Family/Spouse: Alpha Mae PRIEST. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

NOTE 1./

WilliamRaiford Royal ,or Rafe as he was known, was born in 1869 in Florida to Alexander and Mary Royal. He married Vina Sapp, and inheirited the 360 acres of pine land from his father. Raiford joined the Hamilton County Sheriff's Department and lived in the housing part of the jail with his wife and children, with Vina doing the cooking, not only for her own family, but also any prisoners which might be housed in the jail. On April 15, 1916, Raiford went to arrest Walter Durham, and was murdered with his own gun by the prisnor. The jail where Raiford worked and lived, had it's own hanging tower, but City Fathers chose not to use it when Walter was hung for the death of Deputy Royal, instead, building a scaffolding on the front lawn, where 2ooo people turned out to watch, including the family of the murdered deputy.
Walter Durham was the last person East of the Mississippi to be legally hung by execution. The noose which was used is on display in a museum in the Florida State Capital, Tallahassee.

William married Vina SAPP in 1895 in Hamilton County, Florida. Vina (daughter of Unknown SAPP) died in in Polk County, Florida. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

NOTE 1./ By Jerome Tew <>

Alexander Royal was listed in the estate of Raiford Royal in 1865 as an heir of $581. Alexander Royal lived in Lee Co. GA in 1850 and had moved to Hamilton Co. FL by 1860. Alexander was born in Dooly in 1824 and he married 1852 Mary Barrow in Irvin Co. GA. A son, William Raiford Royal, was killed in 1916 as a deputy sheriff in Jasper FL and the old Jail still stands.

CSA married Mary G BARROW on 17 Jan 1852 in Irwin County, Georgia. Mary was born in 1835 in Georgia; died after 1880 in Hamilton County, Florida; was buried in Sasseryland Cemetery, Jennings, Hamilton Co., FL. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

NOTE 1./ RAIFORD ROYAL:

From T.C. Sutton, as provided by Charles C. Royal, Augusta, Georgia:
"Raiford Royal, son of Young and Edith Royal of Sampson County, N.C., was born ca 1799 NC and died 1865 in Dooly County, Ga. According to a family legend (R.A. Hendricks family record):
'Raiford Royal came to Dooly County, Georgia, in 1815 or 1820. He asked his father in Tarboro, North Carolina, to have a pair of shoes made for him. Size 14. His father told him to roll up his pants and go barefoot and get his feet tough. This made Raiford angry and he did roll up his pants and rode his mule away and came to Georgia, Dooly County. He never wore shoes again.'
My research shows that Raiford's father lived in Sampson County, N.C., and died there before 1820. Raiford was not enumerated in Dooly County census until 1830.
He married first, Nancy Odom, and by 1840 census shows 1 male age 40/0, 1 female age 40/50, 2 mages age 10/15 (unidentified), 1 female age 10/15, 1 male age 5/10 and 1 female age under 5. "
"The old home place of Raiford Royal was occupied after his death by Reason Royal and his family, then by Osborne Royal family. The old log house still remains near Lilly in Dooly County, Georgia."

1830 Census Dooly Co. GA was 21021--- 10001 (1800-1864)

1840 Census Dooly Co. GA was 0120001 1010001

NOTE 2./ 1860 Dooly County Census enumerated on 8-8-1860

Name Home in 1860 Age in 1860 Estimated Birth Year Birthplace Gender
Raiford Royal Not Stated, Dooly, GA 59 1800 South Carolina Male
Elgine Royal Not Stated, Dooly, GA 38 1821 North Carolina Female
E J Royal Not Stated, Dooly, GA 19 1840 Georgia Female
Pealey Royal Not Stated, Dooly, GA 17 1842 Georgia Male
Jacob Royal Not Stated, Dooly, GA 15 1844 Georgia Male
Hardy Royal Not Stated, Dooly, GA 13 1846 Georgia Male
Geo Royal Not Stated, Dooly, GA 11 1848 Georgia Male
M J Royal Not Stated, Dooly, GA 9 1850 Georgia Female
Josiah Royal Not Stated, Dooly, GA 7 1852 Georgia Male
Emma Royal Not Stated, Dooly, GA 5 1854 Georgia Female
Easter Royal Not Stated, Dooly, GA 4 1855 Georgia Female
Asleheat Royal Not Stated, Dooly, GA 3 1856 Georgia Male
Wilson Royal Not Stated, Dooly, GA 9/12 1859 Georgia Male

NOTE 3./
Raiford and then Sabra and Robert Brown also moved to Dooly Co. GA. William had settled there and many Royal descendants in GA descend from this family. Robert Brown was a county official in Sampson but died in 1832, soon after moving to Dooly.

Raiford is said to have left home young and upset at his father over a pair of shoes. If so, This is not indicated in the Will of his father Young Royal. It is clear from the Will, that William 1785 and Wilson 1788 had moved from NC (to GA and FL).

Young Royal Will.

"Tenthly: I give and bequeath unto my beloved son Raiford Royal (1800), all the lands that I now process, except the lands that I bequeathed to my son Rezon Royal, to belong to said Raiford Royal after his mother's death. Also I give and bequeath unto my beloved son Raiford Royal, two Negro boys by the names of Simon and Jonas. Also one bed and furniture and all the plantation tools of
every description, except the blacksmith tools." (1818)
http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/nc/sampson/wills/royal07.txt

In 1845 and near the death of his mother, Raiford returned to Sampson and was upset with Travis Butler that the Will of Young Royal had not been probated. It was 50 years later before the will was probated in 1894 and everyone in the Will was then dead. Travis had married a sister of Raiford and was getting full use of the land of Young Royal that was willed to Raiford Royal. Likely, Raiford never got anything from the estate of Young Royal.

Raiford married Nancy ODOM about 1822 in Samson County, North Carolina. Nancy (daughter of RS George Solomon ODOM and Jane RUSSEL) was born on 17 Jun 1805 in Lincoln County, North Carolina; died about 1840 in Georgia. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]