Life History

Notes

• Darthula was mentioned as D A Gregory among family members named in a lawsuit against her father William's estate in 1953, after still being unsettled in 1853.
  
  William Gregory [son of Richard Gregory and Lucretia Jones of Virginia], died intestate, his estate settled [?]. Richard Gregory [father of William] was made admr of the estate, then he died.
  
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  1853
  Theodore I. Bradford & William Evans v. A. S. Mason, et al.
  
  Jefferson County, Tennessee
  
  Estate Dispute/Settlement
  
  William Gregory [son of Richard Gregory and Lucretia Jones of Virginia], died intestate, his estate settled [?]. Richard Gregory [father of William] was made admr of the estate, then he died.
  
  Isaac Rhinehart [husband of Susan Gregory, William's sister] was then made executor of the Gregory estate, which was insolvent.
  Bradford & Evans were security on the estate, sued to settle the estate.
  
  Mentioned: Sarah Gregory [Sarah Ann Gregory, daughter of Richard and his first wife Lucretia Jones], Isaac Rhinehart [husband of Susan Gregory], D. A. Gregory [Darthula A Gregory, daughter of William Gregory and Mary Ann (Bragg)], M. I. Gregory [probably MJ, for Mary Jane, daughter of Richard], Susan Gregory Rhinehart [daughter of Richard Gregory and Dorcas Fishback of Jefferson County, Tennessee], Philip Gregory [son of Richard Gregory], James Webb [husband of Lucretia Gregory], Lucretia [Gregory, Richard's daughter] Webb, James Gregory [James Henry Gregory of Jefferson County, Tennessee, brother of William and son of Richard].
  
  East Range 5, Section A, Shelf 3, Box Number 8a, p 117
  
  --  Tennessee Supreme Court Cases, Tennessee State Library and Archives, https://supreme-court-cases.tennsos.org/search?search=1&search_fields%5B%5D=case_name%2Ccause%2Cnotes&search_fields%5B%5D=case_name&search_fields%5B%5D=cause&search_fields%5B%5D=notes&county=Jefferson&start_year=&end_year=&search_keywords=Gregory
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  Tennessee, County Marriages, 1790-1950
  Benjamin Ward
  Darthuly A Gregory
  License issued 28 July 1854
  Marriage 30 July 1854 Jefferson County, Tennessee, United States
  Ceremony by M M Corbet, Justice of the Peace
  Recorded Jefferson County Marriage Book, p 124
  
  Gregory, Dorthaly A & Ward, Benjamin
  Marriage 30 Jul 1854 Jefferson County, Tennessee
  --  M Guyette Wardlaw research, http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~gregoryc/genealogy/tngregory.htm
  
  Dorthula (or Darthula) and her husband Benjamin Ward were sued by her mother and stepfather over the land inheritance rights of Darthula's father William, claiming that the estate administrators had failed to distribute her dower land as widow of the deeceased.  Dower was provided for in Tennessee Law, bsed on old English common law.  the case went to the Tennessee Supreme Court.  It is uncertain how this was resolved, as we do not have access to the full case file.
  
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  1859
  
  Andrew L & Mary Ann Mason v B J & Dorthula A Ward
  Jefferson County, Tennessee
  
  Fraud
  
  Defendant's name is Benjamin F Ward.  William Gregory died owning land on south side of French Broad River, leaving plaintiff Mary Ann (who later married Andrew) as his widow.  Richard Gregory, deceased, administered William's estate but never assigned dower to Mary Ann, so Plaintiffs now claim dower out of that land.  William & Mary Ann had 1 child, Defendant Dorthula.  At time of suit, both parties lived on the land at issue. Plaintiffs claim Defendants are trying to cheat & defraud them out of Mary Ann's dower.
  
  East Range 7, Section G, Shelf 1, Box Number 680, page 126
  
  --  Tennessee Supreme Court Cases, Tennessee State Library and Archives, https://supreme-court-cases.tennsos.org/search?search=1&search_fields%5B%5D=case_name%2Ccause%2Cnotes&search_fields%5B%5D=case_name&search_fields%5B%5D=cause&search_fields%5B%5D=notes&county=Jefferson&start_year=&end_year=&search_keywords=Gregory
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  1860 Federal Census, Jefferson County, Tennessee, 11 September, page 346, Hse #2452, Fam #2496
  B F Ward 26 M  Blacksmith $1800 Real Estate $250 Personal Estate born South Carolina [b abt 1834]
  D A Ward 23 F born Tennessee [b abt 1837]
  M Ward 5 F born Tennessee [b abt 1855]
  C Ward 3 F born Tennessee [b abt 1857]

Sources

• 1. 1860 Federal Census, Jefferson County, Tennessee
  • 11 September, page 346, Hse #2452, Fam #2496
• 2. Tennessee State Archives
• 3. RootsWeb Marriage Records
• 4. Tennessee, County Marriages, 1790-1950