Summary |
William F. Long was the eldest son of
Joseph Long,
Senior, and Catherine Foster. William F. Long was born in Virginia on August 31,
1794. He married Elizabeth Black on July 29, 1824. He was a merchant in Shelbyville,
Tennessee, and suffered many professional setbacks. His wife died in childbirth at age
37, leaving him to care for their ten other children. He married a second time, but
not well. He died in 1841, leaving his children scattered among relatives. | ||
Early Census Data |
William F. Long can be identified in Lincoln County,
Tennessee from 1820 until after 1830. He is shown in the 1820 census of Lincoln County,
Tennessee, as over 25 and under 45 years of age, the only one in the household. He was
listed as the postmaster at Lynchburg, Lincoln County, Tennessee, in 1821. William F. Long is listed in the 1830 census of Lincoln County, Tennessee, on page 212. The listing shows three males aged 30-40, four aged 20-30 and one under 5. Females include one 20-30, one 15-20 and three under 5. In 1830, the known children of William F. and Mary Elizabeth Long would have been James age 4, and the girls: Jane age 3, Sophia age 2, America about 1. That accounts for the children in that census. The other six males 20-40 and one female 15-20 were probably other relatives. | ||
Foster History |
William F. Long's uncle, Thomas Boyd Foster, wrote a family
history in 1893. Foster wrote:
T. Boyd Foster's grandfather, William Foster, left a will in Wythe County, Virginia. It was dated 20 May 1803 and named sons James, William and Robert and daughters Mary, Margaret, Martha, Katherine and Isabell. Grandchildren were also named as heirs of Thomas and Mary Foster, so a son Thomas was apparently deceased. Mr. Foster had a good part of his family detailed, but was without information on some of the relatives. He may be forgiven for having the birth order wrong for his cousins. There was apparently no close communication between them. But Foster's work, combined with that of Enid Long Barker gives us a wonderful background on the family. | ||
Business |
A newspaper in Lincoln County, dated 14 Aug 1830,
announced that William F. Long had dissolved a business partnership with his
brother Joseph Long, Jr. Dissolving the partnership does not appear to have harmed
the relationship, as Joseph trusted his brother to be administrator of his estate.
Perhaps it was in 1830 that William F. Long & Co. moved to Bedford County,
Tennessee. Bedford�s county seat is Shelbyville. Shelbyville suffered serious damage in May of 1830. The town "was swept by a terrible tornado, which destroyed the court house, the Methodist Church, and quite a number of other brick buildings, and killed and wounded a number of people. Those who were killed were James Newton, David Whitson, __ Arnold, __ Reideout and ___ Caldwell." The tornado may have had nothing to do with William F. Long locating there. It is interesting to imagine what things were like. In any case, his business seems to have been in Shelbyville through 1837. A newspaper ad in The People's Advocate of 30 August 1838, reveals that his store had been on the east side of the public square in Shelbyville in 1837, when it was replaced by a store owned by the Coldwells. REMOVAL T. M. & J. C. Coldwell Have removed to the house recently occupied by W. F. Long on the east side of the public square, where they expect to remain permanently. They intend keeping a general assortment of seasonable goods to which they would invite the attention of those who may want good bargains for cash, or on the usual credit. Jan. 5, 1838Joseph Long, who was married to Matilda Flack, died 6 Sept 1838. Joseph's will was proven in Lincoln County, Tennessee, naming as executors "my brother William F. Long and Rufus K. Flack". Rufus Flack was apparently Matilda's brother. Rufus K. Flack was born about 1809, according to the 1850 census. Matilda was born in 1804. As an administrator of his brother's estate, William F. Long had numerous difficulties. The records of the Chancery Court of Lincoln County, Tennessee, pp. 315-322 include a petition by William F. Long stating that the estate of Joseph Long appeared insufficient to cover debts. Long requested that all claims be paid pro rata. He stated that, "Joseph Long incurred heavy responsibilities as a member of the firm of Wm. F. Long & Co., which firm is now indebted to at least the amount of twenty thousand dollars." That was a substantial debt in the 1830's. While in Shelbyville, William was also in business with Medicas A. Long, according to papers in the estate of Warner Brown in Talladega, Alabama. Those papers name Medicus A. Long of Tallahassee, Florida, "formerly in business with William F. Long, attorney in Shelbyville, Tennessee". In this document, the word "attorney" is meant to describe M. A. Long, not William F. Long. Medicus A. Long's occupation is given in the 1850 census as attorney at law. Medicus A. Long married Ellen Call in Leon County, Florida 19 June 1844. The couple is listed in that county in the 1850 census. Medicus was 36, an attorney, with property valued at $20,000. He is not listed with the family in the 1860 census. His obituary in the Austin American Statesman implies that he was practicing law in Austin, Texas in 1855-56. Medicus A. Long died in Austin, Texas, 21 Sept. 1885. An ad in the Shelbyville newspaper, The People's Advocate reads, "Law Notice M. A. Long & H. M. Watterson Have associated themselves in the Practice of the law in Bedford County. Their office is the same heretofore occupied by Gilchrist and Long, on the west side of the public square. June 28, 1838". The Chancery Court records book of Bedford County for the years 1830-1842, p. 326, indicates that in 1833 William Gilchrist was a lawyer in Bedford County; that he left Tennessee in 1836, and was in Little Rock, Arkansas in January 1839. In 1832, the United States government obtained land in Alabama which had been the home of Creek Indians. When it was opened for settlement, William's sisters Mary and Anna, with their husbands, joined the migration to Talladega County, Alabama. William F. Long also bought property there. On 29 October 1836, he bought for $3200, the north half of section 35, township 18, range 5E in Talladega County, Alabama. He sold that property to John Long of Talladega County, on 31 August 1839. It is not known whether or not William lived in Alabama during 1836-1839. As executor of the estate of James Brittain, William F. Long asserted in court that "James Brittain left his business in a very damaged condition and his estate greatly indebted". On January 15, 1840, William F. Long answered a suit against him in the Chancery Court of Bedford County, Tennessee. The suit asserted that as executor of the will of James Brittain who died in "June or July 1833", Long sold Theodorick F. Bradford 75 acres of Brittain's land for on $1100 when it was worth $1500 to $2000.. The suit contended that more was offered by "other persons who were more solvent", showing there was "fraud in the sale from Long to Bradford. [Also that] ...they were very intimate friends, that they were then engaged in building or about to engage in building the Western Manufacturing establishment, and were actually engaged in issuing change tickets of that institution, and were mutually engaged, either by contract or otherwise, to advance the pecuniary interests of each other...at and since that time until they failed and became insolvent which was some time in the spring of the present year." William answered on 15 January 1840, that the land was properly advertised for sale and that "from the time when the cholera scourged Shelbyville which was in 1833 until a year or two back, real estate in Shelbyville and its vicinity was much lower in value and more unsalable than for several years before that period." The land was sold on 8 Feb 1836. Long also denied any interest in the Western Manufacturing establishment. The suit was dismissed. These statements by James Wortham indicate that the business of Bradford and William F. Long had failed and become insolvent "in the spring" of 1837, '38 or '39. | ||
Death and Estate Settlement |
William's wife, Mary Elizabeth, apparently died in childbirth. The Long Family Record
states that she was "Elizabeth Black". In the Cowan Cemetery behind the First
Baptist Church in Shelbyville, Tennessee is a tombstone that reads "Mary
Elizabeth, Consort of W. F. Long died June 2, 1839 Aged 37 years, 4 months, 3
days "With her Infant Daughter who lies here in her arms". After the death of Mary Elizabeth Black Long, William married again. Medicus A. Long witnessed the prenuptial agreement on 10 March, 1841, in Bedford County, Tennessee between William F. Long and Mary Frazier Temple. William F. Long died about September 1841. He resided in Talladega County, Alabama, at the time of his death, but apparently died elsewhere. On 28 December 1841 a suit brought by William F. Long & Co. and Samuel Doak vs The Union Bank of Tennessee was revived in the name of Rufus K. Flack for the firm of William F. Long & Co. In it, Long's death was confirmed On 1 February 1842, James Long, administrator of the estate filed a "Sale Bill of W F Long Estate". The items sold from the estate included many books. Wm S Carpenter bought Watsons Institutes, a grammar and geography and others. B S. Watson paid $3.75 for Goldsmiths Animated Nature and $.75 for American Farmer. Uriah Evans bought Wesley Sermons, Christian Masters and Burks Dictionary. The widow Mary Long spent $29.12 1/2 for 1 pair tongs, 1 fine carpet, 1 barrow, 1 pot rack, 1 coffee mill, 1 mantle glass, 1 oven, 1 pot, 1 soap dish, 1 lot sundrys. James Long made by far the largest purchase. He paid $1 for Wesleys Philosophy, $52.18 for a secretary and bookcase, $3.75 for a desk, $5.50 for Encyclopedias, $1.25 for 2 Testaments and $113.25 for a brooch. Perhaps it was originally his mother's brooch. Andrew Whittenburg bought a Negro woman named Judy. Two of William's daughters made purchases. Sophia Long paid $4.75 for a pair of hand irons, a carpet, a brass kettle and a hearth rug. Jane Long bought a hearth rug, 3 beds furniture, 3 bed steads, 1 set of chairs and 1 hand bell for a total of $4.50. Other purchasers at the sale included Warner Brown, Joseph Coker, A J Cotten, William Whittenburg and James J/I Carpenter. The surviving minutes of the county court of Bedford County, Tennessee record a suit filed by John Long, administrator of William F. Long deceased versus Mary Long and Preston Frazer, 27 December 1842 (p.227). Preston Frazer shortly after the death of said William F. Long secretly and without authority took from the pockets of said Long, the sum of $105.75 to which he had no right whatever. It is therefore ordered, decreed by the court that he pay to complainant John Long administrator of said William F. said sum of $105.75 together with the further sum of $8.00 interest there on to this time. In his will, Mary's son, William P. Temple, named Preston Frazer as his uncle. Dr. Preston Frazier is buried in Bedford County. He died 31 December 1865, age 65 years. Perhaps Frazier was the doctor in attendance when William F. Long died, removing the money from Long's pockets for safe keeping. Frazier�s sister, Mary, seems to have had a rather rocky relationship with William F. Long's extended family. They may have had good cause to distrust her. On 24 February 1846, the Chancery Court of Bedford County, Tennessee, ruled that "the conveyance made by Mary Temple to her children...dated 11 July 1842...was made to hinder, delay and defraud the creditors of said Mary Temple." Her character certainly appears to have been questionable. In the Circuit Court of Talladega County, Alabama, reference is made [January Term 1848 Book 16, Part 1, p. 172] to "a promissory note made by John Long, James Long and William F. Long, 14 February 1840. At time of note, the makers all resided in Talladega County. William F. Long left the State and died previous to maturity of note (note was due 25 December 1841). John Long was in Tennessee when note became due and James Long was in Talladega on that day but left immediately after for that State; and returned with John on 9 January 1841....James Long administered on William F. Long's estate in Talladega and John Long was his administrator in Tennessee James Long resided in Talladega up to last of January 1842, when he removed to Randolph County where he remained until the last of January 1844; he then returned to Talladega County and has resided there ever since. He administered on the estate of William F. Long after latter's death, about Sept. 1841. Present suit was instituted in January 1844." In Deed Book E in Talladega, Alabama, p. 460 ff, 1 Aug 1845, William P. Chilton buys property of William F. Long, deceased, from a judgement for Warner Brown against "John & James Long & Mary the widow, James B., Jane, Sophia, America, Henry, Elizabeth, Amanda, Matilda Claiborne & Polly Ann Long the children of William F. Long, deceased." The Talladega County, Alabama, Orphans Court records page 437, dated 2 April 1847 shows: William F. Long died leaving children and widow. Heirs as follows viz/: James B about 15 years old & Mary Ann 8 or 9 years residing in Tennessee, Claiborn 4 years old, Matilda 5 or 6 years Amanda about 9 years old, William about 12 years America C about 14 years, Sophira about 15 year, Jane about 16 years - all in Alabama, Talladega County - except the two first mentioned children of said William F. Long and his widow (Mary Temple) (late Long). | ||
Children |
The children of William F. Long and Mary Elizabeth Black were:
| ||
Family Story |
The family of William F. Long told this story:William Long lived in Shelbyville, Tennessee during the time he was married to Elizabeth Black, who died in Tennessee. During the war of 1812 he was sick in bed when his two brothers went to enlist in the army. He wept bitterly when he found they had gone without him. When his wife died he went to Alabama for 2 years, taking his children to his two sisters there. At the end of the 2 years he returned to Tennessee to settle his estate and while there married again. This second marriage proved to be an unhappy one. He was considered a very wealthy man but his slaves were freed by the war and, according to relatives, his 2nd wife took over everything else he had. He was paralyzed for years before his death and his children were not allowed to come home to see him. The eldest son of William F. Long suffered a "paralytic stroke" before his death. Perhaps the stress of the last five years of his life brought on a similar fate for William. Since he married in March of 1841 and died September the same year, he was probably not "paralyzed for years". He had likely taken most of his children to his sisters in Alabama before his marriage, and when word came that he had been stricken, it seemed like years to the children before they had word of his death. They probably did not see him again, and no doubt blamed the step-mother. Mary Frazier Temple Long may have been an unwelcome step-mother for most of the children. The eldest son, James Black Long may well have remained in Tennessee with some of his mother's family at age 15. Mary (Polly) Ann, "age 8 or 9", may have been happy with her step-mother and remained in Tennessee, eventually marrying into the Brittain/Britton family. Most of the children of William F. and Mary Elizabeth Black Long stayed close to the rest of the family. |