The Williamson Chapel Methodist Church, nestled in the beautiful foothills of the eastern Tennessee mountains, was the site of the June 12, 1999 Crye Family Gathering.  Attendees spanned the nation from east (NJ) to west (CA) and from as far south as FL and north to MI, with three of us, who are now living elsewhere, having roots in WI.  In all, between seventy and eighty family members were there from eleven states.  The most senior was Miss Mamie Crye, of Maryville, while the youngest was a mere seven months old, creating an age range that encompassed four generations.
     Anita Crye Green, of nearby Cleveland, TN, orchestrated the event, with the help of her Blount Co. cousins, and her daughter, MiniSu, who greeted everyone as they arrived and supervised their registering in the Reunion Book.  It wasn't long before the tables in the Fellowship Hall were covered with the gifts of food each new group brought to share for the noon meal.
     People began arriving about ten in the morning on a warm, sun-filled day, and from that time until the end of the afternoon family members talked and shared information back and forth, forming and re-forming conversational groups as the day progressed, some within the cool Chapel, others out beneath the pleasant umbrella formed by towering trees.  Many of the Tennessee cousins already knew each other, of course, but there were also new people to meet and get to know.
     Just before noon, Anita called everyone together in the Chapel to welcome us and to thank us for being there.  It was heartwarming to look around the crowded room and register that everyone there was family - it truly made one realize we all are one.  That part of the gathering was brought to a close with a blessing for all attending and for the rich repast of food we were about to enjoy.  One comment heard as the meal progressed was "Well, you can certainly tell that the Crye's like food just about as much as they like talking!".
     The Williamson Chapel had been chosen as the site for the gathering as it is there that many of the Crye's have their final resting place, including some of the very  earliest  ones to  Tennessee.  There  were  thirty-five  individuals  names  on  a listing Anita provided for us.  The earliest ones were John Crye (March 29, 1772 - January 20, 1859) and his wife Martha Jones Crye (February 3, 1793 - August 21, 1859).  Near them are to be found their three sons, Elihu (October 31, 1819 - September 18, 1857), Elias (January 17, 1825 - September 21, 1860) and John S., (August 17, 1828 - November 13, 1863) who was martyred during the Civil War.  Although the parents, John and Martha, were twenty years different in age, they passed away within months of each other and they and their three sons all went to their final resting places in a six year period, the three brothers all being in their thirties.  Left to mourn their parents and brothers were four sisters, Nancy (b. 1827), Mahala (b. 1831), Rebecca (b. 1833), and Josephine (b. 1836).  Even with such a drastic family loss, the legacy of John and Martha and their sons, Elias and John S. (Elihu never married) continued, for some of their descendants were present that warm June day.
     Among the many conversations had that day were several with three brothers, Joe, Charlie and William Duane.  (If I have not remembered your names correctly, please forgive me, and I would like to be corrected.  I did not make any notes at the time and I can only trust that I am recalling accurately.)  They raised the question as to who the parents of John Crye (1772-1859) were.  What they grew up hearing was that John Crye and two of his brothers came to TN from NC but they didn't know who their parents were.  Since I am a descendant of one of the brothers (William Crye) I was able to tell them that the parents were (should this be a surprise?) John Crye and Catherine Margaret Shimmin, who were the couple who came from the Isle of Man with three children (Hugh, b. 1752, William, b. 1753 - who married Sarah Hagens, and Sarah, b. 1757).  The remainder of their children were born in Chester County, PA, where they first settled after arriving through the port of Philadelphia (Catherine, b. 1759, Margaret, b. 1761, James, b. 1764, David, b. 1770 - who married Jean Eliott, John Alexander, b. 1772 - who married Martha Jones, and Isabella, b. 1774).  Hugh, the oldest, married Elizabeth - no known last name.  I have a land deed for them in NC and believe they stayed there.  At this point, I have no further information about James, but certainly would appreciate getting anything anyone can supply.  That leaves the three brothers with known TN connections as William, David and John Alexander.  Several generations of the ancestors of John and Catherine Shimmin Crye, who came from the Isle of Man, both on the Isle of Man and back to Scotland and England are also known, but can be talked about another time.
    Having grown up in WI knowing about only three Crye's (Cynthia Ann Crye Smith - my great great grandmother, Elizabeth Crye Bowman and Jonathan M. Crye (who was my great grandmother's second husband, the uncle of her first husband William Thomas Smith), all children of Joseph (Annie) Crye, who was the son of William and Sarah Hagens Crye,  it has been an ongoing exciting revelation to find and meet so many cousins.  In closing, I want to thank Anita Crye Green again for pulling all of us together for a memorable 1999 Crye Family Gathering.  I look forward with anticipation and pleasure to the next one, knowing there are so many more family members to meet and get to know!  Until 2001 - keep on Connecting the Dots!
Written by Irene Morgan
 
 

    Approximately in late 1890 or early 1891 a question developed between two separate denominations, The M.E. Church South and the Missionary Baptists over a certain tract of land that seemed to be an ideal site for the erection of a new church building.  Mr. and Mrs. John Williamson, the owners of the land, couldn’t really decide to which denomination to give the land as both appeared worthy of the gift.  To settle the dispute, a bargain was struck between the churches:  whichever denomination placed thier building materials on the site first would receive the property.  The Methodists, took their materials to the site by wagon in the middle of the night and at dawn, when the Baptists arrived with their load, the land was already in the possession of the Methodists.
    Fiction turned to fact on December 14, 1891 when the property was officially deeded ot the Methodist Episcopal Church, South by John and Lydia Williamson, both who are interred in the Williamson Chapel Cemetery adjoining the church property.  The trustees at the time the property was deeded were:  T.W. Cook, Robert Belt, Joseph Garner, G.W. Ross, and H.F. McTeer.  These men were prominent in the church for many years, and most are buried in the churchyard.  The church was very fortunate to locate the original deed to the church wile in the process of searching for old records to substantiate the history.
    We are indeed fortunate to have in our possession the majority of Sunday School records from 1893 to the present time.  The entry for July 16, 1893 was described as follows:  Service conducted by John Williamson.  Opening song was “Watch For the Hour is Coming”; 5 teachers were present, 1 absent; 26 scholars present, 9 absent; 4 visitors present;  Scripture lesson:  Acts 17:22-31; Subject of lesson:  Paul at Athens.  The weather was listed as “Showery” and the service was closed with singing the “Sweet Bye and bye” and by repeating the Lord’s prayer.  By the way, there was no collection taken for that Sunday.

Submitted by Teresa Crye Lowe

    Teresa Crye Lowe is the daughter of Samuel Lawrence Crye b1931, son of Walter A. Crye b1903, son of Sam H. Crye b1873, son of John A. Crye b1853, son of Elias Crye b1825, son of John Crye b1772 who came to Blount Co. TN ca 1797.
 
 

Crye, Joseph Oscar (Jake)
Age 73 of Route 7, Maryville, passed away Wednesday at Blount Memorial Hospital.  Member of Union Grove Baptist Church.  Survivors:  wife, Mrs. Birsha Crye; 2 daughters, Miss Hazel Crye, Atlanta, Georgia, Mrs. Jack Huskey, Maryville, son, Leon Crye, Greenback; granddaughter, Miss Lea Crye; sister, Mrs. Carrie Young, Knoxville.  Services 2:00 p.m. Friday at Miller Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Ralph Steele officiating.  Interment in Williamson Chapel Cemetery.  Family will receive friends from 7-9 p.m. Thursday at Millers of Maryville.

Crye, Walter Alexander
Age 77, of Route 9 Maryville, passed away Wednesday at Blount Memorial Hospital.  Survivors:  daughter Mrs. Wayne (Martha Ann) Quisenbery, Portsmouth, VA, sons, Samuel Lawrence Crye, Joe Lloyd Crye, Charles Henry Crye, all of Maryville; 11 grandchildren; 3 great grandchildren; sister, Miss Mamie Crye, Maryville.  Funeral 2 p.m. Saturday at McCammon-Ammons Chapel.  Rev. Revell Williams officiating.  Burial in Williamson’s Chapel.  Family will receive friends 7-9 p.m. Friday at the funeral home.

Crye, John Shimmon
Age 87 of Rt 4 Maryville, passed away Saturday at Blount Memorial Hospital.  Husband of the late Mrs. Sally Evelyn Crye.  Survivors;  sons, Lahmann Crye, Miami, Fla., Joe R. Crye, Richmond Ind., Maynard T. Crye, Maryville; 7 grandchildren 8 great-grandchildren;  sisters, Mrs. Ova Fields, Maryville, Mrs. Thelma Huff of Fort Smith Ark.  Funeral at 3:00 p.m. Sunday, Union Grove Baptist Church, Rev. Ralph Patton and Rev. David R. Wood, Jr. Officiating.  The body will lie in state 1 hour before services.  Burial in Church cemetery.  McCammon-Ammons in charge.

Crye, John Henry
Age 77 and Amanda Tyler Crye, age 77, Rt 9 Maryville passed away Tuesday morning as a result of an automobile accident.  Survivors;  daughters, Mrs. Lloyd (Anna) Gideon, Maryville, Mrs. Macy (Johnnie) King, Halsboro, NC, Mrs. Bill (Betty) Koontz, Maryville; son, Clarence Crye, Maryville, Ben E. Crye, Knoxville; several great grandchildren.  Mr. Crye has one half brother, Carl Crye, Maryville.  Mrs. Amanda Crye has one brother, Calvin Fate Tyler, Midland VA.  Funeral 3:00 p.m. Friday McCammon Ammons Chapel.  Dr. Hayden Laster and Rev. James Kren officiating.  Burial in Clover Hill Cemetery.  Family will receive friends 7-9 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.  McCammon Ammons, Maryville, in charge.

W. Earl Crye dies in Cab:
 Myers-Whaley Co. Secretary was active churchman.  W. Earl Crye, 49, secretary and office manager of the Myers-Whaley Co. died in a taxicab at 8:50 p.m. yesterday as it was entering a drive near his home on Riverside Drive.
    A native of Madisonville, Mr. Crye had been with the Myers-Whaley Co. for 17 years.  He was active in church circles and was a member of the Magnolia Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church, South.  Mr. Crye was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for County Court Clerk in 1934.
    He is survived by his widow; a son, William and a daughter, Frances, all of Knoxville.  A brother, John R. Crye, lives at Hendersonville, NC.
    The taxicab in which Mr. Crye was riding had attempted to enter Mr. Crye’s driveway, failed, and then stalled in a driveway next to it.  The driver went for aid on his return found his passenger dying.  William Crye, the son, who had heard the taxicab, also arrived as his father was dying.  Death was attributed to a heart disease for which he had been undergoing treatment.  Squire Doyle King acted as coroner, Deputies Lloyd Cruze and Ed Wyrick investigated.

Walter Clyde Crye Fatally Stricken
    Walter Clyde Crye, downtown retail veteran and churchman, was fatally stricken at his home at 3862 Speedway Circle, and pronounced dead at 12:05 a.m. today at Baptist Hospital.  He was 58.
    Mr. Crye, was with Beaty Chevrolet Co. In recent years, had seemed in fair health.  Mrs. Crye said her husband complained of something like indigestion.  They had returned from a visit last night at Rose’s with the family of a friend, J.W. Wyrick, who died Tuesday.  She said Mr. Crye collapsed in the kitchen.  The body is at Rose’s.
    He leaves his wife, Mrs. Margaret Burkle Crye; daughter, Mrs. Robert N. Manning, New Orleans, and young son, Walter (Pete).  Others survivors include two sisters, Mrs. J.H. Huff, Fort Smith, Ark, and Mrs. Jeff Fields, Maryville, and three brothers, Frank of Richmond, IND; Shimon, Maryville, and Glenn of Knoxville.
    Young Crye came here early from his Greenback home, and was associated with most of the major Gay Street furniture stores.  He at one time was manager of Standard Furniture Co., Broadway and North Central Street.  He operated his own store on Chapman Highway for a time.
    In recent years the family has attended Fifth Avenue Baptist Church where Mr. Crye was a choir member.  He was a leader at Deaderick Avenue Baptist for years, and as church treasurer and assistant clerk, helped spearhead a building program there.

   IN LOVING MEMORY
 

1880 Census of Tulare County, California - Township No. 5
Crye,     Nelson J. White Male  56,  farmer,  NC-SC-NC.
              Lydia    wife  30,   OHIO;
MILLS, Eliza      stdt.  9;     IA __ OH
MILLS, Joseph  stson; 6;     IA __ OH
CRYE,  John      son    3;
CRYE,  Ben       son    2;
CRYE,  Marion  son,  b. Jan. 6/12.

     John Crye and wife Catherine Shimmon Crye had a daughter Isabella who married William Craig in Mecklenburg.  We have no records of what happened to the girls in this family, but the boys,  William and David, are found in GA and David goes on to LA/MS.  James seems to head North to VA & IND.  John came to TN and William followed suit.  John and Catherine’s girls married Walkers, Gorden and Craig and apparently stayed in Mecklinburg Co. NC.
     The following gives a record of what may have happened to the girls.  There are estate papers dated 1808 for William Craig in loose records of Mecklenburg Co.  It seems this is the William who married Isabella Crye.
     Mecklenburg Court Minutes, Book 5, pg. 1 (Oct. session 1808) - Ordered by court that Isabella Craig, Thomas Walker and Samuel Latham administer on estate of William Craig, deceased, who appeared in court and was qualified and entered into bond with John Rea, Daniel Carnes, & David Crye, securities in sum of $1,000 pounds.
     Mecklenburg Court Minutes, Book 5, pg. 15 (Jan. session 1809) - Inventory & Amt. of sales & cost of the estate of William Craig, Decd., returned by Isabella Craig, Samuel Lathem, & Thomas Walker, administrators, to amt. of $1,943.31.
     Mecklenburg Court Minutes Book 5, pg. 327 (Feb. session 1814) - settlement of estate of William Craig, deceased, with administrators Thomas Walker, Samuel Lathem & Isabella Craig.
 
 

Blount Co. TN Willbook #1 1799-1858

     To all whom these presents may come or be made known, Know ye that I Johnston Jones Senr of the County of Blount and State of Tennessee, being weak of body but of sound mind and disposing memory and calling to mind the mortality of my body do make ordain and constitute this my last will and testament in form and manner following 1st it is my will that my just debts and funeral expenses be paid out of my personal estate
     2nd I give and bequeath to my son John Jones my wagon on his paying what remains due and unpaid of the price thereof.
     3rd I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Nancy Jones the plantation whereon I now life, during her natural life or widowhood.
     4th In the death or marriage of my wife Nancy Jones it is my will that the plantation whereon I now live be divided by a line running as near the middle of the ledge of rocks that passes through it as can be ascertained the Southern division of said land.  I give and bequeath unto my son John Jones and his heirs and assigns forever and the North division of said land I give and bequeath unto my said son Johnston Jones to him his heirs and assigns forever.
     5th I give and bequeath unto my sons James John and Johnson a lot of woodland lying in the knobe be equally divided between them to their heirs and assigns forever.
     6th I give and bequeath unto my daughters Betsy and Rebdecca Jones a lot of land I own on Holston river lying between them and at their death to my grandson William Jones, son of my son Samuel to him his heirs and assigns forever.
     7th I give and bequeath to my son Samuel Jones and my daughter Martha Crye one dollar each to be paid out of my personal estate.
     8th the residue and remainder of personal estate I give and bequeath unto my wife Nancy Jones and my daughter Betsey, Rebecca, Nancy, and Jane Jones to be equally divided between them after their making my daughter Frances McCulleys portion with what she has already got equal to what Martha Crye got heretofore.
     9th I do hereby ordain and constitute my sons John Jones and Johnston Jones with my wife Nancy Jones executors of this my last twill and testament hereby revoking all former wills by me made and constituting this and this only my last will and testament in testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 7th day of sixth month 1831.

Johnston Jones (seal)
Witness  (Ephram Lee present  (James Allen    (John Coulston

      I Susannah Tuck do make and publish this as my last will and testament hereby revoking and making void all other wills by me at any time made.  First I direct that my funeral expenses and all my debts be paid as soon after my death as possible out of any moneys that I may die possessed of or may first come into the hands of my Executor.  Secondly I give and bequeath to my daughter Elizabeth Crye, Thomas Tuck, Fanny Cox, Susan Rose, Prudence Brooks, Wilmath Copeland, Lucinda Oneal, one dollar each.  Thirdly I give and bequeath to my daughter Ellen Tuck my cow and all my household and kitchen furniture with the exception of one large pot.  Fourthly I give and bequeath to my son Harrison Brooks and his wife Patience one large pot and all my hogs and all of my land and proceeds of the same by the said Harrison and Patience maintaining of me during my life time.  Lastly I do hereby nominate and appoint Francis M. Bowerman my Executor in witness whereof I do this my will set my hand an seal this 10 day of July 1849.      Her mark     Susannah    X    Tuck     (seal)

    Signed sealed and published in our presence and we have subscribed our names hereto in the presence of the testator this 11 day of July 1949.
F. M. Bowerman
J.B. Jones

    James Godfrey, 10 April 1830, prob in Nov 1835, Ct. Knowing that uncertainty of human life, my plantation of 280 A is to be divided among my three sons William, Henry, and James as set out below.  All my personal property, except my clothes, is to be sold, from the proceeds my just debts are to be paid, and the remainder divided equally among my three daughters viz: Swan, wife of William Spray, Elizabeth, wife of John Perdew, and Sarah, wife of Thomas Perdew.  My clothes are to be divided among my three sons.  I will to my son James the part of my plantation whereon he now lives adj John Spray, Doherty, David Crye, and Henry Godfrey; to my son Henry the part of my plantation whereon he now lives adj David Cry and John Spray, and to my son James all the remainder of my plantation.  Exrs:  Sons Henry and William.  Witnesses:  James Godfrey, Jurat, and A.H. Ingram.  B. Oates, CCC

The reason for this will is I found a marriage on-line for Catherine Crye, daughter of David Crye married James Godfrey on 7/7/1843, Mecklinburg Co. NC and Isabella Crye, dau of David Crye, married Henry Smith, 10/04/1842 in Mecklinburg Co. NC.
 
 

My daughter, Michelle, told me of your website.  In Toledo, Ohio on October 12, 1954, I met Kathleen Crye, daughter of John and Nancy Crye.  I had the extreme good fortune of marrying Kathleen on July 13, 1957.  She was a wonderful wife and mother.  In my 63 years she was one of the very few people that I knew who believed in and actually practiced Christianity!  We had 2 daughters, Michelle and Jenny.  Kathleen unexpectedly died in April 1977.  Her mother had passed away in June 1954.  That left John and 9 children.  John passed away in November 1957 at the age of 70.  He and his wife came here by train, from, I believe, Cleveland, TN early in the Great Depression.  He was an unskilled worker, however, he would take any kind of job to support his family.  I must compliment you on your website.  I have been sitting here for several hours reading through it.  I was amazed to find out that several Cryes fought with Sherman in his march through the South.  My great grandfather and his brother were also with Sherman, however they had the misfortune of being captured and sent to Andersonville.  Many thanks for your web site and I shall visit it again.
James E. Saddoris

       It would be pure speculation as to whether the John Crye in PA was ever connected to "our" John Crye.  However, as I said in my last note, it was not uncommon for freed slaves to take the name of their former owner, if their relationship had been a good one.  According to the 1790 PA census, there were 6,537 other free persons and 3,737 slaves, so they did have slaves in PA at the time.  Certainly, it will be interesting to see if anything else turns up.  The next time I go I can check later PA censuses and see if John Crye turns up again.  Talk to you soon.

Hey Anita,
It has been a while since we chatted.  I'm George Crye down on Leadmine Valley Road.  For a while we chatted then my computer got zapped in an electrical storm, and I was off line for about 8 months.  George and Alma Crye are my parents, Debbie, Sandy, and Tina are my sisters, Thomas and Robbie are my brothers.  My wife, kids and myself just returned from and extended travel around the South for TVA and we visited Edna Crye Lambert (Aunt Irene and my dad’s sister) while we were in South Carolina.  Her health is not good so I'm really glad we made the effort to see her.  I have her address somewhere.  I will try to get it to you because she would love your news letter so much.
GEORGE J. CRYE

Reason #1 for thinking this is William & Sarah's son.
Birth date on stone is exact month and date listed in the Rev. War Pension papers.
#2;  1850 finds both David's in different states.  The other David married a Holly _________. and had a family in Scott Co. MS and in LA.