Who are the parents of
Benjamin S. Clardy?
Benjamin S. Clardy was said to be born in North Carolina. (And I have yet to determine what the heck the S. stands for in my Benjamin's middle name.) His son Joshua stated on a census record that his father was born in NC. Court records support that Benjamin was born in 1799-1800. By 1814 Benjamin is regarded as an orphan in the Maury Co., TN court and guardianship is giving to Elisha Uzzell, whose "roots" were in Isle of Wight Co., VA. Benjamin stays with Uzzell until he is 21 yrs. old. During that time Uzzell is a hat maker in Maury Co., TN, and he was a Trustee for the Methodist church. It seems a logical conclusion that Benjamin finished growing up in that Methodist Church in Columbia and heard many a camp meeting too, because he became a Methodist circuit rider [preacher on horse back] just after he was of legal age, joining the Tennessee Conference. Here's where he went preaching the word of God:
Benjamin was admitted on trial Oct 16, 1822, Bishop George
presiding (At Annual Conf. at Ebenezer, Green Co., TN) and was assigned the
following circuits:
1822- Hickman Circuit (Forked Deer District)
1823- 1824 Caney Fork Circuit (Caney Fork District)
1825- Lawrence Circuit (Huntsville District); Ordained Deacon Nov. 1_, 1825
(Shelbyville, TN)
1826- Supernumerary- Richland Circuit (Nashville District)****** "Supernumeraries
were preachers who, because of some temporary cause, were unable to continue
their active ministry, and also defined as a person as "one so worn out
in the itinerant service as to be rendered incapable of preaching constantly;
but at the same time is willing to do any work in the ministry which the Conference
may direct, and his strength, enable him to perform".
1827- Supernumerary- Nashville Circuit (Nashville District); Ordained Elder
Nov 2_, 1827 (Tuscumbria, Ala.)
1828- Located. ****Located means he withdrew from the traveling circuit.
Each of the above circuits were very large areas, thus Benjamin was all over the country-side in middle Tennessee and Northern Alabama.
Now to back up a bit. In 1826 Benjamin marries Nancy Joanna
Kilpatrick in Maury Co., TN. Her family has roots in Iredell/Rowan Co., NC.
Her father, Rev. Joshua W. Kilpatrick, moved his family to Maury Co, TN in
1810 from Iredell Co. NC. Nancy's father is a Methodist circuit rider also
and preaches for 34 years. Several Kilpatrick branches of this family are
preachers of various faiths and a few Uzzell family members are also men of
the cloth.
Benj. and Nancy Clardy supposedly had 6 kids. I have traced two, my Joshua
E. and sister Jane R., who married Larkin Bailey in Pontotoc Co., MS 1850.
The other 4 children are said to have died young. I haven't found any evidence
of births or deaths for these 4.
Continuing B. S. Clardy's timeline:
1828-Benjamin's daughter Jane is born in TN
1835-Benjamin's son, Joshua, was born in La Grange, Franklin Co., AL *Of note
is the fact that this area was a Methodist hub of sorts, a college was established
and "work among the Indians and Colored people was active".
1836-1838- Benj. moves to Louisiana
1839-Benj. is a constable in East Feliciana Parish, LA
1840-Benj. conducted business in Nov 1840 in Clinton, E. Feliciana Parish,
LA
1841-Benj. died before April 7th, in Clinton, per probate papers. [no will
found].
In trying to determine who Benj.'s parents are I have to
look in NC first. Based on the 1800 census for NC, there are only 3 Clardy
households listed in the entire state:
1) Benjamin w/ 10010/00100/02, [1m-u.10, Benj. 26-45yrs, wife 16-26, &
2 slaves] Granville Co.
2) Elizabeth w/ 21000/10201/01, [2m u.10, 1m 10-16, 1f u.10, 2f 16-26, Elizabeth
over 45, 1 slave] Granville Co.
3) Penelope w/ 11000/02101/09. [1m u.10, 1m 16-26, 2f 10-16, 1f 16-26, Penelope
over 45, 9 slaves] Bladen Co.
Theoretically, my Benj. could have belonged to any of these families. For example, this Benj. #1 in 1800 NC....who was the wife? Is this the Benj. born c1770, whose parents were Michael Clardy and Mary Ligon? I need more info on this family.
Moving on to the Elizabeth #2above; Is this the Elizabeth
that was also married to James Johnson? There was an Elizabeth and John Clardy
who were married in Granville, NC in 1798, is this that family?. If it is
the Elizabeth listed, she must have married John Clardy after James Johnson
because there are several kids in the house and she'd only been married to
John for 2 yrs, plus she was an older women. And, if true, where the heck
was John on census day.....roaming the country side, already deceased? On
the other hand it may be that Elizabeth and John Clardy moved on after marriage
and the Elizabeth in the 1800 census is another Elizabeth. The will of an
Elizabeth Clardy was probated in Granville 1811, but lists only 1 daughter
[Sarah Clardy Mitchell] and 2 grandaughters [Womacks] and 1 slave, Peter.
The slave would fit the census data of 11 years earlier. The Elizabeth in
the will states she's of Mecklenburg VA, which is just across the state line
from Granville NC. Anyone have info on this mystery?
Now on to Penelope #3, I believe I can account for the 2 boys in this family.
The sons were Thomas F. and Michael Clardy, and their father James died in
Bladen Co. 1793. Sooooo, I feel I can eliminate this family from being parents
of my Benj.
However, I keep in mind that the #2 & #3 families may well have grandchildren
in the house as the ladies were "up in years" to be having children
under 10, even if they were 35yrs old when they gave birth. Something to keep
an open mind about I guess.
At some point between 1822 & 1840, my Benj. sold land to George Allen w/ James A. Wilson in Marshall Co., TN, District # 10, on the waters of Caney Spring Creek. 3 acres reserved for Kilpatricks Chapel, The Methodist Eps. Church. (deed registered in Marshall Co., TN in 1845) By the time this deed was registered at court, Benj. had been dead 4 years. I have yet to find a document stating Benj. bought this land, or inherited it. Pre 1836, this part of Marshall Co. was in the Eastern part of Maury Co., TN. And this eastern part of Maury is just west of Bedford Co., TN.
So my fellow researchers, who knows what out there about
these families in NC? And has anyone ever heard a family story regarding preachers
in the family? Please email me with any theories or evidence that may unravel
these mysteries.
nitafreer@cableone.net
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Nita Clardy Freer