Thomas Cantrell (4) of John(3) of Joseph(2) of Richard(1) was born 
Jan. 23, 1761 twelfth of John Cantrell's 21 sons.  May have been born 
in Rockingham Co NC, since his parents migrated there before the 
Revolutionary War, and in the Ninety-sixth District or Spartanburg Co. 
SC after the war where his father, John, owned over 800 acres on Buck 
Creek,  on the waters of Pacolet River. 
 
About 1780 he married Elizabeth Norris, daughter of Thomas Norris, who 
served in the Rev. War  from PA.  She was born Mar. 10, 1765.  After 
their marriage they first settled in Grenville District, SC, but later 
moved to TN.  It has been said he was the first of the name to migrate 
to that state. He settled on Sink Creek, De Kalb CO, where he operated 
an iron forge, which is still called the "Old Forge,"  and where one of 
his descendants now lives. (This info was about 1914.) 

   War Records, at Washington, D.C., show that 'Thomas Cantrell served 
as a member, rank and company not stated, of Lieutenant Colonel Lytle's 
command, Caswell County, NC, Revolutionary War. 'His name has been 
found only on a list, not dated, of men 'enrolled for Captain Robert 
Moore, from Caswell County'. 

   There is tradition, which comes from William Magness Cantrell, that: 
'Thomas Cantrell, in company with Mr. Adcock, who was an uncle of his 
grandmother, were captured at the battle of the Cowpens, SC and placed 
on a British ship to be sent to England. After getting some four miles 
from land, they escaped by jumping overboard and swimming to shore, 
having to escape not only the dangers of the sea but also the fire of 
the British.' 

   He was a deacon in the Baptist Church.  He and his wife are buried 
in the THOMAS CANTRELL CEMETERY, at Grady, Tenn. This town was was 
first known as CANTRELL'S  CROSS ROADS; later changed to Williamsburg, 
and today is known as Grady.  (Now West Etowah.) 
 
The inscription on his tombstone reads:  HERE LIES THE BODY OF THOMAS 
CANTRELLE, BORN JANUARY 23, 1761. DIED SEPTEMBER 25, 1830. 
    Children:
1091     i. Isaac. 
1092    ii. Jacob 
1093   iii. Mary, b. Dec. 13, 1784, in SC; m. WILLIAM HENRY COOKE, 
     in 1804.  He was b. May 15, 1784, in Culpepper Co. VA, and was 
     a son of Robert and Susannah Watson Cooke. Robert Cooke was in 
     the Revolutionary War and served under Washington at Valley Forge; 
     d. Nov. 12, 1841, at the age of eithty-nine. 
   William Henry Cooke was deputy surveyor in Spartanburg Co,SC in 1807. 
   In 1820 he moved with his family to McMinn Co, TN, where he purchased 
   a large tract of land in the Hiwassee District, on the Conesauga. 

   One of his descendants writes: 

   'It is over eighty years since WILLIAM HENRY and MARY CANTRELL COOKE 
came to their new home in Tennessee.  The country was new and they 
reached the end of their long, tiresome journey just at nightfall. 
It was raining, there was no house to receive them and a temporary 
shelter was hastily erected. Beneath that, wrapped in quilts, with her 
babe in her arms, all through that dark, rainy night, sat Mary Cantrell 
Cooke weeping;  so dreary and lonely seemed the prospect. Nevertheless, 
she was a woman of strong mind and great capabilities.  Her husband was 
an upright and enterprising citizen, but she was the potent factor in 
the training of her children: one of their sons became a noted lawyer 
and judge; another a Baptist minister; another an excellent physician, 
and still another, one of the most influential citizens in the section 
in which he lived. 
She was founder and promoter of the CONASAUGA BAPTIST CHURCH.
The hill where the family spent their first night in Tennessee was 
afterward given as a burial spot for his kindred by William H. Cooke: 
his wife was the first to be laid there, and one week later he was 
placed by her side.  Now many of the descendants of the first, second 
and third generation are sleeping there.' 

                Children: 
1. Robert Fielding Cooke, b. May 27,1805; m. Charlotte Kimbrough,Sept. 
   28, 1834; d. Dec. 1, 1872. He was a successful physician. 
                children: 8 

2. Hezekiah Cantrell Cooke, b. Nov. 4, 1806. in Greenville District, SC 
m. Mary Wood, 1830.  Was educated for commercial business and in early 
life was successful as a merchant, planter and stock raiser. In the 
forty fourth year of his age he  was ordained a Baptist minister, 
after which he preached for country churches without salary and built 
several churches for congregations not able to aford construction. 
                children: 8 

3. Nancy Watson Cooke, b. Sept. 26, 1808, Greenville Dist SC; m. Daniel 
Thompson July 19,1825. She united with the Conesauga Baptist Church the 
day after it was organized; d. Nov. 10, 1885. 
                children:10. 

4. Eliza Cooke, b. Jan. 26, 1812, in Greenville Dist, SC; m. (1) Henry 
Cooper,    Aug. 2, 1832; two children; he d. Oct. 26, 1834; m. (2) Duke 
Kimbrough, Aug. 9, 1836; six children; she d. July 4, 1853. 
                children:10. 

5.  George Washington Cooke, b. Oct. 16, 1813, in Greenville Dist. SC: m. 
Sarah Jane Gilbreath, Oct. 22, 1840; dau of Joseph Goilbreath, who moved 
to McMinn CO, locating at Coy Hill in 1826.
   In 1836 she attended school at Athens, at which period the buildings 
were principally log; the Baptist Church was also of this construction. 
In that church she tells of the first sermon she ever heard: 
the preacher wore neither coat nor vest, but with shirt sleeves rolled 
up to the elbows, 
collar thrown open, he dispensed the Word with all the fervor and 
simplicity of the times. Some of the audience looked so primitive that 
one would have connected them with Noah and the Ark.  She d. Apr. 29, 
1905, having been a devoted mamber of the Conesauga Baptist Church for 
sixty years.  One of her descendants writes that: 'she was a woman of 
strong convictions,  pure in thought and action, her aspirations were 
characteristic of noble womanhood. 
George Washington Cooke d. Mar. 5, 1855.'  Six children. 

6. Clarissa Cooke, b. Sept 16, 1815. in SC; m. Thomas Cooper, Feb. 26, 
1835, in McMinn Co TN. 
                children 11. 

7. Elmira Cooke, b. June 10, 1817, in SC; m. James Cooper Sept. 28, 
1834, who was a brother of Henry and Thomas Cooper, who married her 
sisters Eliza and Clarissa Cooke. She d. Sept. 4, 1854. Three 
children, whose names were not given. 

8. James Burch Cooke, b. in SC, Apr. 1, 1819; m. Penelope McDermott, 
Jan. 30, 1850.  Graduated from the East Tennessee University (now UT) 
at Knoxville, in the early forties.  Was admitted to the bar and 
practiced at Athens, Tenn., until the beginning of the war. He was 
colonel of the 59th Tennessee Infantry, C.S.A., and at the close of 
the Civil Was moved to Chattanooga, where he was a prominent and 
leading citizen during the remainder of his life.  He was a member of 
the legislature; district attorney general of the Judicial Circuit and 
judge of the Supreme Court of TN. Died in Chattanooga, Apr. 18, 1899. 
His character is well indicated by the folowing inscription on his 
monument in the Old Citizens and Confederate Cemetery at Chattanooga 
which reads: 
'A learned lawyer. A just judge. A brave soldier, and an honest man.' 
 
Judge Cooke accumulated and prepared considerable data regarding the 
Cantrell Family, under the guidance of his mother, which has been of 
great service to the compiler of this book. 
                children: 4. 

9. Attaline Cooke, b. Mar. 25, 1821; m. Dr. James Carson, Feb.22, 1845; 
   d. Mar. 13, 1897. 
                children: 7. 

10. Sarah Miranda Cooke, b. Feb. 8, 1823; m. Caleb R. Hoyle; d. May 28, 
    1850. 
                children:5 

11. Susannah Cooke, b. May 9, 1825, in McMinn Co TN; m.John D. Chattin,
    Apr. 3, 1847. Lives in Rhea County, and is the only child now 
    living of William Henry and Mary Cantrell Cooke. (This date was in 
    the early 1900's.) 
                children: 5. 

12. John Augustine Cooke, b. Mar. 7, 1827; d. Nov. 19, 1849. 
 

1094.   iv. THOMAS, b. about 1786, in Greenville 
     Dist, SC; m (1)_____ Cantrell; m. (2) ____ Glaze. Thomas Cantrell 
     and his family moved to Alabama where he d. leaving a family of 
     whom we have no records. 

1095.    v.  ELIJAH (5)  b. about 1788 in Greenville Dist. SC; m. Sarah 
     Cantrell, dau of Benjamin and Charity Legat Cantrell, in SC. 
     They moved to De Kalb Co, TN early in the last century and later 
     settled in McMinn Co, TN. About 1848 they moved, with all their 
     family except their son, Thomas, to Dade Co, MO., where Elijah and 
     Sarah Cantrell died. 
                Children: 9: only the oldest listed here: 

1154 Thomas Cantrell (6) 
     born in DeKalb Co Tn. June 22, 1819, and was a small boy when his 
     parents moved to McMinn Co; m. Louisa Lawson, dau of Lewis Lawson, 
     near Athens, about 1843. In 1850 they moved to MO, but returned to 
     TN and lived in Bradley Co during the Civil War; later returned to 
     De Kalb Co, where he died in 1885. 
     Member of Meth. Episc. Ch. and highly respected wherever he lived. 
                Children: ix (I list only the first two. WLB.)
1163     i. Louis Kendrick Cantrell 
1164    ii. ELIJAH WILSON CANTRELL (7) 
of Thomas (6) of Elijah (5) of Thomas (4) of John (3 of Joseph (2)
of Richard (1) . Elijah Wilson Cantrell was born Jan. 6, 1848. m. 
Bettie Jane Moore, Sept. 3, 1873.  She was born Sept. 5, 1855. He has 
had) a large fruit interest (grafting) in McMinn Co.TN. 
They are members of the Methodist Church. (Probably Piney Grove.)

                 Children: 14 as follows:
 
1184   William Thomas, b. July 29, 1874 
 
1185   Molly Louisa, b. Feb. 29, 1876; m. George Riden, Sept. 28, 1888. 
              Children: Samuel Riden, Clarence Wilson Riden. (See the
       Riden Story # 999 in the McMinn Co Heritage Book.

1186   Hattie Esther, b. 18 Dec. 1878; m. John Kinser Aug 1, 
       1901. children:  Victor, Spence, Ray, Alma Kinser 

1187   Sam Wilson, b. Sept. 5, 1881.

1188   Maggie L. b. Aug. 15, 1883, m. Creed Sexton Aug. 22, 1901. 

1189   Lucy Almina, b. Aug. 27,1885; m Andrew Brinkley,
       July 24, 1902.

1190   Cally Tennie, b. Apr. 25, 1887. m. Oscar Walker. 

1191   CREED JONES (8), of Elijah Wilson (7), of Thomas (6)
       of Elijah (5), of Thomas (4), of John (3), of Joseph (2) of 
       Richard (1). 

(My immediate family follows, W.L.Bigham>):

Creed Jones Cantrell b. Jan.2, 1889. d. Aug 8, 1964. m. Lula Bell 
        Walker b. Oct. 29, 1893, d. Oct. 30, 1978. 

        Children: Nettie Jane b. Jan 14, 1914, d. Sept 28, 1986;
Creed Jones Jr. (C.J.) b. Apr. 8, 1916; Mary Lee b. Nov. 28, 1917; 
James Luther b. Aug 8, 1919; William Francis b. May 27, 1921; 
Iago b. Feb. 14, 1926. 

1192    Frank b. May 18, 1891. m. 1.Dovie Williams. 2.Loma Stevens.
1193    Harley Ross b. Oct 2, 1893. 
1194    Fred M. b. May 3, 1895. 
1195    Charles S. b. June 28, 1899. 
1196    John Arthur, d. in infancy. 
1197    William ?, lived and died in Eric, OK
 

1165    iii. Thomas Pierce Cantrell .
1166     iv. Albert M. Cantrell. 
1167      v. Sarah Elizabeth, m. Lemuel Cantrell, son of   son of 
             Jackson Cantrell.(This is probably Andrew Jackson Cantrell, 
             son of Jacob and Elizabeth DeLong Cantrell. Not verified.
             4 children. 
1168     vi. Mary Louisa, m. C. M. Holland. 
1170   viii. Minerva Jane, m. John Jones. 
1171     ix. Nancy Clementine, m. Horace Collwick; 5 sons. 
1096.    vi. NANCY, m. Isaac Cantrell, son of John and Elizabeth Cantrell. 
1097.   vii. SARAH, m John Kaskie. They moved to MO. 
1098.  viii. DAVID, m. (1). Alice Reynolds, dau of Isham Reynolds, Hawkins 
             Co.  Settled in McMinn Co. on the Chestuee. See John Cantrell 
             Story. 
1099.    ix. GABRIEL, b. in Greenville Dist, SC; went with parents to TN 
             where he m. Nancy Smith. Gabriel moved with family to MO ....
             no records since. 
1100.     x. BRAZAILA, m. Thomas Kaskie.  They moved to MO.

                                 UNQUOTE, End of Transcription 

SOURCE: THE CANRTRILL-CANTRELL GENEOLOGY, FIRST PUBLISHED IN 1908 BY 
MRS. SUSAN CANTRILL CHRISTIE; 2ND  BY MRS. W.E. BENSON & MRS. JACK 
SLAYDEN, BOWIE TEXAS. 

For more info on the Cantrell-Newman families contact William L. Bigham.

William L. Bigham
452 County Road 754,
Riceville, TN 37370
 

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