The Lanier Family of Autauga County, AL

For the month of August, I will be highlighting one of the more distant branches of my family tree is the Lanier Family of Autauga County, Alabama. My grandfather Louis Lanier (b.1908 d.1995) and grandaunt Susie Lanier (b. 1905 d.1998) were the only two children of Tom Lanier (b. 1874 d. 1967) and Ellen Lanier (b. 1885 d.1967)
Susie Lanier had one child, Rebecca (b. 1925 d.1988). Rebecca had no children. The only remaining descendants of Tom and Ellen are my Lanier aunts and uncles. Researching this side of my family required that I go back to see if I could locate Tom with his parents and siblings and work my way from there. My initial research depended on census records from Autauga County, Alabama. I located a Thomas Lanier (b. 1874) who resided with his parents Burrell/Berwell/Burwell and Charity Lanier in the 1900 Census. I further located the Burrell Lanier family in census records from 1870 forward. Burrell Lanier first appears on the Alabama state census Colored population record in 1866 alone, most likely as head of household. Burrell and Charity Lanier had 13 children: Nicy, Burrell Jr, Laura, Liana, Luela, Leela, William, Thomas (Tom), Kate, George, Bettie, Julia and an unknown child.

There is quite a bit more work to do on the Lanier Family including tracking down their owners whom I believe came from North Carolina and settled in Autauga County based on some white Lanier family trees I have located on the Internet.