Descendants of Joseph Blocker
Generation No. 1
1. JOSEPH1 BLOCKER was born 1787 in SC, and died 1881 in Colleton Dist., SC. He married (1) LAVINIA HUDSON. She was born about 1790 in Colleton Dist., SC, and died about 1885. He married (2) MARY ANN WATSON. She was born about 1810.
Notes for JOSEPH BLOCKER:Info obtained thru World Family Tree; all info from there except for John Redding Blocker.
June 10, 1999:
The Trail of Joseph Blocker
Complied by Dan F. Prescott
with info from Edward P. Blocker and Coy H. Blocker
According to the census records Joseph Blocker was born between 1787 and 1790, possibly in Colleton District, SC. The parents of Joseph Blocker remains a mystery. There have been several possible Blocker families in and around Colleton Dist, but no proof has been found.
The 1810 census does not report Joseph Blocker in SC. We know, according to the War of 1812 records in which Joseph Blocker made an application for a pension, that he married Lavinia Hudson in Feb 1810 in Colleton Dist., SC. Thus he should have been listed in the 1810 census. The War 0f 1812 records show Joseph Blocker volunteering on June 29, 1812 and served until Dec 1812. He enlisted at Island Creek, Colleton, SC and was discharged at Beauford Island, SC
Joseph Blocker was not reported in the 1820 census. Why??? He was a carpenter by trade and a Primitive Baptist by Faith. Thus he may have been away from home workign when the census taker came around. In those days the census taker did not make return calls or go to much effort to find someone. Also some of the 1820 census records were lost, or he could have been included in his father's household.
The Georgia-Cherokee Land Lottery of 1827 shows on page 186, #16, Dist 13, Sec 1, Woodrough-land allocated to Joseph Blocker. This land was located East of Atlanta, Gwinnett Co., Lawrenceville, GA. this was the first info available since his service in the War of 1812.
It appears he abandoned the land grant and moved to Marion Co, GA near Buena Vista, GA. The 1830 census of Marion Co, GA shows: Joseph Blocker, 1 male 30-40; 1 female 20-30; 1 male 15-20; 1 female 10-15, 1 male 10-15; 2 females 5-10, 1 male 0-5; 1 female 0-5.
The 1830 census of Colleton Co., SC shows one Lavinia Blocker living next door to John Blocker, Jr. Lavinia Blocker had in her house: 1 female age 50-60, one female age 30-40, and 3 children. Was this the same Lavinia who married Joseph Blocker in 1810? And was there a connection to John Blocker, Jr.?
Edward P. Blocker of Kennesaw, GA, did a tremendous amount of research in his lifetime and he told me the following story: "Family folklore relates the story that Lavinia died at the birth of William Ellis Blocker on Mar 11, 1833. A Negro nanny with an extra flow of milk saved his life. He was the runt of the litter, began chewing tobacco at the age of four as a remedy for hook worms. He chewed for 86 years before it finally killed him."
The question remains--who was Lavinia Blocker of Colleton Dist., SC?
Along about this time frame (1834-36), Joseph left GA and moved to Dale Co., AL
Joseph Blocker married Mary Ann Watson either in 1835 or 36. John Reddin Blocker, son of Joseph and Mary Ann, was born 14 Feb 1837 in Dale Co., AL, as shown in his Civil War records. Coffee County was formed in 1841 and part was carved out of Dale Co., The older court houses were destroyed by fire so there are not any marriage records available.
1840 Census Dale Co, AL:
Joseph Blocker age 40-50
son 5-10
son 10-15
daughter 5-10
2 daughters 10-15
In the early 1840s, Joseph divorced Mary Ann and he moved to Walton Co., FL. The marriage records of Pike Co., AL, shows Mary Ann Blocker marrying William A. West on 28 Dec 1844. Coy H. Blocker says it was a family legend that Mary Ann married a Will West and the West family moved to Florida.
Joseph Blocker's name appears on a list of registered voters in Walton Co for the first Statewide Election held on 26 May 1845 in FL.
The 1850 census shows Joseph Blocker living in Walton Co., FL 3rd Dist, on 8 Dec 1850 as follows: Family #130: Joseph Blocker age 60 b. SC (b 1790)
He was living next door to Stephen Gale, who had married Joseph's daughter (Fannie). Family # 129, Stephn Gale, age 40-Conn; Fannie 20, GA; Mary 2, AL; William 1, FL.
On 27 Dec 1850, Joseph Blocker made an application for bounty land due to his service in the War of 1812. The application was signed in Walton Co., FL
On 30 Sept 1851, a f/u letter regarding his application was mailed to Washington
Then on 26 Jun 1855, while still in Walton Co, he sent another.
It seems he may have moved to Vernon, FL because on 14 Aug 1856 he wrote another letter dated from Vernon, FL.
The census of 1860 shows Joseph Blocker living in Walton Co, Euchanna, FL and employed as a carpenter. The census taker listed his age as 78 and b in SC (the age appears to be in error.)
I do not have any info as where Joseph was in 1870. The census of FL or AL does not have any listing of Joseph.
2 Sept. 1871, he filed another application for a pension in which he gave his age as 82, indicating he was born in 1789. And on 30 Oct 1871, he gave his address as Rocky Head, Dale Co, AL.
The 1880 census of Dale Co., AL shows Joseph Blocer living in the household of Charley J. Ziglar. Joseph gave his age as 103 and b. in SC. He also indicated his father and mother were born in SC. The age of 03 appears to be in error.
Edward O. Blocker stated that Sarah Jane Blocker Huton, a daughter of Zachariah E. Blocker, who lived near Joseph Blocker, remembered the funeral of Joseph Blocker who died in 1881. He was buried in the Mt. Olive Primitive Baptist Cemetery, Dale Co, AL. The marker was made of wood and of course, does not exist today. Edward P. said the family told him the grave was near the present entrance to the cemetery.
Notes for MARY ANN WATSON:
Jan. 1999, in Blocker Military Records: Polly was part Indian. A record has been found showing that she married William West of Pike Co, AL 28 Dec 1844. Redding was age seven. Willima and Mary were in Pike Co 1850 according to census. Also listed were two boys, Benjamin A. and Leonard Franklin and a girl Ann. Redding grew up in the West family who moved to Santa Rosa Co.
Children of JOSEPH BLOCKER and LAVINIA HUDSON are:
Generation No. 2
2. ABRAMS2 BLOCKER (JOSEPH1) was born about 1824 in GA, and died about 1865 in AL. He married NANCY BEARD 1843. She was born about 1825 in GA, and died about 1895 in Crenshaw Co, AL. Notes for NANCY BEARD:
Bur. Mt. Olive Cem., Crenshaw Co, AL.
Children of ABRAMS BLOCKER and NANCY BEARD are:
3. WILLIAM ELLIS2 BLOCKER (JOSEPH1) was born March 11, 1833, and died February 18, 1923 in Dale, Co.. He married CAROLINE ELIZABETH JANE LUCAS April 20, 1851 in Dale Co, AL. She was born August 16, 1835 in Dale, Co., and died June 07, 1913 in Dale, Co..
Children of WILLIAM BLOCKER and CAROLINE LUCAS are:
4. JOHN REDDING2 BLOCKER (JOSEPH1) was born February 14, 1837 in Dale Co, AL Per Leah Beard, and died November 14, 1910 in Santa Rosa Co., Florida. He married MARY ANN GRAY. She was born March 1841 in Alabama, and died February 11, 1905 in Santa Rosa Co., Florida.
Notes for MARY ANN GRAY:Mary Ann Gray Blocker, wife of John Redding Blocker, was an indian. At this writing, 10-95, the only proof I have is her headstone was a totem pole as noted in Santa Rosa Cemeteries, by Richard E. Jernigan, copyright 1987 by W.F. Genealogical Society, P. O. Box 947, P-Cola, 32594-0947, p. 82. BLOCKER CEMETERY. S35 T5N R28W, wherein it states Lora Botts and Jackie Taylor of Milton informed the WFGS of the site; however, on Nov 13 1985, Parker Phillips went with Mr. Jernigan. Parker Phillips was said to hold papers which indicated John's middle name was Robert; I believe it was Redding.
Update: 1-99; I recently found out Mary Ann was half Cherokee. From Blocker Military Records, Compilers: E. P. Blocker and Joel Langford. Also, they indicated that Mary Ann (Polly) Watson was part Indian.
Children of JOHN BLOCKER and MARY GRAY are:
5. CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS3 BLOCKER (JOHN REDDING2, JOSEPH1) was born November 25, 1859 in Milton, Santa Rosa Co., Florida, and died June 28, 1923 in Milton, Santa Rosa Co., FL HEADSTONE. He married MARY LOUISA ELLIS May 23, 1882 in Milton, Santa Rosa Co., FL MARRIAGE LIC. She was born February 08, 1869 in Milton, Santa Rosa Co., FL 1880 CENSUS SRC, and died August 28, 1952 in Brownsville, Escambia Co., FL HEADSTONE. Children of CHRISTOPHER BLOCKER and MARY ELLIS are:
6. MAJOR BLOCKER3 (JOHN REDDING2, JOSEPH1) was born March 1885 in Milton, Santa Rosa Co., Florida. He married MABELLE WALKER April 25, 1907 in Santa Rosa Co., Florida. She was born about 1885.
Child of BLOCKER and MABELLE WALKER is: