Re: WINNIE E. HILBURN, Ga., 1878+-2 yrs. married Marcus James

Carlodie, I don't know if you've made any progress on Winnie Hilburn in the last 2 years since you posted your message, but I've recently run into Winnie while working on some other families in my Ancestry tree, and I've borrowed a little info from other Ancestry trees to supplement what I came up with.
It appears that Winnie's real name, or at least part of it, is Avenia Elizabeth Hilburn, and that she was nicknamed Winnie & Nannie. She appears on the 1880 Hall Co., GA census, with her parents, as Avenia E Hilburn, age 1.
It seems she's the daughter of Samuel Hilburn, born in the 1780's in Newberry Co., SC, died abt 1880 or so, presumably in Hall Co., GA, and his 2nd known wife, Mary Jane Pruitt, born abt 1845, GA, died sometime after Jan 1883.
Samuel Hilburn was a War of 1812 veteran, & it seems he'd been drafted/conscripted into military service in Sevier Co., TN in or abt 1813 into Captain Houck's Company of TN Militia. There's a Samuel Hilburn on the tax rolls in Rhea Co., TN in abt 1823-24, which might be this Samuel. I am pretty-much absolutely sure that I've found the War of 1812 Federal pension records for Samuel & wife Mary Jane Pruitt on Ancestry, which I've attached to him in my Ancestry tree, "Some Metro Atlanta Families & Their Connections & Origins", under the name of papadaddybob, which I unfortunately had to use when I began my tree, but that's another story. Samuel's widow, Mary Jane Pruitt is on the Federal Roll of Pensioners, "as of Jan 1883", shown living in Hall Co., GA. I have attached this record to Mary Jane Pruitt in my Ancestry tree.
Samuel Hilburn had a first wife also named Mary "Polly" Kent, b. Oct 12, 1782, who died Feb 17, 1875, buried Alta Vista Cemetery, Gainesville, Hall Co., GA, because Samuel remarried to Mary Jane Pruitt on Sep 15, 1878 in Hall Co., GA. This marriage record says "marriage of Samuel Hilburn to Mary J Lawson". Mary had previously been married on Oct 24, 1869 Hall Co., GA to "Major W Lawson" according to that marriage record. I don't know if his name was actually Major or if that's a military rank. Mary is shown on the 1870 Hall Co., GA census, living with her parents, & called Mary Jane Lawson (her father here is called William S Pruitt, or some variety of spelling of that surname.) Mary's parents were William Stephen Pruitt, often just shown as Stephen, & wife Elizabeth Wilkerson or Wilkinson, b. abt 1828-1830, d. abt 1901 Hall Co., GA, who he married Aug 11, 1844 Hall Co., GA, & I think daughter Mary Jane Pruitt was the 2st (known) child by Stephen's 2nd marriage. Stephen had previously been married to Margaret Low or Lowe, who he married Sep 25, 1831 Hall Co., GA. I have discovered the 1850 Hall Co., GA census for this Pruitt family, with their surname butchered, living next door & just above Josiah Turner on the census page & there was intermarriage between these 2 families. On this census, William Stephen Pruitt is just called Stephen, age 47, SC, with surname butchered. Daughter Mary Jane Pruitt is just shown as daughter "M", age 2.
It's claimed that Winnie Hilburn was born abt Mar 1878, I think, & her headstone says something like that, but as you can see, her presumed parents didn't marry til Sep 1868, so either the family's records concerning her birth are wrong, or there's some part of the equation missing.
Samuel Hilburn was the son of John Hillburn, born in the early 1760's, died abt 1850 in Paulding Co., GA. John was a Rev War veteran, who was living in Newberry Co., SC at the time of the Rev War. I have attached John's Rev War pension papers, such as they are, which aren't much, to him in my Ancestry tree.
John supposed moved to TN at some point, but he may have moved back to Newberry Co., SC before moving to GA.
John's on the 1840 & 1850 census in Paulding Co., GA & his pension application I think says he had lived in Paulding Co. since abt 1832, which would have been right after that land was taken from the Cherokee Indians. His son Samuel Hilburn's on the 1850 census in Paulding Co. & I think on the 1860 census there also, then he's in Polk Co., GA on the 1870 census & then on the 1880 census in Hall Co.
At this moment, my subscription to Ancestry has lapsed, so until I can get resubscribed, Ancestry won't even let me see my own Ancestry tree, so I can't even get in there to check my facts here, or refresh my memory, but since I've just been working on these families this past week, fortunately I have hand-written notes in front of me, which I've used to write this message to you and anyone else interested in these families.
I am certain that the 1850 census I have for William Stephen Pruitt is actually his family, in spite of the fact that the entire family's surname is butchered, because on the 1850 Hall Co. Agricultural census, Stephen's listed as "S Pruit", shown next door to "J Turner", which is Josiah Turner, who's next door to Stephen on the regular 1850 census.
As you stated, Winnie Hilburn married Marcus James, but his real name was William Marcus James, 1878-1942, give or take, and descendants of this family went to the Birmingham, Jefferson Co., AL area. I won't go into details of Winnie & Marcus' off-spring, which I assume you are aware of. I have researched them as far as I can take them in my Ancestry tree. Offhand, I know they had daughter Ora Mae James, b. abt 1906, d. Sep 12, 1932, Fulton Co., GA, I think it was.
Michael McKinney
Kennesaw, GA