Individual Details

Received via email:

Here is what my granduncle Austin Wheeler Smith had to say (in 1945) about Isabella, who was born Isabella M. Greaves: "She is mentioned in the will of her sister, Adeline, as her sister and is called Isabella Houston. The will is dated August 6, 1847. In Deed Book D, page 126, of Bedford County, Tennessee, there is recorded the sale of a slave by Jonathan Graves (Greaves) to his daughter, Isabella Graves, September 6, 1812. "A number of people whom I have interviewed and with whom I have corresponded knew her many years ago, but none of them were able to furnish much information about her. They knew that she married a Houston and lived in Memphis, and all agreed that the family was wealthy and prominent. She made a number of visits to Murfreesboro, Tennessee, to visit relatives."

1850 Census. 5th Civil District, Shelby Co, TN, Hh 88
John Houston, age 58, supt. Hospital, b. NC
Isabella, age 50, has $1500 worth of property, b. NC
John, age 11, b. TN [probably a son of John Houston by earlier marriage]
S. S. Lewis, age 34, b. PA
Laura, 18, b. TN (this is apparently a daughter of Houston by an earlier marriage. S. S. Lewis married Laua A. Houston, 5 May 1846, Shelby Co, TN)
Mary Siddle, age 17, b. TN
Joseph Siddle, age 1, b. TN
Gandius Cocke, age 4, b. TN
then follows a number of names with no ages - apparently patients in the hospital. And at the end are listed three Nurses.

In 1860, 5th District, Shelby Co, TN, Hh 955 is John Houston - wife is listed as "Elizabeth, strangely she is the same age Isabella would have been and born the same place - was her name misunderstood?
Jno Houstin, age 66, Propt. Hospital, Property value $200,000, pers prop $19,000, b. NC
Elizabeth, age 60, b. NC
Thos. Cooke, age 15, b. TN [apparently changed this child' name!]
Jno C. Houstin, age 22, male [sic-mail] agt, b. TN

1870, Memphis Ward 6, Shelby Co TN, Hh 75
Thos. Cocke, age 24, real estate dealer, property value $500,000, b. TN
Mary, age 21, keeping house, b. KY
Thomas, age 2, b. TN
Isabel Houston, age 69, b. NC
Jane Madden, age 57, b. TN
Sallie Cocke, age 40, Black, servant, b. TN
Robert, 40, Black, servant, b. TN
Sallie, 2, Black, b. TN

Birth	Ca 1800	North Carolina
Marriage	24 Feb 1820	Lauderdale County, Alabama - Thomas Black Haralson
Marriage	28 Dec 1842	Shelby County, Tennessee - William Spickernagle
Marriage	29 Jan 1846	Shelby County, Tennessee - John Houston
Death	Aft 1870

Spouse

William Spickernagle (1790 - 1845)

Spouse

Thomas Black Haralson ( - 1842)

Spouse

John Houston ( - )