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Benton County Tennessee
Genealogy
Early Settlers Biographies
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biography for inclusion on this page to
Namesake of Benton County David BENTON was the son of a consummate
Revolutionary patriot of the same name who spent the entire war in the
service of North and South Carolinian militias. The subject was born in the
midst of the conflict about 1778. The family lived in several locales with
both states following the war, counted among the rising tide of Tennessee-
bound emigration just after 1800.
In middle Tennessee, David married Pheriba (Phebe), ca. 1775-born daughter of
John MELTON and Elizabeth JONES, a native of Nash County, North Carolina, who
has struck out for the new frontier with her siblings Mary (Mrs. Thomas HART),
Matthew, Thomas Joseph and Cooper. All but Joseph were residing together in
Warren County by 1812 where David and Cooper enlisted as "Tennessee
Volunteers" and served in the push to drive the Creek Indians from northern
Alabama.
Following his father's death in 1819, David returned to northern AL (Jackson
County), joining others from his state "squatting" on Indian territory. He
and Phebe became key players in the establishment of the region's first
Baptist church, the Mud Creek Primitive congregation, where their names were
inscribed first on the list of charter members. David's active role in the
group's maintenance included penning church records and supplying the planking
for the pews of the log-cabin meeting house.
Within a few years the inability to secure land titles and internal bickerings
had made much of the community restless. When David's brother Samuel, who had
previously settled in Humphries County passed word of Cherokee lands on the
lower Tennessee soon to be available for settlement, many were ready to follow
David down the River in 1825. One of the few to claim the required letter for
transferring church membership was Mud Creek charter elder John HORN, later
prominent in Baptist history within this county. Reunited with his brother,
David and his closer relatives were welcomed into Adam HARMON' S neighborhood.
David appears to have been instrumental in generating public support for the
creation of a new county in 1836. When a name was to be chosen, most
citizenry opted for David's but another faction insisted on that of Ephriam
PERKINS, foremost in the political duties for organization. To preserve local
unity, David agreed to a compromise adopting "Benton" in honor of his second
cousin, Missouri Senator Thomas Hart BENTON, and both David and Perkins were
appointed magistrates in the county's first court. The legislature renamed
the county in 1852 in recognition of David's contributions in the region's
development.
David's children would include Martha Catherine (the first Mrs. J. Berry
VESTER), John P., William Cross, a son (possibly Isaiah or Josiah) who died in
late youth, and David Washington BENTON. Their father died of heart failure
in April 1860 and was survived by Phebe until the early years of the Civil
War. Both were interred in unmarked graves on the family's 423 acre farm on
Harmon's Creek. Cedar trees on the site were transplanted by David from
saplings originating from South Carolina.
Source: Families and Histories Benton County, TN 1836-1986, Family History
Library, Salt Lake City, UT, page 64.
Submitted by Barbara Reeves Whittaker (05/04/98)
Son of the County's namesake David BENTON and Pheriba MELTON. David Washinton
(D.W.) BENTON was born in Warren County in 1817, but residing on Indian
territory in Jackson County, AL by age two. Brought to the Harmons Creek
neighborhood in 1825, he dwelt on his father's farm 53 years before moving to
Rambles Creek, where he remained until his death 19 August 1899.
Submitted by Barbara Reeves Whittaker (05/04/98)
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Green BIVENS, born in Humphrey County, Tenn., Sept. 19,
1830, moved in
1844, with his father, to Benton County where he lived and
engaged in
farming. He lived about two miles from Camden, Tenn.
Green BIVENS m. Nancy Viola JOHNSON and had the following
children: John
Dudgeon m. Isdora SPALDING; Kate Estell, died young; Martha
Isabelle; and
William Franklin, died young.
Submitted by Rena McWilliams (1-5-98)
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Lewis BREWER
(b. ca. 1784 in NC, d. 1870's), md. Mary "Polly" Alsup ca. 1807, was the
son of James BREWER who owned land on both the N. & S. sides
of Beaver Dam Creek straddling the dividing line between VA &
NC. Lewis was the youngest of James' ten children.
Lewis, Nicholas & Thomas BREWER settled in
1808 in Stewart Co, TN, in the part which was later to become
Houston Co. The relationship of these three men is not yet
determined. In 1842, Lewis BREWER was the Administrator for
Thomas BREWERs will. Nicholas is mentioned in the will, but no
relationship was mentioned.
The 1830 Census records Lewis & Mary in
Humphreys Co, in that part which was to become Benton Co. Lewis
& Mary had 10 children who married & mostly remained in
Benton Co. They, and the children of Nicholas & Sarah BREWER,
were the progenitors of the many BREWERs who inhabit the
area.
The first settlements in Benton County were made
by Lewis and Nicholas BREWER in 1820 in Ramble Creek, 12 miles N.
of Camden. Others quickly settled in this new area. Lewis
received & registered the first Occupational Land Grant, in
Benton Co. entry #34, July 20, 1820, for some 160 acres. In a few
days, others began to register their land claims.
Lewis, Mary P., Thomas & Lidia BREWER are
shown among the founders of Ramble Creek Primitive Baptist
Church. This was the second Baptist congregation formed in the
county. Lewis lived in the 8th District and was a county
magistrate & commissioner who assisted in petitioning the
Tennessee Legislature in 1835 for the original formation of
Benton County from Humphreys County.
Submitted by Ben Brewer (7-19-97)
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Nicholas BREWER (b. ca. 1783 in NC, d. 5 May 1851
in Benton Co, TN.) and his wife, Sarah (b. 1783 in NC, d. 29 June
1860 in Benton Co, TN.), migrated to Stewart County, TN in the
area of Hurricane Creek. Their migration may have brought them
through Kentucky, and some of their children may possibly have
been born there. Thomas & Lewis BREWER were also residence
of the Benton County at the time, and it is generally assumed
that Nicholas & Lewis were brothers. However, Lewis was the
son of James BREWER who died in Brunswick County, VA.
Nicholas & Lewis, while still living in
Stewart County, were the earliest to register (1820) land deeds
in Henry County for that area that would become Benton County.
They went into the area as early as 1819, possibly illegally, and
staked out the land they wanted. The Brewer's established a
family burial grounds across the way from their house. They are
buried in the BREWER Cemetary, Benton County, SW of Big Sandy,
just past Ramble Creek Baptist Church.
Nicholas & Sarah had 10 children who local
folks & continued to live in the area. Some of their
offspring however have scattered thru-out the US. Nicholas served
a short period as a Private in the War of 1812 in the Tennessee
Militia. He built a log house which incorporated the usual
seperate kitchen and was still standing in 1970. He left most of
his land to his wife upon his death. His son David later owned
the home which still remains in the family.
Submitted by Ben Brewer
(7-19-97)
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Malchijah BUSH was the son of Thomas
Bush who died in Halifax County, VA in 1805. Malchijah moved to
Spartanburg, SC by 1810, to Henry County, TN by 1827 and to Benton
County where in died before November 1839 when his estate was
settled. Most of his children married in Benton County and died
young. Children of Malchijah & Elender Bush were: Thomas,
Elijah M., James H., John J., Elisha P., Malchijah Brasentine
& Joseph F.
Submitted by Brenda Wyatt
(9-2-97)
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Thomas CRAIG was in Benton County in the 1850 Census with a wife and 5 daughters, 2 of them from a previous marriage.
He was a miller by trade. He lived in District 6 and died before May 23, 1854 when his estate was settled. Not much is known about
this family.
Thomas' daughters with his 1st wife were: Susan, Martha & M. Elizabeth. With his 2nd wife, Sarah Allen, they
were: Angeline & Charlotte.
Submitted by Brenda Wyatt
(9-2-97)
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New Biographies will be added regularly.
Please check back frequently.
Return to Early Settlers page.
If you have suggestions
and/ or additions for these pages, please feel free to
write:
Brian Nichols
Please come back again soon! Happy
Hunting!!!
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