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Subject: [PYLE] Levi PILE of Fentress County TN
Date: Sat, 16 Jun 2007 22:49:38 -0400


Here’s a find I wanted to share with researchers of Conrad PILE of Fentress Co TN, particularly Nancy PYLE of Oregon.  In Tennessee Divorces, 1797-1858, there is a record of John PILLE of Fentress Co suing Nancy PILLE for divorce in 1829, because she had left him.  This is a hugely important record on a couple of counts. 

 

First, this probably explains the 1830 census entry for a Nancy PILE as a young household head in Fentress Co, age 20 to 30.  That is, she is the estranged wife of John C. PILE (born c1802, son of Conrad).  Before finding this record of an 1829 divorce case, I was puzzled by that Nancy, wondering if she was a widow of a “lost” son of Conrad, or a PILE daughter with children born out of wedlock.  I now believe she was Nancy RHOADS PILE in her own household, and that John PILE in 1830 is one of the males age 20 to 30 in Conrad PILE’s household.  That is, John had moved back in with his parents during this time of troubles.

 

Second, Nancy’s 1830 household includes a female 5 to 10, and a male and female age 0 to 5.  I would speculate that these are children of John and Nancy born in the 1823 to 1830 time frame, who don’t show up later, after John and Nancy apparently reconciled.

 

In particular, I would suggest that the male age 0 to 5 could be the unplaced Levi PILE (born 1824 or 1825 per available census records).  I note that Levi named his first (known) daughter Nancy.

 

One rough spot in this speculation is that none of these three children from the 1830 census appear in the 1840 census for John PILE, nor do they appear in 1850, but there are several possible explanations for that.  Perhaps the eldest daughter, born early 1820s, had married by 1840; perhaps a child died by 1840; and perhaps Levi as a 15 or 16 year old was living in some other household as a laborer or whatever in 1840. 

 

So, Conrad PILE researchers, what do you think?  I do want to acknowledge the alternative belief of a Fentress County contact who’s been helping me that Levi may be a child, possibly an illegitimate child, of Elijah PILE, a son of Conrad.  Who knows?

 

Jim Smee

Pittsburgh PA

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