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Below is a family biography included in the book, The History of Haywood County, Tennessee published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1886. These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary. Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more. There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.
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James Whitehead, a very prominent citizen and farmer of Haywood County, was born in North Carolina, in Person County, December 8, 1811, and is the son of Ebenezer and Victoria (Ranking) Whitehead, natives of North Carolina. James was the youngest of nine children. His parents moved to Smith County, Tenn., about 1816, and two years later moved to Dickson County. When twenty-one, our subject moved to Haywood County, and settled four miles east of Brownsville, and his parents came to the county in 1840, and made their home with him until their death; the mother died in 1844, and the father in 1845; both were buried at Salem graveyard. James Whitehead was well educated, and always gave his attention to farming. He is a strong Democrat and for sixteen years was magistrate in his district and is a man of unquestionable morals. October, 1838, he married Mary J. Gordon, a native of Humphreys County. Mrs. Whitehead’s parents moved to Haywood County when she was young. She was born April 22, 1817, and died March 23, 1885, a devoted member of the Methodist Episcopal Church South. Mr. Whitehead is a Baptist. By their marriage they had ten children—three sons and seven daughters—three daughters and one son married: Mary E. was married in 1862, to Mr. Valentine B. Sevier, a native of Haywood County; Tennie C, in June, 1871, to the Hon. David A. Nunn, a native of Haywood County; Lucy J., March 30, 1875, to Mr. W. J. Wallace, a native of Williamson County—they moved to Texas, where they still live. William J. has married twice, first, October 11, 1871, Alice B. Medlin, who died February 18, 1875. November, 1876, he married Miss Ella Richard, of Haywood County.
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This family biography is one of 82 biographies included in the book, The History of Haywood County, Tennessee published in 1886 by Goodspeed. The History of Haywood County was included within The History of Lauderdale, Tipton, Haywood, and Crockett Counties of Tennessee. For the complete description, click here: History of Lauderdale, Tipton, Haywood, and Crockett Counties, Tennessee
View additional Haywood County, Tennessee family biographies here: Haywood County, Tennessee
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