I must admit, I form opinions on folks I research. That said, William Trahern is among the list of folks I just don't like very much. Information from Charles Brashears shows that when James Trahern couldn't or wouldn't assist in Zadoc Brashear's daughter's case in Spanish Court, William Trahern stepped forward and said he had studied law in Virginia. Thus we know that at least by 1818 he was a resident in Mississippi.
His son, William Eustace Trahern wrote an autobiography, and years ago, I was very generously sent a copy by a descendant. In the work, he mentions his father was present at the fire in Richmond in 1810. So we know that William was not in Mississippi as early as his brothers. In 1826 an Ann Trahern signs with William on his bond as executor of Wesley's estate. This is probably a wife. I also found in the estate records of Alexander Hamilton, son of Molly McDonald, that he was an executor of that state.
Thus when he was nominated as the person in charge of allocating Choctaw orphan lands by the United States government, he has already shown he was familiar with some of the Choctaws, largely through his brother's and their wives. It does appear he has his nephews in his home, as mentioned in the information on James N. Trahern's blog, in 1830, but the location of his nieces is a mystery. By 1831, he has shipped his nephews back to the Choctaw Academy, and joins with the brother of Joseph R. Plummer in a land company along with several others.
Testimonies on the activities of this company are in the American State Papers volume 7. It not only mentions he was a member, but that the company had specifically received the land of Wesley's orphaned children and of Peggy. Though he is shown to be a large land owner, William's land actually in right, was the property of Wesley's children, as executor he just kind of "took it over" and never gave it back. He also was the sole beneficiary of James Trahern's estate, though I suspect, in good faith, James may have expected, or gotten a verbal agreement from William that he would care for his sons by Peggy, James and Jerry. It does not appear however, that William ever did take care of his nieces and nephews, but instead profited off of them.
While he may have discharged his duties to other orphans well, he was not a good business man. By his death in 1839, he was about 40,000 dollars in debt according to his son. When he died, the plantation, and it's crops were seized by creditors. His wife was forced to stay with a relative and she tried unsuccessfully to get the crops back to sale. Their isn't that much more in his estate records unfortunately.
In 1834 in Hinds County, we find William marrying Lucy Lee. I suspect this is the Lucy Lee that is connected to the Brocus family. She must die though because in 1835 he marries Maria B Trahern, the daughter of Jesse Trahern of Loudon County, VA (he had moved to Natchez).
William and Mariah had two sons, William Eustace Trahern and James Trahern. After William's death in 1839, Mariah eventually moves to Little Rock, Arkansas where she remarried. William Eustace Trahern returned home to see his Aunt and enlisted in the Civil War. After the Civil War he moved to Virginia, where eventually his brother joined him. I have found notices of an art exhibit of William Eustace Trahern, which along with his autobiography gives us a pretty good idea of his life.
Descendants of William Trahern
Generation 1
1. WILLIAM1 TRAHERN was born between 1770-1780 in Pittsylvania Co. VA. He died in Mar 1839 in Hinds County, MS. He married (1) MARIAH B. TRAHERN in 1835 in Madison, MS. She was born about 1820 in VA or MS. She died after 1870 in Virginia. He married (2) LUCY LEE in 1834 in Hinds Co, MS. She was born about 1800. She died date Unknown. He married ANN. She was born about 1795 in Virginia. She died between 1827-1829 in Hinds County, Mississippi.
More About William Trahern:
Residence: 1810 in Meherrin, Brunswick, Virginia, United States Residence: 1824 in Hinds County, MS
Residence: 1830 in Hinds, Mississippi, United States Sex: Male
Residence: United States
More About Mariah B. Trahern: Sex: Female
William Trahern and Mariah B. Trahern had the following children:
i. JAMES A.2 TRAHERN (son of William Trahern and Mariah B. Trahern) was born in 1836 in Hinds Co., MS. He died in 1878 in Henrico County, VA.
More About James A. Trahern: Sex: Male
2. ii. WILLIAM EUSTACE TRAHERN (son of William Trahern and Mariah B. Trahern) was born in 1838 in Hinds Co., MS. He died in 1927 in Virginia. He married Alice Virginia Cunningham in 1869 in Henrico County, VA. She was born in 1845. She died in 1917 in Virginia.
More About Lucy Lee:
Sex: Female
More About Ann:
Sex: Female
Generation 2
2. WILLIAM EUSTACE2 TRAHERN (William1) was born in 1838 in Hinds Co., MS. He died in 1927 in Virginia. He married Alice Virginia Cunningham in 1869 in Henrico County, VA. She was born in 1845. She died in 1917 in Virginia.
More About William Eustace Trahern: Sex: Male
More About Alice Virginia Cunningham: Sex: Female
William Eustace Trahern and Alice Virginia Cunningham had the following children:
i. LILY ARLINE3 TRAHERN (daughter of William Eustace Trahern and Alice Virginia Cunningham) was born in 1874 in Henrico County, VA. She died in 1966. She married Charles Bennett Hann about 1900. He was born in 1875. He died in 1960.
More About Lily Arline Trahern: Sex: Female
Generation 2 (con't)
ii. ALICE VIRGINIA TRAHERN (daughter of William Eustace Trahern and Alice Virginia Cunningham) was born in 1872 in Henrico County, VA. She died in 1932 in Virginia. She married James Ellsworth Cook in 1895 in Virginia?. He was born in 1868. He died in 1941 in Virginia.
More About Alice Virginia Trahern: Sex: Female
iii. WILLIAM THOMAS TRAHERN (son of William Eustace Trahern and Alice Virginia Cunningham) was born in 1871. He died in 1871 in Henrico County, VA.
More About William Thomas Trahern: Sex: Male
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