Petition To Move County Seat (1822)

To the Honorable the Senate and house of Representatives of the State of Tennessee 

The petitions of the Subscribers, Citizens of the County of wayne Respectfully sheweth unto your Honorable body, that under the Existing Laws for the Organization of their County, they are placed in a Situation, disagreeable to them, and such as they Humbly Conceive calls loudly for Legislative interference. It is believed by your Petitions that the Prosperity of a County depends not Intirely upon a fertile Territory but also and in no small degree upon the Situation of its Seat of Justice. So as to Offer inducements to the settlement of men of Interprize and Capital, the County and its town mutually assist and support Each Other. Your Petitioners are Situated in a County including a Very large Proportion of sterile Land totally unfit for Cultivation, believe that they can Only hope to balance the Natural disadvantages of the County by selecting Some Spott within it as the site of a town and seat of Justice. which will Promp Individuals who possess the means and Inclination to carry on Extensive business of Various Kinds to settle themselves in the place. and thus Diffuse throughout the County the produce of their wealth, skill and industry. Restricted to a certain distance from the center, within those bounds to for their courthouse. It is utterly Impossible for them to injoy the Benefits Resulting from circumstances of the above description. Your Petitioners therefore humbly Pray your Honorably body that this county of wayne be arranged better to the advantage of the Citizens at large in the following manner (to wit) Beginning at a point on the South boundary line of Perry county so as to give bounds for a Constitutional County Including a certain Surplus lying between Hickman Lawrence Wayne & Perry and that so much be taken off from Each of the above named Counties as to Compleat a Constitutional County To … [the following line is illegible on copy] [second page] … of said County of wayne Extend Over Tennessee River So far as to Include a Certain bind which points South Eastwardly to the Site of Carrolsville and then to Run South and East &c for a Constitutional bounds and if there should be a Surplus let it be on the South boundary as being a large[?] bounds of Country intirely unfit for Cultivation. We further pray that the Premises considered the law Confining the Commissioners for wayne county to a certain distance from the Centre for the Location of their country Town may be Repealed. and that a law may be Passed authorizing the County Court or a Majority of them to Put in Nomination two or more Places (one on the River) that the Citizens of the County determine by a Majority of Votes amonge themselves which place shall be the [Place-marked through] the Seat of Justice or Such Other relief as to your honorable body may seem meet agreeable to the forgoing suggestions and your Petitioners as in duly bound shall Ever Pray &c. May 29, 1822.

[Editor’s Note: The form drawn up for the petitioners’ signatures has a place for each petitioner’s residence. However, the place of residence is given for the first twelve signatures only.]

Petition Signatures


1. Wm. B. ROSS – Ten. River 
2. James[?] BLAIR – ” ” 
3. John BLACKBURN – ” ” 
4. John JOHNSON – ” ” 
5. William STANFIELD – ” ” 
6. Abraham MAYBERRY – ” ” 
7. Dan’l MAYBERRY – ” ” 
8. John STANFIELD – ” ” 
9. Isham POWELL – Beech Cr. 
10. Woolsey WARRINGTON – ” 
11. Elijah WARRINGTON – ” 
12. John WARRINGTON – ” 
13. John ALLDREDGE 
14. John W. NUNNELLY[?] 
15. Isaac ROBINSON 
16. William GALLOWAY 
17. William BATTLE 
18. James BOOTH 
19. Wes JOHNSON 
20. Joel PEOPLES 
21. Reuben PEOPLES 
22. Tennessee MURCHESON or HUETHSONE 
23. Daniel GRIGGS 
24. William SHERLY 
25. Peter RENTFROW 
26. John BENHAM 
27. Benjamin HUDELSSON 
28. M.[?] JOHNSON 
29. Wilson PETTY 
30. Isaac PETTY 
31. Thos. GES 
32. David RICKETT 
33. John VAUGHN 
34. Bengamin VAUGHN 
35. Joel SHELTER[?] 
36. William BENHAM 
37. Mayes GREGGS 
38. Charles RINER[?] 
39. Henry MARRS 
40. John MORRIS[?] 
41. John BUTRAM 
42. W.G. HUDDLETTE[??] 
43. Hiram SALL 
44. George GILL 
45. Jonathan ELLIOTT 
46. John GILL Sr.[?] 
47. Elisha WALKER 
48. William ALTOM 
49. Isaac BENHAM 
50. George O. MARES [?] 
51. Elihue ALTOM 
52. W.H. GILL 
53. Holoman BATTLES 
54. Alin NANCE 
55. Willie MAGNUM 
56. Charley HOLLAND 
57. William GRIMES 
58. Elijah WARRINTON 
59. David LETHERS 
60. Daniel HUDDLESTON 
61. Jesse BROWN 
62. James GILL 
63. Elijah McMAHAN 
64. Daniel[?] PULLY 
65. George GILL, Senr. 
66. William ROSE 
67. V. ROSE 
68. Charles R. WALKER 
69. Abraham MONTAGUE 
70. Bind[?] JONES[?] 
71. James DAVIES 
[numbers revert to 9] 
9. E. RILEY 
10. Granville SIMMONS 
11. Ira MITCHELL 
12. James RILEY 
13. Willis CASEY 
14. Grievous RAY 
15. James BATTLES 
16. Thomas McALROY 
17. Jeremiah CASY 
18. Ambrus POWEL 
19. Hugh TURNBOW 
20. Holoway PRATER 
21. Jno. POWEL 
22. Lewis POWEL 
23. Eaeton RAY 
24. Wm. BATTLES 
25. Jursley[?] LOVEING[?] 
26. Isom POWEL 
27. Brice PRATER 
28. A. HALLFORD 
29. Joel CHILDRS 
30. Jonathan HALFORD 
31. James KNIGHTON 
32. Harding POWEL 
33. Mical ROBENSON 
34. Mays GREGS 
35. Duke GRIGS 
36. John ROBINSON 
37. Enoch JAMES [100 marked beside this name] 
38. [skipped] 
39. Laucen[?] SHADY[?] 
??. James HALLFORD 
40. Jonathan COOK 
41. Miles MORRISON 
42. Fergis SNODDY 
43. George H. PRUETT 
44. William M. NUNNLEY 
45. Lem’l SIMMON 
46. Lewis JOHNSON 
47. Wm. B. SORRELS 
48. John R. HOLLEND 
49. John CRINOR 
50. John MITCHEL 
51. Joshua FLY 
52. Ezekial STOW 
53. Wm. BLACKBURN 
54. Joshua DUREN or DYREN[?] 
55. B. HENSLEY 
56. Ning RILEY 
57. Joshua WHITE [lined through] 
[numbering picks up with 72] 
72. Elisha [last name unreadable] 
73. Edmund W. GEE (H. Cty.) [Hardin County??] 
74. Robert SHANNON 
74. John BUTRAM 
76. Jacob REMAL 
77. James ROBINSON 
78. William DAVIS 
79. John T. McELROY 
80. Simon DEVER 
81. Geo. H.M. WALKER 
82. Thos. J. GRIGGS 
83. Samuel BLACKBURN 
84. G. ?. KELSEY 
85. John RILEY 
86. Ninon RILEY 
87. John WALKER 
88. Ric’d TIDWELL 
89. James ROSS 
90. W.H. OWEN 
90. Sam’l SNODDY [signed on same number] 
91. Wm. G. CORNWELL 
92. Thomas CROSSNOW 
93. George CROSSNOW 
94. James DOBSON 
95. T.F. EDWARDS 
96. James WHITE 
97. A.W. LAFFERTY 
98. John McCALLISTER[?] 
99. Holoway PRATER 
100. Jacob REMALL 
*There is 150 Signers to this Place 
151. John W. GIBBONS 
152. Joshua WHITE 
153. John WHITE 
154. Zachery THOMAS 
155. M. FOREHAND 
156. J.C. STOBOUGH 
157. Leonard BERRY 
158. G_____ ROADEN[?] 
159. Josiah B. WEBB 
160. George HOLOBOUGH 
161. John WEBB 
162. John M. LANKFORD 
163. Josiah SULIVAN or GULIVAN 
164. Moses RANDAL 
165. Wm. OWEN 
166. Willie S. PARKS 
167. Henry ARY 
168. John NUNN 
169. Arther SMITH 
170. James CAMEL 
171. Mikel CLINE 
172. Jacob FRALEY 
173. Phillip LOVE 
174. Jessee BOWEN 
175. Wm. H. NANCE 
176. John SHARP 
177. David AREEN[?] 
178. Adam STRUE 
179. Alford WASSEM 
180. James BOLAM 
181. John CHILDERS 
182. A. STOBAUGH 
183. Peter LINEBERGER 
184. B. McKENNY 
185. McKenny BENNETT 
186. Thomas SIMMONS 
187. Moses RAY 
188. J.W. RODGERS 
189. Samuel HENSLEY 
190. W.M. NEWTON 
191. David CARTER 
192. John MULRED[?] 
193. C. TUCKER 
194. B. TUCKER 
195. John COLHOONE 
196. A. CALHOONE 
197. Wm. COLHOONE 
198. Wm. GUNTER 
199. John PARKS 
200. The. PARKS 
201. Henry FLOWERS 
203. Hardy FLOWERS [202 skipped] 
204. Nedom FLOWERS 
205. John McELYEA 
206. Humphrey McELYEA 
207. Allen GUNTER 
208. Charles COTTON 
209. Ezekial SMITH 
210. Henry CLAYTON 
211. John HIGHSMITH 
212. Elias HIGHSMITH 
213. Job JENKENS 
214. Willis E. PARKS 
215. Phillip W. AUSTIN 
216. Jacob RILEY 
217. Caleb D. EDWARDS 
218. Jesse W. EDWARDS 
219. Aron B. EDWARDS 
220. Martin DYE 
—. John TUCKER 
—. David LILES 
—. Richard TUCKER 
—. Wm. TUCKER 
—. Benjamin BAIDSUN 
226. Elija COTTOM


 

[Editor’s Note: Most of the signatures from #173 – #226 appear to be in the same handwriting, as are several other sets throughout the petition. Although there are no personal marks given, it would appear that someone signed for those who could not write. In the left hand margin of the second page of the petition is written the word “unreasonable”. At the end of the list of petitioners is written “Petition of the Citizens of Wayne County praying relief in Certain Caseses. H. Repres. 5 Aug 1822. Ref’d to Com’ee Prop & Grievances, T. HAMPADE, Clk. BURNS.” The last “Burns” is in reference to Representative William BURNS from Wayne County.]