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Children of Pleasant Hamblen & Lucinda Ransome
THOMAS M. HAMBLEN: Born September 6, 1850, in the White Oak
Township of Franklin County, Arkansas. With his parents moved to Barry
County, Missouri by 1855. The family moved back to Franklin County in 1859.
"That the plaintiff and defendant were married on the 9th day of October, A.D. 1870 (this date differs with the above date by one day) in Johnson County Arkansas. That they lived together as husband and wife for the space of two days after such marriage when plaintiff without any cause or provocation willfully deserted her and filed his complaint in this court charging defendant with improper conduct, unwifely exhibitions of temper and such conduct toward him as to render his life in the married state intolerable, all of which charges are proven to be groundless and false. Wherefore the Court doth order, adjudge and decree that the marriage contract heretofore entered into by and between the parties to this action be and the same is hereby dissolved, set aside, and held for naught. And the said defendant Mary J. Hamblen is hereby restored to her maiden name of Mary J. Barnes and to all the rights and privileges of a single and unmarried woman. And it is further ordered, adjudged and decreed that the said plaintiff pay all the costs in this suit." The marriage was annulled in March of 1871.
Then, on February 9, 1873, Thomas married Martha Maranda Ensley. Martha was the daughter of Joseph and Catherine Ensley. Martha was born May 22, 1843 in Savannah, Georgia. She was seven year and four months older than Thomas, although the marriage certificate indicated that she was only two years older. Thomas and Martha were the parents of two children: 1. Frances Florene Hamblen, b. Nov. 22, 1873.
I can remember visiting with William Montriville Hamblen, my grandfather,
back in the 1950s. I was curious and had a lot of questions about everything.
I wanted to know about his parents. He only told me their names, and that
his father, Thomas, had died when my grandfather was only ten years old.
I did not know then that Thomas and Martha had separated just before my
grandfather was born. There was a divorce, I am told, but I have been unable
to find any record of the divorce.
3. Lula Hamblen, b. 1879, d. 1880. Thomas and Mary settled in the Dial area near Honey Grove. The children born there were: 4. Robert Naylor Hamblen, b. Aug. 8, 1880.*
Sometime in 1884 Thomas moved back to Ozark, Arkansas, in Franklin County. We do not believe that his family moved back with him at this time and will give reason for this in just a few more lines. One day in November of that year he was riding his horse. The horse fell, rolled over on Thomas and the saddle horn bruised Thomas' chest severely. He died about two weeks later of pneumonia, on December 2, 1884. When he died he had $350.00 in his pocket. His mother gave the money to Martha, Thomas' second wife, and stated that she needed it worse than Mary Jane did. This indicates that perhaps Mary and Thomas were not living together at that time. One month and four days after his death, Thomas' sixth child was born: 6. Bonnie Tom Hamblen, b. Jan. 6, 1885.* Thomas was buried in the Henderson Cemetery, just north of
Ozark on Highway 219. Today this is an unkept cemetery. My father, Jesse
Earl Hamblen, and I found the cemetery on a visit to Ozark in October of
1987. We found my great-grandfather's tombstone knocked off its base by
a tree that had grown up out of the head of the grave. We cleaned the
tombstone with a cleaning agent and set it back on its base. We also discovered
that Thomas was buried next to his grandfather, George A. Ransome.
Mary Jane (Barnes) Hamblen married a J.T. Stanford on July 28, 1888. They moved to Texas and then finally to Carlsbad, NM. She was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. She died on July 24, 1935. I have her entire memorial service in my files. Martha Maranda (Ensley) Hamblen married John T. Harman on September 21, 1891. She died December 5, 1925 and is buried at Cemetery Ridge, Franklin County, Arkansas.
WILLIAM FRANKLIN HAMBLEN: Born September 13, 1853 in Franklin County Arkansas. Called "Uncle Frank" by my grandfather, he killed an Indian in a fight. Frank and the Indian were hoeing cotton together on the Hamblen place. The fight broke out for some unknown reason and Frank hit the Indian in the head with a hoe. The Indian was taken into the Hamblen home, but he died in the house next to the west fireplace. It is said that his blood stains were still on the floor next to the fireplace when the house was torn down in 1969. The Indian was buried about a hundred feet west of the well, just south of the house about 75 yards. Frank was also involved in the shootout with the James and Younger boys. He was shot in the shoulder and his horse was shot out from under him. Frank carried the bullet in his shoulder until the day he died. This story had been handed down to us as oral history and I always kind of doubted its authenticity. However, a history teacher in Ozark High School by the name of Jimmy Owens submitted an article to an Ozark newspaper and the article was published about this very shootout. We have been unable to find the article because the Ozark Spectator lost many of its old issues. On a visit to Ozark in August of 1988, however, I visited with Morgan Jones. His name was given to me by Norman Powell of the Franklin County Historical Society. Morgan was 90 years old, but his mind was very keen. I asked him if he knew anything about the Hamblens and the shootout with the outlaws. It was then that I learned that he was the nephew of Frank Hamblen's wife, Mary. Morgan took me to the place where the shootout took place. Also, he described in detail how the events took place. He also told me that Frank James had settled in Paris, Texas, after he was released from prison. Frank Hamblen lived in Sherman, Texas, not far away. Frank Hamblen was a salesman and made contact with Frank James in Paris. They evidently became friends, and Frank James visited Frank Hamblen in Sherman and spent the night with Frank and Mary. Frank was a farmer, he road shotgun on a stage, and also sold lightning rods with his father. It is said that he owned a store also in Bellevue, Texas, but the truth is that he owned two saloons, probably in Sherman and then in Bellevue. Frank married Mary Elizabeth Morris on March 13, 1873, in Franklin County, Arkansas. Mary was the daughter of Wesley Green Morris and Martha (Baker) Morris. Mary was born September 3, 1857 in Arkansas. Frank and Mary were the parents of one daughter who died in infancy. 1. M. A. Hamblen b. 1874; d. 1875. Frank was a volunteer fireman in Sherman, Texas, a member of
the Oddfellows Lodge and probably a Mason. He died on December 6, 1915
in Bellevue, Texas. He was buried in the West Hill Cemetery, Sherman, Texas.
He had been in poor health for some time before his death. The Reverend
E.A. Maness, pastor of the Key Memorial Methodist Church, officiated.
MARY C. HAMBLEN: Born November 13, 1855 in Berry County, Missouri. She was the daughter of Pleasant W. and Lucinda Hamblen. She moved with her family back to Franklin County, Arkansas in 1859. The family had formerly lived there. Mary's grandparents, both the Hamblens and Ransomes, still lived there. During the Civil War the family moved back to Missouri, but by 1866 they resettled in Johnson County, Arkansas. In 1877 the family moved to Texas and settled in the Honey Grove area of Fannin County. Mary married Stephen William Gose in 1884. Stephen was born in Wirtville, Virginia, June 4, 1859. Stephen was the son of George R. and Mary Maddaline Gose. George Gose was born September 9, 1822 and died June 13, 1894. Mary Maddaline Gose was born March 29, 1821 and died March 29, 1894, on her birthday. Both George and Mary Gose are buried in the Harmon Cemetery, Petty, Texas. Stephen W. Gose was a gambler. He would take trips to Kentucky and some-times come back with a pocket full of money, and sometimes he would come back broke. But he always came back. Stephen and Mary lived in Honey Grove, Texas. They were Methodists. Before her death Mary left the following note to her son, Frank Hamblen Gose: "To serve God is good. To serve man is a sin. No one can serve two masters. We should love one another and serve the Lord. God is love. The human heart is easy hurt. You can step on the earth and it will rise again. When the heart is bruised it only makes one step nearer to our graves. I may never mingle with friends again, but when I am dead let no one but clean hands touch me and lay me away in white. Keep my body three days after death. I hope all the good people will come and take part in the ceremonies. My God bless all who may come. As ever, your mother." (signed) Mary C. Gose... Stephen W. Gose died April 8, 1926. Mary C. (Hamblen) Gose died on December 27, 1941. She is buried in the West Hill Cemetery, Sherman, Texas beside her brother, William Franklin Hamblen. Mary and Stephen had one son: 1. Frank Hamblen Gose b. March 25, 1894.*
GEORGE RANSOME HAMBLEN: Born February 14, 1858, in
Berry County, Missouri. He was named after his maternal grandfather, George
A. Ransome. The family moved back to Franklin County, Arkansas in
1859 and then back to Missouri in 1864. In 1867 they resettled in Franklin
County, Arkansas, until 1878, when they moved to Texas.
TENNESSEE HAMBLEN: Born September 23, 1865 in Springfield, Green
County, Missouri. She was the daughter of Pleasant W. and Lucinda (Ransome)
Hamblen. She was named in honor of the state where her mother was born.
The family moved back to Franklin County, Arkansas by 1867. Then on to Texas, finally settling for good in Sherman, Grayson County, by 1883. Tennessee lived the remainder of her short life there. She was called "Tena" and "Tennie." In April of 1891, while her father and brother Frank were away on a business trip, Tennie became ill and died on April 21. Her father and brother did not know of her illness and death until they returned home. Tennie did not marry. She was a beautiful young lady, as her picture reveals.
EMMA
HAMBLEN: Born October 9, 1868, White Oak Township,
Franklin County, Arkansas. She was the last child of Pleasant W.
and Lucinda (Ransome)
Hamblen. She moved with her parents to Texas in 1878, and the family
finally
settled in Sherman, Grayson County, by 1884. Emma married John Breckinridge Kelly on October 18, 1892. John was born February 23, 1863. John and his brothers owned a mule trading business in Sherman. Emma's father was also in the stock trading business, among other things, and it could be that through his business dealings Emma met John. John was also the sheriff of Sherman for a while. Also, he was a fireman with his brother-in-law, George Ransome Hamblen. John was knocked off a ladder at a cotton gin fire by falling debris and caught by another fireman. He was cold and wet and bruised. He developed pneumonia and died on February 21, 1905. He is buried in the Hamblen family plot in the West Hill Cemetery. Emma raised her family, after her husband's death, on a garden, a milk cow and chickens. In 1910, following the death of her mother, Emma inherited all of her mother's interest in Lots number Four (4) and Six (6) in Clock Twenty-seven (27) in the O.T.P. of the City of Sherman, Texas, less that already deeded to her brother, George. Emma also received one-fourth of the remainder of the estate. Emma died January 21, 1941, and is buried by her brother, George R. Hamblen in the West Hill Cemetery. Children of John Breckinridge Kelly & Emma Hamblen
 Biography Index Susan Hawkins © 2024 If you find any of Grayson CountyTXGenWeb links inoperable, please send me a message. |
