Machen Families

John L. Machen Jr.
Arkansas

John L. Machen
b. May, 1833 Pike Co., Georgia
d. ? Ark

m. Martha A. "Mattie" Burns February 7, 1856 Tallapoosa Co., AL
b. 1835 Ala
d. after 1874 ? Ark
her father: Alexander Burns b. c1812 SC
mother: Margarete Greer b. c1816 SC

his father - John Lewis Machen
mother - Leah Renwick

Children of Martha A. Burns
James Machen	b. 1857	d.	m.
Margaret Eugenia Machen	b. May 16, 1859 Lafayette, Ala	d. 23 Mar 1904 Portland,Ark	m. Wm. "Willie" Lee Hollaway 1883 Hamburg.Ark
Montgomery Machen	b. 1861 Ark	d.	m. Samuel Elizabeth Burns
Frances Machen	b. 1863 Ark	d.	m.
John W. Machen	b. 1865 Ark	d. before 1880	m.
Dora Machen	b. 1870 Ark	d. before 1880	m.
John P. Machen	b. Oct. 1874 Ark	d.	m. Hattie J. May 1888 Ark 2m. Laura ? about

1833 - John L. Machen is born to John Machen and Leah Renwick, in Georgia [Laura Cleveland]

This is a rather old southern family that has its roots into South Carolina and Virginia. The only Machen family in Georgia in 1830 is John Machen but they leave by 1840. [1850 roll 55, Georgia , 108 Pike] John Sr. doesn't show up on the 1850 census in Georgia but do have a child born there John L. Machen born May,1833 Pike Co., Georgia ]

1850 - John L. Machen is listed as "junr" in the census for Chambers Co., Alabama under his father spelled "John Meachum" in Chambers Co. Alabama. He is 16 years old born in Georgia. He is here with his brother William (23), Nancy(18), Leonidus (14), Elizabeth Anderson (7, probable dau. of another child, Rosannah Jane who married Wm Hampton Anderson) [1850 Alabama, Chambers 269]

John L. "junr" oldest brother, James H. Machen (34), had already moved to Arkansas by 1850 with his first wife, Elizabeth(17) and no children. , [Dallas Co., 045 Princeton]

1856, Jan 21- John L. Machen applied for license for marriage on January 21, 1856 to Martha A. "Mattie" Burns in Tallapoosa Co., Alabama. He should be 23 years old and Mattie is 21years. [Early Alabama Marriages, vol.26,p.2. ]. They were finally married on February 7, 1856.

1859-1860 The family moves to Arkansas from Alabama along with several other relatives.

1862 -30 June - J. L. Machen is enlisted in Co. A, 33 Arkansas Infantry in Magnolia, Columbia Co, Ark for a period of three years. He enters as a private and is paid $25 for the use of his rifle. on July 2, 1862.

1863- 29 Jan, J. L. Machen writes

"For commutation of rations, having been left behind, on the retreat from Van Buren, sick and unable to travel - from Dec 28th, 1862 to Jan 29th 1863, being 32 days at 35 cents per day. --------$11.20. "

- Dec 1st, John L. Machen receives a Certificate of Disability for Discharge.
"on account of disease of the heart."
He is described in this paper as being 30 years old, 5 feet 10 inches tall, dark complexion, dark eyes, black hair with an occupation as farmer.
[Confederate States Military documents]
This is probably where J. L. learned to be a physician. After the war he apparently uses his knowledge to try to make a living in Arkansas. His elder brother, James H. Machen b. 1816, is also now known as a "physician," where as before the war in 1850 he was a "merchant".

1870 - John L. Machen is listed in the census in Ashley Co. Ark. as a "physician". He is here with his wife and his first six children including Eugenia(11f , Ala)
[Columbia Co, 378 Calhoun Twp.]

The life of a "physician" must not have been too easy in this era.

The Physician- The life of a physician is a life of contradictions. He is slandered, abused and derided: yet he is sought with avidity, and freely received into the bosoms of families. His opinion can blanche the cheek, or suffuse the eye with tears of joy; and his lips are as closely watched as if from them proceeded the issues of life and eath. He lives by the woes of others; and while he would if constant health were the attribute of our race, he is endeavoring to banish sickness from among men, while success in his avocation would ruin him for ever. He is always engaged in war against his own bread and butter.
[The Pine Woods Planter, May 5, 1838, pub. in Liberty, Miss., Vol. 1, No. 13]

c. 1875 - The two younger children, John W.(b1865) and Cora (b1870) die, which I believe, also helped him change his occupation from physician to farmer. They don't show up in the 1880 census.

1880 - John L. Machen(46m Geo) is now listed as a farmer . His wife is still Martha(43f Ala], besides them are their children: Ugenia (19f Ala), Montgomery(17m Ark), Francis (14f Ark), John P.(5m Ark) [AshleyCo, 141, Portland Dist.]
Place of birth of his father and mother are both listed as South Carolina. Her father's birth place in not listed but the mother is South Carolina.

1876-84 - This photo of Eugenia Machen would probably have been taken from about the age of 16 to 19 years old. She marries in 1884 at about the age of 23 but looks much more like a teenager here. She's a much more mature woman in the family photo of about 1898-9 that I have on her family page. This photo is in the collection of Ernest Hollaway Jr. of Tennessee.

Eugenia Machen about the age of 16-18. about 1884
photo courtesy of Ernest Hollaway Jr.

1890 - This census was destroyed by fire.

1920- US Census, Arkansas, Columbia, Magnolia. Series: T625 Roll: 59 Page: 225

Machen, John P.              head      owner   m w 60 mar 1yr          Ark.      Geo.    Ala.
"              , Laura                wife                    f   w 40 mar                  Ark.      Ala.     So. Car.
"              , Hughes        son                     m w 24 s                     Ark.      Ark.     Ark.
"              , Martha Kesney dau                    f    w   9 s                    Ark.      Ark.     Ark.
"              , Laura Kestlen   dau                    f w 7   s                      Ark.      Ark.     Ark.
"              , Dorothy             dau                    f w 4 s                       Ark.      Ark.     Ark.

sources:

Confederate States Military documents, U. S. Archives, Wa. D. C.
Edwards, Laura Cleveland, Three Centuries in America: Thomas Machen of Middlesex County, VA, 816 Perry Howard Rd., Fuquay-Varina, N. C. 27526, 1999. email - jledwards6@nc.rr.com Kelly, Pamela C.
Early Alabama Marriages, vol.26,p.2., Family Adventures, P. O. Box 290354, San Antonio, TX 78280-1754
The Pine Woods Planter, May 5, 1838, pub. in Liberty, Miss., Vol. 1, No. 13, reprinted in Family Trails, Hist. Society of Jackson, Miss., Vol. 7-3 p. 25, 1992
U S. Census,

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