Jeremiah Broyles (abt. 1765 - 1825)

Born about 1765 in Culpeper County, Virginia

Ancestors

Husband of Sarah (Jones) Broyles — married 27 Jul 1796 in Greene County, Tennessee

Descendants

Died 1825 at about age 60 in Lincoln County, Tennessee

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Biography

Born in Culpeper County, Virginia, Jeremiah grew up on Horse Creek in Greene County, Tennessee. Sometime around 1809 he moved to Lincoln County, Tennessee, which borders Alabama in the center of the state. The move seems to have been made at the same time as that of Isaac Broyles (1779-1842) whose placement in the family is uncertain.

We don't know a great deal about Jeremiah's descendants. Keith^[1] has very little information about him.

The census record shows Jeremiah and Sarah had five daughters and two sons. (They may have had a child or two prior to 1800 who did not get picked up on the 1820 census record.) Jeremiah and Isaac Broyles were the only two Broyles families in Lincoln County and Isaac's family is well understood. There is good evidence that John was one of the sons. Lewis is assigned based on his birth year, John's census record and the fact that he is otherwise unaccounted for. Daughter Keziah is assigned based on her marriage in Lincoln County. Four daughters are unknown.

It is surprising that the Lincoln County deeds, which predate 1810, make no reference to him, either as a buyer or seller of land. We know he sold one of his Greene County tracts for $1100, so we would expect him to have purchased land in Lincoln as opposed to renting. Perhaps further research in Lincoln Co. will reveal his land transactions.

Jeremiah died in 1825 at the hands of his wife Sarah. See the court entries below for 1826. The traumatic event likely caused some of the family to migrate to Davidson Co. by 1830 where we find son John. And in that county in 1845 a Sarah Ann Briles dies and leaves a will. She is otherwise not accounted for and thus it's possible she is Jeremiah's wife.

31 Jan 1791 - Jeremiah buys 147 1/2 acres on Horse Creek in Greene County, Tennessee, from James Broyles.^[2]

1792 - He is taxed for 151 acres on Horse Creek.^[1]

8 Sep 1792 - Jeremiah Broyles is a private in Samuel Beard's militia company.^[3]

Nov 1796 - "Ordered that Sarah Bumpas, orphan of Job Bumpas, deceased, be bound unto Jeremiah Broyle until she attain to the age of eighteen years to learn to spell and read. Said orphan being now of the age of five years next August.^[4]

10 Dec 1798 - Jacob Broyles writes his will and names Jeremiah as a son. The children are to divide the estate equally upon the widow's death. Greene Co,. Tenn. Probated April 1799.^[5]

19 Dec 1800 - Jeremiah Broyles witnesses a sale of Matthias Broyles Sr. to Matthias Broyles Jr., Greene Co., TN, on Horse Creek.^[6]

1801-2 - He is taxed for 147 acres on Horse Creek.^[1]

1803 - Flay Branch Church was organized at the New Providence Meeting House. Jeremiah Broyle is listed as an early member.^[7]

25 Apr 1803 - He sells 152 1/2 acres in two tracts to John Bitner.^[8] Note that his deed was not recorded until the 1840's.

1805 - Jeremiah Broyles is a taxable inhabitant of Greene Co., Tenn.^[9]

1 Apr 1806 - Jeremiah buys 322 acres from Samuel Dinsmore.^[1]

12 Feb 1808 - Jeremiah Broyles is security for the marriage of William Henkel to Ruthy Owens, Greene Co., Tenn.^[10]

8 Oct 1808 - Jeremiah sells 245 acres on the south side of the Nolachucky to Isaiah Harrison for $1100.^[11]

17 Oct 1809 - Jeremiah Broyls is commissioned Lieutenant in the 3rd regiment of Greene Co. Militia.^[12]

c. 1809 - He moves to Lincoln Co., Tenn., probably in the fall of this year. From the above transactions we see that he has disposed of most of his land. Jeremiah is not listed in the Greene Co. tax lists of 1809-1817.^[13] In the 1809 tax list we do find John Bitner with 148 acres and Isaiah Harrison with 245.

18 Aug 1810 - In Greene Co., Jeremiah, 'of Lincoln Co.', sells 10 acres to Isaiah Harrison.^[14] This was apparently a tract acquired from Samuel Dinsmore.^[15]

25 Nov 1811 - He is a creditor of the estate of Peter Cain, deceased, and is named by the court to administer the estate.^[16]

3 May 1814 - Jeremiah presents the settlement of the estate. A still and tub were sold for $111.00 Jeremiah collected $43 from this.^[17]

1820 - Jeremiah is found in the federal census of Lincoln Co.^[18]He has one son and two daughters under 10, one son and two daughters 10-16, one daughter 16-26. His wife is under 45 and he is over 45 years of age. He owns a slave.

2 Jan 1826 - "Ord. that the Trustee of this county pay immediately to Cornelius Slater the sum of $33.00 for his expenses and trouble in taking Mrs. Broyles to Columbia and back."^[19] Columbia is the county seat of Maury Co., the neighboring county to the northwest at that time.

2 Jan 1826 - "On motion of Robert Dickson and it appearing to the court that Jeremiah Broyles, late of this county, departed this life without making his LW&T in writing, whereupon admin. of the estate is granted to sd. Dickson who gave bond and security.^[20]

Oct 1826 - Sarah Broiles is convicted of manslaughter in the killing of her husband and is branded on the hand with the letter "M".^[21]

16 Jul 1844 - The will of Sarah Ann Briles is recorded in Davidson Co., Tenn. "To daughter Mary Ann Briles all right and interest to the lot and improvements conveyed to myself and Matilda Dill by Thomas McLaughlin by deed dated 10 Jun 1842 which interest is one undivided half." Also all cash & personal property to Mary Ann. Thomas B. Coleman named executor and guardian to Mary Ann. Wit: Matilda Dill, Robert Finn, Robert Haley. Will written 5 Jan 1843, proven by Robert Finn, Feb. Term 1844. Mary Ann would be a minor if she had a guardian, so she would have been born 1824 or later. This does not rule out Sarah Ann being Jeremiah's wife but it makes it somewhat less likely.^[22]

25 Nov 1845 - Recording of the sale of the estate of Sarah Briles dec'd, held 6 Oct 1845. The inventory came to $38, plus cash received for a note on Matilda Dill $100.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} Keith, Prof. Arthur Leslie, The Broyles Family, c. 1940, typescript, Jacob Broyles, id#9
2. ↑ Greene Co., Tenn., Grantor & Grantee Index to deeds, hand copy taken at Greeneville Courthouse, 1 Aug 1984, 6:357
3. ↑ Muster roll of Capt. Samuel Beard's company of militia. Comprised mainly of men from Greene County in the Territory South of the River Ohio (later Greene County, Tennessee.)
4. ↑ Burgner, Goldene Fillers, Greene Co., Tenn., Minutes of the Court of Common Pleas 1783-1795, Southern Historical Press, 1982, p255
5. ↑ Burgner, Goldene Fillers, Greene Co., Tenn., Wills, 1783-1890, Southern Historical Press, 1983, p1
6. ↑ Broyles, John K., Sr., The Broyles Family Ties, in 10 volumes, self-published, 1969-1981, vol. 6:105
7. ↑ Broyles, vol. 1:43
8. ↑ Deed Index, 23:65
9. ↑ Curtis, "Early East Tennessee Tax Lists"
10. ↑ Burgner, Goldene Fillers, Greene Co., Tenn., Marriages 1783-1868, Southern Historical Press, 1981, p29
11. ↑ Deed Index, 8:453
12. ↑ Moore, "Record of Commissioned Officers in the Tennessee Militia"
13. ↑ Burgner, Goldene Fillers, Greene Co., Tenn., Tax Digests 1809-1817, Southern Historical Press, 1986
14. ↑ Deed Index, 9:308
15. ↑ Deed Index, 8:322
16. ↑ W.P.A., Lincoln Co., Tenn., County Court Minutes, 1811-12, 1814-17, p128
17. ↑ W.P.A., p2
18. ↑ U.S. Census, p135
19. ↑ Marsh, Helen & Tim, Lincoln Co., Tenn. 1820-26, First County Court Minutes (vol. 2), Southern Historical Press, 1991
20. ↑ Lincoln County, p.12
21. ↑ FindAGrave.com entry for son Lewis Broyles
22. ↑ Tennessee Probate Court Files, 1795-1955," images, FamilySearch (Davidson > Probate Court, Will records > 1784-1920 > Block, Sophia - Cobb, Cami > image 812 of 2927; county archives, Tennessee.