Peter ARNEY in the Cumberland area of Kentucky and Tennessee 1799-1845

Around 1799, Peter ARNEY, moved to the Cumberland area of Kentucky and Tennessee.

His name is found on a 1801 petition to halt the annexation of Smith and Wilson Counties, in Tennessee, to form a new county.

 

Which failed, because his name is next found on the 1802 Tax Roll for Jackson County, Tennessee (newly formed).

 

His name is next found on an 1813 petition for the War of 1812, in Overton County, Tennessee

(I'm trying to find an actual copy of this document, not a transcription, to add to my documentation)

 

He purchased 300 acres of land, from John Sevier, in Overton County, Tennessee, in 1814.

 

His name first appears, on the 1820 US Federal Census, State of Tennessee, Overton County.

His name also appears on the 1830 & 1840 US Federal Census, State of Tennessee, Overton County.

Peter Arney died, in 1845, in Overton County, Tennessee.

 

Peter ARNEY was born in Tryon County, North Carolina, in 1772, to Jacob and Elizabeth ARNEY.

His father, Jacob, died around 1784.  So, in 1787, at the age of 15, the Court of Pleas & Quarters, in Lincoln County, North Carolina, bound him to a John Fullenwider, until the age of 21, to learn the trade of a miller.  Peter ARNEY moved to the area of Wythe County, Virginia, between 1790-1793, married a woman named Margaret (maiden name, unknown) and began his family.

 

Before Peter ARNEY's death, in 1845, instead of writing a Will, he wrote out property deeds dividing his land and property among only 3 children, 3 sons, Matthew, Henry, and Hiram.  This of course caused a rift among the family, and the deeds were contested by his other children, who lost in court.

 

There were no US Federal Census for 1800 & 1810, for Tennessee, so no way to find Peter there.  I have been unable to locate any tax rolls, for that time period either.

 

Unfortunately, the end of the Civil War, brought about the destruction of the Overton County Courthouse and with it much documentation.  Birth records, Marriage records, Tax Rolls, etc. were lost for all time, making it difficult for genealogists.

 

The creation of Dale Hollow Lake, was the next genealogy disaster, for my branch of the ARNEYs.

They lived in the areas of Clay, Overton, and Pickett Counties, and many Tennessee ancestors were buried where the lands would be flooded.  Add to that, the Corps of Engineers were tasked with moving graves, if the family wished.  The Corps of Engineers were told to give the family a choice, their loved ones graves could be dug up and moved to a new location or left and be flooded over.  When the Corps of Engineers went to move ARNEY graves, if there was more than one grave they called it a "cemetery", therefore there were 3 "Arney Cemeteries" that they "moved".  That's not the most difficult part.  Of theses graves, less then half actually had an identifiable grave markers, the rest simply had white metal crosses.  Which means, what was the name of the person buried in each of those graves was unknown, so all of them are titled "unknown".  My Peter ARNEY was most likely among those graves, along with my direct ARNEY descendant, Matthew Arney, Sr. (1818-1902).

I had hoped, that somehow, somewhere, some ARNEY descendant would have a family bible, where someone had taken the time to at least record who was buried there, but alas most of them were illiterate, so maybe that's why I haven't been able to find anything.

 

I was blessed to find someone, who actually had a photograph of Matthew Arney, Sr. taken in 1901, before his death, in 1902.  My direct ancestor from Matthew Arney, Sr. was his son, William Ervin Arney (1841-1887).  William Ervin Arney, fought during the Civil War, for the Confederacy, but I have been unable to locate a photograph taken of him, as of yet.

 

Matthew Arney, Sr., after winning his father, Peter Arney's, "unofficial Will" Court battle, "bought out" his two brother's (Henry & Hiram) shares, because they both wanted to leave the area.  Ironically, I have been unable to locate them, anywhere, after their father, Peter's death, in 1845.

 

In fact, I have been unable to find most of my Tennessee ARNEY's in any 1850 US Federal Census, except for Adam, he is in Cumberland County, Kentucky, and John, in Johnson County, Tennessee.  It's like they all were in Overton County, Tennessee, in 1840 US Federal Census, then left the area, yet returned in the 1860 US Federal Census, in Overton County, Tennessee.  I have been unable to find my direct ancestor, Matthew Arney, Sr. in any 1850 US Federal Census.

 

I seek, what I term DTP (Definitive Tangible Proof), which can be, but is not limited to, birth/baptism records, church records, marriage records, land deals (purchases/sales), death records/certificates, grave markers, tax rolls, probate records,Wills, etc.

 

Finding the marriage record, of Matthew Arney, Sr., is probably a lost cause, with the burning of the Overton County Courthouse.  It would have been nice to find his death record, but I don't think Tennessee kept them, back in 1902.

 

I know, there is so much more "DTP", that I still can find, on this family, in Tennessee.

 

Thank you, for your time, consideration, and cooperation, I truly appreciate it.