The four children of Robert Rutherford (Reubin 28, William 25, Hamilton 18, Nancy 13) were living with he and his wife Elizabeth in Cocke County at the time of the 1850 census. The oldest child, Reubin Rutherford,(my GGGrandfather) was there with his children Fielding (Preston) age 8, William age 7, Nancy Jane age 5. There was no mother of these children on the census, so the assumption can be made that she had died sometime after the birth of Nancy Jane in 1845, or probably after the birth of Elizabeth (who was not on the 1850 census?)in 1847. There was also Louis age 5. Louis was a bit of a mystery because he does not show up on the 1860 census of the Reubin Rutherford household. However, researcher Patricia Kruger found Louis living with his uncle William in 1860. And Elizabeth b. 1847, is in the Reubin Rutherford household in 1860, but was missing for some reason on the 1850 census at her grandfather Robert's household. Thus the assumption that Reubin's first wife died after 1847, and he then married Elizabeth Griffin (second or third wife?) after 1850, and they had John in 1851, Julia A. in 1853 and Mary in 1860. It's also possible, according to another researcher, that the first wife died about 1853-1858 and Reubin married Elizabeth Griffin in 1858.

Any help with this family line will be appreciated. Berry Spradley.