James Atlas Rice ^{18,102,103,104,105,106}

  General Notes:

Albertville was once known as Hustleville.

  Research Notes:

Although the Mormon web site indicates he died Aug 24, 1876, that is incorrect as verified by a court document which clearly gives his death as Aug 24, 1873. The document is hand written by the probate court judge or clerk. This historical document was found by John Barras and is a scan of a copy of an avadavat that states the date Atles Rice died as the 24th day of August 1873. John found this document as part of the Homestead Deed for Atles Rice at the National Archives in Washington D.C.

He is listed in the 1840 Census, Newton Co., Georgia, pg. 33, 5th line from bottom. Listed as: 1-male (20-29, himself), and 1-female (20-29, his wife). Listed near him are significant separate familes of interest: Leonard Sparks (30-39), and William Rice (40-49). James' entry here is consistent with name and children's ages in the upcoming 1840 census of the same county.

He is surrounded by William Rice (50-59), Nancy Sparks (50-59), and Martha Rice (20-29). I mention the surrounding families because they are either of the same name, or of a name (Sparks) wherein the families have married into. Listed in James' family are: 2-males (under 5), 2-males (5-9), 1-male (30-39, himself), 1-female (5-9), and 1-female (20-29, his wife). They have no free colores persons, but slaves are not mentioned.

Atlas is listed as head-of-household in the 1850 Census, Newton Co., Georgia, Subdivision 65, family #900, October 9: Atlas Rice, 38, blacksmith (sic), born in North Carolina; Adeline, 20, born in Georgia.

He is listed as head-of-household in the 1860 Census, Madison Co., Alabama, Guntersville, family #487, July 6: Atlas Rice, 38, house carpetnet, property valued at $130; Adaline, 26; George, 6; Mary, 5; Thomas, 4; Margarett, 3; Bronson, 7/12s; all except Bronson were born in Georgia.

He is listed as head-of-household in the 1870 Census, Madison Co., Alablam, Guntersville, family #430, July 12: Atlas Rice, 53, carpenter, property valued at $300, born in North Carolina; Atline (Adaline), 47, keeping house; George, 19, carpenter; Mary, 16; Thomas, 14; Margaret, 12; James, 10, born in Alabama: Sweet, 5, born in Alabama; Atlas, 2, born in Alabama; all except where indicated otherwise, were born in Georgia.

Others indicate that James was born in North Carolina. Also, his death year is shown variously as 1873, 1876 and 1878. No doubt that is because of the similarities of he shape of the last digit.

I did more research on Rices in general in North Carolina, where we know that Atlas was born. None of the following is for certain, but appears to be accurate pending confirming data from supplemental sources. We know from the 1850 census in Newton Co., GA that Atlas Rice was 38; census data is mostly accurate, but typically if the age isn't correct then it will be from 1-2 years more than the census data, but never younger. Atlas was 38 in 1850, or maybe 39, and possibly 40, but not younger than 38. Thus, he was born between 1810 and 1812. It also clearly showed that he was born in North Carolina.

Staying with another possibility that Joseph Rice & Mary Prince Payne could be his parents. I had put that away at one time because of the James Rice in Gate Co., NC who was born in about 1821/22 because he was too young to be Joseph's son. I can't explain why I didn't note that Atlas was 38 in 1850, but it seems that I defaulted to Gates County as his source and simply overlooked it.

Now Joseph Rice appears in the 1850 census in Buncombe Co., NC, and that's the same place he lived since leaving Virginia. There is no other Joseph Rice, and the 1850 census clearly shows him born in Virginia. In 1850, he is 89, and is probably living the household of a widowed daughter. That doesn't tell us much except that he tracks back to the same Joseph Rice that married Mary Prince Payne in Henry Co., Virginia.

In the 1840 census, Joseph & Mary are still in Buncombe Co., and they are living alone. Also listed about them (clustered together) are Wm., and Ja. Rice. The J could be an L, but other Js and Ls on the same page confirm that it is Ja.; I don't like that it's a small "a" but that's another matter for the moment, but it could stand for James instead of J.A. as I suspect it may be. However, there is no James or J.A. Rice in Buncombe Co., NC in the 1850 census, so whoever it was has moved away from Buncombe. This Ja. Rice is listed as 20-29 years old, and living with him is a female, age 20-29, and presumably his wife, but no children.

In the 1850 census for Buncombe County, there are many more Rices there (presumably descendants of Joseph), but none who are even close to the right age group for the Ja. Rice of 1840. Thus, Ja. Rice as definitely move from Buncombe County. A search of all of NC for 1850 for J Rice + soundex didn't yield any one what might be Ja. Rice born about 1810-1812 (no one even close). People can be overlooked in a census, but barring that possibility, it appears that Ja. Rice has moved from NC before the 1850 census.

In the 1830 census for Buncombe County, Joseph & Mary are still there and living alone. There are three other Rice families in the county. George Rice is under 20, and appears to be married, with two small male children at home. However, he is listed on the same page as Joseph Rice, but 10 houses away. Joseph M. Rice is under 20, and also appears to be married with two small children (1 male & 1 female). William Rice age 30-39 with 4 males under 15 and 2 females under 10 and his wife. Obviously, none of these can be the Ja. Rice from 1840 because they have no children in 1840 unless per chance their children died prior to the 1840 census; and the names aren't close. Thus, either Ja. Rice just moved into Buncombe County between the 1830 & 1840 census, or he launched out on his own at the time of the 1830 census.

Tracking down Ja. Rice. Interestingly, James Rice is listed as head-of-household in the 1830 census, Newton Co., GA. This is the same county where Atlas Rice shows up in 1850. This James appears to be married and has no children (same status in the 1840 census). Oddly, they had no children through the 1830 & 1840 census, and then none in 1850. This is very unusual, and since it's believed that Atlas married Adaline in 1849/1850 and they started having children (at least 9 by 1867), Atlas was certainly previously married because it appears he was married in 1830 and 1840 census, but Adaline wasn't even born until 1829 or 1830 as verified by the 1850 census. Maybe they divorced because she couldn't have children, but that isn't likely because of the times, so I suspect that his first wife may have died. It fits that she may have gotten ill with some progressive illness and that would explain why he moved back to North Carolina because his first wife would have been born there. After she died, he then returned to Georgia where he met Adaline and finally began a family in Georgia before heading out to Alabama in about 1859. The other possibility, which is plausible, but I believe not reasonable, is that the female living with him in the 1830 and 1840 census is a sister; I discount that possibility because a sister would have certainly been looking for a husband, and not likely that she would have lived with a single brother for from 10-20 years as an adult.

Lastly, and the only part that doesn't mesh with the rest is Joseph Rice. He is listed in the 1820 census, again in Buncombe Co., NC. He has 2 males under 20, his wife, and an older woman (probably his or his wife's mother). The problem is that both males are about 5 years older than expected, even within the age brackets. Normally this would be a disqualified for me, but I have the 1830 census which gives conflicting ages with 1820, and the 1830 ages match the persons living around him. It's my opinion at this time, based on the above, that Joseph Rice & Mary Prince Payne are the parents of William Rice & Joseph Atlas Rice, and they had no other children.

Supplemental, but supporting information:

1. A Daniel Holcombe is living beside Joseph in the 1820 census. The Holcombes were known families that settled in/around the future generations settling in Alabama.

2. Joseph Rice's wife was Mary Prince Payne. As mentioned in an earlier note, the Prince surname is that of my wife's father. The Prince surname also migrated along this same VA/NC/GA/AL route.

3. In 1840 the Holcombe surname, and now the Sparks surname are on the same census page as James, and his youngest daughter married a Sparks. The Sparks family is living right next door to James in the 1840 census.
^75,102

James married Unknown Unknown ¹⁰¹.^,102 The marriage ended in divorce. (Unknown Unknown was born about 1810-1812 in NC, USA ^102,106 and died before 1850.)

James next married Adaline Eason, daughter of Abraham Eason and Mary Granville, on Mar 16, 1849 in Gatesville, Gates Co., NC ^103,104.^,105 (Adaline Eason was born about 1827 in GA,^{100,103,104,105} died before 1930 and was buried in Eason-Johnson Cemetery, Albertville, AL ¹⁸.)