History of the Hilbun Family of Jones County, Mississippi
BY JOY HILBUN
The first Hilbuns to settle in Jones County, Mississippi was the family of John Wesley Hilbun, son of Stephen Newberry Hilbun (born 1805, GA). They ended up in Jones County sometime before 1870 after moving from nearby Wayne County.
An oral tradition passed down through generations of Hilbuns reports that the Hilbuns had planned to move to Texas and were actually on their way there when they became stranded by a snow storm in Jones County’s Big Creek community! The Wade family of Big Creek showed much kindness to them and insisted that they settle in the community. We are not sure of the exact year of that storm, but several newspaper reports from February 1868 mention heavy snowfall in southern areas of Mobile, New Orleans and Jackson, Mississippi. The Times Picayune on February 1, 1868 reported that Mobile had received a bit of snow on January 30th. Still we are unsure when the Hilbuns made this trek through Jones County as they were not included in the 1870 Jones County census which was enumerated in July 1870. The family consisted of John Wesley Hilbun, his wife, Susan Elizabeth, step-sons/nephews, Andrew Jackson, Stephen Fillmore, and William P., and his children with Susan- Lula Drucilla, Theodosia, and Mary Catherine.
The Hilbuns of Jones County have been traced by records back to Frederick Hilbun, through his son Stephen Newberry Hilbun (SNH) who was born in 1805 in Burke County, Georgia. Frederick Hilbun and family moved to Lowndes County, Alabama by 1820 and most of his sons lived there for years.
In 1828 Stephen N. Hilbun married Priscilla Hannah in Montgomery County, Alabama. Although Stephen was listed as being a farmer and a blacksmith in the 1850 census, he apparently also felt a calling by God to preach as he was ordained by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1849. His older brother Joseph Hilbun donated land for a new church to be built in 1841 and Stephen and brothers, William and John were trustees for that church. In 1851 Stephen was ordained as a Baptist minister of the Gospel.
In 1854, SNH’s third son, William, married Susan Elizabeth Beard in Monroe County, Alabama. William Hilbun and his father-in-law, Moses Beard, bought adjoining land in the Clear Creek community of Wayne County, Mississippi by 1859. William’s brother, David Frederick Hilbun, also moved to Wayne County. William Hilbun and Susan had three sons- Andrew Jackson who was born in 1856, Stephen Fillmore born in 1857; and William P. “Billy, born in 1860.
Early in 1860, SNH moved his family, including son John Wesley, to Holmesville in Pike County, Mississippi. His two oldest sons remained in Monroe County, Alabama. SNH continued to serve as a preacher as he is mentioned in the minutes of a Mt. Zion Baptist Church as preaching from 1860-1861. At the end of 1861, Stephen became pastor of Line Creek Baptist Church in Kentwood, Louisiana, which is fairly close to Pike County, Mississippi.
With the advent of the Civil War, six of Stephen’s sons enlisted to serve with the Confederacy. In March 1862, sons William and John Wesley Hilbun enlisted with Company E of the Shubuta Guards of Clark County, Mississippi, a part of the 37th Mississippi Infantry Regiment. Both brothers were wounded in the Battle of Corinth and spent months recovering in the hospital and at home. John’s recovery was slow and he was discharged by order of General Johnston in the summer of 1863. William, however, was able to rejoin his unit which was already engaged in the Battle of Vicksburg. He was severely wounded in this battle. After the surrender of Vicksburg he received his parole on July 4, 1863. On July 15 William died in the hospital. He is buried in the Confederate cemetery, Soldiers Rest, a part of the Cedar Hill Cemetery in Vicksburg. His older brother James Monroe Hilbun died of small pox during the war three months prior.
After William Hilbun’s death, his younger brother John Wesley stepped in and married Susan Elizabeth, William’s widow in Wayne County. He thus became step-father to his three nephews, Andrew J., Stephen F. and William P. John Wesley and Susan later had several children- Lula Drucilla, Theodosha, Mary Catherine, John T., and Daniel B.
After the Hilbuns settled in Jones County, John Wesley Hilbun bought several tracts of land primarily south of U. S. Highway 84 in the Big Creek community and in what later became the Centerville community. In 1879 he bought 163 acres in Section 6 of Township 8 North, of Range 13 W. Most of his children settled in the same general area. Some present-day Hilbun descendants still own some of the land that was originally purchased by John Wesley.
The John W. Hilbun family is in the 1880 Census of Jones County, living in the Pinelville Community. He is listed as “J. W. Hillborne” age 45, with wife Susan E., age 43, and son S. F., age 22, and six other children. John W. Hilbun served as Postmaster in Pinnelville at one time.
John Wesley’s father Stephen Newberry Hilbun would visit them in Jones County from time to time. He was living with John when he died in 1888; this is the reason his tombstone is in the Big Creek Cemetery.
Stephen F. Hilbun and William P. Hilbun both bought land in 1896. Stephen bought 40 acres in Section 9 while William bought 81 acres in Section 6.
The map below shows land bought by John W. Hilbun, Stephen F. Hilbun, and William P. Hilbun. There are also many familiar names listed near the Hilbuns- many Wades, including Daniel W. Wade’s land is seen northeast of Stephen’s land. Stephen F. Hilbun married Daniel Wade’s daughter, Mary Almedia. North of that in Section 3 is the land of Franklin M. Flynt which is highlighted with a red dot; his land was later bought by Stephen Hilbun. This is the land on which Bruce S. Hilbun raised his family!
Hilbun lands in Township 8 North, of Range 13 West
in Jones County, Mississippi
The 1834 Will of Vaughan Hilburn
Vaughan Hilburn, who was named in the 1790 Sampson County, North Carolina Census with nine children, died in Hinds County, Mississippi in 1834. He was likely the father of John, Frederick, Henry, Woodward, Vaughan Jr., James, Luke, Benjamin, and others. He is not to be confused with the “first” Vaughan Hilburn who was first recorded in Isle of Wight, VA (IOW, VA) in 1730. It’s most likely that this Vaughan of IOW, VA was the father of Vaughan Hilburn who died in Mississippi in 1834.
I first became aware of this will from the book Hinds County, Mississippi, Vol. I, 1822-1859, Will Book I Abstracts by Clara Wright Forrest, in which Vaughan’s will was transcribed. There were no familiar names listed in the will to suggest this was the same Vaughan Hilburn who was born in North Carolina and was likely the father of Hilburn men of Copiah, Misssissippi. Since this was only a transcription of the will, I felt it was necessary to view a copy of the original will.
In 2012, I went to the Mississippi State Archives and read a copy of the original will on microfilm. It was obvious that Mrs. Forrest’s transcription had some errors! Her transcription is as follows with my corrections in BOLD.
Abstract of Vaughan Hilborne’s Will, p. 41.
Hinds County, Mississippi, Vol. I, 1822-1859, Will Book I Abstracts by Clara Wright Forrest.
Vaughan Hilborne departed this life about the 5th of September 1834, & about a week before his death he reported (repeated) in a conversation with Wynand Vannamen that he should shortly die and that he wished what he had to be sold except his bed and bed cloaths, and that he wished Isaiah Warner (?) (Worrell) and Levi Bankston to see to the selling of said property and pay his debts and what was left he wished Axsa Waddel (?) (Axey Worrell) to have, and also he wished her to have his bed and bed clothing. He also said that this was his will and had been for some time- that he always wished for her (meaning the said Axey) to have what he had after paying his debts, that in repeating the above conversation he expressed it fully that it was his will. Probated October 27, 1834; Witness: Wynand Van Namen (signature)
This will was actually recorded in October, almost two months after Vaughan’s death and was based upon the testimony of a friend or neighbor in Hinds County. Vaughan Hilburn must have been living in Hinds County, MS at the time of his death. According to land records of persons named in the will, he was living in southern part of the couty which borders Copiah County, where his sons John & Frederick Hilburn owned land. Although only John Hilburn owned land by this date and his land was in Township 10, Range 8E in Section 14. At the end of 1834, Frederick Hilburn and John Hilburn, Jr. also bought land in the same township and range as John Sr.
It is believed that Vaughan Hilburn’s wife was Elizabeth Worrell, daughter of John Worrell who died after 1788 in Wayne County, North Carolina. In his will dated December 22, 1788, Worrell willed five shillings to several persons in a list- Wm. Worrell, Eliza Hilburn, Priscilla Peacock, and Benjamin Worrell. He did not state the relationship to these except he did identifyRich’d Worrell as a son, his wife and a grandson. It’s believed the others listed are relatives at least and likely children.
Will of Vaughan Hilborne, Hinds County, MS. 1834
Persons named in Vaughan Hilborne’s 1834 Will:
Wynand Van Namen. Van Namen was the witness who testified that he had spoken to Hilburn about his wishes only weeks before his death. He appears to have been a neighbor of Isaiah and Exum Worrell (see the Hinds County plat map on the following page). He is found in the 1830 and 1840 Hinds County census as “Hynand Van Namen”, age 30-40, and in the 1850 Hinds Census with wife Ann. He was born in Holland.
Axsa or Axey Worrell. Axsa or Axey Worrell, was born about 1810 in North Carolina and died in 1887 in Attala, MS., (according to the Worrell Family Website). At the time of Hilburn’s death she was single. She married James Mallette (b. 1788 VA) in Hinds County in 1837. His father was William Mallotte II; in 1809 Mallotte owned a inn on the “road west” in Baldwin Co., GA. In 1816 they moved to Lawrence Co., MS & later to Hinds County.
Biographical facts from the Bible given to Axsa by her father upon her marriage in 1837 mentions her sisters, Elizabeth (married Harrison Watson), Martha (married Wm R. Brock) and brother Exum. Her father, Isaiah is also mentioned in Vaughan’s will; he was the son of Richard Worrell, Sr. who was the brother of Vaughan Hilburn’s wife Elizabeth Worrell. According to family records, Vaughan married Elizabeth around 1748.
Isaiah Worrell– Isaiah was Vaughan Hilburn’s wife, Elizabeth’s nephew. He is believed to have been her brother Richard’s son. He was born in 1785 in Wayne County, NC and died after 1860 in Lebanon, Hinds County, Mississippi.
Lawrence County, Mississippi State & Territorial Census Collection 1792-1866. Date unknown.
- Isaiah Worrell 1-3-1-3 Total: 8
- Elijah Fisher 1-3-1-3 Total: 8
Isaiah Worrell is found in Monticello in Lawrence County, MS in the 1820 census. There were actually two Isaiah Worrells listed, along with a William Mallet.
Isaiah and Vaughan both appear to have moved from North Carolina to Mississippi Territory by 1812, as they are both found in early census records of Lawrence County. Since Worrell was named as administrator of Hilburn’s estate, it is believed that he and Vaughan were not only related by marriage but also close friends.
Levi Bankston– 1830 Census Hinds County Census- between 50-60 years old. In 1826, Bankston bought 80 acres in Hinds in Township 3 N, Range 3 W, Section 6 and lived fairly near Isaiah Worrell. The plat map below shows the section of Hinds County in which Bankston, Worrell and Van Namen lived.
Isaiah Worrell had land in sections 28 and 33, Exum Warrel had land in section 28, while Van Namen had 40 acres in Section 32. At the time Vaughan Hilburn died, Isaiah Worrell owned land in Section 33. These sections are slightly shaded for the purpose of identification.
Vaughan Hilburn Estate Records
(from MS. Archives; obtained from Ancestry.com)
1836 Dec 16. Inventory of Property Sold of Vaughan Hilburn estate.
Thos. A. Jelks, Isaiah Worle, James Mallett, John Brown, MC Moore, Jos. Stewart, John Brown, Charles Stovall, William Walker
Hilbun 