John and Adeline Birdwell

Submitted by Gloria B. Mayfield, Rusk Co. Coordinator

Used by Permission of the Rusk County Historical Commission

P.O. Box 1773

Henderson, Tx 75652

George Birdwell was born in 1721 in Stafford County, Virginia and died in 178101782 in Bedford County, VA. By his first wife he had a son, Robert. By his second wife, Mary Looney, he had thirteen other children. There is evidence that his father Benjamin Birdwell was from England.

John Birdwell was born Sept 24 1770 in Botetourt County, VA. He died in April 1854 in Rusk County, TX. "Old-great-grandpap," the son of George and Mary Birdwell married Mary Allen in Sullivan County, TN. He organized Birdwell Spring Baptist Church, Moulton, AL. He came to Texas with some of his children in 1838, settled at Old North Church in Nacogdoches County and residied there for two years before moving to Mt. Enterprise. His children were Nancy, Elizabeth, Sarah, Jane, Susan B., Allen, Ann, Lucinda, John Hr., and Tabathia.

Colonel Allen Birdwell was born March 22 1802 at Mt Enterprise. He married Luinda Ross of TN, who died about 1844. On July 29 1845 he married Sarah Jane Vannoy. He served seven terms in the Texas Legislature.

John Calhoun Birdwell was born April 7 1829. He died Jan 6 1869 in Nacogdoches County. He married Adeline Burney Cunningham, daughter of Reverend Jeremiah and Polly Cunningham, on June 14 1849 in Rusk County. He was the first child of Colonel Allen and Luinda Ross Birdwell. He moved his family from Mt. Enterprise to Flatswood in Nacogdoches County and built his home before going to the Civil War, where he died soon after returning. His children were: James Pinkney, Jeremiah Cunningham, Lourinda Ross, Pauline Jane, Joseph Allen, Addie Ann, and John C. Jr.

When John Calhoun Birdwell died in 1869, he had lived in Nacogdoches County only a few years and was carried back about twelve miles, to Mt. Enterprise for burial in the Birdwell graveyard on the Birdwell farm, now a pasture. John Birdwell, "Old great-grandpap," John C. his grandson, and John are all three buried in a row side by side, John C. in the middle. Grandpap on the south side, and Uncle John on the north side. Luinda Ross Birdwell was most likely the first buried there.