yesterday's tennessee

A SUPPOSITIONAL MARRIAGE OF THE YEAR 1829

Jonathan Kennon Thompson Smith

The marriage of a couple, JAMES LOLLER and ELIZABETH REVILE, on September 3, 1829 was reported in the JACKSON GAZETTE, September 12,1829.

The present writer believes this is actually James LAWLER married to Elizabeth BEVILL or BEVELL. There were families of these names in Henderson County and it is reasonable to assume that errors crept into print in this instance.

In the U.S. census, Henderson Co., Tenn., 1840, page 345 there is a JAMES LAWLER with one male aged 30-40; one male aged up to 5; one male aged 5-10 years; one female aged 30-40. In the same county, civil district 7, census, Oct.14, 1850, page 324, JAMES M. LAWLER, age 40, born N.C., farmer: ELIZABETH LAWLER, age 42, born N.C.; JAMES L. LAWLER, age 18, born Tenn.; MORRIS P. LAWLER, age 13, born Tenn.; ROBERT J. LAWLER, age 6, born Tenn.; ENOCH C. LAWLER, age 3, born Tenn.; POLLY LAWLER, age 70,born N.C. The Lawlers appear in the 1860 and 1870 censuses but not in 1880 so that they may have died in the 1870s or moved away from Henderson County. THIS IS NOT TO SAY,WITHOUT QUALIFICATION,THAT THE JAMES M. and ELIZABETH LAWLER of civil district 7, Henderson County were the same as the couple who married in 1829. In the 1850 census, one ROBERT BEVEL was listed on the same page as these Lawlers, inferentially close neighbors.

Other works by Jonathan K. T. Smith can be found at the Madison County Records Repository at TNGenWeb.