| Sources |
- [S84] E-Mail, Cathy (Law) Jenkins [cjenkins@chartertn.net], 18 Apr 2008.
- [S27] The Daily Times, http://www.thedailytimes.com/, (Blount County, Tennessee), 22 Jan 2011.
Law family genealogy now available at library
By Linda Braden Albert lindaba@thedailytimes.com
A new resource to help genealogists in search of their Blount County roots was presented to the Blount County Public Library Dec. 22.
“The Family Genealogy of Abraham Law” was started by Robert T. Law, who shared the information he had gathered at the first Law reunion in 1949.
“The reunion was held at the old Sylvester Law home place in the Law’s Chapel community,” said Pauline Law Walters, a member of the group that has been amassing information to add to Robert T. Law’s research. “This book is a culmination of many years of research by several Law descendants in Blount County.”
Although attempts had been made to gather additional information after the 1949 reunion, work began in earnest in 2003, Walters said.
Abraham, also recorded as Abram, Law moved to Blount County with his wife, Delilah McCroskey Law, and their children after 1820 to a parcel of land in what is now called White Oak Sinks between Cades Cove and the Dry Valley area of Tuckaleechee Cove, now Townsend. White Oak Sinks lies in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Abraham Law is buried at White Oak Sinks, and a river stone engraved with the dates 1790-1864 was placed by relatives on a knoll above the Sinks floor. Walters said research completed by the committee members, however, revealed that the correct dates are 1775-1844, based on the 1820 North Carolina census records and court records of 1844 in Blount County.
“The lore of the family said he could not be gotten out of the home site because of a huge snow, that he couldn’t be carried to Myers Cemetery (in Townsend) for burial,” Walters said.
The book, which is based on copies of birth, death and marriage certificates, deeds, wills, court records, church and baptism records, family Bibles, personal letters, census records, old tax lists and oral histories supplied by many family members, follows Abraham’s descendants through eight generations. Walters’ line is through Abraham’s son, Sylvester Law, grandson Abraham Harrison Law, great-grandson John L. Law and great-great grandson Paul Law.
The books were sold by prepublication orders only, Walters said. A few additional books were purchased and have been distributed, but there are no plans for a reprint. Two copies were presented to the Blount County Public Library for researchers to use and are included in the genealogy reference area.
Walters said finding out about her family was very gratifying, yet she knows there is so much more to be found.
“We do hope some of our descendants will go back to the beginning and find where Abraham originated,” she said. “We felt such an urgency to get what we had found into print so current and future researchers could carry it on.”
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1790 - 1864 (74 years)