Sad News from Loudon County

Last week the world watched as Paris' Notre Dame Cathedral burned. This week East Tennesseans are watching a fire burn the Loudon County Courthouse. The county mayor says it is a significant if not total loss.

The only thing we know for certain was rescued at this point is a flag. Efforts were underway to salvage what they could.

Fortunately many records are microfilmed by Tennessee State Library & Archives. These same records are available in Knoxville's Calvin M. McClung Collection in the East Tennessee History Center. FamilySearch offers a handful of records in comparison to the holdings of Tennessee State Library & Archives.

Many researchers know about Tennessee's county archives program. Sadly Loudon's archives is classified as partial or inactive.

I don't have a photo to share because of copyright issues. This news story offers a photo at the moment, but it may be updated as the evening progresses.

I hope early records are saved, but I'm thankful many records are preserved through microfilming and digitization.

UPDATE: The local news reports many historic documents were recently removed because a "historic preservation society" was being established. I wonder if that means a county archives. Hopefully we'll learn more soon.

A Woman Named Anarchy?

I spent several hours Tuesday researching at the Calvin M. McClung Collection in Knoxville. I followed my plan to use published abstracts for Bedford County, Tennessee to help me trace my Mosely and related lines forward and to find things missing from my ancestral line research.

As I checked the index of a volume, I came across an unusual name. Turning to the page, I found the entry summarized thusly:

Marriage Volume A, page 438
Couple: Clifton Neill and Anarchy Moseley
Security: B. M. Tillman
Marriage Date: 29 July 1866¹

As I read the entry, I wondered who would name a child Anarchy. This record appears in the section for colored marriages so I assume Anarchy recently enjoyed her first taste of freedom from slavery. Another section in Volume A records marriages of free persons of color. Of course, by 1866, former slaves were free. I located the marriage record's image at Ancestry to verify the abstract's information.²

The mulatto couple resided in Bedford County's fourth district in 1870 with ten-year-old Jim. Clifton was enumerated as Cliff Neil and Anarchy was enumerated as Anica. Both were age forty-five.³ It is unknown if Jim was the natural son of both Cliff and Anica or if only one "parent" belonged to him. Many African-Americans married in the years following the Civil War, and Bedford County's marriage register is filled with multiple entries on each day, with many of the grooms serving as securities for another groom marrying on the same day.⁴

I was unable to locate the family in 1880. Is the woman's name Anarchy as the marriage record suggests or Anica as the 1870 census suggests? Without further evidence I may never know. Perhaps I'll run across a record with additional evidence for the name. I certainly hope it turns out to be Anica.

---

1 Helen C. Marsh and Timothy R. Marsh, Official Marriages of Bedford County, Tennessee (Greenville, South Carolina: Southern Historical Press, 1996), volume 1, page 66.^↩
2 "Tennessee, Marriage Records, 1780-2002," database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 10 July 2018), Clifton Neill to Anarchy Moseley, 29 July 1866, Bedford County; citing marriages available at Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville.^↩
3 1870 U.S. Federal Census, Bedford County, Tennessee, population schedule, 4th District, Shelbyville post office, page 177B (stamped), page 22 (written), dwelling and family 140, lines 27-29, Cliff Neil household; digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 10 July 2018); citing National Archives microfilm publication M593, roll 1514.^↩
4 Marsh and Marsh, Official Marriages of Bedford County, Tennessee, pages 51-77/^↩

Learning from Facebook: Camp Crossville

A former professor at the university where I worked is now employed by a larger state university. He recently shared the following Q & A as his status:

Q: Why are there so many German and Italian surnames in Crossville, TN?

A: Because during WWII, captured German and Italian officers were held at the POW camp there. Some "trusties" were released to work on local farms. Locals came to the fence and bartered with them. The folks of Crossville were so kind that when the war was over, many of the prisoners went back to Europe, got their families, and moved to Crossville.

I found this interesting from a genealogical standpoint.

I learned through comments on the blog post that the camp is now a 4-H camp.

The professor also linked to an interesting and well-documented article entitled "'To Win Our War with Butter and Beefsteaks': Camp Crossville and the Treatment of Axis Prisoners of War" written by Gregory Kupsky.

The most interesting comment of all was by the daughter of one of the Germans held there who returned to Germany and moved to the United States after taking five years to convince his wife about how kind Americans were.

Did the Ridings family live in Smith County, Tennessee?

Did the Ridings family who moved to Monroe County, Mississippi live in Smith County, Tennessee prior to their arrival? Plenty of online genealogies say that they did. Most say their children were born there from about 1816 to 1826. I only got to spend about 3.5 hours yesterday afternoon in the State Library and Archives. I mostly used abstracts for the county which are plentiful due to hard work of the Works Progress Administration employees involved in the Historical Records Survey Project for Tennessee. (I am sure many researching other states wish their state librarian at that time had been Mrs. John Trotwood Moore. I know when I work in another state's records I become even more appreciative of her foresight to have so many records abstracted for use.) I utilized not only the WPA records but other published abstracts for the county. My main focus was on court records, land records, and wills/probate records. I knew I needed to get to the tax records, but I put those off. I kept my focus on the years 1800 to 1840, even though I knew the family was probably only there a few years on the other side of the range of the children's births. I was also looking for two other allied families as I was researching the records.

What were my findings? I did not discover a single Ridings family in all the abstracts. I suspected one of the allied families (Anglin) might not be present in that county. I thought it possible that another might show up in an occasional record since they were allegedly in a nearby county in the early years of that same period. I did find records with this surname (Sheppard/Shepherd) in the county, but I am unable to link these persons with my ancestral family at the present time.

It does not currently meet the standards for a reasonably exhaustive search. I need to look at those tax records, and I may need to eventually go back through the records themselves for this period to see if names were omitted in the abstracts. Legislative petitions also need to be checked.

So did they live in Smith County? Yes. How do I know? Because he appears in the 1830 census for Smith County. [1830 U.S. Federal Census, Smith County, Tennessee, p. 112 (written), line 22, James Ridings; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 13 Nov 2015); citing NARA microfilm publication M19, roll 181.] The maiden name of James Ridings wife is sometimes seen as Tubb or Tubbs, but most records place a question mark at the end of it. If this is her surname, I did spot references to persons with the Tubbs and Tibb or Tibbs surnames (which could be typographical errors because of the proximity of the i and u on a keyboard). Several Tubbs families are enumerated on the same page. I need to do a more exhaustive search of that name in the county as well. In my rush to create a research plan at the last minute after discovering a few hours would be available to research, I neglected to include that surname on my list. So many records, so little time!

Sevier County Public Library System Genealogy Conference

Sevier County Public Library's Genealogy Conference begins tomorrow with tours and a dinner. While pre-registration was required for tomorrow's events, interested persons may register at the door for the sessions being offered on Friday and Saturday.

J. Mark Lowe is unable to come so a new lineup of speakers and sessions is now available. For further information, call the library's genealogy department at (865) 453-3532.

Friday, November 6, 2015
9:00-10:30AM	Registration
10:30AM-12:00PM	Ann Blomquist	Internet Genealogy: Free and Paid Sites and How to Use Them
12:00-1:00PM	Lunch on Your Own
1:00-2:00PM	Ann Blomquist	Maps in Genealogy: Printed and Book Maps
2:00-2:15pm	Break
2:15-3:15PM	Ann Blomquist	Census Surprises: Things You Didn’t Know about the Census
3:15-3:30PM	Break
3:30-4:30PM	Ann Blomquist	The Records of Our Quiet Ancestors: Legislative Petitions, GAR Records, Deeds, etc.
4:30-5:00PM	Ann Blomquist	Brick Wall Audience Question and Answer Session
Saturday, November 7, 2015
9:00-10:30AM	Registration
10:30AM-12:00PM	Arthur ‘Milo’ Bohanan	Reading Cemeteries
12:00-1:00PM	Lunch on Your Own
1:00-2:15PM	Theresa Williams, Ruth Matthews, Ruth Carr Miller	PK: Preacher’s Kids: Stories of Growing Up as the Child of a Preacher
2:15-2:30PM	Break
2:30-5:00PM	Lori Thornton	DNA

Mr. & Mrs. J. F. Hilbert of Washington County, Tennessee

Working in an academic library, one sometimes encounters a genealogical treasure in a strange place. Such was the case when I opened The Life, Times, and Travels of St. Paul by J. S. Conybeare and J. S. Howson (Unabridged ed.; New York: E.B. Trent, 1869) which was missing its title page.

Pasted inside the front cover of the volume was an obituary from an unnamed newspaper, possibly the Herald and Tribune (Jonesborough, Tenn.), for Mrs. J. F. Hilbert.

Transcription:
DEATH CLAIMS MRS. J. F. HILBERT
Died at Her Home A Short Distance From Jonesboro Friday Morning

Mrs. J. F. Hilbert died at her home one mile south of Jonesboro Friday morning. Her death was due to a severe attack of pneumonia. She was sick just one week, having made her first complaint on Friday the 16th. The deceased was the widow of J. F. Hilbert who died Sept. 8th 1898. She was sixty two years old last August and was the mother of six children, four of which survive her. Mrs. Hilbert was a noble Christian and was loved by all with whom she was associated. Her death is greatly mourned by a large circle of friends both in Jonesboro and over the entire county. The funeral services were held Saturday, the interment being in the old family burying ground near Jonesboro. Mrs. Hilbert is the mother of J. L. Hilbert, who is well known throughout this section. Mr. Hilbert and the other members of the family have the sympathy of a large number of friends.
------

Being the curious genealogist that I am, I wondered who she was. I knew that Jonesboro was an old spelling of Jonesborough so I suspected this family was from Washington County, Tennessee. I first located them in the 1880 census¹ which gave me given names for Mrs. Hilbert, her husband, and even the mentioned son.

Hilbert, Joel F.	W	M	40		M	Farmer	VA	VA	VA
--, Susannah	W	F	39	Wife	M	Keeping house	VA	VA	VA
--, Elizabeth B.	W	F	15	Daughter	S	At home	TN	VA	VA
--, John A.	W	M	12	Son	S	At home	TN	VA	VA
--, Joseph L.	W	M	10	Son	S	At home	TN	VA	VA
--, Robert A.	W	M	5	Son	S	At home	TN	VA	VA

 

I discovered that their marriage record from 1861 contained a curious date of issue for the license, 31 September 1861.² This was obviously a clerical error as most of us can recite, "Thirty days hath September, April, June and November . . . " The online 1861 calendar verifies September 1861 ended on September 30.

Joel F. Hilbert was born about 1839,³ probably in Rockingham County, Virginia,⁴ to William and Elizabeth F. Hilbert.⁵ The family moved from Virginia to Tennessee about 1846 to 1848.⁶ William (age 32), Elizabeth (age 32), Joel (age 11), John H. (age 9), Samuel D. (age 5), Adison P. (age 4), and Mary R. (age 1) are enumerated in Washington County's 4th subdivision in 1850 where William is occupied as a farmer.⁷ The family has grown to include three more children, Jacob K. (age 9), James W. (age 7), and Robert P. (age 3) by 1860 when the family is enumerated in Boones Creek in Washington County.⁸

Susannah Miller was born in August 1840,⁹ probably in Rockingham or Augusta County, Virginia,¹⁰ to Samuel and Elizabeth Wine Miller.¹¹ The family moved from Virginia to Tennessee about 1852 to 1854.¹² Samuel, his wife, here called Ann which may be a middle name, and children, William (age 17), David (age 14), Rebecca (age 13), Daniel (age 11), Susannah (age 9,), Ann M. (age 4), and Mary M. (age 2) are enumerated in the 4th subdivision of Washington County in 1850.¹³ The family is residing in Swinneys in Washington County in 1860. Children Daniel and Susannah are still present. Elizabeth is called Ann in this census, and Barbary, the same age as Elizabeth, is present. Mary M. is called Julia in this census. Peter (age 8), Joseph (age 6), Samuel D. (age 2), and Mary A. (age 3 months) have all been born since the 1850 census.¹⁴

As seen earlier, Joel and Susannah married 3 October 1861 in Washington County.¹⁵ They are enumerated in the 1870 census in District 14 in Washington County with children Elizabeth (age 6), John A. (age 3), and Joseph L. (age 3 months).¹⁶ In 1880, they are living in District 15 with the above listed children and one new son, Robert A. (age 5).¹⁷ Joel died 8 September 1898.¹⁸ Susannah is enumerated in Washington County's District 15 along with son Robert A. and his wife Lydda N. and a servant, Herbert T. Shipley in 1900.¹⁹ She died 23 January 1903 in Washington County and is buried in the family cemetery.²⁰

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<sup>1. 1880 U.S. Federal Census, Washington County, Tennessee, population schedule, District 15, SD 1, ED 31, p. 495B (stamped), sheet 20 (written), dwelling 190, family 210, lines 26-31, Joel F. Hilbert household; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : 3 Nov 2015); citing NARA microfilm publication T9, roll 1284.↩
2. "Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002," digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : 3 Nov 2015), Joel Hilbert-Susannah Miller, 3 Oct 1861, Washington County marriage register, citing p. 207 (written), record no. 1866.↩
3. 1850 U.S. Federal Census, Washington County, Tennessee, population schedule, 4th subdivision, p. 247B (stamped), dwelling 1609, family 1644, lines 34-40, Wm Hilbert family; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : 3 November 2015); citing NARA microfilm publication M432, roll 898; 1860 U.S. Federal Census, Washington County, Tennessee, population schedule, Boones Creek, Jonesboro post office, p. 36B (stamped), dwelling 310, family 310, lines 21-30, William Hilbert family; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : 3 Nov 2015); 1880 U.S. census, Washington Co., Tenn., pop. sch., Dist. 15, p. 495B (stamped), dwell. 190, fam. 210, Joel F. Hilbert.↩
4. "Public Member Trees," database, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 3 Nov 2015), "Saylor Family Tree" by sec3girls, profile for Joel Franklin Hilbert (2 Sep 1837-6 Sep 1897, d. Washington County, Tenn.) partially documented data.↩
5. 1850 U.S. Census, Washington Co., Tenn., pop. sch., 4th subdiv., p. 247B (stamped), dwell. 1609, fam. 1644, Joel F. Hilbert; 1860 U.S. Census, Washington Co., Tenn., pop. sch., Boones Creek, Jonesboro p.o., p. 36B (stamped), dwell, 310, fam. 310, Joel F. Hilbert.↩
6. 1850 U.S. Census, Washington Co., Tenn., pop. sch., 4th subdiv., p. 247B (stamped), dwell. 1609, fam. 1644, Wm. Hilbert family.↩
7. 1850 U.S. Census, Washington Co., Tenn., pop. sch., 4th subdiv., p. 247B (stamped), dwell. 1609, fam. 1644, Wm. Hilbert family.↩
8. 1860 U.S. Census, Washington Co., Tenn., pop. sch., Boones Creek, Jonesboro p.o., p. 36B (stamped), dwell, 310, fam. 310, William Hilbert family.↩
9. 1850 U.S. Federal Census, Washington County, Tennessee, population schedule, 4th subdivision, p. 252B (stamped), dwelling 2101, family 2145, line 11, Susannah Miller; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : 3 Nov 2015); citing NARA microfilm publication M432, roll 898; 1860 U.S. Federal Census, Washington County, Tennessee, Swinneys, Jonesboro post office, p. 127A (stamped), dwelling 774, family 774, line 18, Susannah Miller; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : 3 Nov 2015); citing NARA microfilm publication M653, roll 1277; 1900 U.S. Federal Census, Washington County, Tennessee, Civil District 15, SD 250, ED 156, p. 211B (stamped), sheet 8B (written), dwelling 129, family 144, line 85, Susannah Hilbert; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : 3 Nov 2015); citing NARA microfilm publication T623, roll 1604.↩
10. Susannah's birth place is consistently listed as Virginia. Younger brother Peter's birth location is listed as Augusta County, Virginia in his death certificate with his father's birth location as Augusta County and his mother's as Rockingham. See "Tennessee, Death Records, 1908-1958," digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : 4 Nov 2015), Peter Miller, d. 6 Aug 1928, Washington County, Tennessee, citing file no. 25996.↩
11. While the 1850 and 1860 censuses link Susannah with the family, Elizabeth's maiden name comes from the death certificates of Peter, who is younger than Susannah, and Daniel, who is older than his sister Susannah. See "Tennessee, Death Records, 1908-1958," digital images, Ancestry.com, entry for Peter Miller, 6 Aug 1928; also entry for Daniel Miller, d. 6 July 1914, Washington County, Tennessee, file no. 278.↩
12. 1860 U.S. Census, Washington Co., Tenn., pop. sch., Swinneys, Jonesboro p.o., p. 127A (stamped), dwell. 774, fam. 774, Samuel Miller family.↩
13. 1850 U.S. Census, Washington Co., Tenn., pop. sch., 4th suvdiv., p. 252B (stamped), dwell. 2101, fam. 2145, Saml Miller family.↩
1. 1860 U.S. Census, Washington Co., Tenn., pop. sch., Swinneys, Jonesboro p.o., p. 127A (stamped), dwell. 774, fam. 774, Samuel Miller family.↩
1. "Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002," digital images, Ancestry.com, entry for Joel Hilbert-Susannah Miller, 3 Oct 1861.↩
1. 1870 U.S. Federal Census, Washington County, Tennessee, population schedule, District 14, Jonesboro post office, p. 326A (stamped), dwelling 122, family 122, lines 31-35, Joel Hilbert family; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : 3 Nov 2015); citing NARA microfilm publication M593, roll 1568.↩
17. 1880 U.S. census, Washington Co., Tenn., pop. sch., Dist. 15, p. 495B (stamped), dwell. 190, fam. 210, Joel F. Hilbert family.↩
18. Mrs. J. F. Hilbert obituary, undated clipping from unidentified newspaper, in The Life, Times, and Travels of St. Paul by J.S. Conbeare and J. S. Howson (New York: E.B. Treat, 1869), front cover; Mildred C. Iddins Special Collections, Stephens-Burnett Memorial Library, Carson-Newman University, Jefferson City, Tennessee, 2015.↩
19. 1900 U.S. Census, Washington Co., Tenn., pop. sch., Dist. 15, p. 211B (stamped), dwell. 129, fam. 144, Susannah Hilbert household.↩
20. Although the obituary does not give the month or year, Friday, January 23, is consistent with the information in the article, and she would have been 62 on this date. See Mrs. J. F. Hilbert obituary, The Life, Times, and Travels of St. Paul.↩</sup>