1900 Fentress County, Tennessee

John Fowler Cross was the son of my third great grandparents Alfred Carter Cross and Zipporah Peters.  As such, he was the brother of my second great grandmother Hulda Asberine (Asberine) Cross.

Rachel Todd was the daughter of William G. Todd and Amanda Jane Gobble.

The reporting of Rachel as having only one child still living was manifestly incorrect.  In fact, the 1910 census reported that she had five children, three still living.  The enumerator must have reported that there was one child still at home rather than reporting the number who were still living.

James M. Peters was the son of Henry Clark (Clark) Peters and Perlina Ann Shilling.  His wife was Martha J. Todd.  Belle J. Peters was the same person as Joannie B. Peters in the 1910 census.  Joannie B. Peters married Willie E. McDonald.

Wilborn Harvey (Harve) Peters was the son of Henry Clark (Clark) Peters and Perlina Ann Shilling.  In 1900, Harve was the widower of Molly Elouise Ellison.

Harve's first wife was Mary Jane Todd who died 15 Jan 1896.  So Martha Ann Peters, Ervin Monroe Peters, and Nina L. Peters were Harve's children with Mary Jane Todd.  The indicated birthplaces are peculiar in this regard, because Martha Ann's mother was listed as having been born in Tennessee, but Ervin and Nina's mother was listed as having been born in Tennessee.  I believe that this was an enumerator error.  Mary Jane Todd was born in Virginia, and the mother of all three children should have been listed as born in Virginia.  The error probably arose because Harve and Martha were the last two people listed on one page, and Ervin and Nina were the first two people listed on the next page.  The listing of the mother's birthplace as Virginia apparently didn't survive the page to page transition.

I believe the only child Harve had with Molly Elouise Ellison was Ruth Peters who was born and died about 1897.  Molly Elouise Ellison herself died 3 Mar 1897, so it seems likely she died giving birth to Ruth.  It's not clear from the available evidence whether Ruth died at about the same time as her mother, or whether Ruth might have survived her mother by several months.

Harve Peters was one of mine, but there nevertheless is a bit of uncertainty about his ancestry.  Harve's father Henry Clark (Clark) Peters was the son either of Henry Peters Jr. or of Thomas Peters.  Henry Jr. and Thomas were brothers, and both of them were my fourth great grandfathers.

Paulina Peters was the daughter of Welborn/Wilborn Harvey (Harve) Peters and Mary Jane Todd.  Paulina's father Harve Peters was living next door in dwelling number 126.

William Henry (Henry) Peters age 23 was the son of Welborn Harvey (Harve) Peters and Mary Jane Todd.  Dora Florence Ledbetter 20 was the daughter of McMiller C. (Mack) Ledbetter and Margaret Jane Sells.  The early courthouse marriage records for Fentress County were destroyed by fire, so the exact date date of Henry and Dora's marriage is not known.  This census entry suggests that they were married about Jan 1900.

Harve Peters was the son of Henry Clark (Clark) Peters.  Clark was the son either of Thomas Peters or of Henry Peters Jr.  Thomas Peters and Henry Peters Jr. were brothers, and both of them were my fourth great grandfathers.

John Wesley Peters was the son of Henry Clark (Clark) Peters and Perlina Ann Shilling.  Julia Anna Smith was the daughter of William M. Smith and Louisa Ashburn.

William B. Peters was William Berton (Berton) Peters.

John Wesley Peters was one of mine, but there nevertheless is a bit of uncertainty about his ancestry.  John's father Henry Clark (Clark) Peters was the son either of Henry Peters Jr. or of Thomas Peters.  Henry Jr. and Thomas were brothers, and both of them were my fourth great grandfathers.

Mary E. Peters was the daughter of Henry Clark (Clark) Peters and Perlina Ann Shilling.  There are two possibilities for Clark's parents.  Clark might have been the son of my fourth great grandparents Thomas Peters and Sarah (Sallie) England.  Clark might have been the son of my fourth great grandparents Henry Peters Jr. and Jane England.

Mary E. Peters and Christopher Columbus (Columbus) Choate were married about 19 Feb 1894 in Glenobey, Fentress County, Tennessee.  Their marriage information is known from an announcement in the Jamestown Gazette.  The Fentress County marriage book for this time period was destroyed in 1905 in a courthouse fire.

John Wesley Peters Sr. was the son of Welborn/Wilborn Harvey (Harve) Peters and Mary Jane Todd.

Nancy Ollie (Ollie) Delk was the daughter of John V. Delk and Lucy Ann.

Thomas Blufford Peters was the son of Henry Clark (Clark) Peters and Perlina Ann Shilling.

Mary Jane Smith age 40 was the daughter of William M. Smith and Louisa Ashburn.

Thomas Blufford Peters was one of mine, but there nevertheless is a bit of uncertainty about his ancestry.  Thomas's father Henry Clark (Clark) Peters was the son either of Henry Peters Jr. or of Thomas Peters.  Henry Jr. and Thomas were brothers, and both of them were my fourth great grandfathers.

Sarah age 46 was Sarah O. Peters, sister of Thomas Blufford Peters from dwelling number 146 and Surrilda Peters from dwelling number 148, and daughter of Henry Clark (Clark) Peters and Perlina Ann Shilling from dwelling number 148.  Sarah O. Peters m. William H. Norman 25 Feb 1872 in Anderson County, before the family moved to Fentress County.

Surrilda Josephine (Rildy) Peters was the daughter of Henry Clark (Clark) Peters and Perlina Ann Shilling.  Perlina was listed as Paulina in this particular census entry, but most records list her name as Perlina.

Andrew H. Todd was the son of Stephen Todd and Tabitha Jane Ingle.

Perlina Ann Shilling was the daughter of Buford Shilling and Ann Hays.  There is a persistent oral history in my Peters family that we have Cherokee ancestors.  I do not believe that the oral history is correct for my line, but Perlina Ann Shilling may be the source of that oral history.  Perlina's mother Ann Hays was either full blooded Cherokee, or 1/2 Cherokee.  So Perlina herself was either 1/2 Cherokee or 1/4 Cherokee.  However, my Peters line does not descend from Clark and Perlina.  Rather, Clark Peters is one of our collateral lines.

Surrilda Josephine (Rildy) Peters was one of mine, but there nevertheless is a bit of uncertainty about her ancestry.  Rildy's father Henry Clark (Clark) Peters was the son either of Henry Peters Jr. or of Thomas Peters.  Henry Jr. and Thomas were brothers, and both of them were my fourth great grandfathers.

Steven E. Essary age 18 married Anna J. (Mimia) Peters in about 1902.  Unless there are family records of their marriage date, the exact date can never be known because of the Fentress County courthouse fire in 1905.

Mimia was the daughter of Thomas Blufford Peters and Mary Jane (Molly) Smith.

Thomas Blufford Peters was the son of Henry Clark (Clark) Peters and Perlina Ann Shilling.

Thomas Blufford Peters was one of mine, but there nevertheless is a bit of uncertainty about his ancestry.  Thomas's father Henry Clark (Clark) Peters was the son either of Henry Peters Jr. or of Thomas Peters.  Henry Jr. and Thomas were brothers, and both of them were my fourth great grandfathers.

Emma Peters was the daughter of Reuben Dowell (Dowell) Peters and Tabitha N. Paul.  Emma was born on 15 Feb 1885.  Tabitha N. Paul died 6 Dec 1892.  I don't know what relationship Erasmus Pile and his wife Victoria Wright might have had to Emma Peters, but they were raising Emma after her mother's death.  I do know that Erasmus Pile and Victoria Wright were living only two houses away from Dowell Peters and Tabitha Paul in the 1880 census.

This census entry suggests that Victoria Wright was married when she was 10 years old.  But I think the couple had been married only about 22 years in 1900, and I think Victoria was really about 38 years old in 1900.  So she was probably about 16 years old when she married Erasmus Pile.

Charles Fletcher (Fletcher) Atkinson age 20 later married Malener (Lena) Norris.  Lena was the daughter of Thomas Jefferson (Tom) Norris and Rhoda Jane (Rody) England.  Rody was the daughter of my third great grandparents John England and Jane (Jenny) Peters.  As such, Rody was the sister of my second great grandmother Vesta Clay England, and Lena Norris was the first cousin of my great grandmother Sallie Jane Cole.

Fletcher was the son of Rev. Charles E. Atkinson and Nancy Jane Key.  Rev. Atkinson died in 1889.

Menzo Carter Atkinson later married Almeada (Meadie) Norris.  Meadie was the daughter of Thomas Jefferson (Tom) Norris and Rhoda Jane (Rody) England.  Rody was the daughter of my third great grandparents John England and Jane (Jenny) Peters.  As such, Rody was the sister of my second great grandmother Vesta Clay England, and Meadie Norris was the first cousin of my great grandmother Sallie Jane Cole.

Rhoda Jane (Rody) England was the daughter of my third great grandparents John England and Jane (Jenny) Peters.  As such, Rody was the sister of my second great grandmother Vesta Clay England.  Vestie Norris appears to have been named for her aunt Vesta Clay England.