John Deshazo

Wife
Mahaly/Mahala Willoughby
(dau of Aaron Willoughby and Sarah Benson)

Known Children:
Aaron Deshazo (b. Spring 1834 GA; d. ca. 1893)
md. 1 Letha Pate (1858 Coweta Co., GA)
md. 2 Catharine Vessell (Dec 1863 Fayette co., GA)
md. 3 Margaret Louise Winters (Oct 1864 Greene Co., TN)

The only appearance of this John Deshazo is shown on marriage records of Houston county, Georgia. John Deshazer is shown marrying Mahaly (Mahala) Willoughby on 1 July 1833. Interestingly, a Robert Deshazo is shown marrying Elizabeth Chitty in Houston county only 5 months later. This Robert Deshazo may have been the widowed father of John. A Robert Deshazo is shown in nearby Twiggs county on the 1830 census with a son who would have been the right age to marry in 1833 (as John did). Also, the Justice of the Peace that signed the marriage bond for John and Mahaly was a John Harrington. Note that Robert Deshazo's son, William W. Deshazo marries a Nancy Herrington over in Pulaski Co., GA in 1865 (There is a complete estate record for Wm.’s death in late 1865). Robert was known to have been William's father. William's only son was named John B. DeShazo (as shown in his estate record). These facts are very thought provoking, but still not absolute proof of that John was the son of Robert Deshazo (shown age 15-20 on 1830 census).

John's wife, is shown marrying a Richard SMITH in Bibb county Georgia in 1834. Mahala's brother, Solomon Willoughby is shown on the 1830 census in Bibb Co., GA. She may have been living with her brother with her infant son, Aaron, previous to her marriage to Richard Smith. On the 1850 census, John and Mahala/Mahaly's only child, Aaron is shown with three half-siblings (Richard Jr., Elizabeth, and John Smith - all b. AL) living with Mahala's brother, Solomon in Pike County, GA. Richard Smith died before Jan of 1849. Houston county, GA probate records show John Smith and Turner Smith as Admin. for the "goods, chattels and effects" of the estate of Richard SMITH on 27 Jan 1849. I don't have any information on Mahala from this point until 1870. In 1870, a Mahala Willoughby is shown on the census in Sumter Co., GA at age 56 b.GA, serving as a cook in the home of Luke R. Hardeman (p. 363). As you can surmise, there is much research to be done on this line. The lack of records (due to mainly to Civil War and Courthouse fires) make documenting anything in this part of Georgia very frustrating! I hope to at least find out what did happen to my John.



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