As the west opened to settlement, American families often moved together to establish new communities.  This seems to have been the case with the Maddoxes and the Gaines family, among others.  Of particular interest, in the late 18th century the Gaines family was in Abbeville, South Carolina, where they intermarried with Maddoxes and even buried their loved ones on Maddox sites.  And then the Gaines family shows up again in Crawford County, Illinois, as the Maddoxes arrived there in the early- to mid-19th century to settle into their farms in the Palestine area.  John Napoleon Maddox’s wife was Frances Gaines.

It’s interesting to see a familial relationship span centuries.  We wonder how close the two families were, and if the presence of one of the families in Illinois drew the other family to settle there.

Here’s some raw data on the two families’ relations that need to be resolved:

A Gaines family researcher has John Broaddus Gaines – the son of Edmund Gaines (Edmund showed up in numerous Maddox wills in SC) – as a member of the Poplar Springs Baptist Church in Ware Shoals, and buried “at Maddox Mill,’brow of hill’ Saluda River, and 1/4 mile from his son William Balous, “Billy” Gaines mill.”  Could some Maddoxes also have been buried at Maddox Mill or at the Poplar Springs Baptist Church?  And what the heck is Maddox Mill?

Silas Henry Maddox or Henry Silas Maddox (23 Jan 1867 – 25 Nov 1930) married Janie Robbins Gaines on 16 Jan 1887 in South Carolina.  Henry was the son of George W. Maddox who was the grandson of Henry Maddox, reportedly the son of Benjamin II.  They lived in SC and he died in Norris, Pickens County, SC.  In 1900, Henry lived next door to Augustine (Nov 1844) and Louise (Aug 1854) Maddox.  He was buried in Zion Cemetery in Norris, SC on 26 Nov 1930.  Ref: State of SC Certificate of Death #22397.

Robert Gaines, 1776 – 25 February 1864, born in Virginia and died in Pickens County, SC.  Wife Frances apparently born in 1780 and died in 1859.

Rev. Barnett Smith Gaines, Robert’s son, 20 December 1820 – 31 December 1886, was born in Central, Pickens County, SC. His wife was Margaret B. Whitfield Gaines, also of Pickens County, SC. Ref: 1880 SC census and SC Certificate of Death of Jamie Gaines Maddox #19610.

Janie Robbins Gaines, Barnett’s daughter, was born on 25 June 1867 in Central, South Carolina.  She married Silas Henry Maddox in 1887 and died on 6 December 1936 in Greenville, SC.  Ref:  SC Standard Certificate of Death #19610, dated 9 December 1936.

Colby Stevenson Maddox was born in Christian County, Kentucky on 24 February 1831, moved to Crawford County in 1850 and died in Illinois on10 January 1891. Colby had eleven children.  One was Mary Louisa Maddox, born 15 July 1867 in Crawford County, Illinois.

Leander Francis Gaines, Stephen Gaines’s son, was born 1 February 1871 in Crawford County, Illinois, married Mary Louisa Maddox, Colby Stevenson’s daughter, on 9 August 1893 in Crawford County, Illinois.  Leander died on 3 December 1946 and Mary Louisa died in 1960 in Crawford County, Illinois.

John Napoleon Maddox, 1872 – 1945, married Frances Gaines, 1878 – 1908, on 8 May 1895 in Crawford County, Illinois.

George Gaines b. approx 1821 in Crawford County, Illinois.  1850 census Franklin Precinct, Crawford County, Illinois shows George age 28 with wife Caroline, age 25 with John age 2.  1860 census Township 6, Range 10, Crawford County, Illinois shows George age 39 with wife Margaret age 28and John age 11. Interestingly, 1860 census shows George has a one year old son, Leander.

Frances Diana Gaines, 1895 – 1908, married John Napoleon in 1895.  According to article written about John Napoleon Maddox, his wife Fanny’s brother was Asa Lackey who was Mrs. Elias Brashears father. Fannie Maddox’s birth certificate, dated 1879, says her mother was Ann Melvin. Fannie’s marriage certificate, dated 1895, says her mother was Ann Lackey.

Elias Brashear married Sarah Etta Lackey on 28 October 1895 in Crawford County, Illinois. 93,452  Sarah’s father was Asa Lackey, 10 September 1848 – 28 March 1934.  Based upon dates, Frances Gaines brother had to be a Gaines.  However, it might be possible that John Gaines’s wife’s brother might have been Asa Lackey since he did have a sister, Ann E. Lackey.