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My Berry family originated in the province of Berri, in France. The Berry surname was a place name, indicating the family location. My sincere thanks to Ronald Glenn Berry who submitted the following information: My 5th great-grandfather, William Berry, was probably born about 1749-1754, in Louisa County, Virginia. Ronald states that William's parents (names unknown) emigrated from England, sailing from Belfast, Ireland in 1740, and settling in Virginia. William Berry served as a private under General Washington in the Revolutionary War. According to Ronald's information, William had a brother, Isham Berry, who was born December 8, 1753, in Albemarle County, Virginia, and died about October 1827, in Newton County, Georgia. Isham Berry married Sally Massey about 1775, and had at least twelve children. William Berry married my 5th great-grandmother, Susannah Taylor, daughter of Grant Taylor, prior to 1776, in Virginia. About 1794, William and Susannah moved their family from Virginia to Oglethorpe County, Georgia. The 1795 index to Oglethorpe Co, Georgia tax list, shows William and Isham Berry both listed in Capt. Mathews District. In 1797, William Berry bought 100 acres from David Creswell on Little Beaver Dam, in Oglethorpe County, Georgia. That same year he also bought 166 acres on Little Beaver Dam from William McKee. In 1798, William bought more land on Little Beaver Dam from Mordicia Hill. Ronald states that in 1804 William received a land grant in Franklin County, Georgia, and in 1807 he sold 601 acres in Franklin County to Taliaferro Berry. Ronald's records indicate that William died about July 1809, and that on the first Monday in July, 1809, Susannah Berry, widow, and Taliaferro Berry were made Administrators of the Estate of William Berry.
Ronald 's records
show the following children were born to William and Susannah (order
of birth unknown): - - - - - - - My 4th great-grandfather, William Berry, was born about 1776, in Virginia, the son of William Berry and Susannah Taylor. (Note: Ronald indicates that his name may have been George William.) William moved with his parents to Oglethorpe County, Georgia, around 1794. William married my 4th great-grandmother, Cally (maiden name unknown), around 1795, probably in Oglethorpe County, Georgia. (Note: Some researchers list her as Elizabeth.) Cally was born about 1780, possibly in North Carolina. In 1808 William begins to appear on the Tax Digest of Morgan County, Georgia, living near William Weatherford. William fought for Andrew Jackson in the War of 1812. On January 1, 1818 William Berry sold land in Morgan County to his brother Edmund Berry. On September 1, 1818 William and his mother, Susannah Berry (widow), released their rights to one tenth part of 100 acres, part of the estate of William Berry, his father, deceased. Ronald indicates that William died soon after September 1818, and is probably buried in Blue Springs Cemetery, at Larkinsville, Jackson County, Alabama, probably in the same cemetery plot with his comrade-in-arms John Lindsay, who fought with William in the War of 1812. John Lindsay's first wife, Martha Ledford Lindsay is also buried there. An article in The Goodspeed Histories of Lawrence, Wayne, Perry, Hickman & Lewis Counties, TN states that the widow Cally Berry moved her family to Tennessee prior to 1820, when her son was just a young boy. Cally Berry, appears on the 1820 Hardin County, Tennessee census, with one son and seven daughters. It is believed that Cally died prior to 1830, in Tennessee. She is buried beside her husband in Blue Springs Cemetery, at Larkinsville, Jackson County, Alabama. Her headstone reads Cally Berry, wife of G. W. Berry. William and Cally had one son, William, and seven daughters (names unknown). - - - - - - - My own research begins with my 3rd great-grandfather, William Berry, who was born in 1807, in Georgia, according to census records. He was the only son of William Berry and wife Cally (maiden name unknown). William married my 3rd great-grandmother, Sarah Weatherford, about 1827, in Hardin County, Tennessee. Sarah was born about 1806, in east Tennessee, the daughter of William Weatherford and Margaret Ann Polk. Prior to 1830, William and Sarah moved their family from Hardin County to Wayne County, Tennessee. The family appears on the 1830 Wayne County census. The census shows one male 20-30 (William); one male under 5 (William A.); one female 20-30 (Sarah); and 2 females under 5 (Margaret and Rebecca). The 1840 Wayne County census shows William's family as one male 30-40 (William); one male 10-15 (William A.); 2 males 5-10 (John and Joseph); one male under 5 (James); one female 30-40 (Sarah); one female 10-15 (Margaret); one female 5-10 (Rebecca); and one female under 5 (Elizabeth). In 1845, William bought ten acres of land on a branch of Indian Creek in Wayne County. The land was located in Range 9, Section 3, ref. SE corner of James Gibson's 100 acre entry. It was purchased from John Hughs of Mississippi for $400. The 1850 Wayne County census shows William, 43, a farmer, real property valued at $800; Sarah, 44; William A., 21; Maragret, 22; Rebecca, 20; John, 18; Joseph, 17; Elizabeth, 15; James, 13; and Nancy, 9 years old. Sarah Weatherford Berry died in Wayne County between 1851 and 1857. Her place of burial is unknown. Records show that William married Lucinda King on December 10, 1858, in Wayne County. Lucinda was born January 27, 1821, in Tennessee, one of at least four children born to Samuel Allen King (born 1800, in VA) and Elizabeth (maiden name unknown) (born 1802; died 1839). Samuel Allen King was the son of Benjamin King (born 1772, Bedford Co, VA) and Eleanor Cole. The 1860 Wayne County census shows William, 54, owned real property valued at $2500 and personal property valued at $1250; Lucinda, 38; James, 22; and Nancy, 18 years old. William prepared his will on September 18, 1866. In it he lists his children. William died in 1868, in Wayne County, according to the before mentioned article in The Goodspeed Histories book. His will was probated in the Wayne County court on February 3, 1869. He may be buried in the King Cemetery in Wayne County. Lucinda died July 1, 1883 and is buried in the King Cemetery. Lucinda and William had no children. Children of William Berry and Sarah Weatherford 1. Mary Margaret "Peggy" Berry, b. 1828, Hardin Co, TN; m. Nathaniel H. Horton (my line) 2. William Alderson Berry, b. 1829, probably Wayne Co, TN 3. Rebecca Berry, b. 1830, Wayne Co, TN 4. John Wyatt Berry, b. 1832, Wayne Co, TN 5. Joseph George Berry, b. 1834, Wayne Co, TN 6. Sarah Ann Elizabeth Berry, b. 1836, Wayne Co, TN 7. James Ellison Berry, b. 1838, Wayne Co, TN 8. Nancy Emaline Berry, b. 1842, Wayne Co, TN
I am not a professional genealogist and although I have researched much of the information found at this site, some of it was given to me by other researchers and may not have been documented. Each bit of information found here should be carefully researched and proved or disproved by you, the researcher. Researchers may copy information found at this site for their own personal use and to share with other researchers or genealogical organizations. Any commercial use or distribution without the written consent of this author is prohibited.
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