At this time the only source for determining how many children Moses Arterberry had would be the existing census records.  We already know that early records for Jackson County, Tennessee were unfortunately destroyed and that their earliest marriage and probate records begin in 1870.  Before we get into these census records, my correspondences with several dedicated Arterberry researchers back in the 1980s and 1990s, brought up a few lists of possible children for Moses. Please keep in mind that the following lists are of POSSIBLE children.  Further proof and research is needed to connect them to Moses as his child.

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List #1 - from Wayne Atteberry (dated 18 Feb 1989):
1.  Thompson - born 1806
2.  (daughter) - born circa 1804-1810
3.  James - born circa 1810 SC; married Jane _____
4.  (daughter) - born circa 1810-1820
5.  Dicy - born circa 1810-1820; married William GRISSOM
6.  (daughter) - born circa 1810-1820
7.  Wiley - born circa 1825 TN
8.  Bennett

List #2 - from Sharon Atteberry:
1.  Lorenze
2.  Thompson
3.  George Washington - born 1808 TN
4.  possibly Dicy - born 1820
5.  Wiley

List #3 - from Wanda Walters:
1.  James
2.  Thompson
3.  George Washington
4.  Moses Jr. - born circa 1818 TN; died before 1870 AR; married Vinia ______ circa 1841 in AR.
5.  Wiley C.
6.  Nancy - born 2 Sep 1828 Arcot Community, Jackson Co., TN; died 22 May 1887 Arcot Community, Clay Co. (formerly Jackson Co.), TN; buried
        at Plumlee Cemetery, Dry Creek, Clay Co., TN; married Samuel "Black Sam" Plumlee, circa 1845 Jackson Co., TN.
7.  Bennett

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The earliest census we have for Moses Arterberry is the 1800 Chester Co., SC census.  He would have been around 16 to 20 years old, being born circa 1780-1784.  His father Nathan had died a few years earlier in 1796.  I believe that Moses was not married at this time but was the oldest male in the household with his widowed mother and younger siblings still at home.  If Moses was married, he married at a young age and his wife was likely in the age 10-16 bracket.  

1800 Chester Co., SC census, page 84:
Males:  1 age 0-9 (1791-1800); 1 age 16-25 (1774-1784) [Moses]
Females:  1 age 0-9 (1791-1800); 2 age 10-16 (1784-1790); 1 age 26-45 (1755-1774) [his mother?]

Moses Arterberry was still in Chester Co., SC up until December 1807 and sometime around 1808 he and his young family pulled up their roots for the move to Tennessee.  Unfortunately there is no 1810 census for Tennessee so we have to look at 1820 and later censuses.

1820 Jackson Co., TN census (page 1 of actual census, page 59 of microfilm):

1) (a female) -- born circa 1804-1810.  This child could be the oldest one or a relative or friend who was living with them.  She likely was married (or deceased)
        by 1830 census.  She could fit in as a daughter between Thompson (1806) and James (c1810).

2)  (a male) -- born circa 1804-1810.  This is likely Thompson who was born 19 Mar 1806.  He was listed as Thomas on 1830 census as married and a head
        of his own household.  He married Elizabeth JOHNS by 1830.  Died 25 Apr 1872 in Monroe Co., KY.

3)  (a male) -- born circa 1804-1810.  This is likely James who was born circa 1810.  He was on 1830 census as married and with a family.  Or is this George
        Washington, born circa 1808, who was also married and with family on 1830 census?

4)  (a female) -- born circa 1810-1820.  Believe her to be the female born circa 1810-1815 on 1830 census.  Not on 1840 census.  Married or deceased?

5)  (a female) -- born circa 1810-1820  Believe her to be the other female born circa 1810-1815 on 1830 census.  Not on 1840 census.  Married or deceased?

6)  (a female) -- born circa 1810-1820.  This could be Dicy who was born circa 1820.  She was not on 1840 census and married to William GRISSOM by then.

Moses Arterberry, now age about 36 to 40, was apparently without a wife on this 1820 census so was he widowed by then and married again shortly after the census and before 1825?  Could this second wife be a Coleman which would explain the middle name Coleman for Wiley Coleman Arterberry IF that's his middle name?  

Also, could Moses' first wife be a Thompson?  If so, then it could be the reason why a son was named Thompson Arterberry.

Other Arterberry families in Jackson Co. on 1830 census include Elijah Arterbury and Priales Arterbury (female).

Now on to the 1830 Jackson Co., TN census (page 118) for additional children:

7)  (a female) -- born circa 1820-1825.  This female was not on the 1840 census.  Married or deceased by then.

8)  (a male) -- born circa 1820-1825.  This is believed to be Wiley C. who was born 1825.  He was still at home on 1840 census.

9)  (a female) -- born circa 1825-1830.  This is believed to be Nancy, born 1828, and still at home on 1840 census.

The 1830 census listed Moses with a female age 40-50 (same as his), making her born circa 1780-1790.  I suspect she was his second wife and the mother of children #7, 8, and 9.

Other Arterberrys on the 1830 census include James (age 20-30), Sarah (age 20-30), Thomas (age 20-30) [Thompson], and George (age 20-30).  James fits in as a possible son from the 1820 census.  George does not fit in as a son unless James was not Moses' son.  According to Sharon Atteberry, her ancestor George was married to Joanna OLIVE by 1826.  So which one, James or George, would child #3 be?  George was in Polk Co., MO on 1840 census and in Dallas Co., MO on 1850 census. James may be the same one who went to Hamilton Co., IL where he was on 1850, 1870 and 1880 censuses.  Also, George or James could be a son of Elijah and/or Priales (female) from the 1830 census.

The last known census for Moses, the 1840 Jackson Co., TN census, showed him with no additional children and again without an older female around his age. Did his second wife die before the 1840 census?  Only two other young individuals, a male age 15-20 who is likely the child #8 and a female age 10-15 likely the child #9.

Other Arterberrys on this 1840 census include Thompson Atterbury and William GRISSUM (husband of Dicy Arterberry).

Sometime after the 1840 census Moses Arterberry died.  When and where?  We don't know yet but it's very likely he died in Jackson Co. in Arcot Community.  And that he died before the 1850 census.  In 1840 he was about 56 to 60 years old.  

Who was Moses' wife?  Again, we don't know for sure.  Many genealogists have her as Mary and Mary ALEXANDER.  But where's the proof of that?  I do not have a record for Moses that showed his wife's name.  If anyone can add to this or have a record of her name, PLEASE let me know so I can update this article.  Your name will be listed as the submitter of the information.  I suspect Moses was married twice as noted above.

Your input is ALWAYS welcome.  This is a work in progress and has been since the 1980s.  Please do not copy this article and post it elsewhere.  You are welcome to link to this page.  Thank you.

But wait a minute, who was Bennett Arterberry's father?  Was he Moses?

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Nova Lemons
lemstar97yahoo.com




Who Were Moses Arterberry's Children?
by Nova A. Lemons (c) 2016
(article updated 30 May 2016)