Nathan Jackson Fox

Nathan Jackson Fox (PIC) was born 1 FEB 1815, in York Co., SC, son of William Fox and Margaret Steadman. On 24 JUN 1858, he married Eliza Levisa Love, (PIC) daughter of David Love and Clarinda Neely. In his development years, Nathan Jackson Fox lived with his parents in SC and moved with them to Green County, AL.

In the 1830's, Nathan Jackson Fox was called to the ministry and served a Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Carlowville, AL. In the late 1830's that church sponsored his attendance at Cumberland University in Lebanon, TN, where he obtained an MA degree and taught for a year. He then served a church in Winchester, TN, for a number of years.

In the early 1850's, Nathan Jackson Fox began writing diaries. We are aware of five of these diaries, four of which have survived. In 1855 he took a trip by horseback to Texas, going as far as San Antonio. He kept notes of this trip and gives a good description of the area and its people. For instance he describes what the Alamo and the Missions of San Antonio looked like in 1855. All of these documents are with the archives in Jackson, MS, and can be viewed upon request. Also in the Mississippi Archives is a transcription of each of the documents which is easier to read than the original script.

In the mid 1850's Nathan Jackson Fox was called to serve the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Columbus, MS. There he met Eliza Levisa Love, and they were married in 1858 in Nashville, TN. Their honeymoon trip was in a horse drawn buggy to Columbus, MS.

Following the Civil War, Nathan Jackson Fox, moved his family to Winston Co., MS, to look after his deceased fathers plantation. While there, Nathan Jackson and Eliza became aware of the dire need of educational facilities in the South. They opened their home in Louisville, MS, as a boarding school where they both taught until the early 1890's.

Eliza Levisa Love was born 9 MAY 1832 in Hardeman Co., TN, daughter of David Love and Clarenda Neely (PIC). Shorly after her birth, the family moved to Columbus, MS. Sadly her father died 13 NOV 1933 as a result of a fall experienced while constructing his new home. The older children and their mother rose to the occasion and raised a fine family. Eliza was brought up in Columbus, MS, and attended school there. She graduated from Nashville, TN, Female Academy, and it is known that she was teaching there in 1855.

While still a teenager, Eliza Love began keeping a lifelong journal that has survived the years and is called "The Greenbook" because of its dark green color. In The Greenbook, Eliza recorded thoughts and events that were of importance to her. But of very great importance, she chose to record her's and her husband's ancestral and living families, giving dates and relationships. Much of our knowlege today of the Foxes and Loves comes from that document.

Nathan Jackson Fox passed away 13 JUL 1891 in Louisville, MS, and is buried there in the Masonic Cemetery. Eliza sold their home/school and went to live with her children. She helped to raise some of her grandchildren, who remembered her as being a very sweet woman who told the children Bible stories. She passed away 25 MAY 1907 and is buried next to her husband.

The children of Nathan Jackson Fox and Eliza Levisa Love are:


  1. William Love Fox, b. 11 SEP 1859, d. 15 JUN 1929 m. 14 JUN 1887 Lelia Blanche Gaston b. 13 FEB 1858. d. 12 JUN 1936.

  2. Clara Neely Fox, b. 13 JUL 1862, d. 1937 m. 14 FEB 1886 James Drennan Love b. 1841. d. 1938.

  3. David Burney Fox, b. 11 NOV 1865, d. 4 SEP 1931 m. 9 FEB 1891 Mary Helen Hand b. 18 AUG 1871. d. 12 FEB 1962.

  4. Hallie Theobald Fox, b. 29 NOV 1869, d. NOV 1921 m. 1) 27 JUN 1888 Solon Woodward d. 29 JAN 1896. 2) 1900 Albert Sidney J. Glenn b. 1864 d. 1936

  5. Mattie Eliza Fox, b. 27 JAN 1872, d. 1954 m. MAR 1893 Rev. James Robert George b. 1863. d. 5 MAR 1905.