Genealogy Data Page 300 (Notes Pages)

Cal's Article April 28, 1949

We closed our last article with a promise to write something of PleasantShade. This town of p erhaps 150 souls lies in Smith County, about 15miles southeast of Lafayette and about 12 mile s northwest of Carthage, atthe juncture of Big Peyton's Creek and a stream that comes in on t he eastside of the main creek, made up of the waters of Sloan Branch, SandersonBranch, and Bo ston Branch. Sloan Bran ch runs into the combined Sandersonand Boston Branches only about 10 0 yards above their juncture with thebig creek. Peyton's Creek was either named for John or E phraim Peyton,who were early settler s at Bledsoe's Lick, later known as CastilianSprings. Th e Indians about 1782 had raided settlement perhaps in Sumneror Robertson County, and had carr ied away a number of horses. Ephraim andJohn Pey ton were in the party that followed the re d men with theirstolen horses. On the waters of what is now called Peyton's Creek, theyoverto ok the thieves, falling upon them decisively and killing a numb erof the horse rogues and rec apturing the missing horses. From thisincident, Peyton's Creek is said to have obtained its n ame. It rises atthe Highland Rim, its western most headwaters being in the vicinity ofthe Mim a Gregory Hill, seven miles east of Lafayette; and the easternmost part of Gibbs' Cross Roads , some twelve miles east of Lafayette.This is a historic stream upon which some of th e earl iest settlers ofwhat is now Smith County built their log cabins in early days.

Our own ancestors were on this creek as early as the autumn of 1791,settling in the Nixon Hol low, as it is now called. These early Gregorysettlers were Thomas Gregory, a Rev. soldier, hi s two sons, Bry andSquire William H Gregory, soldiers in the same war; Thomas Gregory'sbrothe r, John Gregory's widow and children.

John's widow was prior to her marriage Miss Judy Morgan according to thebest information obta inable at this late day. Her sons were JeremiahGregory, our great great grandfather on our fa ther's side of the house;Major Gregory, who went to Robertson Co. perhaps about 1815; Littl e BillGregory and John Gregory, commonly known as Joe Gregory. They had anolder sister, but h er name is not known. Bry 's wife was Elizabeth, buther maiden name is unknown. His brother , Squire William H. Gregory, issaid to have married a Miss Martha Bledsoe. Jeremiah Gregory m arried MissBarbara Rawls. Little Bill a nd John Gregory married sisters, Davisgirls. Jeremia h and Barbara were the parents of a large number of sonsand one daughter, one of the sons bei ng Major Gregory, the father ofStephen Calvin Grego ry, the father of Thomas Morgan Gregory , who wasour father.

Another early family on Peyton's Creek was Christian Boston, whowas of Dutch descent. H is wife's name is unknown, although some believeshe was _____ Jenkins. He had a son, George B oston, born in 1793 and wholived to be nearly a hundred years old. He had also a daughter, Ka te, whowas born probably about 1800. When our great grandfather, Major Gregory,was a young ma n, he married a ___ Nas h, who dearly loved to dance. Thismarriage occurred about 1832. A son , John Gregory, was born. Then onChristmas Day, 1825, she bore him another son, who was name d ThomasGregory. About Jan. 15, 1826 , when this son was three weeks old, thisyoung couple ha d an invitation to an old fashioned, breakdown. dance.With a baby only three weeks old, Mrs . Gregory decided to attend thisdance, wading the creek the next morning to get back home. Sh e sickenedand died from this unusual episode, leaving her husband with two sons,one an infan t of about a month and the other two years old.

Some months later, he married Miss Kate Boston, the wedding taking placeabout 1826. She wa s a fine looking woman, except for a very ugly crookednose. On Oct. 30, 1827, our grandfathe r, Stephen Calv in Gregory, wasborn, and he had a Roman nose. Since that time, there have bee n Romannosed in Gregory's in our line down to the present. The writer gets hishandsome Roma n nose from the Boston woman. We wonder how much longer itwill last.

From Genforum:

John was born December 03, 1725 in Halifax Co, Virginia1, and died 1800 in Chatham Co, North Carolina1. He married JUDAH MORGAN 1750 in Chatham Co, North Carolina1. She was born Aft. 1724.
Judah was a relative of General John Morgan, the Confederate leader in Tennessee during the civil war.