GREGORY REUNION SET BRATTONTOWN CHURCH

The reunion of the Gregory family for l955 has been set for Brattontown Baptist church, located about two and a half miles west of Lafayette, on Highway 52. This is a desirable location for such a gathering, with plenty of shade, drinking water and parking space. The time is the third Sunday in August, 1955. This is the usual time for the meeting of the church, but the reunion will not interfere in any way with the religious service.

It is planned now to try to bring together the largest number of members of this Scotch clan in its entire history. Plans will be made to try to contact members of the family in North Carolina and Virginia, and in the middle states and the far West. The family came to Middle Tennessee from Chatham County in the closing years of the 18^th century, William H. Gregory having arrived from Chatham County, North Carolina, in the autumn of 1791. He was quickly followed by his father, Thomas Gregory; and his brother, Bry Gregory, the editor’s great-great-grandfather. Obadiah Gregory was another early member of the family who left Chatham County, North Carolina more than 150 years ago. Another early member of the family was Billie Gregory, who settled at Wolf Hill, in the present Trousdale County about 1800.

The editor of the Times hopes to learn a lot more of the history of the family during the months that lie ahead. He hopes to be able to trace a line of connection between the present-day Gregorys and Richard Gregory, who arrived at Jamestown, Virginia, in 1619. In the meantime we shall appreciate any help we may have in the way of historical matter connected with the family. He desires to obtain all possible data on the genealogy of the family from its beginning in North Scotland in the ninth century to the present time. Please feel free to write us it you have any data on the family.

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This Article Appeared In The Times

But Was Not Actually In Cal’s Column

BALLOU REUNION HELD RECENTLY

A reunion of members of the Ballou family in this and adjoining counties was held recently in the home of Bob Ballou, of Route two, Lafayette, with about 75 persons attending. They were largely descendants of William Alexander Ballou, first-born of Lorenzo Dow and Mary Reed Ballou, and a great uncle of the editor of the Times. A good time was enjoyed by all and a bountiful dinner was spread, to which feast the editor was very graciously invited. But we had to hold a funeral in another county and had to decline the invitation to eat with these good friends and relatives of ours.

William Alexander Ballou was born in 1830, on Peyton’s Creek, near the present Pleasant Shade. The scene of his birth was the old Ballou house that stood for many years near the big spring, from which the Ballou family of other years, obtained their drinking water. Signs of the old house can be seen in the field of corn that marks the spot where it stood, the first weather-boarded house ever built on Peyton’s Creek. In this same old house our own mother was born Feb. 19, 1868.

William Alexander Ballou, commonly known as Bill Ballou, married a first cousin of the father of ye editor, Miss Martha Gregory, daughter of James and Lethia Oldham Gregory. He was an expert in growing fruit trees, in selling them and in grafting buds from various trees into the stock of other trees. There is an old field near the place of his birth known till today as the “Nursery." He was run over when a lad of about 15, the wheel of a loaded cart passing over his right arm near the wrist. The arm was probably not properly cared for by the doctors of more than a century ago, the result being that the arm was left partially paralyzed and largely useless. He learned to write with his left hand and our remembrance of his penmanship is that he wrote a very legible “hand” in spite of the fact that he had to learn it all “over.”

The members of the family who recently met, are striving to make it an annual affair, having met last year in the same home. We hope to be able to give our reader the program of the next meeting.

It may be of interest to members of the family to know that each year the Rhode Island branch of the family holds a reunion, electing officers and presenting newly discovered historical facts about the family. It will perhaps be new to some to learn that the mother of James A.Garfield was the former Eliza Ballou, a relative of the family in this part of the world.