Chasing Our Tales: Withers and Bruce Family Connections

This column is dedicated to one of my favorite families in this or any other county, the Withers family. When I moved here in 1958, one person who made life much easier for me at the high school was Langdon Withers. He was a good friend and someone who could be counted on.

Later, as an adult, and teacher, I met Langdon's sister Mattie (Martha Elizabeth) Buchanan and his brother Cecil Withers, and when I became active in DAR I met his other sisters, Willie Mae Hubbard and Mary Ann Dinwiddie. No nicer group of people can be found anywhere!

Then, as I searched for a topic for this month's column, I came upon a query from Robert Bruce < bobob@journey.com , or 1421 South Sixth Street, Atchison KS 66002 > which read: "Looking for descendants of Abijah Withers and Clara Bruce. I am hoping to learn more about the 1991 Revolutionary Grave Marker for John Bruce in Lancaster, Kentucky. The dedication was held on 26 Oct 1991 at Bruce Cemetery Point Levall."

I contacted Robert (I found it interesting that his name closely resembles Robert the Bruce!) and discovered a local Withers connect to his Bruce family. As I possess a copy of the book, Cooking with the Withers, which was put together for a family reunion in 1997, I found that the Bruce name carried back several generations. Dr. Horatio Bruce Withers, M.D., and his wife, Ella Lee Jordan, had a son named Jordan Bruce Withers, born 8 May 1902, died 28 March 1986. Jordan's wife was Anna Lou Abbot, born 1 May 1904, died 13 January 1985. Anna Lou's parents were Frank Harrison Abbott and Sallie Taylor Hill.

Jordan Bruce and Anna Lou Withers had seven children: Martha Elizabeth, Frank Horatio, Lee Roy, Willie Mae, Mary Ann, Cecil Jordan, and Langdon Abbott.

Then I learned from Robert Bruce that his great-great-great grandfather was John Bruce who was married to Elizabeth Clay. They are buried on John's Estate at Point Leavall, about eight miles east of Lancaster, Kentucky. Horatio Bruce, who married Elizabeth Beasley, is also buried there, as are some Withers. Clara Bruce married a Withers, and they are buried there.

The Withers/Bruce family has a fair number of patriotic ancestors. Horatio Bruce served in the War of 1812 with the 2nd Kentucky Militia, John Bruce was a corporal and sergeant from Virginia in the Revolutionary War. James Withers was a Lieutenant from Virginia in the Revolution.

But now, let's take the family farther back. John Bruce was from Scotland and came to Virginia after the war of Culloden Moor, 1745-46, which is documented at http://www.queenofscots.co.uk/culloden/cull.html . John and his brother, Alexander, arrived in Virginia in 1746. It is thought that Alexander may have gone south to the Carolinas.

John married Margaret Jones, and their son was John. He married Elizabeth Clay, daughter of Dr. Henry Clay and Rachel Provall, Their second son, John, married Anna Doty, but she died. He then married Isabella Boyle, the daughter of Alexander Boyle; her uncle was the well known Judge Boyle. John and Isabella's son was Patrick Henry Clay Bruce. He married Malinda Crawford. Their son, Robert A. Bruce, was Robert Bruce's grandfather, and his father, Robert, was killed in France in World War II.

The second John Bruce went from Virginia to Lancaster, Kentucky. His estate is what is known as Point Leavall, where he is buried. The next John went to St. Paul, Lewis County, Kentucky, where they owned several mills. He was also a riverboat Captain and did contract work for the government. He died 1855 in Washington D.C. and is buried on his estate in St. Paul, Kentucky.

Patrick went to Claycenter, Kansas. He died in 1906 and is buried in the Greenwood Cemetery there. His biography was written when he was 71. The Withers/Bruce connection started with Abijah Withers and Clara Bruce. They married on Feb 10 1805 at Point Levall.

Elizabeth Bruce married her cousin William Withers. She died after they moved to Mineral Wells. They had a son, Henry Clay Withers, of Carrollton, Illinois, who visited Scotland and brought back a Bruce genealogy dating back to 1250. Also, one Bruce daughter married a James Withers. I have found many, varied Withers/Bruce connections. Most beginning in Virginia, some leading to the Carolinas and some leading to Kentucky.

Edwina Singleton Price < eprice42@aol.com > is looking for information about Lem and Emmaly (Emma) Singleton and Halley Singleton. They lived in Palo Pinto late in the1800's or early 1900's. Harry Singleton was Lem's brother, and Harry's wife, Margaret (Maggie) was Emmaly's sister. They came from Tennessee. Margaret and her children later moved to New Mexico. William Singleton, Harry's son, moved to Oklahoma, married there, and is buried there.

If you have information on either the Withers or Bruce family or the Singletons, or other genealogical or historical information you would like to share, please contact me at P. O. Box 61, Mineral Wells TX 76068-0061 or online at siouxcitysue@cox-internet.com .