Ellington Family

Her father, James Edward "Ned" Ellington, also in this picture, joined up at Bells Depot, in the Spring of 1861 to serve with TN's 7th, Co. F., also called "The Forked Deer Rangers", and was honorably discharged in the fall of 1863.

Fredda was the last surviving member of this family picture and would have turned 105 years old this month on July 25, 2003.

Identity of those in this picture:
From left to right the people are;
1. Nancy "Ada" Ellington-Richards *she was a daughter of Newton "Doc" Ellington who was the oldest brother of James E. "Ned" Ellington, so she was "Neds" neice.

2. Lillian Richards -daughter of "Ada" and Bill Richards

3. Bill Richards - husband of "Ada" and also a 1st cousin to "Ned Ellington" (on his mother's side)

4. Alma Ellington, daughter of James Edward "Ned" Ellington and Ida Mae Williams. She later married Whit Lovelace.

5. Ida Mae Williams-Ellington - daughter to Sophronia Ellington and Newton Williams. She was a 1st cousin to "Ned" and she was "Ned's" 2nd wife, after his 1st wife (my gg.grandmother) 'Martha Ann Dawes" died in 1878.
*Martha A. Dawes was the daughter of William Dawes and Mariah Todd.

6. Fredda "Freddie" Ellington - the infant in Ida Mae's arms. She was the youngest child/daughter of "Ned and Ida Mae". She later married Roy Hawkins.

7. Josh Greene - a neighbor and laborer on Ned's farm. The Greene's were connected to the Ellington's and William's by marriage.

8. Edd Ellington - son of "Ned" Ellington and 1st wife, Martha Ann Dawes. Edd later married Alice Helon Medlin. He was a full brother to my great-grandmother, Minnie Lee, and also to Mary L."Mollie" and James N., none of whom are in this picture.

9. Shorter older man with white beard is said to have been a traveling salesman who happened to be at the home when the photographer came around. His name is unknown.

10. Ulys Ellington - son of "Ned" Ellington and Ida Mae Williams-Ellington. Full brother by blood to Freddie, (the infant), and to older sister, Alma. Ulys later married Claude Moore.

11. James Edward "Ned" Ellington, owner of this log home. He was my gg.grandfather. He was the son of John Ellington and Elizabeth Williams.

*note - Elizabeth Williams was the sister to Newton Williams, who was Ida Mae Williams-Ellington's father. *"Ned" and Ida Mae were double first cousins. Her mother, was Sophronia Ellington. Her father was Newton Williams. "Ned's" mother was Elizabeth Williams and his father was John Ellington. Elizabeth and Newton were siblings. Sophronia and John were siblings!!

**Both Elizabeth and Newton were the children of Thomas Williams and Dillie Ann Medlin. Both Sophronia and John were the children of Richard Ellerton (name changed to Ellington when the family migrated from VA., to TN. about 1828), and his 1st wife, Elizabeth Graves.

12. Lummie Greene - believe she was "Josh Greenes" sister. She was likely bringing their horse to "Ned" for shoes or something. He was a blacksmith and a farmer.

Family not appearing in this picture were oldest daughter of Ned and 1st wife, Martha Ann Dawes, named Mary L. "Mollie" Ellington-White, and her younger sister, Minnie Lee Ellington-Christie. Also a brother, 'James N. Ellington', who died as a boy.

*This log home is situated in Crockett Co. TN., in the area which was once on the boarder of Haywood and Madison Co., TN., before 1871. The home has been added on to and covered with plank siding, but still stands and is at the end of "Ellington Rd" in a triangle of an area between Walnut Hill Rd., off Hwy 412 West out of Jackson City, TN., & off the Lower Jackson to Bells Rd.

It is likely a part of the land which "Ned's" maternal grandfather, "Thomas Williams" owned and was awarded to his children at his death, including "Ned's" mother, Elizabeth Williams and her husband "John Ellington".

The Thomas Williams family cemetery where both Williams and Ellingtons are buried, as are other connected family members, is at the back of this property, contained within a fancy wrought-iron gate and fence. It is large for a family plot.

However, Richard Ellington and his son John Ellington both lived as neighbors to Thomas Williams in 1850, and while Richard Ellington's land was sold off after his death, I've not found any deeds showing that John sold his land. I believe he may have given it to his son "Ned", when John moved to White Co. AR., with his wife and younger children around 1858. This may be his land. A title search would be required to determine if this land was orginally the Williams land or the Ellingtons.