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BIOGRAPHY For the family of Pinckney Hufstedler & Louisa Jane Randel
[Note: The basis for my research of this family started with the book "Hufstedler Family and Allied Families, (believed to be descendants of Michael Hochstaedter of the ship Harle 1736) by Lena Jo Glaser (Mrs. Alfred W. Glaser). Printed by Xerox Reproduction Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1974.]
PINCKNEY HUFSTEDLER was born on 01 July 1817 in Anderson County, Tennessee, son of Jacob Hufstedler and Alcey Moore. In Glaser's book, she states that Pinckney was born on 01 July 1814. There are no birth, marriage or death records that I have been able to find for him to corroborate this date. However, I did find him listed on 4 federal censuses from 1850 - 1880 and all of them indicated a birth year of 1817/1818. Also, Pinckney's father Jacob, served in the war of 1812 from 1813-1814 and there was an older sister Elizabeth who was born first after his return from the war. Therefore, I have recorded his birth date as 01 July 1817.
To me, in 2004, Pinckney seems to be a very unusual name. As far as I can tell, he was the first one in the family with this name. He apparently went by the name of "Pink". A search of the 1850 federal census for the state of Tennessee shows at least 47 other men by the name of Pinckney. Due to misspellings on the index, I am quite sure that this number is much higher. So Pinckney must have been at least somewhat of a common name for the parents to have picked that name out when naming their son. I have found no documentation that shows exactly how he spelled his name. I have seen it spelled "Pinckney" and "Pinkney". I have also seen the last name spelled "Hufstedler" and "Huffstedler". Until some probate, land or estate records are located that he might have been a party to, (and therefore his signature would be on this documents), I have spelled his name as "Pinckney Hufstedler" going by the spelling in Glaser's book.
LOUISA JANE RANDEL was born on 30 August 1831 in Perry County, Tennessee. She was the daughter of Nathaniel Moses Randel and Malinda Mahala Markham.
I have not yet found Jacob & Alcey Hufstedler or Nathaniel & Malinda Randel on the 1840 federal census. So I am unsure at this time where they were living when their children, Pinckney and Louisa met or how they met. I can only assume that sometime before 1847, both the parents moved into the same area (probably Perry County), the children met and then got married. Pinckney and Louisa were married on 05 September 1847 in Perry County, Tennessee. At the time they were married, Pinckney was 30 years old and Louisa was 16. I find it very interesting that there was such an age difference between them. Perhaps Pinckney was waiting for the right girl to come along, or perhaps he hit 30 and realized that he wouldn't be much of a "catch" if he waited too much longer to get married.
The first record I have of them after their marriage is the 1850 federal census. They are listed as living in Perry County, Tennessee. Pinckney is listed as a farmer with real estate valued at $800 (which is in the same range as his neighbors). In 1860, they are listed as living in Perry County, Tennessee with their post office listed as the town of Linden. Pinckney's occupation is a farmer with real estate of $2000 and personal property of $1500 (these values seem to be in the same range as their neighbors). In 1870, they are living in Perry County, Tennesse with their post office listed as the town of Linden. Pinckney's occupation is listed as a farmer with real estate of $9000 and personal property of $2000. These values seem to be substantially higher than his neighbors. One possibility for this is that Pinckney's father, Jacob, died in 1860, so perhaps he received an inheritance and therefore had more land and personal property in 1870. They are found again in the 1880 federal census, living in District 6, Perry County, Tennessee. His occupation is listed as a farmer.
There is an intersting story in Glaser's book about a coin that was used a teething ring when Pinckney & Louisa's children were babies. It was a silver half-dollar and dated 1812. There was a hole in the center that was for a string and then the coin could be hung on the back of the high chair or worn around the neck, where it was readily available to use. The coin was passed on to their son, James Henry Hufstedler, who let his children use it. Then the coin was passed on to James' daughter, Minnie J. Hufstedler Warren. She used it for her 2 oldest children and then it was lost about 1907.
There was a flood in Perry County, Tennessee in 1972 and Minnie J. Hufstedler Warren's daughter, Videlle, found the coin again. (Videlle owned the farm that Pinckney had owned those many years ago). It was found in the edge of the high water and was shining. The field had been cultivated through all those years. The coin was really thin and the hole was worn in a long-like shape, rather than round. Videlle told her mother Minnie about finding the coin, and Minnie, at age 95 in 1972, related the story of the lost coin.
Pinckney died on 03 March 1895 in Perry County, Tennessee. Ella Hufstedler Anderson (Pinckney's granddaughter) said in 1965 that Pink had left strict instructions for his funeral. He was to be carried to his grave in his farm wagon drawn by his white oxen, and not by any "mules"! He had driven everywhere with his oxen and his granddaughter Anne Hufstedler Cotham told of riding with him when she was a child. Pinckney also requested that his daughter, Josephine, who had a good singing voice, to sing at his funeral. She sang "How Firm a Foundation".
Pinckney was buried in the Hufstedler Cemetery. On his property, there was an open burying ground. Sometime between 1887 and 1895, Pinckney surrounded the graves by a cut limestone wall of double-wall thickness, laid without mortar and topped by a course of stones laid in a diagonal fashion. Then he built a large wooden gravehouse over the stones. The structure is square, 26'3" in dimension and the gravehouse itself is 10'4" in height. This is known as "The Hufstedler Gravehouse" and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In 1910, Louisa is found in the federal census living with her son, J.H. They are found in the city of Jackson, District 3, Perry County, Tennessee. In 1920, Louisa is living with her son Jim H. and they are found in the 3rd civil district, Perry County, Tennessee.
Louisa died on 26 December 1923 at age 92, presumably at her son's home. (The death certificate only indicates the place of death as Linden, 3rd civil district, Perry County, Tennessee). The cause of death is listed as "caused by a fall breaking her hip due to old age". It is my understanding that many old women die this way - they break their hip and it dislodges a blood clot which goes to their brain and they die. She was buried in the Hufstedler Cemetery with her husband. Louisa's granddaughter, Willie Kyle Hufstedler Largent in 1972 said that "at the death of Louisa Jane in 1923 the spaces were full and she was buried as though standing."
They had eight children, six of whom lived to adulthood. All were born in Perry County, near the town of Linden, Tennessee.
Copyright 2004
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