CONTENTS                                                            PAGE

CHAPTER I

What's in a name. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

CHAPTER II

The Pettit-Petty-Pettey Immigrant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

CHAPTER III

Landing in America - Thomas Pettey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

CHAPTER IV

Thomas Pettey, II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

CHAPTER V

Thomas Pettey, III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 

CHAPTER VI

Thomas Pettey, IV. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

CHAPTER VII

The Reverend William Pettey, Sr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

CHAPTER VIII

Moving South - The trip from North Carolina to Alabama,
William Pettey, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

CHAPTER IX

The Petteys in Alabama - John Wright Pettey, M.D. . . . . . . . .  54

CHAPTER X

The trip to Texas - William Howard Pettey. . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

CHAPTER XI

The Petteys in East Texas - William Holloway Pettey. . . . . . . . 78
Stories of his children. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106-123

APPENDIX

William Pettey, Jr.'s Wife, Lucy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VIII
A Brief Sketch of Holoway Lee Power and his Descendants. . .  . . XI



WHAT'S IN A NAME?

There is nothing about the Pettey - Petty clan that is simple; unfortunately our family did not even inherit a simple Anglo-Saxon name like Brown, for the color; Cartwright, for the occupation of making carts; or Rose or Lilly, the flower. Millions of surnames are descriptive but Pettey meaning small, and simple sounding though it is, quickly becomes complicated when an attempt is made to pin it down - perhaps this makes the clan all the more interesting.

The problem appears to be one of antiquity - the name "small man" is ancient and was used by all European Counties. It certainly did not begin by being spelled Pettey or Petty because it was and is, spelled many ways in many languages. Even in its own country a name that is very old has been moved, kicked about, changed - even respelled in order for it to have foreign appearances as they were over run by invasion. However we will discuss this later.

This section then, is written as a challenge. Much of it is fact, a little folklore, and a good bit strictly guess work. It is as accurate as we can make it at this writing. The study of the origin of the name, Pettey, will take a researcher years, perhaps a lifetime, but it can be done and it would be rewarding. We present herewith what we have, a basis for a thorough study--H. P.)

In 1077, when the Turks captured the Holy City of Jerusalem and began destroying sacred objects and molesting Europeans on their pilgrimages, the people of Europe became highly alarmed. By 1095 a council had been called in France where Pope Urbane II urged all Europeans to re-take the Holy Land.  In the end French, Germans, Italians, English and Normans united to do this.

In August 1096 the first Crusade was officially begun. The distance was 2,000 miles. With a tragic loss of life, Jerusalem was finally taken but then it was lost again.

In all, there were seven crusades lasting until 1270. The total loss of life on both sides was staggering. It was Christian against Mohammedan, but the war was not altogether for the sake of religious freedom. Trade and new territory was a big factor. While traveling and living amongst new people, they found things in the near-east superior to their own--many of which they absorbed. They heard that the far-east had even better pickings. This awoke the dormant, land tilling people of Europe. After finally being blocked by the Asiatic people, seeking new trade routes and discovering new lands, they turned their zeal and activity toward the Americas. They were too eager to learn and profit, to be denied. A great reevaluation in everything, swept over the land.

Up until this time, most Europeans had been using nick­names in order to tease or compliment a person. Others were called by descriptive names or for the vicinity from which they came. Some of the leaders were Walter the Penniless, Robert of Normandy, Bohemond the Norman, Frederick Barbarossa (the beard), Richard the Lion-Hearted, etc.

As the people and armies moved about they realized a real need for a better way to identify each other. Some saw those who had family names while others still used nicknames and descriptive names. Clerks or scribes began to describe soldiers or serfs as "William the small man" or William Le Petito - an early form of Pettey. It eventually became necessary to have a sur-name (sur means over), as "William from Pettey" or William Fitz-Pettey or Fitzpettey. Fitz being a prefix meaning, "the son of." There was a Pettey-Fitzmaurice family.

Italy began using surnames in the 9 or 10 hundreds, before the Crusades. Actually the Romans invented the practice. During the first Crusade, a man with one of the first surnames was Peter Bathelemy, an Italian, and a priest among the armies.

France started using surnames about 1200 and England began about 1300. Prior to this time, surnames were rarely used and the description or byname applied to one individual, not to his family. The name was often used however, by his heirs, as long as it was descriptive of them.

During the Crusades the Knights from all countries developed the practice of decorating their over coats. The coats were called surcoats (over) and were worn over their armor - these symbols became Coats of Arms and were also put on shields - later crests. From these Crusades, Coats of Arms became family symbols that were handed down with pride for generations - this practice was dropped with the migration to America but interest in it now has been renewed.

So, the surname and the family emblem were developed about the same time -  this definitely established the family and all generations to come from it. Before this, life was semi-tribal, and no significance was placed upon the family or its name.

Petty is an early form of a descriptive byname and as stated, was used in all the European countries. Very few of the earliest recorded bynames are the same as today and Pettey is no different. It has undergone so many changes, in all languages, that to pursue it in anyone direction soon gets hazy. We do know it was Petit ­Petty - Pettey and we have reason to believe it was Le Petito in
its very early form.

From Smith's, "Dictionary of American Family Names," we find Pettey, "in French: Petit, Pettie, Petiet which was the short for small man. In English it was Petty or Pettie - one small in statute. In Scotch, Pettee or Pettey, one who came from Petty (piece) in Scotland. This is the first indication that Pettey may be Scotch. Another that was similar but without the same meaning is the English, Pettis, Pettes, Pettas - dweller in the house by the pit." 1

Therefore all Petteys are not kin because all small men are not kin. This is also true of Smith: there are more families named Smith in America than any other, but the English practice of naming all workers in metal, Smith, did not make them all kin.

Then the question arises, from which country did our family originate? It is difficult to decide because tracing beyond the Crusades is almost certainly a fraud.

William Holloway Pettey, the fore father of the Petteys of East Texas, had a family tree that he kept in a leater covered folder. Some of his children said that it traced our family back for 400 years. There is a remote possibility that this will someday turn up in a library in Austin, since he lived in the Confederate Veteran's Home there for 10 years, or among relatives of the people he last lived with near Grapeland, Texas, or elsewhere.

Bill Pettey studied the family and the name just as most Petteys always have. The reason being that not only is the family interesting, but that the name itself had so many counterparts, and they have changed so much through the ages, that perhaps every adult Pettey at one time or another, had wondered if he was using the right name. Pettey himself swapped back and forth from "y"
to "ey", during his young and middle years just as his father and grandfather and so have some of his children. He maintained

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1 For additional study see, "The Story of Our Names," E. C. Smith, Harper and Bros., 1950
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that the original family name was either pronounced Petai (peta) (or Peto). He also wanted the "ey" to stay in the name.

In researching this book we have found the name spelled Pettey as well as Petty and Petit, as far back as we can trace, so Bill Pettey was correct in his knowledge that the name has changed. As mentioned, it probably was Le Petito at an even earlier date.

(Editors Note: Charles B. Pettey of Salt Lake City, Utah, makes a statement in his book, that he found no Petteys in any phone books in England and no Coats of Arms listed in Directory. He concludes that there is no such thing as Pettey in England but according to Vivian Pettey Parks, a researcher and contributor to this book, Pettey was found as early as "1617 or before." More on this a few pages hence under Andrew Pettey, etc. H.P.)

Most of the Pettey spellings were on documents written by others and because of illiteracy mispelling the name was common. Charlie Pettey, a son of William Holloway, said, "A family who has tried to keep the 'ey'" in their name as hard as ours has through the centuries, has to have been mighty proud of it." The "ey" was either put in to try to get the correct sound or put in due
to ignorance. Many old timers resented the meaning "small man."

They didn't realize that after adding the "ey" it still meant small man. As every Pettey knows, everyone, all our lives, tries his best to make us spell it Petty, including school teachers, telephone books, etc.

Bill Pettey often told his children that the family was of royal blood, that they "may look at others, even down upon them, but never up to them." 1  If the original name is Le Petito, he is right again, which we shall see shortly under the name William Le Petito.

In 1066 the Isle of Brittany, which is now England and Scotland, was overrun when Sir William the Conquerer led his Normans, a race of Viking (Northmen) and French, living just across the English Channel in what is now a part of France, into their land and brought about changes that are part of our heritage to this very day.

Although the Norman French langtiage was not imposed upon

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1 Alma Berry Pettey, daughter of Bill Pettey
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the people immediately after the conquest, by 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine became Queen, it was the legal and administrative language of the land and remained so until the late 1600's. Our own English language is still full of French words and many of our laws (the juries for example) date from that forced marriage of races.

Two things could have happened during this occupation by the Normans that could have made the name French sounding "Peto," as William pronounced it. Le (masculine for the) Petito (French for small) was a name for Pettey in both Scotland and England at least during the latter period of Norman domination. One reason may have been that the name simply came over with the invaders--one soldier or more. Then we would be Viking--French origin.

T. R. Howard, a careful researcher into the Pettit-Petty­-Pettey line, states that one of the early spellings was Petit; he also states that we definitely are of Norman origin. This causes one to wonder--the possibility of a Norman origin. The reason for the commoness of the Christian name, William, will be discussed in more detail a few pages hence.

Howard continues:  The usage of the word to mean "small" sur­vives in such compound names as Pettyjohn and Pettegrew.

In a Petit genealogy at the Newberry I found the statement that the name comes from Normandy and is of Celtic origin, and that it was spelled Pettit, Pettyt, Pettey, Petty, etc. (Since the final "t" has always been silent.) The reference to a Celtic origin lacks precision. It is more correct to say that it is Gaulish or Gallic; see table of Indo-European languages in Webster's. The same Petit genealogy quotes from "La Discionaire de la Noblesse" some
Petit material which translate roughly that the Petit family is of the "ancient nobility" with origin at Caen (in Normandy) with arms of a red shield with a gold lion and charged with 3 silver stars. This device is probably not used in England.

The Pettey family became prominent in Ireland since William the Conquerer appointed a Petit governor there about 1020. About 1650 a William Pettey was again a major ruler in Ireland. The English work "Dictionary of NationaL Biography" has much material on Petty/Pettit families that were prominent since 1070."

If the family is not of Norman origin, the most probable thing that caused the name to be French appearing was that the family was already on the Isle of Brittany and the spelling was changed by the family to the language of the invaders in order to gain favor (the native English and Scots were employed by, and made up a great Norman army); or they could have changed it for legal reasons; or to simply make it correspond with the language in vogue; or as a final conjecture, it could have been changed for them. One, William Le Petito, did gain great favor under William II. We shall see how shortly.

If the name Pettey is not Norman French then it could be Scottish-Irish in origin.

On September 21, 1966, the secretary to the Central Texas Area Museum, Inc. of Salado, Texas (The Scottish Clans of Texas) wrote:

"Your name Pettey or Pettit (the Scottish spelling) is listed in our 'Kith and Kin' (names of Scottish origin) as being a family in Lanark and Ayr-to­-Shires (on the coast of Glasgow), near the English border and on the coast near Ireland. The family may have gone to either country before coming to America."

In the 5th century, a rugged group called Scots immigrated across the Channel from Ireland and settled in West Scot, and around Glasgow. After 400 years, they spread and had gained so much power that the Picts, the original settlers of Scotland, and the Scots formed a single Kingdom under the Scots King and the land became known as the Scottsland, which included the upper 1/3 of the Isle of Brittian.

The Normans, who conquered England in 1066, claimed Scotland. Since the area of the Scotts was so near England and since the Northern Englishmen are so closely related to the Scotts in language, even skeletal development, and have interchanged so much over the ages, the name could have easily originated among the Irish tribe, called Scotts, who settled in Scotland, then spread across the invisible geographical border into England and later changed to Le Petito or Petite during the Norman rule where we found them in both countries with a slightly different spelling. The original name from Ireland could have been Peti, Petti or Pettit, for those are among the many names that are equivalent to the modern name of Pettey. It could have been Peto!

If the name is not Norman-French, or Scotch-Irish, then it could be Celtic-Roman in origin. The Romans over-ran the Celtic clans of Southern England in 55--54 B.C. and later settled that southern half. The Romans never pacified the wild tribes of North England and the present Scotland. In fact, they built a great rock wall across the entire Island and walled each village in order to keep the Scots, Picts, etc. out.

By 1185 we have this quote, "William Le Petito came from England to Ireland and gave great defeat to the Irish in Meath." (Meath, now a small city, was originally a large kingdom that covered much of northeastern Ireland across the channel from Scotland). It was this kingdom that Le Petito absorbed.

The origin of Le Petito can be found with more research but the information is not readily at hand. He could have come from France but not likely, because it would be a long way by water to Northern Ireland.

Henry II, of France and England, grandson of the Viking Conquerer, William, had begun the conquest of Ireland at this time. Le Petito was a leader in his army. William's rule already included England, Normandy, Anjou, Aquitaine, etc. (i.e. most of the Brittish Isles and half of France).

Le Petito probably came out of England and up through Scotland because of its closeness to Ireland and because the Normans had already settled England for over 100 years and had a fine, paid army there during the reign of Henry II. It is possible however, that his origin was Scotland since that land was also under Henry II. But it was never as closely conquered as England. To show this, by 1314 the Scots had repulsed the Norman-English from their land, but 23 years later they were allies with France against the English during their 100 years war (1337-1453), indicating a lack of real hatred of the French.

As we continue with the William Le Petito's family, notice the surname changes:

1190-91   Wm. Le Petito was Lord Justice or Governor of Ireland. He had indeed
          gained great favor with the Normans.
1195 *   James, his son was born.
1225     Richard Petit, Jame's son first assumed this new spelling.
1255     John Petit, his son was born.
1285     Simon Petit was born to John.
1315     Gerrott was Simon's new son.
1345     Simon was born and named for his grandfather.
1375     Thomas was born to Simon.
1405     Gerrott Petet, son of Thomas, changes the spelling again.

In England we find yet more Le Petite, but with an "e" instead of an "o" at the end. John Le Petite, born about 1500 was living in Tetsworth and Stoke Talmage, Oxfordshire in the north central part of England. He died about 1530. One son was George Pettie (1518-1589), a writer of romances and responsible for another name change. Others were John and James. John's brothers were Robert Petty, John Petty, (the elder - born 1546 or before), Christopher Petty and Chornall Petty. This may not be the beginning of our family line. Nevertheless it does show the evolution of the name.

Then again a hundred years later in London we see Petteys with the "ey". Andrew Pettey (1617 or before), Eyenie (could have been Eugene) and Thomas Pettey.

Another Petty family of England and Ireland is that of Anthony of South­ampton (on the extreme south end of the island). William Pettey always told his children that they were of this family. His son, Sir William Petty, went to Ulster, Ireland and became Physician General of the Irish Army. He was granted his Coat of Arms by Corney in Ulster, on March 20, 1656. He also became Surveyor-General of that Kingdom and was Knighted in 1661. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Hardress Waller of County Limerick, in 1667. Their children were John, Charles, Henry and Anne. Henry was created Earl of Shelburne.

Later marriages of this family caused the name to be Petty-Fitz-Mauric. Of this family was Henry Pettey-Fitz-Maurice, 3rd Marquis of Lansdowne (1780-1863). English statesman, chancellor of the Exchequer at 25, advocate of reform, abolition of slavery, free trade and Catholic emancipation. (See Coats of Arms).

Henry Charles Keith Petty-Fitz-Maurice was the 5th Marquis of Lansdowne (1845-1927), Governor General of Canada (1883-1888), Viceroy of India (1888-1893), etc.

If it is true that we are of this family, and from folklore it appears to be, the following from Zora Petty Billingsley of Amarillo, Texas may be of great interest:

"It is understood that a younger son, (see editor's note below) of Sir Wil1iam Petty--now Earl of Lansdowne of Oxford, Petty Curry (Lane), England, who had no hope inheriting the title and landed estate, came to Jamestown, Virginia in its earliest days, and that descendents of his still live in the area of Jamestown and Richmond, Virginia. (Sir William's father was Anthony Petty, of
Southampton who lived in the early 1600's.) It is interesting to note that his estate was directly across the English Channel from Normandy in France, the place that William the Conquerer launched his invasion of England in 1066. Could this be the traditional area of an Anglo-Norman Pettey tribe? William, M.D. eventually went to Ulster, Ireland. He was Physician General of the Irish Army and registered his Coat of Arms which was granted by Corney of Ulster, 20 March 1656. He later served as Surveyor-General to that Kingdom.  He was knighted in 1661. In 1667 Sir William married Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Hardress Waller of County Limerick--their children were John, Charles, Henry and Anne. (This could be the reason for the family folklore of an English-Irish origin.) They established the noble house of Petty, Barons and Earls of Shelburne. They were and still may be in the tobacco and hauling businesses.  
Some of them are in Charlottesville, Virginia, area and still spell their name Pettey--in the Elizabethian style. Others drifted through Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, and others went west to West Virginia, Ohio, Tennessee, Kentucky, and thence into the Tennessee Valley in north Alabama, probably Scottsboro, Alabama area--and one in Decatur, Alabama. (Ed. note: This last one could be ours, H.P.)

"One line went South from Virginia through North Carolina to Georgia. The North Carolina line developed Lee and Richard Petty, famous auto racers. At one time, there was a W. C. Petty in Charlotte, North Carolina, In what is now Atlanta--previous name unknown--a decision was made to free slaves and go West. One named Thomas Jefferson Petty and two half-brothers (names unknown to me) made up a wagon train and started to Texas. In the Chattahoochee River Valley, somewhere between Cedartown and Columbus, Georgia, Indians were encountered; the wagon train split among the three brothers--one went south, one center, and one north--to throw the Indians off their tracks. The plan was to come together later in west Alabama and go to Texas.

"The Petty going South decided to stay in South Central Alabama. There are Petteys in that area now (Petty in Selma, Alabama, and Pettey in Loachapoka, Alabama)--one served as a U.S. Senator very briefly.

"The one going center went on to Texas and founded the town of PETTY, Texas, on the MK&T Railway between Fort Worth and Texarkana, Texas. Some of these drifted up through Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, and others are all over Texas by now.

"The one going north liked Little Wills Valley and Lookout Mountain in the foothills of north Alabama just below Collinsville and settled there -­Thomas Jefferson Petty, my great-grandfather.

"One feature in the entire tribe was that the oldest son was usually named William, Charles, and sometimes Clarence. I assume the William was after William the Conquerer, and Charles after king Charles of England--a well-known custom originating in the early days to honor and probably gain favor of the reigning monarch. Clarence was named for some other reason."

(Editor's Note: We think the immigrant from England was Thomas from Norwich. This was the son of a William as mentioned above and Oxford is inland, only 48 miles from Norwich on the coast. Thomas could have given this as his place of departure. Again this agrees with our family folklore. We cannot however, at this writing, relate him to Sir William. However, Dewey, the youngest son of William Pettey of East Texas remembers a story that his father told him. It went something like this:

"My daddy always said we were descendants of Sir William Pettey of Ireland. He told us that Sir William was a genius. Because of his fore­sight, he saved the banks of Ireland from financial ruin. My daddy had a family tree that went directly back to Sir William. The family always named its oldest boy William for this Sir William."

If the family is of the Sir William line, we have a coat of Arms. It is a shield covered with ermine. A band of azure (blue) crosses from top left to bottom right. On this band is a compass needle pointing to the North Star. Atop the crest is a beehive swarming with bees. The Motto is UT-APES-EGOMETRIAM.)

There is a logical meaning to a coat of arms. The term itself probably means that the symbols used, "coated" or protected the bearer. Magic powers were attributed to objects in those days. For instance, "In Hoc Signo Vinces"--In this sign we conquer. Symbols were placed on the shield, the Surcoat (cloth over-coat worn outside the armor) and on helmets. These were known as "crest" or tops. Others say the term came from the symbol on the sur-coat itself, thus, "coat" of arms. Regardless, all these symbols were eventually brought together and painted for decorative purposes and to remind the family of its proud heritage, for after all, one of their number had been a Knight!

These coats of arms were registered just as our forefathers registered their animal brands.

Coats of Arms became works of art. Mantling (decorative cloth) was draped over the shield. A decorative knight's helmet was often placed atop the shield and over all this, the crest, or top, was shown. The Mottos, at the very bottom were not added until after 1500. On the Pettey family coat of arms, we have everything, including the motto--some families do not.

From top to bottom ours is explained thusly:

Crest - a beehive and bees proper
Mantling and Helmet - decorative
Arms (Shield) - Ermine (white with b1acktails) over which runs a bend (band from upper left to lower right) of azure (blue). On this bend, a magnetic needle proper point­ing at the pole star (North)
Motto - Latin reading Ut Apes Geometriam, meaning?

This coat of arms was no doubt designed especially for Sir William Pettey and the symbols probably date back no further. The compass needle fixed on the North Star and the Motto obviously have to do with surveying. He was Surveyor-General of Ireland. The bees could symbolize straight lines--"bee lines" as in surveying or they could be something of his heritage. His family may have kept
bees. The first seems the logical, however. His sons and relatives on the other hand, used objects from Sir William's Coat of Arms when designing theirs--namely the compass and star, the term ermine, and the bees. One son, Henry, even used the motto.

As yet we have just been able to cross the ocean with the Petteys. We have not traveled back any farther than England. All we have is folklore but there is usually some fact in folklore.

The folklore has always had it that the Petteys were Irish-English: but this would only mean the generation that left.

The Pettey who came to America could have been English and the Irish part came from one of the early marriages in our line. Our Thomas Pettey whose son Thomas Jr. married Elizabeth Moore (born a. 1707), daughter of Francis Moore (born 1660) in Ireland--"an Irish merchant who came to America."  He married Ann (nee Harben) and died in Essex Co., Va., 1718. From his signature on numerous records it seems that he, perhaps was a lawyer or a man of some importance.

Where the original clan came from can only be conjectures as we have presented here. More research must be done. Researchers have found the Petteys in England, Scotland and Ireland. One researcher who spent a large sum of money on travel in the U. S. and England, hired top researchers then finally wrote a book called "The Albert Pettey Family" flatly states: "The name Petty is strictly English origin."  But this again, does not agree with our family folklore as handed down for generations.  Historians have found that almost all folklore is truth or contains an element of truth in it. Neither does this statement agree with logic nor historical research.

The main source of confusion has always been with the spelling of the name. In the Pettey-Petty Family Association of Nacogdoches, Texas, the name is spelled both ways, even among brothers and sisters. Petty is certainly correct in that it is found almost exclusively in the early records of Virginia, North Carollna, and. Kentucky.  Indeed William Pettey (1764) himself used Petty in his application for a pension as did his widow. Apparently it was the children of William and Lucretia Wright Pettey who decided upon Pettey, the spelling which was used on their parents' tombstones and in their Bible records. Until today, most of the descendants use Pettey and that Petty is the usual spelling for other branches of the family. This is not unique however because it is true of other large Pettey clans in the U. S. It is easy enough to see how Pettie would become Pettey. On the other hand it is just as easy to see how Petti and Pety becomes Petty and that old families would satisfy themselves on the Americanized spelling they thought correct.

The language and history of Scotland (the Picts and Scots) is very different from that of Ireland (Celts) and England (Celts). The cause of further name changes came about as the people migrated. Often the country from which they came was not looked upon with favor or the immigrants wanted to fit in as inconspicously as possible and such things as odd spellings were changed to fit the new countries' speech and spelling. Another reason for more name changes was that often the persons involved could not write. The historical records that we look at today were recorded by government officials who wrote the names down as they sounded to them or in their own language or dialect. Whatever the reason, either spelling is correct but whether Pettey, Petty, Patty, Pady, Paddy, Pettee, Pettie, Pitty, Pattie and perhaps Pittee, Petti and Petit and La Petito and La Petite are from the same clan, will have to be answered by much more research.

If the original clan was located in Scotland near the shore of Ireland and the border of England, it is obvious that members of that clan spread to all three places, many times, back and forth, through the ages.

For whatever the spelling and the origin, we can well be proud to be Petteys or Pettys, not to even mention the other spellings. Some famous Pettey-Pettys have already been noted. Here are a few more:

John Pettie, bora in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1839 became a great portrait painter and historian.

A Petty in England invented carbon paper. The King gave him per­mission to teach his method of "Double writing"--producing two copies at one time.

There were several Pettys in the American Revolution.

John Petty (born 1791 was in the original "300" of Stephen F. Austin's Colony in Texas. He received land Aug. 10, 1824 in Fayette Co. and was apparently Alcalde (mayor) in 1824. Petty Creek in that county is named for him.

George Washington Pettey (born April 7, 1812 in Murfesboro, Tenn.) came to Texas in the fall of 1835 and settled in Independence, Washington Co. He fought with Hill's Company at San Jacinto.

As previously mentioned, a town named Petty is located in Texas near the Oklahoma border, a few miles from Paris in Lamar Co. It was named in 1886, after having had other names, for J. M. Petty, a large landowner.

Petty, in Lynn Co., Texas is another town. It was named for a Bill Petty and is located about 30 miles from Lubbock, near Tahoka.

There is a Petty's Chapel community in Navarro Co. near Corsicana.  It is named for a Petty family who had a large plantation before the Civil War and built a church there.

Lee and Richard, famous auto racers.

And last but not least, is Petty, creator of the plump Petty girls of Calendar and match book fame.


Page 13

THE PETTY - PETTEY IMMIGRANT

Most outstanding geneologists on the Petty-Pettey line feel that they definitely have tied the family to the immigrant from England--Thomas Petty I. Mrs. Paul Barmann who co-authored, "Gillmore-Carter and Allied Families" by Thomas and Barmann, 1962, stated that the proof she had was from her own research and that of Mrs. Hale Housts, Genealogical Records Chairman, D.A.R., 230 West 61st Street, Kansas City 13, Missouri. They both worked the line from Thomas Petty I through Thomas Petty III. Another who also flatly states that this is correct, based upon his own independent research, is T. R. Howard of Cicero, Illinois. Mr. Howard has access to the very fine Newberry Independent Library and does research for a hobby. Another is Reverend J. Paul Mauney of Roanoke, Virginia.

Even though the majority say that this is the correct line, it does not make it so until all agree. At least one thorough researcher on the Pettey line states:


The immigrant of our Pettey family is not known though there are several theories. Records show that a number of the Petty-Pettey famlly were here in the first century of colonization. Some of these may have been only distantly related to one another.

There is an English record of the will of Margaret Waller dated in 1631 that shows "Elizabeth Petty in America to receive ten pounds." William Petty settled in Weymouth, Massachusetts in 1638. Another William Petty and wife Elizabeth emigrated from England to New Jersey before 1678. Zacariah or Zachary Pady came before 1650 and settled in Isle of Wight Co., Virginia. There was a William Petty in York County, Virginia, by 1636. Other early arrivals were: Thomas Pette (wife, Eliza) Norfolk Co. Va. - will dated 1673; Joseph Petty, Norfolk Co., Va., witness to will 1678; Maxamilian Petty (wife Christian), Middlesex Co. Va. Parish record of death 1687; Maxamilian Petty, Jr., Middlesex Co. Va. Parish Record of birth 1680; Richard Petty in Virginia before 1636; Lawrence Petty, Nansemond Co. Va. - record of his arrival in 1664; Stephen Pettus (Petty, Pettuce), New Kent Co. Va. land records indicate that he was here before 1661; Theophilus Paty (Patey) Charlestown, S.C. record of land grant in 1681.

The history of the English Colonies in North America includes not only the thirteen on the continent which won their independence but also the "island colonies" which seemed in many ways even more important to the English in those times than those on the mainland. It is quite possible that our forebearers settled first on one of the island colonies of Bermuda, Barbadoes, St. Christopher, or the Bahamas which all became royal colonies and.as the-younger sons struck out on their own after the family estate had gone to the elder son, they set out for the mainland colonies.

In 1663, after King Charles II of England was returned to England and ascended the throne (his father, King Charles I has been beheaded twenty years earlier) he granted an area of Carolina to eight proprietors who expected to create great landed estates on the feudal patterns and also sell part of the land for revenue purposes. They made their first settle­ment in 1670 in South Carolina at Old Charles Town which was relocated at Charleston in 1680.

Theophilus Patey mentioned above had a family in South Carolina and due to a marriage with a member of the Tatnall family there is considerable record of the Patey family in the Tatnall history and in the South Carolina Historical and Genealogical Magazine. The Tatnalls came to South Carolina from the Barbadoes Islands in mid 17th century along with other families mentioned in their history.

The 1738 Charleston SC will of Deborah Petty names, as executor, her brother, Captain Thomas Petty of New Providence. New Providence is in the Bahama Islands, Nassau.

Since the colony of Virginia records show that the first known of our line lived there in 1701 we have concentrated our search there. In Lancaster Co., which was formed from Northumberland Co. in 1651, and from which Middlesex Co. was formed in 1673 and Essex and Richmond Counties in 1692. There is a record of the will of Huebert Paty dated 1686. He named only a son Thomas and his   wife, Faith. Other records show that his first, wife was Rebecca Paty and indicate that she was the mother of Thomas. This son of Huebert Paty could have possibly been the Thomas Pettey who we know to be our ancestor. However, there are some researchers who believe that Thomas Pettey III was the son of Thomas Pettit II and wife Rachel Wilson, and that Thomas Pettit II, born 1664 was the posthumus son of Thomas Pettit I, born 1608 in Norwich, England, died 1663 and his wife, Katherine Morris. (Ed. Note: See notes on will of Thomas Pettit I for explanation of posthumous son, H. P.)


All these early Petty families in America help point out the fact that family research must be painstakingly done, bit by bit and lead by lead, However, much has been done by many and until solid proof is given in another direction, for the purpose of this book, we must go along with the majority of the research, right or wrong, and assume they are right.



Page 15

LANDING IN AMERICA

THOMAS PETTEY (PETTIT) I
(ca 1608 - ca 1663)

Thomas Petty was probably born in Norwich, England admist the hustle and bustle of people going somewhere, for he was born in 1608 about the time that the first colony in America, at Jamestown, Virginia, was getting established. He grew up among tired, poor people whom he heard constantly speak of the land of the free and he saw, one after another sail for the distant land of hope.

His neighbors were poor and jobless. Most of the English land­owners, expecting high profit, quit farming during this time, laid off all their hands, and began raising sheep. Then too, England was engaged in the Thirty Year War (1618-1648) which put still others out of work. Neither could the wool industry sell its products nor the artisans sell their wares. During Thomas' young years, England had a vast over supply of labor men who were literally walking the streets, hungry, grumbling and some getting into trouble.

There was more to grumble about too. The common people were getting sick of a state controlled church that was for all outward appearances, Catholic and there was the political hustle that the King had the country thrown into.

The old customs were also changing. At one time in England there was a custom of dividing the estates among all the sons of a family but since it broke up large estates this practice was superseded by the rule of primogeniture whereby the estates passed intact to one son, usually the oldest. The younger sons had to learn a trade or profession and seek their fortunes in new places thus accounting for numerous descendants of knights, noblemen and the landed gentry emigrating from England to the New World.

The people were literally crushed by all these problems so wave after wave of imJnigrants, including Thomas Pettey I, came to America--­many so poor that they had little more than the clothes on their backs. They came in tiny, disease ridden "Mayflower" type boats and landed on the islands or at some of the early mainland settlements such as Jamestown.

Thomas' father was William of Norwich, England. (According to a manuscript on the Pettus Family, Mrs. B. Stacy of Virginia, 1944, from Rev. J. Luther Mauncy.) Col. Thomas Pettus, born Feb. 10, 1598 was his father's younger brother. Thomas I and his uncle, Thomas, left England in 1637 or 1638. He may have landed in 1637 or 1639. He may have landed in one of the Bahamas, or on an island, off the coast. At any rate, he did not arrive on the mainland until 5 or 6 years later (1643) (County records of Virginia, Crozier, p. 258; Papers and Couriers and Pioneers" Valentine, p. 226. also King and Queen," Fleet.)

Until around 1649 or 50 the colonist had only the meagerest necessities. They lived in grass houses much as the Indians. The typical pioneer log houses as we know them were introduced later by the Swedes or Germans. They used pine knots for light, tallow candles came later. There were no clocks - sundials and hour glasses were used. Pewter was common because of its durability. If it broke it could be melted and a new article made. It was used for all eating utensils, glasses, lamps, etc. There were, no glass mirrors until after 1700, before that they were made of polished metal. All the people wore homespun and leather clothes. Food was very scarce and during one winter, people actually starved to death.

Women were scarce in early America.

The first women to speak of arrived by boat in 1619. They were sent by the Virginia Company. When a suiter was accepted, he was to pay 120 pounds of tobacco to the company.

The female situation gradually improved. After several years, Thomas I met and married 15-16 year old Katherine Morris, daughter of Major George Morris, and wife, Eleanor of New Kent County, Virginia (a) 1656. Although he was around 47 years old, this was perfectly accept­able. Tremendous pressure was put on all unattached people to marry ­girls married young, widows remarried soon after the death of their husbands, and, single men were ostracized. In fact, bachelors were taxed.

Men had to get parental consent before proposing. The girls brought a dowry and it was stated. The wedding was a community social occasion with jokes, games, pranks, food and drink. The newlyweds dreaded it because the people were rough on them--a practice that was carried on in rural America until recently.

Thomas and Katherine bought land in Rappahannock County, Virginia in 1656. His cousin Henry Pettit also obtained land there that year. (Book II, Rappahannock County, Virginia Records, P. 127.)

Hardships were common to the early settler. As early as eleven years before Pettey arrived, there was a terrifying Indian raid. The colonist had gotten along fine with the Indians for years until their old chief died. The new chief, Opechancanough led them against" the settlers and of a total population of 1,200 men, women and children, they killed 350. The settlers were shocked into becoming hardened frontiersmen. Because of their fierceness, the Indians soon knew them as the "long knives." Other Indian battles were to follow in 1644, a year after Pettey came, and in 1675 but they would never get the advantage of the colonist again.

In the raid of 1675 the English did not help them so they joined together and soundly whipped the Indians but in protest to the British, the colonist returned and burned Jamestown to the ground. The capital was then moved to Williamsburg in 1699.

In the very early days the king revoked the charter of the Virginia Company so that he might control things more closely and extract more for the Crown. He placed his own Governor in charge and together they were able to control things until 1676. However with England 3,000 miles away and having himself continually embroiled in problems, the settlers were never very well dominated--they didn't come to America for that.

New colonies were springing up quickly and by 1630 food could be obtained from the older settlements, so new arrivals were Common and by 1640-1650 all things were much better. These were the conditions that Petty arrived and lived in. (1643)

Petty and his wife had two children. He died 20th of September, 1663 in Rapphannock County, Virginia, after seven years of marriage to Katherine, leaving her with the two young children, Dorothy aged 6 to 7 and Thomas, unborn.

Dorothy was the first child. She was born about 1656 in New Kent County, Virginia. During her adulthood she married (1) James Fugett; (2) Godfrey Standon; and (3) Thomas Cooper (1675).

Thomas II was born April 1664 also in New Kent County, Virginia in the spring after his father's death. He married Rachel Wilson about 1682 and died in 1720.

Katherine, their mother, later married John Longe of King and Queen County, Virginia. The child of this marriage also was Katherine who married first, Edward Tungstall later married Captain Richard Wyatt. Finally their mother married for the third time to Thomas Gaines (ca 1671 - 1676).

[1. Thomas' will was made September 20, 1662 and probated January 7, 1663 in old Rappahannock County, Virginia.
2. The genealogy of Thomas Petty I, II and III has been published in "Families of Orange County, Virginia," a three-volume work, 1959 and "The Gilmore, Carter and Related Families." The letter was available (as of 1967) at a price of $8.00 from Mr. Paul V. Barmann, 1138 Clara St., Fort Worth, Texas. The former is in Vol. III, Newberry Library, Chicago, Illinois.]



Page 18

Will of Capt. Thomas Pettit (Petty) - 1663
Will of Rappahannock County, Va. 1652-1692 - Wm. M. Sweeney

Page 157 - Wills in record book entitled orders.

Thomas Pettit 1663          Wife Katherine          (Thomas Pettit)
                            Daughter Dorothy

The will is given in full

From Essex County - "We have a will of a Thomas Pettit 1663 which mentions a wife Katherine and a daughter Dorothy who married a Fugett."

From Essex County - March 7, 1952

" I find from further search in our records that Thomas Pettit whose wife was Katherine, and whose will men­tions no sons, that in 1665 she gave a gift deed to her son Thomas, which shows that there was a son, even though the will did not show it. (Deeds etc. Book No. a Page 418) (As previously stated, he was not born when his father made his will.)

According to Luther J. Manney, his grandfather, Maj. George Morris, also gave this son land.



Page 19

CAPTAIN THOMAS PETTEY (PETIT) II
(ca 1664 - ca 1720)

Thomas Petty II never knew his father--he was born in the spring, April or May 1664, after the death of his father, Thomas Petty 1. He was among the first Americans to be born on native soil. He grew up in the place of his mother's choice, New Kent County, Virginia.

Petty came to manhood during a period of strife. When he was eleven years old Indians made a great raid on the settlers, as discussed in the previous chapter. The settlers defeated them, then burned Jamestown to the ground, to show the English that they were extremely unhappy about being unprotected and not being allowed to raise their own legal force. During Pettey's twenty-fifth year, the English became engaged in a series of French wars that were direct threats to the Colonist, but these problems united, even welded the Colonists, into one. They learned to fight and work together which later influenced the outcome of the American Revolution.

England had so many other problems at home and abroad, that she had to rely on American soldiers to protect themselves against the French ­they conflicted almost constantly for the next 75 years. This is where Thomas I, he was captain of the Colonial Militia (Dragoon) received his Captaincy. Thomas II was also, at one time, a member of the Council, James City County, Virginia, and Sheriff of King and Queen County, Virginia, 1714. ("Virginia Colonial Militia," Crozier, P. 97; "Colonial Virginia," Standard, p. 35; "People of Virginia," Bean, P. 96.)

By the time he was forty-six (1700), land in the colonies was all taken up and hard to obtain. It was fast going into the story book estates with brick mansions, overseers and slaves. Because of this situation, those who had no estates, the poor, working or extremely ambitious people, had to forge on into new frontiers. The Pettys were never of the wealthy class, thus this entire book shows them constantly moving into undeveloped regions, generation after generation.

Thomas II married in 1685, at the age of 18, to Rachel Wilson (ca 15). Little is known of her except that she was the sister of one Abram Wilson. They moved North to Essex County, Virginia near the present Washington D. C., where they remained the rest of their lives.

Thomas and Rachel raised six children. They were: Thomas Petty (petit) III ca 1683, our descendant; George Petty (Petit) ca. 1687 (d. 1726): Benjamin Petty (Petit) ca.1691; Rachel Petty (Petit) ca.1685; Elizabeth Petty (Petit) ca. 1687; and Mary Petty (Petit) 1689. (This information is partly from the will of Thomas Petty (Pettit) II, recorded in Essex County, VA, May 17, 1720.) He died in 1720.

His will was filed 1720 Essex County, Virginia, South Farnham Parish, written 1719.



Page 21

WILL OF THOMAS PETTY (Petit) - 1719

In the name of God Amen, the 18th day of November 1719. I thomas Petit of South Farnham parish in the County of Essex, being sick and weak of body but sound and perfect, praise be to God for the same and knowing the uncertainty of this life on earth and being desirous to settle things in order do make this my last will and testament, etc --­
Item I: I give and bequeath the land and plantation whereon I now live containing two hundred acres of land and eighty be the same more or less besides the marches thereunto adjoining unto my son George and the heirs of his body lawfully begotten for ever and for want of such heirs unto my son Benjamin and the heirs of his body lawfully begotten forever;
Item: I give and bequeath unto my son Thomas his heirs and assigns forever all that tract of land situated lying and being in King and Queen County beginning at the River on Col. Peter Beverly's line running up the said line to one Robt. Woolefolks corner tree then along the line of the said Woolfolks till it meets with my own line and ye line of one Robert Powell and then down the line to the riverside containing five hundred acres be the same more or less;
Item: I give and bequeath my other land and plantation in King and Queen County whereon I lately dwelt unto my son Benjamin and his heirs and assigns forever containing three hundred acres be the same more or less:
Item: I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Rachell either of the said plantations or lands mentioned to live on during her natural life in lieu of her dower and thirds of land;
Item: I give and devise all the residue and remainder of my estate real and personal unto my said beloved wife Rachel and my six children: George, Thomas, Benjamin, Rachel, Elizabeth, and Mary Pettit equally to be divided amongst or the Surveyor Survivos. of them and their heirs forever yet so that the whole value it shall amount unto with the increase of my negro's till a division shall be made shall remain in the hands and possession of my said wife during her widowhood unless she see cause to the contrary from any of their marriages or their attaining to ye age of one and twenty years but so as such part of the estate which my wife shall give unto my said children on the considerations above mentioned shall exceed their due and just proportion to the damage of any of the rest and my will and desire is that my wifes part of the negroes be only lent her during her natural life anything herein conveyed to the contrary thereof notwithstanding but in case of my wife remarrying then my will is that a division of estate be immediately made and that my Executor hereafter named take my childrens estate into their hands, etc...and lastly I do hereby ordain and appoint my beloved wife Rachel aforementioned Executrix and Abram Wilson, Maj. George Braxton & Col. James Taylor Execut. of this my last will and testament. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seal ye day and year above mentioned.

Tho; Petit (Seal)

At this court held for Essex County on Tuesday ye 17th day of May 1720 this will was presented in court by Rachel Petit Ext. within named who made oath thereto & being proved by the oaths of Peter Godfrey and Edward Faulconer two of the witnesses thereto is admitted to the record.

Test
W. Beverly Cl. Cut.



Page 23

THOMAS PETTEY, III
(ca 1683 - ca 1750)

Thomas Pettey, III was born in Essex County, Virginia but lived in Richmond County, Virginia as a young man to about the age of 47 (1730). While in Richmond County, about the age of 17, he married Catherine Garton, daughter of John and Martha Garton of Virginia, March 6, 1701.

Garton was Sheriff of Richmond County around 1690 and died in 1698. As an interesting side light, to point out that people have changed little, Garton made his friend, John Huge s the executor of his will. Before he had completed the property disposal, Huhes also died (1700). His widow, Ann Huges then married Robert Post who apparently tried to keep some of the property of the Garton family. Thomas Pettey of Richmond County, soon married Catherine and brought suit on behalf of her family on March 16, 1701 against Post and wife for 1752 pounds of tobacco which apparently had been separated from the 17,504 pounds John Garton had bequeathed to his wife and five children; Richard (died ca 1899); John, Jr.; Matthew; Catherine: and Ruth.

Thomas and Catherine had nine children according to his will (filed 1716 with a codicil of 1749) probated in Orange County, Virginia, May 24, 1750.	Their children follow:

John was born 1708 in Orange County, Virginia. He married Rebecca Simms and their children were: Thomas, Sarah (m. Corley, N. C.) Tobitha Ransdell, Sr.); Francis (son); Abner: George, Zachariah (m. Elizabeth Marshall, will probated 1796 in Culpepper County; Ancestor of Rev. Luther Mauney of Roanoke, Virginia; Rebecca (m. Boston); Susanna (m. Joseph Hawkins); John and Jeremiah (m. Boston).

John's will was dated 27th of September, 1770, (will book 2, p 422 Orange County, Virginia.) Rebecca died after 1770. This is the line of Mrs. M. A. Brandt III, Norfolk, Virginia, and her son Zacheriah, etc.

Thomas IV (our descendant) was born about 1706. Married Elizabeth Moore -(See next chapter)

Christopher born in 1711

William

James

George died soon after his father, leaving his widow, Sarah and a young daughter named Catherine.

Rebecca married Thomas Simms in 1725. This is the brother of Rebecca Simms who married her brother John.

Mary married Knight (?)

Martha married Robert Boston

Further study of the family shows that Rebecca was probably the 2nd or 3rd child since she married about 1725. She died in Orange County about 1750.
As listed prior to the daughters but within each group the children are in order of birth.

It is a family tradition that Thomas Petty TII moved westward from Richmond County, Virginia about 1730 accompanied by his wife, children and various relatives. They settled on land near the meeting of the Rappahannock and Rapidan Rivers; land that was then in Spotsylvania County but later fell into Orange County, Virginia. An understanding of the history of county formation is important in interpreting the Petty family land records for in subsequent years, without moving, they lived in Stafford (formed 1664); Spotsylvania (formed 1720), Prince William (Formed 1730),Orange (formed 1734), Culpeper (Formed 1748) and Fauquier (Formed 1759).

It is reported that Thomas III died in 1750 in Orange County, but since Culpeper was formed from Orange in 1748, he legally died in that new county. Catherine, his wife, preceded him in death by two years (prior to 1748).



Page 25

Thomas Petty __________ 1750
 
Orange County, St. Thomas Parish, Virginia

Will Book 2, p-144		   
31 Jan 1748/49		   

Thomas Petty           wife Katherine

names sons:	John PETTY	         one shilling
                Thomas PETTY (IV)        our direct descendant who had
                                         no will, therefore his brother
                                         John's will, follows his chapter
                                         so that we can study how these
                                         families lived.)
                                         One shilling
                 Christopher PETTY
                 William PETTY                "
                 James PETTY                  "
daughters:       Rebecca SIMS                 "
                 Mary KNIGHT                  "
son George PETTY
dau Martha PETTY all my real estate both real and personal after my debts
                 are paid and the legacies aforesaid to be equally divided
                 between my well Beloved children George and Martha PETTY
                 and their heirs forever.

EX; Son George PETTY
    dau Martha PETTY

Wit; Sole. Ryan, Wm. Sims                   Thomas PETTY, younger

Probated 24th May 1750



Will - George PETTY          wife - Jemina PETTY    dau - Catherine PETTY
Will Book 2, p-165, Orange County, Va.

Christopher PETTY and Robert Beston - guardians for Catherine PETTY, also executors.

Probated 28 May 1752



Page 26

THOMAS PETTY, IV
(CA 1706-1770)

Thomas Petty IV was born about 1706 in Richmond County, Virginia. This date was figured by allowing for the usual two year spacing of children found in families prior to the advent of "bottle - babies."

The earliest record found to date for Thomas IV in his marriage, in North Farnham Parish, Richmond Co., Va., to Elizabeth Moore on August 24, 1727. She was the daughter of Francis and Anne Moore (Naylor) as evidenced by her mother's will of 1744.

Her father, Francis, was born in 1680 in Ireland where he grew to manhood and was a merchant. On coming to America he met and married a young girl named Ann (Anne Harbin?) about 1709-10 when he was near fifty years of age, a marriage similar to that of Thomas Petty I, which as stated, was perfectly acceptable.

Moore became a planter in Rappahannock County, Virginia. They had at least four children but evidence indicates five:  Colonel Francis Moon b. 1711; Harbin Moore b. ca 1713; Elizabeth Moore (b. 1710, who married Thomas Petty), and Martha Moore.

Thomas and Elizabeth Petty's first child, Francis Moore Petty is listed in the baptismal records of this old church in North Farnham Parish where his mother and father married as being born June 6, 1728. Their children were:

William (Our forebear) b. 1710
Ann
Lovey
Elizabeth

Francis Moore died in 1718 in Essex Co., Virginia. Ann Moore, his widow married the second time to John Naylor by whom she had two daughters who died in infancy. Finally Ann died in 1744. The three daughters of Thomas IV were obtained through their grandmother Moore's will. Named among others, were her "three grandaughters - Ann, Lovey and Elizabeth, daughters to her son-in-law, Thomas Moore Pettey, Jr."

Since she did not name her daughter, Elizabeth Moore Pettey - the mother



Page 27

of these grandchildren in her will, we can assume that Elizabeth preceded her mother in death.

The next important record for Thomas IV is a 99 year land lease he made in Orange Co., in 1735. This source shows that Alexander Spot­wood leased land to Thomas Petty and his son William, and to Petty (b. 1710a) and his son Theophilus. That his wife was named Elizabeth Moore is established by the sale of this lease over 20 years later. The inclusion of the youngest son of each was a custom on long term land leases.

"July 15, 1735: Thomas Patty, Jr. from Spotswood Co." (His mother and father Thomas and Catherine Garton Pettey had leased land in Spotswood Co., the previous year so the entire family may have been there for a year or two after leaving Richmond Co.)

"Alexander Spotswood to Thomas Petty, Jr. lease 99 years, 150 acres, St. Marks Parish, Orange Co., on the south side of the Rapidanne River, part of 40, 000 acres called Spotswood Tract granted to Alex Spotswood, for and during the natural lives of William Petty, his son and Theophilus Petty, his brother William's son and for and during the natural life and lives of the longest liver of them, paying there for yearly and every year of the first four years on the 25th of December one ear of Indian Corn and every year thereafter 750 pounds of good merchantible tobacco, delivered at a convenient landing in the County of Spotsylvania, the first of which payments to commence and become due on the 25th of December 1739. Thomas Petty to plant fruit trees, etc... Signed: A. Spotswood."

From this lease we know that our forebearer William Pettey (see next chapter) was born between 1730 and 1735. His third sister, Elizabeth, was born possibly after 1735. It is possible that there were other children born before Elizabeth Moore Pettey's death but since they were not mentioned in the grandmother's will (which named only the granddaughters) or any other
records found we cannot know their names. Thomas perhaps married again and moved to Lunenburg Co. before 1756 for the record in Orange Co. Deed Bk. 12, p334 dated Feb. 16, 1756 reads "Thomas Petty of Lunenburg, Planter, sells
to Francis Moore (His brother-in-law) of Orange Co., Planter the lease of
the land in the above lease.

Francis Moore Pettey, Thomas's eldest, son reared a family in Lunenburg and the records of it are in the counties that sprang from Old Lunenburg Co. The second son, William probably also settled there for a time, although little is known of of him during these years. His son, William Jr. stated in his Revolutionary Nar Pension Application that he was born in Fauquier or Stafford Co., Va. in 1764 and that he had this information from his father's family Bible record, thus indicating that William Sr. and his family did reside there for a time.

Various Petty family records may be found for this part of Virginia in the Orange Co. will'probated 1744 of Ann (Naylor) Moore which has among the heirs Ann Petty, Lovey (Lavinia?) Petty and Elizabeth Petty.



Page 28

These girls are identified as minor daughters of Thomas Petty (IV). In at least one source the second name is given as Lovey, a nickname for Lobelia.

They lived on the "Spotswood" tract in St. Marks Parrish, Orange Co. Here he was engaged as a "Planter" and grew tobacco along with fruit and Indian corn.

In 1750 Virginia was in full flower - she was the cultural and financial center of North America. In that particular state, grass houses and most log houses honses had given way to the great estates.

These consisted of vast tracts of land, brick mansion houses and many out buildings each with its cooperages for making barrels, tanning and leather goods, kitchen and baker, mills, carpenter, blacksmith, etc. shops. The "planters" were the owners and managers. The "overseers" worked the slaves and saw that the crops and livestock were cared for. Then there was the "artisans", usually indentured servants or intelligent negroes. They ran the shops mentioned above and finally, of course, the slaves.

In 1756 the Orange Co. land lease from Alexander Spotswood was sold by Thomas Petty of Lunenburg Co., Va. to his father-in-law Francis Moore with one witness being Francis M. Petty. This proves that the Petty family had moved southward. The date of the move has been established as 1751 since records of a William Petty have been found in Brunswick Co., Virginia for that year. It is presumed that Thomas and his brother William moved together shortly after the death of their father in Orange Co. about 1750. It is reported that William (b. 1710a) had married a girl named Elizabeth in Orange Co. about 1734. Colonial land records for William and Elizabeth Petty are found in Brunswick Co. (formed 1732) and Lunenburg Co. (formed 1746).

It is unfortunate that no will or tombstone has been found as yet for Thomas IV or his wife Elizabeth. We may presume that Elizabeth died in Orange Co. prior to 1744 since heruame is missing from her mother's will. A date of 1770 has been established for the death of Thomas IV presumably in the Lunenburg Co. area. His proven children were: France M. (Moore) (1728)*; William (Sr.) (1732-34), he was named in a lease in 1735; Elizabeth (1730a); Lovey (1734a); and Ann (1736a). The names of two unidentified Petty men are found in the colonial records of the Lunenburg Co. area. This may indicate that there were one or two additional sons: John and/or Joseph. The 1751 date for the move to Lunenburg Co. tallies with the general exodus of ardent Baptists from areas where membership in (and tithing to) the state established Anglican church was compulsory.

* The date of 1730 for the birth of Wm. (son of Thomas IV) seems to have been picked by others with a view to justifying the possible marriage



Page 29

of Wm. to a girl named Elizabeth in 1751 at an age of 21 so as to correspond to a 1751 Brunswich Co. land deed to Wm. and Elizabeth Petty. I feel that the 1730 date is too early by two to four years but that the error is relatively unimportant. The average age of marriage for men during colonial days was 20, but they could not buy land or claim free land until they were 21. Poll tax was payable at 18. They could inherit land at any age.

It should be noted that the Elizabeth Petty who married Cabeb Dodson about 1773 is generally acknowledged to be the oldest child of the Rev. William Petty, Sr. A Bible record gives the birthdate of their children and the youngest was born in 1801. If Elizabeth was born in 1756 she would have borne her last child at the age of 45, just about the maximum age possible for motherhood. Certainly we cannot justify an earlier date for her birth than 1756. From the number of William Petty Children we can reasonably assume she married about one year before the birth of Elizabeth. This indicates that earlier records for a William and Elizabeth Petty who kept a tavern are probably for the uncle of the Reverend William Petty, Sr." ­-- Wright Frost.



Page 30

Will of John Petty
Orange Co., Va. Will Book 2
Page 442 (Given in lieu of a Thomas Petty IV will, This brother's will is given for family study)

In the Name of God, Amen. I, John Petty, of the County of Orange and Parish
of St. Thomas, being in perfect sence and memory do make & ordain this
my last will and Testament hereby revoking and making void all other Wills
by me heretofore made and Declaring this only to be my last Will and Testameni.~ Impris I lend to my belowed wife Rebecca Pettey the land & plantation whereon I now live containing one hundred and twenty two acres during her natural life or widowhood also my negro fellow Punch & negro woman Moll together with all other estate during her natural wife or widowhood and after her decease my will & desire is that my estate be divided amonst my children in manner and dorm following (to wit)
Item I leave to my eldest son Thomas Pettey five shillings current money to be paid him by my executors when demaded and it is my will and desire that
my said son have no other part of my estate.
Item I give and bequeath to my daughters Sarah Corley & Tabitha Edwards & to my son Luke Pettey who are now in Carolina the sum of five shillings each. I
Item I give & bequeath to my grandaughter Ann Ford the feather bed that she lies on with the furniture belonging to it.
Item I give & bequeath to my sin in law William Ransdell my large church Bible
Item I give & bequeath to my son Abner Petty my negro man named Punch 
but in case Abner should die before he arrives to the age of twenty one years
or has heirs of his body lawfully begotten then it is my will and desire that my said negro Punch be sold and the money divided amongst my other children  whom I have not cut off with five shillings.
Item I give & bequeath to my son George Pettey after his mothers decease the 
land and plantation whereon I now live with one negro woman named Moll with her future increase to him & his heirs forever but in case George should die
before he arrives to the age of twenty one years of age or has heirs of his body lawfully begotten then it is my will & desire that the land and plantation go to my son John Pettey and his heirs forever and that the negro woman named Moll be sold to the highest bidder & the money to be equally divided betwixt all my children who have not been cut off with five shillings. It is my will & desire that in case my wife Rebecca Pettey should marry after my decease, that then she should have no more of estate than the law allows her. It is my will & desire that the remainder of my estate after the decease of my wife Rebecca Pettey be appraised and sold to the highest bidders and the money equally divided betwixt my children hereafter mentioned, Viz, Apphia Ford, John Pettey, Zachariah Pettey, Ann Ransdell, Rebecca Boston, Susannah Hawkins, Jemima Boston, Francis Pettey, Abner Pettey, & George Pettey, and I do appoint my Beloved Wife Rebecca Pettey Executrix and my son Zachariah Pettey & William Ransdell Executors of this my last will & testament. In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand & affixed my Seal this 26th day of July 1768.

John Pettey (S S)



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Signed, Sealed & Delivered)
in the presence of
Alexr. Waugh jur
Absalom Wood
William Wood
Since my signing the above will I have been informed of the death of my eldest son Thomas Pettey therefore to prevent his children from having any part of my estate I give to my grandson Reuben Pettey son of Thomas Petter one shilling sterling, In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal 20th day of February 1770.
Signed sealed and Delivered)
In the presence of         )
Cattey Pettey

Alexr. Waugh Jr.



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THE REVEREND WILLIAM PETTY, SR.
(ca 1710-30, ca 1805)

(The original draft of this chapter, written by Wright W. Frost and T. R. Howard, is being presented in its entirety, except for a few minor changes and rearrangements to make it fit the continuity of this book - H. P.)

The history of the Reverend William Petty, Sr., Baptist minister of early  Surry County, North Carolina, has been the subject of many genealogical  researchers. Though not all of their conclusions are fully proven, we must remember that we are dealing with the Colonial Period and that surviving records are scanty. Some of the material which follows is not documented but is presented as hypotheses in the hopes of guiding further research.

The Reverend William Petty is reputed to have been the second son of Thomas Petty IV, who married Elizabeth Moore in Richmond County, Virginia, on August 24, 1727 (see page 5,#5). Their oldest son, Francis Moore Petty, was born June 27, 1728, as shown by a baptismal record in North Farnham Parish where they married.  William's name first appears in a 99 year lease recorded in 1735 in Orange County, Virginia; so his birthdate has been estimated as being about 1730. The absence of a church record for him in North Farnham probably indicates that his parents had moved to Spotsylvania County, Virginia, prior to his birth. The use of the youngest son's name in a land lease was customary when leasing land for a longer period than the probable life span of the parent.

The Petty family settled in an area near the meeting of the Rappahannock and Rapidan Rivers. In 1734 this land became a part of Orange County. (The 1735 land lease mentioned previously also mentions Thomas Petty IV's younger brother, another William (b. 1710) and William's son Theophilus. According to a 1775 land record of Chatham County, North Carolina, this William, brother to Thomas, also had another son, William, Jr., born about 1740. The presence of this other William Petty (b. 1710) and his son William Petty, Jr. (b. 1740), has complicated the interpretation of existing records. Comments on this William, Jr., will be limited to the hypothesis that he was the Revolutionary soldier who married Mildred Phelps about 1774 and died in Halifax County, Virginia, in 1827 (Rev. Pension Record W-18747).

1756 land records indicate that Thomas Petty IV and his brother William (b. 1710) had moved their families to Lunenburg County,



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Virginia, possibly as early as 1751. Halifax County was formed from Lunenburg in 1752, Charlotte from Lunenburg in 1765, and Pittsylvania from Haliax in 1767. An understanding of the sequence of county formation in Colonial Virginia is important to an interlJretation of Petty family history through land records.

Our subject William Petty (b. ca 1730) married about 1754 in Culpeper County, Virginia to one Lettice ________.  Some researchers say he was married twice but there is no evidence to support the theory that his first wife was the Elizabeth Petty listed as a daughter in the 1794 will of Thomas Marshall of Culpeper County, Virginia; but there is ample evidence that it was William's cousin, Zachariah Petty, who married this Elizabeth Marshall about 1762. The colonial records for a William and Elizabeth Petty in the Lunenburg County area are probably for William Petty (b. 1710) our subject's uncle, who is reported to have married an Elizabeth in Orange County about 1734. Assuming, as it now seems proper to do, that our subject William Petty (1730), son of Thomas Petty IV, was not the William Petty on record in Lunenburg with wife Elizabeth, where was he? Did he remain in Northern Virginia and marry there when his father went South to Lunenburg County along with other Petty relatives? If so, no records have been found to indicate it save perhaps the sworn statement of his son William in his pension application that he was born in Fauquier or Stafford County, Virginia on March 13, 1764. Wherever he and his family may have been from 1764 and earlier, our subject William Petty (1730) purchased 200 acres of land on Wallace Creek in Charlotte County, Virginia on August 1, 1770, from William and Joseph Crews (Charlotte County Deed Book 3, p. 330).  Whether our William Petty ever lived in Charlotte County is not certain from information at hand; but he was a resident of neighboring Pittsylvania County by 1773 when "William Petty of Pittsylvania County" sold land he purchased from William and Joseph Crews (Charlotte County Deed Book 3, p. 360).
  His wife Lettice (Lettie, Letty, Lettitia) relinquished her dower right, and in so doing forged one of the strongest links between the William Petty of Pittsylvania County, Virginia, in 1773 and the William Petty whose will was probated in Clark County, Kentucky, on May 27, 1805, naming among others his widow Lettis and his daughter, Elizabeth Dodson.  Even before selling his land in Charlotte County, William Petty had on January 1, 1772, purchased 150 acres of land on both sides of Double Creek in Pittsylvania County (Pittsylvania County Deed Book 2, p. 437) which he sold in two separate tracts on August 17, 1778, while still listed as a resident of Pittsylvania County (Pittsylvania County Deed Book 5, pp. 23 and 25).

The time of William Petty's removal from Yadkin Valley, Pittsylvania



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County, Virginia, to Surry County, North Carolina, cannot be pinpointed by available records. Although there are those who believe that he arrived in Surry County about the same time as his close friends and neighbors the Captain John Wright Family, in 1775, the writer accepts the land record mentioned earlier that he was a resident of Pittsylvania County, Virginia until August 17, 1778, even though he may have acquired land in North Carolina several years earlier. At any rate they both moved there and their children were to later marry - see next chapter.  John Elsberry's deed (reference not available) defines one of his boundaries as William Petty's land in 1778. The earliest land record discovered by the writer in Surry County in the name of William Petty is a Grant of 400 acres on Hunting Creek on both sides of the road leading from Shallow Ford to Mulberry Fields, the present Wilkesboro. The date of the grant was April 3, 1780 (Surry County Deed Book A, p. 347).  It is quite obvious, however; that this was not the first land acquired by William Petty in Surry County. From Hopkin's "The Wrights of London and Virginia" we take this quotation:  ..."Rev. William Petty, a Baptist preacher, who in John Elsberry's district of Surry tax list of 1780 (surveyed by John Wright) was assessed on seven hundred acres of land, two slaves, four horses, sixteen cattle, and a valuation of 2,748 pounds" (Charles Arthur Hoppin, "The Wrights of London and Virginia," p. 451)

Paschal's "History of North Carolina Baptists" places the Reverend William Petty first on record in 1783 in the organization of Petty's Meet­
ing House which later took the name of Flat Rock Baptist Church from nearby Flat Rock Creek. This was in the vicinity of what is now Hamptonville in Yadkin County, North Carolina; but the area was a part of Surry County until 1850. Other references to the Reverend William Petty by Dr. Paschal indicate that he was pastor of the church which first took his name, that he helped organize Bear Creek Baptist Church in the northwest corner of Rowan County--now Davis County, that he assisted in the formation of Yadkin Baptist Association, and that he and his son, William organized Baptist churches in Wilkes County, in­cluding the Deep Ford Baptist Church at Deep Ford in Reddiac River (Paschal, "History of North Carolina Baptist," Vol. II, p. 154, Winston-Salem, NC Library)

The Yadkin Association - Baptist, that was established in 1790,
is the oldest institution of the kind in that part of North Carolina. In
the year 1786, eleven N. C. churches held yearly conferences as a branch of the Strawberry Association in Virginia. At their request they were dis­missed and formed this new association. One of the eleven delegates in 1790 was William Pettey. He was listed on the 1780 tax list of Surry Co., NC. 
His son William, Jr. and Zachariah married and settled in the valley but William sold his land about 1795-1799 and moved to Clark Co. Kentucky where he died in 1805.



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A significant note from church history and tradition is that of the November 12, 1791 church trial, or hearing of charges, between William Petty and Richard Stevens. The Reverend William Petty con­fessed to losing his temper and using hasty and harsh words about Richard Stevens who had "stolen" and married Petty's daughter still under age. Steven refused to admit any wrong doing and was excluded from the church just as was his brother who had helped in the elopment. The genealogical significance of this episode is that Sarah Stevens in listed as a daughter of the William Petty whose will was probated in Clark County, Kentucky, on May 27, 1805. (See Sarah Pettey p. 9)  This and the naming of another cB.ughter, Hannah Ward, who is reported to have married John Ward in Surry County, about 1781, leave little doubt that the Reverend William Petty, Sr., of Surry County, North Carolina, died in Clark County, Kentucky.  Using the axiom of mathematics that, "Things equal to the same thing are equal to each other," the writer comes, after consider­able doubt in earlier study, to the definite conclusion that, whatever may have been his origin,and earlier residence, the William Petty who resided in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, from 1773 to 1778 lived in Surry and Wilkes Counties of North Carolina before moving to Clark County, Kentucky, during or after 1800.

The United States Census Report of 1790 or early 1791, for Surry County, North Carolina, contains the name of William Petty with house­hold including two males sixteen and upwards, three males under six­teen, three females, and one slave.  This means that four of his sons and two of his daughters had not yet married and left home.  There is no question that this is the Reverend William Petty, Sr., rather than his son William, since the younger William Petty in his pension application stated that he moved to Wilkes County at the end of the Revolution­ary War and remained there until 1817, when he moved to Alabama. Furthermore, the younger William Pettey was listed in Wilkes County in the 1790 Census Report as head of a household of six. The year of his removal to Wilkes County was probably 1783, the year of his marriage as well as of the signing of the treaty of peace with England. As the younger William Petty was only nineteen years of age in 1783, it is logical to conclude that all public records in Surry County are applicable to the Reverend William Petty, Sr., and not to the younger man who is be lieved to have been his son.

As mentioned earlier, Virginia was the first area of settlement in America. It was a vast territory in the beginning from which Kentucky was carved in 1792. West Virginia was also carved out in 1863.

William Petty, Sr., himself moved to Wilkes County between January 14, 1792, and April 5, 1794. On the earlier date William Petty, "of Surry County" sold 300 acres of land on Deep Creek to Christian Fender (Surry County Deed Book E, p. 228).  On the latter date William Petty, "of the County of Wilkes,"



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sold 160 acres of his land on Hunting Creek to William Arnold with William Elliot and Thomas Wright witnessing his signature (Surry County Deed Book G, p. 95).  A few months later, on December 9, 1794, George Reeves of Wilkes County, North Carolina sold to "William Petty, senior, of same county and state," 200 acres on Little Cub Creek, adjacent to the Moravian Line (Wilkes County Deed Book B-1, p. 416).  The two deeds, one in Surry County and the other in Wilkes, identify the elder William Petty as a citizen of Wilkes County, formerly of Surry County.  The latter goes further and distinguishes him from the younger William Petty by spelling out "senior."  Obviously the William Petty in Wilkes County in 1794 was the thirty-year-old William Petty who had been a resident for more than ten years and had been a land owner on Warrior Creek in 1787 (Wilkes County Deed Book C-l, p. 34).  This use of "senior" and that in the 1800 Census Report for Wilkes County are hardly sufficient per se to verify a father-son relationship between the two men; but they form a part of the total pattern which leaves little room for doubt of it.

Although William Petty, Sr., is listed in the 1800 Census Report for Wilkes County, he had sold his land of Cub Creek on October 1, 1798 (Wilkes County Deed Book C-l, p. 261).  All real estate transactions involving the name William Petty after 1800 appear to have referred to the younger man. By 1800 the Reverend William Petty, Sr., was approximately seventy years of age and probably had become less active in his church ministry. Although it is possible, as some seem to think, that he was drawn to Kentucky by the gigantic Baptist revival at Cane Ridge, Bourbon County, Kentucky, in 1801, it seems more probable that he accompanied or followed some of his married children to Clark County, where he died a few years later. At any rate, whatever his reason, he resigned as Pastor of the Flat Rock Baptist Church about 1800 and asked for dismission to the West (Mrs. Howard C. Jones, New Market, 6 Clark County Will Book 2, p. 41
Alabama).  Among the children who are known to have moved to Clark County is his son Ransdell whose records are found in Halifax County, Virginia, Surry County, North Carolina; and Clark County, Kentucky.  The unique name, as contrasted with the over­used William, provides greater identity for the father in his tristate residence.

An abstract of William Petty's will, written May 3, 1804, and pro­bated May 27, 1805 in Clerk County, Kentucky, names his widow, Lettiss Petty and his children as follows:  to inherit his estate his three youngest, Francis, Thomas, and Rhoda Cast; and to receive one shilling his older children, Elizabeth Dodson, Rachel Russell, Hannah Ward, Zachariah, William, Ransdell, John, James, Sarah Stevens, and Lias (Elias) (Clark County Will Book 2, page 41).  Additional information on most of William Petty's children is meager; and much of that which follows is estimated as to dates with little of it properly



Page 37

documented. It is presented in the hopes that it may provide the connecting link for additional genealogical research.


Elizabeth Petty is thought to have been born about 1756 and to have married Caleb Dodson, son of Joseph, son of Thomas, in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, about 1773 and to have died in Halifax County, Virginia about 1844. Caleb Dodson is thought to have been born in Prince William County, Virginia, about 1752 and to have died in Halifax County, Virginia, about 1837. He was a Revolutionary soldier (D.A.R. Records, Tennessee).  The names of the children of Caleb and Elizabeth Petty Dobson, omitted above, are as follows: Isaac, Timothy, Lucy, Lydia, Stephe, Elijah, Mary, Annie T., William, and Elizabeth.
Rachel Petty is thought to have been born in 1758, to have married Buckner Russell in Wilkes County, North Carolina, about 1790, and to have died in Weakley County, Tennessee, about 1830. Buckner Russell is thought to have been born in Virginia in 1751 and to have died in the Western District of Tennessee in 1815. They had three children, Elizabeth, Margaret, and Buckner, Jr.
Hannah Petty is thought to have been born about 1760 and to have died in Hendricks County, Kentucky, about 1835. She married John Ward in Surry County, North Carolina, about 1781. They were living in Montgomery County, Kentucky, in 1810. They had nine children, including Armstead, born in 1785 and John, Jr., born in 1789.
Zachariah Petty, thought to have been born about 1762, and to have died in Surry County, North Carolina, about 1835, is reported to have married Nancy Dodson about 1782, probably in Halifax County, Virginia. She was the daughter of Joseph Dodson, was born about 1765 and died after 1810.  They had a large family including Lucinda, Letitia, William, Elizabeth (Betsy), Nancy, Rosanna, Watson, Elijah, and Elisha, and pro­bably other sons including one named John.
William Petty, Jr., designated in only one public record as "Jr." (Paschal, "History of North Carolina Baptist," Vol. 3, P. 132, Winston Salem, NC Library), was born in Fauquier or Stafford County, Virginia, March 13, 1764, and died September 26, 1834, in Madison County, Alabama.  On January 25, 1783, he married Lucretia (Lucy) Wright in Surry County, North Carolina.  She was born July 7, 1765, and died August 16, 1842.  Published and unpublished reports that Lucretia Wright married Eli Pettey or that her husband's name was William Eli Pettey have not been verified by any record which has been made available to the author. Such reDorts appear groundless. Confusion in the name probably arose over William and Lucretia Pettey's son Eli Pettey who married his first cousin Dianah Harrison Martin in Wilkes County and remained in that county long




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after his parents had left. There was also their grandson Eli Williams Pettey (1833-1854), son of their son, Zachariah Pettey (Records of Woodford County, KY).  There has been more confusion on whether William Junior was really William.  W. Frost says:

"Although other and better evidence in support of the father-son ­relationship may yet be found, the following are sufficient to convince the writer of this sketch:


The William Pettey who became a soldier of the Revolution in Surry County, North Carolina, at the age of sixteen would likely have been living with his parents; and the Reverend William Petty was the only Petty known to be living in Surry County of suitable age to have a sixteen year old son.
The Reverend William Petty named a son William in his will; and none of the numerous other men by the name of William Petty fit so well into the pattern of this family.
William Pettey married the daughter of one of the Reverend William Pettey's neighbors.
Church history and traditions in Surry and Wilkes Counties support the father-son relationship.
The only negative evidence which has been found is the lack of the
use of "Jr." for William Pettey in public and family records; but this has
the probable explanation that either or both of the men may have had a
middle name which did not get into the records but which nevertheless precluded the correct use of "Jr."  Even this has been offset to some extent by the fact that "senior" was applied to the Reverend William Petty's name in public records when he moved into Wilkes County, where his son was already established as a land owner and resident. Paschal's "History of North Carolina
Baptists" is the only old record to say William Jr. However, a book published in 1962 states, "among the sons of William Pettey, Sr. were Zachariah and William Jr." (Hickerson, f.w., "Echoes of Happy Valley," p. 175, Winston-Salem library, NC, 1962).

William Pettey, according to his own sworn statement in his application for a pension for his service in the American Revolution, was born either in Fauquier or in Stafford County, Virginia, March 13, 1764.  He died September 26, 1834, according to his tombstone inscription, which bears also his birth date, along a road near Blutcher's Ford, Madison County, Alabama."  For additional information on William and Lucy Petty and their descendants, see the next sections.)



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Ransdell Petty, thought to have been born about 1766 and to have died in Clark County, Kentucky, about 1820, is reported to have married (1) a daughter of Joseph Dodson about 1788 in Halifax County, Virginia, and (2) a woman by the name of Elsie about 1800. Ten children are thought to have included William, who married Mary Spahr in 1816 and died in 1818 in Clark County, Kentucky, and Ransdell, who married Sarah Clagston in Fayette County, Kentucky, in 1827.
John Petty, estimated to have been born in 1768, married Mary Sanders in Surry County, North Carolina, January 15, 1791. Seems to be the one listed in the 1810 census of Fayette County, Kentucky.
James Petty is estimated to have been born in 1770. He was probably the onefn the 1810 census of Woodford County, Kentucky.
Mary Petty not named in the will of 1804.  She is thought to have been born in 1772 and died prior to 1790.
Sarah Petty, mentioned previously with respect to her elopement and marriage to Richard Stevens, November 1791.  She is thought to have been born about 1774.
Elias Petty (Lias in the will) is reported to have been born about 1776 and to have married Elizabeth Martin in Clark County, Kentucky, on January 7, 1802. (Some have it 1803 but 1802 seems correct).  This marriage appears to constitute the earliest Petty record in Clark County.
Francis Patty estimated to have been born about 1778, married Sally Rag and, daughter of Edmund and Elizabeth Ragland, about 1800.  They are reported to have had the following children:  Larkin, Edmund, Matilda, Mariah, William, Letitia, Amanda, Francis, Jr., Clinton, and Sally T. Francis Petty may also be he who married Leah (Leher) House in Madison County, Kentucky about 1820.
Thomas Petty, named as executor and youngest son in his father's will, is estimated to have been born in 1780 in Surry County, North Carolina, and to have married in 1808, presumably in Clark County, Kentucky, to a woman by the name of Rebecca.  They are reported to have had the following children:  Louisa, Martha Ann, Willis R., John B., Allen B., Presley T., Cynthia Ann, and George. He died in 1838 in Montgomery County, Kentucky and left an estate.
Rhoda Petty, youngest child of William Petty, is estimated to have been born in 1783.  She was married on March 10, 1804, to Elisha Cast in Clark County, Kentucky.  She is reported to have married Thomas Taylor in 1818.




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MOVING SOUTH - THE TRIP FROM NORTH CAROLINA TO ALABAMA

WILLIAM PETTEY, JR. (1764 - 1834)

William Pettey Jr. was born in Faquier or Stafford Co., Virginia, he could not remember which, March 13, 1764 (According to his statement in his declaration for a pension).  His father and close friends the John Wright family, moved to Surry Co., North Carolina, about 1780, during the revolution.  After the war they moved to Wilkes Co., North Carolina, until 1817, and finally to Madison Co., Alabama, near New Market, where he lived the remainder of his life.

Although the Revolutionary War had been going on five years, the Southern States had not been molested.  The reason for the move to North Carolina may have been to stay clear of the war, but unknowing to them, North Carolina was to have much blood spilled upon her soil, after they arrived in the months ahead.  A young man like William could not miss it.

William was 16, going on 17 when the British decided to overrun the Southern states.  Beginning in 1780 he fought in the North Carolina campaigns as a militiaman and later as substitute for another.

Of course a regular American army with great strength was almost impossible to keep.  Washington, to whom William was apparently ac­quainted and was later to become kin through his wife, had the "main" army under his command but they were poorly equipped and poorer trained.  The 13 states would not work closely together, just as happened later in the Civil War, so there was no money for supplies and there was little clothing.  The nation's population was almost 100% farmers.  Crops had to be made, war or no war, because children and women had to be taken care of.  Service in the armies was either by draft or voluntary, and of short duration.  Much of the army then, was local--that is to say, the farmers and their sons volunteered or the militia was taken in when their homes were threatened.  They fought in a battle and when it was over, regardless of who won, they went home.  The North Carolina campaigns were no exception.

The British turned South late in the war.  They captured towns in Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina.  Alarmed Southern patriots gathered by the thousands.  They routed and harassed the British.  Although the British were better trained and equipped, it was impossible to completely dominate the Southern Legions because they knew the land and thrived on hardships.

The Southern army was chased across North Carolina in a hard­fought, bloody engagement that resulted in several battles being fought in the Carolinas.



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Being drafted into the army of General Rutherford C. Armstrong and with Capt. Absolom Bostick, his immediate commander, William Pettey marched from Surry County, North Carolina, as a draftee militiaman, through Salisbury, Cherau Hills, and somewhere in the neighborhood of Rugely's Mills, where he joined Gen. Gates army. A few days after he was drafted, Pettey was detached with about 300 men under the command of Major Elisha Isaacs to enforce General Sumpter whom he joined in the neighborhood of Camdis and remained until his defeat. He was in the service during this campaign about 3 months.

After the failure of General Sumpter's army Petty engaged in scouting parties.  In fact, he stated that he was almost continually engaged in scouting parties while in the service, which at that time was considered dangerous and that he was frequently sent as a scout.

He went back in the regular army as a substitute for a man he did not even know.  He was commanded by Major Francis Hargrove and Capt. P. Isbell.  This campaign also soon ended.

Pettey then was engaged in guarding the legislature of North Carolina until the close of the war.

The British, finding them impossible to conquer, retired back to Pennsylvania in 1781.  Soon Washington had them cut off from their sea outlets and the war was over.  When William was discharged he was a fully mature young man.

William is duly recorded in the records of Revolutionary soldiers, and all Petteys of this line are eligible for the DAR or SAR.

SUMMARY AND PROOF OF SERVICE

War: Revolution

Drafted:  1780 - Served 3 months (plus 3 more months as a volunteer).

Volunteered:  "I was once drafted and once served as a substitute.  He was a stranger to me when I engaged as his substitute" (William Pettey's sworn statements for pension, before open Circuit Court, Oct. 27, 1832, Madison County, Alabama).  He served for more than three months as a volunteer.

Age: 16 to 17 (William Pettey's sworn statements for pension, before open Circuit Court, Oct. 27, 1832, Madison County, Alabama)

Discharged:  After more than six months service "I never did receive any discharge - it was at that time considered of no value" (William Pettey's sworn statements for pension, before open Circuit Court, Oct. 27, 1832, Madison County, Alabama).

Pension: ( Number 7070, file No. S-17016), signed 21 February 1833, by Lew Cap, Secretary of War. Received $20 per year (War Department approval).



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He drew the pension 6 months and did not receive another payment. After he died his wife" Lucy" made application on June 1, 1835 to enable her to be able to draw the arrears of the pension due.

Serial No.:  None.
Rank:  Private.
Duty:  Scout.

Affidavits:  Sworn to in open Circuit Court by William Pettey, Daniel Wright and others.

"I am well acquainted with William Pettey. I resided in Surry County, North Caro Una during the war of the Revo lution and know that the said William Pettey was fre­quently in service as a soldier in that war."

Sworn to and subscribed this 29th day of October, 1832.
Dan'l Wright

After the war the Petteys and Wrights moved on to Wilkes County, North Carolina. Two years later, January 25, 1783, William and Lucretia ("Cresy or Lucy") Wright of the old family friends and of the George Washington family, were married, probably in Surry County, North Carolina. She was the daughter of John Wright III (1731-1789) and his wife, Anne Williams Wright of Surry County, North Carolina, the same county for which William served in the Revolution.  She was the sixth generation of the Wright family in America which began with Richard Wright, an immigrant from London, England.  John Wright III was a Revolutionary soldier from Surry County, North Carolina, and a cousin of George Washington.  (More of her family will be found in the appendix of this book and in Vol. 8, p. 194 of Tyler's Quarterly.)  Somewhere around this same year, his father William Sr. moved on to Clark Co.  Kentucky where he lived until he died in 1804-5 and William and "Cresy" moved to Wilkes County, North Carolina.

As long as the colonies were owned by the British they refused to let the colonist move any further west because of Indian treaties, but their defeat opened this vast frontier.  However, the Indians still controlled much of it, so William and Lucy stayed in Wilkes County, North Carolina where he preached the Baptist ministry, just as his father had. The 1849 diary of Nancy Riley Clark refers to Rev. William Pettey as having baptized his wife's sister, Francis Wright, and her husband, Gerard Riley in the Yadkin River about 1789.

Paschal's "History of North Carolina Baptists" indicates that William



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Pettey assisted his father, the Reverend William Petty (Sr.), in church work and that he was pastor at Zion Hill in Wilkes County. In fact he states that Pettey was a minister there in 1816.

On October 24, 1787, he purchased a tract of 250 acres of land on both sides of Warrior Creek as a resident of Wilkes County (Wilkes County Deed Book C-1, page 34). To this was added 100 acres on Warrior Creek as a grant from the State of North Carolina on February 19, 1800 (Wilkes County Deed Book F-1, page 232).  Record has not been found for his ac­quisition of the 225 acres on Ceveleys Creek which he sold his son Eli Pettey for $200 on February 4, 1811 (Wilkes County Deed Book G and H, page 162).  This tract is thought to have been a part of Wilkes County which later became a part of another county.

William Pettey's household was listed in the 1790 Census Report for Wilkes County as including one male over sixteen, three males under six­teen, two females, and no slaves. Only two boys and one girl had been born to William and Lucretia (Lucy) Wright Pettey by 1790; but John Wright Pettey, born February 28, 1791, evidently was counted when the enumeration was extended into 1791 in counties where it had not been completed in December 1790.

He continued to preach, farm and raise children until 1817.  All of their children were born in North Carolina.

In 1813 the angered Creek Indians slaughtered many frontiersmen who had pushed into their land in Alabama. The next year the army re­taliated and wiped them out, leaving the land "open."

William probably went to the area of the present Madison County, Alabama, sometimes before 1815 for the purpose of picking out a tract of land--it was still legally unclaimed Indian land (According to the Bible record of his son, Daniel H. Pettey).

After the Revolutionary War much land was given to soldiers and more was sold to the population on time, at a very low price. Many slave owners and people of some means were buying large tracts of land in Alabama at the Government sales in 1809. All eyes were turned south and westward. It seems that perhaps Daniel Wright and John Wright, Jr., Lucy's brothers, were the first attracted in 1809 and others in the family buying land later in 1810-13. On December 15, 1815, William Pettey bought 1/4 section in Madison Co. Alabama, when he was fifty-one years old.

The pension land, or cheap land, was probably the motivating force that made him choose the area--evidently that area was inviting to many because at least 84 revolutionary soldiers lie buried in Madison County alone.



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On December 5, 1815, William began making payment on a quarter section of land in what later became Madison County, Alabama (Land patents from the Tract Book, Madison County, Alabama Records, Vol. 195, p. 89, "1/4 section to William Pettey," 1815).  This amounts to 160 acres which in Texas was later called a "homestead."  The land formerly belonged to Josiah Blackwell.

In 1817, according to his own statement in his pension application, he moved his family to their new home near New Market, Alabama. The journey was, no doubt, similar to the one described later in this book in the chapter William Howard Pettey. Everything had to be in first class shape. Tearful goodbys were said and the long, tedious journey began. Streams, rocky mountains and forest had to be crossed. There was sure to be sick­ness and often death. Most doubted if they were doing the right thing.  The distance from Wilkes County, North Carolina to Madison County, Alabama is 313 miles. At the average caravan rate of about 15 to 17 miles a day it took them 19 days.

All of William's daughters and sons made the trip to Alabama to­gether except three or four of the oldest who had already established homes and remained in Wilkes County for awhile (Mrs. Howard Jones, Alabama Records, Vol. 64, page 89).  Benjamin, who made the trip, later returned to Wilkes County to make his home. The Petteys made a large caravan. Several were already grown and married.  Nancy Pettey Hickerson was 33, but she probably did not make the trip.  Eli was 32 and he continued to live in Yadkin Valley. Lazarus was 29 and John Wright, our fore-parent, was 27. He did not come until 1825. He had married the year before, in 1817 and apparently his young wife was not ready to make the move. However, William had nine other children be­sides these four who did not make the trip. So counting the babies, wives and husbands, there was a large clan. Several of the Wrights appeared to have made this migration also. Perhaps they did not all go together. Maj. Daniel Wright, the brother of William's wife, Lucy, uncle of all their children and John Wright bought land in 1809 and were there in 1833 when they witnessed William's revolutionary pension claim and his will.  Maj. Daniel Wright is buried in Madison Co., Alabama.  So William, their brother and John Wright, Sr., their father, either came at this time or later (Information from the will of William Pettey).  Others who came on this trip or another were her nephews, William Martin and William W. Wright, and her nieces, Nancy Wright Frost and Sarah Martin Wright.


Nancy Pettey was born February 28, 1785, and is reported to have died December 25, 1846. On an unknown date about 1805 in Wilkes County, North Carolina, she is reported to have married John Hickerson, son of David, of Wilkes County. He is reported to have been born in 1782 and to have died in 1845. By 1815 they were reported living in Manchester Tennessee, not far from Madison County, Alabama, where her parents



Page 45

were to settle. By April ll, 1830, the Hickersons were living in that
part of Franklin County, Tennessee, which later became a part of Coffee County, for on that date "John Hickerson of Franklin County, State of Tennessee" sold to his brother-in-law "Benjamin Pettey of Wilkes County" 200 acres of land lying on "the Haymeadow" of Wilkes County (Wilkes County Deed Book P. 21).  Two known sons were William Pitt Hicke.rson (1816) and Lytle Hickerson (1820). There are numerous descendants who carry the Hickerson name in Coffee County today.

Eli Pettey was born December 26, 1786. His name should not be confused with that of his nephew Eli Williams Pettey who was born in 1833 and died in 1854. He married first his first cousin, Dianah Harrison Martin, daughter of Dr. Robert and Amelia Wright Martin. The date of the marriage is not known, but it is assumed to have preceded the Census Report of 1810 which lists Eli Pettey as a married householder. It is verified by Dr. Robert Martin's will of September 17, 1842, which mentions without naming "the heirs of Dianah H. Petty" and refers to his son-in-law Eli Petty (Wilkes County Will Book 4, Page 279-281).  Eli Pettey purchased land from his father as early as February 4, 1811 (Wilkes County Deed Book G & H, p. 162).  He continued to live in Yadkin Valley in Wilkes County, North Carolina. He was a member of the House of Representatives, in 1831, 1836 and 1847.  He witnessed the marriage of John Carlton to Susanna Smith on April 10, 1813, and the signature of D. Rousaw to a deed by which his brother Benjamin Franklin Pettey purchased a tract of land on September 27, 1834 (Wilkes County Deed Book N. p. 304).  He and his entire family are reported to have settled in Franklin County, Tennessee, about 1839. Two children reported to have been from his first marriage were Lucinda Caroline (1812) and Robert Martin Pettey (1814).  Date of the death of his first wife, Dianah, is not known but she died before the date of her father's will.  The Census Reports for both 1850 and 1860 list Eli Petty in Franklin County, Tennessee.  He had married Sarah F. ________, who was born in North Carolina about 1824.  Judging by the age of their oldest child, the marriage must have taken place about 1841, but record of the marriage has not been found in Franklin County.  Their children were listed in the 1860 Census Report with ages as follows:  Henry Clay, 17; Nancy P., 12; Sarah F., 6; Elinash, 4. (Palmer R. Pettey, 715 Lowell Street, Dallas, Texas, is a descendant of Henry Clay Pettey.)
Lazarus D. Pettey was born June 7, 1789, and died October 7, 1843. He purchased land on Beaver Creek in Wilkes County, North Carolina,



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on September 18, 1809, through a deed witnessed by his brother Eli (Wilkes County Deed Book G & H, page 54.55).  He is reported to have married Sarah ______ and was the father of three daughters, Amelia Martin, Margaretta W., and Sarah L. Pettey (Madison County, Alabama, Deed Book L, page 525).  He lived in Savannah, Georgia, however he died back in Alabama (Madison County, Alabama Deed Book L, page 525).  From the Huntsville "Democrat" issue of Oct. 19, 1842, "Died of dropsey, near New Market, on the 7th instant L. Petty in the 55th year of his age, formerly a resident of Georgia."
John Wright Pettey was born February 28, 1791, and died September 25, 1876.  He became a physician, as indicated by 1850 Census Report as well as tradition.  On March 19, 1817, in Wilkes County, North Carolina, he married Anna Harris of Montgomery County, North Carolina, who was born January 18, 1789 and died June 13, 1869. She is buried in the Crutcher Cemetery in Madison County, Alabama, near Plevna, Tennessee. He probably was already studying to become a doctor so decided to stay in North Carolina until his education was complete.  John Wright and Anna Harris Pettey had thirteen children:  Dewitt Clinton R. (1817), William W. (1819), Albert Galeton (1820), Sarah Ann (1822), William Howard (1832), John Wright, Jr. (1824), Nancy E. (1826), Anna Elizabeth (1827), Richard {1829), Daniel B. (1830), Cornelia Ann (1833), Lucretia (1835), and Newton Eli Pettey (1838). All members of the Pettey-Petty Association in Nacogdoches, Texas, are descendants of this son, William Howard.  John Wright Pettey and his family are thought to have moved from Wilkes County, North Carolina, to Madison County, Alabama, about 1825.
Zachariah Pettey was born May 28, 1793, in Wilkes County, North Carolina, and died in Madison County, Alabama, July 8, 1854. On December 28, he got his house and on January 2, 1823, in Madison County, Alabama, he married Rebekah Shakelford, daughter of Richard and Mary Ann Roberts Shackelford (Marriage Book 3, page 210, Madison County, Alabama).  Rebekah was born December 20, 1790, and died March 26, 1875. They are buried in the Pettey Family Cemetery in the New Market Community of Madison County, Alabama, near the Mint Springs 
Road on land which in 1960 belonged to Richard Crumrine.  Zachariah Pettey's monument gives his birth and death dates, but Rebekah's was re­moved many years ago by a thoughtless person who used it in the construction of a fireplace.  There were six children:  Mary E1izabeth (1823) (Related Families, page 97-101), Nancy Eliza (1825), Rebekah Amelia (1827), William Lazarus (1828), Zacharian (1831), and Eli Williams Pettey (1833-1854).  Marihall Walker Frost, wife of the writer of this sketch, is the great-granddaughter of Mary Elizabeth Pettey who became the second wife of Thomas Edmunds Spraggins.
Amelia Pettey was born July 20, 1795, in Wilkes County, North Carolina, and died in Madison County, Alabama, in February of 1869.



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On December 26, 1814, she was licensed in Wilkes County, North Carolina, to marry David Carleton, son of Lewis and Elizabeth Eve Carlton.  He was born about 1793 in Wolkes County, North Carolina and died in 1847a in Alabama or Mississippi (Rev Davld Carlton, Baptist Minister, moved to Lawrence County,
Alabama, about 1818, to Wilkes Co. N. C. about 1824, to Madison Co. Alabama, about 1831, and may have moved to Copiah or Claiborne Co., Miss. about 1840. Above based on Madison Co. records, Pettey Bible Records and Wm. L. Carleton letter).  They had six children including Lazarus (b. 1816a) died after 1869, Eliza (1818a, d. prior to 1869), M. Kennedy [1838a, issue: Turner, Lucinda C. (Caroline?) b. Feb. 15, 1820, d. Jan. 20, 1886), Michael Howard], Elizabeth (b. 1822a, d. after 1869, M. Reynolds/Reynalds 1824a.  William Lewis (b. May 8, 1825, d. Jan. 10, 1897, m. Margaret E. Tucker in Claiborne Co., Mississippi, 1847a). Randolph Carlton (b. 1833, d. after 1869). T. R. Howard, 5221 W. 24th St., Cicero, Illinois, is a descendant of Lucinda C. Carlton who married Michael Howard and has made valuable contributions to these sketches.  His family migrated to Texas in 1870 and settled west of San Antonio in Medina County.
William Thornton Pettey was born November 29, 1797. He received his marriage license December 3 and married Abigail Bayless on the 6th of December, 1821 (Marriage Book C, page 157, by Rev. B. Wood, Baptist, Madison County, Alabama) in Madison County, Alabama.  Although he was only seventeen at the time, he is recorded as bondsman for the marriage license of his sister Amelia and David Carlton in Wilkes County, North Carolina.  He may have been living in Lincoln County, Tennessee, in 1830, as indicated by the Census Report of that year, as was his brother, Thomas M. Pettey.
Salley Pettey was born August 11, 1799. She is reported to have married a Jamison, but she apparently died without heirs before her father made his will in April 1834.
James William Pettey was born October 12, 1801.  He received his license on August 1 and married Elizabeth F. Morgan on August 4, 1825 (Marriage Book C, Page 498; by Rev. Narcy Meeks, Baptist, Madison County, Alabama) in Madison County, Alabama. This was a double wedding with his brother, Thomas M. Pettey.
Thomas M. Pettey was born October 5, 1803. He received his license August 1 and married Louisa W. Roberts on August 4, 1825 (Marriage Book C, Page 490; by Rev. Narcy Meeks, Baptist, Madison County, Alabama).  His middle name is recorded as "Merce" in his father's will; but since there are many obvious misspellings in the Madison County records, this may be one more "Moore" instead of the weird "Merce" which would be a family name.  Thomas Moore Petty is the logical name since it combines the two first names--his grandfather's and that of his grandmother's last name.  Census



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reports indicate he was living in Lincoln County, Tennessee, in 1830 and in Rankin County, Mississippi, in 1850. The latter indicates that Thomas M.
and Loulsa Pettey had the following children: Hiram F. (1830), Nancy (1833) Benton (1835), Ferdinand (1837), America (1839), Tennessee (1842), Andrew J. (1845), Emma (1847), and Julietta (1849).  Several older chlldren probably had left home.  Living near Thomas M. Pettey in 1850 were the families of two of his nephews, Albert Galeton Pettey and John Wright Pettey, Jr., sons of Dr. John Wright Pettey.
Benjamin Franklin Pettey was born November 4, 1805, and is re­ported to have died about 1875 in Iredell County, North Carolina. It is family tradition that he moved with his parents from Wilkes County, North Carolina, to Madison County, Alabama, in 1817 but that he returned to Wilkes County after he was grown to visit his brother Eli and that while there he met and married Cynthia Bryan.  According to the Bible record of a descendant, the marriage took place on January 29, 1829, and resulted in nine children:  ­Julia Ann (1830), Lucinda Carolina (1832), William Bryan (1834), Laura Jane (1836), Joanna (1838), Leroy Franklin (1840), Adelia Antonet (1842), John Bryan (1844, who died in Civil War, a captain), and Felix W. Pettey (1846).  Benjamin Franklin Pettey's first wife died about 1848; and he married in 1852 in Iredell County, North Carolina, Jane Amanda Nisbet by whom he had four children:  Mary Jane (1852), Dorcas Virginia (1853), Willard (1855), and McKensey (1857).  (Dorcas Virginia Pettey married Joseph Thomas Edwards of Ronda, Wilkes County, North Carolina, and became the grandmother of Miss Nellie Holland, R. 5, Jennings Road, Statesville, North Carolina, who has provided valuable information on Benjamin Franklin Pettey's family.)  Benjamin Franklin Pettey married thirdly Nancy B. ________ who survived him.
Eliza W. Pettey was born August 28, 1808.  She got her marriage license May 27, 1808 and married Alfred Eastman on June 4, 1825, in Madison County, Alabama.
Daniel Harrison Pettey was born February 28, 1812. On November 4th he got his license and on November 5, 1833 in Madison County, Alabama, he married Susan A. Stone, daughter of Jesse Stone and granddaughter of Reuben Stone, a Revolutionary soldier (Marriage Record 4, page 157).  She was born May 25, 1816. Their Bible record, copied for the writer of this sketch in 1959 by their grand­daughter, Mrs. A. W. Miller of Dallas, Texas, about a year before her death, provides the date of the marriage of Daniel Harrison Pettey's parents, William and Lucretia Wright Pettey (January 25, 1783); but it does not con­tain the date of their own marriage or the dates of their deaths. It does contain the names and birth dates of their children:  Jessee W. (1834), William A. (1836), Martha F. (1838), R. Augustus (1840), Lucretia J. (1843), Mary E. (1845), Zacariah T. (1847), Winnie D. (1849), Albert Meredith (1852), Daniel H. (1855), and Thomas J. evidently died young as they were not listed as heirs of their deceased mother's parents, Jesse and Winny Stone (Madison County, Alabama, Probate Records, 1860-1862, pp. 243 & 256).  Census reports indicate that Daniel Harrison Pettey and family were living in Bossier Parish, Louisiana, in 1850. But it is possible that this son and



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his young family spent a short time in Nacogdoches Co., Texas, around 1850. He is not found on the Madison Co. Census in 1850 and the 1860 census of that county shows a son b. 1847 in Alabama, the next born 1852 in Louisiana and the next born 1856 in Alabama. His oldest son, Jesse W. Pettey, b. 1834, married Matilda Power, the daughter of one of the numerous Holloway Powers (not Holloway L. who came to Nacogdoches, Texas). It is possible that Jesse and Matilda were the parents of the Holloway P. Pettey listed on the Nacogdoches County, Texas, census, thus:

                         Age       Birthplace     Birthplace      Birthplace
                                                  of father       of mother

Pettey, Holloway P.      24        TX             AL              AL
M. Elisa                 24        AR             AL              AL
Ellis Holloway            1        TX             TX              AR
Cleopatra                1 mo.     TX             TX              AR

At any rate he had returned to Madison County, Alabama by 1860. Daniel
got the plantation because he was the youngest.


Notice that two of these boys, their father, their grandfather and their grandfather's uncle, were all named William, a name that turns up over and over again in the Pettey family as far back as it can be traced. Later, in Texas, it turned up in four straight generations. It, no doubt, is for some very important William, now forgotten. The Family folklore has it that Sir William was the financial wizard that saved the banking system of England. Although it is folklore, it is a good possibility in the light of its heavy usage.

At length they arrived. Whether William had built the house previous to their coming is doubtful, but they soon had a house that they referred to as the "Mansion House."

One can imagine that the first few years were spent clearing land, building out buildings, etc.  Since his father was a preacher he probably had little cash to go on but by 182l things were better.  He added a hundred and sixty acres to his estate this year (Deed Book H. p. 372, Madison County, Alabama records).  In July of 1822, William bought the personal estate of Major John Cook (Volume 163, p. 23, Probate Record 2, p. 356, Madison County, Alabama).  It probably was filled with what we consider priceless heirlooms today--cherry tables, windsor chairs, curtained beds, decanters, etc.  William had these, and more, at his death..

He bought his first slaves in 1823, received his patent (final certificate #1011)(General Land Office Record in national Archives) and bought more land in 1824 (Deed Book 0, p. 387, Madison County, Alabama records) and 160 acres again in 1832 (Mrs. Howard C. Jones, Alabama records, Vol. 195, p. 90).  His



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deeds show that he owned around 500 acres of land but it was quite common in those days to own land and not have the deeds recorded. Ample estate in land, as evidenced by the fact that prior to his death, he gave land to some of his grandchildren, his children, and his wife.  Since there was not a partition to sell land at his death exactly what he owned is not known (Mrs. Howard C. Jones, Alabama records, Vol. 195, p. 90).

Their land ran along the old historic Winchester Road that was often trave led by Andrew Jackson and other famous men.  There is also a Winchester Tennessee that has many Petteys living there today.

The Winchester Road was a trail followed by the earliest settlers, coming in from Tennessee, and in due time, a stagecoach line--Nashville to Winchester to Huntsville.  Andrew Jackson used it and often stopped at Buckhorn Tavern
a few miles down the road from here, to fight his cocks and race his horses on their track and he also patronized the Green Bottom Inn in Huntsville,
which had a famous race track.

The road was a narrow, crooked old road. Now there is a new road.  One can still leave the new road at Plevna and follow the old one to Elora--a beautiful road, so narrow in places the trees are arched over it...and wooded all the way...a look back to the days when one didn't travel hastily in blazing sun, with every tree on an 80 foot right of way ruthlessly chopped down.  There's still an old building, once an inn.

The part which goes through New Market is as it was, save for some minor work...grading down the tops of some of the steeper hills...but it has been blacktopped where it was (there has never been any formal right of way) and it is so narrow that two vehicles just can pass--especially if one is a trailer truck.  Nor are there any shoulders...about 2 feet from the edge of the blacktop is the ditch, thereby making it extremely dangerous to walk thereon.

The first black topping was about 1937.  No doubt its name will soon be changed and forgotten and it will be "No. 00" or something...but many of the old deeds place land "on the Winchester Road" so historians at least will remember it.  Now everything is, "Progress, progress" and "The Space Age."

William and Lucretia eventually had a plantation not unlike those in novels.  He was primarily a cotton planter and eventually had at least 450 acres planted to this crop alone (He raised 22, 127 pounds the year before he died. By dividing 500 pounds, the size of the average bale, into the total, gives the amount of bales as 450. An average of one bale to the acre was good.).

Their slaves were George, Richard, Bob, Lewis, Dilcy, Queen, Terry, Sally and child, Gabe Washington.  It is interesting that they were kin to the Washingtons and had this child by that name.  After William's death, George was sold for $892.00 - he must have been quite a slave.



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Like other farms and plantations of the day they had 600 pounds of bacon, barrels of lard and salt plus hogs, sheep and cattle as part of the necessary food.

They dried their own hides for leather and made much of what was necessary around the plantation.  To do these things they had two spinning wheels, a loom for weaving cloth, carpenter's tools, and blacksmith tools, as well as plows, sweeps, harrows and hoes for the business of planting--they did not seem to have any riding farm equipment.  Oxen were used to do the heavy work, although they had a pair of mules and a pair of horses plus riding and "gig" horses.  These gigs were two wheeled affairs pulled by one horse. They had two of these gigs. They also, of course, had wagons.

Their home was filled with fine furniture not exactly typical of the frontier.  In her dining room she had a large waiter, glassware, decanters, a marble top sideboard and a walnut dining table with a dozen windsor chairs--these are the pretty round back, captain type chairs, also a large built-in china press and upright closet filled with china.

In the living room or parlor were her cherry tea table, a cart with wheels, a desk, and a library.  There was also a metal clock that sold used for $25.00--it probably was a French make with a metal case, also four sitting chairs and probably the other dining table.  Here also sat the bureau--a chest perhaps with mirror.

In the kitchen was a kitchen table and coopers ware--barrels and cask, earthen and stone ware, a spice mortar, kitchen ware, a poplar press (this was no doubt the very poplar large cabinet made of poplar wood) used extensively for fine furniture of those days.  There were also the homey "smooth irons."

They apparently had five bedrooms.  In one was the big curtain bed­stead with its matching furniture.  All the beds had feather mattresses which were considered excellent in those days.

Another bedroom had its bedstead, mattress and matching furniture.  The third had its bed and furniture, the fourth its bed furniture and stead, and the fifth had the same (All the information on the home and plantation furnishings is from the will of William Pettey).

Of course there were the endless chores of lie making, yeast making, soap making, washing clothes in a wash pot, candle making, honey making, preserving food, educating the children, churning, weaving, crocheting, dying, drawing water and going to the outdoor privy that takes away the luster of their hard life. Even slaves could not make that



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kind of life comfortable.

His land was red and sandy, hilly and forrested, similar to East Texas (As seen by Charlie Pettey of Nacogdoches, Texas, on a trip to that
old plantation).  Aside from being a planter, he also continued his Baptist ministry.

He and Lucy worked, educated the children, and traded at Hayes store, still open in 1960 (Charlie Pettey, ibid).  It was here that the Petteys befriended the Power family, a tie that was to influence one Pettey line greatly for generations to come as will be seen later.

In 1832 William Pettey received a pension for his service in the Continental Army troups from Surry County. The pension passed to his widow at his death.  After she made application "to enable her to draw the arrears due her from the government of the United States in consequence of the death of her husband, the late William Pettey." June 1, 1835.

                                                   Witness, Dan'l D. Pettey

It amounted to the grand sum of $20.00 per year!

Just before his death at 70, William wrote the following paragraph into his will:

"Now it is my will that my beloved wife Lucretia Pettey at my death shall have the mansion house and as much land as her negroes can cultivate.  Also the household furniture and as much livestock and as many of the plantation tools as she may desire.  Also three negroes, viz:  Lewis, Richman and Sally."

Aside from the main plantation, he had an eighty acre tract, a forty acre tract and another eighty acres situated in Jackson County (From William Pettey, Jr.'s will).

After arranging for each of his children to get $500 or the equivalent after he death, life slipped away September 26, 1834 (Sworn statement made by his wife in Open Court June 1, 1835, Madison County, Alabama).

Most of the children got less than $300 each.  He and Lucy, who died August 16, 1842, at the age of 77, are



Page

Will of William Pettey of Madison County



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buried on the old plantation and the markers were in fair shape in 1960 (as seen by Charlie Pettey).

Tombstones copied in 1928 by Mrs. Howard C. Jones:

In memory of William Pettey
Born March 13, 1784 - Died Sept. 26, 1834

In memory of Lucy Pettey
Born July 7, 1765 - Died Aug. 16, 1842

From the Huntsville (Ala.) Democrat, issue of August 27, 1842 (From Mrs. Howard C. Jones, Alabama Records, Vol. 64, p. 87):

"Departed this life in this county on the 16th instant, Mrs. Lucretia Pettey, consort of the late William Pettey, dec'd, in the 78th year of her age."

Roughly, the directions to the old plantation are:  Follow paved highway west from New Market towards Huntsville to old gin and store on creek, turn left and travel about 5 miles on surfaced road to near Blutcner's Ford.

The graves are on the right on high banks beside the road.  The banks are rocked.  There is an old Cemetery further up the road--do not go that far (from Charlie Pettey).

An interesting story according to Mrs. Howard Jones of New Market, is that "The DAR had a big fuss with the commissioners years ago about widening the road and secured assurance that the graves would never be disturbed (From Mrs. Howard C. Jones, New Market, Alabama).



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THE PETTEYS IN ALABAMA
JOHN WRIGHT PETTEY, M. D.
(b. 2-28-1791 d. 9-23-1786)

John Wright Pettey, one of William's nine boys, is the next in the direct lineage of the Pettey's of East Texas.  He was born in Wilkes County, North Carolina, the 28th of February, 1791 and was named for his grandfather, John Wright Senior who apparently lived with them in Alabama, in his later years, because Pettey witnessed his will.

He married Anna Harris March 19, 1817 in North Carolina (Wilkes county, NC, Records).  She was born in Montgomery County, North Carolina the 18th of January, 1798.  They migrated from Wilkes County, North Carolina to Madison County, Alabama, about 1822.  Although, as previously discussed, his father and several brothers and sisters, cousins, etc., had come in 1817, apparently John Wright stayed in order to finish his medical education.

It is not known where he went to school but many of his area went to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, or Louisville, Kentucky.  He bought his first
land in Madison Co., Alabama in 1822 (Madison county, AL, Land Deeds, Book H, page 346), sold some in 1824 (Madison county Land Deeds, Book H, page 700), and bought more in 1826 (Book K, page 174).  He and Anna sold 1/4 section in 1842, then bought another in 1844--"The Henry Townsend track."  SE 1/4 of Section 4 plus 1, R2.

They had 13 children.  Much of the following information was copied by Miss Minnie Rodgers of Huntsville, Alabama, in 1955 from the Bible of John Wright Pettey, then owned by his granddaughter, Miss Mabel Pettey, daughter of Richard and Maagaret (Norris) Pettey.  It was published in Philadelphia by McCarty and Davis, No. 171 Market St., 1829.  Other information from a petition to sell John Wright's estate, from marriage records, 1850 census, and other research.

1. Dewitt, Clinton R.

He was born December 25, 1817 in North Carolina, was the only child who migrated with his father to Alabama and finally married Eliza Ann Palmer September 11, 1850. They were married by Rev. D. Jacks, a marrying Madison County primitive Baptist preacher.  The Rev. Jacks married most of the young couples in that area, including the Petteys.

Dewitt followed the trade of cabinet maker, a skill that William Holloway Pettey had many years later in Texas.  He was making cabinets in Madison County, Alabama as late as 1850. He eventually migrated, as several of his brothers and sisters did, to Lincoln County, Tennessee.  Some went before and some after 1850.  He went after 1850.  {See also: Sarah Ann, William (before 1850), Richard (before 1850), Newton, and Cornelia).  No date of his death is established for this writing but it was before 1879.



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2. William W. (Wright?)

William Pettey was born May 15, 1819, in Madison County, Alabama.  He married Sarah Ann Porter November 12, 1844.  They also migrated to Lincoln County, Tennessee.  He was a merchant in Lincoln County in 1850 and was there in 1878.  (See also Richard.)  He eventually migrated to Fresno, California, where he died March 30, 1904.

3. Albert Galiton

He was born May 7, 1820 in Madison County, Alabama, married Lavinia Brewer and moved to Rankin County, Mississippi, where he died in 1879 (See also John Wright who moved with him).

4. Sarah Ann

January 7, 1882, was Sarah's birthdate in Madison County, Alabama.  She first married Eli Mitchell September 8, 1841.  Rev. David Jacks per­formed the ceremony too!  Mitchell died September 3, 1842, the same day twins were born to her.  The twin boy (Uriah?) also died.  J. W. Pettey (probably her brother John Wright Pettey, Jr.) was appointed administrator of this will October 25, 1842.  It was settled in 1851 and divided the estate between her and the surviving twin, Anna Maria Mitchell, who was born September 3, 1842 (d. June 13, 1869).  Sarah apparently then went to her other brothers and sisters in Lincoln County, Tennessee where she later married Mr. John W. (William) Dameron who lived in Franklin County, Tennessee, next to Lincoln County.  Sarah Ann died March 8, 1854.  William Dameron of Lincoln County, Tennessee, is listed as a recipient of part of John Wright Pettey's estate in 1879.  It would be a sure guess that this is Sarah Ann's second child.

Anna Maria eventually married her first cousin, William A. Love, son of Henry T. and Mary Ann Francis Crutcher Love.  (See Lucretia.)  Rev. William Crutcher was another old Baptist preacher from New Market, Alabama.

About a month and a half after the birth of Sarah Ann, Anna's mother gave her a gift that is very strange to us now.  She gave her and Dr. John Wright two little negro children--a boy and a girl.  Tamer, the girl, was a month or two older than their new child Sarah Ann.  Gilford, the boy, was perhaps 3 or four years older than their son Albert Galiton.  It appears they were given to match their children as personal "body servants."  This was done in the old south.  These negroes were very close, even went to war with their masters.

"To whom all these presents shall come, I, Sarah Harris of the County of Montgomery and State of North Carolina send greetings.  Know ye that I, the said Sarah Harris for and in consideration of the natural love and affection which I have and bear unto my beloved daughter Anna Pettey and John W. Pettey, her husband, of the County and State aforesaid, and for



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divers other good causes and considerations me hereunto moving, have given and granted and by these presents do give and grant unto the said John W. Pettey a negro boy called Gilford between the age of four and six years.  Also I give in like manner a negro girl called Tamer, perhaps between three and six months old, to have, hold and enjoy the said negroes before named unto the said John W. Pettey, his executors, administrators and assigns forever and I the said Sarah Harris all and singular the afore­said negroes to the said JOHN W. PETTEY, his executors, administrators, and assigns against all persons whomsoever shall and will warrant and forever defend by these presents.  In  Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 17th day of February A.D. 1821 (From Mrs. Howard C. Jones, Alabama Records Vol. 149, p. 9).
                                                        Sarah (X) Harris Seal
Attest, George Earnhart
Za. Pettey

The other children of John Wright and Anna were:

5. William Howard (our fore-parent)

William was born Feb. 20, 1823 in Madison County, Alabama.  He married Sarah Power Sept. 24, 1845 (she was born March 20, 1828).  They migrated to Nacogdoches County, Texas in 1850.

Their children were:

William Holloway (b. Jan. 1847 in Alabama)
Cornelia (b. Nacogdoches, Texas)
John Wright (b. Nacogdoches, Texas)
Albert S. (born Nacogdoches, Texas)
Anna E. (born Nacogdoches, Texas).  Anna married Thomas D. White in Nacogdoches prior to 1878.

6. John Wright, Jr.

John was born Nov. 12, 1824.  He married Christinna Brewer Sept. 14, 1848.  They moved to Rankin County, Mississippi by 1850 where he farmed.  (See also Albert who went with him.)  He died March 27, 1858.

7. Nancy

Nancy was born near New Market, Alabama, January 26, 1826 and died one month before her 20th birthday, Dec. 6, 1846.  She is buried next to her mother in old Foster Cemetery near New Market.



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8. Anna (Eliza) Elizabeth

Anna was born Aug. 30, 1827 near New Market, Alabama.  She was married to William Howard, 25 Nov. 1852 by Rev. D. Jacks.  Their children were:

John Albert Howard (b. Sept. 2, 1853, d. Dec. 26, 1881)
Newton Eli Howard (b. Sept. 23, 1855, d. Mar. 11, 1950)
Anna Catherine Howard (b. Oct. 22, 1856, d. June 2, 1945)
Simon David Howard (b. Feb. 11, 1858, d. Apr. 25, 1909
William Thomas Howard (b. Nov. 16, 1859, d. Mar. 30, 1923)
Richard Frost Howard (b. Oct. 8, 1861, d. Feb. 4, 1870)
Sarah Elizabeth Howard (b. May 9, 1863, d. Nov. 17, 1936)
Joseph Robert Howard (b. Aug. 26, 1867, d. Nov. 12, 1869
Williams Wright Howard (b. June 26, 1869, d. Jan. 2, 1959

After 1878, Anna and her husband, William Howard, settled west of San Antonio in Texas in Medina County.  (T. R. Howard, a collaborator in this book is of this family).  Anna died (in Texas) April 7, 1909.

9. Richard

Like the others, Richard was born in New Market, Alabama, Jan. 8, 1829.  He married Margaret Carr Norris--license issued 25 Oct, 1869.  However, there is no date of solomnization shown.  According to Mrs. Howard C. Jones, "there was a Jack plane carpenter for a probate judge (in Madison County) during reconstruction and he seemed to like to omit marriage dates because they were white and confederate."  The old Carr Bible however, showed them to be married on the 20th of October.

The bible further shows Margaret to have been born Nov. 26, 1841 to Mrs. and Dr. Geo. Dashiell Norris from Philadelphia (His dates:  b. Oct. 25, 1811, d. Feb. 12, 1890).  He was a prominent physician, trustee of the Asylum and a very active Mason.

He and Margaret migrated, as several others, to Lincoln County, Tennessee prior to 1850.  He was a clerk in his brother William's store that year.  He died Oct. 31, 1890.

10.  Cornelia Ann

Cornelia was born in New Market Alabama August 1833.  She went to Lincoln County, Tennessee with her other brothers and sister and was there in 1879.  The bible did not mention a husband, therefore she apparently never married.  Died January 17, 1882, at 6 a.m.



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ll.  Lucretia

Lucretia was born June 2, 1835, in Alabama.  She was married to Thomas 0scar (T.0.) Love, by the now famous Rev. D. Jacks, on October 1, 1856.  Her husband was the son of Henry T. Love and Mary Francis Crutcher Love.

Unlike most of her brothers and sisters she and her husband stayed in Alabama to be near her father.  They were loved and trusted.  After her father's death, Love was the administrator of his estate.

They had at least one son, William A. Love.  He married his first cousin, Anna Maria Mitchell (see Sarah Ann).

Lucretia died Dec. 19, 1915.

12.  Newton Eli

Newton was born April 16, 1839, in Alabama.  He was in Lincoln County, Tennessee in 1879.

13.  Daniel B.

The last child of Dr. John Wright Pettey was Daniel.  He was born in New Market, Alabama, on Nov. 25, 1839 (some say 1830).  He and his sister, Lucretia Love, were the only ones who stayed in New Market.  He bought his father's old plantation and eventually died there May 2, 1869.

It is unfortunate that more information is not available on Dr. John Pettey.  He was a highly educated, intelligent and a very steady per­son.  His father appointed him and Zachariah as the executors of his will.  It was he who cared for his sister Amelia Carlton's money and held an 80 acre tract in trust for her.  He was also administrator of Elijah Rhea's estate, also Richard Mitchell's estate--and later his daughter's late husband and the son of Richard, Eli Mitchell's estate from which she inherited slaves in 1851.  Aside from being a doctor he was a Justice of the Peace in 1825, 26 and 27.

He died Sept. 23 or 24, 1876, at 3 p.m., but his grave cannot be found.  Anna, his wife, died June 13, 1869 at 4:30 p.m. and is buried in "Foster Cemetery" at Pleasant Grove Church north of New Market, Alabama.  So is one daughter, Nancy Pettey. It is possible that he is buried in an unmarked grave beside her.  Mrs. Howard Jones states:

"On March 3, 1953, I visited Pleasant Grove Church.  There were two Pettey
marked graves.  Nancy Pettey and Anna Pettey, wife of Dr. J.W. Pettey.  {I
Born Jan. 18, 1798, died June 13, 1869, aged 71 years, 4 months and 25 days."

"If Dr. J. W. Pettey is buried there, his grave is not marked.



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There was a flat stone, upside down, that we could not turn to see if anything had been carved on the other side."

"An extract from the Huntsville, (Ala.) Advocate, issue of June 18, 1869:  'Anna Pettey died on the 13th at the residence of her husband, Dr. J.W. Pettey in her 72nd year.'  Baptist!  From the Oct. 4, 1876 issue:  'Died at his residence near New Market, Sept. 24, 1876, Dr. J.W. Pettey in the 85th year of his age.'"

Unfortunately there is no will.  The legal procedure in the absence of this will was followed and Thomas O. Love (his daughter, Lucretia's husband) was appointed administrator.  A list of the next of kin who were over 21 was compiled and the estate then sold to Daniel, the youngest son.  It is doubtful that the proceeds were ever distributed among all those listed.  For example, our grandfather, William Halloway listed under the grandchildren from Nacogdoches County, Texas, always said that there was a "big estate back in Alabama"--all 270 acres of it among 19 heirs.  He must not have known, however, that it was ever sold.

This petition to sell this land was lost and it was presumed there was nothing, however, it was found at the last moment before this book went to press (Madison County, Alabama Records, Minute Book 17, p. 372 and Probate Record 35, p. 393).  It was valuable in helping locate members of this family as late as 1879 and tells why many descendants are still in these areas.

THE FAMILY OF JOHN WRIGHT PETTEY IN 1879
 
New Market,         Lincoln Co.         Nacogdoches Co.     Scott & Rankin Co.
Alabama             Tennessee           Texas               Mississippi	   

Dec'd               Dec'd               Dec'd               Dec'd

Anna, his wife      5. Sarah Ann        11. William         12. John Wright, Jr
                                            Howard          13. Albert Galiton

Living Children     Living Children     Grandchildren       Grandchildren

                                                            of Damascus, Scott
2. Daniel (bought   6. Dewitt Clinton   William Holloway    County, Mississippi
   father's land)
3. Lucretia         7. Richard          Cornelia Jr.        Albert Wright
                    8. Newton E.        John Wright         Ann
4. Anna E.
                    9. Cornelia Ann     Albert S.           John William
                    10. William W.      Hanna E.            Henrietta V, wife
                                                            of Marcus L. Cloud



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THE TRIP TO TEXAS WILLIAM HOWARD PETTEY (ca 1822 ca

William Howard was the fifth of the thirteen children born to John Wright Pettey. The Petteys lived near New Market, Alabama. Life was quite orderly there. The plantations were large. The slaves were ample. Everyone worked hard. Life was slow and good.
The education of all children on the frontier was sketchy. Usually children managed to lea-vlthe three Rls. The mothers did what they could at home and occasionally some neighbor with a grade school education held classes about six months out of the year.
Holloway L. Power, a neighbor of the Petteys in the old Bethany community, about a mile west of New Market, was a farmer, school teacher, preache-r, and long-time friend of the family. He was to play a very important part in the lives of many Pettey descendants until this very day.
Power kept a diary that fortunately has been preserved. In 1844 he made this notation:
"Taught school January to July at my spring".
Among his students was Albert Galiton Pettey, listed as child number 3 in the previous chapter (and named for a famous financier) the brother of William Howard. Since Albert was born in 1820, he was 24 years old while attending school at the "spring". This was not un­common. No doubt other Petteys, including William Howard, attended his school in 1843 and 1844.
The Pettey and Power children were about the same age. By the middle of the 1840's several children of each family were grown. Holloway Power gave William Howard the hand of his daughter, Sarah, perhaps at old Bethany primitive Baptist Church, on September 24, 1845. The families were now kin.
Young families need room. All the good land was taken up and in us.e, so the only thing for them to do was push on to a new frontier, just as their grandfathers had done to bring them to Alabama. Now the great wave of immigrants were moving South, to Texas.
The two oldest Power boys, William and James, came to Texas in 1849. After they had acquired land and erected cabins, they naturally



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wanted their father to come and bring their brothers. sisters and in-laws.

Holloway Power influenced the Petteys again. He invited William Howard and his daughter to go to Texas with him.

By August 1850 everything was ready. Money was saved - Pettey bought $500.00 worth of cotton from Power this month - perhaps he was hauling it and selling it for a profit. New wagons were purchased. the best horses and mules were bought and shod. and supplies were acquired. Everything had to be in perfect condition.

The future looked bright but parting with loved ones is never a happy experience. William Howard and Sarah by now had a three year old child William Holloway (Billy Holly, b. Jan. 6, 1847) and a one and one-half year old named John (Census Madison County, Alabama, 1850, 34th District, #356) who apparently died before the trip. Pettey was leaving his mother, father, brothers and sisters and his uncle Zacariah, some descendants of which live in that area today. Also in that area live the colored Petteys, relatives of their slaves. His brother Albert and John Wright Pettey, Jr., also mentioned earlier. had already settled in Rankin County, Mississippi and others had settled elsewhere. They were all to scatter eventually and never see each other again.

THE TRIP TO TEXAS

Early on the morning of September 24, 1850, Holloway L. Power. his wife, Elizabeth Meals, John and Marrian Lilly, William Howard Pettey. his wife, Sarah Power Pettey and baby son, "Billy Holly," the Coats (?) family, their children and slaves, gathered to make final preparations. (Family tradition says that other families in the caravan were the Coons and Whites).

After having taken on a good supply of food, fodder and "cook's pills," everything was tied securely, made ready, and tearful good­byes were said. 
The women and children climbed into the wagons and the men mounted saddle horses. The caravan consisted of about 30 wagons plus livestock - a good sized wagon train.

The diary begins:

"Sept. 24, 1850  Set out about twelve for Texas."

Power was now about 48 years old - fully mature and able to lead such a hazardous journey. For the next 41 days, they were to travel over muddy trails, cross swamps, woods, rocky hills, twelve major rivers, and countless streams. The distance was approximately 800



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miles.  Nearly all were to be sick, sore and sad before the trip was to end.  Much of the trip across Texas was over the old Trammel's Trace.

A MAP

If you would like to draw the route of the Pettey's trip into Texas before you read the diary that follows, or better still, travel it someday, you can mark a modern highway road map. The United States map is too small, so try an Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi map by following these directions: (There will not be a highway at some places)

Begin at Nacogdoches, draw a line north up 259 to Mt. Enterprise up 315, then to Pinehill up to the Panola County line near Beckville. Go up the County line, which is the old Trammel's Trace, to Highway 79 and on into Marshall. From Marshall go cut 43 to Karnak, up 134 until it turns, then draw a line straight across the Cypress Bayou, above Caddo Lake, to Highway 43 near Smith land. A bridge is being built near there, where in a few months Highway 43 will cross the river but it will be about a mile from Port Caddo where they crossed. Go through Atlanta, then on 59 to Queen City. Now draw a line from Queen City to the Sulphur Fork of the Red River just on the Arkansas side. From there, draw a line up to Fulton, Arkansas.  From Fulton draw a line approximately up 195 to Washington. From Washington to Blevins, on to Clear Springs, then a line all the way to Benton and Little Rock, Arkansas. Now follow Highway 70. From Memphis, draw a line along Highway 78 into Mississippi. At Holly Springs draw a line east, over a dirt road to Highway 4 to Ripley and Boonville, then out Highway 30 to Tlshamingo. From there draw a line to Tuscumbla. Then follow Highway Alt 72 to Decatur, to Huntsville, and New Market.

You will notice that the route was a huge half circle, even putting the weary travelers up into Tennessee, which is above Alabama. Why did they not come straight across? In those days there was much danger in travel. The pioneers wanted to travel the best roads (they were rocky and muddy, or dry and dusty, and all mere trails at their best), with the most people, and where ferrys and camps were established. Most of this old trail was blazed as far back as the 1600's. At that time it went to St. Louis Missouri. There were other trails--the old Neches Trace, for example, may have saved some miles but it was reported to be over-run with high­waymen (robbers).

The diary continues:

THE DIARY

September 25, 1850   Made 22 miles today.
          26         Made 17 miles, crossed the Tennessee (River)
                     (Brown's Ferry $4.50)



Page 67              Feel quite sore this morn. Camped in mountains one mile
                     from the fork (of the road) that goes to Tuscolosa.

By the fifth day out things began to get rough.  They thought their arms and legs would break.

          28         Fell sick from fatigue and bad weather. Camped 4 miles
                     East of Tuscumbia.

          29         Went through Tuscumbia. Made about 18 miles and camped at
                     Rudgley's or Ripley's (Ferrage "Pheage Laurance" $3.00)

          30         Passed through Buzzard Roost and crossed Big Bear Creek
                     on the stage run. Bigby on Bridge. 60c/ (crossed over Tom
                     Bigbee River, just across Mississippi line for toll
                     bridge). Camped in Tishamingo. Made 21 miles.

Oct.        1        Camped at Jacinto.  Clear.

            2        Made 18 miles. Do not feel particularly unwell except
                     being sore. Clear (Camped between Ripley and Boonville).

            3        Made 21 miles.  Clear (camped at Ripley).

            4        Made 15 miles.  Camped about 6 miles east of Holly
                     Springs.

            5        Started at sunrise. Went through Holly Springs. Made
                     about 21 miles. Slept in house for first time in twelve
                     days. Frost, (At a place called "home-sick"?)

This was about where Miller is today. The party was sick and worn out.  They "laid over" here for 7 days.



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Oct.        6        Sunday, Frost

            7        Frost

            8        Took horse radish tea. Cloudy. The nights had begun to
                     get cold. They began to get sick.

            9        My black woman Flora - sick with pain in head and stomach.
                     Shower.

            10       Clear

            11       Started on my journey. Black woman still sick. Camped 30
                     miles from Memphis. Clear. (This seems to be the same camp
                     that they have been using or else they made only a few
                     miles.)

            12       My wife sick. Black woman sick - rainy.

            13       Crossed Manconnes below Pike-Cato River (cost $2.25)
                     Camped at 2 mile spring near Memphis.

            14       Set off early. Misty - cloudy - slippery. Crossed Great
                     River (Mississippi) in steamboat. (cost $12.00) Made 22
                     miles. Cloudy. (Camped at Marrians, east of Blackfish
                     Lake.)

            15       Set off early to reach the termination of this dismal
                     swamp.  Crossed Black (fish) lake. Cloudy. 20 miles from
                     Mississippi.  Crossed St. Francis River and camped.

Between this date and the 23rd, they paid two more ferrages.  One at Texas, $4.00. The other at "Rio Bonez" $3.00.  Since they crossed more than two streams, their location is not known.

            16       Went through St. Francis City. Made 20 miles. Camped at
                     Ferry. (On the L'Auguille River). Thunder, rain.

            17       Roads muddy. Camped at Widder Huges. Made 20 miles from
                     gate (of the ferry?).  Rain (At the present city of
                     Brinkle, Ark.)

            18       Everything very wet. Made 17 miles over bad road. Saddle
                     mare, gave out and fell down two times. Came to White
                     River. At night my lead horse had the colic very badly.
                     Prospects gloomy. Camped 10 miles of Grand Prairie at
                     Widder Black's. Cloudy. (East bank of White River.)



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Nov.         21      Passed through Grand Prairie. Made 23 miles and camped 28
                     miles from Little Rock. Frost. (On to the Paru River.)

             20      Made 21 miles. Frost. (camped outside Little Rock.)

             21      Preparing to set off to cross Arkansas River. Wrote
                     letters to my sons in Texas. Crossed river and went
                     through Little Rock City. Made 16 miles. Hilly and rocky.
                     Indian summer. (camped between Little Rock and Benton,
                     Ark.)

             22      20 miles over sandy soil and broken ground. Passed
                     through Benton, Saline County. Crossed Saline River.
                     Indian summer. (camped a few miles west of Saline River.)

             23      Made 18 miles today. Took chill. (This is why they had
                     taken on a good supply of Cook's pills.) Crossed Washata.
                     (cost $3.60) near Rockfort. Rain. Stayed at Dr. Physic's,
                     10 miles from Rockfort.

"Kind Dr. Physics" may have saved some of the members from death because by now they were completely worn out. They camped on the west bank of the Ouachita ("Washata") River around Oak Grove.

             24       Lay by as the weather has turned quite cold. Cloudy.

             25       Still at Dr. Physic's

             26       Frost.

             27       Kind Dr. Physics charged us nothing. Left at 10:00
                      o'clock. Frost.

             28       Made 20 miles. Clear. (camped about Clearspring).
                      Crossed Antonio River to Little Missouri River. (Little
                      River Ferrage $3.75) Clear. (camped on the east bank of
                      Little Missouri.)

             30       Marrian and John Lilly both had chills. (camped at
                      Washington.)

             31       Set off early. My wife very sick. My own health very
                      bad. M and J. Lilly still sick. Camped at Fulton's. 15
                      miles today. (Fulton's Ferry was on the east bank of the
                      Red River in Arkansas. It is now the City of Fulton,
                      Ark.)

Nov.           1      Crossed the Red River. ($2.40) Road very bad this day.
                      Clear.  Made 18 miles. (camped near Genoa, Ark.)

               2      Entered Cass County (Texas). Set off for Jefferson.
                      Clear. (Camped



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                      in Cass Co. around Atlanta, Texas.

               3      Preparing to leave for Port Caddo. Leaving the Jefferson
                      Road to the right. Made 18 miles. Camped at Mr.
                      Robinson's. Clear. (camped at Jim's Bayou.)

               4      Forded Jim's Bayou. Made 18 miles. Camped near Mr.
                      Nance's. Rain all night. (camped at Smithland.)

               5      Crossed at Smithland (Caddo Lake) today. (Old bed of
                      River $3.00) (Carn this side of Caddo Lake.)

               6      Commenced raining in the night and rained all day. Made
                      (only) ten miles. Camped at G. Smith's (around Marshall)
                      Cloudy.

               7      Crossed Sabine with some difficulty at Randall's Ferry
                      (cost. 75c/). Made 11 miles. Sprinkled. (Entered Rusk
                      Co. and camped between Beckville and the Sabine River.)

               8      Cloudy and rain. (camped at Becks Roke - Beckville?)

               9      Rained all night. Made 18 miles. Camped 2 miles of Rake
                      Pocket (Now Spring Hill. This is about half way between
                      Beckville and Mt. Enterprise in Rusk County).

              10      Sunday (still in) Rusk County. Frost (camped at Mt.
                      Enterprise.)

              11      Reached my son William's (in Nacogdoches) Frost.  Thus
                      the trip ended after 41 days of rain, frost, mud and
                      sickness. The journey was over 800 miles.

IN EAST TEXAS

(The weary travelers spent November 12 through 19 looking for land to buy or rent. They made offers but were mostly turned down.)

Nov.          21      These words were spoken for all:  "My head is
                      overflowing with sorrow at my homeless condition. Oh,
                      God, give me yet a home and peaceful residence."

November 22 through 27 were more days spent looking for a home. Finally, around the first of December, they began to get settled.



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They all seemed to have rented places first.

December       9      Commenced work on my new place. Settled with J. (John
                      V.) Lilly and W. H. Pettey for expenses on Road. I
                      received of Lilly $25.00 and Pettey $37.50 as their
                      share. (The entire trip for everyone only cost $131.90.
                      This included food, sundries, ferrages and corn for the
                      animals.)

              10      Raised a corn crib.

              11

              12      Getting boards (There was a sawmill in Nacogdoches as
                      early as 1852, so no doubt had one in 1850).

              13      Getting smokehouse logs.

              14      Hauling up logs.

              15      Building smokehouse.

              16      Building smokehouse.

              17      Building smokehouse.

              18      Salted down my meat.

Holloway Power then began work on his "new place" Dec. 9, 1850. The place already had a "house on it but there is a very interesting reason why he had to build all the out buildings. We will see why shortly--­any other old farm place would have had all its buildings. Apparently the Petteys lived with them during the first two years in Texas. This place seems to have been a tract on the land of Stephen Sparks and was rented from him.

In February of 1851 Sparks sold Power 505 acres. Sparks owned a huge block of land which included the site of Old North Church and Cemetery, which he gave for that purpose, but let's see about their first house.

February 22, 1819, Spain made a treaty with the U. S. in which it ceded Florida. In turn, the U.S. agreed to let the long disputed Sabine River be the boundary between American and Spanish territory (Texas, etc.) A "no man's land" or buffer strip was designated to run the



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length of the river in order to avoid contacts between the two governments.

Many people in the U.S., especially those in the near-by border states, felt that the U.S. had a valid elaim to a goodsized piece of Texas already--to the Rio Hondo. The treaty caused them to feel1 that the U.S. gave up its "rights" and besides they wanted Spain out of that region!

On June 17, 1819 Dr. James Long, a wealthy young man from Natchez, Mississippi, crossed the Mississippi River with 75 men. Their intent was to set up a free republic in Texas and rid her of the Spaniards. So popular was their cause that along the way they picked up new recruits. When they arrived in Nacogdoches, they had 300 men.

They built a fort from which they issued laws, land grants, raised money, attempted to recruit more soldiers and set up the first printing press in Texas. At the same time the Spanish in Mexico were raising an army that was to try to defeat them.

Long left Nacogdoches to try to persuade Jean Lafitte, the pirate in Galveston, to help him. While he was away Col. Perez led the army up from Mexico, defeated the forces in Nacogdoches and occupied the area. Mrs. Long barely escaped across the Sabine with her life.

The Long headquarters was a community log fort built on top of a little knoll in North Nacogdoches County, Texas behind the old F. W. (Fairley) Lee home now belonging to Ed Tucker in the Red Flat Community. The big log house was two-story, had holes in the top floor to shoot through, and was surrounded by a stockade of 8-foot tall slabs driven in the ground. It had two long battle trenches running out from this.

This headquarters of the Long Expedition was the same "place" that the Powers and Petteys called their first home in Texas and it was here that Long flew one of the "Six Flags Over Texas" and the first Lone Star flag that ever flew over her soil! It is also here that 135 of Long's men lay buried. (as told by Charlie Powers)

Power lived in the old Fort until his death. His son, Holloway B. later bought the old Sparks home on the main road that runs in front of Old North Church. Here he and his wife birthed their children, which included Charlie, who was born in 1878 and who was the source of much of this information.

The following excerpts from the diary give a resume of events



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in their lives over the next few years:

Before Christmas Power took a renter, until New Years--a Mrs. Wild. No doubt she was spending the holidays on the frontier to be with friends and relatives and Power had a nice roof to offer. Her name was appropriate because she showed them how to have a "wild time" in 1850.

"December 27 Mr. Sparks and Mrs. Wild (she was a widow) had a candy party (pulling) in their room. Full of men and women and noisy playing all night.
The party dispersed after daylight."

February 1, 1851, Power bought 505 acres from Sparks for $1,525.00. (Deeds, Vol. N. Nacogdoches County, Texas, Records.)

February 8, 1851, Power bought 431 acres from Frost Thorn (a very early inhabitant since Spanish times.) This 936 acres was to be the nucleus of his plantation. There was an ancient road running east and west beside the old log fort. It came out on the west side about Hall's Lake, however a "new" road was soon to be built.  It is now known as the Old Appelby Road that runs in front of old North Church. It was along this new road that the Petteys, Lillys, McCuistions, and some of the Power boys all settled and they were all kin. The next entry tells how that road was built:

"March 7.  Mr. Sparks, Wm. Coats and sons and Mr. Christopher and a Mr. Wilds cut out a broad road clear across my land in the best of the tract without leave of me or in anyway consulting me.  The road runs in 100 yards of my house and has destroyed much fine young timber.  I am sick and confined at home and consider it a most willful disregard of my rights and feelings and a tres­pass that deserves punishment."

"March 8.  I spent a most restless night not being able to compose my mind after hearing of the treatment of my neighbors."  (He decided however, to place the problem in the hands of the Lord and apparently never mentioned it
to his neighbors.  The road was important to the development of that area and he probably realized this.)

Since the "new home" of Holloway L. Power was a fort, it was able to withstand intrusion by unwanted guests. The other



Page 70




Page 70

families settled at we11 chosen spots. There is a hill about two miles Northeast from the land settled, that affords vision in every direction--it was here his brother-in-law, Thomas McCuistions had previously settled.  Power entered in his papers, "I bought this place in order to be near my beloved brother-in-law, Thomas McCuistions."

When the Alabamians came and settled on the redlands, they were inviting trouble. Although the Cherokee had been driven from Texas a few years prior, he still claimed, with some justification, all land north of El Camino Real - the Spanish road running east and west through. Nacogdoches. There were still many remaining bands of Indians scattered over the woods that were never removed. Each settler then chose his location carefully.

Because of its height, this place had no water. A sixty-five foot well was finally dug but it was never dependable. Then a good well was dug at the foot of the hill next to the road. Not only the residents upon the hill but weary travelers settled themselves there with their thirsty mounts and teams for years. Even with this handicap, the advantageous location was necessary for the Indians did attack a girl at a spring just up the road and in front of old North Church.

Down below the hill spreads a broad, fertile place of hundreds of acres on which the Petteys, Powers, Lillys, McCuistions, etc., planted their wheat, cotton and corn. It was here that Pettey was to later die in those very wheat fields.

Today a huge virgin oak tree stump, as wide as a car, remains watching over the land, essentially as it was then. It is dead now, broken half into, but its remains stand tall and solid. It was the main shade over the old log house. The walls have caved and filled but all is not gone. Young oaks, large and tall by today's standards are steady against the sky and a grove of now rare, wild cherry bushes dot the area.

When the settlers built their homes, the forest was virgin.  There were no roads or trails directly connecting the homes. The first "roads" were simply plowed farrows connecting each house, They later grew into roads.

The following receipts show the closeness of the families:

"May (Power) paid W. Pettey 25 cents. "Pettey borrowed $8.37 from Power. Paid W. Pettey for tax - $12.20" "Paid W. Pettey balance on expenses $27.84.



Page 71

By August things were running routinely for the new settlers. They were doing busy things such as visiting each other when sick or otherwise, helping raise houses for the neighbors, attending church, and taking care of business.

In September Power made a couple of interesting notations:

Sept. 4         Went to General Rusk's (Thomas J. Rusk, a hero of San Jacinto 
                and the one who finally defeated the Cherokee and ran them
                from East Texas)

      5         Wrote to my father-in-law (back in New Market) authorizing him
                to buy young negroes from 12-18 years old for $800.00 (or less)

Oct. 25         Looked at W. Pettey's cotton and found it badly injured by the
                stock and advised him to have it evaluated in order to recover
                damages as the renters own stock do the damages.

Pettey was originally still living in the 0ld fort with his father-­in-law, Power. The rent houses were on the North side of the Power land and some still stand today. The "fertile plain" mentioned earlier, was between these houses and the old fort.

When sickness occurred, medication administered by the doctors of that day sounds strange to us now:

Nov. 19         Visited Mr (John) Lilly. Pulse rate 130-150 per minute. Saw
                Drs. Stroude and Martin. They bled the patient moderately. His
                disease is typhoid.

     20         Mr. Lilly some better.

The settlers found that money was very diffi:Cult to obtain:
December 20, 1851    No market and money in great demand.

In 1852, William Howard Pettey bought his first land, 117 1/2 acres from James W. Power, his brother-in-law. (Nacogdoches County, Texas Records, Deed Book G. P. 99).  It was bordered by the Cordova grant, Lavell L Legg land and Wm. Power land and was from the T. M Davirsis Survey.

The two Power boys, James W. and William, who came to



Page 72

Texas one year before their father, and the Petteys and Lillys, originally settled near the Angelina River in the Vicinity of Eden [From Capt. Ed L. Kerlie, founder of the Jasper (Texas) Newsboy, issue of Jan. 12, 1923.] (Eden Cemetery is located near the end of the Lower Douglas Road).

Pettey bought this land from James W. Power and apparently settled in that part of the country with them for a time.

In 1852 H. L. Power loaned W. H. Pettey $150.00 for crops. Later in the year Pettey paid him $167.00 for "bal. of settlement."  During this same period Pettey bought butter from Power, The next notation is quite interesting - "Wm. Pettey sent to "To New Orleans for groceries."  At this time steam boats were running up the major rivers and up rivers like the Angelina during flood stages. Everything was ordered out of New Orleans via steam boats.

Mt. Sterling, a short distance from there, was an early river port. It was founded in 1835, had one of Texas' first post offices, a grist mill, etc., but after a few years, it ceased to exist as a town. However, steam boats continued to dock there as late as the 1880's.

River traffic hit its peak in the 1850's about the time the new settlers moved over the Angelina. At the same time, the Morgan Steamship Company had large ocean going steamships going between New Orleans and Galveston, stopping to pick up and unload freight at points in between - Sabine being the important port to East Texas. One of the Morgan ships was named the "General Rusk," who has been mentioned as a friend of Holoway L. Power and no doubt of the
Petteys.

There were six steam boats navigating the Sabine, Neches and Angelina Rivers at the time. All three of these rivers were navigated through Sabine Lake. The boats hauled both freight and passengers. They connected with the Morgan lines at Sabine where both passengers and freight changed boats. As a rule, the boats brought cotton down stream and carried goods, bought from New Orleans by the Morgan steamers, back up. At this time. New Orleans was the supplier for all East Texas and it was from Mt. Sterling, no doubt, that Pettey and the Power boys ordered and received their supplies. (The site is now known as Goodman Bridge).

William Pettey and Sarah also had their second baby, Elizabeth in 1852.

The following is an interesting notation in Power's Diary that gives us an insight into how the people of East Texas felt about



Page 73

slaves ten years before the Civil War:

Oct. 27 - Corrected a black man for disobedience in running about at night. I felt it my duty to use the rod; yet I deplore the necessity and heartily wish all such relations between a master and slave had been dispensed with at the early settlement of the country but the evil has now spread until there is no remedy within human power. Therefore, the only alternative is to keep the servant in his proper subjucation and treat him with such levity as is consistent therewith. (Power had 14 slaves in 1860. John Hyter had 142 - the most in the county.)

December 22, 1853, John Lilly's boy, William L. married one of Power's daughters. Now the Petteys, Powers and the Lillys were neighbors, friends and relatives.

Mary Ann, the third child, was born to William Howard and Sarah in 1854. In 1855 economics were still not good. There had been no market, tight money, and now a drought. December 28, 1855 Power entered:

"The driest year experienced here for many years. Red River still down very low. Having been a year and a half. Almost use­ less for navigation, thus shutting us up from supplies." (During times of the year the Angelina could not be navigated.

John Wright Pettey, their fourth child, was born.

By 1857 William Howard recorded land described as being located between the Naciniche and Carrizo, 8 1/2 miles West 33 degrees east of Nacogdoches. (Nacogdoches County Records Book l).  On January 29, 1858, he had this place instrumented (surveyed).

On August 6, 1858 he bought 46 1/2 acres from his neighbor J. (John) V. Lilly.  They lived on this tract which was to become the nucleus of the W. H. Pettey farm. It was located 4 miles N. E. of Nacogdoches in the Redfield community. He raised a house and here he and Sarah had their fifth and last child, Albert.

On January 15, 1859, he bought 100 acres to add to his tract from J. and T. M. Henson for $300.00 total, and on January 22, he bought L. L Henson's 100 acres for $70.00. (Nacogdoches County Records, Book N. p. 351 and 354).  An average of about $2.25 per acre for some of the finest redland in the county was not a bad deal indeed.



Page 74

Photo of William Herschel Pettey



Page 75

Photo of Ephraim Lenzro Coon



Page 76

Photo of Mary Ann Pettey Coon



Page 77

Photo of Samuel Albert Pettey and wife Margaret Alice (seated)
Standing left to right:  Frank, John, Hester Mae, Samuel Albert Jr., Mary Elizabeth, and Elihu.  1904



Page 77B

Photos of Elizabeth Pettey White's children:

Paralee Cornelia White Brooks
1872-1946
picture made before 1911

Martha Asilee White
Ammons
1878-1937
Picture made in 1901

Bennett Blake White
1875-1906
picture made about 1900

Emma White Jones (with a child)
1882-1963
picture made about 1912

Tom Samuels White
1885-1967
picture made about 1960





Index

PETTY, PETTEY, PETTIE, etc.

PETTY

Abigail Bayless		47
Abner			23, 30
Amelia Antonet		48
Albert			11, 56, 61, 79, 93
Albert Galeton		46, 48, 55, 59, 60
Albert Meredith		48
Albert S.		56, 59
Albert Wright		59
Allen B.		39
Alma Berry		4
Amanda			39
Amelia			46, 52a, 58
Amelia Martin		46
America			48
Andrew			7
Andrew J.		48
Ann			26, 27, 28, 30, 59
Anna			55, 56, 58, 59
Anna Elizabeth		46, 57
Anna Harris		46, 54
Anne			8
Anne E.			56, 59
Anthony			8

Benjamin 		20, 21, 44, 45
Benjamin Franklin	45, 48, 52a
Benton			48

C. E.			82
Catherine		24, 25, 31
Catherine Garton	23, 27
Charles			8, 9
Charles B.		4
Charles E. (Charlie)    11, 4, 52, 53, 90, 94, 99, 102, 113, 114, 115, 122,
                        124, 125
Chronall		7
Christian		13
Christianna Brewer	56
Clarence		9
Cleopatra		49
Clinton			39
Cornelia		54, 56, 59
Cornelia Ann		46, 57, 59
Cynthia Ann		39
Cynthia Bryan		48

Daniel			59
Daniel B.		46, 58
Daniel D.		52
Daniel H.		43, 48
Daniel Harrison		48, 49
Dewey 			9, 95, 102, 121, 125
Dewitt Clinton R.	46, 59
Diannah Harrison Martin	45
Dolly			101
Dorcas Virginia		48
Doris			frontpiece
Dorothy			17, 18

Edmund			39
Eli			37, 43, 44, 45, 52a
Eli Williams		38, 45, 46
Elias			39
Elijah			37
Elinash			45
Elisha			37
Eliza			52a
Eliza Jane Welch	92, 93, 94, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 104a, 105, 115,
                        117, 125
Eliza W.		48
Elizabeth		13, 20, 21, 26, 27, 28, 29, 33, 36, 37, 38, 72, 91
Elizabeth F. Morgan	47
Elizabeth Fidelia	79
Elizabeth Marshall	23
Elizabeth Martin	39
Elizabeth Moore		11, 23, 26, 27, 32
Ellis Holloway		49
Elsie			39
Emma			48
Eugene			108, 114, 118, 121, 122, 124, 125

Felix W.		48
Ferdinand		48
Francis			30, 36, 39
Francis, Jr.		39
Francis Moore		26, 27, 28, 32

George			7, 19, 21, 23, 24, 25, 30, 39
George Washington	12

Hannah			37
Hanry			8
Harry Gordon		iii, 1, 4, 8, 13, 32, 116, 122
Henry			11
Henry Charles Keith	8
Henry Clay		45
Henrietta V.		59
Hiram F.		48
Holloway P.		49
Howard			90
Huebert			14

Ida Mae Hooper Waldron	90, 91, 94, 106, 107, 114, 120
Isa Goodwin		125

J. E.			82, 94
J. M.			12
James 			7, 23, 25, 36, 39
James William		47, 52a
James Wright, Jr.	48
Jane Amanda Nisbet	48
Jemina			25, 30
Jeremiah		23
Jess			88, 102, 122
Jesse W.		48, 49
Jessie			78, 89, 95, 98, 119, 120, 121, 124
Jessie Elmo		95
Joanna B.		48
John 			7, 8, 12, 23, 24, 25, 28, 30, 36, 37, 39, 61, 93
John B.			39
John Bryan		48
John W.			55, 56, 59
John William		59
John Wright (Dr.)	v, vii, 43, 44, 46, 48, 52a, 54, 55, 56, 58, 59, 60,
                        73, 97
John Wright, Sr.	54
John Wright, Jr.	46, 55, 56, 59, 61
Joseph			13, 28
Julia Ann		48
Julietta		48

Katherine		25
Katherine Morris	16, 18

L.			46
Larkin			39
Laura Jane		48
Lavina Brewer		55
Lawrence		13
Lazarus			44, 52a, 97
Lazarus D.		45
Leah House		39
Lee			9, 12
Leroy Franklin		48
Letitia			37, 39
Lettice			33, 36
Louisa			39
Louisa W. Roberts	47, 48
Lovey(Lavina?)		26, 27, 28
Lucinda			37
Lucinda Caroline	45, 48
Lucretia		46, 58, 59
Lucretia J,		48
Lucretia Wright (Lucy)	vii, vii, ix, xi, 11, 37, 38, 42, 43, 44, 48, 49, 52,
                        52a, 53

M. Elisa		49
Mabel			54
Margaret Carr Norris	54, 57
Margaretta W.		46
Mariah			39
Martha			24, 25
Martha Ann		39
Martha F.		48
Mary			20, 21, 24, 25, 39
Mary Ann		73, 79
Mary E.			48
Mary Elizabeth		46
Mary Frances Lewallen	90
Mary Jane		48
Mary Sanders		39
Mary Spahr		39
Matilda			39
Matilda Powers		49
Maxamilian		13
Maxamilian, Jr.		13
May Power		70

Nancy			37, 44, 48, 52a, 56, 58
Nancy B.		48
Nancy Dodson		37
Nancy E.		46
Nancy Eliza		46
Nancy P.		45
Newton			54
Newton E.		59
Newton Eli		46, 58

Oliver N.		xiv, xv
Oliver Newton		95, 120
Ollie			101, 102, 114, 116, 118, 121, 122, 124

Palmer R.		45
Presley T.		39

R. Augustus		48
Rachel			36, 37
Rachel Wilson		17, 19, 20, 21, 22
Ralph Eugene		95, 102
Ransdell		36, 39
Rebecca			14, 23, 24, 25, 30, 39
Rebecca Simms		23
Rebekah Amelia		46
Rebekah Shackelford	46
Reuben			31
Rhoda			36, 39
Richard			9, 12, 13, 46, 54, 55, 57, 59
Robert			7
Robert Martin		45
Rosanna			37

Salley			47
Sally Ragland		39
Sarah			23, 24, 30, 35, 36, 39, 46 , 61, 72, 73, 79, xiii
Sarah Ann		46, 54, 55, 58, 59
Sarah Ann Porter	55
Sarah Clogston		39
Sarah F.		45
Sarah L.		46
Sarah Power		56, 61
Sarah T.		39
Stephen			13
Susan A. Stone		48
Susanna			23

Tennessee		48
Theophilus		13, 14, 27, 32
Thomas			i, iv, 7, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 21, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 31, 		32, 36, 39
Thomas, Jr.		11, 27
Thomas, I		vii, 11,13,14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 26
Thomas, II		vii, 13, 14, 17, 19, 20, 22
Thomas, III		vii, 13, 14, 17, 19, 23, 24
Thomas, IV		vi, 23, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 33
Thomas J		48
Thomas Jefferson	9
Thomas Merce		47, 48
Thomas Moore		47, 52a
Thomas Moore, Jr.	26
Tobitha			23

Victoria		90
Vivian			frontpiece, iv, 4

W.			70, 71
W. C.			9
Watson			37
Will			94
Willard			48
William			v, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 15, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29,
                        32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 39, 42, 43, 44, 49, 50, 51,
                        52, 52a, 53, 54, 57, 72, 97
William, Sr.		iv, vii, 25, 26, 27, 28,. 29, 32, 42, 43
William, Jr.		vii, 27, 32, 37, 38, 40,41, 52, viii, ix
William A.		48
William Bryan		48
William Eli		37
William Holloway	vi, vii, 3, 4, 9, 54, 56, 59, 61, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82,
  (Bill/Billy)          83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 94a,
                        95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 104a,105,
                        110, 111, 112, 113, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123,
                        124, 125, 126, 127, xii, xiii
William Howard		v, vi, vii, 44, 46, 56, 57, 59, 60, 61, 67, 71, 72,
                        73, 78, 79, 80, 93, xiii
William Lazarus		46
William Thornton	47, 52a
William W. (Wright ?)	46, 55, 59
Willis R.		39
Winnie D.		48

Zachariah		23, 30, 33, 34, 36, 37, 38, 46, 52a, 56, 58, 61
Zachariah T.		48
Zachrian		46
Zora			8

ALLIED LINES

ACRE
Doss			94

ANDERSON
Berry			105
Berry W.		87

ARNOLD
Lezebeth Wright		xi
William			36

ARMSTRONG
Rutherford C.		41

AWBREY
Dorothy			ix, x
Richard			x

BAKER
Nancy Campbell		xiii
Slade			xiii

BARMANN
Mrs. Paul V.		iv, 13, 17

BATHELMEY
Peter			2

BAUGH
Susan			94a

BAXTER
Palmer			101

BAYLESS
Abigail			47

BERRY
Alma Petty		123

BETTINGTON
Jeff			123

BiLLINGSLEY
Zora Petty		8

BLACKWELL
Joshiah			44

BLESSINGTON			   
J. P.			81, 82

BLOUNT
Guy			122

BLUNT
Dora Power		xiii

BOSTICK
Absolom (Capt.)		41

BOSTON
Jemina Petty		30
Martha Petty		24, 25
Rebecca			30
Rebecca Petty		23

BOX
_____			123

BRANDT
Mrs. M. A. III		23

BRAXTON
George			22

BREWER
Christinna		56
Lavinia			55

BROCKMAN
W. E.			iv

BRYAN
Cynthia			48

CAMPBELL
Belle			xiii
Betty			xiii
Bud			xiii
Eliza			xiii
Fanny			xiii
Jim			xiii
Lucendy			xiii
Mary Ann Power		xiii
Mary Jane		xiii
Mary Melton		xiii
Mettie Rushing		xiii
Nancy			xiii
William Barney		xiii

CARLTON
Amelia Petty		52a, 57, 58
David (Rev.)		47
Eliza			47
Elizabeth		47
Elizabeth Eve		47
John			45
Lazarus			47
Lewis			47
Lucinda C.		47
Margaret E. Tucker	47
Michael Howard		47
Randolph		47
Susanna Smith		45
William Lewis		47

CAST
Elisha			39
Rhoda Petty		36

CASTLEBERRY
Boney			122

CHRISTIAN
Jim			100

CHRISTOPHER
____			69

CLAGSTON
Sarah			39

CLARK
Nancy Riley		42

CLOUD
Henrietta V. Petty	59
Marcus L.		59
		   
COATS
William			69

COOK
John (Maj.)		49

COON
Ed			xiii
Mary Ann		93
Susannah Power Roark	xiii

COOPER
Dorothy Petty		17
Mandy			99
Thomas			17
Timmy			99

CORLEY
Sarah Petty		23, 30

COX
Aaron			xiii
Mary Jane Campbell	xiii
Navarro			xiii
Rho			xiii
Will			xiii

CRAIN
G. B. (Lt.)		80

CREWS
Joseph			33
William			33

CROCKETT
George (Dr.)		ii

CROSSLAND
Betty Campbell		xiii
James L.		79, 86, 91, xiii
Samantha		86
Sarah Power Petty	79, 86, 90, 91, 93, xiii
Thomas Britton		86

CRUTCHER
Mary Ann Francis	55, 58
William (Rev.)		55

CRUZE
Forrest			100, 101

CAMERON
John William		57
Sarah Ann Petty
    Mitchell            55

DARNELL
Elizabeth		x
Waugh			x

DAVIRSIS
T. M.			71

DAVIS
_____			54
Bill			96

DEFLIN
Lucendy			xiii
Ruff			xiii

DeSHAZO
M. Lloyd		117

DEWITT
Clinton R.		54
Eliza Ann Palmer	54

DIXON
Annie T.		37

DODSON
Cabeb			29, 37
Elijah			37
Elizabeth		37
Elizabeth Petty		33, 36, 37
Isaac			37
Joseph			37, 39
Lydia			37
Mary			37
Nancy			37
Stephe			37
Thomas			37
Timothy			37

DOLLARD
_____			96

DORSETT
Callie			87
Calvin			86, 87
Etta			87
Minnie			87
Mollie			87
Samantha Crossland	86, 87

DOWLING
Dick			80

EASTMAN
Alfred			48
Eliza W.		48, 52

EDWARDS
Dorcas Virginia Petty	48
Joseph Thomas		48
Tabitha			30

ELLIOTT
Nancy Wright		xi
Thomas			36

ELSBERRY
Agatha Wright		xi
John			34

FAULCONER
Edward			22

FAULKNER
Fanny Campbell		xiii
George			xiii
Martha Power		xiii

FORD
Ann			30
Apphia			30

FORNEY
______ (Gen.)		85

FROST
Marshall Walker		46
Nancy Wright		44
William			66
Wright W.		ii, iv, v, 29, 32, 38, ix

FUGGETT
Dorothy Petty		17
James			17

GAINES
Katherine Long		17
Thomas			17

GANRUD
Mrs. B. W.		v, vi

GARTON
Catherine		23, 27
John			23
John, Jr.		23
Martha (Mrs. John)	23
Matthew			23
Richard			23
Ruth			23

GATES
_____ (Gen.)		41

GODFREY
Peter			22

GRAY
Roy			122

GUYNESS
John (Capt.)		83

HARBEN
Ann			11, 26

HARGROVE
Francis (Maj.)		41

HARRIS
Anna			46, 54
Sarah			55, 56

HAWKINS
Joseph			23
Susanna Petty		23
Susannah		30

HAYTER
Sam			105, 125

HENSON
J.			73
L. L.			73
T. M.			73

HICKERSON
David			44
F. W.			iv
John			44, 45
Lytle			45
Nancy Petty		44, 52a
William Pitt		45

HILL
Mrs. _____		92

HODGE
Belle Power		xiii

HOLLAND
Nellie			48

HOOPER
Ida Mae Petty		90, 91, 94, 106, 107, 114, 120
Peter			106, 107, 120
Sam			120

HOPPINS
Charles Arthur		iv

HOUSE
Leah (Lehr)		39

HOUSTS
Mrs. Hale		13

HOWARD
Anna Catherine		57
Anna Elizabeth		57
John Albert		57
Joseph Robert		57
Lucinda C. Carlton	47
Michael			47
Newtin Eli		57
Richard Frost		57
Sarah Elizabeth		57
Simon David		57
T. R.			ii, iv, v, 5, 13, 32, 47, 57
William			57
William Thomas		57
Williams Wright		57

HUGES
Ann (Mrs. John)		23
John			23

HYTER
John			73

INGLET
_____			xiii

INGRAM
LeRoy			126
Walter			126

ISAACS
Elisha (Maj.)		41

ISBELL
P. (Capt.)		41

IVY
Mrs. George		126

JACKS
David (Rev.)		54, 55, 56, 58

JACKSON
Andrew			49

JAMISON
Salley Petty		47

JEEMES
_____			96

JOHNSON
Wright			101

JONES
Mrs. Howard C.		ii, 36, 44, 49, 50, 52a, 56, 57, 58
Mrs. Kathleen Paul	v
Pauline			v, vi

KELLY
J. G.			100

KERLIE
Ed L. (Capt.)		72

KING
George			121

KIRK
Mandy			101
Will			101

KNIGHT
Mary Petty		24, 25

LEE
Fairley W.		68
Hugh			ix

LEGG
Lavell L.		71

LEWALLEN
_____			90
Mary Frances		90, 105

LILLY
Elizabeth Matilda Power	xiii
John V.			65, 67, 71, 73
Marrian			65
William			73
William (Buck)		xiii, 65, 67, 71, 73

LONG
James (Dr.)		68
John			17
Katherine		17
Katherine Morris Petty	17

LOVE
Anna Maria Mitchell	55
Henry T.		55, 58
Lucretia Petty		58, 59
Mary Ann Francis
	Crutcher	55, 58
Thomas Oscar		58, 59
William A.		55, 58

MARSHALL
Elizabeth		23, 33
Thomas			33

MARTIN
_____			71, 96
Amelia Wright		45, xi
Diannah Harrison	37, 45

MARTIN
Elizabeth		39
Robert			45
Sarah			44
W. F.			104
Will			120
William			44

MAUNCY
J. Luther (Rev.)	iv, 13, 15, 18, 23

MAYER
_____			103, 120

MEALS
Elizabeth		61, 103, 126, xiii
John			xiii
Sarah			xiii

MEDLIN
Doris Pettey		frontpiece

MEEKS
Narcy (Rev.)		47, 48

MELTON (?)
Mary			xiii

MILLER
Mr. A. W.		48

MITCHELL
Anna Maria		55, 58
Eli			55, 58
Richard			58
Sarah Ann Petty		55, 58
Uriah			55

MOORE
Ann Harben		11, 26
Anne Naylor		26, 27
Bob			88, 99
Elizabeth		11, 23, 26, 27, 32
Francis			11, 26, 27, 28
Harbin			26
Martha			26

MORGAN
Elizabeth F.		47

MORRIS
Eleanor		        16
George (Maj.)		16, 18
Katherine		14, 16, 18
Margaret Carr		54, 57

MOTTRAM
Ann			ix
John (Col.)		ix

MYERS
Becky			110
Byman			110
Chat			110
Fannie Welch		92
Pearman			110, 111

McCARTY
_____			54

McCLAIN
R. W.			89

McCUISTIONS
Thomas			70

McLAUGHLIN
Henry			101

McQUISTIAN
Sarah Power		xiii

NANCE
_____			66

NAYLOR
Ann			26, 27

NISBET
Jane Amanda		58

NORRIS
George Dashill (Dr.)	57

PALMER
Eliza Ann		54

PARKS
Vivian Petty		frontpiece, iv, 4

PASCHAL
_____			iv, 38

PEREZ
_____ (Col.)		68

PERKINS
_____ (Dr.)		92

PHELPS
Mildred			32

POPE
Ann			ix
Nathaniel (Col.)	ix, x

PORTER
Sarah Ann		55

POWELL
Robert			21

POWER
Belle			xiii
Cecil			xiii
Charlie			ii, 68, 78, 80
Dora			xiii
Elizabeth Meals		61, 102, 126, xii
Elizabeth Matilda	xiii
H. L.			72
Holloway B.		68, 69, 80, 81, xiii
Holloway Lee		ii, iv, 60, 61, 67, 69, 72, 87, 126, viii, xii, xiii
James			60, xii
James W.		71, 72, 79
John			61, xii
Julia Tindall		xii
Lucinda Ann		xiii
Martha			xii, xiii
Mary			xii
MaryAnn			xiii
May			70
Sarah			56, 61, 78, 86, 90, 91, 93, xii, xiii
Sarah Legg		xii
Susannah		xiii
William			60, 71, 81, xii

POWERS
Holloway		49, 78
Matilda			49

RAGLAND
Edmund			39
Elizabeth		39
Sally			39

RAINBOLT
F. M.			86

RANSDALL
Ann Petty		30
Tabitha Petty		23
William			30

REEVES
George			36

REVELS
_____			91

REYNOLDS
_____			90

RHEA
Elijah			58

RESINGER (?)
Belle Campbell	        xiii
Johnny			xiii

RILEY
Frances Wright		42
Gerard			42
Nancy Wright		42

ROARK
Susannah Power		xiii

ROBERTS
Louisa W.		47, 48
Mary Ann		46

ROBINSON
_____			66

RODGERS
Minnie			54

ROUSAW
D.			45

RUSHING
Mettie			xiii

RUSK
Thomas J. (Gen.)	71, 72

RUSSELL
Bruckner, Jr.		37
Bruckner, Sr.		37
Elizabeth		37
Margaret		37
Rachel Petty		36, 37

SANDERS
Mary			39

SCHMIDT
_____			103, 120

SCROGGINS
_____			89

SHACKELFORD
Mary Ann Roberts	46
Rebekah			46
Richard			46

SIMMS
Rebecca			23, 24, 25
Thomas			24
William			25

SLAY
Oscar			100

SMELLY
Lizzie			93, 101

SMITH
E. C.			3
G.			66
Kirby (Gen.)		81, 85
Susanna			45

SPAHR
Mary			39

SPARKS
John			96
Stephen			67, 69

SPRAGGINS
Elizabeth		46
Thomas Edmunds		46

STACY
Mrs. B.			15

STANDON
Dorothy Petty		17
Godfrey			17

STEVENS
Richard			35, 39
Sarah (Mrs. Richard)	35, 36, 39

STONE
Jesse			48
Jim			97, 118
Joseph			92
Reuben			48
Susan A.		48
Winny			48

STROUDE
_____ (Dr.)		71

SUMPTER
_____ (Gen.)		41

SWANN
T. C.			v

SWEENEY
William M.		18

TAYLOR
James			22
Rhoda Petty Clark	39
Richard (Gen.)		80
Thomas			39

THOMAS
_____			121
J. H.			86

THOMPSON
Eliza Willis		102

THORN
Frost			69

TINDALL
Julia			xii

TRUETT
Josh			121

TUCKER
Ed			68
Elizabeth		ii
Margaret E.		47

TUNGSTALL
Edward			17
Katherine Long		17

VARDEMAN
Tom			110

WALDRON
Ida			90, 91, 94, 101, 102, 106

WALLER
Margaret		13

WALTERS
Mote			100

WARD
Armstead		37
Hannah (Mrs. John)	35, 36, 37
John, Sr.		35, 37
John, Jr.		37

WASHINGTON
Ann			ix
Ann Pope		ix
Augustine		x
Bob			50
Dilcy			50
Gabe			50
George			50
George (Gen.)		41,42, 97, vii, ix
John (Col.)		ix, x
John Wright		ix
Lewis			50
Queen			50
Richard			50
Sally			50
Terry			50

WAUGH
Alexander, Jr.		31

WELCH
____			101
Eliza Jane		92, 93, 94, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 104a, 105, 115,
                        117, 125
Fannie			92, 101
Jim			101, 102

WHITAKER
_____			123

WHITE
Anna E. Petty		56
D.			91
Elizabeth Petty		1, 92, 93
Lizzie			91, 92, 93
Pheabe			vi
Thomas D.		56

WILD
_____ (Mrs.)		69

WILLIAMS
Ann			x, xi
Anne			42, xi
Jonas			x, xi
Honour			x, xi

WILLIS
Eliza			102

WILSON
Abram			19, 22
Rachel			17, 19, 20, 21, 22

WOOD
Absalom			31
B. (Rev.)		37
William			31

WRIGHT
Amelia			45, xi
Ann			ix
Ann Mottroom		ix
Ann Williams		x, xi
Ann Washington		ix
Anne Williams		42
Daniel (Maj.)		42, 43, 44, ix
Dorothy Awbrey		ix, x
Elizabeth Darnell	x
Frances			xi
Francis			42, ix, x
Daniel			ix
James			ix
John			34, 40, 44, ix
John, Jr. (II)		43, x, xi
John, III		42, x, xi
Lucretia		vii, 11, 37, 38, 42, 43, 44, 49, 52, 52a, 53, viii,
                        ix, xi
Mottroom		ix
Nancy			44, xi
Orville			99
Patsy			xi
Polly			xi
Peggey			xi
Richard			42, ix, x
Rosy			xi
Sally			xi
Sarah Martin		44
Sukky			xi
Thomas			xi
W.			99
William			44, x, xi
William W.		44
Williams		xi

WYATT
Katherine Long Richard	17
Richard			17

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