by Bruce Whitaker
John Livingston Sr. was the ancestor of the Hooper’s Creek Livingston family. He was born in Scotland on April 11, 1714 and migrated to America around 1740. He married Elizabeth Clark around 1770 in Brunswick County NC. A shipbuilder by trade, he was working in Jamaica when he was murdered in 1778. He was buried there, and his wife and children returned to NC. John Livingston Jr. moved to what is now Cabarrus County, NC, and married Elizabeth Niesler. She was born on April 24, 1782, and was the daughter of a Methodist minister.
John and Elizabeth moved to Hooper’s Creek around 1808. Several other families moved from Cabarrus County to Hooper’s Creek around this time, including James Russell and his wife Barbara Milster and Lewis and Mary Russell Townsend.
Over the course of 30 years, Livingston, a farmer and schoolteacher, bought 1,138 acres in the Hooper’s Creek area: 200 acres on March 23, 1808 from Valentine Keagle; 164 acres on Hooper’s Creek on June 30, 1815 from Adam Garren; 100 acres on Hooper’s Creek on August 22, 1815 from David Jay; 50 acres on Hooper’s Creek on February 29, 1827 from the State of NC; 60 acres on Hooper’s Creek on December 29, 1827 from the State of NC; 60 acres on Hooper’s Creek on October 4, 1828 from the State of NC; 100 acres on Hooper’s and Clear Creek on December 21, 1829 from the State of NC; and 386 acres on October 17, 1831 and 18 acres on June 20, 1838, both from John Ashworth.
Livingston died on December 10, 1839. His wife Elizabeth died on March 23, 1876. Both are buried in the Livingston Cemetery off Jackson Road. They had 11 children:
1.
Mary Livingston was born on October 6, 1802. She married Alfred Raney Gash (January 13, 1809–February 13, 1888). Mary died on May 2, 1882. Both are buried in the Mills River Methodist Church Cemetery.
2.
John S. Livingston was born on July 20, 1804 and married Elizabeth Foster of South Carolina on September 23, 1830. She was born on February 22, 1808 and died on January 7, 1893. He died on July 13, 1876. Both are buried in the Livingston Cemetery.
3.
Hugh Livingston was born around 1806.
4.
Susanna Livingston was born on June 22, 1808 and married Robert Russell (March 28, 1804–November 3, 1878). Susanna died sometime after 1880.
5.
David Livingston was born around 1810.
6.
Daniel Livingston was born around 1812.
7.
Col. Joseph Livingston was born on October 13, 1813 and died on October 15, 1890. He married Harriett C. (February 19, 1835–June 27, 1906).
8.
Sarah Emaline Livingston was born on November 9, 1815 and died on March 23, 1909. She is buried in the Livingston Cemetery.
9.
George Wesley Livingston was born in 1820 and died during the Civil War.
10.
Lewis T. Livingston was born on March 27, 1823 and died on July 14, 1904. He married Celia Ann Jimison (December 16, 1845–April 28, 1927). Both are buried at Patty’s Chapel.
11. Allen Livingston.
Joseph Franklin “Frank”
Livingston
Joseph Franklin Livingston was the son of John S. Livingston and Elizabeth Foster. He was born on April 27, 1845 at the old Livingston homeplace of his grandfather John Livingston Jr. on Hooper’s Creek. He served in the Confederate Army. He was at the siege of Petersburg, Virginia, where he was shot in the chest. He survived and built a new house at the old Livingston homeplace. Joseph was a farmer, a blacksmith and grew fruit. He taught the craft of budding and grafting fruit trees. He married Serepta E. Stroup (December 29, 1848–April 13, 1889), daughter of Silas Stroup (1817–1896) and Susan Harper Henry (1812–1894). His second wife was Ida Elizabeth Bagwell (September 1, 1886–October 18, 1957). Joseph died on March 9, 1926. He and his first wife are buried at Patty’s Chapel. His second wife is buried at Oakdale Cemetery in Hendersonville.
Joseph and Ida had nine children:
1.
Elizabeth Ida Livingston (April 8, 1892–December 1, 1939);
2.
Harriett Melinda Livingston (June 14, 1893–August 7, 1969). She married Jones McCrary (November 7, 1883–May 10, 1948) and both are buried at Oakdale Cemetery;
3.
Edgar A. Livingston (August 17, 1894–December 30, 1937) married Linwood Patterson (April 24, 1905–March 21, 1929) and both are buried at Oakdale Cemetery;
4.
Cora Mae Livingston (Nov 4, 1896–October 16, 1950) married Joseph L. Souther (1898–1984);
5.
George Dewey Livingston (May 28, 1899–December 12, 1955) is buried in Oakdale Cemetery;
6.
Sara Ruth Livingston (November 22, 1900–December 10, 1989) is buried in Oakdale Cemetery;
7.
Homer Lee Livingston (June 17, 1903–September 12, 1964) married Eulala Waddell;
8.
Sue Emma Livingston (February 6, 1906–April 11, 1990) married Ernest Lee Justus (February 23, 1900–September 29, 1994); and
9.
Franklin Glen Livingston (1908–August 29, 1982) married Louise Stepp.
Local historian Bruce Whitaker documents genealogy in the Fairview area. He can be reached at 628-1089 or [email protected].