Pryor, William, and Peter Vest/Vess from Wilkes County, North Carolina settled in White County, Tennessee after 1810.

Peter Vest appears on the 1820 & 1830 census, near the Dodson, Hodges, and Medley families. Willis Vess/Vest only appears in land records (1831 & 1837), shown to join property with the Dodson (Daniel Dodson) and Medley families. This property is located on the south mountain side of Caney Fork, which later becomes Van Buren county in 1840.

The property is located in an area known as Sparkmantown. For the longest time, it consisted of the Vess, Simmons, Dodson, Sparkman, and Medley families.

This is the same Dodson family from Surry County, NC census records, near the Rose, Parks, and Whitlock families, mentioned in an earlier post, Following The DNA Evidence Part 1. They are also related to the same Dodson family who lived next to Peter and William Vess in Patrick County, Virginia prior to 1800.

In 2022, I discovered a land record between “Willie” Vess and Zachariah Simmons in Van Buren County, Tennessee dated 1846.

It NEVER once occurred to me there was a page number on that record!

With the page number, I was able to find the entire record and lo and behold: WILLIS VESS & PETER VESS!

This record includes Willis Vess, Peter Vess, Zachariah Simmons, and Daniel Dotson (Dodson). 1830’s records show Willis Vess joining land with Daniel Dodson in White County prior to it becoming Van Buren County in 1840. So, this is the same Vest/Vess family.

Additional Willis Vess Records: Tax Lists

Willis Vess is listed on the Van Buren tax records (District 2) between 1840-1842.
Interestingly, despite numerous land and tax records, Willis Vess never shows up on census.

Peter, Willis, and William Vess: Franklin County, Alabama

The question still remains – is this Willis Vess of Franklin County, Alabama?

Willis Vess, husband of Telithia Whitlock, first appear in the 1830 Franklin County, Alabama census. While, there are land records for a “Willis Vess” in White County/Van Buren County in 1831, 1837, and 1846. Could Willis Vess have obtained land in two different states?

Interestingly, we also find a record for a Peter Vess in Alabama. It is a newspaper article, dated 1840, announcing mail left at the Russellville Post Office. This is the same Post Office for Willis Vess per his 1860 Franklin Co. Alabama census record.

Simon Peter Vess (son of Willis Vess) had not been born yet. So, if this is not him, could this be Peter Vess from White County /Van Buren County, Tennessee?

William R Vess, Unidentified Son of Willis Vess

Furthermore, who is “William Vess” listed as “heir” on the Alabama land record for Willis Vess dated 1858.

Could this be William R Vest from Van Buren, Tennessee who is seen on the 1850 census with the William Dodson family? The 1850 census states he lived in District 2, which is the same district we find earlier tax records for Willis Vess (between 1840-1842).

Peter Vess in the 1830 White County, TN census is listed between 50-59 years old; so could Willis Vess in Van Buren County, TN be the son of Peter Vess from Wilkes County, North Carolina? And, could they be the same Peter and Willis Vess, associated with the Russellville Post Office in Alabama?!

Circumstantial evidence seems to suggest it, but we need more records and/or DNA testing to further support it!