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Richard Mullinix
Richard Mullinix, born near 1740 in Susser County, Delaware, inherited the family
dwelling and half the plantation of William W. Mullinix, his father. He married Elizabeth
Poynter whose family owned land in Somerset County, Maryland. Records indicate that
Richard paid no taxes on this land and by 1776 his younger brother, William, had control
of the entire plantation. It is believed that Richard Mullinix and his wife Elizabeth left
Delaware for the uplands of North Carolina shortly after their marriage, possibly in the
Late 1760's. Very little is available on frontier families in North Carolina and
Tennessee. It is proven that Richard Mullinix lived in Green County, Tennessee during the
1790's, in Barren County, Kentucky from 1802 to 1807, and thereafter in Fentress County,
Tennessee until his death sometime in the 1820's. Richard and Elizabeth had eight children
that were born between 1760's to 1780's. Nathaniel Mullinix will continue this line,
Nathaniel Mullinix was born (presumably) in Tennessee in the 1770's. He and his parents
moved to Barren County, Kentucky. Nathaniel met a girl by the name of Delilah -- whom he
Later married. Records for divorces in Overton show a petition for divorce in 1820.
Nathaniel did not show up, and Delilah was granted a divorce. The defendant (Nathaniel)
was found guilty of acts and deeds not consistent with the marriage vows. Nathaniel is
Listed as a property owner in the 1810 Book of Surveys From 1807-1813. This piece of
ground was described as 80 seres in Poplar Cove on the headwaters of Obey River This same
land grant was sold by Nathaniel in 1820 which was the same year his wife Delilah sued for
divorce. The Federal Census of 1830 showed Nathaniel Mullinix with several small children
in his home and a young woman, presumed to be his second wife, Sallia Mayberry. The area
in which they lived was called Boatland because of the flatboats that were built to
transport tar and turpentine to Nashville and other markets. Nathaniel had, aswellas can
be determined, four children. Nathan John Mullinix, his first son, will continue this
line.
Nathan John Mullinix was born in Barren County, Kentucky. At this time his father
Nathaniel owned 100 seres on the East Fork of the Big Barren. As stated above, his parents
moved from Kentucky back to Tennessee to the Boatland area. Nathan John met and married
Margaret Wright in 1835. They lived and worked in Fentress County and both died in
Fentress County. Nathan John died in 1872 and his wife died in 1987. They had nine
children. The children were Caroline, Joel, John W., Mary, Nancy, Zilpha, N. Anderson,
Margaret, and Melinda. These children were born to Nathan John and Margaret between 1836
and 1857. Nathan's position on the Civil War is not known, but his cousins and nephews
from ELi's family were enlisted in the Union Army. Two of these soldiers starved to death
on Belie Island, and one was moved to Andenon Prison until the war ended. The Mullinixes,
it is believed, did not own slaves as was the case with most families of this area, and
their position on slavery is not known. Fentress County, however, was badly polarized over
this issue. The history of John W. Mullinix will continue this line.
by Bruce Mullinix
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