Benjamin George, age 16 to 26, resided in Pendleton district, South Carolina, in 1800. The census lists a wife in the same age bracket, but no children. He was enumerated near Aulden Tucker, age 16 to 26. Aulden’s wife was also aged 16 to 26. They had a daughter under 10 years of age. In the 1820 population census for Lincoln County, Tennessee, Benjamin George, age 45 or over, was enumerated near Alden Tucker, also aged 45 or over. Benjamin’s wife was aged 26 to 45 and his two oldest children were aged 16 to 26. Alden’s wife was aged 45 or over. The next oldest person enumerated with Alden was a woman, aged 26 to 45, who could be his daughter. The chronology, ages of the family members and the personal associations appear to indicate that the 1800 and 1820 enumerations refer to the same persons.
A series of business transactions over a span of 20 years further indicate a continuing relationship between the George and Tucker families of Pendleton District, South Carolina, and Lincoln County, Tennessee. In 1796, John George and Richard George of Pendleton District, South Carolina, were witnesses to a sale from Elijah Tucker of Virginia to Harbert Tucker of Pendleton District, South Carolina. In 1800, Union District, South Carolina, records show that Benjamin George and Robert Harness were witnesses to a transaction between John George and Richard George. In 1810, both John George and Benjamin George purchased land from Robert Tucker on the waters of Tucker’s Creek, Lincoln County, Tennessee. In 1819, Richard George sold William George land on the same waters of Tucker’s Creek.
Federal census records and county records show that Benjamin George, Sr., Benjamin George, Jr., Richard F. George, and James S. George resided in Haywood County, Tennessee, at various times between 1830 and 1840. Moreover, federal census records and Arkansas tax records show that Benjamin George, Richard George, James S. George, Jesse George, and Andrew J. George resided in Izard County, Arkansas, at various times between 1840 and 1850. A close examination of the chronology and personal relationships during this period provides an overwhelming body of circumstantial evidence that the George families of Haywood County, Tennessee, and Izard County, Arkansas, were identical. Haywood County, Tennesee, probate records show that Benjamin George, Jr., who died in Haywood County, Tennessee, in 1839 was the son of Benjamin George, Sr. Relative ages and continuing relationships provide very strong circumstantial evidence that James S. George and Richard F. George were also sons of Benjamin George, Sr. Andrew George was probably the youngest son of Benjamin George, Sr., but circumstantial evidence leaves room for other conclusions.
The 1830 population census for Haywood County, Tennessee lists Benjamin George as age 50 to 60 and his wife as age 40 to 50. The census lists only two adult males, age 20 to 30, and a young boy under 5. The adult males could be any two of the three known adult children of Benjamin George. The boy is too young to be Andrew, but the right age for Richard’s oldest son. However, the census also lists two adult females, ages 30 to 40, who are too old to be the wives of either Richard or James. The ages of the four female children, one in each age bracket under 20 years of age, provide us few additional clues about the exact composition of the family. The presence of nieces, cousins, or the widows of unidentified elder sons is a possibility. It is also quite possible that the census taker made some minor errors in recording the ages and composition of the family. There is simply not enough information currently available to provide an unambiguous solution. This ambiguity also creates some doubt concerning the parentage of Andrew J. George.
Benjamin George first appears in Haywood County, Tennessee, records on December 1, 1830, when he purchased two lots in Brownsville, Tennessee. Richard F. George purchased lots in Brownsville from Benjamin on September10, 1832, and sold them to another individual the following day. Between 1833 and 1835, there were three additional land transactions involving Richard and one involving Benjamin. James S. George was a witness to the land transaction involving Benjamin George, which took place in 1835.
Richard F. George first appears in Haywood County, Tennessee, records about the same time as Benjamin George. Richard began serving on Haywood County juries on September 16, 1830 and continued serving until 1835.
On October 8, 1839, Benjamin George, Sr., appeared in the Haywood County Court for the administration of the estate of Benjamin George, Jr. Sarah, the widow of Benjamin George, Jr., had relinquished her right to administer the estate. A year’s provisions were to be set aside for the support of Sarah. No children were mentioned. On November 4, 1839, Benjamin George, Sr. returned an account of sale of the estate of Benjamin George, Jr. An account of debts from the estate dated November 16, 1839 listed Richard F. George.
Benjamin George Sr., Benjamin George Jr., James George, and Richard George all appear in the Haywood, County, Tennessee, tax records from 1837 to 1840. Benjamin George Sr. was the only land owner. Benjamin Sr., Benjamin Jr., and James are found in the 1837 record. The 1838 record only contains Benjamin Sr. and James. In the 1839 record, Benjamin Sr., Benjamin Jr., James, and Richard all appear. In 1840, Benjamin (Sr.), James, and Richard appear. Unfortunately, there is a four year gap in the tax records after 1840, so we cannot use these records to verify the date of the migration of the George family to Arkansas based on these records.
The 1840 census for Haywood County, Tennessee, lists Benjamin George as age 70 to 80, his wife as age 50 to 60, and a young male, age 15 to 20. The ages of Benjamin George and his wife correspond to the ages found in the previous census records for Benjamin, including the 1830 census for Haywood County, the 1820 census for Lincoln County, Tennessee, and the 1800 census for Pendleton District, South Carolina. The age of his wife corresponds to the age of Rachael George listed in the 1850 census for Izard County Arkansas. The age of the young man corresponds to Andrew J. George’s age. Richard F. George, age 30 to 40, is living next to Benjamin. The age of his wife was 30 to 40, which corresponds to the age of Nancy George on the 1850 census for Izard County, Arkansas. Moreover, Rachael, Andrew J., and Nancy were all living next to each other in 1850 in Izard County, Arkansas. Finally, the ages of Richard’s children and the number of children correspond exactly to the children listed for Nancy George in the 1850 census for Izard County. These facts seem to indicate that the Rachael listed in the 1850 census for Izard County, Arkansas, was Benjamin’s wife and that Nancy was Richard’s widow.
Based on census records, James George was living in Izard County, Arkansas, in
1840. The ages of the children in that census enumeration correspond to the
ages children living with James S. and Margaret George in the 1850 census for
Izard County, Arkansas. The fact that James George was listed in both the 1840
census for Izard County, Arkansas, and the 1840 tax records for Haywood County,
Tennessee, may not present any serious problems. We need to research the dates
of the records in question and whether the Haywood County records were an
assessment or a record of payments. Andrew J. George first began paying taxes
in Izard County, Arkansas in 1843, Richard in 1845, and Benjamin in 1846.
Richard last paid taxes in 1846 and Benjamin in 1848. The names chronology,
ages, similarity of names, and enduring relationships provide an overwhelming
body of proof the George’s of Haywood County, Tennessee, and Izard County,
Arkansas, are the same persons.
Reliable family tradition relates that James S. George returned to Lincoln County, Tennessee, to marry Margaret Stewart providing solid evidence that the Georges of Izard County, Arkansas, and Lincoln County, Tennessee, are the same individuals. The circumstantial evidence we have gathered only serves to corroborate this relationship. Unfortunately, we do not have a firm source for that tradition that the Margaret Tucker was the wife of James S. George. However, we can assume three possible explanations: (1) Margaret Tucker was James S. George’s first wife; (2) Margaret Stewart was previously married and her maiden name was Tucker; or (3) the story was not accurate. The fact that a search on the Tucker name turned up real links between the George and Tucker families leads credence to the first and second possibilities.
A final note of interest concerns the trades the George
family was involved in. The George’s are most often listed as farmers. However,
in a transaction which took place in Haywood County, Tennessee, on 23 December
1833, Richard F. George sold a large number of carpentry tools, including a
turning lathe, gouges, chisels, eighty eight feet of mahogany. In the 1900
census for Sebastian County, Arkansas, the occupation of Robert F. George (my
great-grandfather), son of Andrew J George, was listed as a carpenter. My
grandfather, Edward A. George was a carpenter, later architect, by profession.