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Many, if not all, of the Carroll County Britts seem to be descended from Edward Britt and Sarah
Johns(t)on (I've seen Johnson and Johnston) of Isle of Wight Co. VA. One of their sons Johns(t)on Britt was born in Virginia about 1770 and married a Holland (maiden name unknown). Johns(t)on at some point moved to the Wake Co./Johnston Co. North Carolina area and was in the War of 1812 of Wake Co. North Carolina, 1st Regiment. They both supposedly died in Carroll County, TN.
According to the Carroll County Democrat dated April 26, 1929, Amereal Crawford Britt, widow of J.Y.Britt lived 3 miles north of Huntingdon and died at age 78 at the Smith household of her daughter and son-in-law in Huntingdon. She died of paralysis after a two week illness. It also says she is a daughter of the Crawfords and a member of the Methodist Church (supposedly Long Rock). She was buried in Long Rock, Carroll Co. TN. After that it gives the marriage names of her 5 daughters:
Mrs. G.T. Thompson (I believe this is Sookey)
Mrs. Lena VanCleave (This is my great grandmother who was born in Sept of 1886 and died in Aug of 1972 so my family knew her well. She married Issac VanCleave but he died in 1919 and she had to rear five daughters alone)
Indicates that the first two live in McKenzie
Mrs. Winnie Huffman and indicates that she lives in Oklahoma
I believe she may have married more than once
Mrs. Fred Tate (I believe this is Lucy) My notes have that her husband was an army recruiter
Mrs. Jim Smith (I believe this is Mattie and her husband owned some kind of cabinet shop or was a carpenter)
It indicates that the last two live in Huntingdon
It then gives her 3 sons:
John Britt, indicates that he lives in Huntingdon
I have another page of "ramblings" that gives his birthyear as 1874 and his wife as ?Medie Carter.
Prior Britt, indictes that he lives in the 7th District (I don't know where that is) According to my notes he was a farmer and married Mary VanCleave and had Lillian and Clyde but that they separated and she had a daughter Arlene Clairbourne (not his) later. According to a sheet I found he was born in 1878 and married Mattie- whether this is a nickname for Mary or another wife, I don't know
Jim Britt, indicates that he lives in Jackson. I have that he is born in May of 1892, which would make him the youngest, if true
I have a page that gives a Holland Britt as a possible son born in 1870, or this could simply be Winnie. I also have a possible daughter Susan born in 1872 and a son M.L. "Matt" born in 1876. I don't know if this is all true or not.
I don't know much about her family except that her father's name is John J. Crawford and her mother a Susan C. and the C. could stand for a middle intial or a maiden name. There is a John J. Crawford that fought in the Civil War that I've listed on my Civil War page but am not yet sure if this is him or definately someone else.
Lena Britt's Social Security Application
John Britt Will (1864)
Holland Britt Will (mother of above John)
Tennessee Britts in 1850 Census Page
Young Lena Britt VanCleave, my great-grandmother
In 1609, the East India Company sent Henry Hudson to seek a passage to the Orient. He reached the present day Albany area. In 1624, the first colonist arrived in the New Netherlands to settle in Fort Orange. In the 1650�s, the Dutch needed more land to provide food, they expanded into present day Long Island. Soon small villages sprang up. Examples of these are Gravesend and New Ultrecht.
According to my research, the earliest known Van Cleave was Jan VanCleef. He is believed to have been born in 1628 in Amsterdam, Holland to Cornelius VanCleef. Jan immigrated to America in 1653. He was a farmer in Gravesend, Long Island. His wife was Angeltji/Engeltje Louwerens, daughter of Laurens Pieterse De Noorman ( which means the Norseman) and Annetja Pieters.
It is thought that the original family name was not Van Cleef, but Waldyke. When Jan arrived in America, introduced himself for the ship�s passenger list as Jan van Cleeve, which meant Jan from Kleve. The Duchy of Kleve is a city presently located in west central Germany, in North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen). It is near the Rhine River and the Dutch border.
Jan�s son, Isbrandt Van Cleave, was born about 1677 in New York. During his life he worked as a butcher and a tavern owner. He married Jannetje Van Der Bilt sometime before 1700. He moved with his family to New Jersey.
Isbrandt�s son was Captain Aaron Van Cleave. He married Rachel Schenck. Aaron and his wife bought property from Daniel Boone in 1764. They bought the farm in the Forks of the Yadkin. A witness to the signing of the deed is Aaron�s brother Benjamin. At some point Aaron moved to Kentucky. In 1787, Aaron went out to hunt with two companions. Aaron had a finger shot off when the group was attacked by Indians. Aaron and one of his companions escaped. Their daughter Jane married Squire Boone, brother of Daniel Boone.
Aaron�s son, William Van Cleave, was married when his parents bought land in Kentucky. He married Abigail Frost in 1763 in North Carolina. They stayed in North Carolina until about 1780 during this time Abigail raised eight children without William�s presence. Around 1780, William moved his family to Kentucky, where Abigail gave birth to her youngest child. Soon after the family arrived in Kentucky, their eldest daughter was killed by Indians. William died about seven years later, leaving Abigail to raise their children, work the land and fight off people who tried to take her land away.
William�s son, Ebenezer Frost Van Cleave, was probably named after his mother�s brother. He served in the Kentucky militia for about 100 days in 1794. Ebenezer married twice. First, to Susannah �Sukie� Manire (various spellings) in 1796. They family moved to Tennessee from Kentucky between 1804 and 1810. Susannah died in 1819 in Weakley Co., TN. After Susannah�s death, Ebenezer married Sarah Elizabeth Carrick in Dec 1819 in Williamson Co, TN.
Ebenezer and Susannah�s son, Stephen Van Cleave, was also married twice. His first wife was Eleanor Phillips. She died shortly after giving birth to her first child. Stephen then married her sister Nancy C. Phillips. They moved their family to Henry Co, TN. Stephen was a farmer and a surveyor. He and Nancy are buried at the Clifty Hicks cemetery.
Their son, Jasper Newton Van Cleave was born in Henry Co, TN. He married Catherine Holmes in 1856. He was a Confederate private in the 46th TN Infantry Co. G. Jasper Newton was a farmer and a Methodist minister. His granddaughter referred to him as a peg-legged preacher. In a photograph of the family, he was robust man with a long white hair and beard. Catherine was a small woman, who could walk under her husband's raised arm.
Isaac Maneer Van Cleave, was born in Carroll Co, TN. He married Lena Britt on December 31, 1905. Isaac was a farmer and member of the Bethlehem Methodist Church. Both of Isaac and Lena�s sons died at a young age. Isaac died at a young age, leaving his wife to raise their five young daughters alone.
Young Isaac Maniere VanCleave, my great-grandfatherAccording to my research, the earliest known Chandler in my line is John Chandler. He is believed to have been born in 1599/1600 in London, England. He was baptized at St. Margaret�s Church. It is believed that he left England to come to the United States in June 1609/1610 aboard the Hercules as a child laborer seemingly alone (circumstances unknown). He was most likely an orphan from the streets of London. He lived in Jamestown, Virginia amongst Captain John Smith, Pocahontas and her husband John Rolfe.
In 1622, Indians led by Opechancanough attacked the settlers. They killed over 300 men, women and children. John survived the massacre. In about 1627, John married widow Elizabeth Lupo, it is uncertain whether this was his first or second marriage. Elizabeth was born about 1596. She first married Lt. Albiano Lupo and had at least one daughter. Elizabeth arrived in America on the George in 1616, six years after Albiano.
John and Elizabeth were both �Ancient Planters�. The term is applied to the people who arrived in Virginia before 1616, stayed for at least three years, paid their passage over to Virginia and survived the Massacre of 1622. If they met the above requirements, then they received the first land patents in the New World. John in his adult life was a planter justice and went on to be a member of the House of Burgesses (equivalent to the House of Representatives of Colonial Days). John had two known children, Robert and John II. John died sometime between 1658 and 1660 in Elizabeth City, VA. John and Elizabeth�s son, John II�s male line eventually died out and the inherited land sold off.
Robert Chandler, John�s son, was born between 1626 and 1628 in Kiccoughtan also known as Elizabeth City, Virginia. He married in 1646 in York Co, Virginia to an Elizabeth. It is speculated that her last name might have been Davis, because Robert and Elizabeth�s son William was mentioned as a godson in the will of William Davis. They had five known children, daughter Mary (who died as an infant), sons William, John, Francis and Robert Jr. Robert and Elizabeth owned Durging Plantation. Robert died in March 1669.
Robert Chandler Jr. was born in 1654 and probably baptized on April 30, 1659 at Chiskiak Parish, York County, Virginia. Robert Jr. married an Elizabeth, believed to be Elizabeth Palmer about 1683 in New Kent, Virginia. Robert Jr. and Elizabeth had eight known children, daughters Mary and Nancy, sons Joell, Timothy, Robert III, John, William and Joseph. Robert Jr. died in 1720 in New Kent, Virginia.
Joseph Chandler was probably baptized Aug 11, 1695 at St. Peter�s Parrish in New Kent Co, Virginia. Joseph is believed to have married Sarah Bilbo (various spellings) in 1716 at St. Peter�s Parrish. They had six known children, daughter Nancy, sons William, Joel, John, James and Joseph Jr. Joseph died Oct 1764 in Lunenburg Co, VA. Sarah died between 1764 and 1766.
Joseph Chandler Jr. was born 1739. He is believed to have married Sarah Tatum (various spellings) in the late 1750�s or early 1760�s. Sarah was mentioned in her sister�s will as Mrs. Joseph Chandler. At some point, Joseph Jr. left Virginia for North Carolina with his family. Joseph Jr. and Sarah had nine known children, daughters Elizabeth, Lucy, Susannah, and Sarah Sally, and sons James, Joseph III, Edmund, Stephen and William. Joseph Jr. died in 1805 in Caswell Co, NC.
Stephen Chandler was born 1776. Stephen married Elizabeth �Betsey� Ingram in December 21, 1805 in Caswell Co, NC. They had nine known children, daughters Susan, Mary and Elizabeth, and sons James Dudley, Stephen Ingram, John J., Hosea A., Archibald B., and Luther C. Stephen was a Primitive Baptist preacher. He died in 1829 in Caswell Co, NC. Elizabeth remarried ten years after Stephen�s death.
James Dudley Chandler was born 1806 in Caswell Co, NC. He married in 1831 to Mary Susan Boyles. About 1845 they moved their family to Tennessee a year or so after his sister Susan and her family did. Their youngest child at the time was only a few weeks old and sickly. She was not expected to survive the trip. They left anyway in order to beat bad weather. The baby girl surprised them and survived. James Dudley was a farmer. They had eight children, daughters Elizabeth, Nancy, Delilah Frances, and Mary Matilda �Molly�, and sons James Alfred, John Bunyon Sr., Stephen Daniel, and Joseph Thomas. Mary Susan died in 1852 while living in the 17th District of Carroll Co, TN. She was buried at Old Marlboro, near Vale, Carroll Co. TN. James Dudley married Mary Stephens in 1856. Around this time James Dudley moved his new wife and four youngest children to Tuscaloosa, Alabama. After his second wife died, James Dudley remarried again. He married widow Elifare Jacob Parker. They had seven children together. He died on April 16, 1884 in Tuscaloosa, AL.
John Bunyon Chandler Sr. was born Feb 25, 1839 in North Carolina. He married his first wife, Rebecca Jane French, on April 19, 1863. They had nine children. Rebecca died in 1894 and was buried at Finley Cemetery in Carroll Co, TN. A year later, he married Salie Horn Rowland and they had a daughter. John Bunyon Sr. died in 1910 and was buried at Finley Cemetery.
John Bunyon Chandler Jr. was born in 1871. He married Mary Belle Finley (called Molly) Dec 14, 1890. Molly was said to be adopted. On her death certificate it stated that she was born in Gibson Co, TN and her parents were Al Finley and Nelversia Raney Finley. Molly�s birth family names might be Colts or Coates. John Bunyon Jr. owned a gristmill and a grocery store in McKenzie, TN and farmed. A family story is that one day a band of �gypsy Indians� was robbing the store. Although she was small, she grabbed a hatchet and ran them off. They had five sons. John Bunyon Jr. donated land for the Fairview Missionary Baptist Church cemetery. For a while, their youngest son and his family lived in their house with them. One grandson remembers she had long hair that he would brush for her. John Bunyon Jr. died in 1939. Molly died in 1944. They were both buried at Fairview Missionary Baptist Church�s cemetery.