mandyplayer1943 on Family Tree Circles

Right now the pedigree of John Ennis who married Mary Ann Whitlock is a mystery and I would like to solve it. There is a John Ennis who married Elizabeth "Betty" Nalle (Naule)but I do not believe this is my John as their children's name are James Ennis and Barbary Ennis. My John is from Amherst County, Virginia and my great great grandfather George Washington Ennis was born in Amherst Co., Va. and is his son. Around 1805 George W. Ennis along with several other familes, the Campbells, the Sweeneys, The Allcocks, etc trek to Warren Co., Kentucky. George's mother Mary Ann Whitlock is buried on a Whitlock farm in Warren Co., Ky there is also a Rachel Campbell Ennis buried in the grave yard. But there is no John Ennis buried here. On different genealogical sites they mentioned a John Ennis buried in Simpson Co., Ky. Mary Ann Whitlock is from a very old Virginia family from Hanover Co., Virginia. There were several James Whitlock in row leading back to 1630 in Virginia.

George Washington Ennis married Mary Frances Campbell,daughter of Joel Campbell and granddaughter of Henry and Chastity Campbell, in Amherst Co.,Va. After her death he married Matlida Allcock daughter of Joesph Reynolds Allcock and Stilly Campbell Allcock who was a sister to G.W.Ennis's wife.

If anyone in their family records knows the history of my "John", please contact me. Myrtle Mandane Ennis

William H. Matlock was born ca 1795 in Buncombe Co., NC. He married Ruth Rockhold, daughter Dawson (Dosen) Rockhold on April 17, 1817 in Carter County Tennessee. I have seen the record in Carter Co. marriage records. They have several children, then he deserts her and locates in Sparta, White Co., Tenn. He pretends to marry Susan Menefee in White Co., Tenn. and they have several children. In Susan's father will he mentions his son-in-law William Matlock. At some time Ruth Rockhold and William divorce, though I am still searching for proof of a divorce. He legally marries Susan about 1844/45 and Ruth marries Andrew Shell of the Watuga area of Carter Co., Tn. and Ruth and Andrew have children.

William was a wealthy slave trader and the house he built in White Co., Tennessee is still standing with the slave auction block in the front yard. His wealth attracts bushwackers during the Civil War who go to his place to torture the old man to gain it. His grandson,Dr. Elcana D. Williams (my great great grandfather) sees them head out to his grandfather's place and goes to the local troops for help and as the troops near the house a slave servant shouts out their approach and saves the old man the worst of the torture as the bushwackers escape but are caught and shot.

I believe William's father is a James Matlock who appeared on several juries in Buncombe Co., NC in the right time period. There is a Matlock family in nearby Burke Co., NC and I am trying to find out if they are related to William. This family is very well documented. I would appreciate any help on this family and if they link to my William.

There is record of a William Matlock who built the first house in Elizabethton, Carter Co., Tennessee and turned it into an ordinary. He obtained the building lot #39 for $10.00 and received it when these lots were dispersed by lottery. Part of this house is still in use today as part of another historic house in Elizabeton that starts with a "C" but I can't remember the full name. If any knows that this William who built this house and my William are one and the same, please contact me. Also there was an early business "Rockhold and Wray" which is probably connected to Ruth Rockhold's family,if anyone knows the history of this business please enlighten me. The Wrays are also related to me but change their name to Rhea when they come to White Co., Tennessee.

William is said to have died in Georgia. He is said to have lost all of his wealth. I do not know where William is buried and why he is suppose to have ended up in Georgia and White Co., Tn census records
shows that Susan Menefee stayed and died in White Co., Tn.
Myrtle Mandane Ennis

I am not getting very far in researching my Sperry ancestors. So I hope some one on the web can add to my dismal collection. My gg grandmother was Elizabeth Sperry who died Aug. 28, 1892 and was buried in the historic Mount Gilead Methodist Church cemetery in Sparta, White Co., Tn. along side her husband Hosea Lotspeich Broyles. She and Hosea were married on Jan. 1, 1857. My older sister said that the Broyles were charter members of that church but I have not seen the charter member list in print. Hosea L. Broyles family is well researched as he is a direct descendant of Johannes Broyles, original
german immigrant with the Second Colony of Germanna in 1717 in Spotsylvania Co., Va., But the Sperrys are another matter.
This is what I know so far, Elizabeth Sperry was the daughter of Henrietta Norwood and Charles R. Sperry. Charles R. Sperry was a tailor in Sparta as I believe his father Thomas(?) was. Henrietta and Charles were married on July 24, 1823 in Tn. Henrietta was the daughter of John Norwood and Mary Haile (both lines are well researched).
Today I found a Charles Sperry on 1840 census of White Co, Tn. I use to visit the Mount Gilead Cemetery as I stayed my summers with my maternal grandmother Myrtle Rhea Broyles Snodgrass who lived down at the bottom of the hill on state road 111 with my step grandfather
Sam Snodgrass. Myrtle Mandane Ennis
Thanks for reading my story

Hello My name is Myrtle Mandane Ennis. I am researching my maternal grandmother's line of the RHEA fammily. Here goes-----Moses Rhea was the father of Ezekiel RHEA who trekked to White County Tennessee. Ezekiel died about 1810 in White co tn. His son was William Pryor Rhea
who had married Elizabeth Pryor. They were the parents of James W. RHEA. His son was John Byrd RHEA, who homesteaded in Hale Co Texas when his brother Stanton RHEA had him moved his large family out to Texas. Stanton Rhea is mentioned in a historical mark in Hale co Texas. He carried the US mail on a stagecoach run that he drove for several years. John Byrd Rhea and his second wife Mary Lousetta Williams Rhea came back to Tennessee. My grandmother Myrtle Rhea BROYLES and her husband William Nile BROYLES had returned earlier as Nile could not stand Texas. They returned with their only child, Mary Belle BROYLES who was 16 months at the time. They returned to Sparta Tennessee. My mother Mary Belle BROYLES was born 1908 in Hale Co Texas.
John Byrd Rhea first wife died of tb as did their 2 children leaving no issue of this marriage. It is said that John Rhea's first wife pick out Mary Lousetta Williams for John Rhea to marry after her death as Mary Lousetta Williams was young and strong where she was not. Mary Lousetta was the daughter of Dr. Chaim Williams and was so good at diagnosing that she was allowed to write her own prescriptions for her family.
I do know that when a typhoid epedemic went thru White County,Tn
Mary Lousetta (known as Kate) came back to Sparta and saved my grandmother and my mother who were not expected to live.

Hello my name is Myrtle Mandane Ennis and I am researching the ALLCOCK ancestors of my father William Franklin Ennis, Jr. Matilda Allcock married George Washington Ennis when she was 27 years old and he was in his 70s. They had two sons Robert,who died in his early 20s and my greatgrandfather William Tennant Ennis who married Nancy Mandane Gatewood. They were the parents of my grandfather William Franklin Ennis, Sr. Who owned a stone company and mill that ground corn and wheat for local farmers.
After George W. Ennis died, Matilda Allcock married David Phelps who was only ten years older than her son Wm. Tennant Ennis. I have found court documents where Willis Ennis sued David and Matilda Phelps about the estate left to his half-brother William Tennant Ennis from his father George Washington Ennis. Willis and William Tennant were both sons of George W. Ennis. Willis was a son of the first wife and William Tennant was the son by Matilda Allcock Ennis. Matilda was the daughter of Stilly Allcock. Matilda later divorced David Phelps which was unheard of in those times. She had 3 children by David Phelps;one son killed his half-brother, the daughter was committed to an insane asylum and i do not know what became of the 3rd son but none had any children. My sister said David Phelps went on to marry 2 more women. When Matilda died Wm. Tennant had to bury her as her 3 children by Phelps refused to bury her. My sister told me the family storyline that when William Tennant Ennis bought the mill, he told David Phelps never to step foot on his property.
David Phelps's brother had already married into the ENNIS family and it was said of him that he was a good man. The brother had married Sallie ENNIS.