Nancy L Reed Jones
Nancy L. Reed, widow of John H(arper) Reed, appears in Panola County Court records for the first time in August 1852 Session of Probate Court, Folio 136, where she is confirmed as the guardian of her children. June 12, 1852, is the date when Nancy received title to John's portion of the land per Isaac Reed's will on file in Nacogdoches County. The only restriction placed on Nancy by the court is that she cannot hire out a young slave, Josh. Each session of court, she appears with the same restriction until an appropriate age is reached in 1857 December term. After that time, she is free to do as she pleases. All action is in the same 136 file.
Another document filed for record on August 21, 1852, is a deed from Isaac M. Reed, son of Nancy and John, selling his share of his grandfather's estate to his mother. He actually signed it in Henderson County, Tennessee, on the same day Nancy was in court in Panola County, Texas. According to Clayton C. Reed, a descendant of Isaac Marion Reed, he did not come to Texas until the 1880's, and is actually buried in Hamilton County, Texas.
Nancy L. Reed is found with her family in the 1860 census for Panola County. On page 2pg0025, Reel 653 p 32 (online census, Panola County) household 511 in Reed's Settlement, she appears with her children, John H., Jessee, and Robert. Nancy's age is listed as 50 with her birthplace as South Carolina. John H(ines?) Reed is listed as 24, born in Tennessee. Robert is listed as age 13, born in Tennessee also. Her son, Samuel Stephen, appears on the same page household 510 with his family.
These are undisputed facts, but the following has been a source of controversy. December 31, 1865, a marriage license is issued for one Seaborn Jones to marry Nancy L. Reed, page 472, Panola County marriage licenses. It has been speculated that this Nancy L. Reed was really the daughter of William Reed, brother to Nancy's deceased husband. This is widely circulated by various people on the Internet, as well as a book written by Glenda Swaim, Austin, Texas, who obtained her information from one of the people on the Internet. The following document on file in Panola County deed records should refute those statements.
Deed Record Book J pages 45 and 46, April 2, 1870, one Nancy L. Jones deeds to her son Robert Reed acreage on Irons Bayou which she received from the estate of Isaac Reed. There is no question as to which Nancy Reed married Seaborn Jones. The 1870 census for Panola County shows Nancy, listed as N. L. Jones, on page 259a, (online census Panola County) household 10, age 65, born in Tennessee. The only other person listed in her household is Elizabeth Skinner, age 25, a schoolteacher. Seaborn Jones is listed on the same 1870 census on page 249b, household 342, Reel M593-1601 with John Sutton and his wife Margaret who was born in Georgia, as was Seaborn.
By the 1880 Panola County Census, Reel T9-1322, page 303c (as found on familysearch.org), Robert Reed and his wife Mary E. have the following in the household (all children born in Texas): Gerratus age 10; Mary A. E. age 9; Nancy S., age 6; William Z., age 9 months. Also in the household Jessee R. Watton (sic), age 13; Sarah F. Watton (sic), age 11; Nacy (sic) Jones, age 73, born in Tennessee, as were her parents. Jessee (sic), and Sarah are listed as nephew and niece, while Nacy (sic) is listed as mother. Watton should read Walton, and Nacy Jones is obviously Nancy L. Jones who retained a life interest in the property when she deeded it to her son Robert. This would also seem to put to rest another unconfirmed story in many of the family history books of Panola County that Nancy Reed left Texas to go back to Tennessee to die and be buried by her husband John. No gravesite has been found, so her body might have been returned to Tennessee. It would seem unlikely, but until a grave is located in one place or the other, no definitive answer is available.
Following is a very good explanation why a widow would leave her home state and move to what must have seemed a foreign country with several young children. In addition to having lost her husband, she now faced her family being divided in two states. Isaac and his wife stayed in Henderson County, TN for several more years, before eventually moving to Texas. One daughter is unaccounted for. The Margaret listed as an heir may have also stayed in TN. Mildred was married to an unknown Buck by the time her father died, and may also have chosen to stay in TN.
Jackson Tennssee Newspaper Gleanings, 1824-1867
Jonathan Kennon Thompson SmithMr. Jonathan Kennon Thompson Smith of Jackson has published seven genealogical miscellanies for Henderson County. He wishes to share this information as widely as possible and has granted permission for these web pages to be created. We thank Mr. Smith for his generosity. Copyright, Jonathan K. T. Smith, 2001
WEST TENNESSEE WHIG, January 18, 1850 DECEMBER RULES -1849, Chancery Court
Griffith L. Ross, admr. of Jno. H. Read, dec'd., Compl't. vs
Nancy L. Read, the widow and Isaac Read, Samuel Read and others, heirs and
distributees &c. and John Akin, M. B. Brazealton,, John C. Crow & others and all
the creditors of said Jno. H. Read dec'd. Defendats.
Original injunction and amended and supplemental bill. The bill in this cause charges, that on the 6th day of November, 1848, Complainant was, by the County Court of Henderson county, appointed administrator of the estate of said John H. Read, dec'd.; that said deceased departed this life in Henderson county, intestate, leaving the said Nancy L. his widow and relic, Isaac, Samuel, John, Robert, Nancy, Hannah, Margaret and Jesse Read and Milly Buck, his only heirs at law & distributees of his estate; that upon investigation said administrator finds said estate to be insolvent, having not sufficient assets in his hands to pay off the claims presented by the creditors of said dec'd.; that the estate exceeds in value the amount of five hundred dollars &c. The amended and supplemental bill states and sets out liabilities of $1477. 26 cents and makes other persons than those mentioned in the Original Bill parties to this suit and states all of said heirs (the children) except one, are minors under 21 &c. and prays that a guardian at litem be appointed for them; that said John H. Read died seized and possessed of a negro girl named Mary, now in possession of said administrator and of eight different tracts of land, all lying in Henderson county, Tennessee and granted by the State of Tennessee to deceased in his life time, to wit:one tract of 50 acres in range 6, sec. 7, set forth as exhibit A No. 2198; one tract of 25 acres in range 6 and sec. 7, set forth in exhibit B, grant No. 5084; one tract of 100 acres in range 6 and sections 6 & 7, set out in exhibit C; one tract of 50 acres in range 6 and sec 6, set forth in exhibit D; one tract of 75 acres in range 6 and sec. 7, set forth in exhibit E; one other tract of 75 acres in range 6 and sections 6 and 7, set out in exhibit F; one tract of 48 acres in range 6 and sec. 7 set out in exhibit G; one tract 28 acres in range 6 and sec 7, set forth in exhibit H; the grants for said several tracts of land are all filed with the pleadings in this cause.
The Supplemental Bill states that said Nancy L. Read is entitled to her dower interest in said lands and that she has never been endowed thereof &c. and prays that the same may be done, assigning to her the mansion house and she put in possession; and that the remainder of said real estate and said negro be sold for payment pro rata of the just debts due said creditors.
The Bill and Supplement pray that an injunction issue against the creditors enjoining all suits at law against the administrator and that the County Court of Henderson county be enjoined from any further proceeding in the administration of said John H. Read dec'd., and the same be transferred from said County Court to and hereafter administered in this Court; and that all the creditors of the said deceased be authorized to come forward and make themselves parties defendants to this suit and that they file their claims properly and legally authenticated with the Clerk and Master within the time prescribed by law and for general relief. Whereupon it is ordered by the Clerk and Master that the foregoing abstract be published for four weeks successively in the WEST TENNESSEE WHIG, printed at Jackson, Tennessee, requiring said creditors to appear in said cause, as aforesaid by 2nd Monday in June, 1850.
J. W. G. Jones, C. & M.
Jan. 4, 1850
Taken from Yesterday Pages