1799 Petition to Form New County
Petition 20-1-1799 to the Tennessee General Assembly
Date: 17 Oct 1799
Petition of citizens of Hawkins County who live north of Clinch River and wish to be added to a new county, if one is formed from Grainger County, because they have “upwards of forty miles” to travel across mountains and rivers to attend County courts, musters, and elections. Signed by:
| Valluntine Hatfield Henry Guffee Henry Guffee Jr. William Mannen John Guffee John Blevins W. R. Reynolds Mathew Reynolds Amos Reynolds Willem Evins John Evins Micheal Conner John Stroud Richard Hans Thomas Hobbs Joseph Hans Richar [sic] Hains Randal Lawson Drewrey Lawson Obadiah Hammons Obadiah Hammons Jr. Obadiah Martin Williamson Ternt [sic] William Trent Sr |
John Morgan John Jones Peter Hammons Joseph Reeley William Hunt [or] Hurt John Turner Joh. [sic] Martin John Fitzpatrick James Fitzpatrick John Fitzpatrick Jr. Thomas Fitzpatrick Daniel Fitzpatrick Samule [sic] Morgin [sic] Richard Stephenson Zachariah Rose Moses Gess John Dunston or Sumter [?] Somul [sic] Webster Edward Webster John Webster David Fultington Wm Belcher John Belcher Philip Williams Sherwood Reynolds |
Most of these individuals were associated with what is today Hancock County, Tennessee. Hancock formed in 1844 from Hawkins and Claiborne Counties. Claiborne was formed in 1801 from parts of Hawkins and Grainger Counties.
Source: Abstract of the petition, published in the TN Genealogical Society‘s “Ansearchin’” News, Vol. 3, 1991, page 115.