James Wesley “Wesley” MONTGOMERY was a brother of Jehu Chastain and David Washington MONTGOMERY of Roane County, TN. Like them, he was born in Cherokee County, North Carolina and migrated to Roane County not too long after the Civil War. (Others of their MONTGOMERY siblings also migrated to Tennessee from North Carolina and settled nearby.)
James Wesley “Wesley” MONTGOMERY (sources 1, 9)
Birth: 6 Apr 1844 - Cherokee Co, NC (source 1)
Death: 31 Dec 1909 - Rockwood, Roane Co, TN
Burial: Odd Fellows Cemetery, Rockwood, Roane Co, TN (source 10)
Cause of Death: Dropsy (source 10)
Spouse: Martha Matilda “Matilda” PATE Marriage: 20 May 1867 - Cherokee Co, NC
[sources 7,8]
Parents:
Father: Allen MONTGOMERY (1794-1879)
Mother: Susannah LARGENT (1804-1884) (parentage sources 1, 6)
1. He appeared on the Murphy PO census 1 Jun 1850 in Cherokee Co, NC. (source 2)
Allen and Susannah (Largent) MONTGOMERY were enumerated by John Rolen, Ass’t
Marshal:
Lines 28 ff
family 554/557
MONTGOMERY, Allen 57 [son of David MONTGOMERY (Rev War 4039) and Margaret ALLEN]
..Susanna, 47 [Susannah (nee LARGENT) MONTGOMERY]
..John, 26, m, farmer
..Isaac, 20, m, farmer, attended school w/in the year
..Elizabeth, 18
..Waitsell [Waigtsill ] 16, m, farmer
..Alfred, 15,m
..Mary, 14
..Caroline, 13
..Elija, 11, m
..David, 9, M [David Washington MONTGOMERY, my 2d great-grandfather]
..Wesley, 7, m [James Wesley MONTGOMERY]
..Jehu, 4, m [Jehu Chastain MONTGOMERY]
..William, 25 , m, farmer
..Sarah, 19, f,
All in household b. in NC
2. He appeared on the Notta District, Murphy PO and Persimmon Creek PO
census 10 Jul 1860 in Cherokee Co, NC. (source 3)
Household 383/383
line 34 ff
Allen, 66 Farmer $700 personal property b. “McLinburg co, NC” [Mecklenburg
Co, NC]
Susanah, 54 b. Burke Co, NC
John, 34 Farm hand b. Burke Co, NC [b. abt. 1828]
Alfred, 24 Farm hand b. Burke Co, NC [b. abt. 1836]
Elizabeth, 23 b. Burke Co, NC
Mary Ann, 22 b. Burke Co, NC
Caroline, 20 b. Burke Co, NC
The household continues on the next census page:
It’s still 10 Jul 1860, but for some reason, the enumerator now reports that
this family is at the Persimmon Creek PO:
family 383 continues
line 1 ff
Elijah, 18. b Burke Co, NC
David, Cherokee, NC, attended school w/in yr [my direct ancestor]
Wesley, 15, b Cherokee, NC, attended school w/in yr
Jehu, 13,b Cherokee, NC, attended school w/in yr
Eliza, 4, b Cherokee, NC [child of Elizabeth, above]
Byron, 2, b Cherokee, NC [child of Mary Ann, above]
James. 1, b Cherokee, NC [child of Elizabeth, above]
[ North CarolinaCherokee Co, Notla P O (page reports Murphey p. 59)
NARA Micropublication M653_ 892, p 393 ]
3. By the 1870 census, Wesley has migrated from his home in Cherokee County, North Carolina to Roane County, Tennessee. He and Martha share an address with the TILMANs, a black couple and with a single white man George GROVES. The men’s occupations suggest to me that they may all work at the iron works in Rockwood. (source 11)
hh 234/231
FILMAN [or TILMAN?], Lewis; 35; m; b; Ore Diger [sic]; real estate and personal property column is blank; b TN
–Sal, 25; f, b; Keeping House; b TN
MONTGOMERY, Wesley; 24; m; w; Ore Diger [sic]; no real estate; $100 personal property; b NC
–Matilda; 22; f; w; Keeping House; b TN
–Susan; 2; f; w; b TN
–Sara P.; 1; f; w; TN [Sara does not appear on other censuses with her parents; she may have died as a child, but I have not researched her further at present (Sep 2006)]
GROVES, George; 22; m; w; Work in Coak [sic] Yard; b NC
4. Wesley appeared in Roane County, Tennesssee’s 13th District for the 1880 federal census.
SD no 1; ED no 227
13th District, Roane Co, TN
12 Jun 1880
(Sheet is stamped Received July 19, 1880)
W.D. Acuff, enumerator
hh 212/221
lines 49 ff
MONTGOMERY, Wesley, w, m, 36, “Com. [Cem. - ?] Laborer”, unemployed 1 mo curr census yr, b NC of parents b NC
–Marthy, w, f, 33, wife, Keeping House, unemployed 6 mos dur curr census yr, b TN o fparents b NC
[hh continues next sheet - orig p 30; NARA Micropublication T9_1275, p 387b, also 12 Jun 1880]
lines 1 ff
–[MONTGOMERY] Susan, w, f, 12, daugt, single, at home, att school w/in yr, b NC of fa b NC, mo b TN
–Parillee, w, f, 10, daught, single, at home, att school w/in yr, cannot read or write, b NC of fa b NC, mo b TN
–John, w, m, 5, Son, single, at home, b TN of fa b NC, mo b TN
–Freeman, w, m, 1, Son, single, at home, b TN of fa b NC, mo b TN
Wesley and Matilda live in a mixed race neighborhood. Their neighbors on either side are enumerated as w[white]; at least half of the people on both sheets on which Wesley’s household appears are enumerated as mu [mulatto] or b [black]. The families are all members of the working class - machinists, blacksmiths, brick workers, miners, or iron workers. One, James DOTSON - hh 215/224 - from SC has “Quack Dr.” listed as his occupation! Several of his neighbors had been unemployed, like Wesley, for a month or more during the current census year. Many of the women, like Matilda, have a period of unemployment registered, so apparently it was common for the women in Wesley and Matilda’s neighborhood to work.
5. He appeared on the census in 1890 in Rockwood, Roane Co, TN. Wesley is
found listed on the Roane County, Tennessee Veterans Census:
MONTGOMERY, Wesley. Pvt. (rest blank). Post Office: Rockwood, Tennessee.
6. He is living on Wilder Street, 12th Civil District, in Rockwood, Roane Co, TN in 1900. (source 5)
12th Civil District
Rockwood, Roane Co, TN [city ward]
5 Jun 1900
SD2
ED 121
Sheet no 5
James F. Crowder, enumerator
Wilder Street, Rockwood, Roane Co, TN
hh 89/104 [notation that the street numbers are not recorded]
lines 71 ff
MONTGOMERY, James W, head, w, m, Apr 1845, 55, marr, 33 yrs, b NC of parents
b NC, Railroad Laborer, 3 mos unemployed, can read, cannot write, owns home
mortgage-free
–Matilda, wife,w, f, May 1848, 52, marr, 33 yrs, 10 children b, 5 living, b
TN of parents b TN, can read and write
–Freeman, son, w, m, Feb 1879, 21, single, b TN of fa b NC, mo b TN, day
laborer, unemployed 9 mos, can read and write
Effie, dau, w, f, May 1883, 17, single, b TN of fa b NC, mo b TN, at school
Kate [?], dau, w, f, Aug 1889, 10, single, b TN of fa b NC, mo b TN, at
school
Children of James Wesley MONTGOMERY and Martha Matilda PATE:
1. Martha Susan [or Susannah?] “Susan” MONTGOMERY
2. Sarah Paralee [ or Parilee] MONTGOMERY
3. Josie Addie MONTGOMERY
4. John A. MONTGOMERY
5. Hassie L. MONTGOMERY
6. Charlie E. MONTGOMERY
7. Freeman E. MONTGOMERY
8. Ellie MONTGOMERY
9. Effie Matilda MONTGOMERY
10. Katarine [Katherine, Catherine] “Kate” MONTGOMERY
7. Wesley’s obituary was published in The Rockwood Times on 6 Jan 1910 (source 10)
Another one of the older citizens of the city was claimed during the holiday season by the grim reaper, J.W. MONTGOMERY having passed peacefully away at his home in this city on Dec. 31. Mr. MONTGOMERY had suffered for several months with dropsy, and his death was not unexpected. The funeral was conducted at the home on last Saturday by Dr. W.P. SHAMHART of the Christian Church, and the burial was at the Odd Fellows cemetery. Mr. MONTGOMERY was about sixty-six years of age, and had always lived an open and honorable life. He left to his surviving children a reputation that any one might feel proud of. His was a useful life and might well be emulated by the younger generation.
J.W. MONTGOMERY. “Card of Thanks” to well-wishers following the death of their father signed by F.E. MONTGOMERY, Catherine MONTGOMERY, Mrs. A.P. ARP, Mrs. U. CLIFTON.
Marriage Notes:
Source text from Janice Pate’s research: MARTHA MATILDA PATE 1848—JAMES W
MONTGOMERY—(COUNTY)—(DATE) James W. Montgomery to Matilda Pates, 21 May
1867. Married by T.W. Vest, JP. [source 8] Also see Source 7 below which lists the groom as Wesley MONTGOMERY. The research I conducted in Cherokee County, NC with Linda LaHue uncovered the actual bond, license, and return for the couple. The bond was signed by Wesley MONTGOMERY and his bondsman P.C. KIETH on 20 May 1867. It names Wesley’s intended bride as Matilda PATES. A license in those names was issued 20 May 1867, and the license was “executed” by T.W. VEST [or M WEST or M.W. VEST??], Justice of the Peace. Throughout the three original sheets - license, bond, and return - Wesley’s first name, James, is absent. [source 12]
Wesley’s marriage and those of Wesley’s brothers David Washington and Jehu Chastain MONTGOMERY had never been added to the county’s ledger which contains the Marriage Index [Marriages Index H Thru Mc Cherokee County - ledger; handwritten entries]. Following a pre-trip telephone request for copies by Linda LaHue, all three were added to the index on 18 Jul 2006; and there is now a notation to their late entry in the book. Despite their absence in the index, originals of all three marriages were easily located in the loose files. They are all in bad shape, having been stored folded for so long; so in addition to the photocopies we made, we also took photographs of the originals. [source 12]
Sidenote: We found the people in the office of the Register of Deeds to be helpful and courteous.
Source Citations
1. Rodgers, Leland. Leland Rodgers Research Collection, Compiled by Linda
LaHue. Spiral bound photocopies of research dating from 1982 to 2005.
Bound by Staples Office Supply, Bowie, MD, 20 Sep 2005, Bible of Lillian
Floretta Montgomery McNew, Rockwood, TN (photocopies of birth and title
pages).
2. Census - 1850 - Cherokee Co, NC, Seventh Census of The United States, 1850.
U.S. Government Census (Population Schedule). Micropublication M432.
Washington, District of Columbia: National Archives and Records
Administration, Micropublication M432_625, p 43.
3. Census - 1860 - Cherokee Co, NC, Eighth Census of The United States, 1860.
U.S. Government Census (Population Schedule). Micropublication M653.
Washington, District of Columbia: National Archives and Records
Administration, Micropublication M653_ 892, p 393.
4. Census - 1880 Roane Co, TN, Tenth Census of The United States, 1880. U.S.
Government Census (Population Schedule). Micropublication T9. Washington,
District of Columbia: National Archives and Records Administration,
Micropublication T9_1275, p 387A (orig p 29).
5. Census - 1900 Roane Co, TN, Twelfth Census of The United States, 1900. U.S.
Government Census (Population Schedule). Micropublication T623. Washington,
District of Columbia: National Archives and Records Administration,
Micropublication T623_1593, p 135.
6. Rodgers, Leland. Leland Rodgers Research Collection, Compiled by Linda
LaHue. Spiral-bound photocopies of research dating from 1982 to 2005.
Bound by Staples Office Supply, Bowie, MD, 20 Sep 2005, Family group sheet
for David Montgomery [married Margaret Allen].
7. Miller, Diane, “Cherokee County North Carolina Marriages
1860-1905″ (Online Western NC Genealogy Resource Center file at
http://www.goldenbranches.com/nc-state/cherokee, accessed 27 Jan 2004.), p
10, May 20, 1867. Source text: “1867- May 20 Marriage License ,Westly
Montgomery & Matilda (Poles?).”
8. Pate, Janice C., Various. Message board messages, post-it notes at
worldconnect.rootsweb.com, etc. Especially see “Tennessee Brides,” PATE-L, RootsWeb, [http ://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/PATE/2004-12/1103471617]19 Dec 2004; accessible 17 Sep 2006.
9. Loiselle Family Papers, LaHue, Linda - personal correspondence.
10. Obituary, James Wesley Montgomery. The Rockwood Times, Rockwood, TN, Vol XXX, No 1 (Thu, 6 Jan 1910).
11. Bailey, Robert L. and Trent, Darlene. Roane County, Tennessee 1870 Federal Census, Kingston, TN. 1997. (Printed by The Copy Center, Kingston, TN). A Roane County Hertiage Commission publication.Transcription of Roane County, Tennessee census records for the Ninth Census of The United States, 1870. U.S. Government Census (Population Schedule). Micropublication M593. Washington, District of Columbia: National Archives and Records Administration.(Page 145)
12. Original bond, license, and return for Wesley MONTGOMERY and Matilda PATES, loose marriage records, Cherokee Register of Deeds Office. Repository: Vital Records Office, 53 Peachtree Street, Murphy NC 28906-2900. Photocopies and photographs of the originals by compiler and Linda LaHue, 15 Aug 2005.
[Modified from original entry: list of children & marriage notes both expanded 18 Sep 2006.]
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