock of Uniontown; two sons Barton Comstock of Uniontown and Klondike Comstock of Van Buren; two brothers, J. M. Comstock of Van Buren and Hardy Comstock of Uniontown.
A member of the pioneer Crawford County family, Mr. Comstock was a leader in the religious and political life of this commun ity. He served 3 terms in the Arkansas state legislature. Hundreds of friends of the family attended the service."

Arkansas Gazette, Little Rock, AR, Tuesday, Jan 29, 1924, p.14
RANDOLPH COMSTOCK
Crawford County Merchant and Former Legislator Dead
Special to the Gazette
Van Buren, Jan 28. - Randolph Comstock, aged 58, well known Crawford County man, died at his home at Uniontown Sunday afternoon. For more than 35 years he had been in the mercantile business at Uniontown, disposing of his business several months ago on account of his health. He was for several years president of the county School Board and served three times in the Arkansas legislature from Crawford County. He was a member of the original Crawford-Sebastian Bridge District Association, which built the Free bridge over the Arkansas River here. He is survived by four daughters, two sons, two brothers and six grandchildren. Funeral services will be held Tuesday morning at Uniontown.

Arkansas Death Certificate #29 of Randolph Comstock, Uniontown, Crawford Co, AR. Died 27 Jan 1924. Cause said to be "paralysis agitans" [Parkinsons's Disease]. He was born 11 Dec 1865 in Missouri and was 59 years, 10 months, and 17 days at death. A Merchant. Father was Tom Comstock; mother was Marandy Brown - both born Missouri. Bart Comstock [a son] of Uniontown was the informant.

Probate Record dated 18 Feb 1924 shows that Geo. G. Stockard was appointed as Special Probate Judge; the Judge disqualified on account of relationship - both in the appointment of a guardian for Norma Comstock, a minor, and in the matter of the guardian's petition for sale of real estate belonging to the Den Comstock minors. Stockard also appointed H. B. Comstock as administrator for the estate of R. Comstock, on 11 Feb 1924, application having been filed on 5 Feb. R. Comstock died intestate and the value of his estate was judged to be about $1500. His heirs were Mrs. Ethel Wilson of Van Buren; Mrs. Grace Mills of Norman, OK; Mrs. Ruth Marshall and H. B. Comstock of Uniontown; R. K. Comstock and Norma Ann Comstock of Van Buren. H. B. Comstock filed bond in the amount of $3,000 with R. Wilson and H. Comstock as surety. On the 19th of February, H. B. Comstock filed the inventory of the estate. On that date, application was also filed by Ethel C. Wilson for Letters of Guardianship for Norma Ann Comstock, a minor. The value of Norma's estate was judged to be $750 and Ethel filed bond in the amount of $1500 with J. M. Comstock [my great grandfather and her uncle] as security. Guardianship was issued. Signed by Geo. G. Stockard.


One of those strange coincidences revealed by family history research:

Randolph Comstock, brother to my great-grandfather James Monroe Comstock, married Temperance Spier, 18 May 1890, in Crawford Co, Arkansas. "Dolph" was born in 1865, while his parents were living in Lamar Co, Texas, just following the end of the Civil War. His parents were Elijah Thomas "Tom" Comstock, born 1838 in Perry Co, TN, and Miranda Brown, born 1842 in Searcy Co, AR - they had married in McDonald Co, MO in 1859. Temperance was born 1868 in Walker Co, GA, the daughter of John "Jack" Spier, born 1819 in Tennessee, and Sarah Ann McWhorter, b. 1830, in Georgia - they had married about 1852 in Walker Co GA.

Randolph Comstock's great, great-grandfather bought land that Temperance Spier's great great-grandfather had patented in Old Pendleton, South Carolina. So their great great-grandfather's had lived on the same place. The families arrived in Arkansas by very divergent means and I'm sure had no idea. This is how that happened.

Miranda Brown, mother of Dolph Comstock, was the daughter of Murphy Brown [b. 1816 in KY, died 1863 in McDonald Co, AR], granddaughter of William Brown [b.1794 in Old Pendleton District, SC, d. 1874 in Grayson Co, TX] and great-granddaughter of Samuel Brown [b. 1772 in SC, died after the 1850 census, probably in McDonald Co, MO]

Sarah Ann McWhorter, mother of Temperance Spier, was the daughter of James McWhorter [b. 1796 in SC, d. 1841, Walker Co GA], granddaughter of John McWhorter [b. 1768 in Lancaster Co, PA, d. 1855, Walker Co GA], and great-granddaughter of David McWhorter/McWhirter [b. abt 1741 in Lancaster Co PA, died 1789, SC]

Here is a record of David McWhirter in South Carolina:
Abbeville Plat Book A, p.192
Survey for David McWhirter as a Citizen. 250 acres above the Ancient [Indian] Boundary Line on Hurricane Creek, a branch of Saludy River, bounding to the NE on two former surveys. To the SE and NE on John Hamilton's land and to the SW on land surveyed for Mary Newman. Other sides vacant when surveyed by John Bowie, Deputy Surveyor, on 15 Dec 1784. Recorded 10 Feb 1785, Robert Anderson, County Surveyor. Sketch of the plat show Hurricane Creek running up one side of the plat.
Note: although this survey rests in the court house in Abbeville, the area "above the Indian Boundary Line" was recently still in the hands of the Indians. Whites moved in and settled there before the treaty was actually signed, giving over to South Carolina the Old Pendleton District which later became the three counties - Pickens, Oconee, and Anderson Counties.

Seemingly, heirs of David McWhirter, including Sarah Ann McWhorter's grandfather John, sold this land to Samuel Brown:
Pendleton SC, Deed Book G, p.301 9 Mar 1802 Mary Jones, John & Robert McWhirter to Samuel Brown. 250 acres for $250. Signed by Mary Jones, John McWhirter, Robert McWhirter. Wit: Thomas Brown, John McWhirter. Thomas Brown made oath to the deed, 9 Oct 1802. Recorded 15 Mar 1803.
When Samuel sold 100 acres of this land to John Darragh, by then recorded in Anderson Co DB 1, p.268, 24 Mar 1808, it was described as part of a tract granted David McWhirter, 3 Apr 1786.
On 10 Jan 1816, recorded in Pendleton DB M. p. 494, Samuel Brown sold the remaining 150 acres on the Saluda River, part of survey granted David McWhirter 3 Apr 1786, to William Crawford. After this sale, I believe the Brown family left South Carolina for Kentucky.

Birth	11 Dec 1865	Lamar County, Texas
Marriage	13 May 1890	Speir, Crawford County, Arkansas - Temperance Ulier "Temp" Speir
Marriage	11 Sep 1914	Mary Ella Morton
Separation	May 1919	Mary Ella Morton
Death	27 Jan 1924	Uniontown, Crawford County, Arkansas

Spouse	Temperance Ulier "Temp" Speir (1868 - 1913)
Child	Clara Blanche Comstock (1891 - 1892)
Child	Miranda Ethel Comstock (1893 - 1938)
Child	Ione Grace Comstock (1895 - 1979)
Child	Sylvia Ruth Comstock (1898 - 1984)
Child	Hugh Barton Comstock (1900 - 1970)
Child	Leonard Hy Comstock (1902 - 1902)
Child	Ralph Klondike "Dike" Comstock (1903 - 1987)
Child	Norma Ann Comstock (1910 - 1990)

Spouse

Mary Ella Morton (1866 - )

Father	ELIJAH THOMAS "Tom" COMSTOCK (1838 - 1917)
Mother	MIRANDA JANE BROWN (1842 - 1912)
Sibling	JAMES MONROE "MON" COMSTOCK (1860 - 1928)
Sibling	Theodore Comstock (1861 - 1862)
Sibling	Green Comstock (1868 - 1868)
Sibling	Minnie Comstock (1870 - 1944)
Sibling	Clinden "Den" Comstock (1873 - 1912)
Sibling	Cornelia Comstock (1875 - 1893)
Sibling	Hardy "Tack" Comstock (1877 - 1936)
Sibling	Piney Comstock (1882 - 1886)