I believe the children of James and Martha Smith to be the following:
I don’t think my research into Nancy, her family, and FAN club is complete (especially the Cawthon/Cauthon family, but I do feel I can say she was a daughter of James & Martha Smith as you’ll see below. I’m sure I’ll come back to her again.
What I know about Nancy:
She was born around 1805 in North Carolina. I believe she migrated west with, at least Cuddy J and Martha before 1830.
Having found no marriage record, I’m not sure where or when Nancy and Thomas were married. I believe the Thomas Johnson family is enumerated in 1830 in Carroll County, Tennessee.
If this is Thomas and Nancy Johnson, they have three children, 1 male under 5, 1 male 5-9, and 1 female 5-9. I am only certain of Isaac.
By 1839, James C Smith is dead. We know this because, Thomas and Nancy Johnson sell their interest in slaves being the property of the widow of the father of the said Cuddy J Smith.
I know it is my family. If the names of Cuddy J and Nancy are not enough to convince you, check out the names of the seven slaves for which they are selling their interest.
“Mary a woman about thirty years of age and six of her children, Sandy, Emily, Bob, Burwell, Clark, and Clarissa”. Several of these slaves were mentioned in the records on Nelson P.’s children, specifically the 1853 sale of Wiley’s interest to Cuddy J.
“girl Sandy … Boy Bob … Girl Emily … Boy Clark … Boy Burwell … Clarissa … they being the issue and descendants of a woman named Mary now dead formerly in the possession of said Grand Mother.”
This bill of sale by Thomas and Nancy is significant because it states that James died in North Carolina. My family lore is that both James and Martha died in Montgomery County. Obviously, this is at least partly wrong. However, it is possible that James died before they left or perhaps along the way west. It also states that Cuddy J is the son of James and Martha Smith.
On 24 July, 1840, Thomas Johnson wrote his hill. He leaves everything to his wife, Nancy, excepting the mill for which his interest is to be sold. I believe this mill to be the same listed in several other documents. He doesn’t name his children. He wrote the will on 1 July and it was probated on
In section 3 of his will, he declares that if any of his single sons marry during the widowhood above named, they shall have as much of his personal property as has been given to those who have already left him. This says to me that he has at least two sons who have already left home and married.
I should be able to find Thomas or Nancy in the 1840 census, depending on when the enumerator was in that area. However, so far, I have not found either of them. Nor a Johnson household that I thought could include the family.
According to the 1850 census, Nancy was born about 1805. She states she’s born in NC along with Isaac and Martha. She is living with:
- Isaac 23
- Martha 21
- David 21
- Samuel 19
- Ennue S 18
- Nancy 17
- John 15
- Littleton 14
In 1851, Allen Johnson sold 114 acres of a 2300 acre tract to Nancy Johnson, Isaac Johnson, David R Johnson, Samuel N Johnson, Littleton Johnson, Martha Johnson James S Steel, Ennue Johnson. I don’t know if this Allen Johnson is Thomas’ brother or if it’s a son of Nancy and Thomas. Could this Allen be the male age 5-9 on the 1830 census? The other childrens’ names are certainly those listed in the 1850 census.
The question is which Nancy? Is this Nancy the sister of Cuddy or the daughter of Thomas Johnson. I have not sorted that out yet. Also, who is James L Steel? On 18 January 1845, James Lindsey Steele married Sarah Johnson. Could this be the female age 5-9 listed on the 1830 census?
Because of the names in the deed, I do feel like this is an older child listed on the 1830 census and the Nancy here is the daughter of Thomas and Nancy but I have found no definitive proof of this.
Some questions I still have is where are Martha and John? Was the Martha on the 1850 census a wife to Isaac? If so, who is the Martha on the 1860 census?
In 1860, we find Nancy still in Carroll County. She has aged quite a bit and is now born about 1789. She is still born in North Carolina, but Martha is born in Tennessee. She is living with:
- Martha 33
- Sam N 31
- Let 26
Although the ages are wrong, the children’s ages are closer-ish and the names match three of those she was living with in 1850. The 1850 census also supports them moving west about 1828. I believe Nancy’s age is incorrect. There are two Nancy Johnsons living in Carroll County, TN. The other one was born about 1788. While the age of this Nancy would match the age on this 1860 Census, this Nancy is found on the Census, age 74. Living alone beside the same people (Susan Orr) in which she was living in 1850 and 1840.
On 10 January 1867, Nathan Cawthon is appointed administrator for the Nancy Johnson estate.
Who was Thomas Johnson?
I haven’t been able to a marriage record for Thomas and Nancy in South Carolina, North Carolina, or Tennessee or US. I believe Thomas to be the son of Isaac.
In 1838, the will of Isaac Johnson names sons Thomas and John as executors.
In addition, in 1836, there is a bonds on Isaac Johnson unto Thomas, John, Littleton, Allen, & Henry Johnson for a parcel of land including a grist mill built by said Johnsons. He retained the control and profits arising from the mill during his life and after his death is to be vested in the said Thomas Johnson and others. The bond holds a penal sum of four thousand dollars and states he is now obligated to the heirs of Robert Galloway for said land. It seems to me that the Johnson sons got quite upset that they may lose the grist mill because their father borrowed against the land!
I believe this ties Thomas Johnson who married Nancy to Isaac Johnson and brothers John, Littleton, Allen, and Henry because, Thomas spoke of the grist mill in his will and said that it shall be auctioned off.
On 5 December, 1840, Allen Johnson was the highest bidder for Thomas Johnson’s interest in the mill. This correlates with the death of Thomas Johnson.
Interestingly, right after the sale, on 9 December, 1840, Henry Johnson assigns his interest to Allen and Littleton assigns his interest to John. So it would seem that after 1840, two Johnson brothers owned the grist mill, Allen and John.
In 1844, a deed was recorded in Carroll County, TN between Rolly/Rawly Galloway, executor of Robert Galloway, of Rockingham County, North Carolina sold to Thomas Johnson, executor of Isaac Johnson, for a parcel of land in Carroll County, TN dated 27 April 1839.
It would seem that before his death, Thomas Johnson was trying to settle and regain title to said property after Isaac died.
In 1869, William Johnson, Henry Kirk and wife Martha Kirk, Lucy Moore, and John A Johnson sold to Nathan Cawthon a tract of land in division of Nancy G ????, et als, to Nancy Johnson widow of Thomas Johnson, deceased. One tract borders CJ Smith and is about 94 acres. The second tract is 145 acres and is “part of a 2300 tract owned by Thomas Hunt of Granville County, NC and said 2300 acres is the east end of a 5000 acre track of land granted to Mimican Hunt.”
The grantors all signed in Carroll County, TN except for Martha Kirk. She was in Marshall County, Mississippi. I haven’t yet sorted out who these five people are or exactly what Nancy G’s last name is. I believe it to be More and that she was related to Lucy Moore, or perhaps all of these folks!
Who was Nathan Cawthon?
The short answer is I don’t know! I can’t figure out quite who he or William H Cawthon is. You’ll see a little more about them both later. Nathan was married to Susan Johnson according to the FamilySearch tree as well as ancestry. I think she was either Thomas Johnson’s sister or daughter. I feel like she’s too old to have been Nancy’s daughter.
I will certainly be researching him some more as he was quite involved with the Smith family once they were in Tennessee. He purchased inheritances from Cuddy and a Christian man. WH Cawthon bought Green’s inheritance. Nathan was also the administrator for Nancy’s estate.
He passed away in late 1871 or early 1872. In April 1872, JW Cawthon and JM Wood were bonded to be administrators of the estate of Nathan Cawthon.
After his death, John M Dalton was guardian for Samuel C and Josephine Cawthon minor children of Nathan Cawthon.
There will be more on the Cawthon family as I’m certain there are ties between the Cawthons, Johnsons, and Smiths!
The Galloway information ties the Johnsons back to Rockingham County or the Galloways to Carroll County. That is also yet to be discovered. I am pretty confident that Nancy who married Thomas Johnson was the daughter of James C and Martha Smith.
Sources:
- “Carroll, Tennessee, United States Records,” images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSZN-73KS : March 30, 2024), image 41 of 619; Carroll County (Tennessee). Register of Deeds. Thomas & Nancy Johnson Bill of Sale to CJ Smith.
- “Carroll, Tennessee, United States Records,” images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S7WF-ST3R-V9 : March 30, 2024), image 8 of 403; Tennessee State Library and Archives (Nashville, Tennessee).
- Wills, 1822-1948; Inventories to Estates, 1852-1899; Author: Carroll County (Tennessee) County Court Clerk; Probate Place: Carroll, Tennessee. Notes: Wills, Vol A-B, 1822-1904 Ancestry.com. Tennessee, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1779-2008 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Original data:Tennessee County, District and Probate Courts. Accessed 25 March 2024. Will of Thomas Johnson.
- “United States Census, 1850”, , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCD4-BDQ : Sat Mar 09 09:06:59 UTC 2024), Entry for Nancy Johnson and Isaac Johnson, 1850.
- “United States Census, 1860”, , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8T4-P1Z : Fri Mar 08 15:39:35 UTC 2024), Entry for Nancy Johnson and Martha Johnson, 1860.
- “Carroll, Tennessee, United States records,” images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSZF-YQ3T-5?view=explore : March 29, 2024), image 673 of 732; Wiley Smith Bill of Sale to Cuddy J Smith.
- “Carroll, Tennessee, United States records,” images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-657S-PHR?view=explore : Apr 2, 2024), image 53 of 84; Tennessee State Library and Archives (Nashville, Tennessee). Line 79 James L Steel to Sarah Johnson.
- “Tennessee Probate Court Books, 1795-1927,” images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S7WF-ST3R-V9?cc=1909088&wc=M6QQ-ZNL%3A179638201%2C179810001 : 22 May 2014), Carroll > Inventories, 1867-1877, Vol. C > image 4 of 399; county courthouses, Tennessee. Nathan Cawthon Administrator for Nancy Johnson.
- Ancestry.com. Tennessee, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1779-2008 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Accessed April 2, 2024. Original data: Tennessee County, District and Probate Courts. Will of Isaac Johnson.
- “Carroll, Tennessee, United States records,” images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S7WF-S5RQ-69?view=explore : Apr 2, 2024), image 191 of 223; Tennessee State Library and Archives (Nashville, Tennessee). Nathan Cawthon appointed administrator of Nancy Jones Estate.
- Carroll County Deeds 1869-1870. images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSZN-79GQ-K?view=fullText&keywords=Nancy%20Johnson&groupId=TH-909-63485-45093-72: March 29, 2024) Image 237. William Johnson & Others Deed to N Cawthon.
- Carroll County Deeds 1840-1847. images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSZN-7SRW?view=fullText&keywords=Johnson%2CThomas%20Johnson&groupId=TH-909-63485-2183-63: April 3, 2024) Image 439. Rolly Galloway Deed to Thos Johnson as Executor or Isaac Johnson decd.
Chasing the Past 
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