Thomas Barlow and Lucretia Hargis

I found Joseph Allison in 1830 and 1840 census' of Orange Co North Carolina, but after more digging, I find at RWCP the family moved to Roane, Putnam, and Smith Co Tennessee soon after their marriage.   Several people have mostly matching gedcoms, so I will not copy them here.  According to all, Polly was born c1793 in Virginia, and died August 1850, in Roane Co Tennessee of 'fever', at which time Joseph married second to Elizabeth Steward. The 1793 date of birth would conflict with Thomas and Lucy's marriage date.  Various people show Mary to be the daughter of John Barlow and Betsy Nichols who were married in 1792.   I believe more will need to be researched to prove who are the parents of this particular Mary. 

Membership Roll of the Shiloh Society, Purdy Circuit, Memphis Conference, Methodist Church South, November 08, 1868, Hardin Co Tennessee

Joseph Barlow, married, baptized     Lucinda, married, baptized

M. Susan Barlow, single, baptized     Mary A. Barlow, married, baptized

Joseph and Lucinda are buried in Prospect Cemetery, McNairy Co Tennessee
Click to view full size: [VR]

#2 Joseph Jerome Barlow     #3  Lucinda Crossett Barlow

Lucinda's marker reads:
"Best mother rest in quiet sleep while friends in sorrow o're thee weep and here their heartfelt offerings bring and hear thy grace requiem sing."

Walter Sidney Barlow, descendant of Joseph Jerome Sr, writes:

"My father's grandfather (Joseph Jerome Barlow, Sr.) came from North Carolina in about 1859 to settle in Shiloh, Tennessee. Grandfather Barlow was a scout under General Albert Sidney Johnston during the Civil War. He and Grandmother were married after the Battle of Shiloh and lived at Shiloh until 1887 when they came to Texas and settled in Warrens Bond.

'Uncle Tommy'

Once upon a time there lived on the banks of the Brazos River a man named Thomas Barlow (called "Uncle Tommy"). He lived in a little dugout that he made all by himself. It was neat and clean with newspapers and magazines all stacked in neat piles.

Uncle Tommy was an educated man and, as the story has been told, he grew up in Kentucky - a beautiful place. He and a young girl fell in love and were planning to marry on a certain Sunday. On Wednesday, just before that Sunday the girl suddenly took sick and died. That put an end to Uncle Tommy's dreams. Determined to put it all behind him, he left Kentucky and came to Texas. I do not know what mode of travel he used; I only know that he was in Mitchell Bend, Hood County, about 1870. It could have been earlier but he taught school there at that time. That school was one of the first in Hood County. The benches were made of logs and had no backs. I don't know about the floor, probably dirt.

Mama told us about going to school there when Uncle Tommy taught. She said that every day at noon Uncle Tommy would disappear off into the brush somewhere. Of course in Mitchell Bend at that time there were plenty of hiding places. The big boys all got curious about where their teacher was going and what he was doing. One day curiosity got the best of them and they followed him - at a distance, of course, and they were astonished to see what he was doing. He had cleared off a big space of ground real clean, surrounded by trees so that no one could see him (he thought). There was Uncle Tommy dancing! He who was so strict, so staid, and never smiling! dancing around and around! Was he capturing the dreams he had as a young man back in Kentucky? What else? But the boys never told him; they had too much respect.

And so - Uncle Tommy lived in his dugout on the banks of the Brazos River. Everyone thought of him as a hermit, but he visited people, and if anyone went fishing near where he lived he always enjoyed their company. Also, he told Uncle Will Poe he always went to the river to watch the boys swim and cavort in the water. Some of them were so daring, he said, that he feared for their lives. The old Brazos had "eddy-holes" where the water swirled around and around; every one knew they were dangerous.

Uncle Tommy was a tall man, stood erect (never stooped), always dressed in a black suit: black pants, black coat, black hat, white shirt, and shoulder length white hair.

As children going to school at Mambrino we very often saw Uncle Tommy going home with a 50 lb. sack of flour on his shoulder. He walked wherever he went. He visited the Crites, Hayworths, Snelsons, Uncle Will Poe, and others. Often we have seen him pass our house at 'Brino on a hot summer day dressed in a black suit: black pants, black coat, black hat, white shirt, and his shoulder length white hair.

It was on one of those summer days that he stopped by our house, unannounced. Mama greeted him at the door and asked him to sit near the south as that was the coolest place in the room. I am sure it was on a Monday as Mama was washing and Monday was always her wash day, rain or shine, come what may. She seemed a little flustered with her old school teacher coming in like this. She went all out to please him. After she had settled him and given him a book to read , she told me to "go to the well and bring Uncle Tommy a cool drink of water". So, I went to get the "cool drink of water."

I came back and stood near Uncle Tommy who was deeply interested in his book. As I stood there, barefooted and in an old everyday dress, I thought I was standing before a great man. Holding the big zinc bucketful of water with the dipper inside I said, "Uncle Tommy, do you want a cool drink?" Without a word he took the dipper and dipped deep into the bucket to get a big dipperful of water. He then put the dipper back and said very politely, "Thank you." I hurried to tell Mama about him being so polite. "Mama, he said 'Thank you"'. "Of course he did," she said, as she knew he was a very nice man.

Uncle Tommy had bee hives all around his little place and often brought a jar of honey to Uncle Will and Aunt Al Poe. He visited with them a great deal. One hot summer day he went to visit them, got sick, and died a few days later.

My brother, Van P. Morrison, held Uncle Tommy's funeral. If I remember right Van told the story of Uncle Tommy's early life in Kentucky and why he had left there. He was laid to rest in the Nubbin Ridge Cemetery in 1918. His epitaph is "Faithful unto death."

Uncle Tommy was a Great Man!

Indeed he was! Troy Purselley recalls that Uncle Tommy was an inventor. One invention was a gadget that would tie the twine on bundles of feed as they were 'kicked out' by the harvester. Farmers were having to tie them by hand. Uncle Tommy asked Mr. Poe if he could put the gadget on his harvester to test it. They did use it and it worked! Mr. Poe thought that was great and his field was the first where the bundles were tied automatically. It was a wonderful time-saver!

Lena Ratliff

Note from Susan:  I had done only a small amount of research on this family, when I found the Ray Genealogy website of Barbara Breedlove Rollins.  She has documented this family well, and graciously allowed me to use her information here.  Parts of it are shown here, but a continuation of these families can also be found at her site, along with other surnames allied to the families.  While I give Ray Genealogy as the source of documentation, Barbara has her original sources cited on her site.  For your personal family documentation, those sources should be cited.

The Little River Presbyterian Church organized in 1761 Montreat, NC    [KBW]
Church minutes:

Members of the Church of Little River, Book II, page 100 [KBW]

James Ray ad. ex. February 18, 1832 dismissed September 20, 1846
Nancy Ray ad. ex. February 18, 1832 dismissed September 20, 1846

1835, names of children baptized in Little River Church and names of parents.  [KBW]

_________ , James Ray
Samuel P. Ray, son of James Ray    1839
John Jasper Ray son of James and Nancy Ray     1846

In 1850 the Cumberland Presbyterians erected a house of worship of brick in the center part of the town of Purdy, McNairy Co, Tennessee. [Reminicences of the Early Settlement and Early Settlers of McNairy Co Tennessee by Gen. Marcus J. Wright, Washington, D.C., Commercial Pub. Co., 1882, Mormon library microfilm.]  Another source indicates that the Purdy Cumberland Presbyterian Church was organized by the Rev. Wm. M. Dunaway August 19, 1851, with 69 members. Many of these members transferred from Mt. Zion and Mt. Vernon Presbyterian congregations in the county. Another congregation in the county was Pleasant Ridge, which at one point had 51 members, and it is known that the James Ray family were members of this congregation. The James RAY family moved to McNairy County about February, 1848. This is a church where the RAY family were active members. Church minutes for that congregation on March 21, 1869, mentions the following persons as being present: R. YOUNG, Moderator; Elders L. A. RICHARDS, C. A. RICHARDS, J. J. ROY (sic); and H. S. HUDSPETH. Elder T. A. RICHARDS adjourned the session. I don't know who L. A. RICHARDS is since I doubt it's Lucy Ann RAY RICHARDS. C. A. would be Chesley Allen RICHARDS, and I believe J. J. ROY is John J. RAY. Elder T. A. RICHARDS would be the Rev. Thomas Allen RICHARDS.  Minutes of September 21, 1869, reflect the presence of the RICHARDS and RAY families just as heavily, while they are absent in September, 1870, consistent with the report that the family moved on January 1, 1870.  [RG]

After the death of her husband, on 01 January 1870, Nancy Ray, son John and daughter, Polly, left Tennessee, taking the train at Corinth, Mississippi, to Memphis, Tennessee. Then the family went by boat down the Mississippi River to the mouth of the White River and up the White River to Des Arc, Arkansas, to visit her son Tom who lived on a farm in the Walter's Chapel Community near Carlisle, Arkansas.  [RG]

Thomas Allen Richards was a Presbyterian preacher. "My Grandmother and Grandfather Richards (Lucy Ann and Thomas Allen) moved from Tennessee to Collin Co Texas near McKinney and lived there one year and moved near Carlisle, Arkansas. On the way, Grandfather held a wagon wheel to stop the wagon to keep it from running over Uncle Bob, and he pulled something loose inside him which caused his death. Walters Chapel Ark. is the burial place of Grand-father and Daddy's brother Bee--a horse threw him and hurt his head and he died. They lived in Arkansas about 6 or 7 years and returned to Texas and settled in Erath Co., Cottonwood Community, near Dublin."  [RG]   

After the death of her husband, Lucy Ann Ray Richards moved to Erath Co Texas. Three sisters and one brother settled in the Cottonwood Community near Dublin around 1876; John J. and Alice Ray, Susan Rebecca and Chesley Richards, Mary and Jim Richards, and Lucy Ann Richards.  [RG]   

They were Presbyterians, and the first church at Cottonwood was a Presbyterian church.   [RG]   

After the family was already situated in Erath Co, they joined with others of the family in Mississippi and other places to dispose of the property inherited through their mother, Nancy Barlow Ray: "Mrs. L. A. RICHARDS, C. A. RICHARDS and S. R. (his wife), W. C. RAY, J. T. RICHARDS, and M. D. (his wife) and John J. RAY - all of Erath Co Texas, 28th of February, 1887, appoint C.E. PARISH of Orange Co North Carolina, Attorney, to receive the amount due the heirs of Nancy RAY, deceased."  [RG]   

Obituary of Lucy Ray Richards from the Hillsboro and Dublin newspapers:   [RG]   

Death of Mrs. RICHARDS.

The west bound Texas Central passenger train Thursday was the bearer of a casket that contained all that was mortal of Mrs. Lucy Ann RICHARDS, who had left Dublin just three weeks prior to that day in apparently good health for the purpose of paying a visit to her sons at and near Hillsboro, Texas. She was sick about ten days and died Wednesday morning at the home of her son, Rev. J. J. RICHARDS, near Hillsboro. Her remains were brought up Thursday and interred at Cottonwood cemetery.

Mrs. RICHARDS was a sister of Mr. Jno. J. RAY and of Mrs. J. T. RICHARDS, and leaves six sons and one daughter, all grown. She was a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian church, and had been for many years.

The corpse was accompanied to Dublin by Mr. J. J. RICHARDS and wife, and Messrs. J. S. and L. B. RICHARDS, the gentlemen all being sons of the deceased lady.

The funeral ceremony, which occurred at Cottonwood at 4 o'clock Thursday evening, was conducted by Rev. J. H. CHAMBLISS, of Dublin, and was very largely attended. Mr. CHAMBLISS says the large attendance and apparent grief and respect for the dead were a most fitting and unquestionable testimonial of the very high esteem in which she was held by all who knew her.

The Telephone tenders its heartfelt sympathy to the bereaved relatives.

RICHARDS -

Mrs. L. A. RICHARDS, nee RAY, was born in North Carolina May 27, 1829. She professed faith in Christ at an early age, and joined the church soon after. Ever since she has lived a consistent Christian life. She was married to Mr. T. A. RICHARDS March 20, 1852, in McNairy county, Tenn. She was the mother of nine children, eight boys and one girl. Her husband and one son preceded her in death. Her father and family moved from North Carolina in 1846 to near Purdy, McNairy County, Tenn.; from there to Collin county, Texas, in 1870; and from there to Arkansas the same year; from there they came back to Texas, locating near Dublin in 1876. Here was her home until death. Thirteen days before her death in company with Dr. W. C. RAY and wife, her brother and sister-in-law, of Carlisle, Ark. she came to Hillsboro, Tex., to see her son Rev. J. J. RICHARDS. Five days after she came to Hillsboro she took sick, and in eight days died.

Sam Paisley Ray was named for an Orange Co North Carolina Presbyterian minister. I assume the family were members at the Little River church. "After Cross Roads was united with Hawfields in the service of a pastor, Eno, which had at first been its partner, was united with Little River, which became a distinct congregation about this time, under the charge of Rev. James H. Bowman, in the year 1794. In the great revival of 1802, and onwards, he gathered a goodly number into his two churches. His ministry closed in 1815. His successor was Samuel Paisley, half-brother of William Paisley and son of an Indian captive, who commenced his labors here in 1816. In 1821 the congregations were blessed with a revival of religion that brought numbers into the church. After some years of service, Mr. Paisley left them, and is now ministering in Moore County, a member of the Fayetteville Presbytery."  [Sketches of North Carolina, Historical and Biographical, Illustrative of the principles of a portion of her early settlers, by Rev. William Henry FOOTE, Robert Carter Publishers, New York, 1846, pp 228-229] [RG]

Sam Paisley Ray described the Civil War from a soldier's point of view in the following letter, transcribed as written:

Fort Wright   Randolph Tenn   July 25th 1861

Dear Father Mother brother and Sisters.

I seat my self this good night to drop you a few lines to let you know that I am in good health at this time hopeing when these few lines comes to hand they may find you all like blest I haven't any thing much to wright our regiment and John wrights is a going to leave here to morrow or next day we will go to east tennessee or to masouria one we don't know which we will go to memphis first and get our uniform I am wiling to go any where and fight for our homes and our wrights none of you neadent to wright any moore until I wright you agane I will wright as soon as we git whare we are a going I receieved a letter from Chesley and tomas when Froke Smith got back the only letters I have receieved in two months nearly it was the first that I have got from thomas. I think you all have treated me a little bad since I have .... I have done my part in wrighting if we go to east tennessee I will come by home and sta 3 or 4 days and if we go to masouria I don't now when I can come thomas Barlow is well and sends his love to you all Buck is well and sends his love to you all John Ray and Tom Wagoner is well and also sends their best respects to you all it is giting late I must close so fare well fore a while.....give my love to all of my connection after receieving a good portion for your selves yours as ever....  [RG]

Sam Paisley Ray was killed in the Battle of Shiloh on 06 April 1862, a battle fought within the hearing of his family at home. His sister, Lucy Ann Ray Richards named her child born April 09, 1862, in McNairy County, Samuel Paisley Richards. [RG]

An article about John J. Ray, the youngest brother, was written for his 101st birthday:

"Ray was born in Orange Co North Carolina., but lived the early part of his life in Tennessee. He still recalls the roll of the cannon in the battle of Shiloh, 15 miles from his home. And he recalls that the Union army took all his family's horses. The family moved to Arkansas after the War Between the States, and in 1876 RAY came to Texas, settling near Dublin."  [RG]

A letter from John J. Ray, Jr., dated October 23, 1971, describes the early life of his father:

When John was 13 months old, the family moved to McNairy County, Tenn. Their farm was on Oxford Creek, about 7 miles south of Purdy, then the county seat. The county seat was later moved to Selma, about 3 miles from the farm. They lived there until December 31, 1869. James Ray had died on April 27, 1867. Tom had married Molly J. Robinson on February 6, 1861 and moved to Arkansas. Dr. Will Ray had also moved to Arkansas. Tom returned home from the Southern Army, wounded, and died in a year or so.   [RG]   

Another paragraph of this letter:  "Mrs. [Nancy Barlow] Ray, John and Polly had dinner the first day in Des Arc at Mrs. Bull's home. Mrs. Bull was a cousin of Mrs. Tom Ray [Molly J. Robinson Ray]. it was here that John met Alice Lefton, on January 4, 1870. He married her in the same home January 9, 1872."  [RG]   

The North Carolina Genealogical Society Journal
February, May, August, November 1979
page 191.

Bowls, George F. of McNairy Co., Tennessee, 10 May 1875, appoints James Will of Orange Co N.C., attorney, to receive any monies due from sale of real estate of said Bowls' grandfather,Thomas Barlow, deceased, and grandmother, Lucy Barlow, deceased - both of said Orange Co., N.C.  The "portion I am entitled to receive is a Equal 1/4 of the Interest of my Mother, Ruth Bowls formerly Ruth Barlow and she was a daughter of the said Thomas Barlow and Lucy Barlow, and the said Ruth departed this Life more than 20 years ago and left.  Surviving her 4 Heirs of which I am one."