Tags
One hundred seventy seven years ago today, November 1, 1832, my husband’s great, great, great, grandparents, Lewis (Louis) Tarwater Dunaway and Jane English, were married. They were both born in Tennessee in the early 1800’s but were in Ray County, Missouri when they married. They had 11 children and my husband descends from their son, William Franklin Dunaway who went by the name Ben.
What little the family knows of them is from Jane English Dunaway’s book entitled Dunaway – Allder – Pyle Family when she talks of them, her grandparents. She said:
…they were of pioneering sturdy stock, who homesteaded and bought enough land at $1.25 per acre to give each of their seven surviving children a good farm.
…Jane English, was of the line of Englishes that goes back to the voyage of the Mayflower. Her father, Thomas English, and mother, Letitia Campbell with her uncles, brothers, and her sister’s families settled in the territory which became Cedar County, Missouri, in 1832. Cedar County was organized in 1847 with Thomas English as one of the three first judges or commissioners… About three or four generations back Letitia Campbell English had an ancestor, Alexander Campbell, the founder of The Disciples of Christ Church, often called the Christian Church. For three or four generations afterward this bigoted family seemed to think they had a corner on the path to heaven, they were so intolerant of the other religious sects. All they could think or talk about was baptism by immersion and communion every Sunday.
…Louis Tarwater Dunaway, born in 1809, had three half-siblings each had a different father, the mother being Eve Tarwater. Apparently all were born in Tennessee but later moved to North Missouri. One half-brother was Riley Blythe; one was a Fletcher; one, a Roland (or a half-sister who married a Roland).
Just why Eve Tarwater never married any one of her common law husbands is a matter of conjecture. It could have been that there were no ministers around or Justices of the Peace, but that seems unlikely in the late 18th century. Perhaps the reason was the one a colored woman gave for not marrying: ‘She did not want a lazy good-for-nothin’ man round eatin’ up her chillin’s food’. However it was, Eve Tarwater was quite a character; her children when grown were reliable, responsible, and respected people, all of them solid citizens of Missouri. So far as the family legend goes Ben’s paternal grandfather (Jane Dunaway’s father) was out of the blue, no record from whence he came or whither he went.
Other pieces of information I have found:
They moved from Ray County, Missouri in 1835. “They settled on Sac river and farmed there until 1850, when he sold out and moved to Crisp Praire, east of Dadeville. …Lewis T. Dunaway was an outspoken and fearless Whig in politics,…” (Source: History of Dade County and Her People: from the date of the earliest settlement to the present time)
L.T. Dunaway was one of the first names for land entries in Dade County (1840 TWP 32, Range 26; 1845 TWP 33, Range 25). By one account he eventually owned 1700 acres in Dade County.
Apparently L.T. was in charge of supplies for the Union Army during the Civil War and he died of dysentery at Wilson’s Creek battlefield in 1861.
Lewis Tarwater Dunaway purchased the following land patents:
| Date | County, State | Acres | Location (all 5th PM Meridian) |
| 1833-12-05 | Ray, MO | 82.7 | Sect 23; Twp 51-N; Range 29-W |
| 1838-09-07 | Ray, MO | 40.0 | Sect 1; Twp 51-N; Range 29-W |
| 1838-09-07 | Ray, MO | 40.0 | Sect 12; Twp 51-N; Range 29-W |
| 1844-09-10 | Cedar, MO | 160.0 | Sect 24; Twp 33-N; Range 26-W |
| 1844-09-10 | Dade, MO | 80.0 | Sect 35, Twp 33-N; Range 26-W |
| 1844-09-10 | Dade, MO | 80.0 | Sect 34; Twp 33-N; Range 26-W |
| 1844-09-10 | Dade, MO | 160.0 | Sect 34; Twp 33-N; Range 26-W |
| 1845-10-01 | Dade, MO | 73.4 | Sect 4; Twp 32-N; Range 26-W |
| 1848-08-03 | Dade, MO | 80.0 | Sect 31; Twp 33-N; Range 25-W |
| 1848-11-01 | Dade, MO | 40.0 | Sect 28; Twp 33-N; Range 26-W |
| 1852-11-01 | Dade, MO | 40.0 | Sect 31; Twp 33-N; Range 25-W |
| 1852-11-01 | Dade, MO | 40.0 | Sect 14; Twp 32-N; Range 25-W |
| 1852-11-01 | Dade, MO | 36.6 | Sect 4; Twp 32-N; Range 26-W |
| 1852-11-01 | Dade, MO | 40.0 | Sect 11; Twp 32-N; Range 25-W |
| 1852-11-01 | Dade, MO | 40.0 | Sect 35; Twp 33-N; Range 26-W |
| 1853-04-15 | Dade, MO | 40.0 | Sect 11; Twp 32-N; Range 25-W |
| 1853-12-01 | Dade, MO | 40.0 | Sect 14; Twp 32-N; Range 25-W |
| 1854-12-15 | Dade, MO | 40.0 | Sect 10; Twp 32-N; Range 26-W |
| 1856-03-15 | Dade, MO | 46.5 | Sect 6; Twp 32-N; Range 25-W |
| 1857-05-15 | Dade, MO | 36.6 | Sect 3; Twp 32-N; Range 26-W |
| 1857-05-15 | Dade, MO | 40.0 | Sect 36; Twp 33-N; Range 26-W |
| 1857-05-15 | Dade, MO | 40.0 | Sect 34; Twp 33-N; Range 26-W |
| 1859-06-01 | Dade, MO | 40.5 | Sect 3; Twp 32-N; Range 26-W |
| 1859-06-01 | Dade, MO | 40.0 | Sect 31; Twp 33-N; Range 25-W |
| 1396.3 |
From the Ancestry.com U.S. General Land Office Records, 1796-1907 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2008. Original data: United States. Bureau of Land Management, General Land Office Records. Automated Records Project; Federal Land Patents, State Volumes. http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/. Springfield, Virginia: Bureau of Land Management, Eastern States, 2007.
I would love to learn more about Lewis’ parents but, to date, I have not had much success. Do you have information to help find his parents?
Relative Storyboards 
L.T. Dunaway and Jane English were my g-great-grandparents. I don’t agree with Jane Dunaway about L.T.s’ parents. The Tarwaters were very religious people. Their was a Lewis Tarwater and other Tarwaters in Blount Co., TN. Tarwater is a German name and sometimes they gave every son the same first name. Possibly in this case Jacob.Their are many Samuel Dunaways. This family needs to start fresh in their research because I feel that we have a lot of misinformation. Look up the founder of the church Alexander Campbell. You will find that he lived about the same time as they did. I could find no connection to Letitia Campbell. I hope I don’t sound like I’m being mean but their is a lot of misinformation on Thomas English and his ancestors also from people who just took the word of someone else’s research. Betty
LikeLike
I’m not taking your comment as being mean and I’m glad to receive feedback about the family. My hope in posting information from Jane Dunaway’s book is to gain feedback from other family members and researchers and possibly learn specific information to identify the lineage.
There is quite a variation of information on who Jane English’s parents were. The names seem to always be the same but different families. One source indicates that she was a cousin of Alexander Campbell, who was the founder of the Church of Christ, and that makes more sense based on the dates but at this point there is no proof only a family story.
LikeLike
I believe LT Dunaway had a sister who married a Roland. But I believe Riley Blythe and Fletcher were married to Eva Ann Tarwaters’ sisters. I believe she was the daughter of Jacob Tarwater of Ray Co., Mo. And I suspect she and Samuel Dunaway were possibly married in Missouri. There may not have been any one to perform a legal marriage at that time in Missouri. I’m too old now to go back to the genealogy library, but they built a new one in Independence, Mo. Check hx of Ray Co and census records. A lot of Dunaways in Missouri at that time before MO became a state. I think we are misled by the name of L.T. There are so many possibilities. Betty.
LikeLike
Good to see you visiting again! The marriage records for Ray Co. from 1820-1834 are online http://files.usgwarchives.net/mo/ray/marriages/M182034.txt There are Dunaway, Inglish, Rowland, Fletcher, and Tarwater throughout. Lewis Dunaway and Jane Inglish are listed. It’s definitely all tangled up.
LikeLike
My father is the last of the Lewis Dunaways. He is Lewis Theadore Dunaway and his father was Lewis Winfield Dunaway and his father was Lewis T.( Theo)? Dunaway who’s father was Lewis Campbell Dunaway who’s father was Lewis Tarwater Dunaway. Sad he had no sons.
LikeLike
Patricia, I see that we shared information in 2010. It’s good to hear from you again and thanks for visiting my site!
LikeLike
Lewis T. (Theron) Dunaway was the father of my grandmother Theo Melba Dunaway sister of Lewis Winfield. (Winny)
LikeLike
Hello,
I, along with other cousins, in the Tarwater Facebook Group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/463486550331395/ have been using atDNA to try and crack the brick wall of the Lewis Tarwater who died 1831 Ray, Mo. In so doing we have isolated a triangulated group on chromosome 16 which contains 2 descendants of the Lewis Tarwater who died 1831 in Ray, Mo. AND 4 people with DUNAWAYs in their tree; plus some others. The testers results are at a variety of places, including GEDmatch.
So naturally I would be please to receive GEDmatch kit numbers of Lewis Tarwater Dunaway descendants; and to have DUNAWAY researchers join the Tarwater group and join in the dialogue and research note comparison.
Here are some additional DUNAWAY notes that may be helpful to the research process that we acquired in the past while researching Tarwaters:
1801 Tax List of Capt Montgomery, Blount County, Tennessee:
No Cameron
No Davidson
Finlay, John 1 wp
No Manuels
McLanahan, David 1 wp [probably McClanahan]
McLannahan, James 1 wp
McLanahan, Matt 1 wp
Rowan, Samuel 1 wp [possibly Roland?]
Tarwater, Jacob – 1 wp
Tarwater, Lewis – 1 wp
Lackey W. – 1500 a [He was the biggest land owner in the district]
Wise, John 1 wp
No Dunaways
(Source: Mary Bennett Curtis. Early East Tennessee Tax Lists: A Compiled List of Residents of the Area Covered in 22 East Tennessee Counties for which there is [sic] No Census Records Prior to 1830. (Fort Worth, Texas : Arrow Printing, 1994.) FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 R4c. —Jana Stokes, 2012. This is the man who witnessed Lewis Tarwater assigning his Tuqulechsee Cove land in Blount Co, Tenn to Frederick Rush/Bush.
1801 PETITION, BLOUNT COUNTY, TENN:
“15-1-1801 Petition of citizens of Blount County for a law “keeping the Navigation of Little River open from the Mouth of BRADLY Mill in Tuckalechy..” They complained that fish dams on the river prevented their “canoeing our produce or rafting our plank to market..” Signend by: No date (2 pages)”
“…Mathew McClanahan, Samuel Davidson, Lewis Tarwatter, Cudbeth Manuel, Worley LInvill, Richard Linvill, Stephen Goodman, James Moor, Jesse Fain, Joseph Conway, Thos. Morison, Alexdr. Reid, Joel Morison, Gavin Black..Peter Snider, James McClanahan, Alexr. Miller…Elijah Dunaway, John Smith, John Bradley”
(Source: “Petitions to the General Assembly of Tennessee” Ansearchin News Winter 1992 Page 168. (http://www.tngs.org/ansearchin/pdf/1992-4.pdf : 31 May 2013) Located from Tarwater Facebook post of Fred Woods.)
1805 TAX LIST, BLOUNT, TENN:
1805 BlountA List of the ? of the free taxable (page 103) inhabitants of Blount County as returned by the Sherriff of the County aforesaid for the year 1805[no land or poll given just take amt][is the W word near Lewis Tarwater and and after John Walker mean Warr….Warrant?,,,possible surname of Weir? Cuz Weir old land?][This list seems compile based on other lists and so see somewhat sections of alphabetization. It might be clusters of people paying taxes together… after reading whole list and seeing how many many pages—the fact that Tarwaters all within a few pages of each other probably mean the names around them are in same company and many even neighbors as before list was alphabetized….now tend to think each had own land.]No. 112 Jacob TowaaterNo. 117 Saml Carter126 George Tarwater131 Eli/ Dunaway182 Thomas Capbele133 Lewis TawaterNo. 148 Valentine Manuel144 Cudbreath Manuel148 John Tarwater149 Joseph Walker150 Isaiah Walker309 Jon Lowry Mer? [Wer?]
1807 WITNESS TUQULECHSEE COVE, BLOUNT, TENNESSEE:
#114LEWIS TARWATER-72 ½ acres-Blount County-Tuqulechsee Cove, waters of Little River-CC None Surveyed [CC = chain carriers] April 18, 1807 Assigned to FREDERICK RUSH consederation $300 January 3, 1808 Witnesses SAMUEL DUNAWAY and MANUEL PARKER
INDEX WILL, BLOUNT CO, TENN:
No Tarwater or derivative.
Rush, Frederick W 8-7-1827 W-2 266, 267
No Dunaway.
No Manuel Parker
(Source: McGinnis, Robert. “1795-1950: Will Index”, http://tngenweb.org/blount/1795-1950-will-index, accessed 3 Aug 2012.) —-Jana Stokes, 3 Aug 2012.
1814 BLOUNT CO, TN DEED:
398. (289-90) (Tip/Sep?) WISE to John McBRYAN: 10 Oct 1811, 30 Sep 1814, $100, all the tract of land in Tuckaleechee Cove on south side Little R., adj river, Samuel ROWLAND, Elijah DUNAWAY, Culbert MANNUELL. Wit: Wm. DAVISEN, Samuel DAVESEN, Mathew BENSEN, Frederick (x) BUSH. Sig: Sep (x) Wise
1830 FED CEN: Franklin co TN
William Dunaway
2 males 5-10
2 males 10-15 (b 1815-1820)
1 male 15-20 (b 1810-1815)
1 male 40-50 (b 1780-1790) Wm Dunaway
2 females under 5 (b 1825-1830)
1 female 10-15 (b 1815-1820)
1 female 15-20 (b 1810-1815)
1 female 30-40 (1790-1800) wife
—-
George Thompson
A W Mullin
1 male under 5 (1825-1830)
1 male 5-10 (b 1820-1825)
1 male 10-15 (b 1815-1820) William b 1818 per 1850 cen
1 male 30-40 (b 1790-1800) A W Mullin
1 female under 5 (b 1825-1830) Elizabeth Ann
1 female 10-15 (b 1815-1820) Nancy (dau fr 1820 cen)
1 female 20-30 (b 1800-1810) Sarah/Sally Tarwater-Mullins
Robert Sexon
Charles Rowland
Jacob Rowland
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHPM-PPL
1837 TAX LIST, BEDFORD, TENN:
Dist 3
Cardwell John B no land; 1 wp; 12 ½ 12 ½
—
Dunaway Saml no land; 1 wp; 12 ½; 12 ½;
—
Garrett Stephen no land 1 wp; 12 ½; 12 ½
No Jones
Mullins, Matthew 144 ac ; 1720 value ; 1.36 tax; no wp
Mullins William no land 1 wp 12 ½ ; 12 ½
Mullins James no land 1wp; 12 ½; 12 ½No ShafnerNo Tarwater
(Source: Early Tax Lists, Anderson thru Blount, TSLA microfilm.(film about 1/3 inch outside of take up roll))
NOTES FROM CIRCUIT COURT MINUTE BOOK INDEX, FRANKLIN CO, TN:
Campulls vs Braden p 533
Deed from Fltcher to Foster 105
Deed George to Woods 118
Deed Lewis to Lewis 118
Dieher vs Rowland 570 or 510 or 370
Deed John Wilkerson to Gillis 375
State vs Danaway 428 (indicted for trading with a slave), 435 (State vs Wm Dunaway Sr –guilty; fined)
State vs Dunaway 135
State vs Elliott 448, 450
State vs Wilkinson 449, 514 (Wm Wilkinson assult & battery)
Tarwater vs Greenlee pg 186
(Source: Circuit Court, Franklin county, Tennessee. Circuit Court Minute Book, Vol 2, Index. FHL US/CAN Film 576,286 item 1. ) —Jana Stokes 5 Nov 2012.
1838 LAND GRANT IN MISSOURI
Samuel M Dunaway of Ray, Missouri Land Office Lexington, MO.
http://mv.ancestry.com/viewer/f6ef6bc2-dfef-47fd-b2b6-7264cf86dcb0/19947799/1063409586
1840 TAX LIST, COFFEE COUNTY, TENN:
Dist 9
Tarwater, John 50 acres; 150 value; 7 ½ tax; no white poll
Dist 10 Dunaway Elijah no land; White: poll -1; 12 ½ tax
Dunaway William no land; White poll -1; 12 ½ tax
[just happened to notice these Dunaways – didn’t look on other lists for them]
LikeLike
Lewis T. = Theron Dunaway, father of my grandmother Theo Melba Dunaway.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Recently submitted my DNA. Came back with 1000 possible relatives. One was Les Dunaway. Wasn’t sure he was ready to hear from me. I still have about 990 to go through. Hope I hear from a Tarwater. I am 88 yrs old. My great grandmother was a daughter of Lewis Tarwater Dunaway and Jane English. Pernita Dunaway Potter. I believe she had another sister who married her husband’s cousin I believe he was John Thomas Potter. My great grandfather was Joseph Minor Potter.
LikeLike
My great great grandfather was Lewis Tarwater Dunaway. He was at Wilson Creek Battlefield during the Civil War, supplies for the Union Army. He died of dysentery.
LikeLike
Thank you for the information.
LikeLike