James Washington Mayberry

of Chambers County, Alabama

Was he born in England as his tombstone says?

Was he born in South Carolina as the 1850 census says?

Was he born in Georgia as the 1860 census says?

There are various "traditions" among the descendants of James Washington Mayberry:

  • that he was born about 1790 in England;

  • that he was born near Birmingham, England;

  • that he was born at Sulgrave Manor, in Northhampshire County;

  • that he was a son of Charles Washington Mayberry and Jane Hilliard who were married about 1783;

  • that he was a grandson of James Mayberry and Mary Washington who were married about 1750;

  • that he came to the United States about 1805 with two brothers, Joel and Thomas;

  • that one of his brothers settled in Tennessee and the other in Illinois;

  • his tombstone says he was born in England.

Unfortunately, we have not found any credible evidence to support any of the above traditions, except that his tombstone does say he was born in England. While fairly good marriage records exist for 18th century England, there is no record of the supposed marriages of James Washington Mayberry's parents or grandparents.

We do know that:

  • he was first married to Julianna Boyd, d/o John Boyd & Anna Hurt. Some say this marriage took place in Tennessee; others say it was Illinois; others say it was in Cave Spring, Georgia;

  • he was a Lieutenant and then Captain in the Illinois Militia in 1828;

  • he was listed in the 1830 census of Gallatin County, Illinois;

  • he lived in Kentucky from about 1830-1832;

  • he lived in Tennessee between about 1835-1839;

  • he was listed in the 1840 census of Murray County, Georgia;

  • he lived in Georgia until about 1848;

  • he lived in Chambers County, Alabama at the time of the 1850 census;

  • he lived in Randolph County, Alabama in 1860;

  • he married secondly, Susan Murphy, on 8 September 1863 in Columbus, Muscogee County, Georgia;

  • he is said to have been in Russell County, Alabama by 1870 but is not in the census;

  • he died was buried at Waverly, Chambers County, Alabama in 1872;

  • Beginning with the 1880 census each person was asked where their parents were born:

    • in the 1880 Charles Washington Mayberry, stated that his father was born in England; in 1900 he said his father was born in Illinois; then, in 1910 he said that his father was born in North Carolina;

    • in the 1880 census James T. Mayberry, stated that his father was born in Tennessee;

    • in the 1880 census of William Green Mayberry did not state where his father was born; in 1900 he said his father was born in Illinois;

    • in the 1880 & 1900 census, respectively, James Monroe Mayberry, stated that his father was born in Illinois & North Carolina;

    • in the 1850 census James Washington Mayberry gave his own place of birth as South Carolina.

    • in the 1860 census James Washington Mayberry gave his own place of birth as Georgia.


A single census record states that James Washington Mayberry was born in England. But nine other census records all say that he was born in the United States -- in Illinois, North Carolina, Tennessee or Georgia. Our Maybury DNA Project has two participants who descend from James Washington Mayberry. One of those shows a value of "40" at marker #CDY-b which usually indicates descent from Francis Maybury of Virginia. The report of the second participant is pending. Our "educated guess" is that James Washington Mayberry was born in America and that he was quite likely a descendant of Francis Maybury of Virginia.

The children of James Washington Mayberry were:

  1. I.Charles Washington Mayberry born 8 June 1827 in Gallatin Co IL; married Lucy Jones Cooper; died 5 Dec 1910 Waverly, AL

    1. James W. Mayberry b 4 Jul 1854 AL; m ca 1883 Flora _____; living in Chambers Co AL in 1900.

      1. Willis Mayberry b 1884 Al

      2. Edward Mayberry b 4 Dec 1885 AL; m Sallie May Lackie; living in Crenshaw Co AL in 1930.

        1. William Glenn Mayberry b ca 1917 AL

        2. Sarah Hester Mayberry b ca 1919 AL

        3. Mary Mayberry b ca 1925 AL

        4. ?Thomas Mayberry b ca 1927 AL

        5. James Otha Mayberry b 27 Mar 1933; d 23 Mar 1998

      3. John Mayberry b Aug 1887 AL

      4. Flora M. Mayberry b Apr 1896 AL

    2. Joel T. Mayberry b ca 1857 AL; m Emma _____; living in Chambers Co Al in 1880

      1. (Female) Mayberry b ca 1880 Chambers Co AL (unnamed in 1880 census)

    3. Mary J. Mayberry b ca 1861 AL

    4. Charles Mayberry b ca 1862 AL; m Carrie T. Patrick; living in Chambers Co AL in 1920

      1. Omer H. Mayberry b ca 1888 Chambers Co AL

      2. Charles B. Mayberry b ca 1892 Chambers Co AL

    5. ?Tomas Mayberry (female) b ca 1866 AL

    6. Fannie Mayberry b ca 1868 AL; m Mr. Hoffman; living in Chambers Co AL in 1920.

    7. William H. Mayberry b ca 1870 Chambers Co AL

    8. Henry Mayberry b ca 1875 Chambers Co AL

    9. Lucy Mayberry b ca 1877 Chambers Co AL

  2. James T. Mayberry born 1829 IL; m Jane E. _____; lived in Lee Co AL

    1. James T. Mayberry b 1852; d 1935

  3. Thomas Salisbury Mayberry born 1831 TN; m Martha _____; living in Russell Co AL by 1870

    1. James Mayberry b ca 1856 AL

    2. Mariah Mayberry b ca 1858 AL

    3. Emma Mayberry b ca 1871 Russell Co AL

  4. Robert Mayberry born 19 Dec 1835 Warren County, TN; m Susan C. Cooper (d/o Joel Cooper of Walker Co GA and Walker Co AL); d 1872 Walker Co AL (he may have died earlier as he was not present at the time of the 1870 census).

    1. Mary C. Mayberry b ca 1856 AL

    2. Anna L. Mayberry b ca 1859 AL

    3. John Mayberry b ca 1860 Walker Co AL

    4. Taylor Mayberry b ca 1863 Walker Co AL

    5. William Mayberry b ca 1865 Walker Co AL

    6. Susan Mayberry b ca 1868 Walker Co AL

  5. Eliza Mayberry born 1839 TN

  6. William Green Mayberry born 1841 Murray Co GA; listed in the 1860 census of Chambers Co AL in the home of Nathaniel Robertson as Green Mayberry, age 19, occupation, Overseer); m ca 1868/69 Christiana _____; later lived in Russell Co AL

    1. Charles Mayberry b ca 1870 Russell Co AL

    2. Bob Mayberry b ca 1872 AL

    3. Nora Mayberry b ca 1873 AL

    4. Willie Mayberry b ca 1875 AL

    5. Lon Mayberry b ca 1877 AL

  7. Mary A. Mayberry born Murray Co 1843 GA

  8. Andrew Mayberry born Murray Co 1845 GA

  9. Catherine Mayberry born Murray Co 1847 GA

  10. James Monroe Mayberry born 1864 AL; m ca 1903 Willie _____ in Lee Co AL: living with his mother, Susan Mayberry in Lee Co AL in 1880; living with his mother, Susan, and his uncle, Benjamin Murphy in Lee Co AL in 1900.

    1. Jennie Mayberry b ca 1904 Lee Co AL; m Charlie Thomas

    2. George Washington Mayberry b ca 1906 Lee Co AL

    3. Griff Mayberry b ca 1908 Lee Co AL; m ca 1928 Mary _____.

      1. Frances Mayberry b ca 1929 Lee Co AL

    4. Jennie Mayberry b ca 1904 Lee Co AL; m Charlie Thomas

    5. George Washington Mayberry b ca 1906 Lee Co AL

    6. Griff Mayberry b ca 1908 Lee Co AL; m ca 1928 Mary _____.

    7. Fannie Mayberry b ca 1909 Lee Co AL

    8. Ray J. Mayberry b ca 1912 Lee Co AL

    9. Carrie Mayberry (female) b ca 1913 Lee Co AL

    10. Preston Mayberry b ca 1915 Lee Co AL

    11. Walter Mayberry b ca 1917 Lee Co AL

    12. Thomas Mayberry b ca 1920 Lee Co AL

    13. Virgil Mayberry b ca 1925 Lee Co AL

    14. Wilmer Mayberry b ca 1928 Lee Co AL

  11. Nancy Henriette Mayberry born 1868 AL; living with her mother, Susan Mayberry in Lee Co AL in 1880.

Don Collins
August 2014