Re: McClung Collection/Rice family rec.

*Please respond directly to me at mahard@jps.net*

I have finally recieved the materials from the Knox County Public Library System (The McClung Collection atthe Lawson McGhee Library) regarding the Rice family.This is the material that has been so often quoted on the lineages of the Rice family that settled in Roane and later McMinn County, Tennessee.I will post here transcriptions from these papers ("denoted by quotes") and my comments.


One confusion in the use of these papers is that there are two Rice family histories that have been mistakenly linked to each other.The two collections are as follows:

1)The "Allen Papers", which are a collection of genealogical papers and research notes that belonged to Penelope Johnson Allen who appears to have been active in research in the late 1930s.Though the collection is not dated one of the documents has "1939" written on
it.The Rice information that is so often quoted comes from Mrs. Henry R. Howard of Chattanooga, TN who transcribed several different documents relating to descendants of Isaac Rice (1776-1823) of McMinn County, TN.The author of these documents is Martha "Mattie" Rice Howard, daughther of Rev. Henry Rice (1810-1862) a younger son of Isaac Rice (1776-1823).

In 1868, Mattie (Rice) Howard wrote down several brief accounts of the Rice, Matlock,
and Senter famlies which were inserted in a family Bible.Interspersed with these family accounts are birth, marriage, and death dates.Unfortunately the date of
the Bible is not listed or whose Bible it was, so we cannot be sure if the dates transcribed are ones Mattie copied from an old family Bible or if this is the Isaac Rice family Bible.Mrs. Howard also included an account of the Rice cemetery and
transcriptions of several obituaries and other notes written by Mattie and were place in the Union cases of several daguerreotypes.I will write more on this collection.

2)The second family history which is in a completely differnt collection is a typed document titled "The Descendants of Henry Rice Pioneer to Tennessee Compiled by Martin Rice", which actually appears to be a transcription of the original manuscript written by poet Martin Rice (born 1814) for
his family in 1891.This transcription has been annotated by W. H. Thomas of Riceville in Athens, TN.This Rice history appears to be about a family completely unrelated to Isaac Rice of McMinn County (despite the fact that W.H. Thomas lived in McMinn County).There is no mention of Elisha Walden or the Rices that we are studying; however, Mr. Thomas does mention a preacher John Rice who daughter married Wiley Harp the outlaw; however, this account is told differently by Martin Rice who names her as a daughter of Charles Rice.According to the poet Martin Rice, Henry Rice was a Virginian who removed to South Carolina and came to Tennessee at some unknown datesettling first in Hawkins County and then in that part of Campbell County now Union (in 1891).Howard's notes tell us that this Henry Rice was born about 1718; probably in Prince Edward County.Henry's children are identified by Martin Rice as: (daughters)Martha Bailey; Mollie Watson; Ann Wilson; Rosa Spence; Lavina Brown; Elizabeth Smith, (sons) Charles Rice; John Rice (fate unknown); Daniel Rice of Claiborne County, TN; James of Lost Creek, Union Co., TN (ancestor of Martin);andLevi Rice of Hawkins Co., TN.There is no evidence in this work that a connection exists between this family and John and Isaac of Roane County, though past researchers seem to have assumed this.Perhaps the transcriber's residence in McMinn County and his note which mentions a preacher John Rice are the source of this confusion.

I will transcribe below some of the written work attributed to Martha "Mattie" Elisabeth (Rice) Howard.After looking over this work it seems to me that there is a great deal of valuable information in Martha's work, though some of her account can be proven to be incorrect.However, one should not throw out everything and keep in mind that she set down this information as an eighteen year old girl three years after her father's death and many years after her mother's death.This work is not "directly from Rev. Henry Rice" though no doubt much of this information either comes from his Bible or/and from Martha's recollection of the stories that Henry told her.The information on Henry, his parents, and siblings appears accurate as far as I
can tell with the probate records that I have seen among the surviving McMinn County papers and from Rice family biographical sketches in Goodspeed's History of Arkansas.However, Martha "Mattie" does state that her grandfather was Isaac Rice son of Isaac and Marjory (Walden) Rice, which we know from Roane probate is wrong.She names all the people we associate with John Rice (died 1815) such as Milly Thompson and a son William and a son John with children Evan and Elizabeth, so we know that she is describing the family of John Rice who died in Roane in 1815 and that her grandfather Isaac (1776-1823) was a member of this family.Though disappointing for us, it certainly is not difficult to think that she may have confused her great grandfather's name, as she would not have known either Isaac or John herself and the name Isaac certainly must have figured in family stories.

I would like to take a momemnt to address the possible issue that the transciption could be incorrect.We must remember this is a typed transcription and that no photographic copy of the text is available.However, in regards to the issue of Isaac and Marjory (Walden) Rice, their names are mentioned twice as parents of Isaac Rice (1776-1823), so I do not think that this is likely to be a transcription error, but a genuine error in Mattie Howard's work.

Mattie's apparent error in regard to the John/Isaac issue, though understandable raises many other questions about her accounts and sources.Mainly we wonder how the Walden connection fits in.Certainly the oral history is extremely strong here as she provide physical descriptions of these people and it is extremely unlikely that she is wrong in identifying Elisha and Mary (Blevins) Walden as ancestors.However, her work does not provide us with a clear plausible connection.Perhaps John married Margery between his first wife and third wife Susannnah (named in will).Perhaps Susannah was the Walden?Obviously our job will be to sort this out.

I want to reiterate that Mattie was only 15 years old when her father died and only 18 when she wrote this history down.This is not an account by a historian, but by a young woman.One wonders what happened at this point in her life to make her want to write down the account and who she may have talked to.Her detailed account of the Matlocks may certainly have come from her uncle Henry Matlock as he was probably still alive then.She does not provide an account of either the Rice or Senter families, which seems odd and suggests that either she thought she would not forget this information or that she did not have sources to ask.
Here is my transcription as best as I could do ---

"Rice Family Records of Riceville and Athens Tennessee Notes from recors
set down by Mattie Elisabeth Rice Howard. - 1868- Copied by Mary C.
Howard 2201 E.14th S, Chattanooga, Tennessee

[handwritten dated] May 20, 1939

Copy of record in family Bible - written by - Mattie Elisabeth Rice
Howard.

Ever-Green.Feb. 16-1868

Great Great grandfather Elisha Walden, was large about the size of Rev. Henry Rice, dark skin, black hair and black eyes.One of the stoutest men in Virginia, New River, Surry [See Note #1] whipped the great Champion at Chatt. White's store.His wife, Mary Blevins, (her maiden named) was fair skin, blue eyes, common size, one of the neatest women in world.Blevins were wealthy.Their daughter Margery Walden married Isaac Rice.She was dark skin, black eyes, tolerably tall.Betsy Walden married Will Roberts.Sarah Walden married
Clem Lee.Thier son's. John Walden married Elizabeh Robets.Joseph married Milly Jones.Thomas, married Mary Cox. Joseph was killed by Indians.John's wife Elizabeth was killed by the Indians going to the Spring."

[D. Mahar NOTES: (1) New River is probably a reference to the community in Montgomery Co, VA not Surry County.Elisha Walden left a land survey in Montgomery dated 14 April 1786 [Book D, pg. 304] as did the Blevin
family.We have an account from Goodspeeds that Isaac Rice (1776-1823) was born in Montgomery County, VA.(2) Amusingly Gov. David Campbell in a letter to Lyman Draper
describes the Blevins as a family of desperados (Draper 10DD80, 19 Jun
1849)]

transcription continued:

"Great Grand Father Isaac Rice and Margery Rice his wife - had 7 daughters and 3 sons.

1.Hannah Rice married Will Walden - her cousin (handwritted Hannah born
c1760 married c1780);

2.Mary Rice married Ben Green - her cousin - his mother was a Rice

3.Amy Rice married Malthias Walden - her cousin

4.Sarah Rice married John Thompson

5.Elizabeth Rice married James Thompson

6.Nancy Rice married Joseph Mee

7.Milly Rice married Joseph Bartlett

8.William Rice married Miss Roberts

9.John Rice married and left 2 children Elizabeth and Evan, lived in Missouri.Elizabeth married Alex Russell - William Rice moved to N. Carolina and died.Rich.His children remain there.

10.Isaac Rice married 1st Susan Senter 2nd Martha Matlock."

D. Mahar NOTE:There is no evidence in this transcription that this is a list of names as found in a Bible.There are no dates or vital statitics.Perhaps she formed this list with the help of a relative or out of
a family Bible.It is clearly the list of children of John Rice as found in his 1812 will and is consistent with everything in the will and in the records found in Roane.The list identifies my ancestor, Nancy Rice Mee, as Isaac of McMinn's sister which is consistent with birth dates for Nancy and evidence of the Mee-Rice interactions in public documents.Milly Bartlett's name further establishes a connection to John's will.However, John's will is quite clear that William is by a "first" wife, which suggests at least Isaac is by a differnt wife, though there is no distinction in this among the children.

Continued...

"Grandfather Isaac Rice married Susan Senter 1st wife, she died leaving 6
children, Nancy, John, James, Isaac, Tandy, and Susan.

Nancy Rice married Henry Matlock - her Stepmother's brother
John Rice married Tabitha Dodson
Isaac Rice married Susan Senter (his cousin)
Tandy Rice married 1st Lucinda Senter, 2nd Indianna Lide

Henry and Nancy Matlock raised 8 children
[NOTE:this Henry Matlock and Nancy Rice]
John - Sarah- Charles - Henry - Martha - Besty - George - and Jane

John Rice and Tabitha raised 8 children
Isaac - Letha - Nancy - Henry - Jesse - John - Sarah - James

Isaac Rice and Susan raised 5 children
John - Louisianna - Nancy - Jane - Isaac

Tandy Rice and Lucinda 6 children
Martha Nancy - Susan - James - Will - Elizabeth

Tandy Rice and Indiana had 1 child Martie

Isaac Rice, brother of Tandy, John and Nancy lives in Arkansas. - his son
lives in CaliforniaSome of John Rice's children live in Arkansas.Some in California and Tenn.

Grandfather Isaac Rice married Martha Matlock his second wife - she had 8
children Henry - Charles- Elizabeth - Martha - T. Miller - Lucinda - and William

Henry Rice married Elizabeth Key Senter first married Margaret Knox - 2nd
marriage

Charles Rice married Eliza Haley (his cousin) first wife Julia Cobb 2nd
wife

Elizabeth Rice married Allen Haley her cousin

Miller Rice married Letha Haley his cousin

Lucinda Rice married Wm. H. Ballew

Wm. Leeland Rice married Elizabeth Matlock - his cousin - 1st wife
Wm. Rice married Elizabeth Matlock
Wm. Rice married Mrs. Francis Hughes, formerly Isbell

Henry and Elizabeth K. Rice had 7 children
Isaac - Willis - Charles La Fayette - Henry Matlock - Martha Elizabeth -
Laura Key - and two died infancy.

C. La Fayette married Margaretta Senter in Athens C. Tenn Nov. 20th 1861.

Charles and Elizabth Rice had 5 children
I. Robert - Martha - Sarah - Sue L. - Henry

Charles and Julia Rice had Will - Mary - Hettie - Miller - Jim
Wif - Julia - Munsey - Tim - Charles - Clint & o

Allen and Elizabeth Haley raised no children

Miller and Letha Rice raised 4 children
Lorena - John - Elizabeth - Allen

Harvey and Lucinda Bellow 3 children
Cornelia - Tennanna - Willie

Wm. And Elizabeth Rice 8 children
Martha - Cornelia - Laura - Alice - Leland- Annice - Cordia - Willis

Great Gradnfather John Matlock father of Isaac Rice's second wife (Martha Matlock) was large bony, much like (Uncle Henry Matlock, Husband of Nancy
Rice.)He was blue eyed, fair skin.John Matlock's mother had fair skin, and blue eyes.Some of his brothers and sisters were dark skin,
black hair, and black eyes.He had two brothers Charles and William. HIs
wife was Sarah McPherson (her maiden name) her mother' maiden name was
Nellie Martin, was fair skin, blue eyed, tall, slender and very
inteeligent.Great Grandfather Richared McPherson was a man of great
learning.Richard McPherson much like Wm. Matlock.Matlocks are English.They came from Viginia, Botalot County.McPhersons are Scotch. They came from the Eastern shore of Maryland.Great Gradmother Mary McPherson was large fair complexion.

Stephen W. Senter died in 1829
Elizabeth Senter died in 1854

Stephen Willis Senter married Elizabeth Ore, they lived near Bean Station
in Grainger Co. East Tenn.
Their children ---
Nelson A. SEnter married Sarah Porter Hogain
Father and mother of C.L. Rice's wife Margaretta and Valeria.They had 2
othe children.

Pleasant M. Senter married Adaline McGraw
There children - Susan - Harriet - Columbia - Olivia and Margaret

Caroline M. Senter married Sam Tate
Their children - Harriet - LIzzie - Stephen - Virginia - Caroline - and
Margaret

Elizabeth Key Senter married Rev. Henry Rice
Their children - Willis - La Fayett - Henry Matlock - Martha Elizabeth -
Larua Key

(Henry and Elizabeth Rice lived and died in McMinn Co.)

James D. Senter married Jane Hill
Their children - Angie - Willie- other name not known

James Senter married Mrs. Tate for his 2nd wife

Harriet Senter died single

Joanna Senter died single

Seborne Senter died single.He was a soldier in the Confederate Army.
War of 1861.Buried in Virginia.

Martha E. Rice Daugher of H. & E.R. Rice - Married John R. Howard son of
J.R. Howard Esq. Near Athens McMinn Do. Sept. 4, 1863 at 4 o'clock,
Sunday Eve.By Rev. C. Long.

Isaac Rice Born April 28 1776
Martha Rice Born July 4 1791
Henry Rice Born Dec. 12 1810
Elizabeth Key Rice Born Feb. 1 1816
Margaret Rice Born April 15 1831

Children of H. and E.K. Rice

Isaac Willis Rice Born May 22nd 1834
Charles La Fayette Rice Born Aug 16th 1836
Henry Matlock Rice Born Aug. 13 1838
Martha Elisabeth Rice Born Jan. 17th 1847
Laura Key Rice Born July 27th 1852"

Skipping over some dates for Charles LaFayett's famly and Mattie
Howards....

"Marriages

Henry Rice and Elizabeth K. Senter July 16th 1833

Henry Rice and Margaret Knox Jan 8th 1857

Isaac Rice and Martha Matlock March 15th 1809 father and mother of Henry
Rice"

"Deaths

Isaac Rice August 4th 1823
Martha Rice April 21 1850
Isaac Willis Rice Nov. 11 1834
Elizabeth K. Rice Sept. 12 1854
Rev. Henry Rice Oct. 10 1862
Margaret Rice - seond wife of Rev. H. Rice - Nov. 25 1876
C. La Fayette - son of Rev. H. and E.K. Rice died March 5th 1883 - of
Heart disease"

[NOTE:some of these dates appear to be Bible entries.The death of C.
La Fayette and Margaret could not have been apart of Mattie's writing in
1868]

"Copied from stones in old Rice graveyard 5 miles East of Athens - on old
Madisonville Road, near interesection with road from Niota to Englewood -
(Many old tombstone there - Tom Mayfied Road -"

[NOTE:four entries, perhaps done by Mary C. Howard or perhaps by Phoebe
Allen?]

There is also a second document in the Phoebe Allen colletion Titled
"From Mrs. Henry R. Howard 2201 E. 14th S. Chattanooga, Tenn. For Mrs.
P.J. Allen Care of mrs. A.B. Andrews Phone 2-2930"This work includes
obituaries for Mrs. Elizabeth Key Rice, Mrs. Margaret Rice and Rev. Henry
Rice.There is also a list of marriages for Mattie Rice and her
kinswomen Sue L. Rice, Lucie Rice, and her sister Laura L Rice. There is
also a very brief diary transcripton from Mattie E. Rices diary including
six entries from 1867, 1871, 1872, 1874, 1875, and 1876.Very little
information, but mentions "Mr. Howard called" and Spent at our own cabin
John R. Howard and Mattie E. Rice Alone.No doubt this documents the
courtship of the two and it leave the intriguing question of where the
rest of the diary is and if it provides more family information.

This document also transcribes,

"The house of teh REv. Henry Rice has been occupied continuously for the
past 50 years by the Womacs.It stand on the onld road about 5 miles
below Athens toward Riceville, Tenn.It is known locally as the
Eastanalli Road, or perhaps Oostanili?A few miles toward Athens is the
old farm of LaFayette Rice."