John Benjamin Smith and Augusta Elizabeth Hornburg

Gerald G. Johnson – Bryan F. Johnson – Sarah Elizabeth Smith – John Benjamin Smith

John Benjamin Smith was born in Randolph County, Georgia (far southwestern Georgia, almost on the border of Alabama) on April 8, 1843 to Benjamin Smith Jr. and Britanny Elizabeth Davis Smith. The earliest information in my records indicate that the Smith line goes back to Benjamin Smith Sr. (grandfather to John Benjamin Smith) who was also born in Georgia (Stewart County) in 1752 (Stewart County is directly north and contiguous to Randolph County, Georgia). John Benjamin was the second of eleven children and was born when Benjamin was 28 and Britanny Elizabeth (originally from South Carolina) was 21. I am unaware of who Britanny's parents were.

Augusta Elizabeth Hornburg, on the other hand, was a first generation American, or rather , Texan. Her parents were Johann Christoph Hornburg, born 1795 in northern Germany or Prussia and Marie Dorothee Christine Harms Hornburg, born in 1806, in the same general area as her husband. Johann and Marie were married August 25, 1824 in Germany and had six children when they learned of the opportunities presented by the Stephen F. Austin land grants in Texas. The proposition was that any German family that moved to Texas would receive one section of land (660 Acres). Any family that did not have the money for passage could deed ½ of their property over to the steamship company in return for getting them to their new home. The prospect of 330 acres of land was just too much to pass up. They left Germany on the ship Eberhart on September 17, 1845 and arrived at the Texas port of Indianola in December of 1845. During the trip over the steamship company went bankrupt and sold the wagons they had in Texas to the United States to use in the Spanish American War. The immigrants built a tent city there on the coast and had a terrible time of it. Cholera and Dysentery took the lives of over 1,000 and it appeared the only way to survive was to move inland. The Hornburgs made the trip up to Victoria, a distance of 40 miles, and it was there that little Augusta Elizabeth was born, January 23, 1847. Her parents were 52 and 41 respectively when she was born. One other child was born later, Mary Melinda, who made a total of 8 children born to the family.

Benjamin Smith and Britanny moved from Randolph County, GA between 1855 to 1857 to Jackson, East Feliciana, Louisiana, a distance of 488 miles, where a set of twins, Lea and Tilman Paul were born (their last two children). Within three years or so (1860 census) the family is living in Lavaca County, Texas (about 425 miles from their home in Louisiana) and seems to have been a family of some wealth (over $1,500 in Real Estate and $12,000 in person property). Our Benjamin is shown on that census as a 16 year old.

The Hornburgs moved from Victoria, Texas to Lavaca County, Texas between Augusta's birth in 1847 and the 1850 census. Augusta is shown in that census as a 3 year old (1850 census) and by the 1860 census she was 13 years old. Note: I am unable to find the Hornburg's in the 1860 census (though they appear they in later ones). Possibly they were missed in the 1860 census.

John Benjamin and Augusta Elizabeth were married July 8, 1867 when he was 24 and she was 20. Three years later in the 1870 census, Mary Melinda Hornburg (Augusta's younger sister) is shown living with them. John Benjamin is listed as a farmer with a land value of $100 and a personal property value of $175.

(Click to enlarge)

By the 1880 census John Benjamin is now 39 and Augusta is 33 living in Lavaca County and list 4 children: Benjamin 6; Roda 5; John W. 3; and Mary R. 2. Since Dad's (Bryan F. Johnson) mother, Sarah Elizabeth Smith Johnson was born October of 1880 it seems that Augusta was pregnant with her during the census. Sarah Elizabeth ended up being the 5th of 9 known children.

The 1890 census was largely destroyed and so the next record we have of the Smiths was the 1900 census where it is apparent all 9 children are still living at home ranging in age from Benjamin, who was 26, to Viola, who was 7. The census also informs us that by 1900 J.B., age 57, and Augusta, age 53, have been married for 33 years and that she had 13 children, 9 of which are still living. J.B. is still listed as a farmer and the school age children are listed as attending school. All in the family are listed as being able to read, write and speak English. Both sons Benjamin and Willie are shown with occupations as "Farm Laborer".

John Benjamin passed away October 17, 1909 at the age of 66. Augusta lived another 3 years and passed away December 19, 1912 at the age of 65.

Seaton Leroy Joines and Mary Susan Jett

The following is information compiled on Honey's maternal grandparents, Seaton Leroy Joines and Mary Susan Jett who married about 1872. Gerald G. Johnson - Janice F. Cooper – Bertia Leona Joines – Seaton Leroy Joines.

Seaton Leroy (Joins) Joines was born December 7, 1848, in Tennessee (most likely Giles County) to Daniel Logan Joines (originally from Giles Co., TN) and Nancy Ann (maiden name unknown) also from TN. Daniel was 21 and Nancy was 20 when Seaton (the oldest child) was born.

The 1850 census shows a 1 year old son Seaton Leroy living with his parents (Daniel Logan Joines and Nancy Ann) in Giles County, TN where Daniel was listed as a farmer. By 1860 Seaton, still living in Giles Co., TN was not attending school and his family (father Daniel Logan Joines) showed no real estate value, but a personal estate worth about $300. It appears that Seaton ended up with 6 siblings.

Between 1860 and 1866 a family living in Blount Co., AL moved from their home in AL northwest 105 miles to Giles Co., TN. I wonder if the move was precipitated by events of the civil war? They moved in next door to the Joines family. The new move-in family was Isaac and Sarah Jett and their children.

Isaac and Sarah's middle child Mary Susan (later to become Seaton's wife) was born in Blount Co., AL to Isaac Jett (originally from KY) and Sarah Bird Jones (originally from AL) March 5, 1854. At that time Isaac was 49 and Sarah was 28. Mary was the fourth of seven children.

By the time of the 1870 census Seaton is 21 and still living in Giles Co., TN (by himself now) and is working at a saw mill. Seaton shows his personal worth at $125 and the census says he could not read (later census records indicate that he could read and write). The census shows the spelling of his name as Seton Joins and his age (21) was mistakenly being shown as born in 1839 …actually he was born in 1849. Seaton is shown living in the house (boarding?) of Mr. Thomas Compton age 54 who is listed as the proprietor of the saw mill. Also living in the same house with Seaton is another young male also working at the saw mill.

About 1872 Seaton Leroy Joins and Mary Susan Jett and were married. They had known each other since they became neighbors about 6-10 years earlier.

In the 1880 census Seaton Joins, age 31, a laborer born in TN, is shown married to Susan, age 26 born in AL, who is keeping house. They lived in the same vicinity as his family Daniel Logan Joines. As in the 1870 census, their last name is spelled "Joins". Children of Seaton and Susan in this census were:
Margaret 7
Rosa 4
Clinton 1
Living with them is Susan's sister Delila Jett, age 21. The census says Delilah was born in VA with both parents being born in VA, but that does not match my accumulated information on Mary Susan Jett and her parents.

Between September 1881 and April 1888 the Joins family moved from Giles Co., TN. to Hunt Co. TX., a distance of almost 600 miles.

The 1900 census shows Seaton (a farmer) and Mary S. Joins, married for 28 years, living in Hunt County, TX (Hunt Co. is east of the Dallas area…county seat is Greenville). Mary states that she has had 8 children, 6 of whom are still living.
Children in this census still at home are:
Clint J. May 1880 20 years old single born in TN
Ura September 1881 18 years old single born in TN
Maurie April 1888 12 years old single born in TX attending school 5 months this year
Bertie October 1890 9 years old single born in TX attending school 5 mo. this year

Picture: Seaton Leroy Joines and Mary Susan Jett seated. Bertie standing on left and Clint standing behind. May or Ura is standing on the right. Picture is of Roy who died at the age of 12 in 1895 (Honey believes he was thrown from his horse).

The Bertie listed above is Honey's mother. Living with the family in this census is Sarah B. Jett (mother-in-law), age 74 and widowed. It says that Sarah was born in AL and that her father was born in AL and mother's birthplace was "unknown". Interestingly, the 1900 census shows that Sarah Bird Jett had had 9 children, 5 of which were still alive at the time of the 1900 census. My current genealogical information only includes the records of seven children.

Sometime between 1900 and 1910 the family moved from Hunt County, Texas to Edgewood, Van Zandt County, Texas, a distance of 42 miles.

The 1910 census shows Seaton L. Joins, age 61 and Mary S., age 56, (married for 38 years) with mother-in-law Sarah B., age 84, and daughter Birtie, age 19, living in Van Zandt County, TX. They are living next door to Henry and Rosa L. Haptonstall (their daughter), and are listed in the same vicinity as the Vines families who we are related to.

1) Seaton, Mary and her mother Sarah Bird Jones

2) Family Reunion with Seaton seated on the right, Mary Susan seated on the left and Mary Susan's mother Sarah Bird Jones Joines seated in the middle. Notice Bertie Leona Joines Cooper standing second from the right. I believe the tall male standing in the middle is Clint Joines.

On the 14th of February Seaton's youngest child Bertie Leona Joines (Honey's mother) married David Barto Cooper. David was a year younger than Bertie which was always a source of embarrassment to her. The 1920 census for Hunt Co., TX shows Bart and Bertie with two children Estelle age 6 and Lorene 1. Later children included D.B. (who died by accident at an early age), Janice Fay and Ray Cooper (who were twins).

The same 1920 census shows Seaton L. (incorrectly listed in the census as Satan, yes, Satan Jones), age 71, and Susanna Joines, age 69, living together in Van Zandt County, TX. On the previous page is Henry Haptonstall and wife Rosa (Seaton and Mary's daughter). Seaton passed away in Edgewood, Van Zandt Co., TX on March 4, 1920 shortly after the census was taken at the age of 71.

The 1930 census of Van Zandt County, TX shows Mary Susan, age 76, living with Henry and Rosa Haptonstall and son. Mary S. could read and write. It also shows that David and Bertie Cooper had moved from Hunt Co. to Van Zandt Co., TX to be closer to family.

Mary Susan Jett Joines died on March 3, 1938 in Edgewood, Van Zandt Co., TX at the age of 84.