Dr. John Y. was the third child born to Judge John B. (1776-1839) and Alice Strother (Blackwell)(1795-1850) Wilkinson. He was born on 16 Dec. 1818 in Ga. He married Judith S. Keith about 1845. She was born in Ga.

They had at lest two children, both born in Alabama: William Moton, born 1846 (died young) and Alice S., born 1848. Alice married and divorced, Mr. Dotson, and had no children.

Dr. John Y. was reared in the vicinity of Mooresville and as a young man attended Transylvania Medical School in Lexington, Ky as did his older brother, Reuben. Dr. John Y. began his medical career with Dr. Adams. He got his mail at the Mooresville post office in 1844-1847.

In Mar. 1847 he and four others were named to divide the William E. Collier estate among his heirs. His name is on several 1846-1849 Limestone County court records.

On 25 Feb 1850 he bought land in Cass County, Tx. He paid his brother George $1,500 for 1360 acres of land and Caroline Cole $2,050 for the John H. Cole headright where she resided.

He is shown in the 1850 census, Limestone County on page 77 as a physician with real estate valuing $1,226. His wife and two children are also named. His brother, Dr. Reuben; his Pickett cousins--Sarah O., Steptoe, and William; and his Blackwell kin--Eliza W., Bolling C., Samuel, and Wyatt C. are neighbors.

Dr. John Y. took his family to live in Cass Co., Tx. but was there only a few months when he died on 12 April 1851 at the age of 33. His obituary is in the 28 May 1851 Huntsville Southern Advocate.

Judith married a second time in Cass County on 15 June 1852 to Dr. Thomas J. Smith. They had a daughter, Ida, who married W.W. Baker and had Daisy. Daisy Baker was still living in 1936. The Smiths and Bakers likely remain in east Texas. All of her fmaily named above were gone before 1936.

Sources:

Edwards and Axford, Lure and Lore of Limestone County

Family Bible of Eliza Irby (Wilkinson) Moseley

Genealogy files of Rex C. Hopson

Hardy, Colonial Families of the Southern States of America

Written by Rex C. Hopson

This information was taken from the Cass County Connections, Vol 24, Sept. 1998, pg 65