Could Luke Congleton be Redden Congleton's Father?
Examining vague and contradictory evidence to consider the likely relationship between Luke Congleton (born abt. 1804/died abt. 1878) and Redden Congleton (born abt. 1823 or 1833/died aft. June 1900)
In my previous post, I told you about Luke Congleton.
At the moment, I have Luke in my family tree as my 3rd great grandfather via a speculative link between him and my 2nd great grandfather Redden Congleton.
This link may be wrong -? It a hypothesis still under test!
A Murky Area of My Tree
Redden Congleton and his wife Eliza, whose family name I have yet to discover, live in a particularly murky part of my tree—not just because of the missing and/or conflicting documentary evidence surrounding them, but also because of the many intermarriages between a small group of families associated with their extended families—especially Eliza's—making DNA analysis challenging.
The DNA data I have doesn’t preclude Luke being Redden’s father but it’s far from definitive and, in any event, DNA analysis requires documentary evidence to sit alongside it. So, let’s put DNA aside for now and focus on the vague and contradictory documentary evidence.
To date, I haven’t found evidence to rule out the relationship and disprove the hypothesis. At the same time, I don’t have sufficient evidence to be sure of the nature of their relationship.
The purpose of this post is to outline the evidence I have pulled together so far along with my thoughts on it. I am indebted to Luke’s 2nd great grandson, Shon Congleton, for the information and thoughts he shared with me about the likely relationship of Luke and Redden1.
If you know of any other pertinent information, please do get in touch!
Luke’s Bible
Luke’s bible2 was printed in 1845 but appears to refer to events that occurred before 1845. The writing is scratchy and difficult to read. I don’t know who made the entries or when they were made. Luke could not read or write3.
July the 7th (or 17th) 1835 [?] Miss Marinda Congleton 18th July presents Reddin Congleton 1845 [?]
The Bible is an 1845 edition. Perhaps 1845 refers to when the entry was being made and July 1835, the date of Redden’s birth? The dates are hard to read. Also, because what is being written about appears to have happened in the past (before the Bible was printed), the birth month/date written down relied on the writer’s memory and may not be accurate?
The entry implies a mother presenting a son but Marinda is referred to as ‘Miss’.
Could she be Luke’s wife (and Redden a son)? The only other births mentioned in Luke’s bible are the births of his children.
Could Miranda be Luke’s sister? Does that suggest Redden is Luke’s nephew? No other brothers and sisters or nephews and nieces are mentioned in Luke’s bible.
Is the reference to Miranda, a reference to Redden’s sister (a daughter of Luke’s). Why would she be presenting her brother?
The other entry relating to Redden says:
“Bible loan Redden Congleton 18 [?] one day after date promised”
The date looks like 1818 or 1815. It doesn’t make sense for the bible to have been loaned then. It wasn’t printed until 1845.
Note: Notwithstanding the difficulty in interpreting this information, it does point to a familial relation of some sort between Luke and Redden.
Redden’s Birthdate
All census records say that Redden was born in North Carolina but the information as to his date of birth varies across records:
The 1860 US Federal Census says Redden was aged 26 in 1860 and therefore born in 1834 or 1833 (if birthdate after enumeration of census). He was 10 years younger than his wife (36 in 1860)4.
The 1880 US Federal Census says he was 63 in 1880 and therefore born in 1817 or 1816 (if birthdate after enumeration of census). This was 3 years younger than his wife (66 in 1880)5.
The 1900 US Federal Census says Redden was born in August 1823 and aged 76 in 1900. He was widowed6.
The variation in these ages/dates of birth for Redden and the variation in his relative age to his wife, Eliza, points to the likely unreliability of the information. However, the possible birthdates suggested, and the only ones we have to work with, are: 1816/17; August 1823; and 1833/34.
Luke Congleton was most probably born in about 18047 so if Redden was born in 1816/17, he is unlikely to be Luke’s son. Under those circumstances, he is unlikely to have had a mention in the Bible. Other brothers and sisters didn’t (with the possible exception of Miranda if she is the mother of Redden and if Redden is a nephew rather than a son)?
Note: A birthdate of 1816/1817 seems too early given that Redden’s first child, Lazarus, wasn’t born until 18538. The years 1823 or 1833/34 seem more realistic options.
1830 US Federal Census
The 1830 US Federal Census9 shows that, in 1830, when Luke was around 26 years old, he was living in Williamston Ward, Martin County, North Carolina. There were 5 people in his Household:
Free white persons - Males:
Over 5 and under 10 - 1 [a son born between 1821 and 1824]
Over 20 and under 30 - 1 [Luke himself]Free white persons - Females
Under five years of age - 2 [daughters born between 1826 and 1829]
Over 20 and under 30 - 1 [Luke’s first wife born between 1801 and 1809?]
If Redden was born in 1823, he could be the son who was over 5 and under 10. No son is mentioned in the 5 and under category. This suggests that, if Redden was born in 1833/34, he was not in the household. If he wasn’t in Luke’s household in 1830, perhaps he was a nephew?
Note: On the basis of this information, it is possible that Redden is Luke’s son if he was born in 1823 (between 1821-1824) but ‘son’ it is not the only possibility.
1840 US Federal Census
By the time the 1840 US Federal Census10 was taken, Luke and his family were living in Wilkinson County, Georgia. Luke would have been about 36. There were 4 in the household:
Free White persons - Males
Over 15 and Under 20 - 1 [a son born between 1821 and 1824]
Over 30 and under 40 - 1 [Luke himself]Free White persons - Females
Over 10 and under 15 - 1 [a daughter born between 1826 and 1829]
Over 20 and under 30 - 1 [Luke’s second wife born between 1811 and 1819?]
The 1840 Census is consistent with the 1830 Census. It appears that one of Luke’s daughters who would have been aged between 11 and 14 was no longer in the household. She may have died some time between 1830 and 1840, although it is possible she may have been with relatives, or even been married early (at most she would have been 14 years old). It also appears that Luke now has a different wife. His first wife was born between 1801 and 1809 and so is unlikely to be the person on this census record. The assumption, therefore, is that the mother of Luke’s two living children had died. Again, whether or not Redden could be one of those children depends on when he was born—1823 or about 1833/34?
On the basis of these two census’, Redden could only possibly be Luke’s son if he was born in 1823. However, because of the lack of names on the census entry, another person could well be the son referred to. If Redden wasn’t in the household, he may have been a nephew? … Unless he was staying with family elsewhere?
Note: Again, this doesn’t completely discount the possibility that Luke was Redden’s father, but other relationship possibilities remain.
1850 Alabama State Census
By 1850, Luke was back in Alabama. I have been unable to find an 1850 Federal Census listing for either Luke or Redden. However, Luke was listed on the 1850 Alabama State Census11.
By then, Luke would have been around 46 years old. He and his family were living in Henry County, Alabama. The census figures are a little misleading because of double counting. There were 4 in the household:
Free White persons - Males
Under 21 - 1 [a son born between 1840 and 1850]
Over 21 - 2 [Luke himself and a son born before 1829]
Between 14 and 45 - 1 [the son born between 1821 and 1824 from the 1830 and 1840 Census]
White males over 45 - 1 [Luke himself]Free White persons - Females
Over 21 - 1 [Luke’s wife]
The son born between 1840 and 1850 is William ‘Bill’ Henry Congleton who was born in 184612. The son born between 1821 and 1824 (carried forward from the 1830 and 1840 Census listings) is still in the household. As with the earlier census’, this could be Redden if he was born in 1823. As with the earlier census’, it could also be someone else. No other son has been identified through other records.
Note: Again, this tells us it is possible that Luke is Redden’s father, but there is insufficient information to be certain. Other possibilities remain.
1860 US Federal Census
When the 1860 US Federal Census was enumerated from 24 July 1860, Luke was about 56 years old and living in Covington County, Alabama (post office Red Level)13. There were five in the household: Luke and his third wife, Mary Ann [Quates] Congleton and his two youngest children.
Years later, in 1873 when Luke gave testimony to the Southern Claims Commission, he said that, as soon as civil war hostilities broke out with the firing on Fort Sumter in 1861, he commenced sending his family through the lines to Pensacola in Florida. It appears from his 1873 deposition that some of his family—probably his wife and two youngest children—stayed with him in Alabama while the older children were the ones sent to Florida. If only he had named them in his deposition!
Assuming Luke was accurate with his timing of events, Redden could not have been one of the children he is referring to. Redden was already living in Florida when the war started. The first Census record I’ve been able to find specifically identifying Redden is the 1860 US Federal Census for Milton, Santa Rosa, Florida14. The Census was enumerated on the 11th July 1860 and it lists Redden living with his wife, Eliza and their four children. The two youngest children were born in Florida suggesting that Redden had lived in Florida since around 1857, at least15.
Note: Luke was in his early 70’s when he gave testimony to the Southern Claims Commission. He was talking about what had happened twelve years before. Did he neglect to mention one of his sons was already there? Did he mean he started sending his remaining family? Did he get the timing wrong? … ?
To conclude
Redden Congleton is my 2nd great grandfather. I remain uncertain about his parentage. The contents of Luke Congleton’s family bible suggests that Redden and Luke shared a close familial relationship.
I have DNA connections to both Luke and Redden. DNA analysis doesn’t preclude Luke being Redden’s father but it’s far from definitive and, in any event, DNA analysis requires documentary evidence to sit alongside it.
Could Luke be Redden’s father on the basis of the documentary evidence available so far? It’s possible but there are other possibilities for their relationship. The fact that Redden was already in Florida when Luke said he started sending his family there is an apparent anomaly, although we can’t be sure of the accuracy of what Luke was remembering in his early 70’s some 12 years after the event he is describing.
The speculative link remains in my tree at present. I can’t disprove it but neither do I have sufficient evidence to remove the reference to it being speculative only.
Could Luke be Redden’s father - Yes!
Is Luke Redden’s father? - May be! May be not!
Could Luke and Redden be related in some other way - Yes!
At this stage, there is insufficient evidence to confidently determine their relationship. My job is to keep an open mind and look for more evidence. In the meantime, this post outlines my thoughts so far.
As I said at the outset, if you know of any other pertinent information, please do get in touch with me!
You can read more about Luke and his petition to the Southern Claims Committee here:
If you are already a subscriber to BJNL’s Genealogy, thank you!
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This post draws on information from my family history archive on the weare.xyz platform.
You may like to check out my other Substack publication as well:
Notes:
Personal email correspondence between Shon Congleton and Jane Chapman August 2022.
Images of the bible were shared with me by Shon Congleton, Luke’s 3rd great grandson. The bible was in the possession of his family but has recently gone missing.
See also: Jane Chapman ‘Luke Congleton - A Man of principle’ BJNL’s Genealogy [https://bjnlsgenealogy.substack.com/p/luke-congleton-a-man-of-principle : posted 23 March 2026]
The National Archives in Washington D.C.; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M653; Residence Date: 1860; Home in 1860: Division 2, Santa Rosa, Florida; Roll: M653_109; Page: 720; Family History Library Film: 803109 via Ancestry.com. 1860 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Accessed 31 January 2026.
“United States, Census, 1880” via FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MFFJ-PL8 : Fri Jan 17 07:10:58 UTC 2025), Entry for Redin Congleton, 1880. Accessed 31 January 2026.
“United States, Census, 1900” via FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M3LX-8F4 : Fri Oct 10 03:42:46 UTC 2025), Entry for Reddin Congleton, 1900. Accessed 31 January 2026.
See: Jane Chapman ‘Luke Congleton - A Man of principle’ BJNL’s Genealogy [https://bjnlsgenealogy.substack.com/p/luke-congleton-a-man-of-principle : posted 23 March 2026]
Lazarus was born in Alabama on 23 May 1853 - Texas Department of State Health Services; Austin Texas, USA; Texas Death Certificates, 1903–1982 via Ancestry.com. Texas, U.S., Death Certificates, 1903-1982 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013. Accessed 26 January 2026
See:
"United States, Census, 1830," database with images via FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9YBQ-97VL : 14 August 2015), North Carolina > Martin > Williamston > image 5 of 36; citing NARA microfilm publication M19, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.). Entry for Luke Congleton 1830 (first half of page). Accessed at Family Search 31 January 2026.
"United States, Census, 1830," database with images via FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GYBQ-9HFM : 5 August 2015), North Carolina > Martin > Williamston > image 6 of 36; citing NARA microfilm publication M19, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.). Entry for Luke Congleton 1830 (second half of page). Accessed at Family Search 31 January 2026.
See:
"United States, Census, 1840"via FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHBJ-MVG : Sun Mar 10 01:55:13 UTC 2024), Georgia > Wilkinson > District 330 > image 1 of 23; citing NARA microfilm publication M704, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.). Entry for Luke Congleton, 1840 (first half of page). Accessed 31 January 2026.
"United States, Census, 1840," database with images via FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GYTB-9MVR : 20 August 2015), Georgia > Wilkinson > District 330 > image 2 of 23; citing NARA microfilm publication M704, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.). Entry for Luke Congleton, 1840 (second half of page). Accessed 31 January 2026.
1850 - Henry County, Alabama - Alabama State Census, 1820, 1850, 1855 and 1866. Montgomery, Alabama: Alabama Department of Archives & History. Rolls M2004.0008-M2004.0012, M2004.0036-M2004.0050, and M2008.0124 via Ancestry.com. Alabama, U.S., State Census, 1820-1866 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. Accessed 31 January 2026.
Luke’s Bible records William’s birth as 7 March 1846.
“United States, Census, 1860” via FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHD6-JP9 : Mon Jul 08 03:02:56 UTC 2024), Entry for Luke Congleton and Mary Congleton, 1860. Accessed 1 February 2026
The National Archives in Washington D.C.; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M653; Residence Date: 1860; Home in 1860: Division 2, Santa Rosa, Florida; Roll: M653_109; Page: 720; Family History Library Film: 803109 via Ancestry.com. 1860 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Accessed 1 February 2026.
Redden’s children Mary and Columbus were born in Florida. They are shown on the 1860 Census as 1 year old and 9 months old. Clearly if Columbus was 9 months old Mary was more than one. Census records vary as to her birthdate ranging from 1856 to 1859 … Her birthdate on find-a-grave is given as … 27 October 1857 - Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7252837/mary-stone: accessed February 1, 2026), memorial page for Mary Congleton Stone (27 Oct 1857–16 Mar 1903), Find a Grave Memorial ID 7252837, citing Stone-Stokes Cemetery, Dauphin, Henderson County, Texas, USA; Maintained by John Fulton Jr (contributor 51256019). Accessed 1 February 2026.
Great post Jane. This is a good example of staying disciplined with uncertain evidence. The case for Luke as Redden’s father is plausible, especially with the Bible reference and census, but it relies heavily on interpretation rather than proof. The conflicting birth dates and lack of named records make alternative relationships just as likely. Keeping it marked as speculative is the right call until something more definitive, like a clear document or stronger DNA triangulation emerges.
I can imagine you’ve picked up this story time and time again hoping you’ll get a breakthrough. Working with those early census records is tricky with only a number under the age of children in the household. I’ve started looking at some of these for my Canadian ancestor. Trying to line them up across the page and read what’s in the column heading is a challenge.