A Brief Account of the Hetherington and Broughton Families

Compiled by Charlie Tillery
The Hetherington Family

John Monroe Hetherington

My maternal grandfather was John Monroe Hetherington, who was born May 12, 1844, at Claiborne, Alabama, and died at Reagan, Texas, November 6, 1914, in his seventy-first year. His father was John H. Hetherington, and his mother was Rebecca Kile, who had a sister named Hannah.

The following information concerning John H. Hetherington, the father of John Monroe Hetherington, is found in the 1850 U; S. census of Monroe County, Alabama, October IO, 1850, page 19:

John H. Hetherington is not included in the 1860 census, but his wife, Rebecca, and the children are listed. The assumption is that he died between 1850 and 1860.

As will be seen later in this report, John H. Hetherington had a brother, William Hetherington, who lived in Randolph County, Illinois, and died at Houston, Illinois, in 1902. I have been unable to determine just when William Hetherington moved to Randolph County, Illinois.

The 1880 U. S. census reports show no Hetherington’s in Sparta or Houston, Illinois. The U. S. census for 1900 for Baldwin, Randolph County, Illinois, does report a Will Hetherington, who was born in 1812. Baldwin is only a few miles northwest of Houston, Illinois.

This 1900 census record is as follows:

William Hetherington had a nephew, Jabes Harvey Hetherington, the son of George Hetherington, and this nephew had a daughter, named Florence. This information gives us a basis for believing that the “Will” Hetherington listed in the census record given above must be the William Hetherington, who was a brother of John H. Hetherington. William or “Will” Hetherington, being eighty-eight years of age, and fairly wealthy, needed someone to live with him; so he got Harvey Hetherington to move in with him. Harvey Hetherington, who evidently had lost his wife, brought with him to his new home his daughter, Florence, and his daughter-in-law, Mary. The “Baby” listed could have been a child of either Florence or Mary. What I can’t explain is that the birthplace of John H. Hetherington is given as Ireland, while that of William or “Will” Hetherington, born two years earlier, is given as South Carolina. The parents of ‘William and John Hetherington almost surely were natives of Ireland; so it is possible that William Hetherington might have been born in Ireland; or John might have been born in South Carolina.

According to family tradition, John Hetherington and his wife owned a cotton plantation on the Alabama River near Claiborne, and this plantation was worked with Negro slaves. They were married as early as 1840, .as their oldest son, William, was born April 7, 1841. Rebecca Kile was born in Alabama in 1822, but we do not know just when or why John Hetherington came to Claiborne, Alabama.

John Hetherington predicted the occurrence of the War Between the States, but died before hostilities broke out. His wife, Rebecca, outlived him for many years. She was still living in 1885 when John Monroe Hetherington and his family moved to Texas, because they stayed with her while awaiting the boat for Mobile, where they would catch a train for Texas.

There is a picture of Rebecca Kile Hetherington in the possession of Mrs. Maggie Shaunfield. She was an old lady at the time the picture was made, but her picture indicates that she possessed intelligence and dignity, and was attractive in dress and appearance. She died sometime after 1885.

Rebecca Kile Hetherington

Although little is known of Rebecca Kile and her family, there is a considerable volume of information about her husband’s relatives and their descendants.

The older members of this family tell me that John Hetherington had one full brother, William Hetherington, who never married, and a number of half-brothers and half-sisters, most of whom lived in or near Randolph County, Illinois. William Hetherington died at Houston, Illinois, March 16, 1902. He made a will, naming as beneficiaries his half-brother, Samuel J. Hetherington, and the descendants of John Hetherington, a full brother, and the descendants of his of his other half-brothers and half-sisters, all of whom were deceased. A copy of the petition for the probate of the Hetherington Will, signed by Jabes Harvey Hetherington and David Hawthorne, is in the possession of Jimmy Hetherington, 715 Carter Street, Marlin, Texas. Nothing is said in the petition indicating that any of the brothers or sisters were half-brothers or half-sisters, but it is the firm recollection of George and Jimmy Hetherington that John Hetherington was the only full brother of William Hetherington.

According to the petition for the probate of the will of William Hetherington, the following brothers and sisters or their heirs were named in the will:

1. Samuel J. Hetherington, whose address in 1902 was Houston, Illinois. He may have had sons and daughters, but since he was living there was no reason to list them as legatees.

2. George Hetherington (deceased in 1902). George had a son, Jabes Harvey Hetherington, whose address was Sparta, Illinois, and who was one of the petitioners for the probate of the Hetherington Will. He had two daughters, Sarah Allie Royer, Houston, Illinois, and Lillie Eva Murphy, Sparta, Illinois.

3. Jane A. Hawthorne (deceased in 1902). Jane had a son, David Hawthorne, who was the other petitioner for the probate of the will, whose address was Sparta, Illinois. There was another son, James N. Hawthorne, who died before 1902, who had two daughters, Clara C. Hawthorne, and Laura L. Hawthorne, who were then living at Sparta, Illinois. Jane A. Hawthorne had a daughter, Mary J. Hawthorne, residing at Sparta.

4. Sarah Hunter (deceased in 1902). This half-sister had a rather large family. Her sons were John W. Hunter, Olatha, Kansas; James S. Hunter, Olatha, Kansas; W. R. S. Hunter, Blackwell, Oklahoma. Her daughters were Mary A. White, 3212 Oak St., Kansas City, Mo.; Mattie E. Hunter, 1032 South York St., Denver, Colorado; Sarah E. Hunter, 1032 South York St., Denver, Colorado; and E. C. Hunter, 1032 South York St., Denver, Colorado.

5. Margaret Kerr (deceased in 1902). There were five legatees in this group, four sons and one granddaughter. The sons were Robert Kerr, Birmingham, Alabama; William Kerr, 1526 Little Rock Ave., Los Angeles, California; George Kerr, Midland, Texas; Joseph Kerr, Oakdale, Illinois. The granddaughter was Mary A. Campbell, Birmingham, Alabama, daughter of Mary A. Campbell, whose mother was Margaret Kerr.

6. James Hetherington (deceased in 1902). This group of heirs-at-law broke the record in so far as numbers are concerned. There were seven sons, two of whom were deceased, and four daughters. One of the deceased sons was James A. Hetherington, whose son was John B. Hetherington, Antioc, Mo., and whose daughters were Mary A. Hetherington, Sparta, Illinois; Jennie E. Hetherington, Sparta, Illinois; and Sarah E. Hetl1erington, 1906 Lafayette Ave., St. Louis, Mo. The other deceased son was George Hetherington, whose son was Elbert Hetherington, of Morguan, Mo. The living sons of James Hetherington were Thomas Hetherington, St. Marys, Mo.; Joseph Hetherington, Muscocage, Indian Ter.; Landon J. Hetherington, Shellar, Illinois; Stephen Hetherington, Shellar, Illinois; Albert L. Hetherington, Sparta, Illinois. The daughters of James Hetherington were Emma Johnston, Marissa, Illinois; Sarah E. Grabe, Pujol, Illinois; Alice M. Arbrough, Sparta, Illinois; and Ella J. Metchler, Sparta, Illinois.

7. John Hetherington (deceased in 1902). John was the full brother of William Hetherington, and the father of John Monroe Hetherington, my grandfather. This being the case, as complete information as possible is being given about the children of John Hetherington and Rebecca Kile, as follows:

William George Hetherington

William George Hetherington (Uncle Billie) was born April 7, 1841, near Claiborne, Alabama, and died at Reagan, Texas, October 26, 1930, in his ninetieth year. He enlisted in Company A, 42nd Alabama Infantry, Confederate States Army, on April 4, 1862, at Claiborne, Alabama. His army record shows that he was a private; that he was captured at Vicksburg, Mississippi, and paroled a few days later on July 10, 1863; and that he was captured a second time April 30, 1865, at Macon,

Jimmy, the other son, is now eighty years of age and is extremely active for a man of his years. He drives a pick-up truck and occasionally operates the tractor on the farm which he has owned and worked for more than fifty years. It is he who supplied me with a good part of the information contained in this record of the Hetherington family.

Franklin Hetherington, who was born in 1846, did not come to Texas, and very possibly lived at or near Hixon, Alabama. He was evidently deceased in 1902, as the William Hetherington will lists a son and two daughters as legatees. The son was Wallace Hetherington, Hixon, Alabama; and the daughters were Lucy Hetherington, Hixon, Alabama, and Ella Morris, nee Hetherington, Hixon, Alabama.

David L. Hetherington, who was born in 1847, and listed as a member of the John H. Hetherington family in the 1850 census records, is not listed as a beneficiary of William Hetherington, and none of his descendants are so listed. The supposition is that he died before 1902 without progeny.

Jimmy Hetherington never married and so had no children to perpetuate the Hetherington name. He was evidently born after 1850.

Samuel P. Hetherington, presumably born after 1850, was listed as a living heir-at-law of William Hetherington in 1902, and his address was given as Hixon, Alabama. Jimmy Hetherington says he married about 1885, and that there was a son, who died rather young.

Ann E. Hetherington, born subsequent to 1850, married a man named OGwynn. She died prior to 1902, and the will of William Hetherington lists the following heirs-at-law: Sadie OGwynn, Hixon, Alabama; Annie Mae OGwynn, Hixon, Alabama; Charles OGwynn, Hixon, Alabama; Robert OGwynn, Hixon, Alabama; Mrs. Carlie Gulley, nee OGwynn, Atmore, Alabama; William P. OGwynn, Atmore, Alabama; and David OGwynn, Atmore, Alabama.

John Monroe Hetherington, my grandfather, was the remaining son of John and Rebecca Kile Hetherington. He grew up on the plantation, and very little in the way of work was required of him. When he was seventeen or eighteen years of age, he joined the Confederate States Army. He was a private in Company H, 42nd Alabama Infantry Regiment, and was mustered into Confederate service May 26, 1862, at Columbus, Mississippi, having originally enlisted in Monroe County, Alabama. He likely fought in the Battle of Vicksburg, at Lookout Mountain, and in the Battle of Atlanta. He completed his tour of duty in sound condition and in good health. I have heard that he had smallpox while in the service.

When he was released from the Army, he returned to Claiborne. About this time he somehow became acquainted with Margaret Ann Broughton of Monroeville, which was about fourteen miles east of Claiborne. Although she was only sixteen years of age and quite some distance away, he managed to visit her, making the trips on horseback. His courtship was successful, and they were married November 6, 1867. It is said that his brother, William, attended this wedding, and met the bride’s sister, Susan, for the first time; and, as indicated previously, William and Susan were married some three months later.

John Monroe and Margaret set up housekeeping on the Hetherington plantation at Claiborne, and lived there for perhaps two or three years. Their oldest son, John Charles, was born at Claiborne.

About this time, Charles R. Broughton, father of Margaret Ann, gave the young family a farm of some two hundred acres. A house was built, and the second phase of their existence began. John Monroe raised cotton and corn and had a herd of sheep. I have heard my mother say that black and red haws, chinquapins, apples and other fruit grew abundantly. There were numerous springs and spring branches. The land was cultivated with a single mule or horse and a walking plow. Cotton was gathered in a basket, likely made from strips of white oak by my grandfather. Times were hard and money scarce, but the growing family had enough to eat and clothes to wear.

In 1885 this farm was sold, the family and household goods were taken to Claiborne, Alabama, and loaded on a river boat bound for Mobile, where they caught a train for Falls County, Texas, crossing the Mississippi at New Orleans. A farm was purchased about a mile south of Reagan, and here the family worked and prospered and the children grew to maturity.