My Stanley family originates in Cork County, Ireland. There my ancestor, John Stanley, was born ca. 1800, a son of Frank Stanley and Aimee Duke. When John Stanley came to the United States is not known. Nor is known whether is parents were alive or dead when he came.
John Stanley was living in Opelousas,. Saint Landry Parish, Louisiana by 1824. There on August 10, 1824 he married Sarah Nelson, daughter of George Nelson and Dillis Taylor. John Stanley and wife remained in Saint Landry Parish until after 1830 when they moved to Rapides Parish.
John Stanley and his wife Sarah appear in the 1860 census for Rapides Parish, but are nowhere to be found by 1870. No graves have been found for them, or dates of death are known. There were eight known children born to John and Sarah Stanley:
George Stanley, died ca. 1827
John Paton Stanley, born June 17, 1829
Franklin Stanley, born ca. 1832
Elizabeth Stanley, born ca. 1834
Margaret Stanley, born April 1837
Robert Stanley, born ca. 1839
Carroll Stanley, born ca. 1845
Henry Clay Stanley, born 1848
Sarah S. Stanley, born ca. 1850
Their son, John Paton Stanley, was my ancestor. He married, probably in Rapides Parish, to Amanda Bundick. Their marriage year was around 1847. Amanda was born ca. 1831 but died young around 1853-1854. From this marriage were two children:
Amos Stanley, born February 11, 1849
Mary Josephine Stanley, born September 20, 1850
John Paton Stanley remarried at Bayou Chicot, Saint Landry Parish on February 6, 1855 to Sophia Johnson, daughter of Paul Johnson. From this second marriage, John and Sophia Stanley had eight known children:
Florentine Stanley, born May 25, 1857
Annie Eliza Stanley, born October 16, 1858
Sarah C. Stanley, born May 16, 1860
Ellen Stanley, born December 24, 1861
John Paton Stanley, born January 1863
Robert Stanley, born October 1, 1864
Nancy Elizabeth Stanley, born 1866
Hypolite Stanley, born October 17, 1871
It is not known where John Paton Stanley and wife Sophia Johnson died or the date of their deaths. It is believed John Paton died in 1901 and Sophia died around 1910, but this has not been confirmed.