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From: George Taylor <> (by way of Jean Mayfield Cuevas <>
Subject: Re: [Arizard-L] Massey/Battles
Date: Tue, 25 Jan 2000 07:00:37 -0500


Lise,

Your confusion is understandable, as it stems from confusion... that which
surrounds Willis Battles
and exactly who his wives really were and what order the marriages occurred.

Brothers, Willis and Francis Battles, supposedly married sisters, Nicey and
Mary Lawson in AL.
Willis to Nicey. Francis to Mary.

According to "The Battles Family History," by Bennie Presley Battles and
Reva Thomas Battles of
Conway, AR, Willis married Nicey Lawson in 1845 and they had two children,
Melissa and Margeret.
This book also says that Nicey died shortly after arriving in AR.

BUT...

In the 1850 AL census, there is a Mary listed as Willis' wife, age 20, born
AL. There are two
children listed (Melissa, 3, and Margeret, 2,) and we would assume they are
by way of Nicey Lawson,
if the book is correct.

SO...

Nicey Lawson must have died in AL, then Willis married this Mary and it was
she who came to AR with
him, not Nicey.

BUT...

The above book also says that this Mary is a Mary Jane Pickens who was
married to a John Finley and
that they had a child, Marna Elnor Finley, b.1851, which she brought into
the Battles' home and this
child *is* listed in the 1860 AR census. So this Mary is supposedly Mary
Jane Pickens Finley
Battles.

BUT...

How can this Mary have had a child by John Finley in 1851 if she is married
to Willis in the 1850 AL
census? (Hey, hey... don't even think it!)

BUT...

The Hightower Family Database says that Willis Battles married a Mary Jane
Hightower in 1857 in AR
and they had children, Martha, Lydia, Riley (b.1860), and Nancy.
http://www.my-ged.com/db/page/hightowr/14294 It also says that *this* Mary
Jane had married a John
Finley in 1849 in AR and that they had a child, Manervia E. Finley, b.1851
in AR. So this Mary is
supposedly Mary Jane Hightower Finley Battles.

BUT...

If this Mary married Willis in AR in 1857 and is listed in the 1860 AR
census, who is the Mary
married to Willis in the 1850 AL census? No, no... there is three years
difference in between their
ages.

SO...

We have claims of wives named Nicey Lawson Battles, Mary Jane Pickens
Finley Battles, and Mary Jane
Hightower Finley Battles and we have dates that are in a mess.

Something is wrong somewhere in IzCo and...

No, I can't clear it up for you! :-)

BUT...

I always have an opinion. <smile>

Based on what I have seen, what I have had passed along to me, and how data
is listed in the
census', I think Willis actually had *three* wives.

I think Willis married a Mary Pickens in AL in mid-1840s and they had two
children, Melissa and
Margaret (both b. late 1840s). Mary Pickens died in AL in early 1850s and
Willis then married Nicey
Lawson in AL, also in early 1850s. Then the two Battles brothers, Willis
and Francis, along with
their wives, the two Lawson sisters, Nicey and Mary, and their families,
made their way to AR.
Willis and Nicey had one child after arriving in AR, William (b.1854/5).
Nicey died (Willis must
have been tough on his women) and Willis then married Mary Jane Hightower
Finley in 1857, who has a
child, Manervia E. Finley (b.1851), from a previous marriage to John
Finley, who she married in
1849. This wife somehow miraculously manages to survive being married to
Willis and they have four
children, Martha, Lydia, Riley (b.1860), and Nancy.

You could flip the marriages to Mary Pickens and Nicey Lawson around, but
it doesn't make sense to
go all those years married to Mary Pickens and not have a child until
William comes along in 1854/5,
unless they had one or two that didn't survive.

SO...

I think that the Hightower Family Database is correct (in what it has) and
the Battles book is less
than correct (in some of what it has).

BUT...

I could be wrong!! <grin>

AND...

No, I'm not sub'ed to this list anymore. I saw your post in the archives! :-)

George



In a message dated 1/2/00, writes:

<< I'm confused about Riley BATTLES. I'm assuming that there was one Riley
& not two. However, in
my records I seem to have Willis BATTLES' wives & children mixed
together. I'm not sure who belongs
to who. I have Riley Battles, b1861, listed as son of Willis BATTLES & Mary
Jane HIGHTOWER. I also
have Riley BATTLES, b1860, as son of Willis & Mary Jane PICKENS FINLEY.

Could someone clear this up???

Thanks,
Lise >>

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