Defries Continued
Generation No. 10
72. James10 Defrees (Joseph9 Deforest, Johannes8, Isaac7, Isaac6, Jesse5,
Jean4, Melchior3, Melchior2, Gilles1) was born 1737 in N.Y., N.Y.,
and died August 1827 in Sumner Co., TN.
He married (1) ? Bef. December 02, 1777.
He married (2) Sophina Sevier Risley December 02, 1777 in Goshen, Orange, New York,
daughter of Johann Reuschtle and Susanna Traber.
Children of James Defrees and ? are:
76 i. William11 Defrees, born Abt. 1767 in NY.
77 ii. Mary Defrees, born Abt. 1769 in NY; died Bef. 1827 in Rowan, NC.
She married Henry Hardy February 02, 1789 in Rockbridge, VA.
78 iii. Asher Defrees, born Abt. 1770 in NY; died Abt. 1847 in Barren, TN.
He married Elizabeth Paul August 18, 1796 in Rockbridge, VA.
79 iv. Elizabeth Defrees, born Abt. 1772 in NC; died Bef. 1830 in Surry, NC.
80 v. James Defrees, born Bet. 1774 - 1784 in Rockbridge, VA; died Aft. 1827.
Children of James Defrees and Sophina Risley are:
81 i. John11 Defrees, born Bet. 1780 - 1783 in Rockbridge, VA;
died Aft. 1827.
He married Sarah T. Riggs Abt. 1800.
Notes for John Defrees:
from JAMES DEFREES AND HIS DESCENDANTS, by Jeanne Brooks Gart.
"John and Sarah lived in Williamson County, Tennessee, near Mill Creek,
shortly after 1800. On 15 Sep 1807, John bought land in Surry County, North
Carolina, giving his residence as Williamson kCounty. The land was on Big
Rocky Fork of Mitchell's River where James Defrees also owned land. The
land was purchased from David Riggs, probably his father-in-law, and the
deed waas witnessed by Zadock and Hezekia Riggs, two brothers-in-law. (This
was undoubtedly the Zadock Riggs who was an agent to dispose of James
Defrees' property in Surry County.) In that same year, as well as in 1812,
John Defrees was on the tax rolls of Williamson County, each time paying
one poll. Also in Williamson County, on 2 Jan 1815, David Riggs registered
gifts of deed to several of his children, including Sarah Dupriest.
In 1820, John Defrees bouth 168 acres of land on Spring Creek in Bedford
County, TN, for $1650. Fishing Ford Road ran through the property, and John
laid out a village which he named Gideonville in honor of his son. In 1824
one lot was sold to David Riggs for $7. There is no record of the sale of
the other lots.
John Defrees lived about three miles north of present day Chapel Hill.
According to an old newspaper account,
" He had a spring on his place which he dug out and in the
bottom of which he placed a sack of salt. A few days later he took some of
the water to old Mrs. Dickson, a worthy old lady belonging to the Primitive
Baptist Church and in whom everybody had confidence, and asked her to boil
it down for him. She did so and, of course, it made salt and furnished the
foundation for the widespread report that a valuable salt spring had been
discovered. . . . Setlers came in and made improvements in the town until
business houses of the place consisted of a hotel, a store, 3 whisky shops,
a blacksmith shop, a cabiinet shop, a saddler's shop and a hatter
s shop. Business was conducted at this place until about 1832/33, when the
town went down and no traces remain, except for a few graves in the old
cemetery."
If he was the "John Depriest" appearing in the 1820 Bedford County census,
then John and Sarah probably had other children, as this record shows three
boys and a girl.
In 1827 he had apparently returned to Williamson County, where he was
granted a license to operate an Ordinary in his residence and took the
required oat to prohibit the vice of gaming. This is the last known record
of John. The date of his death is unknown.
82 ii. David Defrees, born 1784 in Rockbridge, VA; died Bef. 1860 in Grayson, NC.
He married Nancy Low August 16, 1806 in Surry, NC.
Notes for David Defrees:
It is not known when David left his father's household, and there is no
evidence that James ever paid a poll tax for David. In 1806, the same year
that David married, he paid a poll tax in Surry county; no land ownership
was indicated. By 1810, David and his family were in nearby Ashe County,
where the household consisted of David and Nancy, both between 16 and 26,
and a boy and a girl, both under ten. In 1813, David appeared again on the
county tax list in Capt. Underwood's District, located in upper Surry
county along Mitchell's River (the same general area where both James and
John had owned land). Also in 1813 he was bondsman to James Low, probably
his brother-in-law.
The 1816 tax list showed him living on Fishers River, although he was not
charged with a property tax. (Stephen Low owned property on Fishers River,
and was taxed in Cap. Underwood's District in 1816). He continued to pay
one poll yearly through 1818. In 1820 he was again in Ashe County.
Beginning in 1826, and continuing fairly consistently through 1850, he was
included on the personal property tax list in Grayson County, Virginia. He
was charged with a tax in only one of those years, 1831, when he was taxed
for owning a horse. Although these records are meager, they indicate a
family that was not affluent, and one that lived in an area considered
isolated, even today.
David was included in the fed. census in Grayson county for the years
1830, 1840, and 1850, but it is difficult to reconcile the information
gained through these records with what we know of his children. In 1810,
there were two children, a boy and a girl, who could be Sally and Ricely J.
However, in 1820, there were three boys under 10, one of whom could have
been Aquilla, but no older children at all. The 1830 record lists a booy
5010, probably Aquilla, and one 15-20, possibly Ricely, and a girl 15-20,
probably Polly. In 1840, there was a young boy, probably Polly's son, a boy
15-20, probably Aquilla, and a young woman 20-30, probably Polly. In 1850
David and Nancy were living with Polly and her son Elam in the household of
John Clements. Adding another element of doubt as to whether all of these
children were David's is the evidence that in later census records both
Polly and Ricely consistently say that they were born in Virginia, although
the only records we have of David and his wife during this period of time
were in North Carolina.
Further examination of the tax list is somewhat helpful in determining
David's sons. In 1829, 18300, and 1831 he was charged with two tithables.
In 1832 Ricely paid under his own name, presumably 21 years of age. Aquilla
first paid a tax in 1841.
David was the only one of James' children to return to Virginia after
living in North Carolina. It is belived that he owned no land. In 1850 he
said his occupation was laborer.
The 1850 census is the last known record of David Defres or his wife
Nancy. Presumably they both died before 1860, probably in Grayson County.
+ 83 iii. Moses Defrees, born March 09, 1787 in Rockbridge, VA;
died Bef. April 1835 in Knox, TN.
84 iv. Hannah Defrees, born Abt. 1789; died Aft. 1827.
She married David Hart Bef. 1820.
85 v. Nancy Ann Defrees, born Abt. 1795 in Surry, NC;
died December 27, 1875.
She married Edward Williams January 01, 1814 in Surry, NC.
86 vi. Polly Defrees, born Abt. 1797 in Surry, NC.
She married James S. Stovall March 05, 1816 in Sumner Co., TN.
+ 87 vii. Joseph Defrees, born Abt. 1801 in Surry, NC;
died Bet. 1832 - 1840.
88 viii. Risley Defrees, born May 28, 1800 in Surry, NC;
died May 08, 1862 in Sumner Co., TN.
He married Elizabeth Holloway December 21, 1821 in Sumner Co., TN.
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