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Sessoms: Early Texas Settlers

The Sessoms/Sessums line is incomplete. These four generations are lines that are proven. My direct line is highlighted in blue.

MORE Sessoms/Sessums in early Texas.While trying to proceed with this line and determine Michael Sessoms' parents, research on other Sessom/Sessums families in early Texas have been included. Hopefully we will be able to connect them all.

 

GENERATION NO. 1 (1812-1877)


MICHAEL SESSOM/ ELIZABETH HUDSON
According to census information, Michael Sessom was born in Tennessee in March 1812. He married Mary Elizabeth Hudson (born 30 Mar 1818) daughter of John Hudson (-1842) and Miriam Delilah BOREN

Michael immigrated to Texas in 1822, working as a surveyor. He volunteered to join Capt. Thomas McGeehee's spy company in 1836, acting as both a spy and an interpreter of Spanish and Indian languages. Among the first settlers of Hays Co., TX, Michael built the second house in San Marcos. He remained in Hays County until about 1875 when he moved his family to Llano County. Michael died 5 Mar 1876 and Elizabeth died 13 Mar 1902. They are both buried in Valley Springs, TX. Michael was appointed guardian of John Green Sessom. Michael and Elizabeth had ten children:

1. John Nelson Sessom born abt 1837, died 2 Feb 1920 in Menard Co., TX. Married Mary Ann Bryant on 6 Aug 181 in Hays Co., TX.

2. David C. Sessom born abt 1840. Married Mary Frances Meeks 22 May 1861.

David was a Confederate news dispatcher and was accused of being a Union spy. A man named Mayes turned him in and he was captured and killed. His father, Michael, later killed Mayes, but he was never accused of the murder as it was believed Mayes had been killed by Indians. Michael admitted to the murder shortly before he died. David and Mary Frances had the following children:

  1. Dora Sessom (4 July 1863-3 May 1923) married three times, surnames Kirkland, Prather and Hallet.
  2. Lucy Sessom (born 1865) married Josiah Matthew Boice on 2 April 1885.
  3. Robert Sessom(born abt 1867) married Bell Tomerlin.

3. Edward Sessom (born abt 1841)

4. Juliann Anna Sessom (born abt 1845) married Robert Meeks on 19 June 1861 in Hays Co., TX, and Henry Smith (married before Feb 1882)

5. Grace Sessom (abt 1848-1890) married John Wood(15 Nov 1843-Feb 1918). They had nine children:

  1. William Wood (1868-1890)
  2. Nancy Delila Wood (20 June 1782-5 Dec 1958)
  3. Amanda Wood (1877-1889)
  4. Edward Wood (1879)
  5. Lou Wood (1881)
  6. Ella Wood (1883)
  7. Albert Wood (1885)
  8. Charles Wood (1887)
  9. Mary Wood

6. Bird Owen Sessom (5 Mar 1851-9 Aug 1887) married Sanetta Matilda Huffman (11 Aug 1859-28 July 1887, daughter of James S. Huffman and Martha Ann Larremore) on 11 Aug 1876. They had four children:

  1. Mary Elizabeth Sessom (born abt 1878) who married Walter Hubbard Simpson on 21 Dec 1892
  2. Laura Sessom
  3. Edward M. Sessom (1880) who married Lou Hanning on 28 Nov 1900
  4. Rufe S. Sessom (1886) who married Winnie (surname unknown)

7. Michael Valentine Sessom (Mike Jr. or "Mack") born abt 1852 who married Sarah M. Wood on 23 Feb 1871. Michael died in Sutton Co., TX. They had at least two children:

  1. James M. Sessom (abt 1875)
  2. Daniel Webster Sessom (23 Mar 1881)

8. James Ellis Sessom (abt 1854-1913) married Margie Clark (date unknown) and Dora Elizabeth Talley on 1 Jul 1885. James Ellis had one child by Margie Clark:

  1. Henry Walter Sessom (May 1877)

James Ellis and Dora Talley had ten children:

  1. Austin Elmer Sessom (30 May 1886 - 7 Nov 1918)
  2. Marion M. Sessom (Mar 1889 - 1974) married Abbye Anne Bleacher (9 Oct 1900- 1991) on 17 Dec 1922.
  3. Della A. Sessom (Aug 1890)
  4. John E. Sessom (Apr 1893) who married Bertie Bonnie Simpson in 1913
  5. Ina Sessom (abt 1895)
  6. Edna M. Sessom (Jan 1895)
  7. Myrtle G. Sessom (Jan 1897)
  8. Madie Sessom (16 Jan 1901 - 12 Mar 1904), twin
  9. Sadie Sessom (16 Jan 1901 - 26 Aug 1936), twin married Jean Durwood Avery
  10. Lydia Mae Sessom (abt 1906)
  11. Damon Sessom (1910)

9. Mary Elizabeth Sessom (born abt 1856) married Alexander Jennings on 1 Aug 1873. They had five children:

  1. James Thomas Jennings (18 June 1874)
  2. Byrd Owen Jennings (7 Dec 1875)
  3. Charles Edmund Jennings (3 Jan 1882)
  4. John William Jennings (26 Aug 1882)
  5. Walter Jennings (9 Aug 1885)

10. Amanda Sessom born abt 1861 who married (?) Thompson.

     RESEARCH NOTES:

    1. The Sessom family is not easy to research! Alternate spellings include SESSOMS, SESSUMS, SESSON,SESSIONS and many other spellings left up to the interpretation of the handwriting on census documents. Additionally, this family moved in and around Texas without staying in place from census time to census time.

    2. In our search for Michael's parents, we collected information on all Sessoms (of various spellings) who were present in Texas in 1850. We expect that they will all turn out to be related, but as yet we cannot prove the connection. OTHER SESSOMS

     BIOGRAPHICAL and HISTORICAL NOTES:

    1. General Land Office records show that Michael Sessom arrived in TX prior to 1830. He was granted one labor of land in Washington County.

    2. 1831-1833 Robertson's Colony, TX. Michael was granted one league of land. Application date 22 May 1834, signed for Michael Sessom by F.W. Johnson. (McLean, Papers Concerning Robertson' s Colony in Texas, VOL VII)

    3. "Twenty-six heads of families ... filled out the printed applications for admission to the Austin and Williams Colony in Tenoxtitlan between April 21 and June 15, 1834 ... Michael Sessom May 22, 1834.." ("Tenoxtitlan, Dream Capital of Texas" by Malcolm D. McLean.)

    4. Michael Sessom was granted one league of land in Falls Co., TX. ("First Settlers of Texas" by Gifford White)

    5. Settlers living in Texas as of 2 Mar 1836 - Land Grant issued by Republic of Texas, Burleson Co., TX. ((Texas Counties-Original Landholders Vol. II" Harris Co. Genealogy Society)

    6. Burleson influenced many former Ben Milam colonists at Bastrop to settle at San Marcos in 1845-1846. One of these was Michael Sessom. ("Clear Springs and Limestone Ledges, A History of San Marcos and Hays Co" by Storm, Simon et al)

    7. Texas Mexico War Muster Rolls: Michael Sessom, Private, enlisted by Capt. H.E. McCullough, Hays Co., TX. (Hays County Historical and Genealogy Society 1848-1867)

    8. Michael Sessom was an original settler of Hays Co., TX and a member of John Coffee Hays' Texas Rangers.

    9. Michael was a member of Thomas A. Graves surveying crew July 27, 1834-March 1835. (McLean, Papers Concerning Robertson's Colony in Texas, Vol. VIII).

    10. Michael filed for a Republic Of Texas Pension in 1875, but died before the process was complete. Elizabeth was granted his pension as his surviving spouse.

    11. TRANSCRIPTIONS of some HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS.

 

GENERATION NO. 2 (1838-1920)


JOHN NELSON SESSOM/ MARY ANN BRYANT
John Nelson Sessom was born Feb 1838 in Texas and died 2 Feb 1920 in Menard Co., TX. He enlisted in the Confederate Army, Newton's Brigade (Infantry). "I" in San Antonio, TX in 1862. He is buried in Hext Cemetery, Menard Co., TX. John married Mary Ann Bryant (born June 1836 in AR or AL, daughter of Alexander Bryant) on 6 Aug 1881, Hays Co., TX. John and Mary Ann had three known children:

1. Jesse G. Sessom (1862-1932) married Mary E. "Mollie" Graham.

2. Robert Rudolph Sessom (1878) married Berta Gertrude Marsh. Robert and his family are buried in Ralls Cemetery, Crosby Co., TX. Robert had two known sons:

  1. Andrew Nelson Sessom (1909-1979)
  2. Delma Clyde Sessom (1903-1982)

3. James Benjamin Sessom (1 July 1869-17 Jan 1953) married Katie Tanner Draper (1 Jan 1872-7 Mar 1950) on 16 Dec 1891 in San Saba Co., TX. They are both buried in Cold Creek Cemetery, Llano Co., TX. They had the following children:

  1. Emmett E. Sessom (1891-1971) who married Kathryn Clark. They had two daughters, Norene and Eva Gene.
  2. Eva Sessom (abt 1893) married Willie Arledge and had one son, Larry Arledge.
  3. Wayne Sessom (23 Sept 1897) married Elizabeth Sutton (28 Aug 1900) on 4 Mar 1919. They had three children: Lucille Sessom, Mae Sessom and Jack Sessom.
  4. Frank Sessom (abt 1900) married Lola Jones (Feb 1921) and Verna Wilkerson (14 Feb 1942)
  5. Kate Sessom (abt 1903) who married Lee McFarland and had two sons: Carroll McFarland and Dan McFarland
  6. Willie Bell (abt 1908) married Elmo Arledge, brother to Willie Arledge above, and had two daughters: Louise Arledge and Martha Ann Arledge.

 BIOGRAPHICAL and HISTORICAL NOTES:

1. Confederate Pension Application, File No. 7362, signed by John 23 Aug 1899 and approved 12 July 1900. Application for Mortuary Warrant shows date of death 2 Feb 1920 at the home of his son, J.B. Sessom. Cause of death "Heart failure and old age." Witnesses to his service in the Confederate Army were William.G. Chumney, Wilbarger Co., TX; saying John served from May 1862 to the close of the Civil War.

2. John and Mary Ann are shown living with son Ben in 1900, San Saba Co., TX (1900 San Saba Co., TX census p.189).

 

GENERATION NO. 3 (1862-1932)


JESSE G. SESSOM/ "MOLLIE" GRAHAM
Jesse G. Sessom was born in 1862 and married Mary E. "Mollie" Graham (abt 1872-aft 1932, daughter of Joseph Graham and Sarah Jane (Schofield) McCarty) 2 Dec 1886 in Llano Co., TX. They had eight children:

1. Thomas Oliver Sessom (born abt 1888) married Bertha Mae Gentry

2. Lily Sessom (abt 1890) who married Perry Jones. They had three known children:

  1. Gracy Jones (abt 1907)
  2. Fay Jones (1910) twin
  3. Roy Jones(1910) twin

3. Bertha Sessom (born abt 1891) married Will Gentry

4. Edna Leafy Sessom (1894-1926) who married George W. Johnson.

5. Howard Sessom (abt 1897) married Cora Gentry

6. Charles Raymond Sessom (abt 1898) who married Velma Elizabeth Woods

7. Joseph Oscar Sessom (abt 1901-6 Jan 1936, Hill Co., TX)

8. Annie Mae Sessom (abt 1905) married Howard Cauley

 

GENERATION NO. 4 (1886-1911)


GEORGE W. JOHNSON/ EDNA LEAFY SESSOM
George Washington Johnson was born 25 April 1886 and married Edna Leafy Sessom (born 14 May 1894 Llano Co., TX, daughter of Jesse G. Sessom and Mary E. "Mollie" Graham) 29 Nov 1911. They had the following children:

1. Edith Lovena Johnson born 20 May 1913 died 5 Sept 1995. She married Lawtin Wilmer Holloway (6 Feb 1911) on 8 June 1957. They had no children.

2. Stella May Johnson born 14 Sept 1914 died 30 July 1944 and married Felix Garner (29 April 1913-10 Sept 1972) on 7 Aug 1935. Stella May was on record for having shot Opal Thompson in the right chest for "seriously tempting her husband." She was tried and acquitted in 1945. Stella drowned in the Llano River. Stella had four children.

3. JB Johnson stillborn 3 June 1916

4. Ora Juanita Johnson born 12 Feb 1917 died 28 Feb 1919

5. Audrey Faye Johnson born 21 Feb 1919 died 25 Aug 1998. Audrey Faye married Richard Applin and then married Jesse Wiley York in July 1936. Audrey Faye had four children.

6. Imogene Johnson born 27 Oct 1921 died 28 Oct 1991 *twin*. Imogene married several times, having four children. Three of the four children were as a result of her marriage to Lewis Andrew Hood (born 13 April 1910-died 1973, son of Elzie Andrew Hood and Vida Bessie Scarborough).

7. Genevieve Johnson born 27 Oct 1921 died June 2001 *twin*. She had one son.

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 RESEARCH NOTES:
1. The Johnson Roots page contains information on this line

 

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