Saturday, January 15, 2011

Surname Saturday: PROFFITT

The PROFFITT line is that of my paternal grandmother's mother, Hassie Cora PROFFITT.

Hassie Cora PROFFITT
Born 26 Feb 1908 in Crescent, Logan, Oklahoma
Married Merlen Paris "Zack" MERTENA 14 Feb 1931 in Mulhall, Logan, Oklahoma
Died 07 May 1986 in Lake Charles, Calcasieu, Louisiana
Buried at Mimosa Pines Cemetery in Carlyss, Calcasieu, Louisiana

William Harmon PROFFITT
Born 12 Jul 1871 in Jefferson County, Tennessee
Married Emmer Link BAKER 17 Dec 1896 in Chestnut Hill, Jefferson, Tennessee
Died 03 Jul 1944 in Alva, Woods, Oklahoma
William was a circuit riding Methodist preacher who moved from Tennessee to Oklahoma around 1900 to minister to the Native Americans there.

John PROFFITT
Born 04 Jul 1838 in Jefferson County, Tennessee
Married Catherine Elizabeth DICKEY 11 Mar 1858 in Jefferson County, Tennessee
Died 05 Jun 1882 in Jefferson County, Tennessee

Samuel PROFFITT
Born 13 Feb 1799 in Ashe County, North Carolina
Married Sarah WEBB 01 Feb 1821 in Jefferson County, Tennessee
Died 29 Nov 1876 in Chestnut Hill, Jefferson, Tennesse
There are some discrepancies in Samuel's birthplace. A lot of unsourced online trees say he was born in Elk Shoal, Yancey, North Carolina, but it appears that his father, James, was living in Ashe County, NC at the time of the 1800 census, just one year after Samuel's supposed birth date. James lived in Buncombe County, NC at the time of the 1810 census, so me must have moved there between 1800 and 1810. Yancey County was formed from parts of Buncombe County in 1833. From this information, it appears more likely that he would have been born in Ashe County and then moved to Buncombe (present-day Yancey) County as a young boy.

James Wesley PROFFITT
Born 26 Jan 1766 in Goochland County, Virginia
Married Mary CLAWSON about 1794 in Wilkes County, North Carolina
Died 20 Nov 1846 in Elk Shoal, Yancey, North Carolina

John PROFFITT
Born 28 Aug 1727 in Goochland County, Virginia
Married Susannah ARRINGTON 10 Mar 1757 in Goochland County, Virginia
Died 15 Nov 1813 in Wilkes County, North Carolina
He was an elder of the Old Roaring River Baptist Church in Wilkes County, NC.

Sylvester PROFFITT
Born abt 1698 in Perth, Scotland
Married Alice PLEASANT abt 1724 in Goochland County, Virginia
Died 10 Apr 1767 in Goochland County, Virginia
Sylvester was among the Scottish Jacobite soldiers captured by the English army in Nov 1715 at Preston, Lancashire, England. He was sent to America as an indentured servant and is found on the ship manifest of the Elizabeth and Anne, which landed at Yorktown, Virginia on 12 Oct 1716.

3 comments:

  1. We have a connection here. Your gg grandfather John Proffitt's brother appears to have been William Proffitt (1834-1870) who married my gg aunt Barbary Sawyer in 1864. I haven't done any research on the family beyond placing William with Samuel & Sarah in the 1850 & 1860 census listings.

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  2. That is so exciting! I've never connected with a geneablogger before. Do you happen to know where the Proffitt cemetery is in Jefferson County? I stopped by Chestnut Hill when I was on my way back from the FGS conference in August. I could not find this cemetery, but I still enjoyed driving around the area. It's so pretty!

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  3. It is fun, isn't it? I haven't visited Jefferson County other than driving through on my way to family in other E. TN counties. I so wanted to go to the conference in August, but it was the same week my son got married. Just couldn't figure out a way to squeeze both in. It would have been a great time to do more digging. I'll let you know if I ever head back (no more family there so fewer excuses).

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