Family Group #3

Patty Martin shared a breakthrough on her family line.  Her line connects to Family Group #3.  Her cousin did the yDNA testing that shows their connection to family group #3.  It is kit #371386.   Below is information that Patty shared with me about her family.  However, the new breakthrough is actually via an autosomal test that Patty took through Ancestry:

  

The DNA test matches I got pretty recently were actually a match with my own test from several years ago on Ancestry.

One match is with a participant who descends from a brother, Michael Hawkins,  of my ggg grandfather David Hawkins of McMinn Co. Tn.  Both brothers were sons of Joseph Hawkins, McMinn Co. Tn. This match descends from Julius J. Hawkins who married Elizabeth Jane Brown.  They married in Murray Co. Ga. in 1875, but moved on to Texas about 1880 where they remained.

Originally I had found David Hawkins living next door to Joseph Hawkins in the census of 1830 McMinn, Tn....My David was the right age to be Joseph's son. David moved from McMinn county before 1836 to Union County Ga. as he is in Union County in the 1840 census with his family. Records from Union County show he was one of several commissioners, active in forming Union as a new county from the time the Indians were run out. At the time, commissioners were the decision makers.  He lived in the Blairsville area.  

The other DNA match to me was with a descendant of Joseph Hawkins sister, Ann Hawkins McKenny. The tree information from the person who matches, says this Joseph Hawkins was the one who married Susannah Williams.

Below is the information that Patty shared about her Hawkins family:

Our 2nd great grandfather is Washington J. Hawkins. I have family pictures, and know his grave site in Cullman County, Alabama,  Arkadelphia Baptist Church cemetery.  He and his wife Rebecca L.Payne Hawkins lived there from about 1870 until their deaths. He died Feb, 1914. Before 1870, He lived in Cherokee Co. Alabama for a time, and his wife was from there.   He was born about 1834 in Ga and I find him in the Georgia census for Murray Co. age 16  a son of David Hawkins and Margaret--- ?.  I have found no concrete info other than that. I find no info on her.  I do believe however that David (born abt 1804) may possibly be the son of Joseph Hawkins and Susannah Williams, who were from McMinn Co. Tn.  In the census records there is a David Hawkins living next to a Joseph in McMinn Co. 1830 and David's children show the correct amt. of children who's ages match. There are Pack families  also in this census, living nearby.

If this is the one, then I found some info on David's sister, Artilissie, who married a Thomas Pack. Other trees show she had a brother David, and Joseph and Susannah the parents. One tree gave note that some of the Pack family had family records suggesting some of the these Hawkins and Packs moved into Georgia "after the Indians were run out"..I was hoping someone related to them has done the test and we could confirm a match. ... I find little info on David, whom I believe died around 1870 or after in Walker Co. Ga (after Walker was formed from Murray Co.) I have found a few land records online, and the last census, I believe 1870 he was living with his son Marion Hawkins there.....

Washington Hawkins applied for a Confederate pension in Alabama which shows his birth as June 5, 1836 in Union County, Georgia. He served as private, 154th Tn. Senior  Regiment of the Infantry, under Capt. Charles D. Cooney, Company F.  He enlisted in Randolph, Tennessee  on May 14, 1861.  He is described as 5 ft. 8 inches,  with dark hair, dark complexion, and blue eyes.

In the census of 1900, and 1910 Washington stated his father was born in Tennessee and his mother in Ga.  The McMinnville Tn. census 1820 has a David Hawkins with one dau. and wife.  living next to Joseph Hawkins and Jeremiah Pack and the Stansbury families.  I am curious as to how this Joseph and David are related. [Remember that this question has been answered]

   I am missing the census of 1860 for Washington, and I haven't been able to find it.  I found a W.J. Hawkins in Texas, but don't think its him. As for David Hawkins, he is found 1860 in Walker Co. Ga. and living with his eldest son, Frances Marion Hawkins, older brother of Washington.

Patty shared a link to Find a grave that has information about her Washington Jones Hawkins and some of his family:

https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=9995994#.VPNQVhHMCvA.gmail

And another discovery was found in a deed:

I have had one important discovery that confirmed my findings regarding my ancestor David Hawkins. Just this week,  I found a record in McMinn Co. Tn. where he sold land.  Date is Oct. 27, 1838, and reads: "David Hawkins of Union County, Georgia,  to John Torbert, place where Thomas Polk now lives, line between Jeremiah Polk and said Hawkins." 

info comes from www.tngenweb.org/records/mcminn/landpg5-67.htm

Previously I was not certain that my David was the one from McMinn Co.  I only knew he was born in Tn.

David's son, Washington Hawkins, is my gg grandfather and in his confederate pension application, he stated he was born in Union County, Ga. on June 5, 1836

David is found in the 1840 census of Union County, Georgia.

David is found in the 1850 census of Murray County, Georgia, and son, Washington is 14 years old.  I have a lot of information on the other children of David Hawkins and their families.

  

I am confident now, that this David Hawkins of Union Co. Ga. is indeed the one from McMinn Co. and further that he is the son of Joseph Hawkins and Susannah Williams of McMinn Co. The parents, and his sisters and one brother, Michael, all lived in the area at least in the beginning.  One of David's sisters, Mary, married Adam Burger.  Another Sister, Artilissie, married Thomas Pack.  Also the Stansbury families in the area are related by marriage through 2 of Artilissie's daughters, who married Stansbury's.

I have found so many trees that mistakenly show a David Hawkins and wife Margaret Alley as the same ones-  but this is not right...this David Hawkins was in Missouri by 1850, and his children are not the same children as in my line.

If you have information to share with Patty or questions, you may reach her via e-mail:  pattymartin.al@gmail.com

The photo below is Washington J. Hawkins.  He is Patty's 2-gr-grandfather who died in Cullen County, Alabama in 1914.

  

Family Group #1

While I was working on doing some sort of updated overview of our Hawkins DNA family group #1, I realized that while Julia Norton and I have chatted for many years, I haven't chosen a subgroup for her family line.  It is a subgroup of it's own.  I wanted to put a bit of information that I have received from Julia over the years into a blog post to share with some of the participants in case they see something of interest.

First, as with the Buncombe County group, Julia's Hawkins family was in Bedford County, Virginia 1810-1820.  Her early family seems to have a John Hawkins married to a woman named Winnie (who is NOT Winnie Ford)

Silas, served as a private for 6 months about 1812 in the War of 1812.  He appears along side his brother, Benjamin in the Virginia Militia in the War of 1812, Vol. I.  He received a land grant in Kentucky for his service.

The daughter's of John and Winnie married into the Cargill, Baine, Davis, and  Miles families

The family next moves to Henry County, Kentucky.  The names there are still John and Winnie but also Silas and Richard Hawkins.  Julia descends from Silas.

John, Jr. lived in Jessamine County for the 1810 census.  His sister married James Davis in 1813 (perhaps on a visit to John, her brother).

Next comes Breckinridge Kentucky:

 Breckinridge County, KY

> Jefferson Hawkins 1829-circa 1939

Next:

Perry County, Indiana

> before 1820  Harry, Fred and Tom Hawkins --Fred remained until  1970

The family then moved to Jefferson County, Alabama and has remained in that area to the present.

Here is a transcription of the will of John Hawkins who was married to Winnie:

proved Henry County KY  about 1824

Will of John Hawkins, 30 July 1824-

"In the name of God, Amen. I, John Hawkins of the County of Henry and State of Kentucky, being aged and infirm in body, but of sound mind and memory and knowing that it is appointed for man [unreadable words], do make and declare this writing to be my last Will and Testament.

First, my soul here, and hereafter I ernestly recomend and commit to the care and control of the God of Heaven and as to the estate with which I am blessed and to which I am entitled I give and bequeath as follows.

To wit:

First I give my son John Hawkins, One Dollor and no more.

Second, I give an bequeath to my son William Hawkins, One Dollor and no more.

Third, I give and bequeath to my son Moses Hawkins, One Dollor and no more.

Fourth, I give and bequeath to my son Elijah Hawkins, One Dollor and no more.

Fifth, I give and bequeath to my daughter Sarah Baine, wife of John Baine, One Dollor and no more.

Sixth, I give and bequeath to my son Jesse Hawkins, One Dollor and no more.

Seventh, I give and bequeath to my son James Hawkins, One Dollor and no more.

I will and direct my executors herein after names so so on can be done to sell:

The whole of my estate be it real and personal ( except one bed and furniture which I give to my daughter Milly Miles and except also one other bed and furniture which I give to my grand-daughter Elizabeth Hawkins and the money arising from the sale aforesaid to be applied to the payment of the legacies contained in the items 1,2,3,4,5,6, and 7 afore mentioned and the balance after paying said seven legacies first afore said to be equally divided between my children to wit: Benjamin Hawkins, Richard Hawkins, Silas Hawkins, Elizabeth Davis, wife of James Davis and Milly Miles, wife of John Miles share and share alike.

Whereas my old wife Winny Hawkins may live longer that myself, in that case my will and direction is that out of the proceeds of my estate and before any legacy shall be paid or money divided, that my executors secure to her, my said wife such ample competency as shall be fully sufficent for her care, support and maintenence, during her life, and after death then the legacies herein after Richard Hawkins and John Miles is paid for taking care of my wife Winny Hawkins, the residue to be divided between my children Benjamin Hawkins, Richard Hawkins, Elizabeth Davis, Milly Miles as above directed.

Lastly I appoint my son Richard and my son-in-law, John Miles, my executors of this my last Will and Testament.

Whitness my hand and seal this 30th day of July 1824."

John Hawkins (seal) (his mark)

Attest-

Thomas (his mark) Bryant, Edward Bryant

Family Group #1

This blog post is about the subgroups of Family Group #1.  I still have some confusion in my mind about a few of the connections of our participants, so please if you see mistakes or have additional thoughts on this, e-mail me and let me know.  Also, if you would actually like to have your name and e-mail attached to the information so that others can get in touch with you, please let me know that as well.  At this date we have 35 participants who are a part of Hawkins DNA group #1.

I'll put kit #25399 in his own subgroup first as his Hawkins family never left the British Isles and he still lives in London, England.  More proof that our Hawkins connection is in the British Isles.

The next subgroup believe that they descend from Benjamin and Sarah Willis Hawkins who were born in Richmond County, Virginia and moved to the Culpeper/Orange area of Virginia where they raised their children in the mid 1700s.  These participants believe that they descend from one of the four sons of Benjamin and Sarah Willis Hawkins. Kit #9933 and kit #34714 descend from son James who married Jane Bourne.  Kit #77663 and #178253 and #8356 have ties to son William who married Elizabeth Bourne. And kit #576481 descends from Benjamin and Ann/Nancy Bourne through their son, Abraham.   Most of this group moved to Kentucky at the end of the Revolutionary War.

6 of the participants do not carry the surname Hawkins.  I became interested in two of these surnames about the same time so they make up one subgroup that I think of as Glass/Cullen because the families lived in the same general area of NJ.  There is a birth incident for these ancestors as there is no doubt that these men have Hawkins ancestry despite their surnames.   Kits #141001, 229108, 221494, carry the Glass surname.  Kit #212366 carries the Cullen surname.  I wrote an article about these connections back in the day in which Phil Hawkins was publishing a Hawkins newsletter.  The article can be read at:

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~hawkinsdnaproject/temp/dna.nsltr11-11_30nov2011.pdf

This next subgroup that I am going to call FG#1Buncombe. These participants seem to connect to Benjamin Hawkins with wife Hannah who lived in Buncombe County, NC c1750 on land that is now a part of the Biltmore Estate.  This includes Dot's son, Inez's participant and Janice's James who was in Buncombe County before moving to Bradley County, TN.   I have explained this subgroup in my post written May 18.  This subgroup contains kits#76532 (Diane Robinson's participant), #68105 (Dot's son),      There is some thought that this line may descend from William, the brother of the Benjamin above who married Sarah Willis.  Both men were the orphans of John and Elizabeth (Butler?) Hawkins who died in an epidemic in Richmond County Virginia c.1715/16.

The next subgroup I am putting close to the Buncombe group as I think that there is a chance that they could connect.  This is Julie Norton's three kits:  #11301, #395294, and #95267.  It is also Don Hill's kit #324116.

The next subgroup I have taken to calling the Short Mountain group.  It is a Hawkins group that is found in the area of TN in the 1800s that is made up of the counties of Warren, Dekalb and Cannon all of which share Short Mountain.  The kits that make up this group are #130445 which is Elaine's participant and  #516763 (Bret)

 You can read about this group at:

http://hawkinsdna.blogspot.com/2017/01/family-group-1-short-mountain-subgroup.html
and
http://hawkinsdna.blogspot.com/2017/01/hawkins-autosomal-dna-matches-in-family.html

Next group I will call McMinn County, TN.  I am not clear if these participants are a match to either the Short Mountain group or the Buncombe County group, so I'll just keep them their own subgroup until we have all done more research.  This is Nancy Pack's kit #59402 and Truman Glen Hawkins who does not seem to have joined our group.  However, I don't want to loose him.  He connects to Raleigh Hawkins who was a brother to Nancy Pack's John Hawkins.

http://hawkinsdna.blogspot.com/2016/08/family-group-1.html

The eleven participants that I have not yet put into subgroups are:

#8356 who is my dad.  My research does not take me back far enough yet to join a subgroup.  I am happy to update this April 2021 to say that I have moved my dad's results into the subgroup that descends from Benjamin and Sarah Willis Hawkins through their son Willam.  WOO HOO!  brick walls falling down!

I will do more updating....but not tonight.
#130445 whose geography would fit with my dad and also with the Buncombe County group
#86330 for whom I seem to have very little information
#18007 Kentucky and Illinois
#59402 (Nancy Pack),
 #435026 Cherokee Mike
#314251 Julius Caesar Hawkins III
#18007 Phil French/Olyve 
#46458 (Janice Blackhurst's Participant)
#46919 descends from Joseph Hawkins (1810-1867) who is associated with McMinnville TN. #59402 is associated with a Benj Hawkins b. 1750 in NC and died in 1826 in TN.  This Benjamin Hawkins married Molly Taylor.

(Cheyenne has told me that she recognizes Joseph and Benjamin Hawkins and that Joseph was the son of Benjamin who married Molly Taylor...but then clarified that this is just by age...no actual proof of the relationship)

Can anyone help me fill in some of these blanks?

Family Group #1

I get updates on the Ancestry site of Nancy Pack about her Hawkins family which connects to Family Group #1.  I have seen a transcription of the will of her ancestor, Benjamin Hawkins, who died in McMinn County, TN in 1827.  Nancy gave me permission to post it on this site so that others might benefit from the information in the will:

Last Will and Testament of Benjamin Hawkins

The Last Will and Testament of Benjamin Hawkins.
In the name of God, Amen. I, Benjamin Hawkins of the State of Tennessee and McMinn County, being in a low state of health, but in my perfect senses and memory and calling to mind things that might take place in my body and being desirous to dispose of my worldly property that God has blessed me with as follows _____first I recommend my soul to Almighty God that gave it and my body to be decently buried at the discretion of my Friends.

First, all my lawful debts to be paid out of my property.

Second, I will and bequeath all my property both real and personal to my beloved wife, Mary Hawkins, and to my daughter, Polly Hawkins, during their natural life - and my wife shall choose one of her children to take care of her and her daughter, Polly, during their life, then I will and bequeath one half of all my property real and personal to the one that takes care of them and the other half to be equally divided among all my lawful children. Only I will and bequeath to my Grand Daughter, Nancy Templeton, one bed and the clow (covers?) belonging to it .
And lastly, I do hereby constitute and appoint my son, James Hawkins and my son, Benjamin Hawkins, Executors of this my last Will and Testament revoking all other wills and testaments heretofore made. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 28th day of December, 1827.

Signed: Benjamin Hawkins (his mark)

Signed sealed and publickly (sic) delivered to be the last Will and Testament of the above named Benjamin Hawkins in the presence of us at his request and in his presence have hereunto subscribed our names as Witnesses of the same in Test.

Signed: John Walker
Signed: Levine L. Sale 193 3 May 1831 Cause heard in Chancery Court. James, Benjamin, William, John, Joseph, Rolla, and Polly Hawkins, David Newman and wife, Sally, formerly Hawkins, john Campbell and wife Blanche late Hawkins, Greenville, William, Nancy and Polly Templeton, children of John Templeton and wife Nancy, late, Hawkins are complainants and heirs of Benjamin Hawkins for land in McMinn Co.

it was transcribed by Dorothy Smith Duff Dec. 26, 2001 from Tennessee State Library and Archives, Microfilm Roll No. 104, Will Book A, page 117

Nancy Hawkins Pack descends from this Benjamin's son John Hawkins. Nancy's  familyfinder cousin  Truman Glen Hawkins descends from John's brother Raleigh.  John and Raleigh were the two sons who migrated to Dekalb Co. Alabama  about 1835.  They have many descendants living there today.  Some descendants went to Arkansas and Texas.  Nancy was kind enough to also share the Chancery Court case that is mentioned in the above:

(Nancy believes that Dorothy Smith Duff also gets credit for the transcriptions of the below)
   


and last but not least deeds that Nancy has shared:

Short Mountain TN Hawkins family group #1

In August 2024, I am adding to this blog post about the Hawkins line that belongs to Bret Hawkins and is found on Short Mountain in the area around Cannon County, TN.  If you continue to scroll down you will find more photos and documents that Bret has shared with our group.  Bret is a member of Family group #1 of the Hawkins yDNA project.

From Bret:  Joseph and Susannah Petty Hawkins are my 4th great grandparents. After 5 known generations of my direct Hawkins family living in Spotsylvania, VA- they ( Joseph and

 Susannah ) went to Madison county, KY. Joseph and Susannah stayed there for 10 years, and married off 4 of their children ( including my 3rd great grandparents, John and Mary Polly Tinney Hawkins ) then dropped down to Short Mountain, Tennessee. They ( my direct Hawkins line )  lived there for over 170 years. Most of the Short Mountain "natives" who still live there are my cousins. I live only 30 miles from there now, attend church there, and spend 1 to 2 days a week cleaning and repairing headstones at my family's cemeteries. Susannah Petty Hawkins is buried up there, but her grave marker is long gone, and I don't know which of the unmarked Hawkins graves is hers. Elaine Campbell is related to me by one of my Hawkins great aunts, Susannah Hawkins ( named after her mother ) who married William Campbell ( one of the four Madison county, KY Hawkins marriages ) and also came to Short Mountain. Hawkins and Campbell graves pepper the mountain. In the early 1900's ( between 1900 and 1910 ) most of my male Hawkins kin moved from Short Mountain to Texas, and my grandfather moved to neighboring Rutherford county, TN.  I was born in Rutherford County, TN.  . But my heart and soul is still with Short Mountain. Two of my Hawkins aunts remained there, we would have our Hawkins reunions up there, and I would visit them all the time. It's a magic place to me.

Below is  Our church, the New Short Mountain Church ( non-denominational ) on the mountain

Next photo below is:   The old Denby house ( John Denby was married to Elizabeth Hawkins, and they had many Hawkins/ Denby get togethers at this home when it was in it's prime ) 

Next photo below is:   me standing between my wife Teresa's and our headstones at Melton cemetery on the mountain

And next below:  Left to right me, my wife Teresa, and Short Mountain cousins Kent Blanton, Melanie Nistad, and Nathan Lorance. We call ourselves the Short Mountain Historical and Preservation Society, and we work hard to keep our Short Mountain history alive. It's extraordinary.   

  



Bret was kind enough to send along some documents that he has in his possession that include information about the Hawkins families that were living on Short Mountain in Cannon County and in the surrounding counties in the 1820s and on into the present time.  Let me know if you have more documents to add or if you can add interpretation of what I have put on this blog post.  I'll start with photos.  They are WONDERFUL!  Here is what Bret said about the photos that he took when he visited the land on which his family lived:


On and around Short Mountain. The leaning headstone is my gg grandfather's. It's facing Short Mt. You can see a section of it in the distance. On the left you can see my ggg grandfather's headstone. It faces our beloved Short Mt also, as does all my kin buried here. This cemetery is on private land, next to their barn. They do not mind family coming to visit.Our Short Mountain tour a while back was a wonderful experience. We found the grave sites of Joseph T and Eliza Hawkins ( my great great grandparents ) buried in the shadow of Short Mt at the Banks Presbyterian Church and Cemetery. Many of their children are buried there too. 

 Kent Blanton's father ( the Blanton's married into us )in his 80's, remarked how much me and my cousins who joined us for the trip, looked like all the Hawkins he knew growing up on the mountain. Since then, I have made 2 more trips up there, and have found my great great, and great great great, grandparents on my father's mother's side, W.W. Masey and his parents, Micajah and Mary Masey. Micajah's ( pronounced "my cage ah" ) headstone has fallen over and broke in half, and I plan to fix that. They are buried at the Preston Cemetery, and his headstone is facing the peak of Short Mt. I have become all become almost certain that John Hawkins was Joseph T. Hawkins' dad, and therefore my third great grandfather, as he had a land grant for a 100 acre section of Short Mt, right in between the 2 peaks. Relatives of mine had grants for the rest of the mt.

 I have other cousins who I have found through DNA matches that are coming from Virginia and New York in May to visit their ancestral home. One thing is for sure... at least 5 generations of my Hawkins family ( my father, his father, his father, his father, and his father: Jessie Allen, Willie Richard, Joseph Irvin, Joseph T. and John ) all lived on Short Mountain. They were farmers and moonshiners, settled that area, helped create Mechanicsville ( a small hamlet at the base of Short Mt) , started the Short Mt Methodist Church, and many of my Hawkins cousins are still up there. I grew up visiting my aunts and uncles on Short Mt, all the way up to the late 70's. Then all my immediate Hawkins passed away. But it has reclaimed me. The pull is strong. I get up there as often as I can  (it's an hour drive from my house ).  If you scratch Short Mountain soil, us Hawkins bleed











Bret said:

 I make Short Mountain trips quite frequently these days, but I forget to take a camera.  Short Mountain is in Cannon county, but it's a stone's throw to the Dekalb county, and it was originally a part of Warren county. I know a lot of folks get confused by all this. It is confusing. It a small, rural area, and it is, to this day, almost entirely a farming community. Moonshining became legal a while back ( if you can't beat em.... ) , but it's still a "dry" county. It is like stepping back in time up there.


And next starts the documents:

Here is what Bret says about these documents:

These are Baptism records from the Short Mountain Methodist Church, and one of the oldest documents of Short Mt- all the names you see, including John Hawkins, were the original settlers of Short Mountain. I am related, one way or another, to about half of them.

Add caption

Short Mountain Methodist Church Register

Add caption

Short Mountain original families:  Hawkins, Ferrell, Gunter, etc

The following I am adding in 2019 from Brett:

Here's my direct line to Short Mountain that I'm 100% on:

1. 4th great grandparents- Joseph Hawkins 1738-1803, born in Spotsylvania, VA died Madison county KY and Susannah Petty Hawkins 1750-1823

2. 3rd great grandparents- John Hawkins about 1771-about 1845, born in Spotsylvania, VA, died Illinois. Census and Tax records have him in Warren county, TN 1808, 1812, and 1820 thru 1830, and Mary 'Polly' Tinney Hawkins 1779- 1835. 

3. 2nd great grandparents- Joseph T. Hawkins July 27 1810- Aug 30, 1868- and Eliza Jones Hawkins Oct 31, 1813- April 30, 1885. Both born, died, and buried on Short Mountain ( Warren and Cannon county ). I visit their graves at Banks cemetery often. 

4. Great grandparents- Joseph Irvin Hawkins Feb 1847- 1919 and Florence Burger Hawkins March 31, 1849- Feb 5, 1940. Both born and buried on Short Mountain ( Melton cemetery ) My wife and I will be buried at Melton, just up the hill from my great grandparents and surrounded by my Short Mountain kin. 

5. Grandparents- Willie Richard Hawkins Oct 27, 1883- Dec 15, 1962 and Dartha Masey Hawkins Dec 9, 1883- Feb 25, 1970. Both born on Short Mountain and buried in Murfreesboro, Tn.

If any of my Short Mountain kin are reading this, my cousins and I go up there very 

often ( I live just about 35 miles from there ) to tend our family's graves and to share research. One of my Warren county Hawkins cousins is Cheryl Watson Mingle, the 

head of the Genealogy dept at Magness library in McMinnville, and President of the Warren County Genealogy Group. We are on facebook if anyone would like to join us there.  

Hawkins autosomal DNA matches in Family Group #1

I heard from Erin Colby this week.  She and her father are autosomal DNA matches to Bret Hawkins. Bret is a yDNA participant who is a match to Family Group #1.  All three did autosomal testing via Ancestry and the expected connection is 4th cousins.  It is so much fun when we find autosomal matches to add to our yDNA group.  The autosomal matches are so much harder to pinpoint!

Erin says:  My great great grandfather was Richard B Hawkins from Cannon Co. Tn, he and his family moved to Parker Co. Tx sometime in the early 1900s.Our Short Mountain tour a while back was a wonderful experience. We found the grave sites of Joseph T and Eliza Hawkins ( my great great grandparents ) buried in the shadow of Short Mt at the Banks Presbyterian Church and Cemetery. Many of their children are buried there too. I held in my hands church records dating back to the 1840's from The Short Mountain Methodist Church, where we all met.   My great great great grandfather, John Hawkins, helped establish this church, along with many other relatives that married into my Hawkins lineage. 

And Bret has explained that his family were found for 4 generations in the Cannon/DeKalb/Warren County area of TN. Unfortunately, I was unable to find a good photo/map of the area, and so I'll wait until Bret has a chance to send us photos from his recent trip to the area.

It would seem from my looking around that Woodbury in the below map would give you an idea of the general area in Tennessee in which Short Mountain is located as Woodbury is smack dab in the middle of Cannon County.  

And the below map gives one a bit of an idea of the topography of the area: 

Bret says:  4 generations- my father ( Jessie Allen Hawkins ), grandfather ( Willie Richard Hawkins ), great grandfather ( Joseph Irvin Hawkins ), and great great grandfather ( Joseph T. Hawkins ) all lived in the Short Mountain area of Tennessee.  I still had aunts and uncles living atop Short Moutain when I was growing up. I and have very special memories of that magical ( magical to me ) place. 

The Tennessee Encyclopedia says about Short Mountain:  A noted feature of the Eastern Highland Rim landscape of Middle Tennessee is Short Mountain. Located in northeastern Cannon County, the mountain looms above adjacent portions of DeKalb and Warren Counties as well.
  
Bret sent the following about the trip to Short Mountain:


Kent Blanton's father who is in his 80's, remarked how much my cousins (who joined us for the trip) and I  looked like all the Hawkins he knew growing up on the mountain. Since then, I have made 2 more trips up there, and have found my great great, and great great great, grandparents on my father's mother's side, W.W. Masey and his parents, Micajah and Mary Masey. Micajah's ( pronounced "my cage ah" ) headstone has fallen over and broke in half, and I plan to fix that. They are buried at the Preston Cemetery, and his headstone is facing the peak of Short Mt.

 I have become  almost certain that John Hawkins was Joseph T. Hawkins' dad, and therefore my third great grandfather, as he had a land grant for a 100 acre section of Short Mt, right in between the 2 peaks. Relatives of mine had grants for the rest of the mt.  I have other cousins who I have found through DNA matches that are coming from Virginia and New York in May to visit their ancestral home. 


One thing is for sure... at least 5 generations of my Hawkins family ( my father, his father, his father, his father, and his father: Jessie Allen, Willie Richard, Joseph Irvin, Joseph T. and John ) all lived on Short Mountain. They were farmers and moonshiners, settled that area, helped create Mechanicsville ( a small hamlet at the base of Short Mt ), started the Short Mt Methodist Church, and many of my Hawkins cousins are still up there. I grew up visiting my aunts and uncles on Short Mt, all the way up to the late 70's. Then all my immediate Hawkins passed away. But it has reclaimed me. The pull is strong. I get up there as often as I can ( it's an hour drive from my house ). If you scratch Short Mountain soil, us Hawkins bleed.

Shirley Brooke added the following about Erin's line:






And Bret added about the Stone family:

The Stones are from an area very close to Short Mt. A short hike, or a even shorter mule ride. Charley Stone is a DNA match of mine. His g grandmother was Angie Wire Hawkins- a branch of my family that settled a couple of miles away from Short Mt. They would tie in with Erin Colby's branch. 

Hawkins in Rutherford County, NC

I received an e-mail from a researcher with following query:

Lucinda Hawkins was born in 1820 and died in 1900. She married Daniel Dobbins in 1841 Rutherford Co. NC. Bondsman was Daniel Hawkins and witness was Drury Dobbins. They are on the 1860 census for Cleveland Co. She appears on the 1900 census but is living with her daughter and son-in-law. Lucinda and Daniel were both members of Sandy Run Baptist Church. Daniel is buried at Sandy Run Cemetery but Lucinda is buried in the Hawkins cemetery (???).

In my research some say she is the daughter of Samuel Hawkins and Jane Webb. In Samuel’s Will he lists his children but Lucinda is not in the Will. On Find A Grave she is listed as his daughter.  Some researchers say she is the daughter of Edward Hawkins and Mary Rollins. I am not sure of the dates. Edward and Mary are the parents of Samuel Hawkins. Daniel and Lucinda were discharged from Sandy Run Baptist Church because of owing money. I don’t think Samuel would disown her and leave her out of his Will.

I am trying to figure out who her parents were.

Thanks,

Rachel

I was of little help as I do not recognize the family. But I sent Rachel a few clues that I gathered as best I could.  Here are the thoughts in case you have ideas for Rachel or in case a clue is helpful for you:

Rachel, I do not know this family.  I looked around to see if i could find anything and did find one article that is attached.  let me know that you are able to read it. 

(the article did not copy here, but i can send it to you if you ask me for article of Hawkins in Rutherford County)

I see a clue that perhaps links Hawkins children to a mother who has remarried in  Lunenburg County, Virginia and moves to Rutherford County with a new name.

I did dig up one more misc item.  DNA family group #14 is a very small family group.  Peter Hawkins is the name of the earliest ancestor of one participant belonging to this group.  Peter is said to have moved to Newberry County from Lunenburg County, Virginia before the Revolutionary War.

http://hawkinsdna.blogspot.com/2015/03/family-group-14.html

Also when you go to the overview in the Hawkins DNA blog, a search for Lunenburg brings up:

Group #3

Participants use names Edward and Eleanor of York County, Va.  Isham Hawkins of Halifax County, Va.  Edward Hawkins of Lunenburgh County, Virginia who died in SC and whose descendants moved south into Ga, Missisppi, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and TX.  And Hanssel Hawkins who was a brandon of Edward and Winnie "Wells" Hawkins. Also Joshua Hawkins b. c. 1755 who married Dorothy Beam in Rowan County NC in the 1780's.  Both died in Wilkes County.

http://hawkinsdna.blogspot.com

Sorry…no more ideas….Group  #3 means DNA group #3….go to the website for trees for participants in these family groups:

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~hawkinsdnaproject/tree_g-1.html

Marsha