B.J. Quillin's wife, Polly Sprowls

Polly Sprowls Remains A Dead End For Me

 I've been fortunate with my research to not have many dead ends. But the Sprowls line is one of them. I believe her name was Mary "Polly" Ann Sprowls sp? and that she was most likely born in Bristol, Sullivan County Tennessee.  The only thing that I can go on is that B.M. Quillin, "Buster", always said that Polly's mother was Millie Wright. And that she moved to Texas once Polly settled here. I have searched high and low to connect Polly with a Millie Wright. This would make her maiden name, Wright. I have found a Millie Wright in Fort Worth but can't make the connection hold. 

I have a copy of Polly's death certificate, and it was signed by Mrs. Tom Bagby, which would be her daughter, Cathleen "Corintha" Melvina Quillin. Though death certificates are legal documents and hold much weight, I find that sometimes the informant truly does not know the background information. 

The name on the death certificate is Mrs. Polly Ann Quillin. Her father's name and birthplace are listed as "don't know". Her mother's name is listed as Millie Wright, born in Tennessee.  

A Social Security application for Millie's son is as follows. I do know that there were couple of Sprowls families lived in Seymour but I have not been able to contact them. James Matthew Sprowls was one of them. 

Name	Millie Wright
Gender	Female
Spouse	William D Sprowls
Child	James Mathewmoore Sprowls

It feels as though William D Sprowls may be connected with a Solomon or a Susannah. Sprowls has many spelling variations, and this line has just been impossible for me to connect to the past generations. 

Providing Proof of My Quillin Roots

 

Beverly Johnson Quillin

            Born: 18 FEB 1853  Gate City, Scott County, Virginia

            Died: 16 DEC 1936  Seymour, Baylor County, Texas

            Son of  Ira D. Quillin (1831-1962) and Edna Vineyard (1832 - 1900)

             Married Polly Ann Sprowls (1865 - 1938)

            The Sprowls are a 'brick wall' for me.  I cannot  positively identify her parents after all        these years.  This is only one of a few lines where there are NO leads for me. However,         she is listed as Polly Ann Sprowls on all the information that I have.  There is no doubt      that she was a Sprowls, but I may have the spelling wrong.  A key to not finding her is the        fact that her father abandoned the family early on. Buster could only recall that her             mother was Millie Wright.

 

**IMPORTANT NOTE** My main source for B.J. Quillin was B.M."Buster" Quillin.  I had known him all my life...such a dear sweet man.  He was raised by his grandfather, Beverly Johnson Quillin, and given the Quillin name by BJ. Most people identify him as a son, but his mother is B.J.'s daughter Cathleen Melvina.  She had two children out of wedlock and they never knew their father.

Children of Beverly Johnson Quillin and Polly Ann Sprowls

            Margaret "Maggie" Edna Quillin

                        b:  24 MAR 1885 • Fannin County, Texas                                  

                        d:  28 SEP 1978 • Los Angeles, California

                        m: 24 Dec 1901 • Fannin County, Texas

                              Joel Abel Moses (1877-1949)

            Cathleen Melvina Quillin

                        b:  3 OCT 1889 • Leonard, Fannin Co, Texas

                        d:  20 NOV 1987 • Seymour, Baylor Co, Texas

                        (had two children out of wedlock)

                        m: 1 Jan 1923 • Seymour, Baylor Co, Texas

                              Thomas Bagby (1871-1940)

            Horace Cleveland Quillin

                        b:  15 OCT 1892 • Leonard, Fannin Co, Texas

                        d:  24 JUN 1967 • Seymour, Baylor Co, Texas

                        m:  20 March 1915 • Seymour, Baylor Co, Texas

                               Cora Frances Edison (1892-1967)

            Paul Bryan Quillin   MY GRANDFATHER

                        b: 10 MAR 1897 • Leonard, Fannin Co, Texas

                        d: 6 APRIL 1957 • McKinney, Collin Co, Texas (died in the VA Hospital)

                                    buried in Seymour, Baylor Co, Texas

                        m1: 12 April 1919 • Seymour, Baylor County, Texas

                           Merphia Ewing (1901-1985)  MY GRANDMOTHER

                                    Merphia was the mother of Paul Bryan's children

                        m2:  abt 1950

                             Johnie Moye Nickerson

            Opal Beatrice Quillin

                        b:  20 DEC 1903 • Leonard, Fannin Co, Texas

                        d:  26 JUNE 1995 • Wichita Falls, Archer Co, Texas

                        m: 1944 • Seymour, Baylor Co, Texas

                             James Robert Balch  (1885-1959)

 

 

1860 Census  Page #1

Name	Beverly J Quillin
Age	7
Birth Year	abt 1853
Gender	Male
Birth Place	Virginia
Home in 1860	Scott, Virginia
Post Office	Estillville
Family Number	2
Household Members	Name Age Ira D Quillin 28 Edna C Quillin 29 Hanah M Quillin 10 Polly S Quillin 9 Beverly J Quillin 7 Cicero C Quillin 5 Presley P Quillin 4/12 Oliver McNutt 14

These images are available on Ancestry.

1870 Census  -  Age 17   Page #29   

B.J.'s father Ira D. has died and he is living with his mother.  The Henry at the bottom bothers me, as I was told that Ira D. died of a fever in the Civil War.  More on this later.

Name	Beverly J Quillin
Age in 1870	17
Birth Year	abt 1853
Birthplace	Virginia
Home in 1870	Fulkerson, Scott, Virginia
Race	White
Gender	Male
Post Office	Fulkerson
Household Members	Name Age Edney Quillin 39 Polly A Quillin 19 Beverly J Quillin 17 Cicero C Quillin 14 Patton Quillin 10 Ira D Quillin 7 Henry Quillin 2

 

1900 Census  --  Age 47   ---  Sheet #4

Name	Beverly Guillin
Age	47
Birth Date	Feb 1853
Birthplace	Virginia
Home in 1900	Leonard, Fannin, Texas
Race	White
Gender	Male
Relation to Head of House	Head
Marital Status	Married
Spouse's Name	Polly A Guillin
Marriage Year	1884
Years Married	16
Father's Birthplace	Virginia
Mother's Birthplace	Virginia
Household Members	Name Age Beverly Guillin 47 Polly A Guillin 35 Maggie Guillin 15 Cornitha M Guillin 10 Horace C Guillin 7 Paul B Guillin 3

 

1910 Census  -  Age 57 --

Operating a Hotel in Haskell Texas.  His daughter Margaret Moses, her husband Joel Moses and their children are living with them, as well as boarders and a French Cook:)

Name	B J Quillin
Age in 1910	57
Birth Year	abt 1853
Birthplace	Virginia
Home in 1910	Haskell, Haskell, Texas
Race	White
Gender	Male
Relation to Head of House	Head
Marital Status	Married
Spouse's Name	R A Quillin
Father's Birthplace	Virginia
Mother's Birthplace	Virginia
Native Tongue	English
Occupation	Proprietor
Industry	Hotel
Employer, Employee or Other	Employer
Home Owned or Rented	Rent
Farm or House	House
Able to read	Yes
Able to Write	Yes
Years Married	27
Household Members	Name Age B J Quillin 57 R A Quillin 45 Corinthia Quillin 20 Horace Quillin 17 Paul Quillin 13 Opal Quillin 6 Margaret Moses 25 Edwin Moses 7 Beatrice Moses 5 Herbert Moses 3 Clarence Moses 1 J A Moses 31 M L Perry 63 Warren Fitzgerald Rube Pockrus 42 C T Linville 31 Paul Oswald 53 Horace Rogers 17

 

1920 Census - 

living in Seymour, working as a night watchman at the cotton gin.  Has the two illegitimate children of his daughter, Cathleen, living with him and Polly.

Name	Beverley Quillin
Age	66
Birth Year	abt 1854
Birthplace	Virginia
Home in 1920	Seymour, Baylor, Texas
Race	White
Gender	Male
Relation to Head of House	Head
Marital Status	Married
Spouse's Name	Polly A Quillin
Father's Birthplace	Virginia
Mother's Birthplace	Virginia
Able to Speak English	Yes
Occupation	Night Watch
Industry	Cotton Compress
Employment Field	Wage or Salary
Home Owned or Rented	Own
Home Free or Mortgaged	Free
Able to read	Yes
Able to Write	Yes
Household Members	Name Age Beverley Quillin 66 Polly A Quillin 54 Catherine Quillin 29 Opal Quillin 16 Mildred Quillin 5 B M Quillin 3

 

1930 Census - 

B. J. and Polly's daughter Opal is still living with them.  The two children of Cathleen, Mildred and B.M. "Buster", are also still living with them.  Cathleen has since married Thomas Bagby.

Name	Beverly J Quillin
Age in 1930	76
Birth Year	abt 1854
Gender	Male
Race	White
Birthplace	Virginia
Marital Status	Married
Relation to Head of House	Head
Home in 1930	Seymour, Baylor, Texas
Map of Home	Seymour, Baylor, Texas
Street Address	East
House Number in Cities or Towns	707
Dwelling Number	31
Family Number	35
Home Owned or Rented	Owned
Home Value	1500
Radio Set	No
Lives on Farm	No
Age at First Marriage	32
Attended School	No
Able to Read and Write	Yes
Father's Birthplace	Virginia
Mother's Birthplace	Virginia
Able to Speak English	Yes
Household Members	Name Age Beverly J Quillin 76 Polly A Quillin 65 Opal B Quillin 25 Mildred Q Quillin 15 B M Quillin 13

 

Texas, County Tax Rolls, 1846-1910

Name	B J Quillin
Event Year	1890
Event Place	Fannin County, Texas, United States
FHL Film Number	002282193
Household Members	Name Age B J Quillin

 

Texas, Death Certificates, 1903-1982

Name	B J Quillian
Birth Date	18 Feb 1853
Birth Place	Virginia
Gender	Male
Race	White
Residence	Seymour, Texas
Spouse	Mrs Polly Ann Quillian
Age at Death	83
Death Date	16 Dec 1936