Thank you for the information. I love reading these letters. Maggie ----- Original Message ----- From: <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, July 08, 2002 6:14 PM Subject: [TNDEKALB] Thomas R. Whaley 1850 Letter to TN from MO > To my Whaley/DeKalb Co cousins: > > In going through some family papers I found a a very interesting published > copy of a 1850 letter of Thomas R. Whaley, then a merchant in Mt. Vernon, > Lawrence Co MO to his siblings in McMinneville (Liberty??) DeKalb Co. It was > published on page 8, The Lawrence County Historical Society Bulletin - > Jan/1978. > > Thomas R. Whaley was the son of Elijah Whaley, and nephew of my 3 g > grandfather Seth Whaley, b. 1804, (wife Eliz. Richards Bowen), who with > Elijah were sons of Thomas Whaley and Margaret Bratton, early settlers from > Worcestor Co MD to Liberty area now in DeKalb Co TN. At the time the letter > was written, Thomas R. is the only Whaley in Lawrence Co 1850 Census. Within > the next 2/3 years his efforts to "sell" SW Missouri to his family met with > success and he was joined at least by his uncle Seth Whaley and all of his > children and their families, including daughter Mary Bowen Whaley and husband > William Washington GAY, merchant/schoolteacher of Liberty TN (and my 2 g > grandparents). Incidentally, William Gay about 1859 went into business > (general store type operation) with a John ALLEN, who was possibly Gay's > deputy court clerk in the preceding few years. Later business directories of > Lawrence Co, indicate at least some of the Allens there were from DeKalb Co. > (See pages 12, 13, patrons of the 1879 county Atlas/Plat book -- you can > also locate on a map our Whaleys there, but using the index: > http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~judysstuff/lawatlas.htm) > > At the end of the letter he urges his brothers in DeKalb to join him in > Missouri. By my reckoning from the info I have from Lynne Graham on Thomas > R.'s descendants, at least his brothers Lemuel Bratton, Isaac, and Seth > Madison did move there, possibly with uncle Seth and the Gays. Brothers > William, John and sister Matilda Beckwith appear to have remained in DeKalb. > > > Does anyone know with whom from DeKalb Co Thomas R. Whaley travelled to > Lawrence Co Missouri in the first place before being joined by brothers and > uncle and the Gays? > > Bible records for Elijah Whaley, father of Thomas R, and can be found at the > DeKalb Co website: > http://www.tngenweb.org/dekalb/biblwhaley.htm > > FYI, there is also a Bible record there for Thomas R. Whaley himself: > http://www.tngenweb.org/dekalb/biblklwhaley.htm > > And, for James Beckwith's family: > http://www.tngenweb.org/dekalb/biblbeckwith.htm > > Here is what is in the Lawrence Co Chieftain. I hope you enjoy it as much as > I do. I am assuming that a yoak is composed of two oxen?? Anyone out there > have possession of the gold he sent to Elijah? > > "Eighteen-Fifty Letter From Thomas R. Whaley of Mount Vernon > > Mount Vernon, Missouri, April 25, 1850 > > Dear Brothers and Sisters: > > I Read your lines last mail Stating that you were all well which is allways > good news to me - these lines leaves us all well - I have Witnessed this > morning as well as other days the Starting of the Calafornians and will > Continue to Witness the start for Severell Days Hence it is Supposed that > there will be Seven or Eight Thousand Emagrants this Spring from the State of > Missouri I am a fraid that times will be more Reckoless than Ever - people ar > neglecting the most important things and that is Agracutlure - it may be > possible that thare will be a grate Emagration back next fall all of our boys > will Return there Stells Sell for $45 $55 Dollas with us now a yoak & we Sold > at independence 15 yoak for near Eight Hundred Dollas Some even $60 - pr yoak > Horses Sell Vary well Bacon is worth from 4¢ per lb Corn $1 - $125 Barrell > Flour $250 - $300 pr hundred Coffee 25¢ pr lb Sugar 10¢ lb. Iron 6 ¼ > Castings the same Indigo 9d oz I am now dowing Bisness by my Self Calafornia > has taken Mr. Worsham off I am under the Impression that goods will be Slow > Sale un till fall I am selling for cash in reciept (?) > > You wash to no my Birth and marriage I was Borne 27th Sept 1817 married May > 31st 1838 I will lay my letter by until I can think of Something else > > We have 4 Likely Children 2 Boys & two girls vary pretty - our Smallest one > is not 6 months old yet She cn Set alone and Jump out of the Cradle When in > it ways 21 ¼ lbs Without her Clothes on Mary is very large to his (9?) age > James is going to school and Reading I would be Vary much pleased to pay you > a vissett this fall with famley if I Could - I think it Would by Conciderable > to your advantage to pay us a visett You would git to see a Fine Country Kill > prairie Chicking and partridges Deer Turky Squirels tho I am so Bisy that I > do not Kill but few. > > I will bring my letter to a Close by Subscribing my Self your Brother. > > N. B. I mailed Father a letter Last mail with some Calafornia gold in it Tell > James Beckworth that I am vary much obligid to him for writing to me I think > that he ought to Do So as he has got all the Sister I have got in this world. > > T. R. Whaley > > [Ed. Note: Mrs. Bowman (Alta Faye Johnson Bowman) states the above reference > is to James Beckwith and Matilda Goggin Whaley, her great- grandparents > [sic]. This letter was mailed to Whaley's brothers, Isac and John in > Smithville, Tnnessee. Transcription by the Editor from xerox copy]" > > For all I know this letter may be old news for many of you with stronger ties > in DeKalb, but if not I thought I'd share it. > > My best regards, > Janet Hunter,Northern VA P.S... > > I'm still waiting for which ever one of you knows how my Seth Whaley's 1880 > probate packet escaped from the Lawrence Co Courthouse to fess up. <big smile> > The papers for the leather/saddle/bridle business he had with son Henry Seth > were there, but the packet with his personal probatedirectly preceding them > was missing (and I perched precariously 7 feet up and went through the > drawers around it.) > > > > >