By 1800 there is no more evidence of Joshua doing business in Fairfield County, SC. His activities seemed to be limited to Anson County, NC and to raising a family (which is a full time job!).
You’ll remember they already have a young son, Lewis, who was born in 1798. In 1800 they added a little girl named Lydia to their family.[1. Lydia Frost is listed as Joshua Seale’s heir in his probate documents; Jasper County, Texas, “Final Account of Administration, Book D,” 372-373, estate of Joshua Seale, 1864; County Clerk, Jasper County, Texas; Lydia Frost’s age is confirmed by the 1850 census; 1850 U.S. Census, Clarke County, Mississippi, population schedule, Beat #3, p. 347, dwelling 339, family 341, Lydia Frost, Jasper and Newton Phillips; digital image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org : accessed 20 July 2016); citing NARA microfilm Series M432, roll 370.] Joshua was 25, Ellender was 19. Sounds like a good time to stop, right? A vivacious family of four in North Carolina? Not for the Seales!
In 1803 a new daughter named Martha came into the family.[2. Jasper County, Texas, “Final Account of Administration, Book D,” 372-373, estate of Joshua Seale, 1864; County Clerk, Jasper County, Texas; Find a Grave, database with images, (http://www.findagrave.com/ : accessed 20 August 2016), memorial 9605783, Martha Jane Seal Warren (1803-1849), Warren Cemetery, Marion County, Mississippi, gravestone photograph by Janine McQuiston.] Martha was followed by a bouncing baby boy named Alexander in 1804. In 1805 the Seales had another girl who they named Ellender, after her mother.[3.Find a Grave, database with images, (http://www.findagrave.com/ : accessed 20 August 2016), memorial 19842510, Ellender Seal Davis (1805-1845), Hosea Davis Cemetery, Marion County, Mississippi; gravestone photographed by Gwen Pitman.] Then along came another boy, my 2nd great grandfather Daniel in 1807.[4. 1850 U.S. Census, Bienville Parish, Louisiana, population schedule, Western District, p. 252, dwelling 92, family 92, Daniel B Seale and family; digital image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org : accessed 20 July 2016); citing NARA microfilm Series M432, roll 230.] A couple of years after Daniel, came his brother James, born in 1809.[5. Find a Grave, database with images (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed 20 August 2016), memorial 13969088, J M Seale (1809-1894), Rogers Cemetery, Bell County, TX; gravestone photographed by Karen Morey.] Amazingly, Ellender Seale had 7 children in 11 years. Just thinking about it makes me tired!
You may have noticed that there is no footnote behind Alexander’s name. That is because I don’t have any proof that a boy named Alexander ever existed. Well, almost none.
If you look at online Family Trees for Joshua Seale, most give him a son named Alexander that was born on January 23, 1804. However, none of them list any evidence supporting that assertion. There are a couple of Seale anthologies that I have consulted, and the same thing.[6. Nancy Kuehl, A Seale Anthology, (Twin City Publishing, 1985), page 317; Ida C Seale, Seale and Allied Families (Houston: 1944), 87.] They list Alexander and his date of birth, but no further information and no evidence. Was Alexander real?
While I have no direct evidence to support Alexander’s existence, but I do have a couple of clues to tell you about….next time!