Newspaper Transcriptions From The Banner (Brewton, Alabama)
Transcribed by Larry E. Caver, Jr. (2003)

January 3, 1884:
Probate Court, Escambia County, Estate of E.A. GRAY, Deceased
LETTERS OF ADMINISTRATION upon the estate of said decedent having been 
granted to the undersigned on the 4th day of December 1883 by the Hon. N.R. LEIGH, 
Judge of the Probate Court of Escambia County, Notice is hereby given that 
all persons having claims against said estate will be required to present the 
same within the time allowed by law or that the same will be barred. –James 
M. DAVISON, Administrator

(Wallace, Ala., Dec. 26, 1883) Be it known that this place is now Wallace, a 
post office of that name having been recently established with Mr. C.R. 
COCKRAN, postmaster. Miriamville is now no more… Christmas has come and gone, 
with all its pleasures and follies. Egg nog flowed freely in spite of 
prohibition. We had a Christmas tree for the little folks, which was loaded with 
gifts of various kinds and descriptions, after the distribution of presents, the 
floor was cleared and the young people spent a delightful evening, tripping 
the lights fantastic… -“More Anon”

Mr. J.T. McGOWAN is elected town clerk and Mr. Allen JOHNSON, marshal.

Died, at Pollard, Ala., December 31st, 1883, Miss Phenie JERNIGAN, aged 
about 25 years.

A party of five youths picked up an old bomb weighing ninety pounds, which 
has been lying around Brewton ever since the war, and charged it with two 
pounds of powder on the 26th of December. They carried the loaded missile of war 
and death into the swamp near Burnt Corn trestle, fixed a train of powder to 
it and set it on fire and withdrew to the railroad embankment to await the 
explosion. After a short time Wesley JERNIGAN, one of the youths, supposing 
the train to have gone out, approached the loaded shell, rearranged the train 
and again set it on fire. He retired and waited yet another while and there 
being no explosion again, approached the spot, and just as he reached the 
place, the bomb exploded with terrific force, blowing the poor boy up in the air…
Death, like an Angel of mercy, kindly ended his sufferings on the morning 
of the 28th. His afflicted and bereaved parents, with relatives and friends, 
have the full sympathy of the community…

January 10, 1884:

Mr. James FOUNTAIN, of Garland, has become a resident of Brewton.

Married, on the evening of the 3rd instant, by Rev. E.B. ARMS, Mr. Robert 
POWELL and Miss Katie PEACOCK, all of Garland, Alabama.

Married, at the residence of the bride’s father, on the 6th, by Rev. J.E. 
BELL, Mr. E.J. BREWTON to Mrs. Hulda HERNANDES. May brightest flowers bloom upon 
their life’s pathway.

Probate Court, Escambia County, Estate of H.L. RANKIN, Deceased
LETTERS OF ADMINISTRATION upon the estate of said decedent having been 
granted to the undersigned on the 19th day of November 1883, by the Hon. N.R. 
LEIGH, Judge of the Probate Court of Escambia County, Notice is hereby given that 
all persons having claims against said estate will be required to present 
the same within the time allowed by law or that the same will be barred. –
I.A.V. RANKIN, Administratrix

Probate Court, Escambia County, Estate of Thomas P. GHENT, Deceased
LETTERS OF ADMINISTRATION upon the estate of said decedent having been 
granted to the undersigned on the first day of November 1883, by the Hon. N.R. 
LEIGH, Judge of the Probate Court of Escambia County, Notice is hereby given 
that all persons having claims against said estate will be required to present 
the same within the time allowed by law or that the same will be barred. –
Jessie I. GHENT, Administratrix

January 17, 1884:

Married, at the residence of the bride’s father, on the 8th instant, by Rev. 
K. STRAIN, Mr. N.B. DIXON to Miss Aggie McGOWAN, all of Escambia County.

Married, at Shubuta, Miss., on the 13th, Mr. F.M. PARKER, of Escambia, to 
Miss Willie ROGERS, of Shubuta. The happy pair made their bridal tour to this 
place and are spending pleasant moments with the family of Mr. H.T. PARKER, 
the groom’s father. Frank is the picture of felicity in his new relation and 
the bride appears no less happy…

Rev. B.C. GLENN, pastor of the Methodist Church, preached his first sermon 
here on the morning of the 13th…

Master John SOWELL, son of Mr. C.L. SOWELL, of Wallace, Ala., is lying 
critically ill at Oxford, Ala., with typhoid fever. He was at Oxford attending 
school where he was taken ill…

January 24, 1884:

Our esteemed friend of Castleberry, Mr. W.A. CROOK, spent a few days in 
Brewton this week.

Mrs. James A. PARKER, of Minden, Louisiana, is visiting the family of Mr. 
James McMILLAN, his wife being her sister.

Omission was made in these columns last week of the decease of Jesse HOWARD, 
one of Escambia’s oldest citizens; he died on the 10th of dropsy.

January 31, 1884:

Mr. W.H. STRONG, late of Brewton, now of Monroe, spent Tuesday with his old 
home friends.

Died, on the 23rd in Escambia, of consumption, Mrs. Georgia MASINGALE, wife 
of F.M. MASINGALE. The deceased was a most estimable woman, full of good 
works and of good rport as a church member, being in full connection with the 
M.E. Church South… She leaves a sorrowing husband and three little children to 
mourn her loss…

Robert McCONNELL is justice of the peace, a county commissioner, a district 
school superintendent, and is the aspirant for the probate judgeship of 
Escambia. –Monroe Journal

February 7, 1884:

Mr. Silas MADDOX, the boss log driver, delivered into the booms of the river 
mills last Saturday 1,500 logs, in spite of the low water.

The present winter thus far has been the driest, considering the amount of 
slush underfoot, in a score of years; the streams have had but one or two light 
swells as yet, and the flat ponds appear as dry as usual in summer.

Report reaches this office that Mr. William SIRCEY died suddenly on a timber 
raft, near Molino, Fla., one day last week. The deceased was a resident of 
Pollard and much respected by reason of his industrious and honorable life. 
He leaves a large family to sorrow over his untimely and sudden death.

Rev. J.E. BELL delivered a masterly discourse in the Baptist Church last 
Sunday…

February 14, 1884:

Died, near Brewton, of consumption, on the 7th, Mrs. Frederica DEITZ, aged 
about 70 years. The deceased was a native German, and was one of the number 
that colonized to this community about forty years ago.

Died, near Cawtaba Springs in Escambia County, of hemorrhage of the lungs, 
on the 8th instant, F.M. POWELL, aged 28 years.

Source: These items were transcribed from microfilm in the holdings of the 
Alabama Department of Archives & History, Montgomery, Alabama.