More information found 8.09

Since I had so much luck with a "google" search on T.W.P. Wright, I have since, put in one for Robert Weatherington and Lovy. It brought up part of a book titled "Nicholas Cobb Descendants". It showed a brief paragraph stating Lovy Weatherington so I ordered it on inter-library loan. Here is what it reads:

1. Joe H. Cobb, P.E.,R.L.S. 1983, Nicholas Cobb Descendants, Neighbors and Relatives 1613-1983, M.L.W. Publishing Company, P.O.Box 41021, Nashville, TN 37204-1021, Loaned from Mid-Continent Public Library, Genealogy & Local History Branch, 317 W. Highway 24, Independence, MO 64050, 929.2 C6334 H.A.G.S.

page 383: "Sometime between Mourning Outlaw's death in 1846 and the time of the census in 1850, David Outlaw remarried. The new wife was listed on the 1850 census as Lovy Outlaw. She was the former Mrs. Lovy Ann Weatherington who was the widow of Robert Weatherington of Lenoir County, North Carolina (O-132). David Outlaw's widow, Lovy, lived to the year 1876. She was enumerated on the 1870 census in the elventh district of Haywood with the post office being Bellville. She was in the household of her son-in-law, H.H. Fife, and his wife, Mary. She was seventy-four years old in 1870."

"She wrote her will in 1860. Sim A. Cobb and Robert W. Vann witnessed it. The will was proven before magistrate W.T. Cobb on the 2nd December 1876. A portion of the will is repeated below as it was recorded in book V, page 475 at Brownsville, Tennessee: "Second, I wish my executor to sell the tract of land that I now live on to the highest bidder on the best terms that he may think best, and I give him full power to make a good deed for same, and after selling all my effects and collecting the money to settle the estate and pay all expenses, I wish the balance to be divided and paid to the following heirs. One sixth to be equally divided between Lovy Ann Brown, Jesse Dismall, Francis Dismall, Samuel Dismall and Nancy Dismall, children of my daughter, Julia____________. The balance to be divided and paid equally between the following heirs: my son Gideon Weatherington, my daughter Mary Fife, my daughter Martha Joyner, my daughter Lovy Wright, my grandchildren Charles L. Weatherington, Barthena Weatherington and James R. Weatherington, children of my son Robert W. Weatherington. Lastly, I hereby nominate and appoint John H Cobb executor this 1st day of September 1860.".

So with this new information, I gathered the names of Lovy's children and some of her grandchildren. It appears that her daughter, Julia may have died and left children by two different fathers, Brown and Dismall.

Lovy (the mother of our Lavinia Ann (Lovy) is listed on the Haywood Co, TN census in 1870 in the household of Martha and W.G. Dalton and their children, W.W., D.A., and cook, Mary Dalton(black). Slaves took on their masters name back then and Mary probably stayed on with them after the Civil War which probably means they treated her well. This may not be Lovy's daughter, Martha, who is listed in her will as Martha Joyner. However, it could be that Martha's first husband died and she remarried to Mr. Dalton. J.R. and Charles are listed on the census with them in the same household also. This appears to be the sons of Robert W. (grandson of Lovy) The last name appears to be Welington on the census. Lovy's last name here is Outlaw as she was married to David E. Outlaw after Robert H. Weatherington died.

The Cobbs seem to be related by Lovy's second husband, David Outlaw only.

T.W.P. Wright deed to William Jones

This document shows that T.W.P. Wright deeded land to William Jones 18 Apr. 1855, Haywood County, TN

Sale of Property by Martha E. Wethington

This document shows Martha selling the property and T.W.P. Wright as administrator for Robt. H. Withington. It is dated Aug 1854 in Haywood County, TN. (I believe this Martha is the daughter of Robert H. and Lovy Withington (Weatherington).

If you click twice on these documents, they will appear larger where you can read them better. I have marked the names in yellow before scanning.

Here are the scans of the documents we found.

Scans of Witherington-Wright documents

Maiden name found for Lavinia Ann WRIGHT

In the fall of 2008, Larry and I took a 6 wk. trip in our motorhome back east for the sole purpose of going to cemeteries, courthouses, libraries and genealogical societies to search for our ancestors. We spent a considerable amount of time in Tennessee since both our ancestors lived there at one time.

We went to Haywood County in Brownsville, TN and found a couple of land records. They were written in small longhand in the early 1800's, making them very difficult to read. We filed them in our stack and laid the stack aside when we got home in October because we still had to clean up the garden, and then came the holidays. After the holidays, we spent a month in Yuma and now we are getting ready to garden again so it doesn't leave a lot of spare time for family history.

Just recently, I put in a google search for Thomas W.P. Wright which is my great grandfather on my mother, Verna's side. It brought up a book which google had digitized and made available online. This is what is listed :From "Tennessee Tidbits, 1778-1914"-Google Book Search

(copyrighted material)

This is transcribed from the internet 4/09

Page 336:
WITHERINGTON, Robert
“ Died before 10 January 1849 as shown by the suit of R.W. Witherington next friend of Lovey Ann Wright vs Thomas W.P. Wright. Lovey Ann was the wife of Thomas W.P. Wright and was entitled to 3 negroes derived from her father, Robert Witherington, deceased. Thomas Wright had sold the negroes and the suit was to recover the money for them and a trustee was to be named to hold same for her benefit. (Mad TN, Ch Ct Min, 1/61) Lovey Ann had received the negroes from her father’s estate while she was single. She will retain two of them for herself and her children and they will not be subject to the debts of her husband. Jno R. Jelks was appointed to act as trustee. (lbid 65) 16 January

page 337:
1850, Thomas W.P. Wright and wife, Lucy(Barb's note: this was probably meant to be Lovy) Gideon Witherington, Amos Jonier & wife Martha(note: this is probably Robert and Lovy Weatherington's daughter, Martha) vs David Outlaw & wife Lovey, Halliday H. Fife & wife Mary & Robert Witherington (punctuation as shown). Plaintiffs dismissed their bill. Defentant Outlaw & wife withdrew Ex. No. 1 filed in their answer & filed another. “Recd. Of Lovey Witherington guardian to my wife all of her part of her fathers Estate, This 10th Feby 1837. EX. No.1 (signed) H. H. Fife.” (lbid 103)"

Upon finding this record, I started looking through our stack we brought home and found the actual document but I'm not sure I could have deciphered it without the help of that article.

At any rate, it gives Lovey's father's name as Robert H. Witherington. The article above shows Robert W. but it looks more like an H. to me. Also that article states the last name as Witherington but in the document, it is actually spelled Witherigton, Worthigton, Wetherigton. and Weatherington. My guess is the clerk just guessed at the spelling each time. The document was filed 27 Jan. 1849. This was 12 years before the beginning of the Civil War when the slaves were freed.

I found another document where Martha E. Wethington sold property in 1837 and T.W.P Wright was the administrator for Robt. H. Withington. It is a bit confusing now but at least I have a maiden name for Lovey.

Thomas Wiley Wright is listed on the 1850 Haywood County, TN census as T.P.W. Wright in District 5. It shows he was born in North Carolina and gives his age as 28 in 1850. It lists his wife as Lavinia Ann and she is 21 that year. Their children listed were James R., age 4,; Thomas, age 1 and a boarder named Thomas Williams, age 21.

They are listed in Alvarado, Johnson County, Texas census in 1860 as T.W.P. Wright, age 38, male, farmer, born N.C., wife, L.A., age 35, female, housewife, born N.C. Children were James R. Wright, age 13, male, born TN; Thos. C. Wright age 11 , male, born TN; Wiley P. Wright, age 9, male born TN, John F. Wright, age 7, male, born TN; L.A.P. Wright age 4, female, born TN, Victoria L. Wright, age 3, female, born Texas, Wm. R. Wright, age 7/12, male , born TX. So according to this they moved to TX between 1856 and 1857 from TN.

1870 Census-Burnham, Ellis Co, TX, post office, Cummins Creek, roll M593_1583, page 320, image 42, dwelling #286th house visited, #287th families visited
Wright, Thomas W., age 48, male, white, blacksmith, value of real estate $200, value of personal estate $2,000, born NC
Lavinia, age 45, female, white, keeping house, born NC
Wilie, age 19, male, white, born TN (this spelling is probably how census taker spelled it)
Frank, age 18, male, white, born TN (this is John Franklin, my grandfather)
Lena, age 14, female, white, born TN
Victoria, age11, female, white, born TX
Gideon, age 7, male, white, born TX
Simon, age 4, male, white, born TX

1880 Census-Fannin Co, TX, Precinct 6,
Lovie A. Wright, age 52, estimated birth 1828, born NC, white, female, head of household, widowed.
Wm. R. Wright, age 20, son
Jo. G. Wright, age 16, son
Living next door was James R. Wright, 34, wife Salley,29, son Robt. 8, dau.Mattie,1yr. (probably
Lovie's son)

Thomas Wiley P. Wright is buried in the Oak Grove Cemetery east of Stilwell, Oklahoma. His stone reads "Wiley P. Wright, age 60, native of Tennessee"

~on Cherokee Nation Cherokee Indian Roll of John F. Wright with wife Lizzie and their children, (he was not an Indian, Lizzie and children were. This roll lists John's father as Wyly Wright and mother as Annie Wright which is probably short for Lavinia Ann that I found on another document . John was married to Lizzie (Elizabeth Byers) first and then to my grandmother, Annie Etta Wells.

So the first names I have found on documents for Lavinia Ann are Louann, Annie, Lovey and initials L.A.

Finding her maiden name now has given me another surname to look for, although the correct spelling is yet to be had (Weatherington, Welington, Withigton, Witherington, Withrigton). This is also the first evidence that some of our family were slave owners. I find it interesting that the suit was filed against her husband because he sold her slaves when her father had given them to her before she married T.W.P. but as you can see, the suit was dropped.

Purpose of my blog

Family History is my hobby and passion. I have been looking for ancestors over 30 years off and on. I published "Barney and Verna McBride Family History" last year in hardbound which is a history of my mom and dad and us 5 siblings. I interviewed my brothers, Norman and Glen and my sister Doris. I missed getting Melvin's memories as he passed away in 1999.

Next, I transcribed the tapes onto my computer, then I found a publisher and had it printed. Most of you in the family have a copy of it and I hope you appreciate the history, that might have otherwise, been lost.

I have started this blog for the main purpose of sharing our family history with you and making you aware of new finds on our ancestral lines.