Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Judge Samuel Newton Elliot And Family

This is the Elliott family plot located at the Bentonville Cemetery in Bentonville, AR.
Father
Samuel N.
Elliott
Born
Dec 22, 1823
Died
Sept 29, 1911

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The following is from Biographical and pictorial history of Arkansas ; pgs 436 - 438.


The following is from History of Benton, Washington, Carroll, Madison, Crawford, Franklin, and Sebastian Counties; pg 832.


Obituaries for Samuel N. Elliott.

Benton County Democrat
Bentonville, AR
September 28, 1911

ELLIOTT, Samuel Newton – Died, at his home in this city Thursday morning, September 28th, 1911, Hon. Samuel N. Elliott, aged eight-seven years, nine months and six days. He was a native of Rutherford county, Tenn. And a graduate from the law department of the Transylvania University of Lexington, Ky. in 1845. In February 1862 he enlisted in Company K, Eighth Regiment, Texas Infantry, of which company he was elected lieutenant, remaining in the service until the close of the war. He was Judge Advocate of court martial at Sabine Pass for three months and surrendered at Pelican Spit in May 1865. Judge Elliott became a resident of Bentonville, Ark in May 1869 where he resumed his law practice. He was Justice of the Peace for several years and in 1876 he was elected County and Probate Judge of Benton county, which office he held for eight years. When elected as County Judge, Benton county was $18,000 in debt and at the end of his second term Judge Elliott had paid the entire debt, leaving the county on a solid financial basis when he retired from office. Judge Elliott was a man of generous impulses – one who united sound sense with strong convictions – candid, outspoken and eminently fitted to mould a higher standard of citizenship. How much this community owes him it would be impossible to estimate but we are certain his influence will long be remembered.

Benton County Democrat
Bentonville, AR
October 5, 1911

Died, Sept. 28, 1911 at his home in Bentonville, Ark., Samuel Newton Elliott, aged eighty-seven years, nine months and six days. Deceased was born near Murfeesboro, Tenn., Dec. 23, 1823. He graduated from the law department of the Transylvania University of Lexington, Ky. in 1845. In 1848 he was married to Jane K. Brackin of Kinsmon, Ohio. To this union were born six children, three sons and three daughters. Three sons and two daughters – long, familiarly and favorably known in this community – are living. One daughter, the oldest, had gone before. In 1862 he enlisted in Company K, eighth Regiment, Texas Infantry, and was elected a lieutenant in that company, continuing in the service until the close of the war. In 1866, after the close of the war, he returned to Shelbyville, Tenn. In 1867 he again returned to Bryan, Texas. In 1869 he, his wife, two sons and two daughters came to Bentonville which, with the exception of something over a year spent in California was his home until he death. In 1876 he was elected county and probate judge of Benton county. He was elected to this office for three consecutive terms – the only man up to that time who had ever been elected for a third time to the same office in Benton county. His administration gave general satisfaction, relieving the county of heavy indebtedness and zealously guarding the interests of widows and orphans who came under the jurisdiction of his courts. He was never affiliated with any church in this country. At one time in his early life he was a member of the Methodist church. Some forty years ago he had doubts as to the immortality of the soul but years ago he renounced that idea and had been a firm believer in immortality and eternal progression. He was not orthodox in his belief. As I understand him he was a Universalist. While he admitted that he was not orthodox in the general acceptation of that term, he was courteous and respectful to those who were orthodox in their faith. Some eight or ten years ago he had his coffin made of plain pine lumber, without painting or varnishing or outward trimmings, and exacted from every member of the family to see that he was buried in that coffin, to be placed in a box of walnut lumber of his own choosing. His request was carefully, tenderly and lovingly complied with. He was devoted to his family and spoke in the highest praise of his beloved children for their devotion to him in his declining years and failing strength; and especially of him who, by reason of his superior financial ability, had done so much for the family, and for his comfort in his last and languishing years. An old landmark of this city – an affectionate husband and father – a good citizen, morally, socially, and politically – an able, honest and respected jurist – a kind and generous neighbor – has gone out from us into the eternal future. And whatever may be our opinion as to his eternal future, of one thing we are assured: That is, all that infinite love and mercy, coupled with infinite justice and righteousness, could do for his well being has been done. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the comfort of the Holy spirit rest upon the bereft and sorrowing loved ones. P. Carnahan.

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The following is from Find a Grave posted by Freda, May 5, 2011.
This was posted on rootsweb message boards by SJurls:

Samuel wrote a possible suicide letter to his children. The letter is in the Taggart Family Bible (in my family) and typed below:

Good by my dear children. 'Twas but the other day your loved mother, seated the little canoe. An Angel hoisted the sail and away and across ____ of ____ the river of life, be courageous ___ the the opposite bend the curving stream and landed her on the shore beneath the the boughts that hung low and she ___, - look! but a mile or so away left his alligning stricken.

I, stricken with fears and disease must soon bid you all adieu, I first ____ little boat mooned. ___ the ___ trees to the shore. ___ by I take a seat the same little boat the angel will hoist the sail and land me where your ___ mother is ___ through the boughs ___ together with my Queen standing by.

The blanks are words I can't figure out for the life of me.
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Mother
Jane Knox
Elliott
Born
Aug 21, 1826
Died
Nov 16, 1904

Obituaries for Jane Elliott.

Benton County Democrat
Bentonville, AR
November 17, 1904

ELLIOTT, Jane K. - Mrs. Jane K. Elliott, wife of Judge S.N. Elliott, died at her home in this city yesterday {Wednesday} November 16, aged 78 years. Mrs. Elliott had been in poor health for several months and her death was not unexpected. Funeral services will be held at the residence this afternoon {Thursday} at 3 o'clock, conducted by Rev. Peter Carnahan and interment will take place in the Odd Fellows cemetery. An obituary will appear in this paper next week.

Benton County Democrat
Bentonville, AR
November 24, 1904

When Mrs. Elliott's spirit departed from its earthly tenement the world lost a noble woman. Coming of Christian parentage her life was an exemplification of the cardinal Christian virtues. Kindly, loving and patient, her example could not but impress all with whom she came in contact and those who met her were better for the meeting. Never a frown or a harsh word; only the expressions of a true and loving wife and mother. After seventy-eight years of right living she left the world richer for having lived in it. Mrs. Elliott was born in Trumbull county, Ohio on August 26, 1826 and resided there until her marriage with Judge Elliott on August 17, 1848. Shortly after this they moved to Texas where they lived until 1869 when they came to Bentonville. They have made this city their home ever since, excepting eight months spent in California. Six children, three sons and three daughters, were born to them. One daughter died in childhood; the others grew to manhood and womanhood and were at their mother's bedside for a month prior to her death. Mrs. Elliott was a life-long member of the Presbyterian church and lived a life that was consistent with her profession. She had a host of friends in Benton county whom mourn her departure but it is on the aged husband, with whom she walked life's pathway for fifty-six years, and the sons and daughters who will miss mother's love and counsel, that the blow falls the hardest.

Brother
C. O. Eillott
Born
Aug 16, 1849
Died
Mar 26, 1912


1 comment:

  1. I'm betting that was "the little boat moored" in Samuel's suicide letter. Wish I could see the handwritten page, I bet I could figure some out for you.

    ReplyDelete