Carol Redd - Aug 5, 2010
Group, I have been working the past two days to locate who my John Preston Sexton's parents are. Preliminary info led me to believe it must be Andrew (1828) and Elizabeth based primarily upon the fact that Andrew seems to have died or flown the coop leaving Elizabeth alone w/ several young children. This would fit very nicely with my John Preston Sexton's mother having "left Fielding Sexton" w/ young infant John who was born prior to her relationship w/ Fielding. There was NEVER a mention that Fielding was the father of John P., b Sept 1859, but I always figured that there must have been something to make Fielding raise a child who was not possibly his own.
I've deleted my earlier post because Billie was kind enough to provide me the research already proven on Wiley Lewallen's line. I'll hush and read.
Thanks for your help, Billie.
Billie Harris - Aug 5, 2010
Some good information in there. Great research, Carol.
Here are the descendants of Wiley Lewallen as we have them now:
[NOTE: broken link]
As you'll note, there are many vacancies on that list so anything's possible.
Carol, what do you have on Fielding Sexton? I've tried to look up his neighbors in 1860 (John Preston was born 1859) to see if there was a Lewallen nearby and I can't find a census showing him.
Do you have anything on an Aaron or Timothy Sexton? They are showing as neighbors in the 1830 Morgan County, TN census with William Lewallen.
If John Preston Sexton was raised by Fielding Sexton and has the DNA of a Lewallen, then, of course, his father would have been a Lewallen. If the child was a grandchild of John Lewallen's, then why on earth would he want his son to get rid of it or his wife? It just doesn't make sense for a grandfather to want to get rid of a grandchild, unless he thought the grandchild wasn't his son's, but in this case, it was a Lewallen.
Do we have record of any of the male Lewallens in Morgan/Scott County dying about that time and maybe she, being his wife, left the child with Fielding? Or, could Fielding Sexton's sister maybe have had a child and he raised it, giving it his name?
I know sometimes neighbors took in children when parents died. And sometimes, too, a neighbor would marry a widow and then "adopt" her children, even if not by formal adoption.
Billie Harris - Aug 5, 2010
O.K., Carol. Here's something else which you may know already.
The 1850 census for Morgan county shows William Sexton age 60, Rhoda age 50, Solomon age 19, Hiram age 19, Wright age 15, and FIELDING age 13.
The 1860 census for that county shows Rhoda Sexton 58, Wright Sexton 22, FEELDON Sexton 20 and John 10/12. The John would probably be John Preston, the one Fielding raised as his son. The question now is: Was John Preston Fielding's son or was he the son of a Lewallen. Next door was Bertain Sexton 30, Margarette Sexton 26, Catherine 12, Rada A. 11, Phelby 8, Emely 7, and Ewel 1.
In that same county were several Lewallens but living nearby was Joel Lewallen. age 56 (1804 NC), his wife Rachael (probably Taylor) age 60. Not far away was Michael Lewallen 21 and Flemon Lewallen (female) 21.
Let's back up a little about Joel. In 1844 Morgan County, his daughter Christina must have married a Robert Burg because Joel sued Burg for Christina's divorce. Apparently she was about 14 at the time because the 1850 census for Sevier County shows Joel 50, Rachel 50, Christiner 20 and Clarinda 15. (Joel was a son of Anderson and Lucy (Rice) Lewallen's and his brothers were William and Andrew.)
Take a look at all the Lewallens in Morgan and Scott counties. You'll have to scroll down the page to each county.
[NOTE: broken link]
Carol Redd - Aug 6, 2010
Billie
Thank you for your response. I know you're a very busy woman, so I especially appreciate your taking time to look at my overly-zealous, jump-to-conclusions research.
I didn't mean to imply that the "stories" were true or had been verified. I've only tried to make sense of what has been handed down over the years and relating the "story" that my cousin swears she read online a year or so ago; i.e., that Sheriff John made his son or son's wife give up the child. None of that has been confirmed.
Yes, neighbors sometimes did take in young children of a neighbor whose husband/wife may have died - and that seems plausible were it not for the fact that Fielding was unmarried - did he marry the widow? No evidence to support that.
As for the Sexton lineage, it's proven back to Timothy Sexton who md Esther Sisel (Cecil?) But, the dna proves that John Preston Sexton's FATHER was a Lewallen. Fielding's sisters could have been his mother, but the story (which when repeated after many generations proves often to be less than wholly truthful), only said that his MOTHER was a Lewallen. That tends to support that she must have been a married Lewallen. The other conclusion would have to be that if SHE was a Lewallen, then she was the victim of rape or incest - a story which would not likely have been retold in a completely honest version.
I've only just begun this search, so I'll just try to read thru all the info here and make sense of it as I can. If anyone runs across anything, I'll appreciate your sharing it with me.
Thanks, Carol
Billie Harris - Aug 6, 2010
Here's something else to consider, and perhaps a descendant of Anderson's and Sheriff John's can fill in some of the blanks here.
According to some fairly well documented information on Ancestry, Timothy and Ester Sexton (Sr) had sons Timothy Jr., William, Moses, Aaron and John. Timothy Jr. married Nancy Ellis. William married Rhoda Griffith (these would be Fielding's parents), Moses married Leander Hatfield. I couldn't find out who Aaron or John married. But ...Rachel Hatfield (I don't know who Rachel's husband was but the last name was Reed) had a daughter Delilah who married none-other than Sheriff John Lewallen as one of his wives. So there's a connection of the Hatfields with the Sextons and with the Lewallens.
Something else I found whether it's of help or not is that in 1808 Joseph Hatfield acquired 106 acres on the Brimestone, a branch of the New River. That same year Timothy Sexton Sr. acquired land on the west side of the New River. Then in 1855 Herod Lewallen (born 1808) of Scott County sold 600 acres of land on the waters of the New River and Brimestone. That land, however, may have been part of the estate of John Young; I haven't researched it yet but the Youngs and the Lewallens were connected (I believe one of John Lewallen's sons married a Young.)
Anyway, just a little more. Hopefully more will turn up.
Melba Boyd - Aug 7, 2010
I have in my notes that Isaac Reed, b.march 31, 1790 in south Carolina and died 1854 in TN. He married Phariba "Rachel" Hatfield 1811 in Scott County, TN, daughter of Joseph Hatfield. Rachel was b. 1795 in Virginia, and died 1840 in TN. Isaac then married Pharaba McDonald in 1840 in Scott Co. TN.
If you find some of my notes wrong, please correct me.
Billie Harris - Aug 7, 2010
Melba, do you have any information on Leander Hatfield?
Billie Harris - Aug 8, 2010
Just found some info on the internet that Leander Hatfield was born 1795, probably South Carolina and she died in either Fentress or Scott County 1860. Moses Sexton was born May 18, 1789 and died June 1, 1850. He and Leander were married October 20, 1814 in Campbell County, TN. Their children were John Sexton, James Sexton, Fountain Sexton, Rebecca Sexton, Aaron Sexton, Julien Sexton, Shadrach Sexton, Caswell Sexton, N.R. Sexton, and Hiram Sexton.
Kay McKinnon - Aug 7, 2010
Carol, I liked the early post. All the old passed down tales and gossip usually have a grain of truth even though often the names and time period involved in an event get jumbled. The tales make genealogy fun and give us something to try to prove or disprove.
Carol Redd - Aug 7, 2010
This group is truly an inspiration, and I feel very fortunate to be among so great people. I will repost what I entered earlier since you've validated it. I felt it was redundant and others would not want to wade thru it all. I'm not on my own computer today, so it will be tomorrow before I can repost.
UPDATE: I stopped by the Roane Co, TN Historical Society yesterday and was fortunate enough to speak w/ Robert Bailey. He's written the book on the Sextons of Scott Co, TN and is a descendant of "my" William Sexton. This is hard issue to reconcile with.... one adopted children deal w/ all their lives.
Robert said as Kay has, that old passed down tales and gossip usually have a grain of truth. Obviously, the Lewallen connection was known even if it's been interpreted over the years as his mother was a Lewallen. Billie and I both noticed in the 1860 Scott Co, TN census that Michael Lewallen (1829?) and his brand new bride (md Dec 1859 - just 3 months after John P. was born) living two doors away from Fielding Sexton's future wife, Mary Ann Stewart (1833) who was living w/ her mother and grandmother. I wondered about him, but thought Andrew and Elizabeth seemed to be more likely candidates based upon John P. being fathered by a Lewallen and the family story saying his mother was a Lewallen. I figured it would almost have to be a married Lewallen woman.
Robert commented to me that he really did believe that Mary Ann Stewart was John P.s mother because she was listed on his death cert. He also told me that Mary Ann was illegitimate as was her mother, Dinetta. Hiram Stewart (1820), Dinetta's brother, (Robert's ancestor), was "bound out" when he was 3 years old (1823). He explained that in order for him to have been bound out, his mother, Nancy Stewart (1793 VA), would have to have been single.
So, Mary Ann Stewart (1843) was living 3 doors down from John Lewallen, 24 (1836) and Mirah 25 (1835), w/ son James 6 (1854) and Elizabeth 24 (1836). Next door was William & Nancy Lewallen (both b 1810) and children Charles (1845), William R. (1848), Smith (1850) and James H. (1853).
I'm out of time - husband's wanted to run around this afternoon. This post isn't quite perfect, but hopefully is does communicate that the plot is thickening - possibly never to be proven, but that's what makes genealogy so fun!
Thanks to all for reading and offering any tidbits you might run across.
Sue Cooper - Aug 7, 2010
"He explained that in order for him to have been bound out, his mother, Nancy Stewart (1793 VA), would have to have been single." Not necessarily, the father could have just died. I have also seen cases where the father has a child bound out or the court may order a child to be bound out, if the family is extremely poor or if the father is elderly or not prone to working. Three is the youngest, I think, that I have ever seen being bound out. If you have not read this court order, I would suggest obtaining a copy of it. Most of the time, these orders are more explanatory. Of course, we have the one for Joseph Lewallen who was bound out in Maury Co., TN that has left us with so many questions. The purpose of the child or children being bound out is to learn a trade and of course the person to whom he/they are bound must provide them with shelter, food, clothing, etc.
Carol Redd - Aug 29, 2010
Sue - yes I agree there were other reasons possible for children being bound out, but since Robert descends from Hiram Stewart and is Roane Co historian, I'm comfortable w/ his statement and knowledge of this Stewart family.
I see that Wm. & Nancy lived just 4 households away from Mary Ann Stewart, age 17. One of their sons was Charles, age 15. I've looked for him after he left his father's home, but have not found any census to list him w/ Lewallen, Luallen, Lewellen. I saw one story about a Charles Lewellen in prison in MI about 1900-1910, but nothing more.
Wm's son, John 26, (1834), was listed as household 252 was just 3 households away from Mary Ann Stewart. He moved away from Morgan Co to Knox Co, TN just after 1860. Because John Preston was so named, I couldn't help but wonder if there might be a connection between this John Lewallen and John Preston Sexton. I've looked at Richard's photo of this John Lewallen (1836) who lived a few houses away from Mary Ann Stewart. He bears a striking resemblance to my grandpa Leonard Franklin Sexton. I'm guessing of course, but if Robert's theory is correct that Mary Ann Stewart really was John Preston Sexton's mother, then a nearby Lewallen would be the most likely to have fathered him.
Do we have anything about Charles on the site - any of his descendants?
Thanks, Carol
John Carter - Mar 21, 2011
Hi, all.
I've been away from the site for quite a while, but have remained active with genealogy. I tend to work on my Lewallen line only in fits & starts, out of frustration at not being able to tie my line in with the other, more well-established lines. My line descends through Andrew Lewallen, b. ca. 1829, and thus I was quite fascinated to see this particular thread.
Carol, the Andrew and Elizabeth you mentioned are my great-great-great-grandparents and Andrew has long been a "brick wall" for me. Your story of your ancestor John Preston Sexton and of DNA indicating he was of Lewallen descent is fascinating.
I think there are probably old posts from me here in the archive somewhere, describing my Andrew as being enumerated "next door" to Sheriff John Lewallen in the 1850 census and my (and other cousins') failed quest to determine his parentage. The fact that he lived in such close proximity to John leads me to believe there is SOME kind of family connection ... I just can't figure out what it is!
I'm very curious about your mention of Andrew and having noticed that he had "died or flown the coop leaving Elizabeth alone w/ several young children." I'm most curious of whether you have found Elizabeth (or Andrew) in the 1860 census?? I have not been able to locate ANY of the family in 1860, other than their son Ewel who was living with Elizabeth's parents Samuel & Milly Lawson at the time. (In fact, he's still living with them in 1870, and Elizabeth is by then living with her & Andrew's son Redin--my great-great-grandfather). But Elizabeth and Andrew and all the other children's whereabouts in 1860 is a complete mystery. I guess the census-taker just missed them somehow.
Anyway, my assumption is that Andrew passed away sometime between 1862 (when youngest son Columbus was born) and 1870 (when Elizabeth was enumerated with Redin). I just wish I could find them in 1860.
Anyway, thanks for your post. If you have any additional information on them, I would be most appreciative.
Thanks!
John