1850 Census, Jefferson County, Tennessee

My third great grandmother Leana (Senie) Burchfiel married first my third great grandfather Isaac Wesley (Wesley) Reneau and married second Christopher C. Miller.  Christopher C. Miller married first Lucy Hale, married second Malinda Parrott, and married third Leana (Senie) Burchfiel.

I cannot find Christopher Miller and Lucy Hale in the 1850 census, but I believe that James M. Miller age 5, Anne E. Miller age 3, and Sarah A. Miller age 1 were their children.  That would suggest that Lucy died shortly before the 1850 census.  The children were living with Christopher Miller and Malinda Parrott in the 1860 census.  I therefore believe that the children became Senie Burchfiel's stepchildren when she married Christopher C. Miller.

The above scenario suggests that Christopher C. Miller and Charles M. Miller were brothers, and that Charles was taking care of Christopher's children at the time of the 1850 census.

 

This Cox family does not appear to have been descended from my fourth great grandfather Reuben Cox, but it may be a collateral line.  James Cox married Rachel Douglass.  William age 74 was the father of James.

I'm interested in Sarah L. Damron.  It seems likely that she was the sister of Cassandara Damron who married Allen Dennis Bryan.  I don't know for sure that they were sisters, and I don't know the parents of either one of them.  But in the 1850 census they both look for all the world like orphans being raised by family members.

Sterling Solomon and Nancy J. Hickey were married on 4 Feb 1846.  She was born 22 Feb 1824 and died 20 Aug 1877 and buried at Shady Grove Cemetery in Jefferson County.  They were the grandparents of John Wesley Solomon who married Rhoda Rebecca (Becky) Harrison.

This was the family of Jonathan Nelson Newman and Susan Duncan.  My interest in the family is that Casandra Damron married Allen Dennis Bryan in 1855.  Allen Dennis Bryan was the son of William G. Bryan and Lucinda (Lucy) Cate.  As such, Allen was the double first cousin of my third great grandfather Peter H. Bryan.  I have no information at all on the family of Casandra Damron.

Leana (Senie) Burchfiel age 16 was my third great grandmother who married my third great grandfather Isaac Wesley (Wesley) Reneau.

Robert (Bobby) Burchfiel and Anna Evalista Malcom were my fourth great grandparents.  They were married 10 Nov 1827 in Jefferson County, Tennessee.

Bobby Burchfiel was born 9 May 1809 in Dandridge, Jefferson County, Tennessee.  He was the son of Joseph Burchfiel and Susannah Hollaway.

Anna Evalista Malcom was born 9 Jan 1804 in Tennessee.  She was the daughter of George Malcolm and Dinah Gragg.

Rachel B. age 16 and Anna age 14 were Bobby's half sisters.  I have Rachel's middle name as Jane, but I believe that B is the correct transcription for her middle initial in this census entry.  Rachel and Anna were daughters of Joseph Burchfiel and his second wife Rachel Harriet Russell.

William Michael (Michael) Reneau and Priscilla Denton were my fourth great grandparents.  Isaac Wesley (Wesley) Reneau age 19 was my third great grandfather.  Wesley was married on 18 Mar 1851, so he was married shortly after the 1850 census enumeration.

Michael Reneau was the son of John Reno and Narcissus (Cessie) Reneau.  John and Cessie were first cousins who married.

Priscilla Denton was the daughter of Jacob Denton and Sarah (Sally) Robinson.

Wesley married Leana (Senie) Burchfiel, who was living just a few houses away (see dwelling number 1076 above).

Hugh A. Henry age 23 later married Nancy Elizabeth Jane Newman.  Nancy was the daughter of Jared Campbell Newman and Mary (Polly) Bryan.  Polly Bryan was the sister of my third great grandfather Peter H. Bryan.

Mahala Catlett age 30 is believed to have been the daughter of John Catlett and Mary and the granddaughter of my fifth great grandfather Reuben Catlett.  As such, John was the brother of my fourth great grandfather Benjamin Catlett, and Mahala was the first cousin of my third great grandfather James P. Catlett.

George Austin Mort age 26 was the son of John Mort and Harriet/Henrietta Hinkle.  George and Mahala were married on 19 Dec 1844.

 

John Chaney Moore and Amanda Melseany Miller were living with her parents Robert Miller and Sarah (Sally) Walker.  John and Amanda were married 8 June 1839.  Things are a little out of order.  Amanda is listed with her parents rather than with her husband.  Chany was Zachary Chaney Moore.  Porter was John Porter (Port) Moore.  Joseph was Joseph Routh Moore.  John Moore and Amanda Miller were the parents of Mary Anne Moore who married Francis Marion Slaton, but Mary Anne was not born until 1852.

Rev. Michael Cate was the son of John Cate Jr. and Mary Ann Koontz.  As such, Michael was the nephew of my fourth great grandfather Joshua Cate.

Michael's second wife was Nancy Reneau.  Nancy was the daughter of Lewis Reneau and Jane Norris.  As such, Nancy was the niece of my fifth great grandmother Narcissus (Cessie) Reneau.

Wilhite/Wilhoit is one of my families, but I don't know how this particular Elizabeth Wilhoit fits into the family.  Indeed, Joshua Cate's wife was my fourth great grandmother Elizabeth Wilhite, but Joshua's wife was a generation or two older than this Elizabeth Wilhoit.

Ruth Lemira Langford and Richard A. Langford were the children of Rev. James Langford and Ruth Gamble.  As such, they were the sister and brother of Rebecca Adaline Langford who married Robert Reedy Bryan.  Robert Reedy Bryan was the son of my fourth great grandparents Thomas C. Bryan Sr. and Nancy Cate.  As such, Robert was the brother of my third great grandfather Peter H. Bryan.  Rev. James Langford and Ruth Gamble both died in 1845, and their children were being raised by a number of different families at the time of the 1850 census.

Charles Thomas Elder age 43 was the son of William Elder and Rebecca Cate.  Rebecca was the first cousin of my fifth great grandfather William P. Cate.

Elizabeth Underwood age 46 was the daughter of my fifth great grandparents Thomas Underwood and Mary Ramey.  As such, Elizabeth was the sister of my fourth great grandfather Enoch Underwood.

Just to make things more interesting, Charles Thomas Elder married second Rachel Narsisus Bryan in 1862.  Rachel Narsisis Bryan was the daughter of my fourth great grandparents Thomas C Bryan Sr. and Nancy Cate.  As such, Rachel Narsisus Bryan was the sister of my third great grandfather Peter H Bryan.

Andrew G Langford age 12 was the son of Rev. James Langford and Ruth Gambol.  As such, Andrew was the brother of Rebecca Adaline Langford who married Robert Reedy Bryan, and Robert Reedy Bryan was the son of the aforementioned Thomas C Bryan Sr. and Nancy Cate.  Both of Andrew's parents died in 1845.  However, it's not clear why Andrew would have been living with the Charles Thomas Elder family as opposed to (for example) with some of his own brothers and sisters.

Rebecca Kelly age 67 was Charles Thomas Elder's mother Rebecca Cate.  Rebecca's first husband William Elder died in 1823, and Rebecca married Robert Kelly in Jefferson County on 31 Aug 1826.  I don't know when Robert Kelly died, except that it was before the 1850 census.

Joseph Cate was the son of John Cate Jr. and Mary Ann Koontz.  As such, Joseph was the nephew of my fourth great grandfather Joshua Cate.  Joseph's wife was Sarah (Sally) Bailey.

William Manning Cate age 13 later married Martha Ellen (Ellen) Bryan.  Ellen was the daughter of William Enyard Bryan and Amanda Keener.  As such, Ellen was the niece of my third great grandfather Peter H. Bryan.

Michael Cate age 11 later married Ruth A. Langford.  Michael's marriage to Ruth A. Langford appeared in the family bible of Robert Reedy Bryan.  Robert Reedy Bryan was the son of my fourth great grandparents Thomas C. Bryan Sr. and Nancy Cate.  (Joshua Cate and Nancy Cate were at best only distantly related, and no connection at all has been proven.  Some researchers propose that they were closely related, but neither conventional genealogical research nor DNA evidence seems to support this conclusion.)  As such, Robert Reedy Bryan was the brother of my third great grandfather Peter H. Bryan.  The family bible of Robert Reedy Bryan includes a great deal of Langford data because he married Rebecca Adaline Langford.  Ruth A. Langford was the sister of Rebecca Adaline Langford.

Malinda Catherine VanDyke age 2 later married James William Bryan.  James was the son of David Anderson Bryan and Frances (Fanny) Acuff.  David Anderson Bryan was not one of mine.  He was from in North Carolina and lived Wears Valley.  My Bryan family was from Virginia and lived in Dumplin Valley.

1850, Jefferson County, Tennessee, page 421b

It is almost certainly the case that the name of the wife and the name of the oldest child were reversed in this census entry.  Also, Francis was a male, and he was age 7 in 1850 (notice that the enumerator has "Rebecca" listed as male).  Given all that, the census entry should read as follows below.

My third great grandfather Thomas Fielden Slaton age 32 was the son of William Slaydon.  Thomas was born 1 Mar 1818 in Virginia.  My third great grandmother Rebecca Frances George age 33 was the daughter of Presley George Sr. and Mary Cook.  Rebecca was born 7 Mar 1816 in North Carolina.  They were married 14 Feb 1840 in Stokes County, North Carolina.

Francis age 7 was Francis Marion (Frank) Slaton born 21 Jan 1843 in Stokes County, North Carolina.  John age 5 was John A. Slaton who was born in Surry County, North Carolina and who died shortly after the Civil War as the result of disease, starvation, and exposure suffered during the war.  Susan age 3 was my second great grandmother Susan A. Slaton who born 31 July 1846 in Stokes County, North Carolina.  Susan later married Joseph Harrison.  Nancy age 2 was Nancy J. Slaton who was born in Surry County, North Carolina.

The children are Mary Adeline Read's by her first husband, William Gideon Thompson.  I have no direct connection with this family, but there are a number of Bull-Cate marriages.

Robert Reedy Bryan was the son of my fourth great grandparents Thomas C. Bryan Sr. and Nancy Cate.  As such, he was the brother of my third great grandfather Peter H. Bryan.

Robert's wife was Rebecca A. Langford.  Rebecca was the daughter of Rev. James Langford and Ruth Gambol.

Robert Reedy Bryan was president of Carson College (now Carson-Newman College) in 1851/1853, and again in 1866/1868.  He was responsible for rebuilding the college after the Civil War.

Mary (Polly) Bryan age 36 was the daughter of my fourth great grandparents Thomas C. Bryan Sr. and Nancy Cate.  As such, Polly was the sister of my third great grandfather Peter H. Bryan.

Jared Campbell Newman was the son of Jared Newman and Margaret Campbell.

The children were:

• Nancy Elizabeth Jane Newman age 15
• Thomas Jarrett Newman age 12 (named for his father)
• Margaret Eleanor Newman age 11
• Peter Bolivar Reece Newman age 6
• Rachel Marusa Newman age 3
• Robert Bryan Newman age 1 (named for his mother's family)

Joseph F. Slaton married Elizabeth Bell on 9 Jun 1859 in Jefferson County, Tennessee.  Subsequent research has shown her name to have been Mary Elizabeth Bell.  Mary Elizabeth Bell was born about 1838, and so would have been about 12 years old in 1850.

There has been considerable question as to who Mary Elizabeth Bell's parents were.  Edmond Bell and Isabella Williams were prime suspects at one time.  Subsequent research has shown that Mary Elizabeth Bell was the daughter of Uriah Bell and Margaret Hays.  Edmond Bell and Uriah Bell likely were related.  Possibly they were brothers, but more likely they were first cousins.

Edmond's daughter Elizabeth A. Bell age 9 in the 1850 census married Samuel Walker in 1858 and they were enumerated together in the 1860 census.  That is sufficient evidence to dissuade the notion that Mary Elizabeth Bell who married Joseph F. Slaton was the same person as Elizabeth A. Bell.  But Mary Bell age 12 remained a candidate to have been Mary Elizabeth Bell who married Joseph F. Slaton until it was determined that Mary Elizabeth Bell was the daughter of Uriah Bell.

Isabella Williams was the aunt of Andrew J. (Andy) Williams who married Leah Slaton.  Mahala Slaton and Leah Slaton were sisters, daughters of Joseph F. Slaton and Mary Elizabeth Bell.

William H. Drinnen age 18 later married Lucy E. Bryan.  Lucy was the daughter of my fourth great grandparents Thomas C. Bryan Sr. and Nancy Cate.  As such, Lucy was the sister of my third great grandfather Peter H. Bryan.