Eliza Downing was the third child and first daughter of Wiregrass Georgia pioneers Renatus and Keziah Hiers Downing, who had moved by April of 1834 from the Colleton-Barnwell district of South Carolina to southern Georgia. Keziah's parents, Daniel and Nancy Hunter Hiers, moved at the same time. Eliza was born in Lowndes County, but while she was still a toddler, the family moved over the border to Hamilton County, Florida. In January of 1846, Keziah was listed as a founding member of Bethel Primitive Baptist Church of Jennings.
The Herndons and Downings had neighboring farms in Hamilton County, and three of Richard John and Pinky Padgett Herndon's children married three of Renatus and Keziah Hiers Downing's children, producing twenty-four Downing–Herndon double first cousins in the next generation. All three marriages were solemnized in November, after the year's harvest. When Eliza married James Perry in 1859, her brother William Renatus Remus Downing had already been married to Martha Ann Herndon for a few years. Her sister Nancy married Levi Herndon in 1866, the first harvest after the War.
In 1861, when Eliza was a twenty-year-old bride of sixteen months and a new mother, J.P. enlisted in the Confederate army and Eliza was left in charge of their farm. Her brothers and brothers-in-law also enlisted. She didn't see her husband again for four years. Farms are targeted by invading armies, either to commandeer supplies or to prevent supplies from reaching the opposing forces. This must have been especially difficult in 1863 and early 1864, situated between Duval County and Tallahassee with the battle at Olustee nearby.
Eliza and J.P. raised their family in Hamilton County for the next twenty-six years. When he was murdered, she was on her own again, but this time she had teenagers at home to help with the farm. Her older children were already raising families of their own. When her next grandson was born, in August of 1892, he was named "Perry" for his grandfather. Eliza turned much of the work of the farm over to her sons. She applied three times for a CSA widow's pension and each application was approved. Between 1905 and 1910, her daughter Nervie and several of her Cannon grandchildren moved to Suwannee County; sometime before 1908, she moved to Suwannee County to live near or with Nervie. Eliza's last CSA pension application lists Branford as her post office. Sometime after she died, a memorial for J.P, whose body was never recovered, was placed next to her grave.
The Herndons and Downings had neighboring farms in Hamilton County, and three of Richard John and Pinky Padgett Herndon's children married three of Renatus and Keziah Hiers Downing's children, producing twenty-four Downing–Herndon double first cousins in the next generation. All three marriages were solemnized in November, after the year's harvest. When Eliza married James Perry in 1859, her brother William Renatus Remus Downing had already been married to Martha Ann Herndon for a few years. Her sister Nancy married Levi Herndon in 1866, the first harvest after the War.
In 1861, when Eliza was a twenty-year-old bride of sixteen months and a new mother, J.P. enlisted in the Confederate army and Eliza was left in charge of their farm. Her brothers and brothers-in-law also enlisted. She didn't see her husband again for four years. Farms are targeted by invading armies, either to commandeer supplies or to prevent supplies from reaching the opposing forces. This must have been especially difficult in 1863 and early 1864, situated between Duval County and Tallahassee with the battle at Olustee nearby.
Eliza and J.P. raised their family in Hamilton County for the next twenty-six years. When he was murdered, she was on her own again, but this time she had teenagers at home to help with the farm. Her older children were already raising families of their own. When her next grandson was born, in August of 1892, he was named "Perry" for his grandfather. Eliza turned much of the work of the farm over to her sons. She applied three times for a CSA widow's pension and each application was approved. Between 1905 and 1910, her daughter Nervie and several of her Cannon grandchildren moved to Suwannee County; sometime before 1908, she moved to Suwannee County to live near or with Nervie. Eliza's last CSA pension application lists Branford as her post office. Sometime after she died, a memorial for J.P, whose body was never recovered, was placed next to her grave.
Eliza Downing was the third child and first daughter of Wiregrass Georgia pioneers Renatus and Keziah Hiers Downing, who had moved by April of 1834 from the Colleton-Barnwell district of South Carolina to southern Georgia. Keziah's parents, Daniel and Nancy Hunter Hiers, moved at the same time. Eliza was born in Lowndes County, but while she was still a toddler, the family moved over the border to Hamilton County, Florida. In January of 1846, Keziah was listed as a founding member of Bethel Primitive Baptist Church of Jennings.
The Herndons and Downings had neighboring farms in Hamilton County, and three of Richard John and Pinky Padgett Herndon's children married three of Renatus and Keziah Hiers Downing's children, producing twenty-four Downing–Herndon double first cousins in the next generation. All three marriages were solemnized in November, after the year's harvest. When Eliza married James Perry in 1859, her brother William Renatus Remus Downing had already been married to Martha Ann Herndon for a few years. Her sister Nancy married Levi Herndon in 1866, the first harvest after the War.
In 1861, when Eliza was a twenty-year-old bride of sixteen months and a new mother, J.P. enlisted in the Confederate army and Eliza was left in charge of their farm. Her brothers and brothers-in-law also enlisted. She didn't see her husband again for four years. Farms are targeted by invading armies, either to commandeer supplies or to prevent supplies from reaching the opposing forces. This must have been especially difficult in 1863 and early 1864, situated between Duval County and Tallahassee with the battle at Olustee nearby.
Eliza and J.P. raised their family in Hamilton County for the next twenty-six years. When he was murdered, she was on her own again, but this time she had teenagers at home to help with the farm. Her older children were already raising families of their own. When her next grandson was born, in August of 1892, he was named "Perry" for his grandfather. Eliza turned much of the work of the farm over to her sons. She applied three times for a CSA widow's pension and each application was approved. Between 1905 and 1910, her daughter Nervie and several of her Cannon grandchildren moved to Suwannee County; sometime before 1908, she moved to Suwannee County to live near or with Nervie. Eliza's last CSA pension application lists Branford as her post office. Sometime after she died, a memorial for J.P, whose body was never recovered, was placed next to her grave.
The Herndons and Downings had neighboring farms in Hamilton County, and three of Richard John and Pinky Padgett Herndon's children married three of Renatus and Keziah Hiers Downing's children, producing twenty-four Downing–Herndon double first cousins in the next generation. All three marriages were solemnized in November, after the year's harvest. When Eliza married James Perry in 1859, her brother William Renatus Remus Downing had already been married to Martha Ann Herndon for a few years. Her sister Nancy married Levi Herndon in 1866, the first harvest after the War.
In 1861, when Eliza was a twenty-year-old bride of sixteen months and a new mother, J.P. enlisted in the Confederate army and Eliza was left in charge of their farm. Her brothers and brothers-in-law also enlisted. She didn't see her husband again for four years. Farms are targeted by invading armies, either to commandeer supplies or to prevent supplies from reaching the opposing forces. This must have been especially difficult in 1863 and early 1864, situated between Duval County and Tallahassee with the battle at Olustee nearby.
Eliza and J.P. raised their family in Hamilton County for the next twenty-six years. When he was murdered, she was on her own again, but this time she had teenagers at home to help with the farm. Her older children were already raising families of their own. When her next grandson was born, in August of 1892, he was named "Perry" for his grandfather. Eliza turned much of the work of the farm over to her sons. She applied three times for a CSA widow's pension and each application was approved. Between 1905 and 1910, her daughter Nervie and several of her Cannon grandchildren moved to Suwannee County; sometime before 1908, she moved to Suwannee County to live near or with Nervie. Eliza's last CSA pension application lists Branford as her post office. Sometime after she died, a memorial for J.P, whose body was never recovered, was placed next to her grave.
Inscription
Eliza Herndon
July 17, 1841
Sept. 21, 1914
[Epitaph not legible in photograph, but note the corner of her husband's CSA memorial visible to the right.]
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