There has been some confusion in sorting out three Thomas Johnson's in Carter/Johnson Co. TN. Seems that there was a Thomas Sr, and a Thomas Jr. with the relationship proven by a will. The third Thomas (my ggg grandfather) living in the same county, was supposed to a son of Thomas Sr according to oral tradition in the family, but nothing to prove it. Robert Nave of Carter Co., who wrote a thesis on the Iron Industry of Carter Co. in the 1950's, helped the lightbulb turn on in my head, and then I re-read T. Johnson Sr's will and Ed Millers notes. Don't ask me why it took five years to figure this out, but I am so excited because I must be half-kin to you all all the other Johnson descendents. Seems everyone agrees that: 1) Thomas JOHNSON Sr. (b ca 1757) had three wives: 1) Unknown, 2) Fanny DICKENSON SCOTT m ca 1787, and 3) Susannah WRIGHT m. 1797. They lived in Clinch Mountain area of Russell County VA and later in Carter>Johnson Co. TN (on the Little Doe). 2) Thomas JOHNSON Jr. (b 1794) was son of 2nd wife. He lived in Mountain City, Johnson Co. TN and m. Delilah Wilson. 3) Per census and land deeds, there was another Thomas H. JOHNSON (b. ca 1786-7). He lived in District 7 Johnson Co. TN (Little Doe-Pandora) and married Elizabeth LINDSEY. 4) Thomas JOHNSON Sr. was heavily involved in the iron industry, and owned iron works in Russell VA, Washington VA and Carter (later Johnson) TN. It is believed that: 4) Thomas JOHNSON Sr and first wife had a son William (b ca 1785). With that in mind, read these bits of the will of Thomas Johnson Sr. again. (the whole will is on the JCT web site at http://jctcuzins.com/index.html) "Sixthly, I give and bequeath to my sons WILLIAM JOHNSON, THOMAS JOHNSON and HENRY D. JOHNSON five small tracts of land lying around the place I now live in Carter County....." "Seventhly, all the stock I may die possessed of ..... equally divided between Wm., Thos., and H.D. JOHNSON." "Eighthly, I give and bequeath to my son THOMAS H. JOHNSON a tract of land lying on the Laurel Fork of Holston River in Va....." Here's some facts about Elizabeth LINDSEY, w/o Thomas H. (b 1786-7) 1) Elizabeth LINDSEY was raised on land sold to her father Moses LINDSEY by John KEYS in 1797, land where the Laurel Fork joins the S. Holston, Washington Co. VA. 2) Mother of Elizabeth, Leticia (Letis) BRECKENRIDGE LINDSEY, is head of household in 1810 Washington Co. census (likely a widow). She is only one in household over 45 yrs old, with 6 young folks, ages 10-25. 3) Thomas H. JOHNSON and his wife Elizabeth are mentioned in a land transfer from 1819 in Washington Co. VA. They are among the heirs of Moses LINDSEY, deceased, and they sell their share of inheritance to Elizabeth's brother Isaac LINDSEY. 4) The LINDSEY's of Washington Co. VA were also involved in the iron industry. Some were engineers and builders of iron forges. (per Goodspeed's Campbell Co. TN biography of Jonathan Sherrod LINDSEY, a cousin of Elizabeth). Regarding the unknown wife number one for Thomas Sr. I have suspicions about a Rachel MULLEN. Time and place are right. >From Marriages of Washington County, Virginia 1781-1853, 1993 D.E. Brown, this marriage is recorded twice and both of the Baptist preachers were performing marriages in current day Russell Co. VA,: 1) -- Apr. 1785 Thomas JOHNSTON - Rachel MULLEN by John Frost (of N. Fork Holston Baptist). 2) 17 May 1785 Thomas JOHNSTON - Rachel MULLEN by Simon Cockrell (of Maiden Springs Baptist). Now what Robert Nave suggested to me is that there are two sons of Thomas Sr. named Thomas with different mothers, and there is the confusion we all have been having. If you read the will with that in mind, it becomes clear. There is a Thomas (no H.) together with 2 brothers. Those three sons are mentioned twice. Then named separately is a Thomas H. whose inherited land was in the same neighborhood as the home of Elizabeth Lindsey. I agree with Robert Nave that this Thomas H is a different fellow to the Thomas named with two brothers. His age being older than the Mountain City Thomas, means he was likely son of the first wife, and his birthdate seems to be a year or two after William, and before the second marriage date to Fannie Scott. Couldn't ask for a better fit. Makes me cry to think of poor Fanny, with post-traumatic stress syndrome of the worst kind, as step mom to two boys in diapers, and then having four more kids of her own before dying young. And think of Thomas Sr, the poor fellow losing his bride and suddenly a single dad with babies. The marriage was therapeutic for both of them. [Sorry for diverging from my scholarly, scientifical left brain to my right brain that takes over in such times.] Now if you haven't read the story of Fanny Dickenson Scott, you must visit Ed Miller's site http://www.sirinet.net/~lgarris/emiller/johnson.html or Jeff Weaver's New River Site "The Life and Adventures of Wilburn Waters". http://www.ls.net/~newriver/ww/ww34.htm . Regarding the first wife, it may be this: Thomas Sr. married Rachel Mullen in April 1785, they had two sons, then she died sometime after second son Thomas H.'s birthday and before Thomas Sr. marriage to Fanny. The bugger named two sons Thomas, just to make us all crazy! Now you all tell me what you think of 1) two sons named Thomas, and 2) Rachel MULLEN as wife number one for Thomas Sr.? I would not mind one bit sharing an ancestor with the rest of the Johnson cuzins. I mean really, you guys just can't imagine how much I am jumping up and down, laughing, crying and otherwise besides myself. Now I have to go get out the fiddle and play a little bit of the Clinch Mountain Backstep (one of my favorites, now I know why) for Old Man Tom Sr., father of Old Man Tom Jr. and Young Man Tom Jr. And that's that. Katie _________________________________________________________________ MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx