Monday, March 17, 2008

Tennessee, Smith County

Smith Co., Tennessee (formed 1799 from Summer County)


1800 June 18 “Avenire to the ensuing Court was appointed (to wit): William Simpson, Reuben Alexander and others. (Cal’s Column transcribed on Smith Co. USGenweb, found by Linda Bollinger)


1800 September 15 William Simpson served on a grand jury (Cal’s Column transcribed on Smith Co. USGenweb, found by Linda Bollinger)


1800 September 17 James Simpson was appointed overseer of the road “from Witcher’s to the state line and all hands living on Salt Lick, Defeated Creek and Wartrace Creek to work under Draper and all hands living on Jenning’s Creek…” (Cal’s Column transcribed on Smith Co. USGenweb, found by Linda Bollinger)


1801 Andrew Simson and William Simpson signed a petition regarding the annexation of Wilson & Smith Counties (TN petitions Vol. 1, pp. 81, 82)


1801 March 14 James Simpson was on a jury to lay out a road “from Payne’s Ferry at the mouth of Peyton’s Creek to Daniel Witcher’s by way of Michael Murphy’s” (Cal’s Column transcribed on Smith Co. USGenweb, found by Linda Bollinger)


1801 July 1 Thomas Simpson announced that his wife had left him and he wouldn’t be responsible for her debts (Tennessee Gazette, Nashville)


1801 September 22 “Venire Facias to the ensuing Court (viz) William Simpson and others. (Cal’s Column transcribed on Smith Co. USGenweb, found by Linda Bollinger)


1801 December 21 William Simpson, Daniel Alexander and others served on a grand jury. (Cal’s Column transcribed on Smith Co. USGenweb, found by Linda Bollinger)


1802 March 15 John Simpson was charged with “begetting a bastard child on the body of Elizabeth Wakefield and was bound in recognizance in the sum of #300 with James Simpson and Roderick Jenkins, his securities. (Cal’s Column transcribed on Smith Co. USGenweb, found by Linda Bollinger)


1805 Mar. 11 James Callaway of Bourbon Co., Kentucky to William Simpson of Smith County, Tennessee, $500 acres, 335 acres, east fork of middle fork of Goose Creek . Wit: Isaac Simson, Joshua Owings attorney for James Callowy, Elijah Adams, Daniel Oglesby. (Smith Co. Deed Bk. B, p. 327)


1805 Dec. 9 William Simson of Smith Co to Solomon Adams, $200, north side of Cumberland River on Goose Creek, middle fork. Wit: Josiah Howell and William Simson. (Deed Bk. B, p. 487)


1807 April 25 William Simpson and wife Polly Howell separated (General Abstracts from TN Newspapers by Eddleman – found by Reva Hopkins Bruhn)


1818 Nov. 20 Shippy A. Puckett to Hannah Simpson of Smith Co. 70 acres on Fall Creek (Wilson Co. Deeds)


1820, 1821, 1822 heirs of James Simpson by Augustine Robinson (Smith Co. Wills)


1821 Thomas Simpson was born in Kentucky in 1806, son of James Simpson who probably died when Thomas was a teenager. Thomas came to Smith County ca. 1821. His mother was Mary Lancaster. Mary Simpson had at least Thomas, John and Agnes Simpson.

Augustin Robinson, husband of Thomas' sister Rachel, was guardian to minor children. By 1 Jan. 1827 all children were of age and rec’d a share of their father’s estate. Agnes had married G.W. Coopwood by then. (Biographical sketch written by Merle Stevens and published in the Smith County History book who make a few corrections via email June, 18, 2008)


1824 Feb. 27 Augustin Robinson, guardian of the heirs of James Simpson. (Smith Co Circuit Court Records Book 11 p. 18)


1828 Feb. 8 Aaron Braswell to James Simpson, $1000, 3 tracts of Dry Fork of Smiths Fork and bought of Henry Hays on tract of 30 acres, 62 acres, 17 acres total of 109 ½ acres. Test Adam Dale, Saml Williams, M.S. West (Smith County Deed Book I, pg. 486)


1830 census p. 105 Thomas Simpson (121001-11001), p. 97 Thos. Simpson (00001-00001), p. 118 John Simpson (00101-000000001)


1830 Nov. 15 James Simpson, 50 acres, grant #10121 (Bk. 12, p. 456)


1832 Nov. 23 James Simpson indebted to Leonard Fite for $700 mortgaged land on the waters of Dry Fork of Smiths Fork of the Caney Fork that Jas. Simpson bought from Aaron Braswell. Payment due 1 Jan. 1834. James Simpson signed with his mark. Test: Wm. C. Garrison, David Fite and Thos. Whaley (Smith Co Deed Bk. L, pg. 195)


1833 James Simpson, son of Thomas Simpson and Atlanta Ellison) was born.


1834 Feb. James Simpson, John Hays, Matthew Simpson, etc. jury to raod from Elizabeth Hays on the Dry Fork to intersect with the road on Indiana Creek. (Smith County Circuit Court Book 13, p. 70)


1834 Aug. 25 John Johnson, Reuben Alexander, Robin Braswell, William J. Bennett, Thomas Simpson, Thos. Lancaster, etc. jury for road of 3rd class from Coggins Ferry to intersect the Wolf Creek road passing round the east side of William F. Daniels. (Smith County Circuit Court Book 15, p. 166)


1836 Jan. 23 Charlotte D. Simpson, daughter of Thomas Simpson and Atlanta Ellison) married Archibald A. Davis.


1837 Robert Tate (son of John Tate Sr) dies and his will, prepared the previous year, is filed in Wilson County TN court. It lists the following heirs: -sister Dorcas Simpson of Overton County, Tennessee, sister Mary Ragan of Washington County, Arkansas, brother Alfred, Carter Tait of Overton County [TN], -brother John Tait [John Tate] of McMinn County [TN], -niece Margaret Simpson Ely of Overton County (dau of John), niece Nancy Jane Tait of McMinn County (dau of John), niece Elizabeth Tait "who is the daughter of Vincent Benham Tait of White County, Tennessee" (but does not list her two brothers), nephew Robert Tate Simpson of Overton County (son of Dorcas Tate Simpson; none of Robert's siblings are listed.), nephew James McDonald Tait of McMinn County (son of brother John) (Source Les Tate email address lrtate@comcast.net)


1838 Nov. 24 Ordered that Jacob Fite, Leonard Fite, James Simpson be appt’d a jury to view and mark an alteration in that part of the road which passes through the land of Samuel Williams (Smith County Circuit Court Book 12 p. 15)


1839 Jan. 28 Joseph Thomas Simpson, son of Thomas Simpson and Atlanta Ellison) was born.


1840 census Thomas Simpson (1200011-10000101) and Thomas E. Simpson (10001-12001)


1841 Oct. 3 Lewis E. Simpson, son of Thomas Simpson and Atlanta Ellison) was born

Kentucky: Scott County

Scott Co., Kentucky (formed 1790 from Woodford County)

1818 August 20 Mary Simpson was named in the will of Richard Power who also mentioned Susannah Campbell. (Scott’s Papers: Kentucky Court and Other Records by Hattie Marshall Scott, p. 91.)

Tennessee, Davidson Co

Davidson Co., Tennessee (formed 1783 from Washington District)


1780 May Hugh Simpson signed the Cumberland Compact (1770-1790 Census of the Cumberland Settlements: Davidson, Sumner and Tennessee Counties page 113, copy from Linda Bollinger)


1788 October 7 William Simpson’s wife presented his nuncupative will in court. She was pregnant and they also had children named Gabriel, William, Sarah, Mary and Elizabeth. His estate inventory was delivered to court January 1797 by John Kennedy, administrator “in right of his wife”. (copy from Linda Bollinger) Lavinia Simpson gives deposition concerning the nuncupative will made by her husband, William Simpson. She and the child she was pregnant with and his two sons Gabriel and William Simpson should have the whole of the land whereon they then lived. He desired that the lands on Harpeth be equally divided among his three daughters, Sarah, Mary and Elizabeth. Sworn to before Sam’l Barton. (Tennessee Genealogical Records: Records of Early Settlers from State and County Archives by Edythe Rucker Whitley)


1791 January 7 Will of Andrew Simpson made 8 April 1789, filed 7 January 1791. To Levice Simpson, formerly the wife of William Simpson, dec. and to her daughter Mary Simpson, my plantation, etc. “all land lying in Chesterfield Co., Virginia, about 15 miles from Richmond on the waters of Falling Creek on the Buckingham Road. To my four children, Elizabeth, Keane, Mary and Andrew Simpson.” (Tennessee Genealogical Records: Records of Early Settlers from State and County Archives by Edythe Rucker Whitley page 211)


1791 May 24 John Boyd Sr. of Davidson County sells to Levecia Simpson of said county a negro girl.


1796 August 6 John Kennedy and Louisa Simpson were married. (Davidson Co., TN First Marriage Record Book)


1796 October 13 John Kennedy “in right of his wife” was appointed administrator, dower laid off to the widow. She is now Levinia Kennedy. Guardian appointed for Alexander Simpson, orphan of William (from Davidson Co., Tennessee, court minutes courtesy of Linda Bollinger). (An Alexander and Isaac Simpson were in Warren Co., TN in 1820 per census and petition.) Andrew Simpson’s daughter-in-law, Levinia, married John Kennedy after the death of William Simpson in Davidson Co., TN. Also Andrew owned a plantation near Richmond, Virginia per his will, he also owned a lot of land in Greene Co., TN but it wasn’t mentioned in his will. Andrew Simpson had a land grant in the same area as John Simpson. (from Barbara Baker)


1801 April 6 Thomas Simpson married Drusilla Verra (Davidson Co., TN First Marriage Record Book)