scarlett wrote: > > Thank goodness, someone knows of Rueben, besides me! Yes, he was b. 30 Sep > 1812, according to our research (no two people are ever going to come up > with same dates, i don't think). He died in Blount Co,Al. 9 Aug 1876. > > Now, we believe his father to be Jesse S. ELLIS b. 1791 N.C. & his mother > to be Hannah MURPHREE. Are we any where close to being right? Also, > think that Jesse m. 2nd. time to Hannah's half sister, Nancy, who m. > Benjamin ELLIS. Thought maybe after Hannah & Ben died that Jesse m. Nancy. > Got all that? Pat, I don't have a lot concerning your Jesse, and I know nothing about subsequent marriages. However, I'll quote from a book written by an Ellis researcher, O.D. Bates, in the Dallas, TX library: Jesse Ellis, Jr., witnessed deed of Jesse Ellis, Sr. "to my son-in-law, Benjamin Hudgins" 15 Jul 1812, Pendleton Dist. Deed Book M, p. 358. Probably he was the Jesse Ellis who was married to Hannah Murphree, daughter of Solomon Murphree according to a bible record of Solomon Murphree published in Old Southern Bible Records by Lester, p. 232. The 1810 census, Pendleton Dist. shows Jesse Jr., and wife with one older femal in household. Year of marriage probably 1809. Not in 1820 Pendleton Dist. census. Probably removed to Blount Co. AL where a Jesse Ellis was listed in 6th Regt. Blount Co. Militia, 1818 (AL Historical Quarterly, Vol 6 p. 147. In 1830 Blount Co. census Benjamin Ellis, b. 1790-1800, Jesse Ellis, b. 1790-1800, and Solomon Murphree Jr. are listed consecutively. History of Methodism in Alabama p. 161 shatat that a Methodist Society was organized within bounds of the Tuskaloosa Circuit in house of Aaron Murphree in Murphree's Valley; later the group built a house of worship called "Ebenezer" and Jesse Ellis is named as an early member of this Society who entered the Methodist itinerancy. A reference to him is found in Ala Genealogicval Society Magazine, Vol. 8, under Notes from Meth. Histories in a sketch of the life of his grandson, the Rev. Jesse F. Ellis, b. 3/7/1844 Blount Co. AL, d. 5/16/1879, son of a local preacher, and grandson of the Rev. Jesse Ellis, dec'd. The grandfather is described as a pioneer of Methodism in Ala., a member of the Ala. Conference; he was employed in collecting and forming into societies Methodists who were immigrants to Ala. from other states. A death notice in the Southern Christian Advocate reported that "Mrs. Hannah Ellis, wife of Rev. Jesse Ellis, of the Ala. Conf. died at Wetumpka on the 21st Feb 1852, daughter of Solomon Murphree, born in Pendleton dist., SC Aug. 25, 1791. Jesse Ellis Sr. was b. abt 1747 and d. aft 1818. He lived in Warren and Chatham Counties in NC and in Pendleton Dist. SC. The Spring, 1980 Ellis Cousins Newsletter has similar information and lists the 12 children of Jesse and Hannah Murphree. My earliest Blount Co. AL ancestor was John Blakely and his son, James. They were there by 1818, coming from York Co. SC by way of TN. John d. 1851 and James d. 1865. James son, John, m. Celia Murphree, a sister to Ellis Murphree, and granddaughter of Daniel Ellis. After John died in 1846 Celia m. John Foust, a Methodist minister. Celia died in 1852, and John and Celia's children were raised by Ellis Murphree. Their son, James Daniel Blakely, named for his grandfathers, m. Nancy Hanna Blackburn in Blount Co. in 1864. They moved to Hamilton Co. TX in the 1870s. Nancy was a descendant of James Blackburn and his son, Joel Blackburn who also arrived in Blount Co. in 1818 or possibly earlier. The Blackburns lived in the vicinity of Clears Springs Methodist Church. Stephen Murphree, Celia's brother, m. Jane Blakely, John's sister. It seems that most of my ancestors, from about 1818-1874, lived in the vicinity of present day Allgood.