John Ervin Bird DuBose Biography

John Ervin Bird DuBose was born on October 20, 1849 in Darlington, Darlington District, South Carolina. He was the son of Ezekiel Dossey ("E.D.") and Cassandra ("Cassie") Ann Perniece Thompson DuBose.

He was 11 years old when his family traveled by horse and wagon to Columbia County, Florida, where they settled near Lake City. His paternal grandmother Mary "Polly" Polk DuBose (1800-1876), widow of John DuBose (b. circa 1782-d. before October 1860), joined the family in Florida approximately ten years later.

E.D. and Cassie brought their family from South Carolina to Florida in 1860, before the Civil War started. It has been conjectured that they might have been attempting to avoid the war. They traveled by horse and wagon to Columbia County, Florida, The family settled near Lake City, where E.D. was a tenant farmer.

E.D.'s mother Mary "Polly" Polk DuBose (February 8, 1800-May 10, 1876) joined the family in Florida approximately ten years later. Mary was known as "Polly," a common nickname for Mary in the 1800s. Mary Polk DuBose is buried in the Old Providence Cemetery.

Martha DuBose Cook, a daughter of E.D. and Cassie, provided an account of their trip in September 1938 when she was 80 years old.

They loaded a two-horse wagon with their greatest necessities. The horses were named Sealem and Gander. Cassie Ann DuBose, the wife and mother, drove the team with Louvenia, the baby, sitting on her lap. Martha, four years old, sat in a little chair beside her mother. Father, Ezekiel Dossey DuBose, three sons, two daughters, and Columbus Polk, a cousin, walked all the way.

They began their journey in 1860, and reached their destination, thirteen miles north of Lake City, sometime in November. They were on the road for four weeks before they reached their destination.

They had a tent, which they stretched at night, where they spread their beds for the parents and small children. "Lum" Polk and the older boys slept in the wagon. Father had a rifle with which he killed some game to help feed the family on the road. I remember one evening we had a crow, a dove, and a squirrel to prepare for supper. All three were cooked and the brains taken from each and used to tan the squirrel skin for shoestrings. Father was a shoemaker too. Once we came to a creek where father had to take the oldest daughter and the youngest two walking children on his back, one at a time, to put them across the stream.

They remained in Florida the rest of their lives and lived to be seventy five and five months, and seventy five and six months, and left every child alive, of which there were nine.

The children of Ezekiel DuBose and Cassandra Thompson were:

• James Isaiah DuBose, born April 10, 1846 in Darlington, Darlington District, South Carolina; died October 15, 1928 in Worthington Springs, Bradford County, Florida. He married Mahaley Frances Pinkston July 21, 1870 in Providence, Columbia County, Florida; born December 4, 1852 in Brooks, Fayette County, Georgia; died April 10, 1924 in Worthington Springs, Bradford County, Florida.

• Mary Jane Elizabeth DuBose, born January 7, 1848 in Darlington, Darlington District, South Carolina; died April 7, 1932 in Ellisville, Columbia County, Florida. She married Mathew Bailey August 26, 1868 in Gainesville, Alachua County, Florida; born September 3, 1840 in Darlington, Darlington District, South Carolina; died September 12, 1918 in Ellisville, Columbia County, Florida.

• John Ervin Bird DuBose, born October 20, 1849 in Darlington, Darlington District, South Carolina.

• Julia Deleslie DuBose, born April 20, 1852 in Darlington, Darlington District, South Carolina; died January 7, 1924 in High Springs, Alachua County, Florida. She married William F. Hunt February 15, 1872 in Ellisville, Columbia County, Florida; born September 23, 1823 in Greenville, Greenville County, South Carolina; died March 1, 1885 in Union County, Florida.

• Samuel Wiles DuBose, born February 22, 1854 in Darlington, Darlington District, South Carolina; died March 08, 1936 in Worthington Springs, Bradford (later Union) County, Florida. He married (1) Susan Alice Pinkston November 7, 1877 in Quitman, Brooks County, Georgia; born January 11, 1861 in Quitman, Brooks County, Georgia; died August 30, 1902 in Worthington Springs, Bradford (later Union) County, Florida. He married (2) Martha Elizabeth Pinkston November 22, 1903 in Worthington Springs, Bradford County, Florida; born November 12, 1873 in Georgia or Florida; died August 27, 1912 in Worthington Springs, Bradford County, Florida. He married (3) Annie Elizabeth Collins August 24, 1916 in Worthington Springs, Bradford County, Florida; born September 17, 1872 in Rochelle, Alachua County, Florida; died October 30, 1964 in Starke, Bradford County, Florida.

• Martha Ann Perniece DuBose, born September 1, 1856 in Darlington, Darlington District, South Carolina; died June 2, 1941 in High Springs, Alachua County, Florida. She married (1) James C. J. Hill August 30, 1877 in Columbia County, Florida; born ca. 1847 in West Tennessee; died August 5, 1881 in Padlock, Suwannee County, Florida. She married (2) Thomas Faulkner Cook May 15, 1887 in Ft. White, Columbia County, Florida; born February 25, 1830 in Newnan, Coweta County, Georgia; died October 15, 1915 in Ft. White, Columbia County, Florida.

• Ellen Louvenia DuBose, born April 9, 1859 in Darlington, Darlington District, South Carolina; died November 3, 1938 in Worthington Springs, Bradford, later Union County, Florida. She married James Henry Thompson August 23, 1877 in Columbia County, Florida; born November 11, 1850 in Jesup, Wayne County, Georgia; died July 28, 1928 in Worthington Springs, Union County, Florida.

• Elizabeth Caroline DuBose, born August 7, 1861 in Lake City, Columbia County, Florida; died December 2, 1932 in Jacksonville, Duval County, Florida. She married Thomas C. Hooper bef. June 16, 1880 in Florida; born December 17, 1856 in North Carolina; died January 10, 1929 in Florida.

• Louisa Molissie DuBose, born February 9, 1864 in Lake City, Columbia County, Florida; died April 17, 1935 in Delta, Millard County, Utah. She married Leonard Jackson Guynn June 2, 1880 in near Providence, Columbia County, Florida; born September 10, 1849 in Tallahassee, Leon County, Florida; died July 3, 1914 in Trenton, Sumter County, Florida.

== The Life and Family of John Ervin Bird DuBose ==

John Ervin Bird married Elizabeth Allen Black December 2, 1869 in Florida. She was born on March 26, 1842 in South Carolina.

The children of John Ervin DuBose and Elizabeth Black DuBose were:

• William David DuBose, b. 1870, Newberry, Alachua County, Florida.
• Thomas Henry DuBose, b. December 28, 1877, Micanopy, Alachua County, Florida; d. March 7, 1953, Sumter County, Florida; m. Mary (surname unknown) before 1907, Florida; b. March 22, 1882, Florida; d. June 1982, Trenton, Sumter County, Florida.
• Maggie DuBose, b. June 11, 1881, Florida; d. September 13, 1902, Florida.

Elizabeth died on October 1, 1913 in Center Hill, Sumter County, Florida. John Ervin died on April 25, 1915 in Center Hill.

Submitted on August 14, 2011 by Sandra Johnson Witt, his great grand niece