Carol Redd - Oct 16, 2011
Diane - sorry - didn't mean to "test" you! And, yes, seems like your roots must surely have been calling to you!
My line is uncertain, unfortunately. The only facts we really have are these:
1) John Preston Sexton's dna tests as Lewallen - there is no question of paternity of Lloyd Sexton, the donor, nor of Leonard Franklin Sexton, his father, son of John Preston Sexton.
2) John Preston Sexton was born Sept 1859 in Scott/Morgan Co, TN
Raised by Fielding Sexton (b 1837 Morgan Co, TN) and Mary Ann (Steward/t) (b 1842 Morgan Co, TN) Sexton from infancy. His mother (supposedly a Lewallen) had him before she "married" Fielding and left him as a baby with Fielding to raise.
3) He was listed as age 9 months with just Fielding Sexton (not married at that time) who was still living in his mother's home in 1860 Morgan Co, TN.
4) Mary Ann Stewart was meanwhile shown in the 1860 census next door to John Lewallen (b 1836 Morgan Co, TN, s/o William (1809 TN) and Nancy (Wallace) (1810 TN) Lewallen) who also lived just a few households away.
Here's where my mind starts to take off - John Lewallen was single until Dec, 1859 when he married Elmirah Elizabeth Shannon.
5) A few years later, Fielding married Mary Ann Steward(t) and they went on to have several children - first child was Nancy C. b abt 1863 Morgan Co, TN.
Speculation begins:
1) Was Mary Ann Stewart the biological mother of John Preston who was left w/ Fielding Sexton to raise?
2) Who was his father?
a) Neighbor, John Lewallen (b 1836) looks like a fair and likely candidate, especially in light of the resemblances from photographs. My grandpa, Leonard Franklin Sexton, is pretty much a dead ringer for John Lewallen. My grandpa's oldest brother, Joseph Marshall Sexton, strongly resembles John's father, William. John took more after his mother's side of the family from the photos I've seen on Ancestry.
b) Or was it one of his brothers - Anderson was b 1834, Charles was b 1845.
Charles, at age 14, was a little young, but Mary Ann was only 15 - 16 when John Preston was conceived. Hmmm!
c) John Lewallen and Fielding were both born w/in 12-18 months of each other, so very possibly John was playing around w/ Mary Ann a year or so before he married Elmira Shannon. Mary Ann ended up pregnant and being from a family of only women, Grandmother age 69, Mother age 44 - no men ever listed with them in the census - fairly certain Mary Ann was illegitimate as was her mother - so she gave the baby away.
d) Did Mary Ann regret her decision later on and married Fielding? The Roane Co, TN Historian, Robert Bailey, who descends from both the Sextons and the Stewarts say yes - he's fairly positive Mary Ann Stewart was John Preston Sexton's mother.
All who could possibly tell us are now gone, though. Even my 95-yr old aunt who would have been personally acquainted with her grandpa, John Preston, for 15 years did not know the answer or at least did not share that with us before she died earlier this year. So, speculation is all we have, but I feel it's pretty sound speculation especially when supported by photographs.
So, I believe I descend from William (1809) and Nancy (Wallace) (1810) Lewallen, thru their son John (1836). I think William L. (1809) is considered to be brother to your Sheriff John! So, yes, we're probably cousins, but thru which one of the Lewallens is only my best guess.