Looney- Absalom Branch
They are not found in the 1840 census.
The children of Michael 3 and Tempa (Cross) Looney were:
Margaret Looney b. say 1779. See 4 th Gen.
Mary Ann "Polly" Looney b. 14 Jan, 1781. See 4th Gen
Ann Looney b. say 1783, died a young woman.
William 4 Looney b. ca 1785. See 4th Gen.
Rachel 4 Looney b. ca 1787, married a McVeigh and migrated
westward.
Peter Looney b. say 1789, choked on a thimble and died
in infancy.
Absalom David 4 Looney b. 5 March 1790. See 4th Gen.
Benjamin 4 Looney b. ca 1792. See 4th Gen.
Michael 4 Looney b. ca 1795. See 4th Gen.
John 4 Looney b. 2 Oct, 1799. See 4th Gen.
Peter 3 Looney, third child, should have been born, it would seem, on the 180-acre tract where his uncle Daniel 2 Looney had lived, and the year 1755 is reasonable in time. It seems probable that this Peter 3 of Absalom 2 is the Peter Looney of Sumner County, Tenn., who was "born 24 Nov. 1755 in Botetourt Co., Va., " according to family records of descendants. In Sumner County he often wrote a capital H after his name and sometimes Harmon. This Peter Looney, we think, was probably he who in June 1776 signed a petition from the inhabitants of the western part of Fincastle County asking for a division of same. (Peter 3 of Adam 2 Looney enlisted 25 March 1776 in 6th S.C. Regt. and died in service 24 Sept. 1776.) Peter Looney (H) is probably he who worked 67 days under Capt. John 3 Looney (Robert 2), Bullock Master, about August to December 1776. probably in southern Washington Co., Va., or in western N.C. (including pre-Tennessee) after the men under Co. Wm. Christian
End Page -11-
Looney - Absalom Branch
returned from the Cherokee expedition. Also Peter (H) probably signed on6 Nov. 1776 a petition from the inhabitants of Lower Washington Co., Va., Protesting the erection of a court house.
(Peter 3 of Peter 2 Looney was b. 1 Oct. 1760 and therefore only 17 at this time,) It seems of possible significance that this Peter (H) Looney, when signing the petition of 1777, signed just after James Brigham who had m. Lovice, daughter of Thomas 2 and Jane (Harmon) Looney. Perhaps, for example, Rachel, the wife of this Peter 3 Looney (of Absalom 2), who later is found writing H or Harmon after his name to avoid confusion with Peter 3 or Peter 2 Looney, may have been Rachel Harmon and related to Margaret Harmon, mother of Lovice (Looney) Brigham, the daughter of Thomas 3 Looney.
It will appear elsewhere, in the account of Peter 3 of Peter 2 Looney, that said Peter 3 could not be the Peter 3 Looney (H) who settled and remained in Sumner Co., Tenn., but that he was indeed the Peter Looney (P) who left Sumner Co., and lived later in Lincoln and Marshall Counties, Tenn. Also, it will then appear that Peter Looney (P) and not Peter Looney (H) accompanied Robertson in 1779.
Descendants say that Peter and Rachel Looney of Sumner Co. came there as a young couple and that all their children were born there. Unfortunately, no record of the date of their marriage has been found and no complete list of their children. From the census records and all presently available data, the writer has reconstructed the family (see below) with adjusted estimated dates of birth. There may have been an older child of whom no evidence has been found, but otherwise the date of their marriage appears to
End Page -12-
Looney- Absalom Branch
have been ca 1783.
If indeed Peter and Rachel Looney came to the Davidson area as a young married couple, it does not seem likely that they came as early as the Donnelson "Adventure" flotilla 1779-80. Certainly Peter and perhaps Rachel may, however, have been on Donnalson's flotilla but not yet married. Certainly Haywood's Hist. of Tenn, states that Peter Looney was with Donelson, whereas the pension papers of Peter 3 Luna (Peter 2) state that he arrived 2 days before Christmas 1779. This means that he came overland with Robertson.
In this connection, it should be remembered that Peter 3 (H) (Absalom 2) had an older sister Mary who m. (1) ca 1776 Edward Carvin (who was killed 1780) and m (2) in 1781 at Nashborough, Edward Swanson. Concerning this, Mr. Robert M. McBride of Nashville, in a letter of 3 Sept. 1960 to Elizabeth Looney, says: "The records do show that Edward Swanson came with Robertson and I would imagine that Carvin did also, his wife and sons being additionally accompanied by her brother, Peter, whom Donelson lists." McBride says further: "There are also per-emption (residence) grants to Peter Looney in Davidson County in 1783." This is shown by the Davidson County Pioneer Roll of Honor which Colonel Robertson presented to the North Carolina Legislature--North Carolina Cumberland Roll--January 7, 1783. Entry was made in 1783. (To L.W.T. it seems that this pre-emption was granted to Peter 3 Luna, son of Peter 2 Looney.) The original of the Cumberland Compact should be examined, also the land grants, to see if there were two Peter Looneys who signed the Pact and if, correspondingly, two pre-emptions were granted.
End Page -13-
Looney- Absalom Looney
It is necessary to consider very carefully the two men named Peter Looney who for several years lived in Sumner County and used letters or names after their own to distinguish themselves: one using H or Harmon and the other using P or Pitman. Occasionally the added name was inserted as if a middle name. Peter, whose wife Rachel, appears early in time in the particular area that became Sumner Co. in 1786. Both Peters recorded their stock marks at the 1st court for Sumner in 1787. Peter (P) who came at about the same time afterwards moved to Lincoln and Marshall Counties and continued to be styled Captain. An important record for distinguishing these men is found in Sumner, called the Record of taxes, 1787-1794. Peter Looney (P) is there entered for 440 acres in 1787 and 1789, but for only 249 acres in 1791. On 14 July 1792, a Peter Looney of Sumner Co. was commissioned Captain of Militia of Sumner Co. and the tax list of 1792, 1793, and 1794 in which we find the Looney names entered are headed "Capt. Loonys Caompany." ("Capt. Looneys Company" wbl) The designation P is missing from the name of the Peter Looney who still is taxed on 249 acres in 1792 and the P does not again appear in these similar lists for 1793 adn1794. On the other hand the designation H appears as usual with the name Peter Looney, taxed for 640 acres in 1787, 1788, 1789, 1790 and 1793. It is thus directly inferable that Peter Looney (Pitman) was the Captain. In agreement with this, some of the entires (entries wbl) of Peter Looney (P) in the Sumner Co. Count Minutes are indexed as Capt. Looney. Further, it will be noticed below that Peter Looney (H) is closely associated with James Brigham, husband of Lovice, and with the families of Latimer and Briggance whose members intermarried with
End Page -14-
Looney- Absalom Looney
descendants of Peter and Rachel Looney. therefore, in these pages we will refer to Peter 3 who m. Rachel as Peter (H) or Peter of Sumner Co., whereas Peter 3 (Peter 2) will be called Peter (P), Peter J., Peter of Nashborough, Peter of Lincoln, or Capt. Peter.
On page 1 of volume 1 of the Minutes of the first Court of Sumner Co, the name of Peter Looney, Harmon, appears among the jurors for the July term of 1787. On page 2 is a notation that he recorded a stock mark. He was on the Grand Jury in January and in April of 1789. an early document that applies to Peter Looney (H) of Sumner is land record 1313 in the State Library at Raleigh, N.C., concerning entry 476, 7 June 1785, for 640 acres on the E. branch of Drake's Creek on north side of Cumberland River in Davidson Co.; Wm. Montgomary's line; Henry Turney's line. This land seems to have been entered by Henry Hardin and assigned to Wm. Clarey, and then assigned to Peter Looney. The land was on the trace from Gaspers to Asher's Station. since it was "2 miles above Drake's Creek" on an eastern branch thereof, it may not have been distant more that 2 to 5 miles from certain lands, to be mentioned presently, that were on the west fork of Station Camp Creek. North Carolina grant No. 279 for this 640 acres was not issued to Peter Looney until 10July 1788. This land was included in Sumner County in 1786 and Peter Looney (H) is found on the Tax List of 1787 for 640 acres.
Peter Looney (H) of Sumner may have been in Davidson County earlier than his purchase of the 640 acre tract, but no evidence is at hand. The Peter Looney on jury 6 July 1784 at Nashborough (Davidson Co. Minute Book a. 1783-1790, Pt. 1, p. 20, 29) may have
End Page -15-
Continue with Part 4, Absalom Looney Branch (NEXT PAGE)
Return to Manuscript INDEX PAGE
Copyright © 1997, T T G