by Larry Petrisky
edited by Joyce Reece
©
2002 no restriction on
using or copying this data
if properly cited
Revolutionary War Soldier,
frontier farmer, part
Cherokee, Baptist,
and one of the original
Smoky Mountain “Hillbillies”
born May 16, 1757 Upper* South Carolina
died circa 1837 Tennessee
(Hamilton County?)
married 1777 or 1779 Winnifred “Winnie” Jackson
(b.c. 1760 d.c. 1808)
Abraham’s father:
William Emory b.c. 1727 England
d. July 1770 Charleston, SC
buried 31 July 1770 St Philip’s
Parish,
Charleston, SC
Abraham’s mother:
Mary Grant, Cherokee
b.c. 1728 Tellico, Cherokee
Nation
d.c. 1766 Goose Creek, SC
Preface &
acknowledgements . .
. . . . . . . . 5
Abraham Hembree – an
introduction . . . . . . . . .
. 7
Abraham’s father . . . .
. . . . . . 8
Abraham’s mother . . . . .
. . . . . 14
Abraham’s first name . . . . . . .
. . . 15
Abraham’s last name . . . . . .
. . . . 18
The Pre-War Years . . . . .
. . . . . 19
Who was David Hembree? . . . . . . . . . .
24
Abraham’s brother Drury . . . . . . . . . .
27
Abraham’s other brothers
Joel and Joel? . . . . . . . . . .
29
The War Years 1776 - 1783 . . . . . . . . . . 31
Abraham’s wife . . .
. . . . . . . 32
Abraham’s tribal affiliation . . . . . . . . . .
34
The Church Years 1798 – 1828
. . . . . . .
. . . 35
The Pension Applications
1819 – 1835 . . . . . . . . . . 38
Descendant’s Cherokee
Applications . . . . . . . . .
. 41
The Hembree & Emory
Family Tree . . . . . . . . .
. 48
Notes on the Amory – Emory
Family . . . . . . . . . . 56
John Amory Family Sheet .
. . . . . . . 56
Sarah (Wilson) Amory Nightingale .
. . . . . . . 62
Family Sheet: John Robert Emory
(1727) . . . . . . . . 68
Family Sheet: William Emory
(1728) . . . . . . . .
71
Family Sheet: John Hembree
(1744) . . . . . . . .
73
Family Sheet: James Hembree
(1785) . . . . . . . . 75
Family Sheet: Drury Hembree (1755) . . . . . . . . . . 80
Family Sheet: Benjamin Hembree
(1795) . . . . . . . . 86
Family Sheet: John Hembree
(1797) . . . . . . . .
88
Family Sheet: Isaac Hembree
(1797) . . . . . . . . 90
Family Sheet: Abraham
Hembree (1757) . . . . . . . . . .
92
Notes on Abraham Hembree’s Children .
. . . . . . . . 93
Family Sheet: James Lee Hembree
(1790) . . . . . . . . 101
Family Sheet: Ephraim Hembree
(1796) . . . . . . . . 104
Family Sheet: Joel Joseph
Hembree (1802) . . . . . . . . 108
Family Sheet: Reuben Emery
(1804) . . . . . . . .
109
Family Sheet: Isaac Hembree (1806) .
. . . . . . . 111
Family Sheet: James M. Hembree
(1809) . . . . . . . . 112
Family Sheet: Davis Hembree
(1817) . . . . . . . . 116
Family Sheet: William Hembree (1754) . . . . . . . . . .118
Family Sheet: William W. Hembree (1774) .
. . . . . . . 123
Family Sheet: Owen Hembree (1777) .
. . . . . . . 126
Family Sheet: Isaiah Hembree (1781) .
. . . . . . . 129
Family Sheet: Irah Hembree (1783) .
. . . . . . . 131
Family Sheet: Johnson Hembree (1784) . . .
. . . . . 132
A Compendium of Joel
Hembrees . . . . . . . . .
.135
Family Sheet: Joel Hembree
(1755) . . . . . . . .
.141
Family Sheet: Joel Hembree
(1770) . . . . . . . .
.144
Family Sheet: Joseph Joel
Hembree (1779) . . . . . . . . 147
Family Sheet: Joel Hembree
(1802) IL . . . . . . .
. 149
Family Sheet: James Lindley
Hembree (1808). . . . . . . . .150
Mapping the family using
census data . . . . . . . . . .
151
1790 Census data . . . .
. . . . . . 152
1800 Census data . . . .
. . . . . . 156
1810 Census data . . . .
. . . . . . 158
1820 Census data . . . .
. . . . . . 159
1830 Census data . . . .
. . . . . . 161
1840 Census data . . . .
. . . . . . 164
1850 Census data . . . .
. . . . . . 169
1850 Family locator . . . . .
. . . . . 172
1860 Census data . . . .
. . . . . . 173
The Abraham Hembree Data Project began in a Spartanburg
court
house in 1825 when Judge Theodore Gaillard tried to
organize
some facts about Abraham Hembree in a way that could
be under-
stood and accepted by others.
It was revived in northern Georgia in 1906 when some
of
Abraham’s descendants tried to prove to United States
Special
Commissioner Guion Miller what they all knew was
common
knowledge:
that the family had Cherokee blood in them going back
to Abraham Hembree.
In the late 1990’s, with the boom of shared genealogy
via the
Internet, dozens of people around the United States
(and Australia)
attempted to pool what they knew about Abraham
Hembree and
come to some understanding of who he was, where he
came from
and who was in his family.
I will admit that I avoided the Abraham Hembree /
Drury Hembree
families (and all of the Spartanburg Hembrees)
because my
ancestor, “Old John Hembree” of Pendleton District,
South
Carolina, was difficult enough to follow. I was armed with some
specific information about John Hembree that was
passed down
from his great-granddaughter and this information was
so different
from any information available that I spent twenty
years ignoring
and trying to disprove it until I had one of those
“Eureka” moments
in the basement of a state archive building.
When I finally came “on line” in 2000, I was stunned
to see in the
late Richard Martin’s work, “The Descendants of John
Hembree”
(on familytreemaker.com) that Old John was
represented as the
father of Drury and Abraham. Senior Hembree researchers Bob
Hembree and Dale Standifer quickly disputed the
father-son
connection but, sadly, Dick Martin had passed away
before he
could amend his genealogy.
I was somewhat relieved to have Abraham and Drury
shaken out of
my family tree until I found out that Standifer and
Hembree agreed
that the real father of Abraham and Drury was William
Emory – the
brother of my “Old John”. This “clicked”. My John
was orphaned in
mid-childhood and
taken in by cousins who lived at Goose Creek,
South Carolina, then taken in by his “uncle” – his much-older
brother William.
When William died, I was told, John took care of
his nephews, which apparently included Abraham.
In defense of Dick Martin’s assumption, John was more
of a father
to Abraham than William was. (Notice the avoidance of the name
“William” in Abraham and Drury’s line.)
Assumptions are a necessary evil when piecing
together a puzzle
such as Abraham Hembree. The available data is slim, confusing,
and contradictory.
Plus, the families of Abraham, Drury, Old John,
and others work as though the other branches of the
family do not
exist.
The big assumption in this project is that the census
data should be
the proving ground of family data. For example, there are no sons
in Abraham Hembree’s household in 1790 so this
project rejects
the “older son William” theory that I myself
embraced.
I am indebted to many researchers who have helped
me. First,
to my great-great grandmother Sarah Ann Hembree who
wrote
down what she heard and carefully repeated it to the
next two
generations. Then to the current generation of researchers, both
the “old school”
who lost their eyesight on
microfilm readers and
the “new school”
who can access information quicker than the time
it takes me to find a blank census form. Some of those who have
helped me:
Danica Love, my cousin Hilda, Ed Copeland, Leslie
Ashman, Brenda Bridges, Deana Hembree, Phil Hembree,
Patsy E.
Bowers, Dale Standifer, David Hembree, Janice Stokes,
Bob
Hembree, Linda Eaton, Dick Martin, Guy Merritt, Artie
Morgan,
James
Hembree, Sandy Otos, Leslie Bell, Tammy Hembree-Reavis, Margaret Harris, David
& Elesa Hembree, Leota Bennett,
my
friend Joyce Reece, and many others.
All mistakes and faulty reasoning are mine – not
theirs. Complain
to me – not them.
Larry Petrisky
Abraham Hembree (or Emory) was born May 16, 1757 in upper South Carolina
(traditionally, but incorrectly, Spartanburg County). He is an elusive but
rewarding target for genealogical research. Just when you think you have him
characterized, he leaves and becomes another person.
He grew up between three different worlds. His father, William Emory, was
born 1728 in England and came to Charleston, South Carolina in 1738.
William was the son of Indian traders and he lived among the Cherokee. The
Emory family was strongly British, active in the colonial government of South
Carolina (under the name Amory). William married the half-blood daughter of
another Indian trader and had six children. William probably left the family
c.1758 to join the British Army during the French-Indian War (1758-1763).
Abraham was 13 when his father died, so the impact of his father on his life is
not known.
Abraham’s mother was a Cherokee woman who lived with the tribe but went
to lower South Carolina during the French-Indian War. This second world, the
Cherokee, was disappearing from South Carolina during Abraham’s youth.
The tribal towns were being wiped out and by 1776 they were gone. It is possible
that Abraham’s mother died in 1760 (smallpox) or 1766 during the “plague” that
swept lower South Carolina.
The third world that had a claim on Abraham was the emerging world of the
American: Abraham was not really British, not really Cherokee – he was an
American at a time when nobody was sure what that meant.
Abraham Hembree was a colorful character of the frontier. He lived on lands
that were historically part of Cherokee territory and he died on the “front porch”
of the Trail of Tears. I hope to bring out some of his Cherokee tradition.
Abraham’s father was William Emory, who was born 1728 in Lincolnshire,
England. He was the son of John Amory, an Englishman who brought his
family to Savannah, Georgia in December 1737 but, after securing a land grant
of 500 acres in Purrysburg in South Carolina, he was persuaded to move to
Charleston which he did in December
1738. [The
Colonial Records of the
State of Georgia, edited by
Kenneth Coleman (Athens, GA: U. of Ga. Press, 1989) :
XXXII, 249,
264, XXIX 233-234; also The Colonial Records of the State of Georgia,
edited by Allen D. Candler (Atlanta : State
Legislature, 1916): II, 215, IV 164, V
137. John
came with wife Sarah, 3 young ch., sons “Will” and
“John”, and 2 indentured. ]
John Amory became the steward of the household of the late Governor Johnson
and lived at the governor’s residence in Charleston. (The youngest son of the
governor
returned to England, fever had killed the rest of the family.) [The
Colonial Records of Georgia, Candler: IV
238, 241 ]
While residing at the governor’s house he hosted delegations of Indians who
came to conduct tribal business. The king of England was represented by the
royal governor of South Carolina in all affairs concerning the southeast tribes.
The tribal chiefs were always accompanied by white men they trusted (usually
those who lived with them – the traders), interpreters, and people of their own
tribe who could best understand whatever European language (English, Spanish,
French) was being used. Delegations from the Cherokee nation went down to
Charleston yearly on official visits and unofficial visits (to receive presents)
An important trading agent to the Cherokee was James Adair (1709-1783) but in
1744 he relocated to the Chickasaw nation (Mississippi). One of his
“lieutenants” in the Cherokee trade was Ludovic Grant, who resided among the
Cherokee in what is now the Nantahala National Forest in North Carolina (on
the Valley River). From 1741 to 1746 (and beyond) John Amory and his wife
Sarah hosted
Cherokee delegations several times. [The Colonial Records of South
Carolina
: Journal of the Commons House of Assembly 1742-1744 , edited by
J.H. Easterby
et al, (Columbia: SC Archives Department, 1954) : 167,
195, 251 etc.]
John himself became a licensed Indian trader and associated with Ludovic Grant
and William Elders. [Berkeley County, South Carolina Archives, entry made May 12, 1744]
(Cherokee descendants of
Grant, Elder and Amory could still be found on the Valley
River in 1835 and 1852.)
A young Cherokee woman who may have attended those delegations because she
understood many languages also served as a trading interpreter in Purrysburg,
where Swiss, German and Dutch were being heard as often as English, French
and Spanish. She was the consort/translator of Thomas Ayers (Eyres), the
Cherokee agent for
Georgia. [The Col Recs of Georgia, Candler: IV
372,424,487,501;
V 276,277] In 1744 she had a son by John Amory and named him John Emory.
[South Carolina sent for
Thomas Ayers in 1743 to advise them on fort construction, in particular:
a fort at Purrysburg. (Col. Recs. of SC, Journal of the
House 1742-1744, Easterby, pp. 218, 240,
241, 262, 268). John Amory had his lands surveyed there in
Oct 1742, and began spending time
there and upriver in the
Indian trade, having his wife Sarah submit his expenses in Charleston.
Just as Oglethorpe had his
“Creek Mary” to make his appeal to the Creeks,
Ayers had his
“Cherokee Mary” to make his
appeal for Cherokee help against the Spanish in 1740.]
Around that time John Amory’s sons William and an older son John Robert (who
came over as indentured servants to John) were of age (16) and they too entered
the Indian trade. (Each licensed trader had, under his general license, up to a
dozen men who worked as tanners, packhorsemen, traders, and guards.)
The John Emory born 1744 became known as “Old John Hembree”. Whether
John Amory or his son William Emory was his father is hard to solve. The oral
history of my line back to then goes: “Sallie, daughter of Edward, son of Edward,
son of John, then William or John, William being the son of John, the
Englishman.” I am pretty sure William Emory is not the father of Old John
Hembree but my own family tradition does not exclude the possibility.
John Emory who became “Old John Hembree” had white relatives through
his mother and Carolina Cherokee relatives as well. She was therefore the
daughter or granddaughter of a white man and we suspect his name was John or
James Moore of Goose Creek (Indian trader) but we have never found the
connection. She was a tribal member and her half brother was the war chief Warhatchie (Wawhatchee or Wauhatchie) of Keowee. (The Lower Cherokee
had an “R” in their dialect, the Upper and Overhill did not.)
The name of “Old John” Hembree’s mother is not known but her “nicknames”
were “Mary Ayers/Eyres” and “Many Ears” – it was written both ways in her
notes and my great-grandmother could not make sense of it. She thought it was
Ayers. Family legend says she went to England on tribal business, was
“presented to the queen”, and died over there from a sudden illness. Since her
father was a Moore and her first husband was Ayres, we construct her name Mary
(Moore) Ayres, b.c.1721, d.c.1751.
Her death supposedly happened while “Old John” was in mid-childhood. The
best fit for this legend happened in 1751 when a delegation of Cherokee from
Keowee, Tellico and elsewhere (mostly from South Carolina) set out to be heard
by the king of England concerning their frustration with the governor of South
Carolina. Little Carpenter (Attakullakulla) and Wauhatchee were among them.
The “Young Emperor” recalled that the king told them in 1730 that if they ever
needed to speak with him they could go to the royal governor in Carolina or
Virginia and be
heard. So off to Virginia they went. [The Colonial
Records of South
Carolina
: Documents Relating to Indian Affairs 1750-1754: p.151-154,
161. In 1751 four
Indian traders were reportedly killed and SC
“officially” halted the trade with the Cherokee
even after peace was restored and it turned out only one trader was killed.]
The Cherokee were well-treated in Virginia but ridiculed in South Carolina and
their “understanding” in Virginia was voided. “Old John” Hembree’s mother
did not come home. Perhaps she died in Virginia or perhaps some enterprising
sport did transport her to England.
The bad blood between the Cherokee and South Carolina continued to rise. The
death of the Old Warrior in 1753 shifted the balance of Cherokee political power
from the Lower towns (in South Carolina) to the Overhill towns in Tennessee.
(Smallpox in the Lower towns and humiliating defeats against the French-armed
Creeks who destroyed 2 villages in South Carolina caused many Cherokee to
move into the middle and valley towns.)
This came at a time when Virginia and England wanted Cherokee support in the
war with the French. The Cherokee offered to join the war, but could not get the
governor of South Carolina to furnish them with the same kind of weapons that
the French were giving the Shawnee. Besides, the Cherokee warriors did not
want to leave their families unprotected against Catawba and Creek opportunists
who would kill their sons and steal their daughters. The Cherokee wanted forts
built for the protection of their families. They made this request every year from
1746 on. The governor of South Carolina (James Glen) agreed, but could not get
the funding. Virginia really wanted Cherokee help so the governor of Virginia
stepped in and hastily built a “fort” near Chota in 1755. This embarrassed Glen so
he set out in 1756 to personally oversee the building of a better fort near Great
Tellico. (The Virginia fort was never garrisoned.)
Glen was replaced as governor enroute and the new governor ordered the fort
building expedition to halt. To the Cherokee, this was another example of
bad faith. They had ceded land in 1746 for a fort at Ninety Six on the Saluda
River (not built), and ceded land in 1753 near Keowee for Fort Prince George
(built 1753) but there was no good fort in the Overhill towns.
This is just a little background. A more complete and footnoted version of how
the Hembree/Emory families were involved with the Cherokee will be forth-
coming. We just want to lay the groundwork for establishing the location of
Abraham’s birth and proving his Cherokee heritage and proving that William
Emory is his father.
A descendant of William Emory, Ludovic Grant, John Stuart, and General Joseph
Martin, Jr. gave me a detailed account of how William Emory was a Captain in
the militia and involved with the events of Fort Prince George (near Keowee) and
Fort Loudon (near Tellico) and was killed by some of John Sevier’s men but this
account has, alas, been unprovable concerning William (but his son “Captain
Will” was killed by Sevier’s men in June 1788).
The drama and tragedy that unfolded in the South Carolina upcountry from
1750 to 1778 will be expanded in a later work but, in short, the Cherokee were
wiped out of South Carolina except for a few holdouts in the northwest (what is
now Oconee County). The Emory (or Amory or Hembree) family was closely
related to these events but William Emory’s precise role is hard to determine.
The evidence strongly suggests Robert and William Emory were not in South
Carolina 1758 – 1763 (during the French-Indian War). There is a tradition that
William was an officer, a captain, but apparently not in a colonial company.
The complete account of how the Amory/Emory family got drawn into the
world of Indian traders will be developed in a separate report with ample
references but trust me for now that Ludovic Grant and other traders had visits
to the Amory residence and the most successful Indian trader of that era (in
terms of money) was William Emory’s mother, Mrs. Sarah Amory, who was
later Mrs. Sarah Nightingale. [The Col Recs of South Carolina : Journal of the
Commons
House of Assembly 1741 thru 1757 numerous refs. When Grant came down from the Cherokee
in 1755 he
asked for Gov. Glen’s
protection against his creditors. SC Docs Ind Affairs (3) 5, 53-9 from Brown, p.48 ].
William Emory married a half-blood daughter of Ludovic Grant and lived
with her in the Cherokee Nation in the Snowbird Mountains of North Carolina
in Tomatly (on the Valley River).
[The Tomatly in TN is obscure before 1760; Ostenaco moved Tomatly from North Carolina
during the siege of Fort Loudon. Grant
was in NC. See Duane H. King
(ed.), The Cherokee Indian Nation
(Knoxville : U of TN Press, 1979).]
William had three famous daughters and one infamous son among the Cherokee
(Will, a confederate of Dragging Canoe). But when the war with the French
broke out along the Indian frontier c.1753, Emory moved down into South
Carolina (residing at Ninety-Six, his family moved to Goose Creek c.1760).
(Ludovic Grant also withdrew from the Cherokee and retired to Charleston in
1756, where he shortly died.)
In South Carolina, William went off to join the British Army. His half-brother John Emory (b.1744) was orphaned after the death of his Cherokee mother in
751/2 and John was sent by Wawhatchee to live with white “cousins”, the
Nightingales of Goose Creek, SC. Thomas Nightingale (1716-1769) was an
Indian trader among the Catawba and Cherokee. His 2nd wife was Sarah Amory
Elder, William Emory’s mother, widow of John Amory, and widow of another
Indian trader, William Elder or Elders, (not the daughter of Thomas Amory of
Charleston and Boston, Massachussetts; she was a Wilson by birth).
William had two sons in South Carolina:
Drury Emory / Hembree b. 12 Dec 1755 SC
Abraham Emory / Hembree b. 16 May 1757 SC.
In a land grab meant to protect the Cherokee (by putting them and therefore their
land under British sovereignty), Gov. James Glen opened up the upper part of
South Carolina for settlement in 1755 after the building of Fort Prince George
near Keowee.
William Emory had access to the upcountry, though he cannot be located in
Spartanburg. Settlers began appearing on the Tyger River by 1756 but that
was well into Catawba territory and a man with three Cherokee daughters
would never locate himself among the enemy of the Cherokee.
Another family tradition has William serving in Georgia or Alabama after 1758
and fathering a few children there by a Creek woman. Capt. Raymond Demere,
who would be the leading officer at Fort Loudon (until relieved by his brother
Paul) was deployed in Georgia around that time, with “three independent
Companys of South Carolina under
his Command” in Georgia. [The Col Recs
of Georgia,
Candler, VII 133.
Capt. Paul Demere was deployed likewise but his 1756 muster
roll
is known and includes names like Jacob Bright, Daniel Davis, Nicholas Murphy,
Paul Pettit,
William
Love, John Wilson, John Beard, George Davis, James Sullivan, and John Martin –
all
recruits
from the Cherokee back country. (See June Clark Murtie, Colonial Soldiers
of the South,
1732 – 1774, (Baltimore : Genealogical Publishing Co., 1986): pp.992-998)]. As to the rumor
of Creek children, Don L. Shadburn, the foremost researcher of Georgia
Cherokees, says in his Cherokee Planters in Georgia 1832-1838 (Roswell, GA: W.H.Wolfe Associates, 1989, 1990): “. . . William Emory . . . sired both Cherokee and Creek children in the 1750’s and 1760’s”. (p.16)
Although we have yet to locate William from 1758 to 1765, and it is doubtful
that he had anything to do with Fort Loudon, the family had a lot of ties to the
events. These will be developed in the next report.
The controversy over the most famous Cherokee Emory, Susannah, will be
treated at length then. She “married” Capt. John Stuart in 1757/8. Stuart
(1718-1779) was older than William Emory, and he left the Cherokee country
for good after narrowly escaping with his life in August 1760 at the fall of
Fort Loudon. (He too retired to Charleston.) That Stuart’s Susannah is the
daughter of Robert Emory, not William Emory, will be demonstrated more fully
later. William’s Susannah was no more than ten years old in 1760.
(The Creek children, we believe, are probably Robert’s as well.)
The British army struck the Cherokee hard and forced a peace in September 1761
which pretty well ended the French-Indian War in the Carolinas and Tennessee.
Cherokee territories were reduced as well. William returned to Charleston by
1766, perhaps at Goose Creek. On October 2, 1766 he witnessed a deed (as
William Amory) in Charleston for a land sale in Saint Mark’s Parish. [Book G-3 Charleston Land Deeds – Lease & Release, p.373]
On November 18, 1768, his marriage “settlement” (acknowledgement) to the
widow Mrs. Sarah (Loocock) Cantle was noted in the “Miscellaneous Records”
Volume OO
1767-1771, p.97-101 (1768). [from
Barbara R. Langdon, Implied
South Carolina Marriages Vol III 1671-1791, (Aiken, SC: Langdon): p.2] (The
Loococks resided in the Goose Creek parish as well as Charleston.)
He is shown as “William Armory” in the records but in her will she is shown
as Amory. The will of Sarah Amory of Saint Andrew’s Parish is dated
November 11, 1769. She gives her “husband William my plantation in trust
for life.” Her will was proved on July 20, 1770. Just a few days later, William
died as well. He was buried July 31, 1770 at Saint Philip’s Parish, where his
father lay.
The Mary Emory of Goose Creek who died in 1769 and was buried at Saint
Philip’s is probably not Mary (Grant) Emory, the daughter of Ludovic Grant;
but the second wife of John Emory, according to the journal of Colonel
Isaac Hayne (d.1781). Thomas Nightingale, who died within days of Mary’s
death, was also buried at Saint Philip’s.
Besides Ludovic Grant, the names of Cornelius Daugherty (associated with
Grant in the Valley towns), Abraham Smith (a trader associated with Keowee
and Robert Emory), Ambrose Davis (an interpreter and messenger)*, and, of
course, Thomas Nightingale are important white men to track to locate William
Emory. Among the Cherokee are Corn Tassel (or Old Tassel), Abraham (Old
Abram), Wawhatchee, and Attakullakulla (or Little Carpenter). Tassel (Grant’s
brother-in-law) and Abram were killed by Sevier’s men in 1788 under a flag of
truce. Wawhatchee was among those murdered at Fort Prince George (1761).
And Little Carpenter was the benefactor of Captain John Stuart, saving him
from execution at the fall of Fort Loudon (part of the revenge for the Fort Prince
George executions). Little Carpenter, who went to England in 1730 as a young
man, was also the father of Dragging Canoe, who would figure in the next
generation of the Emory Cherokee
story. [Little Carpenter’s connection to Grant began in
1730. The
thick mythology around him ignores the fact that prior to 1755 he was
associated with the
Lower and Middle towns and was often considered an
enemy of the British. He was not “Peace Chief” or
“Second Man” and was the only Cherokee bef. 1758 to
have “dead or alive” warrants issued on him by the
governors of SC (1746) and VA (1757—for military desertion).]
* Abram/Ambrose Davis of the Cherokee village
of Ioree (Ayoree) in North
Carolina. He
was
an interpreter and somewhat of a rascal.
He had a run-in with William
Emory’s
father-in-law,
Ludovic Grant in the turbulent 1750’s.
Davis helped to defend Fort
Prince
George in what later became Pickens District when it came under Cherokee
attack.
Ambrose Davis, who styled himself a
“linguister”, wrote the report from the
Overhill
towns that the French were trying to recruit the
Cherokee into frontier warfare in 1746.
Davis was an occasional traveler to Charleston with
the Cherokee delegations hosted by
Mrs. Sarah Amory and others.
ixp 14
Abraham’s mother was born Cherokee, c.1728 in Tellico (now in Tennessee)
and d.c.1766 in Goose Creek, South Carolina. She was part of the “aristocracy”
of the Cherokee, a tribal member.
Since she was a tribal member, her children were born Cherokee (membership
followed maternal lines). (The notion of “half blood, quarter blood, 1/32
blood” and so on, is a white invention. If you were a tribal member, you were
Cherokee, period. The unfortunate racial purge in the mid 1800’s in Oklahoma
based on blood percentage and skin color was not “the old way”.)
Cherokee lands, villages and tribal affiliations were destroyed from the 1750’s
through the 1770’s, so her people lost their homelands and tried to live as
farmers in upper South Carolina among half-breeds and tolerant whites.
Was Mary Grant (b.1728), daughter of Ludovic Grant, Abraham’s mother? I
have not thought so. I assumed along with others that Abraham and Drury were
from a second wife, but family tradition from two different descendants of
Abraham say that “William and Mary” were the parents. This could indicate a
second Mary but a careful analysis of the movements of Ludovic Grant, William
Emory and Thomas Nightingale along with parallel movements of the Vann,
Watts and Welch Cherokee families to Ninety Six at the same time seem to clinch
Mary Grant as the mother. Of considerable weight is the fact that the “Emory
boys” (Robert and William) and the “Grant Cherokee girls” (Susannah and Mary)
were just youths when they married and had that romantic bond of youth that kept
them together. (This was not the typical case of a 45-year-old trader fathering a
child with a 15-year-old Cherokee.) Plus, the apparent bond between William and
his father-in-law Ludovic Grant was a fortifying influence on the marriage.
The computer-predicted name of Abraham’s mother was:
Matilda 30 % (with Joel b.1755 as her son, 20% without)
Nancy 20 %
>> Mary << 15 % (with Joel b.1755 as her son, 25% without)
Catherine 5 %
Rebecca 5 %
Margaret 5 %
Unknown 20 %.
Her computer-predicted date of death was:
1769 30 % (a Mary Emory of Goose Creek and a
Catherine Emory were buried at St. Philip’s
that year) << revised : Mary is the mother
1766 20 % (“plague” hits upper SC)
other yrs bef 1770 10 % (with Joel b.1755 as her son, 20% without)
between 1800-1810 30 % (with Joel b.1755 as her son, 0% without)
other yrs aft 1770 10 % (with Joel b.1755 as her son, 30% without)
Where did the name Abraham come from? Three possibilities arise:
Abram (Abraham) of Chota and Chilhowee, later known as “Old
Abram”; a Cherokee chief. Abram’s Creek in the Great Smoky Mountain
National Park is named for him. Timberlake’s 1762 / 1765 map shows
“Abraham’s Cr.” feeding into the upper Tennessee River. This is the
most intriguing possibility. An incorrect family legend was that William
Emory was killed by John Sevier’s men but it is a fact that Old Abram was
killed by Sevier’s men in 1788. Abram (c. 1725-1788) led the attack on
Fort Watauga (Capt. John Sevier’s post) in 1776. He and Old Tassel
(c.1712-1788) were killed under a flag of truce at Chilhowee. I have a
hunch without any justification at all, that Abram was a son of an early
Indian trader (Grant? Daugherty?). (See “Old John” Hembree’s son
Michael Emery for another connection between our family and Abram.)
Abraham (Abram) Smith, an Indian trader born inVirginia (?) who was
affiliated with Robert Emory in 1750 and in the supply of Fort Loudon
in 1757 and 1758. He was based in Keowee and held a license to
trade in the lower towns until around 1754 when South Carolina felt he
was helping Virginia too much. He was also affiliated with Thomas
Nightingale and delivered Nightingale’s alarming letters from the
Cherokee nation in
May 1749. [The
Colonial Records of South Carolina :
Journal of the Commons House of Assembly March 28, 1749 – March 19, 1750,
edited by J.H. Easterby pp. 87,163,201,216].
The third possibility is that this is a family name from England. In the
northwest part of Lincolnshire there were several Abraham Amory,
Isaac Amory, John Amory, Robert Amory and Andrew Amory families
that seem to be related to our John Amory. The family in Lincolnshire
came to England in the 1600’s from Normandy (Protestant Huguenots).
They followed Biblical naming patterns such as “Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob” (Exodus 3:16), “Andrew, James, John” (Luke 6:14) with an
occasional David or Peter. Where, though, do they get “Robert” and
“William”?
Robert, Duke of Normandy (b.1027) was the father of William the
Conqueror. Modern England began with William’s invasion of the
island in 1066. Proud Normans (who were being crushed in the 1600’s)
liked to remember that they “fathered” England.
Note on Abraham Smith:
When South Carolina tightened the
regulation of the Indian trade in 1751, Smith
was listed as one of the traders who
“were of a known good Character and
Reputation” and “who have given sufficient Proof of a good Behaviour amongst
these Indians for some Years.” [The Colonial Records of South Carolina : Documents
Relating to Indian Affairs 1750 – 1754, pp.
165-166 ].
He was at Keowee with Richard Smith,
who could speak Cherokee. A third man
who was from Virginia was trader
Richard Pearis, who could also speak the
language.
Pearis recruited Wawhatchee and other Lower warriors to assist the
Virginians on three separate occasions in 1755-1756,
1756, 1757. These Virginia
connections will become important in the next volume
when we develop the
tragedies of Fort Prince George, the murder of
Wawhatchee, the destruction of
Keowee, the siege of Fort Loudon, the Revolution,
the Cherokee’s continued war
after the Revolution, how the Emory girls wound up
with Gen. Joseph Martin, Jr
(Virginia’s Agent to the Cherokee) and so on. (Pearis, a Loyalist, set up his
trading post (replacing Abraham Smith’s) on the
Keowee River before the war.
His descendants and those of Smith were still there
in 1790.)
Abraham Smith’s assistance to Virginia almost cost
him his license in South Carolina
then
Virginia Governor Robert Dinwiddie’s letter to South Carolina’s James
Glen
of August 5, 1754, (in which Dinwiddie apologized
for Smith’s behavior) dashed
any hope of Smith working for Virginia. (Dinwiddie would also dismiss Pearis after
he and his Cherokees were honored by Maryland and
Pennsylvania and he had a low
opinion of George Washington too.) [The Dinwiddie Papers, The Papers of George
Washington, numerous refs. and examples available
online].
The mixed-blood descendants of
Abraham Smith, Richard Smith and
Ambrose
Davis remained in upper South Carolina.
(See 1790 census at page 82, 83.)
Both Thomas Nightingale and Abraham
Smith made supply transports from Keowee
to Fort Loudon in late 1756 and
early 1757. (This is how Susannah Emory
wound up
there in 1757.) [SC Commons
Journal of 11 Mar & 21 Mar
1757, 19 Jan & 2 Feb 1759, etc].
Smith also met Capt John Stuart in
Dorchester, SC, and guided him for 8 days on his
reinforcement expedition to Fort
Loudon in 1759. [Ibid. 11 Jun 1760].
ixp 18
Abraham used the name “Emery” on legal documents but was comfortable
with Hembree as well. Since some of his daughters married Hembrees, it is
impossible to say which form of the name is correct for his descendants.
The name “Hembree” speaks uniquely of South Carolina, and is the preferred
form in that state. Descendants also have gone by Emery and Emory. We use
“Hembree” in this report because the initiative for the project came from
Hembree researchers.
Abraham’s father spelled his name Emory, which should settle the matter.
Abraham’s grand-father spelled his name Amory, which should settle the
matter.
But back in England the Amory and Emery forms are used equally.
In short, the matter cannot be settled. (Among the Cherokee the name
“Emory” is known.)
Drury’s descendants have gone by “Hembree” more so than Abraham’s but it
all seems to come down to preference, not any patronymic certainty.
Embree families in the south descend almost entirely from Quaker pioneers and
are not included here.
Embrey, Embry families where possible are kept distinct from those who used
the name Hembree.
ixp 19
Was Abraham born in Spartanburg?
Of course not. Spartanburg did not exist in 1757. At the time of Drury and
Abraham’s birth there were only four counties in South Carolina (Craven,
Berkeley, Colleton, Granville) and these counties had no definite boundaries.
It was not until 1785, when Drury was 30 years old, that the state was split into
seven court districts and 34 counties. But in 1791 the state was redivided into
nine court districts and an uncertain number of counties.
By the time Abraham was 62, when he had to declare under oath where he was
born, he probably said something like “right here, this land”, and Spartanburg
was written
down on his behalf. [It’s important to note that Drury’s pension
application says they were in the
Fair Forest/Spartanburg area when the war
began.]
Locating William Emory in the period 1752-1758 has not yet been proven but I
can say with confidence that he was not in Tennessee and he was not east of the
Saluda River. Although some settlers appear along the Tyger River (in what was
to become
Spartanburg County) by 1756 [The Colonial Records of South Carolina :
Journal of the Commons House of Assembly 1755 – 1757,
edited by Terry Lipscomb
(Columbia: U of SC Press, 1989): p. 350,352], an earlier settlement was reported along
the Saluda River by 1751. The “fort” at Ninety Six at the Saluda River was built
in 1751 (it was not much more than a horse corral and a few huts) to protect the
Cherokee from the Catawba (and the traders from both). It is not difficult to
imagine Emory near Ninety Six, but difficult to picture him among the Catawba
who were at war. Was not peace made between the Cherokee and Catawba in
1752? Yes – Thomas Nightingale and wife Sarah (Wilson) Amory Nightingale
hosted the peace commission from both tribes.
[The Col Recs of South Carolina : Journal of the Commons House of Assembly 1751 – 1752, edited by Terry Lipscomb and R. Nicholas Olsberg (Columbia: U of SC Press, 1977): p.119, 175, 311]. But war drums were beating up and down the frontier, and this was a time for war, not peace. Nightingale had retired from the Cherokee upcountry by 1751. William Emory came down with him or with Ludovic Grant by 1755.
Why did Nightingale (and Emory?) exit the Cherokee Nation? Some Cherokee
hotheads began attacking the traders in 1750 and 1751. James Maxwell, one of
the “master traders”, heard at Keowee “that the Indians were very insolent, and
talked of killing
the Traders”. [The
Col Recs of South Carolina : Journal of the House of
Assembly, edited by Olsberg : session of May 13, 1751, p.442]. Maxwell ignored the
report and continued on to Ioree (Hyoree, Joree), then to Ludovic Grant at
Tomatly town. [Ibid. p.443.
Maxwell’s statement clearly puts Grant in NC. On today’s map
he went from Walhalla, SC to Franklin, NC, then to
Murphy, NC, on horseback in 2 days].
When he headed back toward Keowee he heard that runners were coming after
him to kill him, “which I took as a good Hint for me to be gone”. At the urging
of their Cherokee wives, sixteen white men fled with Maxwell down to
Augusta where they met with other white men who had fled from Keowee and
Ninety Six. [Ibid. p.443-444] Some of the traders returned after the instigators
were punished but some, like Nightingale, stayed in the low country.
Nightingale’s Goose Creek residence was a safe place for Indians (and half
bloods). [Col. Recs SC, Journal
of the House 1750-1751, Olsberg, pp. 171,173,205,206].
He also had land at Ninety Six, part of which he sold to Robert Gouedy. I
believe William Emory took his family to Ninety Six, Ludovic Grant retired
at Goose Creek. When William went off to war, he moved his family down
to Goose Creek. [Nightingale married William Emory’s mother – that’s the
connection between the
families. See Part Two.]
What about Ludovic Grant? He retired to Charleston in 1756 after a dispute
with a drunken
Little Carpenter. [John P. Brown, Old Frontiers, (Kingsport, TN:
Southern Publishers, Inc, 1938): p.64] He probably died in 1757, though there is no
record.
After Abraham’s birth, where did William Emory go? Some think to the Creek
Nation in the early 1760’s, before retiring to Charleston in 1766 or so. It is more
likely that he went into the British Army with his brother Robert.
Here is where the Old John Hembree connection and an old family legend come in. Old John had no known siblings; he lost his father when he was only 2 or 3 and his mother was dead or “gone to England” around 1751, when he was only 7.
John was sent to “family” in Goose Creek and had an “uncle” who was a half
brother (English) and another “uncle” who was referred to as a “revered uncle”.
The revered (not reverend as my grandmother and I figured) was Thomas
Nightingale. The other uncle was said to have died young and left sons who
were Old John’s nephews. John took these nephews under his wing. The uncle
who was a white half-brother had to have been William Emory, and the nephews
were Drury and Abraham. The dates, names, and places all fit together. Before
I arrived at this conclusion, and unknown to me, Bob Hembree, the dean of
Hembree researchers, published his opinion that Drury and Abraham Hembree
were sons of William Emory.
Thomas Nightingale died in 1769 and William Emory died in 1770. Where
would John Hembree (who was about 26) go? And what would he do with his
nephews Drury (15) and Abraham (13)?
This is where another old family legend has to bridge the unknown. William
Emory died in 1770. John Hembree headed back up to the Ninety Six District.
Drury (15) and Abraham (13), having nowhere else to go, probably joined him.
John already had a young child but had lost his wife to the “fever” or “plague”.
His Cherokee mother-in-law remained with him to take care of the child. This
Cherokee woman, I believe, was the same one who took care of John when
he was a small child. She actually remained with the family until her death in
1831 or so. She was called “Nani” or “Nina” or “Nana”.
Nana – the French Woman of Keowee
Her legend is more fully set out in “Old John Hembree aka John Emory” and
“John Amory and the Emory Cherokees” but is worth including here in part.
She was a Cherokee born c.1733 in Keowee and was acquainted with the mother
of John Emory (b.1744), Mary Moore. It is entirely possible that she was a
Melungeon Cherokee. When she was a young girl she was kidnapped, sold into
slavery, and wound up in the French West Indies. When she was a young
woman her French owners set her free and put her on a ship to Charleston. The
ship’s master, however, tried to auction her as a slave in Charleston. She saw
there were some Cherokee onlookers and she called out to them in their language.
There was a great commotion and finally an Englishman arrived with more
Cherokee and bought her. The Englishman is not known but the young girl
wound up at the household of John and Sarah Amory, and was returned to the
tribe c.1746. “Somehow” she became pregnant with a child by William Elder,
an associate of John Amory. John Amory died in 1746, his widow married
William Elder in 1747 (he died in 1748) and she married Thomas Nightingale
in 1749.
She married Little Carpenter (no children). Around 1752 she came to Charleston
with Little Carpenter and dropped off the orphaned John Emory with Sarah
Amory Nightingale. She herself joined the Nightingale household by 1759 when
the warriors of Keowee went off to Virginia and Pennsylvania to fight the French.
She lived with the Amorys (and the Nightingales) off and on into her old age.
She was known as Nana or Nina – “the French Woman of Keowee”. The name
could be French, Cherokee or simply “Nannie”. She died around 1831 in
the house of Edward Hembree, a son of Old John. She knew “Mary Ayers”, she
knew the Nightingales, she knew about the governor’s house, she knew about
Wawhatchee, she knew about Keowee. She is just a legend for now but how
else could these names have been transmitted through John’s line (especially
since he was orphaned at age 8 or so)? She is the bridge. She was Edward
Hembree’s “nanny” and is listed in his household in 1830 as a family member.
She is buried with the family in what is now Oconee County, South Carolina –
close to Keowee. She is the family “a ga yv li ge hee”, or “old woman” – the
story-teller of the oral family tradition.
It was around 1765 that John Hembree got married and began having children
of his own. If John had a reason to go to upper South Carolina, did Drury and
Abraham? In fact, yes. Their father came through for them in his final days.
Perhaps it was moreso the “revered uncle”, but both men acted on the knowledge that their days were few, they had no male heirs, and they had three
young men who could use their help. Nightingale began acquiring properties
in upper South Carolina that he would never see. He encouraged William
Emory to also get a land grant. On June 6, 1769 William Amory, Thomas
Nightingale and Aaron Loocock (the nephew of William’s wife and a land
speculator) petitioned for land warrants in a Charleston courthouse. William’s
was for 300 acres between the Pee
Dee and the Savannah Rivers. [Brent H.
Holcomb, Petitions for Land from the South
Carolina Journals Volume VI : 1766 – 1770
(Columbia: SCMAR, 1999): p.233] William did not need this land – he was
comfortably situated at his wife’s plantation and his back country days were
long over. And look at how he requested the grant: between the Pee Dee and
the Savannah – that’s the entire state! He wanted his boys to pick a spot, stake
it out, apply for the survey, and William would secure the title. When
Nightingale died a few months later he had title to several lands upstate that his
only heir (daughter) Sarah would never need nor want. Drury and Abraham’s
mother died at around this time. Their father’s wife would die in 1770 and
their father just days after her.
Still, the boys had land papers in hand and they went with Old John into the
Ninety Six District. Having Drury and Abraham there must have been a help
to John’s family because that area was still considered dangerous frontier (and
would again erupt in war just several years later).
Thomas Nightingale had lands in the Ninety Six District in the 1750’s, 1760’s,
and 1770’s
(after his death). [Clara
A. Longley, South Carolina Deed Abstracts 1719 –
1779, (Easley, SC : Southern Historical Press, 1983): IV 26, 39, 319] His lands on Ninety
Six Creek of the Saluda River, I believe, is where William Emory moved his
family in the 1750’s. [Nightingale was hired to
transport ammunition to Fort Prince George in
1753, and he
had an active part in the supply of Fort Loudon, including a private shipment
of rum
to Capt Paul Demere via James Beamer in 1758. (The
review committee disallowed that voucher.)
(SC Commons Journal 28 Jan & 5 Feb 1754; 2 Feb & 8 Mar 1759)]
John Hembree can be located in the Ninety Six District before the war because
he witnessed two deeds there in December 1773 and proved the deeds by his
oath on 14 February 1774. The lands involved were “on the waters of Bush
Creek in
Ninety Six District, S.C.”. [Brent H. Holcomb, South
Carolina Deed
Abstracts
1773 – 1778, SCMAR : Columbia, SC, 1994, p.95 a 3rd
deed on p.105] [This was
Brush
or Brushy Creek of the Saluda
River. In 1805 William Hembree, son of
Old John, sold
the
Hembree’s 150 acres on Brushy Creek to Peter Laboon. (Ibid., p.244). The Laboons
already
had adjoining lands on “Brushy Creek of Saluda River” (Ibid., p.294), as did Elijah
Moore
and William Welch – probable sons-in-law of Old John (p.295). The 1773 deeds were
to
“Joseph Thompson, Tanner” and were also witnessed by John Turner and Samuel
Kelly.
All
three witnesses were sons of Indian traders and “tanner” implies Indian trader
– deerskins
were
the currency of the Indian trade.]
By 1773, though, there was a steady stream of migration into South Carolina
from the north. The “Presbyterians” from Pennsylvania and New Jersey filled
the northern and eastern farm lands. Many Virginians moved to the back
country to establish their own churches. The migration from Virginia was
driven by a religious revival known as “anabaptism” (what we would call
“born again” Christianity).
Anabaptism was a return to the Bible and a rejection of the Anglican Church,
which was so powerful in Virginia. Anabaptists did not name their sons after
English kings: William, Henry, George, John, James. They preferred names
from the Bible: Benjamin, Isaac, David, Reuben, Moses, Jesse, Joel, Joseph,
Isaiah, Elijah, Ephraim and so on.
Into the upper reaches of Spartanburg came the Anabaptists, with David Hembree
and his brother James and their families. David’s uncle William was a founder of
the Meherrin Baptist Church of Lunenburg County, Virginia. This congregation
wanted to establish a pilot church in a place free from Anglican control. They
went to North Carolina for 10-15 years then found the upper corner of South
Carolina more to their liking. Who was David Hembree and what was his family
connection to the family of Old John Hembree?
[Aaron Loocock had lands in Spartanburg on the Pacolet River, which is
probably where the boys lived in 1776. He was a Tory and left these lands to his
wife in his 1799 will (he was exiled in New York). So it was easy to remain on
the land – they just could not sell
it.]
ixp 24
On January 30, 1760, David Hembree received a patent for 690 acres in Orange
County, VA, in Saint Matthew’s Parish on Blue Wing Creek.
On July 5, 1768 David Hembrey was granted 200 acres in Craven County, SC
(afterwards part of Spartanburg County) in an area called “Fairforest” – “on a
branch of Tyger River called James Creek, bounded southeast by Wm. Hendricks.
Survey certified 11-27-1767, granted 7-5-1768. Quit Rent begins in 10 years.
Recorded 4-29-1768.” [Newberry County Court Records] On September 6,
1768 “David Amery” made a petition for a survey warrant for the same 200
acres.
In 1768 Samuel DeSaurency, a Huguenot, was granted 367 acres in Craven
County and 67 acres of that was then granted to “James Amare”.
Other French Protestants moving into the South Carolina back country were
Rev. Abraham Imer / Emer of Purrysburg then of Saxe Gotha, who died Oct
1766. David Lewis Imer / Imrie who died April 1781 and was buried at St.
Philip’s Parish in Charleston. And Dr. Frederick Imer / Imrie who was granted
100 acres in Craven County in May 1768 but died in 1771. (Abraham Emer was
married at St. Philip’s.)
A William Embry of Virginia also moved into the upcountry in the Camden
District. Bob Hembree links this William Embry to Col. Henry Embry of
Virginia.
Does David Hembree (1728-1809) belong to the plantation Embry’s of Virginia,
the French protestants, a different Virginia family, or the South Carolina
Emorys/Amorys? I tend to think he belongs to a Virginia family but not
necessarily part of the Henry Embry “plantation” line. I think he is the same
David Emray on the 1749 tax list of Lunenburg Co, Virginia (listed near William
Embry of the “plantation” line and Edward Owen). He was the father of Rev.
James H. Hembree (1759-1849). Bob Hembree, the “dean of Hembree
researchers”, has traced this family back to Goochland County, Virginia. As
Bob frequently notes, David’s father was a James Hembree (b.c.1700), not
William as so often reported. (See the section on the Hembree & Emory Family
Tree.)
Could David Hembree have been a cousin of William Emory, father of
Abraham? It is unlikely. William’s brother Robert (d.1790) is thought by
Martin family genealogists to have lived in Virginia and upper North
Carolina, but I respectfully dispute that. (I have him in North Carolina, South
Carolina and Georgia or Alabama before retiring in Charleston.)
Although no relationship has been proven between David and James of
Virginia and the South Carolina Emory/Hembrees, there is the tendency to
consider the two lines together.
When David came to Spartanburg District he was affiliated with the Virginia
and North Carolina Baptists. I once considered him to be the “revered uncle”
of John Hembree’s youth but could not prove any connection. David’s family
sometimes spelled the name Emery. In 1800 “James Emery” (James H.
Hembree) was the representative of the Shockley Ferry Baptist Church. (So the
surname was not precise.)
The Hembrees were early members of the Tyger River Baptist Church, which
became the Friendship Baptist Church, and possibly the Goucher Baptist Church,
both of which Abraham attended. (But note that Drury, Old John, and the
Moores of our family had little or no Baptist connection before 1810.)
It is important to remember that David and James Hembree did not come into
upper South Carolina before 1768. Drury and Abraham were born before that in
upper South Carolina.
According to The Descendants of David Hembree by Patricia B. McMillan,
David and James Hembree served in the Granville County, North Carolina,
militia in 1755.* [“Colonial & State Records of North Carolina”, Vol XXII,
pp. 365-366]
A land deed in 1773 refers to 150 acres on “Jameys Creek of Tyger River”
surveyed in 1770 as being adjacent to land of “David Hembry”. (Deed recorded
December 31, 1785.)
* Also cited by John B.G. Hembree Jr & Clara A. (Hembree) Maxcy in Hembree
(self
published, 1983): p.3. [June Clark Murtie, Colonial
Soldiers of the South, 1732-1774,
(Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co.,1986): pp. 723,756]
In South Carolina Baptists 1670 – 1805 (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing
Co, Inc, 1974), Leah Townsend notes the beginning of the Baptist migration:
About 1759 or 1760 Mr. Mulkey led a group of
thirteen from Deep
River in North Carolina to Broad River in
South Carolina. They were
incorporated into a church at this place,
their membership soon
increasing to over a hundred. However, the
original body remained only
until December, 1762, when they moved to
Fairforest, a tract lying in
the fork between Fairforest Creek and Tyger
River. . . . Three hundred
families were connected with the congregation
[by 1772]. (pp. 125-126)
Tyger River Church (Friendship) . . . which
claims 1765 as its date of
constitution, was so near to Fairforest as to
indicate a connection in their
early history. . . . Other records give 1777
as the date of constitution.
(pp.
132-133)
The Hembrees were among members listed 1801 – 1804.
In conclusion, although the circumstantial evidence of a relationship between
the Virginia Hembrees and the South Carolina Emorys (Hembrees) appears
compelling in both Spartanburg and Pendleton, a generation earlier they were
worlds apart and no blood connection can be assumed.
For more detail on the connections between the two lines see The Hembree &
Emory Family Tree in Part Two, which was done thanks to Jane Hembree’s
Family Tree site at http://pages.ivillage.com/fp-olevia/ and in large measure
thanks to Dale Standifer’s preservation of Bob Hembree’s “Roots Branches
Leaves” newsletter.
ixp 27
Drury Hembree was born December 12, 1755 upper South Carolina (by
tradition, the Spartanburg County area). In many ways he is even more elusive
than his brother. The lack of other siblings has led to the conclusion that their
mother died rather young, leaving uncle John, Drury, and Abraham to raise
themselves.
Drury moved to Tennessee, then perhaps back to South Carolina, then back to
Tennessee, then up to Indiana, then finally to Missouri, where he died around
the age of 90 years old.
It is possible that Drury’s first name was Andrew and that he went by that
name at times. Some think that his only name was Andrew and “Drewry” is a
nickname based on Andrew, but his war record with the British and a civil
lawsuit in 1787 suggest “Drury/Drewry” as his correct name (whether first or
middle).
(See also reference to Andrew Amory as a family name back in England.)
In Henry Guppy’s 1890 book, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain, he
indicates the following surnames among those peculiar to Lincolnshire:
Drewery, Drewry, and Drury. [www.genuki.org.uk site]
Who was Drury’s wife? She is known as “M” born in Pennsylvania c. 1756
(1766 is more likely given the earlier census ages and childbirths for her). She
died after 1850 in Taney County, Missouri. Some believe she was part Cherokee;
another guess is that she was from Virginia, the sister of James Harbison (1763-1841). If that guess is true, James Harbison would have been Drury’s brother-in-law, neighbor, and son-in-law in DuBois County, Indiana, all at the same time!
(Another theory is that her last name was Shirley.)
Of Cherokee note, though, is Drury’s sons Andrew & Benjamin who most
likely married a Cherokee woman and is the father of some central Tennessee
Cherokee Emorys, including Andrew, Catherine, Benjamin, and Thomas.
(Note that the DeKalb County, Tennessee Cherokee Emorys come from a
different Thomas b.c. 1805 and his sons and grandsons include Thomas b.c.1830,
Carroll David b.c.1835, and John Richard b.c.1855.)
One little mystery surrounding Drury is this notation in Virgil D. White’s
Index to Revolutionary War Service Records (Waynesboro, TN: National
Historical Publishing Company, 1995): II, 865:
Emery, Abraham, srv as a Pvt in the 6th SC Regt
Emery, Drury, srv as a Pvt in the 2nd VA State Regt
Could this be a transcription error? (It appears in another book of Virginia
colonial military rosters.)
And there is a Drury Emery in the 1812 Viginia Militia (which could include
Kentucky and Indiana) as a private in Company I, Allen’s Regiment. [Roll Box
63, Rec # 2363.]
Drury went to Tennessee before 1800 and records in that area are incomplete
but we are hoping some notice of him can be found there that can help shed some
light on him.
ixp 29
The computer model definitely makes Joel Hembree (1755-1825) a brother of
Abraham and Drury. The certainty is very high, based on census data, naming
patterns, migrations, place of birth, Revolutionary War service in South Carolina,
and lack of intermarriage between their children.
But Bob Hembree, a descendant of this Joel, has linked Joel to James (his father)
of the Virginia families (and shows his place of birth as VA, not SC as everyone
else does). I would trust Bob Hembree over a computer model when it comes to
Joel Hembree but the circumstantial evidence suggests that Joel is connected
somehow to Abraham’s family. [Revised – Bob Hembree is re-examining the
line with a view toward settling the differences.]
Here’s a teaser: the 1790 and 1800 census data suggest that Joel has his mother
or mother-in-law in his household with some slaves (presumably hers). His
mother-in-law and father-in-law (the Pettits) are accounted for in those census
years and had no slaves – they were from New Jersey. The Virginia Hembrees
had a few slaves but the mother of that line is accounted for in Pendleton (not
Spartanburg). (This may not be true: Joel b.1755 is the son of James b.1730
and lived on or near James’ 200 acre grant (of 1772) on the north side of Tyger
River before getting several grants of his own on the north side of the river. The
original 1768 grant of 200 acres was on the south side of the Tyger River (at
James Creek) and an 1811 deed for land on James Creek mentions “Susannah
Hambry’s old line” – she being, perhaps, an unmarried daughter of James.)
Here’s another teaser: Joel b.1755 named one of his sons Isaac Lyons Hembree.
Isaac Lyons was from Goose Creek, SC, where William Emory sometimes
resided.
And another teaser: “Old John” Hembree fathered a child out of wedlock in 1788
by Rebecca Sullivan and in the 1790 census, she is found next to this Joel. Also
in that year John obtained a grant of land on the Pacolet River with Joel’s brother
in law: Joshua Pettit.
In the 1790 Spartanburg census (p.86) there is a Henry Emry listed (1-1-1-0-0)
not too far from Drury, Abraham and Joel (b.1755) (p.87). In the 1800 census,
Henry is gone but there is a mysterious Joel (p.207) listed near Joel’s (b.1755)
son Zachariah (p.206). (Abraham is on p.198 and Joel b.1755 is on p.199.)
This other Joel (b.1765-1770) married a Matilda and was the father of Col.
Joel Hembree (b.1796 SC) of Roane County, Tennessee (where the other
Joel b.1755 wound up).
The Hembrees of Joel b.1765-1770 were also slave owners but they too have
a family tradition of Cherokee blood going back to pre-Revolution days. Col.
Hembree (for whom Fort Hembree in N.C. is named) was one of the officers
who rounded up the Cherokee for removal in 1838. (This does not necessarily
peg Col. Joel as “anti-Cherokee”. Army correspondence – official and personal –
show that a lot of the soldiers involved in the removal were compassionate and
sympathetic.) Furthermore, a descendant of Col. Joel has written to me telling
of a family legend identical to the one I heard concerning the mother of “Old
John” Hembree.
See more detail on the various lines in Part Two.
To recap the Joels:
Joel Hembree (b.1755 VA d.1825 Roane Co TN) – son of James (b.1730) and
Sarah Hembree, grandson of James (b.1700) and Sarah Hembree of Virginia. He
is NOT Joel “Bird” Hembree (though by repeated usage he is known this way)
but he had a son named Joel Bird Hembree (b.1804 SC d.1860).
Joel Hembree (b.1765-1770 d.182x Roane CoTN) – he is a puzzle. He may
have Indian blood (or had a mixed blood wife). He is the father of Col. Joel
Hembree (b.1793 – his official biography for the Tennessee legislature says b.
1796 d.23 Dec 1868 Roane Co, TN). (Note another Joel Hembree b. 1779 d.1868
Roane Co. TN is thought to be a son of another William Embry/Hembree.)
These Joels and their sons lived in
Roane County, Tennessee. There is no
proof
that either are related to Abraham. (The Joel b.1755 does seem to be a good
fit as a brother of Abraham Hembree though.)
See The Compendium of Joel Hembrees
in Part Two.
ixp 31
In 1776 John Emory was about 32, married, and struggling to keep a little farm
going and also hiring himself out as a carpenter. During the Revolution he was
known as a Tory or Loyalist and he fled SC in 1778 to avoid being hanged. He
enlisted with the British and served briefly as a private in Lt. Col. Alexander
Inne’s Company of the South Carolina Royalists (out of Savannah, GA). He was
enlisted on December 1, 1779. After the fall of Charleston, or in 1781, he
took several families up to North Carolina (among neutral Cherokee or Catawba
farmers) and served with the Americans in that state. (A possible, but doubtful,
record of his service there shows that he neglected to draw his pay as of 1783.)
Joel Hembree was 21 and later made a loss claim in South Carolina but no war
record has been asserted.
Drury Hembree was 21 and was drafted two times by the Americans then once
by the British, doing pretty much the same thing for both sides: firing his musket
at Indians who fired at him. As the war wound down, Drury took a wife (of
unknown name) and started a family. Drury’s pension application and service
details are given in Martin & Standifer’s “The Descendants of John Hembree”
on familytreemaker.com, which covers his service with the Americans. He
served from 25 April to 19 July 1781 (as “Duiry Emery”) as a private in Capt
Isaac Stewart’s (British) Troop of Light Dragoons out of Orangeburgh, South
Carolina.
Abraham Hembree was 19 years old when the war broke out and he enlisted
with the Americans in March 1777 before his 20th birthday. He joined the 6th
Regiment (SC). In April 1778 he deserted and was soon apprehended. Knowing
our Abraham, he was either getting married or conceiving his first child (or
both). He resumed service in the 6th but was transferred to the 1st Regiment (SC)
where he served until May 1780.
Abraham’s unit saw action at the battle of Stono Ferry near Charleston (June
1779), then the Siege of Savannah (October 1779), then retreated to Charleston
with the Continental Army. In May 1780, after the surrender of Charleston,
Abraham was captured by the British. He escaped some time later.
In the year 1784 he obtained a certificate of military service so he could apply
for a land warrant, which was granted under the name “Abraham Emery” on
May 7, 1792, for 200 acres near the
Keowee River. [See
also Land Grant index for
1788 Vol 21, p,135 and Vol 22, p.280; also for 1796 Vol 40
p.219 for Abraham
Hembree.]
ixp 32
Abraham’s wife was given as “Winnie” “Winnifred” and “Nancy” in the
1907 Cherokee applications. It was also suggested that her maiden name was
“Jackson”. We are still looking for a Jackson family that fits. Abraham’s mother
was half Cherokee. The computer model rejected Cherokee blood for Abraham’s
wife as none of the applications made a specific mention of her tribal roots, and
a few even indicated that she was NOT Indian.
Here’s a surprise:
Family tradition: Winnifred (“Nancy”) Jackson, possibly part Cherokee
Computer model: Winnifred (“Nancy”) Lee (b.1760 – d.1808) daughter of
James Lee of Virginia, later of Spartanburg District, SC,
not Cherokee
Abraham Hembree came from an Anglican (English) Church tradition. It is
likely that he married a strict Baptist girl and she made a Bible-thumpin’
believer out of him. The Lees of Virginia (not the famous Lees, but the poorer
up-country Lees) came to Spartanburg in the 1770’s (to escape the Anglican
church tax in Virginia). A James Lee lived near Abraham in Spartanburg
District. “Winnifred” is a name more common among Virginia families such
as the Lees than among the back-country Jacksons.
Abraham named his first surviving son “James Lee”, in a departure from his
Bible names (so a family importance can be inferred, such as his father-in-law).
It is likely that Abraham met his wife during the war and they had a war-time
marriage in 1781 or so. But there needs to be more research to be conclusive.
In defense of the Jackson name for Abraham’s wife, there are two widows in
Spartanburgh County living nearby Abraham in 1790: Elizabeth Jackson and a
Hannah Jackson, listed next to Thomas Jackson (her son). This Thomas Jackson
was about Abraham’s age and he served in the 1st Regiment during the
Revolutionary War, under his older brother Capt. William Jackson, so perhaps
this is the family.
New data (since the first edition) suggests that Abraham did not marry c.1778
but in 1781 or so. The Jackson family that was close to Abraham’s family in
Spartanburg and later in Georgia and Missouri were white Baptists from Virginia
by way of North Carolina. The names Matilda, Ephraim and Reuben, which
Abraham’s wife chose as names for children match the Jackson names of the
North Carolina line.
More research and analysis is needed. Identifying the parents of Ephraim
Jackson (d.c.1849 Spartanburg) will very likely yield further clues as to the
identity of Winnefred Jackson, Abraham’s wife. (Or perhaps our Ephraim
is the one in Pendleton District in 1790.)
A search of the land records provides a solid link to an Ephraim Jackson, and
further data on Abraham’s wife: [from A.B. Pruitt’s Deed
Abstracts, op cit.]
On January
27, 1792, “Abraham Hembrey and wife Winey” sold 117 acres of his
265 acre
grant (of 7 Jan 1788) between Cain’s Creek and Dutchman’s Creek north
of the
Tyger River (near the lands of Joel b.1755 and Hannah Hembree).
On November
19, 1795, “Abraham Emery and wife
Winnefred” of Spartanburg
sold his
war service grant of 200 acres (of 7 May 1792) on the Keowee River in
Pendleton
County, SC. Ephraim Jackson was a
witness to the transaction.
On November
1, 1809, Abraham Hembree, without wife, bought additional land
on
Goucher’s Creek: “increasing all the
land where Abraham Hembrie lives on
Goucher’s
Cr.”.
Ephraim Jackson moved up to that area in 1805 (buying land from William Land)
and he lived next to Joshua Pettit’s land. This Ephraim seems to be a “nephew”
of Abraham. He married Rebecca Sullivan and raised her illegitimate son by
Old John Hembree as his own. (See note under Children of Old John Hembree.)
An older Ephraim Jackson, along with his brother Samuel, are found in Pendleton
District, living at the boundary of Indian lands along with names familiar in the
family: Moore, Smith; and names familiar in Cherokee genealogy: Martin,
Pearis, Murphy, Fields, Buffington, Harlan, etc. This Ephraim and Samuel lived
close to the lands of Old John Hembree in Pendleton County in 1790.
ixp 34
Abraham’s father, William Emory, lived among the Cherokee in North Carolina
at Tomatly village. He came down from the Cherokee Nation before 1755. He
lived near Ninety Six or Keowee when Abraham was born.
It is likely that Abraham spent time in his youth among the Cherokee in South
Carolina, and was accepted as “tribal blood”. He was, after all, born to a woman
who was a tribal member so that made him a Cherokee by birth. But there is no
evidence that he claimed tribal membership. He spent his whole life near
traditional tribal lands and was regarded as a brother but the evidence is
conclusively against formal tribal membership in his later years. He could not
have drawn his war pension or received his land grant had he claimed to be
Cherokee. He asserts in his 1825 pension application “that he was a resident
citizen of the United States on the 18th day of March, 1818” (when Congress
passed the pension act. Indians were not citizens.)
There is, however, a strong family tradition (from the 1907 Cherokee
applications) that he died at Ross’ Landing near Chattanooga shortly before
the forced removal began in the Spring of 1838. Ross’ Landing was the
gathering point for the removal. So, symbolically, he was born a Cherokee, and
he died a Cherokee on “The Trail of Tears”, spending his entire life on Cherokee
soil and dying on the “doorstep” of the Trail of Tears.
Is the Ross’ Landing tradition reliable? The applicants were mostly unable to
read or write, and probably had no idea of the significance of the place, so it
seems reliable. On the other hand, newspaper accounts describing the court
settlement surely mentioned the removal from Chattanooga, which was called
Ross’ Landing at the time.
Q. Were the “half breed havens” (the trading posts and families
around them)
part of the Cherokee
Nation? Were the children born there
(such as Abraham)
considered Cherokee?
A. The answer to both is “no” but a lot of such children became tribal leaders.
Others went west and became the “mountain men”, cavalry troops, prospectors,
cowboys of western legend. Consider John Watts, who was born at Ninety Six
in 1753. He became a warrior and a chief. If blood percentage and birthplace
define who is Cherokee, then Abraham was as much Cherokee as John Watts was.
ixp 35
In many ways, these were Abraham’s golden years. He had a large family and
gained influence in the community as a member of the church. Many of his
children learned to read (and some learned to write) as the result of the church.
In 1807 Abraham (along with his wife and daughter) were granted papers from
the Friendship Baptist Church (lower Spartanburgh District) and relocated to
upper Spartanburgh (where they joined Goucher Baptist Church). But, alas, the
death of his wife in 1808 or so put the family in a tailspin. She seems to have
kept the family together. After her death, the family scattered west and north.
The eldest son, James Lee, left home and headed for Georgia. The eldest
daughter, Sallie, went with her husband James to Georgia also.
Matilda married and went up to North Carolina.
The death of his wife must have been hard for Abraham. He did not remarry,
he had trouble working the farm, and he began to acquire a taste for corn whiskey.
Yet the influence of the church kept him somewhat respectable: the Baptist
church was an early voice for temperance (moderation) and even prohibition.
Without the church, Abraham’s intemperance would have been much more than
occasional.
Thanks to the judicious nature of the Baptists, we have some colorful notes
regarding the behavior of Abraham Hembree while he and his family were
members of the Goucher Baptist Church in Union County (now part of Cherokee
County), South Carolina. Disciplinary actions were carried out by requiring a
member of the church to “report” to the church and answer to whatever charges
might be brought. If satisfactory answer (and/or repentance) was offered, the
member would remain in good standing.
Here are some examples:
Saturday May the 20th
1815 Brother Abraham Hembree reported to the Church.
David
Lipscomb failing to go, that he had Cited Brother Hugh Moore to attend
on
Saturday before the third Sunday in May.
Abraham reported but Hugh Moore did not and Jonathan Bice was sent to collect
Moore’s membership letter:
Brother Hugh Moore did not
appear to his citation and was Excommunicated
for neglecting to hear the
Church--Also Brother Jonathan Buice was appointed
to go to Hugh Moore and
request him to give him his Credentials as he may
bring them to the
Church. Signed by order of the
Church--
A business loan gone bad created a stir in the church the following year. Because
it involved two different congregations, members from both had to hear the
matter. The sum of money was considerable – forty dollars, and it involved one
brother assuming the debt of another and then failing to pay on the note. Brother
Prewett was the “injured” party and Brother Spencer was the one in default:
Friday the 16th day of February 1816
In Conference the case of Shadrick
Prewett & William Spencer was
taken up the members from Buck Creek
Church presen[t] James
Turner Henry Turner Ephraim Potter John
Cantrell Richard Turner
& Samuel Trollenger the Question was
put Whether Brother Spencer
should pay Brother Prewett forty Dollars
on a note of John Kiger and
them that thought Spencer ought to pay
Prewitt was to make it known
by Rising up. Brother Henry Turner
Ephraim Potter John Cantrell
Richard Turner Joshua Richards &
Samuel Trollenger. Six Rose for
Brother Spencer paying of Brother Prewitt
the $40 which was a majority
That did not settle the matter for Abraham, though. He exacted his own
righteous indignation against Brother Spencer:
Saturday Conference March the 16th 1816—
Sister Elizabeth Petty petitioned the
Church for a Letter of dismission
to join providence Church her request was
Granted & Brother Joshua
Richards was to apply for her Letter I
have Wrote it & Gave it to Brother
Richards
John Lipscomb C. C
A Report against Brother Abraham Hembree
Chargeing him of Giting
drunk and Swearing and wanting to fight
Brother Spencer appointed to
cite him to our next Church Meeting
(Note
that the lack of punctuation could allow for a period after “fight”, with
Abraham not
wanting to fight Spencer specifically. The Spencer family could
have been in-laws of some
sort. Spartanburg neighbor Jesse
Spencer’s family
wound up close to Abraham’s
family – his son Ephraim – in Missouri.)
Two months later our Abraham acquitted himself well before the inquiry:
Saturday May the 18th day 1816.
In Conference Brother Abraham Hembree
Came forward and Gave
Satisfaction to the Church
The Buck Creek [Church] sanctioned the
Request Handed by Brother
John Pettet in Case of Brother Prewett
& Brother Spencer
A few months later Abraham was on the “list of subscribers” (supporters) for
the next meeting at the regional association and was tapped 12 ½ cents for
support (the average amount). But in the same business meeting yet another
case against Abraham was brought up:
A Report against Brother Abraham Hembree
Chargeing him with
wanting to fight and of haveing some
Immorrel conduct
Brother Hembrees case laid over untill
our next November meeting
Well, he beat that rap too:
Saturday Conference the 14th day of
November 1818
Brother Hembree[s] Case Dismissd
There were other incidents, but the fight at his 64th birthday celebration deserves
mention:
May 19, 1821
Brother Hembree came to the
Church and said he was informed by his
daughter Polly that Jack
Weaks had threatened to go to his daughter
Metilda and behave himself
unseemly with Metilda. Brother Hembree
said when he heard it, it
put him in such a passion that he went to the
end of the house and
listened a considerable he saw him leaning on the
bed and there was a
fight. Brother Pettet was appointed to
talk to Metilda
Hembree. Pettet reported that Brother Hembree’s and
Metilda’s stories
did not agree.
This is Henry Pettit and his
family also wound up close to Abraham’s family in
Missouri. (The name became Petty by 1850.)
About five years later Matilda would be cited by the church on charges of
fornication. She refused to report and was excommunicated. Shortly after,
she moved back up to North Carolina and then Abraham and household moved
up there as well.
(Follow-up on Hugh Moore: he became a minister and remained close to the
church and to the Hembree family. Another Hugh Moore lived in Pendleton
District near the Keowee River and had other lands on the waters of the Saluda
River. Both of these Moores are probably unrelated to our Moores.)
ixp 38
Congress passed a disability / hardship pension for Revolutionary War soldiers
in 1818 and then expanded it in 1820.
On April 9, 1819, Abraham applied by oath for his pension but was denied.
On April 11, 1825, he applied again. He appeared before Judge Theodore
Gaillard at the Spartanburgh Court House with a very detailed declaration.
Judge Gaillard was quite helpful in getting the proper information out of
Abraham. (There were two Theodore Gaillards : one from Saint Philip’s who
died March 29, 1824 and the other from Saint Stephen’s Parish in Charleston,
who died March 24, 1829 – they were first cousins.)
On July 19, 1825, Abraham began receiving a pension payment of five dollars
a month but, because the War Department deemed him eligible back to 1819
he was paid eight dollars a month to catch up on the arrears owed.
On July 29, 1828, he applied to transfer his pension up to Rutherfordton, North
Carolina.
In February 1834 he applied to transfer his pension to Jonesboro in Washington
County, Tennessee, but as he resided in Cocke County, he was assigned to draw
his pension down in Knoxville.
His brother Drury was living nearby in Campbell County, Tennessee at the time
(near Jacksboro) and Abraham assisted him in obtaining a war pension.
A veteran had to establish need or disability to be eligible for the pension and this
was no problem for old Abraham, who suffered from a heart condition that he and
Judge Gaillard ably diagnosed as angina pectoris:
. .
. a fluttering or palpitation of the heart, owing as he supposes to
debility,
and which frequently continues for the space of two or
three
weeks at a time during which paraxism he is entirely unable
and
unfit for manual labor.
Judge Gaillard also inventoried Abraham’s personal property, chief of which
was half ownership in a whiskey still ($10.00). The rest of his sellable personal
property included an axe ($1) a hand saw ($1) a drawing knife ($0.45) a
“coopers crain” ($0.25) and one old mattock – estimated total worth: $14.50.
When he moved up to North Carolina a clerk court out of Rutherfordton made
a survey of Abraham’s economic condition on September 3, 1828:
…there
can be no doubt that he is very Needy.
I was at the place
where
he Stays. The Cabbin and all the
Visible property is not worth
five
dollars he is not able to labour and himself & wife are really
Objects
of Charity. . . .
The clerk mistook Polly (age 46) for Abraham’s wife, giving rise to a
misstatement by the War Department in a 1934 letter to Isaac Hembree of
Chattanooga that “Soldiers wife was living in 1828.” In 1825 Abraham
detailed his household as daughters Polly, “who is unhealthy and unable to
contribute any thing towards his support”, Jinny, and Jinny’s two sons
Hampton and Isaac.
The July 1828 declaration was attested to by James Emry (who signed his
own name) and Lewis Ballard (who made his mark). This James was James
M. Hembree, raised as a son by Abraham and closer to him than James Lee
Hembree, the son born 1790.
In his July 29, 1828 statement to John Logan, Justice of the Peace, Abraham
had to set forth his reasons for transferring to North Carolina, as recounted by
Judge Logan:
. .
. his reasons for removing to the State of North Carolina is first
provision
is much Cheaper. Rent for a place to stay at much lower
and
this Country healthyer and a much better range for Cattle &
hoggs.
But gold was discovered in upper Rutherford County in that year and soon prices
and taxes began to rise. Abraham had to move on. Again in March 1834, in
Cocke County, Tennessee, he had to explain his reasons for transferring his
pension:
. .
. his reasons for removing . . . to Cocke County Tennessee towit
that
the means of living are more abundant & cheap. There are two
agencies
in East Tennessee and he resides nearer to that at ----- Wells.
On March 29, 1834, an Isaac Hembree wrote and signed an affidavit (on his
own) for Abraham’s behalf. This was Abraham’s son who resided in Cocke
County. (His nephew Isaac, son of Drury, had been in Campbell County but
was in Johnson County, Indiana by 1830, so the declarant was the son of
Abraham.) (He must have learned how to read and write at the church.)
A witness attested to the truthfulness and character of Isaac Hembree:
I do hear by sertify
that Isaac Hembree Is A man of Truth &
Respect to billity and,
that his actson do have full Faith and Credit.
Problems arose with Abraham’s pension claim in 1819 because he was “quite
illiterate” according to one judge and was not sure by what name he was enrolled
into the army: Emory, Emmery, Embree, Emery or Hembree. Also, the name of
his company captain (Warley or Marley) could not be found in the 6th Regiment.
(Capt. George Warley shows up in the pay records, as does Abraham Emery. The
pay records were not added to the archives until the 1900’s.) But Abraham did
know one of his captains (John Montgomery) and the commanding officers of the
6th (Col. William Henderson) and 1st (Col. Charles Cotesworth Pinckney)*
Regiments. Furthermore, because he was taken prisoner by the British at the end
of his term of service he “was not regularly discharged”. Then, the certificate he
obtained in 1784 he left on file at the land office in 1792.
Abraham made his mark on his 1819 statement with a bizarre pictograph which
is either a Cherokee bird-man or an ink splot. Most other times he signed with an
‘X’ though on his July 1828 declaration he made a very attractive ‘A’, leading
some to venture that his middle initial was ‘A’. It wasn’t, any more than his
middle initial was ‘X’.
From April 1825: From July 1828:
his his
Abraham X Hembree Abraham A Hembree
mark mark
Finding the last payment issued for Abraham, minus three or four months, should
give us a better idea of when he died but those pay records seem to be lost.
*
Judge Gaillard may have helped Abraham remember Col. Pinckney’s name.
Gaillard and Pinckney were neighbors
in Charleston and Gaillard went to the
same
school at Oxford that Pinckney had attended a
generation earlier. Plus, Pinckney was
the Federalist candidate for president and vice
president in three national elections.
ixp 41
In 1906 and 1907 quite a few descendants of Abraham Hembree applied for a
share of the settlement made by the US government with the Eastern Cherokee.
The purpose of the applications was to establish a financial claim based on tribal
membership in 1835 or in 1851. It was not to establish Cherokee ancestry.
The Hembree descendants knew that they were of Cherokee blood and knew they
were living on Cherokee lands since way before 1838 but did not know that their
formal tribal affiliation was from pre-Revolution days in South Carolina and
those Cherokee were burned off their lands without any “census” or “list” being
made of them.
The Hembree descendants (most of whom could barely read or write) set about
to lay down the family history in a way that would make sense to outsiders and
would be supported by available facts. In a way, this data project is a tribute to
their work and a continuation of it.
The data provided in the applications is rich with speculation but it is of dubious
genealogical value. The applicants knew little about their own generation, less
about their parent’s generation, and almost nothing about their grandparent’s
generation. Nonetheless, the applications provide the best glimpse into the
family as it looked 100 years ago.
The applications can be divided into three groups:
1) The Mahala Clonts / Margaret Ross Group
(apps 2661, 4968-4974,
13120)
2) The Minverva Key Group (apps 6078 thru 6087)
3) The Mary Houser / John W. Hembree Group
(apps 44517, 44739)
The
Mahala Clonts / Margaret Ross Group
(apps 2661,
4968-4974, 13120)
2661 - Margaret C. Ross, dau of Mahala Clonts
4968 – Samuel A. Clonts, brother of Margaret Ross,
son of Mahala Clonts
4969 - Mahala Clonts – mother of Margaret Ross, dau of
James M. Hembree
4970 - Julius C. Ross, son of Margaret Ross
4971 - Artemincey Barnes, dau of Margaret Ross
4972 - Harriet D. Keener, dau of Margaret Ross
4973 - John W. Clonts, son of Mahala Clonts, brother of
Margaret Ross
4974 - Margaret Ross – (duplicate of 2661)
13120 - Jodie Stancil, dau of Joseph Hembree, great-grandau of James
M. Hembree (also grand-niece and neighbor of Mahala
Clonts) (filed January 1907, with the help of Mahala
Clonts who signed her affidavit)
On November 9, 1906, Atlanta attorney H. H. Walker prepared and filed
most of the above applications on behalf of the family. Commissioner Guion
Miller himself wrote back and said they were illegible and all based on the
same information so he instructed that Mahala Clonts ought to redo hers (4969)
and the other claims would stand or fall on hers. A year later, on December 4,
1907, the rewritten 4969 application was resubmitted. All were rejected because
the family could not establish tribal membership in 1835 or 1851 and thus did not
have a claim against the government because of the removal of 1838.
1) The birthplace of James M. Hembree is given as North Carolina. This turns
out to be an important piece of information.
2) The applicants state that Abraham had 14 children which, remarkably, appears
correct even though only seven of the children were named.
3) Mentions that Abraham died near Ross’ Landing (Chattanooga), Tennessee.
4) Provides information on Nancy Floyd and her parents Thomas and Sallie.
Nancy was the first wife of James M. Hembree.
5) States that they declared their Cherokee nationality to a J.W. Harris in
Carterville, Georgia (circa 1880?). Could this have been the 1880 census?
6) Mentions Abraham’s wife as “Winnie” “nee Jackson” and says she was “not
Indian”.
1) Mahala contradicts herself in saying “Abraham Hembree lived to be over 100
years old” and “My Grand Father Abram Hembree was born in the Cherokee
Nation in the year 1793.” She has Abraham living in Hamilton County, TN in
1851. All three of these are wrong.
2) She was sure about when and where she was born (November 3, 1829
Rutherford County, NC) and sure her father James M. Hembree was born in
North Carolina as well. Abraham did not move to that area until 1828.
There is evidence that James M. Hembree left South Carolina in 1826 (a letter of
release from the church) and he appears in the 1830 census for Rutherford Co,
NC.
There is evidence that Matilda Hembree, Abraham’s daughter, married a Hembree
before 1810 and moved to North Carolina, had two sons there, but returned to her
father’s household by 1820. (Her sister Elizabeth also married a Hembree after
1810 and moved to NC.) Matilda was dismissed by the same church a month
before James M. was. Matilda and James M. resided nearby in the 1830 census
and they both are gone by 1840.
Mahala knew she was the oldest surviving child of James M. but knew she had a
brother who was born & died in 1827. She does not give a birth date for her
father, but might have had 1810 in mind (1793+17 = 1810, 1810+17 = 1827).
Although Mahala attempts to prove that James M. is a son of Abraham, she
actually proves that he is a grandson, the son of Matilda, as it turns out. But
since he was raised as a son, Abraham is fairly considered his father.
The Minverva
Key Group (apps 6078 thru 6087)
6078 - Minerva A. Key, dau of Reuben Emery and 1st cousin of
Mahala Clonts (4969)
6079 - Enoch Key, son of Minerva Key
6080 - Mrs. Elsada Frady & ch, dau of Minerva Key
6081 - Henry Key, son of Minerva Key
6082 - Missouri Dale, dau of Minerva Key
6083 - Allen Key, son of Minerva Key
6084 - Mrs. Fannie Bryant & ch, dau of Minerva Key
6085 - Mrs. Dela Worley & ch, dau of Minerva Key
6086 - Mary Jane Key, dau of Minerva Key
6087 - Pinkney Key & ch, son of Minerva Key
Mahala (Hembree) Clonts lived in Santa Luca (Gilmer County), Georgia.
So did her cousin, Minerva (Hembree) Key. A month after the Clonts group of
applications were completed, the Minerva Key group of applications were
completed (December 17, 1906).
1) The birthplace of Reuben Emery is given as Spartanburg, South Carolina.
This is an important fact because these people knew nothing of census data
which confirms this fact.
2) Mentions the uncle James Emery or Hembree who was half-blood Cherokee.
This mystery could only be resolved by an unrelated James marrying one of
Abraham’s daughters. James Hembree, son of an unknown Hembree married
a Sarah and joined the church where Abraham Hembree was a member. James
was a half-blood, who later went to Georgia. Abraham had a daughter Sarah
who died in Georgia. James and his wife Sarah joined Abraham’s church
(along with Owen and his wife, also a daughter of Abraham).
Mystery solved!
3) Legitimately refers to Reuben as one-quarter Cherokee which is the tribal
standard for someone whose grandmother was a tribal member, regardless of
blood percentage. Abraham’s mother was a tribal member in South Carolina.
4) Calls Reuben’s mother a half-blood Cherokee but certainly this is true of
Abraham’s mother (Reuben’s grandmother) – one generation off. There is no
indication that Abraham’s wife was any part Cherokee (though, of course, she
could be). There is every indication that Abraham’s mother, however, was
half-blood Cherokee, a tribal member, and part of the “Cherokee aristocracy”
of South Carolina, perhaps owning slaves and residing in a house. (This would
fit William Emory’s aristocratic tastes.)
5) Calls Reuben’s mother “Nancy” which might be a nickname or middle name
along with “Winnifred”, or the Nancy may also refer to Reuben’s grandmother.
That it refers to Reuben’s mother (Abraham’s wife) is hinted at in the naming of
his first two daughters:
Elizabeth (named for his mother-in-law)
Nancy / Susan (named for his mother)
(The name Winnifred does not show up among his daughters but it may be an
unused first name.)
6) Gives the names of the parents of Sarah Laird (Lard) and these are confirmed
by census records.
1) Makes no mention of Abraham at all. Asserts Cherokee blood only through
Reuben’s mother “Nancy”. Cannot name one other child of Nancy or where she
was born, whether she was alive in 1851, etc.
2) Located Reuben in Gilmer County in 1851 and claims that Minerva Key was
born 1845 in Gilmer County. She was born in Murray County (near the home
of Cherokee Chief John Ross at Spring Place) and that’s where Reuben lived in
1851.
The Mary Houser /
John W. Hembree Group (apps 44517, 44739)
44517 - John William Hembree, son of James M. Hembree, filed on
February 29, 1908.
44739 - Mary (Hembree) Houser, daughter of James M. Hembree,
filed on April 11, 1908.
Both of these applications seem to be instigated by their older sister Mahala
Clonts. The above were two of the children born to James M. Hembree in his
old age (70 or so) and right before his death. They knew little about their father
and, it turns out, he died just two weeks after their mother died. Neither of them
were sure where they were born (John simply puts “Ga.” and Mary puts “Murray
Co., Ga” but she was probably born in Gilmer County). They know nothing
about their siblings (mentioning only each other and, of course, Mahala Clonts).
Mary does mention Sarah Ann Scott, who was Mahala’s full sister. They know
almost nothing about their parents and really nothing about their grandparents,
repeating Mahala’s information that James and Abraham were enrolled in the
1835 and 1851 rolls in Murray County, GA.
Not only do these applications lack information, but they contradict Mahala’s
application – and she was their source.
Conclusion
Although very little information provided on the Miller applications can be
trusted, there is the underlying truth that the family was part Cherokee.
The best conclusion to the question of Cherokee blood among the Hembrees was
set forth in the sworn statement of G.W. Blaylock in 1906 (on behalf of Mahala
Clonts):
I was here before the Indians were removed. I knew James M.
Hembree and I know his daughter Mahala C. Clonts . . . a great
many years. They were always known here as part Cherokee
Indians and
had that reputation generally and it was never
disputed. It has always been talked here that James M.
Hembree
was enrolled
at Washington D.C. as having Eastern Cherokee
blood in
him.
ixp 48
This is a rough sketch of
possible ancestors of the Spartanburg, South Carolina, lines
of Hembree, Embry, and
Emory. Some unrelated lines are shown
to differentiate them
from the target group.
The first generation is
actually more than three different lines.
The verified Virginia line is given a
“1v.” initial ancestor; the
unrelated Virginia line that went through Wake
County, North Carolina is
given a “1w.” initial ancestor and the verified South Carolina
Emory (aka Hembree) line is
given a “1s.” ancestor . Note that the Wake County line
is a composite of three lines which may or may not have gone
through Wake County.
Since most Spartanburg
Hembrees can trace through William Hembree who appears in
the 1790 census of Wake
County, it serves as a “general purpose” bucket.
PLEASE REMEMBER
THAT THIS IS A SKETCH,
NOT A BLUEPRINT!
1v. unknown Virginia HEMBREE
Children of unknown Virginia
ancestor are:
2v. i. James2 HEMBREE b.c.1700
d.bef.1770 Lunenburg Co, VA
3v. ii. William HEMBREE b.1695-1705 d.1783 Lunenburg Co, VA
He lived in Goochland, Halifax and Lunenburg Co, VA.
4v. iii. John HEMBREE
b.1700-1710 VA d.c.1785 Surry
Co, VA
He lived in Goochland, Lunenburg and Surry Co, VA.
1w. unknown Wake Co, NC or Virginia EMBRY
Various persons of interest
(not necessarily related) are:
5w. i. William2 EMBRY b.1715-1720 d.1760 Lunenburg Co, VA
m. Elizabeth Allen.
He was a son of Col. Henry Embry d.1763.
6w. ii. Old Joseph Joel
EMBRY b.c.1720 VA d.bef 1785 Wilkes Co,
GA
He was in Wake Co by 1761, Georgia by 1777, where his
sons joined
the militia.
7w. iii. Thomas EMBRY II. b.c.1710 Surry Co, VA d.c.1790 Fauquier Co,
VA. Son of Thomas Emery or Embry d.1734 Surry Co,
VA.
On 1749 tax list for Lunenburg Co. (5 tithes) on Col.
Henry Embry’s
plantation, though not a son (per will).
1787 tax list,
1790 tax list/census Fauquier Co, VA
8w. iv. William EMBRY b.c.1720 VA d.bef.1790 VA; m. Rachel
Davis?
His sons were in Fauquier Co, VA then into KY after 1800. Father
of William
Grancer Embry of Kentucky genealogy?
9w. v. other EMBRY
b.1700-1720
composite unassigned/unknown
1s. unknown South Carolina EMORY
Child of unknown South
Carolina ancestor is:
10s. i. John2 AMORY b.c.1698-1705 England d. 1746 South Carolina
2v. JAMES2
HEMBREE (UNKNOWN1v) b.c.1700 d. bef. 1770
Lunenburg Co, VA. He married
SARAH. It is believed that he was born
in Virginia among early settlers
along the James River. He appears on records of Hanover, Goochland
and Halifax Counties, Virginia. A
civil suit Clement Read vs. James Hembry in Feb 1754 Halifax
Co, VA validates the Hembree
name. Clement Read, an attorney for
Col. Henry Embry, would presumably know the spelling.
Children of JAMES HEMBREE and SARAH are:
11. i. DAVID3 HEMBREE b. 1728 Goochland County, Virginia;
d. 1809 Pendleton District (now Anderson Co) South
Carolina.
m. Elizabeth
12. ii. JAMES HEMBREE b. 1730 Goochland County, Virginia; d.bef.
1790
Spartanburg County, South Carolina. m. Sarah
Went into SC by 1770 with Baptist group, had land by
1767.
13. iii. JOHN HEMBREE b.c. 1730-35 Goochland County,
Virginia; d.bef 1800
Rowan County, North Carolina; m. unknown
Descendants in
Rowan Co, NC & Spartanburg, SC
1790-1850.
14. iv. WILLIAM HEMBREE b.c. 1740 Goochland County, Virginia; d.unk
No further
information established. Probably d.
young; perhaps m.
Susannah and d.bef.1790 in Spartanburg, SC.
3v. WILLIAM2
EMBRY (UNKNOWN1v) b.1695-1705 VA, d. 1783
VA.
He married UNKNOWN. He appears on the tax list for Goochland
County, Virginia,
in the mid-1750’s. He also appears in Halifax Co, VA, in an Aug
1754 civil suit. In
1769 he is listed in
Lunenburg Co with 1 tithe (cf. estate of Wm. Embry who d.1760
and still had 18
tithes). (He was the “poor” William in
Lunenburg. See 5w.)
He was a member of the
Meherrin Baptist Church but was too old in 1772 when the Separatist faction of
the church headed for NC.
Children of WILLIAM EMBRY and UNKNOWN are:
15. i. JOSEPH JOEL3 EMBRY
b.c. 1730 Brunswick Co, Virginia;
d. 1819
Madison Co, KY
1787 tax list Lincoln Co (Ky); 1792 tax list Madison
Co, KY
1800, 1810 census Madison Co, KY
16. ii. THOMAS3 EMBRY
b.c. 1735 Brunswick Co, Virginia;
d. Sep 1797
Wake Co, NC;
m. Anne JACKSON of Goochland Co,
VA
1790 Wake Co NC p.106: 3 – 3 – 2 – 0 – 0;
17. iii. WILLIAM3 EMBRY
b.c. 1730-40 Brunswick Co, Virginia;
d. bef 1810
Wake Co, NC
1790 Wake Co NC p.106: 2 – 2 – 4 – 0 – 0; 1800 Wake Co, NC p.729
4v. JOHN2
HEMBREE (UNKNOWN1v) b.1705-1710 VA, d.c. 1785
Surry Co.,
VA. He married UNKNOWN. He lived in Goochland, Lunenburg and Surry
Co,
Virginia. A 1739 deed in Hanover Co, VA refers to him
as John Hembrow. A 1744
deed in Norfolk Co, VA,
refers to him as John Hamberry. He
appears on the 1750 &
1751 Lunenburg tax list with
6 tithes. He is on the 1782 & 1784 tithe census (8
persons) in Surry Co, VA, as
John Sr. Another John Emery, son of
Thomas Emery
d.1734, went to Granville
& Halifax Co, NC by 1760 with his brother Green Emery
(who d.1763 Halifax Co, NC).
Their descendants in NC went by the Emory name.
Children of JOHN HEMBREE and UNKNOWN are:
i. JOHN3 EMERY
b.c. 1730-45 Virginia; d. 1824
Surry Co, VA
On 1784 & 1787 tax list Surry Co, VA; 1799
property listed close to
David Emery.
Wife was Mary.
ii. ROBERT
HEMBREE b.c.1730-40 VA d.aft.1799 TN or
SC;
m. Sarah. Sold
land in Spartanburg, South Carolina, in 1799.
On 1787 tax list Caswell Co, NC, or Fauquier Co, VA.
To Spartanburg, SC c.1794 to 1799. May appear in 1790 census
of Burke Co, NC (formerly part of Rowan) as Robert
Hambrick.
iii. JAMES3 EMERY
b.c. 1730-45 Virginia; d.c.1805
Surry Co, VA;
On 1782, 1787 & 1800 tax list Surry Co, VA;
iv. DAVID
EMERY b.c. 1740-50 Lunenburg Co,
Virginia; d. unknown
On 1787 & 1799 tax list Surry Co, VA (had a son 16-21 in 1787).
18. v. WILLIAM W. HEMBREE b.c.1750/4 Lunenburg Co, Virginia,
d.1821 Union
County, South Carolina; m. Orindah.
Remained in VA until at least 1785 (per
children’s birthplaces).
Appears in Surry Co. Shipping Order Book
1780-1785 as Wm. Emery
and perhaps as Wyatt Emery (middle name) 1785
road survey and
1787 tax list Surry Co, VA. (A William Embry is
with Robert in
Caswell Co, NC but that was Robert’s son.) To Wake Co, NC c.1788.
1790 census Wake Co, NC; 1800-1820 census
Spartanburg, SC.
In 1820 census Spartanburg, SC, listed twice:
p.255, 279.
5w. WILLIAM2
EMBRY (UNKNOWN1w) b.1715-1720 d.1760 Lunenburg Co,
VA; m. Elizabeth Allen. He was
a son of Col. Henry Embry d.1763 & Martha
Patteson.
Children of WILLIAM EMBRY and ELIZABETH ALLEN are:
i. HENRY3 EMBRY went to KY; wealthy
1787 tax list Lunenburg Co, VA, etc, etc – very well
documented
19. ii. WILLIAM EMBRY went to Camden District / Chester Co, SC
b.c. 1745
d.aft. 1810 Chester Co, SC; m.
Martha
Purchased land on Broad River in 96 District, SC in
1776. Listed in
grandfather’s and father’s estates.
1790 & 1800 census Chester Co, SC [Bob Hembree’s # 9 William]
iii. ELIZA EMBRY m.
Brooks
iv. ERMINE EMBRY
6w. Old
JOSEPH JOEL2 EMBRY (UNKNOWN1w) b.c. 1720 VA d.c. 1785
Wilkes Co, GA. He
was in Wake Co by 1761, Georgia by 1777, when his sons joined
the militia. Deed in 1761 to Joseph Emborough on Neuse
River in Wake Co, NC.
Often confused with his
nephew who went to Kentucky.
Children of JOSEPH JOEL EMBRY and UNKNOWN are:
i. Old REUBEN
EMBRY b.c.1750-5 VA
d.aft. 1812 Franklin Co, TN
tax list 1812
Franklin Co, TN
He drew land in Oglethorpe Co, GA bef. 1810 for
service in Revolution.
(Thus, he cannot be same as Reuben b.1780 or b.1770.)
ii. Old BOLEY
EMBRY b.c.1750-5 VA d.aft. 1800
He drew land in
Oglethorpe Co, GA bef. 1810 for service in Revolution.
iii. JESSE EMBRY b.1754
VA d.1800 Oglethorpe Co, GA
m. Anne (Nancy); she b.1755 d.1805. Probate in Georgia 1800. He was
Revolution soldier, serving in GA in 1777. Confused with nephew who
d.c.1848 Franklin Co, TN. He had lands in Jackson Co and Wilkes Co,
GA and was a justice of the peace. [Jesse Embree of
Columbia Co, GA was
from Quaker parents.]
iv. JOSEPH WILEY
EMBRY b. 1758 prob NC d.1850 Coosa Co, AL.
m(1) Rachel Olive (she b.1759 Wake Co, NC); m(2) Mary
Glen 1809
Oglethorpe Co, GA.
Part of Separatist Baptist migration.
He drew land in Oglethorpe Co, GA bef. 1810 for
service in Revolution.
Sons Britton, Joel, Jesse, went to Alabama &
Mississippi by 1830.
1840 census Talladega Co, AL age 80-90; 1850 Coosa Co,
AL age 97.
Grandfather of Owen Embry (1807-1869) of Carroll Co,
GA. (cf. Owen
Hembree (1777-1837) of Carroll Co, GA.)
v. BRITTON EMBRY
b.c.1760 d.aft. 1812
tax list 1812
Franklin Co, TN
He drew land in Oglethorpe Co, GA bef. 1810 for
service in Revolution.
vi. WILLIAM
EMBRY b.c. 1762 VA or NC; d. 1802 Wake Co, NC.
Not located in 1790 (in Georgia), returned to Wake Co
with widowed
mother. Wrote
will in 1795, no male descendants. Wife d.bef. 1795.
vii. ENOCH EMBRY b.1765
Wake Co, NC d.c. 1856 Coosa Co,
AL
Not located in
1790 (in Georgia), returned to Wake Co with widowed
mother and brother William.
7w. THOMAS2 EMBRY II. (UNKNOWN1w)
b.c.1720 VA d.bef.1800
Fauquier Co, VA.
Son of Thomas Emery or
Embry of Surry Co, VA
who d.1734. Grandson
of John Emery & Susannah Green.
His son Thomas Embry becomes “Thomas Sr.” in 1800 in
Fauquier County.
His brothers Green (d.1763 Halifax Co, NC) and John went
to North Carolina
c.1760 and their descendants are known by the Emery,
Emory name. His
brother Benjamin b.1700-1712 d.bef. 1799 Surry Co, VA had sons Charles,
Peyton, Thomas, Nathan and Harwell (Hartwell or
Howell). Wyatt is probably
a son or nephew of Benjamin as well. A William Emery (1751-1779) killed in
the Revolution could belong to the Surry County Emerys
(7w) or our Embrys
of Lunenburg Co (4v).
Children include Thomas Embry Jr, John Embry both listed in
Fauquier Co,
VA in 1787.
8w. WILLIAM2 EMBRY (UNKNOWN1w)
b.c.1720 VA d.bef.1790 VA;
m. Rachel Davis 1743. He’s the presumed father of William
Grancer Embry.
Websites are dedicated to tracing his descendants but beware
of “black hole”
genealogies that pull every known Embry into his line.
9w. other2 EMBRY (UNKNOWN1w)
b.1700-1720
10s. JOHN2 AMORY (UNKNOWN1s)
b.c.1698-1705 England d. 1746
South Carolina. He was buried 5 October 1746 at St. Philip’s Parish,
Charleston, South
Carolina. (See Family Sheet)
11. DAVID3
HEMBREE (JAMES
2v,UNKNOWN1v) was born 1728 in Goochland
County, Virginia; and died
1809 in Pendleton District (now Anderson County),
South Carolina at his home
on 26 Mile Creek. He married
ELIZABETH. He was in
the Granville County, North
Carolina militia in 1754/55.
Children of DAVID HEMBREE and ELIZABETH are:
23. i. (Rev) JAMES4
HEMBREE b.1758 prob. Granville County,
North Carolina,
d. 1849 Anderson County, South Carolina; m. Asenath
Felton
24. ii. SUSANNAH
HEMBREE b.1761 prob. Granville County,
North Carolina,
d. unk. m.
Mark Pitts
25. iii. ELIZABETH
HEMBREE b.1767/76 South Carolina, d.unk
m. William Butler
26. iv. MARGARET (Peggy)
HEMBREE b.1770-1775 Spartanburg, South
Carolina; d.bef.1810 Pendleton District, South
Carolina.
m. Nicholas
Welch (b.c.1765 NC d.bef. 1830 GA).
12.
JAMES3
HEMBREE (JAMES 2v,UNKNOWN1v) was born 1730 in Goochland
County, Virginia; and died
before 1790 in Spartanburg District, South Carolina. He
married SARAH (BIRD?). He was in the Granville County, North Carolina militia in
1754/55. Part of the Separatist Baptist split in NC
(Deep River & Sandy Creek
Association) siding with
Philip Mulkey and removed to Abbeville & Fairforest
(Spartanburg), SC by
1765.
Children of JAMES HEMBREE and SARAH are:
27. i. JOEL4 HEMBREE b.1755
North Carolina d.1825 Roane
County,
Tennessee
(See Family
Sheet.)
Joel Emry 1790
census Spartanburg, SC p.87: 2 - 1 -
6 - 0 - 3.
Joel Hembrey 1800 census Spartanburg SC p.199 0 3 1 0 1 -
0 0 1 1 0 - 0 5
28. ii. WILLIAM4
HEMBREE b.1758 North Carolina d.bef 1830 Spartanburg,
South Carolina. He m(1) unknown, m(2) Lucinda (Lucy)
(b.c.1765 VA d.aft.1860 Spartanburg).
Land in Pendleton District 1785, in Rutherford Co,
NC, Spartanburg, SC.
William Hembree
1820 census Spartanburg, SC
p.271.
(This is the father of Joseph HEMBREE b.1779 NC d.
1868 Roane Co, TN.)
29. iii. unknown HEMBREE b.1765-1775 South Carolina , d.bef. 1810 NC
or SC,
(ISAAC?
HENRY?)
m. NANCY (b.c.1770
d.bef 1840 South Carolina)
Nancy Hembree, next to William 1820 census Spartanburg, SC p.271.
13. JOHN3
HEMBREE (JAMES
2v,UNKNOWN1v) was born 1730-35 in Virginia;
and died bef. 1800 in Rowan County, North Carolina. He married UNKNOWN. He
came to Rowan County c.1793
when the Sandy Creek Baptist Association established
a church on the Yadkin
River. The parent church was Haw River
in Chatham County,
which also planted a church
in Pendleton District, SC (under Elnathan Davis).
Children of JOHN HEMBREE and UNKNOWN are:
30. iii. JOHN4 HEMBREE b.1766 North Carolina, d.c. 1852 Union County, Illinois; m.
Lydia ------. On 28 Sep 1799
John & Lydia Hembree witnessed the will of
Edward Gates in Rowan County, North Carolina. He is listed in that county in the 1800,
1810 census. Father of Joel Joseph
EMERY (b.1802 NC d.aft. 1860 IL) of Union County, Illinois. (See Family Sheet.) They are listed together in 1850 Union Co,
Illinois.
31. ii. JOEL4 HEMBREE b.1765-70 North Carolina d.bef 1830 Roane County, Tennessee. (cf. #20). Father of Col. Joel
Hembree (1796-1868).
He m. MATILDA
(part Cherokee?).
Joel Hembrey
1800 census Spartanburg Co, SC p.207
14. WILLIAM3
HEMBREE (JAMES
2v,UNKNOWN1v) was b.c.1740 Goochland Co,
Virginia; d.bef.
1790 Spartanburg, SC (?). He m.
Susannah(?).
She is listed as a widow in the 1790 census for Spartanburg
SC p.86: 1 – 2 – 5 and
in an 1811 deed from William L. Allen to John Arnold selling
land on James Creek
of the Tyger River bordering “Susanna Hambry’s old
line”. She appears to be a
Hamby but cannot yet be accounted for among the Hambys,
although her 3 sons
could not be accounted for as Hembrees.
Failing this construction, nothing is known of William and
perhaps he does not
exist here as a brother but elsewhere as a cousin (see #17,
#18, #19).
15.
JOSEPH
JOEL3 EMBRY (WILLIAM3v,UNKNOWN1v) was b.c. 1730 in Brunswick County,
Virginia; and d. 1819 Madison Co, KY;
m.
1787 tax list Lincoln Co, (KY); 1792 tax list Madison Co,
KY;
1810 census Madison Co, KY:
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 1. . . 0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 1 . . . 0 – 1
Joseph’s sons Talton and Joel are sometimes confused with
the wealthier and
older cousins of the same name.
Possible ch: Thomas,
John, Martha, Susan, Robert, Temperance, Jesse, Talton,
Sarah, Joel Jr.
16.
THOMAS3
EMBRY (WILLIAM3v,UNKNOWN1v) was b. 1735 in Brunswick
County, Virginia; and d. September 1797 Wake Co, NC; m.
Anne JACKSON.
She was b.1737 Goochland Co, VA d. 30 Sep 1830 Oglethorpe
Co, GA.
1790 Wake Co NC p.106:
3 – 3 -- 2
Children of Thomas Embry and
Anne Jackson:
i. THOMAS J. EMBRY b.1758 VA
d.aft.1810 Jackson Co, GA
ii. WILLIAM EMBRY
(aka William Jackson Embry) b. Feb 1760 VA
d.1829 Oglethorpe Co, GA; m. Frances
His estate entered a claim c.1830 in Oglethorpe Co, GA
based on his
service in the Revolution.
iii. JOHN EMBRY b. April 1763 VA d.c. 1840 Madison Co, GA
m. Nancy
Luckie
John & Nancy Embry witnessed a deed in Wilkes Co,
GA in 1793.
His son Hezekiah Embry b.1787 appears in 1810
Spartanburg SC
census close to Owen Hembree.
iv. MARY FANNIE EMBRY b.c.1765 VA
m. Mark Simms
1784 Wake Co, NC
v. REUBEN EMBRY b.c. 1770 VA d.1835 Oglethorpe Co, GA
m. Nancy d. Aug 1869
Tippah Co, Mississippi
vi. TEMPERANCE
(TEMPY) EMBRY b.c.1772 VA
m. Charles Ritch
1792 Wake Co, NC
vii. BOLEY EMBRY b.c. 1775 VA d.1832 Franklin Co, TN
m. Winnie KEY
1807 Jackson Co, GA
1812 tax list Franklin Co, TN
viii. ENOCH J.
EMBRY b.c.1780 NC d.
TN?
[this is an abbreviated version . . . ]
ixp 56
Notes on the Amory-Emory family
of Charleston
The ancestor
John Amory (d.1746) spent only a few years on American
soil and left
no white descendants, although he had six children.
But the
mixed-blood children of his son William Emory (d.1770) and his
son John
Robert Emory (d.1790) fill the pages of Cherokee genealogy.
His own
mixed-blood son John Emory aka Old John Hembree also left
many
descendants.
John Amory
came first to Savannah, Georgia, then to Charleston, South
Carolina,
where he became the caretaker of the Governor Johnson estate
on Charles
Town Neck. There he (later his wife
alone) hosted numerous
delegations
from the Cherokee nation: Indians,
traders, interpreters, agents.
Some of the
“conventions” lasted several days and, from the expense
accounts
submitted by Mrs. Amory, copious quantities of spirited beverages
were
consumed. Since the governor (Governor
James Glen) and many
councilmen
attended these conventions, Mrs. Amory’s expense accounts
were approved
without going into much detail.
An earlier
Amory family in Charleston is better known in the history books, but
if history
were written by the men who lived it,
Mrs. Amory’s hospitality would
deserve its
own chapter.
Jonathan Amory
(1654 – 1699) came from a merchant family whose pursuits
took them
across oceans. He was born in England,
raised in Ireland, and
went off to
the West Indies, and then to Charleston in Carolina (before the
North and
South were split). He became the
Speaker of the House of
Assembly and
the Treasurer. As noted below, he had a
brother Thomas, and
a brother
Robert. He had a son Robert who died
young. His son Thomas is
described
below.
Thomas Amory
(b. May 1682 d. 20 June1728), a son of Jonathan Amory and
Rebecca
Houston, came to Charleston via the West Indies as a child (1686).
In 1694 he was
sent back to England to complete his studies and by 1706 he
was a trade
agent in the Azores. In 1719 he went to
Massachusetts (Boston)
where he had
relatives and then he went down to Charleston.
He married
Rebecca Holmes
on 9 May 1721 at Saint Philip’s Parish in Charleston and
they moved up
to Boston, leaving his sister Sarah Amory Middleton (1690 –
1722) to watch
over the family interests in the south.
In Boston,
Amory was a distiller of rum and turpentine, quite successful, and
his meticulous
business journals offer historians a great source of information.
It is believed
he died after falling into a cistern at his distillery.
[Dictionary of American Biography, I, 260, 261]
We know that
the family of John Amory was living in Boston, Lincolnshire, in
1737. His grant by the Common Council on 5 October
1737 (giving him 150
acres in
Georgia) refers to him as “John Amory of Boston in the County of
Lincoln,
yeoman” and another entry refers to “John Amory and Sarah his Wife
(now going to
Georgia)”. This same entry notes that
they had an estate in
Lincoln that
collected at least L 50 yearly in rents.
A yeoman was a
skilled laborer or a tradesman, below a “gentleman” or
“esquire” in
social status but above a commoner, laborer or farmer. A later
reference
shows that he had training in surveying, so perhaps that was his
skill.
Read a Grant and Enfoefment of One hundred and fifty
Acres of Land to
John Amory of Boston in the County of Lincoln, Yeoman.
Palace Court Wed. October 5th , 1737
[Candler, Colonial Recs of GA, II, 212]
Grant and Enfoeffment (with Livery and Seisin
indorsed) made the 5th of
October 1737 to John Amory of Boston in the County of
Lincoln yeoman. . . .
150 acres in Georgia of the same Tenor and as the
Indenture to Joseph
Wardrope Entd. in Page…As by a Counterpart thereof
remaining with the
Trustees at large appears.
5 October to
John Amory of Boston in the County of Lincoln Yeoman 150
Acres to take 3 Servants at 20 Acres each.
[Coleman, Colonial Recs of GA, XXXII, 249,264]
The “servants”
were indentured servants who could not pay their way to the
colonies but
agreed to work in servitude for a number of years, after which
they would
take an oath as freemen and be able to have property in their
name. It was hard to get enough men to go over as
servants so there were
sometimes
“bonuses”:
Resolved: That to Each of
the Servants Who are out of their time before
Christmas next fifty Acres of Land be granted (the Land to be set
out in
Villages) on proper Certificates of their good Behaviour; And that a Cow
and a Sow be given to Each of them.
[Candler, Colonial Recs of GA, II, 206]
John was
allowed three indentured servants but took only two: his eldest sons
John (Robert)
and Will.
ixp 59
John AMORY
b.1698-1705 in England, buried 5 October 1746 Saint Philip’s
Parish,
(Charleston) South Carolina. He m. Sarah WILSON 13 February
1726 at Silk
Willoughby, Lincolnshire, England. She
was b.1703-1711 in
England and
was buried 31 Mar 1765 at Saint Philip’s.
She m(2)
William ELDER 17 Aug 1747 at Saint Philip’s.
He d.1748. She
m(3) Thomas
NIGHTINGALE 30 Nov 1749 at Saint Philip’s (Charleston,
South
Carolina). He was b.1716 d. 2 Nov 1769, buried at Saint Philip’s.
Children of
John Amory and Sarah Wilson:
i. John
Robert Emory chr. 30 Oct 1727 Great
Hale/Little Hale,
Lincoln;
bur. March 1790 at Saint
Philip’s.
m. Susannah Catherine Grant
(Cherokee) 1743 had 1? ch.
See John Amory and the Emory Cherokees for descendants.
(Ancestor of Bushyhead and Chief John Jolly.)
A John Emmar buried 12 Oct 1740, thought to be a son of
John
Amory, was b.1722 in
Bedfordshire as John Embury, and was the
indentured servant
of John Taylor of Charleston.
ii. William
Emory chr. 20 Oct 1728 Alford, Lincoln
and chr. again
15 Sep 1731 Great Hale/Little Hale, Lincoln (by a Wilson
bishop)
bur. 31 Jul 1770 at Saint
Philip’s (Charleston, South Carolina).
m(1) Mary Grant (Cherokee)
c.1743 had 5-6 ch.
m(2) Mrs. Sarah ( ) Irish Loocock Cantle 18 Nov 1768.
She d. July 1770. (4 husbands, no known children)
iii. Sarah
Amory chr. 8 Sep 1730 Great
Hale/Little Hale, Lincoln
d. England? aft 1760 no ch?
m. Mungo Graham 18 Oct 1749 at Saint Philip’s,
son of Dr. Patrick Graham of
Savannah, Georgia (Georgia’s
Agent to the Creek Nation).
iv. Mary
Amory chr. 11 Mar 1733 Wrangle, Lincoln, England
d. 19 Sep 1734 Lincolnshire, England
v. Elizabeth
Amory chr. 8 Dec 1735 Boston, Lincoln, England
bur. 5 Apr 1744 at Saint Philip’s
(Charleston, South Carolina).
vi. (Rev.)
Isaac Amory chr. 16 Mar 1736 Boston, Lincoln, England
d. 1789 Rockingham, England.
m. Mary Wilson 24 Apr 1780 Carlton Scroop, Lincoln, England,
no
children (she d.1833)
[New
Eng Hist. & Gen. Reg. Jan.1856, X, 59-65; IGI England]
Child of John
Amory and Mary Moore (Cherokee):
vii. John
Emory (or Hembree) b.1744 SC d.c.1809 SC or KY
had many children
See Old John Hembree aka John Emory for descendants.
Notes on John
Amory
When John
Amory arrived in Savannah he had a series of setbacks. First, the official surveyor (named Jones)
would not set out his grant. Then the
land
was marshy, on
Pipe Makers Creek (about where the current airport is). The
only crop he
could put in was rice. Then he was
denied a line of credit to buy
tools and
seed. The dissatisfaction with Jones
was acute since Amory himself was qualified to survey his own grant but
required Jones to do it.
William Stephens to the Trustees: Surveyor Jones has certainly been
negligent in his Duty of running out Lands. . .
There is a person come, among some of those lately imported, a
Mr.
Amery, who tis said understands that Business well; & might
therefore
opportunely supply his place:
nevertheless . . . in some discourse I had
with Mr. Amery, I found he should not think it worth his pains,
to work on
that Affair at so low a rate, as he understood Jones was to be
allowed.
[Candler, Colonial Recs of
GA, XXII, 79-80]
The authorization for the line of credit was given by the Trustees but not honored
in Savannah:
Read a Petition of John Amory and Sarah his Wife (now going to
Georgia)
praying a Credit if Occasion should require of fifty Pounds
Sterl. in Provisions
or Necessaries in Georgia.
Resolved: That a Letter
of Credit be given to the Petitioners on their giving a
proper Security for the
payment of the same out of their Estate in Lincoln Shire.
[Coleman, Colonial Recs
of GA, II, 215]
The lack of tools and seed was one reason the line of credit was not given. But
if the landholder was not raising crops, he would forfeit his land. It was hard
enough to make marsh savannah land arable without tools and without the other
engine of agriculture available in other colonies: slavery. The Trustees could
not subsidize the importation of slaves until income was generated by crops.
The other hitch in the Georgia charter was that land was held by the grantee and
his male heirs. So if a man spent three years clearing ground and died, leaving
a widow and minor children, the survivors would be bankrupt and removed off the
land.
Read a Letter from Mr. William Stephens dated Janry. 19 1737/8
wherein he
acquaints the Trustees of the Dissatisfaction among several
Persons upon the
Tenure of their lots being confin’d to Heirs Male. . . .
They are to be reminded of the terms they agreed to and
reminded that anyone
not cultivating their land will forfeit it. [Coleman, Colonial Recs of GA, II, 227-228]
The situation
was different across the river in South Carolina. In 1738 John Amory got a grant of 500 acres there and also got a
job offer too good to refuse: the management of the empty estate of the late
Governor Nathaniel Johnson.
Dec. 4, 1738.
Monday. . . . Mr. Bradley got a
grant in Purrysburgh. . . .
Mr. Amory who went with him was also said to have obtained a
Grant of five
hundred Acres for his Family;
but that the Reason of his not returning with
Mr. Bradley was, because Mr. Johnson, the late Governor’s Son,
being a
Passenger with him from England this Time Twelvemonth, and
discovering
him to be a Person of some Qualifications desirable, now
meeting him in
Carolina, persuaded him to stay, and be Steward and Supervisor
of his Estate
in that Country, which was pretty considerable; for that he
himself was purposing
to go for England. [Coleman,
Colonial Recs of GA, IV, 238]
John Amory’s
entry into the Indian trade in 1741 is covered in John Amory
And the Emory Cherokees.
May 4, 1744.
"Know
all men by these presents that I, John Amory of the
Province of South Carolina, Indian Trader, have
bargained,
sold and delivered and by these presents do bargain,
sell
and deliver unto Wm. Elder all these geldings
and mares
hereafter mentioned.... " Berkeley County
Archives, 12 May 1744
Witnessed by John Watts and William Winsmore.
ixp 62
Mrs. Sarah
Amory then Nightingale had three husbands who were in the
Indian trade
but she made more in the Indian trade than all of them combined,
submitting
annual expense accounts for hosting Cherokee, Catawba, Creek
and
Chickasaw. Just a few samples:
An Account of Mrs. Sarah Amory, amounting to the Sum
of fifty-one Pounds and
ten Shillings, being for dieting and Liquor for the
Indians &c.
[SC
Commons Journal of 22 Jan 1745]
An Account of
Sarah Amory, amounting to the Sum of £ 970:06:00, for
Sundries
supplied the Indians.
[SC
Commons Journal of 13 Feb 1746]
An Account of Mrs. Sarah Amory in the Amount of £ 1399 : 5, being for the
Entertainment of the Cherokee Indians upon Charles Town Neck
and for the
Pasturage of their Horses.
[SC Commons Journal of 9 Feb 1750, 3 May 1750]
An Account of Thomas Nightingale amounting to the Sum of two hundred and
seventy seven Pounds, seven Shillings and six Pence, it being
for the entertainment
of twenty seven Chicasaw Indians and twenty five Catawbas upon
Charles town
Neck and for the Pasturage of the Horses &c. (The committee found 14 pounds
overcharged.) [SC Commons Journal of
18 Jan 1751, 27 Feb 1751, 9 May 1751]
Two Accounts of Sarah Nightingale, one amounting to £103
for entertaining
Indians and the other to £150, for damages sustained by the
Royal American
Regiment being encamp'd in her Pasture. [SC Commons House of 18
Jan 1758]
An Account of Sarah Nightengale for Board and Lodging White Men
and Indians
& Pasturage for
their Horses to 21st November 1758, Seven hundred and fifty
Pounds 2/6. Friday the
19th of January 1759.
Sarah Amory (before she became Sarah Nightingale) had a prodigious
budget for
Indian expenses. She continued this
trend as Sarah
Nightingale. In some years she submitted claims for over
a thousand
pounds. To put this in perspective, the Indian Agent
to the Cherokee was
paid only a hundred
pounds a year.
Sarah Amory’s accounts for Indian
expenses in the public interest:
YEAR
SUBMITTED ADJUSTED APPROVED PAID
1741
4:05:0 4:05:0 4:05:0 (John’s)
1742
1743
41:05:0 41:05:0 41:05:0 (1742)
50:15:0
57:10:0 34:00:0 34:00:0 34:00:0
1744
?
1745
51:10:0 51:10:0 51:10:0
1746 970:06:0 961:01:0
961:01:0 961:01:0
1747 ?
1748 135:10:0
135:10:0 135:10:0
1749
753:12:6 748:10:0 758:15:0
758:15:0
1750 1399:05:0
1232:05:0 1377:07:6 1377:07:6
1751
41:07:0 36:04:6 36:04:6 36:04:6 (1750)
1747 as Sarah Elder, after 1751 as Sarah
Nightingale
Notes on William Elder
“And that his Honour be also desired to dispatch
another Messenger with a
Letter to Mr. William Elder, and other Traders in
the Cherokee Nation, to
acquaint us with their [ the Cherokees] Disposition,
and what Measures are
most proper to be taken to secure their Fidelity to
us. And that such Messenger
be agreed with to go constantly between us and the
Cherokees for the bringing
of Intelligence.” [SC Commons Journal
of 31 Jan 1740]
All Persons indebted to the Estate
of William Elder Indian-Trader, deceased, are
desired to pay their respective
Debts to the Subscriber – and all those to whom the
said Estate is indebted, are desired
to bring their Accompts, properly attested, to
Sarah
Elder, Administratrix
N.B. As there is great Reason to believe that some of the said
Deceased’s Effects
are concealed, Notice is hereby
given to any Persons possessing the same, that
unless they immediately deliver them
to the Administratrix, or acquaint her therof,
they will be prosecuted with the
utmost Severity.
[SC Gazette Mon. Feb. 1 to Mon. Feb.
8, 1749 (old style: 1748)]
Letters from Ludovic Grant, James Beamer
and Thomas Nightingale “in the
Cherokee Naton” were read to the South
Carolina legislature on 16 September
1746.
(They reported on the presence of “French” Indians at Keowee.)
[SC Commons Journal of
16 Sep 1746.]
Another letter from Thomas Nightingale, “a
Trader in the Cherokee Nation” was
read to the legislature on 25 May
1749.
[SC Commons Journal of 25 May 1749.]
On 24 October 1757 Thomas Nightingale,
saddler, and Sarah (Amory) his wife,
sold to “Robert Gouedey, Indian trader, of
Ninety-Six” 200 acres on Ninety Six
Creek
(a branch of the Saluda River)
for L 300.
[Brent Holcomb, SC Deed Abstracts
1773-1778, p.26]
Thomas Nightingale was buried 4 November
1769 according to the records of
Saint Philip’s Parish in Charleston.
His death was reported in the Tuesday,
7 November 1769 issue of the South
Carolina Gazette. Colonel Isaac
Hayne,
who was a personal acquaintance of Thomas
Nightingale (they purchased lots
together in Beaufort on speculation) noted
in his journal the death: “Thomas
Nightingale of Newmarket aged 53, 4th
of Novr 1769.” [SC Hist Mag,
X p.158]
Children of Thomas Nightingale and Sarah
(Wilson) Amory:
i. Sarah
Nightingale b. 28 Aug 1751 d. 5
Oct 1825
buried
at Saint Philip’s
m. 15 May 1769 William Johnson (b.1741 NY d. 21 Mar 1818
Charleston,
SC); a patriot and leading figure of the SC Revolution.
Had 12 children, see:
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~jsggenealogy/Jsgordon/d1181.htm
ii. John
Nightingale bapt. 24 Mar 1762 at St.
Philip’s bur. 12 Jun
1764
at St. Philip’s.
Notes for
Sarah Amory (b.1729/30) & Mungo Graham
Sarah Amory,
the daughter of John Amory and Sarah Wilson, married Mungo
Graham of
Savannah on 18 October 1749 at Saint
Philip’s in Charleston by
the Reverend
Alexander Garden. Mungo Graham was the
son of Dr. Patrick
Graham of
Savannah, Georgia, another one of the “clamorous malcontents”
listed with
John Amory.
Dr. Patrick
Graham “of Crieff in the County of Perth in Scotland” received a
grant of 100
acres in the Georgia colony by the London board on 19 May
1736. [Coleman, GA Col Recs, XXXII, 210] His land was on Pipe Makers
Creek, close
to the land of John Amory.
Patrick Graham
acted as Agent to the Creek Nation and helped to work out
the treaty with the Creek Indians. [Coleman, GA Col Recs, XXXI, 556; XXXIII,
365-7,
524-6]
Patrick
held onto the land on Pipe Makers Creek by leasing it on a yearly
basis
perpetually to Mungo Graham “for the term of one whole year paying
the
rent of one peppercorn only.” [Beckemeyer, GA Absracts, 278]
In
his will, dated 26 May 1755, Patrick gave to his sons David and Mungo
Graham lands
which included a plantation called Redford.
On 7 July 1758
Mungo leased
the Redford Plantation to a ship’s captain named John
Robinson (of
Philadelphia). At this time his father
and brother were dead and
his wife
“Sarah Graham” could not sign the document because “she is now in
Great
Britain”. [Beckemeyer, GA
Absracts, 279]
In another
mention in the colonial records of Georgia, Sarah Graham, wife of
Mungo, was
said to be returning to England in 1755 with her mother [Sarah
Amory
Nightingale] to be followed by her husband but the death of Dr.
Graham in 1755
delayed the return. But the
confirmation that she was back
in England in
1758 is important in helping to track the elusive William Emory
(Sarah
Graham’s brother), who we believe served in the British army for
seven years,
returning to South Carolina in 1765.
With the formal declaration
of war against
France (pending in 1755, official in 1756), William was obliged
by duty to
report for service to his country.
There is some
indication that Mungo Graham did not return to England, but
the research
on Mungo and Sarah is scant.
Notes for
Isaac Amory (b.1734/5) son of John Amory (d.1746)
Isaac was sent
back to England to study and there he entered the ministry.
He returned to
South Carolina by 1764, perhaps hearing of his mother’s
illness. He remained in South Carolina less than
two years, returning to
England shortly
after being assaulted almost mortally.
In my January
2001 paper on the Amory family, I wrote that Reverend Isaac
Amory was
killed in 1765/66. Here are my sources
for that impression:
A Letter to the Bishop of London Charlestown Oct. 19, 1766
. . . Not a House could I set foot in but found some sick, some
dead so that [I]
have had a melancholy Progress. . . .But I have a wide field
before Me! My
District is 150 Miles in breadth and 300 Length: And as this Country ever was
the Grave of the Clergy, it has been bitterly so this Summer.
For, In May,
landed Mr. Lonsdale his Wife, 5 Children and Servants who went
to Prince William Parish, where they were soon cut off by the
Endemic Fever that
rages here, and not one now left.
Mr. Tonge of St. Pauls and his Wife were
taken in July –She is since dead – His
Recovery is doubted. . . .
Mr. Amory of
Purrysburgh, and Mr. Drake of Christ Church are returned home.
[The Carolina Backcountry, p.84-85]
The journal of
the same clergyman also notes:
. . . A most pious and devout Young Man, and yet he could not
escape the Censure of
these flighty, Proud, Illprincipled Carolinians. They are enough to make any Person
run Mad – And they crack’d the Brain of one Young Man Mr. Amory
the Year before.
We have two now in the same Condition—And others, whose
Situation is so uneasy,
that Life is a Burden to them—I would not wish my worst Enemy
to come to this
Country . . . to combat perpetually with Papists, Sectaries,
Atheists and Infidels – who
would rather see the Poor People remain Heathens and Ignorants,
than to be brought
over to the Church.
Such Enemies to Christ and his Cross, are these vile Presbyterians.
[The Carolina Backcountry, p.62]
A footnote in
that source comments on Rev. Amory:
The Rev. Isaac Amory, A.M., became rector of St. John’s Church on John’s Island in November, 1764. The particular attention he paid to some Negroes in his parish brought remonstrances from his congregation and led, finally, to his resignation in September, 1765. “Minutes of Vestry of St. John’s Colleton, 1734-1817”, 1, 75, typescript in S.C. Hist. Soc.; Dalcho, An Hist. Account of the P.E. Church in S.C.,361-2
The language
that Amory “returned home”, I assumed was like the language
“carried him off” describing the death of
another minister and was part of a
list of people
who had died. Amory, though, returned
to England.
The baptism of
an illegitimate child is noted twice in the register of Saint
Philip’s:
9 June 1765 Elizabeth Hall, dau of Geo. Abbot & Lois Hall bapt. at Johns Island by the Revd. Mr. Isaac Amory. (page 100 in original) 9 June 1765 Elizabeth Hall, dau of Geo. Abbot & Louisa Hall bapt. by the Revd. Mr. Isaac Amory at St. Johns Colliton County. (page 114 in original)
Oral family history has a “revered uncle” taking care of my ancestor, John
Emory/Hembree (b.1744). This refers to Thomas Nightingale rather than
Rev. Amory.
The “Memoir of
the Family of Amory” in the New England Historical &
Genealogical
Register
of January 1856 (Vol X, pp.59-65) mistakenly calls
Isaac a
“grandson of the Treasurer” (Jonathan
Amory) but provides this
Important
data: Isaac returned to England and
obtained a rectorship near
Newark upon
Trent in Lincolnshire. He married Mary
Wilson. He had no
children. He died at Rockingham in 1789, and his widow
lived until 1833.
Gertrude
Euphemia Meredith’s The Descendants of Hugh Amory 1605-1805,
(London:
Cheswick Press, 1901) examines and
dismisses the connection
between
Jonathan Amory
and Reverend Isaac Amory and “regrets” that
there is no
relationship (p.98).
An Isaac
Emmery’s estate inventoried on 19 October 1764 in Newberry
County, South
Carolina, was for Isaac Embree of the Quaker Embrees.
ixp 68
Family Sheet: John Robert Emory (1727
–1790)
b. 1727 Lincolnshire, England
d. March 1790
buried in Charleston, SC
m. 1743
Susannah Catherine Grant, dau of Ludovic Grant and Elizabeth
(Euighoote).
He was the son of John AMORY and Sarah
WILSON (see below). His wife was a daughter
of Ludovic GRANT. She was b.c.1727 Cherokee Nation, Tennessee and d.1769 at Goose
Creek, South Carolina. She is probably the Catherine Emory buried
at Saint Philip’s on 22
October 1769.
Child of ROBERT EMORY and SUSANNAH
CATHERINE GRANT (Cherokee):
i. SUSANNAH EMORY b. 1744 Tomatly, Cherokee Nation, North Carolina,
d.c. 1765 Cherokee
Nation . Her name may have been
Susannah Catherine, after her mother, or Susannah Rebecca.
She m(1) JOHN STUART (1718-1779); m(2) JOHN JOLLY.
John Stuart was a politician of Charleston who thought a
brief commission as a captain during the building of Fort Loudon on the Tellico
River would be helpful. (He had a white
wife in Charleston.) He fathered a child with Susannah Emory
and barely escaped with his life from the siege of the
fort. John Jolly was a young
soldier from Virginia during the Cherokee War (1760-1761)
who assisted the Emory
family. Susannah
died (probably of smallpox, possibly killed) and her children were
raised by the tribe.
She had two sons: Bushyhead
(b.1758/9) and John Jolly
(b.1761/3).
The birthdate of 1750 for
her shown in the Martin genealogy cannot be correct.
The earliest contact she
would have had with John Stuart was in 1756 and the last
contact she had was in
August 1760, after Stuart escaped with his life and retired
to Charleston. The son she bore him (Bushyhead) was most
likely born in 1758
or 1759. Stuart was at the fort 15 Jul 1756 thru 5
Mar 1757 and he may have
returned in 1758 for a visit but he was in
Charleston for most of 1759, arriving
with reinforcements at the fort in late 1759 under
perilous, not happy, circum-
stances. He
did not return to Cherokee territory after 1760. (The Bushyhead family
was still residing near Tamahli, NC in 1817, 1835
and 1852.)
Notes on Robert
Emory
JOHN ROBERT EMORY was christened 30 Oct 1727 Great Hale/Little Hale,
Lincoln, England; buried March 1790 at Saint Philip’s in Charleston, South
Carolina.
He was the son of John AMORY (d.1746) and
Sarah WILSON (d.1765); both of his
parents were active in the Cherokee
trade. His mother married two other
Indian
traders (William ELDER and Thomas
NIGHTINGALE) after the death of his father.
Some Cherokee came with their traders to
Charleston in the winter of 1742/1743 to
discuss ongoing treaty and trade violations
by the upper Creek Indians. Ludovic
Grant
came down from Tomatly (in what is now North
Carolina) and camped at the late Governor
Johnson fields on Charlestown Neck (the New
Market Plantation).
[SC Commons Journal 19 Jan 1743, 28 Feb
1743]
The Amory family were stewards of the
Johnson estate and hosted Indian delegations to
Charleston for 15 years. They hosted this delegation. [SC Commons
Journal 28 Feb &
28 Apr 1743]. Ludovic Grant’s legal residence was in Charleston. When he returned to
the Cherokee Nation in 1743 he was joined by
the young brothers Robert and William
Emory (Amory) who went to work for Grant and
married his daughters.
It might seem odd that two young men (17,
18) would be allowed to go off into the
wilderness by their parents but these were
the considerations: (1) the sickness in
lower
South Carolina. They had one sister die young in England and another sister would
die
April 1744 in Charleston. (2) The opportunities for enterprise and
marriage were very
limited in Charleston. (3)
“The Cherokee Silver Mine Scheme”
was a brilliant (if
illusory) opportunity for the Amory family.
Some of the Cherokee chiefs and traders
developed a plan to secure the rights to mine
silver on the Cherokee land of north
Georgia. [Candler, GA Col Recs, XXIV,
124,125]
James Beamer , Cornelius Daugherty, Thomas
Nightingale, John Amory and Ludovic
Grant were involved. [SC Commons Journal 7 Oct 1743]
The idea was to bring the
silver down the river then through
Purrysburg to Charleston. John Amory
owned land
in Purrysburg and was ready to reap a
windfall. [SC Commons Journal 24 Feb
1743,
12 Mar 1743]
Unfortunately, the silver ore was very low
grade and all rights to it
belonged to the crown. While the Emory boys did not find silver,
they did find wives
and they remained in the Cherokee Nation.
“This House, having received
Information that a Silver Mine has been
found in one of the Indian Nations,
which has been, or is intended to
be, opened. . . . ” [SC Comm Journal 7 May 1743]
“The Commons House of Assembly submits
a report that the silver mine
in the Cherokee Nation is being
worked.” [Ibid. 14 Oct 1743]
“…the mine is in the Nation of
Cherokee Indians. . . Advertisements
have
been posted up in Orangeburgh and
other Townships, promising £
15
(which is two Guineas) a month to
any who will work at the Mine.”
[Candler, Colonial Rec of Georgia,
XXIV, 123]
Robert Emory was licensed to trade among the Cherokee and, in August 1750,
was granted access
to trade with the Creek Nation. [The Colonial Records of
South Carolina: Documents Relating to Indian Affairs 1750-1754, p.128]. With him were
Abraham Smith and others. In Emmett Starr’s source the Susannah Emory who
consorted with Capt John Stuart is merely called a grand-daughter of Ludovic Grant;
her father is not named. William and Robert went off to join the British in the war
against the French (1757-1763). William’s Susannah was his youngest daughter;
Robert’s Susannah (b.1744) was the consort of John Stuart.
Robert Emory had a Creek wife and a son who
was a Creek warrior (named Emory or
Emar-
hee) in Georgia but little is known of them.
Robert witnessed the will of Paul Murrel in Berkeley County, South Carolina in
August 1787.
Robert Emory’s will is dated 19 March 1790
and it was entered for probate 30 March 1790.
Robert Emmery, his mark, signed will
19 March 1790 in Charles Town.
Gives “all my estate whatsoever” to
Daniel Watson Turner. Witnessed by
John Jarman, Daniel (or David)
Graham. Proved 30 March 1790.
>> David Graham (“Grayhams”)
is found in Spartanburg living near Drury and
Abraham Hembree.
ixp 71
b. 1727/8
Lincolnshire, England
d. July 1770
SC buried 31 July 1770 St
Philip’s Parish in Charleston, SC
m(1) 1743
Mary (“Nina”) Grant, Cherokee dau of Ludovic Grant and Elizabeth
(Euighoote). Mary
b.1729 TN d. 1766 or 1769 Goose Creek, SC
m(2) Mrs.
Sarah (Loocock) Cantle (Nov 1768 in Charleston) she d. July 1770
WILLIAM EMORY was
born c.1727, christened 20 Oct 1728 at Alford, Lincolnshire,
and christened again (by a Wilson family
bishop, his mother’s family) at Great Hale/Little
Hale, Lincoln, England on 15 Sep 1731;
buried 31 July 1770 at Saint Philips in Charleston,
South Carolina.
He was the son of John AMORY (d.1746) and
Sarah WILSON (d.1765); both of his
parents were active in the Cherokee
trade. His mother married two other
Indian
traders (William ELDER and Thomas
NIGHTINGALE) after the death of his father.
William Emory m. MARY GRANT (Cherokee) in 1743. She was a daughter of Ludovic
GRANT.
She was b.c.1729 Cherokee Nation, Tennessee and d.c. 1766 at Goose
Creek,
South Carolina. She was probably not the Mary Emory buried at Saint Philip’s in
1769.
William Emory lived with his wife and her
father among the Cherokee at Tomatly, and
preceded his father-in-law down to South
Carolina in 1753. As a British subject,
he
reported for military duty (with his
brother) and is “missing” from 1758 to 1765.
He m(2) Mrs. SARAH (LOOCOCK) CANTLE 18 Nov 1768. Her will was proved 20
July 1770, just 10 days before William
Emory died. (Aaron Loocock was her
brother.)
Children of WILLIAM EMORY and MARY
GRANT (Cherokee) are:
i. WILL EMORY
b. 1744 Tomatly, Cherokee Nation, North Carolina, d. June
1788 Chota, Cherokee Nation, Tennessee. (Had one known child, Thomas, Long Tom,
b.c.1780)
The “Indian Will” of Will’s Creek and Will’s Mountain
in Bedford County,Pennsylvania,
and the Cumberland Mts. of
Maryland was most likely killed in
1758. “Captain Will”
is the one who captured
Daniel Boone in Kentucky in 1769/1775/1779.
Willstown in Alabama
(Dragging Canoe’s second
stronghold) was said to be named for Will Webber, though it is
more likely to be named for our Will. “Halfbreed Will of
Naquassee” (NC, 1760) is probably
our Will.
ii. MARY EMORY
b. 1746 Tomatly, Cherokee Nation, North Carolina, d.c.
1800 Cherokee
Nation, Tennessee.
She m(1) William “Rim” Fawling c.1766 (2 ch. 1766-69); m(2) Ezekiel Buffington c.1770 (6 ch.
1770-80); m(3) Capt. John Martin c.1782
(1 ch. 1782).
iii. ELIZABETH
EMORY b. 1748 Tomatly, Cherokee
Nation, North Carolina, d. 1781
Cherokee Nation, Georgia.
She m(1) Ezekiel Buffington c.1767 (1 ch.1768?); m(2) Robert Dewes c.1770 (1 ch.
1770-1); m(3) John Rogers c.1772 (5
ch.. 1772-80).
iv. SUSANNAH EMORY b. 1750 Tomatly, Cherokee Nation, North Carolina, d.c. 1796 near Tugaloo, Georgia.
She m(1) Richard
Fields c.1765 (7 ch. 1767-78) ; m(2) Capt. John Martin 1781 (4
ch. 1781-88).
Note: Starr confirms the order of daughters: Mary, Elizabeth, Susannah. This makes William’s Susannah an impossibility to be the mother of Bushyhead.
v. DRURY EMORY (or HEMBREE) b. 12 December 1755 South Carolina, d. 1845
Stone County, Missouri. (See separate Family Sheet.)
vi. ABRAHAM EMORY (or HEMBREE) b. 16 May 1757 South Carolina, d. 1837
Hamilton County, Tennessee.
ixp 73
b. 1744
South Carolina
d. 1808-1810 prob. Knox County, Kentucky
m(1) 1765
Nani (Nancy) Jane, Cherokee b.1746/7 d.c.1768
m(2) Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Cantle (Jan 1769 in
Charleston) she d. 9 Nov 1769.
m(3) Mary or Martha she d.c.1785 North Carolina.
JOHN EMORY or HEMBREE was born 1744 in South Carolina (perhaps Purrysburg)
and died 1808-1810 probably in Knox County, Kentucky. He was the son of John
AMORY (d.1746) and Mary MOORE (Cherokee).
He married (1) NANI JANE
(ELDER?) in 1765. She d.c.1768. A second marriage in
1769 to a Mrs. MARY ELIZABETH CANTLE (who d. Nov.1769) is
likely. A marriage
to a MARY or MARTHA in
1770 is certain. She died at the end of
the war (1784/5). He
fathered two children by two women in his “widower hood”.
[See Old John Hembree aka John Emory for more
details.]
Child of JOHN HEMBREE and NANI JANE (Cherokee) is:
i. ELIZABETH JANE HEMBREE b. 1765 South Carolina, d.bef. 1820
prob.
in Lawrence or
Hardin County, Tennessee. She
m(1) JOHN WELCH (c.1753 –c.1809)
son of James Welch of Ireland; m(2) WILLIAM WELCH (c.1760
–1838) of North
Carolina. The sons born to John Welch were Cherokee tribal
members.
Children of JOHN HEMBREE and MARY or MARTHA (Mixed blood?) are:
ii. MARY “POLLY” HEMBREE b. 1771 South
Carolina, d.11 June 1865
Milton County, Georgia.
She m. Notley MASTERS (1745 – 1819).
iii. WILLIAM HEMBREE b. 1774 South Carolina, d.c. 1811 Pendleton District,
South Carolina. He m(1) Selah HUGHES (Cherokee);
m(2) Polly.
iv. JOHN (JR.) HEMBREE b. 1776 South Carolina, d. 1836 Knox County,
Kentucky. He m. Mary
LAWS (b.1780 NC d.bef.1830 KY).
v. JAMES HEMBREE b. 1778 or 1782 North
Carolina, d.c. 1828 South Carolina.
He m. Martha STRATTON (b.1782 NC d.c. 1841 SC).
vi. EDWARD HEMBREE b. 1780 North Carolina, d. 1863 Oconee County, South
Carolina. He m(1) Eliza STRATTON (b.1780 NC d.c. 1835
SC); m(2) Phene -----
(b.1774 d.bef.1860).
Child of JOHN HEMBREE and SUSANNAH (Cherokee) is:
vii. MICHAEL “MAX”
HEMBREE b. 1785 Cherokee Nation,
North Carolina,
d. 1853 Henry
County, Tennessee. He m(1) Parthena
LATHAM (b1790 d.1819
TN); m(2) Lucretia -----
(b.1795 VA d.c.1860).
Child of JOHN HEMBREE and REBECCA SULLIVAN is:
viii. SOLOMON (SULLIVAN)4 JACKSON b. 4 December 1788 Spartanburg,
South Carolina, d. 8 July 1852 Texas. He m(1) Rebecca
HEMBREE or EMORY;
m(2) Mrs. Susannah Minerva (Emory) Sifford (both these were
daus. of Drury
Hembree or Emory); m(3) -------. He was raised by stepfather Ephraim JACKSON.
Rebecca Sullivan is listed in the 1790 Census (0 – 1 – 1 – 0 – 0) next to Joel
Emry and Susannah Jennings (1790 Spartanburgh Co. p.87 see here p. 81).
“The State against
Rebekah Sullivan. Bastardy. The Defendant came into open court and made
oath that the child unlawfully Begotten of her body was
got by John Hembry and to the best of
her knowledge and belief on the 4th of Dec.
1788. Ordered that she be fined L5 proclamation
money, deferring execution nine months on her giving
surety for the payment thereof.”
“Rebecca Sullivan as principle, and Abraham Fowler &
Ezekiel Sullivan her sureties came into
Court and acknowledged to owe to the State L 5 proc. Money as aforesaid,
for a fine imposed
upon said Rebekah
for Bastardy.”
Court of the Ordinary session of 16 June 1789
[Brent H. Holcomb,
Spartanburgh County, South Carolina Minutes of the County Court
1785-1799, (Easley,
SC.: Southern Historical Press, 1980): p.103]
Note the Ezekiel Sullivan: he was Rebecca’s brother. His friend, Ephraim
Jackson, married Rebecca and raised John’s child as his own. Ephraim and
Rebecca remained in the Spartanburg area until at least 1825. (There are two
other Ephraim Jacksons: one in Spartanburg and the other in Pendleton then
Oglethorpe County, GA.) The Ephraim who married Rebecca lived close to
Abraham Hembree, he moved up to the Goucher Creek area in 1806 and lived
next to Joshua Pettit (perhaps on or near the lands surveyed for John Hembree
and Joshua Pettit on 15 Nov 1788).
John Hembree was living in Spartanburg before and after the war but is not
found in the 1790 census (unless as John Hembey). He obtained a land grant
with Joshua Pettit in 1788, he fathered a child there, and he is mentioned in a
civil suit for costs, but I think he went back up to North Carolina in 1789.
ixp 75
Family Sheet: James Hembree (1785-1845)
James
Emery b.c. 1785 Cherokee Nation d.c. 1845 Sevier Co, TN
m(1) Sarah Hembree
b. 1794-98 SC d.c 1828 Cobb Co,
GA dau of Abraham Hembree
m(2) Esther (Hester)
b.c. 1807 Rutherford Co, NC d.aft.1875 TN; dau of Josiah
(Joseph) & Elizabeth
Capshaw; she m(2) ---- Grammer Dekalb Co, TN
(His parents have not been determined. He was mixed blood Cherokee. He
may be aka James Welch, son of John Welch & Elizabeth Emory, Cherokee)
(The reconstruction of the family is tentative, much more work is needed.)
1) James EMORY b.c. 1818 Spartanburg, SC d.aft. 1850 unknown
m. Mary L. 1850 census Dekalb Co, TN p.87
2) J. EMORY b.c. 1821 Spartanburg, SC d.bef. 1850 or aft 1870
(John? See 7) m. Nancy Murphy (Cherokee) dau of Edward Murphy
had sons Johnson Murphy Emery & David Emery (aka David Hood?)
widow or divorced wife 1850 census Hamilton Co, TN hh 839
3) dau EMORY b.c. 1823 Spartanburg, SC d. aft 1860
Sarah Jane or Elizabeth Jane
4) Mary (Polly) EMORY b.c. 1825 SC d. aft 1870
m. William Capshaw (b.c.1805 NC) 1870 census Dekalb Co, TN
----children by 2nd wife -----------------------------------
5) Minerva EMORY b.c. 1827/29 GA or TN ; d.aft.1875 TN or KY
unmarried? (may be dau of 1st wife) aka Manerva Capshaw
1850 census Dekalb Co, TN p.85 (under Capshaw family)
6) Thomas EMORY b.c. 1828/30 TN d. aft. 1880 Allen Co, KY
m. Julia Watson (mixed blood) dau. of John & Margaret Watson;
served Co. H Tenn Mounted Infantry (Cooke’s Rgmt) CSA and
Co. H 59th Tenn Mounted Infantry CSA
1850 census Dekalb Co, TN p.85 (under Capshaw family)
7) Jonathan (John) EMORY b.c. 1831 Sevier Co, TN d. 9 Feb 1865
near Liberty (Dekalb County), TN (killed as a Confederate guerilla)
m. Maria ------ (mixed blood)
widow 1870 census Jefferson Co, TN p.492
Sgt, 4th Regiment Tennessee Cavalry (Murray’s) (Confederate)
8) William EMORY b.c. 1833 Sevier Co, TN d. 9 Feb 1865
near Liberty (Dekalb County), TN (killed as a Confederate guerilla)
m. Elizabeth ------ (mixed blood)
widow 1870 census Jefferson Co, TN p.367
Pvt, 4th Regiment Tennessee Cavalry (Murray’s) (Confederate)
9) Carroll David EMORY b.c. 1835 Sevier Co, TN d.c.1863 or c.1875
m. Maria Crockett (Melungeon Cherokee)
1850 census Dekalb Co, TN p.85 (under Capshaw family)
1860 census Dekalb Co, TN p. (w/wife & ch)
1870 census Dekalb Co, TN p. (3 oldest ch. listed w gr-mother)
widow 1880 census Rutherford Co, TN p.308d
Probably died in Civil War (as Confederate).
10) Eleanor (Elander) EMORY b.c. 1837 Sevier Co, TN d. aft 1880
aka Eleanor Capshaw;
Notes on the Capshaw family of
Warren & Dekalb Co, Tennessee
James Emory’s second wife Hester or Esther was probably a Capshaw by birth
(born in Rutherford County, North Carolina) but she could just be a daughter in
law of the Capshaws. The estate or will of Josiah Capshaw should be helpful in
settling this. She could even be an “extra” daughter fathered by a Cherokee girl
or a servant. Or a niece.
The pioneer, Josiah Capshaw, was a Revolutionary War soldier from Delaware
who settled on the North Carolina frontier (Rutherford County). His son Josiah
came to White or Warren County, Tennessee, during the War of 1812. On 16
June 1814 Josiah and wife Elizabeth Capshaw sold interest in land in Rutherford
County (NC) to John Moore (recorded 3 Nov 1815 White Co, TN). On 25 Jan
1822 William Franks and his two brothers were tried for the assault & battery of
Josiah Capshaw in White County. In 1836 Josiah and William Capshaw were on
the tax list for Warren County in that part that later became Dekalb County. The
Capshaw family became numerous in Dekalb County and fielded Confederate
and Union soldiers from that county.
Because Hester (Esther) Emory is shown as a Capshaw in the 1850 census it is
possible that she was an Emory (Hembree) by birth who married a Capshaw then
when she was widowed she (and some of her children) reverted back to the
Emory surname. This is possible because the Emory (Hembree) family was in
Rutherford County, NC when she was reaching marriage age (1830). The Esther
name runs in the Abraham Hembree family. This possibility should be further
investigated. I found no Capshaw in the 1830 or 1840 census that plots to Esther
and her children as well as the census for James Emery in Sevier County does.
She and her children match the James Emery family but if a Capshaw family is
discovered that provides a fit, it should be examined. Because the CARROLL
family can be found alongside the CAPSHAW family in Rutherford Co, NC,
it is more than likely that she was a Capshaw who married James Emery in
Rutherford County soon after the death of his first wife. This would be the
source for the Carroll David (David Carroll?) name of one of the sons.
Notes on
James Hembree (Emery)
Who is the James Hembree that joined a church with wife Sallie (the daughter of
Abraham Hembree) along with Owen Hembree (son of William W.) and Owen’s
wife Delilah (Rebecca Delilah, the daughter of Abraham Hembree)?
Who is the James Hembree b.1780-90 shown in the census of 1830 and 1840 for
Sevier Co., TN?
We have tentatively made them one and the same, and continued analysis of this
James has led to a sounder construction of this family. First, the 1800 James of
Spartanburg is NOT this James but the James b.1774, son of Joel Hembree.
Second, the 1820 census Spartanburg James and the 1824 church membership
James and Sarah are likely the same, and they are this James, requiring a much
younger Sarah (not b.1780 but more like 1794). Third, descendants of Abraham
are more comfortable with Polly being the oldest daughter (b.1782) so this works
out to that end. Fourth, the two Confederates killed as renegades have been
identified as John and William Emory who enrolled at Chattanooga in Hamilton
County, Tennessee.
The Sevier County James Hembree (Emery) definitely lived among the Cherokee
and he was regarded as Cherokee, though perhaps not a tribal member, just mixed
blood.
James and Sarah were in Spartanburg in 1824 (where they joined the Goucher
Church with Owen and Rebecca Delilah Hembree), they went to Georgia during
the Cherokee land rush (1828). Sarah died in that year and James, with young
children, remarried quickly.
The father of this James b.c. 1785 is still a mystery. He cannot be a son of
Drury, as that would make him a direct first cousin of Sarah, Abraham’s
daughter, and they would not be admitted as church members if that were so.
Abraham’s grandchildren regarded him as a “Cherokee” uncle according to
some of the Miller applications.
The Cherokee known as Thomas Emory or Long Tom or Bullfrog was a
cousin of this James Emory, whose son Thomas Emory also went by the
Cherokee name of Bullfrog.
The Tennessee Confederate 4th Regiment (Murray’s Cavalry) was staffed at
Murfreesboro but drew its recruits from Chattanooga (Hamilton County) and
Sparta (White County). They operated in central and upper Tennessee. John
Emory and his younger brother William Emory joined the unit at Chattanooga.
John was a sergeant, William a private. They were killed by Tennessee Union
troops on 9 February 1865 in Dekalb County.
The Cherokee Emory family of eastern Tennessee was connected to the Welch
and Murphy families who have pre-Revolution Cherokee roots.
The
mixed-blood Murphys descend from SC Cherokee traders: Daniel Murphy was killed
in
April 1751 along with 3 other traders.
Each trader was killed in a different location.
Murphy was killed near Canutre (Connutra), a Cherokee
village on the Tuckasegee River in NC,
about where the town of Cullowhee (Jackson Co) is.
His family moved down to Keowee (Fort
Prince
George), SC. Hugh Murphy, his brother, was shot at Coronaca near Ninety Six (SC)
around
the same time. He survived. His family too lived in upper SC. Ludovic Grant spoke
of
Daniel in 1752. [SC Commons Journal 8 & 13
May 1751; SC
Docs Indian Affairs 1750-
1754, 178, 219,
261, 262]
Melungeon Cherokee in Welch /
Emory line
There is no doubt that the Welch and Emory Cherokee line includes some very
dark people. The Cherokee “Shoeboots” was a Welch who married a black
slave. The “French Woman of Keowee” Nani – the ancestor of some of the
Welch Cherokee, was a Melungeon Cherokee who was sold into slavery in the
West Indies. My own Emory ancestor married a former slave and was listed as
“colored” for many years. Some of the Cherokee Welch applications include
references to slaves as ancestors.
I am inclined to think James Emory was born Cherokee in the line of the above
Nani. His marriage to a daughter of Abraham Hembree was not an issue in the
church because of the distance of the relationship. His membership in a church
in the 1820’s is very consistent with a Christian revival that swept the Cherokee
(and the South) in the early 1800’s.
The James Emory b.1785 Cherokee heritage would look like this:
1. Nani (Melungeon Cherokee, tribal mbr of Keowee) + William Elder (white)
2. Nancy Elder (mixed) (d.1765) + John Emory (mixed) (1744-1808)
3. Elizabeth Jane Emory (mixed) + John Welch (mixed, tribal mbr)
4. James Welch aka James Emory (1785-1845) (trbl mbr at
Valley River lands in North Carolina)
John Emory was the son of John Amory (white) Indian trader and Mary Moore,
Cherokee of Keowee (half sister of Warhatchy or Wauhatchie).
John Welch was the son of James Welch (white) and a Cherokee woman. (See
“Old John Hembree aka John Emory” and “John Amory and the Emory
Cherokees” for more information.) This Welch line is the line of Lloyd Welch,
Chief of the Eastern Tribe.
His first wife’s Cherokee heritage (and his relation to Thomas Emory) would
look like this:
1. John Amory (white) + Sarah Wilson (white)
2. William Emory (white) + Mary Grant (Cherokee, tribal mbr)
3. Will Emory 1744-1788, tribal member
(aka Long Will, Long Fellow, Capt Will, Will of Nuquasse, Wauhatchie)
4. Thomas Emory b.c.1780-86, tribal member
(aka Long Tom, Bullfrog, Wauhatchie)
3. Abraham Emory (mixed) + Winnefred Jackson (white)
4. Sarah Emory (mixed) (1794-1828)
1. John Amory (white) + Mary Moore (Cherokee)
2. John Emory aka Old John Hembree (1744-1808) + Nancy (Cherokee)
3. Elizabeth Jane Emory (mixed) + John Welch (mixed) (1753-1809)
4. James Welch aka James Emory (1785-1845)
(The Emory-Grant line is the line of several Cherokee families.) The above
shows that James Emory and Sarah Emory did not have a grandparent in
common, and had only one great-grandparent in common, making them okay
for church membership under North Carolina & Virginia Baptist conventions.
Yet another possibility is that James Emery is a son of John Emory and the
Cherokee woman Susannah (see Michael Hembree b.1785). This works as
well.
ixp 80
Drury Hembree b. 12 Dec 1755 SC d. 1845 MO
His wife M.
b.c.1766 PA d.aft 1850 Taney Co,
MO
Drury
Hembree or Emory was the son of William EMORY and Mary GRANT (Cherokee).
1) Andrew James? Hembree b.c. 1783 SC d.bef. 1850 Arkansas
[1790 census w/father]
2) Rachel Hembree b.c. 1785 SC d.bef 1860 IN
m(1) ------- m(2) James Harbison (1763-1841) a veteran of
Revolution and 1812 War (they m.1826 Knox Co, TN)
[1830 Johnson Co IN, 1840,1850 DuBois Co, IN]
3) Matilda Hembree b.c. 1787 SC d. bef. 1850 MO?
(m. ? John Lee or Lea 1837 Randolph Co, Arkansas?)
4) dau b.c. 1789 SC
m. ---- McHill? McElwain? widow in 1838 Stoddard Co, MO
(Emery McHill purchased land
next to Solomon Jackson and Samuel Sifford,
his uncles, 1838 Stoddard Co, MO.
“McElwain” in 1830 Johnson Co, IN)
5) Benjamin Hembree b.c. 1793 SC d.c. 1840 Arkansas
m. unknown, Cherokee (possibly a sister of William Weir)
[1830 Campbell Co TN]
6) Rebecca Hembree b.c. 1795 SC d.c. 1830 MO
m. Solomon Jackson 3 April 1815 Knox Co, TN. He was the son of
John Hembree (1744 –1808) and Rebecca Sullivan and the adopted
son of Rebecca’s husband Ephraim Jackson. See Susannah, below.
7) John Hembree b. 1797/9 SC or TN d. 5 Feb 1864 Stone Co, MO
m(1) ------ m(2) Mrs. Maggie Butler (b1805 OH)
[1830 Johnson Co IN, 1840 &1850 Taney Co, MO, 1860 Stone Co, MO]
8) Isaac Hembree b. 3 May 1797/9 SC or TN
m. Mrs Sarah (Sallie) (Pierce) Ledgerwood, widow of Samuel Ledgerwood
she b.c. 1790 TN d. 6 Sep 1856 Martin Co, IN
[1830 Johnson Co IN, 1840 Dubois Co, IN, 1850 Martin Co, IN]
9) Lewis Francis Hembree b. 23 Mar1805 TN; d. 6 Feb 1882 Stone Co, MO
m. Phoebe Elizabeth Warwick (b. 1810 KY or TN) m 28 Sep 1826
Knox Co, TN
[1840&1850 Taney Co, MO, 1860, 1870, 1880 Stone Co, MO]
See Jane Hembree’s
website for list of children: http://pages.ivillage.com/
10) Susannah Minerva Hembree b. 1808 TN d. 6 April 1844 Navarro
Co, Texas
m(1) (Samuel?) SIFFORD
m(2) Solomon JACKSON (1788-1852), widower of her older sister. They
married 2 March 1831 in Cape Girardeau Co, Missouri
Her daughter (or niece), Sarah Hembry, m. George Sifford in 1843.
Both Sarah and George died before 1850 and their children are in
the 1850 household of Solomon Jackson, widower, Bexar County, Texas.
Notes
for Solomon Jackson:
See “Old
John Hembree aka John Emory”
for more information.
On 1 August 1838 Solomon Jackson
entered a claim (cash purchase) for 40 acres
in Stoddard County, Missouri. (Stoddard was formed in 1835 from Cape
Girardeau
County.) On the same day his nephew Emery McHill and his brother in law
Samuel
Sifford entered land practically
next to each other and not too far from Solomon. (On
the same day Andrew J. Harty/Hardy, Robert Miller and
Isaac Taylor also entered
land patents but no connection is
known.)
On 10 August 1841 Solomon Jackson
entered another stake of 40 acres next to Lewis
Sifford, the father of Samuel
Sifford. Esther Taylor made an entry on
that date also,
though no connection is assumed.
Notes for Drury Hembree:
Drewry Embry vs. Ambrose
Yarborough : “The Plaintiff being
called came not to
Prosecute his Suit. Ordered that he be Nonsuited.”
Ambrose Yarborough against Drewry Embry
: “Ordered to be Dismissed at the
Plaintiffs Costs.”
Union County Court session of 26 September 1787
[Brent H. Holcomb, Union County, South Carolina Minutes
of the County Court
1785-1789, (Easley, SC.: Southern Historical Press , 1979): p.125]
Several web sites have Drury’s pension application (and Abraham’s affidavit
on his behalf). (Most are copied from Martin & Standifer’s John Hembree
tree at familytreemaker.com.)
Drury’s wife known as “M” was born in Pennsylvania (1850 census). The
application for widow’s benefits, dated 30 November 1850, is unclear:
Dr Sirs
The widow of one Drewry
Hembree a Revolutionary soldier is
desirous of drawing her
husband’s pension. She says his papers
were made out and she thinks
the pension allowed some 10 to 14
years ago – her husband
resided in Tennessee at the time and the
papers prepared by one
Richardson. Mr. Hembree left before the
money was drawn has since
died and his widow is now in Mo. and
wishes to draw what now is
due. If you will cause such information
to be forwarded to me at
Springfield Green County Missouri – as
may enable an old lady to
obtain what the acts of Congress entitle
her to as one of the widows
of a revolutionary soldier.
Thusly will confer a favor
to an old lady – who is poor and in want
of the means for her
subsistance circumstance.
I am not prepared now to say
who the Captn or other officers under
whom Mr. Drewry Hembree
served
yours etc
John S. Taddill
It sounds like she was not living with Drury 10 to 14 years prior. Her place
of birth (Pennsylvania) is more consistent with a marriage in Indiana 1840 than
in Spartanburg 1781. But she could be associated with the Buffington, Baldwin
and Harlan families (formerly Quakers) who came to central South Carolina by
1765 and married into the Emory family.
Thomas Elder and
the Elders of Spartanburg
Drury Hembree was living in Spartanburg in 1777 and volunteered in the
local militia under Captain Joseph Wofford and Lieutenant Thomas Elder.
The Spartanburg militia was at first “neutral” in the Revolution, preferring to
defend themselves and owing no allegiance to a distant government. They
built their own forts and organized their own troops. George Elder and his
7 or 8 sons figured prominently in the militia. Thomas Elder was one of his
sons, as was a John Elder. The lieutenant, however, was not the son of
George Elder.
There was an older Thomas Elder and an older John Elder of Charleston who
also settled in the 96 District, adding to the confusion. The older Thomas
Elder was the militia lieutenant and is called Dr. Thomas Elder. He was a
prosperous businessman of Charleston, selling slaves in 1772 and 1779 in the
public records. He also lent the rebel government 2000 pounds to finance the
Revolution and was repaid in 1779 or 1780. The archive record shows he was
paid as a lieutenant in Roebuck’s militia (Spartanburg).
The younger Thomas Elder was paid at the same time for service in the same
militia but he was killed 8 September 1781 and his next-of-kin William Elder
signed Thomas Elder’s pay over to Hugh Means (of 96 District).
Old John Hembree and John Elder were involved in a civil (debt) suit against
William Weir in Spartanburg in 1788. This appears to be a son of George
Elder, although much older than some genealogies have him because he bought
land in 1765.
On 16 Jan 1765 John Elder purchased 125 acres on Dutchman’s Creek of
the Tyger River from Robert Crowden, who received a royal grant of 600
acres there on 3 Sep 1753. In 1775 John Elder received a 450 acre grant
on the Broad River. He also had a small piece of land on the Enoree River,
which he sold on 18 Dec 1778 to William Hendrix. He was described as
“John Elder of Dutchman’s Creek, farmer”. The transaction was witnessed
by James and Sarah Elder and testified to William Gist, the Tory who lived on
the Broad and Enoree Rivers (SC).
On 4 May 1795 John Elder sold his 125 acres on Dutchman’s Creek to his
brother-in-law, Samuel Morrow Jr. He headed off to Kentucky. The Morrows
continued to live on Dutchman’s Creek alongside Abraham Hembree
(brother of Drury Hembree) and later William W. Hembree and Owen Hembree.
On 4 Aug 1796 Gideon Herralson and wife Elizabeth sold 50 acres on
Dutchman’s Creek bordering Samuel Morrow, Abraham Hembree, and others.
The land was part of a 1786 grant to William Weir.
On 3 Dec 1807 Owen Hembree (son of William Hembree) sold to his brother
William Hembree a 40 acre parcel on Dutchman’s Creek. John Morrow and
William Morrow witnessed the deed, which was proved before Samuel Morrow.
Other Spartanburg
Relationships
The 1790 census for Spartanburg shows Drury Hembree in the midst of the
Elder and Morrow families (I took the liberty of using standard spellings):
NINETY SIX DISTRICT, SPARTANBURGH COUNTY p.87 (partial list)
Roebuck, Capt. George 1-3-3-0-0 p.86
Wofford, Bejanim 3-2-5-0-9 p.86 (built fort)
Wofford, Joseph 2-2-5-0-5 p.86 (Drury’s “Capt. Warford”)
Moore, William 2-4-3-0-0
Graham, David 1-4-6-0-0 “Grayhams”
Morrow, Capt. Samuel 1-2-3-0-0 father-in-law of John Elder
Hembree, Drury 1-0-3-0-0 (Hemery)
Morrow, David 1-0-1-0-0 “Murrow”
Elder, Robert 1-0-1-0-1 bother of John Elder
Elder, John 1-3-3-0-0 d.1799 KY
Elder, Haman 1-1-1-0-0 son of Samuel
Elder, Samuel 1-1-3-0-0 d.1797 brother of John Elder
Means, Benjamin 2-2-3-0-0 son of Hugh Means
Morrow, Samuel 1-0-0-0-3 (Murrow)
Hembree, Abraham 1-0-6-0-0 (Hambray)
Sullivan,
Rebecca 0-1-1-0-0 (she has John Hembree’s child)
Hembree, Joel 2-1-6-0-3 (Emry)
Price, Sarah 0-0-2-0-0 sister of Joseph Price (1766-1834)
Elder, Alexander 2-0-1-0-0
Elder, William 2-4-5-0-0 d.1808 KY brother of John Elder
I’ve omitted quite a few families to emphasize how Drury is embedded among
the Elders and Morrows. The Morrows and Elders intermarried. Running down
these names over and
over leads one to the conclusion: there
is no relationship
between the Spartanburg Elder family and William Elder, Indian trader and
associate of Drury’s grandfather John Amory.
Stripping the above list down to a few pertinent names, however, reveals some
surprises:
Moore, William 2-4-3-0-0 << Drury’s cousin
Graham, David 1-4-6-0-0 << Drury’s cousin
Hembree, Drury 1-0-3-0-0
Hembree, Abraham 1-0-6-0-0
Sullivan,
Rebecca 0-1-1-0-0 Solomon Jackson
Hembree, Joel 2-1-6-0-3
Price, Sarah 0-0-2-0-0 sister of Joseph Price (1766-1834)
William Moore is a mixed-blood relative of the Emory family. David Graham
is the same as “Daniel” Graham who witnessed the will of Robert Emory, the
uncle of Drury. Drury’s aunt Sarah married Mungo Graham, who had a brother
David Graham. Drury’s “uncle” Aaron Loocock had lands by royal grant in the
Spartanburg District (he was a Tory and fled to New York). Rebecca Sullivan’s
child is Solomon Jackson, who married Drury’s daughter and went to Arkansas
and Missouri in the 1830’s. Joseph Price, a grandson of the above Joseph Price,
purchased land in Taney County, Missouri on the same day that Drury’s son John
Hembree purchased land in Taney County: 10 December 1850.
Although this sounds like “spaghetti genealogy” it illustrates how frontier people
tended to live close to their own, and when they moved, they did so in familiar
groups.
ixp 86
Family Sheet: Benjamin Hembree (1793/5)
b.c. 1793/5 Spartanburg, SC d. c. 1840 Arkansas;
son of Drury Hembree
m. unknown
Cherokee woman (possibly a sister of
half breed William Weir)
Note that another Benjamin Hembree b.1793 was a son of Joel
Hembree b.1755.
1) unk daughter b.c. 1820-1825 Knox or Campbell Co, TN d. unk
2) unk daughter b.c. 1820-1825 Knox or Campbell Co, TN d. unk
3) Andrew Emory b.c. 1825 Campbell Co, TN d.c. 1855 Arkansas
m. Celia Woodall (b.c.1834 Georgia or Arkansas), dau. of Thomas
Woodall. She m(2) Joseph Cephas.
Catherine Emory b.c. 1850-52 Arkansas, daughter of Andrew
Emory,
married distant cousin James
Madison Carselowry (b.1848), who was a
nephew of her mother and a
descendant of William Emory d.1770. (He
was a son of George
Carselowry (white) and Mary McDaniel (Cherokee),
the grandson of James
McDaniel and Mary Buffington. His
mother
married (2) Isaac Woodall.)
4) Peter Emory b.c. 1827 Campbell Co, TN d. Oklahoma
(Perhaps same as Andrew, i.e., Andrew Peter, and this would be
another unknown son in this slot.)
5) unk son b.c. 1829 Campbell Co, TN d. unk
He appears in the 1830 census for Campbell County, Tennessee, not far from
his father Drury, a Jos. Pettit b.1770-1780. (Another Benjamin Hembree
b.1793, son of Joel Hembree, appears in the 1830 census for Rhea Co, TN and
is found later in Jackson Co, AL.)
He went to Arkansas with his brother-in-law Solomon Jackson (and probably
his older brother Andrew Emory) c.1835 and settled on the (White??) River.
Benjamin Emory and his son (or brother) Andrew Emory were known as
medicine men, doctors, herbal health practitioners – whatever you choose to
call them. Benjamin may also have been a preacher.
This art or science of herbal and spiritual medicine was practiced in our
Cherokee ancestry for quite a few generations. The “Smallpox Conjurer”
of Keowee (aka Charity Haig) was a woman of great tribal rank in 1720
and negotiated the alliance with Colonel James Moore. (These negotiations
led to the birth of Mary Moore, mother of John Emory, and James Moore,
the father of both William Moore of Ninety Six District and the Tory
halfbreed James Moore.)
Benjamin’s wife, while unknown, was most likely Cherokee, as the family associated themselves with the tribe in Tennessee and Arkansas in a way
that indicates tribal connections.
The connection to the Weir family appears to predate the Revolution and is
seen in Spartanburg land records and perhaps in Tennessee. (The family was
also known as Ware, Wire.) While possible, more research is required.
ixp 88
Family Sheet: John Hembree (1797 - 1864)
b.c. 1797/9 Knox County, TN d. 5 Feb 1864/7 Stone Co, MO; son of Drury Hembree
m(1) ? ; m(2) Mrs. Maggie Butler Dubois Co, IN; she b.c. 1805 OH
d.
1) Simeon Hembree b. 1818 or 1828 TN d.aft 1850 California
“Sim Hembrie” p.317a 1840 Dubois Co, IN age 20-30 wife 15-20
“Simon Emery” age 22 or 32 b. IN 1850 census El Dorado Co, CA p.481
2) Richard Hembree b.c. 1820-26 TN
Richard Hembree, Private, Co. B, Stone Co Regmt, Missouri Home Guard
(Union);
3) Susannah Hembree b.c. 1824-1832 TN or IN
4) William Hembree b. 9 March 1836 IN or MO d. 12 March 1910 Stone
County, Missouri.
William Hembree, Pvt., Co. B., Stone Co Regmt, Missouri Home Guard
(Union); and as Corporal in Capt Kindle’s Co, Stone Co. Home Guard
(cf. William Hembree Co. I, 1st Ark Cavalry, Private, Union.)
5) Rachel Ellen Hembree b. 20 July1837 Dubois County, Indiana
6) Lewis Hembree b. 1839 MO
Lewis Hembree, Pvt., Co. E., Stone Co Regmt, Missouri Home Guard
(Union); and as Corporal in Capt Kindle’s Co, Stone Co. Home Guard
(cf. Lewis Hembree Co. M 1st Ark Cavalry, Private, Union.)
7) Benjamin Franklin Hembree b. 1 May 1842 Taney County, Missouri; d.
14 July 1932 Laclede County, Missouri
Benjamin Hembree, Pvt., Co. B., Stone Co Regmt, Missouri Home Guard
(Union); and as Corporal in Capt Kindle’s Co, Stone Co. Home Guard
Land Patents in
Indiana (Drury Hembree descendants)
Hembree, Lewis 9/1/1838 Martin & Dubois Co 40 a.
Section 29 Township 1-N Range 4-W
Hembree, John 6/1/1839 Dubois Co 40 a.
Section 5 Township 1-S Range 4-W
Hembree, Isaac 10/1/1840 Dubois Co 40 a.
Section 17 Township 1-S Range 4-W
Hembree, John 5/25/1841 Dubois Co 40 a.
Section 17 Township 1-S Range 4-W
Hernbee, John 10/1/1852 Martin Co 40 a.
Section 9 Township 1-N Range 4-W
Hembree, Drury 8/30/1858 Martin Co 40 a.
Section 8 Township 1-N Range 4-W
ixp 90
Family Sheet: Isaac Hembree (1797-1860)
b. 3 May 1797/9 TN d. 1 Jun 1860 Martin Co, IN son of Drury Hembree
m. Mrs. Sarah
Pearce Ledgerwood 1818 Knox Co, TN; she
b.c. 1790 TN, d.
6 Sep 1856 Martin Co, IN. She was the daughter of James & Margaret
Pearce.
1) John Hembree b. 1819 Knox Co, TN d. 23 Dec 1898 Martin Co, IN
m(1) Martha Mathis (1823-1881) (dau. of Reuben Mathis & Mary
Golightly)
m(2) Hannah (widow of Harbison)
[See post 732 Deana Hembree, Hembree
Forum www.genforum.genealogy.com]
John Hembree Co. E, 58th Indiana Infantry, Private (Union)
2) Nancy Hembree b. 1820 Knox Co, TN
m(1) Michael Lemon m(2) Jefferson Waggoner
3) Jonathan K. Hembree b. 1821 Knox Co, TN d.aft 1880 Martin Co, IN
m(1) Dorcas Reed m(2) Elizabeth Potts
Jonathan Hembree Co. H 129th Indiana Infantry Private (Union); also in
80th Indiana Inf. Volunteers, Pvt, and as Jonathan K. Hembree in the
7th Veteran Reserves Corps, Indiana
4) Drewry Hembree b. 10 June 1824 TN d. 27 Apr 1907 Martin Co, IN
m. Ellenor Truelove (b. 1833 IN)
Drury Hembree Co. A 22nd Indiana Infantry, Private (Union)
5) Richard Hembree b. 26 June 1826 TN d. 8 Sep 1905 Martin Co, IN
m(1) Margaret Ann Sanders
m(2) Martha Risley
Richard Hembree, Private, Co. E, 58th Indiana Infantry (Union)
6) Calhoun Hembree b. 1830 Dubois Co., IN d.
m. Sophie Inman 30 June 1850 Martin Co, IN
(Supposedly had first marriage to Ilsora ----.)
7) James M. Hembree b. 1833 Dubois Co., IN d. aft 1870 Martin Co, IN
m. Catherine (b.1828 IN)
ixp 92
Family Sheet: Abraham Hembree (1757)
Abraham Hembree b. 16 May 1757 South Carolina, d. c.
1837 Hamilton
County, Tennessee.
Wife was Winnefred (Winny) Jackson (1760 – c.1808).
He was the son of William Emory (d.1770) and Mary
Grant (d.c.1766).
1) Mary (Polly) Margaret Hembree b.1782 SC d.unm. c.1852
Hamilton Co, TN
2) Esther Hembree b.1784 SC d.aft 1830 in SC
m. Irah Hembree (1783-1810)
3) Rebecca (Becky) Hembree b. 1786 SC d.aft 1840 GA
m. Owen Hembree (b.1777 d.1837)
4) Matilda Hembree b.1788 SC d. aft. 1830 NC?
m. ------ Hembree (?Joseph Hembree b.1779? --not proven)
5) Elizabeth (Betsy) Hembree b.1789 or 1792 SC d.aft 1850 in
Rutherford or Buncombe Co, NC
6) James Lee Hembree b.1790 SC d.c.1871 Union Co IL
m. Nancy Jane Rice (b.1790 d.1868)
7) Sarah (Sallie) Hembree b.1794/5 SC d.c. 1828 Cobb Co GA
m. James Hembree (b.c. 1785 d.c. 1845 Sevier Co, TN)
8) Ephraim Hembree b.1796 SC d. bef 1850 MO m. Rachel Pettit (b.1796)
9) Minerva Jane (Jinnie) Hembree b.1798 SC d.aft 1860 TX
m(1) ---- m(2) Jack Hall m(3) ----- Johnson
10) Nancy (Winnifred?) Hembree b.1800 SC d.aft. 1860 NC
m(1) ------ White m(2) John Floyd 1831 NC
11) Joel (Joseph) M. Hembree b.1802 SC d.bef 1860 Jefferson Co,TN
m.c. 1823 Sarah ---- (b.1808 SC)
12) Reuben Hembree b.1804 SC d. 15 Sep 1896 GA m. Sarah Laird
13) Isaac Hembree b.1806 SC d.c.1848 Greene Co, TN
m. Elizabeth White
ixp 93
1) Polly (= Mary Margaret) Hembree b.1782 SC
d.unm. c. 1852 TN
In his 1825 pension application Abraham mentions his daughter Polly,
who was “about 43 or 44 years of age” and “who is unhealthy”. When
her mother died before 1810, Polly took on the burden of running the
household, sacrificing her “courtship” years. It’s possible she had a
couple of children (see 1830 Census) but it’s more likely that these
were nieces and a nephew. She went with her father into Tennessee,
where she probably died before 1860 in Hamilton County. In the
Goucher Baptist Church minutes she was one of the few family
members that escaped censure. She shows up in the 1850 Census
of Hamilton County, TN as “Margaret age 78 b.SC”.
In the first edition, her name was reported as Martha but the basis for
that name might better fit “Martha Esther”, the next daughter rather
than the daughter known as Polly and Margaret.
2) Esther Hembree b.1784
SC d.aft 1830 SC
m. Irah Hembree (b.1783
d.1810).
The Esther Hembree shown in the 1810, 1820 and 1830 Census for
Spartanburg is claimed by three different branches of the family. The
census Esther is the widow of Irah Hembree, a brother of Owen
Hembree (see Rebecca) and fellow member of the Friendship Baptist
Church.
Esther stayed in Spartanburg after Abraham moved up to North Carolina.
She died there sometime after 1830. (See family sheet.)
3) Rebecca Delilah (Becky) Hembree b. 1786 SC
d.aft 1840 GA
m. Owen Hembree (b.1777 d.1837)
Becky married Owen Hembree (b. 1777 d. 1837) and had a large family,
moving to Georgia in the 1830’s. Owen was the son of William
Hembree (b. 1754VA d. 1821 SC) and Orindah. Owen and Abraham
lived close to each other in Spartanburg District but their relationship is not clear. They may be related through the Jackson family of Virginia
rather than the Hembree family.
The published data on Owen is vague – especially regarding his age. I
think he was born in 1777, but the census data (and Bob Hembree)
support 1765 as a better date. His first child (Laura Susan) was born 1801.
Rebecca, his wife, is listed with her father in 1800, and with Owen in
1810. They had their last presumed child in 1825/30 which is about
right for Rebecca’s last (45) and Owen’s last (53). (They probably
had their last in 1825.)
Owen’s wife is shown as Rebecca or Delilah. They joined the Goucher
Baptist Church (where Abraham and children attended) as Owen and
Delilah in 1824 but both families know her as Rebecca or Becky.
Owen died in 1837 in Carroll County, GA and Becky died before 1850,
we believe, in the same location. (See family sheet.)
4) Matilda Hembree b.1788 SC d. aft.
1830 m. --- Hembree??
I think Matilda married Joseph Hembree (b.1779) but they separated by
1812 and he remarried. (See separate family sheet.) Matilda and 3 or so
children are listed in Abraham’s household in the 1820 census. Matilda and her children went up to North Carolina and she is shown as a head of household in the 1830 Census. She had at least two children out of wedlock. Her oldest child appears to be James M. Hembree (b.1809) (see separate family sheet). Did she die or remarry after 1830?
Matilda made things interesting for the Goucher Baptist Church,
scandalizing the whole family and vexing her father Abraham (who got
into a fist fight at his 64th birthday party defending Matilda’s honor). In
March 1826 the church called her to answer for charges of fornication.
She refused to respond and was excommunicated. Her son James M.
Hembree was granted a more honorable exit from the church a month later
(they were moving up to North Carolina anyway).
Children of
Matilda Hembree and Joseph? Hembree :
James M. Hembree b.1809 NC d. 30 Apr 1882 GA m(1) Nancy Floyd
m(2) Sarah Jane Buchanan m(3) Martha Payne (or Pain)
(See family sheet.)
Abraham (=J. Abraham?) Hembree b. 1811 NC d.c. 1860 GA
m. Levina Floyd (b.1813) -- dau of John Floyd (see Nancy b.1794,
Abraham’s dau)
daughter b.c. 1813 NC (1820 census Abraham Hembree household)
Children of
Matilda Hembree and unknown:
Jane b.c. 1818 NC (1830 census see 1860 Murray Co, GA, sister of
James M. Hembree)
daughter b.c. 1822 NC (1830 census)
daughter b.c. 1826 NC (1830 census) (grand-daughter?)
5) Elizabeth (Betsy) Hembree b.1792 or 1789 SC d.aft 1850 NC
Elizabeth (Betsy) is listed in her father’s household in 1800 and 1810
but she married c. 1814 and moved up to North Carolina. She married
a Hembree (Emery) and had a son James Emery b. 1815 NC. She is
also the mother of Davis Hembree/Emery b.1817/8 NC and the mother
of Allen Hembree (b. 1825 NC). She is a widow in the 1840 and 1850
census for Rutherford County, NC. She died there or went with her
sons to Buncombe County, where some of them were born.
She may have married a John Emery (b.1792 SC) (1860 Polk Co, NC)
or have married someone else and she (and her children) reverted back
to the Hembree name.
Children
of Elizabeth (Betsy) Hembree and unknown:
James Hembree b. 1815 NC
m. 22 Jul 1852 Delilah Hembree in Rutherford Co, NC
Davis Hembree b. 1817/8 NC d. 1877 MO m. Adaline Miller (b.1814)
(See family sheet.)
daughter b.c. 1819 [1840 census]
Allen Hembree b. 1825 NC d.unm NC (deaf & dumb)
6) James Lee Hembree b.1790 SC
d.c. 1871 Union Co IL
m. Nancy Jane
Rice (b.1790 SC d.1868 TN)
Since James is not shown in the 1790 Census, the birth year of 1789
shown for him is off by a year. James is as challenging as his father
to figure out. He struck out on his own before the 1810 Census and may
have gone up to NC. He also has been reported in TN, GA, SC, MO, IL.
He is listed in 1830 Campbell County, TN (living near Uncle Drewry),
then 1840 Meigs Co, TN and 1850 Meigs Co as well. Then in 1860 in
Hamilton Co, TN.[?see p.69] At age 80 he is listed in the 1870 census for
Union County, Illinois, but his descendants say he is buried in Georgia.
(The Nancy Cox, age 78 b.SC in the household of Humphrey, their son,
in the 1870 census for Murray Co, GA, is Humphrey’s mother-in-law.)
The Union Co, IL listing is interesting. That’s where Ephraim headed
in the 1830’s. There’s a Joel Joseph listed in that county in 1850 - 1870
-- see family sheet -- but this Joel Joseph is not ours. The Hamilton Co,
Tennessee, Emerys in 1870 Union County move to Missouri by 1880.
Note also another James L. Hembree who shows up close to our line:
James Lindley Hembree, b.1808 Pendleton District, South Carolina;
Resided in Cobb, Milton and Fulton Counties in Georgia. He is the son
of Amariah Hembree, and a grandson of Reverend James Hembree.
(See family sheet.)
7) Sarah (Sallie) Hembree
b.1794-8 SC d.c. 1828 Cobb Co
GA
m. James Hembree (b.c. 1785 d.c. 1845 Sevier Co, TN)
She was part of Abraham’s household in 1800, 1810 and listed with
husband James Hembree (26-44) in Spartanburg in 1820. She is 16-25
in the census, with a son. James Hembree was born c. 1785 and died
around 1845 in Sevier County, Tennessee.
James and Sarah joined the Goucher Baptist Church in 1824 along with
Owen (son of William W.) and Delilah (Rebecca) (daughter of Abraham).
This is the uncle James Hembree mentioned in the Reuben Emery
Cherokee applications by his descendants as being half-Cherokee. My
family history (through Old John 1744-1808) acknowledges this James
as a “known cousin” but the relationship has not yet been established.
(See separate family sheet.)
8) Ephraim Hembree b.1796 SC
d. bef 1850 MO
m. Rachel Pettit (b.
1796)
Ephraim’s descendants have done a good job tracing his movements.
In 1820 he is listed in the Spartanburg County Census but by 1833
he shows up in the southern part of Illinois (Union County). Around
1840 he is Ripley County, MO (near the Arkansas border). Then over
to Taney County, MO before 1850. His widow and children show up
in Schulyer County and McLean County, Illinois and in Barry County,
Missouri. The Pettits and Hembrees attended the Goucher Baptist Church
together. Rachel is the daughter of Joshua Pettit 3rd (d.1827).
Ephraim received from his father-in-law 100 acres above the Pacolet River
(will proved 20 Aug 1827) but on 4 Dec 1827 he sold the land to Edward
Patterson for $100. The will (giving the land to Rachel) and the land deed
(dower released by Rachel) prove that Ephraim’s wife was Rachel Pettit.
The land was part of a 620 acre grant originally laid out in 1788 for Joshua
Pettit and Old John Hembree.
Ephraim Hembree was a witness to a deed involving the family of
William W. Hembree and Joel b.1755 Hembree. Joel b.1755 Hembree
was Joshua Pettit’s brother-in-law and he acted for Wiiliam W.
Hembree’s estate in another land deal on 13 Feb 1826 (selling to
Ephraim Story the land he was then living on). Ephraim Hembree was a
witness to this deed as were Isaiah and Polly Hembree – son and daughter-in-law of William W. Hembree. (Three different Hembree lines on one
document.)
9) Minerva Jane (Jinnie)
Hembree b.1798 SC d. aft 1860 TX
m(1) ---- m(2) Jack Hall m(3) --------- Johnson
In Abraham’s 1825 pension application he mentions his daughter Jinnie
(age 26) and her sons Hampton (age 6) and Isaac (age 3). Both were
surnamed Hembree, so her marriage to Jack Hall came after their birth.
Jane was married briefly but in 1821 returned home, transferring from
the Lindsey Baptist Church to the Goucher congregation (in what is now
Cherokee County, SC). Shortly after she had her son Isaac and was
rebuked by the church.
Her nieces and nephews only recall her marriage to Jack Hall. In the
1860 Census she is a widow, listed with her son Hampton Hembree in
Hamilton Co, TN, as “Minerva Johnson”. During the Civil War she
moved down to Texas.
10) Nancy (Winnifred?) Hembree b.1800 SC
d. aft 1860 NC
She m(1) ------ White, m(2) widower John Floyd in Rutherford Co, NC
on 19 Jan 1831. (Notice the Floyd intermarriages and the proximity of
John Floyd to the Hembrees in Spartanburg as well.) Her father Abraham
was bondsman for the marriage.
There are also Whites living close to the Hembrees in Hamilton Co, TN,
but the connection is not known.
She is perhaps the Nancy Floyd age 50 in the 1860 census for Rutherford
County, North Carolina.
11) Joel (Joseph) M. Hembree b.1802 SC
d.bef 1860 Jefferson Co,TN
m.
Sarah ------- (b.1808 SC)
This is the same son sometimes shown as Joseph M. Hembree.
He is confused with Joel Joseph Emery (b. 1802NC) of Union Co, IL.
(See family sheets for both.)
The Joel Hembree of Cocke Co, TN 1840 is ours. He is then found in
the 1850 Census for Jefferson Co, TN. We think he died before 1860
in that county but he may have left Tennessee.
See “A Compendium of Joel Hembrees” in Part Two.
12) Reuben Emery b.1804 SC
d. 15 Sep 1896 GA m. Sarah Laird
There are three Reuben Hembrees on Cherokee lands in Georgia. The
older one is Reuben Embry (b.c. 1780 VA d.1835 Oglethorpe Co. GA).
He was the son of Thomas Embry and Anne Jackson. Our Reuben
arrived in Georgia in the late 1820’s (he did not go up to NC). A third
Reuben (probably ours) drew lands in the 1832 Cherokee lottery in Hall
(not Union) County, GA near Abel Owen Embry (b.1806). Abel Owen is
the son of Merrell Embry and his wife Divine Howard, daughter of Abel
Howard. [“The Merrell Embry Family Bible”, Carroll County
Genealogical Quarterly, Summer 1993, p.48]
Reuben’s daughter said he was ¼ Cherokee but his mother “Nancy” was
½ Cherokee; and he had an uncle James Emery who was ½ Cherokee.
The uncle, at least, we figure was James Hembree, husband of Sallie
(Abraham’s daughter).
Sarah Laird was the daughter of Curtis & Betsie Laird) (spelled Lard in
SC, GA). Curtis was the son of James Laird. James Lard, Curtis Lard
and James Lard Jr. won lots in the 1827
Cherokee land lottery in Hall
County.
In the 1832 Cherokee land lottery, Reuben “Hembree” won a
lot in Hall County. In the 1832 Cherokee Gold land lottery, James L.
Hembree won land in Hall County. I believe this was James Lindley
Hembree, son of Amariah Hembree, who was in
Hall County by 1822.
Reuben was in Hall County in 1830 but in the
1840’s he was in Murray
County (the county boundaries and names
shifted—his lottery land may
have wound up in Murray County.) On July 21, 1848, the Holly Creek
Baptist Church was formed in Murray County
with a congregation of five
adult male members and ten adult female
members, including: Reuben
Emery, William Jackson, Sarrah Emery,
Elizabeth Emery, Nancy Black,
and Lucy Jackson. [Murray County Heritage,
by the Murray County History
Committee,
(Roswell, GA.: WH Wolfe Associates, 1987): pp.249-250]
William
Jackson (1798-1872) was ordained a deacon by
the members.
In a special census of 1834 of Cherokee territory in GA, Reuben shows
up in Lumpkin County with five family members. Nearby is William
Jackson with two family members. The county lines were deliberately
changed several times in the 1830’s to prevent the Cherokees from filing
land titles and lawsuits (there was a gold rush into Georgia Cherokee
lands). Reuben’s apparent moves from Hall, Union, Murray, Lumpkin
and Gilmer County may have been on paper only – he may have been in
the same place the whole time. (See family sheet.)
13) Isaac Hembree b.1806
SC d.1848 Greene Co, TN m. Elizabeth White
Isaac Hembree m. Elizabeth White 4 Jan 1830 Rutherford Co., NC.
(His father Abraham was the bondsman for the marriage.)
In the 1830 Census he is listed as Isaac Himbree, close to James M.
He then crossed the mountains into Tennessee and settled there.
Isaac filed an affadavit in Cocke County, TN in 1834 on his father’s
behalf. The 1840 census data is partially lost and what appears to be
his widow and children are shown in 1850 Greene County (next to
Cocke Co.) TN.
Isaac is sometimes shown as a grandson of Abraham but his proximity
to Abraham (plus his affadavit) suggest that he was a son.
(See family sheet.)
ixp 100
Three Matilda Hembrees
Three women, born around the
same time (1787/8) and the same place (Spartanburg, South
Carolina), with the same
name: Matilda Hembree. Ordinarily, this would indicate a family
name but nobody has come up
with the family source*. Since the name
all but dies out after
their generation this was
probably not a family name. There were
other Matildas in the same
area and time frame
(1785-1800) such as Matilda Dempsey, Matilda Jackson, Matilda
Shirley, Matilda Bishop.
*The mother of Joel Hembree
(b.1793 or 1796) was a Matilda in the Spartanburg area. If
she’s our family source she
must have been a remarkable woman.
She appears to be the
first. Drury Hembree’s widow is known
only as “M.” and Drury’s first
daughter is named
Matilda. Is she the source of the
name? Not for Abraham or Joel.
Since her family went to the
Tennessee frontier before 1810 she disappears after marriage and
there is no idea yet what
became of her but perhaps in time some family will come forward
with a “brick wall” ancestor
named Tilly or Mattie or Matilda who was part Cherokee and
lived in eastern or central
Tennessee, perhaps following Drury’s family to Indiana then west
to Missouri or she may have
remained in Tennessee.
This Matilda is our
“Cherokee” Matilda: displaying the scandalous boldness and independence
of her Cherokee tribal
aunts. See notes on her elsewhere and
her separate family sheet.
This Matilda had a child by
Charles White then later married Benagah (or Benajah) Pennington 26 July 1814 in Roane County,
Tennessee.
ixp 101
Family Sheet: James Lee Hembree (1790)
b. 1790 SC d.c.1871 Union Co, IL.
m.c. 1810 Nancy Jane Rice (b.25 Mar 1790 SC d. 25
Mar 1868 GA/TN)
He was a son of Abraham Hembree (1757-1837). See also James M. Hembree.
? 1) Elizabeth Hembree b. 1811 SC or TN
m(1) John Pendergrass ?m(2) Wiley C. Arwood? 1880 Dent Co, MO
2) Humphrey Hembree b. 21 May 1812 SC or TN d.aft 1890 Ark
m. Jeanie Idensey Cox
3) Abram Hembree b. 1813 TN d.aft 1888 Wright Co, MO
m. Rhoda Mallicoat b.c.1815 TN d.aft 1888 Wright Co, MO
dau of James Mallicoat and Rhoda Witcher
1850/1860 Rhea Co, TN p.280/476; 1880 census Wright Co MO p.508A,
1888 land patent Wright Co, MO
4) Andrew Hembree b.c. 1815 TN d. aft 1880 Dent Co, MO
m(1) Elizabeth ------
1850 Rhea Co, TN p.280 (near brother Abraham)
5) John Hembree b.c. 1817 TN d. aft 1880 Hamilton Co, TN
m(1) Phereby (February) (divorced); m(2) Nancy Jane – (she d.1877)
1850 Hamilton Co, TN p.856 also 1860, 1870, 1880 Hamilton Co
6) Susan Hembree b.c. 1822 TN d.aft 1880
m. Abner Dotson 28 Jul 1846 Meigs Co, TN (he d.1865)
7) James Hembree b.c. 1824 NC or TN m. Adaline (Fannie)
1850 census McMinn Co TN
8) Matthew Hembree b.c. 1827 SC d.bef.1870
1850 census McMinn Co TN listed w/bro. James
9) Jonathan (John) Hembree b. 1829 TN d.bef 1880 Wayne Co, MO
m. Caroline (b.1833 TN d.aft.1880 Wayne Co, MO)
1870 Union Co, IL p.374; widow 1880 Wayne Co, MO p.354a
10) William W. Hembree b. 1831 or 1837 Campbell Co, TN d. 28 April
1926 Wagoner County, Oklahoma
m(1) ---------? m(2) Mary Jane Taylor 18 Jan 1870 Hamilton Co, TN
She was b. 1 Oct 1846 Blount Co, TN, d.21 May 1928 Wagoner Co, OK
See 1870 Union Co IL p.374; 1880 Dent Co, MO p.354a.
He was a Civil War pensioner: Co. C 7th Rgmt Tn Vol. Inf;
and Co. B, Co. F 1st Regiment Tn Inf , Private.
11) Emanuel Thomas Hembree b.c. 1833 TN d.1918 Mountain Grove,
Wright Co, MO
m. Mary Jane Gross (b.1840 TN d.13 Mar 1934 Wright Co, MO)
1850 census Meigs Co, TN p.721 w/father; 1870 census Union Co, IL
p.374; 1880 census Wright Co. MO p.508a (Mountain Grove);
Pvt., Co. C 5th Regiment Tennessee Infantry (Union)
12) Benjamin A.Hembree b. 6 Oct 1832/5 Campbell Co, TN; d. 2 Apr 1914
Hamilton Co, TN m(1) Harriet (Hettie) Pendergrass (b.9 Apr1840 TN
d. 23 Aug 1909 TN); m(2) Flara (b. Aug 182x d. 20 Oct 1920 TN)
he was a Civil War soldier (Union) and pensioner: Co. I 7th Rgmt Tn
Vol. Inf
*) dau b. 1832-5 TN in 1840 census grand-daughter? or d.young
13) Nancy Jane Hembree b. 1838 d. 20 Oct 1902 Fulton Co, Arkansas
m(1) John W. Carr 9 Nov 1854 Meigs Co, TN (he died in Civil War)
m(2) Robert Todd
1884 Fulton Co, Arkansas
James Emery served in the War of 1812 in Capt James Stewart’s TN Militia.
His pension application is SC-18930, which shows he married Nancy Jane
Rice 1810 in Spartanburg, SC. He resided in Meigs Co and Roane Co, TN and
also in Wright Co, MO, per his pension application and land grant.
(Lola Allen has researched some of his descendants & posted them online.)
Some federal
land patents in Missouri:
HEMBREE, BENJAMIN F 2/1/1873 Wright
Co, MO Springfield
office
120 acres
Homestead Act entry Section 15 Twshp
30-N Range 15-W
(This is a grandson of Drury, born in Ohio.)
EMERY, ABRAHAM 6/23/1888 Wright Co, MO Springfield office
EMERY, RHODA
(jointly) 80 acres Homestead Act entry Section 21 Twshp 28-N Range
12-W
EMERY, JAMES 6/23/1888 Wright Co, MO Springfield
office
80 acres Homestead Act entry Section 21
Twshp 28-N Range
12-W
EMERY, EMANUEL 9/5/1890 Wright Co, MO Springfield office
160 acres Homestead Act entry Section 28 Twshp 28-N Range
12-W
Section
33 Twshp 28-N Range 12-W
From Wright Co, MO website:
Plat locations Section Township Range (undated)
EMERY, Abraham 21,
28N, 12W
EMERY, Emanuel 28-33, 28N,
12W
EMERY, James 1, 28N,
12W
HEMBREE, Benj F. 15, 30N, 15W
A comparison of the 1870 and 1880 census plus the land patents show Manuel
(Emanuel) Emery to belong to the Abraham Hembree line.
Who is buried in James Lee Hembree’s tomb? For a discussion, see James M.
Hembree (b.1809).
ixp 104
Family Sheet: Ephraim Hembree (1796-1849)
Ephraim b. 1796 SC
d.bef 1850 MO son of Abraham Hembree
Rachel
Pettit b. 1796 SC d.aft 1870 MO
she m(2) ------ Mathes / Mathis who d.bef. 1850 also
1) unknown son b. 1816 SC d.aft. 1830
2) Robert J. Hembree b. 1818 SC d.bef. 1880
m. Elizabeth (Ayers?) (b.1822 VA)
3) Abraham Hembree b. 1819 SC d. 10 Oct 1843 in MO.
m. 20 or 27 July 1843 Mary A. Allison (Lawrence Co, MO)
(A daughter was born of the union.)
“Abraham Hernbue m. Mary M. Allason, July 20, 1843” [see post #894
Hembree Forum on www.genforum.genealogy.com by Leslie Ashman]
4) unk dau b. 1821 SC d.aft. 1830
5) Lucinda Hembree b.c. 1823 SC d.bef 1880 Barry Co, MO
m(1) Jesse B. Brewer 15 Sep 1842 Lawrence Co, MO
m(2) Isaac Weatherby 18 Nov 1846 Randolph Co, Arkansas
m(3) Anthony Hall c.1868 Barry Co, MO
See 1880 census Barry Co, MO (White River) p. 288c
6) Mary Magdalene Hembree b.1826 SC
m(1) James Barnes 2 Nov 1845 Ripley Co, MO
m(2) Hezekiah M. Harbert c. 1852-1857 prob. Taney Co, MO
m(3) Lewis Haines 20 Apr 1865 Schuyler Co, IL
7) unk dau b. 1828 NC (alive in 1830)
8) unk dau b. 1830 NC (alive in 1830)
9) Ephraim F. Hembree b. 22 Oct 1833 Union Co, IL d. 20 Oct 1897
Golden (Barry Co) MO; m. Mary Ann Clark (or Parkinson)
1860 Arkansas, 1870 IL or MO, 1880 MO
Ephraim F. Hembree Co. L 1st Ark Cavalry, Private (Union)
E. F. Hembree Co. F. (Capt. Lee’s) County Regmt, Missouri Home Guard,
Private (Union)
10) William Hembree b. 1839 AR d.aft 1862 bef 1880
William Hembree Co. I 1st Ark Cavalry, Private (Union)
11) Rachel Hembree b. 1841 AR d.c.1878 Barry Co, MO
m. Elijah or Elisha HALL (b.1837 KY) son of Anthony HALL (b.1802
NC). See census Barry Co, MO 1870 (p.3) &1880 (p.288c).
Notes for
Ephraim Hembree:
Ephraim went to Illinois by 1833 then to Missouri before 1840. He located
in the old Greene County area which became Taney, Stone, Barry and Lawrence
Counties. He was close to the Arkansas border so we might find records in
Benton and Carrol County, Arkansas. (An E. Hembree is listed in the 1839 tax
records for Lawrence Co, Arkansas.)
Ephraim died before 1850 and his children and grandchildren have not all been
found but they were in the lower Missouri & upper Arkansas area. The widow of
Drury Hembree is found in Taney County, Missouri, in 1850.
Ephraim Hembree Jr. claimed 80 acres in Barry County, Missouri on 7 March
1892 under the Homestead Act of 1862. Since it is likely he was living close by
since 1875 or so, it is interesting to take a look at who his neighbors were. His
land was in Section 24 of Township 22-N, by Range 26-W. Land to the east and
south of Hembree’s land was vacant.
The first to register land in that section was Jesse Spencer (on 27 March 1861).
He died or left the area a few years later and James M. Aldridge got the land and
an additional 40 acres on 1 July 1874. Elisha Burk got the 80 acres below
Aldridge on 15 February 1876. Others who registered land about the same time
as Ephraim Hembree were William J. Edie (or Ady), Thomas E. Meadows
(or Meaders), Andrew R. Ethridge (or Aldridge), and the widow Amanda Petty
with her adult children Caleb Petty and Amanda Scott (I could have the mother &
daughter reversed).
Petty is a known variant of Pettitt, and there was a George Pettitt (b.1792) in the
area in 1850. Not sure if there is a connection yet. This group appears to be
related to Joel H. Petty b.1815 KY d.1863 who came to Barry County from Knox
County, Kentucky.
Jesse Spencer was in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, in 1800 then in Knox
County, Kentucky in 1810. He may have been the son of Benjamin Spencer of
Spartanburg (a neighbor of Abraham Hembree in 1790). Or he could be the older
Jesse Spencer, son of John and Susannah Spencer of Anson County, NC then of
Spartanburg. (See Dr. Barbara Inman Beall’s discussion of the Spencers at
http://www.twigs-inman-spence.com/index.html.)
11
April 1791. Robert Patten of Burke Co, NC to Jesse Spencer
of
Spartanburg; for 20 pounds sterling does
sell 100 acres on
Ward’s
Branch of North fork of Tyger River.
Bordering all vacant
Land. Granted 24 Aug 1779 to Alexander Curry who
then sold to
Robert
Patton on 12 Jan 1775. Witnesses:
Lawson Thomson and
James
Scott. Signed Robert Patten. Witness
oath 13 Jun 1791 Lawson
Thomson
to Thos. Moore. Recorded 1 Sep
1791. Spartanburg B:460
The Meadows / Meaders family could trace to Spartanburg and/or Pendleton,
South Carolina.
27
Jan 1792. Abraham Hembrey and wife Winey to Thomas Meadows
(all
of Spartanburg) for 20 pounds SC money sells 117 acres on North
side
of Tyger River. Bordering Tobias Bright
and Albutus Bright. Part
of a 265 acre grant 7 Jan
1788 Gov. Thomas Pinckney to Abraham
Hembrey on branch of
Dutchman’s and Cane [Cain] Creeks and N side
of Tyger River. Witnesses: Gideon Hearlson, Jesse Meaders
(or
Meadows) and William
Meadows. Signed Abraham Hembrey and
Winey’s
Marks. Witness oath 10 Jan 1793 Jesse Meaders to
Wm. Smith.
Recorded 3 Apr 1794. Spartanburg C:223
On 15 Jan 1806 Thomas
Meader (Meadow) bought 100 acres on Dutchmans
Creek adjacent to Abraham
Hembree. Thomas Meadows lived next
to the
Abraham Hembree family
on the north side of Tyger River and
then on
Dutchman’s Creek. Spartanburg K:301. A family connection is possible.
Elisha Burk is worth investigating because Ephraim Hembree’s
nephew John married Elisha Burk’s daughter Martha Ann on 28 January 1877.
In the 1909 plat map, Ephraim Hembree’s land is shown under E. Williamson
and the Williamson family lives there to this day. I have not checked the 1900
census listing for this family but Frank Williamson, a descendant, surely has
and he has gone no farther back than Walter Williamson (1875-1914). A James
Williamson (b.c.1828) m. Elizabeth --- (b.c.1827) in Lawrence County, MO.
She would fit in nicely as one of the unknown daughters of Ephraim Hembree.
(James Williamson was the son of Jesse Williamson b.1805 VA.)
Also worth investigating is the Polly or Dolly Allfrey (1821-1890) buried on the
land in what is known as the Edie/Aldridge Cemetery. (Frank Williamson shows
her as Dolley A. Allfrey 27 Aug 1821 – 24 Jun 1890.) This could be Mary Ann,
the wife of Ephraim??
Ephraim F. Hembree, Lewis Hembree (son of Drury) and William Hembree
served together in the 1st Arkansas Cavalry (Union).
ixp 108
Family Sheet: (Joel) Joseph M. Hembree (1802-1858) SC-TN
b.
1802 SC d.bef 1860 Jefferson Co,
TN son of Abraham Hembree ?
m.c. 1823 Sarah
-------- (b.1808 SC)
1) Hulda Emory b. 1824 SC or TN m(2) Thomas Griffith (b.1822 TN)
2) Sarah b. 1826 SC or TN
3) ? Rebecca Emory b. 1828 SC or TN m. ----- Moore (d.bef.1870)
4) Joseph Marion Emery b. 1830 SC or TN d.aft. 1900 TN
m. Manerva Tipton 19 Aug 1867
(A son of Joseph Hembree & Sarah Melton, not the son of this
Joseph Hembree & Sarah? 1840 census shows a son here so
perhaps there are two Josephs? Or this son b.1830 is unknown.)
5) Franklin or Francis Emery b. 1835 SC or TN
prob d. bef 1870 and prob m. Elizabeth ---- (b. 1833 TN)
6) Hester or Hettie Emory b. 1837 SC or TN
m. James Ballard ?
7) Samuel Emory b. 1840 TN
Private, Co. C, Tennessee Lt. Artillery, Confederate (as Samuel Emery and
Simon Emory)
8) Martha Emory b. 1842 TN
ixp 109
Family Sheet: Reuben Emery (1804-1896)
Reuben Hembree b.1804 SC
d. 15 Sep 1896 Gilmer Co, GA son of Abraham Hembree
m. c. 1826 Sarah Laird, dau. of Curtis & Betsie
Laird (Lard)
she d. 15 July
1891 Gilmer Co, GA
1) Elizabeth Hembree b.24 Aug 1828 GA d. 1860
2) Nancy (Susan) Hembree b. 12 Oct 1830 GA d. aft 1907
m(1) 1847 ------ Black? or ?m. 18 Oct 1846 David Rogers, Gilmer Co GA
3) Catherine Hembree b. 1832 d. Apr 1879
m. 13 Jan 1863 Jasper Key in Gilmer Co, GA
4) Martha Hembree b. 20 May 1833 GA d.bef 1907
5) Mary Louisa Hembree b. 10 Aug 1835 GA d.bef 1907
6) Talitha Hembree b. 23 Jan 1838 GA d.aft 1907
7) Malinda Hembree b. 5 May 1839 (or 1850) GA d.
8) Celia Hembree b. 1843 GA
9) Minerva Hembree b. 27 Aug 1845 Murray Co GA d.aft 1907 GA
m. Alpheus Key
10) Divina Hembree b. 1848 Murray Co GA d. Sep 1, 1849
11) John Hembree b.1850 Murray Co, GA d. 14? Jan 1876
From
26 Jan 1876 : “John Emory (or Emery), who resided near Santa Luca,
was
shot and killed on Friday night last, supposedly by one W. O. Grady (or
O’Grady), a United States
soldier. Grady was arrested Sunday by
Sheriff
Randell, and is now
undergoing a preliminary examination.”
[George
Gordon
Ward, The Annals of
Upper Georgia Centered in Gilmer County, (Carrollton, GA.:
Thomasson Printing Co.,
1965): p.353]
12) Charles Hembree b. 1854 Murray Co, GA d.aft.1907
(See discussion under “Notes on the Children of Abraham Hembree” and in
the chapter on the pension applications.)
In the 1827 Georgia land lottery, Curtis Lard (Laird), James Lard, and James
Lard Jr. drew lots in what was then Hall County. In the 1832 Cherokee land
lottery, Reuben Hembree drew land in Hall County. In the 1832 gold land
lottery, James L. Hembree drew land. The 1830 census for Hall Co, GA
shows:
Reubin Embry 0 0 0 0 1 …….. 1 0 0 0 1 ……… and
Amariah Hembree 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 ….. 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0, 4 slaves
Because another Reuben Embry was in the state we have to be sure that the
above is ours. The age (20-30) indicates that this is our Reuben. The other
Reuben b.c.1770 is said to have gone to Franklin Co, Tennessee by 1812, but
returned to Georgia where he died c.1835 (Oglethorpe County). (That could
be another Reuben Embry.)
The 1834 state census of Lumpkin County, Georgia, however, shows a
Reuben Emery with 5 “heads” in addition to his own so the household of 6
persons would match exactly the family sheet as we show it.
ixp 111
Family Sheet: Isaac Hembree / Emory (1806)
b.
1806 SC d.c. 1848 Greene Co, TN son of Abraham Hembree
m. Elizabeth
White 4 Jan 1830 Rutherford Co,
NC she b. 1808 NC
1) Anna Emory b. 1831 NC
2) Margaret Emory b. 1837 NC or TN
3) Drucilla Emory b. 1843 TN
4) Joshua Emory b. 1845 TN
A Joshua Emery was a private in Co.
E 20th Regiment GA Vol. Infantry CSA. He
enlisted 27 June 1861 in Harris Co,
GA. He died of typhoid fever at
Culpepper, VA.
on 8 Oct 1861. [Lillian Henderson, Roster of the
Confederate Soldiers of Georgia
1861-1865 (Hapeville, GA :
Longino&Porter): II,799]
ixp 112
Family Sheet: James M. Hembree (1809-1882)
James M. Hembree b. 1809
SC d. 30 Apr 1882 Gilmer Co, GA
m(1) 1826/7
Nancy Floyd, dau of Thomas & Sallie Floyd
(she
d. 27 Nov 1840 Hamilton Co, TN)
m(2) 1842
Sarah Jane Buchanan
(she d.bef 1860 Murray Co, GA)
m(3)
1864 Martha Payne (Pain), dau of Asa Payne
(she
d. 15 Apr 1882 Gilmer Co, GA)
Pvt. Co. C 11th Regmt GA Vol Infty CSA
enlisted 3 July 1861 disability disch. 18 Nov 1861.
He was the son of Matilda Hembree (dau. of Abraham)
and Joseph Hembree (b.1779).
children
by Nancy Floyd
1) Ephraim Hembree b.& d. 1827 Rutherford Co, NC
2) Mahala Caroline Hembree b. 3 Nov 1829 Rutherford Co, NC d.aft 1908 GA
m. John Clonts on 6 May 1850; he d. 19 Jul 1879 Gilmer Co, GA
3) Sara Ann Hembree b. 1831 Rutherford Co, NC d.c. 1901 MO (or GA)
m(1) ---- m(2) Pleasant Scott (b.1826 SC)
children by Sarah Jane Buchanan
*) Francis M. Hembree b. 1841 d. 10 July 1862 Lynchburg, VA
-- see
1860 census Pvt. Co. C 11th
Regmt GA Vol Infty CSA d. pneumonia in hospital
4) Andrew Jackson Hembree b. 23 Apr 1843 TN d.c. 1900 TX
m. Louisa Latch (had son Joseph Emory who m. Talitha “Dixie” Jones
16 Jan 1887 Gilmer Co, GA, of Cherokee blood)
Pvt. Co. C 11th Regmt GA Vol Infty CSA enlisted 3 July 1861 captd at
Gettysburg 5 Jul 1863
5) Harriet Israel Hembree b. 5 Aug 1865 GA d.aft 1907 GA
(in 1880 household)
6) Isaac Hembree b.c. 1870 d.aft. 1907 TN
(not in 1880 household)
children
by Martha Payne (Pain)
7) Mary Hembree b. 11 May 1876 Gilmer Co, GA m. William Scott Houser
8) Martha E. Hembree b. 1878 Gilmer Co, GA
m. David Dale 17 Jan 1895 Gilmer Co, GA
9) John William Jasper Hembree b. 11 May 1881 Gilmer Co, GA
res Ark in 1907
His census ages present a huge difficulty:
in 1880 he says he’s 88 (b.1792 SC) (Murray Co, GA)
in 1870 he says he’s 77 (b. 1793 SC) (Murray Co, GA)
in 1860 he says he’s 64 (b. 1796 SC) (Murray Co, GA)
in 1850 he says he’s 50 (b. 1800 SC) (Hamilton Co, TN)
in 1840 -- no record found
in 1830 he says he’s 20-29 (b. 1801-1810) (Rutherford Co, NC)
in 1820 he’s in the household of Abraham Hembree
(Spartanburg, SC) a list of males besides Abraham:
male b.1794-1802
male b.1805-1810
male b.1805-1810
male b.1805-1810
male b.1810-1820 grandson
male b.1810-1820 grandson
male b.1810-1820 grandson
this list includes 3-4 grandsons and perhaps a son-in-law
in 1810 the household of Abraham Hembree (Spartanburg, SC)
presents this list of males besides Abraham:
male b.1783-1794
male b.1800-1810
male b.1800-1810
male b.1800-1810
in 1800 the household of Abraham Hembree (Spartanburg, SC)
presents this list of males besides Abraham:
male b.1790-1799
male b.1790-1799
in 1790 the household of Abraham Hembree (Spartanburg, SC)
has no males besides Abraham
Since Abraham’s wife died before 1810, the 1810 census provides a final
snapshot of his sons. We can take these sons: Ephraim (1796), Joel (1802),
Reuben (1804) and Isaac(1806) and plug them into 1810. That means the
son James would be the older of the sons b.1790-1794.
But we have James Lee Hembree and James M. Hembree both claiming to be
that son. Assume that one of these is a grandson instead of a son. Following
James Lee Hembree backwards from 1850 to 1840 to 1830 we see that his
age in all three point to a birth period of 1788-1790. James Lee fits better as
the older son. If we assume James M. is a grandson b.1809 the 1810 and 1820
census data make sense.
How do we know Matilda is his mother? In the 1830 census Matilda Hembree,
James M. Hembree, Isaac Hembree, Ephraim Hembree and Abraham Hembree
are all listed as household heads in Rutherford County, North Carolina. Children
of James M. said they were born in Rutherford County on their 1909 Cherokee
applications. Matilda has a son b.1810-1815 in her household so it would not
be difficult to imagine that James b.1800-1809 in the census could be her son
as well. The Goucher Baptist Church records show that both James and
Matilda were given letters of membership when they left to go to North
Carolina. (James left as a member in good standing. Matilda left with a charge
of being pregnant outside of wedlock.) The 1830 census shows a daughter was
born c.1825. The selection of Matilda as the likely mother of James M. is based
on this circumstantial evidence, while also eliminating almost every other
scenario.
Who is his father? Since he was admitted into church membership, it is doubtful
that he was an illegitimate child. A descendant of this family believes that
Matilda married a Joseph Hembree. There is a Joseph Hembree that fits the bill
perfectly: right age (b.1779) and right location (Spartanburg, Rutherford County).
Until another theory is presented, this one fits quite well.
Who is buried in James Lee
Hembree’s tomb?
The Murray County Heritage by the Murray County Historical Society
(Roswell : 1987) says “the James Lee Hembree grave is on the old church
grounds near Hassler’s Chapel. . . . Emory Creek feeds Hassler’s Creek
near Gilmer County.” (p.284, 287) But even the historical society has the
two confused since I found James Lee with his son William in Union County,
Illinois in 1870 and he would be much too old (age 80 in the census) to make a
move. He apparently died there by 1871, because the son he was living with
(William) moved to Missouri in 1871, having a child there. His other family
members in Union County also moved to Missouri around that time. So James
Lee Hembree probably died in Union County, Illinois. Unless there is some
evidence to the contrary, it appears that James M. Hembree, who died on
30 April 1882 in Gilmer County, is buried in James Lee Hembree’s grave.
ixp 116
Family Sheet: Davis Hembree (1817-1877)
Davis Hembree was the son of Elizabeth (Betsy)
Hembree and an unknown Hembree. He
was born
1817/8 Rutherford County, North Carolina, and died 1877 in Missouri.
He m.
Adaline MILLER (b.1814 d.aft.1880 Missouri).
1) James Washington Hembree b. 9 Sep 1836/1838 TN d. 17 Jan 1912 NC
m. Martha Lucretia Fore on 16 Nov 1868 (she b. 1848 d. 1927)
2) (Rev) Joseph C. Hembree b. 1840 NC d.aft 1880 Bollinger Co, MO
m. Charity b.1842 TN d.aft 1880 Bollinger Co, MO
3) (Rev.) Abraham A. (Tommy) Hembree b. 1845 NC or TN
4) Charlotte or Charity Hembree b. 1846 NC or TN
5) Sarah Ann Hembree b. 1850 NC d.1910 NC
m. David Surrett / Surratt (1846-1911)
6) Miller A. Hembree b. 1852 NC m. Laura Surret (Surratt)
7) Lucinda (Nancy) Hembree b. 1854 NC
8) George Columbus Hembree b. 1858 NC d. 14 July 1953
m. Lou b. 1861 TN
1880 census Reems Creek, Buncombe Co, NC p.183b
Notes on
the Civil War service of the sons of Davis Hembree
James W. Hembree enlisted in Buncombe Co. on 7 May 1861 serving as a pvt.
in the 16th Regiment. He was wounded and captured at Gettysburg. He was
taken to a civilian hospital in New York where his right leg was amputated on
22 July 1863. He was paroled and exchanged by the Union on 27 Sep 1863 and
awarded a Confederate disability retirement on 14 Oct 1864.
Joseph C. Hembree was born in Buncombe Co, but enlisted in Madison Co, NC
on 3 Mar 1862, joining the 16th Regiment as a private. He too was captured at
Gettysburg and sent to the army prison at Fort Delaware (in Delaware). He was
transferred to the prison at Point Lookout, MD. He joined the Union army as
a condition of his release from jail on 24 Feb 1864 serving in Co. F 1st Rgmt
US Vol Infantry.
Abraham A. Hembree resided in Buncombe Co. He enlisted as a private in Co. C
29th Regiment NC at age 18 on 17 Sep 1863.
Davis was the bondsman for the marriage between James Hembree (his brother)
and a Delilah Hembree on 22 July 1852 in Rutherford Co, NC. Who is she?
Joyce Reece, a descendant of Davis Hembree, has extensive information on this
line.
ixp 118
Family Sheet: William Hembree (1754-1821)
William Hembree was the son of John Hembree (b.1710 VA d.c.1785).
b.
1750/4 Lunenburg Co, VA d. 1821 Union
District, SC
wife Orinah or
Orinda b.c.1759 d. Dec 1834
Spartanburg, SC
1) William W. Hembree b. 1774 VA d.aft 1835
m. Martha (Patsy) Ann (b.c. 1778 d.c.1840 GA)
William W. and wife Ann witnessed a deed on 30 Sep
1835 but on a deed of 5 Feb 1835
his
wife is called Martha and Patsy, so her name was probably Martha (Patsy) Ann.
2) daughter Hembree b. 1775 VA d. 1821 Spartanburg SC.
m. Ephraim Story (b.c.1778 d.bef 1850)
In
the 1800 census, she is still at home (16-26) with her father William in
Spartanburg,
SC
(p.199). In the 1820 census, she (45+) is listed with husband Ephraim Story
(26-44), living
close
to her father William (p.255). Her name
is not yet known. Esther Hembree
(26-44), her
sister
in law, is listed in the same census close to her father Abraham Hembree
(p.263). Esther
was
the widow of Irah Hembree.
3) Owen Hembree b. 1777 VA d.1837 Carroll Co, GA
m. Rebecca Hembree (1786-aft 1840) dau of Abraham Hembree
4) Isaiah Hembree b. 1781 VA d.11Sep 1853 Carroll Co., GA
m. Frances Polly Brock (1788-1872 Fulton Co., GA)
5) Irah Hembree b. 1783 VA d.1810 SC
m. Esther Hembree (1784-aft 1830) dau of Abraham Hembree
6) Johnson Hembree b. 1784 VA d.c.1867 Spartanburg, SC
m(1) Rachel (Hembree) Davis dau of Joel Hembree, widow of
Hugh Davis in 1807
m(2) Susan
He
appears in the 1860 census, so the 1827 sometimes shown for his death is
incorrect. On
3 Oct 1807 he took over as administrator for the
estate of Hugh Davis and married the widow.
The Hembree (Emery) family lived next to the Johnson
family in Surry Co, VA and close to
the family of Hugh Davis, Nathan Davis. Perhaps Johnson was a cousin of Hugh Davis.
7) unknown daughter Hembree b.c. 1787 NC d.bef. 1800 Wake Co, NC
[1790 census shows extra daughter who is not in 1800 household]
William
Hembree’s Parents and Birthplace
Some facts about William: he was born in Virginia, all of his known
children were born in Virginia; he was related to the other Virginia Hembrees
of Spartanburg; he and his children were Baptists. Two sons of his married
two daughters of Abraham Hembree, so we can rule out a close relationship
between Abraham and William per Virginia Baptist rules about marriage.
(Turns out they are not related at all, no problem.) A son of his married a
daughter of Joel Hembree. Aside from the fact that the parentage of Joel
b.1755 is in question, by long convention we can assume he is the son of
James Hembree b.1730 who came to South Carolina by 1768, probably 1766.
This makes James b.1730 impossible as the father of William but the new
construction of his uncle John b.1710 d.c.1785 shows this John to be the
likely parent of William b.1750/54. John Hembree was in Lunenburg
County in this time frame, so we can put that down as William’s birthplace.
He went to Surry County, Virginia by 1770, and died there, so we might
assume that as the birthplace for some of William’s children. An earlier
family descended from John Emery who married Susannah Green was in
Surry County, so the John Hembree family often appears as Emery. When
John Hembree died, William left Virginia and went to Wake County, North
Carolina, where he had cousins. Although we are not sure yet of the family
picture, these cousins had roots back in Halifax and Goochland Counties in
Virginia as did the other Hembrees of Virginia. Plus, they were of the same
Baptist movement.
Further
notes on the family of William Hembree
Elesa & David Hembree of Kennesaw, GA, wrote that William was a brother
to Joel Hembree b.1755, and that they were the sons of James Hembree (b.1730) and Sarah Byrd, she being the daughter of John Byrd and Margaret Dean. This
was years before the theory that John Hembree in Surry County is the father.
Although some sources show William death as 1823, the Kennesaw Hembrees have convincing proof (a probate order) showing the death was before
October 4, 1821. They, and many others, do not agree that James Hembree (b.c.1785) and Joseph (b.1779) beong to William because neither are mentioned in the will of William. (Joseph is a son of a different William, James is unknown.)
Esther Hembree in the 1810, 1820, 1830 census is not mentioned in William’s 1821 will. An Ephraim Story received from William’s estate so it is probable
that he was married to a daughter
of William Hembree. [See Barbara R.
Langdon, Spartanburg
County Marriages 1785-1911 Implied in Spartanburg County
South Carolina Probate Records (Aiken, SC: Langdon&Langdon,1992): p.219]
But there seems to be a Cynthia Hembree who was left out of the estate
(she was daughter of Johnson – see family sheet). Johnson Hembree was
the administrator of his father’s estate but the oldest son William W. Jr sold off
50 acres for $37 and Johnson took him to court in March 1823. The land was
taken on 5 June 1824 and sold at a sheriff’s sale and was purchased by
“Benjamin Nickolls for Cynthia Hembree” for $30. (Witness sworn and deed
recorded in 1836.) (See explanation under William W. Hembree Jr.)
William W. Jr. also had disciplinary problems with the church much the same
as Abraham. Some of the Hembrees were coopers – they made barrels – and
they enjoyed the contents thereof.
Investigation into the origin of the name Joel / Joel Bird Hembree has led to
solid proof that this William Hembree was in Wake County, North Carolina, in
1790.
The 1790 census for the Hillsborough District (Wake County section), NC:
p.103 Embrew, Wm. 2 – 4 – 3 0 - 0
p.104 Embrew, Thos. 3 – 3 – 2 0 - 1
p.106 Emborough, Wm. 2 – 2 – 4 0 - 0
First, the William Embry on p.103 matches the family shown for our William
Hembree: 2 males over 16, 4 males under 16, 3 females. This is a unique
match: there is no other family group in the 1790 census for the entire United
States that matches as well. One that comes a close second is the William on
p.106, with 2 males over 16, 2 males under 16. This William died c.1802 in
Wake County.
The Thomas Embry in the census is Thomas Embry b.c.1735 VA d. Sep 1797 Wake Co, NC. His wife was Anne Jackson of Goochland Co, VA. She
went to Oglethorpe County, Georgia, with her sons and died there 30 Sep 1830.
In the 1800 census, William the elder (p.106) is listed in Wake County, but our
William is in Spartanburg County (p.199): 0 3 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0.
Second, these Embrys come from the same place in Virginia (the Goochland County area) as our Hembrees.
Third, they were active Baptist pioneers, as were our Spartanburg Hembrees.
Richard Hartsfield went from Wake Co, NC to Wilkes Co, GA in 1785, then into
Ogelthorpe Co, GA by 1795. This follows the movements of Joseph Joel Embry.
He was a neighbor of the Embrys in Oglethorpe County until his death bef. 1830.
http://members.aol.com/Hartsfeld/Richard4Andrew3Godfrey2.htm
His son Henry Hartsfield sold 200 acres on Little Beaverdam Creek in that county
to Enoch Embry on 10 Dec 1803. (Enoch Embry’s son Joel Embry is in 1830
census for Grainger Co, TN.)
The Hartsfields, Olives, Standifers and Embrys were pioneers of the Clouds Creek Baptist Church in Oglethorpe County 1788.
Fourth, the Bird and Joel Bird name is found in Wake County:
Marriage License Bond.
State of North Carolina, Wake County, Know all men
by these Presents That we, Zachariah Wimberley and Joel Bird are held
and firmly bound unto William Hawkins, Governor, or his Successors in Office,
in the full sum of Five Hundred Pounds, current money, to be paid to the said
Governor, his Successors or Assigns, for which payment will and truly to be made
and done, we bind ourselves, our Hiers, Executors, and Administrators, jointly
and severally firmly by these presents, sealed with our Seals, and dated this
16th day of November, Ano Domini 1812,
etc. …
[pg 087][Deed Book H]
p. 438 Elizabeth Carden of Wake Co. to
Moses Bird
of same, Aug. 30, 1784, for 25 pds. N.C. currency a
tract of "hundred acres" lying on both sides of Houses
Creek and on Gulles Branch adjoining Dillard. Wit:
John Freeman, Joel Bird.
[pg 162][Deed Book Q]
p. 230 Elizabeth Cardin of Oglethorpe
Co., Ga. to
Jesse Olive of Wake Co., Sept. 24, 1799, for 10 dollars
a tract of 350 acres in Wake Co. lying on both sides of
Houses Creek at the mouth of gulloways Branch adjoining
Micajah Muckelroy, Ozias Vincent, and Elizabeth Cardin's
old line, it being part of a tract granted by the State
to said Elizabeth Cardin by grant bearing
date Aug. 9,
1779. Wit: Abel Olive, Joseph Embry.
Joel Bird was an executor of the will of Richard Timberlake (dated 1811) in Wake County.
Fifth, the Joel Embry name is found in Wake County:
Embrough,
Joel and Patsey Fort Marriage bond entered
28
September 1790, Wake County, North Carolina.
This is Joel Embry b. 17 Feb 1766 NC d. 19 Nov 1856 Madison Co, KY and his
wife Martha Fort. He was the son of Joseph “Joel” Embry b.1730/1 VA d. 1819
Madison Co, KY.
Because Granville and Wake Counties are adjoining, it is reasonable that some
of the family would be found in one county, and some in the other. William
did not leave Virginia until around 1784-1787, based on the birthplaces of his
children and the fact that he does not appear in Virginia after 1784.
Sixth, the appearance of a nephew named Hezekiah Embry among the family
in the 1810 census (p.203 Spartanburg, SC, single male 16-26) makes a nice
connection. Hezekiah was b.1787-1790 in Oglethorpe County, Georgia but his
father, John Jackson Embry was from Wake County, North Carolina. (This
family also had members in Carroll County, Georgia, including an Owen Embry
-- aka Abel Owen Embry – where our Owen Hembree wound up.)
“Oo-rin-dah” or Orinda is thought to be a Cherokee name, the equivalent of “Richards”
(u – we – na – i) – a maiden name? (u – we- hna – i = “rich”)
[from 1st edition]
William Hembree’s wife was named Orinah or Orindah (as shown on deeds) and
she is regarded as Cherokee by the family – nobody has ever doubted it. But if
she is Cherokee, she is probably not the mother of William’s children. Most, if
not all, of his children were born in central Virginia and he moved to central
North Carolina before 1790 after his children were born. He was far from the
Cherokee Nation. There is no credible scenario to explain a Cherokee wife in
that area, in that time frame.
There were, however, four or five small tribes that were driven north by the
warring Catawba and Cherokee from 1750 to 1760. Some of them were in central
Virginia and did not return to North Carolina until 1765 – 1775. Some of them
were all but absorbed by settlers through intermarriage and dispersal.
It is quite credible that William Hembree took a Native American wife – the
family was readily disposed to intermarriage with the native peoples. If Orindah
is the mother of the children, she is of a different tribe than the Cherokee.
If she is Cherokee, she is a second wife. The first wife may have been Native
American as well, but not Cherokee.
A less romantic explanation is that her name is a variant of Dorinda, a name
which occurs among the Wake Co, NC, Embrys. (Cynthia Dorinda, for example.) The Cherokee would come into the lines of Owen and Irah by their
wives – daughters of Abraham Hembree.
William W. HEMBREE was the son of William HEMBREE b.1754 and
Orindah.
b. c. 1774 Virginia
d. 1835-1839 Spartanburg County, South Carolina, (or in Georgia?)
m. Martha (Patsy) Ann (b.c.1778 d.c. 1840 Georgia)
Children of William W. Hembree &
Martha Ann are:
i. unknown daughter HEMBREE b.c. 1797 Spartanburg, SC
[1810 census, gone by 1820]
ii. unknown daughter HEMBREE b.c. 1799 Spartanburg, SC
[1810 census, gone by 1820]
Abigail, m. Enoch Smith
iii. unknown daughter HEMBREE b.c. 1802 Spartanburg, SC
[1810 census, gone by 1820]
iv. unknown daughter HEMBREE b.c. 1804 Spartanburg, SC
[1810 census, 1820 census, gone by 1830]
v. Cynthia HEMBREE b.c. 1807 Spartanburg, SC
[1810 census, 1820 census, 1830 census at home]
m. John WOODRUFF, son of Jonathan Woodruff.
v. unknown daughter HEMBREE b.c. 1809 Spartanburg, SC
[1810 census, 1820 census, 1830 census at home]
iv. unknown son HEMBREE b.c. 1816 d.bef 1830? Spartanburg, SC
[1820 census]
Notes
for William W. Hembree:
Census data:
1790 : male 16+ in hh of father in Wake Co, NC p.103
Embrew, Wm. 2 4 3 … 0 0
1800 : not found, (father in Spartanburg, SC, p.199)
1810 : Spartanburg, SC p.194 (close to father William & brother Johnson)
Embry, Wm. Jr. 0 0 0 1 0 … 4 2 0 1 0 .. 0 0
1820 : Spartanburg, SC p.240
Hembree, Wm. W. 1 0 0 0 0 1 ... 0 1 2 0 2 .. 0 0
1830 : Spartanburg, SC p.244
Hembree, Wm. W. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 … 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1
(male 50-60) (2 females 20-30, 1 female 50-60)
1840 : not found
William W. Hembree was a farmer and a cooper (barrel
maker). He was a
member of the Baptist Church and was occasionally rebuked
for intoxication and
swearing. His
brother Johnson Hembree filed suit against him for selling some
of their father’s property.
He used the form “William W.” rather than “William Jr.” to
distinguish himself
from his father, who did not use “William W.”. The middle
“W” perhaps stands
for “Wiley”.
In 1804 he witnessed a deed from Ezekiel Sullivan
(Swillivan) to Edward Smith in
Spartanburg as William W. Hembrie. Sullivan’s sister Rebecca was the wife of
Ephraim Jackson and she bore a child out of wedlock in 1788
to John Hembree.
The child was adopted and raised by Ephraim Jackson and took
on his name:
Solomon Jackson.
An 1807 deed from his brother Owen Hembree to Robert Page
Jr. (a nephew or
son-in-law of Owen’s) for 96 acres on Dutchman’s Creek notes
that the land adjoins
William W. Hembree and Thomas Moore. Dutchman’s Creek flows on the north
side of Tyger River but as it approaches the river the Union
County line is crossed,
so it is not unusual to find the family mentioned in both
counties. On 3 Dec 1807
Owen Hembree sold an additional 40 acres to William W.
Hembree on the south
side of Dutchman’s
Creek on both sides of Blackstock Road (today State Road 56).
In 1808 he witnessed a deed from Ebsworth & Elizabeth
Moore to Brittain Williford
in Spartanburg.
On 5 April 1823 William W. Hembree sold to Enoch Smith, both
of Spartanburg, 50
acres on the county line for $150. The deed was witnessed by Jesse Vaughan and
Robert Page. This apparently was part of his father’s estate
and on 8 Mar 1824
Enoch Smith sold the land to widow Orinah Hembree for $130.
Abigail, the wife of
Enoch Smith, renounced dower rights on the sale, which seems
to indicate that she
would be a daughter of William W. (who also witnessed this
deed).
Johnson Hembree, the administrator of the estate of William
Hembree Sr (d.1821),
had filed suit to stop the above sale of the 50 acres in
March 1823 by his brother
William W. and the land was seized on 5 June 1824 and sold
by the sheriff. The
land remained in the family: Benjamin Nichols purchased it (as agent) for Cynthia
Hembree for $30, but she did not file the sale until 12
years later. Cynthia was a
grand daughter of Orinah Hembree and certainly waited until
she passed on before
filing the deed.
Martha Patsy Hembree signed a dower release on 5 Feb 1835; the
witness oath was taken on 9 June 1836 and the deed was
recorded on 16 June
1836.
By 1835, Cynthia Hembree was now Cynthia Woodruff, wife of
John Woodruff,
and they sold the 50 acres “on both sides of the Black
Stocks road, whereon Wm.
W. Hembree now
lives”. The deed was witnessed by
William W. and Ann
Hembree on 20 Jan 1835, dower was released by Cynthia
Woodruff 5 Feb 1835,
witness oath was given by William W. on 30 Sep 1835. (Her name is spelled
Synthy, Cyntha, and Sintha in the same deed.)
This establishes Cynthia Hembree as a daughter of William W.
and the wife of John
Woodruff. It also
indicates that William W. might have left Spartanburg with his
brother Owen and have gone to Georgia. There is no trace of them in Spartanburg
in 1840.
1850 census extract for Carroll Co, GA:
http://www2.netdoor.com/~cch/Carroll/1850%20census.htm
ixp 126
Family Sheet: Owen Hembree (1777-1837)
Owen b. 1777 VA
d. 1837 Carroll Co, GA son of Wm. W. Hembree
Rebecca b.1786 SC
d.aft 1840 Carroll Co, GA dau of Abraham Hembree
1) Laura Susan b. 1801 SC [1810, 1820, 1830 census w/parents]
m. ------ Morrow (or Warren?)
2) Sarah b. 1803 SC d.bef. 1850 Carroll Co, GA
m. William Bates 26 Sep 1833 Carroll Co, GA [1810, 1820, 1830
census w/parents, 1840 Carroll Co p.8 with husband]
3) Delilah (Lily) b. 1805 SC [1810, 1820, 1830 census w/parents]
d. 9 Aug 1901 Carroll Co, GA m. Daniel McBurnett 22 Apr 1834/5
(he d.1862)
4) William b. 1806 SC d.bef. 1860 [1810, 1820 census w/parents]
(not Abel Owen) On the 1841 tax list he is listed
near Obediah and the McWhorters.
5) dau. b. 1808 SC [1810, 1820, 1830 census w/parents]
Rebecca b. 1808 SC d.aft 1870 Haralson Co, GA
m. Jesse G. Newman
(b.1796 SC) Spartanburg; 1850 Carroll Co GA hh 316;
1860 Haralson
Co, GA p.322 -- a possible fit for this
daughter
6) Elegus Thomas b. 1810 SC [1820, 1830 census w/parents]
m. Annie Maria Woodruff [1840 Carroll Co, GA p.55]
7) Obediah b. 1813 SC [1820, 1830 census w/parents]
m. 8 Feb 1838 Theresa Weir Carroll Co, GA [1840 Carroll Co, GA p55]
On the 1842 tax list for Carroll Co
he has a 202 acre farm.
8) dau b. 1815 SC [1820-1840 census w/parents]
9) Nancy b. 12 Jan 1819 SC [1820, 1830 census w/parents]
m. William G. Morris 14 Feb 1833
10) Joel (Joseph) S. b. 1825 SC [1830, 1840 census w/parents]
m. Amanda A. McWurter (McWhorter) 6 July/Aug 1851 Carroll Co, GA
[1850 Carroll Co, GA hh 782; 1860 Haralson Co, GA] She was the dau.
of Moses McWhorter (1793-1860) and Elizabeth Williams.
note: some sources show a Lewis (b. 1827) and Mary (b.1829) but neither
are in the 1830 Census and since Owen died in 1837, it is unlikely he was
adding nephews and nieces to his household. These are probably children of
William, who probably died between 1853 and 1860.
Lewis/Luis Hembree m. 1841 Louisa Barber.
Notes on Owen Hembree
Was Owen born in 1765? Taking the census data, it appears Owen was b.1760-
1765 (figure 1765) and his wife was born 1780-1785 (figure 1784). But if Owen
was born 1760-65, William would not be his father and Joel S. (b.1825) would
probably not be his son. Since we know that William was his father (by probate
and family tradition) it is reasonable (but not absolute) to assign him a later birth.
Owen’s son-in-law Daniel McBurnett filed for papers of administration on the
estate of Owen Hembree of Carroll County, Georgia, on 6 November 1837.
[“Roots, Branches, Leaves” p.123] A Wallace Warren also filed, so it is assumed
that he too is a son-in-law. (Or he was Wallace Warren Hembree.)
Owen Hembree’s connection to Abraham is established by church records,
census records, and land records. Owen lived on the remainder of Abraham’s
land between Cain’s Creek and Dutchman’s Creek (on the Tyger River). In
March 1807 Abraham perfected his title to the land Owen was living on; Owen
secured title to an additional 96 acres from William Weir then sold these 96 acres
on 9 Oct 1807 and moved up to the Pacolet River area on Little Thicketty Creek
(not five miles from Abraham’s place on Goucher’s Creek of the Pacolet River).
[A.B. Pruitt, Spartanburg Abstracts 1785-1827, pp. 129, 336, 369, 471]
Abraham, in 1810, pledged his land to John Tolleson to secure a loan and he
could not pay off the loan. When John Tolleson died his heirs discovered the
bond and took Abraham’s land and home. Owen Hembree jumped into the
fray and bought 50 acres for $21.50 from the battling heirs on 6 Jan 1825 but
the rest of Abraham’s land and home went up for sale on Christmas Eve, 1825,
at a sheriff’s sale. Friends of Abraham (John Pettit, Robert Moore, Joshua
Pettit and Hugh Moore Jr) came forward and got the land and allowed old
Abraham to stay. (What a Christmas story!)
On 1 Feb 1831 Owen sold his own 71 acres on Little Thicketty Creek to Robert
Moore (above, son of Hugh Moore) and moved to his other property, then to
Georgia by 1835. He died in Carroll County, Georgia, in 1837.
In the 1840 census for the 729th District of Carroll County, there are listed
Rebecca Hembree and Obediah Hembree. In the 1841 tax list, William Hembree
is listed in Rebecca’s place, so perhaps she died 1840/41. On the 1842 tax list,
the 729th district records are lost. On the 1853 tax list and the 1850 census the
family is well represented. (Haralson County formed from Carroll County in 1852
which is why records are found in both places.)
Isaiah HEMBREE was the son of William HEMBREE b.1754 and Orinda.
b. 1781 Virginia
d. 11 Sep 1853 Carroll Co, Georgia
m. Frances Mary Brock 20 Dec 1810 in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
She was b. 1788 and d.1872. Her name may have been Brook/Brooks. (In
the 1850 census her mother Lucy Brooks is living with them.)
Children of Isaiah Hembree & Mary
(Polly) Brock are:
i. Malinda / Amanda HEMBREE b. 9 Dec 1811 Spartanburg, SC
ii. George Washington HEMBREE b. 17 May 1813 Spartanburg, SC
d. 19 June 1862 Mississippi
m. Malinda Lucinda Bice (Buice) 18 April 1838.
She was b.1820 d.1905 bur. Powell Chapel Church, Carroll Co, GA
He was a captain in the Civil War (CSA).
iii. Melissa HEMBREE b. 2 June 1815 Spartanburg, SC
iv. Charlotte HEMBREE b. 31 May 1818 Spartanburg, SC
v. Lucy HEMBREE b. 8 April 1820 Spartanburg, SC
m. John KELLY
vi. William James Jasper HEMBREE b. 26 Dec 1821 Spartanburg, SC
d. 1 Dec 1904 or 1905 (pension vs. gravestone) Douglas Co, GA
m(1) Emily Bice (Buice)
m(2) Georgia Ann Henslee on 30 Nov 1882 Douglas Co, GA.
She was b. 1 Nov 1866 GA d.aft. 1910.
vii. Nancy HEMBREE b. 19 Dec 1824 Spartanburg, SC
m. Joel Wallace ENGLAND 2 Feb 1848 Carroll Co, GA
Her name is sometimes misread “Viancy”.
viii. Isaiah HEMBREE Jr. b. 29 Jan 1828 Spartanburg, SC
d. 1861-1868 Douglas Co, GA
m. Mary A. LONG (1833-1891).
Notes for Isaiah Hembree:
This line has been well documented and well researched, with the good
fortune of Isaiah’s family Bible being used by his widow on a pension
application.
ixp 131
Family Sheet: Irah Hembree (1783 -1810)
Irah b. 1783 VA d. 1810 SC son of
William W. Hembree
Esther b. 1784 SC d.aft 1830 SC dau of Abraham Hembree
1) David HEMBREE b.c. 1804 Spartanburg, SC d.aft 1860
m. Rebecca b.c. 1802 d. aft 1870 Spartanburg, SC
[1850 Spartanburg SC p.228; 1860 Spartanburg SC p.253]
[1880 Buncombe Co, NC has D. and R.M. Hembree listed]
2) John HEMBREE b.c. 1806 Spartanburg, SC d.aft 1850
a blacksmith in 1850 census (unmarried) Spartanburg p.235
3) Rebecca HEMBREE b.c. 1809 Spartanburg, SC d.aft 1850
m. John MULLIN b. 1799 SC d.aft 1850
[1850 Spartanburg SC p.228]
------ other children in Esther’s 1830 household (nieces) -------------------
5) female b.c. 1813 SC (Susan, dau. of Johnson Hembree)
[not in 1820 census for Esther – in Johnson Hembree’s hh]
6) female b.c. 1817 SC (dau. of Johnson Hembree)
[not in 1820 census for Esther – in Johnson Hembree’s hh]
>> son-in-law John Mullin or a nephew also appears in 1830 census
He is listed as a member in the Tyger River (Friendship) Church in 1803,
which suggests he was an adult at that time. [Townsend, SC Baptists, p.136]
His name might have been Uriah. John & Rebecca Mullin named their
second son Uriah.
In the estate of William Hembree (d.1821) both Esther and David Hembree
are mentioned as legatees. Esther was widow of Irah and David appears to
be the first and oldest grandson (about 17).
ixp
132
Johnson HEMBREE was the son of William HEMBREE and Orinda.
b. 1784 Virginia
d.c. 1867 Spartanburg, South Carolina.
m(1) Rachel (Hembree) Davis, daughter of Joel HEMBREE
(1755-1825), widow of Hugh DAVIS, c.1807. She was b.c. 1780 d.c.
1817 Spartanburg, South Carolina.
m(2) Susan
Foster
Children in Johnson Hembree’s 1810 household are:
a. unknown female b. 1794-1800 (child of Hugh Davis by 1st wife)
[1810 census, gone by 1820]
b. unknown female b. 1794-1800 (child of Hugh Davis by 1st wife)
[1810 census, gone by 1820]
c. unknown female b. 1794-1800 (child of Hugh Davis by 1st wife)
[1810 census, gone by 1820]
d. Joel Davis HEMBREE b. 1798 Spartanburg, SC d. aft 1860 Carroll
Co, GA (child of Rachel Hembree Davis)
b. 1798 Spartanburg, SC d. aft 1860 Carroll Co, GA
m. Sarah of Spartanburg Co, SC
He was the son of Hugh Davis (d.1807) and Rachel
Hembree (1780-1817) but
adopted and raised by his stepfather Johnson Hembree. Rachel
Hembree was
the dau. of Joel Hembree (1755-1825).
1800 census Spartanburg Co, SC p. 197 w/father Hugh
DAVIS
1810 census Spartanburg Co, SC p. 194 w/stepfather Johnson
HEMBREE
1830 census Spartanburg Co SC p.241 as “Joe Heinbrey” (near
Wm W Hembree)
1840 census
Spartanburg Co SC p.162 as “Joel Hembey” (near Ephraim Jackson)
1860 census Carroll Co GA p. 241 Joel Hembree (near family
of Isaiah Hembree)
f. John Davis HEMBREE b.c. 1800 Spartanburg, SC d.c.1848 SC
m. Rosannah (Rose) b.c. 1805 SC d.aft.1870 Spartanburg, SC
[1810 census, 1820 census, in hh of Johnson Hembree; 1830 census
Spartanburg p.271 as John Embrey 30-40, wife 20-30; widow & ch in
1850 Spartanburg p.229 as Rose Emery 45]
(child of Rachel Hembree Davis)
e. unknown female b. 1802 Spartanburg, SC
[1810 census, gone by 1820] (child of Rachel Hembree Davis)
g. unknown female b.c. 1804 Spartanburg, SC
[1810 census, gone by 1820] (child of Rachel Hembree Davis)
Children of Johnson Hembree & Rachel
Hembree are:
i. unknown daughter HEMBREE b.c. 1807 Spartanburg, SC
d. young [1810 census, gone by 1820]
ii. Jonathan Johnson HEMBREE b. 15 April 1808 Spartanburg, SC
d.bef. 1880 Spartanburg, SC
m. Katherine Cathcart b.1814 SC d.aft. 1880 Spartanburg, SC [she is listed in 1880 census in household of Jefferson Hembree]
iii. Elihu Newton HEMBREE b. 1810 Spartanburg, SC
d. aft 1860 GA
m. Eunice Mary Wofford
iv. William M. HEMBREE b. 5 Jan 1812 Spartanburg, SC
d. aft 1860
m. Casandra
v. Susan HEMBREE b. 1813 Spartanburg, SC
d. aft 1860
[1820 census, gone by 1830, unmarried in 1860]
(In household of aunt Esther Hembree in 1830.)
vi. George Washington HEMBREE b. 1815 Spartanburg, SC
d. 1855 Carroll Co, GA. His will is recorded under “George W.
Amary” for that county.
vii. unknown daughter HEMBREE b.c. 1817 Spartanburg, SC
d. young [1820 census, gone by 1830]
(In household of aunt Esther Hembree in 1830.)
Children
of Johnson Hembree & Susan are:
viii. Joseph James HEMBREE b. May 1818 Spartanburg, SC
d. aft 1850 bef 1880 Spartanburg, SC
m. Eliza or Luiza HOWARD (b.1822 SC d.aft 1880 SC)
[1880 census Spartanburg, SC p.180a]
ix. unknown daughter HEMBREE b.c. 1820 Spartanburg, SC
d. young [1820 census, gone by 1830]
x. Bird (Bearden) HEMBREE b.c. 1822 or 1825 Spartanburg, SC
d. aft 1870
m. Harriet (b.1830 SC)
[1830 census, 1840 census w/father, 1850,1860 Spartanburg census]
His Civil War service is under 4 different names.
xi. Edward Fowler HEMBREE b.c. 1823 or 1827 Spartanburg, SC
d. aft 1880 Cobb County, Georgia
m. Elizabeth (Betsy) MAYFIELD
[Spartanburg 1850, 1860, 1870 census]
xii. Orinda (“Rina”) HEMBREE b.c. 1826 or 1829 Spartanburg, SC
[in 1830 census < 10] [unmarried in 1880 census]
xiii. Ann C. HEMBREE b.c. 1826 or 1830 Spartanburg, SC
[unmarried in 1860 census] [in 1830 census < 10]
ixp 135
The Virginia Hembree line has its roots in Goochand and
Lunenburg
Co., VA, where the name is usually rendered Embry or Embrey.
There
is a pattern of repeating the Joseph/Joel name for several
generations
and this provides a valuable clue. The South Carolina Hembrees, in
fact, repeated the name so much that is has caused us great
confusion.
Below is a list of pre-1840 Joel Hembrees/Joel Embrys. Where “RBL”
is cited, it means Bob Hembree’s newsletter
“Roots-Branches-Leaves”.
Where “Forum” is cited, it means the message board at www.genforum.genealogy.com.
1. Old Joseph “Joel” Embry son of unknown
b.c. 1720 VA d.bef. 1785 Wilkes Co, GA
Came to Wake Co, NC, by 1761 and went to Georgia by 1777,
where sons Reuben, Boley, Jesse, Britton and Joseph served
in the
Patriot militia 1777-1782 and drew bounty land for their
service.
2. Joseph “Joel” Embry son of Thomas? Embry
b. 1730-40 VA d.c.1800 Fauquier Co, VA or KY
On 1787 tax list for Fauquier Co, VA.
3. Joseph Joel Embry son of William Embry
b. 1730 Brunswick Co, VA d. 1819 Madison Co, KY
On 1787 tax list for Fayette Co, KY or Lincoln Co, KY.
Had a son Joel Embry b.1766 d.1856 Madison Co, KY. (Some
researchers consider #2 and 3, even #1, 2, 3 to be the same.)
Embrey Forum msg #140.
4. Joel Hembree b.1755 son
of James Hembree (b.1730)
b. 1755 VA d. 16 Feb 1825 Roane Co, TN
m. Hannah Pettit, dau. of Joshua & Judith Pettit of Spartanburg, SC
Moved to Roane Co, TN by 1806 (deed). [RBL #7 Winter 1990]
Resided in Blue Spring Valley. His father was b.1730 Goochland Co, VA.
Joel Emry 1790 census Spartanburg, SC p.87: 2 - 1 - 6 - 0 - 3.
Joel Hembrey 1800 census Spartanburg SC p.199 0 3 1 0 1 - 0 0 1 1 0 - 0 5
Hembree Forum msg #439.
5. Joel Embry b.1766 son
of Joseph Joel Embry b.1730
b. 1766 Wake Co, NC d. 1856 Madison Co, KY
m. Martha (Patsy) Fort 28 Sep 1790 Wake Co, NC.
He was the son of Joseph Joel Embry (1730-1819), #3 above.
6. Joel Hembree b.1770 son
of John Hembry
b. 1765-1770 VA or NC d.bef. 1830 Roane Co, TN
m. Matilda ---- (father of Col. Joel Hembree)
Moved to Roane Co, TN by 1814 (tax list). [RBL #7 Winter 1990]
Called “Jr.” in early records to distinguish him from Joel b.1755. He was
road administrator in 1815 and constable in 1823. A diary by a grandson
of Col. Joel indicates his great-grandparents were Joel & Matilda Hembree.
Joel Hembrey 1800 census Spartanburg Co, SC p.207.
Hembree Forum msg #242, 299, 388, 409, 439.
7. Joseph “Joel” Hembree son
of William Hembree (b.1758)
b. 1779 Rutherford Co, NC d. 1867 Roane Co, TN
m(1) (not proven) Matilda Hembree, dau. of Abraham Hembree;
m(2) Sarah Elizabeth Melton (dau. of Eli or Elijah Melton).
Moved to Roane Co, TN by 1812 (deed). [RBL #7 Winter 1990] Son Eli
b.1814 in Roane Co, TN at Bear Creek.
The first marriage to Matilda Hembree (they were not related) is speculative.
Rutherford Co, NC deeds: “Joel Hamrie” to Andrew Clements 1818; Elijah
Melton to William Long (1824); Eli Melton to Joseph Brindle (1829).
1830 census Roane Co, TN p. 65 Joseph Hembree
1840 census Roane Co, TN p. 22 Joseph Hembry
1850 census Roane Co, TN hh 1225 Joseph Embree
Leota Bennett, a descendant, has excellent info on the Roane County
website: http://www.roanetn.com/hembree1.htm
8.
Joel Embry (composite, could be 1-3 people)
b.c. 1790-1800 GA d. Louisiana? Tennessee? Georgia?
From the Wake Co, NC & Oglethorpe Co, GA family.
Federal land patents:
EMBRY, JOEL 10/1/1823 Colbert Co, AL Huntsville office
EMBRY, JOEL 2/1/1826 Colbert Co, AL Huntsville office
1830 census Grainger Co, TN
p.401 Joel Embry age 30-40 (son of Enoch Embry?)
1832 Cherokee Lottery Georgia:
#205 Joel Embry 13th
District 2nd section. (Drawing with Boley Embry, Abel O. Embry,
Reuben Embry and Richard Embry.)
1843 Joannah Embrey,
executrix of Joel Embrey, applied for land in Harris Co, GA,
from the 1832 lottery (13th
district, 2nd section).
Joel Embrey b.1792 GA d.
1838, son of Jesse Embrey (1752-1848), gr-son of Joseph
Joel Embry (1730-1819) might
account for one or two of the above records. A Joel
Embry (b.1790-1805 Oglethorpe Co, GA) son of
William Embry (1759-1829) (per his
will) is another candidate.
9. Colonel Joel Hembree son
of Joel Hembree (b.1770)
b. 25 Mar 1796 Spartanburg, SC d. 23 Dec 1868 Roane Co, TN
had ch. by Mary Wilhite and Raney Wilhite of Roane Co, TN
First record in Roane Co, TN 1819 (deed). [RBL #7 Winter 1990]
Headstone gives 25 Mar 1793 as birth date but official Tennessee legislature
biography (based on interview with Col. Joel gives 1796). Resided in
Cardiff. Commanded a regiment during the Indian removal of 1835-1838.
Fort Hembree in Macon Co, NC was named by him.
Hembree Forum msg #388.
1830 census Roane Co, TN p. 30 Col. Joal Hembry
1840 census Roane Co, TN p.42 Joel Hembree
1850 census Roane Co, TN hh 1676 Joel Hembree
10. Joel Davis Hembree son
of Rachel Hembree (b.1780)
b. 1798 Spartanburg, SC d. aft 1860 Carroll Co, GA
m. Sarah of Spartanburg Co, SC
He was the son of Hugh Davis (d.1807) and Rachel Hembree (1780-1817)
but adopted and raised by his stepfather Johnson Hembree. Rachel Hembree
was the dau. of Joel Hembree (1755-1825), above.
1800 census Spartanburg Co, SC p. 197 w/father Hugh
DAVIS
1810 census Spartanburg Co, SC p. 194 w/stepfather Johnson
HEMBREE
1830 census Spartanburg Co SC p.241 as “Joe Heinbrey” (near
Wm W Hembree)
1840 census
Spartanburg Co SC p.162 as “Joel Hembey” (near Ephraim Jackson)
1860 census Carroll Co GA p. 241 Joel Hembree (near family
of Isaiah Hembree)
13
Feb 1826. Joel Hembree of Spartanburg
District to Ephraim Story
of
the same; for $20 sold all my interest in a certain tract of land,
whereon
the said Ephraim Story now lives, belonging to the heirs at
law
of William Hembree Dec’d. Bordering: David Trail, Daniel McHam,
Mark
Bennett, John Meadows. Reference being
had to a deed of the
said
land. Witnesses: Isaiah Hembree, Polley Hembree, Ephraim
Hembree. Signed Joel (X) Hembree. Witness oath by Polley Hembree
29
April 1832 to Lee Linder, J.P. Recorded
30 April 1832. [Book V,
p.59-60. Spartanburg Deeds]
11. Joel “Joseph” M. Hembree son
of Abraham Hembree (1757-1838)
b. 1802 Spartanburg, SC d.bef.1860 Jefferson Co, TN
m. Sarah ------
1840 census Cocke Co, TN p.264 Joel Hembree age 30-40
1850 census Jefferson Co, TN p.1069/804 Joel Emory age 47
12.
Joel Joseph Hembree (Emery) son of John Hambrie (1766-1854)
b. 1802 Rowan Co, NC d. aft 1860 Union Co, IL
m. Eva Fite 17 Mar 1828 Rowan Co, NC
1830 census Rowan Co, NC Joel Emmery p.358 (age 20-30)
1840 census Rowan Co, NC Joel Emery p.34 (age 30-40)
1850, 1860 census Union Co, Illinois. (Father is with him in 1850. Father
is listed in 1800 & 1810 census of Rowan Co, NC.)
Federal land patents:
EMERY, JOEL 6/1/1848 Union
Co, IL Kaskaskia
office
13.
Joel Bird Hembree son
of Joel Hembree (b.1755)
b. 26 Nov 1804 SC d. 9 Apr 1860 Greene Co, MO
m. Sarah Wilhite 1830 Roane Co, TN at the home of Col. Joel Hembree
[RBL #7 Winter 1990] [Bob Hembree’s ancestor]
1830 census Warren Co, TN p.366 Joel R. Hembree age 20-30
1840 census Roane Co, TN p.30 Joal B. Hembree
Went to MO in 1841.
14.
Joel Jordan Hembree Sr. son of James Hembree
(1774-1850)
b. 7 Dec 1804 Spartanburg Co, SC d. 8 Sep 1868 Yamhill Co, OR
m. Sarah (Sally) Paine
His father was James N. Hembree, son of Joel Hembree b.1755, and his
mother was Nancy Pettit. [RBL #4 Spring 1990] [RBL #7 Winter 1990]
Federal land patents:
HEMBREE, JOEL J 4/10/1843 Dade Co, MO Springfield office
HEMBREE, JOEL J 9/10/1844 Dade Co, MO Springfield office
HEMBREE, JOEL J 10/16/1858 Yamhill Co, OR unk office
Note that he left Missouri
in 1843 and the above dates are probably the recorded dates, not the application
dates.
15.
Joel Thomas Hembree son
of Isaac L. Hembree (1796-1864)
b. 1824 Roane Co, TN d.aft 1890
He was a grandson of Joel Hembree (b.1755) (#4). His first wife was Nancy
Caroline Hembree, a dau. of Col. Joel Hembree. [RBL #4 Spring 1990]
Resided Dade Co, MO at time of Civil War. He was a lieutenant.
Co. E 15th Missouri Cavalry (Union).
A biographical sketch published in 1889 is posted on
the Dade Co, MO website:
ftp://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/mo/dade/bios/h5160006.txt
Federal land patents:
HEMBREE, JOEL T 7/1/1852 Dade Co, MO Springfield office
HEMBREE, JOEL T 7/1/1852 Dade Co, MO Springfield office
HEMBREE, JOEL T 10/1/1852 Dade Co, MO Springfield office
HEMBREE, JOEL T 11/1/1852 Dade Co, MO Springfield office
HEMBREE, JOEL T 4/15/1853 Cedar Co, MO Springfield office
HEMBREE, JOEL T 4/15/1853 Cedar Co, MO Springfield office
HEMBREE, JOEL T 5/15/1857 Dade Co, MO Springfield office
HEMBREE, JOEL T 6/1/1859 Dade Co, MO Springfield office
HEMBREE, JOEL T 11/30/1870 Dade Co, MO Springfield office
16. “Joel” Joseph S. Hembree son
of Owen Hembree (1777-1837)
b. 1824 Spartanburg, SC d.aft.1860 GA
m. Amanda McWhorter 6 Jul 1851 Carroll Co, GA
1850 census Carroll Co, GA hh 782 Joel S. Hembree age 25 SC
1853 tax list Carroll Co, GA as Joel Embree
1860 census Haralson Co, GA p.334 Joel Emery age 35 SC
17. Joel (Joseph) Blackburn Hembree son
of Benjamin Hembree (1793-1865)
b. 18 Jun 1827 Rhea Co, TN d. Apr 1866 Jackson Co., Alabama
m. Amelia (Millie, Emillia) Glasscock
He was a grandson of Joel Hembree (b.1755) (#4)
He died in a Union prison.
18. Joseph Hembree son
of Joseph Hembree (1779)
b.c. 1826 Roane Co, TN d.aft 1891
1880 census Roane Co, TN (age “60”)
A Joseph Hembree Jr. listed with Eli, Azarais, George W. Hembree on 1864 militia list (15th district) for Roane County, Tennessee. This Joseph Hembree is on 1890 veterans census at Ethel PO, Roane Co, TN shown as Corporal, Co.G,
1st TN Infantry (Union), age 61.
19. Joel Jordan Hembree Jr. son of Joel Jordan Hembree
Sr.
b. 2 Mar 1837 Warren Co, TN d. 19 July 1843 Wyoming Territory
His grave marker on the Oregon Trail is a national landmark.
Hembree Forum msg #446.
20. Joel Dallas Hembree son
of Col. Joel Hembree
b. 16 Jun 1840 Roane Co, TN d. 20 Mar 1916 Roane Co, TN
m. 4 times
He was a Confederate during the Civil War, then switched sides in 1864.
Co. I, 26th Tennessee Infantry, Private & 16th Battalion Tennessee Cavalry
(Confederate); 13th Regmt Tennessee Cavalry & 39th Indiana Infantry
(Union). Hembree Forum msg #409.
1880 census Roane Co, TN p.396c Joel Hembree age 40 TN SC SC
21. Joel Bird Hembree II son
of Joel Bird Hembree (b.1804)
b. 20 Jun 1846 Sumner Co, TN d. 25 May 1921 Osage Co, OK
22. Joel G. Hembree son of William
Hembree (b.1812 SC)
b. 1846 Carroll Co, GA d. unk
He was the son of William Hembree (b.1812 SC) and Susan E. Tackett, and
the nephew of Joel Hembree b.1798 SC.
[Carroll Co, GA census: 1850 (p.44), 1860 (p.611) with parents]
23. Joel Jordan Hembree son
of Absolom Hembree (1813-1856)
b. 6 May 1849 Yamhill Co, OR d. 8 July 1929 Oregon
He was a nephew of Joel Jordan Hembree Sr.
Co. B, 1st Oregon Infantry, Private, Civil War service (Union); and as
Joel P. Hembree Co. I, 1st Washington Territory Infantry, Private.
ixp 141
Family Sheet: Joel Hembree (1755-1825)
Joel “Bird” Hembree
b. 1755 VA d. 16 Feb 1825 Roane
Co, TN
wife: Hannah Caroline Pettit b.1758 NJ
d. 11 Oct 1839 Roane Co, TN
Joel Hembree was the son of James Hembree (b.1730 VA) and Sarah.
1) James N. Hembree b.c. 1774 SC d. 1850 Washington Co, Ark
m. Nancy (Pettit?) [1830 Warren Co TN]
2) Zachariah Hembree b.c. 1777 SC d. 1840 TN
m. Rosannah [1830 Warren Co, TN]
3) Rachel Hembree b.c. 1780 SC d.c. 1817 SC
m(1) Hugh Davis m(2) Johnson Hembree
3.5) unknown dau (1790, 1800 census) or mother (1790) ?
4) Rosannah Hembree b. 1785 SC d. aft. 1850 MO unmarried
5) Matilda Hembree b. 1788 / 1794 SC d. 20 Aug 1878 Cedar Co, MO
m(1) Charles White (had son Eber White)
m(2) Benagah Pennington on 26 July 1814 Roane Co, TN
note: Bob Hembree shows Matilda’s birth in 1794
but she is shown in 1790
census –
unless that is an unknown daughter or a census miscount
---------------- the 1790 census accounts for above children --------------------------
6) Obediah Hembree b. 1790 SC d. 29 Dec 1849 Morgan Co, TN
m. Anliza Martha Earle (Cherokee) [1830 Roane Co, TN]
7) Benjamin Franklin Hembree b. 18 Jan 1793 SC d.11 Jan 1864 Jackson Co AL m(1) Margaret Lyles (1794-1840) m(2) Mary Partin [1830 Rhea Co, TN]
8) Isaac Lyons Hembree b. 25 Mar 1796 d. 13 Apr 1864 Cedar Co MO
m(1) Mary Fanny Blake 12 Nov 1823 m(2) Salissa Shores Price 20 Apr1837
(1803-1836) (1807-1879)
9) Sarah Hembree b. 1798 SC d. Alabama
m. Joshua Pennington
----------------------the 1800 census accounts for above children ------------------
11) Andrew Thompson Hembree b. 31 July 1803 SC d. 5 Nov 1873 Sonoma
Co, CA. m. Martha Lorinde McCoy
12) Joel Bird Hembree b. 26 Nov 1804 SC d.1860 Greene Co, MO
Hembree Federal Land Patents (Joel Hembree line)
Source: Bureau of Land Management,
General Land Office Records
These are sons or grandsons of Joel Hembree. (PARTIAL list of grants & grantees.)
ALABAMA
HEMBREE, BENJAMIN 5/1/1845 Jackson Co, AL
Lebanon office
HEMBRE, JOHN 12/1/1859 Jackson Co, AL Huntsville
office
HEMBRE, JOHN 9/1/1860 Jackson Co, AL Huntsville
office
HAMBRE, JOHN 9/1/1860 Jackson Co, AL Huntsville
office
HEMBREE, ISAAC 10/1/1860 Jackson
Co, AL Centre
office
HEMBREE, ROBERT L. 10/1/1860 Jackson Co, AL Centre
office
HEMBREE, ROBERT L. 10/1/1860 Jackson Co, AL Centre
office
ARKANSAS
HEMBRY, OBADIAH 11/27/1820 Poinsett Co, AR Arkansas
office
HEMBREE, BENJAMIN 7/5/1889 Washington Co, AR
Harrison office
CALIFORNIA
HEMBREE, A. T. 11/1/1867 Sonoma Co, CA unk
office
HEMBREE, MARGARET 11/20/1877 Sonoma Co, CA unk office
MISSOURI
HEMBREE, ABSALOM J 5/1/1845 Dade Co, MO Springfield office
HEMBREE, ABSALOM J 6/1/1845 Dade Co, MO Springfield office
HEMBREE, ISAAC L 5/1/1845 Cedar Co, MO Springfield
office
HEMBREE, ISAAC L 5/1/1845 Dade Co, MO Springfield
office
HEMBREE, ISAAC L 12/1/1853 Cedar Co, MO Springfield
office
HEMBREE, ISAAC L 6/1/1859 Cedar Co, MO Springfield
office
HEMBREE, JASPER 5/1/1845 Dade Co, MO Springfield
office
HEMBREE, JAMES 5/1/1845 Dade Co, MO Springfield
office
HEMBREE, JOEL T 4/15/1853 Cedar
Co, MO Springfield
office
HEMBREE, JOEL T 4/15/1853 Cedar
Co, MO Springfield
office
OREGON
HEMBREE, JOEL J 10/16/1858 Yamhill
Co, OR unk
office
HEMBREE, ABSALOM J 10/16/1858 Yamhill Co, OR unk office
HEMBREE, NANCY 10/16/1858 Yamhill Co, OR unk
office
HEMBREE, SALLY 10/16/1858 Yamhill Co, OR unk
office
HEMBREE, JAMES T 1/18/1866 Yamhill Co, OR Oregon
City office
HEMBREE, WAINAN C 1/18/1866 Yamhill Co, OR
Oregon City
office
HEMBREE, MELVINA ANN 1/18/1866 Yamhill Co, OR
Oregon City
office
HEMBREE, ANDREW T 6/16/1868 Yamhill Co, OR
Oregon City
office
HEMBREE, MARTHA L 6/16/1868 Yamhill Co, OR
Oregon City
office
ixp 144
Family Sheet: Joel Hembree (1770)
Joel Hembree
b. 1765-1770 d. bef 1830 Roane Co, TN
wife: Matilda
Joel Hembree was the son of John Hembry of Goochland Co, VA.
1) Colonel Joel Hembree b. 25 March 1796 Spartanburg, South Carolina;
d. 23 December 1868 Roane County, Tennessee
m(1) Mary Wilhite (Wilhoit); m(2) Raney Wilhite (Wilhoit)
His birth given as 1796 in his official biography but 1793 on his grave.
He had 3 children by Mary but did not marry her. Resided in Cardiff.
Led a regiment in the Cherokee removal (1838) and named Fort Hembree
in Macon Co, NC. Served in the Tennessee legislature.
See “The Compendium of Joel Hembrees” for more detail. Col. Joel was said
to be an only son, but he had two sisters.
2) unknown daughter Hembree
3) unknown daughter Hembree
He is almost always forgotten and whenever he appears in the record, it is
assumed that Joel Hembree b.1755 or Col. Joel (above) is meant. He is called
“Jr.” in Roane County to distinguish him from Joel b.1755. Both Joel b.1755
and this Joel b.1770 had sons named Joel: Joel B. (son of Joel b.1755) and
Col. Joel (son of Joel b.1770). The family relationship is cemented by the fact
that Joel B. (son of Joel b.1755) was married in the home of Col. Joel (son of
Joel b.1770). Another cousin, Joseph Joel b.1779, came to Roane County and
thankfully went by Joseph most of the time.
A birth year of 1770 is chosen as shorthand for 1765-1770. This is based on
his having a household in 1800 (Spartanburg District, SC) with young children,
his appointment as a road administrator in 1815 and as a constable in 1823. An
age of 45 is about right for a “road boss”, who had to be young enough to beat up
an 18 year old but old enough to command enough respect not to have to. The
role of constable back then was more like a bailiff/process server: getting people
to show up for court, certifying bounty money (for wolf skins, barrels of
turpentine, runaway slaves, etc.) and bringing prisoners from the jailhouse to the
court. Although physically demanding (travel throughout the county) it was a
position of public trust, more than law enforcement. An age of 53 was near the
upper end of the range. It would be less likely at age 63 (born 1760) to be
appointed constable. An age of 48 (born 1775) is possible but that seems too
young for this Joel. I think Bob Hembree would accept a birth year of 1765
but might flatly reject a birth year of 1775 for this Joel.
The fact that he is the “junior” of Joel b. 1755 seems to indicate a difference of
at least ten years. The birth of his first children in the 1790’s supports a birth
year of 1765-1770.
ixp 147
Family Sheet: Joseph Hembree (1779-1867) TN
b. 1779 NC d. 1867/8 Roane Co,
TN son of William Hembree
m(1)
? Matilda Hembree (b.1788 SC d.aft.1830 ) (dau. of Abraham Hembree)
m(2) Sarah Elizabeth Melton (b.1790 NC d.1901 Roane Co, TN)
His first marriage to
Matilda Hembree is not proven.
Children of Joseph (Joel)
Hembree and Matilda Hembree:
i. James M.
HEMBREE b. 1809 NC d. 30 Apr 1882 Gilmer Co, GA
(See separate Family Sheet)
ii. J. Abraham
HEMBREE b.1811 NC
d.bef. 1860 upper GA
m. Levina FLOYD (b.1813)
iii. Lucinda
HEMBREE b.1813 NC
d. unk
Children of Joseph (Joel)
Hembree and Sarah Melton:
iii. Ezzarias
HEMBREE b. 1813 d.aft. 1864
iv. Eli (Ely)
HEMBREE b.c.1815 Roane Co, TN d. 1888 Roane Co, TN
v. William
HEMBREE b.c. 1820 Roane Co, TN d.bef. 1864?
vi. George W.
HEMBREE b.c. 1825 Roane Co, TN
vii. Joseph HEMBREE
b. 1829 Roane Co, TN d.aft. 1891
Same as Joseph Marion Hembree claimed as son of
Joel Joseph Hembree b.1802 SC?
A Joseph Hembree Jr. listed with Eli, Azarais,
George W. Hembree on 1864 militia
list (15th district) for Roane County,
Tennessee. This Joseph Hembree is on
1890
veterans census at Ethel PO, Roane Co, TN shown
as Corporal, Co.G 1st TN Inf.
(Union), age 61.
viii. Sarah
HEMBREE b.c. 1832 Roane Co, TN
ix. Elizabeth
HEMBREE b.c. 1834 Roane Co, TN
x. Anginara
HEMBREE b. 1830-1842 TN
xi. Cynthia HEMBREE b. 1830-1842 TN
xii. Melissa
HEMBREE b. 1830-1842 TN
ixp 149
Family Sheet: (Joel) Joseph Hembree (1802) NC-IL
b.c.
1802 NC d.aft 1860 Union Co,
IL
m. Eva Fite
17 Mar 1828 Rowan Co, NC
He was the son of John & Lydia
Hambrie of Rowan Co, North Carolina.
1) William Hembree b. 1829 Rowan Co, NC m. Mary Ann
2) Henry Emery b. 1831 Rowan Co, NC
3) James Emery b. 1833 Rowan Co, NC
m. Louisa Norton (b.1838 IL) in 1854
4) John Emery b. 1836 Rowan Co, NC d. 15 Feb 1862 Ft. Donelson,TN
m. Mary Frances Landreth
5) David Emery b. 1838 Rowan Co, NC d. 18 Oct 1864 Mississippi River
6) Elizabeth Emery b. 1841 Rowan Co, NC
7) Moses Emery b. 10 Dec 1843 KY (according to 1850 census)
m. 4 Nov 1866 Armentha Ellen Hagler (1844-1921)
d. 18 Dec 1897 Jackson Co, IL
In the 1860 census an “Avia A.
[Eva] Emery” (age 22) is listed with the family. She does not
show up in the 1840 or 1850 census.
He is the son of John
Hembrie/Emery b.1766 NC. (1800,1810
Census Rowan Co, NC.)
On 28 Sep 1799 John & Lydia
Hembree witnessed the will of Edward Gates (wife Esther) in
Rowan County, NC.
Executors were his son Joseph and his wife. Mentioned are a Daniel
Cosgrove and 4 daus: Mary (wife of Walter Daniel), Elizabeth (wife of Leonard Jones),
Dorothea
(wife of Samuel Smith) and Rachel (wife of Richard
Lanin), George Niblock was another
witness. Probate in 1800.
Joel Emery bought land in Union Co. on 15 Jan 1844. Moses Emery bought land there on 29 Apr 1871. Union Co Civil War soldiers Emery : David Emery(23) , pvt. Co B , 109th, South Pass 8/15/1862 died 10/18/1864 on Mississippi River below Cairo was transfered to Co G 11th at that time. James Emery (28-b Rowan Co NC) pvt. Co B 109th 8/15/1862, 5' 7"fair, bl eyes, dark hair tr Co G 11th 9/11/1862 m. 1854 to Louisa Norton, disc. Hosp Mound City 5/16/1865 John Emery pvt Co K , 9th on 9/3, 1861 killed at Fort Donelson TN 2/15/1862 m. 1860 Mary Frances Landreth Moses Emery Co K 9th 3/18/1864 next month transfered to Co B on 7/9/1865 b.1844 in IL
ixp 150
Family Sheet: James Lindley Hembree (1808)
b.
1808 Pendleton (Anderson) Co SC
d. Mississippi
m(1) c 1830 Cynthia Hester Rainwater (not Gentry)
(she
b.1808 SC d.1856 GA)
m(2) c 1864 Emily P.
Son
of Amariah Hembree (1781-1855) and Sarah Minton; gr-son of Rev. James Hembree.
1) Mary R. Hembree b.c.1832 m. William Tinney
2) Harvey Dampeer R. Hembree b.1834 Georgia
m. Carrie S. Knott in Bibb Co, GA
Pvt Co. A 9th Battln GA Lt. Artlly CSA
3) Malinda Hembree b.c. 1837
4) Julia Hembree b.c.1839 GA
m(1) ------ McDonald m(2) William Wilson 25 Dec 1871 Hinds Co,
Mississippi (her bro-in-law)
5) Emily Ann Hembree b.c.1841
m(1) ---- Eads m(2) George Owens
6) Jane A. Hembree b.c.1843
7) Didama G. Hembree b.c. 1846 GA m. William Wilson
---------------------------- ch by 2nd wife -----------------------------------------------
8) Jefferson Davis Hembree
9) Sarah Louisa Hembree
10) Lena Hembree
11) Thomas A. Hembree
ixp 151
Fitting family data into the ten-year
federal census schedules
is a challenge in any family, let
alone a Hembree family, with
its name changes, movements, and
practice of taking in
orphans and relatives and making them
part of the household.
The thing to remember about census
data is that it is entirely
dependent on the knowledge of the one
person giving the census
taker the information (and then on the
census taker’s understanding
and spelling of the information). Fathers tended to make their sons
older, their daughters younger, in the
census and widows always
added or subtracted ten years to their
own age depending on
whether or not they were still looking
for a husband. Teenage
males had no idea of anyone’s age or
birthplace, whereas teenage
females were good about their parents
and brothers but gave
“competitive” ages for their sisters,
usually making themselves
the most marriageable. Grandparents in the household were
“ancient” but were good sources of
census information (except
about themselves). When all ages in the household are in fives
or tens (50, 45, 20, 15, 10) it’s
possible that a neighbor was the
source of the information.
In all cases, the first and second
census are most reliable in finding
a person’s true age. For example, if someone is “under 5” in 1840
and 13 in 1850, but 25 in 1860, there
is a good probability that they
were really 23 in 1860. So, in 1900, if they claim to be 73, they
are
probably just 63 (feeling 73, no
doubt).
With that in mind, let’s tackle the
difficult task of mapping the
Abraham Hembree family into the census
data.
. . . . . . . 1790 Census Data . . . . . . .
Abraham Hambray 1790 Spartanburgh Co, SC p.87
male 16+ (Abraham
b.1757)
female (his wife Winnifred)
female (dau. Polly b.1782)
female (dau. Esther b.1784)
female (dau. Rebecca b.1786)
female (dau. Matilda b.1788)
female (dau. Betsy b.1789)
Drury Hemery
1790 Spartanburgh Co , SC p.87
male 16+ (Drury,
b.1755 Abraham’s brother)
female (his wife)
male < 16 (son
Andrew/James b.1783)
female (dau. Rachel b.1785)
female (dau. Matilda b.1787)
female (dau. unk b.1789)
Joel Emry
1790 Spartanburgh Co , SC p.87
male 16+ (Joel
b.1755)
female (his wife Hannah
Pettit)
male 16+ (son
James b.1774)
male < 16 (son
Zachariah b. 1777)
female (dau. Rachel b. 1780)
female (dau. unk b. 1783 d.bef
1800)
female (dau. Rosanah b.1785)
female (dau. Matilda b. 1788 or
1794)
female (mother or
mother-in-law)
3 slaves
Henry Emry
1790 Spartanburgh Co , SC
p.86 1 – 1 - 1
male 16+ (Henry)
– unk relationship
female (his wife)
male
< 16 (son)
Wm. Embrew
1790 Wake Co, NC p.103 2 – 4 – 3
0 - 0
2 males 16+ (William
Hembree Sr & Jr)
female (his wife Orindah)
4 males < 16 (Owen,Isaiah,Irah,Johnson)
2 other females (daughters)
. . . Other
1790 Census Data . . . . . .
numbers
are males 16+, males <16, females, other free, slaves
Moore, Wm 2 – 2 – 3 – 0 – 0
Floyd,
Enuch 3 – 2 – 1 – 0 – 3 Enoch
Floyd (1737-1795)
White,
John 1 – 1 – 1 – 0 – 2
Floyd,
Ebenazer 2 – 3 – 1 – 0 – 0
Hembey,
Susannah 1 – 2 – 5 – 0 – 0
Jackson,
Elizh. 0 – 0 – 1 – 0 – 0
Floyd,
Jonathan 1 – 1 – 1 – 0 – 0 – son
of Enoch
Moore,
Jeremiah 1 – 0 – 4 – 0 – 0
Floyd,
John 1 – 0 – 1 – 0 – 0
Hembey,
John 1 – 1 – 1 – 0 – 0
Lee,
Robert 3 – 1 – 4 – 0 – 0
Lee,
Richard 1 – 0 – 1 – 0 – 0
Moore,
Abraham 2 – 5 – 3 – 0 – 0
Hembey,
Ann 0 – 1 – 3 – 0 – 0
Hambey,
John 1 – 2 – 4 – 0 – 0
Floyd,
John 1 – 0 – 1 – 0 – 0
Hambey,
John 1 – 1 – 2 – 0 – 0
Moore, Wm 2 – 4 – 3 – 0 – 0
Lee,
James 1 – 1 – 4 – 0 – 0
Davis,
Nathaniel 1 – 2 – 5 – 0 – 0
Pinston,
Aaron 2 – 3 – 5 – 0 – 0
Pinston,
Joseph 1 – 1 – 6 – 0 – 0
Sherley,
Wm. 1 – 0 – 5 – 0 – 0
Sullivan,
Ezekl. 1 – 1 – 2 – 0 – 0
Hambray,
Abraham 1 – 0 – 6 – 0 – 0
Sullivan,
Rebecca 0 – 1 – 1 – 0 – 0
Davis,
David 3 – 2 – 5 – 0 – 0
Sanders,
Wm 1 – 0 – 1 – 0 – 0
Pattit,
Henry 1 – 1 – 2 – 0 – 0
Pattit,
Joshua 1 – 0 – 2 – 0 – 0
Bise,
Abraham 1 – 0 – 3 – 0 – 0
Bise, Wm 4 – 1 – 2 – 0 – 0
Bise,
Jonathan 1 – 0 – 1 – 0 – 0
Moore,
Amus 1 – 0 – 1 – 0 – 0
Henry,
David 1 – 0 – 3 – 0 – 0
Surrat,
John 1 – 3 – 5 – 0 – 0
Surrat,
Allin 1 – 2 – 2 – 0 – 0
Bise,
John 1 – 2 – 2 – 0 – 0
Surrat,
Saml. 2 – 3 – 4 – 0 – 0
Surrat,
Saml. 1 – 1 – 3 – 0 – 0
Bise,
Jenot 0 – 2 – 3 – 0 – 0
Davis,
Joseph 1 – 4 – 3 – 0 – 0
Ayres,
Henry 1 – 4 – 3 – 0 – 0
Lee,
Barzil 2 – 3 – 5 – 0 – 0
Rise,
James 1 – 0 – 4 – 0 – 0
Liles, Wm 1 – 0 – 1 – 0 – 0
Davis,
Jesse 0 – 0 – 0 – 1 – 0
Ray,
Andrew 1 – 2 – 1 – 0 – 0
Ray,
Andrew 2 – 0 – 2 – 0 – 0
Sanders,
James 3 – 4 – 6 – 0 – 0
Moore,
John 2 – 1 – 5 – 0 – 0
Jackson,
Thos. 1 – 2 – 4 – 0 – 1
Hannah 0
– 0 – 3 – 0 – 0
Sanders,
Richard 1 – 7 – 4 – 0 – 1
Davis,
David 3 – 0 – 1 – 0 - 0
Ray,
Alexr. 1 – 1 – 0 – 0 – 5
Floyd, Wm 1 – 0 – 5 – 0 – 1
Moore, Wm 2 – 0 – 2 – 0 – 0
Moore,
Thos. 2 – 5 – 3 – 0 – 0
Moore,
Jason 5 – 2 – 5 – 0 – 0
Moore,
Charles 3 – 0 – 2 – 0 – 9
Moore,
Thos. 2 – 0 – 4 – 0 – 4
Hemree,
David 1 – 0 – 1 – 0 – 0
Welch,
William 1 – 2 – 5 – 0 – 0
Hembrey,
James 1 – 4 – 3 – 0 – 0
Mulkey,
Phillip 1 – 0 – 1 – 0 – 0
Heaten,
James 1 – 1 – 2 – 0 – 0
Davis,
Thomas 2 – 3 – 4 – 0 – 0
Moore,
Robert 3 – 2 – 3 – 0 – 0
Martin,
Samuel 2 – 3 – 5 – 0 – 0
Martin,
Giddian 1 – 1 – 2 – 0 – 0
Martin,
Joseph 2 – 3 – 7 – 0 – 0
Wilkinson,
John 1 – 2 – 2 – 0 – 0
Moore,
John 1 – 2 – 4 – 0 – 0
Rogers,
Mary 0 – 0 – 2 – 0 – 0
Martin,
Valentine 4 – 1 – 4 – 0 – 0
Guest, John 3
– 4 – 4 – 0 – 0
Brown,
Samuel 1 – 0 – 1 – 0 – 0
Elliot,
Thomas 1 – 1 – 2 – 0 – 0
Brown,
Thomas 1 – 0 – 1 – 0 – 0
Martin,
John 1 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Guest,
William 2 – 3 – 4 – 0 – 0
Harris,
John 1 – 2 – 3 – 0 – 3
Martin,
John 1 – 2 – 3 – 0 – 0
Moore,
Hugh 1 – 2 – 6 – 0 – 1
Rice,
James 2 – 1 – 2 – 0 – 0
Murphey,
William 4 – 1 – 1 – 0 – 0
Smith,
Abraham 1 – 0 – 2 – 0 – 0
Thompson,
Robert 1 – 0 – 3 – 0 – 0
Moore, Burt 1
– 3 – 3 – 0 – 0
Moore,
William 2 – 2 – 2 – 0 – 0
Jackson,
Ephraim 1 – 0 – 2 – 0 – 0
Jackson,
Samuel 1 – 3 – 4 – 0 – 0
Murphey, John 1 – 4 – 3 – 0 – 0
Laffoon,
William 2 – 3 – 3 – 0 – 0 (Laboon)
Davis,
John 1 – 0 – 1 – 0 – 0
Beard,
John 1 – 4 – 2 – 0 - 0
Welch,
David 1 – 1 – 3 – 0 – 0
Moore,
Jonathen 1 – 1 – 1 – 0 – 0
Welch,
William 1 – 2 – 3 – 0 – 0
Hamby,
William 1 – 1 – 3 – 0 – 0
Jackson,
John 1 – 3 – 4 – 0 – 0
Harris,
John 2 – 3 – 8 – 0 – 1
Moore,
Eliab 1 – 1 – 1 – 0 – 0
Jolly,
William 3 – 5 – 4 – 0 – 1
Milwee,
James 2 – 2 – 2 – 0 – 1
Elledge,
Abraham 1 – 0 – 2 – 0 – 0
Jolly,
James 1 – 1 – 2 – 0 – 1
Dickison,
John 1 – 3 – 2 – 0 – 0
Davis,
Margaret 0 – 1 – 1 – 0 – 0
Woodal,
Joseph 1 – 1 – 4 – 0 – 1
Brown,
Samuel 1 – 3 – 6 – 0 – 0
Nation,
Joseph 1 – 1 – 2 – 0 – 0
Martin, George 1 – 5 – 3 – 0 – 0
Nation,
Joseph 2 – 0 – 4 – 0 – 0
Harling,
Ellis 1 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 2 (Harlan)
Buffenton,
Ezekiel 2 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0 (Buffington)
Moor,
Aaron 1 – 3 – 3 – 0 – 0
Fields,
Thomas 2 – 0 – 4 – 0 – 0
. . . . . . . 1800 Census Data . . . . . .
James Embrey
1800 Spartanburg, SC p.197
male b.1773-1784 (James b.1774 son of Joel b.1755)
female b.1773-1784 (Nancy, wife of James)
female b.1789-1800
Abraham Embrey
1800 Spartanburg, SC p.198
male b.1755-1773 (Abraham b.1757)
female b.1755-1773 (his wife Winnifred)
female b.1773-1784 (dau. Polly b.1782)
female b.1773-1784 (dau. Esther b.1784)
female b.1783-1790 (dau. Rebecca b.1786)
female b.1783-1790 (dau. Matilda b.1788)
male b.1789-1800 (son James b.1790)
female b.1789-1800 (dau. Elizabeth b.1789/92)
female b.1789-1800 (dau. Sarah b.1794)
male b.1789-1800 (son Ephraim b.1796)
female b.1789-1800 (dau. Jinnie b.1798)
Wm Hembrey
1800 Spartanburg, SC p.199
male b. bef 1755 (William W. 1754-1821)
female b.1755-1773 (wife Oo-rin-dah)
female b.1773-1784 (dau b.1775)
male b.1773-1784 (son Owen b.1777)
male b.1783-1790 (son Isaiah b.1781)
male b.1783-1790 (son Irah b.1783)
male b.1783-1790 (son Johnson b.1784)
note that the older son William is not part of the
household
Joel Hembrey
1800 Spartanburg, SC p.199
male b.bef 1755 (Joel b.1755)
female b.bef 1755 (his
wife Hannah)
female b.bef 1755 (his
mother or mother-in-law)
female b.1783-1790 (dau. Rosannah b.1785)
female b.1783-1790 (dau. Matilda b.1788 or 1794)
male b.1783-1790 (son Obediah b.1790)
male b.1783-1790 (unk male – Rosannah’s husband?)
female b.1789-1800 (unk female)
male b.1789-1800 (son Benjamin F.
b.1793)
male b.1789-1800 (son Isaac Lyons
b.1796)
female b.1789-1800 (dau. Sarah b.1798)
male b.1789-1800 (unk male = Col. Joel!)
Hugh Davis
1800 Spartanburg, SC p.197
2 0
0 1 0 . . . 3 0 1
0 0 (Rachel Hembree, wife)
(he d.1807
and these 5 ch are in household of Johnson Hembree in 1810)
Epheraim Jackson
1800 Spartanburg, SC p.203
2 1
0 1 0 . . . 0 0 1
0 0
:. .
. Solomon Jackson
Ezekiel Sulivan
1800 Spartanburg, SC p.203
3 1
0 1 0 . . . 1 0 0
1 0
Zach. Embery
1800 Spartanburg, SC p.206
0 0
1 0 0 . . . 1 0 1
0 0 (Joel’s son Zachariah
b.1777)
Joshua Pettet
1800 Spartanburg, SC p.206
4 0
0 1 0 . . . 1 1 0
1 0
Joel Hembry
1800 Spartanburg, SC p.207
0 0
0 1 0 . . . 0 0 1
0 0 (Joel b.1770)
. . . . . . . 1810 Census Data . . . . . .
Abraham Hendry 1810
Spartanburg, SC p.203
male b.bef 1765 (Abraham)
female b.1764-1785 (dau. Polly b.1782)
female b.1764-1785 (dau. Elizabeth b.1789/92)
female b.1783-1794 (unk female - a niece?)
female b.1783-1794 (dau. Sarah b.1794)
male b.1783-1794 (son Ephraim b.1796)
female b.1793-1800 (dau. Jinnie b.1798)
female b.1793-1800 (dau. Nancy b.1800)
male b.1800-1810 (son Joel b.1802)
male b.1800-1810 (son Reuben b.1804)
male b.1800-1810 (son Isaac b.1806)
(note the Sallie and
Matilda age females in the household,
probably daughters of
Drury who chose not to go into Tenn.)
Esther Emry 1810
Spartanburg, SC p.203 (widow of Irah d.1810)
female b.1764-1785 (Esther b.1784 dau of Abraham)
male b.1800-1810 (son David b.1804)
male b.1800-1810 (son John b.1806)
female b.1800-1810 (Rebecca b.1809 m. John Mullin)
Hezekiah Embree 1810
Spartanburg, SC p.203
male b.1783-1794 (Hezekiah Embry, son of John
& Nancy Embry of Georgia)
Owen Hembree 1810
Spartanburg, SC p.203
male b.bef
1765 (Owen b.1777)
female b.1764-1785 (Abraham’s dau Rebecca b.1786)
female b.1800-1810 (Laura Susan b.1801)
female b.1800-1810 (Sarah b.1802)
female b.1800-1810 (dau b.1804)
male b.1800-1810 (Owen b.1806)
female b.1800-1810 (dau b.1808)
Others
not located in 1810:
Sallie
– with husband James in GA or Pendleton Co SC
James
L. Hembree -- prob in NC or TN
Matilda Hembree – in NC
ixp 159
. . . . . . . 1820 Census Data . . . . . .
Abram Hembree 1820
Spartanburg, SC p.263
male b.bef 1775 (Abraham b.1757)
female b.1775-1794 (dau. Polly b.1782)
female b.1775-1794 (dau. Matilda b.1788)
female b.1794-1804 (dau. Jinnie b.1798)
male b.1794-1802 (son Joel b.1802)
female b.1794-1804 (dau. Nancy b.1800)
male b.1805-1810 (son Reuben b.1804)
male b.1805-1810 (son Isaac b.1807)
male b.1805-1810 (gr-son James M. b.1809)(Matilda’s)
female b.1810-1820 (gr-dau)
male b.1810-1820 (gr-son Abraham
b.1811)(Matilda’s)
female b.1810-1820 (gr-dau)
male b.1810-1820 (gr-son Hampton b.1818)(Jinny’s)
female b.1810-1820 (gr-dau)
male b.1810-1820 (gr-son) (Nancy’s?)
Easter Hembree 1820
Spartanburg, SC p.263 (widow of Irah d.1810)
female b.1775-1794 (Esther, b.1784 dau of Abraham)
male b.1794-1802 (nephew – not in 1810 census)
male b.1802-1804 (David b.1804 m. Rebecca)
male b.1805-1810 (son John b. 1806)
female b.1810-1820 (Rebecca b.1808 m. John Mullin)?
Ephraim Embree 1820
Spartanburg, SC p.279
male b.1794-1802 (Abraham’s son Ephraim b.1796)
female b.1794-1804 (wife Rachel Pettit b.1796)
male b.1810-1820 (William b.1816)
male b.1810-1820 (Robert J. b.1818)
male b.1810-1820 (Abraham b.1819)
Owen Hembree 1820
Spartanburg, SC p.261
male b.bef 1775 (Owen b.1777)
female b.1775-1794 (Abraham’s dau Rebecca b.1786)
female b.1794-1804 (dau Laura Susan b.1801)
female b.1794-1804 (dau Sarah b.1803)
female b.1805-1810 (dau Delilah b.1805)
male b.1805-1810 (son William b.1806)
female b.1805-1810 (dau b.1808)
male b.1810-1820 (son Elegus Thomas b.1810)
male b.1810-1820 (son Obediah b.1813)
female b.1810-1820 (dau b.1815)
female b.1810-1820 (dau Nancy b.1819)
James Hembree
1820 Spartanburg, SC p.273
1-0-0-0-1-0 0-0-2-0-0
male b.1776-1794 (James b.1785)
female b.1794-1804 (Abraham’s dau Sarah b.1794)
female b.1794-1804 (James’ sister?)
male b.1810-1820
Others
not located in 1820:
James
L. Hembree – married, living in TN or NC
Elizabeth
– married, living in NC
. . . . . . 1830 Census Data . . . . . . .
Abraham Himbru 1830
Rutherford Co, NC p.455
male b.1740-1750 (Abraham b.1757)
female b.1770-1780 (dau. Polly b.1782)
female b.1800-1810 (unk gr-dau)
female b.1815-1820 (unk gr-dau)
male b.1820-1825 (gr-son)
Ephraim Himbru 1830
Rutherford Co, NC p.455
male b.1780-1790 (Abraham’s son Ephraim b.1796)
female b.1790-1800 (wife Rachel Pettit b.1796)
male b.1815-1820 (William b.1816)
male b.1815-1820
(Robert J. b.1818)
male b.1815-1820 (Abraham b.1819)
female b.1820-1825 (Rachel b.1821)
female b.1820-1825 (Lucinda b.1823)
female b.1825-1830 (Mary Magdalene b.1826)
female b.1825-1830 (unk dau b.1828)
female b.1825-1830 (unk dau b.1830)
Isaac Himbru 1830
Rutherford Co, NC p.455
male b.1800-1810 (son Isaac b.1806)
female b.1810-1815 (wife Elizabeth White b.1812)
note: Isaac
Hembree m. Elizabeth White 4 Jan 1830
Rutherford Co NC
James Himbru 1830
Rutherford Co, NC p.455
male b.1800-1810 (gr-son James M. b.1809)
female b.1800-1810 (wife Nancy Floyd b.1810)
female b.1825-1830 (Mahala Caroline b.1829)
Matilda Hembree 1830
Rutherford Co, NC p.455
female b.1780-1790 (Abraham’s dau. Matilda b.1788)
male b.1810-1815 (J. Abraham b. 1813 SC)
female b.1815-1820 (dau-in-law Levina b.1815)
female b.1815-1820 Matilda’s dau
female b.1820-1825 Matilda’s dau
female b.1825-1830 Matilda’s gr-dau?
note: Abram
Hembree m. Levina Floyd 25 Aug 1830
Rutherford Co NC
James Emery 1830
Campbell Co, TN p.222
male b.1780-1790 (Abraham’s son James L. b.1790)
female b.1790-1800 (wife Nancy b.1792)
male b.1810-1815 (Abram b.1813)
male b.1815-1820
(Andrew b.1815)
female b.1815-1820 (unk dau b.1818) (not in 1840)
male b.1820-1825 (John b.1817)
female b.1820-1825 (Susan b.1822) (not in 1840)
male b.1820-1825 (James b.1824)
male b.1825-1830 (Matthew b.1826)
male b.1825-1830 (Jonathan b.1828)
also in Campbell Co, TN:
p.221 Drury
Emery 70-80 wife 50-60, daughter
20-30, gr-son < 5
p.240
Benjamin Emery 30-40 wife 30-40, 2 daus 5-10 1 son 5-10
1
son < 5
Esther Embree 1830
Spartanburg, SC p.255 – widow of Irah
d.1810
female b.1779-1790 (Esther b.1784) dau of Abraham
male b.1800-1810 (David b.1804 m. Rebecca)
female b.1800-1810 (Rebecca b.1808 m. John Mullin)
female b.1815-1820 (neice)
female b.1815-1820 (neice)
Owen Hembree 1830
Spartanburg, SC p.246
male b.1760-1770 (Owen b.1777)
female b.1779-1790 (Abraham’s dau Rebecca b.1786)
etc.
Joel Emmery
1830 Rowan Co, NC p.358
male b.1800-1810 (Joel b.1802)
female b.1800-1810 (wife Eva Fite b.1809)
male b.1825-1830 (William b.1829)
Washington Henbry (or Henby) 1830 Rowan Co, NC p.357
male b.1800-1810 (Washington)
female b.1800-1810 (wife)
female b.1760-1770 (mother or moth-in-law)
male b.1825-1830 (son)
male b.1825-1830 (son)
Reuben Embry
1830 Hall Co, GA p.109
male b.1800-1810 (Abraham’s son Reuben b.1804)
female b.1800-1810 (wife Sarah Laird)
female b.1825-1830 (Elizabeth b.Aug 1828 GA)
Others
not located in 1830:
Sallie –
d.c. 1828 in GA
Elizabeth – married, living in NC
Nancy –
married to ---- White, living in SC or NC
Jane –
married
Joel –
recently married in w.NC or TN
ixp 165
. . . . . . . 1840 Census Data . . . . . .
Betsy Emery
1840 Rutherford Co, NC p.347
female b.1780-1790 (Abraham’s dau Elizabeth b.1792)
female b.1810-1820 (dau)
male b.1820-1825 (son Allen b.1825)
Joel Emery
1840 Rowan Co, NC p.34 no
connection
male b.1800-1810 (Joel b.1802)
female b.1800-1810 (wife Eva Fite b.1809)
male b.1825-1830 (William b. 1829)
male b.1825-1830 (Henry b. 1829)
male b.1830-1835 (James b.1833)
male b.1835-1840 (John b.1836)
male b.1835-1840 (David b.1838)
James Emery
1840 Meigs Co, TN p.247
male b.1780-1790 (Abraham’s son James Lee b.1790)
female b.1790-1800 (wife Nancy Rice
b.1797)
male b.1820-1825 (son)
male b.1825-1830 (son John b. 1827)
male b.1825-1830 (son William b.1831)
female b.1830-1835 (dau b. 1833)
male b.1835-1840 (son Manuel b. 1834)
male b.1835-1840 (son Benjamin b. 1836)
female b.1835-1840 (dau Nancy b. 1838)
Davis Emery
1840 Cocke Co, TN p.282
male b.1810-1820 (Abraham’s grson Davis b.1818)
female b.1810-1820 (wife Adaline Miller)
male b.1835-1840 (son James b. 1837)
Joel Hembree
1840 Cocke Co, TN p.264
male b.1800-1810 (Joel – Abraham’s son b.1802 SC)
female b.1810-1820 (wife Sarah b. 1808)
female b.1825-1830 (dau Hulda b. 1824)
female b.1825-1830 (dau b.1826)
female b.1825-1830 (dau Rebecca b.1828)
male b.1830-1835 (son Joseph Marion b.1830)
male b.1835-1840 (son Frank b. 1835)
female b.1835-1840 (dau Hettie b.1837)
male b.1835-1840 (son Samuel b.1840)
Reuben Emery
1840 Co, GA p.
male b.1800-1810 (Reuben – Abraham’s son b.1804 SC)
female b.1800-1810 (wife Sarah b. 1808)
female b.1825-1830 (dau Elizabeth b.1828)
female b.1825-1830 (dau b.1830)
female b.1830-1835 (dau Martha b.1833)
female b.1835-1840 (dau Mary b.1835)
female b.1835-1840 (dau Talitha b.1838)
female b.1835-1840 (dau Malinda b.1839)
Isaac Emry
1840 Marion Co, TN p.263 (prob
son of Benjamin F.
Hembree & Margaret Liles)
male b.1810-1820 (Isaac)
female b.1810-1820 (wife)
female b.1830-1835 (dau)
male b.1830-1835 (son)
female b.1830-1835 (dau)
male b.1835-1840 (son)
female b.1835-1840 (dau)
Silas Hembree
1840 Polk Co, TN p.9 (Embrey?)
male b.1800-1810 (Silas)
female b.1790-1800 (wife)
male b.1810-1820 (son)
female b.1810-1820 (dau)
female b.1825-1830 (dau)
female b.1825-1830 (dau)
Andrew Hembre
1840 Rhea Co, TN p.31 (indexed
as Polk)
male b.1810-1820 (Andrew)
female b.1810-1820 (wife Elizabeth)
male b.1835-1840 (son James)
female b.1835-1840 (dau)
Rebecca Hembree
1840 Carroll Co, GA p.55 (widow
of Owen)
female b.1780-1790 (Rebecca b.1786—dau of Abraham)
male b.1810-1820 (son-in-law?)
female b.1820-1825
female b.1820-1825
male b.1825-1830 (son Joseph Joel)
Thomas Hemery
1840 Carroll Co, GA p.55 (son of
Owen)
male b.1800-1810 (Elegus Thomas Hembree b.1810)
female b.1820-1825
etc.
Obediah Hembree
1840 Carroll Co, GA p.55 (son of
Owen)
male b.1810-1820 (Obediah Hembree b.1813)
etc.
Others
not located in 1840:
Sallie –
prob d. in GA 1828
Polly –
living with brother or sister in TN
Esther –
prob d. in SC
Matilda – living with a son or dau in w.NC
or TN
Nancy –
m. to John Floyd, living in NC
Ephraim –
on his way to MO
Jane –
married, living in TN or NC
James M.
– in Murray Co, GA
ixp 168
. . . . . . . 1850 Census Data . . . . . .
Abraham Embree
1850 Rhea Co, TN p.280
Abraham
Embree 37 M TN (Abraham son of James L. Hembree)
Rhoda 35 F TN (wife Rhoda Mallicoat)
James M
8 M TN (son
James)
Sarah J. 5 F TN (dau Sarah Jane) (“idiotic”)
Andrew Emery
1850 Rhea Co, TN p.280
Andrew
Emery 38 M TN (Andrew son of James
L. Hembree)
Elizabeth 36
F TN (wife
Elizabeth)
James 15
M TN (son)
Nancy A. 11 F
TN (dau)
Louisa J. 9 F TN (dau)
Fanny
D. 7 F TN (dau)
Lucyana
4 F TN (dau)
Harriet 1 F
TN (dau)
David Emery
1850 Rutherford Co, NC p.268
David
Emery 31 M NC (Davis, gr son of
Abraham)
Adaline 31
F TN (wife
Adeline Miller)
James 12 M
TN (son)
Joseph 9 M NC (son)
Abraham 6 M
NC (son)
Carity
3 F NC (dau)
Sarah 1 F
NC (dau)
Elizabeth Emery
1850 Rutherford Co, NC p.269
Elizabeth Emery 60 F SC (dau of Abraham)
James 35
M NC (son)
Allen 23
M NC (son) (“idiotic”)
James C.
Jr 4 M NC (gr-son)
Note: James
Hembree m. Delilah Hembree 22 July 1852 Rutherford Co, NC
(Davis Hembree was bondsman for the
marriage)
Elizabeth Emry
1850 Greene Co, TN p.329
Elizabeth Emry 41 F NC (widow of Isaac, son of Abraham)
Margaret
12 F NC (dau)
Drucilla 6 F
TN (dau)
Joshua 3 M
TN (son)
Anna Emry 1850 Greene Co, TN p.331
(in household of Abraham Hause 40 M TN & wife Polina 44 F TN)
Anna Emry 18 F
TN
James Hembro
1850 Meigs Co, TN p.721/807
James
Hembro 61 M TN (James Lee b.1790, son
of Abraham)
Nancy 45
F SC (wife
Nancy Jane Rice b.1797)
John
22 M TN (son Jonathan b.1827)
William 18 M
TN (son William b.1831)
Manuel 17
M TN (son
Manuel b.1834)
Benjamin 15 M
TN (son Benjamin b.1836)
Nancy 12
F TN (dau
Nancy Jane b.1838)
Martha Hembree
1850 Morgan Co, TN p.311 (widow
of Obediah 1790-1849)
512 Martha
Hembree 45 F X unk (Anliza Martha (Patsy) Earle)
Nancy
Hembree 22 F TN (dau)
William
Hembree 20 M TN (son)
Isaac
“ 15 M TN (son)
Catharine
HODGE 13 F TN (?)
Aley J.
Hembree 11 F TN (dau)
Elihu
Hembree 9 M TN (son)
513 James
Hembree 21 M TN (son)
Eliza
Hembree 20 F TN (Eliza Powell)
Eli
Hembree 3 M TN
(son of James & Eliza)
Frances
Hembree 6/12 F TN (dau of James & Eliza)
Reuben Emery
1850 Murray Co, GA p.261
Reuben
Emery 48 M SC
Sarah
Emery 41 F SC
Elizabeth 22 F
Mary E. 16
F
Martha 15 F
Talitha 13 F
Malinda 11 F
Sealy 8 F
Manerva 6 F
Joel Emory
1850 Jefferson Co, TN p.1069-804
Joel
Emory 47 M SC (Joel
b.1802, son of Abraham)
Sarah 45
F SC (wife
Sarah b.1808)
Frank
14 M SC (son b.1835)
Hettie 12 F
SC (dau b.1837)
Samuel 9 M
SC (son b.1840)
Martha 7 F SC (dau b.1836)
Lucy Emory 85 F
VA X (nanny, prob b.1785)
:…….. non-white
James M. Hambr--- (smudged) 1850 Hamilton Co, TN
p.186/763
James M.
Hambr-- 50 M SC (Hambright?)
Jackson
8 M TN (son)
Thomas 6 M TN (son)
James 4 M
TN (son)
Sarah 2 F
TN (dau)
Family locator for 1850 Census
Abraham Hembree – died c. 1837 TN
Winnifred Hembree died c. 1808 SC
Children:
1) Polly in
Hamilton Co, TN (died shortly
afterwards)
2) Esther d.bef. 1850 GA
3) Rebecca d.bef 1850 GA
4) Matilda d.bef 1850 NC
5) Betsy in Rutherford
Co, NC
6) James Lee in Meigs Co, TN
7) Sallie d.bef 1830 GA
8) Ephraim d.bef 1850 MO
9) Jane not located,
but alive (Hamilton Co, TN 1860)
10) Nancy in Rutherford Co, NC
11) Joel in Jefferson
Co, TN (died bef 1860)
12) Reuben in Murray Co, GA
13) Isaac d.bef 1850 TN
ixp 173
. . . . . . . 1860 Census Data . . . . . .
Abraham Emory
1860 Rhea Co, TN p.476 dwelling 486
Abraham
Emory 47 M TN (Abraham son of James L. Hembree)
Mary A. 18
F TN (unk
– not in 1850 household)
Cynthia 16 F
TN (unk – not in 1850 household)
Elizabeth
14 F TN (unk – not in 1850
household)
Adam 11
M TN (unk
– not in 1850 household)
Nancy 7 F TN (dau?)
Catharine
5 F TN (dau?)
George 1 M TN (son?)
David Hembree
1860 Cocke Co, TN p.463
#1344 David
Hembree 44 M NC (Davis, gr son of
Abraham)
Adaline 47
F NC (wife
Adeline Miller)
James 23
M TN (son)
Abraham 25 M
TN (son)
Charlotte
13 F TN (dau)
Sarah
A. 9 F
TN (dau)
Miller 8 M
NC (son)
Lucinda 6 F NC (dau)
George 2 M NC (son)
#1345 Joseph
Hembree 19 M NC (Joseph, son of Davis)
Charity 17
F TN (wife
Charity)
Hampton Emory
1860 Hamilton Co, TN p.126
Hampton
Emory 48 M SC (Hampton, gr son of
Abraham)
Julia 37
F NC (wife)
Sarah 9 F
AL (dau)
Minerva
Johnson 65 F SC (mother, Jane)
Jane
Emory 38 F NC (sis)
Mary 7/12 F
TN
John
Wyman 18 M GA
William
Wiman 17 M GA
James M. Hembra 1860 Murray Co, GA
p. 94
James M. Hembra 64 M
SC
Francis M. Hembra 18 M TN
Jackson
Hembra 17 M TN
D. S. Hembree
1860 Murray Co, GA p.
138-9
D. S.
Hembree 24 M SC Drury – son of
Humphrey
Catherine
“ 23 F GA
Jane
Goodwin 60 F SC
Nancy A.
Goodwin 15 F GA
Note: Drury S. Hembree m. Catherine Gordon
(Goodwin?) 16 Aug 1857 Murray Co, GA
He and James P. Hembree (son of
Humphrey below) on 19 Sep 1861 enlisted in Co E 60th Regmt
GA Vol Inftry CSA (Whitfield Co,
GA). He switched sides 20 Feb 1864.
Humphrey Hembree
1860 Murray Co, GA p. 139
Humphrey
Hembree 48 M SC
Jane “ 48
F SC
James Hembree 21 M SC
Emaline “ 18
F SC
Sarah
E “ 16
F GA – prob SC
William E
“ 13 F GA
Mary
J “ 10
F GA
Robert
P “
6 M GA
Jensy
N “
4 F GA
Nancy Cox 60 F
SC (mother-in-law)
James P. Hembree (son of
Humphrey) on 19 Sep 1861 enlisted in Co E 60th Regmt GA Vol Inftry
CSA (Whitfield Co, GA). He was wounded & captured at Winchester, VA. Released from prison
at Point Lookout, MD 28 Jun 1865. States he was a
resident of Georgia since 1847.
(From
Lillian Henderson, Roster of Confederate Soldiers, op cit.)
Nancy (Hembree) Floyd 1860 Rutherford Co, NC p. 844
Nancy Floyd 50 f NC (s.b. 60 or 47?) – dau of Matilda or of Abraham?
Martha Floyd 18 f NC
David Floyd 3 m NC (gr-son)