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Miles Jefferson Whatley was born on November 5, 1847 in Clay County, Alabama. His parents were Martin Whatley, who died about 1875 in Clay County, Alabama, and Sophia Smith Whatley. Miles Jefferson married Sally Linton and had two sons, George Washington and Martin Edward. Sally Linton Whatley died October 24, 1871 and family stories are that the Linton family tried to get custody of Martin Edward and his brother, George Washington. On September 4, 1876, Miles Jefferson Whatley went to court in Clay County, Alabama and was given legal custody of Martin Edward and George Washington. Martin Edward was required to be bonded and his bond was signed by William D. Fason and Allen Rainwater. William D. Fason was the husband of Emily Elizabeth Stokes, daughter of Elizabeth Stokes Rainwater. Elizabeth was a sister of Miles Jefferson and Allen Rainwater was her 2” husband. Sometimes, thereafter, Miles Jefferson, his 2nd wife, Savannah Gaither Whatley, his children, his mother, 8ophia left Alabama and moved to Marion County, Texas. Family story is that the Linton family continued trying to get custody of the two boys to get control of the property they had inherited from their mother and that is why they came to Texas. Miles Jefferson, his wife, children and his mother left from Clay County, Alabama in 2 wagons and drove to Tuscaloosa, Alabama and boarded a train for Texas. George Washington, the oldest son, said the hardest part of leaving Alabama was when they got on the train, they were not allowed to take their dog and he hung out the window and watched the dog run after the train until they were out of sight. They changed trains in Texarkana, Texas to get to Kildare, Texas. They arrived in November 1883 and was met by Cousin Dave and Jim Smith at Kildare. They loaded their belonging in 2 wagons and went to Cousin Dave and Jim Smith’s and spent the night. The next morning Miles Jefferson gave the Smith cousins $400.00 for a house and 100 acres of land that they had bought for them in Marion County, Texas. Miles Jefferson was given a handwritten deed to the land. He did not file this deed until 1887. Miles Jefferson lived in that house until his death on January 16, 1926.