Revisiting Census and Tax Records

Last year I was able to finally locate my 2nd Great Grandfather Wm C Cook in the 1840 US Federal Census for Dyer Co TN.  I've been reviewing that census this morning as well as looking at Tax lists for the area and researching his neighbors a bit more.  This is something I revisit periodically since finding the census entry.  I'm trying to determine what he and his family were doing so far out of place from where I'd expect them to be. 

1839 Dyer Co Tax List Civil District 6 contains the majority of the families who are around Wm C Cook in the 1840 US Federal Census of Dyer Co TN.  Something I hadn't noticed before for this tax list was that at the very end of that District is a list of abt 15 people(it continues to the next page) with a header that on says " The Following is listed by the commissioner for Double Tax".  There is a Cook name listed--specifically, Heirs of John W Cook.   These people are a continuation of District 6 because  immediately after their listing there is a Total for District 6 row.

While this could be another rabbit hole and be a Cook with no relation it must be checked out given before I can make a determination one way or the other.  This isn't something that just applies to census or tax list but is something we should be doing especially with the documents we have for our "brickwall" ancestors.  

An additional tidbit that I also found interesting while studying neighbor Hezekiah Gibson was that there is a Hezekiah Gibson listed on the 1836 Tax List of Henderson Co TN in the same district as Shim and Johnson Cook(Sons of James Roland Cook whose descendants are close in our YDNA line)

"United States Census, 1840," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GYBJ-96TR?cc=1786457 : 18 July 2023), Tennessee > Dyer > Not Stated > image 37 of 42; citing NARA microfilm publication M704, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

"Tennessee, U.S., Early Tax List Records, 1783-1895" database with images, Ancestry(https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/12796:2883 : accessed 18 January 2023); citing Early Tax Lists of Tennessee. Microfilm, 12 rolls. The Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville, Tennessee.

Finding Nancy--Answers and More Questions

Yesterday I took a break from writing my article about my Jakes/Frizzell Great Grandparents and started "Framing out" Part 4 of my 6 post blog series about 1836-1840 Williamson Co TN Dist. 25 folks which include my Putmans(this portion covers surnames M-P).  As I was gathering my Putman information, I wondered why Nancy Putman(widow of Jabel Putman) is not enumerated in 1840.  She's known to be still living and was on the tax list in previous years.  Where is Nancy Putman in 1840?

My plan was to look for her in one of her children's households if I couldn't find a separate listing in another county(she was not showing up in Williamson).  I started in on that and noticed that there was a Noah Putman in Dyer Co TN.  Hmmm not where I'd expect him to be.  Let's check this out! No older female in Noah's household but the person listed right before him on the 1840 US Federal census of Dyer Co TN is Wm C Kook  👀

Could this be Wm C Cook, my 2nd Great Grandfather that I've never been able to find in the 1840 Census?  The ages for all the folks that should be in his household line up perfectly....except there are two extras--an older female who is most likely his Mother in Law, Nancy Putman and a yet unidentified female (15-20).  

While I realize that Cook is a common name, evidence seems to suggest this is most likely him.  

• He is next door to his Brother in law, Noah Putman
• Household composition matches
• Familiar surnames(Call, Hendrix/Hendricks, Harrison, and others) from Williamson Co TN District 25 around him. 
• DNA:  The descendants of Wm C Cook & Elizabeth Putman have a cluster they are in with descendants of a Lightfoot family who is in Dyer Co during the same time period.

I checked the USGW's 1840 Dyer Co TN Census Transcription (pg 104)  just to see how his entry was transcribed.  It was listed as HOOK there.

So now I have my answer to my original question: "Where is Nancy Putman in 1840?"  Nancy is most likely the older female living within the household of Wm C Cook(listed as Wm C Kook) in Dyer Co TN in 1840.  With every answer comes new questions and hopefully answers, documents, and evidence. The circle of research.

Neighbors near Zepheniah Anglin--1840 Bedford Co. TN Census

A listing of the names near Zephaniah Anglin from the 1840 Bedford County Census. He along with William Putman was involved in a State Supreme Court case which included a deposition by my 2nd Great Grandfather(William Clifford Cook) and several other persons of interest in my family research.   As always please check the images as this is simply a listing of the persons as I see them listed.  There may be mistakes.  I am human ☺️

1840 Bedford Co TN census
Pg 43
John McFarland
William Brown
John Dickson
John Morrison
William Pounds
William Rucker
John A Chambers
John Maxwell
William Hooper
Kenedy Almon
John Norman
Robert Allison jun
William Thomas
Mary Davis
John A Moore
Stephen E Hale
Lewis Weatherford
Enoch Rushing
James Underwood
Lewis Heath
Rutha Pinkerton
Stephen Hargrove
Elizabeth Davis
James Merchant
Mansfield Whitehead
Owen C Briant
Alfred Ransom
David O Briant
Lucinda Robertson
Crawford Carlton
Saml Wheeler


Pg 44
Jesse Wheeler
William Taylor
Oliver Bullock
Pious Ward
Hardy Pope
Joseph Hoit(Hight)
Ezekial Ward
Solomon Pope
William C Ward
Thomas Carlton
Burrel Ward
Absalom Stockard
R.F. P Jones
Andrew Vickory
Margarett Vickory
Jonathan Vickory
John Ray
Allen Cooper
James Smith
John Scott
William Elmore
Thomas Wilson
Saml Daughtery
Esther Lamb
Sarah Cooper
James Mankins
Hugh Sherwood
Merrett Corbett
Jeremiah Phillips
Zephaniah Anglin
Willis Lamb

pg. 45

Joshua Sutton

Joseph Sutton

Thomas B Carlton

Nancy Boiler(These are likely Bylers)

James Boiler  "

1840 U.S. Federal Census, Bedford County, Tennessee, population schedule, pg 43-44; imaged at Ancestry (https://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=8057: accessed 20 January 2019); citing National Archives microfilm publication M704-519.