The Tanners were early settlers in America. There are few names more entitled to consideration as early settlers in Virginia; than those that bear the name of Tanner. It is of easy proof that the Tanners were settlers in Virginia when during the first brisk emigration from England to America between 1620 and 1640 the banks of the James; River and surrounding country were numerously settled, and during that period and in that locality, the Tanners first made their appearance upon the soil of this Western Continent.

On Elizabeth; River, Virginia between Norfolk; and :Sewel's point; are today found Tanner's creek; and Tanner's point; just below the mouth of the creek of the same name. It is easy to believe and not a matter of speculation, that this creek and point were named for the first and most prominent settlers of that locality, which was not later than the year 1640. From one hundred to one hundred and twenty five years later the Tanners were located in various counties of the Commonwealth of Virginia

As early as 1730 one Louis Tanner with his wife whose maiden name was Margaret Haskins located in Mecklenburg County;, Virginia. The name of this good woman, Haskins, has followed down through the third, fourth and even the fifth generation, and this is particularly true among the descendants of Josiah; Tanner, and it is almost conclusive that this woman was the mother and Louis Tanner the father of Josiah Tanner, one of the principals in these genealogies.

Josiah Tanner on the 1st of December, 1771, married Martha Wootten in Mecklenburg County, Virginia, where both were born and soon after his marriage he located on the line of the two Carolinas, possibly in South Carolina; on the French Broad; River between Cowpens; and Kings Mountain; where for the third time he enlisted in the military service in the Revolutionary Army;. This army service will be carried out more fully in the character sketch of Josiah Tanner and Martha, his wife.

[0] Samuel Wootten and Sarah

In :Samuel Wootten's will made Jan 12, 1814 and admitted to the records of Mecklenburg County Court; Virginia, in 1815 he gave to each of his five children one fitth of his estate and Martha; Tanner above named was the wife of Josiah; Tanner, one of the principals in these memoirs. Other decendants of Samuel Wootten Sr, have continued to the present time to live in the same county and neighborhood. John C, John F.; and other Wootens still reside near the old homestead

[1] Josiah Tanner and Martha Wooten

Josiah; Tanner and Martha; Wootten were married on Dec 1, 1771 in Mecklenburg County, Virginia, where they both were born, and soon after this marriage he located on the line of the two Carolinas; possibly in South Carolina; on the French Broad; River between Cowpens and Kings Mountain;, where for the third time he enlisted in the military service in the Revolutionary Army;; this was in May, 1780. His service was in Captain McBee's company of Colonel Roebuck's regiment. He enlisted for a period of 18 months and held the rank of Lieutenant in his company. In October, following his enlistment, his company was in the battle of Battle:Kings Mountain;, as part of Colonel James Williams forces.

In this engagement he was wounded by a musket ball through his right elbow. This probably ended his service, as he was ever after a cripple in that arm.

His home was twelve miles from this battlefield. After being wounded he returned to his home where he was nursed by his good wife Martha, who had a part of the floor of the room which he occupied taken up, and his bed made by the opening, that he might escape to the brush in case of surprise by the Tories. His wife Martha stood guard at night over her wounded husband, seated in the big arm chair by the doorway with a loaded musket by her side, ready for defense in case of surprise by the enemny prowling in the neighborhood.

Sixteen years after these events Josiah Tanner with family emigrated from his South Carolina home to what is now Oldham County;, Kentucky, of which Legrange; is the County seat, but which at that time was of Jefferson County;,,there being at that time but nine counties in the state. He lived there untill the time of his death which occurred Nov.1, 1807, at the age of fifty three. After his death his widow, in 1826, married Lemasters:Abraham; Lemasters and after Lemasters' death, which occurred in 1837, the record shows that in 1843 at the age of 87 years, Martha made application for pension, as the former widow and on account of the military service of Josiah Tanner in the Revolutionary War, and drew the same up to the time of her death which occurred in Jennings; County, Indiana, on the forth day of July, 1851, and was buried in the cemetery at Liberty Baptist Church four miles south of Vernon;.

Since the foregoing was written, there has been received from the Secretary of State's office, Columbia, South Carolina, a certificate of the service of Josiah Tanner, in the Revolutionary Army;. He was Lieutenant of Horse in the Militia; of South Carolina for 237 days. He received pay at that time for such service 76œ. 3s. 6¬d. and was no doubt mustered out for disability, on account of the wound received at the battle of Kings Mountain;, as he had ten months of his enlistment yet to serve.

[2] Eleanor Tanner and Thomas McGannon

[2] Keziah Tanner and Daniel Dawson

[3] Creed Haskins Dawson and Rachel Brewer

Daniel Boone, himself a Carolinian and natural born Indian fighter and huntsman, had crossed the Alleganey Mountains into the wilds of Kentucky; and paved the way for other adventurous spirits, and the stories that came back to the Carolinas; of vast forests, inhabited by wild game of every description, fertile lands and great rivers full of fish, caught the ears of those left behind and they were charmed.

In the year 1796 the emigration fever took hold of Nathaniel [1] Tracy, Josiah [1] Tanner and their families, both middle aged men, and with all their belongings consisting of household effects, wives and children they set out for the land of promise toward the setting sun, which was then the Kentucky:wilderness; of Kentucky.

The families, counting parents, numbered twenty seven, and they were accompanied as one of the grandmothers remarked, by "two big goslings of boys" named Lucious Tanner, a distant relative and Daniel Dawson. Each family had two one-horse wagons and a number of lead horses, cattle and sheep. The children able to ride were mounted upon the horses, sometimes three to a horse. The older children drove the stock in the rear of the wagons, and this was the cavalcade of ancestors that crossed the Alleghanies into Kentucky to erect new homes in the Wilderness. Besides days of rest there were forty days on the way, camping out at night by the wayside, and it is almost certain the trip was a picnic for the younger members of the families if not for the older ones. To quote the old grandmother again, "we were weary and tired but in good health and spirits." And somewhere on their way, or after their arrival in what is now Kentucky:Oldham County;, Kentucky, where they finally settled, there must have been a good deal of courting done among the families and young people, for it is a part of history of the two families that the "two big gosling boys" Lucious Tanner and Daniel Dawson as well as William Tracy and James Tracy, sons of Nathaniel [1] Tracy, married daughters of Josiah [1] Tanner after the arrival of the families in Kentucky.

The descendants of these two old Patriarchal families are at this time scattered over a large range of country, from the Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico, to the Pacific Ocean, and, it is not past the mark to say in every state within that boundry, and in some states very numerous. Industry is the aim of all their pursuits. They are on the farm, in the workship, in the mechanical arts, merchandizing, mining; they are lawyers, preachers, teachers and politicians and travelers. They are on the move around the world and will soon be knocking at the old doors of Virginia and Maryland for readmission to the New World. So note it be.

Original Document: Genealogies of the Tracy -- Tanner families and other Genealogies from both sides of the Maternal and Paternal line by Mathew J. Tracy [July 20, 1903]

Copied by Mary Elizabeth Clemans Nottger in the month of April 1917,
Waverly, Bremer County Iowa Additions by Mary Elizabeth Clemans Nottger until 1920

Maintained between 1920 and 1986 by Muriel Nottger Duecker and Doris Clemens Duecker

Manuscript edited by Marilyn Clemens Duecker Anderson and Jay Harold Anderson July 1986 with additional revisions and update July 1998. The document source for this history is the copy made by Mary Elizabeth Clemans Nottger. Other annotations are made as footnotes.