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Archiver > RHEA > 2000-08 > 0965141684


From: "Mack Rhea" <>
Subject: [RHEA-L] More information from my files
Date: Tue, 01 Aug 2000 09:54:44 -0500


I ran across this information copied for me by Kathleen Pennington in 1991. Perhaps it contains something of interest.

"304 S. Irwin St.
Manchester, Tenn. 37355
11 Feb. 1984

Mrs. Clifton Pennington
Rte.12, Box 94
McMinnville, Tenn. 37110

Dear Kathleen,
Excuse the delay in replying to your request, but I had the Quarterly to get completed and to the printer's (it was only almost a year late, and had top priority over every other letter, etc., and there was quite a stack of letters to try, to work on, believe me). I am the only one who works on the Quarterly at all, from start to finish, and with all the problems in 1983, there was no way to do any intelligent work at all.
Anyway, I'm enclosing a copy of Mrs. Amato's letter - she never joined the Society, and I never heard from her again at all. I sat down the other night and began to do some work on this Rhea group, and tried to sort out the odds and ends she sent. Of course, there is no way to prove her statements if she has moved (I'll be interested in learning whether or not you get a reply from her).
Evidently you have the item I included in my "Deaths in Coffee County" in. which William. Rhea legitimized his five children by Mary Qualls (Quarles) in 1840. Well, I went on and looked up his will, written in 1862, in Grundy Co., but not proven until 1 Nov. 1875, in Coffee Co. There is an explanation for this, of course. A portion of Grundy Co. was cut off and attached to, Coffee in 1873, and remained so for almost ten years, and this became entirety the.15th civil district here. I postulate that it comprised a narrow strip more or less down the boundary line and including the brow of the mountain and the site of Skymont and the site of the old Layne Springs. The present Q. is the combined tax listing for 1872-74, and C. D. 15 appears for the first time in 1874, and William Rhea is taxed with 425 acres while James, John, and Thomas only pay a poll tax. But - back to his will - he named his wife Mary, his daughters Orleny Stotts and Elizabeth Wooton and his sons James, John, and Thomas. Orleny was apparently married to Andrew Stotts, while Elizabeth was married to Johnathan Wooton (from Grundy, Co. marriage records). In the will he states that these five children were not born in lawful wedlock, and he made them legally his heirs in Coffee Co. in 1840. His executor was to be Wyatt Layne and witnesses were Greek Brawley and William Qualls.
In 1840, William Rhea was living in C. D. 9 here, which was not the part cut off from Franklin Co. in 1838, and then cut off into Grundy when it was formed in 1844. But he must have moved over to Grundy soon thereafter (1844 +) since they were all there in 1850, and most of them there in 1860. In 1840, Mary Qualls was listed next door to William, four males and two females besides herself In the 1841 state census, which I did also, and which lists only males 21 and over for voting purposes, Andrew Quals was also in C. D. 9, and since he was not the head of a household, I'd assume he was the male 20-30 with Mary. Was he a son by an earlier husband, or by another friend, or was he a younger brother? In 1830, William Rea again was a bachelor (as in 1840) living near Mary Quals, who had two sons 10- 15, leading me to assume that one of these may have died,, leaving only Andrew---
It's really pretty interesting, since one so seldom runs across a case of legitimization even for one child, much less five !
Back to the will - he detailed where he acquired his various pieces of land from, and one piece was deeded him by John & Elizabeth Gillis and others. I wonder if this is the woman Mrs. A. mentions as Elizabeth Gilliand. I have a feeling it is. Again, referring to her letter, the name Bolen appears frequently in early land records, and is not found here as Bowling or Bolling. I haven't run into the name Littlepage enough to recall it, though. Of course, the Charles surname is found many times in Coffee Co. and earlier records. Apparently, all of these people lived in that upper corner of what is now Coffee Co. and before 1836 was partially in Franklin and more in Warren. Where she lists Moses and Hannah Ritter Rhea, I feel sure the woman should be called "Henrietta". Last year, in the Quarterly I published a revised version of the 1812 Warren Co. tax list, indexed of course, and Moses and John Rhea are nos. 67 & 68 on the list taken by John Hammons (Viola section) with many Coffee area people here, of course. The only possible person for Littlepage is no. 15 there, Thomas Little - who may have really been named Little, of course. The Bolens were not on it, so her time span is a little bit early (live found that most people have this tendency to credit their ancestors with coming to a. place sooner than they really did).
About Moses Ray, of course I don't have much. One notation appeared in the early Coffee records regarding disposition of his estate (included in "Deaths * "); and he had deeded the 175 acres where William Rhea lived, and this might tend to indicate that he was William's father - I don't know. The deed could be looked up, and perhaps it is a deed of gift, which would tend to lend credence to that theory, or it might be really good and say "to my son ... " - I guess it would be in Warren Co. deed records, so you could look it up for sure. In my Xeroxed copy of the WPA transcription of Warren Co. Deed Bk. E, pp. 160-161, dated 27 July 1824, Moses Rea bought 179 3/4 acres from Thomas Hopkins (which may well be this tract, since re-surveying, etc. frequently changed total acreages somewhat). It adjoined David Coulston and was on the waters of Hickory Ck. so it was in the right area to be included in the future Grundy Co. boundaries. In my copy of Warren Co. Deed Bk. C, p.81, in a deed from David Ross to James Wilson (and this is the area right near Jewell Murphy's) for 1000 acres, and Moses Rea, David Colston, & Wm. Douglas were witnesses. Again, this is the same area. A mortgage on p. 175 of this book was written in 1811 by one William Rea - at which time "your" Wm. would have only been about 17, and I doubt that he could legally have made a mortgage. Oh, the Ross Wilson deed was written 29 June 1816.
Still working backwards (for some unknown reason), in my copy of Warren Co. Deed Bk. B, p. 232 Moses Rea, executor of John Rea, dec. sold Martin Johnstone 100 a. (Tenn. Grant No. 6795 to John Rea), as directed by John Rea's will - land on Rocky River which is not the area we're considering, of course. That will should be found, but it is &probably gone (most Warren Co. ones are gone). In same book, P. 82, Moses Ray assigned his interest in a small tract claimed by John Ray, dec., on Rocky River, to Little John Ray (12 Oct. 1815).
Going on these facts, one may postulate that John Rhea, Sr. had sons; Moses, John Jr. (Little John), and perhaps William, plus unknown daughters probably. At 'least, this is a working theory, which may be all wrong of course. There was also .a Lewis Rhea, who bought part of Grant No. 6748 from Martin Johnstone, 7 Oct. 1817 - he may well be related too, another brother perhaps? (This is from Warren Co. Deed Bk. A, p.476.) in same bk. p.307, 5 May 1812, Joseph M. Rea and Robert P. Rea, both of Warren Co. sold land in Overton Co., being 640 acres granted them by
North Carolina, No. 844. One wonders, could Joseph M. really be Moses? ? ? The deed from Isaac Drake to a William Rea is in this book too, p.63 - dated 4 Apr. 1814 at which time old Wm. would have been about 20 - it's not the Viola vicinity though. But on p.499, 15 Jan. 1817, David Ross sold Moses Rea 100 a. adjoining David Colston, and I feel sure it is in the present Coffee Co. area. He and James Wilson were the witnesses.
That about does it - I hadn't meant to spend all day on this and hadn't meant to write but just a note. But I got into it, and it was rather intriguing, so I just kept on. I did check my copy of the Settlement book and it began in 1827, so there is no way to determine what John Ray, Sr., included in his will.
Good luck!
Sincerely,

Betty Bridgewater

P.S. I don't recall anyone else interested in these folks and there is no one else in my Rhea file."


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