Taken from the Hancock
County Times, Sneedville, TN, 4/17/1903
"Much has been said and written about the inhabitants of Newman's Ridge and Blackwater in Hancock County, Tennessee. They have been derisively dubbed with the name "Melungeon" by the local white people who have lived here with them. It is not a traditional name or tribe of
Indians. Some have said these people were here when this country was first explored by the white people, and others that they are a lost tribe of the Indians and have no date of their existence here, traditionally or otherwise. All this however, is erroneous and cannot be sustained. These people, not any of them were here at the time the first white hunting party came from Virginia and North Carolina in the year 1761—the noted Daniel Boone was at the head of one of these hunting parties and went through Cumberland Gap. Wallen was at the head of another party from Cumberland County, Virginia, and named Cumberland Mountain for his home county and called the river beyond North Cumberland
Wallen's Ridge and Wallen's Creek for himself. In fact, these hunting parties gave all the historic names to the mountain ridges and valleys and streams, and these names are now historical names. Wallen pitched his first camp on Wallen's creek near Hunter's Gap in Powell's Mountain, now Lee County, Virginia. Here they found the name of Ambrose Powell carved in the bark of a beech tree, from this name they named the mountain, river and valley for Powell; Newman's Ridge was named for a man of the party called Newman; Clinch River and Clinch Valley—these names came at the expense of an Irishman of the party n crossing the Clinch River, he fell off the raft they were crossing on, and cried aloud
for his companions to "clinch me," "clinch me," and from this incident the name has become a historic name. About the time the first white settlement west of the Blue Ridge was made at Watauga River in Carter County, TN, another white party was then working the lead mines in part of Virginia west of the Blue Ridge. In the year 1762, these hunters returned, coming through Elk Garden, now Russell County, VA. They then headed down a valley north of Clinch River and named it Hunter's Valley, and it goes by this name today. These hunters pitched their tent near Hunter's Gap in Powell's Mountain, nineteen miles from Rogersville, Tennessee on the Jonesville, VA road. Some of the party of hunters
went on down the country to where Sneedville, Hancock County, now stands and hunted there during that season. Bears were plentiful here and they killed many, their clothing became greasy, and near the camp a projecting rock on which they would lie down and drink, and the rock became very greasy, and they called it greasy rock, and named the creek Greasy Rock Creek, a name by which it has been ever since, and here is the very place where these Melungeons settled, long after this, on Newman's Ridge and Blackwater. Vardy Collins, Shepherd Gipson, Benjamin Collins, Solomon Collins, Paul Bunch and the Goodmans, chiefs and the rest of them settled here about the year 1804, possibly about the year 1795, but all these men above named, who were called Melungeons, obtained land grants and muniments of title to the land they settled on, and they were the very first and came here simultaneous with the white people not earlier than 1795. They then had lost their language and spoke the English very well. They originally were the friendly Indians who came with the whites as they moved west. They came from the Cumberland County and New River, VA stopping at various points west of the Blue Ridge. Some of them stopped on Stony Creek, Scott County, VA where Stony Creek runs into Clinch River.
The white emigrants with the friendly Indians erected a fort on the bank of the river and called it "Fort Blackmore," and here yet many of these friendly "Indians" lived in the mountains of Stony Creek, but they have married among the whites until the race has almost become extinct. A few of the half-bloods may be found—none darker—but they still retain the name of Collins, and Gibson, etc. From here they came on to Newman's Ridge and Blackwater, and many of them are here yet; but the amalgamations of the whites and the Indians has about washed the red tawny from their appearance, the white faces predominating, so now you scarcely find one of the original Indians; a few half-bloods and quarter-bloods balance white or past the third generation. The old pure-bloods were finer featured straight and erect in form, more so than the whites, and when mixed with whites, make beautiful women, and the men very fair looking men. These Indians came to Newman's Ridge and Blackwater. Some of them went into the war of 1812-14 whose names are here given: James Collins, John Bolin and Mike Bolin, and some others not remembered; those who quite full blooded. These were like the white people; there were good and bad among them, but the great majority were upright, good citizens, and accumulated good property, and many of them are among our best property owners and as good citizens as Hancock County, Tennessee affords. Their word is their bond and most of them are as true to their promise as the magnetic needle to the North pole. The first ones of them that ever came to Hancock County, TN, then to Hawkins County and Claiborne, are well remembered
by some of the present generation here now, and they have left records to show these facts. They all came here simultaneously with the whites from the State of Virginia between the years 1795 and 1812, and about this there is no mistake, except in the dates these Indians came here from Stony Creek. --L.M. Jarvis
NOTE: L.M. Jarvis—Honorable Lewis M. Jarvis the leading lawyer of Sneedville was born in Scott County, VA October 26, 1829. He was the son of Daniel Jarvis (born 3/15/1799) and Mary Collins, of English and Irish descent. Daniel was born in Giles County, VA. His wife, Mary, was born in Botetcourt County, VA. They married in 1813. Daniel died near Sneedville on July 29, 1885.
Submitted by Louise Drinnon-Brewer, Rt. 3 Box 335, Laurel Rd., Clinton, TN
37716, (615) 457-4586
Will of Rachel Bunch:
State of Tennessee
Hancock County
Be it remembered that at a county court began and held for the county of Hancock on the first Monday of
April being the 6th day there of 1896 present and presiding the worshipful court and J. B. Southern chairman, the following proceedings were had to wit.
Boyd Stewart and wife Emaline Stewart, make application to set up and supply the record of the last will and testament of Rachal Bunch deceased the record of which having been burned in the Court House at Sneedville and the original lost out of the file of wills in the Court House at Sneedville and in the County Clerks Office where it was kept and the same destroyed so it can not be produced and the said Boyd Stewart and Emaline Stewart having proved in open court an attested copy of said Rachal Bunch’s will made and copied by the County Court Clerk and the original having been proven destroyed and the record of the same proven burnt up and the same the proof of the same in open court this
day; the said attested and proven copy ishereby ordered to be recorded in the book of wills as the true will of Rachal Bunch deceased. Said will being in the word and figures following to wit.
I Rachal Bunch of Hancock County State of Tennessee do make and publish this my last will and testament hereby revoking and making void all other wills by me at anytime made
1st I direct that my funeral expenses and all my debts be paid as soon after my death as possible out my money I may die
possessed of, or may first come into the hands of my Executors
2nd Secondly: I give and bequeath to my eldest grand daughter Emaline Stewart one half of my lands lying in the gap of Neuman’s
Ridge where the said Emaline now lives; one half of my stock of hogs, one half of my bedding, bed clothes and weaving clothes, also my table and cupboard and also one half of my pots or iron vessels.
3rdly I give and bequeath to my other grand daughter Martha Jane Bunch the other half of my lands in the said gap where on the said Martha Jane Bunch now lives; one half of my stock of hogs, one half of my bedding, bed clothes, one half of my weaving clothes, also my
chest, one half of my pot and iron vessels; one smoothing iron, one chestnut Sorrel mare and colt and Sorrel mare with a blased face which I bought of Joseph Bunch and as I hold a note on George Goins and Lively Goins for seventy five dollars and the payment secured by deed of trust. Now when this payment is made, and collected my desire is for Martha Jane to have thirty dollars of that money and the residue to be
given “Viz” to Jesse Goins, William H. H. Goins, Burton McKinney Goins and Absolom K. Goins and to be equally divided between them – I also further give and bequeath the said Jesse Goins, William H. H. Goins, Burton McKinney Goins and Absolom K. Goins my tract of land containing forty two acres known by the name of Bolen tract on Neuman’s Ridge and to be disposed of in no other way, but for their own proper
use.
4thly I give and bequeath to Jesse Bunch, Lively Goins, Francis Bunch, Samuel Bunch and Joseph Bunch the sum of my daughter Lively one dollar cash to be equally paid by Emaline Stewart and Martha Jane Bunch out of their share of the estate or to be raised and paid by
them. Last I do hereby nominate and appoint William Babb my executor in witness where of I do this my will set my hand and seal this 19th day of May 1848.
Signed sealed and published in our presents and we have subscribed our names hereto in the presents of the testator this 19 May 1848.
Rachal her mark X Bunch
F? M
Burke
James his mark X Moore
B. G. Sullivan
State of Tennessee
Hancock County
I Richard Mitchell clerk of the county court of said county do certify that the foregoing is a true and correct copy of the last will and
testament of Rachal Bunch deceased as found on record in my office given under my hand at office in Sneedville 27 day of January 1858.
Richard Mitchell Clerk
By A. Campbell D. Clerk
State of Tennessee
Hancock County
I B. J. Drinnon Clerk of the County Court of said county do hereby certify that the foregojng is a true and correct transcript of the record in the foregoing case as appears of record on file in my office in the matter of Rachal Bunch’s last will and testament and the same is hereby certified given under my hand and the seal of the county court at office in Sneedville the 4 day of April 1898 and of American Independence the 121 year
B. J. Drinnon Clerk
By L. M. Jarvis Deputy Clerk
County Times, Sneedville, TN, 4/17/1903
"Much has been said and written about the inhabitants of Newman's Ridge and Blackwater in Hancock County, Tennessee. They have been derisively dubbed with the name "Melungeon" by the local white people who have lived here with them. It is not a traditional name or tribe of
Indians. Some have said these people were here when this country was first explored by the white people, and others that they are a lost tribe of the Indians and have no date of their existence here, traditionally or otherwise. All this however, is erroneous and cannot be sustained. These people, not any of them were here at the time the first white hunting party came from Virginia and North Carolina in the year 1761—the noted Daniel Boone was at the head of one of these hunting parties and went through Cumberland Gap. Wallen was at the head of another party from Cumberland County, Virginia, and named Cumberland Mountain for his home county and called the river beyond North Cumberland
Wallen's Ridge and Wallen's Creek for himself. In fact, these hunting parties gave all the historic names to the mountain ridges and valleys and streams, and these names are now historical names. Wallen pitched his first camp on Wallen's creek near Hunter's Gap in Powell's Mountain, now Lee County, Virginia. Here they found the name of Ambrose Powell carved in the bark of a beech tree, from this name they named the mountain, river and valley for Powell; Newman's Ridge was named for a man of the party called Newman; Clinch River and Clinch Valley—these names came at the expense of an Irishman of the party n crossing the Clinch River, he fell off the raft they were crossing on, and cried aloud
for his companions to "clinch me," "clinch me," and from this incident the name has become a historic name. About the time the first white settlement west of the Blue Ridge was made at Watauga River in Carter County, TN, another white party was then working the lead mines in part of Virginia west of the Blue Ridge. In the year 1762, these hunters returned, coming through Elk Garden, now Russell County, VA. They then headed down a valley north of Clinch River and named it Hunter's Valley, and it goes by this name today. These hunters pitched their tent near Hunter's Gap in Powell's Mountain, nineteen miles from Rogersville, Tennessee on the Jonesville, VA road. Some of the party of hunters
went on down the country to where Sneedville, Hancock County, now stands and hunted there during that season. Bears were plentiful here and they killed many, their clothing became greasy, and near the camp a projecting rock on which they would lie down and drink, and the rock became very greasy, and they called it greasy rock, and named the creek Greasy Rock Creek, a name by which it has been ever since, and here is the very place where these Melungeons settled, long after this, on Newman's Ridge and Blackwater. Vardy Collins, Shepherd Gipson, Benjamin Collins, Solomon Collins, Paul Bunch and the Goodmans, chiefs and the rest of them settled here about the year 1804, possibly about the year 1795, but all these men above named, who were called Melungeons, obtained land grants and muniments of title to the land they settled on, and they were the very first and came here simultaneous with the white people not earlier than 1795. They then had lost their language and spoke the English very well. They originally were the friendly Indians who came with the whites as they moved west. They came from the Cumberland County and New River, VA stopping at various points west of the Blue Ridge. Some of them stopped on Stony Creek, Scott County, VA where Stony Creek runs into Clinch River.
The white emigrants with the friendly Indians erected a fort on the bank of the river and called it "Fort Blackmore," and here yet many of these friendly "Indians" lived in the mountains of Stony Creek, but they have married among the whites until the race has almost become extinct. A few of the half-bloods may be found—none darker—but they still retain the name of Collins, and Gibson, etc. From here they came on to Newman's Ridge and Blackwater, and many of them are here yet; but the amalgamations of the whites and the Indians has about washed the red tawny from their appearance, the white faces predominating, so now you scarcely find one of the original Indians; a few half-bloods and quarter-bloods balance white or past the third generation. The old pure-bloods were finer featured straight and erect in form, more so than the whites, and when mixed with whites, make beautiful women, and the men very fair looking men. These Indians came to Newman's Ridge and Blackwater. Some of them went into the war of 1812-14 whose names are here given: James Collins, John Bolin and Mike Bolin, and some others not remembered; those who quite full blooded. These were like the white people; there were good and bad among them, but the great majority were upright, good citizens, and accumulated good property, and many of them are among our best property owners and as good citizens as Hancock County, Tennessee affords. Their word is their bond and most of them are as true to their promise as the magnetic needle to the North pole. The first ones of them that ever came to Hancock County, TN, then to Hawkins County and Claiborne, are well remembered
by some of the present generation here now, and they have left records to show these facts. They all came here simultaneously with the whites from the State of Virginia between the years 1795 and 1812, and about this there is no mistake, except in the dates these Indians came here from Stony Creek. --L.M. Jarvis
NOTE: L.M. Jarvis—Honorable Lewis M. Jarvis the leading lawyer of Sneedville was born in Scott County, VA October 26, 1829. He was the son of Daniel Jarvis (born 3/15/1799) and Mary Collins, of English and Irish descent. Daniel was born in Giles County, VA. His wife, Mary, was born in Botetcourt County, VA. They married in 1813. Daniel died near Sneedville on July 29, 1885.
Submitted by Louise Drinnon-Brewer, Rt. 3 Box 335, Laurel Rd., Clinton, TN
37716, (615) 457-4586
Will of Rachel Bunch:
State of Tennessee
Hancock County
Be it remembered that at a county court began and held for the county of Hancock on the first Monday of
April being the 6th day there of 1896 present and presiding the worshipful court and J. B. Southern chairman, the following proceedings were had to wit.
Boyd Stewart and wife Emaline Stewart, make application to set up and supply the record of the last will and testament of Rachal Bunch deceased the record of which having been burned in the Court House at Sneedville and the original lost out of the file of wills in the Court House at Sneedville and in the County Clerks Office where it was kept and the same destroyed so it can not be produced and the said Boyd Stewart and Emaline Stewart having proved in open court an attested copy of said Rachal Bunch’s will made and copied by the County Court Clerk and the original having been proven destroyed and the record of the same proven burnt up and the same the proof of the same in open court this
day; the said attested and proven copy ishereby ordered to be recorded in the book of wills as the true will of Rachal Bunch deceased. Said will being in the word and figures following to wit.
I Rachal Bunch of Hancock County State of Tennessee do make and publish this my last will and testament hereby revoking and making void all other wills by me at anytime made
1st I direct that my funeral expenses and all my debts be paid as soon after my death as possible out my money I may die
possessed of, or may first come into the hands of my Executors
2nd Secondly: I give and bequeath to my eldest grand daughter Emaline Stewart one half of my lands lying in the gap of Neuman’s
Ridge where the said Emaline now lives; one half of my stock of hogs, one half of my bedding, bed clothes and weaving clothes, also my table and cupboard and also one half of my pots or iron vessels.
3rdly I give and bequeath to my other grand daughter Martha Jane Bunch the other half of my lands in the said gap where on the said Martha Jane Bunch now lives; one half of my stock of hogs, one half of my bedding, bed clothes, one half of my weaving clothes, also my
chest, one half of my pot and iron vessels; one smoothing iron, one chestnut Sorrel mare and colt and Sorrel mare with a blased face which I bought of Joseph Bunch and as I hold a note on George Goins and Lively Goins for seventy five dollars and the payment secured by deed of trust. Now when this payment is made, and collected my desire is for Martha Jane to have thirty dollars of that money and the residue to be
given “Viz” to Jesse Goins, William H. H. Goins, Burton McKinney Goins and Absolom K. Goins and to be equally divided between them – I also further give and bequeath the said Jesse Goins, William H. H. Goins, Burton McKinney Goins and Absolom K. Goins my tract of land containing forty two acres known by the name of Bolen tract on Neuman’s Ridge and to be disposed of in no other way, but for their own proper
use.
4thly I give and bequeath to Jesse Bunch, Lively Goins, Francis Bunch, Samuel Bunch and Joseph Bunch the sum of my daughter Lively one dollar cash to be equally paid by Emaline Stewart and Martha Jane Bunch out of their share of the estate or to be raised and paid by
them. Last I do hereby nominate and appoint William Babb my executor in witness where of I do this my will set my hand and seal this 19th day of May 1848.
Signed sealed and published in our presents and we have subscribed our names hereto in the presents of the testator this 19 May 1848.
Rachal her mark X Bunch
F? M
Burke
James his mark X Moore
B. G. Sullivan
State of Tennessee
Hancock County
I Richard Mitchell clerk of the county court of said county do certify that the foregoing is a true and correct copy of the last will and
testament of Rachal Bunch deceased as found on record in my office given under my hand at office in Sneedville 27 day of January 1858.
Richard Mitchell Clerk
By A. Campbell D. Clerk
State of Tennessee
Hancock County
I B. J. Drinnon Clerk of the County Court of said county do hereby certify that the foregojng is a true and correct transcript of the record in the foregoing case as appears of record on file in my office in the matter of Rachal Bunch’s last will and testament and the same is hereby certified given under my hand and the seal of the county court at office in Sneedville the 4 day of April 1898 and of American Independence the 121 year
B. J. Drinnon Clerk
By L. M. Jarvis Deputy Clerk
Reverend Taylor's Notes: Hancock County, TN, Misc. Records:
Benjamin (Ben) Bunch b.ca 1760-70, Several families named Bunch lived in Hawkins County (Hancock was cut from Hawkins) but we don't know for sure if they were related closesly or not. Likely they were, to cause Ben to move there from NC and marry a small woman named Mary
Dotson, b. ca 1768-70. She lived to be 110 dying seemingly of old age, after Ben died, she lived with her daughter Polly (Bunch) Pridemore, back of Boyd's Gap on Newman's Ridge, toward Kyle's Ford. They moved to Tennessee when Frankie was a young woman. Aunt Cynthia Collins (grandmother of Grace, Lillian, etc.) remembers making shirts for grandfather Ben and taking food to grandmother Mary after his death. Old Rev. Greenbrier Wallen preached grandmothers Mary's funeral 1869-70, sitting down to preach, from the text: "But Mary hath chosen the better part, which shall not be taken away from her". Luke 10:22. These people were pure white blood, it seems, and the older members of the Bunch families were fair skinned, until they mixed with the part Indian population of the Mountains of TN.
Children of Ben and Mary:
1. Lambert b. 1780-1790 ? stayed in NC.
2. William or Bill b. 1783-1793, stayed in NC.
3. John b. 1785-95, stayed in NC.
4. George b. 1787-9?, stayed in NC.
5. CELIA b. 1795-1815 m. Henry Fletcher of Fox Branch.
6. Hannah b. 1795-1815 m. Jesse Goodman and lived in Blackwater.
7. Rachel b. 1795-1815 m. Bill Goodman, brother to Jesse (Hannah's man) lived on Newman'sRidge.
8. Polly b. 1795-1820 (called Aunt Polly Pridemore) m. Washington "Wash" Pridemore. Lived on Newman's Ridge, big family. (My g-g-g-grandparents).
9. Frankie Bunch b. 1795-1820 m. Symen or Simeon Collins.
10. Sallie b. ? m. Jesse Bunch and moved to Indiana
One of the oldest Tennessee counties, Hawkins County was first established as a separate North Carolina county on January 6, 1787, when the state legislature divided Sullivan County, North Carolina. The original county was quite large, extending from the North Fork of the Holston River southwestwardly to the "Big Suck" near present-day Chattanooga. Other counties, or parts of counties, later created from Hawkins include Hancock, Grainger, Jefferson, Knox, Roane, Meigs, and Hamilton. Prior to its creation by North Carolina, the county was Spencer County, State of Franklin.
Joseph Bunch served in the Revolutionary War at the Battle of Point Pleasant in 1774. Joseph is found on the tax rolls of Bedford Co, VA i 1782 and of Mercer Co. KY in 1789 and 1790.
Benjamin (Ben) Bunch b.ca 1760-70, Several families named Bunch lived in Hawkins County (Hancock was cut from Hawkins) but we don't know for sure if they were related closesly or not. Likely they were, to cause Ben to move there from NC and marry a small woman named Mary
Dotson, b. ca 1768-70. She lived to be 110 dying seemingly of old age, after Ben died, she lived with her daughter Polly (Bunch) Pridemore, back of Boyd's Gap on Newman's Ridge, toward Kyle's Ford. They moved to Tennessee when Frankie was a young woman. Aunt Cynthia Collins (grandmother of Grace, Lillian, etc.) remembers making shirts for grandfather Ben and taking food to grandmother Mary after his death. Old Rev. Greenbrier Wallen preached grandmothers Mary's funeral 1869-70, sitting down to preach, from the text: "But Mary hath chosen the better part, which shall not be taken away from her". Luke 10:22. These people were pure white blood, it seems, and the older members of the Bunch families were fair skinned, until they mixed with the part Indian population of the Mountains of TN.
Children of Ben and Mary:
1. Lambert b. 1780-1790 ? stayed in NC.
2. William or Bill b. 1783-1793, stayed in NC.
3. John b. 1785-95, stayed in NC.
4. George b. 1787-9?, stayed in NC.
5. CELIA b. 1795-1815 m. Henry Fletcher of Fox Branch.
6. Hannah b. 1795-1815 m. Jesse Goodman and lived in Blackwater.
7. Rachel b. 1795-1815 m. Bill Goodman, brother to Jesse (Hannah's man) lived on Newman'sRidge.
8. Polly b. 1795-1820 (called Aunt Polly Pridemore) m. Washington "Wash" Pridemore. Lived on Newman's Ridge, big family. (My g-g-g-grandparents).
9. Frankie Bunch b. 1795-1820 m. Symen or Simeon Collins.
10. Sallie b. ? m. Jesse Bunch and moved to Indiana
One of the oldest Tennessee counties, Hawkins County was first established as a separate North Carolina county on January 6, 1787, when the state legislature divided Sullivan County, North Carolina. The original county was quite large, extending from the North Fork of the Holston River southwestwardly to the "Big Suck" near present-day Chattanooga. Other counties, or parts of counties, later created from Hawkins include Hancock, Grainger, Jefferson, Knox, Roane, Meigs, and Hamilton. Prior to its creation by North Carolina, the county was Spencer County, State of Franklin.
Joseph Bunch served in the Revolutionary War at the Battle of Point Pleasant in 1774. Joseph is found on the tax rolls of Bedford Co, VA i 1782 and of Mercer Co. KY in 1789 and 1790.