Scroggins Family
Photo Album
Margaret (Pults) Scroggins
These excerpts from the History of Fentress County, Tennessee, published by the Fentress County Historical Society in 1987, were transcribed by Michael Allen in 2000. See notes at the end.
John G. and Margaret Scroggins
by Novella Spurlin Cravens
John G. Scroggins, son of Smnuel [sic] Mills and Pheriba Guinn Scroggins, was born in TN – 1827. John married Margaret Pults, daughter of John Frederick and Anna Mullinix Pults at the home of her father on October 24, 1846. The marriage was performed by James Wright, J.P. and witnessed by Andrew and Mary Conatser, neighbors who had known John since he was about 12 years old, and who were still neighbors to Margaret as late as 1891.
John was a farmer in the Broaddoor-Little Crab area (Post Office – Moodyville, TN). Their children were:
(A) Andrew Jackson born 1848 mar. Linda Tinch. Their children were Anderson, George, Robert, Balam, Mary and Sarah. Anderson mar. Ester ?; Mary mar. Elmer Stinson (they had one daughter who died young); Sarah mar. William Schofield Scott and are the ancestors of the Scott’s in the Double Top Community; Balam had a son Robert that lived in Muncie, IN. Some descendants of Andrew and linda moved to Detroit, MI.
(B) Amanda J. born May 12, 1850 mar. John Chapman. Their children were: Nancy mar. John Buck, whose children were: Mae – mar. Chester Dickens, Ella – mar. Marson Reynolds, and Stella – mar. Jim Ledbetter and Joe.
Sarah mar. John Chapman. Their children were: Nancy – mar. John Buck; Sarah – mar. Peter Green.
Dillard mar. Laura Crabtree (no children). Mary mar. Gale Buck — a dau. Mabel.
(C) Nina J. mar. George W. Choate. They had 9 sons: 1) John mar. Sarah Beaty; 2) Jacob- mar. Mary ?; 3) William; 4) Christopher – mar. Ellen Adkins; 5) Andrew Jackson – mar. Judy Gunter – 1st, and 2nd – Cindy Beaty; 6) Marion – mar. Ellie Cook; 7) Bates Moody never married, he joined the B. Bailey Circus and died of pneumonia near Independence, MO.; 8) James Milton mar. Alice Choate – 1 daughter, Peggy Choate Brown; 9) Rubin – mar. Ellen Adkina – 1st, Susie Belie Smith – 2nd.
(D) Pheriba mar. twice: Ned Adkins and Frank Duncan. She and Frank were parents of Margaret Duncan, Kansas Duncan Crabtree, and Jasper Duncan who married Minnie Belie Sewed.
(E) Malinda was born 1857.
(F) Mary Ann was born 1-17-1859. She married Edward Pyburn Stephens (see their story elsewhere in this book).
(G) Sarah was born 7-16-1863. She married Lemmy Wright and they lived at Soddy Daisy, TN. Some of their children were: Bune, Tilford, Charles, Gertie and Johnny.
(H) John G., Jr., was born Aug. 6, 1866 (or 68), died March 17, 1947. They had no children. Both are buried in the Scroggins Cemetery at Double Top.
John, Sr., was a Veteran of the Civil War. He died at his home in the Grimsley area on Feb. 13, 1872 and is buried on the home place there.
Margaret never re-married, but moved from the new home which she and John had shared for a very short time back to the Broaddoor Community near her people where she reared her children. In the 1800’s mountian land was too poor to farm very successfully and so she moved where she could survive from the land. She taught her children how to live off the land, and to spin and weave, and many other crafts to make their lives better.
Source: https://homepages.rootsweb.com/~bp2000/fentress/scroggins.htm
Edward Pyburn and Mary Ann Stephens
by Novella Spurlin Cravens
Edward Pyburn “Ned” Stephens (b. 4/9/1853-d. soon after 3/19/1900) was born in Fentress County, TN, the son of George Russell Stephens and Catherine Livingston Stephens. His grandparents were David Stephens, son of Thomas and Sally Miller Stephens, and Thomas Livingston and Jenny Beason. “Ned” married Mary Am “Polly” Scroggins,a daughterof John Scrogginsand Margaret Pults Scroggins, also born in Fentress County, Jan. 17, 1859.
Ned and Polly were the parents of Margeret Catherine, born Dec. 17, 1880; Dicy Ellen, born Oct. 17, 1884; Lizy Etter, born Oct. 25, 1886; Ester Ebbedell (died young); Mary Leona, born July 28, 1892; and John Russell, born Sept. 20, 1695.
They made their home in the 6th District of Fentress County, where Ned served as Constable for several years, was overseer of the roads in that area at one time and was tax collector for the 6th District (1892/4).
Ned was asthmatic and, at the age of 47, after playfully running a race with Polly, died from an attack of asthma. He is buried in the Bills Creek Cemetery of Fentress County. Mother remembered him as being tall and slender with dark wavy hair.
On Nov. 15, 1907, Polly married Manson B. Stephens. The marriage lasted only a few years.
Having been left with several young children to raise, Polly became well known in the area for peddling produce. She rode “side saddle” and peddled apples or whatever she had for sale.
She raised her Grandson Royce, son of Margaret Catherine and Raymond Wisener after Margaret Catherine died when he was two years old. Margaret Catherine is also buried in the Bills Creek Cemetery. Royce passed away in Muncie, IN, in 1984 and was buried there.
In the mid 1920’s, Polly broke up housekeeping and moved to Jamestown to spend the remainder of her life with her daughter, Mary Leona, and her family. Mary Leona had married Porter Alien Spurlin, son of Clinton Barnet Spurlin and Samantha Jane Stephens on April 3, 1911.
“Aunt Polly” as she became fondly known to all who knew her lived to be 83 years old. She passed away Oct. 13, 1943, at home in Jamestown, and is buried in the Gunter Cemetery there.
The spouses of Ned and Polly’s other children were: Lisy Etter mar. Edmund Claybum; Dicy Ellen mar. Abraham Lincoln Franklin; and John Russell mar. 1) Nora Daniels and 2) Oma Hurst. There were no children born as a result of either of John Russell’s marriages. He was a World War I Veteran, and died Dec. 3, 1928, as a result of disease contracted while in service.
Polly, my grandmother, was a very self-sufficient person. She grew her own flax for Linen, raised her own cotton, and spun the yarns and dyed them with natural dyes. She wove beautiful materials. I was only 6 years old when she died, but I well remember helping her pick cotton, seed it (with our fingers — there were just a few rows in the garden, so not enough to gin), and watching her card it so she could use it for quilt padding.
Source: https://homepages.rootsweb.com/~bp2000/fentress/stephens.htm
On January 24, 2022, an article entitled “Julia Ann (Stephens) Waters Autrey was “not found” on the server where the files were located.
Transcriber’s note: Most, but not all, [transcribed] excerpts relate to Beaty families. Don’t forget the first rule of genealogy — everything should be backed by primary documentation — This book was written by the Fentress Co. Historical Society. It’s mainly a collection of personal histories told from memory and family tradition with little documentation, and should be taken as such.
TNGenWeb Coordinator’s note: Curtis Media Corp. gave permission to post this material originally, and it was uploaded in a free account at Rootsweb. We do not intend copyright infringement on anyone. However, Rootsweb has experienced viability issues in the past. We want to make sure the information is retained and available for Fentress County researchers.