What do we know about John Watts?

Question

This profile has been associated with early Native Americans but has no sources.  If he existed, what do we know about claimed family members?

Answer 1

I could not find any record of a John WATTS born within that timeframe whatsoever. Something to note on the profile is that his wife, Nancy, has been entered with the married name BOWLS, which is the same maiden name as his "daughter" Jane. To me, this indicates that John may have been connected to the wrong set of profiles, as Nancy is connected by marriage on her profile to a man named William BOWLS.

Another source of (small) confusion is Nancy's original surname. Her ID has her as TAHCHEE, however, the biography data entered into the profile on its creation indicates that the original surname of the profile (or it could have been merged?) was ROBINSON.

Answer 2

This profile does not appear to be any of the well-known John Watts in the Cherokee Nation.  The first was a white man who martied the sister of Old Tassel and Doublehead.  He served as an interpreter for many years and died anout 1770.  His son was also named John Watts, and was the leader of the Chickamauga faction after Doublehead’s death.  He was born about 1750.  A third John Watts, son of the chief, was born about 1770.  

This profile does not represent a Cherokee person.

Comments

Kathryn, should we merge this John Watts away into the son you mention above, and correct the relationships? Do we know the names or relationships of the woman/women he married (i.e., the mother of the third John Watts)?

Answer 3

Yes, he should be merged away.  The Baldridge family (by coincidence I am a descendant) is very well documented and has no Cherokee connection.  James Baldridge was born in North Carolina about 1785, son of another James Baldridge.  He married a woman named Ann, not anyone named "Jane Bowls" and they moved to Weakley County, TN.  James, Ann, Martha and other children are listed on the 1850 census in Weakley.

J. Baldridge
Age: 64
Birth Year:abt 1786
Birthplace:North Carolina
Home in 1850:District 2, Weakley, Tennessee, USA
Gender:Male
Family Number:70

Household Members:
Name         Age
J Baldridge 64
Ann Baldridge 58
Sarah Baldridge 29
Martha Baldridge 21
Louisa Baldridge 18
Araminta Baldridge 13
Louisa Baldridge 4

Martha married a cousin, Charles Wesley Baldridge, in 1854.  The 1860 census shows James living with Charles, Martha, and their children, still in Weakley County.  The Baldridges had no connection to any Native Americans.  The best reference is Dr. Charles C. Kennedy's "Our Baldridge Forbears" book, p.266 for family chart for James.  The book was self-published in 1988 but is available in libraries.

Comments

More than a year later: shall we merge the daughter attached to the attached profile into Ann wife of James Baldridge?

I'm trying to clean up outstanding issues.

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The "daughter" to be merged away is https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Bowls-3

I'm detaching her from John Watts so we can merge him Away as well.