Scott
County, TennesseeFNB Chronicles
Scott
County, Tennessee
(page 1)
(EDITOR'S NOTE The following story on the Thomas Family of Scott County was originally published as a three-part series in the Scott County Historical Society's quarterly newsletter (1990-1991). It was compiled by LOUISE CARSON, a resident of Oneida and an active member of the Historical Society.)
ABNER THOMAS married REBECCA BROWN. He came from Powell Valley to Scott County and first settled on Paint Rock at the old Ellis place above the Ewell Duncan farm. He had eleven children. His sons were JOHN, WILLIAM and WILEY (ABNER W.). JOHN emigrated to Bartholene County, Indiana; WILLIAM emigrated to Dodd City, Arkansas. (WILLIAM's son, W. MARION, lived at Livingston, Texas in 1935 or 1936). WILEY THOMAS had two sons, ANDY and ABNER III. ABNER I owned the farm where JOHN STANLEY and his son now live and is buried there in the Thomas Cemetery.
ABNER had a sister that married JACK PHILLIPS and reared a family near Huntsville, Tennessee. THOMAS L., WILLIAM and AB PHILLIPS were her sons. He also had another sister, SALLIE, who was the mother of CALVIN and ISAAC THOMAS, WILLIS and WESLEY OWENS, PRIOR and HUSTON BROWN, and several daughters. (This information is from the John M. Terry story of the Terry written in 1941).
In the early records of the Scott County Court (1850-1856), ABNER is mentioned eleven times. He was one of the Commissioners appointed in June 1850 to lay off the Scott County School Districts; he was appointed on a Jury of View to lay out certain roads in the county; to oversee the work on the roads; to change some of the roads; and to work on other roads. He was appointed a juror to attend the court; to settle disputes; to help hold elections in District 3; to be guardian of the minor children of STEPHEN THOMAS in March of 1854; and in January of 1853, to be the Administrator of the estate of STEPHEN THOMAS.
The 1830 census of Campbell County (which included a part of the area later to become Scott County) lists ABNER THOMAS, 30 to 40 years of age, with a wife in the same age bracket; three young daughters under five years of age; and one son between five and 10 years old. He is living next door to WILLIAM THOMAS, who, with his wife, is between 60 and 70 years of age, and has in his household a young woman between 25 and 30 years of age with a young daughter and three young sons. It is possible that this could be ABNER's father and mother and the young woman could be his sister, SARAH, and her young children. The ages fit, but of course, it would take more research to prove it.
ABNER had a son, JOHN, born in 1824, according to census records, and three daughters born between 1825 and 1830: SARAH (1825), who married ALFRED LAXTON; MARY-POLLY (1828-29), who married MOSES LAY; and PRISCILLA (1830), who married SAMUEL CECIL. More on these daughters and other children later.
The 1850 census of Scott County shows ABNER THOMAS, born in Virginia, and his wife, REBECCA, both age 49, with children still at home: MARY, age 22; JANE, age 19; RUTHA, age 16; REBECCA, age 14; NANCY, age 10; WILLIAM, age 9; MARTHA, age 8; and ABNER Jr., age 6. (This ABNER Jr. is shown in the 1860 census as ABNER W., and in the 1900 census as WYLIE. The Terry family research also calls him WYLIE).
The 1850 census shows JOHN THOMAS, age 26, with wife, ELIZA, age 28, WILLIAM, age 4; and MILLEY, age 2, living in the home of JOHN and KEZIAH PHILLIPS, both age 47. JOHN PHILLIPS must be the father-in-law of JOHN THOMAS, oldest son of ABNER THOMAS. Daughter SARAH THOMAS has already married ALFRED LAXTON, and daughter PRISCILLA THOMAS has already married SAMUEL CECIL (in 1850), and both have their own homes. children. The ages fit, but of course, it would take more research to prove it.
ABNER had a son, JOHN, born in 1824, according to census records, and three daughters born between 1825 and 1830: SARAH (1825), who married ALFRED LAXTON; MARY-POLLY (1828-29), who married MOSES LAY; and PRISCILLA (1830), who married SAMUEL CECIL. More on these daughters and other children later.
The 1850 census shows SARAH THOMAS, age 48, born in Virginia, living in house with son CALVIN THOMAS, age 25, born in Tennessee, and younger children: WESLEY, age 16; WILLIS, age 12; and REBECCA, age 9, all born in Tennessee.
Campbell County marriage records show ISAAC THOMAS married WINNEY WEST on March 28, 1847. The Scott County census of 1850 does not show ISAAC THOMAS, but he is mentioned ten times in the Scott County Court Records (1850-1856). The first time is at the April Term of 1850; he, along with SAMUEL CECIL, and others of the CECIL name, the REED name, and the PHILLIPS name, were appointed to build a road from the head of Cove Creek to the River Ford at Buttram. (We know Buttram as New River). He probably lived in the New River area. In July 1850 he was appointed overseer of a road leading from Cane Creek to New River. In August 1850 he was made overseer of a road from the Ford of the River to Huntsville. He was allowed $3.00 for a sledge hammer. By the October Term of Court, 1852, he had evidently moved to the Paint Rock area, since he was made overseer of a road leading from the Ford of Paint Rock to Huntsville. He was evidently a young man who could be depended on to do a good job!
The 1850 census of Scott County also shows STEPHEN THOMAS, age 43, born in
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FNB Chronicle, Vol. 9, No. 3 – Spring 1998 |
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