RHEA-L Archives

From: "Patricia Hall" <>
Subject: [RHEA] June 26, 2001 Continuation of REf. and Notes #184
Date: Tue, 26 Jun 2001 22:52:40 -0500

"Page 323. Bill filed October 1832. William Thrasher and wife Polly
E. to Hopkins Lacy (et al.) In the year 1814, in Madison Co., John Rhea made
proposals of marriage to oratrix, then Polly E. Nesmith, which she accepted,
and on the 13th of August said John Rhea conveyed to her 100 acres of land
and two slaves, recorded in Madison Co. On the 14th of Aug. 1814 Oratrix
then being nearly 17 years of age was legally married to said John Rhea; in
Sept 1814 he had the said 100 acres surveyed, and the October following he
died Hopkins Lacy and William Simpson were his administrators On the 15th of
July, 1819, oratrix was married to orator At his death said John Rhea left
your oratrix his widow, and the following children: Mary G. Rhea since
married to Thomas H. Nesmith, Sarah L. Rhea since married to Robert L.
Brashers, Ester J. Rhea, Henry D. Rhea, Nancy P. Rhea, John Rhea, Thomas
Rhea, Hiram Rhea, William Rhea (since deceased) beside the heirs of John
Rhea, Elizabeth Wright dec'd who was the wife of Tolliver Wright, and
Margaret who was the wife of William Wright, who died before him the said
John Rhea. Oratrix was 21 years of age on the 10th day of Oct. 1818. Answer
of Hopkins Lacy. 'Said Rhea was quite an old man, about eighty years of age
at the time of the marriage and the said Polly E. about seventeen. Shortly
after the death of the said Rhea his son John on behalf of himself and the
other heirs objected to the validity of the said deed, on the ground first
that it was in fact executed after the marriage and secondly that the said
John Rhea Senr. was not in the proper state of mind at the time of the
execution."
Hopkins Lacy's estimate of John Rhea's age when married to Polly
Nesmith was considerably off. John testified in his suit against William
Rhea's heirs that he was grown in 1777, not married, but soon to marry a
daughter of Thomas Turk [Ref.62] If grown in 1777, that is, at least
twenty-one years old, he was born about 1756, and when married for the third
time in 1814, his age was about fifty-eight. The name of Hopkins Lacy, an
administrator of John's estate, appears a number of times in historical
accounts of Eastern Tennessee [Ref.46].
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• [RHEA] June 26, 2001 Continuation of REf. and Notes #184 by "Patricia Hall" <>