Individual Details

Buried in Centerville City Cemetery. Cemetery inscription says he was Reynolds County Clerk. The inscription is on a memorial at the front of the cemetery wihch has the names of two other Crownovers. One is his wife, Sally Jordan Crownover, who apparently died fairly young. The other, Eliza Davis Crownover, possibly a second wife. For some reason, the cemetery transcription spells the name CRONOVER (I don't know if that's a typo or if that's really what the memorial says).

Notes imported from GEDCOM:

James Crownover was born July 17, 1810 in White, Franklin County,Tennessee. According to History of Early Reynolds County, Missouri byJames E. Bell, published 1986 by Turner Publishing Company, JamesCrownover was probably the first Crownover to come to Missouri. He musthave arrived between 1832 and 1834 according to census information inregards to the birth place of his children, Levi born in 1832 in Illinoisand Mary Ann born in Centerville, Missouri in 1834.

The following on James Crownover is quoted from the Crownover section,written by Floyd F. Crownover, and included in Mr. Bell's book:

"Little if anything is known of james's childhood. The circuit courtrecords, dated January 17, 1825, in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, states thathe was a bound apprentice to Levi Brawley to learn the trade ofcaninetmaker. He was married to Sally Jordan, (born April 26, 1813, inFranklin County, Tennessee, died (1848-1850), the daughter of Levi andFanny Townsend Jordan, on December 16, 1830, in Shelbyville, ShelbyCounty, Illinois. Their first born was a son named Levi, born in 1832 inIllinois. James and his family moved to Missouri between 1832-1834 andsettled in an area called Barnsville, which is now Ellington, Missouri."

"Reynolds County was formed on February 25, 1845. Quoting from 'OldReynolds', published in Reynolds County, Missouri: 'Serving on the firstcounty court by appointment of the governor were Landon Copeland, WilliamC. Love, and James Crownover, all to serve until the first election thefollowing year.'

'Also appointed by the governor were two other men who were to have keyroles in the new county called Reynolds. He made Marvin Munger the firstsheriff and John Buford the first surveyor. C.C. Campbell was appointedby the clerk as the first clerk of the county and circuit courts. Thesesix pioneers _ Copeland, Love, Crownover, Munger, Buford and Campbell _formed the first government of Reynolds County.

"The first clerk of the county was Clooin C. Campbell, appointed to theoffice on May 5, 1845, to serve until the first election. This officewas combined with that of clerk of the circuit court. Campbell held bothpositions. He was elected to the offices in August of 1846 and won asix-year term in the election in 1847, but he resigned in 1850. Next wasJames Crownover, who was elected in 1853, after being appointed to fillout Campbell's term. Crownover was elevted in 1866 and held this officefor many years.'

'The county and circuit clerk was one of the most demanding jobs duringthe early years of Reynolds County government. While theresponsibilities of the county court changed from time to time, the workof this office was essentiail to maintan a stable situation in thecounty. In addition to clerking for the two courts, this office holderfor a long time handled these chores for the probate court. Severalyears passed before Reynolds County had two distinct offices, one toclerk the county court, and another to clerk the circuit court. From thebeginning the circuit clerk also was recorder of deeds.'

"The Reynolds County archives gives the exact date of James Crownover'selection to county and circuit clerk, November 27, 1849. James heldthese offices until his death in the latter part of 1869 or early 1870.He was also postmaster in Centervilled, Missouri, for the years 1854-1859and justice of the peace of Reynolds County. He was a member of theBlack River Baptist Church."

This book goes on to say that James Crownover owned 31 lots inCenterville, Missouri and 1, 213 acres of land in Reynolds County,Missouri.
Centerville, Missouri property as follows:
Block 9-Lots 3,4&5
Block 10, Lots 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 and 8
Block 16 - Lots 1,2,7 and 8
Block 18 - Lots 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 &8
Block 23 - Lot 4
Block 24 - Lots 1,2,7,&8
Block 25 - Lots 1,2,and fractional lots 7 & 8.

Reynolds County, Missouri property as follows:
1. November 16, 1857 - Theodore Crownover and wife Hannah to JamesCrownover, 240 acres.
2. December 1, 1858 - U.S. Patent by President James Buchanan to JamesCrowonver, 40 acres.
3. September 1, 1859 - U.S. Patent by President James Buchanan to JamesCrownover, 160 acres.
4. January 18, 1870 - Edwards Barnes to James Crownover, 680 acres
5. May 11, 1865 - Tax sale to James Crownover, 3.20 acres
6. October 20, 1869 - Sheriff deed to James Crownover, 10 acres.
7. U.S. Patent by President James Buchanan to James Crownover, 80 acres.

Mr. Bell's book goes on to state, "The writer had copies of several'documents of great interest' from the old jail in Centerville, ReynoldsCounty, Missouri, namely: U.S. land grants to James Crownover, signed byPresident Buchanan and to his sons, Levi and Theodore Crownover;documents written in longhand by James Crownover while he was in officeas county clerk (He had beautiful handwriting.); also, the probate willto the heirs of James Crownover, dated 1872, after his death."

The great grandson of James Crownover, Otto James Bowles, may haveinherited this ability and or interest in beautiful handwriting of JamesCrownover. Otto James (O.J.) Bowles also had beautiful handwriting andwas very interested in the art of calligraphy and penmanship.

The wife of James Crownover, 'Sally' Sarah Jordan, died after the birthof their daughter, Cynthia Elizabeth Crownover. This would have been onor about September 17, 1848.

James Crownover next married Eliza Ann Davis, one of at least 15 childrenborn to William A. Davis and Abigal Davis, all born in Tennessee. Jamesand Eliza Crownover had five children. Eliza Ann Davis died before the1870 Federal Census. James Crownover died February 21, 1870. TheCrowover children were taken in by other families. (See notes thatfollow)





Notes - 2nd wife
I have as children of James and Eliza Davis Crownover, the following:
Mahola or Mahala Jane Crownover b. abt. 1854
Julia Ann Crownover b. 03/13/1856
Margaret Emily Crownover b. 09/25/1858
James HARRISON Crownover b. 09/18/1860 (pre-deceased his parents in 1868)
William Allen Crownover b. 01/22/1864

Eliza Ann Davis died in 1870 which would mean the children were in agefrom 16 to age 6. Husband James Crownover died February 21, 1870. (Heand both wives are buried in the Centerville, MO. Cemetery. ) The eldestchild, Mahola/Mahala was on the 1870 census as in the household of ELVISHARRISON and family. This was probably before the death of the mother,but I don't know that. Elvis Harrison was her guardian, according tonotes I have from Jackie Parks, Crownover descendant and researcher ofmany Reynolds county families. I also have notes from another Crownoverdescendant that the Crownover children were foster children of ElvisHarrison. Somewhere I have some court record about this as well, butcouldn't put my hands on it just now. None of the children are on the1880 census with Elvis Harrison. The youngest would have been abt. age16 which I suppose was old enough in that time to be working and livingwith some household as a laborer,etc.

Another HARRISON/CROWNOVER connection seems to be with the Reynolds Co.family of a WILLIAM R. HARRISON m. to LUCY B. STEWART HARRISON, both bornin KY. They had a son b. 1856, named JAMES CROWNOVER HARRISON.

This William R. HARRISON is about 6 years older than my Elvis and about15 years younger than Elvis's father, Thomas D. Harrison. Both myHarrison's and this William R. Harrison were born in Kentucky. WilliamR. could be a first cousin to either Thomas or Elvis. I can't findanything to connect them though.

I have Eliza Davis as the daughter of William J. Davis b. 1805, TN., (sonof Aaron and Polly Jones Davis) and Abigail Williams b. 1815 TN. and diedabout 1918 (age 103). Eliza was one of 17 children. It appears thisfamily -William and Abigail- came to Reynolds County between 1830 and1836, between the births of their 3rd and 4th child. The Crownovers cameto Reynolds County Missouri, between 1832 and 1834, and were fromTennessee as was the Davis family. I wonder if they traveled together.

James Crownover was County & Cicuit Clerk of Reynolds Co. MO 1849-1869. Info from Crownover-Jordan-Davis and Allied Fmilies Reunion newsletter written Aug 1986 by Jakie Parks, 1002 Arthur Street, Burkburnett, Tx 76354.

--Other Fields

--Other Fields 1 HIST 7/8/2000 www.rootsweb.com -
1 HIST Lynnette Miller
1 HIST 7/8/2000 www.rootsweb.com -
1 HIST Patricia Gausnell

Birth	17 Jul 1810	Tennesee, USA
Marriage	16 Dec 1830	Shelbyville, Shelby County, Illinois - Sally Jordan
Married by	16 Dec 1830	Justice of the Peace, J. Brawley - Sally Jordan
Marriage	Aft 1848
Census	1850	Reynolds, Missouri, USA
Marriage	Abt 1851	Centerville, Reynolds County, Missouri - Eliza Ann Davis
Burial	Feb 1870	Centerville, Reynolds, Missouri, USA
Death	24 Feb 1870	Centerville, Reynolds County, Missouri

Spouse	Sally Jordan (1813 - )
Child	Levi Crownover (1832 - 1888)
Child	Mary Ann Crownover (1834 - 1867)
Child	Theodore Crownover (1835 - )
Child	Sarah J. Crownover (1840 - 1890)
Child	Ruth Jane Crownover (1842 - )
Child	John Crownover (1845 - 1860)
Child	Cynthia Elizabeth Crownover (1848 - 1903)

Spouse	Eliza Ann Davis (1826 - 1870)
Child	Mahala Jane Crownover Crownover (1854 - )
Child	Julia Ann Crownover Crownover (1856 - 1882)
Child	Margaret Emily Crownover (1858 - 1935)
Child	James Harrison Crownover (1861 - 1865)
Child	William Allen Crownover (1862 - 1889)

Father	Theodore Crownover (1787 - 1874)
Mother	Mary Polly Brawley (1789 - )