Thomas King (1768 - 1840)

Born Oct 1768 in Orange, North Carolina

Husband of Elizabeth (Strother) King — married about 1788 in Orange, North Carolina, United States

Descendants

Died Jun 1840 at age 71 in Coffee, Tennessee, United States

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Biography

From The Chapel Hill Kings, The Descendants of John King II, Chapter on Thomas King (1768-1840) copyright 2021 Arthur V. King

The 40+ page biography, complete with maps and illustrations, can be accessed and downloaded in its entirety here by following this link... Thomas King 1768-1840 BIO

Thomas King was born October 1768^[1] on the waters of Morgan and Bolings Creek in Orange County in the Colonial North Carolina (NC). He was the youngest son born into the large family of John and Hannah King,^[2] who had migrated from Virginia (VA) to the Carolinas circa (ca) 1753.^[3] The local area where the King family lived was just northwest of current day Chapel Hill, NC and was settled by many families including Davis, Baxter, Lloyd, Stroud, Morgan, Morris and Blackwood who had also migrated out of VA.

Thomas was roughly 20 years younger than his oldest siblings and by the time of he was coming of age his oldest brothers and sisters were marrying and starting their families. He was also a young boy who witnessed America’s struggle in its war of Independence from Great Britain. While too young to be an active participant in the fighting, his father and several of his brothers were involved. Thomas however, was indelibly imprinted by the events of those turbulent years and retained lasting memories of that struggle. One such remembrance he documented was the engagement at Kirk’s Farm which took place on September 12, 1781 when Thomas was almost 13 years old. This skirmish was initiated when a large group of Loyalists (British) rode to attack Hillsborough^[4] and was met by a Patriot force on the New Hope River located on Kirk's Farm.^[5] In Thomas King’s own words (1832) he stated that he had…

…a perfect & distinct recollection of the battle at Kirks Plantation near Hillsboro, at the time spoke of by the applicant, who was then in service in the “Whig” or American side in Captain Abraham Allen's company – he knows that the applicant George Wagner [sic] was wounded at that battle. The Lieutenant was mortally wounded & died shortly afterwards. The Captain was severely wounded. The Captain & first Lieutenant on the Tories side, were both killed in that battle. This Deponent was well acquainted with the officers & many of the men in both sides. The Company muster ground was in his father's land. ^[6]

Death of a Father and Starting a Family

On July 22, 1782 prior to the end of the Colonial struggle for independence, John King, Thomas’ father, penned his Last Will and Testament (LWT).^[7] In this document he bequeaths gifts of land and money to son Thomas and land only to his son William. Gifts of money were also bequeathed to Thomas’s sisters, Anne [Anny], Elizabeth, Obedience, Hannah and Rebecca who were all under the age of eighteen (18) at the time. The remainder of the estate, comprised of land and a number of slaves, was to be held by wife Hannah and son (executor) William for the support of the of the younger children until they reached full age or married.

John King had older sons and daughters not mentioned in his LWT who had claim to the residue of the estate. In order to settle the process quickly and efficiently, all of the heirs (all of John King’s children and wife Hannah) entered into an Agreement dated September 1, 1783^[8] which allowed for distribution of shares prior to the minors coming of age. This agreement is very important as it documents all of John and Hannah King’s children.

A few years prior to John King’s death and subsequent probate actions, the family of John Strother and his wife Jane (Fussell) migrated from VA to Bute Co., NC circa 1765. In 1776^[9] they migrated to Orange County and settled about 5 miles west of the Kings on Cane Creek. The Strother family can also be found enumerated on the 1779 and 1790 Orange County tax lists.

While there is no record of the exact date, Thomas King married Elizabeth Strother, the daughter of John Strother and his wife Jane ca 1788.^[10] It is assumed that the couple lived and started their family on the 200 acres north of Morgan Creek that Thomas inherited. Shortly following their marriage, a son Charles (ca 1790), named after Thomas’ brother, was born.

Striking Out on His Own

In the early 1790’s Thomas King owned property, but he also had twelve (12) siblings all living in the same Orange County neighborhood. Many of these brothers and sisters were 10-20 years Thomas’ senior, were land-holders and well established in the community. One can easily imagine how a younger child in a large family might wish to ‘make it’ on his own.

At the same time very fertile lands to the south in Georgia (GA) were opening for settlement. These lands, west of Augusta, GA and originally Oconee Creek Indian territory, were experiencing increasing European American settlement. Even though the Creeks eventually moved west of the Oconee River, there was constant apprehension of Indian forays for a time.

Under this backdrop on January 28, 1794, Thomas King sold his Orange County property to his brother Baxter King…

…by estimation 136 acres …it being a tract of Land devised to the said Thomas King by his father John King in his last Will and Testament ^[11]

…packed up his family and began the migration to Hancock Co., GA. They followed father-in-law John Strother, his grown sons,^[12] Mark Stroud^[13] and other neighboring Stroud family members who had migrated into Hancock County a few years before. ^[14]

These families settled on the waters of Folsoms (Fulsome) Creek just west of the Ogeechee River in Hancock County which had been formed in 1793. The Oconee River formed the county’s western boundary and the Ogeechee was on the east. It was a large county and contained many varieties of soil. There were the rich red hills, fertile valleys along the rivers and creeks, areas heavily timbered with oaks and hickories, and wide stretches of gray post-oak land and pine-barrens. Tobacco was the staple crop.

The King family probably arrived in Georgia in the spring of 1794 and began settling land. It is assumed that Thomas King and his family raised tobacco, corn and kept small herds of cattle, sheep and hogs as was the custom of the day. A subsistence garden would have been essential also.

Thomas King was enumerated in Capt. Daniel Bankston’s Militia District, along with his extended Strother and Stroud family, on the 1796 Hancock Co. tax rolls with 100 acres and one slave. During the stay in Hancock County, the King family continued to grow with the births of sons William (ca 1796),^[15] Jesse (ca 1798)^[16] and Davis (1800).^[17]

Family Tragedies in Hancock County, Georgia

Despite new land on a new frontier and the birth of several children, tragedies visited the Thomas King family a few years after their arrival in Georgia. In early 1796, Elizabeth Strother King’s father, John Strother, died intestate. The loss of the Strother family patriarch, who perhaps was the driving force for the migration to Hancock County, undoubtedly produced unsettled times within the entire extended family.

On June 11, 1796, Thomas King, his brother-in-law, John Strother Jr. , Jane Strother (widow and Elizabeth’s mother) and Richard Strother posted a £1000 bond to facilitate the administration^[18] of the estate of John Strother, deceased.^[19] Elizabeth King’s mother, Jane, and her brother Richard Strother were made co-administrators of the estate.

John Strother’s estate was not completely finalized until 1813; however, on September 1, 1801 the bulk of the estate was settled with the heirs. Thomas King, Elizabeth Strother’s husband is recorded as receiving £176-50 shillings as Elizabeth’s portion of the estate.^[20] Of interest, analysis of this distribution allows the reader to identify all of the children of John and Jane Strother. ^[21]

During this time period Thomas and Elizabeth King’s brother-in-law and Orange Co., NC immigrant, Mark Stroud, also tragically died in Hancock Co. (1798).

A Gift from Mother and Leaving Hancock Co., GA

In January of 1801, Thomas’ mother Hannah King of Orange Co., NC deeded “for and in the natural love and affection she hath for her son” Thomas King of Hancock Co., GA a slave named Joe.^[22] This is a King Family lynch-pin evidentiary document that provides proof that Thomas King, the son of John and Hannah King of Orange Co., NC, and Thomas King of Hancock Co., GA, the man named in various Strother estate documents, were one-in-the-same. It also subsequently proves that Thomas King of Orange Co., NC married Elizabeth Strother.

By 1801, Thomas’ mother Hannah King was approaching her late 70s. Additionally, the likely impetus for his migration to Hancock Co., GA, father-in law John Strother, had died. Amidst these factors, it appears Thomas King and his family migrated back to Orange Co., NC.^[23] There seems to be no question that he left Hancock Co., GA. The real question is why did leave the new frontier and go back to the locale he left in Orange Co., NC? That was an atypical move for a young man in the early 1800s who had stepped out on his own. The record is unclear.

1802-1808 Back Home in Orange Co., NC

Thomas King purchased 143 acres from Henry Lloyd, near original King ancestral property in 1804. While other Thomas Kings lived in the county, it can be logically assumed that the grantee was ‘our Thomas King’.^[24] This location was near his living brothers and sisters once again but most importantly his aged mother, Hannah King. It can be logically assumed that the King family matriarch died during this period prior to her son’s move to middle Tennessee. During this period several more children were born to Thomas and Elizabeth King…daughter Hannah (ca 1802) , son Anderson (ca 1804) and son Thomas (ca 1806)   In 1805 and 1806, the claims of the Cherokees and Creeks to the land south of the Duck River to the southern boundary of the Tennessee were purchased. U.S. Indian agents Meigs and Smith paid the Creeks $14,000 for their claims, and Secretary of War Henry Dearborn negotiated the Treaty of Washington of 1806 with the Cherokees to obtain their claims for $10,000, a gristmill, a cotton gin, and a $100 annuity for Chief Black Fox. These two treaties opened middle Tennessee for white-Anglo settlement. Soon after these treaties were secure, the United States Congress passed legislation allowing Tennessee control over these lands within its bounds and the Tennessee State Assembly established the first of seven Surveyor’s Districts. ^[25] In 1807 both Warren and Franklin Counties were established.

It was with this backdrop that Thomas King migrated with his family into middle Tennessee circa 1808.^[26] He followed closely or migrated with his nephew John King (1779-1851, son of Baxter King), Lloyd, Stroud and other allied families out of Orange Co., NC^[27] into an area in the 3rd Surveyors’ District near the newly established Warren/Franklin County border near the headwaters of the Elk River (Franklin) and West Hickory Creek (Warren).

County Formation and Boundary Changes

Prior to further discussion, it is important to understand the county boundary changes that occurred over the first-half of the 19th century in the area where the King family lived. The King and allied families settled near the headwaters of both the Elk River and Hickory Creek.

However, on May 2, 1836 Coffee County, Tennessee was formed out of Bedford, Warren and Franklin Counties as denoted in green with a dashed gray outline. The headwaters of the Elk River were now situated in Coffee Co. but Hickory Creek remained in Warren Co. Finally, in 1844 Grundy Co., TN was formed from Coffee and Warren Counties as show in pink with dashed pink outline. This new county took in both the headwaters of the Elk River and Hickory Creek as shown. As a result, it can be shown that the original King property was located in three different jurisdictions during the period near current Pelham, TN.

Settling on the Head Waters of the Elk River

The State of Tennessee Land Registers are very thorough for the period. Land entries, warrants, surveys and grants were meticulously recorded. Franklin Co. deed records are also present for the period. The Franklin Co. land transactions are recorded in great detail giving the full metes and bounds property descriptions, adjoining land owners, other informative locators and generally (during this early period) identify the original TN grant that the land emanated from. With this information (and a little persistent effort), it can be determined precisely where Thomas King and his family lived. The following aerial graphic shows the ‘Cumberland Mountain’ valley just northeast of current day Pelham, TN (marked) with six (6) original surveys (red) and the Elk River (blue as it flows from its headwaters) overlaid. .....bio note, the map can not be displayed here.

While the property in this valley has changed hands and has been subdivided over a period of 200+ years, the original boundaries can still be seen in the form of field fence lines and roads even until this day.

As stated earlier, Thomas King was in the area as early as 1808; however, he did not procure an early middle Tennessee land grant or purchase property until 1814.^[28] On August 12, 1814, he procured 300 acres from Daniel Hofner^[29] (Havender Survey 1) for $625 and it is certainly possible that Thomas King and his family had lived on this property prior to 1814.^[30] It can also be logically speculated that Thomas King’s oldest sons came into adulthood on this property and possibly started families at that location.^[31] as there is no record of them owning property of their own in Franklin or neighboring Warren Co., TN.

The extended King family can be seen enumerated in the 1820 Franklin Co., TN federal census and the above exhibit delineates the children of Thomas King who were living at home. Oldest son Charles King had married several years prior (circa 1815) and was enumerated as a nearby family unit. Son William King, who had recently married local resident Sarah Boone (circa 1820) was listed below the Thomas King household in the record. The 1820 census was unusual as it had a special column listing males 16-18 years of age in order to gather militia statistics. The census also had the normal 16-25 age column. Census Marshals and their assistants were specifically instructed to record any male between the ages of 16-18 in both columns. As such, Anderson King, born ca 1804 and 16 at the time, can be seen recorded in both columns.

On April 27, 1827 Thomas King sold the west ½ of his 300 acres… “land where King now lives” to Benjamin Reed and shortly thereafter purchased an additional 200 acres (David Gaines Survey 2) from neighbor Silas Tucker.

King Family Land Transactions in Franklin/Coffee Co., TN

Date Grantor Grantee BK/PG Notes
1814 Aug 12 Daniel Hofner Thomas King J157-8 $625 for a 300 acre tract of land in the 3rd Dist, both sides of the Elk River. Attest John King [nephew] and William Forseth.
1827 Apr 27 Thomas King Benjamin A. Reed FK427-8 $1300 for a 150 acre tract of land where King now lives in the County of Franklin, west side of the Elk River.
1827 Feb 3 Davis King Benjamin Neville L392-3 $462 for a 77 acre tract on the north side of the Elk River.
1828 Feb 20 Silas Tucker Thomas King, Senr L19-20 $600 for a 160 acre tract of land granted [originally] to David Gaines by the State of Tennessee Grant #1569 dated 30 June 1802, conveyed from said Gaines to Silas Tucker.
1829 May 13 Silas Tucker Thomas King N 499 $400 for a parcel of land 40 acres on the waters Perari [Prairie] Creek of the Elk River.
1831 Jul 29 Benjamin Hollingsworth & A.E. Patton Thomas King, Senr N 498 $195 for a parcel of 40 acres on the waters of the Elk River, part of an original tract to David Gaines #1569
1831 May 7 Thomas King, Senr William Greenlee M506-7 $1050 for two tracts of land, 177 acres on the waters of the Elk River beginning in the road leading from Coldwell's Bridge to the Stone Fort
1831 May 7 Thomas King, Senr William Greenlee M507-8 $50 for a tract of land lying in Franklin Co., on the north side of the Elk River on Perari [Prairie] Creek.

As the end of the 1820’s approached, Thomas King still lived at the headwaters of the Elk River. Older sons Charles and William had relocated their families out of state. William King can be found in Jackson Co., AL in the 1830 census. Birth place statements in the 1850 show a ca 1827 migration out of TN. ^[32] Son Davis King had married an ‘across-the-fence’ neighbor, Mary ‘Polly’ Sartain (ca 1821), and migrated west to Hardeman Co., TN. Son Anderson King had married (ca 1828) but lived nearby.^[33] Son Thomas King had married a neighbor, Albena Stanley (ca 1826), and also still lived in the county.^[34] Daughters Hannah King and Mary ‘Polly’ King had married NC natives and neighbors William Partin (ca 1821) and Pleasant H. Neville (ca 1826) respectively and also lived nearby. ^[35] William Partin: 1830 U.S. census, population schedule; Census Place: Franklin, Tennessee; NARA Roll: M19; Roll: 176; Page: 64. In spite of these changes in family dynamics, there was still a core of capable local family members living in the valley to assist the King patriarchs should the need arise.

Elizabeth Strother King’s Mother Dies

By the Spring of 1830, it had been roughly 25 years since Thomas King and Elizabeth Strother had mi-grated out of Hancock Co., GA leaving Elizabeth’s family behind. One can only speculate and wonder if Elizabeth had kept-up, visited or even received letters from her family who had remained back in Georgia.^[36] It is a difficult concept to grasp in today’s world of easy and instant communication. Perhaps completely unknown to Elizabeth, on 25 April 1830, Jane Fussell Strother, Elizabeth King’s aged mother, who was sick at the time, penned her LWT in Hancock Co., GA. In spite of the many years of separation, Jane Strother left a bequest of five dollars to her “daughter Elizabeth King”. ^[37] Next to Hannah King’s gift of a slave to son Thomas King, this document is of ultimate importance as it proves John Strother and Jane Fussell’s daughter Elizabeth was indeed married to Thomas King, the man who received Elizabeth’s share of her father’s estate distribution in 1801. Jane Strother died a few days later ^[38] and it is fascinating to think about how Elizabeth might have received the sad news and her five dollars from that distant locale.

When the 1830 census was rendered, Thomas (age 61) and Elizabeth King (age 58) can still be found living in the Elk River Valley; however, the household make-up is difficult to precisely decipher. Daughter Elizabeth (age 18)^[39] can be seen in the household and sons John (age 20) and Richard S. (age 16) were still single and could/should have been living at home also. The entry for Richard S. King is likely mismarked in the 10-15 year column. ^[40] Additionally, there are two younger males, age 5-10 years of age, enumerated in the household. These entries could have represented anyone staying or visiting with the family when the census taker dropped by. At this time the author has no information that would initiate discussion regarding who these individuals might be. Son Anderson King can be found living nearby along with neighbors Silas Tucker and Daniel Norman. The elder King was also enumerated with 7 slaves. ^[41]

By 1836 the record indicates that Thomas King began to think about his mortality. At age 67, on June 8, 1836 Thomas King, “being of sound and perfect mind and memory,” penned his LWT as a stated resident of Franklin Co., TN. ^[42] The Franklin County boundaries were changing at the time and it is quite possible that the elder King actually lived in newly formed Coffee County but knew nothing about those transformations. In his LWT he stated that all of his estate both “real and personal” was to go to his wife Elizabeth.^[43] He gave an interest in his plantation to his son Richard S. King for the purpose of helping Elizabeth manage the estate; however Thomas warned that Richard should not use any profits for “extravagant or profligate purposes.” ^[44] Next, Thomas gave specific bequests to his daughter Hannah Partin (a Negro girl Ann 18 months old) and then to his younger sons John and Richard S. (bed, furniture, cow & calf, etc.) to make them “equal” with his other children “who have gone to housekeeping.” ^[45]

Finally, the elder King closed his LWT and stated that at the death of his wife, the residue of his estate should be divided equally among his children whom he named. In essence he was writing or co-opting Elizabeth’s need for a LWT also, which was not an unusual practice during that period. On the same day Thomas King “in consideration of the natural love and affection which I bear for my son Richard S. King” also gifted two slaves, Nathan (4) and Isaac (2) to his youngest son by separate conveyance. ^[46]

What Can be Learned from Thomas King’s Will

First and foremost, he gives us the name of his wife… Elizabeth. As researchers in the 20th/21st century, we can piece together the puzzle of Thomas King’s marriage by documents left behind; however, this is the only record where HE states the name of his wife. Secondly, he gives us the names of all of his living eleven (11) children. Again, it is the only record to do such. Analysis of the document along with other known facts also helps us to understand how the children are segregated in the text. The author has reviewed and studied many such wills of this period and can state when a long list of children is named, they are often named in birth order. In this case the male children are segregated from the female in groups (not unusual either). Knowing the exact (or circa) birthdates of 7 of 11 of the individuals in question, enables the researcher to fill in the blanks with the others. They are segregated male oldest (Charles) to youngest (Richard S.) then female oldest (Hannah) to youngest (Elizabeth).

Lastly, the LWT lays out the probate process. Basically Thomas gives all of his real and personal property to Elizabeth, his wife (with exception of what needs to be sold to pay debts and a few gifts to younger children). It is then stipulated that whatever remains after Elizabeth’s death should be distributed equally among the eleven children (or their heirs).

The Final Years and the Aftermath

It is assumed that Thomas King spent his remaining years farming as best he could and providing sup-port for Elizabeth. He can be found enumerated, taxed for his 200 acres of land and 3 slaves on both the 1839 and 1840 tax rolls for District 13 of Coffee County. ^[47] Son Richard S. King is also enumerated as a poll with no property.^[48] As a final recorded act, on September 16, 1839, daughter Hannah Partin was gifted the Negro girl Ann (about 5 at this time) by deed by her father, thus preempting his will in that regard. ^[49]

In June 1840, Thomas King, a native of North Carolina, husband and father of eleven living children died in Coffee County, TN.^[50] He was 71 years of age. While the elder King had written a LWT to take care of his wife and handle his business interests, the following decade proved difficult for the family and the settlement of the estate drug-on for several years.

At the time of Thomas’ death his wife Elizabeth Strother King (~68 years of age) was still alive and is enumerated in the 1840 Coffee Co., TN census in the 60-70 age column. ^[51] Their son Richard S. King (26 years of age) is noted living with her in the 20-30 column for males. She is also enumerated with 9 slaves.

When Thomas King died, at least four of his eleven children resided out-of-state. Charles King resided in Marshall County, Mississippi (MS), William King in Washington County, Republic of Texas, Davis King in Nacogdoches County, Republic of Texas and Thomas King [Jr] in Tippah County, MS. Difficulties started almost immediately when Thomas King’s LWT was presented in open Court in Coffee County. While the LWT was not objected to and recorded, one of the appointed executors refused to act (declined his role) and the other was not present. As a result the probate process was ordered to lie over until the next Court. ^[52]

The following is a chronology of documented events that took place over the next few years giving the reader a better understanding of 1) the issues that beset the family and 2) the difficultly in reaching final settlement. It should be remembered the children of Thomas King were not entitled to any distributive portion of the estate until Elizabeth Strother King died. They could however transfer or sell their shares of any potential distribution to others.

1840 July 31 Davis King from Nacogdoches, Republic of Texas sells his interest in the estate of his father, Thomas King [Estate], to David Muckleroy for $400. Muckleroy in turn appoints Thomas King [Jr] his agent in Tennessee on Dec 28, 1842.^[53]
1840 Sept No executor will serve and son Anderson King is appointed Administrator of the Estate. ^[54]
1840 Oct Anderson King presented an inventory of the Estate to the court to determine how much of the personal property would be sold to pay outstanding debts as required in the First Section of his LWT. ^[55]
1840 Oct 12 John King sells his interest in the Estate, to Alexander E. Patton for $150 and the release of two notes for $55 and $75. ^[56]
1840 Dec 18 Charles King of Marshall Co., MS sells his interest in the Estate to Anderson King for $250. ^[57]
1841 July 2 Richard S. King sells his “2/11th“ interest in the Estate to Anderson King for $300. The deed states that 1/11th was his share and the other eleventh he purchased from Pleas-ant Neville and wife (Mary King). ^[58]
1841 Oct Anderson King, the Administrator of the Estate has died… On motion of Lawson Rowe and it appearing to the satisfaction of the Court that Anderson King of this County has “departed this life Intestate,” administration of his estate is granted to Lawson Rowe. Anderson King’s estate Inventory is presented to the Court. ^[59]
1841 Nov Anderson King, dec’d, property is sold ^[60] by the administrator and Court provides provisions for Anderson King’s widow and children.^[61]
1842 Jan A motion of Alex[ande]r E. Patton and it appearing to the satisfaction of the Court that Thos. King [Sr] of this County has departed this life. Intestate administration of his Estate is granted to said Alexr E. Patton who made oath & entered into bond. Coffee Co., TN Court Minutes, Volume 2, March 1841 - September 1849 p. 28. By the nature of Thomas King’s LWT, Elizabeth’s death would trigger the distribution of his remaining estate. ^[62] This event suggests that Elizabeth Strother King has died.
1842 Apr Alexr E. Patton Administrator of the Estate of Thos. King dec'd, produced in open Court an Inventory of said Estate which was qualified and received.^[63]
1842 Jun Anderson King’s, dec’d, estate sale is accounted for and received by the Court. ^[64]
1842 Sept 5 Richard S. King presents himself to the Court and it is ordered that a certificate of his honesty and proberty and good demeanor be granted him and that he is over the age of twenty one years he having made satisfactory proof to the court regarding his reputation and age. ^[65]
1843 Jan 28 Thomas King [Jr, the son] assigns his Power of Attorney to Lawson Rowe in regard to the settlement of the Estate. He is empowering his lawyer (Rowe) to “…sue for and receive the same or any part thereof. I do further empower my said attorney in fact for me and in my name to sell and convey…my distributive share of one tract of land lying in the County of Coffee & State of Tennessee which the said Thomas King died seized of…” ^[66]
1844 Mar 30 Administrator A.E. Patton sells the 200+ acres of land remaining in the Estate. ^[67]
1844 Jun 4 Anderson King’s estate is settled and documents presented to the Court. ^[68]
1849 May 7 Jesse King (son of Thomas King [Sr]) has died. On the Motion of Pleasant Neville he is appointed guardian of Eliza King, Parelee King, James M. King, Dallas King and Hannah King minor heirs of Jesse King dec’d. ^[69]

Summary of Estate Events

When Thomas King and Elizabeth Strother died, they had eleven living adult children, most with families of their own. Some lived nearby, some in other states and even some in other countries (Republic of Texas)! As with any large family the individual personalities of the siblings can vary greatly and it is safe to assume that Thomas King’s children were no different. One can certainly speculate that there were differing opinions on what to do with the residue 200+ acres of land…we will never know.

We do know that the record is silent with regard to sons William King and Jesse King and the Estate. ^[70] We know some were quite willing to sell or relinquish their shares. We don’t have documents to fully understand the final distribution to the parties and to whom those distributions were transmitted. Unfortunately, those documents and details no longer exist. However to summarize the events and chronology from above:

June 1840 Thomas King died in Coffee Co., TN
Sept 1840 Anderson King (his son) was appointed Administrator/Executor by the Court
Oct 1840 Anderson King (his son) presents an inventory to the Court for the purpose of selling only that portion of the Estate to satisfy debts. The remaining Estate passes to Elizabeth Strother King as stipulated by the LWT of Thomas King.
1840-1841 Some children of Thomas King relinquish and sell their future distributive shares of the Estate to others. Anderson King, Administrator/Executor of the Estate of Thomas King died.
Late 1841 Elizabeth Strother King likely died in Coffee Co., TN.
Jan 1842 As a result of the matriarch’s death, the Estate of Thomas King can be finalized and dis-tributed to those with shares (children and others). A.E. Patton is appointed Administrator of the Estate.
March 1844 A.E. Patton sells the 200+ acres of land that was owned by the Estate of Thomas King effectively settling the Estate.
June 1844 Anderson King’s estate is settled. Since Anderson King, thus his heirs, owned shares of the Estate, it is logical that Anderson King’s estate could not be settled until his father’s was.

By 1845 the Estate was likely settled. However, there were remnant distributions to minor heirs of Anderson King and Jesse King that continued for many years, but the record is silent regarding any relationship to the Estate. ^[71]

Family Epilogue ^[72]

As the 1850s rolled around, several of the Thomas and Elizabeth’s children can be confirmed to have died. The following is a summary of where the children were in 1850 and beyond:

Charles King had migrated into northern MS perhaps as early as the mid-1820’s had likely died in Marshall Co., MS ca 1845.
William King had migrated to Jackson Co., AL ca 1827, Tishomingo Co., MS ca 1836 and the Republic of Texas in 1839. He resided with his family in Leon Co., Texas (TX) in 1850 and died there in 1856.
Jesse King had died by 1849 but his whereabouts was unknown. He left minor children who were placed in the home of Pleasant Neville (guardian) and his wife Mary King Neville. These children have not been located beyond this date by the author at the time of this writing.
Davis King had migrated to Hardeman Co., TN prior to 1828, to Tippah Co., MS prior to 1836 then into the Republic of Texas, with his brother William, in 1839. He resided with his family in Nacogdoches Co., TX in 1850 and died there in 1861.
Hannah King Partin resided with her family in Grundy Co., TN in 1850. She died a few years later and most remnants of her family had migrated to Nacogdoches Co., TX by 1854.
Anderson King died in 1841 in Coffee Co., TN. He left a wife Letha (Lethy) and several children. Ander-son’s widow, Letha King, married James Harrison ca 1846 and the couple along with the King minors can be found in living in Grundy Co., TN in 1850. By 1858, much of this family had migrated to Nacogdoches Co., TX. Only daughter Martha Jane King, who married James M. Bell, remained in Tennessee.
Thomas King migrated to Hardeman Co., TN ca 1835, then south into Tippah Co., MS by 1839. He resid-ed with his family in Tippah County in 1850 and died there ca 1866.
Mary ‘Polly’ King Neville (Nevill, Nevil) lived the rest of her days in the valleys and hills of Coffee Co., TN. She died after 1880 and was the only child of Thomas King whose descendants principally stayed in the area.
John King migrated to TX prior to 1850 and was living with his family in Lamar Co., TX in 1850. He died there about 1853.
Elizabeth King Burrows resided with her family in Grundy Co., TN in 1850 before migrating to Nacogdo-ches Co., TX ca 1851. She died there in 1889 outliving all of her siblings.
Richard S. King, who had an uncle name Richard Strother, seemingly lived a life where the demons took control. He enlisted to fight in the Mexican-American War and served from 1846-48. He followed his Colonel and Franklin County neighbor, James Patton Anderson, to the Memphis area and began to study law. He never married and lived in DeSoto Co., MS in 1850. He migrated to Cass Co., TX ca 1853, became a ward of the county by 1860 and died there ca 1862 noted as “insane caused by drinking.” Perhaps his father had recognized the proclivities of his son when he admonished Richard not use any profits (from the Estate) for “extravagant or profligate purposes.”  

Thomas King and Elizabeth Strother, colonial Americans out of NC and VA raised a large and vibrant family who witnessed the expansion of the frontier in Georgia and Tennessee with their own eyes. Along with their children they spent their formative family years in the shadow of the Cumberland Plateau in middle Tennessee. They were likely laid-to-rest in that fertile cove at the headwaters of the Elk River. Most of their descendants migrated westward after 1850 and very few descendants remain in Tennessee today

The Children of Thomas King and Elizabeth Strother

THOMAS2 KING (JOHN1) was born Oct 1768 in Orange Co., NC, and died Jun 1840 in Coffee Co., TN. He married ELIZABETH STROTHER Abt. 1788 in Orange Co., NC, daughter of JOHN STROTHER and JANE FUSSELL. She was born Abt. 1772 in VA, and died Bet. 1841 - 1842 in probably Coffee Co., TN.

Children of THOMAS KING and ELIZABETH STROTHER are:

i. CHARLES3 KING, b. Abt. 1790, Orange Co., NC; d. Aft. 1845, probably Marshall Co., MS; m. UNKNOWN.
ii. WILLIAM KING, b. Abt. 1796, Hancock Co., GA; d. 31 Mar 1856, Leon Co., TX; m. SARAH BOONE, Abt. 1820, Franklin or Warren Co. TN; b. 05 May 1804, Adair Co., KY; d. 12 Mar 1882, Limestone Co., TX.
iii. JESSE KING, b. Abt. 1798, Hancock Co., GA; d. Abt. 1848, unknown.
iv. DAVIS KING, b. 04 Jun 1800, Hancock Co., GA; d. 24 Jan 1861, Nacogdoches Co., TX; m. MARY 'POLLY' SARTAIN, Abt. 1821, Franklin Co. TN; b. 11 Feb 1804; d. 18 Apr 1886, Nacogdoches Co., TX.
v. HANNAH KING, b. Abt. 1802, Orange Co., NC; d. Bet. 1850 - 1860, possibly Nacogdoches Co., TX; m. WILLIAM PARTIN, Abt. 1821, Franklin Co., TN; b. Abt. 1798, North Carolina; d. Bet. 1850 - 1860, Tennessee or Nacogdoches Co., TX.
vi. ANDERSON KING, b. Abt. 1804, Orange Co., NC; d. Bef. Oct 1841, Coffee Co., TN; m. LETHA UNKNOWN, Abt. 1828, Franklin Co. TN.
vii. THOMAS KING, b. Abt. 1806, Orange Co., NC; d. Abt. 1866, Tippah County, MS; m. ALBENA STANLEY, Abt. 1826, Franklin Co., TN; b. Abt. 1808, Georgia; d. Bet. 1870 - 1880, Tippah County, MS.
viii. MARY 'POLLY' KING, b. Abt. 1808, stated NC (1850) stated TN (1860 and 1880); d. Aft. 1880, Franklin or Coffee Co., TN; m. PLEASANT H. NEVILLE, Abt. 1826, Franklin Co., TN; b. 05 Sep 1806, Orange Co., NC; d. Bet. Jun 1864 - Apr 1865, Coffee Co., TN.
ix. JOHN KING, b. Abt. 1810, Franklin Co., TN; d. Aft. 1853, probably in Lamar Co., TX; m. RA-CHEL, Abt. 1836, probably Franklin Co., TN; b. Abt. 1815, TN.
x. ELIZABETH KING, b. 29 Dec 1811, Franklin Co., TN; d. 26 Aug 1889, Nacogdoches Co., TX; m. DAVID BURROWS, Abt. 1834, probably Franklin Co., TN; b. 27 Oct 1810, Grundy Co., TN; d. 05 Oct 1873, Nacogdoches Co., TX.
xi. RICHARD S. KING, b. Abt. 1813, Franklin Co., TN; d. Abt. 1862, probably Cass/Davis Co., TX.

Sources

1. ↑ Orange County NC, County Court Minutes 1782-1785, 26 August 1783 [no page nos]; Thomas King was a minor when his father died. These court records detail the ages of each of the King minors. “Thomas King aged 14 years last Octr, Obedience King 16 last March, Hannah King 12 last Octo. came into Court & chose their mother Hannah King for their Guardian. John King, Baxter King, Charles King & Nathl King Securities of 100£ for each Orphan. Hannah King is appointed Guardian to Rebecca King Orphan of Jno King decd same Securities as above £100”
2. ↑ John King, Last Will and Testament dated July 22, 1782. Original Will. Wills (Orange County, North Carolina), 1782-1968; Author: North Carolina. Probate Court (Orange County); Probate Place: Orange, North Carolina. Thomas King’s birth order can be specifically determined by the LWT of his father John King.
3. ↑ Orange Co., NC Register of Deeds, 1752-1768. Transcribed by Eve B. Weeks. 1984. The sale of 380 acres of land by Mark Morgan to John King was registered September 13, 1753.
4. ↑ Hillsborough was the county seat of colonial Orange Co., NC and the seat of the district government.
5. ↑ The Patriots at Kirk's Farm were part of the Orange County Regiment of Militia under the temporary command of Col. John Hinton, Jr. Two companies of Patriots stopped at Kirk's Farm to rest - under Major William Gholson. Major Gholson was under the wrong assumption that there were no Loyalists anywhere near their camp. Capt. Richard Edwards and his company of Loyalists arrived at this location around sunrise on September 12th, and they began to quietly surround the farm. A Patriot sentinel spotted them and he immediately fired his gun. Capt. Edward's men killed him, but the remaining Patriots were now alerted to their presence. However, the Patriots were too slow in reacting and this gave Capt. Edwards and his men time to hide themselves in a thicket. Capt. Abraham Allen then rushed out of the farmhouse with his Patriot force, and the Loyalists took aim. His Lieutenant Joseph Young's men put up a fierce defense. During the fight, British Capt. Edwards and ten of his men were killed. The Patriots Capt. Allen and Lt. Young were wounded - Lt. Young died a few days later. Capt. Edwards's brother, Edward Edwards, took command of the Loyalists and they finally defeated the Patriots. Nearly one third of all the men in this skirmish were killed or wounded. Eleven of Capt. Edwards's men were killed and several others died within a few days. The fate of the prisoners has not been recorded. Capt. Edward Edwards hurried back to Col. David Fanning's army. https://www.carolana.com/NC/Revolution/revolution_kirks_farm.html . Online
6. ↑ Affidavit of Thomas King of Franklin Co., TN dated 5 Sept 1832, stating he was a native of Orange Co., NC in support of George Waggoner’s Revolutionary War Pension Application; Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files; Survivor’s Pension Application File, Archive Publication No. M804, Roll 2468, Images 320/21 of 1137. Unfortunately, Thomas King’s affidavit for Franklin Co., TN neighbor and old acquaintance George Waggoner fueled speculation in the 1980’s that Thomas King MIGHT BE a brother of George Waggoner and thus Thomas King’s wife was a Waggoner. She was not a Waggoner, she was Elizabeth Strother, which is documented in this report.
7. ↑ John King, Last Will and Testament dated July 22, 1782. Original Will. Wills (Orange County, North Carolina), 1782-1968; Author: North Carolina. Probate Court (Orange County); Probate Place: Orange, North Carolina. Also clerically recorded Orange Co., NC Will Book A pp255-56.
8. ↑ Agreement Between the King Executors and King Legatees dated September 1, 1783. Original Agreement. Wills, 1663-1978, Estate Papers, 1754-1944 (Orange County); Author: North Carolina. Division of Archives and History; Probate Place: Orange, North Carolina. Also clerically recorded Orange Co., NC Will Book A pp290-92.
9. ↑ Orange Co., NC Deed BK 2 p12. Robert Cate(s) to John Strother, Jan 29, 1776, 200 acres
10. ↑ Implied and proven by Hancock Co., GA estate records which are discussed, referenced and cited in the body of this work. As discussed in an earlier endnote, Thomas King’s affidavit for Franklin Co., TN neighbor and old acquaintance George Waggoner fueled incorrect speculation regarding his wife’s family. Thomas King’s wife was not a Waggoner. Unfortunately, this speculation has insidiously morphed into ‘fact’ over the past 40 years. Ancestry.com’s system (and the internet in general), facilitates the easy copying of information from one tree to another, which has resulted in the circular proliferation of this erroneous data. This proliferation can give the appearance of legitimacy where none exists. Thomas King’s wife was not a Waggoner. She can be proven by documentary evidence as Elizabeth Strother. For those descendants who have done Autosomal DNA testing you will also have scores, if not hundreds, of Strother matches from this specific Strother family.
11. ↑ Orange Co., NC Deed BK 5, pp211-12. Thomas King to Baxter King, January 28, 1794.
12. ↑ John Strother and his sons John [Jr], George, Richard, James, Aaron and David all can be found in Hancock Co., GA by 1796.
13. ↑ Orange Co., NC neighbor Mark Stroud married Martha ‘Patty’ Strother in Orange Co. ca 1780 and migrated to Hancock Co., GA with the group.
14. ↑ Other Stroud family members including John Stroud can be confirmed in Hancock Co., GA at the time.
15. ↑ William King stated his birthplace as Georgia in the 1850 Leon County TX Federal Census. 1850 Leon County, Texas Federal Census, Roll: 912; Page: 321A; Seventh Census of the United States, Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29; National Archives, Washington, D.C.
16. ↑ Jesse King’s birth order can be estimated from the LWT of his father Thomas King. It is assumed he was born ca1798. If so he was certainly born in Hancock Co., GA.
17. ↑ Davis King stated his birthplace as Georgia in the 1850 Nacogdoches County TX Federal Census. 1850 Nacogdoches, Texas Federal Census, Roll: 913; Page: 65A; Seventh Census of the United States, Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29; National Archives, Washington, D.C.
18. ↑ The administrator was required to post bond, approximately equal to the value of the estate, as a guarantee both to the prudent management and preservation of the estate and to its accurate distribution.
19. ↑ Hancock Co., GA. Deed BK AB, 1794-1798, pp298-99
20. ↑ Hancock Co., GA. Wills and Administrations of Estates, Vol A, p58
21. ↑ Elizabeth King’s mother, Jane Strother, remained in Hancock Co., GA with her sons. She died there in 1830 and left a LWT with legacies to all of her living children. Elizabeth King, approximately 58 years of age and a resident of Franklin Co., TN at the time, received $5.00. Note to All….more will be discussed and cited on this when I finish the second half of this report in the next few weeks.
22. ↑ Orange Co., NC Deed BK 9 page 227 (unindexed); Hannah King of Orange Co., NC to son Thomas King of Hancock Co., GA.
23. ↑ The lack of any record of Thomas King in Hancock Co., GA beyond 1801 makes it clear that he left the county. However, it is not clear exactly when he left and where he migrated. He can be shown selling 50 acres of land on December 2, 1800 (Hancock Co., GA Deed BK G p182) and receiving the above referenced gift from his Mother as a resident of Hancock Co., GA in January 1801. After those dates there is no definite document that confirms he is a resident of Georgia. His receipt of Elizabeth’s (his wife) inheritance on September 1, 1801 does not specifically state he was living in Georgia at the time. Lawrence Westbrook King assumed he moved by to Orange Co., NC based on a 1804 deed where a Thomas King purchased land in Orange Co., NC near the Lloyd family. This will be discussed later in the expansion of this manuscript. Census records suggest Thomas King’s children born between 1802 and 1808 were born in NC. As a result, the record, while certainly not clear, does suggest he moved back to Orange Co., NC at a time prior to his mother’s death.
24. ↑ Orange Co., NC Deed BK . This land was near if not adjacent to ancestral King property in Orange Co., NC. The other Thomas Kings in the County did not live near this area. Additionally, there is no ‘sale deed’ for the property; but, it can be determined that it was owned by Thomas’s brother Nathaniel King Sr. when he sold it to his son Nathaniel King Jr. in .. See Orange Co., NC Deed BK . Therefore, it is logical that ‘our Thomas’ purchased and lived on this land in Orange Co., NC circa 1804-1808.
25. ↑ Smoot, Frederick, McGee & Moore. Mapping Tennessee’s 2nd Surveyors’ District. 1998. TNGenWeb Project; online https://www.tngenweb.org/tnland/tn2dmap.htm
26. ↑ In the above referenced 1832 affidavit given for the Revolutionary Pension Application of Franklin Co., TN resident George Waggoner, Thomas King states he moved to Franklin Co., TN “about 22 years ago”. Daughter Mary King Neville bca 1808 states her birthplace as TN in the 1860 census.
27. ↑ The families of William Stroud, James Lloyd and Owen Lloyd, Orange Co., NC natives can be found in land records and enumerated on the 1812 Franklin Co., TN tax list.
28. ↑ It was not unusual for an individual to live in a newly settled area for many years before purchasing suitable property. No Tennessee State Land Grants or County Land transactions have been found or are suggested by any extant records.
29. ↑ Franklin Co., TN deed records list his surname as Hofner, TN State Land Registers record the surname as Havender (and variants), federal census records enumerate this individual as Heifner. He was never a resident of Franklin Co., TN
30. ↑ It was not unusual for an individual to make arrangements and live on vacant/unimproved property prior to eventual purchase.
31. ↑ Family bible records confirm that William King’s (ca1796-1856) son Peter B. King was born in Franklin Co., TN in 1826. It can also be stated that with the exception of son Davis King, there is no record of any of Thomas King’s male children owning property in Franklin or neighboring Warren Co., TN.
32. ↑ Charles King is not in the 1830 Franklin County census and it is logically assumed that he has left the state.
33. ↑ Spouse unknown but first name was Letha.
34. ↑ 1830 U.S. census, population schedule; Census Place: Franklin, Tennessee; NARA Roll: M19; Roll: 176; Page: 84.
35. ↑ Pleasant Neville: 1830 U.S. census, population schedule; Census Place: Franklin, Tennessee; NARA Roll: M19; Roll: 176; Page: 79.
36. ↑ The majority of the Strother family had remained in Hancock Co., GA. Her mother could not write. As a result, any written communication would have been letters from siblings.
37. ↑ Hancock Co., GA. Inferior Court, Wills and Estate Records, Book M 1827-1831, pp545-6.
38. ↑ Ibid, the record states that the LWT of Jane Strother, “late of this county”, was probated on May 3, 1830.
39. ↑ Did not marry neighbor David Burrows until about 1834.
40. ↑ Logically assumed by the author.
41. ↑ 1830 U.S. census, population schedule; Census Place: Franklin, Tennessee; NARA Roll: M19; Roll: 176; Page: 82.
42. ↑ Original Last Will and Testament of Thomas King; loose file labeled King, Thomas (1836). Tennessee Probate Court Files, 1795-1955 Coffee County Court, Probate case files 1836-1972 Holden, Eleanor - Long, J.C.; image 2142 of 3192. Online https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:9392-2V93-FR?i=2141&wc=SFG5-7M9%3A180562501%2C180571701%2C180564102%2C180796004&cc=1909193. Of note the clerical entry of his will in Coffee Co., TN Will BK Vol 1 (1836-1901), pp. 9-10 is incomplete and incorrectly transcribed leaving out the names of children, Davis King, Anderson King and Thomas King that are present in the original.
43. ↑ Ibid. With the caveat that just debts and burial expenses could be paid for out of any sale of property or crops that Elizabeth saw fit.
44. ↑ Ibid.
45. ↑ The individual named were not married as yet.
46. ↑ Franklin Co., TN Deed BK Q page 222-3 .
47. ↑ District 13 is missing from the 1836-1838 tax books.
48. ↑ Coffee Co., TN Tax Books, v. 1, 1836-1878. Family History Library film # 008657945. Image 174 of 1820 (1839) and image 220 of 1820 (1840) .
49. ↑ Coffee Co., TN Deed BK B page 26 .
50. ↑ Evidenced by his LWT being probated there.
51. ↑ 1840 U.S. census, population schedule, NARA microfilm publication M704; Census Place: Coffee , Tennessee; Roll:519; Page:167 .
52. ↑ Coffee Co., TN Court Minutes, Volume 1, May 1836-January 1841 p. 292.
53. ↑ Coffee Co., TN Deed BK B page 660.
54. ↑ Coffee Co., TN Court Minutes, Volume 1, May 1836-January 1841 p. 304.
55. ↑ Coffee Co., TN Court Minutes, Volume 1, May 1836-January 1841 pp. 307-8.
56. ↑ Coffee Co., TN Deed BK B p. 292.
57. ↑ Franklin Co., TN Deed BK R p. 484.
58. ↑ Coffee Co., TN Deed BK B p. 303. No individual record of the mentioned Neville to King transfer has been located.
59. ↑ Coffee Co., TN Court Minutes, Volume 2, March 1841 - September 1849 pp. 19-20.
60. ↑ Court documents do not specify if the was all of his property vs. real or personal.
61. ↑ Coffee Co., TN Court Minutes, Volume 2, March 1841 - September 1849 p. 24.
62. ↑ This action suggests that Elizabeth King has died.
63. ↑ Coffee Co., TN Court Minutes, Volume 2, March 1841 - September 1849 p. 36.
64. ↑ Coffee Co., TN Court Minutes, Volume 2, March 1841 - September 1849 p. 44.
65. ↑ Coffee Co., TN Court Minutes, Volume 2, March 1841 - September 1849 p. 54 .
66. ↑ Franklin Co., TN Deed BK S p. 445.
67. ↑ Coffee Co., TN Deed BK C p. 226 .
68. ↑ Coffee Co., TN Court Minutes, Volume 2, March 1841 - September 1849 p. 119
69. ↑ Coffee Co., TN Court Minutes, Volume 2, March 1841 - September 1849 pp. 401-2.
70. ↑ In contrast to their other siblings, there are no relinquishments of shares recorded from sons William King or Jesse King in either Franklin or Coffee Co., TN or in Washington Co., TX, William King’s residence at the time.
71. ↑ For Anderson King heirs: Grundy Co., TN Settlements, 1841-1860, Vol. 1, p. 113. For Jesse King heirs: Coffee Co., TN Probate Records; Settlements, 1860-1893, Vol 1, p. 37. Final settlement rec-orded 18 April 1861.
72. ↑ Specific individual sources and citations for those sources to be noted in the individual’s Chapter to follow.