Hi John, Nice to hear from you again. I hope we still have Hightower researchers on the list, and someone who may be able to shed some light on the mysteries. The Hightower family name is also very prominent in this area of Georgia, and although your Hightowers were from KY, it makes me wonder whether in due time, the lines would come from GA, since it was one of the first places for early settlement from Europe. Do you mind if I ask who was your latest Hightower connection in Izard County? Did any of your family stay in the area? Thanks. Jean Cuevas At 12:41 AM 4/14/2014, you wrote: >I'm checking in. >Some years ago I corresponded with several people on this list >regarding my HIGHTOWER ancestors. I know there were a lot of >HIGHTOWERs in Izard and surrounding counties in the 1800's. My >gggrand-parents were Mary Jane HIGHTOWER and William P. JACOBS, son >of Mathias JACOBS and Elenor COLEE (or COLA). They married in Dec >1855 in Izard Co. Mary Jane was also called Mary NEAL. Her mother, >Nancy, was apparently first married to a HIGHTOWER and then to >George W. NEAL (or NEEL) about 1848, probably in AR. NEAL and Nancy >had 14 + or - children between them, his, hers and theirs. >Their children, as best I can determine from several censuses >were:Manual NEAL, b. 1832 TNEliza Jane NEAL, b. 1833 TNRuben >(Rueben) NEAL, b. 1835 TNMary Jane HIGHTOWER, b. 1838 ARArchibald >HIGHTOWER, b. 1840 ARSepta HIGHTOWER, b. 1842 ARJames P. NEAL, b. >1842 TNAlexander HIGHTOWER, b. 1843 AREli NEAL, b. 1848 ARLewis >NEAL, b. 1852 ARAmanda NEAL, b. 1854 ARWilliam NEAL, b. 1856 >ARGeorge NEAL, b. 1859 ARHenry NEAL, b. 1864 AR >It would appear that the NEAL children born in TN were George's with >a previous wife; the HIGHTOWER children were Nancy's with her >previous husband; and the NEAL children born in AR were George and >Nancy's together. >Some on-line genealogies have Nancy's maiden name as CHAPMAN. I >have also seen her name as CHATMAN, CHIPMAN, SHIPMAN, and SHATTUCK. >She was born about 1816 in KY, but all of her children were >apparently born in AR. She and George NEAL are still alive in 1880 >in the census in Izard Co. Several of her children, including Mary >Jane, used both surnames at times during their lives. In fact, my >grandmother told me her grandmother was Mary NEAL. However, William >P. JACOB's Civil War pension application gives his wife's name as >Mary Jane HIGHTOWER. >Some on this list have speculated that Nancy's first husband was >Harrington or Herrington HIGHTOWER. I haven't found any proof for this. >So the things I'm still trying to determine after all these years >is:1. What was Nancy's maiden name? Who were her parents?2. Who >was Nancy's HIGHTOWER husband? >I would appreciate any help anyone could give me in finding sources >to answer these questions. > >John S. AdamsVentura, CA