Irvine and Gleeson Land Transactions 1875

I came across receipts for land purchases between Agnes and B.D. Irvine and Mrs. Elizabeth C. Gleeson

$1000.00 Rec'd of Mrs. Agnes Irvine
one thousand dollars on this note June 1st 1875
E.C. Gleeson Jo. H. Travis
Rec'd of Mrs. Agnes Irvine balance payment
in full this note June 25th 1875 E.C. Gleeson

and Joseph H. Travis

Agnes Irvine was John W. Moran's sister and the wife of B.D. Irvine.  

Elizabeth Clary Travis (Gleeson) was the daughter of Major Edward Travis, who fought in the Revolutionary War, and his first wife Lucy Jones Worsham.  Elizabeth was born about 1807 and died 1890.  She was first married to Gaines F. Clark, M.D. about 1829.  After his death she married William W. Gleeson. The Gleeson name appears in different sources as Gleason/Glisson/Gleeson.   

$1000.00 Twelve months after date we promise
to pay to the order of Mrs. Elizabeth C. Gleeson one
thousand dollars for value received in land
This July 26th 1875
Agnes Irvine B.D. Irvine

This was not the first marriage for William Gleeson either.  His first wife was Mary Amelia Pulliam. Their children were: Mary Amelia Gibson who married Calvin Job Rogers, Margaret E. Gleeson who married Andrew Maloan.  William Gleeson was not a poor man. He was the recipient of numerous land grants in the 1830's.  In 1844 he was appointed U.S. Postmaster at Dresden Tn.  In 1850 his value is listed at $12,000 and he owned 15 slaves ages 1 to 80.  In the 1860 slave schedule census he is the owner of 22 slaves ranging in age from 1 year to 55 years old.  William died in 1867.

$1000.00 Rec'd of Mrs. Agnes Irvine One
Thousand Dollars as payment in full of this note
this Oct. 4th 1875
E.C. Gleeson
Jo. H. Travis

In the 1870 Census Elizabeth was still residing in Weakley County, District 7.  This time her name appears as E.C. Gleason. Her real estate and personal estate are valued at a total of $5000. Elizabeth is 60 years old and widowed.  She has no children but she is by no means alone. The Civil War is over and it seems that many of the former slaves stayed in the Gleeson household:

William A. Gleeson, age 30, black, farm laborere

Analiza Gleeson, age 20, domestic servant

Marha M. Gleeson, age 10, black, domestic servant

Lucy F. Gleeson, age 5, black, at home

Charles A. Gleeson, age 2, blacks, at home

Caroline Gleeson, age 45, mulatto,  domestic servant

Mary E. Gleeson, age 20, mulatto, domestic servant

Katie S. Gleeson, age 17, mulatto, domestic servant

Adline H. Gleeson, age 14, mulatto, domestic servant

Callie L. Gleeson, age 10, mulatto, domestic servant

$1000.00 Two years after date we promise to pay
to the order of Mrs. Elizabeth C. Gleeson One
Thousand dollars for value received in land.
This July 26th 1875
Agnes Irvine B.D. Irvine

In 1880 Elizabeth is living with her sister-in-law Amanda Hicks Travis and several niece's and nephews in Henry County.  Amanda was the wife of Elizabeth's brother Robert Ludson Travis who died in 1869.

Side notes: Joseph Hutching Travis' name appears below that of Elizabeth on the receipts. Perhaps he was helping her or was a partner in the land deal. Joseph was her younger brother.  Martha Maria Travis is the half sister of Elizabeth and was married to Tennessee Governor Isham G. Harris. Isham is a Moran 1st cousin 5 times removed which means that Elizabeth Clary Travis Gleeson is also a distant cousin through the Harris family.

1893 Letter of Recommendation

When Fannie Moran chose an occupation she followed in the footsteps of her mother, Sophia Riley Gunn Moran, and became a school teacher.  Even though the Moran's were financially well off the Moran children were expected to attend school, have a career and if possible, get married.  In March 1893, Fannie was 20 years and 4 months old.  Having completed her education she was now looking for employment and needed letters of recommendation,

Reverend William Thomas Harris was the nephew of Tennessee's Governor Isham G. Harris who served from 1857-1862.  William's father, Reverend George Washington Davidson Harris, was Isham's older brother.  William's mother was Elizabeth A. Dewitt.  William T. Harris was married to Mary Woods and had several children with her.  After she passed away in 1873 he married her sister Georgia Woods and they also had children.  The Woods family was from Carroll County Tennessee.  On a side note...the Moran's had Harris relatives in Carroll County, Harriet Harris (Fannie's Grandmother) who married James Henderson Moran (Fannie's Grandfather). In addition, Haywood Harris (Harriet's brother) married Elizabeth Hairston Woods.  I mention this because I believe that the Moran family is related to Isham G. Harris.  I just haven't stumbled across the ancestor in common as yet.

Reverend W. T. Harris thought highly enough of Fannie to provide her with a very nice letter of recommendation:

"W.T. Harris
Presiding Elder
Union : City : District,
Martin, Tenn, March 23rd 1893

I take pleasure in saying I have known Miss Fannie Moran for a number of years.  She is of one of the best families in the South.  She is well educated & in my judgment, well qualified to teach in any of our schools.  I recommend her most cheerfully."

It's very possible when he says Fannie is qualified to teach in any of "our" schools that he meant a school affiliated with the Methodist Church as he was a Methodist Preacher and the Moran's were Methodists.

When Rev. Harris passed away there was an obituary in the Nashville Christian Advocate, 1902:

Reverend William (Will) T. Harris born Gibson co., Tenn., May 13, 1833; licensed to preach in Methodist Church, summer 1852; nephew of Governor Isham G. Harris, Tenn.; served in General Forrest's command, CSA, Civil War. Doctor of Divinity degree bestowed upon him by Trinity College, N.C., in 1877; married (1) Mary Woods, 1854; 6 children; she died in 1873; (2) Georgia Woods, one child (died infancy); died in Jackson, Tenn., Oct. 13, 1901; burial in Martin, Tenn.  Surviving children were Mrs. Lillian Dickard, Texas; Mrs. Annie Hayden, Jackson; Rev. Edmond Sidney Harris, Clinton, Ky.