Bertha (Brown) Chapman and Veva (Lane) Duncan

© Kathy Duncan, 2018

Once upon a time, small town newspapers were filled with information about local people and their activities: birthdays, invitations, trips, parties, marriages, deaths, births, anniversaries, graduations, hospital stays, and a host of other milestones. This, apparently, was a highly successful way to sell papers. The payoff today for genealogists is huge.

This clipping is loaded with information. Not only do I find how my grandparents spent one Saturday afternoon in 1958, but I also find out that my grandmother Bertha attended Jackson school and that her teacher was Miss Ola Bearden. Among her classmates was her best friend Veva (Lane) Duncan, who also married my grandfather Duncan's brother, Earl. Additionally, my uncle DeWitt Lennon's mother Daisy was attendance.

John Rentfro and the Mysterious Katherine

© Kathy Duncan, 2018

When John Rentfro (also spelled Renfro) died in Gibson County, Tennessee in 1860, he left a brief will naming his children: Joseph D Rentfro, Elizabeth Yarbrough, John N Rentfro, NEH Witherspoon, Mary Ann Harrison, Elan B Rentfro, and Jasper N Rentfro. His will was proven in the July Term 1860 and was recorded in Gibson County, Tennessee will book volume F, page 391.

His will named one additional heir who has been a mystery for many years: Katharine Long aka Henley. His bequest to her included one bedstead, four quilts, one blanket, two sheets, two pillows, undercurtains, one cow, one calf, and $75. In addition, she was to remain in possession of his house and property until it was legally disposed of. John Rentfro had gone to great lengths to ensure that Katherine Long was cared for to some extent. The question is why? At the very least, John Renfro was in need of assistance as of 14 August 1858. It's hard to say if he just needed a housekeeper or if he was ill at this point.

Who was Katharine Long aka Katharine Henley? Theories have ranged from a daughter to a mistress to a housekeeper. John Rentfro's probate case file in Gibson County, Tennessee reveals a great deal about Katharine and about his last days.

In November of 1860, Catherine Smith sued the John Rentfro estate to recover $500 for her labor and for her $75 inheritance:

The following sheet in the probate case file details that Catherine was attending to and nursing John Renfro in the late 1850s. Regrettably, there are no specific dates. 

In August of 1864, Dr. R. M. West sued the estate for medical care for John Renfro. His visits began in September 1859 and increased in frequency in the spring of 1860. His last billable visit was 23 June 1860. It is reasonable to think that John Renfro was in declining health and in need of a caregiver, which is the role Catherine Smith aka Katherine Long aka Katherine Henley filled.

Even John's son John D. Renfro filed an invoice against the estate to be compensated for the care he gave John Renfro. This does not seem outrageous. Instead, he is attempting to recoup some of the estate. J.D. Renfro's invoice, however, adds one important tidbit of information. He attended his father from 4 May 1860 to 12 July 1860. His claim was filed 16 July 1860. I think it is reasonable to say that J.D. Rentfro attended his father until the day of his death - 12 July 1860.

The following is a bill for merchandise from a local merchant. The purchases of shoes and a hat for an ill man seem unusual. The calico seems like it might have been purchased for a woman. The June 28, 1860 charges for burying clothes and coffin linings are telling. It would seem that by June 28, the family had given up hope that John Rentfro would improve. In his spare moments, J. D. Rentfro was probably building his father's coffin while the old man lingered until July 12th. He was about 75 years old when he died.

Jincey (Bryant) Rentfro is not mentioned in either John Rentfro's will or his probate case file. She has evidently predeceased him. 

The following is a promissory note from John Renfro. It shows him still able to attend to his own business in late 1858 and contains his signature.

Catherine Long aka Henley aka Smith has been difficult to identify in the records. In 1860 there is Catherine Smith living with a six-year-old male named James on the Gibson County, Tennessee census. She is living next door to several Henley families. At this point, she is probably still living in John Renfro's house.

Yarberry Family Photograph

© Kathy Duncan, 2018

Below is a picture of the John Newton Yarberry family that includes his parents Elizabeth (Renfro) and Thomas N. Yarberry. The "summer home" was an arbor. The baby in Sarah (Blevins) Yarberry's arms is identified as being her son, Alexander Campbell Yarberry, who was born in Hempstead County, Arkansas on 7 May 1886. This picture was likely made the following fall or in the spring of 1887. Besides being a great photograph, this adds to what we know about Thomas N. Yarberry. He was still living as of May 1886 - minimum. Unfortunately, this is only a photocopy of a photocopy. Does anyone out there have a better copy???

Jane (Thomas) Staggs, Heir of John Kelly

© Kathy Duncan, 2018

It pays to keep reviewing what appears to be redundant information. Initially, I found the following notice for a suit over partitioning John Kelly's estate in Kershaw County, South Carolina. It was published in The Camden Weekly Journal in Camden, South Carolina on 6 March 1860. The startling thing was it name people I was unfamiliar with. My best guess is that they are the grandchildren of an unknown first wife and John Kelly. Their daughter evidently married William B. Thomas and removed to Pickens County, Alabama. Their children were Nancy (Thomas) Redding, John K. Thomas, Charlotte (Thomas) Staggs, Thomas Thomas Jr., Frances (Thomas) Booth, and William Thomas.

This notice, appearing a little over a month later, also in The Camden Weekly Journal, and was something I had glossed over because it appeared to be the same notice. Notices routinely ran for about three months, so reading the same thing over and over seems sort of pointless. However, it turns out that this is not identical to the previous one. This one names an additional grandchild: Jane (Thomas) Staggs. 

This accounts for the 17-year-old Jane A. Thomas in William Thomas's Pickens County, Alabama household in 1850. I had wondered if she was a daughter or a very young second wife. I had also wondered if she was a daughter from a previous wife of William's. The second partition notice clarifies that she is another heir of John Kelly's.

Rebecca Lewis, Wife of Aaron Rice

© Kathy Duncan, 2018

Rebecca Lewis, born about 1809 in Kentucky, was a daughter of John Lewis. She married Aaron Rice on 28 Oct 1826 in Madison Co., Alabama [vol. 3 p. 477].  Aaron Rice was named as a son-in-law of John Lewis in a deposition given by Ann M Sharp in a lawsuit brought among the heirs of Elizabeth (Lewis) Babb.

This couple later appeared on the 1850 Bowie Co., TX census:

22 Sept. 1850, 8th Judicial District, Bowie Co., TX, page 359:

           

169-169

Rice, Aaron  59 M    Farmer $550 b. TN

Rebecca  41 F b. KY

DeCalb 13 M  b. TN

DeKalb Rice, Pvt. Co. A, enlisted 11 Dec 1861 at Camp Moore, Louisiana. He is also called D.K. and Dan in the records. He attained the rank of Capt. and was wounded in Chicamunga. He served with the 1st Texas.

By 1856, Aaron Rice was in Titus County, Texas, when Aaron M. D. Rice owed less than $100 to Benjamin L. Beaver:

Standard; Clarksville, TX; 20 Dec 1856

A Celia Ann Rice, the daughter of Aaron and Rebecca (Lewis) Rice, married Spencer P. Daniel in Fayette County, Tennessee on 8 January 1846. He was the son of Spencer Daniel and Susannah Despain who married in Green County, Kentucky on 18 August 1818. The Lewis, Daniel, and Despain families had very close ties. 

Spencer P. Daniel was in Titus County, Texas by 1858, when he was owed less than $100 from William Hensley:

Standard; Clarksville, TX; 20 Nov 1858

16 July 1860, PCT 3, Titus Co., TX, P.O. Mt. Pleasant, p. 25:

130-144

S.P. Daniels  34 M   Farmer  $660 - $1,000 b. AL

C.A. ---    24 F   b. TN

C.D.--- 12 M  b. TN

A.M.--- 10 M   b. TN

S.L. ---  6 M  b. TX

K.C.  3 F  b.  TX

M.E.  6/12 F b. TX       

12 July 1870, Mt. Pleasant, Titus Co., TX, p. 26:

170-170

Daniel, Spencer P.  46 M W  Farmer $800 - $400 b. AL

---Celia A.  39 F  W  Keeps house  b. TN

---Samuel L. 16 M W  At school b. TX

---Mary E.  11 F  W  At school  b. TX

---Aaron S. 8 M W b. TX

---George 6 M W b. TX

171-171

Rice, Rebecca  63 F  W  Keeps house  b. KY

Rebecca (Lewis) Rice's residence next to Celia Ann (Rice) Daniel's suggests that she was Celia's mother. Since Rebecca is living in her own home, does this mean that she and Aaron Rice had removed to Titus Co., and she remained in their home after his death? There is no real estate valuation in the census to indicate land ownership. Residing also in Titus County, Texas is Rutherford Porter Cawthon, widower of Susan Jane Mason and Karen Rebecca Mason. These wives were sisters and the daughters of Matilda (Lewis) Mason. Would the two families have been aware of each other's presence?

This page updated on July 14, 2018.

Jane Lewis, wife of Milton Wardlow

© Kathy Duncan, 2018

Jane Lewis, daughter of John Lewis, married Milton Wardlow. She was born c. 1817 in AL. If she was born in AL as early as 1817, then John Lewis would have been in Alabama two years prior to 1819. Milton Wardlow is likely related to David Wardlow who lived near John Lewis.

The question is where Jane Lewis and Milton Wardlow married. Alabama or Mississippi? Their migration pattern is interesting. They lived in Mississippi, then returned to Tennessee, then removed to Texas. In Texas, they lived near William and Matilda (Lewis) Mason on the 1850 census of Hopkins County, Texas.

1840, Carroll Co.., MS:

Milton Wardlow 10001 - 10011

1 male under five = John Wardlow b. c. 1839, Miss

1 male 20-30 = Milton Wardlow

1 female under five = Susan E. Wardlow b.c. 1840, b. Miss

1 female 15-20 = ?

1 female 20-30 = Jane (Lewis) Wardlow

Jan Term 1848 - Probate Court of Hopkins Co., TX - Ordered by the Court that an inventory and appraise bill be returned to the next Probate Court and that John Despain, Milton Wardlow, Mansel W. Matthews and William Mason be appointed appraisers of the property belonging to the estate of William O. Matthews, Decd, and that they order issue.
[Source: Probate Court Minutes Vol. I Nov. 1846 - Sept 1853 by Hopkins County Genealogical Society]

May Term 1849 - County Court of Hopkins Co., TX - William Mason is ordered to work as a hand on Road Precinct #2 under overseer Alfonzo Crowder. Along with William Mason and among others were Bailey Ashmore, Joseph M. Mason, Westley R. Mason, Wiley C. Mason, Melton Wardlow, and John Despain.

[Source: County Court Minutes Vol. I October 1846 - February 1852 by Hopkins County Genealogical Society]

In 1849, Milton Wardlow was a Justice of the Peace in Hopkins Co., Texas. His brother-in-law William Mason seems to be a constable. I've been told by other researchers that there were two William Masons in Hopkins Co., Texas at this time. However, there is only one on the census in 1850 and none in 1840. The following notice appeared in the Northern Standard of Clarksville, Texas on 16 June 1849:

1850, 8^th J-Pct, Hopkins Co., TX, p. 137:

23-23

Milton Wardlow 38 M Farmer - $200 b. NC

----Jane  33 F b. AL

----John  11 M  b. Miss

----Susan E. 10 F b. Miss

----Samuel? S. 8 M b. Miss
----David H. 6 M b. Miss

----Matilda 4 F b. TN

----Milton L. 1 M b. TX

----Lucy A. 1 F b. TX

           

24 July 1860, Beat #4, Hunt Co., TX, p. 313:

326-327

----Milton Wardlow 48 M Farmer $400-600 b. NC

----June Wardlow 43 F b. AL

----John  21 M  b. Miss

----Suasun E. 20 F b. Miss

----Matilda J. 14 F  b. TN

----Louis M. 11 M b. TX

----Lucy A. 11 F b. TX

----James O. 8 M b. TX

----Margaret A. 1 F b. TX

16 Sept 1870, Pct 4, Hunt Co., TX, p. 58

420 - 408

Wordlow, Jane 53 F W  Farmer  $500-$200 b. AL

----Lucy A. 22 F W b.TX

----Margaret 12 F W b.TX

----Jeff Davis 8 M W b.TX

Manos, Allen 21 M W Farm lab b.TN

Next door to the Wardlows is the household of Bailey Ashmore, widower of Matilda (Lewis) Ashmore, daughter of Wiley Lewis.

Milton Wardlaw must have died aft. 1861/62 when Jeff Davis Wardlaw was conceived. He probably died and is buried in Hunt Co., TX.

Daughter Lucy A. Wardlow married Stephen R. Etter and lived in Hunt County, Texas most of her life. She apparently died in McKinney, Collin County, Texas in 1913 despite her death certificate being filed in Hunt County, Texas. Her obituary states that she was an only child. This seems doubtful given the large number of children in the Wardlow household who are both older and younger than she. She may have been the only surviving child of the Wardlows at the time of her death. Her obituary appeared in The Weekly Democrat-Gazette of McKinney, Texas on 20 March 1913.

That Lucy A. (Wardlow) Etter was the daughter of Milton Wardlow and wife Jane Lewis is evidenced in Lucy's death certificate:

John Lewis and The Blaine Deposition

© Kathy Duncan, 2018

Anyone who has done genealogy research for very long knows that secondary sources take on a life of their own and are often difficult to refute even with primary source documents. Sometimes, though, we need to research the secondary source itself. Who wrote it originally and why? Knowing that can often help us rectify the two documents.

For years, those of us researching the line of John Lewis and Susan Daniel have had the following information from a seemingly undocumented source:

“John Lewis, born 1777 in Albemarle, VA; died 1848 in Hardin, TN. He was the son of Charles Lewis and Mary Randolph. He married Susan Daniel 1792 in Kentucky. Susan Daniel was the daughter of Terrance Daniel.

Children of John Lewis and Susan Daniel:

1.  Spencer Polk Lewis b. Lincoln Co., KY married Martha McWhorter 11 May 1811 in Knox Co., KY.

2.  Wiley Lewis married Charlotte Brickell 1821 in Madison Co., AL.

3.  William Henry Lewis born September 14, 1799, in Knox, KY died January 4, 1879, Woodville, Jackson, AL; married Tabitha Allen Cotton on  September 23, 1819, in Jackson, AL

4.  Joel Daniel Lewis, born March 27, 1801, in Pulaski, KY; died May 12, 1876, in Piedmont, MO; married Rebecca Ingle Eagleton December 6, 1823, in Lincoln, TN.

5.  Harriet Jackson Lewis.

6. Rebecca Lewis, born Pulaski Co., KY.

7.  Daniel A. Augustus Lewis, born 1805 in Pulaski, KY; died in Madison, AL married Betsy Ann Young May 1, 1828, in Madison, AL.

8.  Matilda Lewis, born in Pulaski, KY.

9.  Jane Lewis, born Pulaski, KY.

10.  Susan Lewis, born 1812 in Pulaski, KY; married Jesse K. Webb

11.  John L. Lemuel Lewis, born in Lincoln, TN; married Elizabeth.

12.  Caledonia Lewis, born Lincoln, TN.

13.  Margaret Lewis, born in Jackson, AL.

14.  Polk Lewis, born in Jackson, AL.”

I found this same list of children with additional information on spouses in "A Lewis-Randolph Excursus: Being an Outline for the Ancestry and Descendants John Lewis of Jackson County, Alabama" compiled by Robert M. McBride of Nashville, Tennessee in 1976. It is a six-page paper that came from the Guntersville Museum & Cultural Center in Guntersville, Alabama. 

Of the list's origin, McBride states, "The list of children of John and Susan (Daniel) Lewis is taken from the Blaine Deposition (not necessarily in correct order)."

In footnote 5, McBride attributes a birth date of 1772 for John Lewis to the Blaine Deposition, stating, "The date is based on the 1800 and 1810 census records of Lincoln and Pulaski counties, Kentucky, and the 1830 census of Jackson County, Alabama. It is also so given in a sworn deposition by a great-granddaughter, Attie May (Old) Blaine, of Piedmont, Missouri, October 26, 1948 (hereafter cited as Blaine Deposition)."

John Lewis's marriage to Susan Daniel, sourced in footnote 6, states, "Blaine Deposition. Susan Daniel was the daughter of Terence Daniel (born c. 1745 in Pittsylvania County, Virginia). Her mother was probably a Spencer. Susan Daniel is not to be confused with Susannah Lewis, daughter of Jeremiah Lewis of Greene County, Kentucky. Susannah was married in 1804 to James E. Daniel, brother of Susan Daniel who married John Lewis." 

McBride goes on to attribute John Lewis's residence in Pulaski Co., KY; his death in Hardin Co., TN; and a list of his thirteen children to the Blaine Deposition.

Of additional interest is the claim that "sometime, apparently in the 1830's, John Lewis removed to Holly Springs, Marshall County, Mississippi, and lived there two years." Again McBride attributes this to the Blaine Deposition in footnote 12, with the notation: "statement of granddaughter-in-law, Rebecca (Ingle) Lewis (1803-1875)." 

So who created the Blaine Deposition? Where did the information come from? And why was the deposition created? In light of the fact that some of this information is in error--John Lewis died earlier in McNairy County, TN with a slightly different list of children--it is important to track this down.

To answer those questions, I first researched Attie May (Old) Blaine in FamilySearch.org. She was a little difficult to find because it turned out that her name was actually Attie Old Blaine, and her sister was May Blaine. Note the muddling of the name by McBride. Attie's maiden name is not Old; her middle name is actually Old. She never married, so Blaine was her maiden name. Additionally, her name and her sister May's name have been merged. It's hard to figure out how that happened. Working on Attie's family tree, by adding sources to it, I was, in fact, able to connect Attie Old Blaine to her great-grandparents: Joel Daniel Lewis and Rebbeca Ingle. McBride's reference to Rebecca Ingle as a granddaughter-in-law is also difficult to untangle. Rebecca may be the daughter-in-law of John Lewis, not a granddaughter-in-law. Attie Blaine is a great-granddaughter of Rebecca's. 

This is Attie's connection to Joel Daniel Lewis, and here are the key dates:

Attie Old Blaine (1889-1971)
her mother: Annie Love (Old) Blaine (1863-1948)
her grandmother: Elizabeth Frances (Lewis) Old (1839-1910)
her great-grandparents:  Rebbeca (Inge) Lewis (1803-1875) & Joel D. Lewis (1801-1876)

Given these dates, Attie never knew her great-grandparents because they died before her birth. She was about 21 years old when her grandmother died, and she was about 59 when her mother died. On October 26, 1948, when the Blaine Deposition was given, only Attie was still living. Since her sister May was married by then with the surname Newman, only Attie could have given the "Blaine Deposition."

Why was the deposition created? It seems unlikely that any of John Lewis's estate was still in question in 1948. Perhaps a land title needed to be cleared? I've seen the occasional deposition in old DAR applications. Both Attie Old Blaine and her sister May (Blaine) Newman were members of the DAR, but they both were accepted based on the service of their ancestor John Wood - not a Lewis. Besides, John Lewis would have been too young to serve in the Revolutionary War. Perhaps, a lineage society for the War of 1812?

In any event, it seems likely that the Blaine Deposition contained information based on family tradition, which would have become altered as it was passed down over the generations. Additionally, it may have been embellished by Attie's own research. 

The deposition's exact contents and where it was filed, if at all, remain unknown at this time. McBride's paper makes no notation of its location, and it may be one of the "private records of a number of descendants" to which he alludes.

Elizabeth (Lewis) Babb - Obituary

© Kathy Duncan, 2018

Women's obituaries prior to the twentieth century are rare as hen's teeth, and this is one I never expected to find in a google search.

Elizabeth (Lewis) Babb's children brought a lawsuit against their step-father John Fitzpatrick over their father's estate because he had sold a piece of land that they regarded as their inheritance. That land had originally been owned by their maternal grandfather, John Lewis, who died in McNairy County, Tennessee in 1842.

Both Elizabeth and their father Green B. Babb were deceased when their children brought the suit in 1871.

Elizabeth (Lewis) Babb's obituary, in a publication of the Disciples of Christ, indicates that she died 28 November 1852:

"On the 28th of November last, Sister Betsy Babb, wife of Bro. Green B. Babb, of Hamburg, Tenn., and the daughter of Bro. John Lewis. Amiable in her life, and faithful in all the duties of a mother, wife and christian, she died as she lived, in the hope of a glorious immortality. She left to the care of an affectionate husband and father seven children, and for their example, a bright example of industry, fidelity and piety."
[Source: The Millennial Harbinger; Fourth Series; vol. 3, no. 5; May 1853]

Hamburg is in Hardin County, Tennessee. I do not know how long they had lived there.

Life for Elizabeth and Green B. Babb was probably not as rosy as this obituary implies. By 1853, Green B. Babb was in McNairy County, Tennessee and was in trouble with the Church of Christ:

Met Saturday before the 4th Lord's Day in August 1853
The case of charges against Brother G.B. Babb by B.T. Babb was taken up. Charge 1st for forcibly throwing the latter off of his horse and personal abuse. Acknowledged by G.B. Babb. Charge 2nd of accusing B.T. Babb of stealing by withholding a twenty dollar bill in change of money. Charge 3rd for abusing B.T. Babb's wife by using disrespectful language toward her. After examination had on the first two cases above it was ascertained that Brother Green B. Babb was guilty. The Elders ordered that he should make satisfaction by acknowledgment of his of his faults and personally promise to do so no more--which things he did. The third charge was not sustained by my evidence. Done by order of the Church.
T.R. Beck, Church Clerk
[Source: "Church Book of Clear Creek, McNairy County, Tennessee." Family Findings, vol. 4, no. 2. April, 1972. Copied by Mrs. Vivian Perkins Harrison]

On 23 Feb 1872, Ann M. Sharp of McNairy County, Tennessee testified in the lawsuit that Elizabeth Babb's heir brought. Of Green B. Babb she stated that--

"G.W. [sic] Babb bid off certain portions of the land and soon afterward I heard Elizabeth Babb that on account of difficulties between herself and her husband she had been abused and--but now she had a home of her own and wouldn't leave no more. The land that G.W. Babb bought was paid for out of Elizabeth Babb's share of inheritance. That Babb was in embarrassing circumstances on account of recklessness and had little property."
[Source: F A Bryant vs. John Fitzpatrick, #241-1871, McNairy County, Tenn Chancery Court, transcribed by Nancy Wardlow Kennedy]

Matilda (Lewis) Mason, Daughter of John Lewis

© Kathy Duncan, 2018

More than fifteen years ago, in my quest to find the parents of Matilda Lewis who married William Mason in Madison County, Alabama in 1823, I found the following information on the Family Tree Maker page entitled “Ancestors of Christopher David Russell,” in generation seven:

“John Lewis, born 1777 in Albemarle, VA; died 1848 in Hardin, TN. He was the son of Charles Lewis and Mary Randolph. He married Susan Daniel 1792 in Kentucky. Susan Daniel was the daughter of Terrance Daniel.

Children of John Lewis and Susan Daniel:

1.  Spencer Polk Lewis b. Lincoln Co., KY married Martha McWhorter 11 May 1811 in Knox Co., KY.

2.  Wiley Lewis married Charlotte Brickell 1821 in Madison Co., AL.

3.  William Henry Lewis born September 14, 1799, in Knox, KY died January 4, 1879, Woodville, Jackson, AL; married Tabitha Allen Cotton on  September 23, 1819, in Jackson, AL

4.  Joel Daniel Lewis, born March 27, 1801, in Pulaski, KY; died May 12, 1876, in Piedmont, MO; married Rebecca Ingle Eagleton December 6, 1823, in Lincoln, TN.

5.  Harriet Jackson Lewis.

6. Rebecca Lewis, born Pulaski Co., KY.

7.  Daniel A. Augustus Lewis, born 1805 in Pulaski, KY; died in Madison, AL married Betsy Ann Young May 1, 1828, in Madison, AL.

8.  Matilda Lewis, born in Pulaski, KY.

9.  Jane Lewis, born Pulaski, KY.

10.  Susan Lewis, born 1812 in Pulaski, KY; married Jesse K. Webb

11.  John L. Lemuel Lewis, born in Lincoln, TN; married Elizabeth.

12.  Caledonia Lewis, born Lincoln, TN.

13.  Margaret Lewis, born in Jackson, AL.

14.  Polk Lewis, born in Jackson, AL.”

This unsourced list was all I had to go on. Other researchers had the same list, but no one had a source. Clearly, it came from somewhere. This is a very specific list of names. Surely, they were not pulled from a hat. Queries and searching, however, yielded nothing. Specifically, Hardin County, Tennessee records had nothing to offer on John Lewis. 

In the meantime, I researched the children on the list. I was able to marry off most of the girls. I tracked the children forward in the census. There seemed to be connections between them. A surprising number moved to Texas and settled near each other or in neighboring counties. I looked for one of them or one of their children to shed more light on a connection to John Lewis. Nothing surfaced. Of course, my search was not exhaustive because I had limited sources available to me.

Yesterday, I came across John Lewis's Findagrave memorial with a very similar list of children, minus my Matilda Lewis. I contacted the manager for a source. Meanwhile, I googled a bit more. Using this keyword combination--"John Lewis" "Hardin County Tennessee"--a link to McNairy County, Tennessee chancery court records came up with a blurb that had "estate of John Lewis" in it. Of course, I clicked on it, like you do.

Bingo. The right John Lewis. Different county. This is one of my favorite personal search rules; if they (the ancestors) are not doing what they are supposed to be doing where I'm looking for them, I am looking in the wrong place. In this instance, I got lucky because Hardin County was mentioned somewhere in the chancery records of McNairy County. In other words, just dumb luck.

Now I have documentation for John Lewis's children. The new list differs slightly from the original list although many of the children are the same. The children highlighted above were not in John Lewis's estate record. Polk Lewis and Spencer Polk Lewis are probably the same person. A few new children have been added, plus a second wife for John. And a connection to two Daniel men.

Here is the information that I gleaned from the documents in McNairy County thanks to Nancy Wardlow Kennedy's work. As an aside, I cannot help but wonder if Nancy is in someway a descend of John Lewis's.

Gleaned from McNairy County, Tennessee, Chancery Court File Abstracts, transcribed by Nancy Wardlow Kennedy is lawsuit between David MacKenzie vs. Thomas Babb, #233:

Concerns the heirs of Elizabeth Lewis Babb, deceased, a daughter of John D. Lewis. She intermarried with G. B. Babb. John D. Lewis had quite a bit of land and assets. Elizabeth's heirs felt that G. B. Babb had sold her portion of the land, which was their inheritance.

G. W. Babb died in 1863, leaving a widow Mary Babb, who was his second wife. Before 1868 she married Fitzpatrick. Other heirs: Thomas Babb, Martha Babb, Joseph Babb, James Babb, F. P. Mitchell, C.C. Mitchell, Elizabeth J. Mitchell, Sarah V. Mitchell, Mary J. Mitchell, all minors except the widow and F.A. Bryant and wife Jane of Dyer County, Tennessee, Joseph A. Babb and wife Mary A. residents of Texas, and the children of John Babb, deceased, names unknown of Mississippi.

Gleaned from McNairy County, Tennessee, Chancery Court File Abstracts, transcribed by Nancy Wardlow Kennedy is an 1871 lawsuit between F.A. Bryant vs. John FitzPatrick, #241:

Joseph Walker, who was the county clerk in 1862, 63, stated that the county court records were destroyed by fire and the minute docket of 1858-9, 60 and part of 61 was saved with a few others.

John D. Lewis died in March 1842 in the ninth district of McNairy County, Tennessee. He came to McNairy County, Tennessee in 1836 or 1837; however, his will is dated 1840 in Jackson County, Alabama. He married his second wife, Jane Hammonick, in 1836, and they had one daughter named Emily Lewis. John Lewis's daughter Elizabeth (Lewis) Babb married G. B. or G. W. Babb, and she died before 1871. This suit is among her children over land sold by their father.

In 1843, the heirs of John Lewis petitioned the court to sell the land and divide the land among the heirs. The heirs of Elizabeth (Lewis) Babb:
F.A. Bryant and wife Jane C. Bryant
Franklin P, Christopher C., Elizabeth J., Sarah V., and Mary Josephine Mitchell--the last five minors under the age of 21, filed by their next friend, James M Mitchell (their father)
Lafayette A. and Johnnie A. Babb, surety under their next friend Sarah E. Babb, residents of Tennessee
Joel M Babb
Mitty A Anderson, formerly Mitty A. Babb residents of Texas
[Notation: Mitty's name appears variously as Witty, Waty, and Maty. Her husband was Edwin J. Anderson. They moved to Hunt County, Texas.]

J.D. Lewis's, dec'd, wife Mary Jane received an equal portion of the estate as the children, and she remarried John FitzPatrick.

An earlier lawsuit was filed in Tishomingo County, Mississippi on 16 January 1844. This suit was brought probably by J.D. Lewis. In it is the following list of heirs with places of residence: "Henry Lewis, Joel D. Lewis, AL; Jane Lewis (Sr) Matilda Mason, Elizabeth Babb, Jane Wardlow, Susan Lewis, John H Lewis; Emily Lewis of Tennessee, except Elizabeth Babb, Spencer P Lewis, Arkansas. Celia Babb's heirs, Henry Lewis their guardian, Daniel A. Lewis, Marshall Co., AL. Signed J.D. Lewis."

The will of John D. Lewis, dated 14 January 1840, was presented in Purdy, McNairy County, Tennessee on 3 April 1843. Those mentioned in the will, in order, were son William Lewis; son Daniel A. Lewis; wife Jane Lewis; sons Henry, Joel D, Spencer P, and John Lewis; daughters Celia, Matilda, Rebecca, Margaret, Elizabeth, Jane, Susan, and Emily Lewis. Executors, wife Jane Lewis, sons Henry Lewis and Joel D Lewis. Witnesses: William Daniel and James E. Daniel.

Testimony from witness Ann M Sharp on 23 Feb 1872. She was age 65. She was a neighbor to John D Lewis. She heard him state that he made no provisions for son Wiley Lewis because of his "recklessness and dissipation." The sale of the estate took two days. Son-in-law Aaron Rice purchased two slaves.

Letter from Henry Lewis to a niece, dated 24 March 1871 from Woodville, Jackson County, Alabama. He and his brother Joel D.  Lewis were executors of their father's will. They filed copies of it in two places: Purdy, McNairy Co., Tennessee; Bellefonte, Alabama "and it was destroyed in time of war. A certificate from the county clerk of McNairy Co., TN was filed in Jacinto (Tishomingo Co., MS). Will stated that money was to be set aside for his half-sister Emily's education. Oldest brother Wiley was willed five dollars. Step-mother was to have a choice between a child's portion and a dowry--she chose a dowry. Green Babb, your father, said he no interest in purchasing any of the land, but his wife, your mother, authorized him to do so. Signed "Your Uncle Henry Lewis."

You can read a copy of these transcripts here.

Some observations.

John D. Lewis's widow Jane did not marry Fitzpatrick. It seems to be Green B. Babb's widow Mary Jane who married Fitzpatrick.

It is odd that John D. Lewis's will says that he is of Jackson County, Alabama if he had been living in McNairy County since 1836 or 1837. Could it be that he did not live in McNairy County, but owned considerable land in McNairy while remaining in Jackson County, Alabama? However, the 1840 census lists a John Lewis of the right age with a very young girl (Emily?) with near neighbors David Wardlow and John A. Sharp. 

John Lewis 000100001-100011

one male 15 - 19 = ?
one male age 60-70 = John Lewis
one female under 5 = probably Emily Lewis
one female age 20 - 29 = ?
one female age 30 - 39 = probably Jane

It is significant that William Daniel and James E. Daniel witnessed John Lewis's will. This suggests that there is, in fact, a family connection. Also, this suggests that the theory that John Lewis was in Knox County, Kentucky in the early 1800s may be accurate since William Daniel, James E. Daniel, and Spencer Daniel are also there in that time period.

What about that middle initial? John D. Lewis. Nice. Of course, it may also be an error.

A list of the children of John Lewis now looks more like this:

1. Wiley Lewis
2. Daniel A. Lewis
3. William Henry Lewis
4. Joel D. Lewis
5. Spencer P. Lewis
6. John H. Lewis
7. Matilda Lewis married Mason
8. Jane Lewis married Wardlow
9. Celia Lewis married Babb
10. Elizabeth Lewis married Babb
11. Susan Lewis
12. Rebecca Lewis married Aaron Rice
13. Margaret Lewis
14. Emily Lewis

This is, I hope, just the being of what can now be documented on John Lewis and his children.

This page last updated on July 17, 2018.

Joseph Mason of DeSoto County, Mississippi

© Kathy Duncan, 2018

My 4th great grandfather, Joseph Mason, died in DeSoto County, Mississippi on 14 February 1852. He is buried in Cockrum United Methodist Church Cemetery. His tombstone has a birth date of 3 March 1777, which means he was born just at the start of the Revolutionary War. His wife does not seem to have a tombstone in the same cemetery.

Based on Joseph Mason's estate records, his heirs, as of 1861, were --

1. John Mason
2. M.J. Mason, deceased
3. George W. Mason
4. James S. Nelson -- connection?
5. a daughter, wife of Richard S. Young
6. Mary Mason, a minor -- a granddaughter?
7. daughter R. J. Duke, wife of R. S.
8. Catherine Mason, wife of John E. Van Pelt
9. Ruth Mason, wife of John Lusk
10. Mary Mason, wife of Robert Kelsey
11. William Mason
13. Elizabeth Mason, wife of David Robinson

Most of these heirs were his children. Many of them married in Madison County, Alabama.

Secondary sources state that Joseph Mason married Isabel Peoples in Carter County, Tennessee, where there is a marriage for a Joseph Mason and an Isabel Peoples.

Secondary sources also place Joseph as the son of Michael Mason.

Another secondary source placed two Michael Mason's in Madison County, Alabama with one being a Methodist minister and with a father-son relationship between the two. Some of these sources also state that Michael Mason had lived previously in Burke County, North Carolina, having come from Delaware or Pennsylvania. Some sources state that Michael Mason was a Revolutionary War soldier.

Research questions:
1. Can Joseph Mason be linked to the Joseph Mason of Carter County, Tennessee?
2. Can Joseph Mason be linked to a Michael Mason?
3. Can Michael Mason be linked to Burke County, North Carolina?
4. Can Michael Mason be linked to Delaware or Pennsylvania?
5. Was Michael Mason a Revolutionary War soldier?
6. Can the two Micheal Mason's be distinguished from each other?
7. Who is Thomas Wright - marriage license of Joseph Mason and Isbel Peoples?
8. Who is young Mary Mason's guardian? Is her father another deceased son of Joseph's?

Holcombs and Masons

© Kathy Duncan, 2018

I have started two groups on Facebook with the goal of engaging fellow researchers in conversation and sharing of research. Both are surname groups and are open to ALL researchers of these surnames. We do not make progress working in isolation.

The groups are--

Mason Genealogy Researchers

and

Holcomb/Holcombe Family Researchers

Please join us if you are researching either of these surnames.