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My name is Anthony Gilbert Baxter (b. 1945); my parents are George Arthur, Sr. (b. 1918) and Vivian Martin Baxter (b. 1923). I am the WebMaster for the Charles Wesley and Annie Rebecca Bonaparte Baxter Family HomePageŠ, the web site that contains the genealogical information for my paternal Grandparents.
As Charles Wesley Baxter's progeny, my paternal relatives and I are all descendants of Charles's grandfather, William Baxter, who was born into slavery in Orangeburg, South Carolina in 1840. Although we have yet to confirm his service, some of us believe that William Baxter was a Civil War veteran: the family elders say that his wife Mary Jane (maiden name unknown) tried on more than one occasion to collect his veteran's benefits; lacking appropriate documentation, she was not successful. Although this is not crystal clear in documentation, we possibly are descendants of William's wife Mary Jane, who was born in 1845. I say "possibly" because Charles's father Isiah Baxter was born around 1860. It's possible that Mary Jane was his mother, although, at the time of Isiah's birth she would have been about 15. We have documented at least 11 other children of William Baxter, some of who died young and some of who are possibly unknown branches of the larger William Baxter Clan.
Isiah Baxter married Emma Boyd (I note here that some in the family believe that Emma's maiden name was not Boyd but Cheeseborough. They believe that, after her parents premature demise, young Emma went to live with the Boyds, her Cheeseborough family relatives; she later adopted their name). Both Isiah and Emma died between 1890-1900 of a condition known as "dropsie." Isiah and Emma had at least 8 children: Charles, Lemuel, David, Artimus, Mary, Olive, Lonnie, and John. After Isiah and Emma died, the younger children went to live with various relatives. Charles (b. 1878; d. 1954)) married Annie Rebecca Bonaparte (b. 1892; d. 1968) in or near Orangeburg, SC (some say in St. Matthews, SC) in 1912 and migrated North in 1923 to Coatesville, PA. Annie was the daughter of Isaac and Adriana Darby Bonaparte. Annie had four sibblings: Jeremiah, Napoleon, Jin (or Gesee), and Perline. Now over 100 years old, Annie's younger sister, Aunt Perline is still alive. She lives in a care facility in Burlington, NJ.
Charles and Annie had 14 children: Alonzo (deceased), Isaac, Rubelle, George (deceased), Belgium (deceased), Emma, Samuel (deceased), John, Ada, Lenore, Solomon, Dorothy, Evelma, and Milton.
Our family seeks to locate and connect with the unknown branches of our branch of the William Baxter Clan. We strongly encourage visitation to our web site, either to determine whether you recognize us as your relatives or simply to peruse the extensive historical record of an African American family. Availing yourself of all our carefully constructed electronic facilities, we ask that you sign our guestbook.
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