Re: Thomas Balch
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In reply to:
Re: Thomas Balch
Perry Goss 5/26/04
Hi Perry,
Well, you sent the following:
...."Gene, been a while. Where are we on this Balch/Houston marriage? Is there any "proof" on this? Other than the www material? The court documents can be read several differnt ways. One thing that bothers me is that there is no mention of "Rachel" in the names of this couples several daughters? And not all the names of the known daughters of this couple "fit" with the supposed parents of this couple. I guess not that this really matters, just bothers me is all."
.... I have a problem following just what you are saying above.If you are asking for proof of the John Houston and Rachael Balch marriage, it is listed in Early Tennessee Marriages, and also listed in Worth S. Ray's "Tennessee Cousins" - A History of Tennessee People, originally published in Austin, Tx in 1950.See page 80 in the section entitled Some Early Marriages In Green County, Tennessee.I have also seen copies of the handwritten marriage record where it is difficult to make out the name "Houston", and agree that it looks somewhat like "Thorton".Also, the name "Rachael" is hard to read. However, this is not unusual at all.If you look at it very carefully, it comes out HOUSTON.
And by the way, General Sam Houston of Texas fame (victor over Santa Anna at San Jacinto) was not the son of Sam Houston and Rachael Balch.All one has to do is go and read his history or look up his genealogy.I have taken the time to do that, and Sam just ain't our distant cousin.Sorry, but that's just the way it is.Now, as for those folks down in Texas who want to claim that..... let them at it.Maybe they can make it come true.
Now, there was a Samuel Houston, a minister, mentioned several times in Worth S. Ray's book.He was active in the area around Greeneville in laying the groundwork for the new state of Franklin, as were some of the Balch members from the area.However, I see no evidence that this Samuel Houston was one in the same, or even related to Sam Houston of Texas fame.
I also have information on the children of John Houston and Rachael Balch comes fro a member of that family line who has gone back several generations in her research.
Good hunting
Gene
More Replies:
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Re: Thomas Balch
Perry Goss 5/27/04