A descendant in Texas requested help in finding Tennessee records on her ancestor, “Charles.” The last mention that she had of him was a Davidson County court record indicating that he had “conveyed” his interest in two slaves to his brother-in-law in 1836. She had records - with a later date – for his wife and children, further west, in Madison County, Tennessee.
A thorough search was done of records for Madison, Davidson and surrounding counties in Tennessee with no information found on Charles. There was some indication that his wife had moved with or near her relatives in Madison County. But where was Charles?
Another interesting entry in Davidson County, Tennessee records was a listing seven months after Charles’ transaction. A “James” with the same last name had transferred ownership of his slaves and other possessions to his wife. Were Charles and James temporarily transferring title to their property because they were leaving the state?
Since the descendant lives in Texas, a Google search was done for information on emigration of Tennesseans to Texas in the 1830’s. The results: The Republic of Texas was giving land grants of 1,280 acres to each family of settlers during the period 1836 to 1845. Such a large number of families emigrated from southern states that, according to FamilySearch: ‘If you see the letters “GTT” written in tax books and deeds, know that it stands for “Gone to Texas”!’ Anecdotes from two genealogy websites created by descendants of Texas settlers indicate that when a family was leaving to move to Texas, they wrote “GTT” on the door of the home they were leaving.
Did Charles and James go to Texas? Maybe! A search of a book on Texas Land Grants revealed Charles and James’ names (or men with the same names) with their arrival date in Texas a few months after the transactions in Tennessee, but, unfortunately, it did not list what states they had come from.
A thorough search was done of records for Madison, Davidson and surrounding counties in Tennessee with no information found on Charles. There was some indication that his wife had moved with or near her relatives in Madison County. But where was Charles?
Another interesting entry in Davidson County, Tennessee records was a listing seven months after Charles’ transaction. A “James” with the same last name had transferred ownership of his slaves and other possessions to his wife. Were Charles and James temporarily transferring title to their property because they were leaving the state?
Since the descendant lives in Texas, a Google search was done for information on emigration of Tennesseans to Texas in the 1830’s. The results: The Republic of Texas was giving land grants of 1,280 acres to each family of settlers during the period 1836 to 1845. Such a large number of families emigrated from southern states that, according to FamilySearch: ‘If you see the letters “GTT” written in tax books and deeds, know that it stands for “Gone to Texas”!’ Anecdotes from two genealogy websites created by descendants of Texas settlers indicate that when a family was leaving to move to Texas, they wrote “GTT” on the door of the home they were leaving.
Did Charles and James go to Texas? Maybe! A search of a book on Texas Land Grants revealed Charles and James’ names (or men with the same names) with their arrival date in Texas a few months after the transactions in Tennessee, but, unfortunately, it did not list what states they had come from.
