Sarah Purley PURSLEY

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• _UID: 1291C37DBC2348ADB426C6E1FB74BC298C74

Family/Spouse: Henry FRENCH, Jr.. Henry was born in 1795; died in 1850. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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• _UID: 29F66967FDBF49E29B50059FC6A79A52BEA4

Notes:

From daughter Mary Virginia Frensley in 1940 narration:
"Mother kept toll gate, father a blacksmith. Mother and father separated. Mother had good neighbors and friends who came nobly to her help, and she had an indomitable will. She kept the toll gate, did fine sewing, cultivated a garden, was never idle. Though she was a Kentuckian (and always proud of it), her Virginia ancestry made her loyal to the Union during the Civil War. Her house was a home for homesick Union boys, and her young daughter (Addie) was a strong attraction added to the simple, but well-prepared food of mother's table. She braved many dangers during that troublesome period, but her courage never faltered, my brave, little mother."

Talitha married Thomas Osborn FRENSLEY on 11 Nov 1857 in Davidson County, Tennessee. Thomas (son of William Lee FRENSLEY and Susannah G. Elizabeth CHILES) was born on 4 Mar 1824 in Tennessee; died on 19 Dec 1881 in Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee; was buried in Whites Cemetery, Davidson County, Tennessee. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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• _UID: 995A43B94FAA4A5FAFB4115174E23C5E46CD

Notes:

From Virginia Frensley in 1940:

My Brother. Thomas Edward Frensley, born Sept. 1, 1858 on Whites Creek Pike. He had his mother's bright brown eyes and her big generous heart; he was built like my father not very tall and compact, strong armed. Chose to be a blacksmith, "the muscles of his brawny arms, Were strong as iron bands." He went to Mrs. White's school, then to Mims and Hughes, and for a short time to Montgomery Bell, but felt he must earn his own way and gave up school, to his mother's sorrow.

He married when he was 24, a good woman, Mary Gallagher, a Catholic, and he embraced the Catholic faith. They reared a large family. He was never wealthy but had a home and a modest competence when he died in Feb. 1940 five months after his wife He loved his kin and kept in touch with them, and he loved his mother and sister devotedly.

Thomas married Mary Elizabeth GALLAGHER on 5 Dec 1882 in Davidson County, Tennessee. Mary died in 1939. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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• _UID: C9EC7534A05B44ECAB72EC5BD5930FD73B92

Notes:

Text Document made in 1940 of Mary Virginia Hill Frensley on file.

PICTURE ON FILE. COPY OF DIARY ON FILE. BIRTH:ON WHITE'S CREEK ROAD. SUMMARY FROM VIRGINIA'S DIARY: WHEN I WAS ABOUT 5 YEARS OLD, WE MOVED TO TOWN (EDGEFIELD). THE OLDEST BOY GOT A JOB IN SUTHERLAND'S SAW MILL LOCATED ON THE RIVER BANK JUST NORTH OF WOODLAND ST. BRIDGE. THE YOUNGER DRAKE BOY GOT ODD JOBS AND LATER A JOB WITH THE L. & N. R.R. ADDIE WENT TO WORK WITH A NOTED DRESSMAKER. TOMMY HAD ATTENDED SCHOOL IN THE COUNTRY AND IN TOWN. HE WAS NEVER A BOOKISH LAD, HE WANTED TO WORK AND HELP HIS MOTHER, HE WAS NEVER LAZY. HE WORKED IN A BAKERY, GROCERY, GRIST MILL, LUMBER YARD. WHEN HE WAS ABOUT 15 HE HE WENT TO MONTGOMERY BELL SCHOOL FOR A SHORT TIME. THAT WAS HIS LAST SCHOOLING. I STARTED MY EDUCATION IN THE SCHOOL OF MRS. JACKSON B. WHITE, WHERE I SPENT 2 SESSIONS. I HAD LEARNED THE ALPHABET AND COULD READ PARROT FASHION MCGUFFEY'S FIRST READER FROM HAVING HEARD TOMMY READ. I STUDIED WEBSTER'S BLUEBACK SPELLING BOOK, AND LEARNED TO WRITE. I THEN WENT TO THE EDGEFIELD FEMALE ACADEMY ON THE CORNER OF WOODLAND AND 7TH. ST. I REMAINED THERE 2 YEARS ADVANCING LABORIOUSLY, WORKING HARD, BUT NEVER QUITE SUCCEEDING IN GETTING THE COVETED PINK TICKET REPOAR. WHEN I WAS ELEVEN, I ENTERED THE MAIN ST. SCHOOL IN THE 5TH GRADE, AND HERE I REMAINED UNTIL I GRADUATED. MY TEACHER WAS MRS. LIZZIE MILLER (OF BLESSED MEMORY). HOW I LOVED HER. SHE WAS THE PASSION OF MY CHILD HEART. SHE RECOGNIZED MY LONGINGS AND ASPIRATIONS AND BY SOME INTUITION, SHE DISCOVERED MY MODEST ABILITIES AND ENCOURAGED ME TO "HITCH MY WAGON TO A STAR". TIME WENT ON, AND I GRADUATED MAGNA CUM LAUDE, AS VALEDICTORIAN OF MY CLASS JUNE 1879. I BEGAN TEACHING AT SEARIGHT SCHOOL IN NORTH EDGEFIELD IN SEPT. 1879. THIS BEGAN 57 YEARS OF TEACHING FROM ABC'S AT SEARIGHT TO THE 12TH GRADE SENIORS AT HUME-FOGG.(AT THIS POINT VIRGINIA NAMES ALL THE SCHOOLS WHERE SHE TAUGHT AND THE ASSOCIATE TEACHERS AND PRINCIPALS). CONCLUSION:WHATEVER ABILITY I HAVE TO EXPRESS MYSELF IN WRITING, I OWE TO SARAH A. WHITE WHO TAUGHT ME IN THE 7TH AND 8TH GRADES. SHE DID EVERYTHING SHE COULD TO ENCOURAGE AND PUSH ME ALONG. I MUST OWE THE LOVE OF POETRY TO MY LITTLE MOTHER. SHE WAS ALWAYS CLIPPING POEMS FROM THE FEW PAPERS WE COULD AFFORD TO GET. I REMEMBER SHE HAD A VOLUME OF POEMS WRITTEN BY AMERICAN WOMEN POETS. I WISH I HAD IT NOW