Vanderpools in the Lone Star State
The marriage of Abraham Vanderpool to Cynthia E. Cantwell 11 June 1857 in Fannin County, Texas1 (that’s in northeast Texas up on the Red River) is still an unsolved genealogical mystery. Originally it was suspected that the bridegroom was the Abraham Vanderpool who appears in the 1850 San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas census (age 27, born in North Carolina)2. However, that Abraham, based on his age and place of birth, more likely is the son of John Vanderpool (1794-1840) and Susannah (probably) Reese (1795-1850), who lived in Maries County, Missouri and the man who later married two Vineyard sisters ca 1860 and 1869 — in Missouri. Of course, he could have been married earlier to Miss Cantwell.
We are not sure what he was doing in Texas in 1850, but he might be the Private Abraham Vanderpool listed in McCulloch’s Co., Texas Mounted Vols., Indian Wars, 1817-1858 [see Pricia Paulkovich’s fine compilation of Vanderpools in various military units from the National Archives that were published in early Vanderpool Newsletters.] This Abraham appears in Vanderpool Newsletter III/2, (1976) p. 85].
More Abrahams show up
We also found a reference to a marriage for Sarah M. Winburn (or Milburn) and an Abraham Vanderpool dated 21 May 1861 in Cooke County, Texas.3 Is he the same one who married Cynthia Cantwell four years earlier in Fannin County or is this different man?
Then there is an Abraham Vanderpool who served in Texas’ Co. A, 16th Cavalry Regiment, CSA and is believed to be the one who died 7 February 1864 (during Civil War) in a hospital in Marksville, Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana. There is listing for an A. Vanderpool, Harrison County that is included in the online Texas Confederate Indigent Families Lists (1863-1865) 4 which may have a connection to the family of the soldier who died in Louisiana in 1864.
There are not that many Vanderpools in Texas in 1850 and 1860 censuses , so you’d think we could solve this. It has been suggested that the Abraham Vanderpool who served and died in the Confederate Army from Texas might have been a son (by first wife) of Sampson Vanderpool (ca 1797-1863) who removed to Texas ca 1848-1850 from Fayette County, Tennessee and lived in San Augustine County (1850) and in Kaufman County (1860). However, there is no son named Abraham with him in the 1850 or 1860 censuses. There is a (presumed) son John, born ca 1835, and a (presumed) son, Lafayette, born ca 1839 in the household of Sampson Vanderpool in 1850 — both of age to have participated in the Civil War, but we have nothing further on them. It is possible that one of these sons had a first given name of Abraham and is recorded by a middle name in the enumeration. Perhaps there’s a descendant out there who has information and will share.
Remember the Alamo!
Name Rank Enrolled Remarks
James Vanderpool, Pvt., joined by transfer from Allen’s Co., for duration of war; sick.
Given at Headquarters of Army, Camp Independence, Lavaca River, 31st December 1836.
Signed James C. Allen, Capt., Co. B.
Muster roll of Captain Allen’s Company "B" 1st Regiment Volunteer Army of Texas commanded by Colonel Joseph H. D. Rogers from the (blank) day of (blank) 1836 to the 31st day of December 1836 when first mustered, p. 189:
Texas Muster Rolls, 1825-1836: http://www.txgenweb.org/tx/muster.html
See The Handbook of Texas Online:
http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/CC/qcc20.html
http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/LL/rnl2.html
Based on preliminary searches in the Texas General Land Office records where one James Vanderpool received land for his military service in the Texas Republic army and whose widow, Emily [—?--], is mentioned in those records as late as 1881, this James probaby is one who appears in the 1870 census in Matagorda County, Texas. He was enumerated with a wife, Emily, two young Vanderpool children and four children with the surname of Bell, evidently children by Emily’s previous marriage. In 1880, Emily is enumerated in Matagorda County, Texas with two sons, John Vanderpool, 13, James Vanderpool, 8, a daughter, Frances Vanderpool, 4, and two other sons, John Bell, 23 and Peter Bell, 21.
According to the 1870 census, James Vanderpool is 52, so born ca 1818, in Kentucky. It’a suggested that he might be a son of John M. Vanderpool and Sarah Elizabeth Cummins, of Rockcastle County, Kentucky. However, that John M. Vanderpool, purportedly had a son named James (1813-1854) by his first wife and it is not likely that he would have named two sons James.
So far we have been unable to locate a James Vanderpool, born ca 1818 in Kentucky in
any 1850 or 1860 censuses. It would appear that he was in Texas by 1836. If you are researching the John M. Vanderpool (1783-1854) line, or know anything about this James Vanderpool who went to Texas in 1836 (or earlier), please share information — any additional evidence or new clues would be most helpful.
Deep in the heart of Texas — well, actually on the coast
Meanwhile down on Texas coast in Galveston, there’s yet another family mystery. The story goes, that one L. Vanderpool enlisted 22 February 1862 in Charleston, South Carolina, served as private in Co. A. 2nd Battalion, South Carolina Sharpshooters, CSA, and went AWOL. He is believed to be the man who married Mary McEroy (Mcevoy) about 1855. She was born about 1830 in County Kildare, Ireland. In a letter to me, we learn:
“I am the great-great-granddaughter of Mary McEvoy Vanderpool. Understand that you were doing research on Lidstone-Vanderpool. According to family, her [Mary Mcevoy’s] husband was a Robert Vanderpool, Her granddaughter, Mary Jane Christensen, told me that her grandmother never talked about him.”
The story goes that he brought Mary and the three children to Galveston to her brother's house and went back North; he was either killed by Indians or he deserted them. The children were: Maria (Mary) Vanderpool who married William Joseph Lidstone, Robert John Vanderpool, who died when he was 35 years old. (June 26, 1891) and William H. Vanderpool, born 1860 South Carolina, who married April 17, 1883 in Galveston to Elizabeth “Lizzie” Barrett . . .”
Other descendants claim his given name might have been Simon or Lyman, but a search for a Vanderpool fitting this profile has not been found in the 1850 or 1860 U.S. censuses. The 1870 census for Galveston, Galveston County, Texas shows a Mary Vanderpool and three children — Robert, William and Maria.
i. Robert “Rob” Vanderpool was born ca 1856 in South Carolina. [He was witness to a
fight/murder of Sam Roach, age 16, on 9 December 1876 in Galveston.5]. He died 26 June 1891 in Galveston, Texas.
ii. William Henry Vanderpool was born 8 August 1860, South Carolina. He married
Elizabeth E. “Lizzie” Barrett, 16 April 1883 in Galveston, Texas. He was accidentally killed died there 17 April 1919.6
iii. Maria “Marie” Vanderpool was born ca 1865, South Carolina. She married William J. Lidstone 21 September 1886 in Galveston, Texas. The Lidstones are from England
and evidently an extensive pedigree of this family has been researched.
What happened to this Vanderpool and who are his ancestors? Might there be a connection to Sampson Vanderpool (born 1797 South Carolina-died ca 1863 in Texas) and perhaps an early unknown marriage?
About Vanderpool, Texas
http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/VV/hnv6.html
The town of Vanderpool is on State Highway 187, 10 miles north of Utopia and 30 miles west of Bandera in western Bandera County. The land on which it is located was given as a headright certificate by the Republic of Texas to José Texaso and patented by John W. Smith, assignee of José Texaso, on August 18, 1849. Smith sold his patent to Victor P. Considerant, who in turn sold several tracts to Henry Taylor and Gideon Thompson. Eventually Taylor owned several thousand acres in the Vanderpool area, where he gave away and sold land for a school, churches, and a cemetery. The Sabinal valley, in which Vanderpool is located, was first settled in the 1850s but was temporarily abandoned in the late 1860s due to raids by Comanches. A post office was established in 1886, closed in 1889, and then reopened in 1902. The town was named for the first postmaster, L. B. Vanderpool [Littleberry, 1818-1886] who was the son of Josiah Vanderpool of Surry County, North Carolina. Originally the site was called Bugscuffle. [Thank goodness for the name change.]
Endnotes:
1 Texas Marriage Collection, 1814-1909 and 1966-2002. Subscription database. Ancestry.com. http://www.ancestry.com : 2005. Accessed 13 November 2009.
2 1850 U.S. census, Bexar County, Texas, population schedule, San Antonio, p. 271A (penned), dwelling 685, family number 685; Abraham Vanderpool; digital images by subscription, Ancestry.com ( http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 28 February 2010); from National Archives microfilm M432, roll 908.
3 Texas Marriage Collection, 1814-1909 and 1966-2002. Subscription database. Ancestry.com. http://www.ancestry.com : 2005. Accessed 13 November 2009.
4 Confederate Indigent Families Index (Surnames Q-Z). Texas State Library & Archives Commission Website. http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/arc/cif/qzname.html. Accessed 30 April 2010.
5 The Roach Killing Case,” Galveston News (Galveston, Texas). 26 March 1877.” p. 7, col. 8-9, digital image. Genealogy Bank (http://www.genealogybank.com/). Accessed 9 February 2010.
6 Texas Death Certificate No. 13028. Digital images, Collection: Texas Deaths, 1890-1976, FamilySearch.org, referencing Film No. 4023777; image numb
