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Looking for my mother’s family that comes from Sevier County, Tennessee and is an enigma to me. I am searching for Rebecca LaFollett/Follet 1807-1880, who lived with or lived close to George LaFollett and Elizabeth Gann-LaFollett for several decades.
Most of my information was obtained from the Sevier County library, online genealogy data, located in Sevierville Tennessee. They have a wonderful genealogy crew working diligently to put documents and transcriptions online.
http://www.sevierlibrary.org/calendar/genealogy/acres.htm
To complicate research, the Sevier County court house burned down March 24th 1856, located in Sevierville Tennessee. All courthouse records were destroyed, including marriage licenses, land documents and surveys, etc.
Rebecca Lafollett first appears in the 1840 Sevier Co. Census as Rebecca Follet living with 2 sons, under 5 years old, she is also living with or on the same property as Elizabeth (Gann)-Follet, husband George died in 1838, sons William and George Jr living there also and son Jeremiah Follet lives with a young wife and a daughter under age 5.
The 1840 census only named Head-of-household. By the 1850 census their name is misspelled as (Layfallet) but Rebecca is 37 years old with a son Harvey 19 and William 11, they are living with or on the same property as Elizabeth (Gann)Layfallet 57 and her sons George 15 and William 18 and Sarah Layfallet 4. By the 1860 Census Rebecca Lafollett is now living with her married son William R. Lafollett and wife Louiza. By 1870 Census Rebecca is not mentioned but William R. misspelled (Layfayett) lives with wife Louiza G. Daughters Mary E., Nancy J., Julia Ann, Sarah M., and son James H. are listed. By 1880 there is a 73 year old "mother" R (Rebecca) Lafollet living with 43-year-old son WR and wife LG 48, dau ME 19, dau NJ 18, dau JA 16, dau SM 12, son JH 10, son WC 9, dau VH 5. (W.C. 9, I believe is my great-grandfather, William C. Lafollett). I am looking for more information on Rebecca Lafollett born around 1807-1811. I'm not sure what relation she is to George and Elizabeth(Gann) Lafollett. Is she a niece, daughter in-law, sister, are her kids legitimate who was her husband? She lived with George and Elizabeth(Gann) Lafollett or on their property for a long time. George had a very large family living with him in the 1830 Census spelled, George Follet.
Rebecca Follett married Alexander Ellison in 1861 found in the Sevier County marriage record. Alexander Ellison had 4 children Louisa, Lucinda, James and William, with his first wife Ibby and was 14 years his senior, she may have died before 1860 when Rebecca married him. Lucinda Ellison became Rebecca's step-daughter and it may have happened that Harvey Lafollet, Rebecca’s married son, ran off to marry Lucinda his step-sister. In the 1870 census Harvey is married to Lucinda and living in Jefferson County, Tennessee.
I have tracked down three Rebecca Lafollette’s living in Tennessee in the early 1800s. One Rebecca married William LaFollette from Greene County Tennessee, William’s father was Jeremiah LaFollette who served in the war of 1812 and stationed at Washington County Tennessee. This Rebecca is about the same age as the Rebecca that I am looking for. However, she gave birth to three daughters, her husband William became very ill during the Civil War and died in route to his home in Tennessee. Their home was in Greene County Tennessee which is a neighboring County to Sevier County. The second Rebecca would be the lady I am looking for and the mother of Harvey and William Riley LaFollett(e).
Harvey was born around 1830, I assume in Sevier County Tennessee. William was born around 1838 also born in Sevier County Tennessee. Their father is unknown and never mentioned on any census or death certificates, Harvey and William never served in the armed forces and made their living through farming. Most unusual for Lafollettes not to be in the armed forces at some point in their lives.
Harvey was first married to Catherine, around 1860, they had four children Sarah, Rebecca, Mary and John. This would be the third Rebecca , the granddaughter of the Rebecca I am looking for. Rebecca LaFollette, daughter of Harvey may have died between the 1860 U.S. census and the 1870 census. She is no longer mentioned anywhere again, maybe in one place in the Bethel church minutes which records a funeral for Rebecca (La)Follett in 1869, . Church records:::BETHEL CHURCH:::: historical church records Sevier County, TN.
REBECCA FOLLETT PG 82 EXCUSED FROM MEMBERSHIP 1856
REBECCA FOLLETT PG 115 DIED AUG 1869 ( this Rebecca may be the granddaughter of the Rebecca I’m looking for, Harvey’s daughter.)
REBECCA LAFOLLETTE PG 85 RECEIVED BY EXPERIENCE AFTER A SERMON BY REV. JOHN SPARKS SEPTEMBER 1849
Elizabeth Gann Married George LaFollette around 1812. Elizabeth Gann is the daughter of Nathan Gann, revolutionary war soldier and decorated hero of the Kings Mountain campaign. Nathan Gann owned large Tracts of land near Jonesbough, Washington County Tennessee, where Jeremiah and George LaFollette were stationed during the 1812 war. Jeremiah Married an Elizabeth last name unknown and settled in Greene County Tennessee. George LaFollette married the daughter of Nathan Gann and settled in Sevier County Tennessee, and raised seven children.. Sevier County and Greene County are next to each other. Jeremiah born 1810, Jane Susan 1815, William born 1832, Nancy Elizabeth, Margaret Peggy 1825. George Alfred b 1835, daughter Salnar.
GEORGE LAFOLLETT served as a Pvt. in the War of 1812 in Capt. N. Jonathan Waddle's (Waddell's) Co., 4th Regt., Col. Samuel Bayless's East Tennessee Militia. Some records indicate George was drafted, others show he volunteered. George entered the military on 13 Nov. 1814 and was discharged 26 May 1815. In 1850, George's widow Elizabeth Gann LoFollett filed the first of several declarations for a pension.
(Rebecca and her son’s Harvey and William R are not mentioned in George’s 1838 will, so they were most likey not his descendants. But not totaly discounted)
I do not think that my Rebecca was related to Elizabeth Gann-LaFollette. Rebecca and her two sons, Harvey and William R are just listed with their household.
I thought Rebecca may be the first wife of Jeremiah , son of Elizabeth Gann and George LaFollette. but several sources have stated Jeremiah was married to Priscilla Patterson who may have been part Indian and was forced to leave for a reservation and escorted by her husband Jeremiah who was a soldier in 1840s. Jeremiah is the head of his own household in the 1840 Sexier County Tennessee census, with a young wife and a little girl,. in the 1840 census Rebecca is also listed as the head of her own household , and Elizabeth the head of her own household.
1840 Sevier Co TN
Elizabeth Follet (widow of George) 201-0012001
Jeremiah Follet 00001-10001
Rebecca Follet 2-00001
1850 Sevier Co TN
Elizabeth Layfollet 57
William 18
George 15
Rebecah 37
Harvy 19
William 11
Sarah 4
1860 Sevier Co TN (Fairgarden)
William Lafollet 22
Louisa 29
Rebecca 49
1870 Sevier Co TN (Fairgarden)
(Misspelled)
LayFoyett W.R. 24
Louiza G 27
Mary E 9
Nancy J 8
Julia Anne 6
Sarah M 2
James H 1/2
Rebecca is absent from the 1870 census
1880 Sevier Co TN (Fairgarden)
LAFOLLET
W. R 43 (m)*, L G. 48 (f), M. E. 19 (f), N. J. 18 (f), J. A 16 (f) S. M. 12 (f), J. H. 10 (m), W. C. 9 (m), V. H. 5 (f) R 73 (f)---The last mention of Rebecca at age 73 widowed mother of William R.
I followed William R. every ten years , through the census I found out his middle name was Riley in his last entry the Sevier County Tennessee 1920 census. William Riley LaFollett died in 1922. buried in Providence Church Cemetery, along with Louisa his wife and children and grandchildren. Unfortunatly, I cannot find Rebecca's grave.
Rebecca has certainly been a long mystery to unravel, She was illiterate as were many people living in the area at that time.
Any helpful information to unravel the mystery of Rebecca Follett/LaFollett would be most helpful.
....Nancy Yoder-Smith-LaFollette
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