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Archiver > RHEA > 2000-07 > 0964845606


From: "Johnita P. Malone" <>
Subject: Re: [RHEA-L] Re: RHEA-D Digest V00 #108
Date: Fri, 28 Jul 2000 21:40:06 -0700
References: <s9814569.085@mail.state.tn.us>


Yes, this is the John M. Rae/Rea/Rhea/Ray that I'm talking about. I have
never found any proof that this is the Ray/Rhea who was the Baptist
Minister of Chatham Co., NC. Could be the same but I don't have anything
that shows it to be really true. Worth S. Ray wrote in his book:

Tennessee Cousins, pages 526-527. Rev John Ray (Rae, Rhea, etc.) of
Warren County, Tennessee. From Geo. W. Paschal's "History of the North
Carolina Baptists" p. 407: "(1790) Three Churches of the Sandy Creek
Association were in Chatham Co., (N.C.), being the church of Haw River,
with 320 members, much the strongest church in the Association, still
under the care of Elder Elnathan Davis, who had as his assistants the
Licentiates Thomas Brown, Jesse Buckner, Thomas Cate, Solomon Smith,
Isaac Hailes, . . . Ray and William Witherspoon. From notebook of Rev.
Morgan Edwards."

Worth S. Ray doesn't have the given name of the Ray at this Church,
therefore, I find it really questionable as to who this Ray in Chatham
Co., NC.

Nonetheless, I think it a good chance that this John M. Rhea was the son
of the Jame Rae who died in Henry Co., VA. This because of all the name
connections, i.e., Bolling/Bolin/Bolon and Cooper.

Henry County, VA., Wills Book 1, pg 173. Will of James Rea. Written 11
Nov 1788. Probated 27 Apr 1789. Heirs: wife, Johanna - all estate both
real and personal except smith tools which are to go to son, William
Collings Rea. All land after the death of Johanna Rea to go to son
William Collings Rea except 40 acres where Thomas Cooper now lives - this
to be given to Thomas Cooper. Grandson, Jesse Roch(?) - one bed and
furniture also one bay mare. Son, John Rea, Mary Ars(? almost
illegible), Rebekah Bolling, Ann Burns, Kathrine Sanders - one shilling
sterling each. Son, James Rea - one large bible. The best of my estate
to be divided between William Collings Rea, Elizabeth Cooper and Sarah
Bolling. Executors: sons, William Collings Rea and James Rea. Signed
James Rea. Wits., James Rea, Jr., William Collings Rea, Robt Lorton, and
Thomas Cooper. Proven by Wm Collings Rea. Securities of Wm Collings Rea
were George Hairston and John Redd. 27 Jul 1789. Inventory of Estate of
James Rea recorded. Appraisers: John Wash, W. Pace, Jn Pace.

I also have this from John Nettles concerning one of the daughters of
James Rea who went to South Carolina. Remember the note in the estate
records of Nancy (Ray) Cooper about South Carolina (or maybe I haven't
sent it to you)?

>From John E. Nettles, 20 Jan 1998. I descend through Elizabeth
Rea/Thomas T. Cooper's daughter Johanna. (We NOW know where that name
came from don't we ? Why her Grandmama - of course. I have only learned
about my Rea connection this fall. I was searching the Perry line (my
empty g-granddad Jesse Perry married Johanna Cooper and moved to the "Old
Pendleton District" now Pickens and Anderson County, S.C.

>From Pat Clemmons, 27 Jan 1998: Nancy Cooper - the daughter of John Ray
- was married to a George Washington Cooper who died in 1835. It seems
that Nancy Cooper was the administrator of the estate of G. W. Cooper
when he died but Uriah York is the administrator of the estate of Nancy
Cooper who died before March 29, 1848 according to this information. It
seems there was a will and the court is trying to decide on the legatees
in the will. (These papers do not show any will so I haven't a copy of it
but does mention a will). Also it says the brothers and sisters of G.
W. Cooper are to share in one half of the estate and the brothers and
sisters of Nancy Cooper are to share in the other one half of their
estate. It says those shown in the suit were Elizabeth Pilgrim, Lemuel
A. Perry, Wm H. Perry, Jno. C. Perry, Elmina Mauldin, Eliza Johnson,
Nancy Jauses?, Robert L. Perry, - children of Hannah Perry decd. -
William Cooper, Nancy Talon?, Jno. Cooper, Washington Cooper, Elizabeth
Duncan, Lucinda McConely?, James Cooper, Thos. Cooper, and Leanada
Cooper. Then on over in the paper is mentioned the will gives to the
children of Hannah Perry and children of James Cooper an interest in the
will. Also a brother of G. W. Cooper by the name of John Cooper is
supposed to prove he is a brother. Again is mentioned that two thirds of
one half of the estate is to go to all these children named - the
children of Hannah Perry and James Cooper. Therefore it looks to me that
this husband of Nancy Ray Cooper must of had two brothers - James and
John Cooper plus the one sister - Hannah Perry and James and Hannah must
had been dead already and their part going to their children. Then one
half of their estate goes to Nancy's brothers and sisters but it does not
name them and only states (blank) Rhea agent for defts, be allowed money
for traveling expenses to and from S. C. connected with the court case.
It is mentioned that the adminstrator, Uriah York has in his hands the
sum of $271,000 accounts belonging to the estate of G. W. Cooper. I
cannot be for sure whether that figure is that much money as the comma
seems to be in that place but could possible be something such as
$2,710.00 because that first figure would had been an lots of money away
back in the 1800's. Levi Perkins name is mentioned in several of the
papers sorta sounds as if he was vs Uriah York in several of the cross
bills and something is mentioned about some land sold by Drake to York -
could not understand that part. It might be of help to us if we could
find a copy of the will mentioned and I could not be sure whether this
would be a will left by G. W. Cooper or by Nancy Cooper since she is the
last one to die. I wanted to send you this information and names as we
can now be sure that Nancy Ray married a George Washington Cooper (may
had been called Washington) and wasn't married to a James Cooper as had
been mentioned in the page from that book. Also one of your e-mails
mentioned a connection and kinship to a Jesse Perry but that name didn't
fit here with any of these names so maybe he can find a connection.

Somewhere I have the will of G. W. Cooper which was written in Arkansas.
I thought I had a typed abstract in my software but guess I don't. I
need to hunt that up and get it into my software. I may even have a copy
of the court document that Pat Clemmons is talking about in her email to
me. If not, I need to find it somewhere and it's probably in Warren Co.,
TN., somewhere.

Johnita


Mack Rhea wrote:
>
> I have a Nancy Rhea (b. c. 1782, d. Jun 01, 1843 - buried in Old Ray Cemetery, Bone Cave, Warren County, TN) who was married to a Cooper. This
Nancy was the da
> Could this Nancy be the same as the one mentioned below?
>
> >>> 07/27/00 10:18PM >>>
> Nancy (Ray/Rhea/Rea/Rae) Cooper and her husband, G. W. Cooper, had also gone to Arkansas early. G. W. Cooper died in Lawrence Co., Arkansas
> Territory in 1835 and Nancy returned to Warren Co., TN., where we find
> her estate being probated. They apparently had no children and the
> estate was divided amongst his and her brothers and sisters and their
> descendants.
>
> Johnita
>
> wrote:
> >
> > In a message dated 7/26/2000 4:18:30 PM US Mountain Standard Time,
> > writes:
> >
> > << Arkansas was almost entirely Indian
> > reservation before it became a state, and I have found early Rays in
> > Arkansas ~ I assume they were originally Rheas who went early from TN to AR
> > and used that spelling. >>
> >
> > I and my cousins are from a group of Rheas who came from Hancock Cty TN to
> > Johnson Cty Arkansas- this gang kept the RHEA spelling.
> >
> > We descend from John Rhea SR and (Febra ? Rhea ) of Hancock Cty, but have
> > never been able to connect John Sr to any other body of Rheas in TN or VA -
> > there must have been a shortage of names in those times, as there are
> > literally dozens of John Rheas, which makes research frustrating.
> >
> > About 30 of us cousins have an email group called Febraskids
> > () for information exchange.
> >
> > I enjoyed your email
> > Best wshes
> >
> > Don Rhea
> >
> > Mesa, AZ
> >
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