John Brittain & Martha Morton Smith

3rd generation

John Brittain 1791 – 1859 his parents
& Martha Morton Smith 1802 – 1882
of Pitt County, NC &
Rutherford County, TN

This is my working hypothesis – the way I see it as of this moment!!
the following information supplied by
Janet Briton is posted here at her request.

Briton-4
John Brittain & wife Martha Smith

John Brittain was born 15 May 1791 Bertie[Pitt] Co, NC the son of John Brittain Jr and Mary Sessoms.
John Brittain married 9 July 1818 Martha Morton Smith
John Brittain died 19 July 1859 in Rutherford, TN
“19 July 1859 –Obituary–Departed this life on this day inst. about eight o’clock in the morning, Mr. John Brittain, aged about 68 years. He has been a citizen of Rutherford county some thirty-five or forty years, nearly the whole of that time an exemplary member of the Christian Church. . . .”

Martha Morton Smith was born 13 Feb 1802 and died 15 June 1882.
“In Memoriam – Died at her home near Rock Spring in Rutherford county, Tenn., June 15th 1882, Mrs. M. M. Brittain at the age of 80 years and 4 months. She was born Feb 13th 1802. Married to John Brittain July 9th 1818, became a disciple of Christ and was baptized 1 June 1832 by Peyton Smith while he was preaching with the disciples. She was a cousin of Elder Peyton Smith. She gave birth to eleven children, eight of whom lived to maturity”.. . .”Sister Brittain was a woman of large frame, good constitution, commanding personal appearance, fine common sense and great decision and force of character; but with these modest and retiring in her manners and thoroughly womanly in all her instincts and tastes”…..
In an article written on her 80th birthday celebration it is noted that” for several years she has not now been able to get up and about having been crippled by a fall, from the effects of which she can never recover.”

Children of John Brittain and Martha Morton Smith:
1. Mary Ann Brittain 1819 – 10 May 1820 TN

2. John Smith Brittain 7 Feb 1822 – 1 Oct 1881 MS

3. James Smith Brittain 16 Sept 1824 – 28 Nov 1889 TN
married 2 June 1864 Mary Ann Jenkins 1838 -1918 TN

Brittain-James-S
James Smith Brittain

  1. William Washington Brittain 13 June 1827 – 29 July 1911
    married 26 Oct 1854 Sarah Harriet N Blair 14 Jan 1839 – 28 July 1864
    married 13 Dec 1871 Elizabeth Ferrell Lyons 1 Jan1844 -1887

Briton-3

WW and Elizabeth Lyons Brittain

  1. Martha Ann Brittain 8 May 1829 – 25 June 1912 TN
    married 1851 George Washington Kidd

BritonMK-5

Martha Ann Brittain Kidd

  1. Pleasant Henry Brittain 23 Aug 1832 TN – 31 Aug 1902 AR
    Co. F, 31 Arkansas Infantry, Confederate, Captain
    married 14 Mar 1854 Sarah Ann Neal 20 Dec 1833 TN – 1 Mar 1895 AR
    daughter of Ralph Neal and Sally Hartman
    Burial: Colony Cemetery near Morganton, Van Buren Co., Ark
    “Mrs. Sarah A. Brittain ( nee Neal) was born in Rutherford County Tennessee, December 20, 1833, and died near Morganton, Van Buren County, Arkansas, at 7:30 O’clock on the evening of March 1, 1895. Was married to P. H. Brittain March 14, 1854. Came to Arkansas with her husband in 1859 and returned to Tennessee in 1870 on account of her health. Again came to Arkansas in 1885 where she has since lived. . .in 1854 and joined the Christian Church. She was mother of nine children six of whom still live. . .For the last few years she has been almost an invalid; she having that dreaded disease, catarrh of the lungs. For the last few weeks she was almost helpless. . .She leaves an aged husband, one daughter, five Sons.”

Briton-1

Pleasant Henry Brittain and Sarah his wife and daughter Susan Brittain

  1. Columbus Lafayette Brittain 12 July 1834 – 7 Sept 1903 TN
    married 1869 Mary L Brothers 1847 – 1871BritonC-7 Brittain_ColumbusH Brittain--Columbus-stone

Columbus Brittain his home and his head stone

Briton-2

married 21 Oct 1873 Frances Matilda Batey 5 Dec 1842 – 2 Jan 1926
Frances and Columbus Brittain

  1. Peyton Smith Brittain 29 Sept 1837 Smyrna, Rutherford TN – 16 Mar 1899 Rutherford TN
    on 1st Oct 1860 received patent for 280 acres in Randolph Co Arkansas
    lived in 1860 Van Buren Co Ark. served as 1st Lt in CSA in 31 Arkansas Infantry
    Peyton and his family were burned out by the Union Army while he was serving with the Confederate Army; so returned to Tennessee for a fresh start shortly after the Civil War.
    Burial: Brittain Cem. in Smyrna, Rutherford Co, TN

    married 11 Oct 1859 Lucy Frances Lawrence 27 Aug 1838 Smyrna – 17 Oct 1879 Smyrna
    daughter of William Lawrence and Agnes Dement
    Lucy died of consumption [TB] at her home in Rutherford Co TN [had been afflicted for years]

    a. Martha Alice Brittain 20 Aug 1860 Randolph Co Ark –
    b. Peyton Archer Brittain 23 Aug 1861 – Van Buren Co Ark – 30 Aug 1920 Kinta, Haskell Co OK
    married 1895 Minerva Evelyn Lignon 28 May 1866 Ark – 14 June 1929 Kinta OK
    both burials: Lona Valley Cem, Kinta, Haskell Co, OK
    in 1900 were living Walkner, Faulkner, Ark.
    1910 MacHire, Haskell, OK

    i. Frances [Fannie] Myrtle Brittain April 1896 Ark –
    ii. Clifton Perry Brittain 23 Jan 1897 Ark – 31 Aug 1950 Los Angeles CA
    married Haskell Co OK Sudie E 1896 –
    1. Cale May Brittain 1924 Brooken, Haskell Co –
    2. Rondalth Brittain 1926 Brooken, Haskell Co –
    iii. Payton S Brittain 6 July 1899 Ark – 30 July 1972 Kinta, OK
    married Sena H 7 Sept 1904 – 25 July 1981 Kinta OK
    iv. Houston B Brittain 27 Oct 1901 OK – 15 June 1966 Sentinel, Washita, OK
    married Kinta OK 20 Mar 1926 Eunice Ester Wortham 17 May 1909 – 20 July 1991 Tulsa OK
    daughter of Claud Wortham and Flora Cox
    1. Anna Bell Brittain 7 Nov 1929 Kinta – 21 Feb 1997 Sentinel, Washita OK
    married 17 Aug 1946 Martin Riddle 2 Feb 1918 Clarksville Ark – 10 April 2000 Sentinel OK
    2. C W Brittain 7 Mar 1932 Kinta OK – 15 Oct 2006 Hobart OK
    3. Bertlynn Irene Brittain 1936 Kinta –
    married 1952 Glen Lyons ca 1933 –
    4. Archie Payton Brittain 1 Dec 1937 Kinta OK – 22 Nov 2006 OK
    5. Gerald D Brittain 1939 –
    married Betty Marshall 1941 –
    6. Jonnie Brittain 1943 –
    married Wayne Caton
    7. James Brittain 1949 –
    married Shelia Hamilton
    v. Nathan Brittain 1902 Haskell Co OK
    vi. Robert Leslie Brittain 31 Jan 1905 Haskell OK – 9 July 1978
    married Kinta June 1932 Annace Brown 5 Dec 1912 – 18 Nov 2006 OK
    c. John Columbus Brittain 22 Feb 1864 Van Buren Co Ark –
    married TN 1891 Dora V. Mar 1866 TN
    i. Doglas Smith Brittain 2 June 1897 Smyrna TN – July 1965 WWI vet
    d. Frances Adella [Fannie] Brittain 8 Sep 1866 Van Buren Co Ark – 6 June 1940 Smyrna TN
    married Smyrna TN 1 Aug 1883 John Wheeler Harris 5 Nov 1863 – 13 May 1940 Smyrna
    son of James Harris and Elizabeth Gambill
    i. Miles Bertram [Bert] Harris 20 Mar 1884 Smyrna – 4 July 1923 Nashville TN
    Occupation 1923: Brakeman for NC & St Louis Railroad
Miles was killed over a poker game; the man that killed him had lost to Miles. He left the game and later returned with a gun and killed M. Harris and another man then turned the gun on himself; all three died.

married Little Rock Ark 29 Nov 1906 Annie Emma Harris 6 June 1887 Ark – 1 Sept 1960 Austell GA
1. John Evan [Jack] Harris 5 April 1908 St Louis MO – 18 May 1991 Nashville TN
married Landis
2. Berta Harris ca 1914 Rutherford Co TN –
3. Nathaniel Evan Harris 12 Feb 1918 Rutherford Co TN –
ii. John Peyton Harris 15 Sept 1888 Smyrna – 12 Feb 1952 Nashville TN
iii. Maggie Beatrice Harris 3 April 1894 Smyrna – 30 Nov 1965 Nashville TN
iv. Willie Dell Harris 29 June 1897 Smyrna – 5 Mar 1982 Antioch, TN female
v. Annie Florence Harris 20 Jan 1902 Smyrna – Aug 1965
e. Mary Anna Florence Brittain 27 Feb 1868 Van Buren Co Ark – 1900
married 27 Jan 1876 Samuel Franklin Harris
i. Lawrance Alexander Harris
ii. Kate Elizabeth Harris Cook
iii. James Emmet Harris
iv. Fannie Bell Harris
f. Edward Brittain 5 Oct 1870 Smyrna – 5 Oct 1870 Smyrna
g. Minnie Agnes Brittain 24 July 1871 Smyrna – 10 Aug 1871 Smyrna
h. William Pinkney Brittain 24 July 1871 Smyrna – 1 Aug 1871 Smyrna
married 2) Davidson Co TN 22 Feb 1882 Elizabeth [Bettie] Jane Harris 9 Oct 1856 – 10 Jan 1942
daughter of James Harris and Elizabeth Gambill
a. Lonnie Brittain 4 Feb 1882 Smyrna –
b. Ollie Brittain Nov 1886 Smyrna –
c. Hattie Bell Brittain 11 Nov 1890 Smyrna – 5 May 1975
married Harvey Watkins Cook 25 Mar 1886 – 19 Dec 1950 Rutherford Co TN
son of Robert Cook and Susan Noe
i. Elsie Frances Cook 1918 Rutherford TN
married Freeland Patterson Maxwell 16 Nov 1916 TN – Aug 1979 TN
1. Harvey Wayne Maxwell Dec 1941 TN – 22 Jan 1992 TN

9. Andrew Jackson Brittain 1 Oct 1840 – 7 April 1864

10, 11. twins 1842

researching these Brittons:
Paul Murauskas, Janet Briton, Dorothy Jackson as well as myself

 

9 thoughts on “John Brittain & Martha Morton Smith”

  1. The house pictured looks very similar to a house off Thick Road in Holts Corner, TN, just off Hwy 31 (near Chapel Hill). Driving past the house takes you to the Brittain-Ezell cemetery which has a number of graves associated with the Joseph Futon Brittain family.
    Is anyone in this thread a part of that family leg?
    Joseph Brittain (settled from NC)
    (immigrant ancestor was James Brittain from Wales)
    Joseph H Brittain b.1801 in Marshall Co
    Joseph F Brittain Sr
    Joseph F Brittain Jr
    Holt Brittain
    Reynolds Brittain (my grandfather)
    Clyde Brittain

  2. My name is John Paul Brittain son of Paul Shipp Brittain (red) is there a way I could get a copy of my family tree or do I have to get it from somewhere else

  3. I am the great granddaughter of Ollie Brittain. I think that I can tell you about my dad’s family. His name is Charles Edward Brittain. Son of David Ellis Brittain and Clara Sue ( Jones) Brittain. Please let me know if I am able to get in the family tree extended.

  4. That’s my family. I would like to see the first thing that is going to change and the way it will go as the result is going to be. The first thing I want to do is get a little closer to the beginning of my own family history.

  5. I believe the house that is pictured is still standing and occupied. It’s located just outside of La Vergne on Rock Springs Road.

    It is located not too far from the abandoned Brittain Cemetery. The cemetery is in terrible shape but there are headstones for John Brittain, John Smith, Polly Shields Smith, several of John Brittain’s children and at least two children of Pleasant Henry Brittain and Sarah Neal. John Smith’s stone is quite amazing to see. It is shattered, but being held together completely by the roots of a large fallen tree. The pictures are on Find a Grave if anyone is interested.

    The land that the cemetery sits on is privately owned. It is located at the far back of a series of fields in a grove of trees. There is another cemetery for the Williams family a few hundred yards away in another grove of trees, though only one headstone is visible. This land is slated for development after a road widening project Jett is completed and I am very concerned that both cemeteries will be destroyed.

    1. That’s my family. I would like to see the first thing that is going to change and the way it will go as the headstones are being taken to.

  6. Is it possible that the picture of the home you posted above is in Nolensville, TN, right on the Rutherford County line (possible Rutherford County at that time) ?
    A developer purchased the land where the house sat and was going to demolish the home. The Nolensville Historical Society saved the home from demolition and it has been moved to the historic district of Nolensville, for renovation.
    Apparently, there was a tornado in early 1900’s that tore the roof and 2nd level of the home off, and it was decided NOT to rebuild the 2nd level.
    The two homes look nearly identical. Please check our website and click on Morton-Brittain House (top- far right) . I would LOVE to exchange info! Thank you!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *