52 ANCESTORS in 52 WEEKS, #9 : Whitehead JOYNER

Following the challenge of writing 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, issued by Amy Johnson Crow, here is my 9th installment, for Whitehead JOYNER, my children's 4th great-grandfather, on their father's mother's line.

Although I haven't done much research on Whitehead, I'm including him in this challenge, to remind myself of the many details I need to search for.  Plus, I simply love his name.  When I found his first name listed as the father on a daughter's marriage, I had to smile and say "Yeah - another surname to search for!"  

Whitehead was born 17 Jun 1765, in Sumner county, Tennessee, the second child/second son of Matthew JOYNER and Mary WHITEHEAD. His parents married about 1762 in Edgecumbe NC.  However, it could be that he and all the children were born in North Carolina where both parents are said to be born - in Edgecumbe [Edgecomb?] or Wake county or Northampton county.  There are confusing stories about the places where the first Joyner families lived.  Mary Whitehead died about 1773, leaving 3 boys and a daughter; Matthew married before 1777 to Lydia Griffis/Griffiths and had 9 more children [2 boys, 7 girls]. 

On 27 Jun 1793, in Sumner county Tennessee, Whitehead married Lucy TAYLOR, daughter of Robert TAYLOR and Nancy HERRING, from North Carolina. The Taylor family had moved to Sumner county Tennessee from North Carollina.  

Whitehead & Lucy had 7 living children that I've been able to find, all born apparently in Sumner county, TN:
 - Elizabeth*[direct ancestor], b. 1 Jun 1795, m. abt 1815 to Anderson WALTERS, 7 children
 - Benjamin, b. 16 Oct 1798
 - Thomas, b. 12 Dec 1802, m. bef 1832 to Lucy , 8 children
 - Margaret, b. abt 1804
 - Lucy, b. abt 1806
 - Martha, b. 7 Apr 1807
 - Nancy, b. abt 1808

These first names are common in both the Taylor and Joyner families. I have not done research on the girls as yet.  And, I have not been able to go back further from Whitehead's father, Matthew, in North Carolina.

It is possible these families all knew each other, and I need to dig through more Censuses and documents to see if there's a prior connection in North Carolina: family, associates, neighbours, land records, bonds, military and other records. I've scarcely scratched the surface.

I have just realized that Sumner county was originally in North Carolina and was ceded to the new state of Tennessee when that state was created in 1796.  This makes much more sense to me, now.  Oh, what a little research will do, eh?!  

If you have other information or questions about Whitehead JOYNER/Joiner and his family, you can contact me via calewis at telus dot net, and/or by comments below.  I always love to read your comments!