I created this memorial for Ellen to connect her to her daughter Malinda "Maly" Molly Tipton whom I mistakenly connected to a family member. She was the wrong Mollie Tipton.

This memorial is based on various family trees Ancestry.com & genealogy.com & primarily from the extensive work done on this family by David Reynolds:

Ellen was born a slave. Her Maiden names comes from her owner & Master, General William Austin. She married Church Tipton 15 April 1862 in General Austins home. She was married during slavery times by Washington Darwin - a preacher - no marriage license.


Her death certificate (difficult to read) states that her biological father's name was Cornelius Foster.
She is rumored to be half white & half African.
She died in Hamilton County, Tennessee, Churchville Community (Black area, no longer exist), Chattanooga Tennessee. She was probably buried on her farm at Little Coon Creek in Fackler Alabama.

Name:
Ellen Tipton
Birth Date:
abt 1845
Birth Place:
Alabama
Age:
75
Death Date:
23 Nov 1920
Death Place:
Churchville, Hamilton, Tennessee
Burial Date:
Nov 1920
Burial Place:
Fackler, Ala
Gender:
Female
Race:
Colored (Black)
Marital Status:
Widowed
Street address:
402 Pike St
Occupation:
House Work
Father's Name:
Cornelius Foster
Father's Birth Place:
Virginia
FHL Film Number:
1299717
******************************************
She & Church had 10 children, 9 of which lived to adulthood. One died in infancy. Another four of the children had died by 1909 according to the pension paperwork.

1. Manerva J. Tipton
Birth june 21 1863 in Alabama
Death
2. Malinda "Maly" Tipton
Birth 1865 in Alabama
3. Elizabeth Tipton
Birth abt 1867 in Alabama
Death
4. Martha C "Mattie" Tipton
Birth 1869 in Alabama
Death
5. Cora Tipton
Birth 1872 in Alabama
Death
6. Sarah Elizabeth Tipton
Birth 11 Jan 1875 in , Jackson, Alabama
7. Sam William Tipton
Birth 23 Apr 1878 in , Jackson, Alabama
Death
8. James Lowery Tipton
Birth Jul 21 1883 in Alabama
Death
9. Naomi Tipton
Birth Dec 11 1886 in Alabama
Death
*********************************************
CHURCH TIPTON
United States Census, 1880
Name: Church Tipton
Event Type: Census
Event Year: 1880
Event Place: Beat 6, Jackson, Alabama, United States
Gender: Male
Age: 40
Marital Status: Married
Race: Mulatto
Race (Original): MU
Occupation: Engineer
Relationship to Head of Household: Self
Relationship to Head of Household (Original): Self
Birth Year (Estimated): 1840
Birthplace: Alabama, United States
Father's Birthplace: Alabama, United States
Mother's Birthplace: Alabama, United States
Affiliate Name: The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
Affiliate Publication Number: T9
Affiliate Film Number: 0016
Household Role Gender Age Birthplace
Church Tipton Self M 40 Alabama, United States
Manerva Tipton Daughter F 17 Alabama, United States
Malinda Tipton Daughter F 15 Alabama, United States
Elizbeth Tipton Daughter F 13 Alabama, United States
Martha Tipton Daughter F 11 Alabama, United States
Cora Tipton Daughter F 8 Alabama, United States
Sarah Tipton Daughter F 4 Alabama, United States
Selah Tipton Aunt F 62 Alabama, United States
Ellen Tipton Wife F 35 Alabama, United States
William Bishop Other M 57 Mississippi, United States
Sam W Tipton Son M 2 Alabama, United States
District: 113 , Sheet Number and Letter: 157C , GS Film Number: 1254016 , Digital Folder Number: 004239777 , Image Number: 00449 ,

*********************************************
Masora E Tipton
United States Census, 1870
Name: Masora E Tipton
Event Type: Census
Event Year: 1870
Event Place: Alabama, United States
Gender: Female
Age: 2
Race: Mulatto
Race (Original): M
Birth Year (Estimated): 1867-1868
Birthplace: Alabama
Page Number: 56
Household Role Gender Age Birthplace
Church Tipton M 30 Alabama
Ellen Tipton F 26 Alabama
Minerva Tipton F 5 Alabama
Malinda Tipton F 3 Alabama
Masora E Tipton F 2 Alabama
Carnelus Tipton F 1 Alabama
Household ID: 405 , Line Number: 9 , Affiliate Name: The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) , Affiliate Publication Number: M593 , GS Film number: 000545519 , Digital Folder Number: 004257573 , Image Number: 00327
****************************************

From: [email protected]
Subject: Church E. Tipton and Ellen Austin Tipton, CW pension file abstract
Date: 18 Jul 2004 19:41:45 -0600


This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list.

Surnames: Tipton, Austin
Classification: Pension

Message Board URL:

http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/GMSBAIB/734

Message Board Post:

Church E. Tipton and Ellen Austin Tipton
Pension File Abstract
Union Army, Civil War
File WC-689752
Abstracted by David F Reynolds, [email protected], 18 July 2004
[Every effort was made to transcribe quoted material exactly as written; material in square brackets added by me. --dfr]
[Much of the file concerns Church's attempts to obtain a disability pension, or increase his pension--­none of the medical details are abstracted. --dfr]

Corporal, Company C, 106th Regiment, US Colored Troops
Enlisted 1 April 1865, discharged 7 November 1865
At time of enlistment:
Age 23 years
Height 6 ft
Complexion mulatto
Eyes blk, Hair blk
Where born Starleston[?] Co, La [Sic; only place La is referenced, can't figure out where/what the county is supposed to be, and La (rather than Ala) is not very credible -- this could be totally bogus. --dfr]
Occupation Farmer

T. E. Callan, M.D., 29 June 1896, with respect to Church's occupation:
"… following his trade (carpenter) …"

J. M. McGuffey, Postmaster, Fackler, Alabama, to Bureau of Pensions with respect to death of Ellen Tipton:
"above named pensioner died Nov 23thd 1920"

Letter from W. B. King, Special Examiner, Birmingham, Alabama, to the Commissioner of Pensions, Washington, D. C., 26 September 1902.
"… referred to the S. E. Division to determine ‘whether claimant is the legal widow of the solider' …"
"This claimant is one of the cleanest neatest negro women I nearly ever saw to be living on a farm. She is honest, reliable and is believed to be virtuous by those who know her best. The evidence herewith is deemed sufficient to show that she and the soldier were married by a ceremony, but without a license, during slavery times and lived together continuously, except the time he was in the army, until he died since which time she has not remarried."

Deposition of Ellen Tipton to Special Examiner W. B. King, 16 September 1909, at claimant's home, Jackson County, Alabama.
"I am about 64 years of age; my post-office address is Fackler, Ala. I farm."
"I am the widow of Church Tipton who was a soldier in the Northern army and a pensioner at the rate of 24 dollars per quarter at the date of his death which occurred on Aug 23rd of last year. I have not remarried. I never was married but once and that was to Church Tipton. He had not been married before he married me. I had been knowing him for about ten or fifteen years before he married me. I had known him ever since I had known any one and I know that he had not been married before he married me. I was his first and only wife. We were never separated except while he was in the army. We were never divorced at any time. We were married by a white man named Mr Durwin. He was a school teacher and was boarding at my masters house. I think he was a preacher too but I don't know that he was. He was teaching school and boarding at Gen Austins at the time he married us there in Gen Austins dining room. Gen Austin was my master and lived on Little Coon creek near !
Stevenson. According to my way of keeping the record it was on April 15th1861 when we were married. All the Austin family who saw us married are now dead."
"My husband was discharged at Bridgeport Ala, I think, but was carried to Nashville to be paid off. He staid there only a few days and came right on back to me and we lived together all the time after that."
" We had ten children – five of whom are living – the youngest is now 21 or 22 – I believe she will be 22 next December." …
/s/ Ellen Tipton

Deposition of Lizzie Mitchell to Special Examiner W. B. King, 16 September 1909, near Stevenson, Jackson County, Alabama.
"Age about 58 years I am the widow of Henry Mitchell. I farm. P.O. address Stevenson, Ala"
"I have been known Ellen Tipton ever since I knew any body. She belonged to Wm Austin and lived on Little Coon about 2 miles from Stevenson a part of the time and with the white folks in Stevenson the balance of the time. Mr. Austin had a farm out on Little Coon but he lived in town and kept a store and Ellen was a house girl most of the time. I belonged to the widow Rash and lived on Little Coon about two miles from the Austin place and about 4 miles from Stevenson."
… "Church Tipton belonged to the widow Tipton and lived on Mud Creek." ... [Widow Tipton would be Elizabeth Tipton, widow of William Tipton. --dfr]
/s/ Lizzie Mitchell, her mark

Pension application of Church Tipton, 3 July 1897.
Age 57, Fackler, Jackson County, Alabama; farmer before enlistment, current occupation mechanic.
"… in the service and the line of duty at or near Greeneville Tenn about the 20 day of Sept 1865 he incurred gravel and piles due to exposure; that he has suffered from same ever since, for which he claims a pension."
/s/ Church Tipton

Affidavit of W L McClendon, M.D., (received by Pension Office 6 Apr 1909).
"There is no verified transcript of public record of the death of Church Tipton; I W.L. McClendon M.D. who attended him in his last illness here-by certify that he died 23 day of Aug. 1908 of Blood poison."
/s/ W.L. McClendon, M.D.

Affidavit of Ellen Tipton, 27 Jan 1909.
"bore him ten children all of whom lived to maturity except one who died in infancy."
/s/ Ellen Tipton

Affidavit of Church Tipton, 3 May 1905.
"I was born the 15 day February 1840 which is shown on the Records of the Family Bible which Bible was in the Family at the time of my birth and which I am in possession of at the present time."
/s/ Church Tipton

Widow's pension application of Ellen Tipton, 15 January 1909.
"That she was married under the name of Ellen Austin to said soldier at Gen William Austin, on 15 day of April 1862 by Rev Darvin; …"
/s/ Ellen Tipton

Questions directed to Church Tipton by Bureau of Pensions, answered by him 1 Oct 1897.
Wife's name and maiden name? "My wife name is Ellen Tipton. her maiden name was Ellen Austin"
When, where and by whom were you married? "April 1862 by Washington Darwin a minister"
What record of marriage exists? "Legalised by state and united by acts of congress & Legislation"
Names and dates of birth of living children?
"Manerva J Tipton born June 21st 1863 Sarah E Tipton Born Jan 11 / 75 William Tipton April 23 / 78 Jammie L. Tipton Born July 21 / 83 Moomie Tipton Born Dec 11 / 86"
/s/ Church Tipton