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Archiver > RHEA > 2001-04 > 0987392850


From: "Bowie-McCoy" <>
Subject: [RHEA-L] John Rhea, "Senior" and John Rhea, "Junior" (Greeneville, Tennessee)
Date: Sun, 15 Apr 2001 20:49:17 -0700



I have been away for a time, but have been retrieving my e-mail sporadically
whenever I could obtain access to the internet. Sometime during the last
two weeks or so, someone mentioned a "John Rhea who was killed by one of his
slaves, maybe in Tennessee ..." There is a John Rhea who lived and worked
as a blacksmith in Greeneville, Tennessee who was killed by one of his
slaves in January 1843. This is the John Rhea that married Mary "Polly"
Dennis, the step-daughter of John Tennant Balch, on 23 April 1816. (In my
notes, I call him John Rhea, Senior, to distinguish him from one of his sons
also named John Rhea.)

If anyone on the list can direct me to any information regarding his death,
I would greatly appreciate it. I have anecdotal information passed down in
family letters, but have not as yet discovered any other information on the
incident.

Regarding his son, John Rhea, Jr., here is a tidbit that I just unearthed.
It is extracted from "The Bradfords of Virginia in the Revolutionary War and
Their Kin" by Mrs. Nelle Rhea White (Whittet & Shepperson, 1932), pages 18
and 19.

"Virginia Irene, daughter of Joseph William Colbert and his wife Betty Anne
Stuart Colbert, married Ott Orville Rhea of Greenville, Tenn. April 30,
1895. He was the son of John Rhea and Candacy (Fitzpatrick) Rhea who were
married in Greenville, Tenn., Febr. 17, 1853; his grandfather, John Rhea Sr.
and Mary Dennis were married in Greenville, Tenn., April 23, 1816. The
Rheas are one of the oldest families of Tenn. and assisted in the
organization of the state of Tennessee. Rhea County, Rheatown, and Rhea
Springs, Tenn., were named in honor of John Rhea, the great-great-great
uncle of Orville Ott Rhea --- he never married --- he and his father were
noted as Latin and Greek scholars, and while John was in Gen. Washington's
army they corresponded in Latin (Rhea family - Zella Armstrong). They had
issue:

Nelle Kellem Rhea, born Nov. 2nd 1899 in Exmore, Northumberland County, Va.
Married Benard Franklin White, Sept. 4th 1918, .......

Nelle Kellem Rhea and Benard Franklin White had issue:

1.Anne Virginia White, born July 23, 1919 in Mathews County, Va. She is a
member of the Children of the American Revolution on the ancesry of Simon
Miller, Ensign from Bedford Co., Va. on his father, Simon Miller, Sr., Tax
Commissioner of Bedford County, Va., and Lt. Alexander Bradford of Fauquier
County, Va. She is also a member of the children of the confederacy on John
Rhea of Tenn., an enrolling Officer during the Confederacy. (Her great
Grandfather on her mother's side.)

2.Winifred Bradford White, born March 4th, 1929 ....


Ott Orville Rhea and his wife Virginia Irene Rhea had one other child Irene
Elizabeth Rhea, born Feb. 5th 1907 in Mathews County, Va. ....."



What is of interest to me in this citation, is the reference to the
connection to "the" John Rhea (Joseph Rhea's son) as being the
great-great-great uncle of Ott Orville Rhea. This is the first time I have
ever seen anyone articulate a connection between John Rhea, "Senior",
Greeneville's blacksmith. I do not have an opinion yet regarding the
accuracy of this connection, but I think it is interesting, especially in
light of the various interconnections between the Balch family and John
Rhea, Sr. (Greeneville blacksmith) that I have posted.

Best regards to all,
James Rhea McCoy




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