Notes from Wikitree:
Biography
Absalom Hooper, a soldier in the Revolutionary War, settled on 230 acres about 4 miles from what is now Nashville, granted to him in 1785. The old Hooper Cemetery is on that land.
"Absalom Hooper, Sr. was born about 1740 in the Edgefield District of South Carolina near the North Carolina line. He was a Private in the First Company, First Regiment of the South Carolina Continental Line in February 1780 and was present in garrison at the Siege of Charleston during the Revolution. Soon after the war, he went to the Natchez Trace settlement in Mississippi, and from there to Davidson County, Tennessee, about 1783, settling on a 230 acre land grant given him for his war service. This land was located on the north side of the Cumberland River and on both sides of White’s Creek, which was actually Ewing’s Creek, a branch of White’s, where he died in 1813. Somewhere in this location he deeded land to the Methodist Church and built Hooper’s Chapel, the first Methodist Church in Davidson County." [1]
Absalom and his brother, Ennis, were both living in South Carolina before the outbreak of the war. After the siege of Charleston, both families moved into Guilford County North Carolina and in 1777 the brothers enlisted. They were with Captain Armstrong’s company in the famous Guilford Courthouse battle. (+Several other named battles.)
Children
Joseph Hooper, b: Abt. 1765 in Spartenburg, South Carolina d: June 09, 1825 in Davidson Co., Tenn. Married Elizabeth Sugg m: June 03, 1793 in Davidson Co., TN.
Ennis Hooper, b: Abt. 1768 in Spartenburg, South Carolina d: May 1803. Married Ann Young m: March 10, 1796
Letty "Hetty" Hooper Jones, b: March 20, 1770 m. Dr. Aquilla Jones
Melina Hooper, b: Abt. 1775
Absalom Hooper Jr., b: 1782 d: 1839 in Humphreys Co., TN. Married Katherine Lucas, b: 1794 m: February 01, 1812 in Davidson Co., Tennessee d: in Humphreys Co., TN.
Elizabeth Hooper Robertson, b: 1785
Nimrod Hooper, b: 1788
Absolom Hooper, Decd.,Will Recorded Augt 25th 1813
In the name of God Amen, I Asalom Hooper Sr. of the County of Davidson and State of Tennessee being of sound mind and memory considering the great uncertainty of life and the certainty of death do this 15th day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eleven make and establish this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following to wit
I commit my body to the earth from whence it came and my soul to God that gave it, and that after my decease I be decently buried at the discretion of my executors hereafter mentioned and that all my just debts be paid out of my estate,
as to my real and personal Estate, I will and bequeath in the form and manner following viz Item 1st I will and bequeath to my daughter Hetty Jones (1) one hundred dollars in cash and forty dollars cash as soon the money is collected from James Stuart (2) for keeping his children. Item 2d I also give and bequeath to my son Joseph Hooper one negro man named Isam and one negro woman Mary. Item 3d I give I give and bequeath to my daughter Sinia Alston five dollars. Item 4th I give and bequeath to my son Absolam Hooper seventy acres of land that I bought from Benjamin Nichols and the following negroes that is to say Cesar, Winney, little Sam, Clay, Bill, old Sam, and Sarah and also the Smith tools. Item 5th I give and bequeath to my daughter Elizabeth Robertson four cows and calves and fifty dollars in cash as soon as the money is collected from James Stewart for keeping his children. Item 6th I give and bequeath to my son Nimrod Hooper four hundred and twenty eight acres of land being the place where I now live and the following negroes Viz, Big Andrew Dave little Andrew Jim Baxer and Fan Item 7th I give and bequeath to my two sons Absolam Hooper and Nimrod Hooper all my stock of all kinds and all my household and kitchen furniture and all my farming tools of every discription to be equally divided between them.
Item 8th I give and bequeath to my daughters Hetty Jones and Elizabeth Robertson and my two sons Absalom Hooper & Nimrod Hooper that part of the estate of Joseph Holmes (3) that is coming to me to be equally divided between them, and for the faithful execution of this my last will and testament I ordain and appoint my trusty friend John Lucas and my son Absolam Hooper my executors of this my last will and Testament, and by these presents I revoak all other wills by me made or assigned. In witness whereof I the said Absalam Hooper Snr have to this my last Will and testament set my hand and affixed my seal this day and date above written.
Signed sealed published and declared by the said Absolam Hooper Snr the testator as his last will and testament in the presence of us who were present at the time of signing and sealing thereof Absm Hooper Seal S. Shannon, Isaac Lucas Susannah her X mark Lucas
This Absalom Hooper married Elizabeth Holmes on 25 Nov 1765 in the Long Canes area of South Carolina. In 1770, Thomas Holmes sold 100 acres in [then] Granville County, South Carolina, land that was on Russell Creek, a branch of the Savannah River. At the time of the sale, early in July 1770, Absalom Hooper lived on that land. By 1772, though, Hooper was a head of household with at least two children when he claimed land in the Natchez area of then British West Florida [now Mississippi] by 1772. This Absalom can be definitively proven to have remained in Natchez in October 1779.
Researchers Notes
"Despite several DAR claims by descendants of this Absalom, this writer is unaware of any credible contemporaneous evidence that this man ever served on the patriot side in the American Revolution. In contrast, there are documents from the Revolutionary period indicating the man supported the King. Absalom, his older children migrated from Natchez to Davidson County, Tennessee in 1783. Most of his offspring remained in Tennessee until at least 1820." [2]
Sources
↑ Davidson county Cemetery Survey Project: http://www.davidsoncocemeterysurvey.com/home/cemeteries-g-i/hooper-...
↑ https://wc.rootsweb.com/trees/193567/I85653/-/individual
Extensive information is provided in HISTORY AND GENEALOGY OF DANIEL WEBSTER JONES by Amy Jones Doyle, published by Western Printing Company, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1953. Amy is a grandchild of Daniel Webster Jones, and she compiled this information about his family after reading his book FORTY YEARS AMONG THE INDIANS for the 4th time....
Will http://www.hoopercompass.com/wills/abswill.html
http://www.hooperconnections.com/absalomelizabeth2.html
http://www.hoopercompass.com/Lineages/Hooper%20Lineages.html
https://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/hooper/3955/
https://services.dar.org/public/dar_research/search_adb/?action=ful...
https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Hooper-3447
