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Samuel K. Rayburn was born at Beach Grove, in Bedford County, Tenn., October 15,
1812, and his parents were John and Elizabeth (Shanklin) Rayburn, both natives of Botetourt County, Va.
He was reared on his fathers farm, educated at the common schools;
came to Alabama with his parents in 1819,
and to Guntersville in 1834, where he engaged
at mercantile business. With the exception
of two years, he was a merchant until 1847,
at which time he volunteered as a member of Capt.
James M. Gee's Independent Company, and served
in the Mexican War. In 1848 he returned to
Guntersville; was elected Clerk of the Circuit
Court in 1840, and held the office eight years. In
1857 he was elected to the State Senate. In November, 1858, he was elected President of the
Tennessee & Coosa Railway Company, and held the office until 1808. In 1801, by the people of
Marshall, Jackson, DeKalb and Cherokee Counties, he was elected Major-General of the militia.
In 1862 he resigned, and was appointed on the
staff of Governor Moore, and in the fall of the
same year raised a company of volunteers, was
commissioned Captain (Company B, Forty-eighth
Alabama), served until compelled by sickness to
resign, returned home, and in the early part of
1863 received the appointment of Deputy Collector of Revenue. He held this position until
the close of the war. From 1870 to 1876 he was
also County Solicitor, and for the past rive or sis
years has acted as Justice of the Peace, and has been
several times Mayor of Guntersville. He was one
of the organizers of the Tennessee & Coosa Railroad, has been one of its Directors ever since, and
its Secretary for the past ten years. He is one of
the foremost men in the upbuilding and improvement of the country, and is particularly interested
in the welfare of Guntersville.
March, 1840, Mr. Hay burn was married to Sarah
Davenport. His only son, by this marriage, Capt.
John Ray burn, was a graduate of Cumberland
University; was a captain in the Ninth Alabama
Infantry, commanded by Colonel Wilcox, and lost
his life at Sharpsburg, Md. Sarah (Davenport) Rayburn, having died January, Mr.
Rayburn, in May, 1861, was married to Mrs.
Evergreen Findley, nee Rainney. She was killed
in 1862 by the explosion of a shell thrown into
the town of Guntersville, by the enemy. December, 1863, at Guntersville, Ala.,
Mr. Rayburn was married to Miss Nannie Nix, and to this
union five children have been born: Bessie, John,
Samuel K., William C., and Jennie.
Mrs. Rayburn died November, 1874, and on May 1, 1880,
Miss Jane Warren, of DeKalb County, this State,
became the fourth Mrs. Samuel K. Rayburn.
Source: Northern Alabama Historical & Biographical
by T.A. DeLand and A. Davis Smith 1888 Birmingham AL
Find-a-grave Headstone shows birth in 1811...
Buried in Marshall Co AL - Guntersville City Cemetery
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Samuel King Rayburn, merchant, major-general of militia, was born in Beach Grove,
Bedford County, Tenn., October 15, 1812,(Headstone-Find-A-Grave shows birth in 1811) and died July 15, 1892, at Guntersville;
son of John and Elizabeth (Shanklin) Rayburn, both natives of Botetourt. Va., the former who moved to Barren County, Ky., about 1795, and thence to Tennessee, where he settled about fifty miles from Nashville, the latter who was a daughter of Capt. John Shanklin, who served in the Revolutionary War; grandson of John and Jean (McClarin) Rayburn, the former who was a large land owner, and settled in Botetourt County, Va., near Salem, the latter who was of Scotch birth; great-grandson of Henry Rayburn and a Miss Ross, the former who emigrated to America from the north of Ireland some years before the Revolutionary War, and settled in Virginia, east of the Alleghanies, near the Roanoke River, the latter who was a native of north Ireland.
He received a common school education, and in 1819 came to Alabama with his parents.
In 1834 he went to Guntersville, where he engaged in the mercantile business, and with the exception of two years was in that business until 1847, when he volunteered as a member of Capt. John M. Gee's Independent company, and served in the Mexican War.
He returned to Guntersille in 1848; was elected, in 1849, as clerk of the circuit court of Marshall County, which office he held for eight years; in 1857, was elected to the State senate; and in November, 1858, was elected president of the Tennessee & Coosa Railroad Company, holding that office until 1868.
In 1861, at the outbreak of the War of Secession, he was elected by the people of Marshall, Jackson, DeKalb, and Cherokee Counties, major-general of militia, resigned in 1862, and was appointed on the staff of Gov. Moore.
In the fall of the same year he raised a company of volunteers, was commissioned captain of Co. B, Forty-eighth Alabama infantry, was compelled by sickness to resign, returned home, and in the early part of 1863, was appointed deputy collector of revenue, which position he held until the close of the war.
In 1866, he was appointed register in chancery, holding the office until his death; from 1870-1876, he was county solicitor; was justice of the peace; and mayor of Guntersville, several times.
He was one of the organizers of the Tennessee & Coosa Railroad, was one of its directors and for about ten years held the position of its secretary. He was a Democrat and a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian church.
Married: (1) in 1840, to Mrs. Sarah Davenport, who died in January, 1860;
(2) in May, 1861, to Mrs. Evergreen (Rainney) Findley, who was killed by the explosion of a shell of the enemy at Guntersville, in 1862;
(3) in December, 1863, at Guntersville, to Nannie Nix, who died November, 1874;
(4) in May, 1880, to Jane Warren of DeKalb County.
Children, by first marriage, 1. Capt. John Rayburn, a graduate of Cumberland University, and a captain in the Ninth Alaba ma infantry, commanded by Col. Wilcox, who lost his life at Sharpsburg, Md.;
by third marriage,
2. Mrs. Brooking; 3. Samuel King, jr., b. June 21, 1876, teacher, Guntersville academy, d. December 23, 1888;
4. John S.; 5. William C.; 6. Mrs. John D. Chandler. Last residence: Guntersville.
[History of Alabama and dictionary of Alabama biography, Volume 4 By Thomas McAdory Owen, Marie Bankhead Owen, 1921 -
Transcribed by AFOFG]
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