Squire Mordecai Lincoln

[loetar44]

Today I researched Mordecai Lincoln from Greeneville, Tennessee. He is indeed an intriguing person! I'm pleased to share the following with you:

Mordecai Lincoln (November 7, 1788 - April 29, 1851) was a first cousin of Thomas Lincoln (thus a first cousin once removed from President Lincoln). Thanks El Core.

   

Mordecai Lincoln was born in Linville, Rockingham County, Virginia, and migrated as a young man to Hardy County, now West Virginia. Mordecai's first wife was Clara Paul (1794 - 1815), daughter of William Paul from Hardy County) and Catherine See. In 1812, daughter Paulina Emily Lincoln was born (she would marry William Dinges in 1828 in Hagerstown, Maryland and got 3 daughters and a son; in 1838 she married Milton B. Gross from Sullivan County, Tennessee, and got in this marriage 4 daughters, two of them died as an infant, and 2 sons). Mordecai's wife died in 1815, shortly after the birth of the second child, son John Craigin Lincoln. John was raised (till his 15th birthday) by his grandparents John and Mary (Yarnall) Lincoln, while Mordecai with his then 3-year-old daughter Pauline, journeyed to Carter County, Tennessee, to his uncle Isaac and aunt Mary Ward. He decided to settle here in the Watauga Valley and bought (about 1815) the "Fish Spring Farm" at Stony Creek. In 1819 he settled in Greeneville, Greene County, Tennessee. He was a tanner, a shoemaker as a subsidiary, and also was active in real estate. He acquired on January 26, 1822 one acre land in Greeneville. When Mordecai's son John Craigin Lincoln was 15 years old he returned to his father. He married in 1837 in Sparta, Tennessee with Jane Usrey and got 2 sons.

The second wife of Mordecai Lincoln (whom he married in Knoxville, Tennessee) was Sophia Williams Heiskell (1800 - June 1873), daughter of Frederick and Katherine Heiskell. They got four daughters: Catherine M. Lincoln (1819-1825), Sarah Amelia Lincoln (1825-1850, married in 1841 with Dr. William Barton, 1 daughter), Louisia Ann Lincoln (1829-1839) and Mary Sophia Lincoln (1833-1867, married William Ramsey Brown, 3 daughters and 1 son). Mary Sophia died on June 6, 1867, after which her widowed husband married with Mary Johnson, widow of Daniel Stover and youngest daughter of President Andrew Johnson. This marriage ended in 1876 in a divorce and remained childless.

BTW: Daniel Stover was the son of Daniel Stover and Phebe Ward, sister of Mary Ward, who married as said above Mordecai’s uncle Isaac Lincoln. Mary and Isaac only had one son, who died at the age of 3. They raised William Stover as their own child. William married in 1819 Sarah Murray Drake and it was their son (Col) Daniel Stover who was the first husband (1852) of said Mary Johnson. (Col.) Daniel Stover was seen as Mordecai’s nephew. Andrew Johnson visited his daughter Mary on her farm (once owned by Isaac Lincoln) and, following a stroke, died there on July 31, 1875.

In Greeneville, Mordecai Lincoln gained a lot of respect and was a man of high social standing, serving in various political positions. As the local Justice of the Peace he married on May 17, 1827 future President Andrew Johnson and Eliza McCardle and became affectionate with Johnson. Here is the statement in the hand of Mordecai Lincoln: "I certify that on the Evening of the 17th of May 1827 I Sollomnized [sic] the bonds of Matrimony between the within named persons given under my hand and Seal this 19th May 1827. [signed] M. Lincoln / Justice of the Peace."

   

Together with Johnson, he was one of the Aldermen in Greenville in the early 1830s. It is not entirely clear whether or not Andrew Johnson bought in 1830/1831 his first house (known as "The Early Home" and located on Water Street = College Street and Main Cross Street = Depot Street) in Greeneville from Mordecai Lincoln.

The house was located on lot 77. Here are the respective property transfers of this lot:
July 23, 1824 --> grantor: James Galbreath; grantee Mordecai Lincoln
??? --> grantor Mordecai Lincoln; grantee Jacob T. Wyrick. Deed has been lost and was not recorded. Wyrick was married (1822) with Mary Lincoln (1798 – 1822), sister of Mordecai Lincoln. Jacob T. Wyrick was widowed ca. 1822 and died in January 1829.
April 1829 --> grantor Mordecai Lincoln; grantee Mordecai L. Wyrick and Stephen F. Wyrick, minor sons of Jacob T. Wyrick and Mary Lincoln
Feb. 24, 1830 --> public auction Lot 77 and lot 68; grantor Richard Woods (Sheriff); grantee Andrew Johnson (highest bidder, $241 for lot 77 and $51 for lot 68; lot 68 contained his tailor shop)

So, it is unclear if Johnson bought from Mordecai Lincoln or from the heirs of Mordecai’s brother-in-law Jacob T. Wyrick. Johnson apparently did not get legal possession of the property until 1831, because it was in that year that Sheriff Woods signed the indenture transferring the property to him.

Mordecai Lincoln died on April 29, 1851, and was buried at the Old Harmony Graveyard in Greeneville. In June 1873 his wife Sophia was buried next to him. Find A Grave gives this photo on Mordecai's memorial page:

   

So there are indeed a lot of intriguing connections between Mordecai Lincoln from Greeneville and Andrew Johnson, Lincoln’s successor as President. I summarize:

1. Mordecai Lincoln is a first cousin once removed from President Lincoln.
2. Mordecai Lincoln and Andrew Johnson lived in Greeneville, Tenn. Mordecai arrived in 1819; Johnson in 1826 / 1827.
3. Mordecai Lincoln’s nephew Daniel Stover married Mary Johnson, the youngest daughter of Andrew Johnson.
4. Mordecai Lincoln’s son-in-law (widower) William Ramsey Brown married (widow) Mary Johnson, the youngest daughter of Andrew Johnson.
5. Mordecai Lincoln officiated at the wedding of Andrew Johnson and Eliza McCardle on May 17, 1827 in Greeneville.
6. Mordecai Lincoln was a close friend of Andrew Johnson.
7. Mordecai Lincoln served as a Greeneville Alderman with Andrew Johnson in the early 1830s.
8. Mordecai Lincoln (or the heirs of his brother-in-law Jacob T. Wyrick) sold a house on lot 77 to Andrew Johnson; it was Johnson’s first house he bought. He lived there for 20 years.
9. Mordecai Lincoln’s great nephew served with Andrew Johnson in Congress. Don't know his name. Who can help?