When one thinks of the word "Pembroke", what comes to mind depends on where you are from . If you live in the UK, you probably envision a grandiose castle, surrounded by a picturesque village in the County of Pembrokeshire, in Wales.
If you live in Virginia, you probably think of a historic little town in the Appalacian Mountains, known for it's waterfalls.
If you live in North Carolina, you probably think of the home of UNC Pembroke, a town in the heart of Native American Lumbee Territory.
If you live in Florida, you might bring to mind Pembroke Pines, a resort town in the Everglades.
This story is about none of those. Instead its about a group of related women who lived in 19th century Tennessee.
I came upon the Pembrokes while researching the family of Alfred Lee, who I believe could possibly be the brother of my ancestor, Calvin Lee. There were a couple of individuals who included the persons of one James Samuel Leigh and Nancy Jane Leigh Boner, as children of Alfred Lee.
| Name | Alfred Loe |
|---|---|
| Residence Date | 1840 |
| Home in 1840 (City, County, State) | Marshall, Tennessee |
| Free White Persons - Males - Under 5 | 1 William |
| Free White Persons - Males - 15 thru 19 | 1 John |
| Free White Persons - Males - 40 thru 49 | 1 Alfred |
| Free White Persons - Males - 70 thru 79 | 1 Grandpa William |
| Free White Persons - Females - Under 5 | 1 |
| Free White Persons - Females - 5 thru 9 | 1 |
| Free White Persons - Females - 10 thru 14 | 2 |
| Free White Persons - Females - 20 thru 29 | 1 Nancy Morris Lee |
| Persons Employed in Agriculture | 2 |
| No. White Persons over 20 Who Cannot Read and Write | 1 |
| Free White Persons - Under 20 | 6 |
| Free White Persons - 20 thru 49 | 2 |
| Total Free White Persons | 9 |
| Total All Persons - Free White, Free Colored, Slaves | 9 |
I beleive their theory began with the 1840 census, when Alfred Lee's name wasn't exactly spelled "Alfred Lee". Marshall County, Tennessee, was where both the Lee, and the Leighs were found at the same time in the middle 1800's. In this record, Alfred would be the man in his 40's. His first wife, Nancy Culpepper, has died by then and he has married his second wife, Nancy Morris, who fits in with the female in her 20's. John Culpepper Lee, born in 1823, would have been 17, fitting nicely into the male 15 to 19 spot, and William, the oldest child with Nancy Morris, born in 1837, would have been about 3, and fit in the boy under 5.
| Name | Alfred Lee |
|---|---|
| Home in 1830 (City, County, State) | West Side Pee Dee River, Montgomery, North Carolina |
| Free White Persons - Males - 5 thru 9 | 2 John & Unknowh (possibly James?) |
| Free White Persons - Males - 30 thru 39 | 1 Alfred Lee |
| Free White Persons - Females - Under 5 | 2 Lucinda & Unknown? |
| Free White Persons - Females - 5 thru 9 | 1 Millie |
| Free White Persons - Females - 20 thru 29 | 1 Nancy Culpepper Lee |
| Free White Persons - Under 20 | 5 |
| Free White Persons - 20 thru 49 | 2 |
| Total Free White Persons | 7 |
| Total - All Persons (Free White, Slaves, Free Colored) | 7 |
Going back a decade, Alfred, in Montgomery County, NC, is shown with two sons, ages 5-9, one which would have been John, and the other unknown. and one daughter 5 to 9, which fits Millie, and two under five, one of which would have been Lucinda, and the other unknown. So Alfred had one son and one daughter, unknown and unnamed. The ages of these two children do indeed fit the ages of James Samuel and Nancy Jane Leigh. So their theory is feasible.
While still in Montgomery County, North Carolina, in the part which became Stanly, we find Alfred Lee, living next to my known ancestor, Rev. Samuel P Morton and several other Morton families, whom I believe were his Uncle and cousins, as I know his father died when he was 19 and Sammy had to raise his younger siblings, whom I've documented. At this time, they lived on David's Creek, so this is the area Alfred Lee must have been in. His father, William was living in a different spot, but not very far away. This is the area Calvin Lee appears in after they move on.
In 1832, William and Alfred sell their properties together and by 1836, they are showing up in Madison County, Tennesee. Then by 1840, they were in Marshall County, Tennesee.
By 1850, Alfred's older children were married, John to Tennessee Hayes and Millie to Yandle Clark. While John was still in Marshall County, Millie had moved to Rutherford County, Tennessee. Alfred, his wife, Nancy, and their younger children, with his older daughter, Lucinda, are living in household number 199 in Marshall County, TN.
1850 is the first census that we find James S. Leigh, and the Pembrokes. In the above clip, a newlywed James Lee/ Lay/ Leigh is found with his bride, Pembroke Jones, in Household Number 710. Above them is a Smith family, and then there is another Pembroke, or "Pimbrook". She is two years old and there is a James H. above her, age 4 and a Nancy below her, age 1. These are the children of James H. Boner and his wife, Nancy Jane Leigh Boner, who are shown on the previous with their oldest daughter, Sarah, and overflowed onto the next page, with the younger three, in Household 708. So Nancy Leigh, who named her daughter Pembroke, and James Leigh, who married a lady with the unusual moniker of Pembroke, lived very close to each other. I have no doubts that these two were probably siblings, and little Pembroke named for her cool new aunt, but were they the children of Alfred Lee?
They fit the ages of the missing son and daughter, and they were in the same place at the same time. It's certainly feasible, and I believe they have a valid theory, but I have found no proof. Not yet. I would need more collaborating evidence to conclude it. Not dimissing its validity, the spelling variance kind of throws me off, although Lee and Leigh sound exactly the same.
This post is about the Pembrokes, however, who stem from these two families. There were three; Pembroke Jones Leigh, the first, who married James Samuel Leigh; her daughter, Pembroke Leigh Wheeler and Pembroke Boner Warren, the daughter of Nancy Leigh Boner, and probably niece and cousin to the other two. As Nancy and her family deserves their own closer examination, this post will only cover the family of James S. Leigh, his wife and daughter Pembroke.
James Samuel Leigh married Pembroke Jones on December 22, 1842, in Wilson County, Tennessee. when he was about 23 and she was only 15. There are two documents proving this, the marriage document, seen above, and the Marriage Register. Neither give us the names of the parents of Pembroke Jones, and there was no shortage of Jones's in either Wilson or Marshall County, Tennesee. There were no shortage of Jones's anywhere.
To their credit, Pembroke would not have any children until she was older, in her 20's, unless she had lost some that we know nothing about. Her later records would indicate she had lost one unknown child.
By 1860, the growing family had judiciously relocated from Marshall County, Tennessee to the town of La Vergne, in Rutherford County. Several of the children of Alfred Lee would settle in Rutherford, and neighboring Davidson County, where the growing town of Nashville lay. La Vergne was a town along the Stone River and recieved its name from an early French settler.
In LaVergne, James set up as a laborer among the local farms and busy village. He ws 43 and Pembroke was 32, and the family now included 3 children, Sarah, 5, John J., 3, and James S. Jr., 1. The name Pembroke was seen as spelled correctly, or as "Pimbrook", phoenetically, or even as two words, "Pim Brooke", so sometimes she was seen by the initials "P. B.". Leigh was seen in as many variations, too.
| Name | James Leigh |
|---|---|
| Age in 1870 | 55 |
| Birth Date | abt 1815 |
| Birthplace | Tennessee |
| Dwelling Number | 154 |
| Home in 1870 | District 3, Davidson, Tennessee |
| Race | White |
| Gender | Male |
| Post Office | Nashville |
| Occupation | Farmer |
| Cannot Read | Yes |
| Cannot Write | Yes |
| Male Citizen Over 21 | Yes |
| Personal Estate Value | 200 |
| Real Estate Value | 800 |
| Inferred Spouse | Pembroke Leigh |
| Inferred Children | Saro Leigh; John Leigh; Pembrok Leigh |
| Name | Age |
|---|---|
| James Leigh | 55 |
| Pembroke Leigh | 47 |
| Saro Leigh | 15 |
| John Leigh | 13 |
| Pembrok Leigh | 7 |
Finally, the family would purchase property and settle in Davidson County, District 2. Now they were the parents of 4 children and the youngest daughter, Pembroke Jr., had been born. James Jr. was missing in this count, he may have been at school or just missed.
James was a veteran of the Indian Wars and served as a private in the Cherokee War. He may have recieved a pension or land bounty.
The Leigh family cemetery was established on the land that James Leigh Sr. purchased and settled upon in Davidson County. It is now a part of Greater Nashville, in a subdivison along the Hobson Pike, on a pennisula in the J Percy Priest Reservoir.
| Name | John J Leigh |
|---|---|
| Birth Date | 12 Dec 1856 |
| Birth Place | Tennessee, United States of America |
| Death Date | 7 May 1875 |
| Cemetery | Leigh Cemetery |
| Burial or Cremation Place | Davidson County, Tennessee, United States of America |
| Has Bio? | N |
| Father | James S Leigh |
The first member of the family to grace the ground in this small cemetery was that of oldest son and second child, John J Leigh. John was just entering a tremorous adulthood. He passed away at 18, just before the Christmas holiday on December 12, 1875. What ailment took the young man down as he was just beginning the adult journey, or was it a work accident, as there were few safety precautions? We can't know, but what a melancholy time it must have beeen.
1880
Life has changed dramatically now for the family of Pembroke Jones Leigh.
| Name | James Liegh |
|---|---|
| Age | 64 |
| Birth Date | Abt 1816 |
| Birthplace | Tennessee |
| Home in 1880 | District 2, Davidson, Tennessee, USA |
| Dwelling Number | 134 |
| Race | White |
| Gender | Male |
| Relation to Head of House | Self (Head) |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Spouse's Name | Pembroth Liegh |
| Father's Birthplace | Tennessee |
| Mother's Birthplace | Virginia |
| Occupation | Farmer |
| Cannot Read | Y |
| Cannot Write | Y |
| Neighbors | View others on page |
| Name | Age |
|---|---|
| James Liegh | 64 |
| Pembroth Liegh | 53 |
| James Liegh | 20 |
She is shown in the home with her husband and younger son, James Jr., in District Two, Davidson County, Tennessee, now 53 years old, her husband 64. They are in Household no. 143. Where were the daughters?
Sarah had married a guy named Charlie Wheeler on Christmas Eve, 1873, in Nashville. The Wheelers were a numerous family in Davidson County, especially in District Five. Around 1877, they had a daughter whom they named Cate, probably short for Catherine.
In the 1880 census, the young namesake of her mother, Pembroke Leigh, was also married, despite being only 16 years old.
Pimmy, as she was called had married a man twice her age named Joseph Cummings, a house carpenter from Tennessee. They lived in District 5, while her sister Sarah, lived in District 2.
The census was taken during the 25th and 26th of June, after which the Leigh family suffered a tragic series of events.
| Name | James S Leigh |
|---|---|
| Birth Date | 25 Dec 1816 |
| Death Date | 21 Jul 1880 |
| Cemetery | Leigh Cemetery |
| Burial or Cremation Place | Davidson County, Tennessee, United States of America |
| Has Bio? | Y |
| Children | John J Leigh |
Just a month later, on the 21st of July, 1880, James Samuel Leigh Sr. passed away at the age of 64. He joined his son, John J. Leigh in the family cemetery. The earth was barely turned when the cemetery recieved a third resident.
| Name | Sarah Elizabeth Wheeler |
|---|---|
| Birth Date | 12 Dec 1851 |
| Death Date | 17 Aug 1880 |
| Cemetery | Leigh Cemetery |
| Burial or Cremation Place | Davidson County, Tennessee, United States of America |
| Has Bio? | N |
Sarah Elizabeth Leigh Wheeler , only 28, passed away on August 17. 1880 and joined her father and brother in the loamy Tennesee ground along the old Stones River. There are no records of the cause of death for the Leigh family at this time, but going back to the census taken a few weeks prior, there may have been a hidden clue.
In the census of the young Wheeler family, Sarah, her husband Charley, and their daughter, Cate, it was seen that Charley was suffering from Thyphoid Fever. Thyphoid was rampant among citizens who dwelled near water. The fate of little Cate is unknown, but there are no more records of her that I can find. She may have passed away and been buried with her mother, or she may have married and changed her name and moved away, as many did, but if so, that fact remains unknown.
The estate of James S. Lay, Sr. was probated on December 8, 1882 and was quite quotidian. His wife, Pembrook was executrix, and there was nothing untypical or informative about it. But something distinctive did happen the very next year.
 |
The TennesseanSat, Nov 05, 1881 Page 4 |
On November 5, 1881, the Nashville Newpaper, The Tennessean, reported that Charles J. Wheeler had married Pembroke Leigh, during the previous week. Some folks have this records attached to her mother, who was a widow, but that was bather. First, Pembroke Sr. was much older and Charley and Pembroke would have children, several in fact, and Pembroke Sr. remained single, well, you'll see. Wasn't Pembroke, herself, married? And if she, too, were a recent widow, wouldn't she go by her married name of Cummings?
But what about Mr. Cummings, the carpenter? Well he hadn't expired, at least not yet. So the marriage between Joe Cummings and Pembroke Leigh must have been anulled or disolved, despite no record of it. In 1881, he was still very much alive. However, almost exactly 8 years later, Joe Cummings did pass on to the next realm of existence, his remains found under a tree. About 44 years old, it appears he died of heart disease, or perhaps a heart attack, while looking for work.
But Charley Wheeler was no catch. A tenebrous character, he came with an obnubilate past. Deep in debt and shady in habit, Charley was hauled to court twice the year he married Pimmy, once for Breach of Trust and again for larceny. He was a thief, a derelict and a drunkard. Luckily for her family, Pembroke Jr. was stalwart, clever and resourceful.
On February 3, 1891, a full decade after their marriage, Pembroke gave birth to her first known child, Weakley Charley Wheeler, perhaps because her husband was in prison during most of the '80's.
She began filing for divorce in 1894.
March 3, 1894, Nashville, Tennessee, P. W. Wheeler vs. C. J. Wheeler was continued
. Then on March 24, 1894, a motion to dismiss was heard. Had they made amends?
On December 18, 1894, a second child, Lillie Belle Wheeler was born, and in 1895, a third, Ethel. Also in 1895, Charley recieved a pardon from the Governor.
However, in December of 1894, a pregnant Pembroke had filed again for divorce and the case was again on the docket.
 |
The Tennessean
Nashville, Tennessee • Page 8 |
It took a number of years before it was granted, but this time, it wasn't Pembroke filing against Charley.
 |
Nashville Banner
Nashville, Tennessee • Page 5 |
It was Charley filing again Pembroke.
Pembroke's fourth child, Helen Irene Wheeler, was born on March 10, 1898, but by that time, Charley had left the state and married another woman. I will report no further on Charley, he was a character indeed, albeit a flawed one, deserving of his own tale. Yet, Irene was not Pembrokes last child.
1900
The widowed Pembroke Leigh, Sr., is now 73 years old . She is living with her only living son, James S. Leigh, Jr. She claims to have been the mother of 6 children, with two living. We only know the names of four.
James S. Leigh Jr. married Fannie Johnson in 1883, in Alabama. He was back in Davidson County, Tennessee by 1885, according to a newspaper mention. By 1900, Jim and Fannie had grown a considerable family of 7children, James William, Bessie, Carrie Lee, Charles Hinton, Lillian, Corrine and Marcus. There would be two more, SalliAnna in 1902 and Percy in 1904.
The divorced Pembroke Leigh, Jr. has retained her married name of Wheeler, and is living in District 3, Davidson County, working as a seamstress. Living with her are her four children, Weakley 9, Lilly 7, Ethel 5 and Irene (spelled Arien), aged 2. She has a 16 year old hired girl, Alice Nelson, helping out. Pembroke claims to have been the mother of 5 children with 4 living, so at some point, she had lost one, Wheeler or Cummings, unknown.
The family seem to have still been living along what is now the Reservoir. The next 10 years did not change much for the Leighs.
Pembroke Leigh Wheeler, also called "Tuggie" or additionally "Pimmie Brook", gave birth to her youngest child, John Sanders Wheeler, also known as Johnny, on September 10, 1900. All of Pembroke's children claimed Charley Wheeler as their father, despite the fact that he had moved to another state and married someone else before the last two were born. There were pretty good train services in those days, so who knows?
James S. Leigh Jr and Fannie also completed their families in the early years of the new millenium, with Sallie Annia Gunn Leigh arriving in 1902 and Percy Parker Leigh arriving in 1904.
Jim had a minor brush with the law in 1909, when, after being chosen as a juror, he had arrived to the courthouse intoxicated. There was a whole big deal concerning his level of sobriety and statements he had supposedly made while under the influence that could have colored and influenced the trial. Other than that, he seems to have stayed on the right side of the law and was a good citizen and father.
1910
The 1910 census found Jim and Fannie living on Hamilton Church Road, which still exists is the same area of Davidson County that his father lived. He was, too, a farmer, and at 53, still had 4 children at home, Lillian, Corrine, and Sallie Anna Gunn, which was a very odd name for a daughter, unless there was a female ancestor whose maiden name was Gunn in her mother's line, perhaps. Little Percy Parker Leigh was 5.
| Name | James Leigh |
|---|---|
| Age in 1910 | 53 |
| Birth Date | 1857 |
| Birthplace | Tennessee |
| Home in 1910 | Civil District 2, Davidson, Tennessee, USA |
| Sheet Number | 1b |
| Street | Hamilton Church Road |
| Race | White |
| Gender | Male |
| Relation to Head of House | Head |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Father's Birthplace | Tennessee |
| Mother's Birthplace | Tennessee |
| Native Tongue | English |
| Occupation | Farmer |
| Industry | General Farm |
| Employer, Employee or Other | Own Account |
| Home Owned or Rented | Own |
| Home Free or Mortgaged | Free |
| Farm or House | Farm |
| Able to read | Y |
| Able to Write | Y |
| Enumeration District Number | 0084 |
| Years Married | 27 |
| Enumerated Year | 1910 |
| Neighbors | View others on page |
| Name | Age |
|---|---|
| James Leigh | 53 |
| Fannie Leigh | 48 |
| Percy Parker Leigh | 5 |
| Lilian Leigh | 16 |
| Corinne Leigh | 13 |
| Anna Gunn Leigh | 8 |
| P B Leigh | 84 |
Pembroke Jones Leigh was exhibiting her longetivity by still living with her son at age 84, and helping to raise his large family. While her daughter-in-law had claimed to have been the mother of 11 children, with 9 living, five of them having started their own families, no notation was given for Pembroke for this year. These additions to the census questions in 1900 and 1910 were included to track infant mortality. We can assume for Pembroke, it had not changed since 1900, and we know she still had two surviving children.
| Name | Tuggie Wheeler |
|---|---|
| Age in 1910 | 45 |
| Birth Date | 1865 |
| Birthplace | Tennessee |
| Home in 1910 | Civil District 2, Davidson, Tennessee, USA |
| Sheet Number | 1a |
| Street | Four Corners Road |
| Race | White |
| Gender | Female |
| Relation to Head of House | Head |
| Marital Status | Widowed |
| Father's Birthplace | USA |
| Mother's Birthplace | Tennessee |
| Native Tongue | English |
| Occupation | Farmer |
| Industry | General Farm |
| Employer, Employee or Other | Own Account |
| Home Owned or Rented | Own |
| Home Free or Mortgaged | Free |
| Farm or House | Farm |
| Able to read | Y |
| Able to Write | Y |
| Enumeration District Number | 0084 |
| Number of Children Born | 5 |
| Number of Children Living | 5 |
| Enumerated Year | 1910 |
| Neighbors | View others on page |
| Name | Age |
|---|---|
| Tuggie Wheeler | 45 |
| Johnnie Wheeler | 8 |
| Lillie Wheeler | 16 |
| Ethel Wheeler | 13 |
| Irene Wheeler | 11 |
As for Pembroke, Jr., she is seen in 1910 by her nickname "Tuggie". She's 45 and running a farm on Four Corners Road in District 2, Davidson County, which is still a neighborhood of Nashville, and considered part of Antioch.
Her daughters and youngest son are with her. She is claiming to be a widow in this census, although Charley is not dead, and if she, by chance, had married another Wheeler, and lost him in the interim of a decade, I've found no record of it or indication toward it. Perhaps she was speaking of the unfortunate Mr Cummings.
| Name | Weakley Wheeler |
|---|---|
| Age in 1910 | 10 |
| Birth Date | 1892 |
| Birthplace | Tennessee |
| Home in 1910 | Nashville Ward 2, Davidson, Tennessee, USA |
| Sheet Number | 7a |
| Street | 18th Avenue North |
| Race | White |
| Gender | Male |
| Relation to Head of House | Boarder |
| Marital Status | Single |
| Father's Birthplace | Tennessee |
| Mother's Birthplace | Tennessee |
| Native Tongue | English |
| Occupation | Salesman |
| Industry | Grocery Store |
| Employer, Employee or Other | Wage Earner |
| Attended School | N |
| Able to read | Y |
| Able to Write | Y |
| Enumeration District Number | 0018 |
| Out of Work | N |
| Number of Weeks Out of Work | 0 |
| Enumerated Year | 1910 |
| Neighbors | View others on page |
| Name | Age |
|---|---|
| Lurhen G Bodily | 28 |
| Weakley Wheeler | 10 |
Weakley, her oldest son, had taken on a job to help support the family. He was boarding with his employer. The age of 10 is incorrect, however, that is a transcription error. With a birthdate of February 3, 1891, he was 19, and the actual handwritten document says "18".
1920
The next decade had brought on a number of changes, not just in a changing America., but the younger generation of Leighs and Wheelers were growing up and starting their own lives.
| Name | Pernnia Leigh |
|---|---|
| Age | 93 |
| Birth Year | abt 1827 |
| Birthplace | Tennessee |
| Home in 1920 | Civil District 2, Davidson, Tennessee |
| Street | Lavergne |
| Residence Date | 1920 |
| Race | White |
| Gender | Female |
| Relation to Head of House | Mother |
| Marital Status | Widowed |
| Father's Birthplace | Tennessee |
| Mother's Birthplace | Tennessee |
| Able to Speak English | Yes |
| Able to read | Yes |
| Able to Write | Yes |
| Neighbors | View others on page |
| Name | Age |
|---|---|
| James Leigh | 60 |
| Fannie Leigh | 58 |
| Annia Leigh | 18 |
| Percy Leigh | 16 |
| Pernnia Leigh | 93 |
One thing that had not changed, not yet, was that Pembroke Jones Leigh was still alive, breathing and living with her son at the age of 93. While life expectancy was still low and child mortality still high, certain anitquarins like Pembroke, holding tight to her senectitude and raising the bar.
The census, this time, was taken in January of that year and they were countedin the Port Leonard District of Davidson Couny, on La Vergne Road. Only Annia and Perc were still in thier father's home. And Pembroke, despite being incorrectlyrecorded as 'Pemnia', was certainly Pembroke.
The Will of Pembroke Jones Leigh, written as Pimbrook Leigh, had been written on March 9, 1911. It was probated on April 29, 1920, so Pembroke passed away after January 11th, and before April 29th. It is not known where she was buried . Most likely at the family cemetery, but her stone no longer exists, if it ever did.
Pembroke Jones Leigh was born during James Monroe's presidency, our 4th President. She lived phenominally until the term of Woodrow Wilson, our 28th. Twenty-four Presidents, from the Monroe Doctrine to the 19th Amendment, allowing women to vote. From ox-carts to Model T's, from the Pony Express to the Telephone, Motion Pictures and indoor plumbing. What a life she led. While Pembrook Sr. probably did not vote, Pimbroke Jr. did.
She had requested in her Will that her burial expenses be shared equally between her two children, as well as her land. She left a number of personal items to her daughter, including a bed, chairs, 'the clock that has been in the family for so long', rocking chairs, irons, goblets and the family Bible. She left a feather bed, pillows and a bedstead to her granddaughter, Ethel, and requested no timber to be cut from her property until it was divided.
As for her daughter, Pembroke was living just two households away from James and her mother on La Vergne Road in 1920. I can only believe they all just stayed in that one spot James Sr. had settled in those many years ago. Only the times and the streets were changing around them.
| Name | Mrs P R Wheeler |
|---|---|
| Age | 58 |
| Birth Year | abt 1862 |
| Birthplace | Tennessee |
| Home in 1920 | Civil District 2, Davidson, Tennessee |
| Street | Lavergne |
| House Number | Farm |
| Residence Date | 1920 |
| Race | White |
| Gender | Female |
| Relation to Head of House | Head |
| Marital Status | Widowed |
| Father's Birthplace | Tennessee |
| Mother's Birthplace | Tennessee |
| Able to Speak English | Yes |
| Occupation | Farmer |
| Industry | General Farm |
| Employment Field | Wage or Salary |
| Home Owned or Rented | Owned |
| Home Free or Mortgaged | Free |
| Able to read | Yes |
| Able to Write | Yes |
| Neighbors | View others on page |
| Name | Age |
|---|---|
| P R Wheeler | 58 |
| Meakley Wheeler | 24 |
| John Wheeler | 18 |
For Pembroke Jr., her lot was owned and her two sons were helping her work it.
Lillie had married John Walter Mullins and was living in Nashville with their two daughters.
Ethel Mable Wheeler had married Roy Sanders Waldron and had twin sons, Lee Roy and Lee Grant.
Helen Irene had married Clyde Eugene Austin and had a 3 year old daughter, they were living on Rose Street. All lived in Nashville.
1930
Life went on for the two surviving children of Pembroke Jones Leigh. Both were now past middle age and survival was the chore of the day, but they remained a close family, and that unity, I can imagine kept them strong through the years of the Great Depression.
James and Pembroke stayed close to each other and probably in support of each other. Above we see them living just a few houses away from each other and Pembroke, or P. B., living next to her son, Weakly, who has now married.
James Jr. would love another six years, passing on December 15, 1936.
He left behind a wife and large family of children and grandkids. His sister, Pembroke would go on to prove she had inherited her mothers longetivity.
In 1935 and 1940, Pembroke lived in Couchville, Una Township, Davidson County, Tennessee, which I believe was the area she had lived in for most of her life. Living near her are her widowed sister-in-law, Fannie Leigh, and her nephew, James William Leigh, who appears to have inherited or purchased his father's property. The road they lived on was the La Vergne Road/ Old Hickory Boulevard, same as the cemetery. They lived on the land their father and grandfather had purchased all those years ago.
Pimmie is 77, but still living in her own house, with the aid of a housekeeper, Leola Smith, and her 14 year old daughter, Annie Smith. By 1950, she's not to be found, but is no longer living on the family farm near her Nephew, James W. Leigh. Neither is she living with any of her children. She may have already been in Smyrna, in Rutherford County, in a rest home, where she lived when she passed away. Thisis where her oldest son, Weakley had moved to.
Pembroke aka Pimmie Brook aka Tuggie Leigh Cummings Wheeler passed away on March 24, 1958. Her tombstone gives her birthdate as January 3, 1861.
She was born during the earliest rumbles of a not-yet-declared Civil War. She died two years before I was born in a very modern era of airplanes, television and soon-to-be space travel. Can you imagine what changes her eyes beheld?
Pimmie was given two obituaries, one in Muphreesboro.
Another in Smyrna. She was buried at the Maplewood Cemetery, in Smyrna, Rutherford County, Tennessee. She was two years shy of 100. Several of her children would join her at Maplewood in years to come. They all outlived her and several had inherited her longetivity.
Lillie Wheeler Resha passed in 1968.
Johnny in 1970.
Helen Irene Wheeler Austin in 1987, soon followed by Ethel Mabel Waldron in 1989.
Oldest son, Weakley Charley Wheeler, first to arrive and last to leave , diedJune 19, 1990 at the age of 99.
None of them inherited the unusual moniker of Pembroke, and with the passing of Pimmie LeighWheeler, the name was laid to rest.
