Since writing the original post on June 16, 2013 the following information has been discovered.
Fellow researcher, Rita Jones, discovered the 1860 census for Burrell Blackman and family.
Census transcribers had listed Blackman as Blackmore.
As mentioned in my original post, the 1850 census listed a son named Jacob and I wondered at the time if the Jacob listed was actually Joseph. I now believe the Jacob listed in the 1850 census was Joab. This same Joab can be seen in the 1860 census above.
A cousin remembered family calling Joseph by the nickname Joab so this lined up with my thinking that I was on the correct path.
Several months ago the Ancestry website uploaded thousands of wills/probate records. In these records I discovered tutorship documents for the minor daughters of Joseph and Virginia "Jennie" Smith Blackman. These documents were filed in Catahoula Parish on September 4, 1882 by the father of Virginia "Jennie" Smith, James Luther "J. L." Smith.
Records showed the parents of minor children, Henrietta Blackman and Mollie Blackman as Joab Blackman and Jennie Smith. These records also confirmed the deaths of Joab and Jennie as being prior to September 4, 1882.
Another portion of the records revealed the following:
"...a claim of said minors in Milam County, Texas of one hundred and fifty dollars, said claim inherited by the minors from their grandfather's succession Burrell Blackman dec'd is worth one hundred dollars."
From this newly discovered information I now know:
- Joseph's nickname was Joab
- Joseph's father was Burrell Blackman
- Joseph died before September 4, 1882
What I have not confirmed:
- Date and location of Joseph's death
- Location of Joseph's burial
- Name of Joseph's mother
Was the Margaret listed in census records his mother or step-mother? Other children in the household are believed to be Cottens who chose to go by their step-father's surname (Blackman) until later in their lives.
An 1834 General Land Office of Texas record for the Jurisdiction of Liberty shows Burrell Blackman as a native of Mississippi and "a man of family consisting of himself & his wife."
The Margaret listed in the 1850, 1860 and 1870 census records was born circa 1822. If she is the wife mentioned in the above land record she would have been about 12 years old in 1834. This leads me to believe that Burrell was married to someone else in 1834. It is also then possible that a child was born to this marriage and that child could have possibly been Joseph "Joab".
Other Blackmans found in the same 1834 land records include Bennett Blackman and Joab John Blackman. Blackman family researchers show Bennett Blackman and wife, Elizabeth Collins were the parents of the following six children:
Joab John Blackman (b. abt 1800)My Autosomal DNA results match with several people who descend from the Bennett Blackman line. However, I also have matches with several people who descend from the Cotten line so I have questions as to the accuracy of my DNA match results on Ancestry's website.
Burrell Blackman (b. abt 1805 in Wayne Co. MS)
Josiah Blackman (b. abt 1811 in MS)
Mary Polly Blackman Stone (b. abt 1815 in MS)
Catherine Blackman Bouse (b. abt 1816 in MS)
Sarah "Sally" Blackman (b. abt 1817 in MS)
I may never be able to confirm the date and location of Joseph's death, his burial location, or the identity of his mother. What I have discovered since June of 2013 proves that persistence, the help of others, and good old fashioned luck really do pay off.
