The Parris-Cox Line: Finding the Landon Family
By Keaton Drennan, Summer 2025 Genealogical Research Intern
Keaton’s work at Menokin has revolved around gathering new information regarding the descendants of those enslaved at Menokin. Here, she delves into members from the Parris(h)/Cox line starting with Matilda Parris.
Over the past couple of weeks, I have begun exploring the descendants of Matilda Parris/Parish, the daughter of William Parris and Lucella Cox. I started my search with the 1870 Census Record for the Parris-Cox household, listing William and Lucella Parish and their potential children: Matilda, Ezekiel, Wannie, Samuel, Travers, and John. A woman named Maria Parish and a man named Thomas Roam were also listed with the family on the census record. I assumed Maria Parish was a relative of William Parish’s and that Thomas Roam was a lodger. During that year, the family lived in Warsaw, Richmond, Virginia. At the time, Matilda Parish would have been around 11 years old.
After finding the 1870 United States Federal Census Record for the Parish family, I located another census record for 1880 for a man named William Parris in Marshall, Richmond, Virginia. In 1880, "William Parris" was recorded as being 47 years old and living with a woman named "Susetta Parris" (probably a misspelling, intended name being Lucetta) and younger persons with the same last name: "Saml., Nancy, Susan, Julia, Henry, Pheby, and Jas.." Other persons within the same household included: "Maria Tibbs, aged 35 years, Jas. Webster, Thos. Tibbs, Emma Tibbs, Alice Tibbs, and Milly Thomas." I assumed the woman "Maria Tibbs" was the same Maria listed with the Parris family in the 1870 Federal Census. In 1880, she was recorded with the Parris family and her children: "Thos. Tibbs, Emma Tibbs, and Alice Tibbs." I have yet to explore the Tibbs family— a research venture for another time! Matilda Parish/Parris was not recorded in the 1880 census for the Parris family. However, given that she was 11 years old in 1870, it was not unlikely that she left her family in 1880.
I decided to concentrate on finding Matilda Parris and locating her whereabouts in 1880. I searched for a census record for a “Matilda Parris” in Marshall, Richmond, Virginia 1880. I found a woman named “Matilda Landon” in that location in 1880. According to the census record, her age is 22, and her parents were born in Virginia. All the 1880 census facts connected “Matilda Landon” to Matilda Parris. In the same record, her spouse is registered as “Jas. Landon”.
I found a marriage index from Washington D.C. for “Matilda Paris” and “Joseph Landon” with the marriage date of January 10, 1878. The record also listed Matilda’s birth year around 1859. My search shifted from the Parris family in Warsaw, Richmond, to the Landon family in Washington, D.C. I looked for birth registers to find any potential children of Matilda Parris and Joseph Landon. To my surprise, I found a couple of birth registers indicating that the couple had children. The first birth register was dated in 1879 for “Matilda and Joseph Landon” in Richmond, Virginia. Their child’s name was recorded as “Samuel Landon”. This record placed the Landon family back in Richmond, Virginia, following their marriage in 1878. I found an additional birth register listing “Matilda and Joseph Landon” dated 1800 in Richmond, Virginia. Their child's first name is not recorded— only the surname “Landon.” It seems the family lived in Richmond, Virginia, for at least a couple of years after their marriage in Washington, D.C.
The last birth register I found for the Landon couple was based in Washington, D.C. The record listed a son, but no first name was mentioned, with the surname “Landon” and birth location being 1208 R St. N.W. The child’s mother’s maiden name is listed as “Parris.” The certificate is dated 1896. The birth certificate places the Landon family back in Washington, D.C.
I located another child of Matilda and Joseph Landon from a Virginia Marriage Record. The record names “Mary Ella Wells” and her parents “Matilda Parris” and “Joseph Landon.” Mary Ella Wells was born in Washington, D.C. and, was 42 years old in 1938, and was married to “Bearl Wilburn Seegers”, as noted on the certificate.
My deep dive into Matilda Parris Landon’s narrative ended with her death certificate. According to the certificate, she died at 40 years old in Washington, D.C., on February 3, 1899, at 1214 R St. N.W. from pulmonary tuberculosis. However, I still had some unanswered questions. Did Matilda Parris have any other surviving children? What became of Samuel Landon and Mary Ella Landon Wells? After all, Matilda Parris birthed 11 children.
Since the Landon family moved back and forth between Richmond, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., I shifted my focus to close relatives to see if any of their documents revealed the identities of the Landon children and information about their lives. I came across the 1910 United States Federal Census for “Maria Landon,” the mother of Joseph. In 1910, Maria Landon was around 76 years old and lived in Marshall, Richmond, Virginia. She lived with “Ida, Lewis, Betsie, and Georganna Landon.” Maria Landon was married to “Richard C Landon” for 35 years and was a widow in 1910. The other Landons listed in the record were listed as her grandchildren.
I wondered if any other grandchildren lived with Maria Landon, so I searched for additional documentation. I found a 1900 United States Federal Census for “Maria Landon,” listing the same spouse and location. In 1900, she lived with her grandchildren “Ida, Richard, and Louis Landon.” The next piece of the Landon family puzzle was ascertaining whether or not these grandchildren were the children of Joseph Landon and Matilda Parris or one of Joseph’s siblings— the topic of my next blog post.
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Keaton Drennan is a rising senior at the College of William & Mary studying government and history.
Learn more here.