Reply #5: Some of my most colorful family [View All]

[kickysnana]

In working with another branch in Ohio in the early 1800's I ran across a mother who had 16 children born to her listed in the family bible. Only one of whom survived childhood. All died at or shortly after birth. (We have -Rh factor in our family.) How she didn't go insane I surely don't know.

Leander Hughes was born ca 17776 in Prince Edward Co, VA and d ca 1836 near Middleton, Smith Co, TN. He came to TN before 1810. Leander is thought to be a distant cousin of Howard Hughes Jr through a maternal Hughes line.

Leander married Elizabeth Fretwell b 1782 in Buckingham Co, VA. She died in 1815 in TN.
They had 8 children, Julia, Gedeliah, Philadelphia, Caroline, Richard, Leander
and Leanord b 1815.

Leander then married Rebecca Bell b 1799 d 1828 in TN. She is thought to be related to the Bell witch family in the next county over. They had 8 children. John, Little Berry, Seth, Elizabeth, William, Ira, Thomas, and Eva b ca 1827.

Leander then married Martha Paris b 1807 Prince Edward Co, VA, . Leander and Martha had 4 children Nancy, Sarah, Jesse, and Susan.

Martha then Reuben Baird with 6 children, Jeremiah, Sarah, Amanda, Josiah, William and Jesse

Martha then married Mr Jones and had one son Simeon b 1844.

I descend from Leander and Rebbecca (Bell) Hughes son Thomas who married Martha Gibbs. She was convicted of living in sin with a lover William Corley and they both served time in prison and moved one county over with Martha's 3 children. Her son Evan William "Van" Hughes was murdered in Wilson Co TN in Oct 1884 following a card game leaving two young sons. Martha and her now husband William Corley took the daughter-in-law and grandchildren in. One son John was killed under mysterious circumstances in Nashville in 1909. The other my great grandfather Joe Hughes went to farm in Oklahoma (bad move, they lost 2 of their 5 children there) and ended up working as a RR detective. We have a picture postcard of him with a outlaw "capture" about 1916. HIs wife returned to TN in 1915 and divorced him. Joe served as an MP during and shortly after WWI. He returned to TN and served as a constable in Lebanon, Wilson Co TN until his death in 1936.