James Fort Raulerson
James Fort Raulerson was born on 6 June 1821 in Wayne County, Georgia and died on 22 Mar 1900 in Espanola, St Johns now Flagler County, Florida. He was the son of Jacob Raulerson and his wife Nancy Baggs. James married, about 1842, Ruth Hull, who was born about 1823 in Camden County, Georgia and who died on 22 Mar 1900 in Pierson, Volusia County, Florida. She was the daughter of Joseph Hull (1795-1865) and his wife Sarah Hardee (1800-1861) and was formerly married to Noah Hicks.
James Fort Raulerson is buried in Espanola Cemetery, Flagler County, Florida and his wife Ruth is buried in Seville Cemetery, Volusia County, Florida. Ruth died while visiting her daughter Martha Jane Hicks Harper in Pierson and was buried in the near-by Seville Cemetery because the Haw Creek area was flooded and the water too high to transport her body back to Espanola.
The Raulersons were living in Wayne County, Georgia in 1850. He and perhaps his family, returned to Florida in the early 1860’s as James Fort Raulerson enlisted on 16 October 1863 in Volusia County, Florida in the 5th Battalion, Florida Cavalry, CSA, under the command of Brig. General Joseph Finnegan.
In 1870, the family was living in the Matanzas area of St. Johns County. On 5 Apr 1879 Stephen H. Raulerson and his wife Charlotte Elizabeth gave James Fort Raulerson a Quit Claim Deed for thirty-four acres of land, being a part of the Pellicer Grant which lies on Pellicer Creek and the Matanzas River in St. Johns County. That same month he was appointed as the Postmaster for Daly’s Grove in St Johns County and on 07 March 1888, he was appointed as Postmaster for Raulerson, a position he held until his death. Raulerson was later renamed Espanola.
James and Ruth were the parents of nine children;
1. William T. “Will” Raulerson was born on 26 Feb 1843 in Wayne CO, GA and died on 11 Nov 1911 in Delray Beach, Palm Beach County, Florida. He married on 15 November 1865 in Nassau County, Florida, Elizabeth Motes, daughter of George Motes and Hatty Kiekley Lang. Elizabeth was born on 27 Dec 1847 in Nassau County, Florida and died on 10 August 1917 in Flagler County, Florida.
Will is buried in the Delray Beach Cemetery, Delray Beach, Palm Beach County, Florida and Elizabeth is buried in Espanola Cemetery, Flagler County, Florida. He was a farmer and was appointed Postmaster at Duke in northern present-day Flagler County on 10 Mar 1888 and again on 14 Sep 1891.
They were the parents of: Franklin Wilborn Raulerson; Arabell Raulerson; Eliza Raulerson; Hattie Raulerson; William Henry Raulerson; Robert Walter Raulerson; Jacob George Raulerson; May A. Raulerson, Charles J. Raulerson and Lillie Raulerson.2. Robert Rowan Raulerson, a Confederate War Veteran, was born on 01 Dec 1845 in Appling County, Georgia and died 16 Feb 1898 in Volusia CO, Florida. On 18 Feb 1866 in Seville, Volusia County, Florida he married Barbara Braddock, daughter of Dickson G. H. Bradshaw and Elizabeth Whitman who was born about 1845 in North Carolina and who died in Seville, Volusia County, Florida on 23 Nov 1924. Both are buried in Seville Cemetery, Volusia County, Florida.
They were the parents of nine children; Lillian Raulerson, William David Raulerson, Robert Dixon Raulerson, Jacob James Raulerson, Stephen Franklin Raulerson, Noah Raulerson, Burton Bryan Raulerson, Catherine L. Raulerson and George Washington Raulerson
3. Stephen Hull Raulerson was born on 21 Nov 1848 in Appling County, Georgia and died on 27 Aug 1903 in Hendersonville, Henderson County, North Carolina. He married Charlotte Elizabeth Braddock on 02 Jun 1869 in Palatka, Putnam County, Florida. Charlotte, or “Aunt Lizzie” as she was called, was the daughter of James Aldrich Braddock and Winnifred Louisa Haddock and was born on 07 Jan 1848 in Nassau County, Florida and died on 06 November 1936.
They were parents of seven children: Mattie A. Raulerson, James Aldrich Raulerson, Mary O. Raulerson, Stephen Calvin Raulerson, John Edgar Raulerson, Henry Floyd Raulerson, and Ruth Louise Raulerson.
4. Arabella “Sis” Raulerson was born on 13 Oct 1854 in Appling County, Georgia and died on 07 May 1931 in Pierson, Volusia County, Florida. She married James Aldrich Braddock, Jr., on 05 Oct 1871 in St John’s County, Florida. James was the son of James Aldrich Braddock and Winnifred Louisa Haddock and was born on 06 Dec 1851 in King’s Ferry, Nassau County, Florida and died on 16 Mar 1936 in Pierson, Volusia County, Florida. Both James and Sis are buried in Mt. Zion Baptist Church Cemetery, Pierson, Volusia County, Florida.
They were the parents of nine children: John Washington Braddock, Catherine Louisa Braddock, Noah Hampton Braddock, Harrod David Braddock, Ella Rose Braddock, Thomas Adams Braddock, Henry Ernest Braddock, Evelyn Christine Braddock and James Edno Braddock.
5. James Russell Raulerson was born on 17 Dec 1857 in St Johns County, Florida and died on 23 Aug 1941 in Tarpon Springs, Pinellas County, Florida. He married on 12 Nov 1896 in Volusia County, Florida, Margaret Ann Whitman, who was born on 11 May 1866 and who died on 21 Nov 1942 in Lee County, Florida
They had two children, Ruth Raulerson and Wade Raulerson.
6. Jacob C Raulerson was born in St. Johns County, Florida on 14 Feb 1858 and died on 12 Dec 1960. He married Alice Barren on 12 Dec 1883 in St. Johns County, Florida.
7. Catherine Raulerson was born on 12 Dec 1860 in St, Johns County and died on 28 Jun 1960 in Seville, Volusia County, Florida. On 01 Jul 1880 she was married in Putnam County, Florida to Samuel Lawrence Varnes, Jr., son of Samuel Lawrence Varnes and Martha Tyner. He was born on 18 Jan 1849 in Putnam County, Florida and died on 07 Apr 1929 in Volusia County, Florida; they are buried in the Seville Cemetery in Volusia County, Florida.
“Big Sam” and Catherine Raulerson Varnes had six children; Tolbert Varnes, Minnie Varnes, Ruth Varnes, Catherine Varnes, Keightley Varnes and Eva Varnes.
8. Ruth Raulerson was born on 15 Sep 1863 in Matanzas, St Johns County, Florida and died on 05 Mar 1956 in Bunnell, Flagler County, Florida. She married in St. Johns County, Florida around 1882, James Auldridge Hunter, son of James and Bythe Ann Hunter. He was born on 27 Apr 1861 in Putnam County, Florida and died on 25 Oct 1927 in Espanola, Flagler County, Florida; both are buried in Espanola Cemetery.
Issue; See sketch on James Auldridge Hunter for additional information on this family.
Source: The First Families of Flagler by Mary Ketus Deen Holland who cites as her sources, Published Articles and Pioneers of Wiregrass Georgia.
Additional sources used by the compiler were:
Pioneers of Wiregrass Georgia, Volume 9, page 356, 366; The Daytona Beach Morning Journal, 10 Jun 1953; The DeLand Sun News, 08 Apr 1929, 17 Mar 1936, 10 Feb 1940, 4 Feb 1957. 28, 29 Jun 1960; The Flagler Tribune, 27 Oct 1927, 03 Nov 1927, 22 Feb 1951, 30 Dec 1954, 08 Mar 1956, 29 Aug 1957; The Volusia County Record, 19 Feb 1898, 05 Sep 1903
1850 United States Federal Census, Columbia County, Florida, Wayne County, Georgia; 1870 United States Federal Census, St Johns County, Florida; 1900 United States Federal Census, Precinct 7, St Johns County, Florida; Seville, Volusia County, Florida; 1910 United States Federal Census, Miami, Dade County, Florida; Silver Palm, Dade County, Florida; Precinct 7, St Johns County, Florida; Precinct 8, Volusia County, Florida, Seville, Volusia County, Florida; 1920 United States Census, Boca Raton, Palm Beach County, Florida; Bunnell, Flagler County, Florida; Espanola, Flagler County, Florida; St Augustine, St Johns County, Florida; Sebastian, St Lucie County, Florida; 1930 United States Census, Espanola, Flagler County, Florida; Flagler Beach, Flagler County, Florida; Miami, Dade County, Florida; Pierson, Volusia County, Florida; Seville, Volusia County, Florida; St Augustine, St Johns County, Florida; 1940 United States Federal Census, Espanola, Flagler County, Florida; Flagler Beach, Flagler County, Florida; Holly Hill, Volusia County, Florida; Seville, Volusia County, Florida
US Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles; US Appointments of U.S. Postmasters; US Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007; US Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014; US WW I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918; US WW II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947; US WW II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946;
Florida County Marriage Records, 1823-1982; Florida Death Index, 1877-1998; Florida Divorce Index, 1927-2001; Florida Land Records; 1880 Florida State Census, District 8, St. Johns County, Florida; 1935 Florida State Census, Flagler Beach, Flagler County, Florida; 1945 Florida State Census, Flagler Beach, Flagler County, Florida;
Michigan Death Records, 1867-1950
Please send questions, corrections or additions to Sisco Deen, P.O. Box 637, Flagler Beach, FL 32136 or email him at Sisco_Deen@hotmail.com
Updated: 19 Feb 2018
