Individual Details

An 1860 Jackson Co Census gives her age as 46 (head of household) which would place her year of birth 1814. Living with her: Martha, 22. Almira, 20. Amanda, 17. Leroy 16. Miles 14. and William, age 9.

From Jackson Co TN Chancery Court Minutes; Volume C Jul 1856-Aug 1860 [LDS Microfilm #09855253]:
Feb Term 1857; p.74 Sarah Ann Dennis vs. Miles Dennis. Petition for Divorce.
In this case the complainant is allowed to file an amended bill which is done and this cause is continued until next Term.
Feb Term 1858; p.89 Sarah Ann Dennis vs. Miles Dennis
It appearing to the Court that since this bill was filed the defendant has died. It is ordered that the suit abate & order she pay the costs for which execution may issue.

Peggy Sham Email of 3 Jun 2001
Kay, sorry I have been so long getting back to you with this info. We took
our long trip to Europe and I just got back from TN today. I pulled the
divorce file for Sarah and Dennis. I will copy and send to you soon. It is
hard to read, but here is the paraphrase version....
Since a woman was not allowed to bring a suit of any kind, Sarah was
represented by "her next friend, Richard H Dennis." (her second oldest son
and my gggfather) bill claims "disrespectful language, ... violence, .......
whipped her on many occasions,..... spent all the money she had when they got
married, trying to sell her land,. " An addendum says he commited adultery
with "Betsy Pryor and others" and from such adultery he acquired syphillus
and is now afflicted with the disease.
Miles response is even harder to read, but basically says that he beat her
for her own good because she had become impertinent and hard to live with and
needed discipline. And that she should not be able to bring suit against him
over it because she had forgiven him and even condoned the beatings! He
states that the suit does not reflect on Sarah, but rather on her "next
friend", who forced her to do it. I haven't gotten through it all to find his
response to the adultery charge.
In 2/1857 the case was continued until 7/1857. There was not court that day
because the judge was a no show. By the next court date in 2/1858, Miles had
died and the case was dismissed.

I did receive the copies of the divorce proceedings and have transcriptions.

Birth	1811	Tennessee
Marriage	Abt 1830	MILES DENNIS
Death	Aft 1860

Spouse	MILES DENNIS (1805 - 1858)
Child	Richard Henry Dennis (1831 - 1904)
Child	Benjamin Franklin Dennis (1833 - 1916)
Child	James Madison Dennis (1835 - )
Child	Elizabeth Dennis (1837 - 1915)
Child	Martha Jane Dennis (1838 - )
Child	Sally Almira Dennis (1840 - )
Child	Miranda Dennis (1842 - )
Child	LEROY W. DENNIS (1844 - 1923)
Child	Miles Pinkney Dennis (1848 - 1907)
Child	William Gilbert Dennis (1850 - 1926)

Father	BENJAMIN FOX (1770 - 1833)
Mother	ELIZABETH ANDERSON (1776 - 1846)
Sibling	William FOX (1804 - 1875)
Sibling	Bartlett Anderson FOX (1806 - 1878)
Sibling	John Kendrick FOX (1808 - 1878)
Sibling	Elizabeth FOX (1810 - 1887)
Sibling	Richard FOX (1817 - )
Sibling	Henry FOX (1819 - )
Sibling	Benjamin FOX (1823 - )