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History Of Dr. John Witherspoon Pettigrew McGimsey Dr. John Witherspoon Pettigrew McGimsey, son of Col. John and Flora (Witherspoon) McGimsey, was born May 27, 1796, in Burke County, N.C. He married Rowena Jassey or Jossey Nov. 9, 1821, in Columbia, TN. Dr. J.W.P. McGimsey practiced medicine in Columbia, TN, where he was a partner for many years with Dr. W. H. Brown. He dealt in real estate and he and Rowena had four children, Rowena Caroline, born March 1820, died July 23, 1827. Sarah Christina born in April and died in Sept.. 1827. J. W. P. Jr. born in 1822 and died in 1850. Mary Flora was born 1824, in Columbia, TN. Mary Flora was a witness to the handwriting of her step-mother's (Martha M. C. McGimsey) hand written will the 12th day of Jan. 1885, in Baton Rouge, LA. She never married, and she died in Baton Rouge, LA, March 15, 1889, at the age of 66. She is buried in Magnolia Cemetery, Baton Rouge, LA. My wife and I, along with our children Joey, Cassie, Brian and my sister, Mary Louise (McGimsey) Bennett and my niece, Sandra Elaine Bennett saw the tombstone in June 1979. Sandra Elaine Bennett is the daughter of my sister, Ruby (McGimsey) Bennett. Rowena (Jassey or Jossey) McGimsey was born Dec.. 1, 1797 and died in April 1827, in 30th year. According to records in "They Passed This Way" a book by Lightfoot and Shackleford in the Maury County Library, Columbia, TN, she was buried in the Jonathan Webster Cemetery, Cross Bridges, TN. Also, her daughters, Rowena Caroline and Sarah Christina are buried there. Although the report did not say that Rowena died in childbirth, that would be my conclusion, since Sarah Christina was born in April 1827, and Rowena died in April 1827. My wife, Belinda and I did a little research in Columbia, TN July 11, 1979. Dr. J. W. P. McGimsey married his second wife, Martha M. C. Gillespie in 1830. However, they were not married in Maury County, TN, and not listed in the 1830 census of Central Tennessee. The only McGimsey listed was a Mary McGimsey of Bedford County , TN, as having 1 male 10-15, 1 male 30-40, 1 female 10-15, 1 female 15-20, an 1 female 30-40. I believe that this Mary McGimsey is the widow of John W. McGimsey. It is believed that he is the son of John McGimsey and the daughter of Joseph and Sarah Lewis of York County Pa. Dr. J. W. P. McGimsey and Martha M. C. McGimsey must have been living in Madison County, MS in 1834, when J. W. P. wrote to Joseph Erwin of Morganton, N.C. His son James Gillespie McGimsey was born in Madison County, MS in 1836. From 1830 through 1833 we do not know where they lived in TN. The 1850 census of East Baton Rouge Parish listed their daughters, Martha and Eudora, as being born in TN. The 1840 census of Madison County, listed John W. P. McGimsey as being between 30-40. He had 2 males under 5, which would be James, 4 and William Champe, 1. One male was shown to be between 15-20. This would be John W. P. Jr. born in 1822. He would have been 18. He was listed as having 2 females 5-10. Martha Elizabeth would have been 9 going on 10, and Eudora would have been 6. He was shown as having three females 15-20, one of these would be Mary Flora, she would have been 16. The other two are not his children. We have not been able to identify the two s as of Aug.. 31, 1995. He was listed as having one female 30-40, which would be Martha, his wife, who would have been 32. A James Gillespie was also listed on their census of Madison County, MS, who had one male 20-30; two males 30-40; of which I would assume James Gillespie was one of them. He was also listed as having one male 60-70. He had one female 15-20 and one female 60-70. Martha M. C. McGimsey had a brother named James, who we think this James Gillespie is, and the male and female 60-70 years old would have been their parents Col. John McGimsey, was listed as having three males in the 1810 census of Burke County, N.C. J. W. P. would have been 14, William 16, and someone else about 18. The 1810 census read as follows: one male under 16; two males under 26; one male 45+; and one female 45+. Colonel John McGimsey and Flora Witherspoon were married August 4, 1790. My Aunt Mary (McGimsey) Staples lists the family moving to Canton, Madison County, MS. in 1835, where they remained until 1849, when they moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. We have a copy of the 1850 census of East Baton Rouge Parish, LA, the 9th ward, showing John W. P. and Martha along with Mary Flora age 24, who is J. W. P. and Rowena's daughter. Vance McGimsey age 21, J. W. P. McGimsey's nephew, the son of his deceased brother William McGimsey. Martha age 18, daughter of J. W. P. and Martha. James age 13, son of J. W. P. and Martha. Virginia Paxton age 4, daughter of Martha's deceased sister, and Mary Paxton age 1, also the daughter of Martha's deceased sister. The 1850 census also listed the value of real estate owned as $20,000, in East Baton Rouge Parish. In the 1860 census of East Baton Rouge Parish, J. W. P. McGimsey is listed as being 64, his occupation as physician. Martha M. C. McGimsey age 51, Mary Flora age 34, William Champe age 21 along with Martha E. Paxton, age 17, Margaret Paxton age 14, and Mary Paxton age 11. Martha Elizabeth, Eudora, James Gillespie and Robert Vance were not living at home with J. W. P. and Martha in 1860. James Gillespie must have been away at school, somewhere other than East Baton Rouge Parish. < Joe McGimsey [email protected] Last updated on February 04, 1999 Return To Top | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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