Note: From information compiled by Christine (Paradise) Sumner, wife of William Parks Sumner Jr. and mother of Ann Elizabeth (Sumner) Shook and John William Sumner.

In addition to the wills of Joseph Sumner Sr. and Joseph Jr. who names Exum Sumner, we have the DAR application of Mrs. Nina Bass Stratton Foster.

Mrs. Foster, the wife of Edgar M. Foster, lived on Gallatin Road, Nashville, Tennessee, when she made application for DAR on 13 October 1924 through the General James Robertson Chapter in Nashville. She said she was the daughter of Mosely T. STRATTON born 17 August 1845, died 14 July 1910 and his wife Laura SUMNER born (Mar? Nov?) died (March?) 22, 1892, married 15 May 1874.

She said that Laura Sumner was the daughter of Jacob Sumner born June____1822, died 28 January 1872, and his wife Mary BASS, daughter of John Bass born November____ 1793, died l9 May 1860, and his wife Temperance Sumner born 16 September 1812 died 23 November 1899, married 13 January 1831.

Jacob Battle Sumner and Mary Bass married 12 December 1845. She was born 8 December 1831 and died 12 March 1858. Mary is buried at Springhill Cemetery, Madison, Tennessee, along with some of her children (more later) but Jacob is not buried there or has no stone.

Mrs. Foster continues her application..."the said Temperance Sumner was the daughter of Duke W. Sumner born 27 April 1778, died 15 May 1844 and his wife Mary Drake born 27 November 1779 and died June 1813, married 1799. They were married 22 June 1832.

She said Duke W. Sumner was the son of Joseph Sumner born about 1748, died April____ 1795 and his wife Martha Philips born____ and died after her husband's death in 1795. They married 1777.

"The said Martha Philips was the daughter of Joseph Philips and his wife Sarah Exum. The said Sarah Exum was the daughter of John Exum.

"...the said Joseph Sumner is the ancestor who assisted in establishing American Independence, while acting in the capacity of soldier in North Carolina militia.
"Joseph Sumner rendered active service during the Revolutionary War as a soldier in the militia of Edgecomb County, North Carolina, as is shown in the North Carolina Army Accounts now in the Department of Archives, Hall of History, Raleigh, North Carolina, Vol. 9, p. 30, folio 1. Special certificate delivered to Treasurer's Office and charged pursuant to an Act of the General Assembly December 1789.
The application states, "Give below references, by volume and page, to the documentary or other authorities upon which you found your record "North Carolina Revolutionary Army Accounts, Vol. 5, p. 62, folio 2
"Report of Auditors of Wilmington District, March 1784-April 1785, no~ 3618, vol. 9, p. 30, folio 1; vol. 6, 64, 2; vol. 9, 30, 1; vol. 10, 108, 3.
Family Bible Records
"Will of Joseph Sumner, Wills of Edgecomb County, North Carolina, Book C, p. 326, 1795.
"Will of Matthew Drake, Wills of Nash County, North Carolina, Book 2, p. 92, 95, 1810. (More on her Drake family data later).
"My Revolutionary ancestor was married to Martha Philips at Edgecomb County, North Carolina, 1777."

Their children were
Duke William Sumner, born April 27, 1778, married Mary Drake
Tobias
Joseph
Exum P. married Temperance Drake
Jacob
Sarah

"This application made out by Penelope Johnson Allen, former State Historian, DAR."

Mrs. Foster was a granddaughter of Jacob Battle Sumner, brother of James Exum Sumner Sr. who came to Jackson County, Alabama, from Davidson County, Tennessee. Her application proves that the wife of Joseph Sumner Jr. was Martha Philips, daughter of Joseph Philips who later lived in Davidson County, Tennessee.

Some records of the Philips family were furnished by Mr. J. C. Clemons, Scottsboro, Alabama. These were photocopied from a book but I failed to get the title, etc. I record them here for future reference. Notice all the old family names used here again Etheldred, Exum, Joseph, Hartwell, etc. I do not know what connection many of these have to the Sumner family but as they are all connected I am listing here for future reference. These were probably recorded in Edgecomb County, North Carolina.

Col. Etheldred Philips, inventory taken by Figures Lewis, Benja. Phillips and Exum Lewis, May 9, 1795, August Court 1795. "...Said Etheldred Philips deceased was Sheriff in 1793 and public accounts for that year had to be adjusted, May Court 1798. Division of negroes agreeable to the will among Jane Philips, widow of the decd.; Charlotte Jackson, daughter; Exum Philips, son; Elizabeth Philips, daughter; Sally Philips, daughter; Nancy Philips, daughter; Eaton Philips, son; and Figers Philips, son, Feb. 20, 1799, reb. Ct. 1799...Jane Philips principal buyer.
Other buyers Exum Philips Jr., Exam Philips Sr. Eliza. Phillips, Hartwell Philips, Salley Philips, and Frederick Philips, Aug. Ct. 1799. Division of estate agreeable to the will among the same persons listed in the above distribution, Oct. 25, 1799, Nov. Ct. 1799.

Exum Phillips, inventory taken by Jacob Battle, exr., Jan. 1803, Feb. Ct. 1803...buying...Matthew PHILIPS, Exum PHILIPS, Fred Philips, November Court 1804. Account current with Jacob Battle and Elias Bryan, exrs. Penelope Nicholson was paid for boarding James and Thomas Philips; legacies were paid to Matthew and James Philips; board paid for Joseph Philips, Thomas Philips and Polley Philips, January 10, 1805, February Court 1805.

HARTWELL PHILIPS, accounts of sales by EXUM Philips, Junr. and Frederick Philips, exrs., December 18 and 19, 1801, and January 15, February 20, and April 19, 1802. F. Philips was the principal buyer and Olive Philips, Jean Philips, Jane Philips, Elizabeth Philips, Elizabeth Philips, Junr., Exum Philips, Senr., and Exum Philips, Junr., were buyers, May Court 1802. Frederick Philips, Exum Philips, Junr., and Exam Philips, Senr., exrs., Oct 15, 1801, November Court 1802. Account of sale of part of the property by Fred'rk Philips, exr., June 19, 1802, Feb. Court 1804...Division of money arising from the estate among the lawful representatives, namely Mary Clary, Rebekah Hancock, Frederick Philips, Jane Philips, Olive Weeks and Elizabeth Philips, September 28, 1805, November Court 1805. Sale of negroes agreeable to the will, to be divided among the four children of HIS last wife, February Court 1807. Account current with Frederick PHILIPS and Exum Philips, exrs., February Court 1807. Account current of the heirs of his wife with Frederick Philips, exr., August Court 1807.

JAMES J. PHILIPS, Peggy B. Philips, Whereby J. Philips, Elizabeth Philips, and Penninah T. Philips, children of F. Philips, account current with Frederick Philips, guardian. Legacy was received from Charles Coleman, exr. of Catherine Peele, decd., August Court 1817. Account current with the guardian, May Court 1818.

JANE PHILIPS, inventory taken by Exum Philips, exr., March 5, 1804, August Court 1805. Account of sale by the exr., November 5,1804 Eliza. Philips, Exum Philips, Sally Philips, Nancy Philips, and Charlotte Jackson bought everything, August Court 1805 Division of residuary estate (money) according to the will equally among all of her children, namely, Charlotte Jackson, Exum Philips, Sally Philips, Nancy Philips, Eaton Philips and Figures Philips, November 1805, November Court 1805.

JOAH PHILIPS, inventory taken by Sarah Philips, admrs.,November 28, 1797, February Court 1798. Account of sale by the admrs., February 17, 1798. Henry Philips, Sarah Philips, and David Philips were buyers, August Court 1800.

JOHN PHILIPS (orphan) inventory taken by Etheldred Exum, January 1805, February Court 1805. Etheldred Exum, Admr., Etheldred Exum, Frederick Philips and Jane Philips bought the small estate, February Court 1805 Division of money arising from the estate equally among the six lawful representatives, to wit, Mary Clary, Rebekah Hancock, Frederick Philips, Jane Philips, Olif Weeks, and Elizabeth Philips, sisters and brother of said decd., August 20, 1805, August Court 1805.

JOSEPH PHILIPS, inventory taken by Etheldred Philips and Exum Philips, exrs., December 3 and 4, 1784, November Court 1785. Account current with Etheldred Philips, acting exr. Funeral expenses were paid October 24, 1784. Division of money arising from the estate among Benjamin Philips, Exum Philips, Joseph Philips, Sarah Philips, Joseph Sumner and wife and Etheldred Philips, August Court 1789. (So you can see this Joseph Philips was the father of Sarah Philips who married Joseph Sumner.

NANCY PHILIPS, account current with David Philips, admr. Account received as her proportionate share of her father's estate, with William Philips as her former guardian, November Court 1803. Account received as her proportionate share of her father's estate, with William Philips as her former guardian, November Court 1803. Additional account current with the admr., February Court 1804. Division of money arising from the estate equally among the nine claimants, namely, Ann Durden; Benja. Philips, William Philips; Solomon Philips; David Philips; Andrew Philips; Elizabeth Wiggins, wife of Thomas Wiggins; Peggy Gardner, wife of Jonathan Gardner, Junr.; and Hardy Philips, April 28, 1804, May Court 1804.

As you have seen in the foregoing records Exum P(hilips?) Sumner was the son of Joseph Sumner Jr. and his wife Martha Philips, daughter of Joseph and Sarah (Exum) Philips. When Joseph Sumner Jr. died, Exam's mother, Sarah, married Simon Williams 11 December 1803 in Davidson County, Tennessee, where she had removed after Joseph's death.

The 1820 census of Davidson County, Tennessee, shows
Escum Sumner, 1 male age 26-45; 1 female 26-45; 3 females under 10. They were living next door to Simon Williams.

The will of Benjamin Williams, Edgecomb County, North Carolina, 1793, names children Simon, Elisha, Mary and Benjamin.

The will of Joanna Williams recorded in Bertie County, North Carolina, January 12, 1747 (48?), July Court 1756...sons Richard and Thomas. Daughter Eliza Smith. Grandchildren Simon Williams, Arthur Brown, Mary Smith, Penelope Williams and Mary Harrell, Witnessed by John Harrell & Easthr Cheatam.

Joseph John Bumner, son of Joseph and Martha (Philipel Sumner, and brother of Exam P. Sumner, drowned in the Gulf of Mexico. He had a son named William Henry Sumner born 24 September 1813 and died 30 June 1816. The story of his death is more fascinating than fiction. He had gone to Louisiana with some of his relatives, including Thomas Martin (who had married his cousin Philips, daughter of Joseph Philips?), to homestead land and raise sugar cane.

On Sunday morning 28 December 1813, during the War of 1812, Joseph Sumner, Thomas Martin, a Mr. Patten and a Mr. Coffey and others took a schooner and set out to find badly needed supplies that were hard to come by because of the war. They finally found some supplies and were returning home when a terrible storm came up on their second night out. They dropped anchor and stayed with the boat until daylight when they thought they might safely' resume their trip but they soon found their boat to be sinking. They started throwing things out of the boat hoping they could save it but it was of no use the boat was slowly sinking. They had a yawl and all except three or four men got in that. Joseph Sumner, Mr. Patten, the pilot and a servant stayed with the schooner, a part of which was still out of the water, while the others tried to make it the half mile. to land to get help. Mr. Coffey, "one of the sailors," returned later to find Joseph, his arms around a plank, drowned. Mr. Patten and the pilot could not be found. The servant was hanging on the most perfectly (insincible?), they brought them ashore.
Joseph was buried on a nearby island. They had lost all their provisions and had only a small yawl with which to try to get home. Two days later they were rescued by the famous pirate Jean LaFitte who treated them with the greatest possible kindness, taking them aboard his vessel and giving them a bountiful breakfast. LaFitte gave them a schooner and provisions and sent Mr. Martin's wife a dimigon of Madari wine and "the first pineapple cheese I ever saw." He gave Mr. Martin a warm cape with a hood attached.

In later years when LaFitte was on the run and decided to surrender he sent a servant to Mr. Martin who arranged for him to give himself up.

"Mrs. Sumner, my nearest neighbor," Mrs. Martin later wrote, "was with me the evening before they arrived home. We were fearful some accident had happened being gone much longer than we expected. But it came soon for her. I never witnessed greater grief and sorrow. Long did she mourn for her dear husband. She was the mother of two little boys. His brother sent for his remains which were brought and buried at his home 1813." (I wonder if the brother referred to was Exam or maybe Duke W.). (Taken from the Memoirs of Martha Philips Martin on microfilm in the Tennessee State Library and Archives).

The above Martha Philips Martin was the daughter of Joseph PHILIPS and his wife, Milbury HORN. In her memoirs she gives a vivid account of her life and times and much information about her family. She was born in 1792 and married Thomas Martin in 1809. He was from County Down, Ireland, and landed in New York in 1800. This family was close friends to Andrew Jackson who visited their home on more than one occasion. Mrs. Martin tells of visiting him shortly before he died.

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