Alfred Bunn Joyner

The departure of the pioneers of the county deserves more than passing notice.

While at the Genealogy Room at the Brownsville Library recently, I ran across an obituary of my third great-grandfather, Alfred Bunn Joyner. It provides some great information on several families in my tree.

Alfred’s father, Littleton Bunn Joyner (1782-1852), was born in Sumner County, Tennessee. He was possibly raised in the household of his aunt and uncle, Thomas Littleton Joyner (1762-1824) and Mildred “Millie” Bunn Joyner (1765-1829). While I cannot find proof, one geneaology researcher wrote that Thomas and Millie may actually have adopted Littleton and his sister, Sarah “Sally” Bunn Joyner (1783-1854). Interestingly, their biological parents were possibly Henry Bunn (unknown-unknown), who was Millie’s brother, and Ann Joyner (1761-1785), who was Thomas’s sister.

Both Littleton and his uncle or father fought in the War of 1812 in Captain Henry Hamilton’s company of the 3rd Raulston’s West Tennessee Militia. In 1827, Littleton moved from Wilson County to Haywood County, where he first worked as a merchant. After that business failed, he was elected county clerk of Haywood County and held that office for twenty-two years. Later accounts also remembered him as one of the pioneer settlers near Wellwood, a man associated with the early civic and religious life of that community.

From left to right are Elvira Lyson, who was raised by Joe and Sarah Joyner Chambers and later married Owen Thweatt, brother of Ada Thweatt; Joe Chambers and Sarah Joyner Chambers; Jesse and Sally Joyner with Jesse’s son Herman; Alfred Bunn Joyner holding Howell; and Nancy Ross Joyner. The standing child died young. At the far right are Joe Williamson and Mary Elizabeth Joyner Williamson with their children. Nancy “Nannie” Williamson stands in the back row, Janie Williamson Williams, my great-grandmother, stands in the front row, Jessie E. Williamson stands at the far right in the back row, and the baby is Mai Edith Williamson Shelton. Their youngest daughter, Jo Williamson Reid, had not yet been born.

Littleton’s son, and the focus of the obituary, Alfred Bunn Joyner (1810-1899), was born in Wilson County, Tennessee, and came to Haywood County as a young man with his family in 1827. In 1838, he married Mary Francis Stanfield (1813-1856), daughter of Ephraim Alpheus Stanfield (1785-1846) and Sarah Priscilla Powell Stanfield (1786-1857), linking several of Haywood County’s early pioneer families.

That same year, he bought the land that became Joyner’s Hill Farm, where he raised cotton, corn, hay and small grains. After Mary Francis died, he married Nancy Ross (1825-1906), and together they expanded the family. Census and estate records show that Alfred was a prosperous farmer before the Civil War, with his wealth tied to slaveholding.

Alfred Bunn Joyner (1810-1899), the subject of te obituary, was a respected farmer, active church member and much-respected patriarch whose family stood at the center of community life in the Wellwood and Providence communities. He endured personal loss, including the death of his first wife and the wartime death of his son, Littleton T. Joyner (1839-1862), who left medical studies to serve the Confederacy. Alfred lived to old age, remained mentally sharp and physically active, and was remembered as temperate, devout and honorable. He died on July 19, 1899, and was buried at Providence Methodist Church Cemetery in Madison County beside his wife, Nancy Ross Joyner (1825-1906).

The connection to my family line comes through Alfred and Nancy’s daughter, Mary Elizabeth Joyner (1862-1898). She married Joe Williamson (1858-1909). They were the parents of Janie E. Joyner Williamson (1887-1914), who was the mother of my grandfather, Lloyd “Bo” Williams (1910-2008). Janie died during childbirth at age 27 when my grandfather was only four years old.

Obituary of Alfred B. Joyner from “The Graphic” (Brownsville, Tennessee), July 20, 1899, located n the Brownsville Public Library Genealogy Room

The departure of the pioneers of the county deserves more than passing notice. The citizens of Haywood County will read with interest a brief sketch of the last, but one of a noted and noble family-father, mother brother and sisters. You will, I believe, cheerfully lend space in The Graphic for this section of history.

Littleton Joyner, with his family, came to Haywood and settled near Wellwood in 1827. Here he operated a farm and was afterwards for a series of years County Court Clerk, the duties of which office he discharged with marked ability and fidelity. This family distinguished themselves in a notable degree for the tiniest qualities of head and heart; for intelligence, morality, sobriety, hospitality and piety. The direct subject of this sketch was about 18 years old when he came with his father from Wilson County, this state, to Haywood.

Another family from Bedford County, Middle Tennessee preceded the Joyners, coming in the winter of 1824-25. This was the Stanfield family. Ephraim A. Stanfield, Esq. and his wife Sarah, who brought a large family of children, all of whom, except for Dr. C.A. Stanfield of Toledo, Ark. have with the Joyners, passed over the river to rest under the shadow of the trees. This family settled north of Wellwood and were noted in many respects. Ten sons and three daughters; the boys grew to manhood, remarkable for their unusual physical and mental development, above medium size, erect, strong, active, healthy and intelligent, all except one lived to raise families, many of whose descendants are filling positions of trust and honor in Arkansas, Texas, Kentucky, etc. these two families were among the first settlers of this section. They with Rev. F. S. Brandon and others who soon came to their help, whose names ought not to be forgotten such as Uncle Thomas Bay Green; Freeman George and Jesse Cus (paper torn here unable to read) …the land and building houses in which to live; but not only those. Before the deer the catamount and the bear had been driven out of the land these brave people had erected a house of worship and in which their children were to be taught the rudiments of an education; not satisfied with this however, an academy was soon built near by and Prof. Johnson put in charge to teach higher mathematics, Latin, Greek, etc. This was one of the best high schools of the early times. One of the boys mastered seven languages and preached in four. The Joyners and the Stanfields were at the front of every enterprise; at their homes, in the schoolroom and the church – noted for filial and fraternal attachments – there were no broils or feuds.

It is said that no son of these old people was even seen intoxicated or heard to swear or fail to pay a debt. It is not strange that these families became friends. The second daughter, Miss Francis Stanfield, became Mrs. Alfred Bunn Joyner and lived most happily in the sacred relation of wife till she was called hence, leaving that brilliant and noble boy, Littleton T. Joyner who left his medical studies to give his life to the Confederacy; and Miss Sallie P. Joyner, now Mrs. Josias Chambers, to mourn with their devoted father the loss of one of the most affectionate of pious christian mothers.

Mr. Joyner, after some years, married Miss Nancy Ross, of Madison County a most practical, level-headed, considerate Christian lady; dear aunt Nan, as she was familiarly called, who, with three sons, survive their noble father. Mr. Joyner was from his youth a consistent member of the M.E. church, South, of unswerving faith to his God and Savior; his faith in himself sometimes weak. His strong temperance sentiments were conspicuous in life, and in the hour of death, when his physician gave him, toddy, he said, “I want pure water to drink”.

Uncle Alfred Joyner was blessed with an active, vigorous old age; though in his nintieth, year could walk or ride horseback; his mind was clear, and he was happy in society, or with his paper or his books. The whole community sorrow with Aunt Nan and the children and grand-children of this good old man., who went peacefully to reap his reward – the reward of the faithful, on August – His remains were interred at Providence cemetery; funeral by Rev. B.F. Poebles Commenting the bereaved to the God of ——— in love and sympathy.