I just returned from the "First Families of Tennessee Reunion & Jubilee" 2016 in Knoxville. I had a wonderful time! A distant cousin provided great company, and drove me to all the family sites. Nice since I don't know anyone else in the area. I attended the conference and learned a great deal about Tennessee and Virginia research that I didn't know. I will have to do research in Virginia Civil Parish records now. The yearly property line processioning records could be useful for me. Also I need to find out who the Forgey family landlord was in Co. Louth Ireland in hopes his records contain some family information. The Scots-Irish presentation was outstanding.
I would like to join "First Families of Tennessee" and get the certificate. I'm not sure which line contains the best proof. I will read through the instructions for acceptance carefully before submitting an ancestral line. I have two, out of 3, lines which should qualify. One line is my Roger Browning line. My other line would be the Andrew Forgey line. The Forgey family was in Tennessee by 1780.
Here is the proof for the Andrew Forgey ancestral lineage:
The obituary is proof my ancestor Andrew was in Tennessee in 1794. Although probably not the best proof since this is a secondary source.
Circumstantial evidence points to a Hugh Forgey being Andrew's father. All other Forgey couples in Knox County have identified children. Hugh Forgey and Catherine Fisher are the only couple living in Knox County at the time of Andrew's birth without identified children. Also, Andrew had a brother Archibald who appears to have been named after Hugh's father-in-law Archibald Fisher. And my ancestor Hugh Forgey, Andrew's son, appears to be named after his grandfather Hugh Forgey. My Andrew born 1794 would have also been named after his Forgey grandfather. Hugh's name first appears in Tennessee records in 1786, when he signs a petition for the division of Sullivan County. Hugh's parents were Andrew Forgey and Margaret Reynolds. Andrew Forgey was granted land in Sullivan County in 1780.
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Every US Census Andrew Forgey, born 1794, appeared on states he was born in Tennessee
A Forgey family bible lists my ancestor Hugh Forgey as Andrew Forgey, born 1794's, son. (it does not date to the time period, but instead contains entries transcribed from another older family bible along with contemporary mid to late 1800's entries)
The above bible entry is proof of descent from my ancestor Hugh Forgey, son of Andrew.
The next link in the chain to myself would be Hugh's son William Wray Forgey. I have Hugh's will and a Census record to prove this link.
William Wray Forgey's son Charles Lynn Forgey was my Grandfather. I would establish the link between Charles and his father with the 1910 US Census.
I would establish the relationship between Charles L. Forgey and his daughter, my mother, Edna with the 1940 Census.
I would use my own birth certificate to prove my relationship to my mother.
Proving the Browning line would begin with Roger Browning:
The East Tennessee Historical Society already has an approved descendant of Roger Browning. I don't need to prove Roger was in Tennessee prior to 1796, since this is already established. The First Family descendant of Roger used a 1789 deed for Sullivan County, TN as proof.
I would use Roger Browning's will to prove Nathan was his son:
My Ancestor Richard Washington Browning was a son of Nathan. I would use Richard's death certificate to prove that relationship. I can't find this document, unfortunately, so I will order another copy.
I would use my Great-Grandmother Isis Browning-Forgey's Obituary to prove her relationship to her father.
If that isn't enough I also have Isis Browning-Forgey's death certificate.
From here I would use the 1910 Census, 1940 Census, and my birth certificate.
William McPike:
Another early Tennessee settler ancestor of mine would be William McPike. I'm finding several problems with some of the research I've found posted about him. There does appear to be a payment voucher for him located at the North Carolina archives. The payment was made out to someone living in the Tennessee area, voucher #59, folio 2, special cert #3437. It is most likely for my ancestor William McPike. He is said to have fought at the Revolutionary Battle of King's Mountain. That is possible, but I thought I read somewhere that he hired a substitute? Also several people have stated he was at the battle of Yorktown. I believe that was a different William McPike. That man was fighting in a Pennsylvania regiment, not a North Carolina regiment.
If I were to use William McPike as my "First Families of Tennessee" ancestor I have no idea how I could prove my ancestor Obedience McPike's relationship, other than some circumstantial evidence? It looks like a number of William McPike's descendants have applied for membership in the DAR. I could order a packet of supporting documents from the DAR to see how William's children were proven?
I will probably join using my Roger Browning ancestor since my mother was most interested in the Browning line. I think she would approve.
