Stephens Surname

James Stephens was born circa 1798 in North Carolina ². He died in July 1880 in Houston County, Tennessee ¹.

It is said that as a youth, James moved with his family from North Carolina to Tennessee. Eventually, he had gone to Sumner Co., Tennessee, where he married Nancy Head in 1823. They did dot remain there long and sometime between 1823 and 1830, they had settled permanently in nearby Montgomery Co., Tennessee. James and his family apparently settled on a farm somewhere southeast of the city of Clarksville and they were probably members of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in that area. James was a farmer by trade and also a shoemaker. It seems though that he was never very successful or wealthy. After his wife's death in 1856 and his remarriage in 1858, James decided to move away. In 1860 he was living with his second wife in Waverly, Humphreys Co., Tennessee. During the 1860's they moved permanently to the part of Stewart Co., Tennessee, that is now Houston County. Even though one source indicates that James died in July of 1880, the 1880 census (enumerated on June 7, 1880) indicates that James was by that time deceased.

In her marriage record of 1823, she is listed as "Nancy Head." The 1884, History of Christian County, Kentucky indicates that her name was Nancy Forest, and that she was born in Stewart County, Tennessee. It is possible that she was born Nancy Forest and that she was married to someone with the last name Head before her marriage to James Stephens. There has been extensive research on the Forest and Head families in both the Stewart and Sumner Co., Tennessee areas and it appears that she fits in to none of those families. One clue might be that in several later census records of her children (1880 census of Elizabeth, 1880 census of John, 1910 census of Amanda) their mother's birthplace was listed as Kentucky. Perhaps she came from a Kentucky county bordering either Stewart or Sumner Counties, Tennessee.

They had the following children:

1	Elizabeth Theresa Stephens was born on May 26, 1823 in Tennessee 8 and died on December 22, 1899 in Dickson Co., Tennessee 8. She is buried in the Freeman Cemetery, Dickson Co., Tennessee. She married James S. Jobe on November 13, 1845 in Montgomery Co., Tennessee 8. (He was born circa 1805 in Virginia 2. Died on November 19, 1861 in Dickson Co., Tennessee 8) They had the following children: James S. Jobe (1846-1924) md. 1st. Rebecca O. Boyd md. 2nd. Bettie B. Osborn William Henry Jobe (1848-1922) md. Catherine Texas Gray Mandorah Udora Jobe (1849-???) Bellfield Newell Jobe (1851-1917) md. Mary Susan Gray Francis A. Jobe (1852-???) Elizabeth Catherine Jobe (1854-???) md. James Thomas Wall John M. Jobe (c. 1856-???) Robert P. Jobe (1859-???) Eldridge T. Jobe (1861-???) Elizabeth moved with her family to Dickson Co., TN sometime between 1845 and 1850.
2	Sophronia Jane Stephens was born on March 12, 1825 in Tennessee 8. She died on September 26, 1896 in Kentucky? 8. She married Frederick Grimes on May 8, 1851 in Montgomery Co., Tennessee 6. (He was born circa 1823 in Kentucky. He died on September 17, 1869 in Kentucky? 8.) They had the following children: Thelbert Grimes (1852-???) Emily Grimes (1853-???) Ellen Grimes (1855-???) Rufus Grimes (1858-???) Albert Grimes (1861-???) Fannie Grimes (1862-???) James Grimes (1864-???) Eudora Grimes (1866-???) She was living in McCracken Co., KY, in 1880. In 1884, she was listed as a resident of Graves Co., KY.
3	John W. B. Stephens was born circa 1829 in Tennessee 2. He died after 1884. John married first to Malinda C. Brawner on February 27, 1861 in Montgomery Co., Tennessee 6. (She was born March 8, 1843 in Tennessee 8. She died August 12, 1882 in Montgomery Co., Tennessee 8.) They had the following children: James W. Stephens (c. 1864-aft. 1880) Wiley R. Stephens (c. 1869-aft. 1880) John married second to A. W. Carney in 1886 8. They probably had no children. John was a farmer. He was living in Montgomery Co., TN as late as 1884.
4	Francis M. Stephens was born circa 1833 in Montgomery Co., Tennessee 2. He died after 1884 in possibly in Trigg Co., Kentucky. Francis married Mary Jane McKinnon on September 27, 1856 in Stewart Co., Tennessee 9. (She was born circa 1835 in Tennessee. She died after 1880.) They had the following children: Alice S. Stephens (c. 1858-???) md. N. N. Magraw Margaret J. Stephens (c. 1860-???) Eva Christian Stephens (c. 1862-???) James A. Stephens (c. 1864-???) Nancy F. Stephens (c. 1870-???) James was a wheelwright and a blacksmith. He and his family settled in Trigg Co., KY by 1860. He was living there in 1884.
5	Margaret M. Stephens was born circa 1833 in Montgomery Co., Tennessee 2. She died between 1850 and 1884. Some researchers indicate that she married to Absalam Davidson in 1847, but that Margaret Stephens was a different person. She probably died during the early 1850's.
6	James Harvey Stephens was born in September 1835 in Montgomery Co., Tennessee 2. He died between 1910-1920 in Kentucky or Florida. James first married Lou N. Blair on October 4, 1866 in Christian Co., Kentucky 7. (She was born circa 1837 in Tennessee 2. She died between 1870-1875.) They had two children: Susan Ella Stephens (1867-1950) md. Edward T. Summerhill Nannie P. Stephens (1870-???) md. Gus Longstreet Hord James married second to Mary E. Ballard on December 28, 1875 8. (She was born in January 1853 in Kentucky 2. She died after 1930 in Palm Beach, Florida.) They had three children: James Harvey Stephens (1879-1966) md. Beulah B. Carroll Mary Wilmoth Stephens (1885-1936) md. Posey Henderson McClendon Bertha J. Stephens (1888-???) md. Robert Emmett Goodman James served in the CSA during the Civil War. He was by occupation a house carpenter. In 1870 he was living with his family in Graves Co., KY. By 1880, they had settled in southern Christian Co., KY. In 1910, James and his family were living in Hopkinsville, Kentucky and in 1920, his widow was living in Palm Beach, Florida. Have not yet been able to find his death in Kentucky or Florida.	Bobby Taylor at Equation101@aol.com is a researcher/descendant in this line.
7	Amanda Ann Stephens
8	Eldridge T. Stephens was born on February 20, 1841 in Montgomery Co., Tennessee 1. He died after 1903 in Montgomery Co., Tennessee. Eldridge married Mary Jane Reves on March 28, 1867 in Christian Co., Kentucky 1. (She was born on February 9, 1821 in Virginia 1. She died between 1884 and 1900 in Christian Co., Kentucky). They had no children. At the age of 14 (about 1855) he began apprenticeship as a carpenter. In May 1861, Elridge enlisted in the Tennessee Infantry for the CSA during the Civil War. He was wounded during the Battle of Manassas. In 1867, he decided to take up farming and in that year moved to Christian Co., Kentucky. He was a Methodist, a Democrat and also a Mason. Sometime before 1900, he moved to Montgomery Co., Tenn., where he probably died between 1903-1910.
9	Eginarra Stephens was born circa 1844 in Montgomery Co., Tennessee 2. She died sometime between 1858 and 1884. She married James T. Smith on November 25, 1858 in Montgomery Co., Tennessee 12.

There were no children born to this second marriage.

2nd Generation: Amanda Ann Stephens was born on June 9, 1838 in Montgomery County, Tennessee 3. She died on November 10, 1923 in Clarksville, Montgomery County, Tennessee 3,5. She is buried in the Greenwood Cemetery, Clarksville, Montgomery Co., Tennessee. Father: James Stephens Mother: Nancy Head/Forest Amanda was raised in rural Montgomery Co., Tennessee. She probably met her husband, William R. Brown, because both of their families lived in the same general area and attended the McAdoo Cumberland Presbyterian Church southeast of Clarksville, Tennessee. There is a possibility that Amanda and William Brown may have been involved in some kind of relationship that necessitated a "shotgun marriage." She was about two months pregnant at the time of her marriage. Afterwards, they began married life together living with William's parents at their farmhouse. Sometime in the early 1860's, they were able to acquire their own farm, which was near the McAdoo community, southeast of Clarksville. Amanda's husband was a farmer and a produce broker and they were mildly successful. Amanda and her family continued in attendance at the McAdoo Cumberland Presbyterian Church near their home. They were living at their rural farmhouse when William died in 1904 and sometime after 1910, she moved in with her son Robert Brown. On one source she is listed with the name "Mandy," which must have been a nickname since childhood. According to descendants, Amanda was a very healthy woman, and she never needed glasses or had any cavities.

For information on their children, see his page.

1. Perrin, William H., History of Christian County, Kentucky. (Chicago and Louisville: F. A. Battey Publishing Co., 1884).
2. Assorted Federal census records
3. Tombstone Inscriptions, Greenwood Cemetery, Montgomery Co., TN
4. Information from Carolyn Smithfield at ----
5. Obituary of Amanda Brown, Clarksville Leaf Chronicle, Nov. 10, 1923, Pg. 1
6. Tennessee Marriages, 1851-1900, Ancestry.com
7. Kentucky Marriages, 1851-1900, Ancestry.com
8. Online gedcom family files
9. International Genealogical Index
10. Marriage records, Sumner Co., TN
11. Obituary of Christopher C. Brown, Clarksville Leaf Chronicle, October 11, 1938
12. Marriage records, Montgomery Co., TN
13. Death Certificate of Georgia Current Brown, Montgomery Co., TN
14. Illinois Death Index