Peyton Fletcher (ca. 1800 – ca. 1855 Fisherville, Shelby, TN), a former soldier of one of the Indian Wars, arrived in Shelby County by 1836 (Tax List) after marrying in 1830 in Davidson Co., TN. He became a highly successful planter in eastern Shelby County with large land holdings. Reported to have been born in Kentucky, Tennessee was listed as his state of birth on the 1850 Census, and Georgia, in his daughter’s 1880 Census. He married Sarah W. Graves (ca. 1795 Virginia – 1853 Fisherville, Shelby, TN) on 26 Jan 1830 in Davidson County, TN. Because he was listed in the Davidson County Census in that same year (1830) with 6 children under the age of 20, Peyton and/or Sarah probably had been previously married and widowed. (Graves may not have been Sarah’s maiden name.) Peyton and Sarah lived in Fisherville May 1836 through 1850. Peyton was appointed to several positions of public service: determined term of court elected officials, made a list of taxable property, and held elections.
Issue of Sarah Graves and Peyton Fletcher
Mary Jane Fletcher (7 Feb 1831 – 27 Feb 1907) married (1) James M. Rodgers (ca. 1830-1853) on 22 Jun 1850. Issue: Sallie Peyton Rodgers (b. 12 Aug 1851) married Mr. Brittingham. Mary Jane married (2) William George Hooker (1822 Amherst Co., VA – 1861 Fayette Co., TN) on 7 Jan 1855, brother of Frederick Augustus Hooker (ca. 1816 Henrico Co., VA – 1877 Fisherville). Issue: John Hooker (b. ca. 1849), William Hooker (b. ca. 1852), Alice Hooker (b. ca. 1859) and Andrew T. Hooker (b. 1860). Alice married John A. Nolley (b. 5 Mar 1850 TN). Issue: William T. P. Nolley (b. ca. 1879 TN), Nannie Lou, Georgia, Arrie Virginia, and Alice Alabama. John A. Nolley was the son of William Norris Nolley and Sarah G. Smith of Virginia.
Virginia Adeline Fletcher (1834 Shelby, TN – bef. 1870 AR) married James A. Brown. “James A. Brown of Saline County, was born in Lincoln County, Tenn., in 1829, and is the son of John and Nancy Brown, born in NC in 1807 and in TN in 1825, respectively. The parents were married in Lincoln County, and a few years after their union, moved to Fayette County, West Tenn., where they resided until the year 1853, then coming to Arkansas. His wife died in 1853, and he followed her two years later (1855). He was a son of James Brown, of North Carolina. In 1851 he was married in Shelby County, Tenn., to Virginia, a daughter of Payton and Sarah Fletcher of Kentucky, who settled in Tennessee after their marriage, the father becoming one of the largest planters in Shelby County. Mr. Fletcher was also a soldier in one of the Indian wars. Mr. and Mrs. Brown were the parents of seven children” (continued in Biography from Goodspeed’s “History of Saline County, Arkansas”)
Caroline Fletcher (1837 Shelby, TN – aft. 1850)
Andrew Jackson Fletcher “A. J. Fletcher” (18 Sep 1842 Shelby, TN – 30 Dec 1881 Shelby, TN) was a farmer in Eads and a Mason in nearby Morning Sun. A.J. married (1) Nancy Annie Payne Hooker (ca. 1848 Fisherville, Shelby, TN – ca. 1869 Collierville, Shelby, TN) on 11 Sep 1863. She was the daughter of Frederick Augustus Hooker and Sarah Ann Payne (ca. 1817 Hopkinsville, KY – aft. 1870 in Shelby Co., TN), early settlers of eastern Shelby County. Issue of A.J. and Nancy: Andrew Peyton “Major” Fletcher (8 Jun 1866 – 10 Jan 1907 Fisherville, Shelby, TN) married Nancy Hooker (b. 1870), daughter of Joseph Stanton Hooker (1845 Fisherville, Shelby Co., TN – 1927 Fisherville, Shelby Co., TN) and Malissa Ann Pride (1849 Wilson Co., TN – 1917 Fisherville, Shelby Co., TN). Joseph was a son of Frederick A. Hooker. Issue of Major and Nancy: Llano Duette Fletcher (1904-1992) married John Bert Hooker. Andrew “Major” is buried in Bethany Christian Church Cemetery, Shelby, TN. Occupation???
A.J. married (2) Mary Elizabeth “Mollie” Brooks (6 Mar 1851
Fisherville, TN – 1 Sep 1920 Memphis) on 17 Dec 1873. She was the daughter of James M. Brooks and Mary Ann Kingston. Their children were born on the Fletcher farm in Eads, eastern Shelby County. After Mollie was widowed at an early age with 5 children, she lived in their home and built and taught at her own private school (ca. 1880-1900) behind their home in Eads. Mollie moved to Memphis, ca. 1900, and lived with her daughter Maggie. Mollie was a founding member of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Memphis, organized in 1902. She is buried in Forest Hill. (See Brooks)
Issue of Mary Elizabeth Brooks and “A.J.” Fletcher
Kingston Fletcher (22 Nov 1874 – 24 Sep 1875)
Mattie Daisy Fletcher (13 Dec 1875 – 8 Jul 1925 Memphis) married Shelton Hinson, Jr. on 29 Aug 1893. Issue: Mary Ardenne, Henry Riner, Margaret Fleda, James Shelton, and Arlene. The family is buried in Forest Hill Cemetery. (See Hinson and Wright). Insert picture!
Maggie Coralline/Cecil Fletcher (12 Mar 1877 – 9 Apr 1950 Memphis) married (1) Henry Riner “H.R.” Eslinger (1841 Preble, OH – 1913 Memphis) in 1902. He
was the first Superintendent of Forest Hill Cemetery, Memphis.
Henry fought for Ohio in the Civil War (Private, Ohio Inf., Co. D, 184th Reg.).
Maggie was Henry’s 3rd wife. They lived in the home-mortuary on the
Cemetery grounds. The family is buried in the Hinson lot. Issue: Henry
Riner Eslinger Jr. (1905–1930). Maggie married (2) George William Campbell (1875 PA – 1932 Memphis) ca. 1915. Issue: Helen Jackie Campbell (1917-2000) who married J.C. Harrison from KY.
Patrick Earl Fletcher (30 Apr 1878 – 14 Nov 1910 Paducah, KY), railroad worker, married Mamie E. Issue: Earl Cleburn, Clarence, and Dorothy who moved to Texas with their mother after Earl’s death on the railroad.
Andrew Jay Fletcher (27 Nov 1880 Eads, Shelby Co., TN – 7 Aug 1943 Memphis), engine foreman with the IC Railroad, married Florence Marie Scarce (19 May 1908 Cayce, KY – 11 Jun 1989 Paris, TN). Issue: Riner Jay (b. 1936).
Submitted by Brenda B. Watson