52 Ancestors: Week 6 "Surprise": Nellie Cox Finally Found!

For years, I have been searching for my 2nd-great-grandmother Sarah Claire "Sadie" (Dyer) Gatlin's half-sister Nellie Cox. Nellie and her husband Owen McDonough were charged as accessories to murder after Tom Cox, Nellie's brother and Sadie's half-brother, shot and killed Ben Dowell, a police officer in 1903. A mistrial was declared. The 1906 Nashville city directory stated that Owen McDonough had moved to Birmingham, Alabama. I hadn't been able to locate Owen or Nellie since then.

Sadie died in Chicago, Illinois on 20 January 1945. Her death notice mentioned a surviving sister, Mrs. E. Goolsby. All of Sadie's other siblings were dead, so Mrs. E. Goolsby had to be Nellie.

A few months ago, I finally located Nellie's first husband, Owen McDonough. I found him listed in Lorain, Ohio city directories in the 1920s. His wife was named Jennie. Apparently Nellie's first marriage ended in divorce. I don't know when Owen and Nellie split up, but I wouldn't be surprised if it were when Owen left Nashville. Being charged as accessories to the murder that Nellie's brother committed probably put a strain on their marriage.

Since I had finally located Owen, I decided to try searching for Nellie again, although I had searched before without success. And much to my surprise, I immediately found her!

Nevada. Department of Health. Death certificate 65-1741 (1965), Nellie Dale Goolsby. Ancestry.com. Nevada, Death Certificates, 1911-1965 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016.

Nellie died in Las Vegas, Nevada on 13 July 1965. I never expected to find her there! Her death certificate confirmed that her mother's maiden name was Mary Reynolds. My conclusion was correct. Her date of birth was consistent with the ages found in earlier census  records. And I now had her second husband's name, Ezra A. Goolsby.

I still haven't located her in census records after 1900. Ezra Goolsby was enumerated in Memphis, Tennessee in 1940. He was a hotel proprietor. Nellie wasn't listed with him. It's possible that he just didn't mention her, though. Nellie and her first husband Owen McDonough both seem to have managed to avoid the census takers for decades. They may have been afraid that they would be tried as accessories to murder again.

Ezra Goolsby's mother, Salemma W. (Harris) Goolsby, died in Chicago, Illinois on 6 May 1926. His brother, Fleming Goolsby, lived in Chicago in 1930. Perhaps Nellie and Ezra met in Chicago. Sadie and her husband and children lived there; she was Nellie's only living sibling.

Nellie and Ezra (who died in 1979) are buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Las Vegas.

52 Ancestors: Week 3 "Unusual Name": Astyanax

Hector's last visit to his family before his duel with Achilles: Astyanax, on Andromache's knees, stretches to touch his father's helmet. Apulian red-figure column-crater, ca. 370–360 BC. From Ruvo. Stored in the Museo Nazionale of the Palazzo Jatta in Ruvo di Puglia (Bari). Jastrow, 2006. Public domain. Wikimedia Commons.

One of the unusual names I have come across in my family tree is Astyanax. In Greek mythology, Astyanax was the son of the Trojan prince Hector and his wife Andromache.

The first Astyanax I have come across is Astyanax Mills, the son of  Archibald Ewing Mills and Nancy Hardgrave (sister of my 5th-great-grandmother Hannah Hardgrave.) He was born in Kentucky and was a child when his father died around 1814. He may have died young. However, the name continued in the family.

Astyanax Mills Douglass (10 September 1838 - 1 March 1908) was the son of James S. Douglass and Caroline Mills (half-sister/half-first cousin of Astyanax Mills; daughter of Nancy Hardgrave and her second husband John F. Mills, the half-brother of Archibald Ewing Mills.) He was a physician, Confederate officer, and Texas state representative. He was born and raised in Sumner County, Tennessee. He studied medicine in Nashville and earned his medical degree in 1861. He served in Company I of the Sixth Mississippi Infantry Regiment and was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant after the Battle of Shiloh. After he was wounded in 1862, he went to Bowling Green, Kentucky and served as assistant surgeon. He returned to the Sixth Mississippi Infantry Regiment in 1863. After the war, he returned to Sumner County, Tennessee and practiced medicine, then moved to Covington, Hill County, Texas. He served in the Texas State Legislature from 13 January 1874-18 April 1876; 18 April 1876-14 January 1879; and 14 January 1879-11 January 1881, and served in the Texas State Senate from 10 January 1893-10 January 1895 and 13 January 1903-10 January 1905. He was chairman of the Texas State Board of Health and president of the Medical and Surgical Association of Hill County, the Medical Examining Board of the Eighteenth Judicial District, and the Confederate Veterans and Old Settlers Association of Hill County. He was profiled on the blog The Strangest Names in American Political History.

Astyanax Mills Douglass had a son, Astyanax Saunders Douglass (24 September 1871-27 April 1897), who had a son also named Astyanax Saunders Douglass (19 September 1897-26 January 1975.) This Astyanax was a Major League Baseball catcher. He played for the Cincinnati Reds in 1921 and 1925. He was a veteran of World War I. He was a coach at Amarillo High School in Amarillo, Texas, and named the team the Golden Sandstorms. He later founded Furniture Warehouse Stores of El Paso, Texas.

Elizabeth L. Mills, daughter of John F. Mills and his first wife Frances Thurmond, and stepsister/half-first cousin of Astyanax Mills, had a son named Astyanax Mills Duncan (6 February 1833-5 September 1921). He lived in and near Sumner County, Tennessee.

The name Astyanax was also used as a middle name in the family. Ann Hardgrave Mills, the daughter of Nancy Hardgrave and John F. Mills, had a son named Dero Astyanax Saunders (13 June 1858-28 June 1913). He lived in Mississippi. He had a son who was also named Dero Astyanax Saunders (9 March 1900-15 October 1961), who fathered a third Dero Astyanax Saunders (13 September 1931-15 March 1969.)

References
Bork, June, comp. Wayne County, Kentucky Deed Book B (1811-1818). San Diego, CA: June Bork, 1993. Deed abstracts: Joel Coffey & Patsy his wife to the heirs of Arch. E. Mills, dec'd, 24 Nov 1814; Joshua Jones Sr. & Hannah his wife to Nancy Mills, widow of Archibald Mills, et al., 9 Mar 1816.
Miller, Aragorn Storm. Douglass, Astyanax M. Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association.
A. M. Douglass. Texas Legislators: Past and Present. Legislative Reference Library of Texas.
Find A Grave, Astyanax S Douglass
Astyanax Douglass - Wikipedia
Astyanax Douglass. Baseball Reference.
Astyanax Douglass - "A Horned Frog Makes Good"
Death notice, A. S. Douglass. El Paso Herald-Post, 27 Jan 1975, p. C-7.
"Concerning Names." El Paso Herald-Post, 1 Feb 1975, p. B-1.
Find A Grave, Astynas Mills Duncan
Find A Grave, Dero Astyanax Saunders
Find A Grave, Dero Astanyax Saunders
Find A Grave, Dero Astyanax Saunders, Jr.

52 Ancestors: Week 2 "Challenge": Mary Nevins

I have not been able to identify any relatives of my 3rd-great-grandmother Mary Nevins, other than her husband and children. I know that she was born in Ireland in the 1830s and was in the Davidson County, Tennessee by January 1855, when she married my 3rd-great-grandfather William Dow Gatlin.

I don't know whether she immigrated to the United States with other family members. I searched for others in the Nashville area with the surname Nevins, and found Robert F. Nevins, a grocer. He turned out to have been born in Tennessee about 1830. He couldn't have been Mary's brother.

I found a death certificate for Alexander Nevins, son of Joseph Nevins and Mary Haley born 21 December 1832 in Ireland. He died in Nashville on 8 April 1922 at the Little Sisters of the Poor home. However, he had previously been in the National Soldiers Home in Washington County, Tennessee. He had previously lived in North Carolina. He had initially enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1857 in Boston Massachusetts. I have not found any evidence that he and Mary were related.

The names of Mary's sons may provide clues. My 2nd-great-grandfather was named John William Morton Gatlin (but was usually known just as William Morton Gatlin or William M. Gatlin.) His paternal grandfather was John McNairy Gatlin. His father was William Dow Gatlin and his great-grandfather (his paternal grandmother's father) was William Gower. Perhaps the name Morton came from Mary's side of the family. Another son was named Clarence Bateman Gatlin. I do not know of anyone (family, friends, or famous people) that he could have been named after. These names also may have come from Mary's side of the family.

Mary died on 9 September 1888. Her death was recorded in the Davidson County, Tennessee death register, but parents' names were not recorded then. Researching Mary has definitely been a challenge. Hopefully I will eventually break down this brick wall.

Wednesday's Child: Walter D. Hughes

Walter D. Hughes, the son of Walter John Hughes and my 2nd-great-grandmother's sister Mary "Mollie" Dyer, was born about 1885 in Tennessee. He died at the age of 13, on 13 November 1898, in Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee. The cause of death was inanition. He was buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Nashville.

Davidson County, Tennessee Death Registers. Entry no. 1396, Walter D. Hughes, 1898, p. 170. Ancestry.com. Tennessee, City Death Records, 1872-1923 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. 

Davidson County, Tennessee Death Registers. Entry no. 1396, Walter D. Hughes, 1898, p. 170. Ancestry.com. Tennessee, City Death Records, 1872-1923 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. 

 Nashville American, 14 Nov 1898, p. 3.

Nashville American, 15 Nov 1898, p. 5.

Conclusions about the Maiden Name and Family Relationships of Mary, Wife of Michael Dyer and John Cox

When I traveled to Nashville, Tennessee last September, I did some research on my 3rd-great-grandmother Mary, the wife of Michael Dyer and John Cox. After examining my findings and doing additional research, I have come to some conclusions about her maiden name and family relationships.

In a deed registered on 25 June 1868, Mary, wife of Michael Dyer, conveyed land to "my Sister Bridget Long wife of John Long". (1) In a deed registered on 19 August 1868, Bridget Long conveyed land to "my Sister Mary Dyer". (2) These deeds establish that Mary and Bridget were sisters.

Bridget Allen married John S. Long on 17 November 1861 in Davidson County, Tennessee. (3) He was not her first husband. In 1860, 22-year-old Bridget Allen and 4-year-old Martin Allen lived in the household of Thomas and Sarah Fagan. (4) Thomas Fagan and Sarah Reynolds had married in 1857. (5) Bridget's first husband was probably Michael Allen, who declared his intention to become a United States citizen on 23 March 1853 in Davidson County, Tennessee. (6) Mary's husband Michael Dyer declared his intention to become a United States citizen on the same date and in the same place. (7) Michael Dyer was from County Roscommon, Ireland. (8) Michael Allen was also from County Roscommon, Ireland. (9) A  Martin Allen also came from County, Roscommon, Ireland. (10) He was probably the brother of Michael Allen and the uncle of the younger Martin Allen. He was probably the father of Michael Allen, the nephew of Mrs. Bridget Long, who died at age 16 on 18 November 1874. (11)

In her will, Bridget left property to her nieces Elizabeth Slowey and Sarah Gatlin. (12) Mary Elizabeth Slowey was the daughter of Thomas Fagan and Sarah Reynolds. (13)  Sarah Gatlin's maiden name was Dyer (14), and she was the daughter of Bridget's sister Mary. (15) Bridget and Mary must have been the sisters of either Thomas Fagan or Sarah Reynolds. Additional sources support that conclusion. A newspaper article on the death of Tom Fagan, the son of Thomas and Sarah Fagan (16), states that Tom Cox was a cousin of Tom Fagan (17); Tom Cox was Mary's son (18) from her marriage to her second husband John Cox. (19) Another newspaper item provides additional evidence. A report of the death of Sarah Fagan stated that Mrs. McDonough was notified of the death of her aunt, Mrs. Sarah Fagan, and that the mother of Mrs. McDonough and Tom Cox had left the courtroom for this reason. (20) Mrs. McDonough was Mary's daughter Nellie Cox (21), who had married Owen McDonough. (22) Although this news item alone does not provide enough information to conclude that Sarah was Mary's sister rather than her sister-in-law, an additional source supports the theory that Sarah and Mary were sisters. Mary's daughter Sarah "Sadie" (Dyer) Gatlin had a son named John R. Gatlin (23); according to John's World War II draft registration card, his full name was John Reynold Gatlin. (24) It therefore seems more likely that Sadie's mother's maiden name was Reynolds. Additionally, John Grenham's Irish Surnames web site shows that the surnames Dyer, Allen, and Reynolds are all found in Boyle Parish, County Roscommon, Ireland; the surname Fagan was not found to be associated with the surnames Dyer and Allen in County Roscommon. (25)

I therefore believe it is likely that Mary's maiden name was Reynolds and that she was the sister of Bridget and Sarah Reynolds.

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1. Davidson County, Tennessee, Deed Book 39: 443-444. Metropolitan Government Archives, Nashville Public Library, Nashville, Tennessee.

2. Davidson County, Tennessee, Deed Book 39: 554. Metropolitan Government Archives, Nashville Public Library, Nashville, Tennessee.

3. Davidson County, Tennessee, Marriage register, 1861, p. 355, record no. 4254, Jno S. Long and Bridget Allen. Ancestry.com. Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008.

4. 1860 United States census, Nashville Ward 6, Davidson County, Tennessee, population schedule, p. 124, dwelling 824, family 956. Ancestry.com. 1860 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009.

5. Davidson County, Tennessee, Marriage register, 1857, p. 225, record no. 2698, Thomas Fagan and Sarah Reynolds. Ancestry.com. Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008.

6. Davidson County, Tennessee, Declaration of intention no. 148, Michael Allen, 23 March 1853. Metropolitan Government Archives, Nashville Public Library, Nashville, Tennessee.

7. Davidson County, Tennessee, Declaration of intention no. 149, Michael Dyer, 23 March 1853. Metropolitan Government Archives, Nashville Public Library, Nashville, Tennessee.

8. Harris, Ruth-Ann M., Donald M. Jacobs, and B. Emer O’Keeffe, editors. Searching for Missing Friends: Irish Immigrant Advertisements Placed in “The Boston Pilot 1831–1920”. Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1989, p. 114.

9. Harris, Ruth-Ann M., Donald M. Jacobs, and B. Emer O’Keeffe, editors. Searching for Missing Friends: Irish Immigrant Advertisements Placed in “The Boston Pilot 1831–1920”. Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1989, pp. 373-374.

10. Harris, Ruth-Ann M., Donald M. Jacobs, and B. Emer O’Keeffe, editors. Searching for Missing Friends: Irish Immigrant Advertisements Placed in “The Boston Pilot 1831–1920”. Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1989, pp. 373-374.

11. Death notice, Michael Allen and Michael Dougherty. Republican Banner (Nashville, TN), 19 Nov 1874, p. 4.

12. "Mrs. Long's Will: Leaves Houses and Lots to Nieces, Misses Slowey and Gatlin." Nashville American, 29 March 1907, p. 12.

13. Tennessee Department of Public Health, Division of Vital Statistics. Death certificate no. 1262, Mary Elizabeth Slowey, 1943. Ancestry.com. Tennessee, Death Records, 1908-1958 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

14. Davidson County, Tennessee. Marriage license and return, William M. Gatlin and Sarah C. Dyer, June 1881. Metropolitan Government Archives, Nashville Public Library, Nashville, Tennessee.

15. 1870 United States Census, Nashville Ward 6, Davidson County, Tennessee, population schedule, p. 20, dwelling 170, family 196. Ancestry.com. 1870 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009.

16. 1880 United States Census, Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee, population schedule, enumeration district 36, p. 1, dwelling 3, family 3. Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 1880 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010.

17. "For Killing Tom Fagan." Nashville American, 25 Feb 1896, p. 5.

18. 1880 United States Census, Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee, population schedule, enumeration district 43, p. 38, dwelling 288, family 428. Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 1880 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010.

19. Davidson County, Tennessee. Marriage license and return, John Cox and Mary Dyer, April 1871. Metropolitan Government Archives, Nashville Public Library, Nashville, Tennessee.

20. "Mrs. Sarah Fagan Dead." Nashville American, 14 Feb 1904, p. 12.

21. 1880 United States Census, Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee, population schedule, enumeration district 43, p. 38, dwelling 288, family 428. Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 1880 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010.

22. Tennessee, County Marriages, 1790-1950, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X81Z-9ZY : 21 December 2016), Owen Mc Donough and Nellie Cox, 06 Mar 1899; citing , Davidson, Tennessee, United States, Marriage, p. , Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville and county clerk offices from various counties; FHL microfilm 200,300.

23. Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee. City Health Department. Division of Vital Statistics. Affidavit for correcting a record, John R. Gatlin. Ancestry.com. Tennessee, Delayed Birth Records, 1869-1909 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.

24. World War II draft registration for John Reynold Gatlin, serial no. 1326, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois. The National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Draft Registration Cards for Fourth Registration for Illinois, 04/27/1942 - 04/27/1942; NAI Number: 623284; Record Group Title: Records of the Selective Service System; Record Group Number: 147. Ancestry.com. U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.

25. Irish Surnames. <https://www.johngrenham.com/surnames/>

Friend of Friends Friday: Slaves of Charles Brown

Charles Brown of Franklin, Williamson County, Tennessee died about 1816. On 28 November 1817, his widow Michal (Owings) Brown purchased two of his slaves: a man named Jack and a child named Thomas Reynolds.

Estate sale account, Charles Brown, January 1818. Williamson County, Tennessee. Divorce, Probate, and Other Records, 1800-1899. Ancestry.com. Tennessee, Divorce and Other Records, 1800-1965 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2007. Original data: Tennessee.County records. Nashville,Tennessee: Tennessee State Library and Archives. Microfilm roll numbers 99 to 108, 115, 336 to 337, 428 to 431, 519, A-4098, A-5278, B-1 to B-9, B-44 to B-127, B-314, B-441 to B-445, B-471 to B-473, B-1607 to B-1613,and B-1781 to B-1789.

In 1820, Michal Brown owned four slaves: one male under 14, one male 26-44, one female under 14, and one female 14-25.

1820 United States census, Franklin, Williamson County, population schedule. NARA Roll 33_125,Image 135. Ancestry.com. 1820 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.

Tuesday's Tip: Cemetery Web Sites

When searching for information on your ancestors, it is worthwhile to check the Web sites of the cemeteries that they are buried in. Sometimes they contain useful information.

The Web site of Calvary Cemetery in Nashville, Tennessee has a burial lookup feature. The information provided included the date of burial, the location of the burial plot, and whether the person was a veteran. Until I searched this Web site, I did not know when my 3rd-great-grandmother's second husband John Cox had died, since his name is so common and I did not know much about him. There are two men named John Cox who were buried in Calvary Cemetery, within two years of each other, but I knew which was the right person because only one was buried in the same plot as my 3rd-great-grandmother.

The Web site of Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati, Ohio has even more information. Members of my aunt's family are buried there. The Web site has a genealogy search section which can be searched by name or location. When you get a list of search results, you can click on a person's name and you will see a PDF of the burial card for that person. The cards include information such as age at death, place of birth, place of death (street address), last  residence, date of death, date and time of burial, location of grave, cause of death, parents' names, name of the burial plot owner, and relationship of the deceased to the burial plot owner. When I found the burial card for my aunt's great-grandmother Mary Jane (Lewis) Oliver, I learned that her mother's maiden name was Spooner.

Tombstone Tuesday: Ella (Lee) Gatlin

Ella Lee was born on 5 October 1868 in Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee. She was the daughter of Thomas Lee and Annie Glacheen. She married Clarence Bateman Gatlin on 28 November 1889 in Davidson County, Tennessee. Their children were Thomas (born 17 October 1890, died 18 April 1891), Annie Lee (born 9 July 18930, Mary Nevins (born 30 May 1895, died 13 April 1900), Lillie Gertrude (born 18 July 1897, died 26 November 1898), Helen Barbara (born 4 December 1899), Clara Louise (born 2 September 1902), Clarence Joseph (born 15 May 1906, died 14 November 1910), Katherine Elizabeth (born 16 November 1909), and Ida Lucille (born 30 July 1913). She died on 14 August 1954 and was buried on 16 August 1954 in Calvary Cemetery, Nashville, section 16, lot 64, space 9.

Those Places Thursday: Gower Road, Nashville, Tennessee

Gower Road is located in Nashville, Tennessee, between River Road and Old Charlotte Pike.

My 5th-great-grandfather William Gower's property was on this road. He was a Methodist preacher, and his church, Gower's Chapel, was across from his home. In 1885, a new church, Centenary United Methodist Church, was constructed on the property.

Centenary United Methodist Church

Gower Cemetery is located on the hillside below the church. William and other members of his family are buried there. Unfortunately, the cemetery is very overgrown.

Gower Cemetery area

Sunday's Obituary: John G. Gatlin

Nashville American, 1 September 1897, page 3

John J. Gatlin, a well-known brickmason, died last night at the residence of his sister, Mrs. N. L. Page, 95 Wharf avenue. He was 56 years old and had lived the greater part of his life in this city. He leaves a wife.

John G. Gatlin was born on 15 August 1841 in Tennessee. He was the son of my 4th-great-grandparents John McNairy Gatlin and Margaret "Peggy" Gower. He served in the Confedederate Army as a private in the 10th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry, Company D, and was held at Rock Island Barracks as a prisoner of war. He married Martha Ann Gower on 20 December 1865 in Davidson County, Tennessee. In 1874, John and Martha adopted a two-year-old girl, Minnie (formerly Tennessee Reed). John died on 31 August 1897 in Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee and was buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery, Nashville.

Those Places Thursday: Vaughn's Gap, Davidson County, Tennessee

Vaughn's Gap is located in southwestern Davidson County, Tennessee, near the Williamson County border. Edwin Warner Park is located in this area.

Excerpt from Foster, Wilbur F. Map of Davidson County Tennessee, from actual surveys made by order of the county court of Davidson County, 1871. New York : G.W. & C.B. Colton & Col., 1871. Available from Library of Congress.

James Sawyer (or Sawyers), who I believe to be my 4th-great-grandfather, purchased land at Vaughn's Gap on 9 November 1871.

Nashville Union and American, 10 November 1871, page 4

My 2nd-great-grandfather James William Tarkington lived with James Sawyer and his wife Louisa (McDowell) Sawyer. After James William Tarkington married my 2nd-great-grandmother Anna Malvina Binkley, the couple lived with the Sawyers in Vaughn's Gap in the 14th District of Davidson County. They later lived in Vaughn's Gap the 11th District of Davidson County with their children, including my great-grandmother Anna Gertrude Tarkington. Anna Malvina Binkley's brother James Rutherford Binkley and his wife Clementine Virginia "Jennie" (Leech) Binkley, and their children also lived in Vaughn's Gap. James and Jennie both served as postmasters. Jennie was also the ticket agent for the Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway. The Binkley residence was in the same building as the post office and ticket office.

Members of my family are buried in the J. R. Binkley Cemetery, Vaughn's Gap.

I am working on a one-place study of Vaughn's Gap. It is a sub-project of the Davidson County, Tennessee One-Place-Study.

Tombstone Tuesday: Katherine Elizabeth Gatlin

Katherine Elizabeth Gatlin was born in Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee on 16 November 1909. She was the daughter of Clarence Bateman Gatlin and Ella Lee. She worked for AT&T for forty-one years. She died on 18 June 1994 in Kettering, Montgomery County, Ohio and was buried on 21 June 1994 in Calvary Cemetery, Nashville, section 16, lot 64, space 7.

Sibling Saturday: Tarkington Siblings in Chancery Court

In October 1907 in Davidson County, Tennessee, Maggie Tarkington took her younger siblings Gertrude (my great-grandmother) and Robert Tarkington to chancery court in order to sell land that they had inherited from their father James William Tarkington, and to determine the division of the proceeds.

Nashville American, 17 October 1907, p.10

Davidson County, Tennessee Chancery Court Minutes, October Term 1907, 30 October 1907, p. 505. Metropolitan Government Archives, Nashville Public Library, Nashville, Tennessee.

A portion of the land had already been sold.

Davidson County, Tennessee Chancery Court Minutes, October Term 1907, November 1907, p. 14. Metropolitan Government Archives, Nashville Public Library, Nashville, Tennessee.

One year later, Gertrude and Robert received $364.00  .

Davidson County, Tennessee Chancery Court Minutes, October Term 1908, 13 October 1908, p. 359. Metropolitan Government Archives, Nashville Public Library, Nashville, Tennessee.

Friend of Friends Friday: Slaves of James Neely, Williamson County, Tennessee

Western Weekly Review (Franklin, TN), 6 August 1852, page 2

NOTICE.

–––––

Seven Likely Negroes For Sale.

ON TUESDAY, the 17th of August, I will sell as Agent for the heirs of James Neely dec,d on the premises of James A. Neely, seven miles South East of Franklin, the following Slaves, to wit:––Mariah, aged 40 years; Grandison, aged 32; Sam, 15; Mariah, 12; Sylla, 10; Louisa, 8; and Emily, 4.
   Terms:––Note payable in Bank 1st day of January 1853, with two good endorsers.
                                                                    THOS. W. BLAIR, Agent.
      August 6, 1852––2t

Those Places Thursday: Clover Bottom

Clover Bottom consists of 309 1/4 acres of land in Davidson County, Tennessee, including three acres on the north side of Stone's River.

Nashville Whig, 31 August 1813, page 3

Stone's River

The area was named "Clover Bottom" because of the amount of growth of white clover in the area. John Donelson was one of the settlers who came to the area in 1780.

"Col. John Donelson Was Leader Among Men." Nashville Tennesseean and Nashville American, 15 July 1917, page 25.

James Robertson and my Gower and Lucas ancestors were among the other settlers in the area. My 7th-great-grandfather Abel Gower, Sr., my 6th-great-grandfather Abel Gower, Jr., and James Robertson's brother John Robertson were killed at Clover Bottom in 1780, after they were attacked by Chickamaugas.

Haywood, John. The Civil and Political History of the State of Tennessee from its Earliest Settlement up to the Year 1796, Including the Boundaries of the State. Nashville,TN: Publishing House of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, 1891. Originally published in 1823 by W. H. Haywood. Page 128. Available from Internet Archive.

In 1858, Dr. James Hoggatt built a mansion at Clover Bottom. The home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Wordless Wednesday: Cumberland River, Nashville, Tennessee

Tombstone Tuesday: Clara Louise Gatlin

My first cousin three times removed Clara Louise Gatlin was born in Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee on 2 September 1902. She was the daughter of Clarence Bateman Gatlin and Ella Lee. She worked as a clerk for New York Life Insurance Co. in Nashville, Tennessee. She died on 31 January 1984 in Dayton, Montgomery County, Ohio and was buried on 4 February 1984 in Calvary Cemetery, Nashville, section 16, lot 64, space 3.

Black Sheep Sunday: Keeping a Disorderly House

In August 1869, my 3rd-great-grandmother Mary Dyer was charged with keeping a disorderly house.

Davidson County, Tennessee. Criminal Court minutes, 1869, p. 501. Metropolitan Government Archives, Nashville Public Library, Nashville, Tennessee.

A "disorderly house" typically meant a brothel. On the same page of the Davidson County, Tennessee criminal court minutes, others will charged with "keeping house of ill fame." I am not sure what the difference was. Maybe a "house of ill fame" had a larger number of prostitutes. Or perhaps in this case, "disorderly house" meant something else. According to Duhaime's Law Dictionary, a disorderly house could also mean a gambling house. However, no one was charged with gaming at the same time that Mary was charged.

"Dyer," who was also charged, must have been her husband Michael Dyer. Since his first name is not given, perhaps he was not present when Mary was charged, but was also charged because the house was his residence.

On 26 January 1870, the Attorney General for the State of Tennessee entered a Nolle prosequi ("be unwilling to pursue"/"do not prosecute"). Davidson County, Tennessee paid the costs of the prosecution.

Davidson County, Tennessee. Criminal Court minutes, 1870, p. 45.  Metropolitan Government Archives, Nashville Public Library, Nashville, Tennessee.

Friend of Friends Friday: James J. Sayers Sells Slave Daniel to Robert Caruthers

Williamson County Deed Book Q, page 489. Williamson County Archives, Franklin, Tennessee.

Robert Caruthers bill of sale for slave Daniel
executed by James J Sayers
registered 31st January 1842.

I James J. Sayers have this day bargained and sold and do hereby convey unto Robert Caruthers for four hundred and sixty dollars to me in hand paid a man slave named Daniel about twelve years of age I warrant the said slave to be sound, sensible, healthy and a slave for life, I also warrant the said slave to the said Robert Caruthers his heirs and assigns against the lawful claims of all persons, witness my hand and seal this 28th day of January 1842.
     Test                                                          James J Sayers      (seal)
               Jno B McEuen
               Freman W Jordan

State of Tennessee )
Williamson County  )

Personally appeared before me Samuel B McConnico Clerk of the County Court of Williamson County James J Sayers the foregoing bargainer with whom I am personally acquainted and who acknowledged that he executed the foregoing bill of sale for the purposes therein contained, witness my hand at office this 28th day of January Ad 1842.
                                                                    Samuel B McConnico

This bill of sale was received for registration 28th January 3 H. 30 M. P. M. 1842.

Thriller Thursday: Jabez Owen Kills His Brother Richard Owen

Richard Owen and Jabez Owen, Jr. were the sons of Jabez Owen, a wealthy planter and physician in Williamson County, Tennessee.

1850 United States census, District 15, Williamson County, Tennessee, population schedule, page 295B, family 981. Ancestry.com. 1850 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009.

Jabez Owen, Sr. purchased Forge Seat (also known as the Samuel Crockett House) from Samuel Crockett in the 1830s. The house is located in Brentwood, Williamson County, Tennessee.

Forge Seat, Brentwood, Tennessee. Photo by Concord715 (Own work) [CC1.0 public domain]. Available from Wikimedia Commons.

Richard had been jailed for murder in the 1840s. In 1849, his wife Mary (Temple) Owen sued him for divorce. She claimed that he drove her from their home and it was not safe for her to return. She also accused him of adultery. She asked for custody of their children.

On 4 August 1852, Richard and Jabez Jr. got into a fight. Jabez stabbed Richard with a knife. Richard died a few minutes later.  The Franklin, Tennessee newspaper Western Weekly Review reported that the incident took place at Owen's shop.

Western Weekly Review (Franklin, TN), 6 August 1852, page 2

Later sources report that Richard was killed in an upstairs room at Forge Seat. Perhaps the shop was located at the family's home.

References
Hill, Laura. "Historical Resting Place." The Tennesseean, 11 Apr 1997, pp. 1W, 4W.
"Horrible Occurrence." Western Weekly Review, 6 Aug 1852, p. 2.
"Owen Man Killed By Brother." In Little, T. Vance. Murder on the Wilson Pike. Brentwood, TN: JM Productions, 1996, pp. 21-22.
"Williamson Bicentennial Moment: Forge Seat, 1502 Wilson Pike, Brentwood." The Tennesseean, 11 Feb 1999, p. 2W.