We know two Leroy children showed up in Hawkins County, Tennessee sometime in 1870. The story handed down, tells us they left Corpus Christi, Texas to make their way to East Tennessee to settle a parcel of land that had been inherited. Some how the mother died enroute, where is not known, and two of three children were brought to Rogersville, Hawkins County, Tennessee and placed into local homes (per the census).

The children were between 8 and 12 years old. Joseph being the oldest and Ellen the youngest. The mystery is what happened to the third child, thought to be a boy. The children were surely traumatized by the time they reached Rogersville, Tennessee. Apparently, they did not remember what happened or they did not speak about it. We do not know how they traveled to the area.

This we do know; Ellen, age 8, was in the homes of Henry Davis, giving her birthplace as Texas, per the July 13, 1870, Dist #2, she states her parents were born in Ireland. In 1880 Census, she was in the home of R.F. Taylor and merchant. listed as 18 years of age, and a servant in Saint Clair, Hawkins, Tennessee. In 1881 she married a John Lenard. I had no record past the marriage information. However, a gr granddaughter of Ellen contacted me in 2001 and was to get back with me after taking her daughter to prep school and I have never heard from her again. I would love to get back in touch with this person. She told me Ellen died giving birth to her third child.

Joseph L. Leroy showed up in the home of Henry Davis (or on the Poor Farm located in Stanley Valley) then he later was in the home of Lucy Johnston, per the 1870 Census. He married Nancy Elizabeth Brewer in Hawkins County, Tennesee in 1883. Joseph and Nancy were my great grandparents.

I know there was a lot of heartache and trauma in the lives of Joseph and Ellen as they searched for their own identity and settled into family life. One family story had to do with perhaps a name change, that is possible. Wish I knew, to this point it is hard to trace without surnames. Surely, the story has a beginning and I would love to know all about it..

If you could add to my story and help me find my ancestors past Joseph L. Leroy I would appreciate it very much.

LeRoy's of Hawkins County Tennessee