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Many thanks to Andy Harris for permission to reprint information he has posted to Rootsweb as part of the Andy Clay Harris Family Tree.

Gibson County Marriages: "RTT" Avery to Polly Babb 1836.

1840 census, Gibson County TN, page 36/117

Troy Avery

males: two under 5 (Alexander, 3 and Green, just born), one 20-30 (Troy 23)

females: one 15-20 (Polly, 18)

one female slave 10-24

1850 census, Gibson County TN, District 16 household 496

RTS Avery, age 33, farmer, born NC

Polly, age 28, born NC

Alexander, age 13, born TN

Green, age 10, born TN

Nancy, age 8, born TN

(note that his brother BGHB is household 493 and his niece Margaret Pate is household 495. Mary Polly's father, Green Berry Babb is in Gibson Dist 4 in 1850, household 518)

1860 census, Gibson County District 4, household 444

RTS Avery, age 40, farmer $4000/$12,000, born NC

Mary, age 38, born NC

Alex, age 21, "M Student", born TN

Green, age 20, laborer

Nancy, age 18

(Household 441 is his brother, BGHB. Household 443 is his niece Margaret Pate, household 444 is his brother Reuben T.S. Avery and wife Mary "Polly" Babb and household 446 is his niece Sarah A.E. Avery Babb, household 456 is his wife's father Green Berry Babb, and household 523 is his niece Emily Tatum)

1870 census, Gibson County District 4, household 86

RTS Avery, age 54, farmer, $6000/1500, born NC

Mary, 48, keeps house, born NC

Alex, age 28, farm labor, born TN

Nancy, age 25, at home

Clarissa, age 8 (though surname Avery, suspect she may not be his daughter due to big age gap)

(household 81 is his brother JF Avery, household 83 Henry Babb the widowed husband of his niece, household 85 is his niece Mary Spencer)

1880 census, Crockett County, District 7, Enumeration Dist 3

(original as scanned on ancestry.com was too faint for me to read, but what follows is their transcription)

Troy S. Avery, age 60, farmer, born NC

wife Mary Avery, age 56

daughter Mary, age 16

daughter Nancy Kenton, age 14

sister Sarah Hall, age 52, born NC

niece Sallie E. Hall, age 18, born TN

Babbs in legal papers

temporarily placed here until sorted out, and not entirely indexed

Crockett County Court Clerk's Minutes Vol. A, dated 10-7-1872

(transcribed and contributed to the Crockett County page of Rootsweb by Natalie Huntley)

Monday, Oct the 7th AD 1872

James S Roberts Adm of Alexander B. Avery, deceased

On motion James S Roberts was this day appointed administrator of the Estate of Alexander B. Averry, deceased, whereupon the said James S. Roberts came into Court and entered into Bond the sum of one thousand dollars with J.S. Babb and R.T.S. Averry as his securities who severally acknowledged in open court approved by the court and ordered to be recorded the said James S. Roberts was duly qualified as administrator and it is further ordered that letters of administration issue to the said James S. Roberts

NOTE: The obvious choice for the deceased Alexander Avery, RTS' father being already dead, is RTS's son, born 1837, which would mean he was dead at 35. Though RTS also had a nephew, Alexander B, by his brother Wm Alexander, that Alexander was born in 1856 and therefore 16 at the date of this transaction. As for J.S. Babb, RTS' wife was a Babb, and his brother BGHB's daughter, Sarah, married Henry Babb.

Crockett County Court Clerk's minutes Vol A

(transcribed and contributed to the Crockett County page of Rootsweb by Natalie Huntley)

Monday, November the 4th, AD 1872

Ordered by the court that W.G. Roberts, John Robins & F.R. Hall be and they are hereby appointed Commissioners to set apart to Marthy E. Babb minor child of J.B.G. Babb deceased one years support and report to the next term of this court.

Novem the 13th 1872

We the undersigned Commissioners appointed at the November term of Quarterly Court of said County to lay off or set apart one year allowance for Martha E. Babb, minor child of John Babb declared we said commissioners agree and set apart 1 bed & stead & outfit for the same seventy dollars in currency for the support of said child for one year. (Signed) JJ Robbins, FP Hall, WG Roberts

Note:  The name Hall links in two other places to the Avery family. RTS' sister, Sarah Elizabeth, took as her 2nd husband Dave Hall. Additionally an H.R. Hall born 1893 s/o Talbert Hall had a son who married Aeolian McDearman, descendent of the Avery line.

        As for Martha Babb--there were at least three. In the 1860 census Henry Babb and Sarah A.E. Avery Babb (RTS's niece) had in their household two girls named Martha, one ten and one five, as well as their unmarried son, John. In 1870 John BG Babb, who matches the age to be Henry & Sarah's son, has a 4-year old daughter named Martha. 1872 also shows Henry Babb being appointed administrator to his son John BG's estate, so presumably this is John's 6 year old daughter. In the 1880 census, she is in her grandfather Henry's household.

Guardian Bond for Martha E. Babb, Crockett County TN 1-1-1883

We, Henry Babb, S. Avery and T.H. Avery are held and firmly bound to the State of Tennessee in the penal sum of one thousand dollars...this first day of January AD 1883...whereas the above bound Henry Babb has this day renewed his bond as guardian of Martha E. Babb, minor heir of ** Babb, deceased (transcriber guessed EG or EY Babb). Now if the said Henry Babb shall well and truly perform the duties which are or may be required of him by law as such guardian, then his obligation to be void; otherwise to remain in full force and virtue... (signed Henry Babb, S. Avery, T.H. Avery.)

Note: S. Avery could be RTS Avery who was called "Sidney" as well as RTS or Troy.

        Regarding Martha Babb--believe that Henry Babb, husband of RTS' niece Sarah A.E. Avery Babb, became guardian of their son John's daughter Martha in 1872, when the girl was about five or six. See above. In 1883, therefore, she would have been sixteen or seventeen or so.

Guardian Bond for Sarah, Azzie, Henry and Austin Spencer, Crockett County 1-4-1886

We, W.S. Babb, R.T. Smith and J.S. Roberts are held and firmly bound to the state of Tennessee in the penal sum of six hundred dollars...this 4th day of January AD 1886. The condition of the above obligation is such that whereas the above bound W.S. Babb has been appointed Guardian of Sarah, Spencer, Azzie Spencer, Henry Spencer and Austin Spencer minor heirs of Wm. Spencer deceased. Now if the said W.S. Babb shall well and truly perform the duties which are or may be required of him by law as such Guardian, then this obligation to be void; otherwise to remain in full force and virtue...(signed W.S. Babb, R.T. Smith, J.S. Roberts)....

        Another legal paper gives W.S. Babb legal authorization to take into his possession for the benefit of his wards (the Spencer kids named above) "the profit of the lands, tenements and hereditaments belonging to the said ward and also the goods, chattels and other personal estate of said wards; to bring such suits or actions in relation thereto as may be deemed necessary" and in two years renew the bond and "upon arrival at full age" of the wards, "or sooner, if required, to make final settlement...to deliver and pay to the person lawfully authorized to receive the same, the residue of said estate, including the profits arising therefrom."

Note: RTS' niece Sarah A.E. Avery wed Henry Babb. Their daughter Mary wed a Spencer. In the 1880 census, Henry has in his household grandsons Henry and "Austin" Spencer. in the 1870 census between JF Avery and Henry Babb in Gibson County is RT Smith, age 35, wife Cassie. James S. Roberts who signed this document, may be the same JS Roberts who was appointed administrator of the estate of Alexander B Avery.