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Asa is mentioned in the Transcription of a taped 1998 conversation with his granddaughter, Mary Lou Hardison.

Asa Hardison

7-30-1818 in NC to 8-26-1911 in TN

Siblings

 

  1814-James

  1816-Noah

  1820-Dave

  1829-Mary Ann

(only positive of Dave)

married 4-1-1841 in NC

to

Clara Robeson

born 5-23-1821 to 12-4-1875

 

Children

 

1844-Mary Ann Hardison

1845-Sally Clark

1846-Noah T. Hardison

1848-Sophie Elizabeth

1849-James H. Hardison

1851-Asa Biggs Hardison

1852-Jessie Hyman Hardison

1854-Louisa Robertson

1856-John Franklin Hardison

1858-Fannie Harwell

1860-George Washington Hardison

1863-Alonzo Edwin Hardison

 

 

parents:

Jesse Hardison

&

Anna (Leggett?)

spouse's parents:

John Robeson

&

Winnifred (Wollard?)

maternal grandparents:

 

paternal grandparents:

Jasper Hardison III & (Alice Evans?)

maternal aunts & uncles:

 

paternal aunts & uncles:

I'll fill this part in later

Click on image to enlarge. Once enlarged, to zoom, move cursor to right of image, back onto image, and click again.

Asa's deed 1852, transcribed below

Asa and family at homeplace (Molly=Mary Ann, Hyman=Jesse Hyman, Buddy=Alonzo Edwin)

close-up of Asa from previous shot

Asa Hardison, born 1818 NC, died 1911 TN

Asa's death certificate 1911, cause of death: pneumonia

grave of Asa and Clara, Mount Moriah Cemetery

Marriage, birth and death dates taken from Hardison family Bible, as transcribed by his granddaughter, Mary Lou. According to Mary Lou, Asa left each of his 12 children 25 acres.

Married 4-1-1841 in NC to Clara or Clarissa (aka Clarissy) Robeson, according to Hardison family Bible. 1848-49 is when Asa moved from NC to TN with Owl Cox (Al?) who helped him clear the land. Mary Lou recalled her grandmother talking about the trip over the mountains by wagon, and how they washed their clothes in the streams. Also recalled her great uncle Dave coming in from NC to visit his brother, Asa. First four children born in NC, rest in TN.

Moved to TN between 1845-1848 to vicinity of Friendship in what is now Crockett County (but was then Dyer County).

11-6-1849 Dyer Court Minutes: ordered by the courth that the Sheriff summons the following good and lawful men of the Body of Dyer to be and appear at the Court House in the the town of Dyersburg on the 2nd Monday of February next then and there to serve as a venira at said Court to wit: William H. Powell (etc, for first district)...Andrew J. Page, Asa Hardison, and John Nash for the second district... (and so on).

3-4-1850 Dyer County Court Minutes: ordered by the court that William F. Nash be appointed overseer of that part of the Jackson Road on which Richard Staggs was formerly overseer and that he have the same hands...and Thomas Nash's hands, James M Craig and Asa Hardison in addition to work on said road.

1850 census, Dyer Co, District 2:

Asa Hardison, age 30, farmer, estate value $400, born NC

Clarisa, age 27, born NC

MA (female), age 6, born NC

SJ (female) age 5, born NC

SE (female), age 2, born TN

JH (male) age 1, born TN

(they are on the last page for the district. The previous page has Clarry's sister, Cyntha Stallings, right next to a Leggett family. Their neighbors are a Nash family, mentioned because there is a photo of GW Hardison with Maggie Nash).

1852 Asa Hardison bought 316 acres for $772. (from Deed Book H pg 342-43 some punctuation added to simplify reading): (box upper left) Deed 316 23/100 acres Francis B. Fogg to Asa Hardison, Registered July 3rd 1852 Stephen D Whitten RDC. (Main text) For and in consideration of the sum of seven hundred and seventy two dollars to me in hand paid by Asa Hardison of Dyer County State of Tennesee, the receipts whereof is hereby acknowledged, I Francis B Fogg native of Davison County Tennessee do hereby bargain sell alien transfer convey and confirm unto the said Asa Hardison his heirs and assigns a certain tract or parcel of land situate lying and being in the county of Dyer, State of Tennessee, being a part of Benjamin Smith's 5000 acre Grant No. 416. Beginning at a Stake with Poplar, Dogwood and Ironwood pointers in the East boundary line of the original Grant, running thence west 361 and 2/3 poles to a Sweet Gum and pointers in the edge of a lick. Thence North 140 poles to a Stake with White Oak and Hickory pointers Thence East 361 and 2/3 poles to a Stake and pointers in the East boundary of the Grant. Thence South with said line 140 poles to the Beginning containing three hundred and sixteen acres and 73 and ?/3 poles be the same more or less, To have and to hold the said land with all and singular the rights profits emolu..tenements (not sure of words) and hereditaments and appertenances of in and to the same belonging or in any wise appertaining to the only proper use behoof and benefit of him, the said Asa Hardison, his heirs and assigns forever. And I hereby covenant and bind myself to warrant and forever defend the title of the aforesaid land and bargained premises unto the said Asa Hardison his heirs and assigns against the lawful claims of all persons claiming by through or under me as trustee and or my heirs and assigns. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 3rd day of July AD 1852. In the presence of FG Sampson ~ Received July 3rd AD 1852 @ 1 o'clock PM ~ FB Fogg Trustee (with little drawn seal) by Thos J Connell Agent and Attorney in fact. State of Tennessee Dyer County ~ Personally appeared before me Robert M Tarrant, Clerk of the County Court of said County, Thomas Connelll Attorney in fact for Francis B. Fogg, the bargainer before named with whom I am personally acquainted who acknowledged that he executed the foregoing deed of conveyance for the purposes therein contained. Witness my hand at office this 3rd day of July AD 1852. Robert M. Tarrant, Clerk, ByWC Doyle, Deputy Clerk.

1860 census, Dyer County, TN:

Hardison, A, age 40, born in NC with real estate valued at $9400 and a personal estate of $1100.

Hardison, C, age 39 born NC, and there is a check in the column for "cannot read or write"

(the kids 8 and up are checked as able to read and write, with no mark at all for the ones under 8).

Hardison, MA, 16, born NC

Hardison SJ, 14, born NC

Hardison SE, 12, born in NC

Hardison, JH, male, 10, born in TN (as are the rest)

Hardison, JH, male, 8

Hardison LA (or SA), female, 6

Hardison JF, male, 4

Hardison AF, female, 2

Hardison GW, male, two months

(neighbors are the Leggetts). These initials match the ages and names with the exception of LA for Louisa Risabell.  

5-2-1869 Deed recorded for 1 acre from Thomas Ward to JH Parker and other trustees (rec'd 2-3-1870) saying in part, "I, Thomas Ward, for the love and affection that I entertain for the Primitive Baptist Church that assembles at the meeting house called Mount Moriah have this day given...unto Asa Hardison, JH Parker, and JL Leggett, trustees to said meeting house...a lot of land in Dyer...wherein said Church House now stands containing one acre...from margin of Chestnuts Bluff and Eaton Road....Witnesses RA Moore and John Ward.

1870 census, Dyer County, TN, Friendship Post Office:

(note: this census does not list relationship, which is exasperating given the extra male in the mix)

Hardison, Asa, 51, born NC, real estate worth $6000, personal estate $1500.

Clara, 49, keeping house, born NC

Mary, 26, born NC, "out employment"

Sarah, 25, born NC, "out of employment"

Sopha, 22, born NC, "out of employment"

James, 21, born TN, farm labor

Jr. 17, farm labor

Jesse, 16, farm labor

Jhn, 14, at home

Mattie, 11, at home

"Abner", 8, at home.

Something mysterious goes on here. There is a child between James Henry and Jessie Hyman, listed as "Jr." The child born between those two was Asa Biggs Hardison, who might reasonably have been called Jr. The problem is that he died in fourteen years before this census was taken. There is a possibility that Mary Lou, in transcribing her father's Bible, marked down the wrong date of death for Asa Biggs. However, there is another mystery in this census. The youngest three children are Artemesia Frances (Mattie), followed by George Washington, followed by Alonzo Edwin. GW was born in 1860 and Alonzo Edwin born 1863. Abner must be Alonzo Edwin, but then where is George? Who is Jr, and where is George? 

 

1880 census, Dyer County, District 2:

Asa Hardison, 61, born NC, farmer.

daughter Mary Hardison, 35, born NC, teaching school.

Daughter Sophia Hardison, 33, born TN, keeping house.

Son Jesse Hardison, 26, born TN, farming.

Son John Hardison, 24, born TN, at school?

Son George Hardison, 21, born TN, worker-farm.

Son Alonsa Hardison, born TN, 17, farm work.

Same census, previous household:

James Hardison, age 31, farmer, born in TN of parents born in NC.

Wife Louise, age 20, born in TN with a line through instead of a state of origin for her parents birthplaces.

Daughter Clara, age 3, born in TN.

Son Asa, age 2.

1900 census, Dyer County, District 2, enumeration District 13:

Hardison, Elonza E., head of household, single, age 36, born Sept 1864 (should be 1863), born TN, farmer.

Sister Mary Hardison, age 50, born Jan 1850 (way off--should be April 1845), single, born NC, no occupation listed

Father Acey Hardison, age 81, born July 1818 in NC, widowed, occupation: retired farmer

Brother Jessie H., single, age 47, born Feb 1853 (should be May 1854) in TN, farmer.

 

1910 census, Dyer County, District 2:

Head of househould, AE Hardison, age 47, born TN, occupation farm--general farm, in marriage one for eight years.

Wife Edna, age 30, born TN of parents born in TN, mother of three of whom three are alive, in marriage one for 8 years.

Son age 7 name transcribed as Hael, might be Noel? (according to Mary Lou, maybe Sylvester)

Son Joseph, age 5.

Daughter perhaps Pearl? age 2.

Mother-in-law (looks like "mother in taken") Alise Williamson, age 61, TN-TN-NC, widow, mother of one, one surviving.

Father Asa Hardison, age 93, widowed, born in NC, occupation: "none too old."

Brother Elonza E Hardison, age 47, single, farm labor (see note below in italics)

Brother Jessie H Hardison, age 49, single, farm labor

Hired Hand Nick Ferrell, age 28, black

Hired Hand Frank Nash, 27, black)

Strange as it sounds, I think AE, Head of household, and Elonza E, "Brother," both age 47 are both Alonzo Edwin, somehow listed twice. Alonzo Edwin's wife was Edna.