Date: Thursday, July 11, 2002 8:26 PM
Subject: Another Rial and Martha line
Hi again Joe,
I checked out your webpage and just could
not stop reading. My husband came into the computer room to see what
was so interesting and pulled up a chair and read with me. I think
that what I found most gratifying was all the documentation and very clear
notes--something you don't find much of on some other sites. Interestingly,
I wrote 2 notes to Mr. Elrod Slatton questioning him regarding some of his
data--and he never wrote back!
I am still trying to find the original photo
of Rial and Martha Johns and, if it is found, will send it to you to include
on the site.
And one other thing that I didn't mention
because I was just telling you about Mary, but I have another line of descent
from Rial and Martha. We had a mystery in our family. My mother,
Clara Maxine Williams, knew NOTHING regarding her paternal grandmother--not
even her maiden name. She was simply, Amanda, wife of George Anderson
"Anse" Williams. My cousin and I tried to find out about Amanda and
hadn't written for her death certificate because we had heard that there
probably wouldn't be one. But Hallie Garner encouraged us to try and get
it and are we glad that we did--Amanda's parents were Joseph Johns and Alley
Cope!!
We found in the 1860 census for Hancock Co.,
Tn, pg. 537b, a 16 year old Joseph living with Rial and Martha AND living
in the vicinity, pg 537a, Alley Cope, age 23, in the household of
William and Lydia Cope. So Rial and Martha's Joseph knew and lived
near Alley during his teenage years.
In the 1870 census, Joseph Johns is in District
1, pg 12:
Johns, Joseph, age 26
" ,
Lydia, age 25 (1st wife)
" , Malissa,
age 6
" ,
William, age 3
" ,
James, age 1
When Joe died in 1925, his obit listed 2
sons by Lydia Hays/Hase(according to Hallie)--so Malissa is probably not
his daughter. Also, there is only one household listed here between
Joseph's and Charles and Mary Susan Johns Wilder--so they were close neighbors.
Joseph later married Eliza "Liza" Drinnon, by whom he had at least 4 more
children. I assumed that Joseph was married to Lydia when Alley had
Amanda, but this may or may not have been the case--I don't have the date
of his and Lydia's marriage.
Amanda shows up in the 1870 census in the
household of Pleasant Johnson:
Johnson, Pleasant, age 22
"
, Alley, age 30
"
, William, age 1
Cope ,
Jane, age 10
Hi again Joe,
" ,
Amanda, age 3
I had heard stories that Amanda was a Johnson
and d/o Pleasant, and that he was "mulatto," Melungeon, or Cherokee,--that
this was the BIG SECRET, but Amanda, clearly in her photo, appears
to be "white" and is listed as being "white" on her death certificate.
Hallie has confirmed for us that Joseph Johns, father of Amanda Cope, was
almost without a doubt, Joseph s/o of Rial and Martha. So the BIG SECRET
was that Amanda was born out of wedlock (and Joseph could possibly have
been married to Lydia then--but I don't know this)--anyway, I am going to
attempt to attach a copy of Amanda's death certificate and a photo of her
and my grandfather, George Anderson "Anse" Williams.--
I have been trying to send this letter for over an hour, but the death
certificate is a .bmp and my 'puter is having a hard time with it--so for
now here is only the photo of Anse and Amanda.
I will try the death certificate by it's self.
Hope to hear from you soon--take care,
