The Vest/Vess family in White County, TN just got bigger!

There is a record on Familysearch.org indexed under church records titled “Cherry Creek Methodist Church Minutes.” I never looked at this record, because I do not believe any of the residents of the Sparkmanville community, that included the Vest/Vess families, were ever members of the Cherry Creek Methodist Church. However, I decided to check anyway…

Turns out this record includes county tax lists, merchant licenses, and at the very end, a few church records.

While I did not see any Vest/Vess families listed in the merchant license records or church records, I did find Willis Vest, and listed next to him, a James Vest, on an 1832 White county tax list.

Who is James Vest?!

Clearly he is part of the Pryor, William, Peter, and Willis Vest/Vess group, because he is listed next to Willis Vest on the same list that includes known neighbors: the Dodson, Hodge, Medley, Sparkman, and Simmons families.

Who is this Vest/Vess family and any relation to Peter and Willis Vess?