Life History

Notes

• "I have traced my wife back to a Cynthia Gregory who was in Cherokee County, Alabama, in 1850 along with Phillip and James Henry, and have found several other Gregorys who appear to be siblings based on naming patterns and proximity-all of whom fit in with the household composition of Richard and Dorcas in the 1810-40 censuses."
  --  Steve Squier, email to Orville Boyd Jenkins, 18 August 2017
  
  1840 Jefferson Co., TN
  male 50-59 = Richard Gregory
  female 50-59 = Dorcas Fishback
  [the unidentified son and Few are now out of the household, Few having been married in 1834]
  male 20-29 = Phillip Gregory (b. ~1817 VA)
  female 20-29 = Lucretia Gregory (b. ~1819 TN)
  female 20-29 = Mary Jane Gregory (b. ~1820 TN)
  female 15-19 = Susan Gregory (b. ~1821 TN)
  male 15-19 = James Henry Gregory (b. Apr 1826 TN)
  female 5-9 = Cynthia Gregory (b. ~1831/32 TN)
  --  Steve Squier, email to Orville Boyd Jenkins, 23 August 2017
  
  Steve identifies the youngest child, aged 5-9, as Cynthia, yielding a birth date around 1831 or 1832 by his figures.  Apparently this same Cynthia appears in the 1850 census as Synthia Perry, wife of William J Perry, identified also by Steve as Cynthia's husband.  Thanks to Steve for his research in locating associated records for this family group.
  
  --------------------------
  My starting point is my wife's ancestor, Cynthia Gregory, whom I've traced back as far as the 1850 census, where she appears in Cherokee Co., AL, with her husband, William J. Perry, whom she married within the previous year, probably in that same place.
  
  So, to determine what family she might belong to, I started looking for other Gregorys in the area. I found Phillip and James Henry, saw that they had their origin in Jefferson Co., TN, and began collecting everything I could find on anyone named Gregory in that county.
  
  In the process of doing that, I found that there were also three female Gregorys who were married in Jefferson Co., TN, and later ended up in Cherokee Co., AL: Lucretia, who married James A. Webb (1850 census); Priscilla, who married a different James Webb (1850 census, with an apparent sister named Martha living with them); and Sarah J., who married William Henry Butler (1860 census).
  --  Steve Squier, email to Orville Boyd Jenkins, 23 August 2017
  --------------------------
  
  1850 Federal Census, Cherokee County, Alabama, 26 (?) October, District 26, Hse/Fam #531
  William J Perry 27 M Blacksmith $0 Real Estate SC [b abt 1823]
  Synthia Perry 18 F b Tenn [b abt 1832]
  
  William and Cynthia (Cyntha)  moved from Alabama to Arkansas about 1853.
  
  1860 Federal Census, Independence County, Arkansas, 12 September, Greenbriar Township, PO Alderbrook, pages 313 (scan 307), Hse/Fam #2122
  William J Perry 37 M Blacksmith $0 Real Estate $100 Personal  born South Carolina [b abt 1823]
  Cyntha G Perry 29 F born Tennessee Illiterate [b abt 1831]
  Sarah A C M Perry 8 F born Alabama Attended School [b 1852]
  Oliver H D Perry 6 M born Arkansas Attended School [b abt 1854]
  Edward J Perry 4 M born Arkansas [b abt 1856]
  
  Records that appear to be for her husband William J Perry, and presented that way with comment and analysis on Perry family genealogies, report he was POW in a Union prison in Missouri, and then moved to St Louis, before being exchanged in May 1865.  I have found no later record for William.
  
  A marriage record for Cynthia (or Cyntha or Syntha), in Independence County, Arkansas, where she and William were living from about 1853, reports that she married again in 1863.  This is marriage is reported by Gregory researchers as being the same Cynthia Gregory who was married to William J Perry in Cherokee County, Alabama (or Jefferson County, Tennessee) then moved to Independence County, Arkansas.
  
  This conflict of dates brings up questions I have not seen dealt with on other genealogies.  Did Cynthia think her husband William Perry was dead?  Had they for some reason divorced before or during the war?  Is there a bizarre confusion of identities of two William J Perrys in the area?
  
  Arkansas, County Marriages Index, 1837-1957
  Syntha Gregory
  Age 32 (Birth abt 1831)
  Residence Independence County, Arkansas
  Spouse's Name Levi Jinings [Jennings]
  Spouse's Age 45 (Birth about 1818)
  Spouse's Residence Independence County, Arkansas
  Marriage 17 May 1863 Independence County
  Ceremony by W J Clark, Justice of the Peace for Independence County
  Filed 25 June 1863, Independence County Marriage Book, pp 99-100
  
  In 1870, Cynthia is apparently widowed, reported as the head of her household with four children in her household, including one child from her recent marriage to Levi Jennings, Josephine Jennings, born about 1866.  So we can tell Jacob died not long after Josephine's birth.  The two younger sons are reported with the surname Jinnings.  Her older daughter Sarah is in the household with her husband.
  
  1870 Federal Census, Independence County, Arkansas, 25 June, Greenbriar Township, PO Batesville, page 15 (scan 98), Hse #102, Fam #142
  Jinnings, Cyntha 39 F W Keeping House $0 Real Estate $0 Personal Estate born Georgia Illiterate [b abt 1831]
  Jinnings, Josephine 4 F W born Arkansas [b abt 1866]
  Jinnings [Perry], James E 13 M W Works on Farm born Arkansas Illiterate [b abt 1857]
  Jinnings [Perry], Oliver P 15 M W Works on Farm born Arkansas Illiterate [b abt 1855]
  - Fam #142 -
  Mannell [Manuel], Paten (?) [Son-in-law] 19 M W Works on Farm born Georgia married Aug 1869 Illiterate [b abt 1851]
  Mannell [maiden Perry], Sarah A [Dau] 18 M W Works on Farm born Arkansas married Aug 1869 Illiterate [b abt 1852]
  
  One reference to Sarah indicates her married name was Manuel, not Mannell as the 1870 census has.
  
  In 1880, Cynthia was enumerated (under the name of Sinthey) with her next husband Jacob Davis.
  
  1880 Federal Census, Pope County, Arkansas, 2 June, District 132, page 13, Hse #18, Fam #22
  Davis, Jacob F  W M 47 Laborer NC NC NC Cannot Read [b abt 1833]
  Davis, Sinthey G  W F 48 Wife Keeping House GA GA GA Cannot Read or Write [b abt 1832]
  Davis, Sarah A  W F 14 Dau At Home Cannot Read MO GA GA [b abt 1866]
  Davis, Allen G  W M 9 Son Cannot Read AR GA GA [b abt 1871]
  
  Sarah A Davis appears to be a prior child of Jacob, even though she has the same name as Cynthia's older daughter Sarah A Perry Mannell; ref 1870 census.  Synthey's daughter Sarah is next door with her husband.

Sources

• 1. Ancestry Trees
• 2. 1850 Federal Census, Cherokee County, Alabama
  • 26 (?) October, District 26, Hse/Fam #531
• 3. 1860 Federal Census, Independence County, Arkansas
  • 12 September, Greenbriar Township, PO Alderbrook, pages 313 (scan 307), Hse/Fam #2122
• 4. Arkansas, County Marriages Index, 1837-1957
• 5. 1870 Federal Census, Indpendence County, Arkansas
  • 25 June, Greenbriar Township, PO Batesville, page 15 (scan 98), Hse #102, Fam #142
• 6. 1880 Federal Census, Pope County, Arkansas
  • 2 June, District 132, page 13, Hse #18, Fam #22
• 7. 1840 Federal Census, Jefferson County, Tennessee
• 8. Steve Squier
• 9. California, Death Index, 1940-1997
• 10. Ancestry Comments
• 11. Arkansas, County Marriages, 1837-1957
• 12. 1880 Federal Census, Wake County, North Carolina
  • 2 June, Independence Township, District 132, page 12, Hse #17, Fam #21