Bright Hope Iron Furnace

Greene County, Tennessee

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A. Claude Ferguson, Editor of this transcription of the Bright Hope Furnace Ledger, at the Historical Marker located at the junction of U.S. Route 321 and the Bright Hope Road, Greene County, TN, 1989.

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The Bright Hope Ledger in the Rare Book Collection, Tusculum College, Greeneville, TN.

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Katherine SUSONG Harmon and A. Claude Ferguson stand in front of the David Boles Hogan house on the old David and Elizabeth CLOWERS Bowles place about 1/4 mile west of the Bright Hope Furnace site. The road from Bright Hope to Brown's Forge on the Nolichuchy River may well have gone thru the Bowles place. The widowed "Betsy" Bowles sold cordwood from the place to make charcoal for the iron furnace and she had many entries in the Ledger. David Boles Hogan was the grandson of David and Elizabeth CLOWERS Bowles and he acquired the land upon the death of his grandmother. The land has been in the family since 1822.

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Several Boles "cousins" view the Bright Hope Ledger in 1991. Front l-r: Robert Boles (KS), Marjorie EWART Boles (WA), Mrs Robert (Louise DARBY) Boles and A. Claude Ferguson (IN). Rear l-r: William James Kibler (OH), Louise BOLES Holland and Lois BOLES Isenhour (Greene County, TN).

Reproductions from Bright Hope Ledger

(about 2/3 actual size)

Transcription

98 Bright Hope Friday 29th May 1835

 
14 Betsy Bowles Dr To A Johnston 
182 for making Davids Coat @ 39ƒ $6.50
 
 cash Dr To Sundaries Amt brout forward $41.75
181 To John McBride for So Much 3ƒ .50
 $42.25
 
 Sundaries Dr To Cash Amt brout forword $42.22 1/2
17 Wm Janes for So Much 1/6  .25
 $42.47 1/2
 
 Saturday 30th 

(Editor Note: On Friday, 29 May 1835, Elizabeth "Betsy" Clowers Bowles, widow of David (Boles) Bowles made payment of 39 shillings ($6.50) to Andrew Johnson, 26-year old tailor in Greeneville, Tennessee, as payment for a coat he made for her 18-year old son, David Bowles. The scribes spelled the name A., Andy, And.w and A.D. Johnston and Johnson but the account number was a constant 182. Andrew Johnson has no reported middle name. The A.D. may have been initials for An-Drew. Andrew Johnson would become President of the United States in 1865. Elizabeth "Betsy" CLOWERS Bowles is the g,g,g grandmother of this Editor.)

Transcription

Bright Hope Friday 9th September 1835 185

 
233 John Luttrell Dr to A.D. Johnson 
182 for making 1 Coat 21ƒ $3.50
 
 Sundraries Dr to Cash Amt brout forward .93 3/4
 26 Wm Reece So much on a/c Postage 1/6 .25
 $1.18 3/4
 Thirsday 10th
 Sundraries Dr to Mdz Amt brout forward $301.80
237 James Campbell 3# nales 9a .37 1/2
 65 Sally Hogan 2 Past boards 6A 1ƒ .16 1/2

(Editor Note: On Wednesday, 9 September 1835, John Luttrell, a 25-year old bachelor, made payment of 21 shillings ($3.50) for a coat made by Andrew Johnson. William Reeves paid 1 shilling 6 pence (25¢ ) for postage. James Campbell paid 37 1/2¢ for 3-pounds of nails at 9 pence (12 1/2¢) per pound. Sarah Ann "Sally" BOWLES Hogan, a 32 year-old recent divorcee with 4 young children following the desertion of her Irish-born iron worker husband, Hiram Hogan, paid 1 shilling (16 1/2¢) for 2 paste boards at 6 pence (8 1/4¢) each. Sally BOWLES Hogan and John Luttrell would be married in 1837. Sally BOWLES Hogan was the g,g, grandmother of this Editor.)

Transcription

 
200 Calburn Boide 109 Hollowwere @ 4 1/2¢ 4.90 1/2
 8 pieces handage 9¢ 72¢
 1 one horse Mould @ 9ƒ 2.22
  1 pair Shoes of John Dickson @ 15ƒ 2.50 9.62 1/2
253 John Dickson, Bowles, 1878# hollowere @ 3¢ 56.34
 12 one horse mould @ 6ƒ 12.00¢
 2 Two do 6ƒ 12ƒ 14.00 70.34
182 A. D. Johnson 3 Back Plaits 426# @ 4¢ 17.04
159 Able Hucks, wife 7 ys Calico 2/6 2.91 1/2
 7 ys Calico 3ƒ 21ƒ 1 # sugar @ 20¢ 3.70 6.61 1/2

(Editor Note: On 15 September 1835, Andrew Johnson made payment of $17.04 for 3 back plaits weighing a total of 426-pounds at 4¢ per pound. The plaits may have been for use in the fireplaces in his home constructed about that time in Greeneville. The plaits may well still be in that house.)

Transcription

 
246 Aaron Lewis Dr to A. Johnson 
182 for his Bill of Tailoring so much $8.50
 
176 Sundaries Dr to Cash Amt brot forward $57.12 3/4
237 James Campbell for So much 1/10 1/2  .31 1/4
 $57.44
 Tuesday 29th
 
 Sundaries Dr To Mdz Amt brout forw.d $1136.16 1/2

(Editor Note: On 28 September 1835, Aaron Lewis was recorded as debtor paying Andrew Johnson $8.50 for his bill of tailoring.)

Transcription

 
141 To Jacob Easterly for 1500# hay @ 2ƒ 5.00
 78 To James Evans for 1 boat 45.00 $726.46
 
 78 James Evans Dr To Andy Johnson 
182 for making clothes 60ƒ $10.00
 
 64 Robt. Evans Dr To James Evans 
 78 for 1 Bridle 7/6 $1.25
  
 Wednesday 10th Feby. 1836 

(Editor note: On 9 February 1836, James Evans was recorded as debtor paying Andrew Johnson 60 shillings ($10) for clothes made by Andrew Johnson. Robert Evans was recorded as debtor paying James Evans 7 shillings 6 pence ($1.25) for a bridle.)

Transcription

 
 83 Issac Hickey Dr To John Dickson
253 for his Bill pd Burnett $6.00
 
 Wednesday 25th
182 And. w Johson Dr To A Smyth
324 for amt of his a/c in full $12.00
 
327 Lewis Whayland Dr to John Yearout
76 for 1 oven & lid 12ƒ & 7/6 $1.25

(Editor Note: On May 1836, Andrew Johnson was recorded as debtor paying $12.00 to Andrew Smyth.)

Fig. 1 - Ink sketch of the Marlboro Furnace in Frederic County Virginia by W. Stuart Archibald in the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts, Winston- Salem, North Carolina. Sketch illustrates method of top loading the furnace with iron ore, limestone and charcoal. Cut-away shows waterwheel driven bellows forcing blast air into the furnace and a workman directing molten iron into sand forms to form pigs, fireplace back plates and stove plates.

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Email will forward to Claude's daughter...Carla

Claude Ferguson-Editor passed away June 15, 2006

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