Preface

This volume has been prepared with the design of furnishing the present generations of Links and their posterity the biographical sketches of their ancestors from the year 1780 to the present, September 1930.

To him who has not attempted the collection of historical data the obstacle to be surmounted are unknown. Conflicting statements, imperfect records, and the general obscurity with envelopes all events combine to bewilder and mislead. The writer of these biographical sketches in this little volume is fully aware of his inability to furnish a perfect and correct history of the names, births, and deaths of all the Links that have existed since 1780, and I make no pretensions of having prepared a work devoid of errors and blemishes. I have done the best I could with the available information I could obtain. And in my quest for information I have met with courtesy and assistance, and I appreciate the kindness shown me and the assistance rendered, and I sincerely trust that this little volume will be appreciated by the Links that are now living and their posterity.
Cottontown, Tenn., September, 1930
T. W. Briley, Author

John Link was born in and reared in Germany. He came from Germany during the Revolutionary times to help the British fight the Americans. He was captured at Brandywine and after peace was declared he settled in Virginia. I suppose buried there, as there is no record showing he ever left there.

William Link, son of John Link, was born November 9, 1780. He was a native of Virginia. He came to Tennessee in 1828. We have no record of who he married, or when he married. He was a wagon maker by trade. He must have married a lady whose initials were M. F., for the marker at a grave beside his grave bears the inscription M. F. Link, born October 13, 1771 and died December 17, 1849; 8 years previous to his death. The inscription fails to show whether the person whose initials are M. F. Link was a man or woman, but it is naturally supposed that it was his wife.

Anyway, we have historical data showing that he had three children, if not more. The records show that he had three boys: Jacob Link, David Link, and William Link. He died November 9, 1857, on his seventy-seventh birthday. He was buried on the Searcy farm in the fifteenth district of Sumner County. There is also another grave marker in same burying ground, with S. Link, born April 20, 1806 and died May 28, 1848. It might have been one of his children. Whether a man or woman we do not know.

Jacob Link

In beginning a biographical sketch of Links, I will take a sketch written by Jacob Link in or about 1884 or 1885 and published in the History of Tennessee in 1886.

Jacob Link, a native of Virginia, born June 15, 1802. His father, William Link, was born in the same state, and his grandfather, John Link, came from Germany during the Revolutionary times to help the British fight the Americans. He was captured at Brandywine and after peace was declared he settled in Virginia.

The father was born 1780 and died in 1857. He as a wagon maker. He came to Tennessee in 1828 and in 1832 our subject came.

He wedded Jane Weddle in 1826 and they became the parents of eight children: William, Susannah, Martha, John F., Christian, James M., and Jacob w. The two daughters are dead.

Mr. Link on coming to this place purchased the farm where he now lives. He owns 225 acres of land and in connection with wagon making has carried on farming. His wife who was an excellent woman and a true Christian, died March 9, 1889, mourned by all who knew her. Mr. Link is now the oldest man in his district and is much respected and esteemed; he did not take part in the late war but was in sympathy with the Union. His sons, James M. and Jacob W., were in the war.

Jacob Link (Or Uncle Jack, as he was familiarly called), as stated in his own writing, was born Jan. 15, 1802 and died November 2, 1890, age 88 years. His marriage to June Weddle was in 1826. She was born April 1804 and died March 9, 1884, age 80 years. They were buried on the farm where they had spent so many years in what is now called the Link Cemetery on Mulloy and Fountain Head Road.

Jacob Link had two brothers, David Link and William Link. I have no data to show when they came to Tennessee from Virginia. They might have come when their father came, in 1828, or it may have been when their Brother Jacob came, in 1832; anyway, we know they came from Virginia at some time in early part of the eighteenth century.

We will first take up Uncle Jake's posterity, beginning with his son William and his children and grandchildren.

J. M. Link, son of Jacob Link, was born April 5th, 1839, was never married. He lived with his father and mother during their life and after their death he lived alone the most of the time. He was County Surveyor of Sumner County four years; owned quite a lot of land at one time; was a member of Cherry Mound Lodge of F. and A. M. for years. He loved his lodge and attended regularly until the infirmities of old age kept him away. He died January 25, 1926.

Mr. J. M. Link enlisted in the Southern Army in the War Between the States, made a valiant soldier until he got shot through the right shoulder.

Susanna Link, daughter of Jacob Link, was born April 13, 1827. She married a Mr. Winters. They had one child, a girl named Sarah J. Winters. She was born June 26, 1855, and married R. M. (Boone) Johnson. They had one child, a girl named Susie. She was never married and died November 17, 1925. Susanna Link Winters died June 13, 1860; her daughter Sarah J. Johnson died November 5, 1877.

William Link, son of Jacob Link, was born December 25, 1828. He married a Miss. Shaw. To that union were born four boys: Frank, Billie, Henry, and Logan. His wife, S. E. Link, was born February 14, 1835. Mr. Link and she were married May 15, 1857. She died May 10, 1862. Mr. Link married again, a Miss Fanny Hollis. To that union were born two children, Jacob Link and Rose Link. Both of them are dead.

Mr. William Link died November 27, 1908.

Billy Link, son of William Link, was born about 1866 or 1867. He married ?. To that union were born two children, Arthur and Alice. Both are dead. Arthur was never married. Alice married Tom Durham about 1905. He is dead.

Mr. Link then married a Mabry and has since married again. He lives near Hollis Chapel.

Henry Link, son of William N. Link, was born in 1857. He married a Miss Mary Honeycutt. To that union were born six children, to-wit: Ollie, Ida, Etta, Cora Margaret and Carlos. Ollis was born about 1877. He is married and lives in Nashville. He is an engineer on the T. C. R. R. Ida Link was born December 15, 1878. She married January 15, 1901. Mr. Archie Link, son of Rice Link. To this union were born two children, a boy and girl. The boy, Clifton, was born December 1, 1903, is single. Ethel was born April 16, 1909. She is married, has one child. She married Mavin McGlothlin. If you will ring in she will answer, as she is the telephone operator, and a good one, in Link Exchange.

Etta Link, daughter of Henry Link, is married and lives in Nashville, Tenn.

Cora Link, daughter of Henry Link, is married to a Mr. Whitlock. They have two children, both girls, to wit: Cleon, age 22 years, and Margaret, age 20 years. Their home is in Oklahoma.

Margaret, daughter of Henry Link, is grown and married has three living children, aged 16, 10, 6 - all boys.

Carlos Link, son of Henry Link, is grown and married. He married Edward Craig's daughter. They have one boy. I could not get the ages of the above named children, as they all live so far away and I did not know their addresses.

Logan Link, son of William Link, was born April 2, 1867, married Miss Dora Barnes in 1887. To their union were born two children: Lelia Link, daughter of Jacob Link, was born June 4th 1897, married Lloyd Brown February 25, 1922.

Erma was born November 27, 1888. Married Henry Denning December 15, 1906. They have one boy.

Jacob Link died February 2, 1898 and was buried at Old Fountain Head burying ground.

Ross A. Link, daughter of William and Fanny Link, was born September 5th, 1873. She married James Parks. To their union was born one child, William Link Parks, August 5th 1889. He died December 8, 1906, at the age of seventeen years.

Frank Link, son of W. M. Link was born June 23, 1857. He married Louiza Garrison in 1875. There were born to them three children.

Mrs. Lillie Link Durham was born May 5th 1877.

Mrs. Laura Link Wheeler was born March 29, 1879.

Mrs. Elizabeth Link Summers was born February 7, 1884.

Miss Lillie Link married J. T. Durham September 23, 1881. They had two children, one boy and one girl. The boy, Frank Durham was born June 29, 1895. He married Miss Celeste McAlister in 1921. They had two children, Walter T., 6 years old, and Anna F., aged eighteen months.

Frank connected with his father, J. T. Durham, in the Durham Manufacturing plant at Gallatin, Tenn., and is General Manager of said plant.

Hon. J. T. Durham's daughter Ruth E., was born May 12, 1900 and married K. D. Denning. They have two children, both boys, H. D. Jr., age 9 years, and Thomas A. aged 4. Mr. Denning and family make their home in Chattanooga.

Mr. J. T. Durham was born August 24th, 1867. He had been practicing law in Gallatin for a long time, is considered one of the leading lawyers of the bar of Gallatin. He is very popular in Sumner County, having served as Senator in 1921, 1923 and 1929, and at this writing is the nominee again.

Elizabeth Link, youngest daughter of Frank Link, was born February 7, 1884, married Mr. B. Simmons June 26, 1901. She has four children, three boys and one girl. Her son, Herschel Simmons, was born September 17, 1902; he married Miss Lelia Mitchell, daughter of George Mitchell, of Gallatin, July 1924.

Herbert B. Simmons was born September 25, 1903. HE married a Miss. Hall.

Elizabeth Simmons was born May 29, 1905. She married James Freeman. They have one child, 5 years of age.

Paul Simmons was born September 7, 1908. He is unmarried and lives in Vicksburg, Miss.

Mrs. Laura Link Wheeler, daughter of Mr. Frank Link was born March 29, 1879. She was married to Mr. Wheeler November 25, 1906.

They have three children, two boys and one girl. The boys are J. F. Wheeler, born January 3, 1911, Thomas W. Wheeler born June 22, 1915. Catherine Wheeler was born May 29, 1918.

Mr. Wheeler and family lived in Nashville until about 1928, when he moved to Knoxville, where he has a position of mine inspector.

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