The Name MAJOR

Up until very recently I had always thought the name Major was passed down through the Espy branch of the family tree. Instead, the Carroll branch has the distinction of introducing the name.

James Carroll, Jr., Major Carroll's father, was actually the first Carroll to be called Major, so technically that's when the name first entered the family.  He was elected Major of the Dale County militia in about 1840, and was often known as "Major" James Carroll.  This was at the time of the Second Seminole War.  (Per Dale Her. Bk, page 171.  Article written by Kells C. Carroll)

The list below shows how the name carries on to my generation. I was fortunate enough to be named Major Allen Espy.  I was actually named after both grandfathers: Major Watt Espy, Sr. and Victor Allen Grace.

"Major" James Carroll, Jr. (my great-great-great grandfather), born NC 1805, died AL 1878

Major Carroll (my great-great-grandfather), born AL 1851, died AL 1917

Major Oscar Carroll (my great-great-uncle), born AL 1877, died 1936

Major Watt Espy, Sr. (my grandfather), born AL 1907, died AL 1980

Major Watt Espy, Jr. (my uncle), born AL 1933, died AL 2009

Major Allen Espy, born AL 1971, living in Asheville, NC

On another note: the family name Carroll was given as middle names to my father, Mark Carroll Espy, Sr., and later to my older brother, Mark Carroll Espy, Jr.

Here's a history of Major James Carroll, Jr. and his son Major Carroll.

FORGOTTEN TRAILS

A History of Dale County, Alabama

1824-1966

by Fred S. Watson

On pages 229-231 is an article written by W. L. Andrews for The Southern Star newspaper on June 28, 1899.

More on "Major" James Carroll, Jr:

The following is an article by W.L. Andrews in the Alabama Historical Quarterly, 1948 

James Carroll, Jr. and his brother, John, came to the Wiregrass, without their families, in 1828 and visited in the vicinity of old Richmond. John proceeded to make a crop but Major James "ran a team" between Clayton and Montgomery-apparently hauling goods for hire. While he was at the warehouse in Montgomery one of the warehouse-men showed him an old cannon lying on the ground (this was no doubt one of the old French cannons recovered from Fort Toulouse up near Wetumpka). The warehouse-man said that the strong young bucks always made a game of seeing if anyone could lift one end of it off the ground, but they had not yet found anyone who could lift it. Major James took the challenge, stooped down, bent his legs, and grasping the back end of the canon, lifted it off the ground. The warehouseman was amazed and apparently told everyone about the teamster from North Carolina who had performed the feat. The next time Major James brought a wagon load to the Montgomery warehouse a big crowd of more than one hundred men gathered and asked him to lift the canon again. No doubt enjoying the attention to his prowess, Major James replied that he would be happy to "gratify your curiosity", and he again stooped down and lifted the end of the big cannon, amid the cheers and exclamations of his audience.

Cousin Charles Loeffler adds, "You may not know that the elder James Carroll was a Revolutionary War veteran and that many have joined the DAR by way of proving their descendancy from him."

"Major" James Carroll, Jr.'s son, Major Carroll:

Major Carroll is holding the cane. Major's daughter, 

Emma, my great-grandmother, is seated at the bottom left.

To learn more about Major Carroll and his wife Sarah, go here.

Click here for Major Carroll's stint in the 1911 Alabama Legislature.

For the funeral of Major Carroll, click here.

For Major Watt Espy, Sr. and his son Major Watt Espy, Jr. (Watt Espy), search in categories in the right sidebar.