Hoopers in Tennessee in 1850

Claiborne County lies on the northern Tennessee state line touching western Virginia and eastern Kentucky. The enumerator was George W. Cheek, who began taking the census on August 22, and finished on November 26, 1850. Both Hoppers and Hoopers were in Claiborne County in 1850; I have tried to list all the Hoopers and most of the Hoppers. My search for Hoppers was less intense than was my search for Hoopers.

Several page numbers appear on the 1850 census. In Claiborne County, it seems that after all the enumerator's pages had been collected, the front and back of each form was numbered in crude numerals. These numbers seems to have been made in wax pencil, what would today be termed a lumber crayon." When the pages reached Washington and were bound into books, stamped page numbers were added. The stamped numbers went only on the upper right corner of the front of each form. Further complicating the pagination scheme is the fact that the stamped numbers differ in organization from those added in wax. The census starts on a page stamped #234, and marked #467. The next page on the microfilm shows what would be on the left side of the open volume and is marked #466, but has no stamped page number. The next exposure shows the right side of the open volume, and is stamped #235 and marked #469. So although each exposure on the microfilm has a marked page number, the crayon numbers start out 467, 466, 469, 468, 471, 470, 473, 472, and so forth. The stamped page numbers, though not on each exposure, are sequential. The final page was marked 686, and was the backside of the page stamped 343.

To identify the location of the census listings I give below, I have here used both the marked (always the first and larger number) and the stamped page numbers.

1. The census entry for Nathaniel W[ilbourne] Hooper shows he was a farmer with land valued at $100, and that he had married within the year. Claiborne County marriage records show Wilbourne Hooper to Nancy Rutledge on 2 May 1850. The presence of the two Rutledge children in the Hooper home would seem to confirm that she was the former Nancy Eastus who had married William Rutledge on 23 November 1839, in Claiborne County. This family reappears in the county on the 1860 census, but without Patience, Nelson Rutledge, or John in the home. A marriage is recorded for Nelson Rutledge to Mary Killian on 14 March 1857 in Claiborne County, so he probably was living elsewhere in his own household.

   The surname given herein for Nancy is from Sistler’s Early East Tennessee Marriages. During the summer of 2001, I became aware of contrary information deriving from another source.

   P. G. Fulkerson (1840-1929) was a prominent lawyer in Tazewell, Tennessee and was much interested in genealogy. He wrote about the beginnings of Claiborne County and composed short paragraphs about some of the early settlers. Many years after his death, a granddaughter (Katherine Dyer) arranged for his articles to be published in the weekly newspaper "The Tazewell-New Tazewell Observer." These columns appeared from 1979 to 1981. In a paragraph published on 20 February 1980, Mr. Fulkerson wrote that

   William Hooper came to this county about 1830 and settled about two miles west of Tazewell. His wife's name was Patience. His children were: Wilburn, who married Nancy Caylor, removed to Rutledge; B. F., married Mary Wier; Milos; William; Malinda, married a Marshall.

   The sources of attorney Fulkerson are uncertain. He may have checked local marriage records to determine the maiden name of Mrs. Nancy Hooper. Or, as a lawyer, he may at some time have represented her interests in court. Or, he may have interviewed lineal or collateral descendants. So, he might have had personal knowledge of her origins. Of course, his newspaper article might have mistranscribed her surname.
   Another possibility is that either the Sistler transcription, or the original county register of marriages, miswrote her name when she married in 1839. Or, the Rutledge marriage might have been a second marriage.
   I have been unable to confirm Mrs. Nancy Hooper’s maiden name either as Caylor or as Eastes/Estes. Marriage and census records show that both Eastes and Caylor families resided in Claiborne County. For example, there were Claiborne County marriages of these brides:

   Lucida Eastes-1849, Nancy F. Eastes-1856, M. M. Eastis-1858, Mary Eastis-1851, Jane Eastus-1839, Elisha Eastes-1853, George W. Eastes-1847, John J. F. Eastes-1849, David Estice-1844, Elisha Estice-1843;
   Elizabeth Cailor 1850 Sarah Calar 1842 Polly Callor 1851

   Also, there was a John Caylor (b. ca 1795 NC) listed on the 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880 Claiborne Co. censuses. I am quite interested in determining whether the wife of N. W. Hooper really was the former Nancy Caylor.

   From sometime before 1815, there was a family of Keller / Kaylor / Caylors near Townsend in Blount County, Tennessee. The earliest proven ancestor of the Blount Caylor family was George Caylor (born about 1775, probably in NC - died between 1860 and 1867 in Blount County). This George Caylor has been a subject of my research for over 30 years. The name of B. F. Hooper’s wife (as given by attorney Fulkerson) is also of considerable interest, since several members of the family of Colonel Samuel Wear (26 Feb 1753 Rockbridge County,VA - 3 April 1817, Wear’s Cove, Tennessee) married members of the Blount County Caylor family. Should the Hoopers and Caylors and Wears of Claiborne prove to be relatives of the same surnamed families in Blount, there might be clues to the origins of all three family groups.

   The identification of a Milos Hooper as a son of the William Hooper in Claiborne County also deserves attention. Three early estate records [not yet seen by this writer] probably refer to this family of William Hooper and offspring:
   William Hooper, Sr. 1843, microfilm roll 5, book 2, page 352
   Miles N. Hooper 1844, microfilm roll 5, book 3, page 28
   William G. Hooper 1845 microfilm roll 5, book 3, page 64

   There is another Miles/Milas/Milus Hooper of Blount County, Tennessee. His tombstone in Clarks Grove Cemetery gives dates Nov. 13, 1819 - June 20, 1879. However, he seems almost certainly to be the son of the Moses Hooper (b. 1795 NC) who died of a brain inflammation in July 1850 (per Blount County 1850 mortality schedule). Compare information on the Blount County Hooper page.

   The Fulkerson information above was graciously provided by Denny & Marla Brubaker (of the Claiborne Co., TN Pioneer Project), DennyBrub@aol.com in a message dated 6 June 2001 to angie@mtwest.net

2. Claiborne County marriage records show Jeremiah Hopper to Abigail Fulps on 22 (or 24) May 1839. In 1850, Jeremiah was a farmer.
3. This individual might be the woman shown in Claiborne County marriage records as Susan Hopper to J C Hooker on 30 August 1865.
4. This Martha J. Hopper might be the M J Hopper who married M Brewer on 14 (or 17) February 1853. Also compare note 14.
5. Elizabeth Hopper might not be the mother of this household. There is a Claiborne County record of a marriage of Jesse Hopper to Eliza Wells on 2 (or 3) August 1845. Jesse is of correct age to be the son of Harmon Hopper.
6. Why Rachael Hopper is listed out of chronological order is uncertain. Perhaps she was widowed or divorced soon after a marriage, and had resumed her maiden name. Or maybe the enumerator failed to obtain her correct surname. There is a Claiborne County marriage record showing a Rachel Hopper to Hugh Graham on 9 December 1847.
   There is, however, another likely explanation. Perhaps she is the Rachel Hunter who married Daniel Hooper [sic] in Claiborne County on 25 (or 26) September 1850. A difficulty with this hypothesis is that the column "Married within year" was empty for both Daniel Hopper and Rachel Hopper. However, the census year (as opposed to the calendar year) ran from 1 July 1849 to 30 June 1850; the marriage occurred after the official census year. The enumerator queried this household on 11 October 1850.
7. Claiborne County marriage records show David Hopper to Malinda Dunn on 26 (or 30) September 1855.
8. Claiborne County marriage records show Alferd [sic] Hopper to Elizabeth A. McBee on 22 (or 24) March 1853.
9. Claiborne County marriage records show Manerva Hopper to Johnson Mayse on 29 June (or 2 July) 1857.
10. Claiborne County marriage records show Serena Hopper to M L Odel on 22 October 1856.
11. The census shows this couple married during the census year. Houston Hopper was a farmer with no land. Claiborne County marriage records show William H. Hopper married Anna Gowin on 9 (or 13) December 1849.
12. Livingston Hopper was a farmer. Both he and his wife were illiterate.
13. Claiborne County marriage records show Lousa Hopper to Abram Cupp on 12 April 1852.
14. This Mary J. Hopper might be the M J Hopper who married M Brewer on 14 (or 17) February 1853. Also compare note 4.
15. Claiborne County marriage records show Charity Hopper to Isaac Hammack on 11 June 1856.
16. Perhaps this is the same Henry shown in Claiborne County marriage records, which show Henry Hopper to Josephen Seals on 3 (or 4) July 1868.
17. Hezekiah Hopper was a farmer who owned $275 in real estate. His wife Sarah was illiterate. Children Silas, Calvin, Anna, Rinda, and Viny attended school in 1850.
18. Perhaps this is the woman shown in the Claiborne County marriage record for Viny Hopper to David Reen on 17 (or 24) November 1865.
19. Both Sarah Hopper and Nancy Robinson were reported as illiterate. Their identities can be clearly proven: Sarah was the widow, and Nancy the daughter, of Revolutionary War veteran Harmon Hopper. See the separate file of notes on the pension application for additional notes, including a surprising reference to William Hooper.
20. Soleman Hopper was a farmer. The middle initial for John and Jesse is the same letter, and could be either N or U. John's age might be 6; the numbers 6 and 7 were overwritten. This family reappears on the 1860 Claiborne County census.
21. Claiborne County marriage records show Jesse Hooper to Jane Pall 15 February 1838. Jesse was a shoemaker, and he and Jane both were identified as illiterate in 1850. Tilman, Sterling, George, and Lafayette attended school within the census year. The Edward P. Paul in the home could be her father or grandfather. Household #1200 on the next page is Joseph G. Paul 55 VA with his wife and family. The eldest child was 23, born VA; the next child was 21, b. TN. Perhaps this change in birthplaces reflects the migration of the Paul family from Virginia to Tennessee. A matching Joseph Paul was in Claiborne County in 1830, but there was no Edward Pall or Paul. However, there was an Edward P. Paul on page 387 of the Pittsylvania County, Virginia 1830 census.
22. Email dated 17 Sept 1998 from Lynn Gibson (lgibson@alltel.net to angie@mtwest.net) shows that Jesse and Jane Hooper moved to Fulton County, Arkansas by 1853 when Jesse Hooper first was listed in the tax book. He was listed as late as 1867 on Fulton County taxes.

    1860 Fulton Co., AR Bennett's Bayou, Bennett's River PO, page 478/72, 4 July 1860, #516/61
    Jesse Hooper 50 VA farmer $200 personal estate, illiterate
    Jane 47 VA illiterate
    Serling 16 TN farm laborer
    Jefferson 15 TN
    Jane 11 TN
    1870 Fulton Co., AR Bennett's Bayou, page 126/125 23 July 1870, #2/4
    J. F. Hooper 23 TN farmer $160/224
    Ann 23 AR keeping house
    Sarah J. 2 AR
    Queen? ?? AR
    #3/5
    Jane Hooper 56 VA can't read
    Elizabeth 18 TN

23. Charles N Hooper was a farmer and both Charles and his wife were illiterate. Abraham was a laborer who also attended school. Elizabeth, Tillman, Barbary, Mary, David, and Joseph attended school within the census year.
    In an email dated 19 Jul 1998, Ron Hooper (AB4RU@aol.com to Hooper@contesting.com) identified the children of Charles Noah Hooper and Christina Hunter as
    
    • Abraham Hooper
    • Elizabeth Jane Hooper (b. 7 April 1836; md. Jonas Williams between 1860 and 1864; d. November 1897)
    • Frederick Tillman Hooper (b. 11 Dec 1837 Claiborne Co., TN; md. 1 Frances Smith 27 Jun 1861, Witter, AR and 2 Ader Ann Dennis 31 July 1904 Witter, AR; d. 20 Aug 1919 Dutton, AR)
    • Barbra Hooper (b. 10 Nov 1839, TN; d. 9 Jul 1919, AR)
    • Mary "Polly" Hooper (b. 20 Sept, 1841; md. James Driver about 1863 d. before 1870)
    • W. D. Hooper (b. 7 Sept 1843, Speedwell, Claiborne County, TN; md. Cynthia Bolinger 12 Dec 1871; d. 26 Dec 1927, Witter, AR)
    • Joseph W. Hooper (b. 7 Jun 1845; d. 1860)
    • M. C. Hooper (b. 7 Dec 1847, TN; d. February 1897)
    • Thursy Ann Hooper (md. Hiram B. Robinson)
    
    Email dated 24 Aug, 14 September, and 17 September 1998 from Lynn Gibson (lgibson@alltel.net to angie@mtwest.net) shows Mrs. Hooper was Christina Antonia Hunter Hooper [source: Bible of Christina Antonia Hunter Hooper, which lists the marriage date]. One of the unusual given names, which repeats in several generations of this lineage, is Mal Canan. Gibson believes that Charles Noah Hooper died in Fulton County, Arkansas, where in 1853 he was listed in the the 1853 Fulton County, Arkansas tax book. At least some of the Charles Noah Hooper family then moved to Madison County, Arkansas, as indicated by pension papers for William David Hooper.
    Government land office records show an 1892 land patent for 160 acres to Christenia A. Hooper, and an 1896 patent for 120 acres to Christena Hooper, both in Madison County, Arkansas. [Document numbers 8381 and 10505].
24. The name on the census is either Charlene[r?] or Chrislene[r?]. There is no cross mark to make the l into a t.
25. Email dated 17 September 1998 from Lynn Gibson (lgibson@alltel.net to angie@mtwest.net) identifies the Rachel Hunter who married Daniel Hooper in Claiborne County on 25 (or 26) September 1850. Rachel Hunter's father Joseph was brother to Christina Hunter Hooper. See also note 6
26. All the household numbers on this page are lost in the binding. The preceding page ends with household 1356. It is quite possible to tell where new households begin. Counting down this page, M C Hooper should be household 1361. Sistlers' census index includes Hannah J. Smith within this home; she instead is head of the next household, #1362. M C Hooper was a farmer. Elizabeth and Mary Hooper were listed as illiterate.
    In all likelihood, M C Hooper was Mal Canan [Mel Canaan, Molcanan] Hooper. He might be a much younger brother to Charles N. Hooper listed above, or he could be a nephew. Elizabeth, born about 1780 in North Carolina, seems likely to be his mother or grandmother. The other two women, Mary and Elizabeth, could be unmarried or widowed sisters of or aunts to M C Hooper. Or one might be his mother.
    In 1840, there was an Elizabeth Hooper household (page 228) in Claiborne with 1 male 20-30 (probably M C Hooper); 2 females between 40 and 50 and another female aged 70-80. Although the ages of the women are a decade older than what would be expected from the 1850 data, this 1840 probably was the same household as that of M.C. Hooper of 1850. (Perhaps the enumerator miscounted his columns for the female age brackets.)
27. Just two families from the M C Hooper household, this household begins on line 36 of page 677/339 with the parents' surnames as Hopper and the children all listed as Hooper. The last line of the page is blank, as is the first line of the next page [page 676/339]. The continuation of the family begins on line 2 of the printed form.
    John was a farmer. John, Martha, and James are listed as illiterate. George, William, Thomas and Benjamin attended school within the census year.
28. Claiborne County records show a marriage for Benjamin F. Hopper [sic] to Anna Edwards on 8 (or 30) March 1867. The groom Benjamin Hopper might be related to the Jesse Hopper family enumerated at household 831 in 1850. Immediately before Jesse Hopper were two Edwards households in 1850:
    • #829 Jeptha Edwards 25 TN, Sarah M. 26 NC, Sarah M. 7 TN, Martin 4 TN. John J. TN, Nancy J. 2/12 TN
    • #830 Artama Edwards 33 TN (female), James 18 TN, Sally 14 TN, Samprara 12 TN (male), Anna 7 TN, Martha 5 TN, McKendra 4 TN (male), Spencer 1 TN.
29. The L initial for Daniel Hooper is quite faint; on first glance, the letter looks like a "D" instead.
30. The 1830 census for Claiborne County, Tennessee shows only one Hooper family.
    • William Hooper 00022001-00002001
    In 1840, there were five Hooper households:
    • page 213, James F. Hooper 000001-0010001
    • page 215, William Z(G?) Hooper 000002001-000001001
    • page 224, Jesse Hooper 20001-00001
    • page 228, Elizabeth Hooper 00001-000000101
    • page 228, Malcanan Hooper 1100001-20001
31. Four Hopper families appear on the 1830 census of Claiborne County.
    • p. 133 line 26 William Hopper 00001-21001
    • p. 134 line 10 Jesse Hopper 1201001-101001
    • p. 134 line 11 Harmon Hopper 0100000001-010010101
    • p. 134 line 12 Thomas Hopper 110001-11101
    • p. 142 line 12 Elizabeth Hopper 00122-00001201
    The adjacent-line listings for Jesse, Harmon, and Thomas Hopper suggest they were close neighbors. Jesse is the known eldest son of Harmon. Hezekiah Hopper, who was enumerated immediately before Sarah Hopper in 1850, is of the correct age to be the youngest male in the 1830 Harmon Hopper household.
    Thomas probably is of the same family. He probably left the state; query #260 on the Hopper list of the US Genforum (www.genforum.com) describes a Joseph Hopper in Kentucky, born 1834 in Claiborne County, Tennessee. The query identifies Joseph as son of Thomas and Rhoda Hopper.
    In 1840, Harmon Hopper was enumerated in the home of John Hopper. The 1840 data for John Hopper is compatible to the 1850 listing for John Hopper/Hooper above. Interestingly, Claiborne County marriage records fail to show marriages for the several older sons of John Hopper/Hooper. Perhaps this lack of marriages indicates the whole John Hopper/Hooper family left the county early in the 1850s. None of the members of the John Hopper/Hooper household appear on the 1860 Claiborne County census.