I found an entry for a case listed as State of TN vs. John Bishop in the Warren Co Tennessee Minute Book(June 1860-Feb 1867) The pages are numbered in the book(viewed on FamilySearch which has digitized the microfilmed records) and this entry begins on page 476 and carries over to the next page. There are no dates mentioned in this listing itself that would tell when it was recorded. However, it is recorded in between pages that are headed as Feb 6 1866 and Feb 12 1866 which would put it as some time in early February of 1866.
By that time, my Wm Taylor Hale had died from drowning. His daughter, Caroline Lucinda Hale had married John Bishop August 8th 1865 in Van Buren Co TN and was at the time of this document, about 4 months pregnant with their son, James Monroe Bishop(born June 1866)
Information on the Hale family is hard to find for the period 1860-1880, If I am being honest, it doesn't get much easier during the 1880 to 1930 timeframe either as there are many same names to sort thru. For this article I will focus on the 1860 to 1880 time period.
William Taylor Hale Family Timeline
1820 BIRTH: of Wm Taylor Hale
1825 BIRTH: of brother Frances A. Hale.
1832 DEATH: of father, John Nathaniel Hale, in Warren County, Tennessee.
1841 TAX: (Dist. 8), Van Buren County, Tennessee.
1842 TAX: (Dist. 8) as "Taylor Hails", Van Buren County, Tennessee.
1843 MARRIAGE: Wm T Hale and Adaline Elzie in Van Buren County, Tennessee.
1843 TAX: (Dist. 8) as "William T Hail", Van Buren County, Tennessee.
1844 BIRTH: Lucinda C Hale, in Van Buren County, Tennessee.(April)
1844 TAX: (Dist. 8) as "Taylor Hails", Van Buren County, Tennessee.
1845 TAX: (Dist. 8) as "William T Hail", Van Buren County, Tennessee.
1846 TAX: NOT LISTED in the Van Buren County Tax List (Dist. 8), his brother Francis was listed.
1847 TAX: (Dist. 8) alongside Francis Hale, Van Buren County, Tennessee.
1848 BIRTH: of son, James A. Hale, in Tennessee.(July)
1848 TAX: (Dist. 8) alongside Francis Hail, Van Buren County, Tennessee.
1849 BIRTH: of son, William P. Hale, in Van Buren County, Tennessee.(May)
1849 TAX: (Dist. 8) alongside Francis Hale, Van Buren County, Tennessee.
1850 CENSUS: Van Buren Co TN Dist. 6 HH #239 Wm T, Adaline & 3 oldest children
1850 CENSUS: Van Buren Co TN Dist. 8 HH #344 Francis Hale, wife, infant dau & Mom Catherine
1850 TAX: (Dist. 8), Van Buren County, Tennessee.
1851 TAX: (Dist. 6), Van Buren County, Tennessee.
1852 TAX: (Dist. 6), Van Buren County, Tennessee.
1853 TAX: (Dist. 6), Van Buren County, Tennessee.
1854 TAX: (Dist. 6), Van Buren County, Tennessee.
1855 BIRTH: of daughter, Mary Hale, in Tennessee.
1855 TAX: (Dist. 10), Van Buren County, Tennessee.
1856 TAX: (Dist. 10), Van Buren County, Tennessee.
1857 TAX: (Dist. 6), Van Buren County, Tennessee.
1858 TAX: (Dist. 6), Van Buren County, Tennessee.
1859 TAX: (Dist. 6), Van Buren County, Tennessee.
1860 CENSUS: (None of the Hale Family Located)
1861 DEATH: drowned in Collins River, Warren Co., TN (Spring)
1861 BURIED: at Shellsford Cemetery in McMinnville, TN.
Continuation of the Timeline of the Hale Family up to their reappearance in Census Records
1861 BIRTH: of son, John Nathaniel Hale.(July)
1865 MARRIAGE: of Lucinda C Hale to John Bishop(Van Buren Co. TN Aug 8)
1866 COURT: State of TN vs John Bishop assault w/ intent to commit robbery(bond Francis Hale)1866 BIRTH: of Lucinda & John's son--James Monroe Bishop
1870 CENSUS: None of the Wm T Hale Family located on Census
1870 CENSUS: Francis Hale Family Warren Co TN Dist 4 Dwelling & Family 37
1874 MARRIAGE: of James A Hale to Mary Polly Hillis
1876 BIRTH: of Lucinda & Mr. Davis' son--Luther Davis
1880 CENSUS: Adaline & Lucinda living same household (Van Buren Co. TN Dist. 8)
1880 CENSUS: James A. Hale & Family(Van Buren Co. TN Dist. 8)
1880 CENSUS: Wm P. Hale & Family(Bledsoe Co. TN Dist. 1)
1880 CENSUS: Mary Hale Johnson & Family(Bledsoe Co. TN Dist. 1)
Transcription of the Warren Co TN Court Minutes:
page 476
State of Tennessee vs. John Bishop
No 167 Assault to commit Robbery Rile B Thomas? prosecutor
came the defendant and Francis Hale
and Hardy Patterson into open court and acknowledged
themselfs to owe and stand indebted to the state of Tennessee in the
sum of One thousand five hundred dollars that is to say the
the defendants in the sum of one thousand dollars and the
said Francis Hale and Hardy Patterson in the sum of Five
hundred dollars jointly and severally to be levied of them respective
good and Chattels lands and tenements to the use of the state but
to be void on condition that the said Defendant makes his person
al appearance before the judge of our next circuit court to be held
for the county of Warren in the court house in the town of McMinnville
Page 477
On the first Tuesday after the first Monday in June Next
to answer the state of TN on a charge of assault to commit
Robery(sic) and does not depart without leave of the court
Circuit Court Clerks Office Warren Co TN
and Hardy Patterson into open court and acknowledged
themselfs to owe and stand indebted to the state of Tennessee in the
sum of One thousand five hundred dollars that is to say the
the defendants in the sum of one thousand dollars and the
said Francis Hale and Hardy Patterson in the sum of Five
hundred dollars jointly and severally to be levied of them respective
good and Chattels lands and tenements to the use of the state but
to be void on condition that the said Defendant makes his person
al appearance before the judge of our next circuit court to be held
for the county of Warren in the court house in the town of McMinnville
Page 477
On the first Tuesday after the first Monday in June Next
to answer the state of TN on a charge of assault to commit
Robery(sic) and does not depart without leave of the court
Circuit Court Clerks Office Warren Co TN
This appears to be Wm T Hale's brother Francis putting up a security for John Bishop, husband of his niece Lucinda Hale Bishop. There is another court entry dated June 5th of 1866 that shows that John Bishop did not show, nor did Francis Hale or Hardy Patterson.
Ten years later Lucinda gives birth to another son that carries the surname Davis though I have never been able to find that marriage or a divorce from John Bishop.
Oddly enough I found a divorce that was filed by a female Frances Hale(maiden name Clark) against a Wm T Hale. This was June 1st of 1886 in Warren Co TN. Name is the same but the people are not.
I've not found much on this family until recent years and I've yet to find an account of Wm Taylor Hale's drowning. The main sources I have for this family outside of the 1850 census and marriage is a letter written by Phoebe Hale McCormick(younger daughter of the youngest son of Wm Taylor Hale) to my cousin Margie Hale, a Hale and Acuff researcher. I'm writing more about that and examining it in another blog post. Lots of work yet to be done on this line.
Source
Warren County TN Minute book June 1860-Feb 1867, p 476 & 477, State of Tennessee vs John Bishop; image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C39N-N954-R : accessed 30 September 2026), IGN 8478322, Image 242 of 344
Warren County TN Minute book June 1860-Feb 1867, p 476 & 477, State of Tennessee vs John Bishop; image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C39N-N954-R : accessed 30 September 2026), IGN 8478322, Image 242 of 344
