William Trahern, originally of Pittsylvannia County, VA, and then Hinds County, MS appears on the tax rolls in 1824 of Hinds County. William was in Virginia in 1812 per his son's biography, and shows up first in records in Spanish Louisianna in 1819, along with his brother's Wesey and James. William was appointed agent for the Choctaw orphan land allotments in 1831. William was the younger brother of Wesley Trahern who married into the Choctaw nation. There is no evidence that William himself had any Choctaw descendants. William was a member of one of the companies investigated in the land scandals. Some of the land involved was the land allotments of Amelia and Letha Trahern, his neices, and Peggy Trahern, his suspected sister-in-law. William died $20,000 in debt, and his plantation was foreclosed upon. His widow, Mariah Trahern, daugher of Jesse Trahern of Loudon County, VA, lived for a while with a relative Harriet MacGruder. In 1850, she went to live with her Uncle in Arkansas. Mariah's mother died in 1825 as did the only son, the obituary mentions a sister. Jesse Trahern died in 1828 in Natchez, MS. William Eustace Trahern wrote an autobiography in 1924, before his death, I was fortunate to be sent a copy.
Descendants of William Trahern
Generation No. 1
1. WILLIAM2 TRAHERN (NEHEMIAH1)1,2 was born Abt. 1783 in Pittsylvania Co., MS, and died 1839 in Hinds County, MS. He married (1) LUCY LEE 1834 in Hinds Co, MS. She was born Abt. 1800, and died Unknown. He married (2) MARIAH B. TRAHERN 1835 in Madison, MS, daughter of JESSE TRAHERN and HARRIET UNKNOWN. She was born Abt. 1820 in VA or MS, and died Aft. 1870 in Virginia.
Children of WILLIAM TRAHERN and MARIAH TRAHERN are:
i.JAMES A.3 TRAHERN, b. 1836, Hinds Co., MS; d. 1878, Henrico County, VA.
2.ii.WILLIAM EUSTACE TRAHERN, b. 1838, Hinds Co., MS; d. 1927, Virginia.
Generation No. 2
2. WILLIAM EUSTACE3 TRAHERN (WILLIAM2, NEHEMIAH1) was born 1838 in Hinds Co., MS, and died 1927 in Virginia. He married ALICE VIRGINIA CUNNINGHAM 1869 in Henrico county, Va. She was born 1845, and died 1917 in Virginia.
Children of WILLIAM TRAHERN and ALICE CUNNINGHAM are:
i.WILLIAM THOMAS4 TRAHERN, b. 1871; d. 1871, Henrico County, VA.
3.ii.ALICE VIRGINIA TRAHERN, b. 1872, Henrico County, VA; d. 1932, Virginia.
4.iii.LILY ARLINE TRAHERN, b. 1874, Henrico County, VA; d. 1966.
Generation No. 3
3. ALICE VIRGINIA4 TRAHERN (WILLIAM EUSTACE3, WILLIAM2, NEHEMIAH1) was born 1872 in Henrico County, VA, and died 1932 in Virginia. She married JAMES ELLSWORTH COOK 1895 in Virginia?. He was born 1868, and died 1941 in Virginia.
Children of ALICE TRAHERN and JAMES COOK are:
i.JAMES ELLSWORTH5 COOK, JR., b. 1897; d. 1987.
ii.THOMAS CUNNINGHAM COOK, b. 1899; d. 1992.
iii.ALICE TRAHERN COOK, b. 1901; d. 1991; m. AUSTEN CLIFTIN MICKLEM, 1925; b. 1900; d. 1994.
iv.ROBERT KERR COOK, b. 1903; d. 1903.
v.MARY ELIZABETH COOK, b. Private.
4. LILY ARLINE4 TRAHERN (WILLIAM EUSTACE3, WILLIAM2, NEHEMIAH1) was born 1874 in Henrico County, VA, and died 1966. She married CHARLES BENNETT HANN Abt. 1900. He was born 1875, and died 1960.
Children of LILY TRAHERN and CHARLES HANN are:
i.CHARLES BENNETT5 HANN, b. 1901; d. Unknown.
ii.CHARLOTTE B. HANN, b. 1904; d. 1970.
iii.LILIAN TRAHERN HANN, b. 1912; d. 1999.
iv.ARLINE D. HANN, b. Private.
Endnotes
1. Pittsylvannia Co. Wills, vol 1 & 4.
2. Autobiography of William Eustace Trahern.
3. U. S. Census
4. American State Papers
