Tennessee Records Repository

Decatur Co. TN

THE BAWCUM HISTORY

Chapter XIV

From Lillye Younger, The History of Decatur County Past and Present (Southhaven, MS: Carter Printing Company, 1978).
Special thanks to Constance Collett for permission to make these web pages.

In Memory of Lillye Washburn Younger 1912-1998.

Thanks to www.tnyesterday.com for contributing this transcription.

The name Bawcum has been spelled in many ways down through the years. It has been spelled Balcombe, Balcom, Baucom and Bawcum. The families in this section spell their name Bawcum.

According to records Henry Balcombe, was born in 1640, probably in England and was in Charleston, Mass. by 1665. His widow moved to Sudbury, Mass. after his death in 1683. Decendants are set down in "A First Book of the Balcombe Family" 1942; by Frank W. Balcombe.

The Bawcum's came to Decatur County around 1850 and the old home place is located on highway 641 south near Baugus Cave. It is still in good condition and the last family to live here were Linniel Mills and his wife Lois. Linniel is deceased but his wife still lives in the old home. Nearby is the Bawcum cemetery on highway 641 and a number of the Bawcum family have been laid to rest in this cemetery.

Included in the six generation of the Bawcum family are Wesley Bawcum, Nicholas Bawcum, Mike Bawcum, Billie (William) Bawcum, Malinda Bawcum Cruse and Emelia Bawcum.

Wesley's children were Charlie Bawcum,Jim Bawcum,John Bawcum, Will Bawcum, who had no children and Mattie Bawcum Gibson.

Nicholas' children were John Wesley Bawcum, George Bawcum and Mahallie Bawcum Moore who moved to Arkansas.

Mike's children were Lee Bawcum, Jim Henry Bawcum, Mary Frances Bawcum Miller and Lydie Bawcum Gibson.

Billy's children Anderson Bawcum and Martha Bawcum Buddi. Malinda Bawcum Cruse's children were Granville, Emeline Cruse Collett, and George Cruse.

Charley Bawcum's children were Samuel H., Mary Ollie Bawcum Livingston, Allie Mae Bawcum Divinie and Olie Bawcum who never married.

Jim Bawcum's children were Dawson, Oscar, Cora Alice Bawcum Anderson, Anna Bawcum Anderson and Clara Bawcum Borren.

John Bawcum's children were Miranda Bawcum Newsom, and Gertrude Bawcum Lowe.

Mattie Bawcum Gibson's children were Victoria and Eva.

John Wesley Bawcum's children were Hadie who never married, John Alice Bawcum Pratt, GB. Bawcum and Edd Bawcum.

George Bawcum, born October 9,1849, children were Hettie Bawcum DeLong, Donna Bawcum Doyle and Anna Bawcum Britt.

Jim Henry Bawcum's children were Murt, Oll and Silas.

Lee Bawcum's children were Robert Duncan who was born July 24, 1873 and died in 1940, Sidney who was born in 1881, Alice Bawcum Miller, Silas, Penn, Lora Bawcum Bowman, Rube, and Roxie Bawcum Marshbanks. Lee married Permelia Ann Petty.

Anderson Bawcum's children were Dickey Bawcum, Victor Bawcum, Dora Bawcum who never married and Daisy Bawcum Baker.

Emeline Cruse Collett's children were Jeff Gibson and Ella Gibson Cruse.

RD. Bawcum's children were Jenetta (Nettie), Carla and Lois Bawcum Haynes.

Ava Lois Bawcum Haynes born, 9-14-1910 has a son Curtis Haynes and Curtis has a son named Anthony.

Mary Frances Bawcum Miller's children were Caroline Miller who married John Griggs, Louella Miller married Mead Bowman, Granville Miller married Lula Norden and Ella Jackson and Ura Miller married Ada Still.

Granville Cruse Children's children were Jim, John Commodore, Bettie, Lula and Edna.

George Crews children names unknown.

Mary Frances Bawcum Miller's children were Caroline, Lounella, Granville and Ura.

Lydie Bawcum Gibson's children were Jeff. Alvin and Ella.

Emeline Bawcum Cox's children were Walter, Arthur, Betty Mae, Malta and Era.

Sidney (Sid) Bawcum married Lavonia (Lovie) Sanders of Benton County and they had Ray, Loyal, Velma, Pearl, Opal and Clyde.

Pearl married John Herman Baker and they had two children, Doris and Carl. Later after the death of her first husband she married Henry Brasher of Scotts Hill.

Doris Baker married Madison Scott of Scotts Hill and they have a daughter, Crystal Karen, who married Steve Perry of Jackson and they have a daughter, Crystal Kathleen, and two sons, Mike Scott married Glenda Smith of Memphis and they have a daughter, Jennifer Lee and a son, Jason Trent. Carey Scott is a freshman at Riverside.

Carl married Janie Carter and they have a son, Dennis and daughter, Carlene. Dennis married Beverly Ellerby and they have a daughter, Ten Denise and a son Carter David.

Velma Bawcum married Amon Bowman and they have two daughters, Sandra Nell and Wanda Joy, and a son, Henry Lee. Wanda Joy married Mike White and they have a daughter named Mimi. Sandra Nell married Hubert L. (Buddy) Davis and they have a son, Eric. Henry Lee married Maxine Staggs and they have a daughter, Tammy and a son, Todd.

Ray Bawcum married Bethel Taylor the first time and Della Newsom the second time. He had a son, Loyd and daughter, Willie by his first wife and a son Max Ray by his second wife. His wife, Della was married before to Loyal Bawcum a brother of Rays. They have a son, Cleamon, and daughter, Erma. Loyal died in 1927.

 Loyd married Wilbur Haynes and Willie married Edd Ouinn. Max Ray married Imogene Houston. Cleamon married Ola Mae Woods and their history is written separately. Erma married Fay Moore and they have a son William Lewis and a daughter, Brenda Faye. Opal married Noah Lee Roberts and they had a son Ralph, who died and a daughter, Joy Lou who married Fred Michie. They have a daughter, Susan and a son, Rickey.

Clyde married Shelia Roberts of England and they have a daughter, Mary Bernadette and a son, Johnnie.

J.P. (Penn) Bawcum married Nannie Mae Mills and they have two sons, Glennie and Ronald. Ronald married Prince Spencer and they have two sons, Tom and Bobby. Tom married Glenda Smith and they are the parents of Chance and Heather. Bobby marrried Laverne Oxford. They have no children. Glennie married Annie Mae Woods and they have three children Gerald, George and Sandy.

Silas Bawcum married Sadie Wilson and they are the parents of Fern, Faye and Lynn Bawcum.

Dixie Bowman married Lora Bawcum and they had, Jack, who married Lois Rhodes and they bore a daughter named Tern and Roberta who married Willie Pearcy and they had a son, Earl. Later she married Perry Collett.

Roxie Bawcum married Lester Marshbanks and they are the parents of Bryda Marshbanks Pratt Bennett, Edith Marshbanks Jones and Waco Marshbanks. Edith married Jessie Jones and they are the parents of a son, Larry and daughter, Pam. Byrda married Joe Pratt who was killed in service and they had two daughters, Cathey and Joy.

Edith and Jessie are the parents of two children, Larry and Pam. Larry married Melba Lowry and they have two children, Tammy Sheryl and Jessie Matthew.

Byrda's daughter Kathy married Bobby Ross and they have a son, Kevin. Joy married Charles Hord and they have three children Joey Marshbanks, Mary Elizabreth and Charles Jr.