Attention: "Bob T" Strong, Jr. and anyone else familiar with the 1820 Strongs of Smith Co., TN and/or the children of Thomas Strong and Annie Fields of Rockingham Co., NC. I am still trying to find the parents of Hiram Strong, who lists his age as 41 and his state of birth as TN in the 1850 Census for Newton Co., MO. Previously, "Bob T" provided me with some very helpful information on early TN Strongs, including 1820 census information (see his his two replies dated 28 Aug 1998). I had hoped to narrow the field of possibilities by first determining where Hiram and his wife Rebecca, who also listed her state of birth as TN, were married, but have thus far been unsuccessful. Since their first child, John, was born about 1832 in IL, it's conceivable they were married in IL. Since I haven't been able to narrow the field this way, let me try to do so by asking a few more questions of those who possess information about the Strongs of this time and place. "Bob T" suggested that I examine two early TN Strong families for which the sons have not been identified. The first was the family of John Strong of Davidson County, who died about 1815, leaving his wife, Martha (nee Morton) and two adult sons. Since my Hiram was born about 1809, he could not have been one of these adult sons. While it's possible this John Strong may have had younger children, there would have been quite an age gap since the first child had attained adulthood by 1805. This family does not appear to be a fit for my Hiram. The second Strong family that "Bob T" suggested merited scrutiny was Thomas Strong of Davidson County (the Thomas who appears on page 256 of the 1830 Census). It appears this Thomas had five sons under the age of 10 years at the time of the 1830 Census. My Hiram would have been about 21 in 1830, so he does not fit this family's profile. While it's possible that this Thomas had an older son who had moved to IL by 1830, again the gap in ages between my Hiram and the 1830 children is such that this seems unlikely. Thus, this family also does not appear to be a fit for my Hiram. With respect to the pre-1820 Strongs listed by "Bob T" who have not been accounted for, since there is no family information on them I can't rule them in or out. That brings me to the 1820 Census information. There are five Strongs in the 1820 Census who have a male child in the 10-15 age range, which is the age range for a birth date of 1809. These are: David of Giles Co., James of Smith Co., John of Smith Co., Samuel of Smith Co., and Sherwood of Davidson Co. I believe David of Giles Co. and Sherwood of Davidson Co. are of "Bob T's" line, so can be eliminated from further consideration on the assumption that he has accounted for their children. That leaves the Strong families of Smith Co., who "Bob T," citing Jim Rolff, indicates are all brothers who are descended from James Strong of Rockingham Co., NC. Have the children of these families been identified? "Bob T" notes that the 1820 Census compilation by Jackson and Teeples omits some families, such as Mastin Strong of Roane Co., TN. Bob, based upon your knowledge of the omitted families, can I eliminate them? Note that a search for Hiram Strong at the FTM site yields only one southern Strong of this time, and that is Hiram F. Strong, who is listed as the ninth child of Thomas Strong and Annie Fields of Rockingham Co., NC. No date is given for this Hiram's birth, but 1809, the date of birth of my Hiram, seems possible given the range of dates for the other children. Does anyone have information on this Hiram? Given the relative rarity of the name, Hiram, what is the relationship, if any, between this Thomas Strong and the Smith Co., TN Strongs? As always, any information from anyone will be much appreciated. Thanks. Robert E. Strong, Jr. =============================================================== Hi, Bob in Aridzona! Sandra Strong Rolff, wife of James R. ("Jim") Rolff <[email protected]> is a direct descendant of Hiram F. Strong. Jim Rolff has also researched the Strongs of Smith County and surrounding Counties of Tennessee. I recommend you correspond privately with Jim Rolff about your queries as Jim does not post messages to the Strong Mail List. Jim is welcome to participate in the discussions and I really wish that he would, but would also like for him to comply with established policies and procedures, for example, concerning the composition of Subjects for messages. I frankly miss having debates with Jim. I respect Jim's (and everyone else's) right to express his / their opinions on the Strong Mail List., but I (and everyone else) also reserve the right to disagree. I don't think you can eliminate any Strong families except tentatively as there are quite a few Strong families for which insufficient data is available. Mastin Strong is a case in point. One of his sons stated that he (the son) had four sisters older than himself. None of the four sisters have been identified. Were there also sons who have not been identified? Perhaps. Mastin was relatively old when he moved to Alabama and he probably left most of his children in Tennessee, in Roane, Jefferson, Bradley and maybe McMinn Counties. Did some of them relocate out of Tennessee to other states? Who knows? We can analyze Mastin Strong's [or any other Strong's] census records to get a better idea of how many sons and daughters they had and of about what years of birth. I will not take time to do that at the moment. Yes, the Strongs of Smith County were related to the Strongs of Scott Co., VA, if you accept Jim Rolff's analyses, for example that the Strongs of Smith County were probably sons of James Strong of Rockingham Co., NC, and formerly of Halifax / Pittsylvania / Henry Counties, VA. That evidence is circumstantial but plausible. My little detour into the records of these Strongs who lived near the border of Virginia and North Carolina revealed that James Strong's land on the Turkey Pen Branch in Virginia was on the Matrimony Creek. That is, the Turkey Pen Branch is a tributary of the Matrimony Creek. The Matrimony Primitive Baptist Church was located on the Matrimony Creek in Rockingham County, NC, just a short distance away, and that is where the records of Mary Strong, are first found about 1776. We do not have proof that this was Mary Strong, theoretical widow of Thomas Strong, versus Mary Strong, current wife of James Strong. James, Samuel, James, Thomas, and William Strong were identifed as heirs of James Strong and sons of Mary Strong in two 1805 deed to another branch of the Strong family in Rockingham County, NC. So was Mary Strong of the Martimony Primitive Baptist Church the wife / widow of James Strong, Sr., or was she the widow of Thomas Strong, Sr., as Jim Rolff has proposed? Census records of Rockingham County seem to prove that a Mrs. Mary Strong of Rockingham County was widowed by 1790. But James Strong, born before 1755, appeared on the 1800 census of Stokes County, NC, adjacent to Rockingham County. James Strong obviously died between 1800 and 1805, when his estate in Rockingham County was settled. This observation would support Jim Rolff's conclusion that the Mary Strong of the 1790 and 1800 census of Rockingham County, NC, was NOT the widow of James Strong. It should be noted here that the descendants of James Strong, Jr., and William Strong, two of the five sons of James and Mary Strong, were not traced in Jim Rolff's book. Both appeared on the 1820 census of Smith County, Tennessee. Where did they go after 1820? I found a James Strong residing in Gibson County, TN, but he did not stay there long enough to appear on any census. I suspected he might be the James Strong who was bound out as an apprentice in Goochland County, VA, in the 1790s. That James Strong was a son of Rachel Strong, who has not been positively identified. An 1859 deed recorded in Scott Co., VA, stated explicitly that Hiram F. Strong was a son of Thomas Strong, Sr. (the elder of two in Scott Co., VA), deceased. Rolff gave this Thomas Strong, Sr., the ID # 158. Rolff gave these data about Hiram F. Strong, M. D.. He was born 28 MAY 1819 in Scott Co., VA, a son of Thomas Strong and Annie Fields Strong, formerly of North Carolina. In 1841 he married, first, Phoebe JaneGodsey. He married, second, Nancy M. Preston. He married, third, "Francy". Hiram and Phoebe Strong relocated in 1849 to Johnson County, Kentucky, where he appeared on the 1850 through 1880 census. A second Hiram Strong is mentioned on Page 156 or Rolff's manuscript. This Hiram was born about 1836-1838 in Virginia; he was shown on the 1850 and 1860 census of Samuel Strong of Scott Co., VA. A third Hiram Strong--Hiram K. Strong--was the son of William Strong of Scott Co., VA. Hiram K. Strong was born in June, 1859, in Virginia, per his 1900 census record in Scott Co., VA. The common ancestor of the Strongs of Scott Co., VA, and Smith County, TN, was William Strong, Sr., born about 1701, St. Peter's Parish, probably New Kent County, VA, who resided most of his life in the eastern part of what became in 1720 to be Hanover County (St. Paul's Parish). He died after 1770 when he was of record in Pittsylvania County, VA. Some of his sons arrived in the Lunenburg / Halifax / Pittsylvania / Henry County area of Virginia in the early 1760s, possibly sooner, but no records have been found earlier than the 1760s. One son, William, Jr., apparently remained in Hanover County until his death around 1770 or earlier. [Or at least he still owned property in Hanover County in 1770.] What remains debateable is which son of William Strong, Sr., married Mary, the widow of the 1790 and 1800 census of Rockingham County, North Carolina. There was another lady in Guilford / Rockingham Counties, North Carolin, named Elizabeth Strong, who had sons named John Strong and Alexander Martin Strong (who changed his name to Alexander Strong Martin). Who was the father of this John Strong? There appears to be one too many Strong wives and widows in Rockingham County, NC!!! Who was the missing Strong male? Which male, presumeably a Strong, sired John Strong, son of Elizabeth? Was John Strong, too, a "love child", as was Alexander? If so, who was Elizabeth's father, presumeably a Strong? The answers to these questions are important to the ancestry of Thomas Strong, Sr., of Scott Co., VA. The conclusion that he was the son of Thomas Strong, formerly of Pittsylvania County, VA, whose last known record there was dated 1775, is based on circumstantial evidence. Other alternative explanations need to be explored with an open mind. What happened to John Strong, son of Elizabeth? He is yet to be accounted for. If the Strongs of Smith County, TN, were sons of James Strong, of Henry Co., VA, and Rockingham and Stokes Counties, NC, and if Thomas Strong, Sr., of Scott Co., VA, was a son of Thomas Strong of Pittsylvania County, VA, , then they were First Cousins: the sons of brothers. Hang in there, Bob E.! And good luck in your research. "Seek and ye shall find!" Maybe... "BoB T." Robert T. Strong, Jr. 119 Mystic Way Madison, Al 35757-8801