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Benton County Tennessee
Genealogy
Early Settlers Biographies
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Carroll Greer was born about 1816 in Stewart Co, TN. He was the last youngest son of James Greer and Elizabeth Pierce.
He married Amanda Bane on Feb 9,1840 in Benton Co,TN, by J.D. Rushing JP. Carroll Greer died May 11,1887 in Big Sandy, TN when a train ran over him and he died of his injuries.
Amanda Bain was born about 1820 in TN to Britton Bane and Mary "Polly" Jerry she died sometime after 1887.
Carroll Greer and Amanda Bain had nine children.
1. Harriet Melinda Greer born Jan 29,1841 in Benton Co,TN she married Lewis Lockhart Sep. 6, 1874.
she died June 1924 in Rush Springs, Grady Co,OK
2. James Greer born 1842 in Benton Co, TN he died in the Battle of Chickamauga, September 20 1863
he died while in the army.
3. John Harrison Greer was born December 24, 1844 in Big Sandy, TN he married first to Mary Emeline
Brewer on December 29,1869 in Benton Co,TN they had two daughters, Lou Ella, Ida Florence.
His second married was to Lucy Ann Warnick on August 6,1896 in Benton Co,TN they had two son's
Johnnie Estle and Cecil Carroll, Lucy had one daughter, Lola by her first marriage to Robert Lee
George of Benton Co, TN. John and Lucy and family left Benton Co,TN in September 1901 and went first
to Lepanto, Poinsett Co, AR and sometime in 1903 they went to Chula, Yell Co, AR.
4. Mary Elizabeth Greer born April 13,1846 in Benton Co,TN she married William Riley Herrin on February
23,1871 in Camden TN. They had six children. Charles Lee, Martha(Emma), Jesse B., Ida L., Rhoda
and John Calvin Herrin. Mary Elizabeth Greer died August 13, 1913 in Big sandy, TN
5. Rebecca Ann Greer, born 1847 in Benton Co,TN she married William Jasper Cooper on January 20,1867
in Benton Co,TN. nothing else known.
6. Thomas Wesley Greer, born July 22,1852 in Benton Co,TN. He married Christian Isabell Brewer and they
had nine children. John Jefferson, Henry L., Margaret Alice, Jack Edward, Lola Bell, James Thomas,
Nellie A., Otis Britton, Earnest Cloude Greer.
7. Margaret Greer born 1851 she married John P. Madrey Jan 2,1881 in Benton Co,TN they had one son
Jake Madery.
8. Andrew Jackson (Jack) Greer born November 21,1859 in Benton Co,TN he married first wife (unknown)
second wife was Alice Bell. Jack Greer was a Dr in Danville and he died April 20, 1900 no other
information is known.
9. Isabelle(Bell) Greer was born 1855 and she married James(John) W. Collins, October 15,1874 in Benton
Co,TN
RHUBIN (REUBEN) BRIDGES (1784-1861) was a native of South Carolina, born in
that state about 1784; as a young man he had married and emigrated to Giles
County, Tennessee where he lived for several years. He and his first wife,
(believed to be Nancy McCord) had a large family which included EMPSON
BRIDGES, JOHN BROWN BRIDGES, EDMUND BRIDGES, URIAH SIMPSON BRIDGES, WILLIAM
BRIDGES, MARY BRIDGES, JANE BRIDGES, EMALINE BRIDGES and NAOMI BRIDGES.
RHUBIN BRIDGES had remarried, about 1825, to SARAH LAW (abt 1803-1887) and
moved by 1830 to the settlement that became identified with his family near
Cowell's Chapel in Benton County. He had entered his occupant claim for a
minimal 75 acres thereabout in August 1846. By 1848, he had entered some 463
acres in that neighborhood (12th Surveyor District, Range 7, Section 3.
SARAH LAW was born about 1800 in Virginia, daughter of BOLITHA LAWS,
born in Somerset Maryland, and ELIZABETH WILLIAMS born in Virginia. They
were married 30 Jun 1802 in Loudoun, Virginia. BOLITHA'S parents were,
WILLIAM LAWS and SARAH BEVANS. WILLIAM'S parents were JOHN LAWS and
KATHERINE BOSMAN.
The 1850 Census of Tennessee Vol. I
BRIDGES, Reuben 68, Sarah 48, Reuben 18, Hosea 15, Bennett 12, Kinchen 6,
Jas. H.BRIDGES 23, Francis 4, Sarah 1, Ann SWINDLE 50, SC VA, Be-277-59
From the above, it seems that our James H. Bridges is back living with his
parents with his two children Francis, and Sarah Ann. His first wife Rachael
Pope had died earlier in the year.
Another entry:
BRIDGES, Reuben 48, Serepta 34, Wm. 74, Mary 70, (Wm & Mary are probably this
Reuben's parents and William may be brother of our Reuben 68 above ),
Elizabeth 22, Young 17, Nancy 16, Mary L. 12, David 2, Andrew 3, SC T,
S-65-729
There were many other Bridges families listed in this Census that I am not
listing here.
RHUBIN BRIDGES wrote his will on September 1, 1857, being particular to name
his wife and children, designating the land he wished to give three of his
sons. After his death, early in 1861, JAMES H. BRIDGES appeared in court, to
have his father's will admitted to probate which was finally proven in July
1861. SARAH BRIDGES, the mother, lived till late in 1887, having spent her
last days with NANCY, the widow of JAMES H., in the BRIDGES settlement.
Children of RHUBIN and SARAH:
1. ELIZA ANN BRIDGES, (about 1826-1868); was married to JOSEPH
ADDISON POPE, on January 2, 1843.
2. JAMES H. BRIDGES, born 29 May 1827 in Camden, Tennessee, died in
1886 in Camden, TN. First married to RACHAEL POPE, and
secondly to NANCY JANE PRESSON, 26 Aug 1851.
3. RHUBEN DENTON BRIDGES, born 1832 in Camden, died in 1857 in
Ganesville, Arkansas, married MARTHA JANE RUMLEY, 26 Oct 1851.
4. HOSEA BUTLER BRIDGES, born 29 May 1835 in Camden, died 22 Jul 1903
in Camden, married MARY EMALINE FOWLER.
5. BENNETT W. BRIDGES, born 11 Sep 1839 in Camden, died 14 Jun 1913.
Married SARAH ELLEN FOWLER, 23 Jan 1855.
6. KINCHEN RILEY BRIDGES, born 1845, and died in 1873. He was
married to MARY POPE, 8 Oct 1871.
POPE
SIMON POPE (1793-1840), a native of Wake County, North Carolina, was married
there to Martha Cole; they emigrated to West Tennessee in 1824,/1 where he
entered 40 acres in December of that year; this was in what became Benton
County./2
The POPES moved to Gibson County, Tennessee but returned to Benton (then
Humphreys) county in 1834, where he bought 80 acres from James Lee on June
12th./3 This location was close to their former settlement and was next to
Benjamin Holland's farm. Pope entered 120 acres next to these 80 acres in
December 1834 and another adjacent 164 acres in June 1838./4
SIMON POPE was an industrious farmer, who taught for several years in
subscription schools; he was also once a county magistrate. He and his wife
both died in the same year, 1840./5 They had together nineteen children,
only four of whom lived to adulthood: 1. Harriett Jane Pope (1817-1890), who
was married to Charles Cowell, November 19, 1840. (See the Cowell sketch, A
4.) 2. Leonard H. Pope (1819-1865,) who lived in Benton County but during
the War between the States he died in Nashville, Tennessee, "while a prisoner
of war." He was married to Jane Messer (1823-1876), Oct. 8, 1840./6 3.
Delaney Pope, who was married to Samuel Tittle, November 13, 1838; they moved
later to Mississippi County, Missouri where she died. 4. Joseph Addison
Pope, who was born in Wake County, North Carolina in 1820./7
Out of his late father's landed estate, Joseph Pope was awarded some 124
acres (in range 7, section 3) which he entered legally in March 1849 (having
been surveyed a year before); these cleared as a land grant (# 7693) on April
1, 1849./8
JOSEPH POPE was married on July 8, 1844 to ELIZA ANN, a daughter of RHUBIN
and SARAH BRIDGES, close neighbors to the Popes. Disposing of some of their
land, they moved in 1855 to Ripley County, Missouri, a 21-day trek by wagon.
In November 1856, their remaining land, on Watery Branch, was sold for $300
to Lilly Crocker./9
Eliza Ann Pope died in 1868, leaving seven children: 1. Delaney Ann Pope,
married Daniel P. Thomas, September 9, 1860. 2. Rueben Pope (1848-1899).
3. Simon Pope. 4. Joseph Pope. 5. Leonard Pope. 6. Eliza Jane Pope. 7.
Sarah Pope. Joseph A. Pope then married, secondly, to Mrs. Harriet Pitman in
1870, who died soon thereafter; married, thirdly to Mrs. Mary Emily Black, in
1872, and after her death, he married a fourth and last time, to Melissa Hart
in 1875./10
Joseph A. Pope was for many years a successful farmer of Ripley County,
active in Freemasonry, the local Democratic Party and the Cumberland
Presbyterian Church./11
Pope had lived in Doniphan several years before his death which occurred on
May 23, 1898./12
JAMES H. (JIM) BRIDGES (29 May 1827 - 1886); entered land out of his father's
occupant claim and was eventually to accumulate a farm of several hundred
acres. Soon after LILLY CROCKER moved to Camden, in 1865, he sold his home
place to JIM BRIDGES, then a neighbor. The BRIDGES moved into the CROCKER
residence on this tract. Consisting of two large rooms connected by an open
hallway; one of the rooms was constructed of logs and the other of
frame-plank. There was a brick chimney at each end of this house. BRIDGES
kept in operation a cotton gin near his house on the farm. BRIDGES first
married RACHEL POPE, September 22, 1846, who died May 1850.
This is why JAMES is back living with his parents in the 1850 Census.
This means that the children living with him were children of his
and RACHEL.
FRANCIS BRIDGES, born in 1847; this son died young.
SARAH ANN BRIDGES, (abt 1849 - 1867); married JAMES WESLEY
CAIN, on 15 Feb 1866. Sarah Ann died the following year perhaps in
childbirth.
Thus there were no surviving children of Rachel Pope
Bridges.
JAMES was married secondly to NANCY JANE PRESSON (18 Dec 1830-20 May 1919),
on 26 Aug 1851. JIM BRIDGES was buried in the BRIDGES graveyard and NANCY
BRIDGES, near her parents in the churchyard at Mt. Carmel near Sawyer's Mill.
(She died in Gleason, Tennessee, where she had lived briefly with her son,
I.N. Bridges and his family.)
There children were:
1. PULASKI ALONZO BRIDGES (4 Sep 1852-20 Jun 1930); married, firstly,
to MARY ELIZABETH WHITE (28 Nov 1854-22 Jan 1901) on 1 Oct 1874;
secondly to
MARY MINOR, on 21 May 1902.
Children of Pulaski Alonzo and MARY ELIZABETH were,
(1)Gustavus Adolphus (Gus) Bridges (6 Nov 1878-19 Jan 1939), married Sarah
Jane Spencer on May 1, 1989. (2) Viola Bridges (26 April 1884), married
Louis Sanders; (3) Robert Enloe Bridges (13 May, 1986-1968), married
first, Ludie Jordan (1886-1911), on 17 Dec 1905 and had children, Hazel
Bridges, born 10 Nov 1907 and Estelle Bridges, born 19 Aug 1910; Ludie died
in 1911 and Robert Enloe married secondly to Cora Bridges, born 9 Feb 1913;
(daughter of Kinchen R. Bridges). Their son, Paul Bridges, USN, was killed
aboard the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor, 7 Dec 1941.(4) Grover Cleveland
Bridges, (18 Nov 1892 - 17 Feb 1959), married Emma Higdon, 13 July 1913. (5)
Tennie Jane Bridges (born 28 July, 1894, died young) (6) James Clarence
Bridges (25 Sep 1896-30 Mar 1958), married Mora Fry, 26 Oct 1922.
First wife of PA Bridges, Mary Elizabeth White died 22 Jan 1901 and PA
married secondly to Mary Minor. One child was born of this union:
(1) Minor Ruth Bridges, born 25 Feb 1905, married William O.
Sternenberg.
2. BURWELL COMUMBUS BRIDGES (1859-1891); unmarried.
3. JEFFERSON DAVIS BRIDGES (born in 1861); was married firstly to
JANE WILLIAMS on 26 Feb 1880 (6 children); secondly to SARAH BOWLES; (no
children), thirdly to ELLA LEGGETT (no children). Crockett County, Tennessee.
4. ISAAC NEWTON BRIDGES (15 Feb 1873-28 Mar 1937)was married, firstly
to LAURIE STILLMAN, (no children); secondly to MARTHA JANE PARK (1 Sep
1870-26 Mar 1963) on 8 Oct 1893 in Benton County, Tennessee. Children: (1)
Lola Park Bridges (born 16 Dec 1894. I have many letters from Lola who was
still alive two years ago in 1997) She married William Clarence Branch, (21
Feb 1890), on 25 May 1913. (They had one son, I believe she called him
Billie. She was a professional woman for her time and wrote articles for the
newspaper, etc. She was a very sharp individual even in later years. I have
visited her several times at the family home in Camden, Tennessee. NL) (2)
Irene Grace Bridges (27 Jan 1896 -may or may not be still living), married
Albert Black, among whose children was Corporal Robert Jene Black who was
killed in Africa, 7 Feb 1943. (3) Jean Valjean Bridges (2 Oct 1897-11 Jun
1974), married Grace Medlock. (4) Cona May Black (3 Jul 1899), married
twice: William French and Cortez Cole. (5) Verna Belle Bridges (5 Aug
1901-26 Mar 1970); married Samuel Ellis. (6) Annie Laurie Bridges (24 Mar
1905) married Royce Fowler. (7) Earline Agnes Bridges, (24 Mar 1905), married
Ward Turner. (8) Allen Watson Bridges (6 Mar 1907), married Ronora Ellinor.
(9) Exie Newtrine Bridges (8 Jul 1909-20 Jan 1966), twice married: Joe
Brevard and Robert White. (10) Susan Jane Bridges (8 Mar 1911-13 Jan 1918).
Some of the family inherited the intellectual PRESSON inclination. Isaac N.
Bridges had a touch of it; he wrote the following which appeared in the
CAMDEN CHRONICLE, page 1, May 18, 1906:
On the farm of W.L. Matlock on the south side of Eagle Creek in the
first civil district of Benton County, in a smooth, level field of 72 acres,
there is a curious natural formation of the earth. At this particular point
the ground, which is otherwise smoth as a floor, rises to a height of five or
six feet - at least formerly rose to this height. It is not quite so high at
present, for reasons which I will explain later on. This rise constitutes a
peculiar mound, about 25 by 40 feet. The earth which forms this mound is as
black as coal, which it resembles when seen from a distance. On the top of
this strange formation there exudes from the bosom of mother earth three
strong streams or springs, two of which are as thickly laden with coperas as
any water the writer ever saw, the other being clear, livid, limpid water and
reasonably pleasant to the taste. I said clear; this is true except for the
vegetable matter with which it is continualy laden. The waters of the three
streams mingle and flow through a ditch to Eagle Creek. One of the streams
is constantly bringing up from the depths below vegetable matter, grass,
roots of grass, hickory nuts, and no one seems to know what the constituency
of some of the deposits are. This field has been cleared and in cultivation
a long time, yet there are many hickory nuts in this strange moind some of
which are petrified. Whence these busy waters gather up these nuts, etc. and
transport them through subterranean channels to at last deposit them on top
of this mound, is a problem whose solution no one seems able even to surmise.
The hills and hollows adjacent on each side of Eagle Creek are void of
living water. These are known as moving or shaking springs. Poles have been
projected to a great depth into one of these springs without encountering any
resistance. But the strangest part of my story is to follow. Several years
ago, Mr. Matlock cleared off the growth which had been allowed to spring up
on and around the mound, and when the leaves had dried, set fire to it.
Imagine his surprise and bewilderment when the hungry flames licked up
everything, saturated as it was with water, even burning out green sycamore
stumps by the roots, and when all the brush, poles, etc. had been consumed
the flames did not cease but continued to burn the very earth of which the
mound was formed, nor did it cease to burn until the very elements forebade;
the rains descended and the floods came to quench the fire after it had
burned for several days. The cinders were red and, it is said, make fine
paint.
Yours for a curio, I.N.(Isaac Newton) Bridges
(I.N. Bridges was a farmer; also like his grandfather Presson, he was
a land surveyor.)
5. LEULLA BRIDGES, married WILLIAM BOMAR, on January 8, 1880.
6. LILLIE BELLE BRIDGES, married THOMAS SMITH, on September 12, 1883.
SIMON POPE (1793-1840), a native of Wake County, North Carolina, was married
there to Martha Cole; they emigrated to West Tennessee in 1824,/1 where he
entered 40 acres in December of that year; this was in what became Benton
County./2
The POPES moved to Gibson County, Tennessee but returned to Benton (then
Humphreys) county in 1834, where he bought 80 acres from James Lee on June
12th./3 This location was close to their former settlement and was next to
Benjamin Holland's farm. Pope entered 120 acres next to these 80 acres in
December 1834 and another adjacent 164 acres in June 1838./4
SIMON POPE was an industrious farmer, who taught for several years in
subscription schools; he was also once a county magistrate. He and his wife
both died in the same year, 1840./5 They had together nineteen children,
only four of whom lived to adulthood: 1. Harriett Jane Pope (1817-1890), who
was married to Charles Cowell, November 19, 1840. (See the Cowell sketch, A
4.) 2. Leonard H. Pope (1819-1865,) who lived in Benton County but during
the War between the States he died in Nashville, Tennessee, "while a prisoner
of war." He was married to Jane Messer (1823-1876), Oct. 8, 1840./6 3.
Delaney Pope, who was married to Samuel Tittle, November 13, 1838; they moved
later to Mississippi County, Missouri where she died. 4. Joseph Addison
Pope, who was born in Wake County, North Carolina in 1820./7
Out of his late father's landed estate, Joseph Pope was awarded some 124
acres (in range 7, section 3) which he entered legally in March 1849 (having
been surveyed a year before); these cleared as a land grant (# 7693) on April
1, 1849./8
JOSEPH POPE was married on July 8, 1844 to ELIZA ANN, a daughter of RHUBIN
and SARAH BRIDGES, close neighbors to the Popes. Disposing of some of their
land, they moved in 1855 to Ripley County, Missouri, a 21-day trek by wagon.
In November 1856, their remaining land, on Watery Branch, was sold for $300
to Lilly Crocker./9
Eliza Ann Pope died in 1868, leaving seven children: 1. Delaney Ann Pope,
married Daniel P. Thomas, September 9, 1860. 2. Rueben Pope (1848-1899).
3. Simon Pope. 4. Joseph Pope. 5. Leonard Pope. 6. Eliza Jane Pope. 7.
Sarah Pope. Joseph A. Pope then married, secondly, to Mrs. Harriet Pitman in
1870, who died soon thereafter; married, thirdly to Mrs. Mary Emily Black, in
1872, and after her death, he married a fourth and last time, to Melissa Hart
in 1875./10
Joseph A. Pope was for many years a successful farmer of Ripley County,
active in Freemasonry, the local Democratic Party and the Cumberland
Presbyterian Church./11
Pope had lived in Doniphan several years before his death which occurred on
May 23, 1898./12
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and/ or additions for these pages, please feel free to
write:
Brian Nichols
Please come back again soon! Happy
Hunting!!!
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