First in Ternnessee

Valentine Felty Vanhooser Jr.

The first Van Huss to come to Tennessee was Valentine Vanhooser Jr. His father Valentine Felty Sr. was originally from New York and Pennsylvania but moved to Rowan County, North Carolina around 1750, and later to Virginia prior to the outbreak of the American Revolution.

Valentine Jr. was born in Rowan County, Virginia in 1768 and arrived in Tennessee in 1795 at the age of 27. He was, at this time, settling on 100 acres of land in Carter County, Tennessee. Keep in mind, that at this time North Carolina and Tennessee were still one political unit. Carter County was at the time called Washington County. At the same time as Valentine was settling on his new farm, a son Mathias was born. By all accounts, he remained behind with his mother Catherine Worley in Wythe County Virginia.

Deed recorded in the Register of Deeds Office, Carter County relates: "On the 4th day of November, 1795, Richard Dobbs Straight, governor and commander in chief of the state of North Carolina" issues a warranty deed for the purchase by Valentine Vanhooser of 100 acres from the state of North Carolina.

The deed continues to describe the property by metes and bounds, that is the property began at Cobbs Creek.The land was in Washington County at the head of Cobbs Creek. The purchase price was the princely sum of 50 shillings an acre. At the time one North Carolina shilling equaled 9 British pence, or a little more than fifty cents, giving us an approximation of 25 dollars an acre.

The property description is:

a tract of land containing one hundred acres lying & being in our county of Washington on a branch of Cobbs Creek, beginning at a Linwood at the head of a spring, running north seventy one degrees, West one hundred & twelve poles to a black oak, thence North thirteen degrees, West sixty two poles to a white oak, thence North thirty five degrees, west fifty seven poles to a black oak on the side of a hill, thence North eighty six poles to a stake, thence South fifty nine degrees, East one hundred seventy five poles to a white oak, Corner to mofes (?). Running thence South one hundred and sixteen poles to a stake by the creek, thence East twenty five poles to a white oak, thence South thirty one poles to the beginning.

The deed was not recorded until August 23rd, 1797, which technically put it in violation of the grant which required recording the deed within 12 months, but no one has apparently ever raised the issue.

We don't know what the homestead of James Vanhooser looked like. Perhaps, it looked something like this. The property can be seen in the Cherokee National Forest, east and north of Elizabethton, near Lake Watauba. Look for Cobbs Creek Road.

Check the following ******************************************************************

To follow the genealogy of Valentine Vanhooser, go to genforum - Valentine VAN HUSS was born 14 FEB 1768 in Rowan Co., North Carolina, and died 1 MAR 1858 in Johnson Co., Tennessee. He was the son of 24. Valentine VAN HOOSER and 25. Maria Barbara ZERWE.

The following doesn't make sense...It  needs review...

The children of Valentine and his wife Catherine Worley are:

i. Michael VAN HUSS was born 6 JAN 1789 in Wythe Co., Virginia, and died 21 FEB 1875 in Lee Co., Virginia. He married Elizabeth ROSENBAUM 11 JUL 1809 in Wythe Co., Virginia, daughter of Anthonius Conradus ROSENBAUM and Elizabeth WORLEY. She was born ABT 1791 in Wythe Co., Virginia, and died 30 MAY 1874 in Lee Co., Virginia.

ii. Valentine VAN HUSS , Jr. was born ABT 1790. He married Elizabeth RAINBOLT. She was born ABT 1791 in Carter Co., Tennessee, and died 19 OCT 1826.

iii. Jacob VAN HUSS was born 21 OCT 1791 in Wythe Co., Virginia.

iv. Elizabeth VAN HUSS was born 17 SEP 1793 in Wythe Co., Virginia, and died 29 OCT 1826. She married John B. RAINBOLT JAN 1812 in Carter Co., Tennessee, son of Adam R. RAINBOLT and Hannah Jane POTTER. He was born 11 NOV 1788 in Washington Co. Tennessee (Now Carter Co.), and died 11 APR 1873 in Orange, Lawrence Co., Indiana.

v. Matthias VAN HUSS was born 27 OCT 1795 in Wythe Co., Virginia, and died 21 SEP 1856 in Carter Co., Tennessee. He married Elizabeth WORLEY 4 DEC 1817 in Wythe Co., Virginia, daughter of Valentine WORLEY and Maria Barbara SPRECHER. She was born 1798 in Wythe Co., Virginia, and died 1818 in Wythe Co., Virginia. He married Lavinia DUGGER 14 APR 1821 in Carter Co., Tennessee, daughter of William DUGGER and Nancy MILLARD. She was born 22 JUN 1795 in Carter Co., Tennessee, and died 28 MAR 1882 in Carter Co., Tennessee.

vi. Christopher VAN HUSS was born 1796.