UNSOLVED #9

Baxter B. DICKENS (of 1820 Rutherford Co., TN)

Marriage

  

  

UPDATE: April 05, 2008 - SOLVED

Caswell Co., NC court records document that Martha "Patsy" Dickens gave birth to a Bastardy son on October 27, 1794 - and she named the father as: Jesse Brintle, who agreed to this fact and legally Bonded himself to pay all costs for raising the son born to Martha Patsy Dickens.  Although "Baxter" is not explicitly named in these Caswell Co., NC Bastardy Bond records, the preponderance of evidence within these court records along with information I have documented below concerning Baxter - I believe demonstrates beyond any doubt that it was indeed "Baxter B. Dickens" who was born to Martha Patsy Dickens - a daughter of Henry Dickens Sr.

Could Charlotte Dickens of 1820 and 1830 Jackson Co., TN have been Baxter B. Dickens' mother? 

DISCUSSION:  Of all the persons discussed in this "Unsolved" section, it is my believe that IF we can solve who Baxter B. Dickens Mother and Father really were, that information will play a key and significant roll towards solving who some of the other Unsolved people were/are that I have written about - particularly Charlotte (UNSOLVED #1), John (UNSOLVED #3), and at least one of the two Williams (UNSOLVED #6, and #8).   

Over the years, I have seen or have been the recipient of information stating that Baxter B. Dickens (hereafter called BBD) is/was attributed as being (just to name a few):
 

  1. "Brother" of Martha "Patsy" Whittamore (daughter of Henry Sr.)

  2. "Nephew" of Martha "Patsy" Whittamore (daughter of Henry Sr.)

  3. "Son" of the "William" who was the son of Henry Sr.

  4. "Nephew" of "Charlotte Glover" (daughter of Jeremiah Dickens)

  5. "Son" of the "William" who was the son of Col. Robert Dickens

  6. "Son" of the "William" who was the son of Joseph Dickens of Halifax Co., NC

  7. Additionally, BBD has sometimes been confused with "Bradford B. Dickens" who was in fact the son of Matthew Dickens (son of William Dickens of Halifax Co., NC)

  8. etc.

Here - and in order is what can be said about each of the above:
 

  1. BBD  WAS NOT a brother of Martha, as he was NOT named in Henry Sr.'s will

  2. BBD COULD be a nephew of Martha, but NOT through her brothers John or William as they had no sons prior to 1800

  3. BBD CANNOT be a son of the William who was the son of Henry Sr. as that William was named in Henry Sr.'s will in 1828, had no sons prior to 1800, and was alive in 1840

  4. BBD CANNOT be a nephew of Charlotte Glover, as her ONLY known brother was NOT born until after 1820. BBD COULD however be her cousin

  5. BBD IS NOT a son of the William who was the son of Col. Robert Dickens, as that William had NO children prior to 1810 [BBD was born between 1795 - 1796]

  6. BBD IS NOT a son of the William who was the son of Joseph Dickens of Halifax Co., NC as that "William" was still alive well beyond 1820. [BBD's father died NLT 1810 +/-]

At least part of the problem with BBD begins with the book (paragraph duplicated under Charlotte in Unsolved #1) "Sketches of Prominent Tennesseans" by William S. Speer, 1888, whereas 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 conscientious conduct and sterling integrity. 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."  

SUMMARY OF FACTS EXTRAPOLATED FROM SPEERS' ARTICLE:
 

  • B.B. Dickens died in 1860 at the age of 65 - thus born approximately 1794 +/-

  • B.B. Dickens came from NC when in his 15th year - thus about 1810 +/-

  • B.B. Dickens came with his widowed mother - she was NOT named

  • B.B. Dickens had 2 brothers - John & William, who settled in Jackson Co., TN

  • B.B. Dickens father was named - "William Dickens" [& was a farmer in NC]

  • B.B. Dickens father "William Dickens" DIED No Later Than (NLT) 1810 +/-
UPDATE:  April 05, 2008 - SOLVED
  As thought and now proven, the Speer's biography on Dr. James H. Dickens (see partial article above) is INCORRECT.
  1. Baxter B. Dickens' father was NOT William Dickens... Baxter B. Dickens' was born October 27, 1794 and in court records his mother "Martha Patsy Dickens" named Baxter's father as being Jesse Brintle of Caswell Co., NC; a man who had "Carnal knowledge of her body."
 2. Baxter B. Dickens did NOT have 2 brothers named William and John Dickens who settled in Jackson Co., TN.
3. The William and John Dickens who settled in Jackson Co., TN., were in fact the brothers of Martha Patsy Dickens-Whittemore.
4.  Baxter did not come from NC when in his 15th year... Martha Patsy Dickens alongwith her husband Gower Whittemore can be proven to have been in Jackson Co., TN prior to and at least until 1806 before going to Rutherford Co., TN.

 

  

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