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)
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