| 8. | John^ Pollock was born about 1771 in Ireland or Pennsylvania (son of Robert^ Pollock, (immigrant) and Elizabeth^ Cowan, (Immigrant)); died between 1843 and 1850 in Bedford Co, Tennessee. Notes:
The earliest record found for one of Robert Pollock's sons was that of John Pollock who in 1790 appeared on the muster roll of a military unit composed of men from Washington, Sullivan, Green and Hawkins Counties. John Pollock also appeared on he militia roster of the Jefferson Regiment from Hamilton District in 1794 and a Jesse Pollock was on the Green Regiment roster from Washington District. Assuming that John Pollock was a young man about 20 years old in 1790, this would make him born about 1770. This approximation is corroborated by other evidence of his age: on the 1820 census of Bedford Co, TN he was listed as over 45 years of age (born before 1775).
Since no other Pollock men, except for the previously mentioned Jesse, seemed to have served in these units, it seems likely that John was the oldest son of Robert Pollock. This Jesse Pollock was probably from North Carolina and not related. He may have been the Jesse in Seriven Co, GA, in 1806. Robert's younger sons seem to have been born by 1785, judging from their appearance on tax rolls around 1805. This would perhaps set Robert's birth date at about 1740. By May, 1808, Robert's sons appear in the civil records of White Co, TN.
Son John Pollock removed to Bedford Co, TN, although just when is not certain. A William Polk had entered a land claim in Bedford Co. in 1807 on Big Flat Creek, the very area where John Pollock eventually settled, and perhaps this was the son William who had recently fled Anderson Co. John, however, was not listed on a tax roll taken in 1812, unless the John Polk shown was actually him. Joseph Hastings was listed on the 1812 tax roll, however, along with many of his North Carolina kinsmen. John was surely there by 1815 when his son Samuel married Susanna Hastings, although no records were found before February, 1819, when the heirs settled the estate of her father, Joseph.
According to family tradition, John Pollock manufactured gun powder on the Duck River. As previously discussed, he appeared on the 1820 census of Bedford Co, TN. He was listed between the households of Samuel Pollock and James Pollock. Robert Pollock was two households down from him. John's age was listed as over 45 (born before 1775) and the others were young men in their 20's or late teens. They are assumed to be his sons and there were also four other boys in his household, along with two girls and his wife. One of these boys may have been the William Pollock who purchased a tract of land in 1830 in Bedford Co. In 1830 John (listed as John Polk) was shown on the census as a man in his 50's and, therefore, born 1771-1780. This, in combination with the 1820 census, puts his birth in the period 1771-1774.
John Pollock's place of birth is subject to considerable debate. In 1837 in Bedford Co., his daughter Elizabeth married William H. Anthony, a Methodist minister of German descent. Their son, Roddy Anthony, stated that his mother's people (the Pollock's) came from Pennsylvania. He, as well as his brother James Frederick Anthony, said that their Pollock grandmother's name was Alsey. They said their mother had three brothers: John, Benjamin and Robert Pollock with no mention of a Samuel or James. Three of the children of John and Alsey were located in the very important 1880 census which asks the birthplace of a person's parents. The oldest sibling, Robert Pollock, age 81, was living in Bedford Co. He was listed in the household of his daughter Alcie Pollock Longley and he stated that both his father and mother were born in Ireland. His sister, Elizabeth Pollock Anthony, age 68, was living in Moore Co, TN, in 1880. She said that her parents were both born in North Carolina. Her brother Benjamin Pollock, age 77, was also in Moore Co. He said that his father was born in Pennsylvania and his mother had been born in North Carolina.
So, we have three siblings and three different places of birth for their father, John Pollock. Of course, this seems absurd, but it is not that unusual in genealogy where evidence is collected from older folks with their failing memories. The daughter's response of born in North Carolina, of course, contradicts evidence given by her sons as shown above. Discounting the North Carolina answer due to the contradiction, this surely means that the Pollock family was originally from Ireland and that they emigrated to Pennsylvania before the Revolutionary War. John was probably born near the time of the move, but whether in Ireland or in America cannot now be determined. Since they were Protestants, it is likely that they were of Scots-Irish descent from Northern Ireland and probably made their way down the Virginia valley from Pennsylvania perhaps staying in Virginia and/or North Carolina for a while.
John Pollock's wife was named Alsey (spelled variously as Alcie or Alcy) which at the time was a common nickname for Alice. Her maiden name is not known. Estimates of her age from census records are the same as her husband: born 1771-1774. Two of her children listed her birthplace as North Carolina which seems entirely consistent with the other evidence. If this were the case with the common migration patterns being what they were, then she and John were almost surely married sometime around 1790 in what is now eastern Tennessee. This would imply that she came to this area when her family went west from the Carolinas. John and Alsey Pollock were probably in Sullivan Co. when their oldest child John Pollock was born.
Among John Pollock's sons and grandsons, there seemed to be fewer farmers than would be expected and many more carpenters and skilled craftsmen, with the novel occupation of wagon maker (or wagon wright) occurring several times. The occupation of wagon maker was extremely rare in the census records of small Tennessee towns of the mid-1850's. Pollock wagon makers found on the census so far are as follows: John Pollock (Robert, Sr's g-g-grandson), Joseph H. Pollock (Robert, Sr's g-g-grandson), and Benjamin Pollock (g-grandson to Robert, Sr.). It would be most interesting to learn the occupation of John's son Samuel since two of the wagon makers were his sons.
(A portion of "Descendants of Robert Pollock of Early Eastern Tennessee" by John C. Barron)
From the Seibel Family Genealogy the following was found:
John was found with Robert Pollock Esq., Robert Pollock, Jr., Benjamin Pollock and Joseph Pollock. A son-in-law said the Pollocks were from Pennsylvania. John began military service in 1790 performing service in 1790 against the Chickamouga Indians and in a group from Washington, Sullivan, Green and Hawkins counties. In 1793 he was in Gen. John Sevier's Etowah Campaign in Capt. Samuel McGaughey's company. In 1798 in Knoxville, TN, John and Philimon Higgins received a passport to go with their families from Knoxville to Stogdon's Valley [Stockton's Valley?] on the Cumberland River by way of Johnson's ferry on the Clinch River. In 1801 and 1806 he is listed as living in Anderson Co., TN; in 1812 he lived in Bedford Co., TN. He served in the War of 1812 as a corporal in Capts. Wm. Corothers & James Shenaults Bedford Co. inf companies under Col. John Winn and Robert Steel. [http://seibelfamily.net/John1771.htm]
John^ married Mrs. Alice^ "Alsey" (..) Pollock about 1790 in Tennessee. Alice^ was born about 1771 in North Carolina; died before 1850 in Bedford Co, Tennessee. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
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1853 - Aft 1870 (> 18 years)