contributed by: Martha Allen Kidwell

Samuel McSpad(d)en according to old Bible records was born February 6, 1807 in Knox County, Kentucky. He was one of five children, with two older brothers, a younger sister and another sister. Soon after the East Tennessee territory of the Cherokees was obtained and opened to white settlement, along with the rest of the family and many relatives, Samuel moved into that area and settled in Monroe County. There on January 3, 1828, Samuel was married to Sarah Parker. She bore him eleven children. After her death, Samuel married Marinda “Rene” Howard,

When Bradley County first opened for settlement, after the removal of the Cherokees, our ancestor, Samuel McSpaden seems to have been one of the first to take up land there. All of his brothers and sisters later moved to that county, as well as many other persons of related families. The Book I of original entries in Bradley County is in the courthouse in Cleveland, Tennessee records these families as well as Samuel McSpadden. He died on June 25, 1866, and is buried in the Wesleyan Cemetery some 10 miles south of Cleveland, Tennessee.

One of Samuel’s children, Stewart McSpadden related to his grandson, Joseph Haw, that except for a few items like sugar, coffee, needles and pins, his father’s family was almost self-sufficient. They grew, slaughtered and preserved their own beef, pork and mutton, raised poultry, sheared their own wool and processed it and their own home-grown flax into clothing. They made their own lye, soap, dyes, and many other things. Most evenings until ten o’clock, the mother worked at spinning or weaving or clothes making, the father at making or repairing shoes fashioned from the hides of his own cattle. The other children helped where needed, the younger studied their lessons, all by candle light. Samuel’s home was small for such a large family, and located on a medium sized farm. The house had originally been of logs, later boarded over.

Besides the eleven children, Samuel’s mother, Jane, long lived with him, until her death. A copy of Samuel’s will and estate settlement as recorded in Bradley County, dated April 10, 1866, and proven in court August 6, 1866, asked that the rest of his estate be divided equally among his nine surviving children, his deceased son Benjamin’s share to go to his two children. To the two of his youngest children he made extra gifts, $100 and a furnished bed to Mary, $250 to James to be used for his education. From the final settlement report of March 1869, we learn that Samuel’s personal property was listed thus: notes considered good–$1932.63, doubtful notes–$168.60, good accounts–$81.80, doubtful accounts–$6.70, amount received from sale of personal property $1452.10, 1868 rent from farm–$199.50; a total of $3,841.33. When the value of the farm is added, it would seem that Samuel was in fairly good circumstances for the time.

Of Samuel’s eleven children, seven went to Missouri: Robert, Lewis, and Stewart , Catherine married Daniel Thatch, and Margaret married James Monroe Gardner in Tennessee and moved to Southwest Missouri. Mary and James were quite young when their mother died in 1857, and Mary was 16, James 13 when they lost their father. They soon went to live with their brother Stewart in Caledonia, Missouri where they attended school and James helped in the store. Most of Jame’s later years were spent in Texas. Mary later married William Gardner, brother of James, and lived in Southwest Missouri. Jane, the eldest, married Joseph F. Johnson in Tennessee and lived in Northern Arkansas, not far from the Missouri line where they spent the rest of their lives farming. Benjamin, the oldest son, had served in the Confederate Army in which service his health became much impaired; he died early in 1865. Joseph (my great grandfather) and Elizabeth remained near the old family home area in Bradley County, Tennessee throughout their lives. Joseph and Elizabeth married Mitchells, brother and sister.

Samuel gave the land to the Methodist Church which was later known as the Ebeneezer Camp Ground, and used as a church meeting site. Later, in a church erected on the site, a small private school was established by John Key, a relative of Mrs. Samuel McSpaden, by her brother, Lewis Parker, by Carter Trimm and Joseph Forshee, her brothers-in-law, and by her husband, Samuel. The school was later moved to another site and grew into the present Hiwassee College, near Madisonville, Tennessee. The children of Samuel and Sarah Parker McSpaden:

1. Jane McSpaden, named for her grandmother McSpaden was born October 20, 1828, in Monroe Co., Tennessee and died September 13, 1905 in Boone County, Arkansas. Jane was married to Joseph Frisbie Johnson, who was born in Tennessee, November 5, 1821, and died in Boone County, Arkansas, January 21, 1907.

2. Catherine McSpaden, named for her grandmother Parker, born January 10, 1831, died November 29, was married in Bradley County, Tennessee about 1850 to Daniel Thatch, son of Henderson Thatch. Daniel was born May 12, 1831, died October 11, 1876. Both are buried in the Gardner cemetery near Wheatland, Missouri.

3. Benjamin McSpaden, named for his grandfather Parker, was born July 16, 1833, died March 23, 1865. He married Nancy Lucretia Ruble, who was born March 14, 1838, died March 3, 1901. (In Bradley Co.)

4. Robert McSpaden, named for his grandfather McSpaden, born April 22, 1835, died December 7, 1864, at De Valls Bluff, Arkansas, while serving as a sutler with the 8th Missouri Cavalry, of the Union Army. He never married.

5. Margaret McSpaden, named for her aunt, Margaret McSpaden Brown, born June 26, 1837, died July 25, 1920, married James Monroe Gardner in Tennessee in 1857. James was born February 15, 1834, 8 miles east of Madisonville, in Monroe County, Tennessee.

6. Lewis McSpaden, named for his uncle, Lewis Parker, born September 21, 1839, died August 14, 1888, married October 11, Lillie Soule of Caledonia, Missouri, born February 18, 1852, died February 21, 1943. Both are buried in the Caledonia Presbyterian Cemetery. Lewis was educated at Flint Springs Academy near Cleveland, Tennessee. He was an orderly in the Confederate Army, in Payne’s Regiment, Kirby Smith’s Division for a time. He went to Missouri in 1864, worked for a while in Rolla, and for a time was with his brother, a sutler in the Union Army. Lewis served several terms in the Missouri General Assembly.

7. Stewart McSpaden who was named for his uncle, Stewart McSpaden was born 1842, died in 1929. Her married Ellen Rooker in 1865 in Caledonia, Missouri.

8. Elizabeth McSpaden named for her Aunt Betsy Parker Carter, born May 24, 1844, died March 19, 1898, married William H. Mitchell, born December 17, 1837, died February 17, 1917. Both are buried in Ooltewah Cemetery near Chattanooga.

9. Joseph Julius McSpaden, named for his uncle Joseph McSpaden, born January 15, 1847, married February 9, 1865 to Martha Mitchell, a sister of William H. Mitchell. She was born August 15, 1847. Both are buried in the Fort Hill Cemetery, Cleveland, Tennessee. Both were life-long residents of Bradley County, Tennessee.

10. Mary “Mollie” McSpaden, born September 18, 1849, died September 10, 1889. Mary married William Gardner in Elkton, Missouri.

11. James McSpaden was born July 23, 1852 and died December 10, 1924 in Houston Harris Co., Texas. He was married October 1883 to Mary Gertrude (Molly) Couch in Terrell, Texas.

Note: Samuel McSpaden was the son of Robert and Jane McSpaden. Robert was born about 1773 in Augusta Co. (or Rockbridge), Virginia, one of the two sons of Archibald McSpaden. Moses McSpaden was his brother. Archibald McSpaden was a revolutionary war veteran. He filed his Revolutionary War Pension Application at the age of 83 on the 27th day of November, 1833 in Monroe County, Tennessee. Joseph Julius McSpaden and Martha Mitchell McSpaden were my great grandparents. Both lived in Bradley County, Tennessee all their lives. They are buried in Fort Hill Cemetery in Cleveland, Tennessee. Their children were:

1. Eleanor (Ella) McSpaden, born September 1, 1866, died March 1, 1948, married John Tipton Huffine.

2. Samuel Lewis McSpaden, born September 20, 1872, died June 18, 1931, married Cordie Starr.

3. Jessie Wilborn McSpaden, born September 19, 1874, died May 30, 1904. Buried Fort Hill Cemetery, Cleveland, Tennessee.

4. Rena Leona McSpaden, born November 28, 1876, died 1902, married James Harry Thatch on February 27, 1900. Buried Blue Springs Cemetery, Bradley Co.

5. Daisy Ann McSpaden , born August 15, 1879, died November 4, 1962, married Millard Herbert Parks on January 15, 1905, Bradley Co. They lived near the home farm of her grandfather Samuel McSpaden in the Lebanon Community of Bradley County. Both are buried in Pine Hill Church Cemetery in Bradley Co. *(my grandparents)

6. Ava May McSpaden, born November 8, 1883, died May 5, 1908. Buried Fort Hill Cemetery, Bradley Co.

(From the book: THE MCSPAD(D)EN FAMILY ANCESTRY by Joseph L. Haw III from: McSpadden history, Descendants of Archibald McSpadden)