Sunday, January 14, 2018

Solomon Reese of Tennessee

© Kathy Duncan, 2018

Solomon Reese, son of Charles T. and Mary (Desha) Reese, was married first to a wife who is referred to in his will as his “first wife,” but is otherwise unnamed. Solomon and his first wife were in residence on Duck River in Maury Co., TN when their son William Wheeler Reese was born there in 1816. Over the course of their marriage, Solomon and his first wife probably had several children, of which seven were still surviving at the time Solomon wrote his will. Solomon’s first wife was deceased by 1830 when no wife appears with Solomon on the Lincoln County, Tennessee census. With Solomon are the seven children referred to in his will. His second wife was Mahala _____, who was in her early twenties when they married. Solomon and Mahala Reese probably resided in Lincoln Co., TN during the entirety of their brief marriage since Solomon was in residence there in 1830, their son, James Solomon Reese, was born there in about 1834/35, and Solomon died there in 1834.

Solomon’s children William W. and Mary Reese were of age by 6 Feb 1843 when the following document was filed with the court:

            Articles sold by Cullen E. Sugg guardian for minor heirs of Solomon Reese sale on 26 Oct 1842. [Notation:] William W. Reese was entitled to one-sixth part of that rent for 1841 which amount due last Christmas is $3.33. Mary Reese one of the heirs who is of age is entitled to property sold and the rent for 1842 $18.31. Charles C. Couplin and wife Eliza one of the said heirs is entitled to their part of the rent of 1842 $6.59. Document filed 6 Feb 1843.
[Source: Lincoln Co., TN, County Clerk Settlements, p. 139]

Known children of Solomon Reese and his first wife:

            1.         William Wheeler Reese
            2.         Mary Reese
            3.         Eliza Reese
            4.         John Reese
            5.         Eleanor Reese
            6.         Phebe Eveline Reese
            7.         Elizabeth “lately departed” Reese

I have not figured out why Solomon would have had two daughters named Eliza and Elizabeth, who were evidently living at the same time.

The first wife of Solomon Reese or her children may be mentioned in her father's estate settlement. The most likely places for that to be are Tennessee and Kentucky. Anyone seen them?

Known children by Solomon and Mahala Reese:

            8.         Cynthia M. Reese
            9.         James Solomon Reese
            10.       Thomas J. Reese?

Regretfully, Solomon Reese’s will, which was filed in Lincoln Co., TN on 6 Dec 1834 does not specifically name his first wife or his seven children by her. Nor does it name the two or three children by his now wife, Mahala. However, it does make specific references to his horses. The children of Solomon Reese can only be identified through the settlement records of his estate, which will follow on each of their pages.

Will of Solomon Reese, Last Will & Testament:

Whereas I Solomon Reese of the county of Lincoln and state of Tennessee being at this time laboring under weakness of body though of sound mind and memory in order to prepare my Temporal affairs in the best manner Do make publish and declare the following to be my last will and testament. First I give and bequeath unto the Seven children of my first wife or the survivor or survivors of them all my lands in Lincoln County nad my negro man also I Give unto them the proceeds of the sales of the following horses which I direct my executor to sell on a credit of twelve months one large Sorrel mare and mother of the Steed one Steed horse one leopard filly or mare one bay horse Peter our young horse a colt of the old Sorrel mare and other horse named Lop [?] for the proceeds to be equally divided amongst them. And I Give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Mahala and her three children if she should be mother of so many within nine months after my decease all my lands in Carroll County and one old spotted Leopard mare and her two youngest filleys one Sorrel horse and one mare and her colt Got of Sugg during her natural life and at her death to descend unto her three children the property of our marriage. All my other Estate of whatever name and description in which the same does exist except bed, I direct to be sold by my Executor and the proceeds thereof to constitute a funds for the payment of all my Just debts and legal liabilities. And if the same shall not be all exhausted in that may the same to be Equally divided between my wife and ten children. The beds and bedding is already known by distinctions such are know as my present wifes I give to her and her children and such as are now known in the family as belonging to my first seven children I give to them and must not be sold under any considerations I nominate and appoint Cullen E. Sugg to be Executor to this my last will and Testament. In testimony hereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal this 11 day of October 1834.
Wit.: William Wofford, Wilie Wingo, C.T. Reese, N.G. Pirison
Signed: Solomon Reese [seal]
Recorded 6 Dec 1834
[Source: Lincoln Co., TN Will Bk 1, p. 108]






Census Records:

1830 Lincoln Co., TN, p. 242:

Solomon Reese           011001-221

one male 5 - 9 = John Reese?
one male 10 - 14 = William Wheeler Reese
one male 30 - 40 = Solomon Reese
one females 1 - 4 = Phebe Evelina Reese
one females 1 - 4 = Ellenor Reese
one females 5 - 9 = Eliza Reese
one females 5 - 9 = Mary Reese?
one female 10 - 14 = Elizabeth Reese?

Solomon’s first wife is deceased by 1830, and he has not yet married Mahala. The seven children on the census are the seven children referred to in his will, who are of his first wife. Mahala must have felt overwhelmed when Solomon died four years later, leaving her with a total of nine children. My guess is that the seven children from the first wife were farmed out to Solomon's family and perhaps the family of his first wife. Nothing suggests that any of the elder children stayed with Mahala, who removed to Carroll County, Tennessee by 1837.

1830 Carrol County, TN:

Wilson Weaver 221001-01001   [no slaves] p. 152
Isaac Weaver  230001-000001 [no slaves] p. 171

If this is the same Isaac Weaver who married Solomon Reese’s widow, Mahala, then his previous wife was still living in 1830.

Carroll Co., TN:


1837 [deed]. Mahala Reese pays off the debt on the land that Solomon Reese had left to her in his will. She is still a Reese in the deed record, so she must not have been remarried yet.

Carollton Twp., 1850 Carroll County, AR, houses 1 - 136:

38        
Weaver, Isaac 65  Farmer b. NC
---- Mahala   42 b. NC
 ---- William 22  Farmer NC
 ---- Alford  W. 18 Farmer b. NC
Reese, Cynthia 18  b. TN
---- Solomon 16  Farmer b. TN
Weaver, Mikajah  12  b. ARK
---- Sarah Ann 4 b. ARK
---- Mary Jane 1  b. ARK

Cynthia and Solomon Reese are Solomon Reese's children. Sarah Ann and Mary Jane Weaver are likely to be the Isaac and Mahala Weaver's children. Micajah is also likely to be a child of Isaac and Mahala's. If he is, then they married by 1837, shortly after Mahala paid off her land debt.

12 July 1860 Shoal Creek Twp., Barry Co., MO p. 898:

601-589           
Isaac Weaver  68 M  Farmer  $400-$300  b. NC
---- Mahala 48 F    Domestic   b. TN
----  Michger   21 M b.  ARK
---- Sarah Ann  12 F b.  ARK
---- Mary J.  10 F  b. ARK
---- John W.   8 M  b.  ARK

1 Aug 1870 Shoal Creek Twp., Barry Co., MO., P.O. Cassville, p. 739:

203      
Weaver, Isaac 79 M W   Farmer $500-$225  b. NC
---- Mahala 62 F W   b. VA
---- Sarah  22 F W  b. ARK
---- Mary J. 20 F W b. ARK
 ---- John 18 M W b. ARK

204      
Hollis, Cynthia 37 F W Farmer $200 - $123 b. TN
---- Narcissa  11 F W  b. MO

My ancestor in all of this is son William Wheeler Reese. 

Solomon Reese Estate Settlement Notes

Capt Solomon Reese Obituary





No comments:

Post a Comment

I will always try to respond to your comments. If you are anonymous and cannot be reached by email and if you do not choose to follow responses to your comments, then please check back here for a response.