Early Tannahills & Jones in Idaho - Sam Tannahill

Brothers - John Lyons Tannahill sitting and
Samuel Oliver Tannahill standing behind.
Taken about 1930

I have always been interested in local history.  I knew that my mother's family came to the Lewiston, ID area in the 1920's and my Dad's family was in the Princeton, ID area in 1935.  However, if I look a little deeper, I find that I actually have family on my mother's family that was here much earlier.  If you work on the premise that one of the reasons an individual or family moves to an area because they relatives already there, I suspect that it is a significant connection.

My grandfather, Oliver Richard Tannahill moved to Idaho with his father in the mid 1920's.  I suspect it was around 1926 or so.  Why did John Lyons Tannahill (my great grandfather) decide on Idaho instead of another location.  It turns out that he had two full brothers and two half brothers who lived in the area, one of those is Samuel Oliver Tannahill.  

Almira Jones m. John Tannahill & Sam Pennell
Sam's mother

Samuel Oliver Tannahill was the second child of Almira Jones and John Tannahill. His older brother died at birth, so in essence he was the oldest.  Sam was born 10 Aug 1868 in Elden Wapello Co., IA.  He had two younger brothers, George William Tannahill (1871-1917) and John Lyons Tannahill (1873-1945).  Sam's father died in 1873 just before John Lyons Tannahill was born. Almira remarried a few years later on 8 Jun 1875 in Montgomery, KS to Samuel Wesley Pennell.  By all accounts, Sam Pennell treated his step sons well, but they all left home fairly early to make their own way in the world. Almira and Sam Pennell also had four more sons (Robert, Charles, Grover "Pat", Thomas Franklin) and three daughters (Maude, Mollie & Celia).   

The first record that I find on Samuel Oliver Tannahill in the general was in 1889 in Garfield Co., WA (likely close to present day, Pomeroy, WA).  Sam married his first wife, Alice R Cox on 6 Oct 1897 in Nez Perce Co., ID.  According to his obituary he was "a leading citizen of Lewiston and prominent as an attorney in central Idaho since 1905, practicing most of the time since in Lewiston, democratic national committeeman from Idaho and well known all over the northwest." (Obit published Lewiston Morning Tribune 31 Dec 1935)  All I really knew about Sam Tannahill was that he had been an attorney and had been fairly prominent in the Democratic party in Idaho until his death.  His obituary explains that he was elected as assessor in Nez Perce Co., ID in 1894 as well as serving on the city council.  He also worked in a store in Ilo (present day Craigmont, ID) and also worked as an abstractor.  He saved enough money to go to Valparaiso, IN for Law School.  This is yet another example of going somewhere where family is or was located.  I know from my own research that Sam Tannahill likely had Harrington relatives who lived near Valparaiso.  His grandmother's family (Hulda Harrington) grandparents had died in Valparaiso, IN.  It may be an interesting coincidence, but then it may not be either.  Both Sam and his brother, George William Tannahill went to Valparaiso and returned to Idaho to practice law.  Sam ended up being the prosecuting attorney for Lewis Co., ID (Nezperce) for several terms.  He actually had been in partnership with his brother in Lewiston, ID as well.  After George died in a car accident in 1915, Sam returned to Lewiston permanently.  

Sam was involved in virtually every capacity within the Democratic party in early Idaho including be a representative to the national committee.  While I think Sam Tannahill's business life was very good and impressive...I am not sure the same can be said of his private life.  Sam was first married to Alice R Cox on 6 Oct 1897 in Nez Perce Co., ID.  He was still married to her in the 1910 census, but they must have divorced between 1910 and 1917, because Sam marries again on 11 Sept 1917 to Ella Patterson in Spokane, WA.  Alice has not died and in fact remarries to Harry Lydon, the county treasurer sometime before the 1920 census when they are recorded together.

Ella died on 15 Oct 1923.  According to her death record, Ella died at age 46 of an embolism.  Sam marries again on 6 May 1925 to Josephine Krier.  Sam died himself of a cerebral hemorrhage on 30 Dec 1935 in Lewiston, ID.

I don't know as much about Sam from family stories other than a few tidbits I picked up from my mother.  I think that my great grandfather (John Lyons Tannahill) brought his two youngest children when he moved to Idaho, probably sometime around 1926-1928. (Oliver Richard Tannahill & Olive Rachel Tannahill) I can only guess that the reason John Lyons Tannahill came to Idaho was because his only surviving full brother lived in Idaho.  My grandfather, O. Richard Tannahill finished high school in Lewiston, ID.  I have often wondered if Sam had some influence on my grandfather finishing high school and spending a short time in college.  In 1930, life had to be pretty difficult because of the depression.  For Grandpa Richard to have completed his education makes me believe that Sam possibly helped his brother's family financially.  I also know from what my mother said that Grandpa Richard was very fond of Sam and that both my grandparents were quite upset when he passed away.  

Most of my information about Samuel Oliver Tannahill comes from an obituary and a write-up on early Idaho history.  He was a significant enough figure, that there was quite a bit written in an early Idaho history that was published.  I know that he was an important attorney in the area having been the first prosecuting attorney for Lewis Co., ID and was appointed by the governor of Idaho at the time.   In addition, Sam was quite active in the Idaho politics until his death in 1935.  Beyond his personal acclaim as a lawyer and local citizen, I suspect that he must have had an important personal connection with my grandfather and perhaps gave him the type of guidance and support needed to become a good businessman.

A Jones Wall

You might say that I have three of the worst surnames to try and research – Johnson, Smith and Jones My Johnson line is probably the most significant because it is my own surname and we have pretty good proof that the line connects with a famous ancestor, President Andrew Johnson.  Although, I must feel that I felt an even more significant connection on the day that I stood on the land that my 3^rd Great Grandfather settled on near Hampton, TN.  My Smith line is also interesting with a fascinating ancestor like Jacob Cunningham Smith – I feel like there is still a lot to learn about them.  However, I feel like there is hope to discover something new on both of these lines.  I don’t have quite the same faith in my Jones line.

My grandfather died at the young age of 35 in a hunting accident and his grandfather also died at the young age of 34, just 10 days before his youngest son was born.  I don’t know what he died of – possibly pneumonia or a farming accident of some kind.  However, I know that he left his widow with two small young boys and heavily pregnant with another son.  Almira or Elmira (I’ve seen it spelled both ways) was born in 1850 in Van Buren Co., IA.  She married John Lyons Tannahill on 22 Dec 1866 when she was 16 years old.  They had a young baby born just about 9 months after their wedding who died either at birth or shortly thereafter.  Just a year later on 10 Aug 1868, Elmira gave birth to Samuel Oliver Tannahill and on 2 July 1871 she gave birth to George William Tannahill.  Elmira and John Lyons Tannahill moved sometime after George’s birth to Chautauqua Co. KS along with Elmira’s parents, Henry Valentine Jones and Huldah Harrington.  On 19 Apr 1873, Elmira became a widow at the age of 23, and on 28 Apr 1873, she gave birth to her third son, John Lyons Tannahill, my great grandfather.

Elmira Jones Tannahill Pennell

Elmira Jones eventually remarried to Samuel Pennell in 1875 in Kansas.  They had seven more children and it is interesting to note that while most of them stayed  the Oklahoma-Kansas area, several traveled north to live in the Lewiston, Idaho area.  When Almira’s brother, George Washington Jones moved to Southwick, two of his sisters followed suit as did his Tannahill nephews.

Sam Tannaill & John Lyons Tannahill

.

It is easy to find information on the parents of Elmira – since she is recorded with her parents in the 1850 and 1860 census records.  Finding additional information of their ancestry has definitely been problematic.  Several years ago, I received a copy of some research that was done by Eldora Garlinghouse.  It turned out that her husband’s mother was Elmira’s niece through her brother, George Washington Jones.  The notes that she had made were really invaluable.   It allowed me to build a database built around the Jones family…and I must say it hasn’t been easy.

Henry Valentine Jones

Henry Valentine Jones was born on 14 Feb 1827 somewhere in OH.  According to the notes by Mrs. Garlinghouse, he was the son of Henry Washington Jones.  I have a name of Susan Turner as the potential mother of Henry Valentine Jones.  However, I have found nothing that directly connects Henry Valentine Jones with Henry Washington Jones or Susan Turner.  In fact, I have never been able to figure out when Henry might have lived in Ohio.  There are a multitude of Henry Jones and you can’t be sure which one is a connection.  Henry married Huldah Harrington on 19 Dec 1847 in Van Buren Co., IA.  They were the parents of:

• George Washington Jones m. Eliza Jane Briscoe m2 Harriet Mae Yates
• Almira Jones m John Lyons Tannahill m Samuel Pennell
• Jacob Jones d. young
• Henry Valentine Jones m. Aunt Duck (only name that I have)
• Edwin B. Jones d. after 1870
• Mary Alice Jones m.  Francis Marion Thompson
• Sarah Frances Jones m. William Martius Blackington m.2, George T Hicks

George’s family ended up near Southwick, ID (near Lewiston, ID) as did Mary Alice Jones and her family and Sarah Frances Jones.  As with many families, when one family migrates somewhere – it doesn't seem long until other family members follow along.

Henry Valentine Jones and Huldah Harrington both lived out the remainder of their lives in Chautauqua Co., KS  Huldah died in in 1898 and Henry died in 1904.  It seems that no matter what I have tried, I have never been able to figure out exactly who and where Henry’s family came from.  I know that he was born in Ohio and immigrated to Iowa at a pretty young age.  He also married someone whose family had also come from Ohio, suggesting that there might have been a connection between the families.  Really the only thing that I have ever read that suggests where the Jones family was a biography that was published in an early local history that was about a “Who’s Who” of the region.  It stated that Samuel Tannahill’s family came from Wales I have no idea if that was something that made up of if it has some kernel of the truth.

I feel as if I have made a lot of progress on Almira’s family and their descendants, but I wonder if I ever will make any progress on their ancestry.  

There seems to be too many strikes against me to make much progress.  I don’t have specific locations previous to Van Buren Co., IA, I can’t be sure that Henry Valentines’ father was Henry Washington Jones nor do I have a clear view of who is siblings or mother might have been.  They weren't wealthy enough to leave documentary tracks beyond the standard census records.  So even though I continue to pound on that brick wall – I wonder if I ever will make progress on my Jones wall!

  

My DNA Journey - The Results

Several weeks ago, I wrote about taking the Ancestry.com Autosomal DNA test and I promised that I would let you know what the results were.  In my previous blog (http://genheirlooms.blogspot.com/2012/07/my-dna-journey.html) I talked about what I expected to find out from my test…here is what I found out.

My supposition was that I would be 100% European – with the possibility that I might have some Native American ancestry or an Asian lineage.  Despite every family story – the test shows that I have no Native American ancestry.  Like most people, the story of that Indian in the background is just that…a story.  In fact, there weren’t a lot of surprises in my results…except one.

Most of my ancestry is Scandinavian or from Norway, Sweden and Denmark.  I would imagine that most people tested whose families come from England and Ireland will most likely have the same result.  The Vikings left a lot of descendants all over Europe both as merchants and raiders.  I suspect that most of this ancestry for me comes through England and Ireland.  From what I have been able to surmise – most of my English ancestors came to England  through the Norman Invasion in 1066.  Since there isn’t a lot of record keeping…going much beyond that is difficult.  The Scandinavian portion is 55%.  Most of my paternal side of the family probably comes from England and probably makes us the majority of this Scandinavian branch.  There is also ancestry on my maternal lines that are Irish and Scottish and could also be part of this Scandinavian portion.

I have 16% Central European ancestry which includes Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Luxembourg and Liechtenstein.  I am actually surprised that this isn’t a bigger chunk of my family background.  My paternal great grandmother’s ancestry primarily came out of this region – mostly likely Germany and Austria.  My paternal grandfather also had ancestry from Germany.  Most of my German ancestors left Europe in the early to mid-1700’s and ended up in New York and West Virginia. 

The Southern European label is the one that confuses me the most.  According to my test, I have 13% Southern European ancestry which includes Italy, Spain & Portugal.  As far as I know, I have no ancestry from that area.  It is a large enough chunk that it leads me to believe that it might come from my Friddle ancestry.  I make this guess…because of all my family lines, this is the one I know the least about.  My great great grandfather first shows up in 1858 in a record.  By that point, he has been married and already had several children and the 1858 record is his second marriage.  I’ve never been able to locate an 1850 census record for him nor any mention of parents.  My great uncle told me that his father had told him that Moses Friddles was supposedly a foundling child.  He was taken in by a family and raised by them and his ancestry is unknown.  I have no proof of the accuracy of this story.  Most of my family lines trace back to before the 1700’s with only a few exceptions and most of those lines come through either England or Germany.  So…this is definitely a puzzle.

My test also says that I have 12% British Isles ancestry.  Since, there is such a predominance of Scandinavian ancestry in my family that I think comes through England…this ancestry is also puzzling.  I suspect that is an area that had little contact with the pillaging Vikings which leads me to guess that it might be Wales.  According to some of the information that I have read, my mother’s paternal grandfather’s mother was supposedly from a Welsh background.  With a surname like Jones – I’m not sure how you can make that assumption because that name is so common.    However, it is a decent theory to look into.

The test leaves me with a lot of questions and possible contacts.  Several matches have come up that are likely 4^th to 6^th cousins.  With as many family lines that I have – I suspect that it won’t be easy to really establish a true match.  However the question that I have always had about the Native American ancestry is answered and like most others…is proved false.    (See Blog – Do I have Native American ancestry? - http://genheirlooms.blogspot.com/2011/11/do-i-have-native-american-ancestry.html for more info!)

So here are some of my main family lines and my best guess as to where they came from:

Paternal Lines:

• Johnson – England
• Gage – England
• Gallup – England
• Montanye – France
• Shawver – Germany
• Pitsenbarger – Switzerland
• Lyons – Ireland
• Pope – England

Maternal Lines:

• Tannahill – Scotland
• Brown – England or Ireland
• Bailey – Ireland
• Jones – Wales
• Dollar – Scotland
• Friddle - ???
• Pennington – England
• Allen – England
• Kelley – Ireland
• Fillinger - Ireland

Complex Family Ties - Edward Pennington Family

Edward Pennington is probably one of the more well-known children of Micajah Pennington and Rachel Jones.  Edward and Micajah, Jr are the only sons of Micajah, Sr and Rachel that we can be sure of the majority of their descendants.   After the family moved to Lee Co., VA from Ashe Co., NC – the area where Edward lived was called Pennington Gap and is still called that today.  “Neddy” Pennington as he was called married Martha “Patsy” Flanary and they had eleven children.  As the area was not too largely populated – it is not surprising to find a few intermarriages.

Neddy and Martha had six daughters and five sons.  There are several family connections with their marriages – here are a few.

• The first such family that is found in close connection with this group of Penningtons is the Parsons.  Phoebe Pennington married William Simmons Parson on 18 Aug 1814 in Lee Co., VA Phoebe’s younger sister Rebecca married William’s younger brother John “Jack” Parsons around 1826 in Lee Co., VA.  John and William were the sons of John Parsons and Mary Simmons.   
• The eldest son, Thomas F. Pennington married Mary Smyth on 29 Jan 1818.  When she died in 1848, he married Mourning Minerva Jones who was the daughter of Abraham Jones and Mary Kyle.  His younger brother, Elijah also married a daughter of Abraham Jones and Mary Kyle.  Elijah and Sarah Elizabeth Jones were married around 1831 in Lee Co., VA.    Thomas sister, Elizabeth married George Smyth, the brother of Mary Smyth who were the children of Edward Smyth and Hannah Crabtree.
• Then there is John Dees Pennington who married Rachel Zion on 2 Jan 1823 in Lee Co., VA.  Rachel was the daughter of John W. Zion and Lucy McCormick.  Rachel’s niece (by her brother John W. Zion and wife Susannah Davis) married John Dees Pennington’s younger brother Levi Pennington (m. Elizabeth Zion abt 1831)

The other children of Neddy and Martha did not intermarry with the in-laws…but by the time you get to the next few generations…it really gets messy.  When you start to throw in more Zions, Parsons, Jones, Grahams, Russell’s, Bishops,  Caltons and Flanary’s – then the tree really gets complicated.  It has been a while since I last tackled this family.  It is an imposing prospect think of pursuing these lines again!

Descendants of Edward "Neddy" Mitchell Pennington

Generation No. 1

1.  EDWARD "NEDDY" MITCHELL³ PENNINGTON  (MICAJAH², BENAJAH¹) was born 29 Dec 1769 in Wilkes Co., NC, and died 05 May 1860 in Lee Co., VA.  He married (1) AGNES LITTLE.    He married (2) MARTHA "PATSY" FLANARY Abt. 1793 in Wilkes Co., NC, daughter of JOHN FLANARY and PHOEBE BOGGS.  She was born 30 Dec 1779 in Wilkes Co., NC, and died 25 Dec 1852 in Lee Co., VA.

More About EDWARD "NEDDY" MITCHELL PENNINGTON:

Burial: May 1860, Pennington Cemetery, Lee Co., VA

Census 1: 1850, 1850 - Lee Co., VA, Pg 356, Family #621

Census 2: 1820, Lee Co., VA, Pg. 16 - 201-10133001

Census 3: 1830, Lee Co., VA, Pg. 315, Ln 11

Emigration: Went to Lee Co., VA...Pennington's Gap named for him

More About MARTHA "PATSY" FLANARY:

Burial: Dec 1852, Pennington Cemetery, Lee Co., VA

Census: 1850, 1850 - Lee Co., VA, Pg 356, Family #621

       

Child of EDWARD PENNINGTON and AGNES LITTLE is:

                   i.    ANN LITTLE⁴ PENNINGTON, b. 1792, Ashe/Wilkes Co., NC; d. 1796.

       

Children of EDWARD PENNINGTON and MARTHA FLANARY are:

                  ii.    PHOEBE⁴ PENNINGTON, b. 26 Sep 1794, Wilkes Co., NC; d. 1863, Lee Co., VA; m. WILLIAM SIMMONS PARSONS, 18 Aug 1814, Lee Co., VA; b. 16 Nov 1789, Ashe Co., NC; d. 06 Jan 1856, Lee Co., VA.

More About PHOEBE PENNINGTON:

Census: 1850, Lee Co., VA, Pg 340, Fam # 538

More About WILLIAM SIMMONS PARSONS:

Census 1: 1850, Lee Co., VA, Pg 340, Fam # 538

Census 2: 1820, Lee Co., VA, Pg. 16 - 200-0101-0100

                 iii.    THOMAS F. PENNINGTON, b. 05 Jul 1797, Wilkes Co., NC or Ashe Co., NC; d. 27 Mar 1858, Lee Co., VA; m. (1) MARY SMYTH, 29 Jan 1818; b. 09 Jan 1793; d. 16 May 1848, Lee Co., VA; m. (2) MOURNING MINERVA JONES, Bef. 19 Jun 1849; b. Abt. 1825, Lee Co., VA; d. 1906.

More About THOMAS F. PENNINGTON:

Burial: Mar 1858, Pennington Cemetery, Lee Co., VA

Census 1: 1850, Lee Co., VA, Pg 347, Family #626

Census 2: 1820, Lee Co., VA, Pg. 16 - 0001-001-0010

Census 3: 1830, Lee Co., VA, Pg. 315, Ln 12

More About MARY SMYTH:

Burial: May 1848, Pennington Cemetery, Lee Co., VA

More About MOURNING MINERVA JONES:

Census: 1850, Lee Co., VA, Pg 347, Family #626

                 iv.    DAVID PENNINGTON, b. 11 Mar 1799, Ashe Co., NC; d. 28 Apr 1886, Lee Co., VA; m. VIRGINIA "JENNIE"JANE STAMPER, Abt. 1819, Lee Co., VA; b. 1803, Lee Co., VA; d. 30 Mar 1893, Ocoonita, Lee Co., VA.

More About DAVID PENNINGTON:

Burial: Apr 1886, Ocoonita Cemetery, Lee Co., VA

Census 1: 1850, Lee Co., VA, Pg 351, Fam # 683

Census 2: 1820, Lee Co., VA, Pg. 16. 1001-000100

Census 3: 1830, Lee Co., VA, Pg. 315, Ln 2

Census 4: 1870, Jonesville, Lee Co., VA, Pg. 15, #95

Census 5: 1880, District 41, Jonesville, Lee Co., VA, Pg. 204A

More About VIRGINIA "JENNIE"JANE STAMPER:

Date born 2: 14 May 1808, Lee Co., VA or NC

Burial: Mar 1893, Ocoonita Cemetery, Lee Co., VA

Census 1: 1880, District 41, Jonesville, Lee Co., VA, Pg. 204A

Census 2: 1870, Jonesville, Lee Co., VA, Pg. 15, #95

                  v.    ELIZABETH H. PENNINGTON, b. 19 Jan 1801, Ashe Co., NC; d. 31 Jul 1818, Lee Co., VA; m. GEORGE P. SMYTH, Abt. 1817, Lee Co., VA; b. 25 Nov 1790, Lee Co., VA; d. 08 Aug 1849, Zions Mill, Lee Co., VA.

                 vi.    JOHN DEES PENNINGTON, b. 05 Oct 1802, Lee Co., VA; d. 29 Dec 1891, Greene Co., TN; m. (1) REBECCA ZION; m. (2) RACHEL ZION, 02 Jan 1823, Lee Co., VA; b. 22 Jan 1807, Washington Co., VA; d. 15 Jun 1885, Dryden, Lee Co., VA.

More About JOHN DEES PENNINGTON:

Burial: Dec 1891, Greene Co., TN

Census 1: 1850, Lee Co., VA, 31st District, Pg. 340 Fam #542

Census 2: 1830, Lee Co., VA, Pg. 315, Ln 20

Census 3: 1870, Yokum Station, Jonesville, Lee Co., VA, Pg. 39, #247

Census 4: 1880, Yocum Station, Lee Co., VA, Pg. 313A, # 206

More About RACHEL ZION:

Burial: Jun 1885, Pennington-Zion Cemetery, Lee Co., VA

Census 1: 1850, Lee Co., VA, 31st Dist. Pg 340, Fam. #542

Census 2: 1870, Yokum Station, Jonesville, Lee Co., VA, Pg. 39, #247

Census 3: 1880, Yocum Station, Lee Co., VA, Pg. 313A, # 206

                vii.    REBECCA PENNINGTON, b. 12 Jul 1805, Pennington Gap, Lee Co., VA; d. Abt. 1886, Pennington Gap, Lee Co., VA; m. JOHN "JACK" PARSONS, JR., Abt. 1826, Lee Co., VA; b. Abt. 1802, NC; d. 05 Feb 1857, Lee Co., VA.

More About REBECCA PENNINGTON:

Burial: Abt. 1886, Parsons-Smyth Cemetery, Lee Co., VA

Census 1: 1850, Lee Co., VA, Pg 349, Fam # 642

Census 2: 1870, Jonesville PO, Rocky Station, Lee Co., VA, Pg. 5, #27

Census 3: 1880, Rocky Station, Lee Co., VA, Pg. 212D

More About JOHN "JACK" PARSONS, JR.:

Burial: Feb 1857, Smith Cemetery, Woodway, Lee Co., VA

Census: 1850, Lee Co., VA, Pg 349, Fam # 642

               viii.    SUSAN "SOOKIE" PENNINGTON, b. 20 Mar 1808, Lee Co., VA; d. Abt. 1846, Jackson, Cape Girardeau Co., MO; m. ABRAHAM CHRISMAN, SR., 06 Jan 1825, Lee Co., VA; b. 22 Dec 1801, Lee Co., VA; d. 1850, Sacramento, Sacramento Co., CA.

                 ix.    ELIJAH B. PENNINGTON, b. 12 May 1810, Lee Co., VA; d. 04 May 1882, Poor Valley, Lee Co., VA; m. SARAH ELIZABETH JONES, Bef. 1832, Lee Co., VA; b. 12 Sep 1809, Lee Co., VA; d. 09 Jun 1891, Acuff, Union Co., TN.

More About ELIJAH B. PENNINGTON:

Burial: May 1882, Pennington Cemetery, Lee Co., VA

Census 1: 1850, Lee Co., VA, District 31, Pg 347, #625

Census 2: 1880, Rocky Station, Lee Co., VA, Pg. 217 B

More About SARAH ELIZABETH JONES:

Census 1: 1850, Lee Co., VA, District 31, Pg 347, #625

Census 2: 1880, Rocky Station, Lee Co., VA, Pg. 217 B

                  x.    LEVI PENNINGTON, b. 10 Oct 1812, Lee Co., VA; d. 16 Jun 1889, Pennington Gap, Lee Co., VA; m. (1) ELIZABETH ZION, Bet. 1831 - 1832, Lee Co., VA; b. 03 Apr 1815, Lee Co., VA; d. 29 Sep 1862, Lee Co., VA; m. (2) MARTHA AMANDA STEPHENS, 06 Dec 1864, Lee Co., VA; b. 22 Apr 1843, Bedford Co., VA; d. 07 May 1871, VA; m. (3) MARY VERMILLION LITTON, 09 Nov 1873, Lee Co., VA; b. 11 Sep 1820, Lee Co., VA; d. 09 Jun 1898, Lee Co., VA.

More About LEVI PENNINGTON:

Burial: Jun 1889, Pennington/Zion Cemetery, near Dryden, VA

Census 1: 1880, District 41, Jonesville, Lee Co., VA, Pg. 204B

Census 2: 1870, Yokum Station, Jonesville, Lee Co., VA, Pg. 38, #246

More About ELIZABETH ZION:

Burial: Sep 1862, Pennington/Zion Cemetery, near Dryden, VA

More About MARTHA AMANDA STEPHENS:

Burial: May 1871, Pennington/Zion Cemetery, near Dryden, VA

Census: 1870, Yokum Station, Jonesville, Lee Co., VA, Pg. 38, #246

More About MARY VERMILLION LITTON:

Census: 1880, District 41, Jonesville, Lee Co., VA, Pg. 204B

                 xi.    MARTHA "PATSY" PENNINGTON, b. 06 Jul 1815, Lee Co., VA; d. 15 Aug 1867, Lee Co., VA; m. ISAAC RUSSELL, 19 Jan 1833, Lee Co., VA; b. 22 Feb 1805, Lee Co., VA; d. 1863, Lee Co., VA.

More About MARTHA "PATSY" PENNINGTON:

Census: 1850, 1850 Lee Co., VA Census, Dist. 31, pg 350 #669

More About ISAAC RUSSELL:

Census: 1850, 1850 Lee Co., VA Census, Dist. 31, pg 350 #669

                xii.    MARY "POLLY" S. PENNINGTON, b. 11 Nov 1817, Pennington Gap, Lee Co., VA; d. 06 Feb 1901, Dryden, Lee Co., VA; m. MITCHELL CECIL, 11 Jul 1833, Lee Co., VA; b. 11 Jan 1803, Tazewell Co., VA; d. 04 Apr 1887, Dryden, Lee Co., VA.

More About MARY "POLLY" S. PENNINGTON:

Burial: Feb 1901, Ely Cemetery, Lee Co., VA

Census 1: 1850, 1850 Lee Co., VA Census, Dist. 31, pg 337 #501

Census 2: 1900, Dryden Precinct, Lee Co., VA, Pg 8B, #155

More About MITCHELL CECIL:

Burial: Apr 1887, Ely Cemetery, Lee Co., VA

Census: 1850, 1850 Lee Co., VA Census, Dist. 31, pg 337 #501

Elisha "Dock" Pennington

There have been numerous reported children of Levi Pennington and Elizabeth Henson attached to them because the researcher wasn’t really sure where to fit them in.  Elisha Pennington is one of those children.

Elisha “Dock” Pennington was born 21 Jul 1832 probably in Grayson Co., VA to Samuel Pennington and Elizabeth Anderson. (This means that he would be part of Group 12 in the Pennington Research Association) He fits quite nicely in terms of dates with their children.  He was born two years after his brother Claiborne Harvey Pennington and four years before his other brother David Pennington. (Levi Pennington and Elizabeth Henson had another son, Anderson Pennington who was born in 1832 and died in a drowning death in 1850)  Elisha was the third youngest of his family – his two younger brothers both died in a Civil War Prison camp and while Elisha served in the VA Home Guard – he did not suffer the same fate.  On 23 Jan 1859, Elisha married Tabitha Jane Anderson in Ashe Co., NC and their first child was born 10 months later.  Previous to 1860, I’ve been unable to locate Elisha in the census records – at that point he is located in Ashe Co., NC around the Helton area - where he is in every census until the 1920 census when he is recorded in Johnson Co., TN. 

Elisha and Tabitha Jane were the parents of the following children:

• Jesse Harrison Pennington b. 3 Nov 1859 in VA d. 19 May 1945 in Giatto, Mercer Co., WV m. America Jane Ashley
• Malissa Ellen Pennington b. 5 Nov 1861 Ashe Co., NC d. 8 Feb 1952 Johnson Co., TN m1. 20 Mar 1880 Ashe Co., NC - George Washington Hines m2. James M. Sluder
• Alice L. Pennington b. 18 Jan 1864 Ashe Co., NC d. 14 Mar 1947 Ashe Co., NC m. abt 1882 Jesse Ballard Jones
• Zilla Elizabeth Pennington b. 5 Mar 1868 Ashe Co., NC d. 24 May 1900 Ashe Co., NC m. abt 1884 William Huffman Jones
• Byram Bowman Pennington b. 26 Jun 1873 Sturgill, Ashe Co., NC d. 10 Mar 1929 m. 7 Feb 1897 Ashe Co., NC Laura Malinda Sturgill
• Mattie Badora Pennington b. 16 Apr 1880 Ashe Co., NC d. 16 Jan 1884 Ashe Co., NC

Tabitha Jane Anderson died on 14 Sept 1899 and is buried at the Pennington-Anderson Cemetery in Sturgill, Ashe Co., NC.  Elisha survived his wife by living another 32 years – dying on 18 Aug 1922 and probably buried by her in the same cemetery with an unmarked grave.

It is interesting to note that I know of no death certificate for Elisha Pennington so his death location is not known for certain.  I believe that he was living with his daughter, Malissa, when he died.  I’m told that Malissa lived in Johnson Co., TN but rather close to the state line.  Malissa  was married to George Washington Hines in her first marriage and had nine children with him.  It is interesting that if you search and locate George Washington Hines’ death record that he is noted as being murdered in Crandull, Johnson Co., TN.  Not sure of the location – but an interesting sidenote.  She married a second time to James M. Sluder who preceded her in death and she died at the age of 90, obtaining the same age as her father at the time of his death.