Jessie B. Shirley was the father of 13 or 15 children and they have not been accounted for. Noah 1809 TN of White Co. TN may be a son.
Also there is a Charity P. Shirley 1819 as head of house in the 1850 census. She must be a widow. 3 Sons are living with her. I will give their info here. Family info sent in by a descendant said their mother remarried to a man by the name of Mathis. I found J. A. Sherley age 12 years living in the home of James Mathis 1781 NC shoe and boot maker, Mary Mathis 1789 NC and Margaret Mathis 29 years NC living in the 1860 census of Bledsoe Co. TN. I would assume this to be the step grandparents of Jesse A. Sherley.
1. Thomas H. Sept 26, 1846 Pikeville, Bledsoe Co. TN d. Dec 21, 1928 m. Esther Ann Lenon April 1869. Note from your editor: I searched the census and found them living in 1880 Lincoln Co. Kansas. There are 3 daughters in the household, Dora 1873 Iowa, Lizzie 1877 Iowa and Nora 1879 KS.
2. Isaac N. 1847 TN Note: I found him in 1880 Rhea Co. TN census. Wife's initials are M. E. 1853 TN. 4 children are living in their household: J.C. (male) 1870 TN, S. J. (female) 1872, Landa (male) 1877 TN and T. B. (male) 1879 TN
3. Jesse Alexander Carnes June 1, 1850 Jasper, TN d. Jan 26, 1931 Toulon IL buried Victoria IL, m. Mary Lenora Hammond July 1, 1875 near Victoria IL. She was born May 13, 1858 d. Feb 2, 1931 Lafayette, IL. She was the daughter of Theordore Hammond July 18, 1827 d. Sept 7, 1901 and Julia Reynolds Oct 15, 1836 d. 1905.
children:
(1). Jesse Clinton Jan 7, 1878 Centerprairie, Knox Co. IL, d. Feb 1, 1890
(2). Mary Ethel July 11, 1879 ditto m. Arthur Miner
(3). Estella Peall Jan 16, 1881 ditto m. Harry Rowe
(4). Alta Luella May 29, 1883 ditto m. Clinton Foglesong
(5). Julia Gertrude Nov 18, 1884 ditto, d. Oct 17, 1957, m. Pierson Rowe
(6). Etta Myrtle Sept 15, 1886 ditto, d. Sept 28, 1944 m. Earnest Dailey and Fred Atwood
(7). Bessie Blondel Oct 19, 1888 ditto, d. June 25, 1971 m. Walter Smith, Fred Gunther and Fred Rahmeyer
(8). Forest Lemont May 11, 1891 Victoria, Knox Co. IL d. Jan 6, 1905
(9). Floyd Calvin Sept 13, 1893 ditto, d. Nov 27, 1973 m. Julia Kimble Oct 30, 1912 and Edith Martin Miller May 17, 1943
(10) Sadie Lavern Sept 22, 1895 ditto, d. Aug 16, 1947 m. James Peter Moline Dec 24, 1912
(11) Eddis Ward Jan 1, 1897 Toulon, Stark Co. IL d. Feb 1901
(12) Charles Alexander Jan 2, 1900 Toulon, Stark Co. IL d. Feb 1901
(13) Ivan Winfield Feb 1, 1902 Toulon, Stark Co. IL d. April 1916
(info from: Chattanooga TN Times, Sunday, April 1, 1928)
Oldest Native Tennesseean, BLACKMAN SHIRLEY...
"Aged 108, said to be the oldest native Tennesseean, now a resident of Parker Co. Texas....."
"Mr. Peace who himself is now a grandfather, when a boy, knew Mr. Shirley and recalls that Mr. Shirley was then a thrifty Hamilton Co. farmer, aged in the late forties or early fifties."
"Since returning to Chattanooga from his visit in Texas, Mr. Peace has gone to the courthouse and studied the records to ascertain dates of deeds to aid in fixing Mr. Shirleys' exact age. Among other records, he found one which was most interesting to him, the transfer of a farm to his father, J.W. Peace, Methodist circuit rider, in Jan 1870."
"I reckon I'm here to stay" says Blackman Shirley, aged 108, one of the oldest native Tennesseans and now a resident of Parker Co. Texas.
"Everyone I knew long ago is dead and gone. But it seems that I just can't get away from here." The old man, now a centenarian chuckled mildly over his words in summing up a conversation about his age and old times in his native state of Tennessee.
"Blackman Shirley was born in Sequatchie Valley, TN near Jasper about 1820. He is now on the of oldest men in the country. He has been made a guest of honor at Parker County fairs and other occasions in his resident county in Texas and the Weatherford Texas Chamber of Commerce has entertained him. He is held in high esteem in his community."
"Mr. Shirley spent the first sixty-two years of his life in East Tennessee, mostly in Hamilton County; he was a thrifty farmer being a large wheat and corn producer and also dealt in cattle and land."
"During the Civil War, Blackman Shirley served in Co. F. Fifth Infantry of TN. He received an honorable discharge and is now enjoying a liberal pension."
"Mr. Shirley is enjoying good health, Mr. Peace says, and enjoys eating as well as ever. His sight is not good but his hearing is excellent. He is in comfortable circumstances, and is now living with his third wife who is a very good woman and a comfort to him.
email message Feb 2000
Blackmon L. Shirley (b1828-1942) aka:Blackman L. Sherley, Uncle Blackie was born in east Tenn. Married Mary Worthington. Moved to Parker Co Texas @1881. Daughter Margaret Elizabeth Shirley (1854-1937) m James Aaron Freiley (1858-1913) daughter Bessie (1896-1928) m. Jacob Wiley Headrick (1887-1946), daughter Martha Magaret (1921-1980) m. Paul Newton Nickerson (1914-1996)
If you have any info on Blackie's parents it would help. Family history has Blackie's father dying after surgery for a wart, and Blackie being youngest of 15 children.
Thanks for this page it helps a lot to look at my distant relations
info from Sue Crabtree scrabtree@prodigy.net
Generation No. 1
1. JESSE B1 SHERLEY was born Abt. 1790 in SC. He married ALLEN.
Notes for JESSE B SHERLEY: possibly had son Abraham b. 1813 SC
Children of JESSE SHERLEY and ALLEN are:
i. LANDON JESSE2 SHERLEY, b. October 23, 1814, SC; d. October 22, 1904, Provence OK; m. SARAH SWAFFORD, Abt. 1837, Bledsoe County TN.
ii. THOMAS SHERLEY, b. Abt. 1818, SC; d. Abt. 1848, SC; m. CHARITY P. MATHIS, Abt. 1843, Bledsoe County TN.
iii. MARY ELLEN SHERLEY, b. October 27, 1818, SC; d. 1911, Ray County MO; m. JOHN CALVIN SWAFFORD, Abt. 1840, Bledsoe County TN.
iv. ELIZABETH SHERLEY, b. Abt. 1820, SC; m. AARON W SWAFFORD, Abt. 1838, Bledsoe County TN.
v. EDWARD 'NED' SHERLEY, b. December 01, 1821, SC; d. Fayetteville AR; m. ELIZABETH MINERVA GREEN.
vi. JOSEPH P SHERLEY, b. 1826, SC.
vii. RUFUS B SHERLEY, b. December 26, 1827, SC; d. July 05, 1881; m. MALINDA SHROPSHIRE, Abt. 1849.
viii. BLACKMON LIGON SHERLEY, b. June 15, 1829, Bledsoe County TN; d. February 17, 1933, Springtown TX; m. (1) MARY F WORTHINGTON; m. (2) CASSANDRA DUBECK; m. (3) ANNIE MOORE.
ix. JAMES CALVIN "CAL" SHERLEY, b. Abt. 1833, Bledsoe County TN; d. Hamilton County, TN; m. SARAH JANE SWAFFORD, 1854.
x. LOUISA JANE SHERLEY, b. 1834, TN; d. Aft. 1866, Lawrence, TN.
xi. SARAH JEANETTE SHERLEY, b. 1836, Bledsoe County TN; d. November 01, 1862, Bledsoe County TN; m. JESSE CARROLL, 1855, Bledsoe County TN.
xii. KIZZIAH SHERLEY, b. Abt. 1838, Bledsoe County TN.
Generation No. 2
LOUISA JANE 2 SHERLEY (JESSE B1) was born 1834 in TN, and died Aft. 1866 in Lawrence, TN. She married WESLEY VERNON Abt. 1853, son of ABSOLOM VERNON and MARY VERNON. He was born 1827 in NC, and died Aft. 1880 in TN.
Children of LOUISA SHERLEY and WESLEY VERNON are:
i. ANN ELIZABETH3 VERNON, b. 1854, TN.
ii. SARA MATILDA VERNON, b. 1855, TN.
iii. JOHN B VERNON, b. 1858, TN; d. December 10, 1946, Maury, TN; m. LUVINA ANN PUGH, 1876, TN; b. March 28, 1856, Maury, TN; d. September 29, 1928, Maury, TN.
iv. MARY T VERNON, b. 1859, TN.
v. ABSOLOM JESSE VERNON, b. 1863, TN.
vi. WILLIAM WESLEY VERNON, b. 1864, TN.
vii. OCTAVIA VERNON, b. 1866, TN.
Thanks to Eva Huddleston for sharing her research archive on Blackman Shirley with the Shirley Association. Enjoy! (December 2009)
Also see her comprehensive Family pedigree
Eva writes: "The article calling him “Uncle Black” is from the Weekly Herald (Springtown, Parker Co., TX newspaper) Thursday Feb 23, 1933. A couple of the items are from books that I found in the Weatherford Library as I used to live in the area. The picture is from the Springtown Cemetery where he is buried with his 3rd wife Annie and his youngest daughter. He also has a joint headstone at another cemetery out in the woods, I have the info on this cemetery and pictures of the stones somewhere. It took me forever to find it and it is only sporadically maintained. His second wife Cassie is there along with one of his sons who died young. I am assuming that he did not expect to remarry when Cassie died and so purchased a joint stone and had his name and birth information placed on it but it has not death date, which is what sent me looking for the second cemetery."
See more Newspaper Articles on the long life of Blackman Shirley (and his death certificate)
