Ale Hatfield (1778 - 1841)

Born 29 Oct 1778 in Russell County, Virginia, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Mary (Gibson) Hatfield — married about 1798 (to 4 Apr 1836) in Virginia

Husband of Elizabeth (Young) Hatfield — married 7 Apr 1836 in Indiana, United States

Descendants

Died 11 Nov 1841 at age 63 in Jackson, Greene County, Indiana, United States

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Jessica Hatfield [send private message] and Sarah Orr [send private message]

Biography

Ale Hatfield was born in Appalachia, in Virginia.

Origin of Name
“Ale” is NOT short for Alexander but a Swedish name. With the alleged marriage of Joseph Hatfield & “1st wife” Elizabeth Vance now debunked, it is believed that Ale is the son of Joseph & wife Rachel Smith. Rachel comes from a family that is part-Swedish & part Swedish-born German. Rachel’s brother was named "Ale."

Although the Smidt/Smith Family lived in New Sweden/Delaware next to a Hatfield family the Hatfield DNA Project confirms that the “Delaware Hatfield” Line is not related to the “Southwest Virginia Hatfield” Line.

Ale is son of Rachel Smith
Why is Ale being removed as a son of Joseph’s Hatfield through his alleged first wife Elizabeth Vance to being a son of Joseph through Rachel Smith?

1–Naming Patterns. As part of naming patterns, including naming sons after the brothers of the parents, Ale Hatfield is named after Rachel’s brother Ale Smith. The name “Ale” first appears in the Hatfield Family after the coupling of Joseph/Rachel Hatfield & Ephraim Hatfield & Rachel’s sister Mary and not before.

2–In the book “Stories of Hatfield The Pioneer,” Ale’s son Emmanuel discusses “Uncle Bill” & “ Uncle Joe”. Joseph supposedly had a son with Elizabeth Vance named Joseph but he didn’t go near Indiana. There is no son named William listed for Joseph and Elizabeth. However Joseph and Rachel did in fact have two sons named Joseph and William. Both of these sons lived in Indiana.

3-–“Shacking Up”. Couples in the backwoods often live as man and wife, and having children, while waiting for the Circuit Preacher or Circuit Judge to arrive. Having a child a year prior to marriage was common.

Ale’s Two Families
Ale married Mary (Millie) Gibson in 1798. Millie is the mother of Andrew, Sarah, James, Ale Jr., & Nancy. Andrew was born in Virginia or Kentucky & the rest in Campbell County Tennessee.

About 1805 Ale began a relationship with Elizabeth Young. Initially Elizabeth lived in Campbell County as well. After several years of going back and forth between the two women Ale chose Elizabeth & moved to Greene County Indiana with her & their children together. Elizabeth was the mother of Emmanuel, Elizabeth, Armistead Apperson, Rachel Arrena, George Washington, Mordecai Ale, & Keziah. Most if not all of the children were born in Tennessee.

Millie traveled to Greene County Indiana and gave Ale a divorce 4 April 1836. Ale married Elizabeth on 7 April 1836.

Overview
Almost nothing is known of his early life. He married Milly Gibson abt1798, when he was about 19, then moved from southwest Virginia to Wayne County, Kentucky, where he appears in the 1810 and 1820 censuses. By the 1830 census, he was in Fentress County, Tennessee, and by the 1840 census, he was in Greene County, Indiana.

The recorded (or purported) places of birth of his children, however, are confused and contradictory, with several supposedly born in Campbell County, Tennessee, before 1810 and between 1810 and 1820. The memoir written by Ale's son, Emanuel (Stories of Hatfield the Pioneer), says he and his father migrated to Greene County in the fall of 1831, but two other of Ale's children were supposedly born in Greene County in the mid-1820s.

Born: 20 Oct 1779 Washington County (?), Virginia.^[1]

Tax List: 1843 Fentress County, Tennessee.^[2]

Died: 11 Nov 1841 Greene County, Indiana.^[1]

Buried: Armstead Hatfield Cemetery, Greene County, Indiana.^[1]
Marker: "A. Hatfield / Oct. 29, 1779 / Nov. 11, 1841."

Ale's gravesite is located in a field about 100 yards southwest of the Armstead Hatfield Cemetery (founded by his son, c.1870). The site is surrounded by a three-foot-high concrete wall and guarded by aggressive thorn trees. There are two other very worn markers in the plot with no inscriptions visible at all. No one appears to know whose graves these are. To locate Ale's solitary grave, go to coordinates 38 deg 54' 45.70" North 86 deg 43' 24.80" West at Google Earth.

Probate
Thursday morning nine o'clock. February the 17th day 1842 [i.e., 1843]

In Apt $12.00
Amanuel Hatfield
      vs.
Preference Claim John R. Stone administrator of the estate of Ale Hatfield dec'd

Comes now the plaintiff by Cavins his agent and files his account as his cause of action herein, and comes also the defendant in his own proper person and by agreement process is waived and this cause is now submitted to the Court for trial and all _____ at law are hereby released and the Court being fully advised in the premises and all things touching the same.

It is therefore considered that the plaintiff recover of the defendant the sum of twelve dollars damages together with his costs in his behalf expended, to be levied of the goods and chattels which were of the said Ale Hatfield at the time of his death and in the hands of the defendant and administrator aforesaid.

[In a different hand] February 17th 1843. Received of the defendant twelve dollars seventy two cents the above judgment.

       Amanuel Hatfield [his X mark]

       And identical judgments for Mordeca Hatfield      Mordeca Hatfield [his X mark]
       and Armistead Hatfield      Armistead Hatfield [his X mark].^[3]

Marriages
Married 1st Milly Gibson, abt 1798 probably in Washington County, Virginia. (based on birth date of 1st child; 4 children)

Married 2nd Elizabeth Young, 7 Apr 1836 Greene County, Indiana. (see notes above; 8 children)^[4]

CHILDREN OF ALE & MILLY GIBSON HATFIELD:

• 1. Andrew A 1799 x 7-29-1866 (m) Mary Ann Miller (died) 11-21-1874 Putnam County, Missouri
• 2. Sarah 10-25-1800 x 7-29-1866 (m) Absolom Cooper
• 3. James (born) 1804 (m) Margaret
• 4. Ale (born) 1808 (m) Mary Ann "Polly" Smith (died) 6-30-1854
• 5. Nancy 8-22-1810 x 12 15 1891 (m) John McCoy 1801 x 8-5-1874 Van Buren, Hardeman, Tennessee

CHILDREN OF ALE & ELIZABETH YOUNG HATFIELD:

• 1. Elizabeth
• 2. Emanuel 12-22-1805 Campbell County, Tennessee x 1-1-1892 Owensbury, Greene, Indiana (m) #1: Nancy E Anderson 1-9-1807 Wayne County, Kentucky x 9-28-1852 Owensbury, Greene, Indiana (m) #2: Mary Edwards 5-8-1804 x 10-14-1900 Owensbury, Greene, Indiana
• 3. Armstead 3-24-1809 Campbell County, Tennessee x 11-19-1899 Greene County, Indiana (m) Mary Richardson 10-18-1811 x 7-27-1887
• 4. Rachel Arena 1811 Anderson County, Tennessee x 1853 Greene County, Indiana (m) John Brown
• 5. George Washington "Wash" 1-16-1812 Campbell County, Tennessee x 5-13-1884 Greene County, Indiana (m) Elizabeth Snyder
• 6. Mordecai Ale 11-17-1818 Campbell County, Tennessee x 9-14-1869 Greene County, Indiana (m) Millie Richardson (born) 5-5-1819
• 7. Keziah 1-20-1826 Tennessee (m) Jeremiah Carr (died) 5-21-1899 Greene County, Indiana

Census 1810
Wayne County, Kentucky, p. 354.
Hatfield, Eli
Males: under 10 - 2
Males: 36-45 - 1
Females: 16-26 - 1.^[5]

Census 1820
Wayne County, Kentucky, p. 101.
Hatfield, Ale
Males: under 10 - 2
Males: 10-15 - 2
Males: 26-44 - 1
Females: under 10 - 2
Females: 26-44 - 1.^[6]

Census 1830
Fentress County, Tennessee, p. 15.
Hatfield, Ale Sen.
Males: 10-15 - 1
Males: 15-20 - 1
Males: 50-60 - 1
Females: under 5 - 1
Females: 10-15 - 1
Females: 15-20 - 1
Females: 40-50 - 1.^[7]

Census 1840
Greene County, Indiana, p. 218.
Hatfield, Ali
Males: 60-70 - 1
Females: 10-15 - 1
Females: 60-70 - 1.^[8]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Armstead Hatfield Cemetery, Greene County, Indiana (personal visit by Michael K. Smith)
2. ↑ Tennessee, Early Tax List Records, 1783-1895 .
3. ↑ Greene County Probate Records, 1823-1919, Book B, pp. 473-74
4. ↑ Greene County, Indiana, Marriage Records (copy on file)
5. ↑ Census Kentucky 1810 Wayne County
6. ↑ Census Kentucky 1820 Wayne County
7. ↑ Census Tennessee 1830 Fentress County
8. ↑ Census Indiana 1840 Greene County

• Find A Grave: Memorial #6983719
  • A photo of the gravestone is on the Find A Grave memorial page.
• Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members. Ancestry Family Tree https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/tree/76152568/family