Pleasant Henry LEFFEW ^{2 3}

  Research Notes:

It has long been thought by descendants of Pleasant that he was the son of Elias Leffew and Rebecca Quigley of Franklin County, Virginia. But the reason why they were thought to be his parents seems to have been lost over time. For several years, I have thought it just as likely that he was the son of Joseph Leffew of Grainger County, Tennessee. Although the evidence is circumstantial, the accumulated weight of the evidence as more information has been discovered about Joseph and his family has led me to conclude that Pleasant was indeed probably the son of Joseph.

I believe he was probably the son of Joseph because (i) from 1801 to 1807, no known children were born to Joseph and Pleasant fills this gap nicely, (ii) he married his wife in Grainger County, (iii) his putative sister, Phebe Leffew, lived with Pleasant in Roane County for a time after her marriage to John Farmer failed and this is where she began a relationship with Thomas Majors who lived in a neighboring household, (iv) his putative sister, Elizabeth Leffew Kirby, named a son Pleasant, (v) his putative sister, Nancy Leffew Williams, named a son Pleasant, (vi) his putative brother, John H. Leffew, named a son Joseph Pleasant Leffew, and (vii) Pleasant himself named a son Joseph and there were no sons named Elias, Elisha or Elihu, and significantly this son was the next child born after Joseph Leffew of Grainger County died. While Pleasant does not seem to have been involved in the administration of Joseph's estate, that may have simply been because he was no longer living in Grainger County at the time. Perhaps his interest in the estate was settled informally by the other brothers and sisters. Or, maybe his interest in the estate was ignored as appeared to have been the case with John H. Leffew, who lived in Alabama, but unlike John, he didn't make a fuss.

I don't expect a stampede of converts to my conclusions. All I ask is that the descendants of Pleasant keep an open mind and continue to look for proof of his parentage. I consider Teresa Barley the primary researcher of Pleasant and she now leans towards Joseph as well. Her records are the source of most of the information I've included for Pleasant.

  Noted events in his life were:

1. Census: 1830, Roane County, Tennessee. ⁶

Pleasant Leffew: 1 male under 5, 1 male age 20-29; 3 females under 5, 1 female age 20-29.

2. Census: 1840, Roane County, Tennessee. ⁷

Pleasant Leffew: 3 males under 5, 1 male 10-14, 1 male 30-39; 2 females 5-9, 1 female 10-14, 1 female 30-39.

3. Census: 1850, Roane County, Tennessee. ²

Dwelling 1284, Family 1335, Subdivision 20
Pleasant H. Leffew, age 47, male, millwrite, born in NC
Elendon Leffew, age 44, female, born in NC, cannot read or write
John Leffew, age 16, male, born in TN, attended school
William Leffew, age 13, male, born in TN, attended school
Josiah Leffew, age 10, male, born in TN, attended school
Luisa Leffew, age 8, female, born in TN
Pleasant H. Leffew, age 7, male, born in TN
Esther L. Leffew, age 6, female, born in TN
Albert P Leffew, age 11/12, male, born in TN

4. Census: 1860, Roane County, Tennessee. ⁵

Dwelling 1569, Family 1462, Bernardsville P. O.
Pleasant H Leffew, age 55, male, mill wright, $185 P/P, born in NC, cannot read or write
Ellinder Leffew, age 53, female, born in NC, cannot read or write
Wm Leffew, age 21, male, laborer, born in TN
Louisa Leffew, age 18, female, born in TN
Henry Leffew, age 16, male, laborer born in TN, attended school
Ethlinda Leffew, age 15, female, born in TN, attended school
Albert P Leffew, age 11, male, born in TN, attended school

Pleasant married Elenor ROOK on 21 Feb 1825 in Grainger County, Tennessee.¹ (Elenor ROOK was born in 1806-1807 in North Carolina ^{2 5} and died after 1860 ⁵.)