Early Looney in America, by Leroy W. Tilton

Robert Looney Jr. Branch
Begin pg 56

Absalom5 Looney (John4 , John3 ) was b. 1814 in Tennessee, m. 4 Feb. 1836 Nancy Chennault b. 1817 in Tennessee. They are listed in St. Clair County census in 1840 with 2 daughters under 5 years. In 1850 Absalom again is enumerated as living with his brother Isaac, while Nancy Looney is head of another household with:

	Frances Looney		b. 1838
	Rebecca	Looney		b. 1840
	Elizabeth Looney		b. 1841
	Martha J. Looney		b. 1844
	Wm. J. Looney		b. 1846

Martin5 Looney (Martin4 ?, John3 ) was b. 1800 in Tennessee, probably in Smith County, where his grandfather, Capt. John Looney, lived at that time. On 10 Dec. 1828 he m. Sarah Joiner b. 1806 in Alabama. (Lauderdale Mar. 2, p. 74). At the 1830 census of Lauderdale County, Martin5 Looney is listed as b. 1805 +5 with a female in same age group and a daughter under 5 years of age. Living with them in 1830 was a young man (perhaps Martin’s younger brother Stephen or Joseph M. Looney) born 1810 to 1815 in Alabama. Joseph M. was an orphan at that time.

Both Martin5 and Sarah Looney were in Lauderdale County at the 1840 census (still with an extra adult male) and with 5 children under 15 years. They were also in Lauderdale County at the 1870 census with children:

	Lucinda Looney		b. 1843
	Sarah F. Looney		b. 1846

End Page 56

George5 Luny (Martin4?, John3) was born ca 1805 in Tennessee, perhaps in Smith County. He married (1) 23 Dec. 1830 Elizabeth Hammonds (Lauderdale Co., Ala. Mar. 2, p. 197.) and (2) 21 or 31 Aug. 1837, Lucinda (Lucy) Newton, b. 1820 in Tennessee. (Lauderdale Mar. 3, p. 212.) He was living alone in Lauderdale in 1830 and the census listing indicates that he was b. 1795 +5.

In 1840 George5 Looney was listed in Lauderdale County with wife as if both were born 1815 +5 and they had only 1 boy under 5 years. On 11 Jan. 1840 G. Loony made a deed to D.R. Looney, possibly a deed of trust on a mortgage. (Lauderdale Deeds 10, p. 213.) At the 1850 census George Luny (b. Tenn. 1805) and Lucinda (b. Tenn. 1820) were in Lauderdale with 5 children, all born in Alabama from 1838 to 1848, and with them lived Joseph Luny, laborer, b. Alabama 1834.

It seems possible that the children of George5 Looney by first wife, Elizabeth, may have included:

	Joseph Luny	b. Ala. 1834, laborer
	George6 C. Looney b. Ala. 1836  See 6th Generation.
             (Why, however, dies the census of 1840, Lauderdale,
               show only 1 boy under 5 years?)

The children by second wife, Lucinda, to whom George5 was married in 1837 were:

	Mary Luny b. 1838  (Where was Mary in 1840?)
	John Luny b. 1840
	Joseph Luny b. 1842
	Aneline Luny b. 1845
	Nancy Luny b. 1848

End Page -57-

Joseph M. Looney (Martin4 , John3 ) was m. 23 Feb. 1837 by D. R. Looney, J.P. to Elizabeth Lentz b. 1820 in Tenn. (Lauderdale Mars. 3, p. 78.) Joseph’s death may be inferred as between 1846 and 1850. At the 1850 census of Lauderdale County the widow, Elizabeth Looney, was listed with children, all born in Alabama:

	William Looney		b. 1836
	Rebecca Looney		b. 1837
	Mary Looney		b. 1846

Where was this family in 1840? At the 1840 census of Lauderdale an A. J. Looney was living alone.

John5 William Looney (Moses4, John3 ) was born in 1812, probably in Coffee County, Tenn. He m. (1) 6 Jan 1831 in Lawrence County, Ala., Mary Hamilton (b. ca 1811 in Ala.) and (2) Sarah Grath (Crash) Menson of South Carolina (who d. 1916 in Memphis, Tenn.). John5 William Looney bought land in Lawrence Co., Ala., in 1835 and in 1855. At the 1840 census there they had 2 boys and 2 girls under 10, and 2 older females lived with them. In 1850 he was a waggoner in the same county. John and his wife Mary had:


	George W. Looney	b. 27 Oct. 1833, d. 23 July 1834 (gravestone)
	Mose Looney		b. Oct. 1833, d. (illegible)
	Madison Looney		b. 1835 (“Matt”)
	Oliver Looney		b. 1838
	Ludemy Looney		b. 1840
	Thomas Looney		b. 1842
	James M. Looney	b. 12 Mar. 1844, d. 12 Apr. 1844 (gravestone)
	Francis Marion Looney	b. 20 Oct. 1846		See 6th generation
	Benjamin Looney	b. 1849, d. in Miss.

End Page -58-

John and his second wife, Sarah	, had:
	Sally Looney		d. in Memphis. Marr. George Allen.
	Edison Lee Looney (Edgar)	m. Beulah Shoemaker. Lived at Falkville, Ala.
	Wiley Looney		m. Margaret Shoemaker.  He d. 1933.
	Stephen Dore Looney			See 6th generation

John5 William Looney, father of this large family, dies at Danville, Ala., in 1886. Sarah, his widow, d. in 1916 and is buried in Memphis, Tenn.

Moses5 Looney, Jr. (Moses4 , John3 ) was b. 1819 in Tennessee. He married 28 April 1841 Susan DeVault b. 1816 in Alabama. At the 1850 census of Lawrence Co., Ala., he was a carpenter and they had:

	Frank Looney		b. 1842
	George Looney		b. 1844
	Simeon Looney		b. 1845
	Robert Looney		b. 1848
In 1851 Moses Looney, Jr. purchased land in Lawrence County, Ala.

Claiborne5 Looney (Stephen4 , John3 ) was born ca1805, probably in Smith County, Tenn., where his grandfather, Capt. John3 Looney owned land at that time. He m. 29 Nov. 1827 Margaret Neron b. 1808 in North Carolina. (Lauderdale Marr. 2, p. 58) He is listed in Lauderdale County, Ala., at the 1830 census but was in Mississippi by 1837 and in Panola County, Miss., in 1840. Margaret seemed a widow there in 1850. Their probable children from census records were:

	John Looney		b. 1829 Ala.  Wife Sarah b. 1829 Ga.
	Jordan Looney

End Page -59-

Jesse5 Looney (Stephen4 , John3 ) was b. 1807 in Tenn., perhaps in Warren County, on or near Collins River where his grandfather Capt. John4 Looney and his uncle John4 Looney were active in land transactions at that time. He m. 26 Aug. 1830 Polly Welsh b. 1813 in South Carolina. (Lauderdale Marr. 2, p. 153.) At the census of 1840 they had removed to the 4th district, Northern Division of Tishomingo County, Miss. From census records and from family records of Mrs. Ralph C. Ashmore, Aiken, South Carolina, they had:

	Elizabeth Looney		b. ca 1833  Ala.
	William Looney		b. ca 1835 Ala.; d. at 24 years.
	Martha Looney		b. ca 1838 Miss.; m. Moore
	Mary Looney		b. ca 1839 or 1840
	Julia Looney		b. ca 1842
	Cinderella Lou Looney	b ca 1845, m. Mecks, who died leaving 4 children.
	George6 Looney		b ca 1850		See 6th generation
	George Washington Looney   b. 16 May 1851 or 1852; m. (1) 22 Mar. 1874
		in Ark., Martha (‘Mattie’) Amuthal Short b. 22 July 1856;  and m. 
		(2) Nannie Eugene Ralls in Ark.

David5 R(iley) Looney (Benj4 , Benj.3 ) was born 2 Sept. 1793 in Stanley Valley, Hawkins County, East Tennessee. This maybe the David Looney who on 9 Sept. 1809 with John F. G. Johnson and Anthony Stewart witnessed a deed from Isam4 Looney to Absalom4 Looney for $150 for 188 acres in Stanley Valley where Mary Looney and said Absalom4 Looney then lived.

David5 Riley Looney was a Sergeant in Capt. Jonas Laughmiller’s Company (Hawkins County), Col. Ewin Allison’s Regiment, in the service of the United

End Page -60-

Continue with Part 2, Robert Looney Jr. Branch (NEXT PAGE)

Return to Manuscript INDEX PAGE