The Willie P.
Cherry Family
Willie P. Cherry was born on Saturday, February 7, 1818, in North Carolina, the son of
Darling and Elizabeth Wynns Cherry of the Wild Cat Hill Plantation in Martin County, North
Carolina.
Willie had five brothers and sisters: Adeline A., Mary Ann, Romulus S., Nancy Elizabeth
and Rufus.
Circa 1835, Willie married Julia Etta Wheatley (or Whitley), born Thursday, July 13, 1815,
the daughter of Jesse and Elizabeth Wheatley of Martin County, North Carolina.
About 1835, Willie's sister, Mary Ann, eloped with Henry G. Winburn and they began a
journey west to Tennessee. Mary Ann never reached Tennessee, she died giving birth to
their only child , Hardy, on January 20, 1836. Henry Winburn returned to the Cherry home
in North Carolina, with his young son, and left him in the care of the Cherry Family until
he became 18 years of age.
About 1837, Henry Winburn again started for Tennessee, and it may be, since Willie and
Julia traveled there at about the same time, they probably traveled together. Willie and
Julia would have taken with them their first child, Anne Elizabeth, born in 1836. Legend
says that when the Cherrys came from North Carolina, they could see, in the distance, the
Blue Ridge Mountains, days and days before ever getting close enough to cross them. They
also carried with them a large wooden box that contained all their cooking utensils.
Both families, the Cherries and the Winburns, settled in Haywood County. Henry Winburn
settled to the north and remarried a Wood girl, in 1839, and the Cherrys settled to the
south near the little town of Dancyville. They were apparently members of the Dancyville
Methodist Church.
In 1839 Willie P. and Julia's first Tennessee born child was named Andrew D. In 1841,
James Knox Polk Cherry was born, followed by Sarah Amanda in 1842 and George Dallas in
1844. The last two boy's names gives an indication of the Cherry's political views. In
1844, running on the Democrat ticket, James Knox Polk was elected president and George
Dallas was his vice president. Polk had been a Governor of Tennessee.
In 1846 twin girls were born to the Cherrys; Aurora and Augusta. In 1848, Lewis Cass was
running for president on the Democrat ticket. Willie P. and Julia named their son, born
that year, Lewis Cass Cherry. Lewis Cass Cherry was my great-great-grandfather.
Julia Cherry's brother, Jesse Wheatly, Jr., fought in the Mexican War (1847-1848). He was
discharged in Texas at the wars end.
Willie's brother, Romulus, died in North Carolina in 1847. During the 1850's, two sisters,
Nancy and Adeline moved, with their families, to North Mississippi, settling in Marshall
County.
In 1850, Willie and Julia Cherry were listed on the Haywood County Census, living in
District #2. His real Estate was valued at $1300 and he owned three slaves. He was a
farmer and all of his children, of school age, attended. The youngest daughter, Mary Eliza
Cherry was born in 1850.
Possibly while the new Dancyville Methodist Church was being constructed, a Cherry funeral
was being conducted in the adjoining cemetery. Young Aurora, one of Willie P. and Julia's
twins died on Thursday, January 30, 1851 and was buried in the Methodist Cemetery. Not
long after, Willie P. Cherry died on Wednesday, November 24, 1852. He was only 34 years
old and was also buried in the Methodist Cemetery. On a sadder note, he would never get to
see his son, Willie P.T. Cherry, who was born 12 days after Willie died.
Julia Cherry assumed her position as head of household and on the 1854 tax roll of Haywood
County, the family still lived in District #2, and were listed as "heirs of Willie
Cherry". The "heirs" owned 200 acres of land valued at $1400 and one
slave valued at $900. In 1856 Julia's name was listed on the tax rolls as owning 169 acres
of land valued at $1008.
During the Civil War years, one of Willie Cherry's first cousins lived in Savannah,
Tennessee, at the Cherry Mansion, and was a loyal Unionist. The Julia Cherry family took
up arms with the Confederacy. Three of the Cherry brothers; Andrew, James and George all
enlisted in the Infantry and Calvary Regiments. Two would never return.
Andrew was killed at the battle of Shiloh, April 1862. James after being wounded at the
battle of Perryville (KY.), on October 8, 1862, was captured and taken to an Illinois
prison, where he died from his wounds in 1863. George rode with General Nathan Forrest's
Calvary until the end of the war.
In 1872, Julia's son George, gave a verbal will to witnesses asking all his land and
estate be sold and the money given to his mother, Julia Cherry. Julia Cherry did not live
much past the giving of the verbal will. She died in 1873 and was buried beside Willie P.
in the Dancyville Methodist Cemetery.
The Cherry Family Profile is by Matthew Lundy, ggg-grandson of Willie P. and
Julia Etta Wheatley Cherry
We greatly appreciate Mr. Lundy sharing the profile for this site. jd
GO HERE for WILLIE CHERRY FAMILY Tax Records
THE DESCENDANTS OF
WILLIE P. AND JULIA ETTA WHEATLEY CHERRY¹
(Note: numerals in front of names indicates generation, with Willie P.
being 1st)
The 10 Children of 1 Willie P. and Julia
Cherry (and their descendants):
2 Anne Elizabeth Cherry
born: Sep 30, 1836, in North Carolina
died: 1922 in Haywood County
married: (c 1854 TN.) William Henry Ford
born: 1831 in Madison County, Virginia
died: 1918 in Dancyville Tennessee
their children:
3 Laura A. Ford
born: 1853 in Tennessee
died: 1896 in Tennessee buried in Dancyville Methodist Cemetery
3 George R. Ford
born: 1856 in Tennessee
married Mary Williams (Willie) Jones (1863-1935)
their children:
4 Archer T. Ford (1885-1955)
3 Nancy Adeline Ford
born: 1857 in Tennessee
died: 1917
married William Nathan Kilby (1851-1915)
their children:
4 William Farris
4 James Rawlings
4 Frank Clifford
4 Mary Elizabeth
4 Laura Ford
3 Julia M. Ford
born: 1860 in Tennessee
died: 1939
married (unkn.) Taylor
their children:
4 Ethel
4 Lulu
4 Maude
4 Ruby
4 Annie Mabel
4 Walter
4 Henry Ford
3 James A. Ford born: 1864 in Tennessee
3 Robert Walker Ford
born: 1867 in Tennessee
died: 1946 - buried in Dancyville Methodist Cemetery
married Dora Emma Walden (1869-1936)
their children:
4 Emma D.
4 Mary Lenna
4 Janie F.
4 Robert
4 Annie R. Ford
Note: On the 1850 Census,
William Ford was an apprentice to a wheel wright.
Civil War Service of William Henry Ford: Company A, 9th Tennessee Infantry. He was
temporarily blinded at the Battle of Shiloh by dust from a cannon ball. He could not open
his eyes and was returned to camp. William and his brothers left the army at the
end of their enlistment's, not being aware the Confederacy had extended all enlistment's
to "end of war." William was later denied his pension for leaving early.
GO HERE - for Continuation of Willie P. Cherry Descendants