John Berry and Edith Polk

JOHN BERRY2 (John1) was born c1765 in Whitehall Virginia, and died c1833-1835 in Mississippi.

He married EDITH ANN POLK on April 28, 1787 in Brunswick, Brunswick Co Virginia. Said to be born c1767 in Brunswick Virginia, some genealogies show her as the daughter of Thomas Polk and Mary Wilson

Stephen Berry sends the following, dated September 2009: Recent DNA tests have linked some direct descendants of John Berry with other Berrys who trace their line to Henry O. Berry (or Henry O'Berry) who received a 1750 grant for land in Anson County, North Carolina. Some sources state Henry Berry was part Lumbee Indian and may have been descended from Henry Berry and/or Richard Berry, two of the colonists "lost" at Roanoke Island in 1587. Also descended from Henry Berry is the famous Civil War-era outlaw Henry Lowry Berry.

1820 Marion Co Mississippi John Berry 3 m < 10 3 m 10 < 16 1 m 45 > 1 f 45 >
According to the names given by researchers of this family, I am unable to determine how this could be our John, there appears to be no daughters listed in his household. A John Berry is shown indexed in the Cherokee Nations of Alabama, and in Dallas Co Alabama for the year 1820, but I do not have the full records, so I am unable to determine if there might be a possiblity of him being our John and Edith.

Anna Everling contributes the following:
The family came to Simpson Co in 1828 and settled on Silver Creek. Their home sat on the county line which divides Simpson and Lawrence Co on Section 10, Township 9N, Range 19W, close to Old Hebron

1830, I find John Berry Jr. is in Simpson Co Mississippi, too young to be this John, I assume he will be John Jackson. But I cannot find any listing for John and Edith. If he is enumerated in the household of one of his children, he is not head of household, and therefore will not be found by name in a census record.

I have been unable to locate other land records prior to 1840, other than those above, for a John Berry. I have no tax records to search, and without a census, it would be impossible to prove that the two children born after 1820 even exist. Shown below are the children listed by various researchers, I do not know their resources for them.

Contributed by Bobby Gilliam and Ann McNair

Westville News / May 03, 1900 "REMINISCENCES OF SIMPSON COUNTY - Historical Events that Happened Years Ago" Written by the late Hon T. L. Mendenhall in 1889.
Part of the article reads as follows:

In 1820, John Berry, the grand and great grandfather of the present generation of that name, moved from Marion county and settled on Silver creek between where A.G. and A.W. Berry now live. The line dividing this county from Lawrence ran through his dwelling. He there succeeded in completing the raising of a large family, all of whom have since died except R.T. Berry, now a resident of Lawrence county. One of his neighbors, Isaac Myers, resided in the last named county, owned land in this county, though he resided south of the line where Wm. Brinson now lives.

Emigrating from Tennessee about 1818, he [Myers] came down the Mississippi river in a flat boat and landed at Natchez. He then had a wife and one son, and brought with him all his worldly effects; and he either brought with him, or procured at Natchez, a horse and cart, his only means of transporting his family, goods and chattels. Thus equipped and prepared, he set out on what was then called the Natchez and St. Stephens road, which was a very dim highway, having been traveled but very little, and was principally followed by noticing the blazes on the trees. The country being so sparsely settled there were no hands to open roads or build bridges; consequently, he had considerable difficulty in crossing some of the streams but being a stout, robust and athletic man, with an iron will and considerable experience in the use of tools, he deviated from the blazed pathway, and like Noah's dove in search of land whereon to set his foot where he would be "monarch of all he surveyed," he settled on the above described lands and set about building a house. When he landed there his exchequer was reduced to one silver dollar, which been seen by the writer since the Confederate war, and it had a very ancient appearance, as it was worn almost smooth and the dates and impressions were entirely obliterated.

The skill that Myers had exhibited in the construction of his house of the rough hewn material, attracted the attention of other emigrants who were less qualified for that kind of work, and for a considerable time after he had located his family, he was almost constantly employed in assisting others in building, frequently several miles from his home; this enabled him to purchase a few head of cattle and hogs, from which he continued to raise stock without any attention on his part except to mark and brand, as they were looked after and kept from going wild by his estimable and industrious wife; and in a few years time he had quite a number of beef cattle to dispose of which was an annual source of income; and when it had increased sufficiently he commenced purchasing slaves, land, etc. He resided on this place and continued to increase his property until the winter of 1851. He then removed to Rankin county and settled between Richland and Tumbalo creeks four miles south of Brandon, where he died when somewhere above 80 years of age. Prior to his death, he had accumulated about 100 slaves, a large tract of land and a considerable quantity of other property. His only son now resides in Covington county. He had only two daughters one the mother of B.F. Berry [Elizabeth Myers] and others; the other, the mother of A.J. Ragland and others.

Note: Mendenhall states "his only son", he surely meant to say his only living son at the time he wrote the article.

Click on individual to see more about that family

1816 Washington Co Mississippi Tax Roll - Frances Berry 1 white poll 5 slaves
The only thing I find that might be him would be in the 1840 census of Jackson Co Alabama, a Francis Berry, age 15-20 living with a female, age 60-70, I would assume to be his mother. Living next door, is a David Berry, age 20-30, with a female, age 20-30, and 2 male children under 5, who I believe to be James David, son of Henry H. Berry and Cynthia Turely. I do know we have another family of Berry's living in the same areas of Mississippi, who were said to be from Alabama and Louisiana, who have very similar naming patterns, but whom I have yet to connect to this branch. We know that David, a brother of John Berry's spent time in Alabama, and accordinging to the Public Land Records, a John Berry 'abscounded' from Washington Co Alabama, after having sold 800 acres to John Baker. Francis is shown here to be born in Louisiana, this may very well be the connection that will tie the two branches of Berry's together, but that will have to be another area to research at a later date.

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2 i.	HUGH BERRY3, born c1789, and died in November 1849
3 ii.	SALLY BERRY, born c1790 in South Carolina, and died 1855 in Simpson Co Mississippi
4 iii.	MARY ELIZABETH BERRY, born c1795 in South Carolina
5 iv.	WILLIAM BERRY, born c1802, and died January 22, 1842 in Lawrence Co Mississippi
6 v.	JOHN JACKSON 'JACK' BERRY, born May 19, 1803 in South Carolina, and died August 17, 1859 in Simpson Co Mississippi, burial in Strong River Cemetery, Simpson Co Mississippi
7 vi.	HENRY BERRY, born February 07, 1807, and died April 1858 in Simpson Co Mississippi
8 vii.	RICHARD TALLEY BERRY, born April 27, 1810 in South Carolina, and died December 25, 1894
9 viii.	CENTILLA BERRY, born April 15, 1814 in North Carolina, and died April 10, 1889, burial in Prentiss Town Cemetery, Jefferson Davis Co Mississippi Researchers seem confident that she is indeed the daughter of John and Edith, however, she is not enumerated in the 1820 census of Marion Co, for which I have no explanation.
10 ix.	PRYOR TALLEY BERRY, born March 06, 1816 in South Carolina, and died February 23, 1886 in Harrisville, Simpson Co Mississippi, burial in Harrisville Cemetery, Simpson Co Mississippi.
x.	FRANCIS A. BERRY, born c1818 in Louisiana He married ELIZABETH MULLICAN on July 04, 1839 in Lawrence Co Mississippi

11 xi.	GERMAN BERRY, born c1820 in Lawrence Co Mississippi
xi.	SEBASTIAN BERRY, born c1822 in Mississippi. No further information found
xiii.	LOUISA BERRY, born c1824 in Mississippi, and died August 08, 1884. Listed by T.J. Garner No further information found

	Stephen Berry sends the following, dated September 2009: Recent DNA tests have linked some direct descendants of John Berry with other Berrys who trace their line to Henry O. Berry (or Henry O'Berry) who received a 1750 grant for land in Anson County, North Carolina. Some sources state Henry Berry was part Lumbee Indian and may have been descended from Henry Berry and/or Richard Berry, two of the colonists "lost" at Roanoke Island in 1587. Also descended from Henry Berry is the famous Civil War-era outlaw Henry Lowry Berry.
	1820 Marion Co Mississippi John Berry 3 m < 10 3 m 10 < 16 1 m 45 > 1 f 45 > According to the names given by researchers of this family, I am unable to determine how this could be our John, there appears to be no daughters listed in his household. A John Berry is shown indexed in the Cherokee Nations of Alabama, and in Dallas Co Alabama for the year 1820, but I do not have the full records, so I am unable to determine if there might be a possiblity of him being our John and Edith.
	Church Records Of Covington Co Mississippi - copyright 1988 by Jean Strickland And Patricia N. Edwards --Covington County was established from the counties of Lawrence and Wayne January 05, 1819-- Ebenezer Church records show that Edith Berry was a member of that church in as early as 1820, and as late as 1828
	Anna Everling contributes the following: The family came to Simpson Co in 1828 and settled on Silver Creek. Their home sat on the county line which divides Simpson and Lawrence Co on Section 10, Township 9N, Range 19W, close to Old Hebron
	1830, I find John Berry Jr. is in Simpson Co Mississippi, too young to be this John, I assume he will be John Jackson. But I cannot find any listing for John and Edith. If he is enumerated in the household of one of his children, he is not head of household, and therefore will not be found by name in a census record.
	I have been unable to locate other land records prior to 1840, other than those above, for a John Berry. I have no tax records to search, and without a census, it would be impossible to prove that the two children born after 1820 even exist. Shown below are the children listed by various researchers, I do not know their resources for them.
	The Polk family was prevalent in the same areas of Mississippi, the parents of Edith are shown to be Thomas Polk and Mary Wilson, by Steven Riner
	Contributed by Bobby Gilliam and Ann McNair Westville News / May 03, 1900 "REMINISCENCES OF SIMPSON COUNTY - Historical Events that Happened Years Ago" Written by the late Hon T. L. Mendenhall in 1889. Part of the article reads as follows: In 1820, John Berry, the grand and great grandfather of the present generation of that name, moved from Marion county and settled on Silver creek between where A.G. and A.W. Berry now live. The line dividing this county from Lawrence ran through his dwelling. He there succeeded in completing the raising of a large family, all of whom have since died except R.T. Berry, now a resident of Lawrence county. One of his neighbors, Isaac Myers, resided in the last named county, owned land in this county, though he resided south of the line where Wm. Brinson now lives. Emigrating from Tennessee about 1818, he [Myers] came down the Mississippi river in a flat boat and landed at Natchez. He then had a wife and one son, and brought with him all his worldly effects; and he either brought with him, or procured at Natchez, a horse and cart, his only means of transporting his family, goods and chattels. Thus equipped and prepared, he set out on what was then called the Natchez and St. Stephens road, which was a very dim highway, having been traveled but very little, and was principally followed by noticing the blazes on the trees. The country being so sparsely settled there were no hands to open roads or build bridges; consequently, he had considerable difficulty in crossing some of the streams but being a stout, robust and athletic man, with an iron will and considerable experience in the use of tools, he deviated from the blazed pathway, and like Noah's dove in search of land whereon to set his foot where he would be "monarch of all he surveyed," he settled on the above described lands and set about building a house. When he landed there his exchequer was reduced to one silver dollar, which been seen by the writer since the Confederate war, and it had a very ancient appearance, as it was worn almost smooth and the dates and impressions were entirely obliterated. The skill that Myers had exhibited in the construction of his house of the rough hewn material, attracted the attention of other emigrants who were less qualified for that kind of work, and for a considerable time after he had located his family, he was almost constantly employed in assisting others in building, frequently several miles from his home; this enabled him to purchase a few head of cattle and hogs, from which he continued to raise stock without any attention on his part except to mark and brand, as they were looked after and kept from going wild by his estimable and industrious wife; and in a few years time he had quite a number of beef cattle to dispose of which was an annual source of income; and when it had increased sufficiently he commenced purchasing slaves, land, etc. He resided on this place and continued to increase his property until the winter of 1851. He then removed to Rankin county and settled between Richland and Tumbalo creeks four miles south of Brandon, where he died when somewhere above 80 years of age. Prior to his death, he had accumulated about 100 slaves, a large tract of land and a considerable quantity of other property. His only son now resides in Covington county. He had only two daughters one the mother of B.F. Berry [Elizabeth Myers] and others; the other, the mother of A.J. Ragland and others. Note: Mendenhall states "his only son", he surely meant to say his only living son at the time he wrote the article.
	The only resource I have for the names of these children are from other researchers, who give no source for their findings. My ambition is to go forward with the names.