A Timeline for Barsheba Fleming(1834-1898) of White Co. TN & later Polk & Newton Counties of Arkansas

Found a power of attorney for Barsheba Fleming, one of my Hitchcock  & Fleming double cousins.  It mentioned the estates of her father, her paternal grandfather, and her maternal grandmother.  This led to me finding another document(a mineral lease) filed by her maternal aunt in 1865 for the land that was part of her maternal grandmother's estate. So I thought it would be a good time to fix a timeline and sources for her and save it as a PDF on my tree at Ancestry.  I can add to it as I find more.

Barsheba Fleming(1834-1898)

• c. 1834: Birth - Born in Tennessee to Alfred Patten Fleming and Nancy Hitchcock.

• 1840: Residence - Listed in the federal census living with parents in White County, Tennessee(presumably the White Female age 5-9 yrs old)

• 1850: Residence - Listed in the federal census living with her parents in District 6, White County, Tennessee.

• 1855: First Marriage- Marries George Washington Bickle in Tennessee.

• c. 1856: Migration - Moves west with her husband to Polk County, Arkansas, where her first child, John Henry Bickle, is born.

• 1856:  Death in Family - Her widowed maternal grandmother, Millie Riddle Hitchcock, passes away in Tennessee; 

• January 4, 1859: Father's Death - Her father, Alfred Patten Fleming, passes away in Polk County, Arkansas.

• 1860: Death in Family - Her paternal grandfather, John Fleming, passes away in Van Buren County, Tennessee. Likely a dower freeze on any land owned.

• 1860: Residence - Listed in the federal census living in Center, Polk County, Arkansas.

• May 29, 1861: Grandmother's Prenup & Remarriage- Her widowed grandmother, Nancy Combs Fleming, signs a prenuptial agreement protecting her separate property before marrying William Neal in Van Buren County, Tennessee. 

• c. 1865: Divorce & Second Marriage - Divorces George W. Bickle and marries Joseph Joel Canady in Polk County, Arkansas. (Note: Local courthouse records for these events were later destroyed in an 1883 fire).

• June 22, 1865: Mineral Rights Lease - Maternal Aunt Amelia "Milly" Hitchcock Pursley signs a 30-year mining lease on the Millie Riddle Hitchcock tract in Warren County, TN, set to expire around 1895.(Note: The 100 acre tract of land which was owned by George Hitchcock(Milly Riddle Hitchcock's husband) is mentioned in this document

• 1870: Residence =Residing in Prairie, Marshall Prairie, Newton County, Arkansas, working as a housekeeper.

• December 28, 1874: Mother's Death = Her mother, Nancy Hitchcock Fleming, passes away in Polk County, Arkansas.

• January 4, 1880: Widowed = Her second husband, Joseph Joel Canady, passes away in Arkansas.

• 1880: Residence - Listed in the federal census as a widowed head of household in Prairie, Newton County, Arkansas.

• January 26, 1881: Third Marriage - Marries J. W. Gamblin in Newton County, Arkansas.

• April 26, 1881: The Catalyst Death - Her paternal grandmother, Nancy Combs Fleming Neal, passes away in Llano County, Texas. 

• February 2, 1886: The Power of Attorney- Barsheba and J. W. Gamblin execute a Power of Attorney which was recorded in Van Buren County, Tennessee records, appointing William T. Murray to collect her inherited shares from the estates of her father (Alfred P. Fleming-d. 1859), grandfather (John Fleming d. 1860), and maternal grandmother (Millie Riddle Hitchcock d. 1856).

• August 12, 1894: Widowed Again - Her third husband, J. W. Gamblin, passes away in Arkansas.

• 1898: Death -Barsheba passes away in Mena, Polk County, Arkansas, and is buried in Dallas, Polk County.

Sources:

1840 US Federal Census Population Schedule, White County, Tennessee, Dist Not Stated, p 47(written) Alfred Flemming Household; Digital Images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GYB7-46Q :  accessed 5 July 2026), IGN 5154905, Image 54 of 766.

1850 US Federal Census Population Schedule, White County, Tennessee, Dist 6, p. 60(stamped), Dwelling 780, Family 780, Line 10, Barsheba Fleming in Household of Alfred & Nancy Fleming; image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-68KL-F7 accessed 5 July 2026) IGN 4206057, Image 123 of 252.

1860 US Federal Census Population Schedule, Polk County Arkansas, Center Twp., Dallas P.O., pg 16 (written) Dwelling 409, Family 405, Line 21, Barsheba Bickle; image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9YB6-SYXQ : accessed 5 July 2026), IGN 5165619, Image 84 of 507.

1870 US Federal Census Population Schedule, Newton County Arkansas, Prairie Twp., Marshall Prairie P.O., p. 7(written), p 187(stamped), line 11, Barsheba Canady; image, FamilySearch

(https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6MZQ-RDJ: accessed 5 July 2026), IGN 4259274(item 3), image 76 of 117.

1880 US Federal Census Population Schedule, Newton County, Prairie Twp., p 618(stamped), Dwelling 411, Family 420, Barshby Kennedy; image FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GYYN-S2N1 : accessed 5 July 2026), IGN 5157270, image 544 of 827.

"Arkansas, County Marriages, 1837-1957," Marriage Records Book B 1879–1888, p. 37, Entry for J W Gamblin and B A Canady, 26 January 1881; image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DTY3-JVS : 5 July 2026), IGN 4331444, Image 318 of 623.

Warren Co TN Deed Book Vol 1 Mar 1866- July 1867, p 113-116, Mineral Rights Lease by Milly Hitchcock Pursely to W H Hart? 22 June 1865; images, 

FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS1X-M9K2-M : accessed 5 July 2026), IGN 8418856, Image 321-323 of 580.

Van Buren Co Tennessee,  Guardian Administrators & Executor's Settlements, Vol 3 , 24 Feb 1886–Jul 1951, p 1,  J.W. Murray Power of Attorney for W G Gamblin and wife Barsheba; image, 
FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S7WF-SVD1-P9 : accessed 2 July 2026) IGN 4776207, Image 164 of 745.

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/83004612/barsheba_a-gamblin: accessed July 5, 2026), memorial page for Barsheba A Fleming Gamblin (1834–1898),Memorial ID 83004612, citing Old Dallas Cemetery, Dallas, Polk County, Arkansas, USA.

Happy Birthday, America!!

The final draft of the Declaration of Independence was approved 250 years ago today. Happy Birthday, America!  I've listed some of my ancestors who were patriots in the American Revolution. All of my ancestors that I have identified so far who were living during that time were all already living in the colonies by 1776. I have provided a bit more on Wm Harrison as he is my most recently discovered ancestor who took part in the American Revolution. He was at the battles of Germantown and Brandywine which were losses for the patriots. That had to be rough.  Thankful for all of their sacrifices.  

I've linked those ancestors who have a descendant who has joined DAR thru a line of descent from them.[Note:  this is not a complete listing]

Paternal

William Harrison

Above link from DAR 

Transcription Below from Pension File at Fold3 and at National Archives.

West - Tennessee.
William Harrison,
Rutherford Co: W. Tenn
Lieut. in Col. Hogan's reg. N. Carolina line,
15 months.
In the army of the United States during the Revolutionary War
Issued on the Roll of West-Tennessee,
at the rate of 20. Dollars per month, to commence
the 15th of May, 1820.

Certificate of Pension issued the 6. of Oct. 1820
and sent to S. R. Rucker, agt
Murfreesborough, East-Tenn.[should say WEST not East even though Murfreesboro is in present day Middle TN]

Arrears to 4th of Sept. 1820.      $ 73.61
Semi-anl. all'ce ending 4. March 120. 
3 mo. 17/31 1821...                   $ 193.61
& 4/30

{ Revolutionary claim. }
{ Act 18th March, 1818 }
and 1st May
1820...}

• Charles Brandon
• Leroy Upshaw
• John B Manire
• Robert Harris
• William Ogilvie
• John Webb
• Jacob Sutton
• Nathan Frizzell  (I descend from him thru 2 seperate lines.)

Maternal

• Peter Luna/Looney
• William Lewis
• John Hatfield
• Leonard Adcock

Heirs of Thomas Jones(1812-1896): White County, Tennessee Chancery Records

I found a court case at FamilySearch that involved land that Thomas Jones of White Co., Tennessee, owned at the time of his death. The land was being sold, so there was a need to confirm his heirs. This was not taking place a few months after his death, but over 25 years after he had passed. Some of his children were deceased by that time as well, which necessitated naming their children, and—in cases where a grandchild was deceased—their surviving children.

This is a lot of great information for anyone researching this family. Thomas' wife, Rebecca Hitchcock Jones, was a sister to my 3rd-great-grandfather, James P. Hitchcock. The file includes 12 children, 22 grandchildren (representing the 6 deceased children), and 10 great-grandchildren (representing the 2 deceased grandchildren).

I extracted the information on the heirs from the file and have organized it in a spreadsheet, in which I also included the source citation. I plan to save it as a PDF and attach it to Thomas Jones' profile within my family tree at Ancestry.

Oscar Thomas Jones( 27 Nov 1865-14 Dec 1952)--Sparta, Tennessee, USA

Oscar Thomas Jones(my 2nd Cousin 3 times removed) is a Hitchcock & Riddle descendant(through his Mom) and doubly kin to Hitchcocks as his Dad's paternal grandmother was a Hitchcock.

He also descends from Thomas Jones and Rebecca Hitchcock.  Oscar was the son of Francis Jones. Francis was the older brother of Almedia, Omelia, and Catherine Jones—the three deaf Jones sisters I have written about previously on this blog in 2017, and most recently on Substack (see: Reconstructing a Nineteenth-Century Network: The Jones-Bronson-Fuller-Bassett Family and the Special Censuses).

Rev. O.T. Jones Killed in Wreck Sunday Morning

A car driven by J. T. Gracey, in which Mrs. Gracey and Rev. O. T. Jones were passengers, and a car driven by Mrs. Robert Poore, whose 5-year-old daughter, Betty Ruth Poore, was a passenger, collided at an intersection on the Smithville road Sunday, resulting in the death of Rev. Jones before his arrival at the hospital.

All the others were taken to the White County Hospital.

Mr. and Mrs. Gracey suffered cuts and bruises and Mrs. Gracey's collarbone was broken.

Mrs. Poore suffered a shoulder fracture, and she and her daughter suffered cuts and bruises. Mrs. Poore is still in the Hospital.

Rev O T Jones

Oscar Thomas Jones was born November 27, 1865 and died December 14, 1952; having been blessed by Our Heavenly Father with a long life of 87 years and 17 days.

When brother Jones was about 50 years of age, he was married to Miss Nola Jones, who survives him. Though he never had children of his own, he raised four children, all of whom survive. They are Mrs. L. H. Lafever, of Honolulu; Odella Anderson of Sparta; J. T. Gracey of Sparta; and Miss Nell Jones who was living in his home at the time of his death. The fact that he was unselfishly concerned to help, and to raise the children; who love him like a father, is indicative the kind of man brother Jones was.

He was concerned to help, not only these children, but all other people about him. This he did: never failing his friends and neighbors in times of sorrow such as has now come to those who loved him; and family, and other neighbors. Brother Jones was a member of the Baptist Church; and a faithful, active christian.

Source:
"Rev. O.T. Jones Killed in Wreck Sunday Morning," The Sparta Expositor (Sparta, Tennessee), 18 December 1952, vol. 77, no. 35, p. 1, col. 8; digital image, FamilySearch (
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QHV-13RR-YYQC : accessed 29 June 2026), IGN 008984674, image 375 of 1142.

So Grateful for the Many Resources at our Fingertips

I attended an excellent presentation by Tami Osmer Mize today--one of four free GRIP Virtual Sessions offered this week. Her lecture on

ConferenceKeeper.org was a fantastic reminder of how many high-quality(and sometimes free) opportunities there are out there to learn about history, ancestors, and research methodologies.

You'll find the LegacyFamilyTree Webinars listed on ConferenceKeeper. While they are a subscription service, a massive number of their presentations are actually completely free to view for a full week after the live broadcast. (Though as a subscriber myself, I love having total on-demand access to the whole archive whenever I need it!)

This got me thinking about genealogical societies and their journals—which naturally led me to the Periodical Source Index (PERSI), which was recently updated. PERSI now includes direct links to some of the specific journal articles you can find online. While not every journal is indexed yet, I noticed a wealth of linked records from the Bedford County Historical Society. In fact, they recently made their quarterlies that are over three years old available for free via the FamilySearch Library.

With so much of my family rooted in Bedford County and its neighboring areas, I checked around and found excellent free historical publications available online for Rutherford and Williamson counties as well.

Journals, webinars, books, and historical records—there is an incredible wealth of information out there to help us piece together our family trees if we just take the time to look.

Key Resources Mentioned:

• Calendar of Events: ConferenceKeeper.org

• On-Demand & Live Classes: LegacyFamilyTree Webinars

• Periodical Source Index: PERSI

• Bedford County Historical Quarterlies: FamilySearch Library

• Rutherford County Tennessee Historical Society: MTSU Digital Collections

• Williamson County Historical Journals: Williamson County History

Bedford Co. TN: Searching for the Graves of Two Revolutionary Patriots

My fourth great-grandparents are William Harrison (abt.1750–1833) and his wife, Elvira Cooper Harrison. Their son, Edward C. Harrison, married Eliza Jane McClain, drawing a fascinating parallel in our tree. Eliza’s father, George McLain, was also a Revolutionary War soldier. Like William, George served out of North Carolina, though they hailed from different areas and served in separate regiments. Decades after the war, their paths converged closely in Middle Tennessee. The 1830 U.S. Federal Census for Bedford County shows George and William’s households enumerated just a few lines apart, surrounded by a close-knit cluster of other Harrison and McLain families.

From 1830 Bedford Co TN Dist. 9

The timing of their deaths is remarkably close: William died in 1833, and George followed shortly after in 1834. Both men were actively drawing pensions for their service at the time of their deaths. While I have their complete pension files in my possession, the exact resting place for both George and William remains unknown. It is my strong belief that each man was laid to rest in a family cemetery on their respective properties.

Wm. Harrison & widow Elvira Pension

Initially, I missed William's entry in Helen and Timothy Marsh’s Soldiers of the Revolution in Bedford County, Tennessee. When I finally located it, the brief mention offered little beyond data sourced from an old DAR file. Fortunately, his actual pension file contains a wealth of detailed information that I have explored in several previous posts on this blog. Clues regarding the location of his land do exist. I discovered a local land entry referencing where "old man Harrison" (or "old Wm Harrison") lived and died. Because he was the only elder William Harrison residing in that specific area, this undoubtedly points to him. The record also notes his daughter, Elizabeth Cook(my 3rd Great Grandmother), whom the 1830 census confirms was living in the immediate neighborhood. By 1851, Elvira and several of their children had passed away, and other family members migrated out of the region following the Civil War. This rapid displacement of immediate kin is likely why William's grave was never permanently marked and has eluded researchers for generations. If we are ever able to pinpoint his burial site, it is highly probable that Elizabeth and perhaps her husband are resting nearby. 

Uncovering more details on George McLain required sorting through some digital noise. I found a reference from a descendant mentioning a family history book published by his aunt. When I tried to use an AI tool to help me track down the volume, it completely hallucinated the source. Undeterred, I combed through Ancestry tree sources until I found a valid citation that led me straight to the digital copy on FamilySearch.

The McLains, by George! The Family History and Genealogy of George McLain, Revolutionary War Veteran through Two Sons, John Alexander McLain of Bond County, Illinois, Jediah Alexander McLain of Bedford County, Tennessee compiled by Carrie McLain West (1981) 

This history helped clarify why George’s grave was also lost. Following his death, his widow and children migrated northwest to  Bond Co. Illinois. With few family member left in Bedford County to maintain the homestead or care for the site, George's final resting place was left behind to be reclaimed by time. 

The three most likely factors that contributed to these graves becoming lost to living memory:

• The Era of Death: Both soldiers passed away in the early 1830s, a period where early land markers were often ephemeral.
• Gaps in Local Records: While land records for this era exist, the subsequent deed transfers from the 1850s—though partially reconstructed following Bedford County's courthouse losses—are far from all-encompassing.
• Family Migration: Harrison and McLain descendants moved west leaving few local caretakers to preserve the locations. 

To break through this brick wall and locate these homestead plots, it will take  neighborhood reconstruction using platting, watercourses, and adjacent land deeds to piece back together where these two patriots lived out their final days. Thankfully, I can narrow it down to the 9th District of Bedford Co TN.  That is more info than some folks who are researching lost graves have.  For that I am grateful.