Jesse and Ellen Williams Bunch
Jesse Bunch, our great great grandfather is our oldest proven ancestor to date. Despite several years of searching, we have not definitely identified his parents or siblings.
Jesse was born in Hancock County, Tennessee about 1861. On October 12, 1880, in Hancock County, he and Ellen Williams were married. Ellen Williams Bunch was born in 1858, the second child of Wesley and Trena Collins Williams. Wesley William's parents and siblings are unproven at this time, and he died at the age of 32 of kidney failure. Trena Collins Williams was the daughter of Benjamin and Jane ( Ledbetter?) Collins of Hancock County.
Trena Collins Williams, some of her children and siblings, are buried in the Gollihon cemetery, this includes Rachel Willams Gibson, Ellen's sister, who was the gr. grandmother of my cousin, Joyce Gibson Ramsey. It is due to Joyce's unfailing kindness and help, that I have been able to find Williams relatives, who have giving us much information. I am very proud to have found such wonderful cousins as Joyce and her husband Claude.
Jesse and Ellen Williams Bunch lived on Newman's Ridge, where on August 7, 1881, my great grandfather, Henry Bunch was born. Henry had two brothers, Wesley and Clay Bunch, and one sister, Doshie. Wesley Bunch died on July 4,1904, the results of injuries received after jumping off a wagon. I have been unable to find any information about Clay, other than the fact that he also died young. This was told to me by my cousin, Mary Williams whose father Lee Willams, was a brother to my great great grandmother, Ellen Willams Bunch. Doshie Bunch, born December 15, 1886, died January 7, 1964, in Tazewell. She was married to Harvey Runions. Their children were Albert, Gillous, Ellen, Maggie, Eva, Evelyn, Delta and Grover Runions. They are buried in Liberty Cemertery, on little Sycamore Road.
Jesse Bunch died between 1900 and 1910, of tuberculosis. Ellen Willams Bunch was on the 1910 Claiborne County census, as a servant in the household of J. N. Hamilton, in the Harrogate area. She was living with her daughter, Doshie Bunch Runions in Claiborne County, on the 1920 census. Ellen then moved back to Snake Hollow and lived with her brothers Sam and Lee Willams and their families, until her death sometime between 1927 and 1930, of a stroke.
According to cousin Mary Willams, Ellen and her sons, Wesley and Clay Bunch , are buried in unmarked graves, in the Lewis Cemetery, on the North side of Powell Mountain, on little Sycamore, across the road and down a ways, from New Salem Baptist Church. We also believe that Jesse Bunch is buried with them.
It is my sincere hope, that some of our Bunch, Willams, Collins and Runion relatives might read this, and be able to help us fill in the gaps in our family genealogy.
Wesley Pike, grandson of Marvel
Collins, is on the left and my great grandfather,
Henry Bunch, son of Jesse and Ellen Williams Bunch is on the right
Henry Bunch, son of Jesse and Ellen Williams Bunch is on the right
Update November 25, 2008
After much research we are certain that the Jesse pictured was the son of an older Jesse A. Bunch and his wife Sarah "Sally" Trent Bunch. Jesse A. Bunch died during the CW, as did his father. Jesse A. Bunch's parents were Samuel and Perlaina Trent Bunch. I found the Death Certificates of Betty Elizabeth Bunch and husband Morgan Collins, and Elizabeth's (who was a sister to the pictured young Jesse) parents were listed as Jesse Bunch and Sally Trent.
I had "suspected" this for some time, but had not been able to prove it, and did not know that Sally Bunch was a Trent before marriage, so I was very happy to finally find a document proving my surmise.
Elizabeth was married to Morgan Collins born 1860 and son of Morgan Collins, born 1799, son of Vardy.
Here is the line as we now have it.
****
Paul Bunch and unk. wife
Samuel Bunch and wife Perlaina Trent Bunch
Jesse A. Bunch and wife Sarah "Sally" Trent Bunch
Jesse Bunch and wife Ellen Williams Bunch
Henry Bunch and wife Maggie Melinda Wilder Harris Bunch
James Carson Bunch and wife Erma Bolling Bunch
Billy A. Bunch and wife Mary L. Floyd Bunch
Elizabeth A. Bunch and husband Bobby D. Smiddy (ME)
I still do not have any further info on Wesley Williams, but still believe "very" strongly that he was related to, if not the son of old Charlie Williams. But we won't go there right now, since I have not proven that.
Samuel Bunch fought for the Confederacy and was captured and taken to Camp Chase, where he died in 1865 of pneumonia, I have those papers too, with his grave number on it. Samuel's son, the older Jesse A. Bunch also fought for the Confederacy and I found his papers, but the last few pages are missing. He was captured also, and since he is not on the 1870 census with Sally and children, I suppose he died in captivity too.
I just know he was captured and never came home
After much research we are certain that the Jesse pictured was the son of an older Jesse A. Bunch and his wife Sarah "Sally" Trent Bunch. Jesse A. Bunch died during the CW, as did his father. Jesse A. Bunch's parents were Samuel and Perlaina Trent Bunch. I found the Death Certificates of Betty Elizabeth Bunch and husband Morgan Collins, and Elizabeth's (who was a sister to the pictured young Jesse) parents were listed as Jesse Bunch and Sally Trent.
I had "suspected" this for some time, but had not been able to prove it, and did not know that Sally Bunch was a Trent before marriage, so I was very happy to finally find a document proving my surmise.
Elizabeth was married to Morgan Collins born 1860 and son of Morgan Collins, born 1799, son of Vardy.
Here is the line as we now have it.
****
Paul Bunch and unk. wife
Samuel Bunch and wife Perlaina Trent Bunch
Jesse A. Bunch and wife Sarah "Sally" Trent Bunch
Jesse Bunch and wife Ellen Williams Bunch
Henry Bunch and wife Maggie Melinda Wilder Harris Bunch
James Carson Bunch and wife Erma Bolling Bunch
Billy A. Bunch and wife Mary L. Floyd Bunch
Elizabeth A. Bunch and husband Bobby D. Smiddy (ME)
I still do not have any further info on Wesley Williams, but still believe "very" strongly that he was related to, if not the son of old Charlie Williams. But we won't go there right now, since I have not proven that.
Samuel Bunch fought for the Confederacy and was captured and taken to Camp Chase, where he died in 1865 of pneumonia, I have those papers too, with his grave number on it. Samuel's son, the older Jesse A. Bunch also fought for the Confederacy and I found his papers, but the last few pages are missing. He was captured also, and since he is not on the 1870 census with Sally and children, I suppose he died in captivity too.
I just know he was captured and never came home
Researched by:
Elizabeth Bunch Smiddy
234 Smiddy Lane
LaFollette, TN 37766
Email Elizabeth
ebsmiddy@hotmail.com
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