1. William BRIDGES-[470] was born in 1775 in North Carolina and died after 1850 in Scott County, Tennessee.

General Notes: The name Bridges in Anglo Saxon or Old English means " one who dwells by the bridge. The Bridges were listed as some of the early settlers of Virginia. Joseph Bridges was a wealthy landowner. He had a son William born in 1775. William later moved to Spartanburg Country, South Carolina. There he married Mary Harris, daughter of Wade Harris. This William Bridges is the foundation of the Bridges family of Campbell/Union County, Tennessee

1st Generation Bridges in Tennessee William Bridges was born in 1775, died after 1850 Scott County, Tennessee. He is last found living with his son Ruben on the 1850 census. William's wife, Mary Harris, was born about 1780 in Spartenburg, South Carolina. The last record on Mary was the 1850 census in the home son Ruben.

William and Mary may have had at least four sons, Morris born abt 1801 and Ruben H. abt 1802 in Spartanburg, South Carolina are the only two that I have history on. William in 1799 moved to Grainger County, Tennessee between the head of the Barren Creek and the Powell River. William and his brother, Thomas, bought 300 acres laying between Barren Creek and Powell River in what is now Claiborne County, Tennessee. Stockley Donnelson, brother-in-law of Andrew Jackson, signed the land deed. Found William and Thomas Bridges Granger County 1799 tax list. Note by 1801 Granger was divided and became Anderson and Claiborne County. Split again 1806 and formed Campbell County. 1803 Thomas still found in Claiborne County tax list, but William is missing.

By the time of the 1840 census only William and his two sons Reubin and Morris were still living in the area. The rest of the family had moved to Alabama and Northwest Georgia, according to other Bridges researchers.

Due to the destruction of early Tennessee records, the first census records found on the family is the 1840 Campbell, County census William 60/70 wife 60/70 still have children in the home. Sons Ruben and William are listed in their separate households. In 1849 Scott County was formed from part of Campbell County and on the 1850 census William 74, wife Mary 70 are listed in the household of son Ruben 48 in Scott County and Morris family is still in Campbell County.

Morris married Mary Nancy Snodderly, daughter of John Gregory & Elizabeth Gibbs Snodderly. [See Snodderly Family History] Marriage records cannot be found the marriage date abt 1822-23 as first child born 1824, Campbell County which became Union County in 1850. They raised their family of nine [9] known children in the Lost Creek area. Morris moved to Clear Creek near Lost Creek, on March 1, 1830 where he joined Lost Creek Baptist Church. Morris was found on the 1840 census and nine [9] children were found in his household. Morris died August 1849, cause of death fever, and is buried in the Lost Creek Cemetery, Union County, Tennessee as is his wife Mary. Last record on Mary is the 1850 census she is listed as widow age 44 seven of their children are listed in the household and two of the sons are living next door.

Noted events in his life were:

• He appeared on the census in 1840 in Campbell County, Tennessee. ¹  
William 60/70 wife 60/70
Sons 1 -5, 1 5/10, 1 20/30
Daughters 1 -5, 1 5/10, 1 20/30

The above children assumed to be son William, his wife and their children. Sons Morris and Rubin also living in Campbell County

• He appeared on the census in 1850 in Scott County, Tennessee. ²  
William 74 [NC] and wife Mary 70 [SC] living with son Reubin

William married Mary HARRIS -[471] [MRIN:138], daughter of Wade HARRIS -[498] and Unknown , about 1796 in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Mary was born in 1780 in South Carolina and died after 1850 in Scott County, Tennessee.

Children from this marriage were:

+ 2 M    i. Morris BRIDGES-[469] was born in 1797 in North Carolina, died in 1849 in Campbell County, Tennessee, at age 52, and was buried in 1849 in Lost Creek Cemetery, Hickory Valley Road.

   3 M    ii. William BRIDGES-[531] was born in 1800 in North Carolina.

+ 4 M    iii. Ruben BRIDGES-[472] was born in 1802 in North Carolina and died in 1861 in Scott County, Tennessee, at age 59.

   5 M    iv. James BRIDGES-[532] was born in 1804 in North Carolina.