Mayfield Family Genealogy

Southerland⁶ Mayfield (Micajah⁵, James⁴, Isaac³, Robert², Robert¹) was born about 1785 in Jefferson County VA and died on 31 August 1862 in Daviess County KY. He married Amelia Storey on 30 November 1824 in Mercer Township, Ontario, Canada. She was born about 1808 in Ontario, Canada, and died after 1880 in Kentucky.

Notes for Southerland Mayfield

SOURCES OF GENEALOGICAL INFORMATION

I don't know very much about this Southerland Mayfield (ca. 1785-1862), but what I do know is primarily derived from four sources:

1. Jean Jorgensen, a descendant of James Mayfield (d. 1780), graciously provided me with a copy of the surviving papers from a lawsuit brought in the Jefferson County KY, Court of Chancery by a certain Israel Mayfield. The lawsuit is of genealogical importance in that it provides primary evidence that Southerland Mayfield and his brother, Micajah Mayfield, Jr. (AKA Catesby Mayfield), both of Jefferson County KY, were the sons of Micajah Mayfield, Sr. (1748-1838). The Kentucky State Archives reference for this lawsuit is Jefferson County, Case Number 172, Year 1808.

2. Southerland served during the War of 1812 in the 17th United States Infantry. On 18 May 1878, his widow, Amelia, applied for a pension based on his service. Fortunately, the Pension File (WC-22380) provides a reasonable amount of genealogical information.

3. The Federal Census returns for Shelby County KY for the years 1840, 1850 and 1860 provide some information concerning Southerland's seven known children. Also, the 1840 Census indicates that he was then receiving a military pension.

4. Strangely, Southerland's name does not appear in the tax records of either Jefferson or Shelby Counties during the entire 1789-1839 time frame. However, for the 1840-1852 time frame, his name does appear three times; all appearances occur in Shelby County for the years 1840, 1843 and 1845.

CHRONOLOGY

Based on information contained in the documents described above, particularly the War of 1812 Pension Application File, a brief chronology of Southerland Mayfield's life can be reconstructed as follows:

1785: Southerland Mayfield is born in Jefferson County, Kentucky. He was the son of Micajah Mayfield (1748-1838) and his wife, Ann.

July 1808: Southerland and his brother, Micajah Mayfield, Jr., apparently seek to defraud a certain Israel Mayfield with respect to some land located near Mayfield's Station in Williamson County, Tennessee.

October 1808: Israel Mayfield brings suit in Jefferson County KY against both the Mayfield brothers as well as their father, Micajah Mayfield, Sr. Outcome of this lawsuit is unknown.

17 July 1812: Southerland Mayfield enlists in the 17th U.S. Infantry at Louisville, Kentucky for a term of 18 months.

22 January 1813: At the battle commonly known as the "River Raisin Massacre," that took place up in Canada, Southerland is taken prisoner by the British. He was subsequently paroled by the British and remained on parole for the remainder of his 18 month enlistment. Although not explicitly stated, Southerland seems to have been wounded and permanently disabled either during the battle or while being held as a prisoner.  He subsequently received a military invalid pension from the United States Government that continued until his death in 1862 (see Old War Invalid Pension File No. 25646).

1813 - 1831: Southerland seems to have remained in Canada West (now in the Province of Ontario) until he removed to the State of Michigan in about 1831.

30 November 1824: Southerland marries Amelia Storey, a Canadian lady, in Mercer Township, Canada West. At the time, she was in her 16th year and he was 24 years older than his bride.

1831: Southerland and Amelia remove to the State of Michigan where they remained for about two years.

1833 or 1834: Southerland and Amelia remove to Shelby County KY where they continue to reside until 1861.

1861: Southerland Mayfield and his family remove to Daviess County KY.

31 August 1862: Southerland Mayfield dies.

18 May 1878: Southerland's widow, Amelia, applies for a Federal Pension pursuant to the Service Pension Act of 9 March 1878.

CHILDREN OF SOUTHERLAND AND AMELIA MAYFIELD

Information concerning the children of Southerland and Amelia Mayfield have been obtained from the Shelby County KY marriage records and from the Shelby County Federal Census Reports for 1850 and 1860.

Southerland is briefly mentioned in a biographical sketch of one of his sons, Catesby J. Mayfield, which appeared in the Indiana Goodspeed History as follows:

"Catesby J. Mayfield was born January 7, 1837, in Shelby County, Ky., and is a son of Southerland and Amelia Mayfield, the former a native of Kentucky, the latter of Ontario, Canada. They made Kentucky their home, and in that State the father died in August, 1862. The mother still resides with a daughter in Kentucky." [See Goodspeed’s History of Pike and Dubois Counties, Indiana (published 1885), page 728.]

Sworn Statements taken from the pension Application file of Amelia Mayfield

Three sworn statements, obtained from documents contained in the Pension Application File (WC-22380) of Amelia Mayfield, are presented below.

1.  Declaration of Southerland Mayfield to Obtain Bounty Land, Dated 12 April 1857:

"State of Kentucky, County of Shelby:

"On this 12th day of April 1857, personally appeared before me a Justice of the Peace in and for the County and State aforesaid, Southerland Mayfield aged 70 years, a resident of County and State aforesaid, who being duly sworn according to law, declares that he is the identical Southerland Mayfield who was a Private in the Company commanded by Captain Robert Edwards in the 17th Regiment commanded by Colonel Samuel Wells, in the War with Great Britain declared by Congress on the 18th day of June 1812.  That he enlisted at Louisville Ky. about the seventeenth day of July 1812 for the term of 18 months and continued in actual service in said war for the term of 7 months.  He received no discharge, being taken prisoner and was paroled and remained on parole until his term of enlistment expired.

"He makes this declaration for the purpose of obtaining bounty land to which he may be entitled under the Act of Congress approved March 3rd 1855.  He also declares he has not received a warrant for bounty land under this or any other act of Congress or made any other application therefore.

"He hereby appoints Alexander Wills his true and lawful attorney to prosecute this his claim for land to receive the Certificate or Warrant when issued and do all other acts necessary in the premises.

"/S/ Southerland Mayfield (His Mark)"

2.  Statement of James F. Mayfield (son of Southerland Mayfield), dated 3 March 1879:

"State of Kentucky, Hancock County

"In the case of Amelia Mayfield for a pension under the Act of Congress of May 9th 1878:

"On this 3rd day of March 1879 personally appeared before me, George A. McGill, deputy clerk for R. C. Duncan, Clerk of the Hancock County Court, the same being a court of record within and for the county and state aforesaid, one James F. Mayfield, after being duly sworn saith: 

"That he is now 38 years of age, that as far back as he can recollect that he was the son of Southern Mayfield & Amelia Mayfield.  That in 1840 he was born in Shelby County Ky. and in 1861 he came to Daviess County & in 1861 his Father & Mother & the balance of the family, their being in all seven children, removed to Daviess County & in 1861 in August his Father Southerland Mayfield died at his daughter's in said county.  From my first recollection up to the time of my Father's death, him and my Mother, Amelia Mayfield, lived together as man and wife & with their family as such.  As far back as I can recollect my Father was a Pensioner of the War of 1812 & knew of his drawing a pension as such from my infancy to the time of his death.  My Mother Amelia, the applicant, has never remarried, is still a widow & I have no other interest in her pension other than she is my Mother.

"/S/  James F. Mayfield"

3.  Excerpt from the Statement of Amelia Mayfield (Widow of Southerland Mayfield), dated 3 March 1879:

" ... Also the affidavit of the applicant Mrs. Amelia Mayfield before the undersigned Deputy Clerk for R. C. Duncan, Clerk of the Hancock County Court for the County of Hancock & State of Kentucky, being first duly sworn, saith that she is the applicant for a pension under the Act of Congress of May 9th 1878.  She says she was married to Southerland Mayfield on the 30th November 1824 in Mercer Township in Canada West [now Ontario] in my 16th year.  My said husband was 24 years older than I was -- he was never previously married.  When we moved from Canada West, we moved to the State of Michigan & lived there 2 years & then moved to Shelby County Ky. about in the year 1833 or 1834 & through the year 1861.  My husband moved his family to Daviess County Ky. where he died in 1862 August 31st. ... "

Based on the above, the children of Southerland and Amelia Mayfield are: