CHAPTER X JOHN SCALF

CHAPTER X

JOHN SCALF, JR. AND PATSY SCALF FAMILY
(John, Jr. -.John, Sr. - Lewis.- James - John)

John Scalf, Jr., third child and first son of John Scalf, Sr., and Edeah Carlisle Scalf, was born in 1791, prior to July of that year. We are indebted for his birthdate to a deposition he made July 17, 1845 in Hawkins County, Tennessee, before Robert Rogers, a Justice of the Peace, in order to assist John Scalf, Sr., on his application for a Revolutionary War pension. According to the 1850 Claiborne County, Tennessee, Census he was born in Virginia.

John Scalf, Jr. married prior to 1820. His wife's name was Patsy but her maiden name is in doubt. It could have been Couch or Counts. The name appears on an old record but the penmanship is illegible. It can be made out as Coots, Cants, Conts, Couch or Couts. The Counts and Couchs were early settlers in Southwest Virginia and there was a close association between the Couch and Counts families. Brittan Scalf, brother of John Scalf, Jr., married Talitha Couch and at one time John Counts became a bondsman for John Scalf, Sr. in court. The present writer is of the opinion she was either a Counts or Couts, probably the latter. Place of the marital tie is not known.

In the 1830 Russell County, Virginia, Census, John and Patsy were listed as having a son and two daughters, all under ten years of age. John was listed as between 30 and 40 years and his wife between 20 and 30 years. Patsy was probably about five years younger than her husband. At the time of the 1830 Census John Scalf, Sr. was living in Russell County with seven children at home.

We are indebted to Patsy Scalf for much of our genealogical knowledge of the John Scalf, Sr. families. In one deposition, dated July 17, 1845, made at the same time her husband deposed to assist his father, Patsy stated, as did her husband, that they were parents of 14 children. She gave the names of John Scalf, Senior's children and the number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

We excerpt Patsy Scalf's deposition:

"Deponent further states that from her own knowledge and from reliable sources of information the following number of persons are the offspring of the Pensioner Scalf and wife, Viz; Names of children - Nancy Collins; Polly Trent; John Scalf Jr.; Brittan Scalf; Dicy Williams; Betsy Collins; Berry Scalf; Ira Scalf; Lee Scalf; Peter Scalf; Robert Scalf, Sela ("Cecilia") Lockard; (1) Jesse Scalf and two William Scalf, both deceased, 16 children in all. Nancy had 5 children; Polly 11; John 14; Brittan 19; Betsy 1; Berry 8; Ira 7; Lee 7; Peter 4; Lydia 5; Robert 6; Lela 4; Jesse 8; 109 grandchildren and 40 great-grandchildren and one of the latter being old enough if alive to have children also and she says there may be more grand-children and great-grandchildren from the fact it has been sometime since she has seen some of the families."

Patsy Scalf died in Hawkins County, Tennessee between the time of the deposition made in 1845 and 1850 for in the census of Claiborne County, Tennessee of the latter date she was no longer a member of the John Scalf, Jr. family. She probably died in Hawkins County and her husband moved to Claiborne County.

The family as listed in the 1850 Claiborne County census is as follows: John, age 55, born in Virginia; Edy, age 87, born in North Carolina; Martha, age 42,born in Virginia; Matilda, age 23, born in Virginia; Richard, age 20, born in Virginia; Christine, age 17, born in Virginia; Catherine, age 16, born in Virginia; Mary, age 11, born in Tennessee; John, age 10, born in Tennessee.

An analysis of this information is pertinent here. Martha was probably his second wife but we have no information that he did remarry. She could have been a housekeeper. John, Junior's mother, Edy, was in the home, for her husband, John, Sr. had been dead two years. She later lived in the home of another son, Ira Scalf, in Knox County, Kentucky. Catherine Scalf, daughter of John, Jr. married, we think, Miles J. Scalf, son of Ira. (see section on Greenberry Scalf and Sallie Ann Johnson Scalf). She died between September 14, 1854, the date of her marriage, and the remarriage of Miles in 1857.

One Matilda Scalf, parents uncertain, (3) married Jacob Shelby or Shelly, August 14, 1851; Christine married John Wood, July 24, 1851; Richard Scalf married Jane Perry, March 1, 1852. All of the marriages, including that of Catherine, were in Claiborne County, Tennessee. At the time of the 1850 census of Claiborne County, the families of not only that of John, Jr., but the families of William and Talitha Scalf, Alexander and Polly Scalf Trent, and Ira and Rosannah Gibson Scalf, were residents of the county. The Killion and McVey families, with which there were later marital ties with the Scalfs, were also living in the county. Amanda Killion, age 16 at the time of the census, later married William Scalf and Nancy McVey, daughter of William Killion, became the second wife of Ira Scalf.

Our knowledge of John Scalf, Jr., other than that revealed in the depositions taken to support his father's claim for a pension and the census records, is meager. He must have been of the same temperament as his father for he feuded with the Bush and Gose families in Russell County and was in court also on charges brought by the state. (See Chapter, BITTER YEARS). He made enemies but we suspect some of them were created by his wife for she was not above heated argument.

John, Jr. was possessed of land in Russell County, Va. at one time but he sold it and moved to Tennessee. He probably lived his senior years, the present writer is inclined to conclude, in Claiborne County, but the census records are confusing. In the Scott County, Va. 1860 Census, there is listed a John Scalf, age 70, miller, born in N.C., and a Martha Scalf, age 60, born in Virginia.

We are indebted to Mrs. Pearl Lay Nicley, Washburn, Tennessee, for research on the descendants of Matilda Scalf who married Jacob Lay, ca 1850. From all genealogical inferences and indications this Matilda Scalf was a daughter of John Scalf, Jr. despite the fact that a Matilda Scalf was a daughter of John Scalf, Jr., despite the fact that a Matilda Scalf married Jacob Shelby in Claiborne County. There were many Matilda Scalfs and confusion stems from this common use of the name.

In a letter, dated August 14, 1967, from Mrs. Nicley to the author of this manuscript, she wrote:

"Matilda Scalf married Jacob Lay about 1850. Prior to about 1870 they lived in Big Valley, Sharp's Chapel area (Grainger County 1796-1802, Claiborne County 1803-1856 and Union County since 1856). They moved to Grainger County about 1870 where some of their descendants have been ever since.

"My father, William Lay (1876-1959), was son of James Thomas Lay (1856-1882) and Charlotte Hollingsworth (1856-1929). J. Thomas Lay was son of Jacob Lay (1831-1912) and Matilda Scalf (1824-1884) - headstone dates.

"Descendants have very few traditionary accounts of the Scalf family. Matilda's father ( John, Jr. ?) was an herb doctor - brewed his own concoctions and treated patients. Besides Matilda, he had a son named Richard Scalf, called Dicky, who remained a bachelor until in his old age when he married. He did not live very many years afterward. Just such minor recollections is the extent of our knowledge today.

"Records of Grainger County, Tennessee, show that Jacob Lay made Richard Scalf a deed to land adjoining Jacob's land on Hogskin Creek, March 6, 1883, where it is said Richard Scalf died. After his death a deed shows that he disposed of this land prior to death for an annuity of care to one of his step-daughters and her husband. A suit was instituted later by other step-children as claimants but it was proven they were not children of Richard as claimed. These are the only records on the Scalfs in Grainger County from 1796 to 1885. It is possible they were in Campbell County at an earlier date.

"Jacob Lay was a son of James Jesse Lay, born in the 1790's in Tennessee. His estate was settled in 1885. Mother of Jacob Lay was Sarah ("Sallie") Shelby, daughter of Samuel Shelby. She was born in 1811 in Virginia, died previous to the 1870 census. James Jesse Lay and Sarah Shelby Lay are buried in Old Lay Graveyard on the Lay farm in Big Valley, Sharp's Chapel, Union County, Tennessee.

"Jacob Lay, one of ten chi1dren, was born May 5, 1831, died Jan. 6, 1912. Matilda Scalf Lay was born May 6, 1824, died April 23, 1884. Both died at Liberty Hill, Grainger County, Tennessee, and lie buried in Locust Grove Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery near Washburn, Tennessee."

Nine children were born to the union of Jacob Lay and Matilda Scalf. Two died as infants. The seven children who lived to adulthood were:

1. W. Dock Lay, born July 27, 1937. Married Adaline Hollingsworth, born Feb. 7, 1848, died April 20, 1921.

2. John H. Lay, born March 6, 1854, died March 24, 1932. Married Elnora ("Sis") Dinwiddie (1855-1914).

3. James Thomas Lay, born Jan. 20, 1856, died July 18, 1882. Married Charlotte Hollingsworth, born Dec. 26, 1856, died Jan. 29, 1925.

4. David Lay, born Sept. 12, 1860, died May 21, 1941. Married first Martha Cabbage, second Arizona Weaver.

5. Hiram Jesse Lay, born Jan. 20, 1862, died Jan. 16, 1946. Married first Minerva Jane Munsey, second Lydia Knisley.

6. Hariett Lay, born Feb. 8, 1865, died Dec. 16, 1912. Married Isaac Acuff, died June 1912.

7. Mary Lay, born Jan. 20, 1868, died Jan, 15, 1935. Married Henry Jones, born May 15, 1858, died Jan. 12, 1927.

Issue of W. Dock Lay and Adaline Hollingsworth were Charles (1876-1950), married Helia Hamilton; Martha, married first Charles Buckner, second Alf Vandergriff; Alice, died in the 1950's, age 72, married Azch T. Nicley.

Issue of James Thomas Lay and Charlotte Hollingsworth were William, born Nov. 18, 1876, died July 28, 1959, married Armina Satterfield, born Nov. 17, 1875, died August 6, 1953; G. Nelson, born Oct. 17, 1878, died April 5, 1937, married Sallie McKinney; James David, born June 22, 1880,s died June 27, 1965, married Ora Jane Baker (1884-1946).

Issue of John H. Lay and Elnora Dinwiddie were Jacob, born Nov. 20, 1876, died in the 1950's, married Linda Beeler; Milton, born Nov. 20, 1878, died Dec. 25, 1935, married Lyddie Kitts; Jo. Albert, born June 18, 1884, died unmarried August 26, 1906; Ida, born Jan. 15, 1881, died Dec. 15, 1916, unmarried; Maggie, born August 8, 1882, died May 25, 1935, married Charlie Johnson; Myrtle, born Oct. 28, 1888, died Sept. 21, 1954, married Verlin Acuff; Maudie, born May 15, 1892, died Oct. 12, 1915, unmarried; Matilda, born May 14, 1894, died June 5, 1964, married Herman Kitts; Ethel, born July 9, 1900, died Oct. 24, 1921, married Verlin Acuff as his first wife.

Issue of David Lay and Martha Cabbage and Arizona Weaver the best that can be determined were Lena, born 1886, married Dolph Clark; Oscar Lafayette, born 1888, died July 31, 1957, married Dossie Ailor; Nellie, married Gilbert Wilhoit; Russell, died unmarried; Walter, wife's name unknown; Curtis, name of first wife unknown, but second wife was Louisa Toole; Herbert, name of wife unknown; Timothy; Carl; Maxie, married Glenn McClain; Augusta, name of spouse unknown; Irene, married Northcutt; Fern, name of spouse unknown; Roy, died unmarried, fell off wagon and was fatally injured.

Issue of Hiram J, Lay and Minerva J. Muncey were a son, died infant; Matilda, died infant; James Jesse ("Tom"), married first Maggie Edmondson, second Rachel Banks; Grover Cleveland, born 1890, died Feb. 7, 1966, married Elizabeth Long; Wm. Heman, born 1892, married Bessie Wolfe; Stella B., married Paris Mincey; Lotte Igetta, born 1897, married Clay Webber.

Issue of Hiram J. Lay and Lida Knisley were Samuel Easton, married first Gracie Nicely, second Nicely; Jacob Percy, married Vallie Mincey; May, married Ralph Beeler.

Issue of Harriett Lay and Isaac Acuff were Etta, died 1953, married Lloyd Branson; Dock, married first Lillie Acuff; Jennie, born 1894, died in the 1940's, married Spurgeon Vineyard; Lena, (1894-1954), married first Byrely, second M.D. Bolin; Edwin G., born 1896, married Beulah Russell; Valcus I., born 1900, married Hazel Leona Leffew; Ola, born 1898, married Sedric Vineyard; Emma, married Thedric Howell; John; Birt C.

Issue of Mary Lay and Henry Jones were Minnie Matilda (18861961), married J. Porter Kitts; Jacob, married Eva Hopson; Coram K., married Velma Moyers; Bessie, first wife of Isaac Beeler, Clyde, born 1896, unmarried, killed by horse in 1920's; Arah, died unmarried; Vaughn; Pearl, born 1902, married Charles Loope; Verl, married Stella Satterfield; Hollie, married Ina Ruth Fox.