Cornelia C. Whidden
Sex: F
Individual Information
Birth Date: 14 Feb 1869 - Florida
Christening:
Death: 23 May 1953 - Florida ( at age 84)
Burial: in New Hope Cemetery, Crewsville, Hardee, FL
Parents
Father: David Whidden
Mother:
Spouses and Children
1. *William Calvin Crews
Marriage: 29 Aug 1888
Status:
David Whidden
Sex: M
Individual Information
Birth Date:
Christening:
Death:
Burial:
Spouses and Children
Children:
1. Cornelia C. Whidden
Edward Whidden
Sex: M
Individual Information
Birth Date: 13 Sep 1842 - Ware County, Georgia
Christening:
Death: 19 Jan 1910 - DeSoto County, Florida ( at age 67)
Burial:
Parents
Father: Maxfield Whidden
Mother: Sophia P. Crews
Notes
General:
Edward was the son of Maxfield Whidden and Sophia P. Crews.
He was married 16 Apr 1867 to Mary Ann Williams daughter of Rowland Williams and Nancy Annie Sweat.
The Weekly Tribune (Tampa, Florida) 1/27/1910
Ed. Whidden, Stepfather of Mrs. Eli Brannan, died at her residence on Wednesday night and was buried Thursday afternoon at Joshua Creek Cemetery.
(Obit provided by Donna McPherson)
Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/28768285/edward-whidden: accessed January 4, 2025), memorial page for Edward Whidden (13 Sep 1842\endash 19 Jan 1910), Find a Grave Memorial ID 28768285, citing Joshua Creek Cemetery, Arcadia, DeSoto County, Florida, USA; Maintained by Dorothy Jo Sunday (contributor 46834503).
Eli Perry Whidden
Sex: M
Individual Information
Birth Date: 10 Jul 1829 - Alachua County, Florida
Christening:
Death: 27 Jul 1908 - Crewsville, DeSoto County, Florida, USA ( at age 79)
Burial: in Whidden Cemetery, Highlands County, Florida
Parents
Father: Maxfield Whidden
Mother: Sophia P. Crews
Spouses and Children
Children:
1. Sophie Saphire Whidden
Children:
1. Minerva Whidden
Maxfield Whidden
Sex: M
Individual Information
Birth Date: 1 May 1805 - Montgomery County, Georgia 161
Christening:
Death: 1 Jan 1865 - Ft Myers, Monroe County, Florida ( at age 59)
Burial:
Parents
Father: James Whiddon Sr.
Mother:
Spouses and Children
1. *Sophia P. Crews
Marriage: 28 May 1828 - Camden Co., GA 380
Status:
Children:
1. Eli Perry Whidden
2. Susan Whidden
3. Edward Whidden
Notes
General:
WHIDDEN, Maxfield1805-1865
Researched by Mrs. Stella Crews Romano, 14701 Garden Drive, Miami, Florida 33168. Complied by the editor. Updated by David Crews.
Maxfield Whidden was born May 1, 1805 in Montgomery County, Georgia. He is a son of James Whidden Sr, He grew up in Camden and Ware Counties, Georgia. Maxfield and Sophia P. Crews were married by Rev. David Bryan in Camden County, Georgia. She was born in the Colleton District, South Carolina on March 27, 1805. She is a daughter of Alexander Crews and his first wife (name unknown). The children of this marriage are:
1. Eli (Eley) Perry, born July 10, 1829; married in Hillsborough County, Feb. 4, 1847 to Lavinia Platt, daughter of Peter Platt.
2. Lydia A.. (some records give her name as Elizabeth) born Sept. 27, 1831; married 1st to David J.W. Boney on Oct 8, 1846 and 2nd to Mr. Russell.
3. Sophia, born May 13, 1833.
4. Maxfield Jr., born Jul 9, 1835
5. Charity Whidden, born Jan. 3, 1837
6. Susan, born Mar 1, 1840, based on mother's pension application, though marker indicates Mar 5. Married 1st in Hillsborough County on Jan 1, 1852 to David Brannon; married 2nd in Ft Myers in 1863 to her 1st cousin, Jesse Whidden, son of Willoughby (due to poor record keeping during the Civil War they were remarried on Nov 3, 1874
7. Edward born Jan 13, 1842; died Jan 19, 1910; married Jul 14, 1860 to Mary Ann (Williams) Mathis, daughter of Rowland and Nancy Ann (Sweat) Williams and first wife of James W. Mathis.
8 Willoughby, born Jul 18, 1844
Maxfield and Sophia left Camden and settled in Alachua County, Florida. likely in the section that was cut into Columbia County in 1832. The 1830 Federal Census for Alachua County lists Maxey F. Whidden as a resident.
Maxfield served several enlistments during the Second Florida War with the Seminoles. He first enlisted at Ft Gilmore, Georgia on Dec 28, 1835 as a private in Capt. William B. North's Company in the Regiment commanded by Col. Brown. Muster sheet described Maxfield as 6'3", black eyes, fair complexion and auburn hair. His 2nd enlistment was again with Capt. William B. North's Company this time with the 2nd Regiment of the East Florida Mounted Volunteers commanded by Col. W. J. Mills. He mustered in at Camp North on June 16, 1837 and was honorably discharged at Newnansville on Dec 18, 1837. His brother-in-law Dempsey Dubois Crews, Sr. was a Sergeant in this company. Maxfield was also a private in W. B. North's Company, which was attached to General Floyd's command in the Okefenokee Division of the Army. He volunteered at Ft Gilmore on July 12, 1838 and was discharged there on January 12, 1839. Dempsey was also a member of this company.
Maxfield and Sophia were living in District 719 Ware County, Georgia during the 1840 census, residing close by her family ; Stephen, William, father Alexander, and Joseph Crews. and his brothers Willoughby and James.
Maxfield moved back to Florida during March of 1843, along with his brother Willoughby settling in southwest Florida in the Hillsborough County area. On May of 1843 he applied for 160 acres of un appropriated public land under the Florida Armed Occupation Act of 1842. Each settler who would settle and cultivate five acres or more of land in eastern and southern Florida for a period of five years would receive 160 acres of land and one year's rations from the Federal government. Settlers were expected also to provide militia service, if needed, to control the activities of the warring Seminole Indians. This was the prelude to the official declaration of the end of the Second Seminole War on August 14, 1842. His property is described as "a tract of un surveyed land lying in a hammock about 6 miles south of Robert Williams settlement and about 5 miles east of the bridge at the Little Withlacoochee commencing at a stake in the pine woods running 40 chains south thence 40 chains east thence 40 chains north thence 40 chains west to the place of beginning". Brother Willoughby received the 160 acres adjacent to Maxfield's property during the same time.
During the 1850 Census for Hillsborough County, Maxfield and family were living in the Thonotosassa-Itchepucksassa area along with Peter Platt, David J. W. Boney, Rabun Raulerson, Jacob Summerlin, Charles Scott and Joseph Howell.
Maxfield and Sophia were members of the Salem Baptist Church at Itchepucksassa. Maxfield began appear in the Church minutes Dec 20, 1850. The couple were baptized there Mar 19, 1851 by Elder Newton.
On October 1, 1856, Maxfield applied for bounty land based on his service in Capt William B North's companies. He did receive a warrant for 160 acres in Hillsborough County.
Maxfield enlisted in William B. Hookers company during the Third Seminole War on January 3, 1856. Others in this company included Maxfield Jr., Willoughby, Edward and Jesse Whidden.
Prior to 1856, the Whiddens settled in the Ft Hartsuff area in Manatee (now Hardee) County. Maxfield was enumerated in this area during the 1860 Census for Manatee County along with Willoughby and Dempsey Dubois Crews.
During the early 1860s, Maxfield and Sophia moved to the military post at Ft Myers which came under the protection of the U.S. Army during the later years of the Civil War. Their son Edward and sons-in-law David Boney and Jesse Whidden were members of the Second Florida Calvary of the U. S. Army which was stationed there.
Maxfield died at Ft Myers January 5, 1865 and was originally buried in the Military Post Cemetery, Ft. Myers, Florida but grave was moved to Pensacola around 1885-1888 to a cemetery that has yet been discovered, but is probably in the Barrancas National Cemetery in Escambia County, FL. In 1927 the US Government paid to have all 468 graves reinterred to Barrancas National Cemetery. Unfortunately, due to negligence the records for these burials were mishandled and the reinterments are all in unmarked graves.
Sophia Whidden lived with her daughter in the Popash-Zolfo Springs area. On September 13, 1890 she applied and received a widow's pension until her death on September 28, 1894. She is interred in New Hope Cemetery just east of Zolfo Springs in what is now Hardee County.
References:
Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/137173987/maxfield-whidden: accessed January 1, 2025), memorial page for Maxfield Whidden (1 May 1805\endash 1 Jan 1865), Find a Grave Memorial ID 137173987; Burial Details Unknown; Maintained by Robin Knowles Miner (contributor 47614397).
Salem Baptist Church Minutes, 1850 - 1851. Polk County, Florida Historical and Genealogical Library; Bartow, Florida
The Florida Historical Society, 435 Brevard Ave., Cocoa FL 32922. https://myfloridahistory.org/date-in-history/august-04-1842/armed-occupation-act
U. S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management. https://glorecords.blm.gov/details/patent/default.aspx?accession=0842-343&docClass=MW&sid=cjvlewot.yyh#patentDetailsTabIndex=1
"United States, Census, 1840", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHBN-TZM : Sun Mar 10 10:30:30 UTC 2024), Entry for Maxfield Whidden, 1840.
http://www.twparker.com/USGenWeb/CharlotteCoFlorida
/SFP/SFPissue1516/56Issue1516pg54.pdf
http://www.twparker.com/USGenWeb/CharlotteCoFlorida
/SFP/SFPissue1516/57Issue1516pg55.pdf
http://www.twparker.com/USGenWeb/CharlotteCoFlorida
/SFP/SFPissue1516/58Issue1516pg56.pdf
Minerva Whidden
Sex: F
Individual Information
Birth Date: 15 Mar 1854 - Manatee County, Florida
Christening:
Death: 20 Feb 1940 - ( at age 85)
Burial: in Midway Cemetery, Crewsville, Hardee County, FL
Parents
Father: Eli Perry Whidden
Mother:
Spouses and Children
1. *Charles Carney Crews
Marriage: 1868
Status:
Sophie Saphire Whidden
Sex: F
Individual Information
Birth Date: 5 Jun 1862 - Manatee County, Florida
Christening:
Death: 29 Jul 1932 - Florida ( at age 70)
Burial: in Crewsville Cemetery, Crewsville, DeSoto County, Florida
Parents
Father: Eli Perry Whidden
Mother:
Spouses and Children
Children:
1. Isabelle Bethea
Susan Whidden
Sex: F
Individual Information
Birth Date: 5 Mar 1840 - Ware County, Georgia
Christening:
Death: 6 Aug 1913 - Florida ( at age 73)
Burial:
Parents
Father: Maxfield Whidden
Mother: Sophia P. Crews
Spouses and Children
James Whiddon Sr.
Sex: M
Individual Information
Birth Date:
Christening:
Death:
Burial:
Spouses and Children
Children:
1. Maxfield Whidden
Notes
General:
WHIDDON, JAMES, SR1770-1845 APPLING - WARE
James Whiddon was born, in North Carolina, about 1770. The Whiddon family moved to Darlington County, South Carolina not long after the Revolution, though some Whiddons moved there during the war. Several of the Whiddon families moved, in the early 1800's, to Georgia, and settled in Montgomery, Tattnall, Washington, and Decatur Counties. However, James Whiddon, the subject, appears to have been in Georgia before 1800, as his name is found as a resident tax-payer on the 1798 tax-digest of Montgomery County. John and William Widdon also appear in this tax-digest. The name of James Whiddon's wife is unknown at this time. They had the following children; list probably not complete:
1. Williamb. 1789, m. Elizabeth Altman, dau. of Thomas and Lydia.
2. James W.b. 1790, m. Mary Altman, dau. of Thomas and Lydia. (Vol. IV)
3. Lydiab. 1793, m. never married.
4. Maxfieldb. 1795, m. Sophia Crews, dau. of Alexander.
5. Maryb. 1796, m. John Lyons (Lyens), ]/?/1812, Wayne Co.
6. Willoughbyb. 1799, m. Eliza Pennington, 2/l/1827, Camden Co. (Vol.111)
7. Elizabethb. 1806, m. Stephen E. Tucker, 2/1/1827, Camden Co.
From Montgomery County, James Whiddon moved to Appling County, and lived in the 4th land district in 1819, and while there, registered for the 1820 Georgia land lottery and drew land. His residence in Appling was temporary, as he was in Camden County at the time of the 1820 census. About 1828, he moved from Camden to Ware County, and lived in the portion now in Brantly County.
James Whiddon died in Ware County about 1845. He may have moved to Florida and died in Columbia County, as the oldest son, William, moved there.
NOTE: The name will be found spelled variously as Whiddon, Whitten, and Whiten.
James W. Whiddon
Sex: M
Individual Information
Birth Date:
Christening:
Death:
Burial:
Spouses and Children
Children:
1. Margaret Whiddon