THE HAMMOND~BATT FAMILY

         HISTORY OF THE “BATTS FAMILY”

….from the memory of

Cousin Lonnie Bell Seals Hodges

 Click here to view the Hammond-Batts family tree.

Mammy and Pappy Batts and all of the children were house slaves in Virginia before coming to Texas and settling in Cameron, Texas, on a farm owned by photographer Jackson, a long time photographer of Waco.

Mammy and Pappy Batts (as they were called) passed before they were brought to Teas by the slave owner. They all were house slaves, cooking, washing, cleaning and the girls attending to babies. The boys had to cut down trees for wood, take cotton to the gin and do other manual labors.

The children were, William, Parthenia, Martha, Fred, Jane and Alfred. Another daughter, that was named Texana, who Mammy was forced to rear as her own. Texana was the daughter of the slave owner’s daughter. When the girl got married and decided to move to Lott, Texas, she took Texana away from Mammy and brought her to Texas. Texana never forgot her family. When the family finally came to Cameron, Texas, which is a few miles from Lott, Texas, the slaves going to and from met the Batts Family told Texana about them, she readily exclaimed, they are my sisters and brothers; and as soon as possible, she went to Cameron and found them. They reported a very happy reunion. After freedom was declared in Texas, the family separated, going to different places to live. Each year they all gathered together in one place in the summer time and at Christmas time.

William and Martha Batts went to the community now known as Hammond, Texas. This was named after a government man by the name of Hammond who had worked there for a number of years. He decided he wanted to leave and go north; but, the government would not release him until he consented to give the land he had accumulated to a worthy Negro slave in that area.

William Batts, the oldest son of Mammy and Pappy Batts, was the recipient of the land, which he cherished and became an independent farmer. He married Sarah Hammond from Calvert, Texas and reared a large family of boys and girls. They were Martha, Moddie, Mattie, Daisy, Fred, Helen, Alex, Rebecca, Elizabeth, William and Alice. Some of them were teachers, preachers, farmers, and other walks of life. A host of outstanding grandchildren came from this family, teachers, preachers, technicians, cosmetologists, etc.

Parthenia Batts met Granville Seals in Cameron, Texas who was a revenue agent for the government. He was from Springfield, Missouri, who did not know his parents or any other relatives. The plantation owner taught him to read, write, and transact business; and, he was what they called a “trusty” man. They were married in Cameron, Texas, the parents of the two girls, the oldest girl died at birth, Laura, the youngest girl lived.

They stayed in Cameron for a while until Granville arrested a white man with booze who declared he was going to kill him when he got out of jail. He had saved up $1,500, which he had given a store keeper to keep for him, but he would not give the money back to him. He had to flee to Austin by night to save his life; and, he got Captain Abeal and soldiers to bring him to Waco. They camped at Lover’s Leap until he could find a job. Those were dark days for him, his wife, and small child. He first worked at a farm owned by a Mr. Helm, the father of Mrs. John F. Sedrick. Finally, he found a better job with R.B. Compton, who was in the Undertaking business. In 1882, he purchased four lots on he corner of Second and Jones Streets, built a home for his family and became one of the Founders of St. James Methodist Church. His daughter, Laura, married and was the mother of two girls, Mary and Sarah. Parthenia worked for Dr. and Mrs. Richey. Granville preceded Parthenia in death. Mary married and became the mother of two children, one girl and a boy. Lonnie Belle Hodges (the great granddaughter of Parthenia) married Mack H. Hodges, both worked in the Waco Independent School District until retirement as teacher and visiting teacher. To that union, two girls were born, Frances and Loyce.  Frances dies at the age of three years. Loyce lived and taught business until her retirement. The mother of four children, Gwendolyn, Brenda, Rosalind and Rayford, Jr. all finished college. One has a Ph.D in psychology. Three are in the business field. William, brother of Lonnie Belle Hodges, named for Uncle William Batts, was an undertaker in Fort Worth, Texas.

Martha Batts was married to Milton Hammond fro Calvert, Texas. They purchased a farm in Hammond, Texas, the first one on the highway and later in the vicinity where William Batts lived. They were the parents of Isreal, Bell, Robert, Luculious, Olivia, Angeline, Bertha, Sam, Martha, Benny, Milton, and Bernice. They had a number of grandchildren and great grandchildren who were in many industries and occupations. Teachers, undertakers, restaurateurs, and nurses, Jane Daily, the third girl in the family was the mother of two girls and two boys, Martha, Moddie, Jim and Rebecca. She had a number of grandchildren and great grandchildren. Martha, the oldest daughter, was married to Jack Taylor and the mother of Abbie, Willie, Edgar, Fred, Jackson, Jr., Francis, Jamie and Mamie.

Abbie married Louis Jones and they were the parents of Dennie V., Abbie Mae, Jackson, Martha Alice, Isaac, Juanda, Melba, Jean, Curtis and Erma. Willie’s children were Leon and Valarie; Jamie’s daughters were Vivian and Dorothy; Mamie’s daughter is Lois. These members of the family have pursued and were successful in many careers and professionals in life.

Fred Daily’s wife was named Henrietta, and they purchased a home on the corner of the Old Dallas Road and Renick Street. He had no children of his own, but his wife had a son by a previous marriage. Fred and his brother Alfred also bought a large farm near Orchard Lane in Waco; and until his death, they operated this farm.

Alfred Batts, the baby of the Batts family, fell from a tree when he was a boy and broke his right arm which had to be severed, but he could work as hard as any man with two arms. He had no children. He and his wife, Ada, bought a home on South Third Street.

Texana Batts married Charlie Haskill of Lott, Texas and was the mother and father of one girl and two boys, Arthur, Susie, and Charles. They lived in Lott, Texas and owned their home and a farm.

…….and so the history goes on and on!!!