GEORGE GREGSTON was born Abt. 1730.

Notes for GEORGE GREGSTON:  Betty Gregston of Duncan, OK graciously shared her notes and information she received from other Gregston researchers. I don't have copies of the documents.

Notes for WILLIAM GREGSTON:  Marriage bond date 14 Mar 1796, record #01 163, bond #000097189; bondsman Robert Baker; witness M. Hart.

He may also be the William who married Hannah McCrory, bond date 3 Nov 1832, Orange Co., record #01 163, bond #000097192; bondsman Alfred King, witness J. Taylor.

The Carjoy web site also shows a son Francis born about 1810 in Orange Co. Francis is also listed as a son in the 1994 Goldsborough report but was not shown as a son by Betty Gregston.

Orange Co., NC

1755 tax roll - George Gregson, Isaac Greeson, Isaac Greson
1779 tax roll - Nicholas Greeson
1788 tax roll - William and George Gragson, pg 3

Orange Co. census

1790 - no Gregston's by any spelling were listed

1800 - William Gragston 20010-00010-00 (pg 510) and George Grason (pg 565)

1810 - William Gragston (pg 147)

1810 Orange Co., NC census, pg 147: 3 males under 10 (Baker, Eli & George), 2 males 10-16 (William & Robert), 1 male 45> (William); 1 female <10 (Frances), 1 female 26-45 (Nancy).

1820 -William Gragson (pg 384), Robert Gragston (pg 336), William Gragston (pg 340), George Gregson (pg 384)

Pg 340: 1 male <10 (?), 1 male 10-16 (Eli), 1 male 16-18 (Baker), 3 males 16-26 (George, William & ?), 1 male 45> (William); 1 female 10-16 (Francis), 1 female 45> (Nancy).

1830 census - Baker Gragston (pg 311), William Gragston (pg 341)

1840 census - Baker Gragson (pg 623), William Gragson (pg 178), William Gragson (pg 202), Elias

Greeson (pg 232)

1850 - no Gregston's by any spelling were listed (name search on Ancestry.com).

WILLIAM GREEN GRAGSON, A Preliminary Report 15 Mar 1994 by Goldsborough:

The parents of ELI are not proven as yet but would appear to be WILLIAM AND NANCY (BAKER) GREGASON who were married in Orange Co., NC on 14 Mar 1796 and the bondsman was ROBERT BAKER. The GREGSON/GRAGSON family was essentially an Orange Co. family where they had been since at least 1755 when a GEORGE GREGSON is included on the first Orange Co. Tax List, and again in 1786 and 1788 (Ref 7) along with a WILLIAM GRAGSTON in 1788. WILLIAM must have been under 21 in 1786 so it is likely that he was born circa 1766, a son of GEORGE who would have had to been born by 1734 at the latest to appear on that 1755 list. An EDWARD GREGSON appears in Orange Co. in 1777 when he buys land from an ABRAHAM NELSON. In the body of the deed his name is spelled both as GREGSON and as GRIGSON.

Coincidentally a ROBERT BAKER is mentioned on that same page as a juror (remember that WILLIAM GRAGSTON married a BAKER girl and ROBERT was the bondsman). We also find WILLIAM GREGSON witnessing a deed in Orange Co. in 1786.

It is very unfortunate for us that the Orange Co. lists from both the 1784 State Census and the 1790 Federal Census have been lost because neither census shows any GREGSON in the state (they were all in Orange). An examination of the 1800, 1810, and 1820 Census Schedules of Orange Co. (Ref. 15, 16, 17) reveal a WILLIAM that was born by at least 1765 and who had six sons (one of whom was ELI'S age). This ties in very nicely with the WILLIAM who was on the 1788 Tax List as a young man. With all of those sons you could expect a lot of marriages coming up and sure enough between 1815 and 1824 WILLIAM, ROBERT, BAKER and ELI all married Orange Co. girls (Ref.8).

Unaccounted for Gregston marriages in Orange Co., NC Marriages:

William Gregston to Hannah McCrory 3 Nov 1832, bondsman Alfred Taylor
Hannah Gregson to Jacob Jackson 26 May 1787, bondsman And. Brooks
John Gregson bondsman 1839 for marriage of Clendening Fisher to Elizabeth Freeland
W. J. Gragson bondsman 1848 for marriage of Jos. McAdams to Laura Boon
William Gragson bondsman 1823 for marriage of Robert Nutt to Mary Cate
William Gregson bondsman 1802 for marriage of Robert McCrory to Amey Gregson

Gregg Co., TX - several mentions of a Payne Gregston, son of James and Elvira Gregston. He was born Jun 1851 in TN and died before 1 Mar 1928 in Gladewater, Gregg Co., TX and is buried in Rock Springs Cemetery, Gladewater, Gregg Co., TX. He married Mary Jane Brasher on 20 May1873 (probably Gregg Co.) and they had eight children.

Notes for GEORGE WASHINGTON GREGSTON, SR.:  Letter from D. Mitchell Jones, 3025 Kline Road, Jacksonville, FL 32246 to Betty Gregston, 2008 Ash, Duncan, OK 73533-2577, dated 6 Sep 1999:

I don't know if George W. Gregston married Rachael Holmes. I do think that his relationship with my ancestor, Katherine Duncan, was an unconventional one. The story in family is that George went to the store to get some coffee and after several years came back with the coffee. He stayed for a few years and then left never to return. The Rachael Holmes descendants also have almost the same story. I do not think George was legally married to Katherine Duncan. Frankie Mason's grandfather told the story of meeting his half brother, William Gregston, during the Civil War. This is first time according to Frankie that George Jr. knew he had a half brother. I believe George Sr. two families were in Smith County not too far from each other and that they knew about each other. I think George Sr. probably stayed with one for a while and then the other. I also think that when he left the last time and never returned that he moved to east TN. There he took up with a younger woman and had another family. From memory, I located him in 1860 census in I believe Polk Co., TN. This matches with stories that he was in the Sequatchie Valley in TN. I think the children by Katherine Duncan were George Jr., Nancy, Rhoda and Martha for sure. There may have been others.

In e-mail of 8 Mar 2000, D. Mitchell Jones wrote to Betty Gregston:

It is very apparent that he is living in Smith and apparently not very far apart with both women at different times. I do think the census #1801 is him with Katie Duncan as two Duncan's and Fisher close by and the neighbors close by are all the ones in Wolf Creek, Holmes Creek, Indian Creek area of DeKalb Co., TN where later Gregston lived.

Betty received this from Laurie Linville-Gregston 16 Aug 2002:

George Washington Gregston, b. ca. 1790-1800 NC m Kathryn "Katie" Duncan b 12 Mar 1809 d 9 Dec 1895, daughter of John Duncan. As seen below, George is listed two times in 1830 Smith Co., TN census. George appears to have had a relationship with two women at the same time. Both Frankie Mason and Brunette Jones tell the story that George left home to go to the store to buy some articles, and after several years he returned with the articles. He stayed five years and then left again. He appears to have had two different families in Smith Co. and it appears that family new more about this than has been revealed. Frankie Mason says her grandfather, George W. Gregston, Jr., while soldier for South in Civil War met a Union soldier, William Gregston, and they discovered they were half brothers. Another letter in Frankie Mason's possession was one dated 19 Jul 1865 from Armatha Gregston in TX. Armatha was writing George W. Gregston Jr. to help collect a deb owed by Yancy Malone. It appears that Armatha father, James B. Gregston, was a brother of George W. Gregston Jr. Another story told by Frankie Mason and Brunette Jones is that George W. Gregston went to east TN and had another family. I have not been able to find Ishmael, Rhoda, Martha, George W. Jr. or Pairlee in any of 1850 TN census. It appears that all of the children of George W. Gregston have not been identified. In the 1830 Smith Co. census, both George W. Gregston who married Katie Duncan and the George W. Gregston who married Rachel Holmes are listed. They in my opinion were two different individuals. {Goes on to list children.}

There were no Gregston's in the 1820 Smith Co. census. There are two George Gregston listings in the 1830 Smith Co. census. He may have been listed twice but the children don't fit for either one if their birth years are right.

1830 Smith Co. TN Census:

#1801 George Gregston 1 male 30-40, 2 males under 5, 3 females under 5, 1 female 20-30.

#2258 (pg 117) George Gregston 1 male 30-40 (George), 2 males under 5 (Ishmael & ?), 2 males 5-10 (James & William), 1 female 20-30 (Katherine), 1 female under 5 (Nancy).

(#2258 is "our" George.)

1840 Smith Co. TN Census, page 36: George Gregston 1 male 40-50, 3 males 10-15, 1 male 5-10, 1 female 30-40, 2 females 10-15.

There were no Gregston's in the 1850 Smith Co. census but there was a Levi Foutch and his wife Mahala and their children (printed out and filed). They are possible parents of Mahala (wife of Ishmael Gregston).

1850 Polk Co. TN Census: George Grigston, age 64 (1786); Elizabeth, age 38 (1812); Elihu Thraikill, age 30.

Information from D. Mitchell Jones' web page (found under DeKalb Co.) says George appears to have had a relationship with two women at the same time. Other people told him that George left home to go to the store to buy some articles and, after several years, he returned with the articles. He stayed five years and then left again. Someone told him that when George Jr. was a soldier in the Civil War, he met a Union soldier named William Gregston - they discovered they were half brothers. This same person has a letter dated 19 Jul 1865 from Armantha Gregston in TX writing to George Jr. to help collect a debt owed by Yancy Malone. It appears that Armantha's father, James B. Gregston, was a brother of George Jr. Another story was that George Sr. went to east TN and had another family. D. Mitchell feels that the two George Gregstons are different people and that this George is not the one who married Rachael Holmes.

Betty at [email protected] references a family group sheet prepared by Ophelia Armentia (Lowthorp) Strong, Houston, TX, dated Jul 1985:

George W. Sr. left home and was gone 5 years. He returned for 3 years and left again. He was never heard frm again. Where he went or where he died no one knows.

Letter from Betsey Young, Cuero, TX to Betty Gregston, Duncan, OK, dated 4 Aug 1985:

George Sr. had a brother - Baker Gregston - living in Charlotte, NC after the Civil War that George visited. Also George Jr. met a half brother, William, during the war. George Jr. on the south side and William on the north side. George Sr. left when George Jr. was a baby and was never heard from again.

Also from Betty, a letter from Phil Strong, Houston, TX to Betty Gregston, Duncan, OK, dated 14 Jan 1986:

Since I know my great great grandfather, George Washington, Sr. had a son William, also I feel sure your William is his son. My great great grandfather was married twice, but we don't know the name of the first wife or when the other children were born or what order. However, my Grandmother remembered her fathers, James B., age when he died. He was supposed to have been 45 and since her parents died in 1866, we estimated, depending on his birth month, he could have been born 1821-23 so we estimated circa 1822, and we know Gr. Uncle George Jr. was born 1836. So if your William was the brother of James B. and half brother to George Washington Jr., then my Gr. Grandfather must have been born circa 1821 or 1823 and not 1822. We know James B. was born in TN and George in DeKalb Co., TN but not sure about their father George W. Sr.

More About KATHERINE DUNCAN:  Burial: Family Cemetery, Tubbsville, DeKalb Co., TN

ISHMAEL LUCK GREGSTON ^9,10,11 was born Bet. March 1825 - 1830 in TN, and died Bet. 1900 - 1910 in Butler Co., KY. He married MAHALA JANE FOUTCH¹² July 12, 1855 in Dekalb Co., TN, daughter of JOHN FOUTCH and MAHALA BUTLER. She was born May 1836 in TN, and died August 20, 1911 in Butler Co., KY.

Notes for ISHMAEL LUCK GREGSTON:  1850 Butler Co. Census: Dwelling #363 Powel Tuck, age 62, farmer, value $900, VA; Edna, age 47, NC; Paul J., age 24, TN; Powel (Jr.), age 22, TN; Sharp, age 20, TN; Phathel (M), age 16, TN; John, age 14, TN; Richard S., age 25, VA; Sarah E., age 17, TN; Ishmael Gregstone, age 22, KY; Mary Williamson, age 14, KY; Philip Williamson, age 5, KY.

Kentucky Traces, Vol 5, No. 2, Winter 1981, pages 22-23. "A Short History of the Tuck Family of Butler County, KY." Written by James S. Porter of Rich Hill, MO, on 11 Feb 1915 and submitted by Nyla Morgan, Morgantown, KY. The article talks about Powell Tuck (I previously thought it was Luck) born in Halifax Co., VA about 1785. His father was Edward Tuck, Sr. who was a soldier in the Revolution serving under Gen. George Washington. Powell Tuck, Sr. served in the war with England in 1812-1815. Powell and one of his brothers moved from VA to TN, and Powell settled in Bedford Co., then Macon Co., then Smith Co. until he moved on to Butler Co., KY. Powell first married Mary Fletcher of Halifax Co., VA. Mary died soon after her daughter, Molly, was born in VA. Molly didn't move with the family to TN - she remained in VA and was raised by her grandmother Fletcher. Powell next married Edney Willingham of Halifax Co., VA and they had ten children. In Oct 1847, Powell went to Butler Co. and bought land near Sugar Grove (he bought several hundred acres from Jack Puckett). In Feb 1848 Powell, all his family and their children, Edney Tuck's nieces and nephews (Caroline, Polly and Phillip Williamson - raised by Edney)), and Ishmael Gregston left by wagon and landed in Butler Co. on 3 Mar 1848 - 22 people in all made the move. Powell died Jan 1859 and was buried near the house in which they lived (he was about 74 or 75). Edney died several years after Powell.

Since it appears Ishmael wasn't related to the family, maybe he just went along for the adventure or they hired him to help with the move? What possessed him to return to TN after being in KY at least two years?

1860 DeKalb Co. Census, pg 232, Dist. 17, Temperance Hall, 11 Sep: #1363/1357 Ishmael Gregston, age 30, laborer, $50 personal, can't read/write, TN; Mahala J., age 25, can't read/write, TN; Elizabeth M., age 4, TN; George M., age 1, TN; and Minerva Robinson, age 23, old maid, $200 personal, TN .

1870 Butler Co. Census: #185, Ishmael Gragston, age 39, farmer, born TN; Mahala, age 36, keeping house, born TN; Elizabeth, age 14, born TN; George, age 10, born TN; William, age 8, born TN; Nancy, age 4, born TN.

1880 Butler Co. Census: #319/324, Ishmael Gregston, age 53, farmer, TN TN TN; Mahala J., age 46, wife, TN TN TN; George M., age 21, son, TN TN TN; William R., age 18, son, TN TN TN; Nancy A., age 14, TN TN TN.

1900 Butler Co. Census:#31/31 Ishmael Gregston, Mar (?) 1825, age 75, married 45 years, TN TN TN; Mahala J., May 1836, age 63, 4 children/3 living, TN TN TN; William Riley, son, Feb 1862, age 38, single, TN TN TN, owns farm; Lizabeth Chapman, granddaughter, Apr 1886, age 14, KY TN TN.

NOTE: The Logan Co. Cemeteries and Funeral Homes books show various spellings of Gregston: Greatson, Grigston, Grugston, Greyston, Gregstone, and Grecston. According to Mahala's death certificate, she is buried in Orange Cemetery and I assume Ishmael is buried there as well.

More About ISHMAEL LUCK GREGSTON:  Burial: Orange Cemetery, Butler Co., KY

Notes for MAHALA JANE FOUTCH:  Mahala's death certificate does not list her father's name. Her mother is shown as Mahala Foutch born in TN. The certificate is, interestingly, signed by Ambler Chapman - her grandson (by daughter Elizabeth Gregston and William Wiley Chapman). It also shows that she was married at time of death but I haven't found a death record for Ishmael even using variant spellings. The 1910 census shows her as a widow. Either he died before she did or he possibly moved to another state?

In 1850, Harod Foutch, age 31, TN, and his wife Susan (Williams), age 28, TN,, were in Wilson Co. TN with children Mary, 9; William, 7; Margaret, 6; Elbert, 2; George 2/12. In 1860 they were in Lincoln Co. He was age 40, Susan was not listed. Children with him were Mary, 19; William, 17, Margaret, 15; Mahala, 14; Elbert, 12; Joseph, 9; Sarah, 8; Andrew 4; Martha, 2. He did have a daughter named Mahala but she was too young to be this one.

1910 Butler Co. Census, Dist. 32, Pct Turnertown, pg 13A, 29 Apr 1910: #210/210 Gregston, William K., head of house, age 47, single, KY KY KY, farm laborer, owns home, free of mortgage, farm, can't read/write; Mahalia, mother, age 78, widow, TN TN TN.

More About MAHALA JANE FOUTCH:  Burial: Orange Cemetery, Butler Co., KY