INTRO

The Strong Family of the Upper Cumberland Valley

Copyright c 1997 by:
David Comer Strong
All rights reserved. Permission to reproduce in any form must be granted by the author.
Published by the author and Printed in the United States of America

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This book would not have been possible without the help of my family, friends and other researchers. I have done my best to make sure the information is correct and that what mistakes were found were corrected. A lot of the information was obtained from other sources and family members. I have no way to prove or disprove some of the information that was given to me, other than what is listed in the references. This is my first attempt at a book. I am sure mistakes do exist and any feedback about these mistakes are welcome. I have already started compiling new information about our earlier Strong families. So a second addition will no doubt be warranted in the future.

This book would not have been possible with out the help of so many people. And there is no way to name everyone, but I thank all of you who took the time to help. However I would like to give thanks to the following people:

Deborah Ann Mathieu-Strong, James William "Bo" Strong, Carl Cason Elizabeth Crawford-Strong, Harold McLerran, Thelma Strong-DuBois, Henrietta Smith, Oliver Strong, Gib and Mary Ann Strong, Lassie M. Strong, Emma Strong-McLerran, Jim Strong, Hubert Cordell Strong, Paul Strong, Pauline Strong-Goolsby, Robert Plumlee, Caye and Wealtha Strong, Kathy Walden, Bertha Strong-Sweezy, Randell and Connie Strong, Nolan Hinson, Gary Norton, Donald L. Hendrix, Izell Norton, Janet Rich-Jones, Bessie Lee Strong-Plumlee, Rose Ellen Rich, Wayne Miller, Tammy Strong-Gilbert, Donita Morris, Willie Andrew Strong, Phillip Todd Strong, Evelyn Lee Strong-Brown, Reba Mabry-Strong, Lisa Mechelle Strong-Scantland, Eddie H. Strong, Melba Johnson, Sharon Strong-Bean, Francie Lane, Robert T. Strong, Jr., Lori Ann Strong, Darlene Strong, Dallas and Lori Strong, Doris McAlpin Russell, the author of "McAlpin(e) Genealogies 1730-1990", who helped me with the McAlpin and Strong families. Anyone wishing to purchase a copy of Doris Russell's book can write her at: 8600 Hickory Hill Lane, Huntsville, Alabama 35802 and I am especially grateful to Mr. James Robert Rolff, the author of "Strong Family of Virginia and Other Southern States" for all his help and support in my research of the Strong Family.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PREFACE

NUMBERING SYSTEM

INTRODUCTION: The Early Strong Families of Virginia.

CH. 1 JOHN STRONG of Virginia.

CH. 2 THOMAS STRONG of Virginia and North Carolina.

CH. 3 SAMUEL STRONG of Monroe County, Kentucky.

CH. 4 JOSEPH STRONG of Jackson County, Tennessee.

CH. 5 THE DESCENDANTS OF JOSEPH STRONG

        Part 1. Jasin "Josiah" Strong

        Part 2. The Children of Pheraby Strong

        Part 3. Ann Strong

        Part 4. The Children of Pheby Strong

        Part 5. The Children of Mary Polly Strong

        Part 6. The Children of Sarah Sade Strong

        Part 7. The Children of Samuel Strong

        Part 8. The Children of Elizabeth Strong

        Part 9. The Children of John Strong

        Part 10. The Children of William M. Strong

        Part 11. Celina Strong

        Part 12. Hayden Strong

        Part 13. The Children of Martha Strong

THE STRONG FAMILY
Although hundreds of families are related to the Strong families of the Upper Cumberland Valley in Clay and Jackson Counties in Tennessee, the Brown, Casteel, Denton, Kendall, Miller, McAlpin, McLerran, Odle, Plumlee, Reecer, Rich, Spear, Stockton, Walker and Watson families seem to be the most closely related. Our families are of Scots-Irish, English, German and Native American descent. They settled along the Upper Cumberland River in Tennessee and Kentucky looking for affordable fertile land to farm and raise their families.

To see where our families originated we should look at the origins of these related family surnames. According to "A Middle English Dictionary (12th-15th Century)", by Frances H. Stratman and "New Dictionary of American Family Names", by Eldson C. Smith the following surnames are defined as:

BROWN (English/Scots); meaning, "One with a dark complexion; descendent of Brun."

CASTEEL (Unknown); Castel, Casteal, Castile, the Casteel families of Monroe County, Kentucky and Clay County, Tennessee can trace their origins back to Joseph Casteel of Russell County, Virginia. The Casteel and Strong families move from Virginia to Kentucky and Tennessee together in the early 1800's1.

DENTON (English); meaning, "the town in the dean or forest." The Denton family in Clay and Jackson Counties can trace their origins back to the Reverend Richard Denton of Halifax, England. He came to America in 1630 with his sons and established a Presbyterian Church on Long Island, New York. Reverend Richard Denton returned to England although his sons remained in America.2

KENDALL (English); Kendall, Kendell, Kendel, Kendal; meaning, "One who came from Kendal, Valley of Kent River in West Moreland."

MILLER (English); meaning, "One who grinds grain."

McALPIN (Scots-Irish); Mc or Mac means "the son of" and Alpin means "the hills", so McAlpin means "son of the hills". According to Doris McAlpin Russell the McAlpin families of Clay and Jackson Counties, Tennessee can trace their ancestry to Alexander McAlpin of Scotland. He left Scotland as a boy around 1720-1730.

McLERRAN (Scots-Irish); McLeran, McLaurin; meaning, "The son of Laurine or Laurence. Laurel is the symbol of victory.

ODLE (Norman); the meaning came from the name Wahul which originated in Normandy. Odal or Undal rights are old Celtic rights to lands. Odell was a Parish of Bedford County, England.

PLUMLEE (Celtic/English); meaning, "A meadow where the plum tree grows." The name Plumlee is believed to have originated back to early Celtics in England before 1200 AD.

REECER (German); Reiser, Recer, Reaser, Reser; meaning in old German translates to Traveler (Reise) and the "R" on the end indicates "Big, Large or Huge". The Reecer family originated in Germany, where the name is still common. The Reecer's in the Clay County, Tennessee area can trace their ancestry back to John Reecer of Pennsylvania. On June 27th, 1794 John married Eva Overholtzer in Virginia. They later settled in Monroe County, Kentucky and Jackson County (Clay County), Tennessee.

RICH (English); meaning, descendant of Rich, a pet form of Richard (Rule, Hard), a dweller near a ditch or small stream". The Rich family can trace their ancestry to William Rich, Sr. of North Carolina. William Rich married Ellen "Polly" Hooker in North Carolina. Polly Hooker was said to have been a full blooded Cherokee Indian. William Rich and his two sons, Jesse Rich and John Rich, are said to have been part of a group of settlers traveling up the Cumberland River by boat and settled in Overton and Jackson County (Clay County), Tennessee.3

SMITH (English); meaning, "the worker of metal".

SPEAR (Scots-Irish/English); speer, spur, meaning, "the watchman or lookout."

STOCKTON (English); meaning, "one who came from Stockton".

WALKER (English); meaning, "One who cleans and thickens cloth, and one who comes from Walker ( a marsh by the Roman Wall), in Northumberland".

WATSON (English); meaning, "Son of Wat. A pet name of Walter, rule, folk or army".

FAMILY NUMBERING SYSTEM
While writing this book I attempted to stay away from abbreviations and listed all names in bold letters along with a numbering system. This numbering system uses both numbers and letters. Both numbers and letters denote the persons order of birth, when known, by generation.

This is an example of the family numbering system:

John Strong (a) ......... John (a) is the first earliest known ancestor.

William Strong (a2) ........ William (a2) is the second child of John (a).

Thomas Strong (a2d) .......... Thomas (a2d) is the fourth child of William (a2) grandson of John Strong (a).

Samuel Strong (a2d5) ............ Samuel (a2d5) is the fifth child of Thomas (a2d) and grandson of William (a2) and great grandson of John (a).

Return to "Family Page" Click Here
Next Page Click Here

HOME PAGE Click Here