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About Thomas Sharp "Big Foot" Spencer
biography
From page 300 of Historic Sumner County, Tennessee: With Genealogies of the Bledsoe, Gage and ... By Jay Guy Cisco
Thomas Sharp Spencer, called the "Chevalier Beyard of the Cumberland Valley," was a native of Virginia, and a bold, daring hunter, who at an early day went to Kentucky in search of adventure. From Kentucky he came to what is now Tennessee, in 1778, with a party of hunters, who made their camp at Bledsoe's Lick. After a time all of the party returned to the settlements except Spencer and one other, whose name is given in some of the histories and as Holliday in others, as elsewhere stated in this story as Drake. He was a man of gigantic size and great physical strength, and never knew the meaning of the word fear. Many stories are told of his prowess and of his adventures with the Indians, and if they were all collected they would fill a volume which would read more like romance than fact. He helped to build the first cabin, make the first clearing and plant the first corn in Middle Tennessee. He was a nephew of that Judge Samuel Spencer, who issued the warrant for the arrest of John Sevier for high treason in 1788, and who was killed by a turkey gobbler. In 1794 Spencer made a journey to Virginia to collect some money that was due him from an estate.
Returning, he was shot from ambush by Indians, at what is now called Spencer's Hill, in Van Buren County. The seat of justice of that county was so named in his honor. So, also, were Spencer's Creek and Spencer's Lick. After the death of Spencer, the body of land containing 640 acres, lying one mile south of Gallatin,and known to this day as "Spencer's Choice," passed to the ownership of his brother, William, and his sister, Elizabeth. The latter purchased her brother's interest, and then sold the entire tract to David Shelby, who, in 1798, built the stone residence still standing and occupied by A. P. Howisson, the present owner.
notes
From The Pioneer Women of the West by Elizabeth F. Ellet. This is a book that is compiled of women's journals. This section deals with the Bledsoe family
Some time afterwards, Mrs. BLEDSOE was on the road from BLED- SOE's Lick to the above-mentioned station, where the court of Sum- ner County was at that time held. Her object was to attend to some business connected with the estate of her late husband. She p. 26: was escorted on her way by the celebrated Thomas Sharp Spencer and Robert Jones. The party was waylaid and fired upon by a large body of Indians. Jones was severely wounded, and turning, rode rapidly back for about two miles; after which he fell dead from his horse. The savages advanced boldly upon the others, intending to take them prisoners. It was not consistent with Spencer's chivalrous character to at- tempt to save himself by leaving his companion to the mercy of the foe. Bidding her retreat as fast as possible and encouraging her to keep her seat firmsly, he protected her by following more slowly in her rear, with his trusty rifle in his hand. When the Indians in pursuit same too near, he would raise his weapon, as if to firs; and as he was known to be an excellent marksman, the savages were not willing to encounter him, but hastened to the shelter of trees, while he continued his retreat. In this manner he kept them at bay for some miles, not firing a single shot - for he knew that his threatening had more effect - until Mrs. Bledsoe reached a station. Her life and his own were on this occasion saved by his prudence and presence of mind; for both would have been lost had he yielded to the temptation to fire.
Source: http://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/bledsoe/1025/
Uncertain as to who was Nancy Parker's father. The story goes like this:
Nathaniel Parker married Mary Ramsey Bledsoe on the 4 December 1791 and separated roughly a year later. In the Knox Gazette dated 29 November 1794 Nathaniel Parker stated that his wife Mary had left his bed and board and warned all persons that he would not be responsible for her debts or contracts. On November 21, 1800 Mary Parker sued for divorce from Nathaniel Parker. On November 12, 1802 a trial was held. Twelve days later, on November 24 1802, the court entered it's final decree. The court awarded her separate bed and board and awarded her separate maintenance in the amount of $200 per annum to be paid quarterly
A local Sumner County, TN. tradition is that Mary Ramsey was pregnant with the child of Thomas Sharpe Spencer, who was killed by Chief Doublehead on 1 April 1794 on the Cumberland Road [Lamb and Allied Families by James L. Mohon, p. 221] before they could be married. The administration of Thomas Sharpe Spencer's estate was granted to Thomas Donnell at the January 1795 term of court in Sumner County [Sumner Co., TN County Court Minutes p. 80). This was a little more than three years after Mary Ramsey married Nathaniel Parker.
Nathaniel Parker wrote his will in Sumner County on 25 February 1811 [Sumner Co., TN WB 1:156 J. He named his children and mentioned "my second wife's daughter Nancy Parker." It is presumed that was a reference to his wife Mary Ramsey Bledsoe. She was probably about 45 years of age when she married Nathaniel Parker, being nearly at the end of her childbearing years. Anthony and Mary Bledsoe were not known to have a daughter named Nancy.
So Nancy Parker receiving only a one Dollar in Nathaniel Parker will, sixth bequest, makes sense as she was born when her mother Mary Ramsey Bledsoe Parker was still married to Nathaniel Parker thus the Parker surname for Nancy, but she was not a biological child of Nathaniel Parker.
- http://www.tnmagazine.org/the-legend-of-big-foot-spencer/
- https://tnahgp.genealogyvillage.com/middletn/thomas-sharp-spencer.html
- http://www.diggingupyourfamily.com/2013/03/timothy-demonbreun-and-t...
- http://www.diggingupyourfamily.com/2013/06/more-on-thomas-sharp-spe...
- http://ourcoop.com/ourcoop08/headlines/viewNews.aspx?artID=2612
- http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM27TT_Thomas_Big_Foot_Spencer_2...
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Thomas Sharp "Big Foot" Spencer's Timeline
| 1758 |
1758
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Halifax County, Province of Virginia, Colonial America
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| 1793 |
1793
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Sumner County, Tennessee, United States
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| 1794 |
April 1, 1794
Age 36
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Spencer's Hill on the Cumberland Road, Crab Orchard, Van Buren County, Tennessee, United States
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