Flora Rivers McNeill

Narrative:

     Flora Rivers McNeill was born on 26 Aug 1843 in Christian Co., Kentucky.^8,9,10,11
     She moved to Coahoma Co., Mississippi, with her parents about 1848. The family has not been found in the 1850 or 1860 census, when they are believed to have been living there.¹⁸
     Her mother died on 22 Nov 1859, when Flora was 16 years old.^19,20,21
     Flora married John P. Caruthers, son of James Caruthers and Statira Finley, widower of her father's sister Elizabeth, on 29 Jul 1861 in Shelby Co., Tennessee, apparently after having been married 17 Jul 1861 in Coahoma Co. Mississippi.^12,13,14

In "Exile" During the War --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     Flora and John, with his son Malcolm, moved to Mississippi during the War. During most if not all of that time they lived at the plantation of his late father, "Oak Grove" located eleven miles southwest of Aberdeen, in Monroe Co., with his mother, and presumably his two younger brothers who were operating the plantation. Just when they moved there is not clear. It seems likely he was still in Tennessee when he signed the petition to President Davis about conditions there in Nov 1861, but they likely left before the city of Memphis surrendered to Federal forces on 2 Jun 1862. Records are conflicting on the birth place of their first son, in Apr 1862, but the most compelling ones show him as born in Mississippi, so they probably moved to "Oak Grove" before then.^22,23,24
     Flora and John returned to Memphis after the War. They were there by 2 Oct 1866, but likely were earlier as the 1866 city directory lists them, as living at 518 Front St. His pardon, issued 22 Jul 1866, shows him as of Memphis, strongly suggesting he, at least, had returned some time before that. She may have remained in or returned to Mississippi, either at his mother's home or her father's home, for the birth of their daughter in Aug 1866, since records are in conflict about whether the child was born in Mississippi or Tennessee.^25,26,27 By 1867 they had moved to Union Ave., outside the city limits.²⁸

Falling on Troubled Times --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     Her husband John was, in the words of an Illinois Supreme Court decision, "addicted to the use of intoxicating liquors to an extent which seriously impaired his business ability." He became insolvent about 1867. Her father advanced him $15,000 to build a home for himself and his family, intending that the title should be placed in Flora's name. But it was taken in John's name and his creditors seized the property and sold it.²⁹
     Flora and John appeared on the 1870 Federal Census of Shelby Co., Tennessee, enumerated 22 Aug 1870. Their children James, Thomas, Robert, Elizabeth and Emma were listed as living with them, as was her brother, Rivers McNeill, a 14-year-old black female, an 18-year-old mulatto female, and seven-year-old May Caruthers whose relationship is unknown.³⁰
     Flora was named an heir in the will of Malcom McNeill, her grandfather, dated 8 Nov 1873 in Christian Co., Kentucky, to receive, shared with her eight siblings, the northern part of his plantation in Christian Co., an 11½ acre lot in Memphis two miles outside that city, to be sold rented or divided as the executors thought proper, and the rents on five lots in Chicago. One of them had a four story house, one was vacant, and three which had houses before the great 1871 fire which were to be rebuilt by him or his executor, and the other half of the lot left to her aunt Martha. Title to these lots was to be given to the then living siblings when the youngest of them reached the age of 21, but not to any who had sold their interest before then.^31,4
     In addition, she was to receive with her eight siblings, 6½ square miles (about 4,160 acres) of land in Coahoma Co., Mississippi. The executors were to sell, rent, or do what they thought best with it in the interests of the children, with any proceeds to be divided equally between them. In order to provide her "full and perfect protection" since she was married, her interest was to be held in trust by her brother Malcom.⁴
     Her grandfather made a codicil to his will on 4 Feb 1875, in which he restated that everything left in his will to her or her children was for her separate use free from control or debt of any husband she may have at any time, and again appointing her brother Malcom as trustee of all properties due her or at her death to her children.³²
     Her grandfather had sold his 3,000-acre Lake Charles Plantation, in Coahoma Co., Mississippi, some years prior, but the buyer defaulted on the mortgage, and he re-purchased it at auction a few days before his death 21 Feb 1875. Since he had not owned it when he wrote his will the will contained no provision for it, so it passed to his 17 grandchildren under the clause dealing with estate not "willed away." Flora thus received a 1/17th undivided interest in the plantation.³³

Moving to Chicago --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     Flora and John moved to Chicago in Sep 1877, initially living at 751 Sedgwick.^34,35,36 They appeared on the 1880 Federal Census of Chicago, Cook Co., Illinois, at 751 Segwick St. Their children James, Thomas, Robert and Elizabeth were listed as living with them, as was a servant, Laura Coot, age 17, born in Germany.³⁷ On 8 Dec 1883 they sold him her one-ninth interest in his 4,100-acre property west of Clarksdale, Coahoma Co., Mississippi, for $800.³⁸
     On 17 May 1878 Flora and John sold her one-ninth interest in the northern half of her grandfather's plantation in Christian Co., Kentucky, which he had left to her and her siblings, to her brother Malcom, for $888.88.³⁹
     On 13 Mar 1883 Flora and John sold her one-seventeenth interest in her grandfather's 3,000-acre Lake Charles Plantation on the Mississippi River, in Bolivar and Coahoma Co., Mississippi, to her brother Malcom, for $1,000.⁴⁰
     She joined with a number of her siblings, their spouses, and the children of her deceased sister, in filing a contest to the will of Sarah Elizabeth Tuck, her mother's sister, on 20 Oct 1883. When the case was tried before a jury in Shelby County Circuit Court in early 1885 they lost. They appealed the decision to Tennessee Supreme Court where they lost again when the case was heard in the Apr 1886.⁴¹
     Flora and John moved to 4 Burton Place St. by 1885. Their children James, Thomas, Robert and Elizabeth moved with them, along with James' wife, Frances Roney, and their infant son John.⁴²
     The Chicago properties left to Flora and her siblings by their grandfather were held in trust for them under the terms of the will until the youngest of them, Alexander, reached age 21 in Aug 1885. The eight surviving siblings (Henry having died in the meantime) then took title as a group. They shortly agreed on a plan to divide the properties into two groups. Rivers, Thomas and Ellen were given title to some properties, including 201- 203 South Clark St., by deed on 16 Nov 1885. In exchange, all the other Chicago properties, and $96,115.36 in cash, were received by Flora, Malcom, Benjamin, William and Alexander. What the five of them did with those properties after that has not been found.^43,44
     Her husband died on 3 Sep 1886 in 4 Burton Place St., Chicago, Cook Co., Illinois.^45,46,47
     After John's death, Flora and her younger children moved to 530 Lasalle St.⁴⁸ She moved to 213 Schiller St. by 1891, where her son Thomas was living with her.⁴⁹
     Flora supposedly loaded $75,000 to her son James. When his business failed in early 1894 she retained her daughter Elizabeth's husband, Edgar W. Terhune, to represent her in the ensuing proceedings.⁵⁰
     Flora is not found in the city directories after 1891, which may not be significant because directories for many years are not available, and with the increasing population of the city later ones focused on businesses and individuals were no longer listed. But she has not been found in the 1900 census either, leaving open the possibility she may have been living elsewhere for a time.
     Flora appeared on the 1910 Federal Census of Chicago, Cook Co., Illinois, in the household of her daughter Elizabeth.⁵¹
     Flora died on 29 May 1913 in Chicago, Cook Co., Illinois, at age 69.^15,16 She was buried on 31 May 1913 in Graceland Cemetery, Chicago, Cook Co., Illinois, in the lot owned by her brother Malcom.^5,17