Gilbert Norris

Father came from Ireland. Mother was a full-blood Cherokee Gilbert Norris was a farmer and a self-taught stone mason. Although it was not proven, his wife, Rachel, was one-fourth blood Cherokee. According to Wilma (Hedrick) Martin, and family legend, he was called "squawman" by the white neighbors in the area. They lived and farmed in Wilkes County, North Carolina, for many years. All eleven of their children were born there. In late 1835, the family emigrated to Overton County, Tennessee. Gilbert bought a homestead near Matthew's Creek Branch off the Roaring River, near the community of Oak Hill. He purchased the 180 acre farm of Samuel Finley January 24, 1839. His closest neighbor being a William Oakley. Rachel (Chambers) Norris died in 1846. Gilbert was married second to Emmaline Hammoc about 1847. They had two children, Gilbert and Martha. In October, 1869, a Robert Oakley was appointed guardian of Gilbert and Martha in the estate of William Oakley, deceased. According to notes found in the possession of a descendant, Herndon Norris, Gilbert lived to be 94 years old. He was living in the 1870 US Census for Overton County, Tennessee, in the Fifth District with his daughter, Martha. He was buried with his wives in unmarked graves in what is now called the Wells Cemetery near Oak Hill. The cemetery was described by a granddaughter of Martha Norris England, Vallie England Dishman in 1993: "I have been to a real old cemetery in Oak Hill, Tennessee, where my grandma Martha D. Norris is buried. The sons of hers use to keep a little house built over her grave for years but it rotted away. Each time I go, more stones are missing each time. Some were the tent-type (cairns) and a lot at first time I went but last time it had been sowed in grass seed and cattle roamed about. Its on top of a hill, a beautiful spot once you get up to it and about 6 or 8 oak trees are among the graves. They are getting old and limbs were falling."[Norris.FTW]

References

• http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=46679501

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• Residence: Morgan, Ashe, North Carolina, United States - 1800
• Residence: Overton, Tennessee, United States - 1840
• Residence: Overton, Tennessee, United States - 1850
• Residence: Overton, Tennessee, United States - 1860
• Residence: Overton, Tennessee, United States - 1870
  • Reference: FamilySearch Genealogy - SmartCopy: Jul 18 2020, 14:32:11 UTC