Transcribed from Goodspeed’s History of  Tennessee from the Earliest Time to the Present; Together with an Historical and a Biographical Sketches of from Twenty-Five to Thirty Counties of East Tennessee, Besides a Valuable Fund of Notes, Original Observations, Reminiscences, etc., etc. (Chicago and Nashville:  The Goodspeed Publishing Co., 1887), pp. 962-987.  See footnote below for on-line access.

William TREWHITT was born in Cleveland, Tenn., April 3, 1838, and is the son of Levy and Harriet (LAVENDAR) TREWHITT. The father was born near Raleigh, NC, July 14, 1797, and died January 31, 1862, while in a rebel prison. He went from North Carolina to Morgan County, Tenn., at an early date and to Bradley County, Tenn., in 1836. He was a very prominent and successful lawyer. He accumulated a large amount of property before the war, but a great part of it was destroyed during that period. He secured his education by his own exertions, and by the light of a pine knot after the day’s work was done. He was a Mason and a Whig. The mother was born in Morgan County, Tenn., May 3, 1803, and died January 9, 1855. Our subject was the twelfth of seventeen children. He secured his education at the home schools. The father had in the meantime moved to one of his farms in the Fifth District, when our subject was quite young. October 16, 1860, our subject married Myra L. UPTON, who was born in Charleston, Bradley Co, Tenn., August 27, 1843, and died February 19, 1886. She was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, but after her marriage joined the Baptist Church. She was the daughter of N. B. and Mary UPTON. Our subject’s marriage resulted in the birth of seven children, six of them now living; L. B., Hattie J., Minnie J., Edna E., Maud and Nina. Gracie died shortly after birth. Our subject when married moved to one of his father’s farms, but after two years moved to his present location, which was given to him by his father, but since that time he has bought more and improved all. In 1876 he was elected justice of the peace, and re-elected in 1882. During the war he was detailed by the Confederate government, and worked in the rolling mills and flour mills at Cleveland. He is a member of the Baptist Church, and a Democrat.

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This biography was transcribed by Sherry Pollard. We thank her for transcribing all the Goodspeed’s biographical sketches.

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