The Family Bible of
Jesse Allen


This Bible was in the possession of Mrs. Nannie Carnes of Dallas, Texas in 1939. A copy is on film at the Tennessee State Library and Archives.

(NOTE: This record was taken from Tennessee State Library and Archives film.)


BIRTHS

Jesse Allen June 17, 1777

Nancy Walker Sept. 5, 1779

Children

Wm. H. Nov. 4, 1798

Samuel Dec. 30, 1800

Mary Ann May 13, 1803

George W. July 21, 1805

Jane B. July 19, 1808

Cornelius May 5, 1811

John Stag Feb. 19, 1808

Susan A. T. Aug. 19, 1815

Jesse I. (J?) Oct. 8, 1817

Nancy Sept. 21, 1819

James Madison Sept. 15, 1822

(Note: Other dates recorded in bible:)

George Allen Sr. born Jan. 12, 1713 (43?)

Departed this life Jan. 12, 1835 with small pox.

John Allen Sr. died Oct. 12, 1854--Complaint, dropsy

Martha Allen borned Mar. 1, 1781

Samuel H. Allen borned Feb. 17, 1741 (1748?)

Betninian (Betheniah) Allen borned Feb. 26, 1788


(Note: Family tradition is that the three brothers Jesse, George and John married three sisters (Walkers) and came to Tennessee from Virginia.)

Deaths

Mrs. Sarah Walker departed this life Aug. 3, 1831

Nancy (Walker) Allen departed this life Sept. 2, 1841

Jesse I. (J?) Allen Sept. ll, 1842 In Washington County, Texas

James M. and Elizabeth's (Talley) first child borned and died Jan. 1848


Marriages:


Jesse Allen and Nancy Walker Oct. 19, 1797

Mary Ann and Geo. Eastman Aug. 9, 1819

Nancy G. Allen and Samuel L. Tyree July 3, 1834

John Allen and Martha P. Martin July 25, 1839

James M. Allen and Elizabeth Talley Oct. 22,1846


(Note: The Bible also lists the births of thirty slaves. (Was not included) On the margin are a number of interesting and unusual happenings, as falling stars, frost in August, big freshet in the Caney Fork April 12, 1843--dark dismal day, a rain came an d with it, to all appearances, a great quantity of flower of sulphur. The water was turned black everywhere.)


Jesse Allen's Children


William H. died leaving wife and 3 children and 12 slaves: left a will by word of mouth.

Samuel Married--4 children

Mary Ann married George Eastham

Geo. W. -

Jane B. married Hughes

Cornelius -

John Stag married Martha Parker Martin

Susan A. T. married McFarland

Jesse I. married--had one son

Nancy G. married Sam Tyree

James M. married Elizabeth Talley


John Stag Allen married Martha Parker Martin July 25, 1839

Children

Elnora Ross Allen Aug. 5, 1840--Boy twin died before named

Mary Ann Allen Aug. 25, 1842

Susan M. Allen Feb. 2, 1844

Martha Jane Allen Jan. 8, 1848

Cora Allen Oct. 21, 1850

Missouri A. Allen Dec. 14, 1860


Marriages


Isaac Drake (MD) and Elnora R. Allen May 4, 1860

Mary A. Allen (Smith) and Horace McGuire Oct. 15, 18--

Henry Clay Eastham and Susan M. Allen Feb. 26, 1861

Wm. Smith and Mary Ann Allen Feb. 26, 1861

(Note: William Smith died in war Oct. 16, 1861


(Note: There is two letters on this film. The first one was written by Mr. J. W. Lee of Dallas, Texas on June 15, 1954.)


Jesse Allen entered land on Smith Fork Creek, Smith County, the richest in the state, a mile on each side of the creek but sold his rights for four hundred dollars, after which he entered land in another part of the County which later in 1837, became Deka lb.

In 1801 he was settled on Eagle Creek called later the Nat Parker farm, and the Narrows. He as a Baptist minister in Smithville from 1847 to 1857 (year of his death) with a church that was organized with 14 members. It was his policy to give one or two slaves, depending on value, to each of his children on his or her marriage. He died in 1857 and was buried on his farm beside his wife and one child, the so-called Nat Parker farm, now covered by water. (Note: all known graves were moved before flooding of Center Hill lake.)

White County deeds etc. March 1838-1840 shows Jesse Allen authorizes sale of lands late in Cannon Co., now in Dekalb Co. some 58,300 acres acquired by Grant. Uncle Jim Drake, Judge in DeKalb Co. for many years, said the records of Jesse's holdings in th e county was amazing---that he had owned most of DeKalb County apparently. He came to this conclusion from his years of examining titles and research. He was not interested in genealogy. Judge Drake was a grandson of John S. Allen.

Mr. J. W. Lee


(Note: the second letter was written by Mrs. J. W. Lee of Dallas, Texas, June 15, 1954.)


By tradition I know something of Jesse Allen's life and activities. After crossing the mountains of East Tennessee around the turn of the eighteenth century with his family and slaves, he settled temporarily in the fertile valley of Smith's Fork Creek in DeKalb County on a track of land two by six miles. The purchase price was a horse. Later selling it for four hundred dollars. He located permanently on a large boundary of land covered with virgin forest and cane brakes on Caney Fork River, at the mouth of eagle Creek in DeKalb about seven miles north-east of Smithville. There he established his home and farm. After this, he distinguished himself by building many miles of roads with his slaves leading to and from a ferry at the river. Thus, he provided for the accommodation of the vast army of emigrants traveling overland in ox-drawn covered wagons, seeking new homes in the west, the land of promise.

Thus, Jesse Allen blazed the trail and laid the first stone perhaps, in the foundation of a splendid civilization that the country enjoys today. Jesse Allen's roads and Ferry (Allen's Ferry) became famous and known far and wide, being located on the main routes leading West. Many prominent figures was Andrew Jackson, then President of the United States, who made the long and tedious journey from the Hermitage to and from Washington overland in a horse-drawn carriage, stopping by and was entertained over-night frequently in the home of Jesse Allen.

I am eighty years old.

Mrs. J. W. Lee

(Note: Mr Lee lived in Smithville until 1923, when his family moved to Texas)

Return to the Bible Page


Return to the Dekalb Co. Page