JOSIAH LAMBETH

 The following bio was taken from page 278 of the book entitled “Rusk County History” compiled and edited and used with permission of the Rusk County Historical Commission.

 Transcribed by Shirley Koym

Submitted by Gloria Briley Mayfield, Cemeteries of Texas

  Past generations of the Lambeth family have been traced to 1761 when Josiah Lambeth was born in Craven County, North Carolina to parents Samuel and Alice Jane Lambeth.  To Josiah and his wife, Elizabeth Loftin Lambeth, were born thirteen children.  Their ninth child, John Lambeth, continued the descendancy of the Rusk County Lambeths.

 John Lambeth was born in Gailford County, North Carolina in 1802.  His marriage to Rebecca Doggett in 1832 produced eight sons:  John Josiah, William Jefferson, Edwin Thomas, Albert Judson, Hilary Fletcher, James Madison, Jennings Whitfield, and Cornelius Loftin Lambeth.  Three sons died in the Civil War and the five remaining sons migrated to different parts of the country in the 1860’s.

 The second son, William Jefferson Lambeth, was a Baptist minister who rode horseback with a rifle in his saddle and preached the Gospel to those who wanted to hear.  He married Lucinda Jane Simpson, June 14, 1857.  They migrated to Texas soon afterwards and settled in the Fountainhead Community in late 1857.  Their first child, Lydia, was born here August 21, 1858.  The second child, Elizabeth, was born in 1860; their third child on April 18, 1863 – all in or near Rusk County, Texas, west of Henderson.  From these three children of William Jefferson Lambeth and Lucinda Jane Simpson Lambeth came the many descendants in the Rusk County area.  The first, Lydia Lambeth, married John Henson in 1883, and to this marriage six children were born:  William Virgil, Pearl, Andrew, Lessie, Mattie and John Eugene.  Of these children a prominent Rusk County resident still survives.  She is Mrs. Pearl Stroud of Joinerville, a most beautiful and remarkable citizen at ninety-five years of age.

 Elizabeth Lambeth married Frank Jay, and to this union were born four children:  Frank Jr., Nora, Hilary, and Ezra.  James William Lambeth married Emma Victoria Getsinger in 1883.  They had six children:  Mabel Clair (died in infancy), William Carlton, Minnie Bell, James Oswald, John Jewel, and Pink Donovan.

 The children of William Carlton Lambeth, born in 1886 were:  Donald Wilson, Annie Lee, Clyde Vinson, Edith Adelle, Florence Nadine, Lillian Oneal, William Elmer and Bobby Eugene.

 Minnie Bell Lambeth married Floyd Doller, November 7, 1909.  To this marriage were born Emma, Bonnie Jean, and Fred W.  James Oswald Lambeth married Beulah Mae Fuller in 1920 and one son was born to this marriage, James Allison Lambeth.  John Jewel Lambeth married Katie Lobb in 1920 and they had two children:  Elaine and Lenard Oren Lambeth.  Pink Donovan Lambeth married Opal Sandifer in 1924 and they had two children:  Thomas Beverly, and Betty Jane.

 At this date, October 1981, only Pink Donovan is still living.  He resides in Aspermont, Texas.  William Jefferson Lambeth and his wife, Lucinda Jane Simpson, both died at the early age of 29 and 32 and are buried at Old Salem Cemetery near Troup, Texas.

 Submitted by Edith A. Lambeth Wright