Her parents: Thomas L. Gore Sr and Elizabeth Darnell
His parents: Unknown, but possibly Edward Stephens Sr
Although Nancy who was married to John S. Stephens appears always to have been accepted by both the Henry County branch and the Franklin County branch as belonging to our Gore family, the earliest existing records stating even that she was a Gore were not made until the twentieth century. One, from 1911, was the death certificate of Nancy's and John's son Joshua (1), and the other came from Lawton Lacy Gore, grandson of Thomas Gore Jr.
In his notes listing the children of Thomas Gore and Elizabeth Darnell and their marriages, Lawton Lacy penned, "Nancy Gore married J. S. Stephens." He mentioned the couple again in his notes and named their children and gave their birth dates. Lawton Lacy's source could have been his father and Joshua Tolbert "Tollie" Gore, Isaac's son who moved from Henry County to Franklin County and married Lawton Lacy's half-aunt, Nancy Elizabeth "Lizzie" Moorehead. These dates of birth are the ones most-likely correct, but there is no evidence that they were written down before the middle of the twentieth century.
The best source for Nancy's birthday is Lawton Lacy Gore's notes, and he recporded it as 18 April 1803. Neither the bible owned by Isaac Gore nor the bible owned by Thomas Gore Jr even mentioned her birth. Lawton Lacy apparently had some remembered information from his father and from Tollie and Lizzie (Moorehead) Gore. His notes and Nancy's age as given on several censuses should let us feel confident that the birth year is correct.
The first record I have found for John Stephens or Nancy Gore is the 1830 census in Franklin County where he was enumerated as being between 20 and 29 and having two females in that age range. One female was almost certainly Nancy. The other female was too old to have been Nancy's sister Mary, who later married John's brother Eli, but she may have been one of John's sisters or someone in his family. The family included children, one male and one female, 5 through 9, and one male and two females under 5. The 1840 census in Henry County has an essentially identical family profile with children born since 1830 except for apparently having on of the females who were aged 5 through 9 in 1830 listed as over 15 in 1840.
The censuses of 1850 and 1860 listed all family members by name. The ages are inconsistent on these censuses; note, for example, that Isaac has advanced only from age 7 in 1850 to 14 in 1860. Most of the children were named to honor Nancy's brothers and sisters or John's brothers and sisters.
John died 20 (or 21) September 1867 as was reported in a Paris, Tennessee, newspaper article.(2)
In 1870, the census shows Nancy still in Henry County and living next door to her brother Isaac and one dwelling distant from her brother-in-law, Eli A. Stephens. Eli was brother to John, and his wife Mary was sister to Nancy. Nancy's household included Rachel Stephens and Laura Stephens, who was only 10. On 1850 and 1860 censuses, Rachel's birth state was listed as Illinois, but it was TN in 1870.Since Nancy was too old to be Laura's mother, we are left with the implication that Rachel is her mother although Laura's parent may have been a different child.
Lawton Lacy notes list Nancy's death as occurring 2 November 1870, and, although the date is not recorded in a Gore bible or other official record, it was probably mentioned in writing by one of the older Gores.
Jane Caroline was married to William Franklin, and they had several children. To follow them requires examining censuses and other records in Missouri and Arkansas since they moved from Henry County some time after 1860.
Eli A. (probably Andrew) was married to Elizabeth, and they had several children. Anyone who wishes to follow them can find records of their life in Texas.
Mary Ann and Jarrell "Bud" Cole obtained a license to marry 16 May 1864 in Henry County. The record says that the license was not returned by the marrying official. Mary Ann and Bud Cole had children including William W., who married Jolee Alexander and, after her death, married May, the widow of Jolee's brother Noah Alexander. My father, Nolan Alexander, knew the couple he called Uncle Will and Aunt May although they were not really his uncle or aunt. Jolee's and Noah's mother was Louisa "Lieu" Gore, and their family is addressed in my Alexander history
Aditha "Ditha" or "Dithy" married James Henry Stephens, son of Fielding Stephens, and James Henry may have been her cousin. I have been unable to determine a relationship although I have done some research. Ditha and James Henry had several children, one of whom, Leanne, or Lee Ann, married John A. "Lon" Cole, possibly a cousin of her sister Mary Ann's husband.
Joshua married Nancy B. Gibson, and they had children, at least two sons.
Olive Joanna married Greenberry Barton, and they had offspring.
Federal Censuses
1830FranklinTNp102: John S Stephens, 20-29, 2 females, 20-29, male, 5-9, female, 5-9, male, under 5, 2 females, under 5
1840HnTNp465: John S Stephens, 30-39, female, 30-39, male, 15-19, 2 females, 15-19, male, 10-14, female, 10-14, male, 5-9, female, 5-9, male und 5, 2 females und 5
1850HnTNp355A: John S Stephens, 48, Nancy, 48, Rachel, 23, Eli, Mary J, 18, Aditha, 16, Joshua, 13, Joanna, 10, Isaac, 7
1860HnTNp445: John S Stephens, 55, Nancy, 56, Rachel E., 29, Mary A, 24, Isaac F, 14
1870HnTNp388A: Nancy Stephens, 62, Rachel Stephens, 40, Laura Stephens, 10
1870HnTNp, J. (N. or H.), 24, Mary A., 35, Nancy J., 6, William W, 1
Marriages
Henry County (Tennessee) Marriages, 1838-1852, p. 25: William Franklin to Caroline Stephens Oct 28 1847 - No return
Henry County (Tennessee) Marriages, 1838-1852, p. 65: Truman W. Stephens to Rutha G. Poynter Dec 18 1848 - No return Although several people list Truman as John's and Nancy's son (T. R. in Lawton Lacy's notes, I remain doubtful.)
Henry County (Tennessee) Marriages, 1838-1852, p. 16: B. B. Conway to Rachel Stephens 19th Apr 1849 A. Martin JP NOTE: This is probably not our Rachel since she is listed as a Stephens on the 1850 census. Month looks like Aug in a copy of the original record, but all the marriages surrounding it are April or May as is the date in this transcribed book.
Henry County (Tennessee) Marriages, 1838-1852, p. 65: Ehu A. Stephens to Elizabeth Betts July 6 1852 by John Clutts JP
Henry County (Tennessee) Marriages, 1853-1867, p. 5: Greenberry Barton to Joan Stephens September 20 1855 by M. ?. Thompson JP NOTE: I checked a copy of the original record where she was also listed as Joan. Her name was Olive Joanna, but she was not the Olive Stephens who married John Shell in 1845. That was her aunt.
Miller County (Missouri) Marriages, 1853-1867, p. 282: Joshua S Stephens and Nancy B Gibson 22 Dec 1860, Wm? W Miller JP
Henry County (Tennessee) Marriages, 1853-1867, p. 17: Cole, H. J. to Mary Ann Stephens May 16 1864 No return
Henry County (Tennessee) Marriages, Jan 1868-September 1877, p. 266: J. A. Cole to Lee Ann Stevens 28 October 1874 D. (G?) W. Arnn Bondsman (Bond obtained this date)
(Note 1): Missouri Certificate of Death #25312 (or 25342), Miller County: Death 11 July 1911 of Joshua Stephens, born 23 January 1842, Paris, Tennessee; parents John Stephens and Nancy Gore, informant E. H. Stephens; certificate filed 12 July 1911 by D. H. Ka --- for J. Dickson, Registrar
(Note 2): "Weekly Intelligencer", Feb. 23, 1867: The body of JOHN S. STEVENS, constable of Civil District 13, Henry County, Tennessee, was discovered about a mile from his residence, February 21, 1867; autopsy indicated that he had died sometime between the previous evening and that day from apoplexy [stroke].
(Note 3): From the notebook of Lawton Lacy Gore, probably recorded in the 1950s He gives names and birth dates but does not provide his source of information. Other sources give different dates, which may be correct, but I chose to use data from Lawton Lacy.