Heathcock Genealogy Database - Person Sheet
Heathcock Genealogy Database - Person Sheet
NameTabitha Hunt 
1770, GGGG Grandmother
1770, GGGG GrandmotherBirth19 Apr 1777, Bute Co NC
Death16 Mar 1858, Gibson Co TN Age: 80
FatherHenry Hunt (1744-1825)
MotherAnn Taylor (1745-1821)
Spouses
1Josiah Thomas , GGGG Grandfather
, GGGG GrandfatherBirth24 Sep 1770, Franklin Co TN
Death15 Apr 1830, Franklin Co NC Age: 59
FatherMatthew Thomas (1724-1784)
MotherElizabeth T. Sherrod (1730-1814)
Marriage5 Jan 1798
ChildrenElizabeth (1799-1842)
James Sherrod (1801-1865)
Nancy Tabitha (1803-1843)
Martha (1805-1882)
Mary (1808-)
John Joseph (1810-)
Matilda W. (1813-)
Notes for Tabitha Hunt
Tabitha Thomas is listed in the 1850 census of Gibson Co TN in the family of James Sherrod Thomas:
James S. Thomas, 49, m, farmer, NC
Elizabeth Thomas, 48, f, NC
Nancy Thomas, 20, f, TN
Harriet Thomas, 17, f, TN
Maria Thomas, 15, f, TN
Tabitha Thomas, 9, f, TN
Henrietta Thomas, 6, f, TN
Tabitha Thomas, 73, f, NC
James S. Thomas, 49, m, farmer, NC
Elizabeth Thomas, 48, f, NC
Nancy Thomas, 20, f, TN
Harriet Thomas, 17, f, TN
Maria Thomas, 15, f, TN
Tabitha Thomas, 9, f, TN
Henrietta Thomas, 6, f, TN
Tabitha Thomas, 73, f, NC
Notes for Josiah (Spouse 1)
The evidence that Josiah Thomas is the father of the Elizabeth Thomas who married William Gant is circumstantial, but rather strong:
Elizabeth Thomas was born in 1799 in Franklin Co NC. In the 1800 census for Franklin Co there are 9 Thomas heads of household, all in Louisberg. Only three of these listed a female under 10: Althanatious Thomas, John Thomas, and Josiah Thomas.
In the 1810 census of Franklin Co NC, Charles Gant (father of William Gant) is listed just five houses away from Josiah Thomas. Furthermore, Charles Gant's household does include two males 16-25 (William Gant was born in 1786 and would have been 24) and Josiah Thomas' family includes a female 10-15. This is almost certainly Elizabeth Thomas, who was born in 1799 and would have been 11. Furthermore, listed next door to Josiah Thomas is a Mrs. Elizabeth Thomas, head of household, aged >45, who is probably the mother of Josiah Thomas (and who Josiah’s eldest daughter Elizabeth was named after).
Ancestry.com has several family trees that lists Elizabeth Thomas, b 9 March 1799 as the daughter of Josiah Thomas and Tabitha Hunt.1771 It also has a family tree1772 that gives the following information about Josiah Thomas:
Born: 24 Sept 1770, Franklin Co TN
Died: 15 April 1830, Franklin Co NC
Father: Mathew Thomas b 1724 d 1784
Mother: Elizabeth T. Sherrod b 1 Jan 1730 d 10 Sep 1814
Married to: Tabitha Hunt (b 14 Apr 1777 d 6 Mar 1858 Gibson Co TN) on 5 Jan 1798
This family is appealing for two reasons:
1. The eldest daughter of Josiah and Tabitha was named Elizabeth Thomas and the eldest son was named James Sherrod Thomas.
2. Mrs. Elizabeth Thomas, head of household, is listed in both the 1800 and 1810 census records for Franklin Co KY, in the latter case as the next-door neighbor of Josiah Thomas.
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The book by Edison H. Thomas1773 gives the parents of Josiah Thomas (1770-1830) as Joseph Thomas Jr. and Ann (unknown) and several family trees can be found on Ancestry.com that carry this lineage for Josiah.1774 However, there is a problem with this. Joseph Thomas Jr. is said to have died ca 1758, leaving five children by Ann (unknown), including Josiah. But Josiah Thomas was born in 1770, so he could not have been a son of Joseph Thomas Jr. It is likely that Edison H. Thomas was attempting to give the same family record as was given in the book by Worth S. Ray,551 and erred by simply leaving out a generation between Joseph Thomas Jr. and Josiah (this would have been Josiah Thomas Sr). In an email to Clayton Heathcock on 6 February 2007, Edison Thomas confirmed that he used the Worth Ray book as a source for his own book about the Thomas Family.
In fact, there are several family trees that list the parents of Josiah Thomas (1770-1830) as Josiah Thomas (Sr.) and Sarah Bazemore, as shown in the Worth Ray book.1775 This lineage results from the will of John Bazemore (10 Jul 1789) which was proven in Bertie Co NC in 1790. In this will, John Bazemore mentions his son-in-law Josiah Thomas (husband of daughter Sarah Thomas, deceased) and several grandchildren, Michael Thomas, Jorden Thomas, Josiah Thomas, Elizabeth Thomas, and Sarah Thomas). Since Sarah Bazemore Thomas was already deceased by 1789, and since Josiah Thomas was born in 1770, it is possible that she could have been his mother.
There is a problem with the “Worth Ray scenario” in that the 1810 census of Bertie Co NC lists the families of Josiah Thomas Sr. (>45), Josiah Thomas Jr. (26-45), and Jordan Thomas (26-45) as next-door neighbors. This is certainly the Josiah Thomas who was son-in-law of John Bazemore and two of his sons, Josiah Jr. and Jordan. (In fact, there is a third Josiah Thomas (>45) in Bertie Co NC in 1810!) The 1820 census of Bertie Co also has two entries for families headed by Josiah Thomas, again in close proximity (along with two entries for Joseph Thomas, one for Lucy Thomas, one for Elisha Thomas, and one for Sarah Thomas). Finally, the 1830 census of Bertie Co NC lists the younger Josiah Thomas (50-60), two doors removed from a Bazmore family.
Therefore, the Josiah Thomas who is listed in the 1810 census of Franklin Co NC, husband of Tabitha Hunt, was not the son of Josiah Thomas Sr. and grandson of Joseph Thomas, Jr., as claimed by Worth Ray.
Elizabeth Thomas was born in 1799 in Franklin Co NC. In the 1800 census for Franklin Co there are 9 Thomas heads of household, all in Louisberg. Only three of these listed a female under 10: Althanatious Thomas, John Thomas, and Josiah Thomas.
In the 1810 census of Franklin Co NC, Charles Gant (father of William Gant) is listed just five houses away from Josiah Thomas. Furthermore, Charles Gant's household does include two males 16-25 (William Gant was born in 1786 and would have been 24) and Josiah Thomas' family includes a female 10-15. This is almost certainly Elizabeth Thomas, who was born in 1799 and would have been 11. Furthermore, listed next door to Josiah Thomas is a Mrs. Elizabeth Thomas, head of household, aged >45, who is probably the mother of Josiah Thomas (and who Josiah’s eldest daughter Elizabeth was named after).
Ancestry.com has several family trees that lists Elizabeth Thomas, b 9 March 1799 as the daughter of Josiah Thomas and Tabitha Hunt.1771 It also has a family tree1772 that gives the following information about Josiah Thomas:
Born: 24 Sept 1770, Franklin Co TN
Died: 15 April 1830, Franklin Co NC
Father: Mathew Thomas b 1724 d 1784
Mother: Elizabeth T. Sherrod b 1 Jan 1730 d 10 Sep 1814
Married to: Tabitha Hunt (b 14 Apr 1777 d 6 Mar 1858 Gibson Co TN) on 5 Jan 1798
This family is appealing for two reasons:
1. The eldest daughter of Josiah and Tabitha was named Elizabeth Thomas and the eldest son was named James Sherrod Thomas.
2. Mrs. Elizabeth Thomas, head of household, is listed in both the 1800 and 1810 census records for Franklin Co KY, in the latter case as the next-door neighbor of Josiah Thomas.
*****************************************
The book by Edison H. Thomas1773 gives the parents of Josiah Thomas (1770-1830) as Joseph Thomas Jr. and Ann (unknown) and several family trees can be found on Ancestry.com that carry this lineage for Josiah.1774 However, there is a problem with this. Joseph Thomas Jr. is said to have died ca 1758, leaving five children by Ann (unknown), including Josiah. But Josiah Thomas was born in 1770, so he could not have been a son of Joseph Thomas Jr. It is likely that Edison H. Thomas was attempting to give the same family record as was given in the book by Worth S. Ray,551 and erred by simply leaving out a generation between Joseph Thomas Jr. and Josiah (this would have been Josiah Thomas Sr). In an email to Clayton Heathcock on 6 February 2007, Edison Thomas confirmed that he used the Worth Ray book as a source for his own book about the Thomas Family.
In fact, there are several family trees that list the parents of Josiah Thomas (1770-1830) as Josiah Thomas (Sr.) and Sarah Bazemore, as shown in the Worth Ray book.1775 This lineage results from the will of John Bazemore (10 Jul 1789) which was proven in Bertie Co NC in 1790. In this will, John Bazemore mentions his son-in-law Josiah Thomas (husband of daughter Sarah Thomas, deceased) and several grandchildren, Michael Thomas, Jorden Thomas, Josiah Thomas, Elizabeth Thomas, and Sarah Thomas). Since Sarah Bazemore Thomas was already deceased by 1789, and since Josiah Thomas was born in 1770, it is possible that she could have been his mother.
There is a problem with the “Worth Ray scenario” in that the 1810 census of Bertie Co NC lists the families of Josiah Thomas Sr. (>45), Josiah Thomas Jr. (26-45), and Jordan Thomas (26-45) as next-door neighbors. This is certainly the Josiah Thomas who was son-in-law of John Bazemore and two of his sons, Josiah Jr. and Jordan. (In fact, there is a third Josiah Thomas (>45) in Bertie Co NC in 1810!) The 1820 census of Bertie Co also has two entries for families headed by Josiah Thomas, again in close proximity (along with two entries for Joseph Thomas, one for Lucy Thomas, one for Elisha Thomas, and one for Sarah Thomas). Finally, the 1830 census of Bertie Co NC lists the younger Josiah Thomas (50-60), two doors removed from a Bazmore family.
Therefore, the Josiah Thomas who is listed in the 1810 census of Franklin Co NC, husband of Tabitha Hunt, was not the son of Josiah Thomas Sr. and grandson of Joseph Thomas, Jr., as claimed by Worth Ray.
Notes for Josiah (Spouse 1)
According to Worth S. Ray (1947),551 “Fortunately, we have been furnished with the entries in the old JOSIAH THOMAS BIBLE, now in the possession of a MRS. ADDIE MURPHY, of Medina, Tennessee, which shows:
JOSIAH THOMAS was born 24 September 1770
TABITHA THOMAS was born 19 April 1777
BETSY THOMAS, daughter of JOSIAH and TABITHA THOMAS born 9 March 1799
JAMES THOMAS, son of JOSIAH and TABITHA THOMAS born 4 March 1801
NANCY THOMAS, daughter of JOSIAH and TABITHA THOMAS born 28 April 1803
MARTHA THOMAS, daughter of JOSIAH and TABITHA, his wife, born Sept. 29, 1806
MARY THOMAS, daughter of JOSIAH and TABITHA, his wife, born May 20, 1808
JOSEPH JOHN THOMAS was born August 30, 1810
MATILDA W. THOMAS was born April 10, 1813
JOSIAH THOMAS departed this life 5 April in his 59th year, 1830.
ELIZABETH THOMAS was born January 1, 1730, died Sept. 10, 1814.
There is a persistent tradition in this THOMAS FAMILY that the mother of JOSIAH THOMAS was ELIZABETH (last name unknown) and not SARAH (BAZEMORE)
JOSIAH THOMAS was born 24 September 1770
TABITHA THOMAS was born 19 April 1777
BETSY THOMAS, daughter of JOSIAH and TABITHA THOMAS born 9 March 1799
JAMES THOMAS, son of JOSIAH and TABITHA THOMAS born 4 March 1801
NANCY THOMAS, daughter of JOSIAH and TABITHA THOMAS born 28 April 1803
MARTHA THOMAS, daughter of JOSIAH and TABITHA, his wife, born Sept. 29, 1806
MARY THOMAS, daughter of JOSIAH and TABITHA, his wife, born May 20, 1808
JOSEPH JOHN THOMAS was born August 30, 1810
MATILDA W. THOMAS was born April 10, 1813
JOSIAH THOMAS departed this life 5 April in his 59th year, 1830.
ELIZABETH THOMAS was born January 1, 1730, died Sept. 10, 1814.
There is a persistent tradition in this THOMAS FAMILY that the mother of JOSIAH THOMAS was ELIZABETH (last name unknown) and not SARAH (BAZEMORE)
Notes for Josiah (Spouse 1)
Franklin Co. September 17971776
Minutes of September Court 1797
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Orderd that Drewry Gilliam Marcus Gilliam William Leonard Parker Murphey Arthur Murphy John Leonard, Richard Hill, Richard Hill (great[?]) William White, Josiah Thomas, James Collins, Henry Collins, Shea. Bass, Charles Gant, Josiah White[?], Francis Wills, John Robbins, Lewis Webb, Benjamin Conner[?] Warren Bass James Vinson David Vinson, James Collins, Senr. and Stephen Gupton be appointed a Jury to Think[?] and Lay off if they think necessary a Road from the County line near Great Shocco Creek to Nash County line near Portis's and report to next Court.
Minutes of September Court 1797
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Orderd that Drewry Gilliam Marcus Gilliam William Leonard Parker Murphey Arthur Murphy John Leonard, Richard Hill, Richard Hill (great[?]) William White, Josiah Thomas, James Collins, Henry Collins, Shea. Bass, Charles Gant, Josiah White[?], Francis Wills, John Robbins, Lewis Webb, Benjamin Conner[?] Warren Bass James Vinson David Vinson, James Collins, Senr. and Stephen Gupton be appointed a Jury to Think[?] and Lay off if they think necessary a Road from the County line near Great Shocco Creek to Nash County line near Portis's and report to next Court.