Mary Henrietta DEMPSEY Andrew Jackson DEMPSEY Whoknows NOSURNAME Mini tree diagram
Andrew Jackson DEMPSEY

Andrew Jackson DEMPSEY1,2,3,4,5

23rd Oct 18231,2,3,4 - 1st Apr 18901

Life History

23rd Oct 1823

Born in Mississippi.1,2,3,4

15th Nov 1854

Birth of daughter Mary Henrietta DEMPSEY in Mississippi.6,7,8,3,9,10,11

11th Aug 1857

Birth of son Andrew Jackson DEMPSEY in Mississippi.12,9,13,3,14,15

before 1870

Death of Whoknows NOSURNAME.3

1st Apr 1890

Died in Arkansas County, Arkansas.1

after 1st Apr 1890

Buried in Mt Pleasant Cemetery, Ethel, Arkansas County, Arkansas.1

Other facts

 

Married Whoknows NOSURNAME

Notes

  • A census record in Bolivar County, Mississippi for an Andrew Demsey appears to be a record for our Andrew Jackson Dempsey.  His age matches our Andrew Jackson Dempsey who lived later in Arkansas County, Arkansas.

    One discrepancy is that this record reports Andrew as born in Arkansas, rather than Mississippi, as later Arkansas censuses report.  But James C Dempsey, who is likely his brother, was born in Mississippi.

    Many families in the Ethel, Arkansas, area were back and forth to counties in Mississippi across the river, from which they moved to Ethel.  Other families with a presence in Mississippi border counties on their migration westward, and where some stayed, are Jenkins, Butler and Davidson.

    1850 Federal Census, Bolivar County, Mississippi, 9 November, Bolivar District, scan p 382, Hse/Fam #73
    Benjamin Perryman 71 M Farmer  Tennessee [born abt 1779]
    Mary Rachel Perryman 50 F Kentucky [born abt 1800]
    Albert Smith 30 F Laborer Kentucky [born abt 1820]
    Mary E Smith 18 F Mississippi [born abt 1832]
    Rachel Smith 17 F Mississippi [born abt 1833]
    Andrew Demsy 26 M Laborer Arkansas [born abt 1824]
    James C Demsy 22 M No Occupation Mississippi [born abt 1828]

    Jackson has not been found in the 1860 census, but the following Civil War military record matches him in that period.

    U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865
    Andrew J Dempsey
    Birth Date abt 1825
    Age 36
    Enlistment Date 1861
    Tenth Infantry, Co F

    In 1870, Andrew Jackson Dempsey has been widowed.

    1870 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 2 July, Prairie Township, PO St Charles, page 13, Hse/Fam #98
    Dempsey, Jackson  47 M W Farmer $300 Personal  b Mississippi [b abt 1823]
    Dempsey, Mary 16 F W Keeping House born Mississippi  Cannot read or write [b abt 1854]
    Dempsey, Jackson 12 M W born Mississippi  Cannot read or write [b abt 1858]

    Note that both father and son were enumerated in 1870 as Jackson.  In the 1850 census, the father was listed as Andrew.  The son went by Jackson, and often Jack, as enumerated in the 1880 census below.  Both father and son were Andrew Jackson Dempsey.  Both their gravestones have their full names.

    Next door to Jack is a single 23-year-old William Dempsey who may be his son.

    In 1880, A J is working on the farm of A J Vanderford in Prairie Township, and is enumerated in the Vanderford household.  Note the spelling of the name.

    1880 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 3 June, Prairie Township, District 2, page 21 (scan p15C), Hse #25, Fam #29
    J Vanderford  W M 46 (Head) Farming GA GA GA
    H D Vanderford  W F 40 Wife Keeping House GA GA GA
    Emma Vanderford  W M 11 Dau AR GA GA
    Lee Vanderford  W M 7 Son AR GA GA
    Harry Vanderford  W M 5 Son AR GA GA
    India Vanderford  W M 3 Dau AR GA GA
    ** A J Dempsy W M 55 Hired, Widowed  Laborer, Farm MS MS MS **

    Andrew Jackson's daughter Mary (Mollie) Henderson is living next door to the Vanderfords, and his son Jackson is living with Mollie's family.  Note that the enumerator spells AJ's name Dempsy and his son Jack's Dempsey, the common way the family spells the name.

    1880 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 3 June, Prairie Township, District 2, page 21 (scan p15C), Hse #24, Fam #28
    John Henderson  W M 21 (Head) Farmer AR MS AL
    Mollie Henderson  W F 25 Wife Keeping House MS MS MS
    M J Henderson  W F 19 Sister Single AR MS AL
    Jack Dempsey W M 23 Bro-in-law Single Farming MS MS MS
    Wilfred Hargraves W M 6 1/2 Bro Single AR AL AL

    Gravestone of Andrew Jackson Dempsey
    Andrew Jackson Dempsey
    Oct 23, 1823
    April 1, 1890
    Mt Pleasant Cemetery, Ethel, Arkansas County, Arkansas

    His son Jackson was buried in Chute Cemetery, northeast of Ethel, on a chute of the Arkansas River south of St Charles.

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    Andrew Jackson Dempsey was born Arkansas and his brother James C. Dempsey was born Washington Co., MS.  They lived with their stepfather, Benjamin F. Perryman and mother Rachel Dempsey Perryman who had married by 1836. In the 1850 census the wife had title "Mrs." before her name Rachel.  In other families, the wives were also titled "Mrs."

    Their parents were Barnett Dempsey and Rachel (maiden name unknown), but might be Smith. Barnett Dempsey and family were listed 1830 Washington Co., MS, census as "Barnard" Dempsey although numerous records collected listed his first name as "Barnett."  They lived in Arkansas County, AR, about 1818 tax list for Arkansas County, which at that time included three townships.  They lived in the southern twp. which became Chicot Co., AR, identified by numerous neighbors on the list around Lake Village, Chicot County.

    Barnett Dempsey was previously married per numerous sons but no data has been found as to whom married or migration pattern to Arkansas.  He did marry Rachel about 1818.  On the early tax list for Arkansas County, AR (which included Chicot Co. and two others, Desha and Arkansas Co.) a Frederick Smith was listed as adjoining neighbor for several years.  Rachel was possibly a daughter.

    The Dempsey family had land grants in the northern tip of Washington Co., MS, that became Bolivar Co., MS, 1836.  Per deed records, a son (likely stepson by first wife) William H. Dempsey deeded land to "Rachel Perryman and her four children: Eliza Jane McJunkin, Andrew J. Dempsey, James C. Dempsey, and Mary Eveline Dempsey. "  (My ancestor was Eliza Jane Dempsey (b. abt 1819 AR) had married Samuel McJunkin, a near neighbor to the Dempsey family of Washington, now Bolivar Co., MS.

    I agree with your conclusion that Mary E. Dempsey had married Albert Smith, but the Rachel Smith listed in the 1850 census may be a daughter of Rachel Dempsey Perryman, if Rachel was pregnant when Barnett Dempsey died Feb. 1833 per deed record.  But she was not identified as one of the "four children" listed in the abovementioned deed.  If the 1850 census age was slightly wrong, she could be daughter of Benj. Perryman and Rachel.  It is a HARD puzzle to solve as to ancestry of this family.

    --  Juliet Wills, Comment on our profile for Andrew Jackson Dempsey, Our Family Tree, https://www.ourfamtree.org/browse.php?pid=59879
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Sources

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