John Leon WEEKS was born in September 1832 in Beaufort, South Carolina to John WEEKS (1790-1844 b. Carteret, NC) and Margarita BENNETT (1794-1843 b. Carteret, NC).
Downloadable PDF FILES from various sources are included here.
LAST UPDATED March 6, 2026
Actively researching. Comments, Corrections, Questions are welcomed.
MARRIAGES
FIRST MARRIAGE
He was married three times and had 13 sons and five daughters.
He married Deborah Tanner in Hillsborough, Florida, on June 22, 1852, when he was 19 years old.
SECOND MARRIAGE
He then married Sarah Ann MERCER in 1858 when he was 26 years old.
STEPCHILDREN
Sarah Mercer brought two daughters, Martha and Mary Elizabeth (Lizzy) into the marriage after her first husband, Jacob Raulerson died.
CHILDREN
Mary Appolonia was born in July 1859 in Everglades City, Florida.
Sarah Jane was born on June 10, 1865, in Everglades City, Florida
DIED IN CHILDBIRTH: Sarah MERCER Raulerson Weeks died giving birth to Sarah Jane on an island near Chokoloskee and was buried there.
In 1870, John lived with his daughters Mary A. and Sarah Jane in an island in Monroe County.
THIRD MARRIAGE
He married his step-daughter, Mary Elizabeth “Lizzie” RAULERSON in Monroe, Florida, on March 18, 1878, when he was 45 years old.
Partial transcription of marriage license:
Marriage License, The State of Florida
To any person legally authorized to solemnize the Rites of Matrimony…John J. Weeks and Elizabeth Roleson…
under my hand and seal of office at Key West this Eighteenth day of March 1878…signed John…Clark, Circuit Court Monroe County
State of Florida, County of Monroe. This is to certify that I have joined together the above named parties in the Holy Bonds of Matrimony in pursuance of the above license this Eighteenth day of March AD 1878
Signed…J.P. (Justice of Peace). Recorded March 25th 1848
FROM THE BOOK Lostmans Heritage: Pioneers in the Florida Everglades: “Mary Appolina is the daughter of Cape Sable pioneer John Weeks and Sarah Mercer. Sarah brought two daughters, Martha and Mary Elizabeth (Lizzy) into the marriage after her first husband, Jacob Raulerson died. The family records indicate that Appalonia Mary Agnes Frances was born in 1863 and her sister, Sarah Jane was born in 1865. In 1862, John Weeks and his wife, Sarah sailed down the west coast from Cedar Key and settled at Chokoloskee Bay with Martha, Lizzy, and their baby daughter, Mary. Sarah died there a few years later giving birth to Sarah Jane, called ‘Sally’ by the family. Some years later, when Mary and Sally were older, John Weeks married his stepdaughter, Lizzy, and they had seven children: Mathew, David, Josephine, William, Alfred, John, and Mary Elizabeth.”
CHILDREN WITH LIZZY
- Matthew M Weeks 1880–1945
- David Alfonzo Weeks 1882–1952
- Charles Weeks 1883–unknown
- Mary Josephine Weeks 1884–1947
- Joseph William Weeks 1887–1963
- Alfred Weeks 1889–1969
- John Leon Weeks 1891–1952
- Mary Elizabeth Weeks 1893–1946
In 1880, John lived with Lizzie in Monroe County Florida.
His daughter Mary A would later marry the man who lived next door to them, Richard Hamilton in 1890. Hamilton lived there with his first wife, Hannah Moore and their five children.
WIDOW’S PENSION CLAIM
From another researcher on Ancestry (Sunshine Montgomery Mohammadbhoy originally shared this on 18 Oct 2024). She notes “The widow’s pension application for Lizzie Weeks’ further solidifies known facts and familial ties between John J Weeks of Lee County, FL in the late 1890s and John Weeks of Hillsborough County in the 1840s and 1850s. His date and place of death are confirmed to be June 4, 1900 on Horr’s Island in Lee County.”
Copeland Papers: “History of the 10,000 Islands etc.” 1927
PDF FILES TO DOWNLOAD
BAPTISM
John was baptized at St. Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church in Key West in 1876 when he was 46 years old.
CHARLTON TEBEAU
From the book “Florida’s Last Frontier” published in 1957 by Charlton Tebeau: “John Weeks is elsewhere described as a Union sympathizer who took refuge in Key West during the War between the States. He was among a number of persons who located at Cape Sable to produce vegetables for the town of Key West.”
“Florida’s Last Frontier” by Charlton Tebeau
MUSTER RECORD 1840
From another researcher on Ancestry (Sunshine Montgomery Mohammadbhoy originally shared this on 18 Oct 2024). She notes “John Weeks, Sr, John Weeks, Jr, and Madison Weeks all served as privates in Captain S. L. Sparkman‘s company, Florida Mounted Militia, during the Second Seminole War. They were mustered out with the entire company, as privates, November 29, 1840, at Lancaster, Alligator Settlement, East Florida. John Weeks, Sr is the father of John Weeks, Jr and Madison Weeks.”
DEATH
He died on December 11, 1900, in Collier, Florida, at the age of 68, and was buried in the Rosemary Cemetery in Naples, Florida.
READ MORE in this article, “Who was the first settler of present day Collier County?”
================================================================
SOURCES:
Ancestry .com
Brown, Faye. Weeks Family Connection.
Captain Sparkman’s Muster Roll 1840 Florida Mounted Militia, Second Seminole War.
Copeland Papers: “History of the 10,000 Islands etc.” 1927, p. 1085
Covington, W. A. History of Colquitt County. The Reprint Company, Spartanburg, S.C., 1980. Reproduced from a 1937 edition in The Reese Library, Augusta, Georgia.
Florida State Archive, Tallahassee and clerk of courts, various counties; Tallahassee, Florida
Florida, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1823-1982
Indian War Service Pension Declaration of Widow July 17 1900
Tebeau, Charlton. Florida’s Last Frontier.
U.S. Census Records
Woodward, Craig. “Who was the first settler of present day Collier County?” Coastal Breeze News. Aug 12, 2011. https://www.coastalbreezenews.com/columnists/coastal_history/who-was-the-first-settler-of-present-day-collier-county/article_523b743a-f13c-510f-b711-bb6f95514f1e.html
FLORIDA KEYS HISTORY FACEBOOK GROUP: Consider joining our group for more on Florida Keys History.
FLORIDA EVERGLADES HISTORY FACEBOOK GROUP: Consider joining our group for more on Florida Everglades History.
Exploring Florida History 