Descendants of Fethias Woolsey 1796 - 1835
by Carolyn Woolsey Wilkerson
FETHIAS WOOLSEY (JOHN III4, JOHN II5, JOHN4, GEORGE "JORIS"3, GEORGE SR2, WILLIAM WOLSEY 1) was born March 23, 1796 in TN - Greene County, and died January 30, 1835 in TN - Ten Mile Stand, Meigs. He married (1) ELIZABETH CROUCH 1818 in KY - Clinton County, daughter of JAMES CROUCH and AGNES DENTON. She died July 1823 in KY - Clinton County. He married (2) MARGARET PEOPLES April 02, 1824 in TN - Horse Creek, Sullivan, daughter of JOHN PEOPLES and LUCRETIA MURRELL. She was born August 08, 1801 in TN - Sullivan County, and died October 09, 1880 in TN - Ten Mile Stand, Meigs.
DEATH: Margaret Peoples Woolsey died of Consumption and is buried at Woolsey Hollow in the family cemetery.
THE YEAR WAS 1796, John III with many Tennessians who had participated in the forming and settlement of Tennessee celebrated the fruits of their labor as Tennessee became a state.
In his personal life John III, the father of thirteen children, was once again going to be a father, a son Fethias was born March 23, 1796, who was to be the last child born to John III and his wife Sarah Oliphant Woolsey.
Unlike his father, Fethias was to live a very short life. Fethias' tombstone at the Woolsey Family Cemetery at Woolsey Hollow, Ten Mile, Tenn., records his birth as March 23, 1796, and his death at 38 years of age on Jan. 30, 1835.
WILL:
In the name of God and amen I Fethias Wolsey long week of body but of perfect mind and memory and knowing it is appointed all men once to dy do make this my last will and testament and first of all I commend my soul to God who gave it and my body I commend to the erth to be buried after the Maner of a decent Christian burial at the descretion of my execetor nothing doubting and that the general Resurrection I shall receive the same again by the mity power of God and of Sub(?) worley Estate as it has pleased God to bless me with In This Life I leave and dispose of in the folowing maner and form after paying all my Jest debts and further I want Martin McPherson Whom I ordaine as my Execetor with my wife to assist In the mangeing of my Estate in that way tal it wil be most proper and Right The personnal property as much there of as is not needed for the Support of my beloved wife and Children I wish put to Sale and further I Except the plantation household and kitchen furniture for the use and support of my Loving wife and children while she Remains my widow and if She Should Marry the personal property to be Equilly divided My loving wife taking an Equel part with the Children if She thinks proper and to make this my will plaine and well under Stood I further add that the farming tools is to be kep on the place for the purpose of Carying on the farming business this my Last will and Testament now being Nearly Closed I turn my attention again to my Children hoping that my Excectors will See to the Schooling of My Children in the Comon usual Maner fiting them for Comon business. This my will now Commited to Writing this 30th Day of January 1835 and Signed with my own hand in the preasents of Us and we in the presents of Each other
Elijah Matheny
Noble H Moutton
Alexander Clark
He signed with an X
Fethias Wolsey
Fethias and family were listed in the Greene County Tennessee census in 1830. John Peoples Woolsey was born Dec. 2, 1830 in Ten Mile, Tenn., showing that Fethias' move to Woolsey Hollow near Ten Mile, Tenn., was during the year of 1830.
Marjory W. Watts of the Roane County Genealogical Society of Kingston, Tenn., writes the following: "The Fethias Woolsey family was living in the 10th District, Ten Mile Stand. The name Ten Mile - being when an area was secured and a "fort" or "stand" was no longer deemed a necessity, the troops moved 10 miles further down an area and established a new "stand". By 1860, the "stands" had long since moved on down into what we now know as Meigs or even more distanced locales. We had long since secured all that area of Tennessee from the Indians in one "fraudulent" form of treaty or another. I include this bit of information as you might run acorss the term in other research and get confused as to why more than one "Ten Mile Stand" is mentioned in the same general area.
January 1, 1833 Fethias bought 160 plus 37 acres of land to be known as Woolsey Hollow from Bird Deatherage for the sum of $1,000 at Ten Mile, Tenn. Bird originally purchased this land from "The Hiwassee District" which was acquired by treaties concluded on July 8, 1817, and Feb 27, 1819. The land was bounded on the north by the Little Tennessee River. The terms of the treaties provided that Indians could retain reservations in the ceded territoryo. From July 1817, thru Dec 6, 1819, the Indians registered 311 reservations. McMinn County and Monroe County were created Nove 13, 1819, and some of the reservations fell into those counties. In Nov, 11820, the lands inthe Hiwassee District were opened for
public auction. Names of some of the earliest white settlers are given in the 'List of Lands returned by the Surveyor of the Highwassee District,' pages 103-107."
Later abstract records show Samuel Woolsey sold 196 acres in Ten Mile, Tenn., Woolsey Hollow which he inherited from his father, to his sister Sarah Wolsey. I wonder what he did with the other one acre? The original purchase of this property was by Bird Deatherage in 1819 from the Government who has purchased it (or stole from) the Indians.
WOOLSEY HOLLOW:
Tennessee Interstate 40 to Kingston, take highway 58 south approximately 13.5 miles to Meigs County road 506. Turn left and follow road around approximately 1/4 mile where the log cabin sits on the south side of the road between the two creeks.
MILITARY:
Fethias was a fifer in the War of Creek Indians 1812, Physical description: light hair, 6 feet tall, blue eyes, light complexion. The following information was documented by the following information sent to me by Wilford W. Whitaker on March 09, 1999:
TAX LIST:
1869 Roane County Tax List 10th District
WOOLSEY, Margaret; 196 acres - value $2500
PENSION APPLICATION:
1870 Subject: Fethias Woolsey & Margaret People's Pension Application War of 1812 Pension Index. FHL Film # 847531. Fethias, Alias Matthias, Woolsey, private, widow Margaret, in Capt Geo McPherson's Tenn. Militia. WO 16607, WC 10096. Index: Fathias Woolsey, Bunch' Reg't (1814) E.
PENSION:
Margaret Woolsey, age 77 in Apr 1870, widow of Fethias Woolsey, alias Matthias Woolsey, gives her address as Ten Mile Stand, Meigs County, Tenn. She states that Fethias was a fifer in the War of Creek Indians in 1812; that he volunteered in 1814, served six months, and was discharged in Jul 1814; that he was ___ when he enlisted in Greene County, Tenn., where he was a farmer; that she was married to Fethias at Horse Creek, Sullivan County, Tenn., 1 Apr 1824. ....?(hard to read) Richard Murrill as Margaret Bauchman; that she was formerly married to Samuel Bauchman, who died in Sullivan County, Tenn., 23 Jul 1823; that Fethias was formerly md to Elizabeth Crouch, who died in Clinton Co., KY in Jul 1823; that Fethias died 30 Jan 1835 in Roane County, Tenn.
[I think the section that is hard to read means that Fethias and she were md by Richard Murrill] Notice Fethias (alias Matthias] - I think that is intriguing. There is a Matthias Woolsey in 1850 census, I can't place anywhere, and I was wondering if he could be a son of Ann Crouch.(end)
At the age of 33 Margaret was widowed and left with six children. Margaret never remarried and lived at Woolsey Hollow until her death in October of 1880. The following information from Tennesse census records:
CENSUS:
CENSUS:
1830 Greene County, TN
Woolsey, Fithias, --- 10021 - 20001
Woolsey, Gilbert, 155 --- 0123310 - 021001
Woolsey, Israel, 230 --- 1221001 - 110001
Woolsey, William, 156 --- 0200101 - 20211010001
Woolsey, Zephania, 160 --- 10001 - 30001
Woolsey, , Zephaniah, 170 --- 00001 - 10001
Woolsy, William, 170 --- 10001 - 10001
1830 Greene County, Tenn., 1830:
Fethias Woolsey, 1 male under 5 years of age; 2 males between 15 and 20 years of age; 1 male between 20 and 30 years of age; 2 females under 5 years of age; and 1 female between 20 and 30 years of age.
1840 Roane County, Tenn., 1840:
Margaret Woolsey, 2 males 5 and under 10 years of age; 1 male 10 and under 15 years of age; 2 females 5 and under 10 years of age; 1 female 10 and under 15 years of age; and 1 female 30 and under 40 years of age.
(This 1840 census also shows an Elizabeth Woolsey living in Roane County with 1 male 15 and under 20 years of age; 1 male 20 and under 30 years of age; 1 female 10 and under 15 years of age; 1 female 15 and under 10 years of age; 1 female 20 and under 30 years of age; and 1 female 40 and under 50 years of age. Elizabeth and Margaret are both shown as widows in 1840 and both of their husbands died at a very early age. I wonder what happened to them and if Fethias and Elizabeth's husband were brothers.)
1850 Roane County, Tenn., 1850, page 832, dwelling 1341 and household 1391:
Margaret Woolsey, age 40, born in Tenn., real estate of $1,000; daughter Crissy, age 22; son John, age 20; son Fethias, age 18; and daughter Sarah, age 15. All the children were born in Tennessee. Neighbors were John Cade and William Morrison.
1860 Aug. 8, District 11 Ten Mile Stand, Roane County, Tenn., page 197, dwelling 1481/household 1383:
Margaret Woolsey, age 58, real estate of $2,500, personal property of $1,000 born in Tennessee; daughter Crissy, age 30; and daughter Sarah, age 25. The census records stated Margaret nor daughters could read or write. Neighbors were John Morrison and Francis Ray.
1870 July 10, District 10 Ten Mile Stand, Roane County, Tenn., page 2/dwelling 13:
Margaret Woolsey, age 68, real estate worth $2,500 and personal property of $1,000; daughter Crissy, age 41; daughter Sarah, age 36; grandson Joseph, age 16; and granddaughter Margaret, age 14. Children Joseph and Margaret were attending school. (I was to later learn these children were the children of Margaret's son John and his first wife Mary Edgemon.) Neighbors were Mary Morrison, Albert Fuffer, William Brouden and C. Durham.
1880 June 11, District 10 Ten Mile, Roane County, Tenn., page 22/dwelling 202/household 206:
Margaret Woolsey, age 78; daughter Crissie, age 50; daughter Sarah 44; and granddaughter Margaret, age 23. Neighbors were William Burgis and William Browden. (The census records show Margaret's son Samuel living near her in 1850 and 1860 then in 1870 son Fethias is shown living near her but not Samuel who must have moved to the Kingston area just before the Civil War.)
In 1883 the residents of Ten Mile, Tenn., voted to be annexed to Meigs County. It is said that Meigs was a Democrate county and Roane was a Republican county and the residents of Ten Mile wanted to be in a county more to their political liking.
Shiloh Baptist Church Members 1822-1866 Ten Mile Stand, TN, Compiled by Robert L. Bailey, genealogist Roane County, TN
ROANE COUNTY, TN - PRIVATE ACTS OF 1889 - CHAPTER 34
30. Acts of 1883, Chapter 89, Page 89, rearranged the dividing lines between Roane County and Meigs County so that the home farm of E.M. EWING, the lands of the heirs of Henderson DEATHERAGE, William D. BROWDER, A.J. HAGLER'S home farm, Elizabeth CLOWER'S lands, and those of Jeremiah GEPSON, Sarah WOOLSEY, and Chrissie WOOLSEY would all be located wholly within Meigs County.
SEARCHING FOR FETHIAS and MARGARET PEOPLES WOOLSEY
Memorial Day of 1990 my husband, Larry, and I paid a visit to Steven Alsip of Corbin, Ky., a Woolsey descendant. It is because of Steven, his kindness, generosity and years of research that I was able to find my ancestors - thank you Steven for one of the greatest gifts anyone could give me. Steven showed us information from his files showing Fethias as being buried at Ten Mile, Tenn. What a break through for I had been searching Greene County, Tenn., and surmised that he had moved from Greene County after 1830 but with no idea to where.
After locating Ten Mile on our Rand McNally road map we anxiously made the short trip in high hopes of a new discovery. Driving south of Kingston we wondered how those pioneers had crossed the Little Tennessee River to settle this area for the Little Tennessee isn't very little.
After driving to a point where we thought we may have passed Ten Mile we stopped at a convenient store/service station at which we were informed that we were in Ten Mile. Later as we explored the area we found a church, a school and homes but they were off the main road and surrounded by small forest areas making them seem to blend into their environment.
An elderly gentleman filling his car with gas advised us to drive a mile west to the Union 76 Station which was the area hangout for the old timers and answers were in abundance.
Taking his advice we arrived at a wooden structure that looked as if it were being held up by the Union 76 sign attached to the front of the building. Inside a clean swept dirt floor served as the resting place for several well worn benches and chairs which surrounded a potbelly stove. Shelves to the back of the store held items which looked as if they had been sitting there since the stationed open and that had to of been before the automobile was invented.
To our amazement the proprietor of the station was waiting for us. Before him on an old table lay what looked like a very old map and he was eager to point out to us "Woolsey Hollow" the original home site of my third great-grandfather. I felt so proud to be standing here with these gentlemen knowing that my great-great-great-grandparents had worked along side their ancestors to settle this beautiful land.
A younger man who stood near the pot bellied stove, chewing and spitting tabacci smiled and said "Well I'd be derned I'd always wonerd (spit) whose ol' log cabin (spit) and cemtary that thar was (spit) in that ol' holler we always hunt in."
Glory be, I thought, we have found a gold mine.
"What did you say young man, a log cabin, where is it, come on give me some directions, the suspense is too much!" I amost shouted at him.
"Well, you drive up yonder by the hay sign, then back in tords that there rock quarry and yonder cross the creek ya'all see it sitting on the Gregory place. But, don't be a goin and gettin ya selves shot by ol' Mattie. Best be a stoppin there at the brick house and tell her whose ya are."
We found the creek, the cabin and for sure we found Mattie. There she sat on the patio was sitting on her patio looking through her binoculars at deer coming out the woods far off across the valley (or so she said but I'm sure she had a close eye on us as we entered the property). A tall, well built, silver haired lady, and yes a gun beside her, rose up, walked over and around the car until she asked if we wanted to come sit on the patio.
Mattie later informed us she was 79 years of age and a relative of Margaret Ellis who married John Peoples Woolsey the son of Fethias and Margaret People Woolsey.
Mattie was just as hospitable as could be telling us that after we looked over the cabin and cemetery we'd sit on the patio which overlooked the beautiful valley running south of the house and she would tell us all she knew and show us the letters she had received from a distant cousin.
What a beautiful place Fethias chose to settle. Thanks to Margaret and the later owners it stands very much like it was when Fethias brought his family to live here.
The log cabin sits near the creek where several large well worn rocks remain where Mattie told us the family bathed and washed the laundry. The front porch is gone but a few shutters still remain on a couple of windows on the west side of the cabin. The main floor of the cabin which had to have been added later on in years was rotted but the stairs to the loft and the loft were still in good condition and the log beams were in excellent condition. Mattie's husband built a lean-to kitchen onto the cabin and later had electricity installed. Mattie said she bathed in the creek by the large rocks and when first living there washed the families clothes there. Later they built the brick home on the approximate site of the plantation home which is just east of the cabin on the crest of the hill.
Mattie told us that she and her husband, John, bought the property from a gentleman who bought it from Crissy Woolsey. When they moved to the property there was only the log cabin standing. Sometime after Fethias' death Margaret built a new home built which burnt to the ground after the sale to the new owners.
To the east and back of the cabin between two trees there stood what was left of the ol' out house. A little further back stood the barn still in excellent shape and to the east and south at the crest of the hill stands the family cemetery surrounded by a black iron fence with the name "Crissy Woolsey" engraved on the iron gate.
The cemetery was overgrown with small trees, bushes and rose bushes. Sitting inside the gate on a large tree stump was a bee hive so we viewed over the fence at as many grave markers as possible and opted to return in the fall to clean the cemetery to find all the graves.
In November of 1990 we returned to Ten Mile to clean the family cemetery. The rows in the cemetery run east and west. Starting in the northwest corner are buried the infant twins of John and Margaret Palmer; next the grave of Margaret Palmer, born Oct. 30, 1855 died Oct. 7, 1886; and as is printed on the tombstone, Cressie Woolsey born 6-25-1829 and died 7-20-1909.
The second row from the west to east is Oliver Woolsey born 2-11-1834 died 2-22-1834; Fethias Woolsey born 3-23-1796 died 1-30-1835; then there are three graves marked with large stones; next to these three graves are
Margaret Woolsey born 8-8-1801 died 10-9-1880; and beside Margaret is her daughter Sarah Woolsey born 1-5-1835 died 6-11-1887.
Mattie Gregory had a shoe box and in it were letters she had received over the years from Woolsey family members wanting information concerning Fethias and Margaret People Woolsey. Mattie said she didn't have the time and information to answer the letters -most of them from Olive Mineo. So she said she just stuck them in the box and maybe someday somebody would come by and read them.
I read the letters and recorded them on my tape recorder and once home typed all the information out. Olive related a few interesting stories which we have yet to document as to their authenticity.
The first story has to do with Fethias and Margaret daughter Sarah. This story was told to Olive and her mother by Mrs. Ruth Martin Rice from Edmond, Okla.:
Sarah had talked a young girl relative into marrying a man who later treated her terribly. Sarah being unable to forgive herself hung herself shortly after the death of this young relative. I believe this young girl relative to be her niece Margaret Woolsey (the daughter of John Peoples and Mary Edgemon Woolsey) who married John Palmer and died about eight months before Sarah.
The following copied from a letter written by Ezekiel to Ms Mae Mineo, PO Box 386, Edmond, Okla., Nov. 23, 1926:
"Now as to the Woolseys I know but little & like you my preference was my mothers people but really I believe the Woolseys were the best. No Woolsey would swear - strictly a religious people - old Time Baptist - hard shell & close communion - Grandmother Woolsey was a Peoples & I have heard they were good people & husllers to make money - all the Peoples family were good (?) Grandma Woolsey weighed 299# so you see she was a large woman & all the Peoples family large people.
CEMETERIES of MEIGS COUNTY:
Cemeteries on USGS Maps Meigs County, Tennessee
TAX LISTS:
1869 Roane County Tax List 10th District
WOOLSEY, Margaret; 196 acres - value $2500
Roane County, TN PRIVATE ACTS OF 1889 CHAPTER 34
30. Acts of 1883, Chapter 89, Page 89, rearranged the dividing lines between Roane County and Meigs County so that the home farm of E.M. EWING, the lands of the heirs of Henderson DEATHERAGE, William D. BROWDER, A.J. HAGLER'S home farm, Elizabeth CLOWER'S lands, and those of Jeremiah GEPSON, Sarah WOOLSEY, and Chrissie WOOLSEY would all be located wholly within Meigs County.
INTERNET INFO: 2004 Sept 29
1869 Roane County, TN, Tax List, Dist 10
WOOLSEY, Margaret; 196 acres - value $2500
WOOLSEY, Samuel; 1 poll
INTERNET INFO: 2004 Sept 29
1880 ROANE COUNTY, TENNESSEE MORTALITY SCHEDULE
WOOLSEY, Margt. 47 f w - - - - Jun KH (keeping house) Consumption (cause of death) 11 (district) P.R. (?)
Children of FETHIAS WOOLSEY and MARGARET PEOPLES are:
- ISAAC WOOLSEY, b. June 09, 1825, TN - Greene County.
- ISRAEL WOOLSEY, b. June 09, 1825, TN - Greene County; m. UNKNOWN PEOPLES.
- ELIZABETH WOOLSEY, b. June 18, 1826, TN - Greene County; d. 1896, AL - Jackson; m. (1) WILLIAM B REED, October 14, 1847, TN - Roane County; b. 1825, TN; m., (2) WINCE BROWN.
- SAMUEL JAMES WOOLSEY, b. October 16, 1827, TN - Horse Creek, Greene; d. October 08, 1890, TN - Harriman, Roane; m. HARRIET REED, October 14, 1847; b. April 13, 1831, TN; d. November 26, 1907, TN - Harriman, Roane.
- CRISSY WOOLSEY, b. June 25, 1829, TN - Green County; d. July 20, 1909.
- JOHN PEOPLES WOOLSEY, b. December 02, 1830, TN - Ten Mile, Meigs; d. June 25, 1863, TN - Nashville; m. (1) MARY EDGEMON, November 11, 1852, TN - McMinn County; b. Abt. 1832, TN; d. Abt. June 1859, TN; m. (2) MARGARET ANGELINE ELLIS, August 15, 1859, TN - Athens, McMinn; b. January 05, 1837, TN - Athens, McMinn; d. September 13, 1905, MO - Aurora.
- FETHIAS WOOLSEY, b. May 14, 1832, TN - Ten Mile, Meigs; m. MARGARET HORNSBY, June 19, 1856, TN - Roane County; b. 1833; d. June 1880, TN - Roane County.
- OLIVER WOOLSEY, b. February 11, 1834, TN - Ten Mile, Roane; d. February 22, 1834.
- SARAH WOOLSEY, b. January 05, 1835, TN - Ten Mile Stand, Roane; d. June 11, 1887.
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