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This document serves as an open message to all of those who are researching the lineage of Jacob and Polly (RICE) HEADRICK of Blount County, Tennessee, who later moved to Murray County, Georgia. The page was updated on Monday, 11 September 2006 so that a newly discovered source documenting Jacob and Polly HEADRICK could be included. The purpose of the paper is to update other researchers on recent findings, to qualify any doubts that other researchers may have as to the reliability of my conclusions, and to provide clues for others to continue researching this line. I would also like to apologize for any erroneous "facts" that I may have published on this couple in the past, such as incorrect death dates. (Disclaimer.) Like every genealogy, mine is a work in progress. Interested researchers should examine and double-check facts, investigate the sources, and draw their own conclusions based on their perception of the facts.

The most obvious and easily available documentation on Jacob and Polly HEADRICK (HEDRICK) are marriage records and census. Jacob and Polly married on 12 February 1823 in Blount County, Tennessee (documented by a certified copy of the license). My first census extract shows Jacob as head of household in the Blount County, Tennessee, in 1840. These early census records are particularly frustrating, since they don't list the household occupants by name. For many years, this record was puzzling, since it seemed to have additional offspring not listed in later census. I never felt terribly sure if I was looking at the correct record, until additional evidence came to light on their heirs. Jacob and Polly appear next in the Murray County, Georgia, census in 1850. The ages for both Jacob and Polly present a perpetual problem. Polly seems young. Jacob consistently appears to have been born about 1790 or 1791, not 1802 as given in The "Connection" in East Tennessee. This does present a problem, since the accepted date of marriage for John and Lizzie HEADRICK (supposed parents of Jacob) is 1796, the date used in early D.A.R. applications by descendants of John and Lizzie HEADRICK. However, I have seen genealogies which gave 1788, 1791, 1793, 1795 for the date of John and Lizzie (MYERS) HEADRICK's marriage. 1788 ties in with the census records of Jacob's birth, but the source for that date is unknown. I have been unable to find the marriage of John HEADRICK to Lizzie MYERS in any county marriage index or in "Early Tennessee Marriages."

Murray County records indicate that Jacob and Polly (RICE) HEADRICK most likely had at least one or two more offspring than previously documented. Some of my conclusions are based on a land deed of 1866. It does not specify relationships, but does list "heirs." Researchers will recognize the names of some of the heirs, as accepted children of Jacob and Polly. I have made an assumption about two other heirs. The deed refers to unknown heirs of Nancy BABB, whose share of the estate is to be given them if they ever present. For this reason, I have tentatively placed Nancy HEADRICK into the Jacob HEADRICK household as the eldest daughter, based on the only appropriate marriage of the era that I could find in Blount County, Tennessee: Nancy HEADRICK married Joshua BABB on 5 February 1840. This would make her of the right era to be a child of Jacob and Polly. I made an assumption that she was a daughter of theirs, and that she was probably born before 1825, based on the date of that marriage.

Another child that I have placed into this group (tentatively) is Ann HEADRICK, based on an heir, Jeremiah CROWSON. Murray County census records place Jeremiah and Ann (HEADRICK) CROWSON near Jacob HEADRICK (and next door to William, son of Jacob and Polly). While the evidence of Ann's identity as a HEADRICK is not conclusive, I feel that it is strongly indicated. Therefore, I have added Ann to Jacob and Polly's family group sheet as a daughter. One child of Jacob's remains particularly elusive: Mary HEADRICK, who supposedly married a "PLENANS" (PLEMONS?). Nothing more is known about Mary. There are some marriages of the right era that would be possibilities for Mary, where the spouse's name is not PLEMONS/PLENANS, but I have no way of identifying the correct Mary HEADRICK marriage.

I have tied Jacob and Polly together as a couple in various ways besides the marriage record and census. My newest source is another documentation of the RICE surname. One of Jacob and Polly (RICE) HEADRICK's offspring is Martha Jane HEADRICK (married John YOUNG), known to her descendants as Moffie Jane Headrick. She appears in census variously as Jane, Martha J., or Mopha J. Although Mary (RICE) HEADRICK is erroneously designated as Martha Jane's grandmother in the 1880 Murray County, Georgia, census, her age and placement in every census indicates that she would more likely be Jacob and Polly's daughter (as most genealogies show) than their granddaughter. Possibly, her son Frank YOUNG gave the census information in 1880, inadvertently giving Mary's relationship to himself instead of to Jane, head of household. New documentation of Jacob and Polly (RICE) HEADRICK as Martha Jane's parents has been found. Martha J. (HEADRICK) YOUNG died in 1917 in Hamilton County, Tennessee. Her death certificate shows her parents as Jacob HEDRICK and Paley RICE [sic]. It shows their respective birth places in error as "Georgia," but this is the right Martha Jane HEADRICK. She appears in the 1910 Hamilton County, Tennessee, census as Mopha J. YOUNG. The location is Retro, which agrees with her last known address, taken from her brother, young Jacob HEADRICK's, pension.

One thing that brings doubts to many minds is my designation of Jacob as Jacob "P." HEADRICK, and my designation of his son, William, as William "Matthew" HEADRICK instead of the more widely accepted William "H." HEADRICK, as his name appears in The "Connection" in East Tennessee. Let me immediately qualify these two discrepancies: as for the middle initial of "P" for Jacob, I have no noted source and have dropped the "P" from my genealogy file, as a probable error. As for the son, William HEADRICK, his middle name as "Mathew" comes from a caption written on the back of an original photo of him that I own. The caption specifies that his spouse is "Mary C. Emit," which does identify him as the correct William. The photo was given to me by the daughter of Horace Jones HEADRICK. She told me that my Granny (Esther Vallie HEADRICK Pritchett) had given it to her. Esther and Horace were grandsons of William and Mary (EMERT) HEADRICK. William's initials are documented on his son's death certificate as "W M HEADRICK." My Murray County William HEADRICK is documented in several ways as being formerly of Blount (or "Blunt") County, Tennessee, as being the son of Polly HEDRICK, as inheriting land from Jacob HEDRICK, and as having married Mary C. Emert (who is also documented as Mary C. Emmett or Emit). This is important in showing that the parents of my William HEADRICK of Murray County, Georgia, are the same couple as Jacob and Polly HEADRICK of Blount County, Tennessee. Tennessee census records show that there were several William HEADRICKs in East Tennessee, some with the middle initial of "M" and some with the initial "H." [Serious researchers should note that there are two known William H. HEADRICKs in Murray County, Georgia. One is William H. HEADRICK, son of John and Rebecca (SALTS) HEADRICK, and another is William H. HEADRICK, son of Jacob and Harriet (HALL) HEADRICK. Neither should be confused with William H/M. HEADRICK, son of Jacob and Polly (RICE) HEADRICK.]

The death date of Jacob HEADRICK ("Sr."), spouse of Polly, as being between 1862 and 1865 is documented in three ways: Jacob disappeared from census after 1860. Land that Jacob bought early on in Murray County was divided among the "HEDRICK heirs" (including Polly) in 1866. Other heirs mentioned are Jane YOUNG, Elizabeth GREEN, Nancy BABB, Jeremiah CROWSON, and William HEADRICK (my great-great grandfather). This William and his wife, Mary C. HEADRICK, are mentioned in later deeds of the land as well. Still later, the same land passes down to my W.A.L. HEADRICK and his known offspring. Jacob HEADRICK's death date is documented in a third very important reference. A book called The Rebellion in Bradley County, East Tennessee was originally published in 1866. That book has been photocopied and reprinted recently. I had heard that there was a reference to Jacob HEADRICK's death in this book, but that it was proven false because he was alive in 1880. I had already been given this 1880 death date for Jacob, and had assumed that someone had found him in census in Tennessee in 1870. Therefore, I accepted the premise that the book reference might be wrong, if Jacob was still alive in 1880 as more than one researcher had told me. I did not have access to the "Rebellion" book. Recently, our historical society purchased a copy of the reproduction. I quickly read it and determined that the source, insofar as it documented Jacob, was extremely reliable. In it, there is a letter dated 1865 in which one Thos. A. CALLOWAY writes to the author of the book that old Jacob "HADRICK," a blacksmith, was arrested by a cruel Confederate recruiter, Mr. BROWN, and thrown, with his three sons, into prison. According to Mr. CALLOWAY, Mr. "HADRICK" was forced to sign a note to this recruiter, for 50 dollars that Jacob could scarcely afford. According to Mr. CALLOWAY, Jacob died soon after his release. The letter was dated 1865, and the incidence of abuse was supposed to have occurred around 1862, so Jacob's death must have been between 1862 and 1865. This is also supported by the census and deed evidence mentioned above.

Many references within the "Rebellion" book show ties between Bradley and Murray County. Going to Murray County census records, one finds Thomas CALLOWAY as a wealthy landowner in Cohutta Springs, Murray County, in the neighborhood of Jacob HEADRICK. Land records show that CALLOWAY owned large tracts of land in that area. I don't have the records in hand to state whether CALLOWAY was one of the witnesses in the pensions of Jacob's sons, but Dr. LEACH certainly was. Dr. LEACH also lives in Cohutta Springs, and there are deed records between LEACH and CALLOWAY. My conclusion is that Thomas CALLOWAY of Cohutta Springs, Murray County, Georgia, was the same Thos. CALLOWAY who wrote the 1865 letter that appears in the "Rebellion" book.

The pensions of Jacob HEADRICK's two sons provide excellent documentation of the HEADRICK family. It is possible that one of the pensions, that of the son, Jacob, may have indirectly caused the erroneous publication of his father's death date as 1880. Jacob, the son, appears on military lists as Jacob HEADRICK "Sr.," because he, too, has a son named Jacob. Since his father is nearly always referenced as "Sr.," and since Jacob (the son's) pension applications were filed in or around 1880, perhaps he appears on a pension list somewhere as Jacob, Sr. (alive in 1880). Researchers, however, should remember that the suffixes of "Jr." and "Sr." are relative. When old Jacob HEADRICK died (before 1866), his son, Jacob, became "Jacob, Sr." An examination of the actual pensions clears up this problem. The Jacob who served in the Civil War was a Murray countian, Jacob HEADRICK (born approx. 1838-1840), who married Harriet HALL. That would be the man who is usually referenced in genealogies as "Jacob, Jr.," the son of old Jacob "Sr." and Polly HEADRICK. His pension gives descriptions of his personal characteristics and names his family. Witnesses include doctors, neighbors, comrades, and HEADRICK family members. Old Polly HEADRICK is mentioned as his mother. Although his father, Jacob, is never named within the pension (he would be already deceased), he is mentioned by one witness as having been a blacksmith. At least one of the women who witnesses the births of Jacob's children appears in earlier HEADRICK households (I don't have the pension handy ~ I believe it is Jane Young and Elizabeth HEADRICK.) Jacob's brother, William, makes a witness deposition, giving his own claim number. It is this deposition which led to excellent documentation on my William.

The man whom I have designated as my William "Mathew" HEADRICK appears in nearly all documentation simply as "William HEADRICK" (or HEDRICK). He served as a secret service agent for the Union during the Civil War. His pension claim was denied on the technicality that he was paid as a civilian scout, not an enlisted man. However, the pension contains some wonderful documentation. It clearly identifies him as the same William HEADRICK who married Mary C. EMERT. Although the marriage date given within the pension by William himself is a few days off (being the fifth instead of the first of September 1843), it should prove beyond doubt William and Mary C. (Emert) HEADRICK of Murray County, Georgia, are the same couple as William and Mary (Emmett) HEADRICK of Blount County, Tennessee. William gives the Blount County marriage date (slightly off, as previously mentioned) and gives his wife as Mary C. Emert (as written by the court clerk in the pension deposition; though the license itself gives "Emmett"). Another incidence of the Emert/Emmett spelling discrepancy is in the death certificate of William and Mary's son, W.A.L. HEADRICK, whose death certificate lists his parents as W.M. HEADRICK and Mary Emert, both of Blount County, Tennessee. Again, my photo of William gives his wife's surname as "Emit." An examination of the Blount County census shows Emmetts in the HEADRICK's neighborhood. Also, the pension of the Sevier County Revolutionary War soldier, William HEDRICK (or Hedreik), is witnessed by a clergyman, who signs himself as Frederic Emmett, who states that he lives in the same neighborhood as William but across the county line in Blount County. (An examination of the HEADRICK/Emmet households for both Blount and Sevier County, Tennessee, sheds more light on this tight-knit community. Frederick Emert and his son, the Reverend Frederick Emert II, are accepted as early settlers of Emert's Cove in East Tennessee. The point here is that the Emert/Emmett surname inconsistency, which has been touted as a mix-up of lineages, appears to be merely a difference in pronunciation and spelling. It would seem that the early Emmetts spelled their names as "Emmett," but perhaps pronounced it as "Emert." Though more research might come to light on this in the future, I feel safe in concluding that The "Connection" in East Tennessee was correct in connecting the Murray County HEADRICK-Emert family to the Blount County HEADRICK-Emert/Emmett family. My HEADRICK lineage is proven back to Jacob and Polly, and both spellings of Mary's surname are documented in connection with William and Mary HEADRICK of Murray County, Georgia both formerly of Blount County, Tennessee.

One other serious error that has been made is the publication of these various HEADRICKs as being southern sympathizers. In some cases, even the regiment has been incorrectly identified as a Confederate regiment. This has been confusing to me, as everything that I have read about East Tennessee pointed toward the Union. What's more, the name of my William Abraham Lincoln HEADRICK seemed significant. I was very confused, as researchers had sent me the names of Confederate regiments, linked to my HEADRICKs. An examination of on-line muster rolls, though, shows that many regiments of the North and South had similar names. Our East Tennessee HEADRICKs often appear on Union lists. The pensions bear out this fact. Also, the aforementioned "Rebellion" book sheds light on the phenomenon: many Bradley Countians were strong Unionists. Often, those who joined the Confederacy did so by force. Some deserted and joined the Union as soon as possible. Some pensions describe the applicants as being stuck behind enemy lines, or of having to hide out until they could get to Union lines. One particular error that was published was the record of John HEADRICK, who married Rebecca SALTS. He drew pension for service to the United States, not the Confederacy, as previously published.

There is one more item of note. The weak link in my lineage is the link between Jacob HEADRICK (born circa 1790, married Mary "Polly" RICE) and Jacob's supposed father, John HEADRICK. John is proven as the son of old William HEDRICK, the Revolutionary War soldier. However, Jacob is not yet proven as the son of John. Still, looking at all of the circumstantial evidence, I feel that a strong lineal connection is indicated. I would be hard-pressed to believe that Jacob is not a son or grandson of William. Some researchers have concluded that old Jacob HEADRICK is not a son of John and Lizzie HEADRICK because Jacob is not mentioned in an affidavit of Darthula HEADRICK Roberts, his supposed grand-niece. However, Jacob's death date of before 1866 may be of help in studying this clue. Jacob died before Darthula was born. Although it might seem suspicious today that Darthula would "forget" a grand-uncle, even if deceased, it does not seem to be that unusual in earlier history. These were less literate individuals, and formal documentation seems to be much more casual than today's red-tape-bound documentation. I believe that Darthula also made no mention of her half-brother, John. John also died before Darthula was born, but he is documented in a pension claim made by his and Darthula's father, Daniel. A "Jack" is mentioned by Darthula, but I have not yet examined the Darthula HEADRICK lineage to determine if that is a nickname for John, Jacob or Jackson. Darthula's affidavit neither proves nor disproves Jacob as the son of John and Lizzie HEADRICK of Blount County, Tennessee. The lineage is generally accepted and has been certified by a modern-day Sevier County historian, but no original or primary documentation tying Jacob to John has been published, to my knowledge. The best contemporary documentation we have for their father/son relationship is the circumstantial evidence of census, which shows simply that Jacob lived in a small community near the Sevier/Blount County line, near the other HEADRICKs and Emmetts, and that the land where he lived was probably part of the bounty land of the Revolutionary soldier, William. The next best documentation is the lineage chart published in The "Connection" in East Tennessee, which was not published until the 1960's, and is simply a research project of someone else's conclusions. I consider it very reliable, but not infallible. I believe that Jacob HEADRICK does belong in the family of the old Revolutionary War soldier, William HEDRICK, because of his close proximity in Blount County census and other evidence. However, in my mind, there are enough discrepancies in the published genealogies to bring into doubt his exact relationship. I have never discovered proof that he is the son of John and Lizzie MYERS HEADRICK.

More complete documentation may be published later. Until then, anyone needing pension numbers, regiment numbers or other details that would help them to duplicate my research may write to me: D.K. Pritchett, P.O. Box 159, Eton, GA 30724.

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