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BIOGRAPHY For the family of John Calvin Chapman & Arabella Clementine Harrison JOHN CALVIN CHAPMAN was born on 08 Feb 1862 in Madison County, Tennessee, the son of William Washington Chapman and Caroline Todd. ARABELLA CLEMENTINE HARRISON was born on 26 May 1865 in Tennessee. She was the daughter of Joseph and Martha ( --- ? --- ) Harrison. John and Arabella applied for a marriage license on 25 October 1887 in Dyer County, Tennessee. (The marriage return was not completed). Various family members indicate that they were actually married a day later on 26 October 1887. Arabella was called “Belle” on the marriage license and John Calvin was called “JC” on different documents They next show up in the 1891 Tennessee state census. JC is listed as head of household. The family shows up in the 1900 Federal census and John is listed as a farmer. They show up again in the 1910 and 1920 Federal censuses, all living in the 9th civil district, Dyer County, Tennessee Arabella died in childbirth on 07 July 1898, with their fifth child. I can’t imagine how hard it must have been for JC after his wife died. First of all, just being a farmer in the late 1800’s was very hard labor. Secondly, he had 4 children to raise all under the age of 10, the youngest being 3. Also, JC’s father’s house (William Chapman) was 2 houses away and with William, also lived JC’s 2 older brothers and a sister, apparently all unmarried at the time, so undoubtably he had some help there. JC also never remarried, which I have observed is unusual. When a spouse died and left a family of young children, it was very common and probably expected to get remarried, in order to provide properly for the family. They had five children, all presumably born and raised in Dyer County:
JC died in 1932 in Newbern. He and Arabella are both buried in the Atkins Cemetery, in Newbern, Dyer County, Tennessee.
Copyright 2003
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