Ellender LEFFEW

  Research Notes:

Ellender is believed to be a daughter of Elihu and Anna (Shelton) Leffew because (i) of the 1850 census record which shows Anna in her household, (ii) the fact she name a son Thomas Harber Leffew, and (iii) the fact she lived very near her father in the 1870 census.

Although she never married, she had 4 children: Robert, Lorena, Thomas Harber (per bastardy bond, his father was George W. Beeler), and Florence. I'm skeptical about Florence being identified as a step-daughter in the 1880 census.

  Birth Notes:

It is difficult to pin down her year of birth, because the census records are over the place. I have deferred to the 1850 census because in my experience the earliest statements tend to be the most reliable.

  Noted events in her life were:

1. Census: 1850, Grainger County, Tennessee. ¹

Dwelling 1464, Family 1430, District 12
Elender Leffew, age 24, female, white, born in Tenn
Robert Leffew, age 4, male, white, born in Tenn
Anna Leffew, age 70, female, white, born in unknown
Lucindy Leffew, age 34, female, white, born in Tenn

[Robert is Ellender's son, Anna is her mother and Lucindy is her sister.]

2. Census: 1860, Grainger County, Tennessee. ²

Dwelling 1483, Family 1483, District 12
Ellen Leffew, age 38, female, white, spinsteer, R/E $25, P/P $25, born in Tenn, cannot read or write
Luvena Leffew, age 8, female, white, born in Tenn
Harber Leffew, age 4, male, white, born in Tenn

[Sister Parthena is enumerated at 1484/1484]

3. Census: 1870, Grainger County, Tennessee. ³

Dwelling 120, Family 120, District 12
Lefew, Elander, age 40, female, white, keeping house, born in Tennessee, cannot read or write
Lefew, Laura, age 16, female, white, born in Tennessee, cannot read or write
Lefew, Thomas, age 12, male, white, born in Tennessee, cannot read or write
Lefew, Florence, age 1, female, white, born in Tennessee

[Richard aka Elihu Lefew at 122/122]

4. Census: 1880, Grainger County, Tennessee. ⁴

Dwelling 2, Family 2, District 9
Jerry Jarnagin, white, male, age 29, married, farmer, born in TN, parents born in TN
Luraney Jarnagin, white, female, age 29, wife, born in TN, parents born in TN
Ellendar Leffew, white, female, age 60, mother-in-law, single, born in TN, father born in NC, mother born in KY
Florence Leffew, white, female, age 12, step-daughter, single, born in TN, parents born in TN