COUSINS: I recently made this post to the Hubert Petty site and I wanted to share it with you! I am still in a quandary about my PETTY roots of Marshall County, TN. Some months ago, John Petty sent me a personal post in which he felt like my PETTY roots are from George Dillard PETTY. I have endeavored to do some research in this regard. There have been many that have posted on many sites that Bethany BAGLEY was the wife of William Thornton PETTY, and I feel that this in error. In their post they have William Thornton PETTY marrying Bethany BAGLEY on the same identical date that it is recorded that he married Abigail BAYLESS in Madison County, AL. The date being 03 Dec. 1821. I have seen the Madison County, AL., and it is also listed in the book "The Frost And Extended Families of Bedford County, Tennessee. The PETTY family that William Thornton PETTY is from was quiet prominent in the New Market area of Madison County, AL. in the early years of that community. This is across the state line from Lincoln County, TN. In fact I think there may be some connection to Lawren! ce WASHINGTON to this family. I tend to believe what John Petty has suggested is correct but, we do not have any documentation of this. The following is the scenario of what I believe to be the history of the family. I do know that Bethany Bagley married a PETTY of the area. Bethany PETTY was born 10 Nov, 1803; died 27 Aug, 1829; the beloved daughter of Joab BAGLEY. This is from the tombstone at Mt. Zion Cemetery, Marshall County, TN. It is my belief that she married George Dillard PETTY sometime prior to 1820. Of this union is born [1] Margaret PETTY abt. 1820, m. 07 Jan 1848 to George LEOPARD/LEPPART; [2]Sarah D. PETTY b. ca. 1824/1825 m. Lomma SANDERS; [3] William Mathial PETTY (my ancestor) b. 01 Oct. 1825, d. 01 Feb. 1899, m. Cincinnati Frances SULLIVAN ; [4] Nathan L. PETTY b. 01 Dec. 1827, d. 30 Oct 1862, m. (1) Louisa SANDERS, (2) Rebecca RUSSELL; [5] Matthius PETTY born and death unknown. He was married to Mary C. LUNA of the noted family of Peter LUNA. Note, that ! there were several children born in this time frame and then Bethany i s dead by 1829. Of the union of William Mathial PETTY and Cincinnati Frances SULLIVAN there is one son that is named Dillard PETTY. From the Peter LUNA Cemetery is a stone that reads Sophia HOGAN, b. Oct 1808, d. 25 jul 1831. My theory is that Bethany is dead by 1829 and shortly thereafter he married Sophia and she dies by 1831 in childbirth at the age of 25 years. George Dillard PETTY was probably also looking for someone to help raise these small children. From what John Petty sent me there was also a third of Ruth UNKNOWN and another family from that relationship. I do not know where George Dillard PETTY is buried. The areas of Luna Cemetery, Mt. Zion Cemetery are all with in close proximity of where my William Mathial PETTY had his farm and the landmark PETTY Cave. I was at the Tennessee State Library and Archives a few days ago and I checked the 1830 census of Lincoln County, TN. which was the area above before it became Marshall County, Tennessee. It reads as thus: 1 2 0 0 1 1 - 0 1 0 0 1 and if I have this read correctly there would have been, 1 male under 5 years of age, 2 males 5 to 10 years of age, 0 males 10 to 15 years of age, 0 males 15 to 20 years of age, 1 male 20 to 30 years of age, 1 male 30 to 40 years of age, / 0 females under 5 years of age, 1 female 5 to 10 years of age, 0 female 10 to 15 years of age, 0 female 15 to 20 years age, 1 female 20 to 30 years of age. I do not know if this would be any combination of the above children or not. If anyone has anything that they could share with me it would be appreciated. Thank you for your time! Bobby Prosser prossergenealogy@comcast.net --------------------------------------------------------------------------------