McCLENDON, Bryan, of Lawrence Co TN and several locations in Missouri

PLEASE HELP:

If you are descended from any McClendons or McLendons and have taken an autosomal DNA test, please let me know if you have any shared matches with these surnames: Fortner, Forkner, Faulkner.

Two McClendons[1] were in Lawrence Co TN at the same time as Frances (McClendon) Pulliam and her daughter Leatha (or Louvina) Merrick Pulliam. The older moved to Missouri and lived not too far from the Alvises and Pulliams, while the younger was in a document connected with the Pulliam, Alvis, and Hail families. It seems likely Bryan, the older man, was Frances’s father.

Both are listed in two early documents:

• 1818 Voters List, Lawrence Co TN: Bryan McClendon, Nathan McClendon[2]
• 1826 Lawrence Co Tax list: Bryan McClendon, 105; Nathan McClendon, 108[3]

And each was in one of the 1820 or 1830 Federal censuses:

• 1820 Lawrence Co TN, p 187, Bryant McClendon: 320101/10111
• 1830 Lawrence Co TN, p 312, Nathan J[?] McLendon: 010100001/ 0010001

Bryan McClendon was probably this man: 1800 Fayetteville, Anson Co NC, Bryan McLendon: 10100/10101.[4] Nathan McClendon has not been found before the Lawrence County records.

By 1830, Bryant McClendon had moved to Missouri, where he was in Crawford Co MO, p 175, Bryan McClendon: 00111001/0002, the same county as his probable granddaughter Leatha (Pulliam) Alvis and her husband, who were on page 180. John “Mcklen” on page 177 may have been another son of Bryant’s: 000121/0.

On 23 Dec 1832, Crawford Co MO, Bryan McClendon was married to Elizabeth Howard. His first wife is totally unknown to me.

In 1840 Bryan was in 1840 Buchanan Co MO: 000000001/00100001, next to Jesse McLendon: 10001/0001. In 1850 Andrew Co MO, he was listed as age 75 NC with Elizabeth, 65 NC. He was a cooper.

The Lawrence Co genweb site has the following, taken from Goodspeed’s History of Tennessee, 1886[5]: Lawrence County was established by an act of the General Assembly in 1817, but was not formally organized until the first Monday in May, 1818. The county was cut off from “the territory south of Maury and west of Giles,” and embraced a much larger area formerly than now. It has been reduced from time to time. The same act which ordered the new county. Also ordered that it should be called Lawrence, in honor, it is supposed, of Commodore Lawrence, of the United States Navy. The act further provided for the laying out of the county seat. David Crockett, Henry Sharp, Maximilian H. Buchanan, and John Beeler were selected to lay out the county and to select a county seat. Duncan McIntyre surveyed and marked the county boundaries, for which he was allowed the sum $35. The justices selected by the legislature were Henry Day, Mansil Crisp, John Hillhouse, Pollard Wisdom, Richard Hill, Thomas Welch, Willis Hammond, Daniel Beeler, Samuel D. Poteet, Henry Sharp, Phillip Chromister, Nathan McClendon, David Crockett,[6] Robert Chaffin, Robert Newton, and Thomas Acher. The other officers appointed were Daniel Beeler, chairman; M.H. Buchanan, clerk; Luke Grimes, sheriff; Alexander Miller, register; George Gresham, ranger; Solomon P. Cunningham, coroner.

The sale of lots, Robert Orr bought Lots 1, 2, 17 and 25; Nathan McClenden, Lots 14, 21 and 13…

The first settlements made in the county were on Big Buffalo River, near Pennington’s old mill site, near the crossing of that stream by the Columbia & Wayneboro Turnpike, in 1815. The settlers came chiefly from North Carolina. Among them were Jacob Pennington… The first watermill in the county was built in 1816 by Moses Pennington: a distillery was also built near the mill–the first in the county. The Primitive Baptists built the first church in 1817, near where Henryville was afterward built, of which church the Rev. John Hunter was the first minister. The first school was taught in the above church in 1817. The pioneers on Beeler Fork were John Beeler…. On Middle Fork were Bailey Alford, Samuel McLean, William Thomas, John Welch, John Chambers, J.E. Edmiston, Warren Mason, David Crockett…. On Shoal Creek and vicinity were Harlan Paine…. On Sugar Creek and vicinity there settled Jacob Brashers…. On Chism Fork of Shoal Creek were Wm. Tucker…. On Knob Creek were Pollard Wisdom…. In different parts of the county there were the Alexanders, Gaswells, Higgs, Phenixes, Lindseys, McConnells, Kilburns, Cunninghams, Stringhams, McClindens, Davises, Joneses, Grays, Tutnells, Alcorns, Hills, Haynes, Gambells, McCains, Sharps, McKinneys , Mitchells, Walkers, Whartons, Campbells, Fosters, Stricklands, Morgans, Oxfords, Fallses, Allsops, Poteets and Pennicuffs.

The Pulaski County Democrat, P.O. Box 578, Waynesville, MO 65583, October 8, 1981, “Musgrave Family” contains a reference to Nathan McClendon in an article about the Musgraves and Davy Crockett: In confirmation of Goodspeed’s History of Lawrence County, we have a photostat of a deed of gift given Bennett Musgrave’s sisters Nancy and Ann. It is from the legendary David Crockett. Registered in 1822, it reads in part, “I David Crockett Bot at Thomas Musgrave sale at the Instant of J. Bourelly (?) two Beeds [beds] and furniture and all his household furniture and one sow and pigs and one cow and calf which I give with my own fees will will [sic] until Nancy and Ann Musgrave.”  Bennett had come into court April 1, 1822 and in part declared, “I Bennett Musgrave… in consideration of the natural love and affection which I have for my much esteemed Sisters Nancy and Anny Musgrave… and also for divers other good causes… do give, grant and confirm unto the said Nancy and Anny one cow and calf, 3 yearlins and Eleven head of hogs… (his mark) Witnesses: Nathan McClendon and Samuel McKeny (his mark).[7]

Nathan was thus in Lawrence Co TN as early as 1818 and certainly in 1822. In the 1830 census, his entry reads: Lawrence Co TN, p 312, Nathan J[?] McLendon [almost illegible]: 010100001/ 0010001; if Nathan was a son of Bryan McClendon, his father was already in Missouri. Nathan MClendon married Caroline Franks in 1832.

Jonathan Morgan (1795-1881) from Lawrence Co TN was married to Jane Venable in 1819; their bondsman was Nathan McClendon.[8]

No further records are found in the county for Bryant McClendon, but Nathan signed a very significant bond, with John A Hail and James P Crawford in 1827, Lawrence Co TN. This is a definite connection between James W Alvis’s first cousin, John A Hail, his brother-in-law, James P Crawford, who married Jenny Alvis in 1822, and the man who was likely his wife, Leatha Pulliam’s uncle[9]:

Lawrence County, Tennessee 1st January 1827

Know all men by these presents, that we John A. Hail & James P. Crawford, Nathan McLendon and D.H. Stockton[10] all of the county of Lawrence and state of Tennessee are held and firmly bound unto his excellency or to his successors in office, or to his or their assigns, to which payment well and truly to be made, we bind ourselves, our heirs, executors and administrators, jointly and severally, firmly by these presents. Sealed with our seals, and dated this first day of January 1827.

The condition of the above obligation is such, that whereas the above bond John A. Hale and James P. Crawford has been appointed executors to the last will and testament of James E. Hail deceased. Now if the said Hail and Crawford shall well and truly execute the said will, by paying all the just debts of the said deceased and pay the legacies of the estate to such person or person to whom the same may be due, and shall make, or cause to be made, a true and perfect inventory of said estate, and make return thereof to this county, within th etime prescribed by law-than the above obligation to be void, otherwise to remain in full force and virture.

JOHN A. HAIL SEAL

JAMES P. CRAWFORD SEAL

N. MCLENDON SEAL

D. H. STOCKTON SEAL

Finding the three names together was exciting since it clearly linked my ancestor, James Woodford Alvis, known to be a son of Shadrach and Nancy (Hail) Alvis, and his wife Leatha Merrick Pulliam, presumed to be a daughter of Alsey and Frances (McClendon) Pulliam, to the presumed parents and now to the McClendons in Lawrence Co TN.

Bryan’s daughter listed as under 10 in 1820 was Mary McClendon. Mary was born ca 1813, that is, much younger than Frances and closer in age to Frances’s daughter Leatha (Pulliam) Alvis. Mary was married to Andrew Deaver Mehaffey in 1832 in the same county where Leatha and James Alvis lived in 1830. The Alvises and the Deavers were on the same page of the 1840 census in Polk Co MO. Mary died ca 1842 leaving four children. The site of her burial is not now known.

Bryant was likely not a son of the Bryant McClendon who was on Jury Lists, in Camden Co SC 1778-1779. There was a Bryant McClendon in Orangeburgh SC, 1790: 1/0/0. There was also a Lewis McClendon in Camden Dist SC, 1790.

But more likely, Ezekiel McClendon of Anson Co NC had a son Bryan born in 1772, the right age to be the Lawrence County man. He was likely “Briant McClendon” who paid taxes in Wilkes Co NC in 1793. Then he was near his father in Anson Co NC in 1800. He obtained 50 acres assigned to him by John McNairy and Bennett Searcy in Montgomery Co TN in 1812, 80 acres assigned to him by John McLemore in 1814, and entered land in Montgomery Co TN in 1816.

© 2009, Kathy Alvis Patterson

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[1] In the years we are looking at, that is, men born in the mid 1700s, the spellings McClendon, McLendon and others were used interchangeably.

[2] http://www.tngenweb.org/lawrence/1818cen.htm.

[3] http://home.lorettotel.net/~lcarchives/1826tax.htm.

[4] But I doubt he was this man: Selected Records Submitted by Karen Mouton at Email: mouton@usunwired.net, BRIAN MCLENDON-BOZE KITCHENS: This indenture made this 8^th day of December 1795 between Bryan McLendon of the County of Warren and State of Georgia of the one part, and William Kitchen of the other part, of the same county—Witnesseth for and in consideration of the sum of Twenty Pounds, in hand paid by the said William Kitchens, the reciept whereof is hereby acknowledged he the said Brian McLendon have given, granted, bargained and sold, and by these presents doth give, grant, bargain, sell, release and confirm unto the said William Kitchen his heirs and assigns forever, a certain tract, or parcel of land, containing ninety five acres, being part of a Tract lying and being on the waters of Rocky Comfort in the said county, beginning at a water oak on the creek, runing on ____s line to a pine x on Booze Kitchens line, thence on that line to the Branch, thence with the Branch to Rock Comfort, thence with Rock Comfort to the beginning x. Together with all and singular the Houses, buildings, orchards, woods and underwoods whatsoever thereunto belonging, or in anywise appertaining, and all the Interest, claim & demand of the said Brian McLendon, to the said Tract of Land & promises hereby conveyed, do have and to hold, the above Tract of land with the appertainances hereby conveyed, unto the said William Kitchens his heirs and assigns forever, the only proper use and behoof of him the said Wm Kitchens, and to no other use or purpose whatsoever; and the said Brian McLendon for himself, his heirs and assigns and every other person or persons will warrant and forever defend by these presents—In witness whereof of the said McLendon have hereunto set his hand and seal, the day and date above written

Signed Sealed and delivered McLendon 
in the presence of 
J Grizard 
James Raley

Georgia Warren County } This day came Joseph Grizzard before me and he being duly sworn of the Holy Gospel of God, on his oath saith, that he saw Brian McClendon sign and deliver the within Deed, for the within mentioned p____, to the within mentioned Kitchings, also he further saith that he saw James Raley assign his name as a witness with himself. Sworn & subscribed to J___ Grizzard
before m this 6^th May 1808
Joeday Newsom J. J. C.

[5] http://www.tngenweb.org/lawrence/goodspe.htm.

[6] Note that Nathan is listed next to Davy Crockett. We can speculate that if a few things had been different, this man could have been the frontier legend.

[7] Lawrence County Deed Book A, pp. 50 and 57.  Minute Book, Court of Please and Quarter Sessions. Lawrence County, Tennessee, 1818-1822, P-Vine Press, Columbia, Tennessee. Then available from Mrs. Polly C. Warren, Route 7, Box 264, Columbia, TN 38401.

[8] Email from fernblossum@yahoo.com, 22 Jun 2012.

[9] http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/m/i/l/Mary-A-Million/GENE4-0002.html.

[10] “Camerons and Cookes” at Ancestry.com, posted by Diane on 5 Jun 2008, identifies him as Douglas Hayden Stockton. No relationship has been discovered.