Today I decided to write about my husband’s great grandfather, Dulan Jackson Bigham. When I started researching my family, I also searched some on my husband’s family. This is what I discovered about Dulan.
Dulan was born 6 November 1872 in Marshall Tennessee according to his WWI draft and death record.
Dulan married Martha Elizabeth Stafford on 5 November 1898 in Marshall County, Tennessee. Dulan and Elizabeth would have seven children, Mogan T born about 1900, Lou Ella born about 1903, Annie Lou born about 1908, Mable born about 1909, Jackson Davis Sr born 22 May 1912, Frank born about 1915, and Virginia born about 1918.
As you can see I still have a lot of research that needs to be done. As I was searching for who Dulan’s parents were I came across some interesting information. On the 1880 Marshall County TN US Census it list’s David and Violet Biggam with two children John W and DS. If you look closely at DS, which I believe is DJ, under relationship it says grand not son. So who are the parents of Dulan Jackson Bigham?
I do believe that the census is the family that I was looking for and had a clue about who Dulan’s parents are. As I continued my search I found Dulan’s death record. According to his death record David and Violet are his parents.
So I did more digging to see what I could come up with. I looked at both the 1860 and 1870 US Marshall County Tennessee to see what I could learn.
1860 Census listed David and Violet with three children, two daughter and one son. Hannah E age 10, Cordilia J age 6, and Azor C age 3.
1870 Census listed David and Violet with four children, two daughter and two sons. HEC age 19, CJ age 16, SC age 13 and SW age 7.
The 1870 census was just two years before Dulan was born. I was not sure how to proceed from this point because I had two different documents with David and Violet, one stating he was their grandson and the other he was their child. So who are the parents of Dulan?
At this point I believe that Dulan is the illegitimate son of one of David and Violet’s daughters, Hannah or Codeilia. This is what makes the most sense to me. I do not know if David and Violet ever officially adopted Dulan. When I added Dulan to my husbands family tree, I added him as the child of David and Violet but made a note of what I believe.
My next step will be to see if I can get a cousin of my husband’s to take a DNA test, as my husband is adopted into the Bigham family. Maybe we can solve the mystery using DNA to prove who Dulan’s mother and possible father are.
Ella Jane Anne 
Further research would need to be done, but someone on FamilySearch Family Tree noted that he was the half brother of Nancy Lee Green, and the son of Hannah, who eventually married John Wesley Green. John’s first wife is shown to be the mother of Nancy, but no documentation and the first wife supposedly died in 1909. Like I said, more work to be done, but it looks like the trail might lead to Hannah.
LikeLike
I will have to check the tree on family search. From talking to family that knew him, no one knew who his parents were.
LikeLike
Thanks for sharing your special family with us.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wonderful research! Looking forward to hearing the rest of the story.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am working on this family now and learning some new interesting things. Not sure it will help me solve everything but I feel that I am getting closer.
LikeLike