A "Cobb-Sasser Family Lineage Website" Page
Descendants of

Stephen Tedders
(aka Stephen Tudors)

and


Morning Dawn Tedders
(aka Princess Morning Dawn Tudors)

Disclaimer



Stephen Tedders
(aka Stephen Tudors)
b: Abt 1770 Clay Co, KY
MARRIED:
Morning Dawn
(aka Princess Morning Dawn)
m: in Abt 1793, in NC or SC
said to be daughter of a Cherokee Indian Chief,
of Clay Co, KY (and parts of NC or SC)

This Tedders family was also known as Tudors


From an "It Happened Here" column that appeared in a circa-1978 issue of
"The Rural Kentuckian Magazine,"
distribued by the Louisville-KY Electric Company
THE LEGEND OF AN INDIAN VILLAGE IN CLAY COUNTY
- - by Jess D. Wilson
Indians stole a young boy in one of the settlements across the mountains
and brought him through Cumberland Gap to an Indian Village in (now) Clay
County, before any settlers came into Kentucky. The village was called
Taluegue and was near Fogertown. This would have been before Daniel Boone
came in 1775 to Boonesborough in (now) Madison County.

About 1778, white settlers or hunters, while passing the village,
recognized the boy and told him and the Indians who the boy was and where
across the mountains in the old settlements his parents lived.

Evidently this was a peaceful tribe of Indians. They may have bought the
boy from other less peaceful Indians. The Chief liked the boy and sent
word to the boy's parents to tell them where he was.

The boy married a daughter of the Chief. He and the Indian Princess had
daughters who married in Clay County.

The late Robert J. Johnson and Mollie Young of London were the first to
tell me about this legend. I wrote about it in the January 1976 issue.

Recently, Mrs. Wilma J. Johnson of London wrote me that the legend was in
the Hodge, Stivers and Johnson families. She said the boy's name was
Steven Tettler and he had three (3) daughters who married in Clay
County. She asked if I could find their names and to whom they were married.

WHAT DID I FIND?

In Clay County records
I found a Stephen Tuders, sometimes Tedders or Tudurs, who appears
to have had three (3) daughters who married in Clay County
in the very early days of the county. The marriage records
with added information in
[brackets] are as follows:
  • 1. Leathy [Letty] Tuders
    [born about 1795 in South Carolina] married March 28, 1812 to
    George Stivers [born 1792 in Kentucky].
    John Rodgel [Ridgel], bondsman.
  • 2. Polly Tedders [Tuders]
    married September 30, 1817 to Joseph Dane [Doan].
    Stephen Tedders, bondsman.
    [As she appears to be the middle daughter I would guess that Polly was
    born about 1800 in South Carolina.]
  • 3. Winny Tuders
    [born ca 1806 in South Carolina] daughter of Stephen Tuders,
    married February 11, 1824 to Henry Dane [Doan].
    Joseph Dane [Doan], bondsman.

All of the families in these three (3) marriages, even the bondsman,
John Rodgel (Ridgel) lived or owned land on the waters of Little Goose
Creek. Foggertown is less than a mile through a low gap in the head of
Gray's Fork of Little Goose. So the "near Foggertown" part of the legend
seemed to relate to these three (3) marriages. Were the girls part Indian?
When I had completed this part of my report, I called Forrest Stivers at
Manchester. Without telling him what I had found, I asked-

"What do you know about your great, great grandmother Stivers?"
He answered, "All I know was that her maiden name was Tuders,
she was part Cherokee Indian."

A more recent letter from Mrs. Johnson explained how the legend may have
traveled from the Doan family into the Johnson and Hodge families
in Laurel County.

Was Stephen Tuders the Steven Tettler in the legend?
I can only say that if there is any truth in the legend as to a Steven or
Stephen having three (3) daughters who married early in Clay County, the
man must be Stephen Tuders and these are the three (3) marriages. I
carefully studied each marriage record from 1807 to 1855. If Stephen Tuders
were the boy, how can we explain the girls being born in South Carolina;
Leathy in 1795, Polly 1800 and Winnie in 1806? I think the Indians must
have moved, probably to North or South Carolina, as soon as settlers
started coming to Clay County. John Gilbert may have come to (now) Clay
County as early as 1789. He found only Red Bird and Crippled Jack
on the river that bears Red Bird's name.
The following chart shows how the events are related in time.
My guesses are in [brackets] and are intended to show possible ages.
EVENTS IN THE LIFE OF STEPHEN TUDERS DATE Ages of
Steven Tudors
Ages of
Others
Stephen Tuders born [1770] [0]
Stephen captured [1772] [2]
Stephen recognized by settlers.
The Indians go to South Carolina?
* The date 1778 considered questionable in the legend.
*1778 [8]
Stephen and Indian Princess marry [1793] [23]
Leathy Tuders born [1795] [25]
Polly Tuders born
[1800] [30]
Stephen brings daughters to Clay County 1804 [34]
Winnie Tuders born
1806 [36]
Leathy, born 1795,
married George Stivers, born 1792
1812 [42] Leathy 17
George 20
Polly born, 1800,
married Joseph Doan
1817 [47] Polly 17
Winnie, born 1806,
married Henry Doan
1824 [54] Winnie 18
The last record I find of Stephen Tuders,
he deeded land on Little Goose Creek
to George Stivers
1843 [73]



Source
Some of the lineage info for this page
was found in files at
Rootsweb.com
MANY THANKS TO THOSE WHO SHARE INFORMATION!
But particulary an entry in the
Rootsweb Clay County Mailing List Archives
of 05 Jan 2001 by
Theresa Hodge
THANKS, THERESA, FOR SHARING!




Stehen's & Morning Dawn's
List of Descendants
  • (1) Leathy "Letty" Tedders
    (aka Leathy Tudors)
    b: Abt 1795 SC
    m: GEORGE STIVERS, on 28 Mar 1812
    b: 1792 KY


  • (2) Mary "Polly" Tedders
    (aka Polly Tuders)
    b: Abt 1800 SC
    m: JOSEPH DOAN, on 30 Sep 1817, in Clay Co, KY
    (aka Joseph Dane)
    b: Abt 1782 (possibly in VA)


  • (3) Winniford "Winnie" Tedders
    (aka Winna or Winnie or Winny Tudors)
    b: Abt 1806 SC
    m: #1=HENRY DOAN, on 11 Feb 1824, in Clay Co, KY
    (aka Henry Dane)
    b: Abt 1788
    m: #2=EDWARD "NED" HODGES (aka Hodge), on 01 Jun 1840, in Laurel Co, KY
    son of James &Mary "Polly"(Tugman) Hodge(s)
    b: 27 Mar 1809 KY
    d: 15 Dec 1863 Laurel Co, KY


  • (4) George Tedders
    (aka George Tudors or George Tudy)
    b: Abt 1812
    m: KESIAH HODGES, on 24 Nov 1833, in Laurel Co, KY
    (aka: Keziah Hoage or Keziah Hodge)
    daughter of Shadrach &Rebecca(Tugman) Hodges
    (aka: Shadrick or Shadrack Hodge, Sr.
    and Rebacah or Rebeka Ferguson Tugmon) b: Abt 1813


  • (5) James Tedders
    (aka James Todors or Tuder or Tudor or Tudors)
    b: Abt 1819
    m: #1=ELIZABETH HAMMONS, on 26 Jul 1839, in Laurel Co, KY
    (aka: Elizabeth Hammonds)
    m: #2=SARAH "SALLY" HODGES, on 19 Jul 1849, in Laurel Co, KY
    (aka Sally Hodge)
    daughter of Shadrach &Rebecca(Tugman) Hodges
    (aka: Shadrick or Shadrack Hodge, Sr.
    and Rebacah or Rebeka Ferguson Tugmon)
    b: Abt 1830
    d: Laurel Co, KY
    buried: McHargue Cemetery, Laurel Co, KY


  • (6) Elizabeth Tedders
    (aka Elizabeth Tudors)
    m: JOSEPH PROFFITT






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