The Gupton Family

Robert Thomas Gupton

Robert was another son of Abner Gupton. Robert was born on 15 Jun 1811 in Tennessee. Robert married Martha Henrietta Power on 15 Jun 1835. Henrietta was born in North Carolina and at a very young age moved to Tennessee with her parents Samuel D Power and Martha Ward of Warren County, North Carolina. There is speculation that Henrietta was Abner's step daughter when he married second Martha.

On 10 Jun 1847 Robert was appointed US Postmaster a position he served in for several years.

Robert was a slave holder as his father had been.

The Tax List of 1862 listed Robert as having 640 acres with a value of $1,400. He paid on 19 Aug
1866 $4.90 in tax.

Items from the News:

Monday Mar 15, 1841 Nashville Union

Clarksville Chronicle Jun 5, 1868

Robert passed away on 22 Oct 1866 (before the estate of his father was settled).

Robert and Henrietta had the following children:


John Jerome Gupton was born on 19 Jun 1847 and died 8 Dec 1921. John married Martha Jane Gupton who was possibly the daughter of Abner Jr and Jane. They were married on 8 May 1871.His nickname was "Squire"

Squire John and Martha Jane Gupton

He can be found in the Federal Census in 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1920.

The Tennessean Sun Mar 22 1874

It appears that he was commissioned to be a Magistrate in Cheatham County.

John and Martha Jane had the following children:

• Elsia or Essia born in 1875
• Martha H. or Marthy born in 1878 and married T.D. Atkins on 30 Dec 1895.
• Charles F. or Charlie born 18 Dec 1880. He married Effie Price before 1910. In 1916 Charlie was living in Nashville. On his WWI draft card he was described as tall, slender, brown eyes and black hair. He had lost an arm, leg, hand, eye or was obviously physically disabled in some way. In the 1930 Federal Census Charlie is living in Detroit Michigan where he was a molder in a stove factory and owned a radio. Charlie died in May of 1964
• Dempsey Orman was born on 17 Jun 1885. He appears to have changed occupation often. On his WWI draft card he is described as tall, medium build, blue eyes and black hair. His occupation was a clerk at New Ark Shoe Company. In 1910 Charlie was a conductor on a street car and was living with his brother Charlie. in 1940 Dempsey was an Insurance Agent. He died in October of 1966.
• John Power was born 14 Apr 1895. He went by Power but we find that he also went by the alias of P. Fry. He was the "bad sheep" in the family. After communicating with another descendant of the Gupton family I learned that the story goes something like this, one day he went running through the house grabbing clothes and left. He never came home again. Power ended up in California where he "got into trouble". The story continues, his mother received a telegram requesting money as Power had died and they need the money to bury him. She sent it. Years later she received another telegram stating he had died again. His mother mortgaged the farm to send money. She was unable to pay the money back and had to move to Nashville. 
  
  
  
   
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• Harry Oran was born on 30 Oct 1897 and died in February of 1987. He married Elsie Knox. He also had a list of different occupations. In 1930 he was a clean up foreman for the Rayon Mills, In 1940 he was a fireman. In 1959 he was a guard. On his WWI draft card he was described as medium height and build with brown eyes and light brown hair. He was also a farmer at that time. In the 1950s it appears that he moved to Nashville Tennessee.

Cave J (son of Robert Thomas) born 17 Jul 1846. Served in the Civil War.  Married Henrietta Duke on 20 Sep 1866. Died 17 Apr 1872. They had the following children:

• Roberta Etta "Bobbie" born after 1866 and died single on 20 Sep 1930
• Samuel Duke born 1869
• Cave Duke born 1870 died 1872. (Could there have been an illness that took father and son?)

Henrietta remarried on 29 Oct 1873 to Ebenezar Nimrod Gupton, so we shall see her again in a future blog post.

Henrietta L born 20 Aug 1856. She married John Martindale Duke on 8 Mar 1869. Henrietta passed away on 8 Mar 1886. They had the following children:

John M. Duke

• Philip Heaton Duke - born on 12 Aug 1878. On 27 May 1909 in Huntington West Virginia he married Victoria Chambers. On his WWI draft card he was described as medium height and build with gray eyes and brown hair. His occupation was Lawyer and Superintendent of Schools. In 1918 he applied for a passport to sail on 15 Nov 1918. He died on 25 May 1950.
• Allen James Duke was born 15 May 1875 and died on 26 Jan 1907 from cancer of the kidney. He was single and a photographer.
• John Tandy Duke was born on 12 May 1877. He was married twice, first to Anna and then to Josephine Link. He was a merchant in hardware and a farmer. His WWI draft card described him as medium in height and build with blue eyes and brown hair. He died 16 Oct 1960.

  

  John Tandy Duke
  
  

This concludes the story of Robert Thomas Gupton, son of Abner, and his family.

Thanks for stopping by!

Next week I will continue the story of the Gupton Family.

Pattie