Most of the Fulbright family who left records in Madison Co.,Tennessee in the 19th Century appear to be the family of John Fulbright. I have done a little research on this man, and have corresponded with and received additional information from B. J. Henrickson, Kim Austin, and Pam Bradley. More research is called for, however, and we can undoubtedly find out much more about this man with a little work in Madison Co., Tennessee records.

This John Fulbright is believed to be a son of Jacob Fulbright Sr. Of course, no document names Jacob Sr.�s children, and we can only say for certain that Abraham Fulbright was his son, from documents in Jacob Sr.�s Revolutionary War Pension Application. The "extras" who do not fit in the family of William, presumed son of Andreas/Andrew Fulbright, and Barbary Fulbright, nor the family of John & Elizabeth Fulbright, are thought to be Jacob�s children.

If the John Fulbright who moved to Madison Co., Tennessee is the son of Jacob Sr., then he was one of the last sons to remain in Lincoln Co., North Carolina. The 1810 Census of Lincoln Co. shows two John Fulbrights, one on page 449 and one on page 455, both with a male age 26-45, a female aged 16-26, and a female under age 10. (The other John Fulbright is a son of William and Barbary Fulbright.) It is not known which family was which. Moreover, the two men also appear on the 1820 Lincoln Co., North Carolina census. This time, however, the two can be sorted by the ages of the children. John of the Andreas line is on page 398, with one male age 26-45 and one male under age 10, and one female aged 26-45, two aged 10-16, and two under age 10. The children�s ages match known birth dates from Cape Girardeau and Bollinger Co., Missouri information. John, the subject of this article, is shown on page 392 with one male aged 26-45 and two males under aged 10, and one female age 26-45, two females aged 10-16, and three females under age 10. The boys� ages are consistent with birth years of John�s probable sons from later censuses--Jacob (b. about 1810) and Alfred (born 1815-1817).

The identity of John�s wife in the 1810-1820 time is not certain. There is evidence his wife Mary, who appears on later censuses, was a stepmother to the children. She sued in Madison Co., Tennessee Court for her dower land (amounting to 1/3 of property by law), and such cases usually involve a stepmother: Quarterly Minute Book 10, page 554, November 4, 1867. Mary Fulbright vs. The Heirs of John Fulbright, deceased. It appearing to the Court that the heirs of John Fulbright have had notice of this application, it is ordered by the Court that Hugh Reevely, James S. Baker, and Harlivell Temple and the County Surveyor be and are hereby appointed Commissioners to lay off and assess dower to Mary Fulbright in the land of which her late husband John Fulbright died seized and possessed.

Sometime between 1820 and about 1825, John Fulbright moved his family to Madison Co., Tennessee. It is not know what triggered this move, nor whether there was any family already in the area. Possibly some of John�s wife�s family were there, although it would be difficult to say since we do not know the surname of either wife. What is sure is that John must have communicated with his cousins--John Sr.�s children--because most of them came to Madison Co. and appear on the tax lists at about the same time John did (see the last issue of the Fulbright Family News).

John settled on land on Bear Creek, a tributary of the Middle Fork of the Forked Deer River, in the southeastern corner of present-day Madison Co. in the vicinity of Pinson, Tennessee. There, he operated a mill. According to a letter written by Leonard G. Mays, a great-grandson of John Fulbright, to his cousins in August, 1928:

John Fulbright eventually got grants on two tracts in the area as follows: 10 May 1829. John Fullbright, assignee of Miles Broom, Certificate No. 6762. Two acres by Survey dated 25 Feb 1826, 9th District, the waters of Forked Deer River in Range 1, Section 7; beginning at a stake and ash 4 poles West of the SE corner of Campbell�s entry. Signed William Hall, Acting Governor. Witness Daniel Graham, Secretary. Recorded 10 May 1829.

25 March 1839. John Fullbright, assignee of Thos. Campbell, Warrant No. 3852, Grant No. 3987. Ten acres and 100 poles surveyed 4 October 1823, 9th District, Range 1, Section 7; beginning on an Elm 462 poles north and 94 poles west of the 2 mill ___?. Signed Newton Cain, Governor. Wit Luke L___, Secretary.

In addition, John bought one additional tract: 17 June 1848. John Jarrett to John Fulbright. For the sum of $35, 35 acres, more or less, in District 9, Range 1, Section 7; beginning three poles south of an elm and beech, a corner between sd Jarrett and Jacob Fulbright on a stake on the bank of Bear Creek. Signed John (x) Jarrett. Witnesses John G. Mays, J. B. Margrave, Thos. W. Gamewill, Clerk. Registered 16 February 1854.

Later, he sold some land: 24 September 1850. John Fulbright to Richard M. Davis and Samuel C. Davis. For the sum of $63.75, 24 acres and 112 poles in Range 1, Section 7; beginning at the southeast corner of Entry No. 486. Signed John Fulbright. Witnesses Mar R. Bledsoe, James G. Mays, Thos. Wm. Gamewell, Clerk. Registered 12 October 1853.

He apparently received another grant I have not located, because of the following deed: 21 January 1857. John Fullbright to James L. Baker. For the sum of $95, 119 acres and 78 poles, being the east part of Grant No. 486, Range 1, Section 7; beginning at the southeast corner of the entry on a small sassafras, hickory, and sassafras pointers. Signed John Fullbright. Witnesses J. G. Mays, A. H. Mays, Thos W. Gamewell, Clerk. Registered 2 June 1857.

John Fulbright appears on the 1830 Madison Co., Tennessee Census, with one male aged 40-50, one male aged 20-30, and one male aged 10-15; and one female aged 40-50, one female aged 20-30, two females aged 15-20, two females aged 10-15, and one female under age 5. By this time, one daughter had already been married (Barbara, to Francis Wright). Moreover, the family apparently befriended the neighboring family of Benjamin and Rachel (Gay) Mays, who had sons James Gay, Benjamin, Alfonso, Zene, and John Mandeville.

"These boys took a liking to the daughters of Johnny Fulbright, a neighbor, who owned a mill on Bear Creek and ground the corn into meal for the neighborhood. This liking resulted in the marrying of the Mays boys into the Fulbright family--and not a little bit either. I do not know just how many of the boys took Fulbright girls for wives, but as Zene was a bachelor, there could not have been more than four. There were no girls in the Mays family, so the Fulbright boys could not retaliate." (Letter, Leonard Mays to his cousins, August 1928).

The Fulbright mill was referred to in a number of court and land records in Madison Co., so it must have been a local landmark. I�ve found evidence that at least three of the Fulbright daughters did marry these Mays men (James G., Alfonso, and John M.). John Fulbright�s family again appeared in the 1840 Madison Co., Tennessee Census, with one male aged 50-60; and one female aged 50-60 and one female aged 15-20. John�s probable son Jacob also appears with one male aged 30-40, one male aged 20-30, and one male under age 5; and one female aged 20-30, one female aged 5-10, and one female under age 5. John Fulbright has a composite family in 1850, with his daughter Adaliza and (I assume) her son; and three of his orphaned grandchildren by Alphonso and Ruanna (Fulbright) Mays:

1850 Madison Co., Tennessee Census
148-744 Fulbright, John 66 NC
                               Mary 64 NC
              Hudson, Adaliza 27 TN
                            Lawrence T. 3 TN
              Mays, Amanda H. 16 TN
                        Almedia G. 13 TN
                       Joseph W. 4 TN

The Mays children are specified as heirs of Alphonso Mays in land sale records in the Chancery Court of Madison Co.(Chancery Court Minute Book No. I, 1846-1854, pages 86-87, 130-131). Other siblings not enumerated with John Fulbright were Alfred H., James L., and Jno. W. On the 1860 Madison Co., Tennessee Census, John and Mary appear in the household of Jacob Fulbright, John aged 77, and Polly aged 75. John died sometime between this date and late 1867, when I have the record of the lawsuit brought by Mary for her dower rights.

John Fulbright had as many as 9 children, if all the Fulbright individuals of the "right" age in Madison Co. were his children, and also based on census records. I would bet that his heirs are specifically named in a Madison Co. document such as probate records or other court records, but more research is needed in these records to find it. John�s children appear to be:

Barbra Fulbright born 18 March 18th 1808, NC.
Ruanna Fulbright born 13 December 1809, NC.
Jacob Fulbright born ca. 1810, NC.
Catherine (Ann) Fulbright born ca. 1810-1815, NC.
Daughter born ca. 1810-1815, NC.
Alfred Fulbright born ca. 1817, NC.
Sarah (Sallie) Fulbright born 24 Jul 1818, NC.
Daughter born ca. 1815-1820 NC.
Adaliza Fulbright born ca. 1823, Tenn.

[Next time: Records of the children of John Fulbright of Madison Co., Tennessee]