Kit # 3109: Thomas Rice, b. 1801 NC, d. 1860 Miami Co., KS + Elizabeth Wood > Thomas Desom Rice, b. 1832 AR, d. 1872 Miami Co, KS + Catherine Lucretia Dedrick

Independent Participant: Nathaniel Rice b. 1794 NC, d. 1853 Randolph Co, MO + Ann Uzzell > Nathaniel Gray Rice, b. 1830 KY, d. 1913 Linn Co, OR + Elizabeth Montgomery

Kit # 3109 - Thomas Rice, b. 1801 NC: Our earliest known ancestor was Thomas Rice, a travelling merchant, who has been traced from Rowan County, NC, where he married in 1818-1819, through several counties in Tennessee, Illinois, Arkansas, Missouri, and finally, Kansas. This study is an attempt to connect our Thomas Rice to his family of origin. Since traditional records have not yet been found which prove his parentage, his male descendents are excellent candidates for Y-chromosome testing.

Thomas married Elizabeth Wood on 27 December 1818 or 1819 in Rowan County, NC (the bond says one year and the recording says another year). Her father, who died in 1817, was William Wood, and her mother was Rebecca, who died between 1821-1822. They left 11 children, and both deaths occurred in Rowan County. William Wood was the son of Garrett / Jarrett Wood who died ca. 1795 in Rowan County, and wife Rachel, who left 15 children.

Thomas and Elizabeth Wood Rice lived next door to Mary Rice, apparently a widow, on the Salisbury side of the 1820 Rowan County, NC, census. This is probably the same person as "Polly" Rice, widow, whose minor son, Enoch Rice, received a gift of 28 1/2 acres on Holman's Creek in 1816 from William Wood (father of Elizabeth Wood). This Enoch Rice, born ca. 1809, and the above Thomas Rice, born 1801, were later together on the 1833 Lawrence County, AR, tax list, and the 1840 Wayne County, IL, census. It is postulated that William and Enoch Rice were closely related.

Mary Rice was single even on the 1810 Rowan County, census, when she was enumerated one household away from William Wood.

Since Enoch Rice, the elder (whose wife was Polly), made his will in 1818, and it was proved in August Court in 1818, and the younger Enoch Rice's mother (also named Polly), was already a widow by 1816 (as per the gift to her son, Enoch), there were surely two women in Rowan County at the same time, both named Mary / Polly Rice.

It should be noted that there was a John Rice listed next door to a Thomas Story** on the 1787 Rowan County, NC, tax list. They lived very near Charles Payne, Richard Barnes, and Jarrett Wood, the grandfather of Elizabeth Wood. This may be the same John Rice who, in 1786, witnessed a deed between Samuel (X) Barnes to Jacob Peck for Lb. 100 specie, 200 A on both sides of S. fork of Swans Crk., being the land conveyed from James Patterson to this Grantor [ 10:461]. Wit: Lewis Winkler [signed in German], John (X) Rice. Rechel [sic] Barnes also signed. Prvd by Winkler at Aug Ct 1787.

Further, there was a Thomas Rice on the 1800 Rowan County census, age 26-45, with wife age 26-45, one female over 45, and three children under the age of 10. Although this census has been alphabetized, this Thomas Rice lived near the above Charles Payne, Richard Barnes, Jacob Peck, and several Wood families.

Was Mary the widow of Thomas Rice of the 1800 Rowan County census?

Collaboration with several Rice cousins has recently helped compile the following. Thomas and Elizabeth Rice Wood were the parents of five surviving children. Since this is a Y-chromosome study, a notation will be made of those few eligible grandsons who could potentially have had a male offspring eligible to test.

• (1) William Rice was born ca. 1820 in North Carolina, and married 1st Nancy Storey** in 1840 in Alexander County, IL. They divorced. With Nancy he had Amanda Jane and Thomas Jefferson Rice. The children of William Rice and Nancy Storey have been located in St. Genevieve, St. Francois, and Madison Counties, MO. Several of their family members were employed in the mining industry. William married 2nd Mary, of Fulton County, IL. With Mary he had Martha Ellen, Joseph D., and Mary Elizabeth Rice. After both William and Mary died in Illinois, these children were removed to Miami County, KS, to be reared by their grandmother, Elizabeth Wood Rice. Joseph D. Rice died leaving only two daughters, but Thomas Jefferson Rice left three sons.

• (2) Henderson Rice was born in 1825 White County, TN, and reared in Henry County, TN. He married 1^st (when he was a week short of age 16 years) to Rebecca McIntire in 1841 in Jefferson County, IL. He married 2nd Susan Randolph in 1858 in Leavenworth County, KS. With Rebecca he had Sarah, Mary, James M., Martha E., Artemisa Ellen, and Rebecca Jane Rice. With Susan he had Susan, Marcella K., Benznetta "Nettie," Ida, Francis "Fannie," Henderson, Jr., and William T. Rice. Henderson was a prominent Kansas legislator from Miami County. None of Henderson's three sons had a son.

• (3) Abram Rice was born ca. 1829 in Tennessee, and married Narcissa C. Bevill in 1846 in Henry County, TN. They had Rebecca Jane, John, William "Thomas," and Elizabeth Rice. Abram and family were enumerated near his father on the 1850 St. Francois County, MO, census, but Abram was deceased by 1860, and his family was back living in Henry County, TN. Their son, John Rice also died before 1860, but William "Thomas" Rice, b. ca. 1852 TN, was enumerated on the 1880 Lake County, TN, single, age 28. Although attempts to locate him in later records have not yet been successful, William "Thomas" Rice is being kept as a potential for having left a son.

• (4) Rebecca Jane Rice was born in 1829 in Tennessee, and married John B. Hinchey in 1849 in Henry County, TN. They were the parents of Mary C., Elizabeth (possibly Sarah Elizabeth), D. J. T. (male), Rebecca J., and Laura B. Hinchey. Rebecca Jane Rice Hinchey died in 1915 in Henry County, and there is a death certificate on file for her in Tennessee.

• (5) Thomas Desom Rice was born in 1832 in Arkansas Territory (uncertain if spelling of middle name is correct) and was mining for gold in California in 1860. He married Catherine Lucretia Dedrick in 1861 in Miami County, KS, and they had William "Wallace," Lily, Eliza "Alice," Nancy Jane "Rosa," and John Walter "Jack" Rice. Participant # 3109, now deceased, descends from Thomas Desom Rice, and there are now no other living male descendents of Thomas Desom Rice who carry the Rice surname.

In seeking another participant who descends from Thomas Rice, Sr., we can now see that there are only two possibilities:

1. William Rice who married 1st Nancy Storey, through their son, Thomas Jefferson Rice.
2. Abram Rice who married Nacissa C. Bevill, through their son, William "Thomas" Rice, last found on the 1880 Lake County, TN, census age 28, and single.

The following information may provide clues for further study:

The families of Thomas Rice, and sons Henderson and Abram Rice were listed on census records in 1850 St. Francois County, MO.

Thomas Rice and son, Henderson Rice, made the first settlement at Mound Creek, Mound Twp., in Lykins County, Territory of Kansas (now Miami County, KS), on 5 November 1854. Thomas Rice opened a store in Lykins County on 5 April 1856.

The 1855 Kansas Territorial Census, Lykins County, 5th District, listed William Rice, age 70, his unnamed wife, age 50, living next door to Henderson Rice (no age given, but he was age 30, with no wife or family listed). This census listed them as farmers who had emigrated from Illinois. No further information was provided on this census. Who was this older William Rice, with a younger wife?

In attempting to place Thomas Rice into a family in White County, TN, (where his son, Henderson Rice was born in 1825)

it should be noted that Theodrick B. Rice and William Rice were both enumerated on the 1820 census in White County, TN. In addition to these two men, the 1825 White County, TN, Tax List mentions Thomas Rice and a second man named William Rice. The composition of the wife and children in the Thomas Rice household on the 1830 White County, TN, census is an excellent fit for our subject, except that Thomas himself is listed as 20 years too old.

Rice researchers claim that Theodrick Rice was the son of Holeman Rice. Men named Holeman Rice and William Rice were listed as sons in the will of William Rice in 1806 in Rowan County, NC. A Y-chromosome test of descendents of Holeman or Theodrick Rice would be helpful.

Another prospect for a relative of our family was a William Rice, born ca. 1824 in Tennessee, who lived near Thomas, Henderson and Abram Rice in St. Francois County, MO, in 1850. At first I believed this to be William, the oldest son of Thomas and Elizabeth Rice. However, this William was married to Emeline and had five children. William and Emeline Rice were enumerated in 1860 on the Jefferson County, IL, census, with eight children. Although this William Rice was about the same age as William, son of Thomas Rice, his family composition does not fit William Rice who was single with three young children in 1860 in Fulton County, IL. However, it is intriguing to note that this unidentified William Rice was in Jefferson County, IL in 1860, the same county where Henderson Rice married Rebecca McIntire in 1841,and Enoch Rice married Sarah Whitman in 1831. It would be prudent to obtain a Y-chromosome test for a descendent of William and Emeline Rice, as well as Enoch and Sarah Rice. (It has been learned that Emeline's maiden name was Hawkins).

On a different note, there is a neighborhood pattern between the Rice and WEBB family in several states, which may be a clue to the extended family of Thomas Rice. Since the William Rice, age 70, born in NC, lived next door to Henderson Rice on the 1855 Kansas Territorial Census, (and both came from Illinois), locating an older man named William Rice who lived in Illinois in 1850, is suggested. Such a man was on the 1850 Greene County, IL, census, north of Apple Creek. He was William Rice, age 70, born in NC, and wife Elizabeth, age 60 born in VA, with son Moses Rice, age 23, born in TN. They lived next door to H. R. WEBB, age 35, born in KY, and his wife Sarah, age 30, born in TN, and the Webb's seven children. All seven children were born in Illinois, except for Mary, age four (b. ca. 1846), who was born in Missouri.

In tracing the children of Abram Rice, who went back to Tennessee after he had been in St. Francois County, MO, in 1850, two of them lived near or with WEBB families. Abram's daughter, Sarah Elizabeth Rice, born ca. 1854 in TN, married James B. Bevil in 1877 in Henry County, TN. On the 1880 census, Sarah and James Bevil lived with his parents, next door to Caroline WEBB, age 38, b. in TN, and her son, William Webb, age 2. Caroline and William Webb were enumerated as belonging to the black race. Abram's son, William "Thomas" Rice, b. ca.1852 in TN, was enumerated on the 1880 Lake County, TN, census, single, living with the family of Robert I. WEBB, age 46, born in TN, and his wife Harriett, age 36, born in TN.

There was a Jane Rice, widow, on the 1820 Rowan County, NC, census, who lived near three very wealthy WEBB families.

Finding William Rice, age 70, of Greene County, IL, beside a Webb family may be completely coincidental to the Jane Rice living near Webbs in 1820 in Rowan County, NC, and the children of Abram Rice living beside and with Webb families in 1880 in TN. However it offers an opportunity for further research.

Independent Participant - Nathaniel Rice, born ca. 1774 NC: I received an automatic email notice that an independent testee had matched the DNA of the descendent of Thomas Rice, born 1801. Correspondence with that family has revealed that the participant is a descendent of Nathaniel Rice, born 1774 in North Carolina, who was enumerated in 1820 Sumner County, TN, 1830 Hopkins County, KY, and 1840 and 1850 Randolph County, MO. Nathaniel married Ann Uzzell, daughter of Isom Uzzell, and died ca. 1853 in Randolph County, MO. Nathaniel and Ann Uzzell Rice were the parents of 12 children, including Nathaniel Gray Rice.

Nathaniel Gray Rice was born 7 September 1830 in Kentucky, and came to Randolph County, MO, with his parents and siblings, by 1840. He was enumerated with his parents on the 1850 census, where his age was listed as age 19 years. As a young adult, Nathaniel moved to Linn County, OR, where in 1860 he worked as a day laborer and lived in the home of James and Sarah McHargue. On 2 January 1862, he married Elizabeth Montgomery in Linn County, and they had been married 51 years at the time of his death.

Nathaniel Gray and Elizabeth moved with their children and her mother to Walla Walla, WA, where they lived for at least 20 years. In Washington, Nathaniel Gray was a farmer and raised livestock. The family returned to Linn County, OR, by 1900, and Nathaniel was engaged in general farming until his death in Brownsville, OR, on 9 November 1913. There is an Oregon death certificate for Nathaniel Gray Rice, and his widow, Elizabeth, provided the information that his mother's maiden name was Uzzell.

It should be mentioned that there are erroneous on-line Trees which attribute a man of similar name and age, Nathan Vincent Rice, born October 1831 in Tennessee, as the son of Nathaniel Rice and Ann Uzzell. Nathan Vincent Rice was married to Rhoda, and lived in Oregon County, MO, in 1870, and in Wayne County, MO, by 1880. If the 1880 census is accurate, some of their children were born in Alabama during the decade between 1870 and 1880. Nathan Vincent died before 1900, without death certificate or any documentary evidence linking him to his family of origin. The placement as Nathan Vincent as the son of Nathaniel and Ann seems to have been made on the basis that Nathaniel and Ann Uzzell Rice had a son named Nathaniel, and Nathan Vincent Rice is the right age to have been their son.

Note in the above 37-marker DYS chart, there are two one-step mutations between the descendents of Thomas Rice, born 1801, and Nathaniel Rice, born 1794. This difference is well within the acceptable limits for a recent common ancestor (within the past 300 years) for these two men.

After discovering the likely relationship between Thomas (1802) and Nathaniel (1774), consideration should be given to the will written by John Rice on 14 November 1796 in Caswell County, NC. His will mentioned his wife Lettisha, and children: son John Rice, deceased (whose widow was Susannah Rice), daughter Anna Williams, son Thomas Rice, daughter Mary Rice, son William Rice, and son Nathaniel Rice. His executors were sons William and Nathaniel Rice, and "son-in-law" John Rice (perhaps married to daughter Mary Rice, or a step-son by a previous marriage of Lettisha?).

The will was signed in the presence of John Rice, Robert Mitchell (Jurat), and John Henslee (Jurat), and proved by the oaths of Robert Mitchell and John Henslee, two subscribing witnesses thereto.

I very much appreciate the collaboration of Margaret Thompson, Pat Peck, Robyn Orchard, Martha Rice, Michael Miller, Janice Carpini, S. Strnad, Judy Belford, Larry Bethers, and Juli Jarvis. The recollections of the late Helen Rice Souder and the late Eva Rice McKenzie have been invaluable.

It is hoped that descendents of the sons William Rice or Abram Rice, can be located for collaboration and comparison to Participant # 3109, who descends from their brother, Thomas Desom Rice.

There have been three transmission events between Thomas Rice, born 1801 and Participant # 3109, and four transmission events between Nathaniel Rice, born 1794, and the Independent Participant.