ROBERT S. HIGGINS
Robert S. Higgins, b April 30, 1811 in Tennessee, d January 6,1883 in
Falls County, Texas and was buried there in Blue Ridge Cemetery - was a son of
James Higgins, Jr., b 1785 in Maryland, d between 1850 and 1859 in Giles County,
Tennessee, and his first wife (name not known), who was born ca 1789, died ca
1827 in Giles County, Tennessee. James Higgins, Jr. was a son of James Higgins,
Sr., b 1751 in Maryland, dafter 1840 and before 1850 in Giles County, Tennessee,
who was enlisted July 20, 1776 by Joseph Burgess "for the Flying Camp" during
the American Revolutionary War. In 1840 in Giles County, the census noted that
James, Sr. was receiving a pension for his services during the American
Revolution. His wife (name not proven) was born ca 1761 in Maryland, dafter 1830
and before 1840 in Tennessee. They had moved into Tennessee prior to 1805 and
settled on land "opened up as grant lands for veterans of the American
Revolution." Their son, James Higgins, Jr. was a Methodist minister. By his
first wife, he had eleven children, but only five have been identified by name:
Daughter b ca 1807, Daughter b ca 1809, Robert S. Higgins b April 30,1811; David
M. Higgins, b ca 1813; Andrew J. Higgins, b ca 1815; Daughter b ca 1817,
Daughter b ca 1819; Benjamin Franklin Higgins, b ca 1821; Daughter b ca 1823,
Daughter b ca 1825, and Angelina Higgins, b 1827. James Higgins, Jr. married
second ca 1830 to Mary (maiden name unknown), and they had eight children by
this marriage: Louisa Higgins, b 1832; Johanna Higgins, b 1834; Sarah A.
Higgins, b 1836; Martha M. Higgins, b 1838; James B. Higgins, b 1840;
Samuel A. Higgins, b 1842; Henry Clay Higgins, b
1844; and Josephine G. Higgins, b 1846. In 1860, James Higgins, Jr. was taxed
for owning ten slaves.
Robert S. Higgins, who came to Falls County, Texas, married ca 1846 in
Giles County, Tennessee to Anna Elizabeth O'Neal, b September 27, 1828 in
Tennessee, d November 19, 1873 in Falls County, Texas and buried there in Blue
Ridge Cemetery - a daughter of Braxton (b 1798 in Alabama) and Mary b 1805 in
Tennessee O'Neal, and among their children were Anna Elizabeth b 1828, Thomas
James b 1832, twins: George Washington and Francis Marion b 1834, Mary
b 1836, Sarah Amanda b 1838, and Susan A. b 1842. Several of the Higgins and
O'Neal family members settled in Falls County, Texas.
Robert S. and Anna Elizabeth (O'Neal) Higgins brought at least six of
their seven children - all born in Giles County, Tennessee - to Texas after the
Civil War, and settled in east Falls County in the Blue Ridge Community. Their
children were:
James P. Higgins, b February 1848 - married ca 1878 to Martha E.
Williams, b November 1858 in Alabama - the daughter of Jehu Williams and his
second wife, Amanda (McDowell) Herring Williams. They had eight identified
children.
Mary F. C. Higgins, b 1850 - either died or married in Tennessee, as
there has been no record found of her coming to Texas with her parents.
Thomas Benton Higgins, b June 28, 1852, d February 26, 1945 and buried in
Calvary Cemetery- married Mary Elna Fountain, b March 17, 1867 in Alabama - a
daughter of Thomas G. Fountain and his second wife, Lydia (Davison) Fountain.
They had six identified children.
Sarah Elizabeth Higgins (later spelled "Sara"), b February 16, 1855, d
May 10, 1937
-
married December 25, 1873 to John Harlan Millerman, b January
26, l851, d May 4, 1935 - a son of John Sanford
and Mary Harlan) Millerman. They had six children.
Francis Marion Higgins, b February 1858 - was Llive in September 1885
when he joined his brothers, fames P. and William W. Higgins, in a sale of their
deceased father's property to the other brother, Thomas 3. Higgins.
Virginia Higgins (called "Ginny"), b 1861, married October 2, 1879 to
Benjamin Franklin Cornelison - a son of Jesse and Mary Elizabeth (Saxon)
Cornelison.
William W. Higgins, b February 1865 - married in 1889 to Rhoda (maiden
name unknown), and moved to Bell County, Texas.
Copyright Permission granted to Theresa Carhart for
printing the biographies of these Falls County Families to this Web page.
"Families of Falls County", Compiled and Edited by the Falls County Historical
Commission, page 227 column 1 and 2.
Member of Falls County Historical Commission.
