Re: Levin STOKES CAFFEY NC - TN - MO
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In reply to:
Re: Levin STOKES CAFFEY NC - TN - MO
11/13/01
Roy,
There is a mix-up about James O. PERRY married to Nancy Ruth CRAWFORD that I would like to attempt to clear up.
James O. PERRY was the son of Silas PERRY of Monroe Co, TN. James O. PERRY was unmarried at the time of his death, which was when he was just shy of the age of 20 in 1842. He didn't have time to father the children in the Nancy Ruth CRAWFORD family line in TN; he was busy attending school and planning to attend college in Virginia in his late adolescence.
James O. PERRY is buried beside his father in the Madisonville City Cemetery. His headstone death date reads: "died Aug 23, 1842 aged 19 years 11 mo & 22 days."
James O. PERRY is sometimes confused with his uncle, James PERRY, by family researchers. James O. PERRY's name does appear on some court records in Monroe Co with his father, Silas PERRY, but James O. PERRY and James PERRY are not the same person.
James PERRY, brother to Silas, did not have the middle initial "O." According to his descendants who have done research on him their ancestor, it is believed to be "A." He never used a middle initial in any letters or legal papers, that I have seen, however. He always signed his name simply, James PERRY.
James PERRY lived part of his bachelor days in Miami Co, OH where he was credited with being the first school teacher in the town of Covington, Newberry Twp., OH. He bounced between Miami Co, where most of his siblings were living at the time, and Monroe County, where his brother Silas lived. It was in Monroe County while staying with his brother that he fell in love with Susan "Jane" Harlan, step-daughter of his brother Silas.
Letters that have come down in the family written about James indicate that he "remains single" and working in the book business representing a popular book at the time on treating oneself for medical diseases. He married Susan "Jane" Harlan in 1838 in Monroe Co. and moved for a short time back to Miami Co, OH, where he had property. He and Jane returned to TN while she was pregnant with their first child.
If there was a James PERRY married to Nancy Ruth Crawford, it was not one of the PERRYS fathered by Nathan Washington PERRY of Newberry, SC. It is quite possible, however, that PERRYS originally descended from this line could have been the one who was the father to Nancy Ruth's children. That is, cousins or second cousins to Silas and James PERRY. The family was large and spread out from its colonial roots originating with Thomas PERRY who came to Maryland in 1670.
After Monroe County, TN, James PERRY and Susan "Jane" Harlan PERRY moved for a time to land they purchased near the southern border of TN. Next they moved across the border into GA, near Ringgold in Catoosa County and raised their family there for several years. After the Civil War they moved to MO.Half of the children were born in TN; half in GA.
I have over 150 Perry letters exchanged between several of the PERRY children of Nathan Washinton PERRY and then between the next generation, the grandchildren of NWP. There is no mention of James PERRY having lived in the county where Nancy Ruth lived; there is no mention of any of these children. It was a close family and they discussed many of the family births, deaths, and marriages in their letters. Also, the names of the children of Nancy Ruth are not names handed down in this part of the PERRY family. The following names are the ones repeated in the Nathan Washington PERRY line: Nathan, Silas, James, Oliver, Amos, Rachel, Lucinda, and Sarah, but not the names listed by you here.