Perry Tomlinson Family
Even though our Calhoun County Tomlinson story starts long before in Ireland, we’ll start this story in Iredell County, North Carolina. Perry Tomlinson was born to John Tomlinson, Jr. and Sarah “Sallie” Lovelace Tomlinson on May 7, 1824. He was their second child. He grew up in a small community much like Calhoun County’s communities. Everyone knew each other and was “kin” to most.
John, the seventh child of “Jackie” and Tabitha Tomlinson, was born September 12, 1798, in Iredell County, North Carolina. Sallie was born in August of 1802, the daughter of Eramus “Ras” and Lydia Lovelace and the granddaughter of Charles and Catherine Beall Lovelace. By tradition Sallie married John at 13 years old. He and Sallie settled and reared their family south of the Clarksburg Methodist Church and east of the Ben Albea Place, three miles east of Harmony, North Carolina. They were the parents of Humphrey in 1820, Perry in 1824, Wilson L. 1826, Wade Franklin 1828, Robert, Adolphus R. 1844, Drucella, and Tabitha. John died July 1, 1855, and Sallie died on February 6, 1864. They are both buried in the Mt. Bethel Methodist Church Cemetery.
Perry married his first cousin Elizabeth Emmaline Gaither on July 29, 1847, in Iredale County. She was born on October 21, 1823, in Iredale County, the daughter of Enos Gaither and Elizabeth Tomlinson Gaither (married October 9, 1817). Enos Gaither was the son of Jeremiah (c.1762-1815) and Eleanor Lovelace Gaither (d. C. 1800) and the grandson of Captain John Gaither (1713 – 1784). Elizabeth Tomlinson was the daughter of John "Jackie” Tomlinson (1768 – 1848) and Tabitha Summer Tomlinson (1770 – 1858). Perry’s father John Tomlinson and Emmaline’s mother Elizabeth Tomlinson Gaither were brother and sister making Perry and Emmaline first cousins. After they were married, they headed to Chambers County, Alabama, with Perry’s younger brother, Wade Franklin. They lived there for seven years and moved on to Calhoun County, Arkansas, in 1854, stopping to make their home in Chambersville.
Perry was a farmer and tanner, and once in Calhoun County, he developed a leather tanning business near Acruman’s Woolen Mill and Doctor Atkinson’s. During the War Between the States, he sewed shoes and leather for the confederate Army and had a contract with them for hides. He was also appointed to the Home Guard for Moro Township on October 31, 1861, and also appointed to the Patrol for Moro Township on March 17, 1862, for four months.
Perry died of typhoid fever on December 29, 1881, at his home in Calhoun County. Emmaline died September 16, 1898. Both are buried at Means Union Church Cemetery in Calhoun County, Arkansas.
Source: ancestry; South Arkansas Sun, August 21, from article “Tomlinson Family of Calhoun County Arkansas” by William Tomlinson “Tommy” Carter; Family History by Kathryn Nistendirk; findagrave; hand drawn map of Chambersville; Rowan County and Iredell County, North Carolina and Calhoun County records and wills; Tomlinson family Bibles; research data from various personal research
