Emma Batchelor was the 10th of 16 children born to Reuben B. Batchelor and Zilla Ann Pridgen. All of those children were born in North Carolina.
In 1853, Emma and fourteen of her siblings and their parents relocated to Gonzales County, Texas. Emma was about 9 years old at the time of that long and difficult journey that probably lasted several months travelling by horseback, in wagons, on foot and by boat.
The reason only 15 of the 16 children made that trip to Texas was because Emma's oldest sister (name thus far unknown) had apparently died in North Carolina between 1840-1850 prior to the family's relocation to Texas. She was enumerated with the family in the 1830 census (female under 5) and in the 1840 census (female 10-14).
But, that oldest female child was not enumerated with the family in the 1850 census, prior to the family's relocation to Texas. And, no other mention of her has been found in any record. It's possible she was married prior to the 1850 census. But, from a detailed analysis of census records (1830-1900) along with commentary published in Zilla's obituary in Jan 1902, it seems probable that Emma's oldest sister died prior to 1850 and was, thus, the heretofore "missing 16th child."
Emma's 14 siblings who made the trip to Texas in 1853 ranged from her oldest brother Lemon B. Batchelor who was about 23 years old at the time of that trip to her six youngest siblings: Elizabeth Batchelor, aged about 6, Alonzo Batchelor, aged about 5, and two sets of twins, less than three years old.
Tragedy struck the family almost immediately upon their arrival in Texas as described by Mrs. Robert A. Taylor in the article she wrote in 1986 for the book, "The History of Gonzales Texas." The article appeared on page 214 and was identified as F34, BATCHELOR, REUBEN B. AND ZILLA ANN PRIDGEN.
From that article: "The family with their slaves left North Carolina by boat and landed at Indianola. They traveled northwest to Hockheim [s/b Hochheim] where they settled. Zilla's obituary stated, "Where in the short space of five weeks, the husband and four children were snatched, as it were, from a happy household, as was then in a new and untried country." Another record stated that Reuben and two sets of twins died within seven days of each other with the bloody flux (dysentery). They were buried north of Hochheim about three miles on the east side of the river."
Emma's mother, Zilla Ann Pridgen Batchelor, died 18 Jan 1902 in DeWitt County, Texas. At the time of her death, 6 of her 16 children were still living including (as identified in Zilla's obituary, arranged here from oldest to youngest): 3rd child, Julia Ann Batchelor Williford; 4th child, Francis Marion "Frank" Batchelor; 5th child, Angelina "Ann" Batchelor O'Bar; 7th child, Martin Van Buren Batchelor; 9th child, Atsey Batchelor Rackley; and 10th child, Emma Batchelor Russett.
Note: some of the information for this memorial was provided by Bob Webb, contributor #47235753. Emma Batchelor's oldest brother, Lemon, was one of his ancestors.
In 1853, Emma and fourteen of her siblings and their parents relocated to Gonzales County, Texas. Emma was about 9 years old at the time of that long and difficult journey that probably lasted several months travelling by horseback, in wagons, on foot and by boat.
The reason only 15 of the 16 children made that trip to Texas was because Emma's oldest sister (name thus far unknown) had apparently died in North Carolina between 1840-1850 prior to the family's relocation to Texas. She was enumerated with the family in the 1830 census (female under 5) and in the 1840 census (female 10-14).
But, that oldest female child was not enumerated with the family in the 1850 census, prior to the family's relocation to Texas. And, no other mention of her has been found in any record. It's possible she was married prior to the 1850 census. But, from a detailed analysis of census records (1830-1900) along with commentary published in Zilla's obituary in Jan 1902, it seems probable that Emma's oldest sister died prior to 1850 and was, thus, the heretofore "missing 16th child."
Emma's 14 siblings who made the trip to Texas in 1853 ranged from her oldest brother Lemon B. Batchelor who was about 23 years old at the time of that trip to her six youngest siblings: Elizabeth Batchelor, aged about 6, Alonzo Batchelor, aged about 5, and two sets of twins, less than three years old.
Tragedy struck the family almost immediately upon their arrival in Texas as described by Mrs. Robert A. Taylor in the article she wrote in 1986 for the book, "The History of Gonzales Texas." The article appeared on page 214 and was identified as F34, BATCHELOR, REUBEN B. AND ZILLA ANN PRIDGEN.
From that article: "The family with their slaves left North Carolina by boat and landed at Indianola. They traveled northwest to Hockheim [s/b Hochheim] where they settled. Zilla's obituary stated, "Where in the short space of five weeks, the husband and four children were snatched, as it were, from a happy household, as was then in a new and untried country." Another record stated that Reuben and two sets of twins died within seven days of each other with the bloody flux (dysentery). They were buried north of Hochheim about three miles on the east side of the river."
Emma's mother, Zilla Ann Pridgen Batchelor, died 18 Jan 1902 in DeWitt County, Texas. At the time of her death, 6 of her 16 children were still living including (as identified in Zilla's obituary, arranged here from oldest to youngest): 3rd child, Julia Ann Batchelor Williford; 4th child, Francis Marion "Frank" Batchelor; 5th child, Angelina "Ann" Batchelor O'Bar; 7th child, Martin Van Buren Batchelor; 9th child, Atsey Batchelor Rackley; and 10th child, Emma Batchelor Russett.
Note: some of the information for this memorial was provided by Bob Webb, contributor #47235753. Emma Batchelor's oldest brother, Lemon, was one of his ancestors.
Emma Batchelor was the 10th of 16 children born to Reuben B. Batchelor and Zilla Ann Pridgen. All of those children were born in North Carolina.
In 1853, Emma and fourteen of her siblings and their parents relocated to Gonzales County, Texas. Emma was about 9 years old at the time of that long and difficult journey that probably lasted several months travelling by horseback, in wagons, on foot and by boat.
The reason only 15 of the 16 children made that trip to Texas was because Emma's oldest sister (name thus far unknown) had apparently died in North Carolina between 1840-1850 prior to the family's relocation to Texas. She was enumerated with the family in the 1830 census (female under 5) and in the 1840 census (female 10-14).
But, that oldest female child was not enumerated with the family in the 1850 census, prior to the family's relocation to Texas. And, no other mention of her has been found in any record. It's possible she was married prior to the 1850 census. But, from a detailed analysis of census records (1830-1900) along with commentary published in Zilla's obituary in Jan 1902, it seems probable that Emma's oldest sister died prior to 1850 and was, thus, the heretofore "missing 16th child."
Emma's 14 siblings who made the trip to Texas in 1853 ranged from her oldest brother Lemon B. Batchelor who was about 23 years old at the time of that trip to her six youngest siblings: Elizabeth Batchelor, aged about 6, Alonzo Batchelor, aged about 5, and two sets of twins, less than three years old.
Tragedy struck the family almost immediately upon their arrival in Texas as described by Mrs. Robert A. Taylor in the article she wrote in 1986 for the book, "The History of Gonzales Texas." The article appeared on page 214 and was identified as F34, BATCHELOR, REUBEN B. AND ZILLA ANN PRIDGEN.
From that article: "The family with their slaves left North Carolina by boat and landed at Indianola. They traveled northwest to Hockheim [s/b Hochheim] where they settled. Zilla's obituary stated, "Where in the short space of five weeks, the husband and four children were snatched, as it were, from a happy household, as was then in a new and untried country." Another record stated that Reuben and two sets of twins died within seven days of each other with the bloody flux (dysentery). They were buried north of Hochheim about three miles on the east side of the river."
Emma's mother, Zilla Ann Pridgen Batchelor, died 18 Jan 1902 in DeWitt County, Texas. At the time of her death, 6 of her 16 children were still living including (as identified in Zilla's obituary, arranged here from oldest to youngest): 3rd child, Julia Ann Batchelor Williford; 4th child, Francis Marion "Frank" Batchelor; 5th child, Angelina "Ann" Batchelor O'Bar; 7th child, Martin Van Buren Batchelor; 9th child, Atsey Batchelor Rackley; and 10th child, Emma Batchelor Russett.
Note: some of the information for this memorial was provided by Bob Webb, contributor #47235753. Emma Batchelor's oldest brother, Lemon, was one of his ancestors.
In 1853, Emma and fourteen of her siblings and their parents relocated to Gonzales County, Texas. Emma was about 9 years old at the time of that long and difficult journey that probably lasted several months travelling by horseback, in wagons, on foot and by boat.
The reason only 15 of the 16 children made that trip to Texas was because Emma's oldest sister (name thus far unknown) had apparently died in North Carolina between 1840-1850 prior to the family's relocation to Texas. She was enumerated with the family in the 1830 census (female under 5) and in the 1840 census (female 10-14).
But, that oldest female child was not enumerated with the family in the 1850 census, prior to the family's relocation to Texas. And, no other mention of her has been found in any record. It's possible she was married prior to the 1850 census. But, from a detailed analysis of census records (1830-1900) along with commentary published in Zilla's obituary in Jan 1902, it seems probable that Emma's oldest sister died prior to 1850 and was, thus, the heretofore "missing 16th child."
Emma's 14 siblings who made the trip to Texas in 1853 ranged from her oldest brother Lemon B. Batchelor who was about 23 years old at the time of that trip to her six youngest siblings: Elizabeth Batchelor, aged about 6, Alonzo Batchelor, aged about 5, and two sets of twins, less than three years old.
Tragedy struck the family almost immediately upon their arrival in Texas as described by Mrs. Robert A. Taylor in the article she wrote in 1986 for the book, "The History of Gonzales Texas." The article appeared on page 214 and was identified as F34, BATCHELOR, REUBEN B. AND ZILLA ANN PRIDGEN.
From that article: "The family with their slaves left North Carolina by boat and landed at Indianola. They traveled northwest to Hockheim [s/b Hochheim] where they settled. Zilla's obituary stated, "Where in the short space of five weeks, the husband and four children were snatched, as it were, from a happy household, as was then in a new and untried country." Another record stated that Reuben and two sets of twins died within seven days of each other with the bloody flux (dysentery). They were buried north of Hochheim about three miles on the east side of the river."
Emma's mother, Zilla Ann Pridgen Batchelor, died 18 Jan 1902 in DeWitt County, Texas. At the time of her death, 6 of her 16 children were still living including (as identified in Zilla's obituary, arranged here from oldest to youngest): 3rd child, Julia Ann Batchelor Williford; 4th child, Francis Marion "Frank" Batchelor; 5th child, Angelina "Ann" Batchelor O'Bar; 7th child, Martin Van Buren Batchelor; 9th child, Atsey Batchelor Rackley; and 10th child, Emma Batchelor Russett.
Note: some of the information for this memorial was provided by Bob Webb, contributor #47235753. Emma Batchelor's oldest brother, Lemon, was one of his ancestors.
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