Looney - Absalom Branch
However, suit for divorce was dismissed 27 Jan. 1847. On
6 June 1870 Hawkins Court appointed P.L. Henderson (half
brother to William 4 Looney) administrator of William 5 Looney,
deceased. Other children of William 5 Looney were:
Margaret Looney b. 1848.
Julia Looney b. 1849.
(Sarah, mother of William 5 Looney, was living with her son P.L. Henderson in 1870 Hawkins Co., Tenn. P.L. Henderson was b. 20 Jan. 1812 and m. Mary L. Long b. 9 Aug 1809.)
William 4 Looney left Hawkins Co., Tenn., at an early age and about all his Tennessee relatives seem to have known about him is the report or tradition that he went to Arkansas, married there, lived on Red River, and was drowned in it. However, from local histories in Arkansas, it is found that he came there about 1802 and "was the first white man to settle on Elevenport River," Randolph Co., Ark. With him or soon thereafter came at least one of his "cousins", the Stubblefield brothers. (Memoirs of N.E. Ark., Goodspeed Publishing Co. 1889, p. 408; Hist. of Randolph Co., Ark., P.___, by Lawrence Dalton). It is said that William 4 Looney brought 3 negroes with him and that he had to travel 135 miles to Cape Gerareau to buy groceries.
Some accounts of the family of Michael 3 Looney append the names of Andy, Coleman and Bob who were children of Polly Stubblefield and some of these Stubblefields or Looneys were early in Arkansas with William 4 Looney. Concerning these three, W. 6 G. Looney says that Michael gave them money and they went down the Tennessee River to the Purchase, Sweetwater Valley, Tenn.
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Looney - Absalom Branch
William 4 Looney and his wife and Arkansas family are listed in the 1830 census of Lawrence Co., Ark. A Theny Looney was also listed there in 1830 as head of a household. They are both listed in 1840 in Randolph County (which was taken from Lawrence). Thus They may have been the relict of a son born early to William 4 Looney after his arrival in Arkansas.
From Arkansas census records of 1830 and 1840 (Davidson Twp.). it is possible to deduce approximate birth dates for some of the family of William 4 and from the 1850 census to suggest the names of three of his sons. In 1830 he seems to have had a wife, 4 sons, 6 daughters, and 4 slaves; in 1840 no wife, 4 sons, 4 daughters, and 9 slaves. The name of William 4 Looney was not found in Randolph Co., Ark., in 1850. It is suggested that William 4 Looney had at least children in Arkansas as follows:
A son, say 1803, m. Theny _____See 5th Gen.
Epps 5 Looney b. ca1820. See 5th Gen.
William 5 S. Looney b. ca1822. See 5the Gen.
Michael 5 Looney b. ca1825; m. ca1850 Nancy b. Tenn ca1827.
They had son William C. Looney by 1857. (Randolph Co.,
Ark., census of 1850 and 1860.)
Absalom 4 David Looney (Michael 3) was born 5 March 1790, died 12 Dec. 1862. During the War of 1812 he volunteered in Hawkins Co. on 2 Oct. 1813 for 3 months and was mustered in at Knoxville, Tenn. as a private in Capt. George Argenbright's Company, 4th Regiment of E. Tenn. Volunteer Reflemen, under Col. William Lillard, and served 4 months 6 days against the Creek Indians. He was discharged at Rogersville. He lived in Hawkins Co. at the 1830 census. His
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Looney - Absalom Branch
bounty land warrants were numbered 3345-80-50 and 12480-80-55 for a total of 160 acres. He gave his age as 60 in 1851 and as 65 in 1853. Witnesses were William M. Piper and W. U. Smith. He made no pension claim.
Absalom D. Looney married ca 1819 Sarah (Sallie) J. Starnes born 30 Jan. 1799 and died 8 Feb. 1874. She was the daughter of a German, John Starnes (1776-1800) and his wife Salley Adams of Clinch Valley. Absalom and Sallie Looney lived on Big Creek near the mouth of Little Creek in Stanley Valley. They are buried at their home place in the Hickory Cove, Hawkins Co., Tenn. (The dates on their tombstones agree with their Bible records).
The will of Absalom D. Looney was dated 9 April 1862 and proved January 1863. (Hawkins Wills 1, 332). He also named 5 daughters and 7 sons (essentially as listed below). Absalom D. Looney was well supplied with lands and slaves. Of him it is said that he would not take over 50 cents a bushel for corn when it was scarce and selling for a dollar.
The children born to Absalom 4 D. Looney and his wife Sally were:
Louisa Morgan Looney b. 16 Sept. 1820, d. 26 Aug. 1906,
Bible (or 27 Aug. 1907, stone), Hawkins Co.; m. 22 Mar. that by
1838 William Hutchinson (14 Dec. 1808-10 April 1865),
s. of Benjamin Hutchinson (1765-1852) and 2nd wife (m.
1790) Margaret Gonce [Gence? wbl] (1772-1841). Three ch.
reached maturity.
William 5 Carroll Looney. See 5th Gen.
James 5 Gaines Looney. See 5th Gen.
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Looney - Absalom Looney
Mary Ann Looney b. 2 July 1825, d. 16 Jan. 1884 Hancock
Co., Tenn., m. 23 May 1850 (Hawkins Co.) Joseph Y. Campbell
of Sneedville, Hancock Co, Tenn. (s. of Robert
Campbell). (Her name is given as Mary Ann in Bible rec.,
m. notice, and father's will, but some published recs.
have called her Julia and Josie.) They had at least 5
children.
Rufus Golahar Looney b. 21 Jan. 1827, d. 26 Feb. 1898 in
Texas; m. Susan Harrell (possibly related to the Cross
family of Hawkins Co., Tenn., since he was appointed guardian
of the minor heirs of William Cross, decd. in 1861).
He sold his land in Hawkins Co. in May 1862 and was of
Polk Co., Mo. in 1870 and of Delta Co., Texas, in 1874;
in Cooke Co., Texas, in July 1879, and before that in
Montgomery Co., Texas. "After he went to Texas he never
cut his hair but wore it in plaits," Had issue, a large
family, but names not ascertained.
John Blair (or ?Brice) Looney b. 14 Aug. 1828, d. 10 Dec.
1906 in Hawkins Co., m. ca 1861 in Hawkins Co. Martha Ellen
(Mattie) Charles b. 4 May 1840, d. 3 Dec. 1916 (dau. of John
Rogers Charles, 1811-69, who m. (1) 1837 Mary Gillenwaters
1817-44. He is buried beside his parents and she in the
Charles cemetery in the Hickory Cove. Dates are from
tombstones. They had 8 children of whom Charles 6 Looney
was reported as of Winchester, Tenn., in 1935.
Margaret Catherine Looney b. 5 March 1830, d. 17 Dec. 1872 in
(?Delta CO.) Texas; m. April 1854 in Hawkins Co., Tenn.,
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Looney - Absalom Branch
Joel F. Gillenwaters b. 5 Oct. 1826, d. before 1889 in Kentucky
(s. of Elijah C. Gillenwaters 1792-1859 who m. Rebecca
Snodgrass 1792-1858). They had no issue and were
divorced in May 1857. After 6 months, she went to her parent'
home, resumed her maiden name, and died on a visit to
her brother Rufus. Margaret sold her inheritance of 1/3
the home place to sister Sarah. (Joel F. Gillenwaters m.
(2) and had 7 children.)
Absalom Starns Looney (originally Absalom D.) b. 1832 Jan 30,
d. 6 July 1901 Hawkins Co.; m. ca1861, Hawkins Co., Sarah
(Sallie) Phipps Shields b. 1 March 1838, di. 10 Jan. 1919
in Hawkins Co. (dau of Dr. John Shields 1788-1870 and 2d
wife, m. 1835, Hester A. Phipps 1797-1861). Dates were
from their home place in the Hickory Cove. They had 10
children.
Israel Joseph Looney (originally Joseph Israel) b. 3 Sept.
1833, d. 27 April 1910 Hawkins Co., m. ca 1861 Hawkins Co.
Willie Ann Shields b. 27 Sept. 1843, d. 11 Jan. 1913 (sister
of A.S. Looney's wife). Dates are from tombstones
on the Phipps Bray place between the Hickory Cove and
Stanley Valley. They had 3 children.
Sarah (Sallie) Jane Looney b. 25 March 1835, d. 11 March 1911,
Hawkins Co., m. 19 Aug. 1866 Hawkins Co. Pryer Lee Pearson
b. 23 Oct. 1837, d. 1 Nov. 1913 (s. of Lawrence Pearson who
m. Elizabeth Devault). They were buried beside her parents
and dates are from tombstones); m. from Co. records.
Sarah Jane inherited 1/3 the home place and bought 2/3 from
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