Stephen LEFEW
(-Bef 1800)
Elizabeth
Joseph LEFFEW
(Bef 1774-1839)
Unknown First Wife of Joseph Leffew
Phebe LEFFEW
(1811/1815-1870/1871)

 

Family Links

Spouses/Children:
1. John FARMER

2. Thomas MAJORS

Phebe LEFFEW

  • Born: 1811-1815, Tennessee 4 5 6
  • Marriage (1): John FARMER on 20 May 1832 in Grainger County, Tennessee 1
  • Marriage (2): Thomas MAJORS on 27 Aug 1838 in Grainger County, Tennessee 2 3
  • Died: 1870-1871, Grainger County, Tennessee 6 7
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bullet  Research Notes:

Phebe is a proven daughter of Joseph Leffew by virtue of her participation in the 11 Dec 1841 deed by the heirs of Joseph Leffew, Dec'd to William Leffew. 8 9

bullet  Death Notes:

Phebe died after the 1870 census and before Thomas' marriage to Lucinda Jones on 6 Nov 1871.

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bullet  Noted events in her life were:

1. Census: 1830, Grainger County, Tennessee. 10

Household of Joseph Lefew:
Free White: 0-0
Free Colored: 00001-21

The age ranges of the Free Colored schedule differed from Free White. The above profile indicates a male over age 55, two females under age 10. and 1 female age 10-24. Phebe is presumed to be the female age 10-24.

2. Census: 1840, Grainger County, Tennessee. 11

Household of Thomas Majors: 20001-21001

3. Deed: 1841, Grainger County, Tennessee. 8 9

By a Deed dated 11 Dec 1841, James Kirby (assignee of Sarah Leffew, widow of Joseph Leffew, Dec'd), Reas and Nancy (Leffew) Williams and Thomas and Phebe (Leffew) Majors conveyed 45 acres on Puncheon Camp Creek to Wm Leffew for $45. The deed goes on to say that this was the land owned by Joseph Leffew, Dec'd.

This deed was recorded twice, with only subtle differences in the text. One difference was in the heading of the deed, which in the first recorded version was "James Kirby, Reas Williams & others to Wm Leffew" and in the second was "The Heirs of Joseph Leffew to William Leffew." The second recorded version also puts the word "interest" in quotation marks when stating that the grantors were conveying "all our 'interest' property claim and demand to the before described tract of land being the land whareon the said Joseph Lephew, deceast and all the land belonging to him at his death."

I suspect the second recording with its heading change was made in connection with the sale of this same land to Levina Leffew by William Leffew and Nancy Williams by deed dated 19 Dec 1850 (Book L, Page 386) and was done at the request of Levina's lender to clarify chain of title.

The emphasis of the word "interest" in the second version probably also resulted from a chain of title concern. The emphasis suggests that the 1841 deed to William was not of full title but only of the interests of Sarah Leffew, Nancy Williams and Phebe Majors in the Estate of Joseph Leffew, Dec'd. The purchase price paid by William also suggests that only partial interests were being conveyed, since Joseph Leffew had paid $90 for the land in 1818 and it was valued at $150 in 1837. That suggests there were other heirs.

J. A. Haworth/Haweth (depending on the recorded version), presumably James A. Howeth, was one of the witnesses to this deed, along with Lucinda Williams.

4. Census: 1850, Grainger County, Tennessee. 4

Household of Thomas Majors: Phebe Majors, 39, F, TN, Illiterate

5. Census: 1860, Grainger County, Tennessee. 5

Household of Thomas Majors: Phebe Majors, 45, F, TN, Illiterate

6. Census: 1870, Grainger County, Tennessee. 6

Household of Thomas Majors: Majors, Phebe, 58, F, W, Keeping House, TN, Can't Write


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Phebe married John FARMER on 20 May 1832 in Grainger County, Tennessee.1


bullet  Marriage Notes:

1. John Farmer to Phebe Leffew; license issued 19 May 1832; bondsman, Hugh Farmer; date of marriage per return, 20 May 1832; married by John Latham, J. P.

2. This is presumed to be John Farmer, Jr., who first appears in the Grainger Co. tax lists in 1832. He was on the tax rolls each year through 1837. The years immediately following 1837 are not available, at least on FHL film. He is presumed to have died before Phebe's marriage to Thomas Majors on 27 Aug 1838. 12 13

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Phebe next married Thomas MAJORS, son of Elias MAJORS and Margaret FLOYD, on 27 Aug 1838 in Grainger County, Tennessee.2 3 (Thomas MAJORS was born in 1810-1811 in Tennessee 4 5 and died after Jun 1884 in Grainger County, Tennessee 14 15.)


bullet  Marriage Notes:

Per Film Source:
Thomas Majors to Phebe Farmer, Aug 27, 1838 by John Robinson, J.P., Aug 27, 1838.

Per Actual Record:
Marriage License issued 27 Aug 1838 at Rutledge to Thomas Majors and Pheber Farmer by Edward Tate, Clerk of the County Court for the County of Grainger. License contains the following return information: "This Day the above named Couple was Joined together as husband and wife this 27 August 1838," signed John Robertson, Justice of the Peace.

Note: Some descendants have recorded the year of their marriage as 1835. I assume this date was extrapolated -- probably by someone unaware of the marriage record -- from the ages of the children appearing in their household in the 1850 census, particularly James, age 15. The actual date of the marriage records raises questions whether James and Absalum were children of Thomas and Phebe. See Research Notes for Thomas Majors.

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Sources


1 Mrs. Gladys Fennell & Mrs. Olivia Mason, Compilers, Marriage Records, Grainger County, Tennessee, 1796-1837, (The Historical Records Survey, June 19, 1939), FHL Film No. 024,658, Page 177.

2 Porter H. McCarty, Miss Lucille Renean and Mrs. Ellen H. Wilson, Compilers, Marriage Records 1838-1857, Grainger County, Tennessee, (The Historical Records Survey, 22 Feb 1939), FHL Film No. 024,657, Item 3, Page 9.

3 Grainger County, Tennessee, Marriage Records, Marriage License, with Return, for Thos Majors to Pheber Farmer. The author is in possession of xerographic copies of the official records, which were copied for the author in 2000 by Mickey Morris of M & D Genealogy.

4 1850 Census, Grainger County, Tennessee, FHL Film No. 444,836, Page 100 (District 12, Dwelling 1429, Family 1492).

5 1860 Census, Grainger County, Tennessee, FHL Film No. 805,250, Page 526 (District 15, Dwelling 1723, Family 1723).

6 1870 Census, Grainger County, Tennessee, FHL Film No. 553,029, Page 141 (12th District, Clear Spring, Dwelling 134, Family 134).

7 Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002, Tennessee State Library and Archives (database online at Ancestry.com).

8 Grainger County, Tennessee, Deeds, 1840-1844, FHL Film No. 968,600, Book J, Page 5.

9 Grainger County, Tennessee, Deeds, 1846-1852, FHL Film No. 968,601, Book L, Page 388.

10 1830 Census, Grainger County, Tennessee, FHL Film No. 024,538, Page 367.

11 1840 Census, Grainger County, Tennessee, FHL Film No. 024,546, Page 126.

12 Mrs. Gladys Fennell & Mrs. Olivia Mason, Compilers, Marriage Records, Grainger County, Tennessee, 1796-1837, (The Historical Records Survey, June 19, 1939), FHL Film No. 024,658, Page 177 (for Note 1).

13 Grainger County, Tennessee, Tax Lists, 1797-1819, FHL Film No. 464,105, (For Note 2). Although this film is only supposed to contain tax lists from 1797-1819, it actually includes through 1837.

14 1880 Census, Grainger County, Tennessee, Roll T9_1257, Page 489A (Ancestry.com Image 17 of 25).

15 1900 Census, Grainger County, Tennessee, Roll T623_1572, Page 11A (Ancestry.com Online Image 21 of 42).


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