SONS OF DEWITT COLONY TEXAS
THE TOUCHSTONE FAMILY OF THE CAROLINAS AND MISSISSIPPI The origin of this Touchstone line is unclear before they appear in the Carolinas in the late 18th century. The surname appears in Maryland as early as 1680 with spelling Tulchstone which has been suggested to be of German origin. Nancy P. Touchstone | Jesse J. Touchstone
Born April 10, 1851 in Clarke County, Mississippi Married James
Morgan Moore Died September 22, 1934 in Cass County, Texas [Photo: Nancy P. Touchstone Moore and grandaughter Laura in the 1920's]. Six decades have passed since this grand old lady was laid to rest in Harmony Grove Cemetery, Miller County, Arkansas. Her descendants honor her memory, her solid character, the devotion to her family, the loyalty to husband James Morgan Moore particularly during the years of the odyssey. No doubt the inherited character and teachings of her mother, Mary Elizabeth Merrell Touchstone, were a large part of these features and source of strength during the odyssey with Jim Moore and family. Later on she witnessed the premature death of several of her children (Charles, 21, J. Louis 11, Susie 21 and Katie 21). These short lives were offset by the fact that daughter Vicy Pauline Moore Fricks lived to be nearly 100 which is longer than any of the known lineage before and after Nancy Priscilla Touchstone Moore. Mother Nancy Priscilla lived to age 83. Because no close relatives were present during the odyssey and the children’s memories faded without writing the experiences for future generations, we know little detail of Nancy Priscilla’s personality until after the family settled in Texarkana. However, the closing years of her life give a glimpse into the type of person she was. Priscilla lived in Texarkana nine years after Jim Moore passed away in 1925. A friend named Hattie Parker lived in her home during part of those years. Hattie was a pleasant companion and relieved some of the loneliness of the widow subsequent to Jim’s death. She was within range of multiple relatives from several sides of the family. This included Touchstones and Cooleys in White County, Arkansas and Touchstones in McCurtain County, Oklahoma. Two grandsons, James and Paul McKeehan, sons of Josephine Moore McKeehan, lived nearby in Texarkana. She was sufficiently near daughter Josephine’s family in Cass County, Texas for occasional visits.
Jesse Jackson
Touchstone Born 1823 South Carolina Married Mary
Elizabeth Merrell Died 1859 Mississippi
Family stories say that Jesse Jackson was a short man, who went by Jackson rather than Jessie. According to author Ned Touchstone of Jessie Jackson Touchstone Clan:
1850: The family is listed in the ClarkeCo Census, pg. 376, #581, taken 15 Oct 1850. Jesse age 27 and Mary, 24, both born in SC. Nearby were Cooley households. In household #580 was Nelson and Susannah Cooley and 6 children. In household #579 was Pinkney and Jane Merrell and 5 children, #584 was Ira and Bersheba Cooley and 2 children and #587 was Wesley and Celiah Cooley and 3 children. 1859/1860: Jesse Touchstone died in either 1859 or 1860. Some records indicate he is buried in Hattiesburg, ForrestCo, MS. The Federal census of Clarke Co, MS of 1860 lists wife Mary Touchstone, a widow with real estate holdings worth $200 and personal property valued at $300.
Born 1774 North Carolina Married Delaney Horn
Died 1849 DrewCo, Arkansas [Photo provided by Samuel Touchstone, author Jessie Jackson Touchstone Clan. It is thought to be either Jesse F. or Jesse J. Touchstone]
1774: The origin of this line of the Touchstone family is uncertain before Jesse Franklin Touchstone although the surname clusters in Maryland before appearing in the south with spellings Tuchston, Tuchstone and Touchton. The date and place of birth of Jesse Franklin Touchstone varies in different sources. Samuel J. Touchstone in Jessie Jackson Touchstone Clan lists the birthdate as 1774, OrangeCo, SC, others list 1774 NC. A number of Touchstones were in Anson and MontgomeryCo, NC in the period. Especially prominent are the names of Caleb, Henry, Daniel, Frederick, Stephen, and Richard. The Anson Co. courthouse has burned twice and thus many records have been lost. Caleb Touchstone appears as early as 1754. AnsonCo, NC was formed from BladenCo in 1750, MecklenburgCo from Anson in 1762, TryonCo from Mecklenburg in 1768, MontgomeryCo from Anson in 1778, RichmondCo from Anson in 1779, StanleyCo from Mongomery in 1849, UnionCo from Anson and Mecklenburg in 1842 and ScotlandCo from Richmond in 1899. 1800: Jessie Jackson Touchstone Clan says that Jesse Touchstone was in OrangeCo, SC in 1800. Other sources place him and wife in Barnwell District, SC. In 1769, Orangeburg was one of 17 original judicial districts of SC. In 1798, the District of Barnwell was created by legislation out of the western part of the original Orangeburg District and in 1800 the two Districts became OrangeburgCo and BarnwellCo. In 1804, LexingtonCo was created from part of Orangeburg, AikenCo from part of Barnwell and Orangeburg in 1871, BambergCo from Barnwell in 1897, CalhounCo from part of Orangeburg in 1908, AllendaleCo from Barnwell in 1919. 1810: From Georgia Passports. The Executive Department, Monday 19th March 1810, on application ordered that passports be prepared for the following persons to travel through the Creek Nation of Indians, to wit, one for John Thompson, with his wife and one child---one for Jesse Touchstone, with his wife and three children---one for Mr. Bardin Dicks, and Mr. Jeremiah Smith, the former with his wife and one child and the latter with her four children, from Wilkinson County---one for Daniel McKenzie, with his wife and two children, one for Samuel Loper, with his wife and three children---one for Samuel Moore with his wife, four children and one negro---one for John Rowley with his wife, two children and one negro, and one for Mrs. Elizabeth Rowell, with her son and daughter, all from Beaufort District, South Carolina which were presented and signed. It is unclear whether the family were residents of GA or obtained the passport for passage from their home in SC to MS. Descendants say they crossed the Creek Indian on pack horses to first settle in GreeneCo, MS. 1811: Jesse Touchstone appears on taxrolls of WayneCo, MS. 1820, 1830: The family appears on the Federal Census of PerryCo, MS. 1840: Federal Census of WayneCo, MS. 1840's: After the death of wife Delaney Touchstone in WayneCo, MS, Jesse Touchstone moved to DrewCo, AR to be near his oldest son, James, who had established a thriving blacksmith business. Jesse Touchstone died in Arkansas in 1849. The origin and family background of Delaney (Sallie) Horn Touchstone, born in North Carolina and died in WayneCo, Mississippi, is unclear. Her father is believed to be Josiah Horn who is listed in the Orangeburgh District (southern part) of SC in the 1790 census. He is listed with 1 male +16 (probably himself) and 2 males -16, 4 white females (possibly Delaney included), 0 free persons, and 0 slaves. Although the father of Jesse Franklin Touchstone is not documented, it has been suggested that his father was either a Green or James Touchstone and his brother was Dempsey Touchstone (b. 1791 Montgomery County, NC; d. 1874; m. Sally Millsaps). The Moore
Odyssey--Index |
According to her own description, a premonition came to her in 1934 that she
was soon to die. She wanted to be near one of her daughters when the end came. Nearest to
Texarkana was daughter Josephine and the McKeehan family living near Bloomburg in Cass
County. Priscilla wrote Josephine a letter with the date and time that she planned to
arrive by train at the Bloomburg Rail Station. A grandson, Wallace C. McKeehan, who
happened to be at home on the Cass County farm between evangelistic travels was asked by
mother Josephine to to hook up the wagon and team and go to meet grandmother Priscilla.
After leaving the station for the farm, Priscilla was content to sit on the hard wooden
bed in the back of the wagon rather than the more comfortable springboard seat up front
with me the driver. In hindsight, what an irony that she was making the last ride of her
life in the hard bed of a wagon as she had done during the odyssey with Jim Moore and the
family across Mississippi, Arkansas, Oklahoma and then Arkansas-Texas nearly fifty years
ago. After our arrival, Josie and the few girls that were still at home visited with her
and kept her in good spirits. Priscilla’s health and strength gradually deteriorated
to the extent that she had to spend most of her time in bed against which she protested
and struggled over the wishes of Josie and the girls. On the bright beautiful morning of
September 21 1934, Priscilla walked about a hundred yards over to a group of persimmon
trees on the old home place and gathered a few ripe fruit. She loved the wild fruit of the
persimmon tree, perhaps a taste acquired during the years of the odyssey. At three
o’clock the morning of September 22, mother Josie woke all who were at the home place
at the time and said that she believed that the time had come for grandmother Priscilla.
She said that she was sure that we would not want to sleep as grandmother Priscilla passed
away. Grandson W.C. McKeehan took the grand old lady in his arms and each spoke their love
and respect for her and expressed our belief and trust that she would be accepted into the
great family of God who await resurrection. We can say that hers was a life well spent and
her death a rest well deserved, one who "departed leaving behind us footprints in the
sands of time"---Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. [From Grandson Wallace Clark
McKeehan 1995]
