Loading...
Loading...Biography
John Light was born in 1766 in Halifax County, Virginia Colony[1]. He migrated, probably with his parents, to west of the mountains in Washington County NC before 1780. He was a soldier (probably on foot) in the Overmountain Campaign to Kings Mountain Battle and later to the campaign against the Cherokee at Choata, 1780[2]. He signed the State of Franklin Petition in 1787 and supported John Sevier in that movement. He was also a soldier in the Chickamauga Campaign of 1788.[3].
At least after 1809 he lived on Beech Creek in Hawkins County TN.[4]
He married Winifred (Winny) SNU. Their proven children where John, Jr. and Michael.[5] Another likely son is Stacy, m. Rhoda Morrison[6] There are many children in their household through census. Possible children include Dolly, m. Thomas Dalton; Vachel (b. 1790s); Susanna, m. Thos Mullins; Joshua, b. c1810; and Samuel, b. 1813.
John probably died in 1847[7] on Beech Creek.
Research Notes
There are multiple John Light's in Hawkins, Tennessee, about the same time. There is a son John Light listed in William Light's will in 1817 in Hawkins, Tennessee. There are multiple land transactions in Hawkins, Tennessee, with the name of John Light in the early part of the 1800's. But there is never a wife's name mentioned. William Light had several grandsons named John Light, who were presumably born in the 1780's.
There is a DAR record that indicates that a John Light born in 1766 in Virginia was married to Ellender, and they had at least the sons Wright and Flower. There are also records indicating another son named Enoch. John is clearly gone by 1850, as Ellen is in Missouri by the 1850 and 1860 censuses, living with Flower. DAR records have been known to be wrong, but they are fairly careful with their research.
In 1852, Michael Light sold land to John Light Jr with the understanding that John Jr will provide for and maintain their mother Winny Light. There is also a court record in 1831 in which John Light and Stacy Light (presumably Stacy was either a minor or they were holding Stacy's father responsible) are ordered to provide support for an illegitimate child that Stacy had with Rhoda Morrison. Stacy and Rhoda evidently then married and had more children. Stacy's brother John Jr was married to Rhoda's sister Virginia Jane, and both brothers are mentioned affectionately by their father-in-law James Morrison in later years. There are other land records involving the brothers Michael, Stacy and John Jr. This John and Winny are not on the 1850 or subsequent censuses.
Because there are children born about the same time to Ellen and Winnie, and they were both clearly alive until the 1850's and 1860's, it's doubtful one was a first wife and one was a second wife of the same John Light. Hard to say which census record belongs to which John Light. Which one is the child of William Light and Patience Dillingham?
John was born in 1766. He passed away in 1850.
Sources
- ↑ Revolutionary War Pension Application #S4549
- ↑ Revolutionary War Pension Application #S4549
- ↑ Polly Creekmore, "General Joseph Martin's Campaign Against the Cherokee Indians." Tennessee Ancestors, 5.3 (Dec 1989): 181- 206
- ↑ Appeared on 1809 Hawkins tithe list.
- ↑ 1849 Hawkins Cty deed (21:128) Michael deeds land to John Jr. for taking care of mother Winny.
- ↑ John gives bond for Stacy, 1831. Hawkins County Court Records.
- ↑ In 1840 Hawkins County TN census, gone in 1850. Ledgers of Payments, 1818–1872, to U.S. Pensioners Under Acts of 1818 through 1858, from Records of the Third Auditor of the Treasury indicates final pension payment in Mar 1847. H:449. Winnie’s son Michael sells his farm in 1849 to his brother John Jr. with the understanding that he will take care of Winnie. John seems to be dead near this time.
