Hi Folks, My brick wall is the wife of John Rook (died 1824 in either Mont. or Dickson Co.). I have read in at least two books that her name was Nancy Lyons. The following information is from "The Primal Families of Yellow Creek Valley" by William J. Nesbitt, repub. date 1999. "John Rook Sr and wife, Nancy Lyon Rook, with their family, settled on the south side of Cumberland River at what is now known as the Seven Mile Ferry, then the Rook Ferry, in Montgomery County Tennessee about 1800 according to the Montgomery County records." A second book was "The Harvey Connection" by Mary Lou Dawson which appears to be merely a repeat of the same information. I have also found two family histories in the vertical files of Montgomery Co. which give the same information. However, there are several Rook researchers and myself who believe that John's wife was not Nancy Lyons but Susanna "Sucky" Moody Rook. This John's wife was referred to as Susanna in his will and also in a probate record (D:435) citing a Division of Property of the Estate of John Rook, 1824. She is also named in her father's will of 1778 in Northampton, NC "...Sucky Rook wife of John Rook." The dates do not correspond to this Sucky being the wife of John's father so she had to have been John's wife and who moved to TN with him around 1800 since she is still named in his 1824 will. John's father, who was also named John, named his wife, Sarah, in his will in Northampton, Co., NC and she is named as head of household on the 1790 NC Census Heads of Families at the First Census of the US. There is not a Nancy Lyons among them. We Rook researchers are beginning to believe that perhaps Nancy Lyons was Susanna's mother's maiden name. There was obviously a Lyon in the family somewhere as there are too many Rook decendants with the name of Lyons as part of their name. Is it possible that John was married to Nancy Lyons prior to marrying Susanna? If so, they would have been married prior to 1778 when Joseph Moody named Sucky in his will and Nancy had to have died some 22 years before John and Susanna went to TN. If that is true then where did folks in Mont. Co. get the name Nancy Lyons? We believe that there was unintentional misinformation somewhere way back and it has been perpetuated since then in several family history books. As we all know, we are told tales of our ancestor's childhood and their lives as they grew up and sometimes this information is not entirely accurate. As an example of this, I was stymied for 30 years about who my gggrandmother was simply because my ggrandfather listed his wife's mother's name as "Miz Rook" on his wife's death certificate. I could not find a Rook anywhere who had married a man by the name of my gggrandfather: Slocumb. The reason? My gggrandmother had been widowed when she married my gggrandfather Slocumb so her name on the marriage certificate was Trotter! I finally found her about 3 years ago! She was the granddaughter of John and Susanna Rook of Mont. Co. Is there anyone on this list or the Montgomery list who has any document which names a Nancy Lyons---especially one connected to John Rook? I would certainly entertain any idea anyone might have as to finding a solution to this eternal problem----and, I sure don't want to wait another 30 years before solving it!<G> Jean Hancock in TX

In the census of Hardeman, Gibson and Crockett counties there are probably 30 or 40 Rooks and Lyons, and Lyons in Crockett & Hancock Cos. Not my line so can't help other than to tell you to check all of Tenn. Jo...... theshadow wrote: > Hi Folks, > My brick wall is the wife of John Rook (died 1824 in either Mont. or Dickson > Co.). I have read in at least two books that her name was Nancy Lyons. > The following information is from "The Primal Families of Yellow Creek Valley" by > William J. Nesbitt, repub. date 1999. > "John Rook Sr and wife, Nancy Lyon Rook, with their family, settled on the south > side of Cumberland River at what is now known as the Seven Mile Ferry, then the Rook > Ferry, in Montgomery County Tennessee about 1800 according to the Montgomery County > records." > A second book was "The Harvey Connection" by Mary Lou Dawson which appears to be > merely a repeat of the same information. I have also found two family histories in > the vertical files of Montgomery Co. which give the same information. > However, there are several Rook researchers and myself who believe that John's > wife was not Nancy Lyons but Susanna "Sucky" Moody Rook. This John's wife was > referred to as Susanna in his will and also in a probate record (D:435) citing a > Division of Property of the Estate of John Rook, 1824. She is also named in her > father's will of 1778 in Northampton, NC "...Sucky Rook wife of John Rook." The > dates do not correspond to this Sucky being the wife of John's father so she had to > have been John's wife and who moved to TN with him around 1800 since she is still > named in his 1824 will. > John's father, who was also named John, named his wife, Sarah, in his will in > Northampton, Co., NC and she is named as head of household on the 1790 NC Census > Heads of Families at the First Census of the US. > There is not a Nancy Lyons among them. We Rook researchers are beginning to > believe that perhaps Nancy Lyons was Susanna's mother's maiden name. There was > obviously a Lyon in the family somewhere as there are too many Rook decendants with > the name of Lyons as part of their name. Is it possible that John was married to > Nancy Lyons prior to marrying Susanna? If so, they would have been married prior to > 1778 when Joseph Moody named Sucky in his will and Nancy had to have died some 22 > years before John and Susanna went to TN. If that is true then where did folks in > Mont. Co. get the name Nancy Lyons? > We believe that there was unintentional misinformation somewhere way back and it > has been perpetuated since then in several family history books. As we all know, we > are told tales of our ancestor's childhood and their lives as they grew up and > sometimes this information is not entirely accurate. As an example of this, I was > stymied for 30 years about who my gggrandmother was simply because my ggrandfather > listed his wife's mother's name as "Miz Rook" on his wife's death certificate. I > could not find a Rook anywhere who had married a man by the name of my gggrandfather: > Slocumb. The reason? My gggrandmother had been widowed when she married my > gggrandfather Slocumb so her name on the marriage certificate was Trotter! I finally > found her about 3 years ago! She was the granddaughter of John and Susanna Rook of > Mont. Co. > Is there anyone on this list or the Montgomery list who has any document which > names a Nancy Lyons---especially one connected to John Rook? I would certainly > entertain any idea anyone might have as to finding a solution to this eternal > problem----and, I sure don't want to wait another 30 years before solving it!<G> > Jean Hancock in TX