Genealogy for
Mahala Wester
About Mahala Wester |
 Mahala Wester 1819 - 1860
| Mahala Wester was born about 1819 somewhere in Georgia and died about 1860 somewhere in Florida. Dates for birth and death are estimated. She lived to be about 41 years old.
The name 'Mahala' most like originates from the Muskogee Indian word for 'teacher' which is Mvhaya and pronounced muh-hah-yah.
She married Wiley on 1/17/1832 in Decatur Co. GA. During the 1830 Census, Elias Wester and his family were living in Decatur GA. most of the print has faded from the original census report and the size of his family is unknown. Other Wester families with daughters of the right age, living nearby during 1830 include one in Coweta Co. GA, Daniel Wester, and Edward P. Wester in Leon Co. FL.
Mahala, her husband and her oldest child were born somewhere in Georgia. Around 1839 they moved to Northern Florida. Tax records indicate they lived in Gadsden County Florida between 1840 and 1856. They passed away sometime between 1856 and 1860. In the 1860 census the children are living with their sister, Sarah Parish Floyd.
Wyatt Wesley Parish married Sarah Wester in 1826 in Telfair Co, GA. It is a possibility that Wyatt is Mahala's brother-n-law and Sarah is her sister.
Mahala and William had the following children:
- Sarah Parish born about 1838 in GA - married Theophilus Floyd in 1851
- Stephen Parish born about 1840 in Gadsden County, FL. Married Sarah Dennis in 1866 in Gadsden County, FL;
- Alferd Parish born 1842;
- William Parish (1843);
-
Martha Jane
Parish born (4/12/1846). She married Reuben Strickland in 1867 in Liberty County, FL;
- Wiley Marshall Parish born 1848. He married Georgiana Willis in 1869 in Liberty County, FL. Later he married Rachael Spears (born about 1883) in Calhoun Co. FL.
- Mary Parish born 1852. She married J.M. Forehand
- Caroline Parish ( 1856) - she married Edward N. Holley (1821 VA)
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 | Marriage | 1/17/1832 | GA (Decatur County) | 13 yrs old | Wiley Parish and Mahala Wester. Race: W , book: AA, page:86
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 | Census | 1/1/1840 | FL (Gadsden County) | 21 yrs old | page 21, line 3 - Wylie Parish - two males under 5, one male 20 -30,one female 5-10, & one female 20-30.one Person Employed in Agriculture, one person employed in manufacture and trade, two persons over 20 who cannot read and write.
Additional information about Gadsden County, FL around 1840: Click here to see a map from this timeperiod. | |
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 | Census | 11/28/1850 | 7th District FL (Gadsden County) | 31 yrs old | Listed as family #454 (below Benjamin Holly's family) : Wiley Parrish (age 40, farmer), Mahala (age 30), Sarah (age 12, female), Stephen (age 10, male), Alfred (age 8, male), William (age 6 ?, male), Jane (4, female), Wiley (2, male). Wiley Sr., Mahala and Sarah were born in GA and the rest of the children were born in FL. Stephen indicates that he is attending school. Wiley Sr. lists the value of his home to be $200. |
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Click on any of the News, Events, or Discoveries buttons above to see historical things that happened during
Mahala Wester's life. These are only some of the major events that affected the life and times of
Mahala, her family, and friends. For example, Mahala is 1 years old when The Act of April 24, 1820 abolished the land purchase credit system, fixed the price of public lands at $1.25 per acre, and set the minimum purchase at 80 acres. After a person purchased land, a final certificate was issued by the land office and sent to Washington DC to be verified and signed by the President -- a time consuming process. Public lands were most typically available through US treaties with Indians who agreed to be removed from their homelands.
Age | Date | Event |
2 |
1821 |
Spain formally cedes Florida to the United States in 1821, according to terms of the Adams-Onís Treaty. Spanish colonists as well as settlers from the newly formed United States begin to pour into the new territory. Prior to this change, Florida was a wilderness sparsely dotted with settlements of native Indians, escaped/freed slaves and Spaniards. |
3 |
1822 |
Florida Territory is purchased |
4 |
1823 |
The Treaty of Moultrie Creek pushes the Seminole Indian towns into the interior of the Florida peninsula. |
5 |
1824 |
Tallahassee is established at the capital of Florida because it is half-way between the two government centers in St. Augustine and Pensacola. The Legislative Council meets in November in a log house erected in the vicinity of today's capitol. |
16 |
1835 |
The Second Seminole Indian War keeps the United States and Seminoles Indians fighting in North & Central Florida. |
18 |
1837 |
NEWS HEADLINES: In October, Chief Osceola of the Seminole Indians is captured when he arrives for supposed truce negotiations at Fort Payton. He is imprisoned at St. Augustine, FL where he refuses to eat and attempts to escape several times. In December he is moved to a prison in SC where he dies on January 20, 1838. At the time of his death, Osceola was the most famous American Indian. |
23 |
1842 |
Congress passes the Armed Occupation Act of 1842. It entitles persons willing and able to bear arms against the Indians and establish themselves in villages along the borders of Indian territory ownership of their land after 5 years. |
23 |
1842 |
Second Seminole Indian War ends and some of the Seminole Indians living in FL are moved to the Indian Territory |
26 |
1845 |
Florida becomes the 27th state to join the United States. William Moseley becomes the first governor and David Yulee the first senator. |
31 |
1850 |
Florida's total population has grown to 87,445. This includes about 39,000 slaves and 1,000 free blacks. Indians were not counted. |
36 |
1855 |
Third Seminole Indian War begins and war breaks out with most of the battles occurring in Central Florida. It ends three years later when Chief Billy Bowlegs and his band are forced to move from Florida. |
Age | Date | Event |
1 |
1820 |
December 20 - Campbell and Randolph Counties formed. |
2 |
1821 |
May 15 - Dooly, Fayette, Henry, Houston, Monroe and Newton Counties formed. |
3 |
1822 |
December 9 - Bibb, Dekalb and Pike Counties formed. |
4 |
1823 |
December 8 - Decatur County formed. |
5 |
1824 |
December 15 - Upson and Ware Counties formed. |
6 |
1825 |
Baker, Lowndes, Thomas, Butts and Taliaferro Counties formed. |
7 |
1826 |
January 24 - Treaty of Washington abrogates Treaty of Indian Springs. The Creeks cede a smaller area and are allowed to remain on their lands until January 1, 1826. |
8 |
1827 |
December 14, - Harris, Marion, Meriwether and Talbot. |
11 |
1830 |
Cherokee, Heard, and Stewrt Counties are formed. |
12 |
1831 |
Sumter County is formed. |
13 |
1832 |
December 3 - Bartow, Cobb, Crawford, Floyd, Forsyth, Gilmer, Lumpkin, Murray, Paulding, and Union Counties formed. |
14 |
1833 |
Walker County is formed. |
17 |
1836 |
Seminoles massacre Major Francis L. Dade and his 103 man command. This starts the second Seminole War.
February - Battle of Hitchity.
March 27 - Colonel J.W. Fannin and his Georgian's executed by order of Santa Ana at Goliad on Palm Sunday.
July - Battle of Brushy Creek.
July 3 - Battle of Chickasawachee Swamp.
July 27 - Battle of Echowanochaway Creek. |
18 |
1837 |
Mcon and Dade Counties are formed. |
19 |
1838 |
Chattooga County formed |
28 |
1847 |
Atlanta, Georgia is incorporated. Formally Marthasville |
31 |
1850 |
Gordon and Clinch Counties are formed. |
32 |
1851 |
Clay, Howell, Polk, Spalding, and Whitfield Counties are formed. |
33 |
1852 |
Taylor County formed. |
34 |
1853 |
Catoosa, Pickens, Hart, Dougherty, Webster, Flton, and Worth Counties aare creaated. |
35 |
1854 |
Fannin, Coffee, Chattahooche, Charlton, and Calhoun Counties formed. |
37 |
1856 |
Haralson, Terrell, Berrien, Colquit, Miller, and Towns Counties formed. |
38 |
1857 |
Dawson, Milton, Pierce, Glascock, Mitchell, Schley, White, and Wilcox Counties formed. |
39 |
1858 |
Clayton, Quitman, Banks, Brooks, Johnson, and Echols Counties formed. |
Age | Date | Event |
11 |
1830 |
The first railroad is constructed between Liverpool and Manchester, England |
20 |
1839 |
Goodyear invents vulcanized rubber, opening the door for tires and other rubber products. |
25 |
1844 |
The first telegraph message is sent by Morse, who later invents the Mores Code |
34 |
1853 |
The process of creating steel is invented by Besermer in Britain and Kelly in the U.S. |
37 |
1856 |
The first Neanderthal fossils are found near Germany |
40 |
1859 |
Charles Darwin publishes "Origin of Species" and begins the evolution theory. |
Age | Date | Event |
9 |
1828 |
Gold is discovered in Georgia. |
15 |
1834 |
July 9 - The S.S. John Randolph, the first successful iron steamship, is launched in Savannah |
Age | Date | Event |
1 |
1820 |
The Act of April 24, 1820 abolished the land purchase credit system, fixed the price of public lands at $1.25 per acre, and set the minimum purchase at 80 acres. After a person purchased land, a final certificate was issued by the land office and sent to Washington DC to be verified and signed by the President -- a time consuming process. Public lands were most typically available through US treaties with Indians who agreed to be removed from their homelands. |
11 |
1830 |
Indian Removal Act signed and the moving of eastern Indians west of the Mississippi begins. |
16 |
1835 |
Second Seminole Indian War begins. |
18 |
1837 |
The trickery used to capture Seminole Indian Chief Osceola (Assi Yohola) creates a public uproar and U.S. General Jesup is publicly condemned. |
21 |
1840 |
Oregon Trail is established |
23 |
1842 |
Second Seminole Indian War ends and thousands of Seminole Indians are forced to move west of the Mississippi. |
36 |
1855 |
Third Seminole Indian War begins. It ends three years later when Chief Billy Bowlegs and his band are forced to move from Florida. |
41 |
1860 |
Presidential election puts Abraham Lincoln in office. The campaign has heated the issues regarding slavery in the south. |
Age | Date | Event |
14 |
1833 |
Santa Anna is elected President of Mexico |
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Marriages
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 | Wiley Parish Born about 1810 and died about 1860. They were married 1/17/1832.
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The Children of Mahala Wester
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Sarah E. Parish Born somewhere in Georgia on July 1, 1838 and died in Liberty Co. FL, Florida on December 29, 1916. She was 78 years old.
In 1851 she married Theophilus Floyd (3/6/ 1826 -9/6/1878).
After the death of her parents, she and her husband to care of her younger siblings, William, Jane, Wiley and Mary.
Sarah an...
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William F. Parish Born in Gadsden County, Florida about 1843 and died in Blountstown, Florida about 1878. He was about 35 years old.
He fought in the Civil War and was wounded at Cold Harbor, Va. He was appointed Regimental Musician and served time in Libby Military Prison in Richmond for desertion till the end of the war. In 1870 ...
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Wiley Marshall Parish Born in Gadsden County, Florida on March 18, 1848 and died in Blountstown, Calhoun County, Florida on an unknown day in August 1920. He was 72 years old.
He married Georgiana Willis(1853 -1882) in on May 27,1870 in Liberty County, FL. Children: James Wiley (4/24/1871-5/8/1928) William Oliver(1874-1942) Mary Reba Charles A. ( Aug. ...
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