Bright Hope Furnace Ledger

Furnace Creek, Greene County Tennessee

1835-1836

Introduction

Editor's Family Names

Other Persons of Note

Introduction

 
The Bright Hope Iron Furnace was located on Furnace Branch in western Greene 
County, Tennessee. The Bright Hope Ledger is the daily ledger of the company 
store at the furnace for part of the years of 1835 and 1836. The spine of 
the volume bears the name: Brown, Roberts & Co. 1835. 
 
The Bright Hope Ledger is hardbound and it is 10 1/4 by 16 3/4-inches 
and 3-inches thick. It originally consisted of about 319 pages of recorded 
transactions for the period 26 January 1835 through 25 July 1836. 
Each page is numbered and bears the name Bright Hope with day of the week, 
date, month and year. 
 
There was apparently a double entry system of bookkeeping at the Bright 
Hope Furnace consisting of a daily ledger and an individual account ledger. 
Each person has an account number that was probably the number of their 
page in an individual account ledger. 
 
Line entries were recorded in both British Shillings and Pence and United 
States Dollars and Cents. This suggests the monetary system was still in 
a state of transition some 60-years after the Declaration of Independence 
and 20-years after the War of 1812. Line and page totals were all recorded 
in Dollars and Cents, however.
 
Several pages have been removed from the Ledger. The 243 pages remaining 
are numbered 1 and 2, 23 and 24, 77 through 118 and 123 through 319. 
 
There are two pages in the back of the Ledger containing unrelated data. 
One lists the names and births of the Andrew R. Kiecher family entered 
after 1893 and the other contains the name J.P. Shields with an 1881 date.
 
Bright Hope Furnace was located in western Greene County, Tennessee. 
A Historical Marker at the junction of U.S. Highway 321 and the county 
road to the Bright Hope area states (1988):
 
 "Bright Hope Industries - North about one mi. on Furnace Creek 
 was the Bright Hope Iron Works, built about 1830. Mining and 
 smelting of iron ore and manufacturing of cast and wrought iron 
 products were joined by a paper mill, pottery works, and several 
 other establishments in an early industrial complex. The industries 
 are believed to have failed as a result of the Panic of 1837, but 
 their operations are still recalled in the place names of nearby 
 Furnace Creek and Ore Bank."
 
Harry B. Roberts in his Olden Times in Greene County, Vol. Two, private 
publication 1985, reports a Special Act of the Tennessee Legislature of 
25 October 1813 incorporating an Iron Factory Company by owners named 
Easterly, Shields, Stephens and Gregg from Greene & Cocke County. 
These are family names of long standing in the area.
 
Roberts reported that a Forge was established on the Nolichucky River 
by John G. Brown just before or about 1830 and that John G. Brown owned 
the forge in the 1840's.
 
The Iron Manufacturer's Guide to the Furnaces, Forges and Rolling Mills 
in the United States by J.P. Lesley, John Wiley, 1859, lists the furnaces 
and forges of 1856. Under Charcoal Furnaces in East Tennessee is (page 75):
 
 "271. Bright Hope Charcoal Furnace, originally owned by John Shields, 
 is situated about eighteen miles west of Cleek's Forge in Greene 
 county Tennessee, was built about 1807, and ruined by a flood 
 previous to 1837. A cupola furnace still in use marks the spot."
 
Under Bloomary Forges in Eastern Tennessee is (page 201):
 
 "376. Brown's Bloomary Forge, situated twenty-one miles west of 
 Click's Forge on Nolichucky river, Greene county East Tennessee, 
 was built about 1827 and abandoned soon afterwards and is now in 
 ruins." 
 
Lesley stated as follows about the facilities using brown hematite ores 
in his report of 1856:
 
 "Greene county furnace H 271 (Bright Hope) is abandoned, but Click's, 
 Alexander's, Mountain, Camp creek, Snapp's and Paint Creek forges 
 all use Cove creek bank and Greenridge bank ores - - -. Kelly's, 
 Allens's, Canada's, and Brown's forges are deserted."
 
Lesley's is the only report that Bright Hope Furnace was "ruined by a flood 
previous to 1837. - - -". The site on Furnace Branch does not seem flood prone. 
Perhaps this was the fate of the nearby Brown's Forge on the Nolichucky River. 
 
The following from the records of the Greene County Court of Pleas give an 
insight into other activities in the Bright Hope community of Greene County 
Tennessee during the period of the Ledger:
 
 "Tuesday 6 June 1836 - - -
 
 10. William P. Johnson is appointed Overseer of the public road in 
said County from Henry Dyches to Rhineharts field and the following hands 
are appointed to work on Said road, to wit. Jesse Bowls, Daniel Hardbarger, 
Benjamin Radledge, Asberry Radledge, Thomas Radledge, John Henegar, 
Benton Henegar, Jacob Clowers, William Clowers, James Clowers, and James 
Shaw. Court adjourned until Court in Course 
 
  M. Lincoln  James Lotspeich Charles Gass
 James Robinson John Walker Jacob ? Brooks
 Casper Easterly Daniel Delany" Bk. 17a page 118
 
The names of John and Benton Henegar were lined through in the Record.
 
 "Monday 6 June 1836 - - - 
 
 4. William Johnson, Overseer from Bright Hope Furnace to Peter Browns, 
 and John Walker & Henry Dyche, Esq. are appointed to assign a list 
 of hands to work under him. 
 
 5. John Bowls, Overseer from Bright Hope Furnace the fork of the road 
 near Henry Dyches, on the road leading to Warrensburg and John 
 Walker and Henry Dyche, Esqr. are appointed to assign a list of 
 hands to work on said road."  
 Bk 17a page 120
 
 "Monday 4 July 1836 - - - 
 
 8. John Bowls Overseer from Bright Hope Furnace to Browns forge and 
 ordered that John Walker and Henry Dyche, Esqr. assign a list of 
 hands to work on said road and report to 3d Term of this Court.
 
 9. Isaac Thompkins Overseer from Peter Browns to Neilsons Ferry and 
 ordered that John Walker and Henry Dyche, Esq.r assign a list of 
 hands to work on said road and report thereof to 3rd Term of this 
 Court.- - -" Bk 17a page 130
 
 "Monday 2 Jan 1837 - - - 
 
 3. Andrew Smith Overseer from Henry Dyches by Jacob Rhineharts to 
 Bright Hope Furnace and ordered that he have the following hands 
 to work thereon to wit. William Clowers, Jacob Clowers, John Dyche, 
 James Bracket, Timothy Pitman and Jesse Bowls and in case of the 
 removal of any of the above hands, said Overseer is to have the 
 liberty of making up the number from the furnace hands."  
 Bk 17a page 181 
 
This indicates there might have been some workers at the Bright Hope Furnace 
who were referred to as "furnace hands".
 
 "State of Tennessee 
 
 The County Court continued and held for the County of Greene at the 
 Court House in Greeneville on the first Monday (being the 3 C day) 
 of July, 1837, were present the worshipful Charles Gass, Thomas Jones, 
 Daniel Delaney, Mordecai Lincoln, Joseph Brown, Joseph Johnson and 
 Casper Easterly, Esqs, Justices CC
 
 The following persons are appointed Overseers of the following 
 public roads in Greene County, to wit. - - -
 
 5. Samuel Stinson, Overseer from Bright Hope Furnace to Browns 
 forge and ordered that he have the following hands to work 
 thereon, viz. Samuel Stinson, William Stinson, Isaac Johnson, 
 Jesse Boles, Jacob Boles, Joseph Hughes, William Saul, 
 Claiborn Boyd, John Lutrell, William Johnson, A. Smyth, 
 Sol. Steel, Joseph Rose, John Whittenburg, David Boles, 
 George Boles and Daniel Boles - - -" Bk 17a pages 317 and 319
 
It is interesting to note here the spelling of Bowls in the 1836 actions 
and Boles in the 1837 Court action.
 
It is interesting to note that Mordecai Lincoln was a member of the County 
Court that appointed members of the community road crew in 1837. Mordecai 
was the great uncle of President Abraham Lincoln. His brother Abraham was 
President Lincoln's grandfather. Mordecai had moved into Greeneville about 
1819 after a visit to his other uncle Isaac in nearby Carter County, 
Tennessee, from his home in Virginia. Mordecai was a tanner, harness maker 
and shoemaker. 
 
It seems probable that some of the Bright Hope iron works continued in 
operation after the panic of 1837. Several were recorded as working in the 
industries in the Censuses of 1840 and later. Daniel Boles was recorded as 
a foundry hand there in the Census of 1870. They may have been working in 
the cupola furnace that was reported still in use at the site by Lesley in 
his 1856 report. Several of the Boles-Hogan-Ferguson family members who 
moved to Missouri cited Bright Hope Furnace as their place of origin in their
biographies in A Reminiscent History of the Ozark Region, Goodspeed & Co., 
Chicago, 1894, as if some of the iron industry was still operational when 
they left the area in 1871.
 
Place names on the USGS Topographic Map of the 1930's of the area include 
Bright Hope, Bright Hope School, Furnace Branch, Ore Bank School, Hogan Pond, 
Whittenburg Church, Pine Grove Church, Timber Ridge Church, Luttrell Spring 
and Cochran Bend and Evans Island on the Nolichucky River. 
 
The current County Road Map (1991) identifies roads serving the area as 
Bright Hope Rd., Hogan Rd., Orebank Rd., and Whittenburg Rd. 
 
Real estate transactions of the Boles and their kin of the 1830's to 1870's 
were in the very near vicinity of the Bright Hope works. A brief examination 
of the area in October 1988 and April 1989 indicated the road from the works 
to Brown's Forge and to the boat landing below the treacherous waters of 
Evans Island for shipment to Knoxville via the Nolichucky and French Broad 
Rivers went by or through the Hogan and Boles farms. Some of the old route 
is now closed.
 
Some place names in the Bright Hope Ledger with page number are:
 
 Greeneville 287 Col. Neilsons 299
 Knoxville 95 & 270 Embries 264
 Parrotsville 312 English's (?) 306
 Ross's Landing 294 hendersons 23
 Whites Creek Peter Davis's 312
 to the south 286 Wists 230
 
 Brighthope Furnace & Cupola 299  Emerye's Boat 86
 Coaling Ground 100 at Boat 295
 Furnace 89 Bent of River 160
 Ore bank 251 bent River 169
 Pot House 245 Boating 305
 Whittenburgs Mill 90 on the River 287
 Mouth of River 306
 
The nature of the transactions provides a brief window into individual 
and community life of 1835-36. We see the prices for food and clothing 
for the time in comparison with earnings. 
 
Clothing materials and supplies were frequent entries and include muslin, 
lace, silk, shirting, Irish, flax and toe linen, calico, cotton flannel, 
bed ticking, broad cloth, jain (jean), linsy, needles, thimbles, thread, 
ribbon, yarn, knitting pins, indigo, patterns and buttons.
 
Medicines named are castor oil, Godfry's cordial, Bateman's drots, camphor, 
paregoric and opedeldock. 
 
The community was quite literate. Books included the Bible, hymnals, spelling 
books, almanac, and Hail's United States History, Pilgrim's Progress. Some 
bought paper by the quire (24-sheets) at frequent intervals. Some paid for 
"schooling" for their children. They bought trumpets and Jews-harps for music. 
 
The menfolks liked their cider in season and whiskey when it was available. 
They bought flintlock rifles, flints and powder, especially in the winter 
hunting season. 
 
How one would like to see the coat that future-President Andrew Johnson made 
for David Boles (May 29, 1835 entry), the coat he made for John Luttrell 
(September 9, 1839 entry), the fine shoes of John Luttrell and fine hats of 
Jessee and Mrs Boles for July 4, 1835 and the fur hat that Betsy Boles bought
for her son David on December 19, 1835. One would also like to have the three
Jews-harps that Betsy bought for David on August 22, 1835.
 
How one would like to have the "rifle gun and pouch" that Jessee Bowles 
purchased for $14.00 on 6 July 1835.
 
A contrast in lifestyles is evident between the bachelor John Luttrell 
and the single mother Sarah "Sally" Ann BOLES Hogan with her four young 
children and the widow Elizabeth "Betsy" CLOWERS Boles and her remaining 
minor children. 
 
John Luttrell purchased vanity clothing and shoes (with taps), tobacco 
and whiskey and Betsy CLOWERS Boles purchased sewing supplies and material, 
clothing, and food. Betsy rented out her minor children (David and Daniel) 
to work for others as was the practice in those days. Sally Ann BOLES Hogan
 did sewing and washing for others (December 18, 1835 and April 21, 1836).
 
The transactions name many items manufactured at Bright Hope. Iron products 
were pig iron, Franklin stoves, Carolina ovens, skillets, fish pans, kettles, 
pots, flat irons, grid irons, horseshoes, plows, sets of iron for wagon boxes, 
fan wheels, cranks, bark mills, water mill parts, mandrels, corn shellers, 
hinges, nails and screws. 
 
The operation required much charcoal which was produced by resident colliers 
from locally cut cordwood. There is quite a listing of lumber products in the
entry for Andrew Smyth and William Reece of June 24, 1836. The entries for 
May through July of 1836 indicate a major change in ownership or operation 
was underway. Some of the buildings and machinery are identified in the 
transactions. 
 
The ledger entries have been transcribed in an effort to maintain the 
spelling and form of the original. Spelling has been retained in this 
transcription as recorded in the Ledger as much as possible. Some spelling 
of names and items differ according to the scribe making the entry and the 
variances have been retained in most instances. 
 
Several entries have not been interpreted and they are identified with a 
(?) symbol. Errors exist and perhaps they can now be identified and 
corrected. 
 
Some symbols differ due to keyboard limitations. They are as follows:
 
 1. ƒ is used as the symbol for a shilling, a British monetary unit. 
 Thus 1 shilling = $.16½, 2 shilling = $.33½, 3 shilling = $.50, 
  6 shilling = $1.00, 7 shilling = $1.25, and 9 shilling = $1.50.
 
 2. a as a superscript is used in the Ledger as the symbol for a 
 pence, another British monetary unit: Thus 1 pence = $.01375, 4½ 
 pence = $.06¼, 6 pence = $.08½, 9 pence = $.12½, etc.
 
 3. ~ is used for the weight of 1-pound in the Ledger. # is used in 
 the transcription.
 
 4. B and B. are used in the Ledger for bushel.  
 
 5. The ƒs for a double-s was often used in the Ledger in such as 
 Jeƒsee for Jessee, Maneƒs for Maness, Ruƒsell for Russell, 
 aƒsum.d for assumed, and Braƒs for Brass. The modern double-s is 
 used in the transcription. 
 
  6. "do" is used in the Ledger as the ditto mark would be used to 
 indicate repeat of part of the previous entry.

Editor's Family Names

The Bright Hope ledger is a treasure beyond imagination. It contains many

entries of transactions of the Boles (Bowles), Clowers, Hogans and Luttrells

and others who married into those families. It contains precise period

history and facts of great value and presents a picture of life style and

human interests beyond measure.

Some of the members of these families named, or who were there during the

year, and some of the other interesting "cast of characters" are as follows:

Elizabeth "Betsy" CLOWERS (Boles) Bowles - Age 53 widow of David Boles,

iron worker who had learned the trade at the iron works in Franklin

County, VA, and who had worked at iron works in Wythe County, VA,

and in Grainger County, TN. He was one of several from those works

who were involved in the Bright Hope operations. David Boles died in

April of 1829. Betsy Boles was often recorded in the Ledger. She

"rented" out her younger sons and her horses and sold standing timber

from her land as cordwood for making charcoal.

(David and Elizabeth CLOWERS Boles are the paternal g,g,g-great

grandparents and the maternal g,g-grandparents of this writer.)

The Boles children were:

Sarah "Sally" Ann BOLES Hogan - age about 35.

Single parent with four children. Her former husband,

Hiram Hogan, an iron worker from Ireland and salesman

for the Bright Hope Furnace, had 'disappeared in the West'

on a sales trip after son David Boles Hogan was born in 1828.

She secured a divorce on 2 September 1833. Sally would marry

2nd John Luttrell, a bachelor often mentioned in the ledger,

in March of 1837. She worked as a seamstress and washer-woman

to support her children and was often recorded in the Ledger.

(Hiram and Sarah Ann BOLES Hogan are the paternal g-g-great

grandparents of this writer.) The Hogan children were:

Elizabeth Hogan age 11 who married William Milo Ferguson.

They would move to Missouri with a large group in 1871.

(Williams Milo and Elizabeth HOGAN Ferguson are the paternal

g-grandparents of this writer.)

Mary Hogan age 10 who married Robert Cochran.

James Hiram Hogan age 9 and named in the Ledger who married

Amanda Francis Luttrell. Would move to Kansas in 1872 and

then to Missouri in 1873.

David Boles Hogan age 7 who married Mary Caroline McMurtry.

Jessee Boles - age 31 and wife Delila SAULS LEIGHLY Boles and small family.

Jacob Boles - age 29 and wife Nancy JEANS Boles and small family.

George Boles - age 27 and wife Elizabeth HYBARGER Boles and small family.

John Boles - age 21 and single but would marry Elizabeth Jane Kilgore.

David Boles - age 18 and single. Would marry Caroline_________

and move to Georgia and reportedly to Arkansas.

Daniel Boles - age 17 and single but would marry lst Mary Ann Stinson,

daughter of Daniel M. Stinson, and 2nd Amanda Caroline DOCKINS Sauceman,

widow of John Sauceman, Jr. Would reside in Georgia for a short time,

return to Greene County, and then move to Missouri with a large group

in 1871. (Daniel and Amanda Caroline DOCKINS SAUCEMAN Boles are the

maternal g-grandparents of this writer.)

Elizabeth Boles - age 15 and single but would marry Isaac Kifer.

Mary "Polly" Boles - age 14 and single but would marry Claiborn Boyd,

a blacksmith often mentioned in the Ledger who was much older.

Hiram Boles - age 10 and would later marry Hannah Leighly,

daughter of Delila SAULS LEIGHLY Boles.

Joanna Boles - age 7 would later marry William Stinson,

brother of Mary Ann Stinson who had married her brother, Daniel Boles.

William Clowers - age about 30. One of three sons of John and Rebecca HARRIS

Clowers and often named in the Bright Hope Ledger. John Clowers was a brother

of Elizabeth CLOWERS Boles and one of the group of colliers and iron workers

from Franklin County, Virginia, who moved to the Bright Hope Furnace area in

the 1820's.

Jacob Clowers - age about 28 and another son of John and Rebecca HARRIS Clowers.

James Clowers - age about 20 and another son of John and Rebecca HARRIS Clowers.

Samuel Stinson - age about 40, blacksmith and father of Mary Ann Stinson who

would become Daniel Boles first wife 8 March 1837 and also father of William

Stinson who would become the husband of Joanna (Joan) Boles 3 August 1848.

Claiborne Boyd - age about 32, blacksmith and reported as Calburn and Clayborn

Boide and Boyde in Ledger entries. Would marry the much younger Mary (Polly)

Boles on 4 December 1838.

John Kifer - probably the father of Isaac Kifer who would marry Elizabeth Boles

on 23 March 1841.

John Luttrell - age about 25 and single who would marry the widow Sally Ann

BOLES Hogan, age about 35, in March of 1837.

James Luttrell, Sr., father of John Luttrell. His wife was probably Mary

MORGAN Luttrell, reportedly a cousin of General John Hunt Morgan of Civil

War renoun.

Daniel Sauceman - age about 41. Hauled and sold cord wood to the kilns

at Bright Hope for the production of charcoal.

John Sauceman - age about 42 and second wife, Margaret REDDISH Sauceman,

and children by first wife, Mary HODGE Sauceman, including John Sauceman, Jr.

born 1827. John Sauceman, Jr., would marry Amanda Caroline Dockins.

She would marry 2nd Daniel Boles after death of John Sauceman, Jr., and

Daniel's first wife, Mary Ann STINSON Boles. Daniel and Amanda Caroline

DOCKINS SAUCEMAN Boles would then raise the Boles children and the Sauceman

boys, George Washington and John Alexander, and their own children.

They would move to Missouri in 1871 with a large group from the Bright Hope

area.

The relatively large number of ledger entries for the Boles, Clowers, Hogan,

and Luttrell families is of some significance. Others named in the ledger

entries who would later marry into these families were Masnor, Nease,

Patterson, Sauceman, Smith, Susong, and Whittenburg.

Other Persons of Note

Dr. John Shields - age about 35. A local Doctor and local entrepreneur of

some note. Owner or part-owner of business establishing Bright Hope

Industries. In addition to being the local Doctor, he also served as

bondsman for marriages and money lender for real estate and other purposes.

He signed the Marriage Bond for Daniel Boles to Mary Ann Stinson. James

Hiram Hogan resided with him as a 'bonded boy' in the Census of 1850.

He was listed in the Census of 1860 with real estate value of $10,000. and

a personal property value of $19,850. These were very high values for the

location and period.

John Dickson - age 50-60 in Census of 1840 and prominent merchant of

Greeneville, Tennessee. One of brothers who emigrated to United States

from Ireland in 1818. Owned considerable land in Greene County and several

lots in Greeneville per Tax List of 1836. Apparently had ¼-interest in

Bright Hope Furnace Machinery according to settlement recorded 19 July 1836

in the Ledger. President Andrew Jackson was reportedly his house guest on

one occasion.

Peter Brown - age about 42, born Ayshire, Scotland, died 17 August 1837 and

buried in Timber Ridge Cemetery. Developer and owner of Brown's Forge on

the Nolichucky River about 2-miles from Bright Hope Furnace. Secured pig-iron

from Bright Hope Furnace for his forge operation. Apparently had ¼-interest

in Bright Hope Furnace machinery according to settlement recorded 19 July 1836

in the Ledger. Owner of about 900-acres of land and three slaves per the

Tax List of 1836.

Census of 1830 Peter Brown (listing just above Elizabeth Bowles)

Males Females Slaves

Age 30 & under 40 1

20 & under 30 1 1

10 & under 15 1

5 & under 10 2

under 5 1

no age listed 6

Census of 1840 Sarah A. Brown (Widow)

Males Females

Age 30 & under 40 1

20 & under 30 1

15 & under 20 2

10 & under 15 1

5 & under 10 1

under 5 1

Andrew Smyth - A major player in the Bright Hope Furnace operation as

recorded in the Ledger. Apparently had ¼-interest in the machinery according

to settlement recorded 19 July 1836 in the Ledger. Owned 1000-acres of land

and a voter in the 5th District per the Tax List of 1836. Not found in the

Census of 1830 or Census of 1840 of Greene County. J.P. Lesley reported in

his 1856 listing of Charcoal Furnaces in East Tennessee (page 81):

"273. Love's Charcoal Furnace, owned by And. Smith & Co, on the

Little East Fork of Little Pigeon River, sixteen miles east of

Sevierville, and in Sevier county, Tennessee, was built probably

about 1837 by Wm. & Jos. Love, and abandoned about 1852 to ruin."

It is not known if this is the same Andrew Smyth (Smith).

William Roberts - Age 20-30 in Census of 1830. Apparently had ¼-interest in

machinery according to settlement recorded 19 July 1836 in the Ledger.

George Gordon - (Age 50-60 in Census of 1830 Robert G. Gordon ?) with one

slave. He might have been the owner of the Bright Hope Furnace during the

period of the Ledger. An entry of 22 June 1836 stated:

"To George Gordon 1 5½/12 Years Reant of Furnace @ 8 Tons

Casting pr year Making 26133# @ 4¢ = $1045.32."

Sh. and S. Inman - probably Shadrack Inman from adjoining Cocke County.

Descendent of the Inmans of fame in the Revolutionary War. May be son

of Abednego Inman.

Henry Dyche, Esquire (Squire) - age 60-70 in Census of 1840. Local

community Justice of the Peace and Notary Public. A witness to David

Boles's Will and the J.P. who married Jessee Boles and Delila SAULS LEIGHLY

and was "Best Friend" to Sarah "Sally" Ann Hogan during her divorce from

Hiram Hogan in 1833. He bought his paper from the Bright Hope Commissary

store by the "quire" (25-sheets).

Andrew "Andy" Johnson - age 26. A tailor serving the area from his shop in

Greeneville and Representative for Greene and Washington Counties in the

State Legislature. Andrew Johnson served two terms as Alderman and was then

elected Mayor of Greeneville in January 1834. In the Spring of 1835 he was

elected to the Tennessee State Legislature. He was defeated in the election

of 1837 but re-elected in 1839. He was elected to the State Senate in 1841.

He was elected U.S. Congressman in 1843. He was elected Governor of Tennessee

in 1853 and reelected in 1855. He was Democrat Senator from Tennessee in

1860 and the only Southern Senator to declare for the Union at the time of

secession. When central Tennessee was occupied by the Union Army in March of

1862, Johnson was Commissioned General and appointed Military Governor of

Tennessee by President Lincoln. He was elected Vice-President of the United

States in 1864 and became President of the United States upon the

assassination of President Lincoln in April 1865.

Andrew Johnson (Ledger Number 182) was listed in the Ledger as follows:

Ledger 1835

Page 98 29 May A. Johnston paid by Elizabeth "Betsy" CLOWARS

Boles, widow of David Boles, for making her son

David's coat $6.50.

185 9 Sep A.D. Johnson paid by John Luttrell for making 1

Coat $3.50

188 15 Sep. A.D. Johnson bought 3 Back Plaits weighing 426

pounds @ 4¢ per pound at total price of $17.04.

197 28 Sep. A. Johnson tailoring for Aaron Lewis $8.50.

1836

278 9 Feb. Andy Johnston paid by Robert Evans for making

cloths $10.00.

305 25 May And.w Johnson debtor to Andrew Smyth paid his

account in full $12.00.

(Note: There were at least two different Scribes making

entries in the Bright Hope Ledger. One spelled the name

Johnston and one Johnson for Andrew Johnson and for

William P. Johnson. The initial D. may have been the

Scribes use of the 'd' in Andrew as another initial,

as in An-Drew or as in An-Dy.

The "Back Plaits" purchased on 15 September 1835 might

have been used in construction of fireplaces in a home

constructed about that time by Andrew Johnson in

Greeneville,Tennessee. Perhaps they still exist!

A.C. Ferguson)

Email will be forwarded to Claude's daughter...Carla

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