Re: The answer from a Spence descendant
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In reply to:
What became of E.Douglas Spence of Hickman Co.?
Bob Lamb 6/24/11
Gary Waddey of Nashville
He recently sent me this e mail that answered my questions. I'm posting it in hopes it could help someone else.
Bobby
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"I ran up on your post about Ellen Douglas Spence by accident, but I can give you that information.
Ellen Douglas Spence, born 14 Aug 1843 at the Spence home, Dunnington, Hickman Co., TN. and died 7 Apr 1895 in Obion Co. TN., buried in the Bethlehem Church Cemetery, Lyndenwood, northeast of Union City.
She married John Cates 14 Sep 1871 in Hickman Co., TN. He was born 23 Nov 1840 and died 25 Sep 1929. They had two children, Carrie Cates and Van Cates. Carrie married John Hughes, with one child, Van Hughes.
This information is from the Louise Fowler book on the Spence family.
I am a descendant of Dr. John L. Spence through Josephine Spence and the Pruett family.
I will give you a few corrections - Dr. John Spence married (2) Rachel Tennessee Boyd Patterson, as she was a widow of Mark L. Patterson. Their home was called Dunnington, named so after a political speech that was made there where Francis Colby Dunnington, a prominent attorney of Columbia, TN. and newspaper editor of the Nashville Union and American was present.
While that house does not still exist, the location of Dunnington is in a bend of what is today called Bucksnort Road where the Pruett house now stands.
The cemetery there was begun in the garden of the Spence home - it is where Dr. Spence is buried, along with his mother, Mary Ann McElyea Spence. It is several miles from the I-40 exit.
Ellen Douglas is from the second marriage, not the marriage with Sophia Davis Totty. That marriage produced only 4 children - Josephine, Jerome, David and Cathleen.
One other item of speculation on my part - it is my opinion that David Spence, the Revolutionary soldier, is buried at (the original) Mt. Zion Methodist Church cemetery, not at (or near) Mt. Sharon Presbyterian.
Jerome attended a "singing" at Mt. Sharon during the Civil War, and mentions that he looked for his grandfather's grave there.
While not positive, I believe the family were members of the Methodist Church when in Robertson Co., and Dr. Spence named the building "Mt. Zion" that was erected at what is today called Only - it is still called Mt. Zion church, although it is not the original building and no longer a Methodist Church."
Gary Waddey
Nashville