Anthony Willis family tree » Sarah Ann Brandon (1824-1899)

Données personnelles Sarah Ann Brandon 

• Elle est née le 9 mars 1824 dans North Crawley, Buckinghamshire, England.Les sources 2, 3, 4

  Birth date from Obituary. Find a Grave states 9 April 1824 6th Chold of Parents James and Winifred

• Elle a été baptisée le 18 juillet 1824.

  St Firmin Church

• Résidant en l'an 1841: North Crawley, Buckinghamshire, England.Source 3
• Elle est décédée le 29 janvier 1899 dans Wilson County, Texas, United States of America, elle avait 74 ans.Source 2
• Elle est enterrée février 1899 dans Nockenut, Wilson County, Texas, United States of America.Source 2
• Un enfant de James Brandon et Winifred Ann Salisbury

Famille de Sarah Ann Brandon

Elle est mariée avec Mohamed Alley.

Ils se sont mariés en l'an 1854 à England, elle avait 29 ans.

Enfant(s):

1. Joel King Alley  1861-1948 

Notes par Sarah Ann Brandon

April 2018 Update ~ by Ann Alley
The first immigrant of our Alley family to America was a young lady by the name of Sarah Ann
Brandon. What follows is a Time Line of her 74 years gathered by family members and available
records. More research may call for further updates…
• Sarah Ann Brandon was born in the village of North Crawley,
Buckinghamshire, England on 9 Mar 1824, and was christened on 18 July
1824 at St. Firmin Church. She was the sixth child of James and Ann
Salisbury Brandon. Her only brother, John, had died in infancy in 1813.
Sarah had six sisters (with birth years): Clara (1810), Jane (1816),
Elizabeth (1819), Harriet (1821), Emma (1826), and Ellen (1828).
• In 1838, Sarah’s grandfather, Henry Salisbury died in North Crawley.
• 1841 English census for Buckinghamshire – Sarah Brandon was "15," her
father worked as a glazier (age 60), her 88-year-old grandmother, Sarah
"Sailsbury," was a lacemaker.
• 1841 English census for Bedfordshire – Thomas Goodman was living with
his parents, Esau and Sarah Higgs Goodman, in Ampthill of Millbrook
Parish (?). This village was in close proximity to North Crawley.
• Sarah Ann Brandon married Thomas Goodman about 1842 (no available
record).
• Sarah's sister, Harriet Brandon Pearsall, died shortly after giving birth to
a son, James, 22 Oct 1842 in Bradwell, Buckinghamshire. Harriet’s
husband, William, died when James was a young child. Sarah was the
caregiver of her orphaned nephew, James Pearsall, before she
emigrated from England to America.
• The only son of Thomas and Sarah Brandon Goodman, David Thomas
Goodman, was born 21 May 1843 in North Crawley, Buckinghamshire.
Sarah was only 19.
• In 1844, Sarah lost both her grandmother, Sarah Stanley Salisbury (90) and her father, James Brandon (who was 64 when he died on 1 Dec) – both in North Crawley.
• Thomas Goodman died in July of 1845 in Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, England, leaving Sarah to care for their young son, David and her orphaned nephew, James Pearsall.
• According to Sarah’s granddaughter, Sarah Annie Parkhill, the widowed Sarah Goodman made a living making lace for layettes/sets of clothing for Queen Victoria’s babies (the queen had newborns in 1843, 44, 46, and 48 time frame; see: http://www.historyinanhour.com/2014/01/22/victoria-alberts-children/ ). As a little boy, David Goodman had the honor of sitting on Queen Victoria's lap (family story). Supposedly, “Victoria encouraged her (Sarah) to further educate herself so she could take employment as a private secretary. An English secretary was considered a status symbol by the New York elite and it was this that drew her and young David to New York City.”
• 1900 and 1910 U.S. Census records tell us that David had immigrated to America some time about 1845 to 1847 (he would have only been 2-4 years old). There are no known passenger lists that show when and where he and his mother would have arrived during that time period. In fact, there was no known record of Sarah’s passage to America prior to 1853 (see below).
• An Alley family researcher (Margaret Heinrichson) claimed that it was in New York City that Sarah met and married a wealthy Turkish merchant named Mohammed Alley (Mr. Alley may have immigrated to the U.S. as early as 1840. There is no known marriage record, but it was likely about 1847-1848.). A Family Bible (belonging to David Stiers Alley, Sarah and Thomas Goodman’s first grandson) states that a son, James Alley, was born to Sarah and her second husband, Mohammed Alley. James Alley died as an infant on January 5, 1849 (no birthdate given, no named place of burial or known marker).
• It is also possible that Sarah and Mohammed met in England, married there, had their infant son who died there before coming to America in 1853. The New York connection of the family story has yet to be verified by the records.
• It is not clear when the Alleys moved to Texas – likely during the 1849-1853-time period after the Republic of Texas had become the 28th state of the Union (1845) and the end of the Mexican-American War (1848).
• The 1853 passenger list of the ship Charles Crooker from Liverpool, England to New Orleans, LA had a “Momahet Alley” (40), “Sarah Alley” (29), and “David” Alley (8) (no James Pearsall). This could have been their first trip to America or it may have been a return voyage they had made after Sarah had taken Mohammed over to England to meet her family (according to the family story). After their arrival in New Orleans, they may have traveled by boat/steamer to the Gulf port of Indianola, TX (family story; most of these records were likely destroyed in hurricanes that destroyed
ports like Indianola). Because the railroads in that area were not fully developed yet, they probably traveled on to San Antonio, TX by wagon.
• They were settled in San Antonio by the 1860 U.S. Census – “Muhamed Allie,” (37or 57?) was a merchant, “Sarah Allie,” (38) and “David Gorman” (16) a clerk. The Alleys bought a storefront in the city where Sarah ran the “emporium” (family story).
• Sarah's son, David, met a young girl named Zeanette "Nettie" Stiers (b. 4 Nov 1847 in Independence, Mo to Isaac and Susan Stiers) in San Antonio before the Civil War started in 1861. Nettie had come by covered wagon to TX from Independence, Missouri with her widowed mother, Susannah Catherine Clarkson Stiers (we don’t know what happened to her father, Isaac Stiers). Nettie and her mother, Susan, went to KY during the War (family story). Susan C Stiers was born in Bourbon Co., KY (1827) and may have still had relatives there and in Covington, KY they could live with. When Nettie got a job in KY as a teacher, she wasn’t much older than the pupils were. Nettie and her students supposedly witnessed a Civil War battle from the window of their school house (family story; the closest CW battle to Bourbon Co., was in Cynthiana).
• David Alley was still a teenager when he joined 158,000 other Texans who fought for the Confederacy during the war. He was very likely part of the 36th Regiment, Texas Cavalry (Woods’) that had recruited, organized and mustered in central Texas (including Bexar County where the Alleys were living in San Antonio; see: https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/qkt25 ). There were no Confederate soldiers named “David Alley” in the muster roll records, but there was one “David Alli” who was a private in Company C of the 36th (U.S. Civil War Soldiers 1861-1865). Unfortunately, David was captured by Union soldiers (possibly during the Red River Campaign in Louisiana). Sarah somehow found out where David was being held prisoner, took some money with her, and had bribed the Union commander to release her son. He agreed to let her son go IF he promised to go back to England for the remainder of the war. David complied and returned to England (family story). We don’t know if Mohammed and Sarah went with him or not.
• After the American Civil War was over, “Mohamet Alli”(46), “Sarah Alli” (42), “David Alli” (24), and “Joel King Alli” (4) had traveled from Liverpool, England on the ship “Florida” and disembarked at the port of New Orleans, LA 29 May 1866 (New Orleans, Passenger Lists, 1813-1945) with Texas as their final destination. “Germany” was given as the country “to which they were severally belong.” This is the first known record of Joel King Alley (b 17 Dec 1861 – d 30 Nov 1948).
Note: Joel King Alley was supposedly adopted by the Alleys. If this was true, we don’t know if his adoption took place in Europe or America. Annie Parkhill told of the story that Joel was the “illegitimate son of a German prince and the daughter of an English aristocrat.” There was also a Jas R King family who lived close to the Alleys in the Seguin area (the Kings had
7 children from 1862-1870) …The 1870, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940 U.S. Census records indicated Joel was born in Texas. 1900, 1910, 1940 have the birthplace of his parents in Texas. 1920 & 1930 have his parents birthplace as Germany. These discrepancies could lead one to question whether a Mohammed from Turkey and Sarah from England were his biological parents. Joel K. Alley married Daisy Helen Overholtzer in 1890 and they had two children: Blanche Louise Alley Armstrong (1891) and Royal King Alley (1904). On Joel Alley’s death certificate, his daughter, Blanche, gave “Mohamed” and “Sarah” Alley (both of England) as his parents.
• The U.S. Census taken August of 1870 in Seguin, Guadalupe Co., TX listed “Mahamut” (60), “Sarah” (41), “Joel” (9, adopted son), and “David” (27, before his marriage). The ages of Mohamed and Sarah are about 5 years off (he was closer to 55 and she 46), but little doubt that this is their family. Their move from San Antonio, after the Civil War may have had more to do with moving Mohammed, who drank too much, to Guadalupe County that was “dry” regarding liquor sales (family story by Pauline Alley Williamson).
• Also, in August of 1870 there was a U.S. Non-population Agriculture Schedule for “David Ally” of Precinct 3 in Guadalupe Co., TX showing the young man was a farmer of modest means: 175 acres, home value at 350, Farming implements 15, 2 horses, 50 swine, 200 bushels of Indian Corn.
• It may have been in the Fall of 1870 when David set out in search of his childhood friend, Nettie Stiers, and found her teaching in KY (we don’t know if they had corresponded via letters). David and Nettie Stiers Alley were married 15 Dec 1870 in Covington, KY (Kentucky County Marriage Records 1793-1965). David and his bride, Nettie, and his mother in-law, Susan Clarkson Stiers, returned to Texas in the early 1870s prior to the birth of the Alley’s first child, David Stiers Alley, in 1875.
• Also enumerated in 1870 with the Alley household were two of Sarah’s nephews: James Pearsall (27, son of Harriet Brandon Pearsall), his wife Harriet Spillet Pearsall (they had married in England, came shortly thereafter to TX to live with his Aunt Sarah Alley; their third daughter was named "Susan Zeanette” Pearsall), and Joseph “Ried” or Read (son of Ellen Brandon Read). About 1880, James Pearsall moved his family up to Iowa by wagon to be part of a RLDS (Restored Latter Day Saints) church community there. Joseph went back to England, married Rachel Garner, and returned to America to live in Salt Lake City (they were LDS – Latter Day Saints or Mormon Church).
• The Alleys were in Wilson County around Stockdale according to the 1880 U.S. census. “Sarah” (56) and “Mohamed” Alley (65, farmer) were neighbors (possibly 2 houses on the same property) to “David” (37, “pedler”) and “Zeanette” (32) Alley with their first 3 children (David, Susie, and Jimmy). Sarah had 7 grandchildren by David and Nettie: David Stiers (1875-1954), Susie Mildred Perry (1878-1968), James Brandon (1879-
1918), Elmer Thomas (1882-1954), Manarr Salisbury (1885-1954), Paul Wilford (1886-1961), and Sarah Anne “Annie” Parkhill (1889-1982).
• Mohammed Alley died late 1885 in Wilson Co., TX. and was buried at Nockenut Cemetery near Stockdale, TX. (located off FM 1681). His marker reads, “In Memory of M. Alley departed this life Nov. 5, 1885 Age 74 years.” At the base of the obelisk, it says, “Reader improve every talent which the Lord Jesus has committed to your charge to the setting forth of his glory.”
• Sarah died several years later early 1899 in Wilson Co., TX and was also buried in the Nockenut Cemetery. She shares the obelisk marker with her husband, reading, “In Memory of S. Alley Departed this life Jan 29, 1899 Age 74 years 10 M and 20 D.” On the base, it says, “She has gone and the grave hath received her. Twas Jesus who called her away. She has gone to the Lord who redeemed her. From night to the splendour of day.”
• Also buried near Sarah in Nockenut Cemetery are: her daughter in-law, Zeanette “Nettie” Alley, Nettie’s mother, Susan Clarkson Stiers, 3 of Sarah’s grandsons – 1. David S. [Stiers] Alley with his wife, Ruth W. [Watkins] Alley, their infant son David Alley III and daughter Bama C with her husband Leslie Buchanan, and granddaughter Bama Buchanan, 2. Elmer T. Alley, and 3. James Brandon Alley.
• Sarah Alley’s son, David T. Alley, died Nov 19, 1917 and was buried in the Popalote Protestant Cemetery in Bee County. He had likely spent his last days with one of David and Nettie’s sons, Elmer Alley, who was living in Popalote at the time of his father’s death (Elmer was the informant on the Death Certificate). He and his younger brother, Paul W. Alley, had been farming in the Popalote area for several years (see the U.S. Census for 1910). PW had married one of their neighbors, Lea Shelton, 1914 in Bee County and their first child, Lester Clifton, was born in Popalote in 1916.
From what we can glean from the records we have of Sarah Ann Brandon Goodman Alley, she led a long and good life while on this earth. Our Alley matriarch was one who persevered through many hardships, the illness and deaths of those she held dear. She provided for orphaned children with the work of her hands. She followed the advice of her sovereign, Victoria, who recognized Sarah’s talents and encouraged her to develop them. Like many immigrants before her, Sarah was willing to leave her family and the homeland she knew to make it in America, the land of opportunity. As an entrepreneur, she ran an emporium in her adopted Texas. She was a devoted mother as well as a good sales person able to talk a Yankee officer out of imprisoning her Rebel son, David. It was to Sarah Alley that her English relatives first gathered after the Civil War when they came to live in America, remembering their aunt who had helped nurture them in their childhood. In that day, they would have described her as “plucky” – now days we would say she had a lot of “spunk.” Sarah’s courage, grit, and abiding empathy toward others are quite a legacy for our family to emulate.

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