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The Barney History Project: The people, places, and stories of Barney, Georgia

Household #178: Alderman, George Washington

In the 1900 Barney census, this household was headed by George Alderman and included 4 people. The census summary records the head's listed occupation was Farmer, 1 spouse or marital partner, 2 child or stepchild.

Household Snapshot

A good way to read this page is to start with George Alderman (age 35, born in Georgia, listed as Farmer). That placed the household in the farm economy around Barney, where land, crops, livestock, kin labor, and seasonal work shaped daily life as much as the town's railroad and stores did.

The household was not just the head's name. In 1900 it included spouse or marital partner Isabel Alderman; children Annie Alderman and Louis Alderman. Those names are the starting point for the later family, labor, marriage, migration, and neighborhood trails below.

Every listed person in this household was reported as born in Georgia, which makes the page a local-family snapshot unless later records show movement into or out of Barney.

Newspaper and Public-Record Trail

  • An 1889 Brooks County sheriff sale notice (documented in HH#153's notes) lists land adjoining "John Alderman, John Coulter, Dan Alderman, and John Copland." The appearance of John Coulter alongside Alderman landholders places the Coulter and Alderman families as neighbors in Brooks County, which explains the 1881 marriage between George W. Alderman and Isabel Coulter.
  • The 1889 Brooks County sheriff sale notice listing land adjoining "John Alderman, John Coulter, Dan Alderman, and John Copland" places the Coulter family as physical neighbors of the Aldermans.
  • The Coulter-Alderman neighborhood: The 1889 Brooks County sheriff sale notice (documented in HH#153's notes) lists land adjoining John Coulter and John Alderman.

1900 Census Household

Name Relation Age Birthplace Occupation
George Alderman Head 35 Georgia Farmer
Isabel Alderman Wife 36 Georgia —
Annie Alderman Daughter 12 Georgia —
Louis Alderman Son 7 Georgia —

Children and Later Trails

The household table above already lists the children present in 1900: Annie Alderman, Louis Alderman.

Where a child's adult trail is not identified here, the gap is intentional. The page should wait for a marriage, death, cemetery, obituary, probate, later census, or other direct record before naming a later spouse or descendant line.

Family Narrative

George Washington Alderman (age 35, farmer) - Born 18 August 1864, Brooks County, Georgia - Died 22 December 1935, Douglas, Coffee County, Georgia - Buried Douglas City Cemetery, Coffee County, Georgia - Parents: Jonathan Howell Alderman and Amy Ann McKinney - Book ID: 15-2-14-1 in Aldermans in America; first child of Jonathan Howell Alderman

Isabel "Belle" Coulter Alderman. - Born 23 October 1863, Brooks County, Georgia - Died 3 June 1934, Douglas, Coffee County, Georgia - Buried Douglas City Cemetery, Coffee County, Georgia - Parents: John A. Coulter and Sena Ann Saffold; the Saffold parentage is supported by Isabel's death record, while full-name detail comes partly through Find a Grave/Geneanet.

George Washington Alderman was the first child of Jonathan Howell Alderman and Amy Ann McKinney. The book "Aldermans in America" (1957) assigns him book ID 15-2-14-1, tracing his lineage as David Sr. (1749-1831) to Daniel (Col 15) to George (15-2) to Jonathan H. (15-2-14) to George Washington (15-2-14-1). The SAR application for Jonathan H. Alderman (SAR #90614, filed Nov 6, 1963) lists "George Washington Alderman" as a child, with father George Alderman and mother Nancy Carlton for Jonathan, and spouse Amy Ann McKinney.

George's middle name "Washington" appears on his death certificate and FindAGrave memorial. Census records use "George" (1870), "George W." (1880), "Geo" (1900), "Geo W" (1910), "Georg W" (1920), and "Geo W" (1930). The 1920 enumerator or indexer rendered the surname as "Aulderman," a variant that also appears in HH#176's 1920 census for Jonathan H.

Isabel Coulter's maiden name appears with spelling variants: "Colter" in 1870 and 1880 censuses, "Coulter" on her death record, FindAGrave, and Geneanet. The marriage certificate indexes her as "Belle Colter." FindAGrave and Geneanet agree on the full name "Isabelle Belle Coulter."

Wife's Family: The Coulters.

Isabel Coulter's parents were John A. Coulter and Sena Ann Saffold. The 1870 census records John Colter (30) and Ann Colter (32) with children Isabella (6), William (5), and Ella (3) in Brooks County. The 1880 census records John (40) and Elizabeth (33) with children Isabella (16), William (14), Ella (12), David J. (9), and James (7) in Dry Lake, Brooks County.

The name discrepancy between "Ann" (1870) and "Elizabeth" (1880) for Isabel's mother is resolved by the death record, FindAGrave, and Geneanet. The death record lists mother as "Saffold." FindAGrave gives "Ann C. Coulter." Geneanet provides the full name as "Sena Ann Saffold." The census variants are explained: "Ann" in 1870 captures her middle name; "Elizabeth" in 1880 is either a different enumerator's error or a nickname. Her actual name was Sena Ann Saffold.

An 1889 Brooks County sheriff sale notice (documented in HH#153's notes) lists land adjoining "John Alderman, John Coulter, Dan Alderman, and John Copland." The appearance of John Coulter alongside Alderman landholders places the Coulter and Alderman families as neighbors in Brooks County, which explains the 1881 marriage between George W. Alderman and Isabel Coulter.

  • 1870 Census (George): George Alderman, age 6, b. ~1864 GA, in J.H. Alderman household, Brooks County GA (Quitman PO). Father J.H. Alderman (24), mother Amy. Siblings Nancy (4), James (3), Priscilla (infant). (Ancestry 7163:588005)

  • 1870 Census (Isabel): Isabella Colter, age 6, b. ~1864 GA, in John Colter household, Brooks County. Father John (30), mother Ann (32). Siblings William (5), Ella (3). (Ancestry 7163:3679412)

  • 1880 Census (George): George W. Alderman, age 16, b. ~1864, in J.H. Alderman household, Morven, Brooks County GA. Father J.H. (34), mother A.A. (33). Siblings Nancy E. (13), James S. (11), Ruth P. (9), Mary U. (8), Macie E. (6), Lucy A. (5), Gordon (4). George Alderman (85) and Nancy Alderman (75), both born NC, also in household (J.H.'s parents). (Ancestry 6742:40730177)

  • 1880 Census (Isabel): Isabella Colter, age 16, in John Colter household, Dry Lake, Brooks County GA. Father John (40), mother Elizabeth (33). Siblings William (14), Ella (12), David J. (9), James (7). (Ancestry 6742:40732076)

  • 1900 Census: Geo Alderman, age 35 (b. Aug 1864), farmer, owns farm free of mortgage, Barney, Brooks County GA. Wife Isabel (36, b. ~1864), married 18 years. Children Annie, Louis (7). (Ancestry 7602:52873596)

  • 1910 Census: Geo W Alderman, age 45, farmer, Barney, Brooks County GA. Wife Belle (45), married 28 years. Children Annie (22), Louis C. (17), William B. (11). (Ancestry 7884:3199465)

  • 1920 Census: Georg W Aulderman, age 55, farmer, Robinson, Colquitt County GA. Wife "Esiebell" (55). Children Annie (30), Cleveland (26), William B. (20). Surname "Aulderman" is enumerator or indexer error for Alderman, matching the same error in HH#176's 1920 census. (Ancestry 6061:7647686)

  • 1930 Census: Geo W Alderman, age 65, farmer, Douglas, Coffee County GA. Wife Belle (65). Age at first marriage: 29 for George, 17 for Belle. This conflicts with the 1881 marriage record (George would have been 17, Belle 18). The 1900 and 1910 censuses both imply marriage around 1882 (18 years/28 years married), making the 1930 entry of 29 likely incorrect. No children listed in household. (Ancestry 6224:18824705)

  • Marriage Record: G W Alderman married Isabel "Belle" Colter, 4 Dec 1881, Brooks County, Georgia. (Ancestry 4766:184897) Geneanet records the marriage date as 24 Dec 1881; the Ancestry certificate image shows "4 Dec," which is the primary source.

  • Death Record (George): Georgia Certificate of Death. Geo Washington Alderman, age 71, born Brooks County GA, died Dec 22, 1935, Douglas, Coffee County GA. Buried City Cemetery, Douglas. Father: J H Alderman. Mother: Annie McKinney. "Annie" is a diminutive of "Ann" and refers to the same woman as Amy Ann McKinney in J.H.'s marriage record and FindAGrave. (Ancestry 2562:853215)

  • Death Record (Isabel): Isabelle Alderman [Coulter], age 70, born Brooks County GA, died Jun 3, 1934, Douglas, Coffee County GA. Buried Douglas Cemetery. Occupation: Domestic. Father: John Coulter. Mother: Saffold. The mother's surname "Saffold" on the death record resolves the census name variants for Isabel's mother. (Ancestry 2562:792741)

  • FindAGrave (George): Memorial 34518273. George Washington Alderman, b. Aug 18, 1864, Brooks County GA, d. Dec 21, 1935, Douglas City Cemetery, Coffee County GA. Father: Jonathan Howell Alderman. Mother: Amy Ann Alderman. Spouse: Isabel Alderman. Children: Louis Cleveland Alderman, William Brinson Alderman. Death date of Dec 21 conflicts with death certificate Dec 22 by one day. (findagrave.com/memorial/34518273)

  • FindAGrave (Isabel): Memorial 34518237. Isabel Alderman, maiden name Coulter, b. Oct 23, 1863, d. Jun 3, 1934, Douglas City Cemetery, Coffee County GA. Father: John A. Coulter. Mother: Ann C. Coulter. Spouse: George Washington Alderman. Children: Louis Cleveland Alderman, William Brinson Alderman. (findagrave.com/memorial/34518237)

  • Geneanet (George): George W Alderman (tree: tannie1958 / Anita Igou). b. Aug 18, 1864, Berrien, Georgia. d. Dec 22, 1935. Father: Jonathan Doc Howell Alderman. Mother: Amy Ann McKinney. Spouse: Isabelle Belle Coulter. Children: Annie, Louis Cleveland, William Brinson Alderman. (gw.geneanet.org/tannie1958?n=alderman&oc=&p=george+w)

  • Geneanet (Isabel): Isabelle Belle Coulter (tree: tannie1958 / Anita Igou). b. Oct 23, 1863, Colquitt, Georgia. d. Jun 3, 1934. Father: John A. Coulter. Mother: Sena Ann Saffold. Spouse: George W. Alderman. Children: Annie, Louis Cleveland, William Brinson Alderman. (gw.geneanet.org/tannie1958?n=coulter&oc=&p=isabelle+belle)

Three children are confirmed across census, FindAGrave, and Geneanet records:

  • 1; Name: Annie Alderman; Born: Feb 1886 per 1900 census/book lead; Died: Unknown; Source Match: 1900 census; Georgia county marriage records show Annie Alderman married J. Calvin McAlester / McAllister on 12 Sep 1906 in Brooks County. Later death trail still unresolved.
  • 2; Name: Louis Cleveland Alderman Sr.; Born: Jun 26, 1890; Died: Jul 19, 1966; Source Match: 1900 census (age 7, "Louis"), SAR application, WWI draft, 1930/1950 census, Find a Grave, Georgia Death Index
  • 3; Name: William Brinson Alderman; Born: Oct 26, 1903; Died: Jul 1991; Source Match: 1910 census as Brenson Alderman in George W./Belle household; later WWII draft, 1930/1940/1950 Coffee County censuses, Georgia death index, and Find a Grave support the William Brinson identity.

The 1900 census records Isabel as mother of 8 children born, 6 living. Only 3 appear in census records under the Alderman surname. The remaining children may have died young or left the household before 1900.

Connections to Other Barney Families

George W. Alderman sits at the center of the Alderman family cluster in Barney:

  • HH#176 Jonathan Howell Alderman (Source-Researched): George is Jonathan's first child (book ID 15-2-14-1). The SAR application for Jonathan H. Alderman lists "George Washington Alderman" as a child. George's death certificate names "J H Alderman" as father and "Annie McKinney" as mother, independently confirming the identity of J.H.'s wife Amy Ann McKinney ("Annie" = diminutive of "Ann").

  • HH#177 Isaac McDaniel Turner (Source-Researched): Isaac married Nancy Ellen Alderman, George's sister (book ID 15-2-14-8, child #2). Nancy E. Alderman, age 13 in the 1880 J.H. Alderman household, is the same Nancy Ellen who married Isaac Turner. George is Isaac's brother-in-law.

  • HH#171 Mary Turner (Source-Researched): Mary's daughters Mollie and Nancy Orelia married Alderman men, creating a Turner-to-Alderman link independent of Isaac's marriage. Isaac Turner (HH#177) is Mary's son.

  • HH#175 Charlie W. Turner (Well-Researched): Charlie is Isaac's younger brother, both sons of Job and Mary A.R. Turner.

  • HH#153 Daniel Alderman (Well-Researched): This Daniel, born about 1860, is not elder Daniel Alderman (1774-1857), George Alderman's reported father. HH#153 Daniel probably belongs to the William C. → John A. branch, but the compiled genealogy calls the relevant child David Harrison. His exact relationship to George Washington remains secondary-supported and unresolved at that link.

  • HH#155 Mitchell Enoch Alderman (Source-Researched): Mitchell's death certificate names John Alderman and Susie Stevens as his parents. The compiled genealogy places John A. under William C. Alderman, making Mitchell part of a collateral branch. The exact common ancestry with George Washington remains secondary-supported rather than directly verified.

  • HH#144 Jacob Hunter Hiers (Cross-Volume, Complete Research): Phillip Hiers married Mary "Polly" Alderman, daughter of William Alderman (Col 26). This connects the Hiers family to the same Alderman network.

  • The Coulter-Alderman neighborhood: The 1889 Brooks County sheriff sale notice (documented in HH#153's notes) lists land adjoining John Coulter and John Alderman. This John Coulter is Isabel's father. The families lived near each other in Brooks County, which explains the 1881 marriage of George W. Alderman and Isabel Coulter.

Research Notes

  1. Marriage date conflict: The Ancestry marriage certificate image shows 4 Dec 1881. Geneanet records 24 Dec 1881. The Ancestry image is the primary source; the Geneanet date is from a community tree and may reflect a transcription error.

  2. Death date conflict (George): The death certificate gives Dec 22, 1935. FindAGrave gives Dec 21, 1935. One-day discrepancy; the death certificate is the official record.

  3. 1930 census marriage age: George's "age at first marriage" of 29 conflicts with all other evidence. The 1900 census says married 18 years (marriage ~1882, age ~18). The 1910 census says married 28 years (marriage ~1882). The actual marriage was Dec 4, 1881, when George was 17. The 1930 entry of 29 appears to be an enumerator error.

  4. Isabel's mother name variants: 1870 census "Ann," 1880 "Elizabeth," death record "Saffold," FindAGrave "Ann C. Coulter," Geneanet "Sena Ann Saffold." Resolved: her name was Sena Ann Saffold. The 1870 enumerator recorded her middle name; the 1880 "Elizabeth" is likely an error or nickname.

  5. Children count: The 1900 census records Isabel as mother of 8 children born, 6 living, but only 3 appear in census records. The other 5 children may have died young or left the household. Further research in Coffee County, where the family moved after 1910, might locate additional records.

  6. George's middle initial in 1880: The 1880 census records "George T. Alderman" rather than George W. This is likely an enumerator error, as all other records use W. or Washington.

  7. Child-count reconciliation: Isabel's 1900 census reports 8 children born and 6 living, but only Annie, Louis Cleveland, and William Brinson are documented in the current entry. Direct records are still needed for the other children or for a corrected interpretation of the 1900 child count.

  8. Adult trails for children: Louis Cleveland Alderman Sr. has a direct adult/death trail through SAR, draft, census, Find a Grave, and death-index records. William Brinson is now tied to the household through the 1910 "Brenson" child entry and later Coffee County records. Annie now has a direct Brooks County marriage record to J. Calvin McAlester / McAllister, but her later death trail remains unresolved.

Open Research Questions

  1. Marriage date conflict: The Ancestry marriage certificate image shows 4 Dec 1881. Geneanet records 24 Dec 1881. The Ancestry image is the primary source; the Geneanet date is from a community tree and may reflect a transcription error.

  2. Death date conflict (George): The death certificate gives Dec 22, 1935. FindAGrave gives Dec 21, 1935. One-day discrepancy; the death certificate is the official record.

  3. 1930 census marriage age: George's "age at first marriage" of 29 conflicts with all other evidence. The 1900 census says married 18 years (marriage ~1882, age ~18). The 1910 census says married 28 years (marriage ~1882). The actual marriage was Dec 4, 1881, when George was 17. The 1930 entry of 29 appears to be an enumerator error.

  4. Isabel's mother name variants: 1870 census "Ann," 1880 "Elizabeth," death record "Saffold," FindAGrave "Ann C. Coulter," Geneanet "Sena Ann Saffold." Resolved: her name was Sena Ann Saffold. The 1870 enumerator recorded her middle name; the 1880 "Elizabeth" is likely an error or nickname.

  5. Children count: The 1900 census records Isabel as mother of 8 children born, 6 living, but only 3 appear in census records. The other 5 children may have died young or left the household. Further research in Coffee County, where the family moved after 1910, might locate additional records.

  6. George's middle initial in 1880: The 1880 census records "George T. Alderman" rather than George W. This is likely an enumerator error, as all other records use W. or Washington.

  7. Child-count reconciliation: Isabel's 1900 census reports 8 children born and 6 living, but only Annie, Louis Cleveland, and William Brinson are documented in the current entry. Direct records are still needed for the other children or for a corrected interpretation of the 1900 child count.

  8. Adult trails for children: Louis Cleveland Alderman Sr. has a direct adult/death trail through SAR, draft, census, Find a Grave, and death-index records. William Brinson is now tied to the household through the 1910 "Brenson" child entry and later Coffee County records. Annie now has a direct Brooks County marriage record to J. Calvin McAlester / McAllister, but her later death trail remains unresolved.

Research Status

Source-researched, not source-exhausted. Six federal censuses (1870-1930), a marriage record, two death records, two FindAGrave memorials, and two Geneanet entries document George Washington Alderman and Isabel Coulter Alderman from childhood through death. George is confirmed as the first child of Jonathan H. Alderman (HH#176) through the book "Aldermans in America" (15-2-14-1), the SAR application of Jonathan H. Alderman (which lists George Washington Alderman as child), and the 1870/1880 censuses where George appears in J.H.'s household. The Coulter family's physical proximity to the Alderman family in Brooks County is independently corroborated by an 1889 sheriff sale notice listing land adjoining John Coulter and John Alderman. The remaining work is child-count reconciliation and direct adult/death trails for all children implied by Isabel's 1900 child count.

Sources

  • 1870 US Federal Census, George in J.H. Alderman household, Brooks County GA (Ancestry 7163:588005)
  • 1870 US Federal Census, Isabella Colter in John Colter household, Brooks County GA (Ancestry 7163:3679412)
  • 1880 US Federal Census, George W. Alderman in J.H. Alderman household, Morven, Brooks County GA (Ancestry 6742:40730177)
  • 1880 US Federal Census, Isabella Colter in John Colter household, Dry Lake, Brooks County GA (Ancestry 6742:40732076)
  • 1900 US Federal Census, Barney, Brooks County GA (Ancestry 7602:52873596)
  • 1910 US Federal Census, Barney, Brooks County GA (Ancestry 7884:3199465)
  • 1920 US Federal Census, Robinson, Colquitt County GA (Ancestry 6061:7647686)
  • 1930 US Federal Census, Douglas, Coffee County GA (Ancestry 6224:18824705)
  • Marriage Record, G W Alderman m. Isabel "Belle" Colter, 4 Dec 1881, Brooks County GA (Ancestry 4766:184897)
  • Death Record, Geo Washington Alderman, d. Dec 22, 1935, Douglas, Coffee County GA (Ancestry 2562:853215)
  • Death Record, Isabelle Alderman [Coulter], d. Jun 3, 1934, Douglas, Coffee County GA (Ancestry 2562:792741)
  • FindAGrave, George Washington Alderman, memorial 34518273, Douglas City Cemetery, Coffee County GA
  • FindAGrave, Isabel Alderman (maiden name Coulter), memorial 34518237, Douglas City Cemetery, Coffee County GA
  • Geneanet (tannie1958), George W Alderman, b. Aug 18, 1864, d. Dec 22, 1935
  • Geneanet (tannie1958), Isabelle Belle Coulter, b. Oct 23, 1863, d. Jun 3, 1934
  • SAR application lead: Louis Cleveland Alderman Sr., b. 26 Jun 1890, Brooks County, GA (Ancestry SAR Applications)
  • WWI Draft Registration: Lewis Cleveland Alderman, b. 26 Jun 1890, Coffee County, GA residence (Ancestry WWI Draft Cards)
  • Georgia Death Index: Louis C. Alderman, d. 19 Jul 1966, Coffee County, GA (Ancestry Georgia Death Index)
  • Georgia County Marriages / Georgia Marriages, Annie Alderman to J. Calvin McAlester / McAllister, 12 Sep 1906, Brooks County, Georgia (FamilySearch search reviewed June 2026; Ancestry marriage lead also located).
  • 1910 U.S. Census, Barney, Brooks County, Georgia, Brenson Alderman in George W. and Belle Alderman household; FamilySearch result ties the child to both parents.
  • William Brinson Alderman adult/death trail: WWII Draft Registration, born 26 Oct 1903, Brooks County; 1930/1940/1950 Coffee County censuses with wife Mattie; Georgia Death Index, death July 1991, Coffee County; Find a Grave, William Brinson Alderman, 26 Oct 1903-23 Jul 1991.

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