JOSHUA MUDD JR.
The first son of Joshua Mudd Sr. was born circa 1780 and was
named Joshua Mudd Jr. He grew up in
Charles County near the Mattawoman River and learned to read and write on a
plantation where tobacco crops were tended to by a large number of slaves. An interest in sailing vessels likely grew
from his proximity to the Chesapeake Bay and the large ships that would come
and go from nearby ports such as Port Tobacco.
At age 29, Joshua Mudd Jr. of Maryland filed for a seaman’s protection
certificate in 1809 at the Port of Alexandria in the District of Columbia (age
listed on certificate as 29). An actual
record with a description of Joshua Mudd exists but has not been seen. So, we can surmise that he was a sailor for
at least some of his early life between 18 and 30. On 24 March 1810 at about age 30, Joshua Mudd
Jr. married Catherine Acton at
St. Thomas Church in Charles County near his parent’s home. In 1813, about the time he had his first
child, he served as lieutenant in Captain Townley Robey’s company of the 43rd
Regiment of the Maryland Militia during the War of 1812. He would be engaged at various times
throughout the war protecting his home in Charles County, Maryland. In 1820
District 3, Charles County, Maryland, Joshua Mudd (listed as Josiah Mudd) was
between 26 and 44 and Catherine was between 16 and 25. Their three children were Mary Eleanor Mudd (born
circa 1812), John William Mudd (born circa 1815), and Alfred Benjamin Mudd
(born circa 1819). Joshua Mudd Jr. was
working in agriculture, likely on a small farm since he owned no slaves. According
to the 1830 Maryland census, Joshua Mudd was living in District 3, Charles County. Joshua Mudd was between 40 and 49 years old
and his wife Catherine was between 30 and 39.
They had six children – a female 15 to 19 (Mary Eleanor Mudd),
two males 10 to 14 (John William Mudd and Alfred Benjamin Mudd), a male 5 to 9 (Henry E. Mudd), another male 0 to 5 (Sylvester H. Mudd), and a female 0 to 5 (Verlinda A.
Mudd).
The Joshua Mudd family had no slaves in 1830. Joshua Mudd Jr. died on 14 December 1830 at
about age 50 in Charles County, Maryland (unknown source). He had another child, probably after his
death, named Catherine Louisa Mudd (born about 1831).
FRANCIS LEWIS MUDD
Francis Lewis Mudd, often known
as Frank (unknown source), was the second son of Joshua Mudd Sr., born about
1783 in Charles County, Maryland. His
mother Ann Smith-Mudd had a brother who was probably the source of the middle
name (Lewis Gonzaga Smith). He was
raised in Charles County on the south side of the Mattawoman River. As a son living on a large plantation, Frank
(as his descendants claim he was known) received an education and lived among
many younger siblings and slaves. Around
1809, he was married to an unknown wife.
In the 1810 Charles County census, Frank Mudd was married with no
children living beside his father Joshua Mudd.
In 1813, Francis L Mudd (certainly this was Francis Lewis Mudd due to the
association with his older brother in the same company) was an Ensign in Captain
Townley Robey’s company of the 43rd Regiment of Maryland Militia during the War
of 1812. The British were threatening the
Maryland coast and river communities and Maryland men were called to duty. Frank Mudd was ordered into paid service on
31 July 1813 and stationed at Port Tobacco (roll dated 24 December 1813 in
Charles County) and served until his discharge on 5 August 1813. A renewed threat came in 1814 when British
invaded Washington through Maryland.
Francis L. Mudd once again was ordered into paid service in the same
company on 22 July 1814 and stationed at Camp Yates (roll dated 1 September
1814) where he was discharged 3 August 1814.
Frank Mudd’s first wife died
about 1817 or 1818. With a young family,
he soon married Emily Anne Berry on 20 January 1818 in Charles County. Emily Berry-Mudd would take care of six year
old George L. Mudd and three young females, one which was newborn - Elizabeth Louisa Mudd (birth date 20
January 1818 – date and year seems improbable when considering the second marriage date and year to Emily
Berry). Frank Mudd was also found in an
1818 Charles County deed selling his mother Ann Smith-Mudd’s land with his two
brothers Clement Mudd and Balthazar Mudd to brother-in-law John Aloysius
Edelen.
According to the 1820 census,
Frank Mudd was living in District 3, Charles County, Maryland, age 26 to 44 with
his wife Emily 26 to 44. He had three
female children under 10 (probably two unknown between 1812 and 1817 and
Elizabeth Louisa Mudd born 20 January 1818), two males under 10 (George L. Mudd
born 6 October 1811 and Samuel Nicholas Mudd born 10 February 1820), and two
slaves. Next door was brother Michael
Mudd and his family and also close by were his mother Ann Mudd (with his
younger siblings and his mother’s large slave population) and Joshua Mudd
(called Josiah Mudd in the census). In
1830, Frank Mudd was between 40 and 49 years old, his wife Emily was also 40 to
49. He had one male child 15 to 19
(George Mudd), two female children 15 to 19 (one was Elizabeth Louisa Mudd),
three females 10 to 14 (all unknown), three males 5 to 9 (one was Samuel
Nicholas Mudd, born 10 February 1820, and another Benjamin Smith Mudd, born 11
March 1824), two females 5 to 9 (one was Ann Marie Mudd, born 22 February 1822),
one female under 5 (Emeline Augusta Mudd, born 25 April 1828) and one male under
5 (Francis Sylvester Mudd, born 11 September 1829). Many of these children appear to have not
belonged to Frank Mudd and could have been children of Emily Berry prior to
their marriage in 1818. The household
was rounded out with again two slaves.
He lived next door to Julianne Mudd (spelled Julian, she the widow of
brother Michael Mudd) with her five children under 15.
Emily Berry-Mudd was reportedly
dead in 1834 (if true, he would have married another Emily as his wife was
Emily in the 1850 census). By 1840,
Frank Mudd was in Pike County, Missouri.
He was a farmer (three employed in agriculture) and owned no slaves (had
previously owned two slaves). Frank Mudd
(Francis Mudd in census) was 50 to 59 years old and wife Emily was also 50 to
59. Only five children were in the
household (WM20-29, WF15-19, WF10-14, 2WM10-14, one was youngest child John
Franklin Mudd, born 30 July 1832). In
1850, Frank Mudd (Francis L. Mudd in census) was still in Missouri but then in
District 49, Lincoln County. He was 66
years old and born in Maryland. His wife
Emily was 60 years old, also born in Maryland.
Only two children were in the home – Emily Mudd (21, born in Maryland)
and Francis Mudd (19, born in Maryland).
On 4 November 1851, the Lincoln
County court appointed George L. Mudd the administrator of Francis Lewis Mudd’s
estate. He had died very recently
intestate and the court chose to appoint an administrator in a “speedy”
time frame to avoid loss of personal property.
Therefore Frank Mudd probably died in October 1851 (family histories
state November but that is likely connected to the date of the above
record). Emily Mudd was dead by 1860
(younger children living with older children in the 1860 census, no mother).
Some family histories report her death as 1860 (no source found).
BENJAMIN SMITH MUDD
Benjamin Smith Mudd, often known
as Benedict (unknown source), was born about 1785 (Hebert’s SWLA Records
reported 1783) in Charles County, Maryland and with his two older brothers,
grew up on the south side of the Mattawoman River. His was the third son of Joshua and Ann Mudd
and was certainly named after Ann Smith-Mudd’s father Benjamin Smith. About 1805, Benjamin Smith Mudd married Mary
Eleanor Smith (called Ellen). It is
possible that they were in Louisiana at the time as she was probably a daughter
of either Charles, Joseph, Benjamin, or Raphael Smith (all sons of Leonard
Smith and first cousins of his mother).
Benjamin and Ellen Mudd had a son Sylvester born about 1808 (interested
as his father had a son Sylvester born in 1807) and a daughter probably born
about 1805 or 1806, the births occurring in either Maryland or Louisiana. By 1810, Benjamin Smith Mudd was in
Opelousas, Louisiana living next door to Benjamin A. Smith, probably his father-in-law,
and near Charles Smith at Grande Coteau.
The Smith family had arrive in Louisiana prior to 1800 and had large
sugar plantations with many slaves. The
Mudd household in 1810 included Benjamin Smith Mudd (WM16-25), his wife Ellen
(WF16-25), one son (WM0-9), two daughters (WF0-9), and another unknown white
male (WM>45). He also owned 10
slaves, a medium amount compared to the Smiths who had 30 to 40 slaves, which made
up some of the largest plantations in the area.
A majority of the War of 1812 was
fought north and east of Louisiana. But
at the end 1814 and the beginning of 1815, Britain made a final attempt to
penetrate the American west through the Mississippi River (even though the war,
unbeknownst to them). Benjamin Smith
Mudd was a second lieutenant in the 16th Regiment of Louisiana Militia (also
known as Thompson’s Regiment). Mudd must
have had some role in the Battle of New Orleans.
The Maryland immigrants were Catholics and attended the Catholic Church
built with the funding and donations from the community. Most of these donations came from Charles
Smith. Their church became known as the
Church of St. Charles Borromeo (named after Charles Borromeo Smith, son of
Benjamin Aloysius Smith and supposed brother of Ellen Smith-Mudd). There were some Maryland transplants in
Grande Coteau however, most were Catholic French Acadians. These Acadians had plantations like the
Marylanders. Benjamin Smith Mudd sold a
30 year old slave woman named Ellen and her 10 month old female child to a man
named Jose Balque (a free black man) in St. Landry Parish at Opelousas
Post. The transaction was recorded on 23
August 1815 and the value of the transaction was $650. He also sold a six year old Creole slave
Maria (by herself) again to Jose Balque for $400 (the document was recorded in
Opelousas Post, St. Landry Parish 31 August 1816).
In August 1820, Benjamin Smith Mudd was enumerated in the St. Landry
Parish, Louisiana census. He was age 26
to 44 and his wife Ellen was also 26 to 44.
His children were Sylvester Mudd (WM10-15), Louisa Aloysia Mudd
(WF10-15, born 19 July 1810 Grande Coteau), Benjamin Smith Mudd Jr. (WM0-9,
born August 1812), Louis Josue Mudd (WM0-9, born 18 April 1815), (WM0-9),
Ferdinand Louis Mudd (WM0-9, born 13 April 1818). There were 13 slaves and in all, eight
persons in the Benjamin Smith Mudd household were engaged in agriculture. Living nearby were the Smiths, Hardys and
Wills (who named Ellen Mudd their child’s godparent in 1821). The death of Benjamin Smith Mudd is recorded
as 4 August 1820 and would have made him about 35 at the time of his death. He was buried at Saint Borromeo Cemetery in
Grande Coteau. This all came from the
Reverend Donald Hebert’s Southwest Louisiana Records (original source
unknown).
Ellen Smith-Mudd lived as a widow in Grande Coteau. She actually gave birth to a son Francis
Josiah Mudd between August and December 1820, possibly after Benjamin Smith
Mudd Sr.’s death. She was still in Grand
Coteau, St. Landry Parish in 1830 (Mrs. Mary E. Mudd, WF40-49). Her young children were living in her house
and quite possibly, a married son or daughter and their young children
(WM20-29, WF15-19, WM15-19, WM10-14, WM5-9, WM0-4), and seven slaves. Then again in Grand Coteau, St. Landry Parish
in 1840, she was enumerated as Mrs. Mary Ellen Mudd (WF50-59) with five living
in her home (WF20-29, WM20-29, WF15-19, WM15-19), and 12 slaves. Many descendants report that she was born in
1764 though the census ages for her obviously place her date of birth at 1785
to 1790. Her reported death is 29
September 1840 and she is likely buried at Saint Borromeo Cemetery.
CLEMENT AZARIAS MUDD
Clement Mudd, often known as Azariah, was born about 1788 in Charles
County, the fourth son and fifth child of a growing tobacco plantation
family. Father Joshua Mudd’s mother had
a brother named Clement Mudd who was likely the source for the first name. His parents, Joshua and Ann Mudd, had a
plantation on the south side of the Mattawoman River in the northern part of
Charles County. Their plantation was the
home of as many as 30 slaves who did a majority of the labor in the tobacco
fields and with tobacco preparation. Clement
Mudd was also known as Clement Azarias (or Azariah) Mudd. In 1810, Clement Mudd appears to have lived
with his father and mother in Charles County, Maryland (he was WM 16-25). The Mudd plantation was left to mother Ann
Smith-Mudd after his father Joshua Mudd’s death in 1813. However, Clement Mudd appears to have
traveled south to St. Landry Parish, Louisiana by 1812 and was living with or
near his older brother Benjamin A. Mudd.
In that year, Clement Mudd (stated Clement Azariah Mudd) sold a black
female Magadalene (age 20) and her 2 year old daughter Caroline to William
Hasslet for $750 (document dated 13 November 1812 at Opelousas Post, St. Landry
Parish). His name does not show in the
War of 1812 soldiers of Louisiana. Clement
Mudd may have traveled between Maryland and Louisiana during the 1810s as he is
found on an 1818 deed with his brothers Francis Mudd and Balthazar Mudd in
Charles County, Maryland selling his mother’s land (on 15 June 1818 sold title and interest in "Friendship" - 237 acres - as heir of father Joshua Mudd, received $2370). Clement Mudd ("Clem") also transferred land to brother-in-law Aloysius Edelen in 1819. Several other slaves in Louisiana passed to
and from Clement Mudd in 1819 and 1820 – a 15 year old black slave named Daniel
sold to Flavius Rossi in 1819 and a 36 year old black slave was purchased from
Benjamin A. Smith in 1820. The 1820
census did not enumerate Clement Mudd individually but he was certainly living
in Louisiana. Eight years later, Clement
Mudd sold a 22 year old black slave named Robert to Thomas Ryan (document dated
21 April 1828 at St. Landry Parish). The
payment for the slave was made over time and records indicate the final payment
was made to Clement Mudd in 1829. During
the 1820s, Clement Mudd is mentioned in an Opelousas Post letter from John
Moore to editors in Washington DC in August 1823. He is also a baptismal sponsor for the daughter
of William and Sarah Hardy in April 1826.
His activity is relatively unknown while in Louisiana. We can assume he operated a plantation in or
around Grand Coteau but that is unknown.
He raised cattle as an undated record from St. Landry Parish gives his
cattle brand as “CAA.” His location is
unknown after 1829. Family history has
identified another westward movement to Mexico at which point he is reported to
have “disappeared.” Note: Brother Leopold Mudd's grandson Marcellus Mudd reported that Uncle Clement had lived in Louisiana but the last time the family heard from him...he was in Mexico. The move could have
actually been to Texas as it was officially Mexico before 1835. His younger brother Balthazar Mudd also made
a move to the Texas part of Mexico before 1835 from Louisiana. His death is listed as 23 April 1843 but with
no location and no source. Clement Mudd
appears to have left no family. Note:
MICHAEL MUDD
Michael Mudd was born in 1793 to Joshua and Ann Mudd in
Charles County, Maryland. He grew up
with many older brothers and sisters on the Mattawoman River. His home was a plantation and the home to as
many as 30 slaves. He watched his
brothers and sisters leave home as they grew but Michael Mudd stayed near his
parents. In 1810, he was living with his
mother and father in Charles County on their plantation (he was WM 16-25). The War of 1812 began and when Maryland was
invaded by the British, he, like his brothers, were called to duty. He served as a private in Captain William
Dent’s Company of the 43rd Regiment of Maryland Militia while his brothers served
in the same regiment but in Captain Townley Robey’s Company. During the war, Michael Mudd’s father died in
1813. After the war, Michael Mudd
continued to live with his mother and the plantation.
Just over the Mattawoman River, Michael Mudd married distant
cousin Julianna Boarman in Prince Georges County on 19 April 1819. They had one child Sarah Mudd in 1820 just
before Michael Mudd was enumerated as the head of household living beside his
brother Francis Lewis Mudd and mother Ann Mudd.
There were six slaves at his home, two of which worked with Michael Mudd
in agriculture. With a young family and
only about 34 years of age, Michael Mudd died in October 1827. He was buried at Old Mattawoman Cemetery in
Charles County (unknown if this info was on a tombstone, also included birth
year). In the same year, his mother An
Smith-Mudd passed away. His wife
Julianna Boarman-Mudd, only about 33, was left a young widow with five children
under seven years (Sarah Mudd 1820, Mary Rose Mudd 1822, Matilda Alice Mudd
1825, Dominic Mudd 1826, Louisa Jane Mudd 1827). His last child Louisa Jane Mudd was born on
the second anniversary of his sister Louisa Jane’s death which would explain
the name. Julianna lived for 47 years as
a widow and at various locations with her married children. She died in Washington DC on 2 May 1874.
BALTHAZAR XAVIER MUDD
Signature dated 1837 in Jasper, Texas
The sixth son and eighth
living child of Joshua and Ann Mudd was named Balthazar Xavier Mudd, both names
from Catholic and biblical icons. Born
about 1795, the young Balthazar was cared for by his mother, brothers, and
large cadre of slaves on the Joshua Mudd plantation. His home was in Charles County on the south
side of the Mattawoman River. He was a
member of the large Joshua Mudd household in 1800 (WM0-9) and 1810
(WM10-15). When the war of 1812 broke
out, Balthazar Mudd was only about 17 years of age. However, his home state Maryland was severely
threatened by the British and he was drafted to serve in the 43rd Regiment of
the Maryland Militia in 1813 and 1814 (His records are found as Beltaz X Mudd
and Balthazar Mudd).
During the war, his father Joshua Mudd died in 1813 and the
plantation was left in the hands of his mother Ann Smith-Mudd and older
siblings. He and his brothers Francis
Lewis Mudd and Clement Azarias Mudd sold brother-in-law John Aloysius Edelen
(husband of sister Mariah Jane Mudd) land their mother Ann Smith-Mudd had
received from dower rights in Joshua Mudd’s 1813 estate. On 10 April 1819, Balthazar Mudd of Charles County, Maryland sold 78 1/2 acres, his interest in the tract "Hard Bargain," another part of the tract "Norwich," and another part of the tract "White Marsh" to a relative Leonard Mudd. During 1818 to 1820, Balthazar Mudd was involved in Prince George County, Maryland court case between his brother Clement Mudd (as plaintiff) and Lewis Stonestreet (as defendant).
Once again in 1820, Balthazar Mudd is living with his mother (WM18-25) and is the second oldest male (Clement Mudd WM26-44) in the household, then a much smaller plantation with less land and fewer slaves (19 total). Very little is known of Balthazar Mudd’s activity over the next 10 years. He must have journeyed southwest at some point to the homes of his brothers Benjamin Smith Mudd and Clement Azarias Mudd in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana. In 1830, Balthazar Mudd (identified as Balthasar X Mudd) was enumerated last in the Natchitoches Parish census (WM30-40) with two black slaves (over 55) and two free black females (ages 10-23).
Once again in 1820, Balthazar Mudd is living with his mother (WM18-25) and is the second oldest male (Clement Mudd WM26-44) in the household, then a much smaller plantation with less land and fewer slaves (19 total). Very little is known of Balthazar Mudd’s activity over the next 10 years. He must have journeyed southwest at some point to the homes of his brothers Benjamin Smith Mudd and Clement Azarias Mudd in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana. In 1830, Balthazar Mudd (identified as Balthasar X Mudd) was enumerated last in the Natchitoches Parish census (WM30-40) with two black slaves (over 55) and two free black females (ages 10-23).
St. Landry Parish and Natchitoches Parish borders in 1830 (additional
county borders are present day). The
eastern portion of St. Landry Parish (the current border) is featured showing
the location of Opelousas Post and Grand Coteau.
In 1834, Balthazar Mudd moved west to Mexico, an area that
would later become the state of Texas.
The move was short, basically just over the Sabine River from Natchitoches
Parish, Louisiana. This area of Mexico
was known as the Zavala Colony (later in Jasper County, Texas), named for the
Spanish-born Mexican politician who petitioned the Mexican government for space
to colonize Mexicans and non-Mexicans into the northern regions of their
country. He settled in the small town
(30 to 40 families) of Zavala near Bevilport on the Angelina River. He was later known as “the most prominent of
Zavala’s citizens” (he was often referred to as Xavier Mudd or Xavier B. Mudd; from East TX Historical Journal vol 16 No 1).
In 1834 at San Augustine, Mexico, William Hines promised Balthazar Mudd (B.
X. Mudd in the document) $1,999 for finding, surveying, and filing a headright
league of land. In payment, Hines would
have taken half of the league, which totals over 4,400 acres (there is no
evidence that the headright was ever filed).
This may have happened as Balthazar Mudd did not have a family and
needed the land to be entered by a man with wife and children. In records at St. Augustine, Balthazar Mudd
was described as a “native of the US [and] is a man without family and a man of
God.” Assorted documents in the Texas region report
Balthazar Mudd as B. H. Mudd or Balthazar H. Mudd (an error in transcription). In yet another recollection of Balthazar Mudd,
he was called “a Frenchman who moved with his family from Louisiana to Zavala
in 1834.” Balthazar Mudd was sheriff of
the area for several years (East TX Historical Journal vol 16 No 1).
By 1 May 1835, Balthazar Mudd had married the widow Elizabeth
Roebuck. Note: Brother Leopold Mudd's grandson George Henry Mudd reported that Uncle Balthazar married a widow "Robuck" in Texas. Her husband had died the
previous year and Balthazar Mudd was the administrator of his estate. Elizabeth may have been of Indian (Native American or Mexican) decent (Mudd book, a Mudd decendant Catherine Ewing reported that Balthazar married a wealthy Indian widow). With the
marriage, Balthazar Mudd had an instant family with five young children (born circa 1818 to 1830) and
could then apply and receive a headright grant of a league in the Zavala Colony
(which he received 25 June 1835). The
May 1835 census places Balthazar in Bevil (Bevilport) on the Angelina River
just south of Zavala. He also owned nine
slaves (according to the 1835 census record). Note: Mudd relative Catherine Ewing claimed in the early 1900s that Balthazar Mudd's Angelina River land was located northwest of Old Zavala on the west bank of the Angelina River. Note: Balthazar's wife was listed as "Elizabeth Roebuck" in the census. This census commonly listed spouses with prior surnames. Balthazar Mudd and his family were living in Bevil in
1836 when the siege and defeat at the Alamo took place in February and March
1836. Balthazar Mudd had contributed a
horse to the Texas cause in early 1836, the animal received by Captain M. B.
Lewis (later received compensation).
Balthazar Mudd served as sergeant in the company of rangers stationed at
the Port of Sabine 1 May 1837 to 20 August 1837. In November 1836, Balthazar Mudd led a
commission to organize a militia during the Texas Revolution. The militia formed and were sent to the aid
of Sam Houston though they did not make the altercation, later known as the
Battle of San Jacinto.
A friend of Balthazar Mudd named Elizabeth Bullock wrote of
her Texas migration from Kentucky. The
thirteen year old traveled with her uncles by floating down the Mississippi
River to New Orleans and in 1833 journeyed to Natchitoches Parish. It was likely there her family came into contact
with Balthazar Mudd. The group then
migrated west by ox wagon across the Sabine River to San Augustine. Elizabeth
Bullock was loved by the people in the area, among them the family of Balthazar
Mudd (called X. B. Mudd). The following
excerpts from her biography are found (Elizabeth Bullock Huling: A Texas
Pioneer by Looscan):
“[Mudd] who with his family (his wife and her children),
lived at the village of Zavala, in Jasper County (Zavala Colony at the time),
ten miles northwest of the old town of Jasper.
Mr. Mudd was a Frenchman (he may have been well-educated and may have
known French but he was not a Frenchman), then holding the office of sheriff,
under the Alcalde (mayor) Almonte, and Elizabeth went to live with his family
in the early part of 1835, participating with them in all the dangers and
excitement of the revolution. (In her
own hand, Elizabeth Bullock wrote) ‘In 1836 came the terrible panic caused by
the invasion of Texas by Santa Anna.
Most of the men were in the army.
The women and Children and the few men who were at home went fifty miles
to the Sabine River, reaching a point called Salem…This was a place called Cow
Creek Bend, on the Sabine River, near the Indian village of Biloxi. The Indians had deserted their village only a
few days before, but the houses were too filthy for occupancy by white
people. The refugees were in constant
fear of the return on the Indians with hostile intentions, as it was known that
the Mexicans were trying to incite them to warfare against the whites.’ In the fall of 1837 the Mudd family, accompanied
by Philip Smit, his wife (Elizabeth Bullock) and child, moved back to the
village of Zavala.
On 5 April 1838, he petitioned to erect a mill on Big Cow
Creek (later Nelson County bordering Jasper County to the east on the Louisiana
border), a tributary of the Sabine River that divided Louisiana and
Mexico. He later owned land at Little
Cow Creek (177 acres in 1848). On 20
January 1840, Balthazar Mudd appeared to sell much of his league of land to
John Worden, the league being located near Calhoun (today Angelina County,
Texas, just northeast of Jasper County).
After Texas achieved statehood in 1845, Balthazar Mudd was taxed in
Jasper County (1846). His wife Elizabeth
may have died in that same year (no primary source found).
A notice from the Jasper County sheriff Balthazar Mudd in The Red
Lander (St. Augustine, TX, Vol 7, No 14, Jan 19, 1847)
Balthazar Mudd was assigned two land patents in Newton County, Jasper
District in or before 1848. He received
177 acres (Little Cow Creek) from a David Ford entry and 320 acres (McGrawl’s
Spring Creek) from a Sam Williams entry.
In 1850, Balthazar Mudd was living as a “trader” with Henry Force of Indiana and
Force’s young family in Jefferson County, Texas, south of Jasper County near
the coast (1850 census). He was 56 years
old, born in Maryland, and owned 5.083 acres land. The last known record for Balthazar Mudd was
a claim for the 177 acre tract and 320 acre tract he had reviewed a patent for
in 1848. (Note: The Mudd History Book reports the following – “For many years we
believed the report of one informant that Lietford Mudd died a bachelor in
Texas and left nine leagues of land of which was never claimed by
relatives. Obviously there was confusion
with his brother Baltahzar).
Note: Mudd relative Catherine Ewing reported in early 1900s that Balthazar Mudd left a large estate in Angelina County, Texas after his death. She also reported that he had extensive land holdings in Anderson County, Cherokee County, and possibly other Texas counties.
Note: Brother Leopold Mudd's grandson George Henry Mudd of Louisiana reported that Uncle Balthazar had large tracts of land in Texas and after Balthazar's death, the papers for the land were sent to Marcellus Mudd in Southwest Louisiana. Marcellus Mudd was the father of George Henry Mudd, son of Leopold Mudd, and nephew of Balthazar Mudd. Marcellus Mudd, along with other unknown heirs, hired a lawyer in an attempt to obtain the Balthazar land but were unsuccessful. Catherine Ewing reported that after Balthazar Mudd's death, his Angelina County, Texas estate fell into the hands of squatters after legal attempts to prove the relationship between Balthazar Mudd and Frances Sylvester Mudd (Mudd Book). The papers demonstrated the location of Balthazar Mudd's land as Jasper County, Polk County, and several other counties. Marcellus Mudd held the papers until 1865 when they were destroyed during a hurricane in September 1865. Hurricane winds over 100 mph destroyed towns and resulted in at least 25 deaths where Marcellus Mudd lived in Leesburg.
Note: Mudd relative Catherine Ewing reported in early 1900s that Balthazar Mudd left a large estate in Angelina County, Texas after his death. She also reported that he had extensive land holdings in Anderson County, Cherokee County, and possibly other Texas counties.
Note: Brother Leopold Mudd's grandson George Henry Mudd of Louisiana reported that Uncle Balthazar had large tracts of land in Texas and after Balthazar's death, the papers for the land were sent to Marcellus Mudd in Southwest Louisiana. Marcellus Mudd was the father of George Henry Mudd, son of Leopold Mudd, and nephew of Balthazar Mudd. Marcellus Mudd, along with other unknown heirs, hired a lawyer in an attempt to obtain the Balthazar land but were unsuccessful. Catherine Ewing reported that after Balthazar Mudd's death, his Angelina County, Texas estate fell into the hands of squatters after legal attempts to prove the relationship between Balthazar Mudd and Frances Sylvester Mudd (Mudd Book). The papers demonstrated the location of Balthazar Mudd's land as Jasper County, Polk County, and several other counties. Marcellus Mudd held the papers until 1865 when they were destroyed during a hurricane in September 1865. Hurricane winds over 100 mph destroyed towns and resulted in at least 25 deaths where Marcellus Mudd lived in Leesburg.
JOHN BAPTIST MUDD
John Baptist Mudd was born 20 July 1804, about eight years
after his parents Joshua and Ann Mudd had their most recent child. Joshua Mudd was at least 55 years old and Ann
Smith-Mudd must have been about 42 (if born in 1762 as previously
discussed). Also, John Baptist Mudd was
certainly named after John Baptist Smith, the brother of Ann Smith-Mudd (some
family histories report he died in 1805 but that seems very unlikely). According to some sources, he was also known
as “Bob.” There were nine older children
in the Joshua Mudd home, some of whom were preparing to start their own lives
(two were older than 21). John Baptist
Mudd grew up on a large plantation with many slaves on the west side of the
Mattawoman River. His father Joshua Mudd
died in 1813 when he was only about nine year old and his mother died in 1827
when he was 23. He was well schooled and
was known to have been called Dr. John Baptist Mudd (according to the Mudd
History Book). His mother received money
from the Joshua Mudd estate for her children’s schooling during the 1820s (one
report in 1823 confirms this). Either
before or just after his mother’s death, John Baptist Mudd followed examples
set by his brothers and moved southwest to Louisiana.
In 1830, John Mudd was about 26 and living in Lafayette
Parish, Louisiana, bordering St. Landry to the south. His exact location in Lafayette Parish is
unknown but he may have been as close as a few miles from Grande Coteau in St.
Landry Parish. The 1830 census reported
that he was single (WM20-30) and lived with one males slave under 10 years
old. He lived mainly among many French
citizens. He was often called Jean
Baptiste Mudd, a French form of his name.
Soon after 1830, John Mudd married Marguerite Sloane (often found as
Margaret Sloane or Slawn, names in Louisiana often transformed to a French
variation, hence Margaret to Marguerite), believed to be the daughter of John
Sloane and Rachel Lanier who had come to Louisiana nearly 30 years before from
North Carolina. The Sloanes were largely
settled in St. Landry Parish. (Note: Record found for a Jean Baptiste Mudd who
married Marie Azelie Gaspard in 1835 but this was certainly not a Mudd since a Jean
Baptiste Mayer was christened in 1836 as the son of Jean Baptiste Mayer and
Azelie Gaspard) (Note: Many state Marguerite Sloane, daughter of John and
Rachel Sloane, was the Marguerite Sloane married to William Hathorn 1812, then
as widow of Hathorn to Moise Hebert 1832, then also as widow of Hathorn to
Louis Guidry 1840. This is unlikely
since this Marguerite was probably not even a Sloane as Marguerite Sloane was
the widow of Raphael Sloane when she married Hathron in 1812)
Their first child was Mary Mudd (sometimes called Marie Mudd
or Mary Marie Mudd) who was born about 1832 in Louisiana. She was christened 22 January 1836 in
Lafayette Parish (her parents were listed as Jean Baptiste Mudd and Marguerite
Slony in the 1836 baptism record).
Another daughter Susan Louise (or Louisa) Mudd was born 1 December 1835
(in Lafayette Parish records her birth listed her name as Susanne Laisa Mudd,
daughter of Jean Baptiste Mudd and Marguerite Slony). No other Mudd children are known to have been
born or survived to adulthood. John Mudd
died in October 1841 (unknown source though I believe this may have been a
probate date record) in Lafayette Parish.
Some record in October 1841 indicated he was deceased or that Marguerite
was a widow.
In 1850, Suzan Andrews was a single mother (WF 50 born LA) living
in Vermilionville, Lafayette Parish with two daughters - Mary M. Hopkins (WF 18
born LA and married to husband George Hopkins) and Suzan L. Mudd (WF 14 born
LA). Who was Suzan Andrews? Her assumed identity is that she was
Marguerite Sloane-Mudd who remarried an Andrews or Andrus (many of her Sloane brothers
and sisters married members of the Andrus family). And the name Susan? She may have been born Susan Margaret Sloane
or Margaret Susan Sloane.
Daughter Mary Mudd married George Hopkins circa 1850 and daughter
Susan Mudd married Abijah Bailey 14 July 1857.
Both daughters would settle in Vermilionville, Lafayette Parish, about
15 miles from Grand Coteau in St. Landry Parish and just a few miles from the
town of Lafayette. They lived next to
each other in 1860 and also in 1870 when both were widows. Mary Mudd-Hopkins was a school teacher and
Susan Mudd-Bailey was literate. There
was no trace of his wife as neither a Susan nor Marguerite in 1860 or 1870 Lafayette
Parish. And therefore, the fate of John
Baptist Mudd’s wife is unknown.
SYLVESTER LEOPOLD MUDD
Sylvester
Leopold Mudd was born 1 March 1807 in Charles County. He was the youngest child of Joshua Mudd
(about 58 years old) and Ann Smith Mudd (about 45 years old). Leopold Mudd, as he was known (he did not
like his first name), lived on a large tobacco plantation with as many as 30
slaves on the south side of the Mattawoman River (Leopold was known in Charles
County records as Lietperd in his earliest years). When Leopold Mudd was only six years old, his
father Joshua Mudd died (1813) and he was raised by his mother and a network of
older brothers and sisters, many of whom were already married with
children. Leopold Mudd, like his
brothers, was provided with schooling (possibly extensive schooling – he may
have been trained as a doctor). (Note: According to the Mudd History Books,
the author received information from an informant that “Lietford” Mudd, son of
Joshua Mudd, had died a bachelor in Texas – this was later attributed to
brother Balthazar)
Leopold
Mudd (document states Lietperd Mudd, son of Joshua Mudd) sold land (probably
through his mother) in Charles County in or about 1822 (at about age 14) to
Sylvester Francis Gardiner (he would purchase much of the Joshua Mudd land
within the next ten years) and possibly planned to make a move southwest to
Louisiana from an early age. Leopold was
still at home attending school in 1823 (his mother received money 14 October
1823 from the Joshua Mudd estate for Lietperd Mudd – his boarding, clothing,
and schooling). In 1830, Leopold Mudd
was still in or near Charles County, Maryland (possibly St. Mary’s
County). By 1830, four of his brothers
(Benjamin, Clement, Balthazar, and John) had migrated to Louisiana and his
mother was deceased (in 1827). However,
Leopold Mudd had other things on his mind.
On 3 December 1830, he married 20 year old Mary Ann Millard (who was
raised by her uncle James Walker) in St. Mary’s County. Leopold and Mary Mudd were included in a
petition to sell St. Mary’s County land on 31 October 1831. In 1835, Leopold was a plaintiff in a St.
Mary’s County case against John E. Neale.
Then in About 1835, Leopold and Mary Mudd made a move to Louisiana. They may have moved with Mary Millard-Mudd’s
cousins Dr. Edward Marcellus Millard and Dr. Henry Jackson Millard. They appeared to have arrived before the end
of 1835 as Leopold Mudd mortgaged two slaves to Basil Crow on 31 December 1835
in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana. He was
also involved with Sosthene Guidry (of Vermilionville) to mortgage slaves and
town lots in Vermilionville, Lafayette Parish.
This location concludes he was living close to his brother John Baptist
Mudd where he was living with his young family.
Another connection to Lafayette Parish was the christening of their
child in the Lafayette Church in 1837 (29 April 1837 – Herbin William Mudd, son
of Leopold Mudd and Marianne Malard) and 1838 (3 March 1838 – Benjamin James
Mudd).
In
1840, Leopold Mudd had moved farther southwest to Calcasieu Parish. According to the 1840 Calcasieu Parish
census, he (WM 30-40) and his wife Mary (WF 20-30) had three children: Mary Ann
Constance Mudd (born 1833), Edwin William Mudd (born 1835), and Marcellus
Xaverius Mudd (born 28 September 1839).
A son Benjamin James Mudd had been born 9 February 1838 but died 31 July
1838 at age five months. Also living in
the Leopold Mudd home was another white female 20 to 30 and two slaves (BM
10-20 and BF 10-20). Because the
Catholic Church did not have an established church in southwest Louisiana,
Leopold and Mary Mudd traveled to Opelousas Post in St. Landry Parish to
christen their children (example; Elizabeth Cornelia Mudd 10 January 1850,
daughter of Leopold Mudd and Mary Anne Milard).
The
Leopold Mudd family was still living in Calcasieu Parish in 1850 where Leopold
Mudd claimed “school teacher” as his profession (a Dr. Leopold Mudd is found to
have made a lecture in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1851 and his brother John Baptist
Mudd was known to have been a Doctor – unconfirmed source). In 1850 Leopold and Mary Mudd had six
children living in their home and no slaves.
They lived beside another teacher and near several mechanics, planters,
and grasers (reapers who cut grass for fodder).
Calcasieu Parish in 1850 was large and did not designate town or post
office locations. So, an analysis of
their 1850 neighbors in the 1860 census revealed that most of them were in the
Sugartown Post Office location while many were in the Alexandria Post
Office. In 1860, Leopold Mudd was living
in the Lake Charles Post Office vicinity and appears to have moved there from
the Sugartown area. Leopold and Mary
Mudd had four children and also living with them was a school teacher named
John T. Lindsey. There were no slaves in
the household. Leopold Mudd owned $1000
property and $200 personal property and was a farmer. Living next door was their married daughter
Mary Ann Young and her husband Onezeme Young, along with George Jones, Thomas
Murphy, and assorted French Acadian families that were known to have been
Catholic. There was not a permanent
Catholic Church in the area and because of this, Leopold Mudd took three of his
children (Marcellus, Lucinda, and Louisa) to be christened at St. Landry’s
Catholic Church on 8 November 1857.
In
1870, Leopold and Mary Mudd were living once again in an area that was serviced
by the Grand Chenier Post Office, this time in newly created Cameron Parish. This was the same area they lived in ten
years before as their neighbors were also the same. Leopold Mudd was a farmer in 1870 with $100
real estate (Leopold and Mary were both marked as not able to read or write but
that cannot be correct). In his home was
his wife, his daughter Louisa, and seaman James Barney Quinn of Ireland, who
would marry Louisa Mudd within the next month.
Also in the home was Marcellus Mudd and his new wife Ann Murphy. The vote in 1876 for Cameron Parish Court
Recorder was reported in the New Orleans Daily Democrat – Leopold Mudd received
245 votes, J. W. Anderson received 25 votes and J. W. Hanson received 2
votes. In 1877 Leopold Mudd was the
Cameron Parish Court Recorder as reported by the Louisiana Secretary of
State. The list of Cameron Parish
officers were: Parish Judge – S. P. Henry, Clerk of the District Court –
Thomas E. Gee, Sheriff – Anthony M. Jones, Recorder – Leopold Mudd, Tax
Collector – T. J. Lindsay (who had lived with Leopold Mudd in 1860), Assessor –
John Witherill. This was the only list
reported and therefore, Leopold Mudd could have served in previous years.
Leopold Mudd died in October 1879
from congestive fever in Cameron Parish, according to the 1880 Cameron Parish
Mortality Schedule. His death was also
reported in a newspaper and gives more about the circumstances surrounding his
passing. Hurricane 3 of 1879 made
landfall near the Texas-Louisiana border about August 23 or 24 with 100 mph
winds. A tidal wave grounded vessels
along the Cameron Parish coast, destroying many buildings and ruining crops. Many animals were drowned and the resulting
decomposition developed a malaria epidemic and impure drinking water for all
residents near the coast. Leopold Mudd
was a casualty of the hurricane’s devastation.
He was probably buried in the existing burial plot on the old Mudd land
(Note: the cemetery is currently fenced
with a large dirt mound in the middle, topped with a gravestone with the first
two long names chiseled out followed by Mudd – “xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx Mudd” –
this is thought to commemorate those buried in a cemetery previously damaged,
probably by a hurricane and likely Hurricane Audrey in 1957)
In
1880, Leopold Mudd was replaced as the Cameron Parish Court Recorder by A. B.
Smith. Mary Ann Millard-Mudd was alive
in 1880 and was enumerated in Ward 3, Cameron Parish (probably Grand
Chenier). She was a widow living with
her widowed daughter Cornelia Yoakum and a boarder names James Murphy (who
would soon marry Cornelia). Also
neighbors were son Marcellus Mudd and family, daughter Mary Ann Young and
family, and daughter Louisa Quinn and family.
She was not alive in 1900 and died at some time between 1880 and 1900.