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Darius Jasper Echols[1]

Male 1779 - 1866  (87 years)


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  • Name Darius Jasper Echols 
    Birth 1779  , Halifax, Virginia, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [2] 
    Gender Male 
    Residence 1800  , Pendleton, South Carolina, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [3] 
    Residence 1818  , Franklin, Georgia, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [4, 5] 
    • Tax List 1818
    Residence 1830  , Habersham, Georgia, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [6] 
    Residence 1840  , Habersham, Georgia, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [7] 
    Residence 1850  , Habersham, Georgia, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [8] 
    Residence 1860  Clarksville, Habersham, Georgia, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [9] 
    Death 1 May 1866  Clark, Habersham, Georgia, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [2] 
    Person ID I51358  Master
    Last Modified 26 Jan 2024 

    Father Joshua Echols,   b. 2 Apr 1747, , Caroline, Virginia, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 18 Aug 1834, Madison, Morgan, Georgia, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 87 years) 
    Mother Margaret Hannah Brown,   b. 1751, , Prince George, Virginia, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1788, Pendleton, Anderson, South Carolina, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 37 years) 
    Marriage 19 Mar 1778  , Caroline, Virginia, USA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Family ID F11616  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 1 Sarah Brown,   b. Abt 1781, , , Virginia, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1814 (Age 33 years) 
    Children 
    +1. Jabal Clarence Echols,   b. 15 Feb 1803, , Franklin, Georgia, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 3 Oct 1843, , Habersham, Georgia, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 40 years)
    Family ID F11577  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 22 Jan 2024 

    Family 2 Obedience Gazaway,   b. 1775, , , North Carolina, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1882, , Rains, Texas, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 107 years) 
    Children 
    +1. James Perry Echols,   b. 1817, , Habersham, Georgia, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1893, Belton, Hall, Georgia, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 76 years)
    Family ID F11573  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 21 Jan 2024 

    Family 3 Tabitha Whitworth,   b. 1781, Morgan, Rowan, North Carolina, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1864, , Habersham, Georgia, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 83 years) 
    Marriage 14 Dec 1799  , , South Carolina, USA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Children 
    +1. Ann J Echols,   b. 1804, , Franklin, Georgia, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1 Feb 1905, , Gordon, Georgia, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 101 years)
    +2. Mildred Milly Echols,   b. 1805, , , Georgia, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Feb 1860, , Walton, Georgia, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 55 years)
     3. Catherine Echols,   b. 1810, , Habersham, Georgia, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1910 (Age 100 years)
     4. Rhoda Echols,   b. 1813, , , Georgia, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1914 (Age 101 years)
    +5. Ransome Whitworth "Rance" Echols,   b. 1814, , Habersham, Georgia, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1886, Searcey, White, Arkansas, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 72 years)
    +6. Abel Judge Echols,   b. 1815, , Habersham, Georgia, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 15 Oct 1889, Anchorage, Atascos, Texas, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 74 years)
     7. John Echols,   b. 1817, , , Georgia, USA Find all individuals with events at this location
    +8. Winston Whitworth Echols,   b. 1819, , , Georgia, USA Find all individuals with events at this location
    +9. Emily Echols,   b. 1820, , Habersham, Georgia, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1900, , , Arkansas, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 80 years)
    +10. Isaac Newton Echols,   b. 4 Jul 1821, , Habersham, Georgia, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 10 Apr 1899, , Jefferson, Alabama, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 77 years)
    +11. Abraham Blair Echols,   b. 19 Sep 1823, , Habersham, Georgia, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 10 Oct 1866, Calhoun, Gordon, Georgia, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 43 years)
    +12. Elijah Clark Echols,   b. 13 Mar 1827, , Habersham, Georgia, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1900, Olustee, Jackson, Oklahoma, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 72 years)
    Family ID F11595  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 25 Jan 2024 

    Family 4 Hannah Thomas,   b. 1804, , Habersham, Georgia, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1875, , Franklin, Georgia, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 71 years) 
    Marriage 15 Jan 1863  , Habersham, Georgia, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [10] 
    Children 
    +1. Joseph Riley Thomas Echols,   b. 15 Apr 1818, High Shoals, Rutherford, North Carolina, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 2 Sep 1904, Cleveland, White, Georgia, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 86 years)
    +2. Martin Riley Thomas,   b. 1823, , Habersham, Georgia, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1889, , Habersham, Georgia, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 66 years)
    +3. Sarah Thomas,   b. 15 Sep 1828, , Habersham, Georgia, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1887, Gober, Fannin, Texas, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 58 years)
    +4. Elizabeth Thomas,   b. 1830, , , Georgia, USA Find all individuals with events at this location
     5. Melissa Thomas,   b. 1832, , Habersham, Georgia, USA Find all individuals with events at this location
    +6. Darius Jasper Thomas,   b. 16 Apr 1834, , Habersham, Georgia, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 4 Dec 1926, Staffordtown, Cofferhill, Polk, Tennessee, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 92 years)
    +7. Newton Cleveland Thomas,   b. 6 Aug 1837, , Habersham, Georgia, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 11 Sep 1925, Signal Mountain, Hamilton, Tennessee, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 88 years)
    +8. Thomas Benton Echols,   b. Abt 1842, , Habersham, Georgia, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 27 Dec 1934, Cairo, Grady, Georgia, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 92 years)
    Family ID F11552  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 25 Jan 2024 

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsBirth - 1779 - , Halifax, Virginia, USA Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsMarriage - 14 Dec 1799 - , , South Carolina, USA Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - 1800 - , Pendleton, South Carolina, USA Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - 1818 - , Franklin, Georgia, USA Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - 1830 - , Habersham, Georgia, USA Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - 1840 - , Habersham, Georgia, USA Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - 1850 - , Habersham, Georgia, USA Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - 1860 - Clarksville, Habersham, Georgia, USA Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsMarriage - 15 Jan 1863 - , Habersham, Georgia, USA Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDeath - 1 May 1866 - Clark, Habersham, Georgia, USA Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth 

  • Notes 
    • Hannah Thomas & Darius Jasper Echols
      Unconfirmed story about the relationship of Hannah Thomas and Darius Jasper Echols. Apparently Hannah Thomas gave birth to 9 children while unmarried. The father of these children was Darius Jasper Echols, who was married to another woman at the time. After Darius' wife died and the children grown, he married Hannah in 1863. Hannah and Darius were prosectued for fornication and adultery when he was 77 and she was 51. They refused to stop living together. There apparently is a court order confirming the children born to Hannah are illegitimate.

    • Darius Echols (1779-1866) paternity established with DNA.

      Darius Echols, b. 1779 in Halifax Co., VA, d. 1 May, 1866 in Habersham Co., GA had 14 children with his wife Tabitha Whitworth. There has been strong circumstantial evidence that he fathered nine children with Hannah Thomas and several children with Obedience Gazaway. We now have the DNA proof to establish that Darius was in fact the father of the children of Hannah Thomas and Obedience Gazaway.

      In 1817, James Perry Gazaway was born as a result of a liaison between Echols and Obedience. This child later changed his legal name to Echols in 1854 and all of his male descendants bear the name of Echols.

      In 1821-1822, Darius Echols began a relationship with Hannah Thomas that was to continue for over 40 years and produce 9 children, beginning with James Wyly Thomas in 1822. The circumstantial evidence pointing to his paternity includes the following:

      1) Echols was appointed guardian of Hannah's first three children who were listed as "illegitimates;"
      2) Two of the children, Elizabeth and Thomas, changed their last names to Echols, and a third, Newton, used it on occasion, and gave the Echols name to his own second (illegitimate) family;
      3) Both Darius and Hannah were indicted and convicted of fornication and adultery with each other in 1852;
      4) They lived next door to each other, and were living together in 1860 after Darius' wife, Tabitha, had moved out to live with her son in another county;
      5) In 1863, after Tabitha's death, they married;
      6) One of Hannah's son's descendants has passed the story down through the family that they are not "Thomases", but rather, they are "Echolses" and are descended from Darius Echols.

      In 2014, a descendant in the male line from one of Hannah Thomas' sons, Darius Jasper Thomas, took the Family Tree Maker DNA test and matched on 66 out of 67 markers with a descendant of James Perry Gazaway Echols, son of Obedience Gazaway. They also match with a descendant of Joshua Echols, who was in Darius Echols' line, and they match with eight other Echols men who are in this Echols line which appear to descend from the immigrant John Echols and Mary Cave.

      In 2015, two descendants of Newton Cleveland Thomas took the Ancestry.com DNA test and match with several descendants of Joshua Echols, father of Darious Echols, and with his children from his first wife Tabitha Whitworth.

      In addition, Darius Echols and all his male line are in the Haplogroup I1, which is a rare group which originated from one ancestor over 5000 years ago from Denmark. Many British men belong to this group because of the Viking invasions and settlements on the coast.
    • Darius Echols was sheriff and also Justice of the Peace at different times in Habersham County, Georgia.

      In the early 1800's Darius paid the taxes in Franklin County, Georgia for a woman named Elizabeth Wisdom. One son of this Elizabeth Wisdom had his name legally changed to Echols in Forsyth County, Georgia.

      Hannah Thomas is said to have been the widow of a Revolutionary Soldier on one land lottery. If so she must have married a much older man. She was born about 1804 and if she married in 1820 she would have been 16 and the revolutionary soldier would have to be about 60. If this marriage did occur the man must have died shortly afterward because she is listed alone on all census and other records.

      Hannah was quite a woman. With her headright land and land lottery lands she had quite a lot of acreage. She conducted all her own business and seemed to be a very independent woman. Darius was always close by and they had a long-standing relationship.

      Hannah's first three children were James Wyly Thomas born in 1822, Martin Riley Thomas born in 1823 and Clary born in about 1825. In an 1834 court record these children were referred to as illegitimate. In 1834, Darius Echols was named as Guardian of the illegitimates of Hannah Thomas.

      Browning Thomas, a great grandson of Hannah Thomas through her son Darius Jasper Thomas, had a much older half brother who was born in 1896. During a visit in 1987, this older half brother told Browning that they were "really Echols, not Thomases" and that his search for Thomases would prove fruitless. At the time Browning became so angry that he quit researching for several years.

      Hannah had drawn land "for minors" in 1827. She also drew land in 1832 as a widow of a revolutionary war soldier. As stated earlier Hannah was quite independent and managed her property and business affairs personally.

      No marriage record prior to 1863 has ever been found for Hannah Thomas. Hannah gave birth to Sarah in 1828 followed by Elizabeth in 1830. Elizabeth married E. B. Beard September 13, 1849 in Habersham County, Georgia. They later moved to Jefferson County, Alabama. No death record has been found for Elizabeth but on the death certificate of her son it gives her maiden name as Elizabeth Echols.

      These first five children, James Wyly, Martin, Clary, Sarah, and Elizabeth all bought lot number 43 in the 12th district of Habersham County, Georgia from a Fleming Bates for $300. Their guardian was Darius Echols, who signed the deed as Justice of the peace.

      Hannah has not been found on the 1830 census. Either she was not interviewed or she was living in another household.

      Hannah continued to have children. She had Melissa "Lissy" in 1834, then Darius Jasper in 1835, Newton Cleveland in 1837 and Thomas Benton in 1841.

      The 1840 census shows Hannah Thomas as head of household, living next door to Darius Echols. She has two males under 5 years of age (Darius Jasper and Newton Cleveland), two males 15 to 20 (James Wyly and Martin Riley), two females 5 to 10 (Elizabeth and Melissa) and two females 10 to 15 (Clary and Sarah).

      Darius Echols and Hannah Thomas were charged with Fornication and Adultery (a married man living with a single woman) on 1 October 1855 and on Diverse other occasions before and after that date. Hannah pleaded guilty and was fined $10 and ordered to remain in jail until the fine was paid. Darius pleaded not guilty and was found guilty in court.

      By 1860 Darius and Hannah were still living together and Darius' wife was living with her son in Alabama. By 1863 Darius' wife must have died because Darius and Hannah were finally married.

      The last son of Hannah Thomas changed his name from Thomas Benton Thomas to Thomas Benton Echols in later life. It is not known how many of Hannah's children went by Echols. It is known that Elizabeth, born in 1830 and Thomas born about 1845 both went by Echols in later life.

      The evidence is overwhelming that Darius was the father of most, if not all of Hannah's children.


  • Sources 
    1. [S761] Yates Publishing, Ancestry Family Trees, (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members.), Ancestry Family Tree.

    2. [S1162] Ancestry.com, Geneanet Community Trees Index, (Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.) (Reliability: 3).
      Name Darius Jasper Echols
      Gender M (Male)
      Birth Date 1779
      Birth Place Halifax, Halifax (Halifax), Virginia, USA
      Death Date 1 mai 1866 (1 May 1866)
      Death Place Clark, Habersham (Clark), Georgia, USA
      Spouse Tabitha Whitworth
      Child Abel Echols
      Catherine Echols
      Milly Echols
      Rhoda Echols
      View on Geneanet
      https://gw.geneanet.org/allenw40?n=echols&oc=&p=darius+jasper
      https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/6916050980:62476?ssrc=pt&tid=195389387&pid=332553421457

    3. [S250] Ancestry.com, 1800 United States Federal Census, (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.Original data - Second Census of the United States, 1800. (NARA microfilm publication M32, 52 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Grou), Year: 1800; Census Place: Pendleton District, South Carolina; Series: M32; Roll: 50; Page: 149; Image: 296; Family History Library Film: 181425 (Reliability: 3).
      Name Davison Echols [Darius Echols]
      Home in 1800 (City, County, State) Pendleton District, South Carolina
      Free White Persons - Males - 16 thru 25 1
      Free White Persons - Females - Under 10 1
      Free White Persons - Females - 16 thru 25 1
      Number of Household Members Under 16 1
      Number of Household Members 3
      https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/507156:7590?ssrc=pt&tid=195389387&pid=332553421457

    4. [S146] Jackson, Ron V., Accelerated Indexing Systems, comp., Georgia, U.S., Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1790-1890, (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 1999.Original data - Compiled and digitized by Mr. Jackson and AIS from microfilmed schedules of the U.S. Federal Decennial Census, territorial/state censuses, and/or census substitutes.Orig) (Reliability: 3).
      Name Darius Echols
      Residence Date 1818
      Residence Place Tax List 1818, Franklin, Georgia, USA
      Record Type Tax List
      Page 029
      Database GA 1792-1819 Tax Lists Index
      https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/3493538:3542?ssrc=pt&tid=195389387&pid=332553421457

    5. [S894] Ancestry.com, Georgia, U.S., Property Tax Digests, 1793-1892, (Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.), Georgia Archives; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Tax Digests 1890 (Reliability: 3).
      Name Darivs Eckols [Darius Echols]
      Residence Date 1818
      Residence Place Franklin, Georgia, USA
      District Captain Morris
      https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/4771723:1729?ssrc=pt&tid=187268784&pid=242541353902

    6. [S252] Ancestry.com, 1830 United States Federal Census, (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.), Year: 1830; Census Place: Habersham, Georgia; Series: M19; Roll: 18; Page: 34; Family History Library Film: 0007038 (Reliability: 3).
      Name Davis Achols [Darius Echols]
      Home in 1830 (City, County, State) Habersham, Georgia
      Free White Persons - Males - Under 5 1
      Free White Persons - Males - 5 thru 9 1
      Free White Persons - Males - 10 thru 14 1
      Free White Persons - Males - 15 thru 19 1
      Free White Persons - Males - 50 thru 59 1
      Free White Persons - Females - 5 thru 9 1
      Free White Persons - Females - 15 thru 19 1
      Free White Persons - Females - 40 thru 49 1
      Free White Persons - Under 20 6
      Free White Persons - 20 thru 49 1
      Total Free White Persons 8
      Total - All Persons (Free White, Slaves, Free Colored) 8
      https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/1838630:8058?ssrc=pt&tid=195389387&pid=332553421457

    7. [S245] Ancestry.com, 1840 United States Federal Census, (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.), Year: 1840; Census Place: Longs District, Habersham, Georgia; Roll: 42; Page: 142; Family History Library Film: 0007044 (Reliability: 3).
      Name Darias Echols [Darius Jasper Echols]
      Home in 1840 (City, County, State) Longs District, Habersham, Georgia
      Free White Persons - Males - 10 thru 14 1
      Free White Persons - Males - 15 thru 19 1
      Free White Persons - Males - 60 thru 69 1
      Free White Persons - Females - 50 thru 59 1
      Persons Employed in Agriculture 3
      No. White Persons over 20 Who Cannot Read and Write 1
      Free White Persons - Under 20 2
      Total Free White Persons 4
      Total All Persons - Free White, Free Colored, Slaves 4
      https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/1749321:8057?ssrc=pt&tid=195389387&pid=332553421457

    8. [S227] Ancestry.com, 1850 United States Federal Census, (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009.), The National Archives in Washington D.C.; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M432; Residence Date: 1850; Home in 1850: District 14, Habersham, Georgia; Roll: 72; Page: 299b (Reliability: 3).
      Name Darions Echols [Darius Echols]
      Gender Male
      Race White
      Age 71
      Birth Year abt 1779
      Birthplace Virginia
      Home in 1850 District 14, Habersham, Georgia, USA
      Household Members (Name) Age
      Darions Echols 71
      S Echols 69
      E C Echols 22
      https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/18704329:8054?ssrc=pt&tid=195389387&pid=332553421457

    9. [S31] Ancestry.com, 1860 United States Federal Census, (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.), The National Archives in Washington D.C.; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M653; Residence Date: 1860; Home in 1860: Habersham, Georgia; Roll: M653_125; Page: 921; Family History Library Film: 80312 (Reliability: 3).
      Name Daria Echols [Darius Echols]
      Age 80
      Birth Year abt 1780
      Gender Male
      Race White
      Birth Place Virginia
      Home in 1860 Habersham, Georgia
      Post Office Clarksville
      Household Members (Name) Age
      Daria Echols 80
      Hannah Thomas 55
      Newton C Thomas 22
      Thomas B Thomas 18
      https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/11213716:7667?ssrc=pt&tid=195389387&pid=332553421457

    10. [S1160] Ancesrty.com, Georgia, U.S., Marriage Records From Select Counties, 1828-1978, (Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.), Georgia Archives; Morrow, Georgia; County Marriage Records, 1828–1978 (Reliability: 3).
      Name Darius Echols
      Gender Male
      Marriage Date 15 Jan 1863
      Marriage Place Habersham, Georgia, USA
      Spouse Hannah Thomas
      https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/897302:4766?ssrc=pt&tid=195389387&pid=332553421457


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