Caroline Elizabeth daughter of Joel Henry Cosper
Caroline Elizabeth Cosper, daughter of Joel Henry, was identified in his will and subsequent probate records as C. E. Crook of Alabama.She married Emory A. Crook in the 1860’s in Alabama when she would have been about 30.Their 1870 household is shown below.
1870 Census AL, Randolph Co., Twp. 18, Carters Store P.O., microfilm FHL 545536 (Sh 35, L 33), enumerated 6 Jul 1870, dwelling/family 255/255.
Emery A. Crook age 35, born GA, value RE/PE=$500/300, farmer.
Also listed: Elizabeth Crook fem, age 34, born GA; Lena N. Crook fem, age 1, born AL; Henry L. Crook male, age 3/12, born in AL in March; D.W. Sims male, age 17, born AL, farm labor; Mary A. Sims fem, age 15, born AL, attended school; July Ann Sims fem, age 11, born AL, attended school; and Martin(?) Sims male, age 10, born AL, attended school.
Initially the Sims children were ignored, but I recently examined the Randolph Co., Alabama census for the son Henry Lee Crook and concluded that the Sims children were probably Caroline’s.In the 1900 census she was shown as Caroline E. having had 7 children with 5 living.In the 1910 census she was shown as Elizabeth having had 7 (possibly 9 as there is over writing) with 5 living.There were only 2 Crook children, Lena and Henry.Between the 1860 and 1870 census for Randolph Co., one can count 5 Sims children, which would then make up the total of 7 children.
The 1860 Sims household was found by searching on the daughters Mary and Julia, and it is shown below.
1860 Census AL, Randolph Co., Northern Div., Rockdale P.O., microfilm M653_22 (Sh 99, L none), enumerated 12 Aug 1860, dwelling/family 713/713.
Lewis Simms age 30, born SC, farmer, value RE/PE=$800/400.
Also listed all children born AL: E. F. fem, age 23, born GA; S. E. fem, age 9; S. W. male, age 8; Mary A. fem, age 6; and Julia A. fem, age 2. All children, except Julia, attended school.(S. W. was D. W. in 1870.)
The 1850 census for Randolph Co., Beat No. 11, page 362, contains 3 adjacent Simms households: William M. and Sarah, thought to be the parents; David W. and Elizabeth; and John L. and Euphrasia.The latter 2 couples were married within the census year.The census taker apparently mixed up the latter 2 households since David W. Sims actually married Euphesia (Euphrasia above) Jane Bridges and not an Elizabeth..
There seems to be a discrepancy in the above logic, because Caroline was listed as Elizabeth in Joel Henry’s household in 1850.However, Joel’s household was enumerated on 5 Oct 1850, and John L. Simms’ household was enumerated on 14 Dec 1850, and the time lapse could account for a double listing of Caroline Elizabeth.
Mary Alice Sims married John Burton Baggett according to a database published by a Baggett descendent.This database links the Elizabeth who married Emory Crook to a prior marriage to Lewis Sims and to the Sims children listed above.
(Baggett, Betty. "Stephens Genealogy." RootsWeb WorldConnect Project. Internet:
I tentatively arrived at the name John Lewis Sims by combining the listings for the 1850 and 1860 census.He apparently died in the early 1860s, or after 1860 in the above database. The links to William M., as father, and David W., as sibling, are also tentative.
Any corrections or comments would be welcome.