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MYTH #1 - Regarding John DICKENS (of Smith & Jackson Co., TN)

Some researchers believe:

a) That John Dickens of 1820 Smith Co., TN and of 1840 Jackson Co., TN was the son of Joseph Dickens and Hannah Lunsford of Halifax Co., NC.

 

yet others believe that:

 

b) That John Dickens of 1820 Smith Co., TN and of 1840 Jackson Co., TN was the father of Jeremiah and Daniel.

TRUTH:    BOTH of the above are INCORRECT. 

John Dickens of Smith and Jackson Co., TN  was NOT the son of Joseph Dickens and Hannah Lunsford of Halifax Co., NC. The John Dickens of early Smith and Jackson Counties, TN who died between 1840-50 was the son of the "Henry Dickens Sr. (d: 1828)" who migrated his family from Bute (Warren) Co., NC to Caswell Co., NC and then to Smith/Jackson Co., TN.

	The John, who was the son of Joseph Dickens and Hannah Lunsford of Halifax Co., NC - was clearly 10 to 11 years older than the John Dickens of early Smith and Jackson Counties, TN.
	The John, who was the son of Joseph Dickens and Hannah Lunsford of Halifax Co., NC - was enumerated in the 1820 Chatham Co., NC Census at the very same time that John Dickens of Smith and Jackson Co., TN was enumerated "IN SMITH CO., TN".  John of Joseph and Hannah CANNOT be in both places at one time!
	The John Dickens who was the son of Joseph Dickens and Hannah Lunsford of Halifax Co., NC - along with his brother Thomas Dickens, filed for their Revolutionary War Pensions in Chatham Co., NC in 1823, and both brothers died in Chatham Co., NC.
	There is MUCH more info available to prove John Dickens of 1820 Smith and 1840 Jackson Co., TN was NOT the son of Joseph Dickens and Hannah Lunsford.

Furthermore, John Dickens of Smith and Jackson Co., TN was NOT the father of Jeremiah, and he was NOT the father of Daniel.

John Dickens had NO sons prior to 1800. Jeremiah Dickens was born about 1776 +/-, and Jeremiah was in fact the son of the Henry Dickens Sr. of Caswell Co., NC that migrated his family to Smith Co., TN.

Daniel Dickens was born in 1812 and he married Matilda Putnam, and he was the son of WILLIAM Dickens. This William (father of Daniel) was the brother of Jeremiah, and both Jeremiah and William were the sons of the Henry Dickens Sr. of Caswell Co., NC that migrated his family to Smith Co., TN. Daniel had brothers Allen, Stephen (See Myth #5 below), William, and possibly one more brother who I cannot verify as factual at this time.

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MYTH #2 - Regarding John DICKENS (of Smith & Jackson Co., TN)

Some researchers believe that:

a)   John Dickens of 1820 Smith Co., TN and of 1840 Jackson Co., TN was the John Dickens who married "Elizabeth Yancey"; 

 

yet others believe that:

 

b)   John Dickens who married "Elizabeth Yancey" was the son of Joseph Dickens and Hannah Lunsford of Halifax Co., NC..

TRUTH:  BOTH of the above are INCORRECT. 

The John Dickens who married "Elizabeth Yancey" on April 10, 1779 was in fact the "Reverend John Dickens" who died 1798 in Philadelphia - he was NOT the John Dickens of Smith and Jackson Co., TN, and he was NOT the John Dickens who was the son of Joseph Dickens and Hannah Lunsford of Halifax Co., NC.  [Note: some researchers show the marriage year as 1797 instead of the correct year: 1779. Their source which says 1797 is a transcription error.]  

Click here for his will

	Rev. John Dickens' will is recorded in both PA and in Halifax Co., NC (where he once lived).
	He was born in London, England in 1746 where he was also educated at Eton College, and he came to America prior to 1774 (the year he became a Methodist Preacher in America [North Carolina]); he is considered one of the founding fathers of the Methodist movement in this country - and was a circuit preacher in VA and NC; became the first "married" minister to attend the John-street Church in New York; then went to Philadelphia where he organized the Methodist "Book Concern" business; and between all this, he off and on preached the circuits primarily in VA. [REF: Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature - by: John McClintock, James Strong, published: 1883]
	Records also exist showing that this Rev. John Dickens visited the Cumberland Settlements in Tennessee sometime around the year 1795. [REF: History of Methodism in Tennessee, Vol. I, From the year 1783 to the year 1804 - by: John Berry M'Ferrin, written approximately 1869 and published: 1888]
	This Rev. John Dickens is nearly 30 years older than the John Dickens of Smith and Jackson Co., TN, and is nearly 20 years older than the John Dickens who was the son of Joseph Dickens and Hannah Lunsford of Halifax Co., NC.
	This Rev. John Dickens' life is discussed in numerous documents that are available on-line (Internet), and his wife, and his children are all very well known and clearly documented.

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MYTH #3 - Regarding Henry DICKENS (of Jackson & Smith Co., TN)

Some researchers believe - that Henry Dickens Sr. of 1820 Jackson Co., TN who died 1828, and who's will is recorded in Smith Co., TN was the son of Joseph Dickens and Hannah Lunsford of Halifax Co., NC.

TRUTH:  This Henry Dickens Sr. was NOT the son of Joseph and Hannah Dickens. 

	Joseph and Hannah's only children were:      [See Joseph's 1802 Will] William Thomas John Benjamin Bennett Jesse and daughter Temperance
	Henry Dickens Sr. of Jackson & Smith Co., TN, was born as early as 1744 [See my page for Henry].
	Joseph of Halifax was born about 1737 - and he would have only been about 7 years old when Henry Dickens Sr. was born.
	Joseph's brother "William" was born about 1742 - and he would have only been about 2 years old when Henry was born. However, this William did indeed have a son named Henry who was born between 1774 - 1776, but he died in Halifax Co., NC between September (will) and November (will proven in court) of 1807 [See summary of Henry's Will]. This Henry who was the son of William was at least 30 years too young to be Henry Dickens Sr. of Jackson and Smith Co., TN.
	There is MUCH more info available to prove Henry Dickens Sr. was NOT the son of Joseph and Hannah, nor the son of Joseph's brother - William.

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  MYTH #4 - Regarding Baxter B. DICKENS (of Rutherford and Cannon Co., TN)

In the book "Sketches of Prominent Tennesseans" by William S. Speer, 1888, in his biography about "Dr. James H. Dickens" Speer writes the following:

"Dr. James H. Dickens was born in Rutherford county, Tennessee, June 11, 1823. His father was B.B. Dickens, a farmer in moderate circumstances, a justice of the peace and an elder in the Christian church.  He was a native of North Carolina, and came with his widowed mother from that state when in his fifteenth year; lived in Warren and Bedford counties until grown; when he settled in Rutherford county.  He was a man of firm character, of conciencious conduct and sterling integrety. He married in Rutherford county, raised a family of eight children, and died in 1860, at the age of sixty-five.  Of these children, only three sons are now living, James H. Dickens subject of this sketch, and J.F. and W.B. Dickens; both the later farmers. Two of Dr. Dickens' paternal uncles, William and John Dickens, settled in Jackson county, Tennessee, as farmers.  William Dickens, the grandfather of Dr. Dickens, was a farmer in North Carolina."

TRUTH"  The book is incorrect, Baxter B. Dickens' father was NOT "William Dickens".

	Baxter B. Dickens was the illegitimate son of Martha "Patsy" Dickens and Jesse Brintle
	Baxter B. Dickens was born 27 October 1794 in Caswell Co., NC; and a few years later his mother Martha "Patsy" Dickens married Gower Whittemore (27 March 1798 - in Caswell Co., NC).  Martha and Gower then migrated to Jackson Co., TN before 1806, then to Rutherford Co., TN before 1815; Thus, Baxter actually came to TN before he was 12 years old.
	The William and John Dickens referred to as Dr. Dickens' paternal uncles were actually Martha "Patsy" Dickens' brothers. Thus they were uncles to Baxter, and therefore grand uncles to Dr. Dickens.
	Additionally, Dr. Dickens' grandfather by blood was actually:  Jesse Brintle
	See UNSOLVED #9 for more information. [see family group record for: Martha "Patsy" Dickens]

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MYTH #5 - Regarding Stephen DICKENS (Bedford Co., TN & Greene Co., MO)

There are several family trees posted on the internet proclaiming that the Stephen Dickens who was enumerated in 1830 and 1840 Bedford Co., TN was the son of the Jesse Dickens of Person Co., NC who in turn was the son of Col. Robert Dickens of Revolutionary War fame.

TRUTH:  Linking this Stephen Dickens of Bedford Co., TN to Jesse Dickens of Person Co., NC is INCORRECT.

	The Stephen Dickens of 1830 & 1840 Bedford Co., TN was the son of William Dickens who in turn was the son of my 5th Great Grandfather: Henry Dickens Sr.; This Stephen Dickens migrated to Greene Co., Missouri shortly before 1850 and died in Missouri after 1870. [see family group record for: William Dickens]
	The Stephen Dickens who was the son of Jesse Dickens of Person Co., NC and the grandson of Col. Robert Dickens, lived his entire life in Person Co., NC. His full name was "Stephen Moore Dickens" - and he was named after his grandfather: General Stephen Moore (former owner of West Point). Stephen Moore Dickens died in Person Co., NC between 1850-60.

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