John Nunn (abt. 1796 - 1873)

Born about 31 Dec 1796 in Georgia

Ancestors

Died 7 Aug 1873 at about age 76 in Noxubee County, Mississippi

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Gary Pinson [send private message]

Notes to Researchers/Descendants

• John Nunn's birth date calculated by subtracting the age on his tombstone from his death date. The findagrave.com website author miscalculated coming up with a birth date of 25 December 1796. It's likely that the person supplying the information to the stone mason also miscalculated. Also, dates on gravestones are usually second source, being supplied by survivor's of the deceased who may not know the correct information. The death date was on the stone.
• My third great grandfather was John's younger brother Francis Nunn. I'm hoping a descendant of James Nunn will contact me so I can add them as managers of this page.

Timeline

• c 1796, 31 Dec: John born in Georgia.
• 1818, Feb: Dallas County Alabama created from Montgomery County.
• 1818, Nov: Autauga County Alabama created from Montgomery County.
• 1819, Dec: Perry County Alabama created from Montgomery County.
• 1821, 21 Nov: John Nunn and Jane Tubb's brother Elisha sign $300 marriage bond preceding their marriage.
• 1821, c. 23 Nov: John Nunn weds Jane Tubb in Perry County Alabama.
• 1826, 8 Aug: Johns son Elisha Franklin Nunn born.
• 1830, 20 Jan: Lowndes County Alabama created from Butler, Dallas and Montgomery Counties.
• 1830: U.S. Census for Perry County Ala. Jno Nunn 200001 01001
• 1833, 23 Dec: Noxubee and Oktibbeha Counties, Mississippi created from Choctaw Cession land.
• 1833, 23 Dec: Choctaw County, Mississippi created from Chickasaw Cession land.
• 1833, 23 Dec: Yalobusha County, Mississippi created from Choctaw Cession land.
• 1835: John Nunn moves from Perry Co. Alabama to Noxubee Co., Mississippi
• 1836, 9 Feb: Lafayette and Chickasaw Counties, Mississippi created from Chickasaw Cession land.
• 1838, 5 Nov: John wins lawsuit against Wm Coldwell. Coldwell's lot seized.
• 1839, 21 Nov: Daughter Elizabeth Nunn weds Jos. Watson in Noxubee Co., MS
• 1840 U.S. Census for Noxubee County, MS: John Nunn 3210001 000001
• 1842, 12 April: John buys out Brother in law, Elisha F. Tubb on jointly owned 1/4 section (appr. 160 acres) in Noxubee County
• 1842, 18 July: John's brother Francis highest bidder on Coldwell lot.
• 1842, 13 Oct: John's brother Francis Nunn gets Sheriff's deed for lot.
• 1842, 18 Oct: John Nunn bought a 319.68 acre parcel in Noxubee Co., Miss.
• 1845: Mississippi State Census for Noxubee County: John with 7 males & 1 female. Next door is Jane Nunn's sister Mary (Tubb) Petty.
• 1850, Feb: John's brother in law, William F. Tubb, dies intestate in Noxubee Co.
• 1850 U.S. Census for Noxubee County, MS: See listing under Census Data.
• 1851, 31 July: John's mother in law, Elizabeth Tubb, dies in Noxubee County.
• 1851, 5 Aug: G. W. Tubb petitions Noxubee Co. Court on both mother's and brother William's estates. Names sister Jane as wife of John Nunn in petition.
• 1852, 8 Mar: Calhoun County, MS created from Lafayette & Yalobusha Counties.
• 1853: Mississippi State Census for Noxubee County: John with 5 males & 1 female. From biographical information at least 1 of his 4 known sons should be living outside the household by this year. starting 5 houses later are wife's relatives in order G.W. Tubb, Jas Petty, Miss S. Tubb, Mrs Petty,
• 1858, 8 June: Son David A. Nunn weds Helen Williams in Noxubee Co.
• 1860, 21 Sept: U.S. Census for Noxubee County, MS: See "Census Data."
• 1861, 5 Nov: John's son E.F. Nunn, a confederate officer, writes Gov. Pettus.
• 1862, 25 Feb: John's son J.W. Nunn, a confederate officer, writes Gov. Pettus.
• 1870 U.S. Census for Noxubee County, MS: See "Census Data."
• 1873, 7 August: John Nunn dies in Noxubee County, MS.
• 1874, 7 Nov: Jane (Tubb) Nunn dies in Noxubee County, MS.

Census Data

1850 U.S. Census for Noxubee County Alabama: John Nun 53 Georgia Jane Nun 49 South Carolina Samuel A Nun 21 Alabama David Nun 14 Mississippi James M Nun 12 Mississippi Floyd W Nun 8 Mississippi The associated slave schedule showed John with 11 male slaves and 8 female slaves all listed Black, none Mulatto. His brother in law, G.W. Tubb is shown on the same page with a comparable number of slaves.

1860 U.S. Census for District #4, Noxubee County Alabama: house 878 858 John Nunn 63 Georgia (Farmer. RE $2000, Estate $15,000) Jane Nunn 58 South Carolina F W Nunn 19 Mississippi

House 863 843 (John & Jane's son Elisha) E. F. Nunn 34 Ala (Farmer, RE $7,000, Personal estate $19,000) M.E. Nunn 26 Miss (his wife) The associated slave schedule showed John with 18 slaves and his son Elisha with about a dozen.

1870 U.S. Census for District #4, Noxubee County Alabama: John Nunn 73 Georgia (micht. RE $1020, Estate $1,000) Jane Nunn 68 South Carolina (note the consistency. In three straight censi John is the same age indicating a 1796-97 birth, always in Georgia. Jane always shows birth in South Carolina with a date around 1801-1802. Note how much John's wealth has shrunk. This is not from distributing all his assets to his children. He's now listed as a merchant after being a wealthy planter. He's probably working for his son Elisha who opened a mercantile business by John's plantation.)

Proof of Parentage

1. John's father, Williiam Nunn, claims six sons in his will, but only names five, omitting John. However, the will was reportedly followed by a codicil naming John.
2. Proof of a sibling brings all proof of parentage for that sibling. John's brother Francis was living in Autauga County Alabama in 1840 and then moved to Mississippi between 1840 and 1842, settling in Chickasaw County. Noxubee was separated from Chickasaw by only one other County. Francis Nunn was named in William Nunn's will and there was other proof for his parentage. Francis Nunn bids on the lot seized after John Nunn wins his lawsuit against Coldwell in 1838. Nunn is not that common a name, so they had to be brothers.
3. John and Francis had two other brother's, James and David, in Autauga and Lownde's Counties Alabama in the 1830's and all four brothers were buying Federal land patents in the same area. John continued doing so in Mississippi. Brother James had multiple patents in Autauga and Dallas Counties. John had a patent in Dallas County in November 1830, but apparently never took Possession. He also had two patents in Perry County. We know it was him in Perry County, because a son's biography listed him being born in Perry County, Alabama in 1829. John's brother David also had land patents in Dallas, Lowndes and Perry Counties Alabama. Autauga, Dallas, Lowndes and Perry Counties Alabama all formed a tight cluster having been formed from the same mother County. Brothers James and David, like brother Francis, were both named in their father's will and had other proof of Parentage.

Proof of Spouse

1. Marriage Bond in Perry Co. Alabama shows John Nunn and Elisha Tubb bound for $300.00 on 21 November 1821 as security for the marriage to Jane Tubb.
2. Documents in Jane (Tubbs) Nunn's brother's and mother's estate settlements named her and all her siblings and the female siblings husbands. In each of the two estate settlements she was listed as the wife of John Nunn. Those two statements not only proved her as a spouse of John Nunn, but also proved her parentage and siblings.

Children

Proven:

• Elizabeth (Nunn) Watson born circa 1823
• Elisha Franklin Nunn 1826–1895
• Samuel Asa Nunn 1828–1907
• David Alexander Nunn 1836–1911
• James M. Nunn born c 1838 (believed to have died young)
• Floyd W. Nunn 1841–1867

Computed from 1840 & 45 censi Two other sons born in the 1830's who must have died as minors.

Proof of Children

1. A posthumous biography of John's son, Dr. S.A. Nunn, printed in 1908 in Confederate Veteran magazine listed Dr. Nunn's father as “Squire John Nunn” of Noxubee County and his three brothers as Maj. E.F. Nunn, Col. D.A. Nunn, and Lieut. Floyd Nunn.
2. Elizabeth (Nunn) Watson was wed in Noxubee County MS in November 1839. Besides a brief appearance by his younger brother Francis 2 1/2 years after the marriage, John was the only Nunn known in the area who could have fathered Elizabeth. And since Francis wasn't even in the state at the time and was married on 21 December 1826 with his eldest child born c 1828, which means Elizabeth would have to have been about 11 years old, or younger, at her marriage if she was Francis' daughter. Elizabeth was probably named after her maternal grandmother, Elizabeth (Floyd?) Tubb.
3. The 1830 Perry County Alabama shows Jno Nunn in his 30's with a female in her 20's, a female aged 5-10 and two males under 5. This corresponds perfectly to what we know about he and his family. John would have been 34 at the time and wife Jane 29 years old. Their daughter Elizabeth, who married in 1839 would be the eldest child. Sons Elisha and Samuel would have been about age 4 and 2 respectively. Furthermore, 5 houses away is what I read as Samuel Tubbs who may have been Jane (Tubb) Nunn's cousin and on the next page is Rich Tubb, who must be Jane's brother Richard who died in Perry County.
4. The 1840 Noxubee County, Mississippi Census showed John in his 40s and Jane in her 30's as expected (44 & 39). No other females were in the house, but there were six minor males listed: three under age five, two aged five to nine and one aged 10-14. There should have been two aged 10-14 and we have three sons more than expected as 4th known son, Floyd, was not yet born. We interpret this to explain the large gaps between some sons births. We believe three sons must have died as youths, which is reinforced by a later biography for son Samuel Nunn that he and all three brothers were officers in the Confederacy. Sons who died as children would not be mentioned. Immediately next door to John is Joseph Watson in his 20's with a wife in her late teens and no children. His wife would be John's daughter Elizabeth who Noxubee County Marriage records proved married Joseph Watson on 21 Nov. 1839. Not surprising they didn't have a child yet.
5. The 1845 Mississippi State Census shows John with 7 males, indicating 6 sons, and 1 female, his wife Jane. The 1850 U.S. census (see above under census data) reveals a son James M. who is believed to have died as a minor. Also shown are three of four sons who lived to adulthood: Samuel, David and Floyd. Elisha has left the house.
6. The 1853 Mississippi State Census shows John with 5 males, indicating 4 sons, and 1 female, his wife Jane. No change since the 1850 census, unless a new son was added and James subtracted. The 1860 U.S. Census shows only son Floyd at home. We can track sons Samuel and David who left the house since the prior census, but a biography for Samuel listed his three brothers and said they all were officers in the confederate army like himself. We're inclined to believe James died between 1853 and 1860.

Biography

Sources

1. Photographs of John Nunn's gravestone in it's Gholson Cemetery, Gholson, Noxubee County, Mississippi burial site. These may be seen at https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/38983235/john-nunn
2. Perry County, Alabama Marriage Records. A microfilmed copy of the actual marriage bond may be seen at https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939K-RY9F?i=98&cc=1743384&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AVRJY-WBW
3. Perry County, Alabama Marriage Records.
4. 1830 U.S. Census for Perry County, Alabama.
5. 1840 U.S. Census for Noxubee County, Mississippi
6. 1845 Mississippi State Census for Noxubee County. A microfilmed copy can be viewed at https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9PWR-L2?i=11&cc=1919687&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AWDXN-68MM
7. 1850 U.S. Census for Noxubee County, Mississippi
8. 1853 Mississippi State Census for Noxubee County. A microfilmed copy can be viewed at https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GPW5-WQN?i=5&cc=1919687&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AWDZF-YH6Z
9. 1860 U.S. Census for District 4, Noxubee County, Mississippi
10. 1870 U.S. Census for Noxubee County, Mississippi
11. John Nunn, Revolutionary soldier: His American ancestors, descendants and a few cousins. By D.C. Nunn, Jr. Self published 1994.
12. Deed Records Vol. E 1840-1845. Noxubee County Courthouse Chancery Clerk State of Mississippi. Microfilmed by The Genealogical Society, Salt Lake City, Utah, April 20, 1972. Microfilm #901683. DGS Film # 008189983.
13. Noxubee County, Mississippi Marriages: "M - O" Surnames. Noxubee County Mississippi Genealogy & History Network. Located at: https://noxubee.msghn.org/marriages_m.html
14. William Floyd Tubb Probate Records. Noxubee County Probate Records, Vol. C, 1851-1855. Page 313. A transcription of this record was posted by Catherine Cooper and may be read at: http://www.msgw.org/noxubee/wmtubb.html
15. Elizabeth Tubb Probate Records. Noxubee County Court Records, Vol. C, 1851-1855. Pages 322-323. A transcription of this record was posted by Catherine Cooper and may be read at: http://www.msgw.org/noxubee/eliztubb.html
16. Other sources to be added.