Joseph RUSHTON

The following bio was taken from pages 379-380 of the book entitled "Rusk County History" compiled and edited and used with permission of the Rusk County Historical Commission.

Transcribed by Gloria Freeman Riley

Submitted by Gloria Briley Mayfield, Rusk County TX Coordinator

On the flyleaf of an old book, the following sketch was written and dated January 25^th, 1855: "Joseph Rushton, his book, price 55 cts. He was born in 1810, January 8^th—Born in South Carolina—Orangeburg District on the west side of Goodland Swamp Creek joining where it runs in Edisto River, where his father was buried and grandfather. His mother is buried in Texas 1000 miles from the former place. She was born in Anson County, N.C. Her maiden name was Evans."

The given name of the father and grandfather is still unknown, but the mother was Nancy Evans Rushton. She and her children were in Chambers County, Alabama by 1834 and in adjoining Randolph County in 1850. Between 1850 and 1855, members of the family moved to Daingerfield, Morris County, Texas, searching for clay suitable for making pottery, but returned to Alabama.

The known children of Nancy Evans Rushton were: Henry, Serilda, Joseph (1810-1868), Bennett Jackson (1816-1864), and Mahala. Joseph Ruston married Martha J. Lorance, daughter of Samuel M. Lorance and Flora Cameron. Martha was born May 11, 1821 and died July 18, 1894. Joseph died September 4, 1868. Both are buried at "Old Cedric" near the Randolph-Chambers County line in Alabama.

Joseph Clifford Demerval Rushton, called "Cliff", was the only son of Joseph and Martha Lorance Rushton. He was born June 24, 1841 in Randolph County, Alabama, and died May 18, 1909. Cliff married Malissa Ann Cole, daughter of Samuel Madison Cole, Jr. and Ruth Ann McPherson Cole. Malissa was born April 7, 1842 in Heard County, Georgia and died October 2, 1913. Both she and Joseph are buried in Hunt Cemetery, Rusk County, Texas.

Cliff Rushton served in the War Between the States from LaGrange, Georgia. He brought his family to Rusk County about 1869. He was a potter, as was his father. He bought a farm and built a jug factory west of Henderson. Children of this couple were: Georgianna, who married James W. Haden; Dennis Alonzo, who married Eugenia McCauley; Ethel, who married twice, first to Charles B. Johnston and second, to Barry H. Nelson; Lena Rivers, who died young; Lillie Belle, who married Jonathan Rowell; Samuel Joseph, who married Aminta Ann McCauley; and Annis, who married George Myers.

Claude McGee Rushton, born in Rusk County, Texas, March 17, 1870, died April 15, 1946. He married Mary Verna (Mollie) Hunt. She was born January 31, 1876 and died December 19, 1954. Both are buried at Crow Cemetery. They settled east of Henderson in the Good Hope Community on a farm that was a wedding present from her parents, Joseph Murphy Hunt and Martha E. O’Quinn Hunt. They were progressive farmers and members of the Missionary Baptist Church. The Hunts had five children: Myrtle Corine, who married Joe C. Holt; Abbie Irene, who married Franklin Bruce Deason; Era May, who married Horace M. Leath; Claudie Lee, who married Henry M. Jimerson; and Joe Cliff Rushton, who married Myrl White.

Written by Mary Frank Dunn