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Many Swain County North Carolina residents trace their lineage to James L.
Conley Jr. and his wife Mary (Polly) Sherrill, the daughter of "Ute" Sherrill and his
wife F. Dobson of the Catawba River Area of Burke County North Carolina.

James and Polly were residents of the area before Swain County was formed from Jackson
and Haywood counties in 1871.

Testimony of their son William H. Conley, who was a prominent citizen of Jackson
County before Swain was taken from it, to Mr. James Cathey, early day author, "they lived
there as early as 1813, and his father, James was the first white man to settle on the
Creek", meaning Conley Creek.

James L. Jr., born in 1783, was the son of "Captain" James L. Conley Sr. who was
born in Virginia about 1759, and who settled on Paddy's Creek in the western edge of what
is now Burke County, in 1795/96. James Sr. and wife had three sons, William, John H. and
possibly Cryus P. They also had six daughters, Sarah who was married to her cousin Hugh
Gibbs and settled in Jackson County, Rebecca who married her cousin Joshua Gibbs and re-
mained in Burke County on Paddy's Creek, Jane who married Reubin Ballew, Elizabeth
who married her cousin William Gibbs, and other daughters unknown to me.

James Jr. and Polly were married about 1808 in Burke Co. They lived near his parents
on Paddy's Creek until 1808, when both families moved from the area.

The first three children of Jmaes and Polly, according to the 1850 United States census,
were born in Kentucky in 1810, 1812, and 1813. The place in Kentucky is unknown at this
writing. The remainder of their children were born in Haywood and Jackson counties, from
which Swain was formed.

Tradition says that James Jr., and wife Polly lived in the Soco Creek area before the Indian
removal of 1819, that they were friends with the Indians and carried on trade with them.
Polly helped the Indian women with the birthing of their babies, the sick, and their dead.
She helped nurse many of them back to health. She was loved by all and Qualla Town * was
named for Polly Conley. Qualla's Town meant Polly's Town in the Cherokee Language.
Land deeds in Jackson and Swain counties place the Conleys on Deep Creek and the
Tuckaseegee River and also on Wesser , which was later named Conley's Creek. Conley Creek
empties into the Tuckaseegee River near the small town of Whittier N.C., and some of the
descendants of James L. and Polly still own the land and live on Conley Creek, Swain
County. There is also a mountain between Whittier and Bryson City that is called Conley's
Mountain.

The children of James L. Conley Jr. and Polly Sherrill, who lived on Conley Creek after
1813 were: Cynthia born 1810 in Kentucky and married to W. Cornelous Cooper, William
H. (Billey) born 1812 in Kentucky, married Elizabeth Cocheran Starns, John Wesley born
1813 in Ky. And married Lavisa A. Shook, the daughter of Peter Shook and Mahalia Evans,
(John and Luvisa organized the first Methodist Church in the Qulla Community), Fanny Conley
born 1815 in Haywood County and married Wm. Hamilton Farley, James Robert ? was
born 1817, Samuel W. (Sammy) was born in 1819, married first Mary E. Cooper, and
second Aloise Gertrude Wright, Nancy born 1821 married Samuel W. Gibson, Jason born
1825 married Mary Ann Bryson, the daughter of William Holmes Bryson and Magdeline Cun-
ningham, Mary Elizabeth (Polly) born 1827 married George Washington Bryson in 1848.
He was the son of William Holmes Bryson and Magdeline Cunningham; Jessie b in 1830 and
Died in the Civil War in 1863, married Rhuanna Hughs.

The Swain County court records of 1882 list a Suit against his son Samuel to recover part
of his own estate and Jessies' part of his estate for Jessie's Estate. At this time James L.
is still alive as the Court Records plainly show. He died shortly thereafter at the age of
99 years, and is buried beside his wife who died in 1862, in the Camp Ground Cemetery,
Qualla Township, Jackson County N.C.

James had previously made sandstone markers for both graves, but time was obliterating
the names and dates, so in the Early 1980's, a hundred years after his death, several of
their great-grandchildren went together and placed small gray granite markers at both graves.
His death date is 1871, but Swain County records prove that it should be 1882.

Resources: County Records of Jackson and Swain Co.,
Mary Bryson grand-dau.,
Family Bible,
Jackie Sherrill,
Elain Beck,
Geneol. Wilma Bradshaw,
P.O. Box 1075,
Springtown, Tx. 76082.