The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1944-12-15
BY Cyril (. Cain
No. 8
Who's Who Among The Settlers

. "a <hAAS
On the lists of voters and SOL
diers given so aar, there has been
o parade Of names well known
in Jackson and George counties
today but their relationships or
kinships ray have been obscured
BY the passing of one hundred
and thirty Gears. This article and
he next one will be devoted TO
an attempt to trace these names
down to the present. 1t is known
that many of these families have
clan organizations which meet at
regular intervals but many do
not. 1t has developed in CONVEX
sations that the writer has some
information which these families
do not, ana at the same time they
nave much that he does not. THESE
organizations are TO Try to get
ali information together before
the history o. these two countles
goes to press.
In these researches it has been
found that the spelling OF names
varies from list to list and that in
some cases confusion has been
CAUSED. - deliberate conclusion
is t1at these variations should not
be taken too seriously and that
they can be accounted for in one
Of several ways. The first and
simplest explanation is that these
early settlers could not read and
write and therefore were not sure
OF the spelling of their own
names. This solution is too easy,
since ii is known that illiteracy
did not exist to the extent that
misspelling occurred. The next
isolution offered is that the scribes,
assessors, clerks, etc, considered
il a part of their jobs to do their
own spelling and for them to ask
too many questions might be an
intimation that they themselves
were illiterate. A third explana-
ton seems more plausible and is
given here for what it is worth.
Many men who could not read
and write guarded their secret
jealousy and they considered any
questions as to the spelling of a
name as a reflection on the in
tegrity of its owner. For the
scribes, therefore, it became a
practice to go ahead with their
own spelling without asking any
questions.
Names Form Old Lists
The names discussed in this
and the article for next week are
taken from two lists, the voting
list of 1918 and the soldier list
for the War of 1912. Many names
on these lists are not taken up
and will not be till more infor-
nation is available. The readers
of these discussions are asked and
urged to contribute what they
know.
John Jacob Abner. Had a land
entry on the Alabama river as
early as 1898. Probably came with
the influx of settlers after the
West FLORIDA rebellion; had land
claim in George county; was step
father of Henry FURRY, the foun-
der of the FURRY clan that has
contributed so many officers to
Jackson and George counties.
Thomas. James. and w. r. Bilbo,
Thomas Bilbo was a surveyor and
politician; held county offices, and
militia offices; was member oil
legislature several times and in
the constitutional convention OF
1877; moved to Calcasieu parish
in Louisiana without leaving any
descendants. James and w. r.
stayed in the county and are the
ancestors of the Bilbos who have
held county offices, with one OF
two exceptions.
John Cumbest. Held land in the
Moss Point area and with a rela-
tive, Simon, took an active part
in county politics. Cumbest Bluff
evidently takes its name from
this family; genealogies of the
Cumbests yet to be secured.
Walter Davis. Lived above Ce-
dar Creek; was member of the
legislature in 1919 and again in
1922; held other county offices
but disappears from the rolls af-
ter the 1920 censu What have
you on this man who was MEM
Der of the legislature twice?