Re: John Costner/Alabama
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In reply to:
John Costner/Alabama
3/16/03
Harold,
I am attaching an abstract of the Application of Phillip Jackson COSTNER for Indian blood kinship to the Cherokke Rolls.
It provides some great historial info on the father Levi Lowery COSTNER Sr and his siblings. Just have to sort out which of the LEVI's that LUCY MITCHELL Married before marrying JOHN COSTNER alias RIGGINS.
I still believe strongly that the missing WILSON B. COSTNER born around 1858 is the one that she married. Only problem is that Levi Costner Sr did not die until 1895 and the 1910/1920 Census of Washington Co., FL states that she married John RIGGINS in 1889/1890. She must have divorced him to marry JOHN COSTNER alias RIGGINS. You may want to search for this Wilson Costner instead of John Costner.
The CENSUS records show he was from GA in 1910/1920 and AL in 1930. There is another bunch of COSTNER families that moved from Cherokee/Bartstow Co. GA to several of the same areas of AL that the Cleveland Co., NC COSTNERS moved to. I will look at this GA bunch again to see if any possible ages could fit with a first name variance. A lot of these families migrated to AL right before 1880 or right after 1880 to AL. These COSTNER'S are related to the others also a few generations back. Just took different routes and longer to get to AL.
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ABSTRACT:
APPLICATION NO. 29951 to GUION-MILLER CHEROKEE ROLLS 1906-1908
NOTE:
ACTION: Application was Rejected
REASON:" Proof of genuine connection with the Eastern Cherokees
insufficient. It appears that no ancestor was a party to the treaties
of 1835 (36-46).NO Ancestor was ever enrolled" See Misc Letter
Testimony Pg 933 this file.
1.State Full Name
Q- English Name: Phillip Jackson Costner
Q- Indian Name: Mother name except above
2. Residence and post Office:Piedmont, Al RFD
3. County: Calhoun
4. State: Alabama
5. How old are you? nearly 54Born? Nov 11, 1853
6. Where were you born? St. Clair County, AL
7. Are you married? Yes
8. Name and age of wife or husband:
Mary Jane ElizabethCostner
9. To what tribe of Indians does he or she belong? Eastern Cherokee
10. Name all your children who were lving on May 28, 1906, giving their ages:
(1) Julia Melvina CostnerAge 30 Born Dec 20, 1877
11. Give names of your father and mother, and mothers name before marriage:
Father- English name: Levi Lowery Costner
Father - Indian Name: He was a white man
Mother- English Name: Elizabeth Costner
Mother - Indian Name: Elizabeth Cheler (pronounced Chewaller)
Mother - Maiden Name: Elizabeth Cheler
12. Where were they born?
Father: Spartanburg, South Carolina
Mother: Near Mountevallo, Alabama
13. Where did they reside in 1851, if living at that time?
Father- Alabama
Mother- Alabama
14. Date of death of father and mother?
Father - He has been dead about 12 years
Mother - Died about 1897
15. Were you ever enrolled in money, anunnities or benefits?
Not that I know Of.
16. Name brother and sister, giving ages and residences (if possible):
(A) William David Costner Born 1850 LIVING
(B) Mrs. Rachael Elizabeth Mayo Born abt 1852 DEAD
(C) Wilson B. Costner Born about 1855 DEAD
(D) Lowery Levi Costner Born about 1858 LIVING
(E) Mrs. Sarah Ann Arbello Adeline Smith Born about 1861 LIVING
17. State the English and Indian names of your grandparents on both fathers
and mothers side , if possible:
Father
Claim no Indian ancestry on my fathers side but on my mothers side
Mother
Brney Cheler and Adeline Cheler (ne Watts)
18. Where were they born? Itiwkin, Alabama - that is my information
19. Where did they reside in 1851, if living at that time?
Maternal grandmother was dead in 1851; maternal grandfather lived in ALA in 1851
20.Give the names of all their children and residence if possible:
(A) Jim Cheler
(B) Bill Cheler
(C) Elizabeth Cheler
(D) Benton Cheler
(E) John Cheler
(F) Oliver Cheler
(G) Phillip Cheler
(H) Sarah Cheler
(I) Adeline Cheler
(J) Margaret Cheler
21. Have you ever been enrolled money, annunities and other benefits?
Never Have.
22. To assist in indentification, claimant should give the full English and Indian names, if possible,
of their parents and grandparents back to 1835.
Barney Cheler and ??? Watts (great grandparents)
Barney Cheler and his wife Adeline Cheler (nee Watts) (grand parents)
and my parents stated in Question No 11
REMARKS - additional info to help identification:
Oliver and Benton Chler, my uncles were living in the Indian
Territorieslast time I heard from them. Brney Cheler my grandfather
often stated to me he was a Cherokee Indian, he looked like an Indian
& had their ways and my mother often stated to me that she was a
Cherokee Indian and she resembled an Indian.
SIGNED
P J COSTNER 19 July 1907
AFFADAVIT
John P. Wolf and WD Wolf testify that whey have known PJ Costner 7 years
and 20 years respectively and all info is true.
SIGNED: 19 July 1907 and Notarized
FILE: N0. 29951
Last attempt to prove file; Letter abstracted from typed letter.
Phillip J. Costner, being duly sworn, deposes and says:
My names is Phillip J. Costner, I reside at Piedmont, Alabama. I was
born in St. Clair Co., Ala in 1853. I calim reltionship to the Cherokee
Indians through my mother Elizabeth Cheler, pronounced "Che-wa-ler", and
she was seven sights Cherokee Indian. My mother claims thriugh her father
and mother, who were Cherokee Indians. My grandfathers name was Barney
Cheler and my grandmothers name was Watts. I do not remember the first anme.
My mother was either born in either Shelby Co., Ala., or Dallas Co.,
Ala. My father was born in Spartanburg, South Carolina. My mothers
mother was a full-blooded Cherokee Indian and my mothers father was a
half Cherokee Indian. My mother always told me that she was a Cherokee
Indian: she resembled an Indian very much and she could talk some of
the Cherokee language. When I was aboy I lived among the Indians in
St. Clair Co., Ala., and I understood the Cherokee language somewhat.
In 1851 my parents lived in St. Clair Co., Ala. My mother was born
about 1827. My mother and her people lived in Shelby Co., Ala. up until
1850, when my mother moved to St. Clair County. My grandparents always
lived in Shelby Co., Ala. I have often heard my mother talk of the
Indians and hjeard her say that she was related to one "Stiff-fawn"
and also to Adam Hufftedler, both of whom were Cherokee Indians. I
left my parents when I was about fourteen years of age, which was
about 1867, and I did not see my mother until about 1876, and I have
seen her a few times afterwards prior to her death. My people were
always recognized as white people. I know of no enrollment of my people
as Indians.
Test:
M.L. Daley(Signed)Phillip J. Costner (X his mark)
Subscribed and sworn to before me at Anniston, Ala., this 3rd day of July, 1908.
Stanley A. Foulk
Assistant to Specail
Commissoner of the
Court of Claims
NOTE: Don't believe this party knows what he is talking about. S.A.F.
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Take a look at this and let's discuss some more.
Keith E. Norris
Charlotte, NC