Couch, Drury 1823 -Jul. 17, 1898
Birth: 1823
Lawrence County
Alabama, USA
Death: Jul. 17, 1898
New Summerfield
Cherokee County
Texas, USA
Drury COUCH (1823-1898) & Mary Elizabeth HOWELL COUCH (1823-1903) were among the
very early settlers of Cherokee County, Texas. They came to Texas in a covered
wagon in 1850 or 1851 and located in Cherokee County, in 1854.
Drury's father was Henry Couch (b: ca. 1786 in Spartanburg County, South
Carolina d: 1837 in Lawrence County, Alabama). Drury's mother was Catherine
Waters (Walters) Couch (married Henry 14 August 1821.) Henry Couch's parents
were John Couch (born: 1745 in North Carolina or Virginia died: 1840 in
Tishomingo Co., MS.) and Susanna "Ann" Meredith (born: 7 Mar 1756 in Baltimore,
MD died: 1821 in Lawrence Co, AL.) John Couch's (b: 1745) parents were Thomas
Couch, Jr. (born: 1705 to 1714 died: 1776 to 1784 in Enoree, SC.) and Mary
(born: ca. 1715 to 1720 died: 1796 in Spartanburg Co, SC.) Thomas Couch, Jr.'s
(b: 1705 to 1714) parents were Thomas Couch, Sr. (born: ca. 1685 died: in
Virginia or North Carolina) and Elizabeth (born: abt. 1686 died: in Virginia or
North Carolina.)
THE CHILDREN OF DURY COUCH AND MARY ELIZABETH HOWELL WERE:
1 – MARY ELIZABETH COUCH was born in June 1843 in Lawrence County, Alabama, and
died on 20 November 1918 in Cherokee County, Texas. She married Joseph Kirkland
on 10 September 1863 in Cherokee County, Texas. Joseph Kirkland was born on 15
December 1841 in Alabama. Mary Elizabeth Couch Kirkland is buried in Navarro
County, Texas, where her son lived, and Joseph Kirkland is buried in the
Griffith Cemetery in Cherokee County, Texas.
2 – HENRY ANDREW COUCH was born 14 January 1845 in Pontotoc County, Mississippi,
and died on 20 April 1921 in Palacids, Matagorda County, Texas. Henry Andrew
Couch married Ida Holder on 12 November 1867, just a few years after returning
from fighting in the Civil War. Ida Holder was the daughter of Wilson (b: 1814)
and Rebecca Muse (b: 1804) Holder. Ida Holder was born in 1854. The Holders came
to Cherokee County, Texas, from Franklin Co, Tennessee. The 1860 Cherokee
County, Tennessee census lists Ida Holder as being born in Tennessee. Ida was
only about 15 years old when Henry Andrew Couch married her. Henry Andrew was 23
years old at the time. Ida Holder died 1 Oct 1871 after the birth of their son,
Thomas William.
Henry Andrew Couch married his second wife, Fannie (Fanny) Geneva Hardgrave on
29 August 1872 in Cherokee County, Texas (Source: Cherokee County, Texas,
Marriage Records, Book F, Page 137.) Fannie Geneva Hardgrave was born on 27
October 1856 and died on 23 March 1941 in Kerens, Texas.
3 – CHELLEY C. COUCH was born to Drury and Mary Couch in 1848 in Pontotoc
County, Mississippi. No other information is available on Chelley at this time.
4 – JOHN C. COUCH was born to Drury and Mary Couch in 1849 in Pontotoc County,
Mississippi. John C. Couch must have died prior to the arrival of this Couch
family in Cherokee County, Texas.
5 – JAMES CHESLEY COUCH was born to Drury and Mary Couch on 14 March 1853 in
Griffin, Cherokee County, Texas. James was the twin brother of Epsey H. Couch.
James C. Couch married Paralee Euda Johnson on 30 December 1874 in Griffin,
Cherokee County, Texas (Source: Cherokee County, Texas, Marriages, Book H, Page
90.) Paralee Johnson was born on 27 April 1857 in Marion County, Alabama, and
died on 13 January 1913 in Canton, Van Zandt County, Texas (1900 Canton, Van
Zandt Co, TX census and Paulette Reid Boswell, direct descendant of James &
Paralee Couch of Canton, Van Zandt County, Texas.)
6 – EPSEY (EPSY) H. COUCH was born to Drury and Mary Couch in 1853 in Cherokee
County, Texas. She died on 12 July 1898. Epsey is buried in the Old McDonald
Cemetery in New Summerfield, Cherokee County, Texas. Epsey Couch married Virgil
M. Darby on 29 December 1868 in Cherokee County, Texas. Epsey Couch Darby died
before Virgil. Virgil Darby remarried and lived near Troup, Texas.
7 – MARY SUSSANAH COUCH was born to Drury and Mary Couch in 1855 in Cherokee
County, Texas. She died on 23 January 1919 in Comanche County, Texas. Sussanah
Couch first married William N. Hardgrave in Cherokee County, Texas, on 18 July
1872. They had one child: Dealy A. Hardgrave, born in 1878 in Cherokee County,
Texas. Sussanah then married Walter Pierce Ellis on 28 Nov 1883 in Cherokee
County, Texas. Walter Ellis was born 29 July 1864 in Kickapoo, Anderson County,
Texas and died: 29 July 1910 in Comanche County, Texas. Sussanah Couch Ellis and
Walter Ellis are buried in the old Zion Hill Cemetery in Comanche County, Texas.
8 – WILLIAM M. COUCH was born to Drury and Mary Couch in 1858 in Cherokee
County, Texas. William M. Couch died in about 1897 in Smith or Cherokee County,
Texas. He married Lizzie Lee Towles on 28 November 1881 in Cherokee County,
Texas. Lizzie Lee Towles was born in 1864 in Buelah, Chambers County, Alabama.
Lizzie Lee Towles was the daughter of Dr. Albert Towles and Mary Ann Howell
Towles. Mary Ann Howell Towles was the sister of Carrie Ada Howell, who married
William M. Couch's brother, Silas M. Couch. Lizzie's father, Albert Towles, is
listed as a medical student on the 1860 census records of Chambers County,
Alabama. Dr. Albert Towles served as a surgeon during the Civil War and is
listed on the muster roll of the Lafayette Guards, Company A, 7th Regiment,
Alabama Volunteers from a twelve month payroll from the unit made out by Wm. H.
McManus in Pensacola, Florida. Dr. Towles parents were Toliver and Sarah Ann
Robinson Towles. After the Civil War, between 1866 and 1870, Dr. Towles came to
Palestine, Texas, to practice medicine. He can be found on the 1870 Anderson
County, Texas census. Upon getting settled, he sent for his wife and family,
Mary Ann Howell Towles and two daughters, Sarah Ann Towles (b: 27 October 1861)
and Lizzie Lee Towles (b: 1864). Mary Ann Howell Towles came to Texas after 1870
with her father, Isaac Howell (b: 1811 in Georgia), her sisters, Carrie Ada
Howell, Nancy Howell, and Annie (Mattie) Howell, as well as her brothers, Joseph
Howell, William Howell, and Henry Howell. Unfortunately, Dr. Albert Towles,
Lizzie Lee Towles' father, died about 1877 or 1878 in Palestine, Anderson
County, Texas, supposedly from pneumonia he caught from treating a patient. Mary
Ann Howell Towles (age 35) can be found, as a widow, on the 1880 Cherokee
County, Texas census, living with her father, Isaac Howell (age 69), her
brother, Henry Howell (age 40 – Henry was mentally retarded), Mattie Howell (age
19). Also living with Isaac Howell in 1880 is Lizzie Lee Towles (age 16).
William M. Couch died about 1897, and we find his wife, Lizzie Couch, listed as
a widow on the 1900 Smith County, Texas census, with all the children born to
them.
After the death of William M. Couch, Elizabeth "Lizzie" Lee Towles Couch married
John Allen Brown. At this time it is not known where William M. Couch or Lizzie
Lee Towles Couch Brown are buried.
9 – SILAS M. COUCH was the last child born to Drury and Mary Couch. Silas was
born on 31 Aug 1861 in New Summerfield, Cherokee County, Texas. Silas M. Couch
died on 3 July 1922 in Comanche County, Texas, and is buried in the Indian Creek
Cemetery in Comanche County, Texas. Silas M. Couch married Carrie Ada Howell,
the aunt of Elizabeth "Lizzie" Lee Towles, who married Silas' brother, William
M. Couch. Silas M. Couch and Carrie Ada Howell married on 30 Nov 1881, the exact
same day that Silas' brother, William M. Couch, and Lizzie Lee Towles married.