Isaac Hardin of McMinn County, Tennessee;  son of Gabriel Harding b. abt. 1715

Introduction and Timeline of Isaac Hardin

Note: It has been newly discovered in 2015 that Isaac Hardin is a son of Gabriel Hardin of Deep River. Please see  Isaac Hardin deed near the bottom of gabriel-moore.htm

Isaac Hardin was documented once in Chatham County, NC. Later Isaac lived in northern Moore County. His appearance in western South Carolina, including Pendleton District in 1800, makes it appear he is close to Gabriel Hardin II. However, researchers Susan Hardin Austin of Missouri and Gwen Hardin of Texas discovered Isaac Hardin to be a one-ninth heir of the Randolph County land of Gabriel Hardin of Deep River, Moore County, therefore his son.

As shown below, Isaac Hardin migrated to McMinn County, Tennessee before 1830. It is claimed (though I have not confirmed) that in 1815 his daughter Rachel (b. 1794) married Allen Butler in Cumberland County, NC, the birthplace of Allen Butler. The Butler family also went to McMinn County, Tennessee and settled there, with Alan Butler listed in the grant book there in 1825.

Timeline of Isaac Hardin:
1755 birth year, plus or minus 5 years, according to the 1830 census in McMinn County, Tennessee.
1782 Nov 11. "List of Insolvents [on the tax rolls] Returned for the year 1781 in District No. 5, 6, and 7 by Joseph Rosser Deputy Sheriff, To Wit: ...Isaac Hardin ... (p. 20 in Laird "Chatham County N C Court Minutes 1781-1785 (orig.p. 22a)
1785 Feb 24. In northern Moore County, NC, he is appointed a road construction overseer from the Chatham County line.

1785 Hardee, Isaac received a 600 acre grant in Williamson swamp, Washington County, Georgia.

1789 Mar 11. Isaac Hardy was called into Wilkes Superior Court [in Georgia] to answer a charge by John Lindsay, esq., that on or about Feb 20,1789 he took from him 3000 weight of tobacco worth three hundered pounds specie. He was ordered to appear on the fifth Tuesday in March.
Before 1789 Sep 6, Isaac Harden obtained a warrant of survey in Wilkes County, Georgia
1789 Sep 6, Isaac Harden assigned 200A to John Holden in Wilkes County, Georgia. I believe Isaac Hardin exited the county and state before the fifth Tuesday in March.

1790 census. Lived in Union District, SC.
1800 census. Lived in Pendleton District, SC with 4 boys under 16 and a wife.
1804 Aug 29. Isaac made a deed from Greenville District to Benjamin Hardin for one-ninth of the Randolph County, NC property of Gabriel Hardin, deceased.
1810 census. Lived in Greenville County, SC.
1820 census. Lived in Greenville County, SC.

1828 Feb to April. At about age 70 Isaac Hardin migrated across the Smokey Mountains to Tennessee with his family, including son John Carroll Robert Hardin (b. 1795), who married to Polly Kirkland in Haywood County, NC on March 4th while on the trip; and son Joshua Hardin (b. about 1789), who settled in Lauderdale County, Alabama. Isaac Hardin's family's route to McMinn County in early 1828 was somethingn like north from Greenville to Haywood County (on a parallel with Ashville), west to Bryson City through a notch in the Great Smoky Mountains, then along the Tuckasegee and Little Tennessee to the west side of the Smokies. The river emerged from the mountain into the valley town of Vonore in Monroe County, Tennessee. It was there Carroll and Polly settled, raised a family, and lived until Carroll's death on Jan. 3, 1881. It is not impossible that Joshua Hardin was a son of Gabriel who joined the migration. (Also see John Carroll Robert Hardin in his section below.)

1830 census. Lived in McMinn County, Tennessee.
His death was probably before 1840, since he is not in the McMinn County census.
1841 Aug 18. Land grant in T1-R1 of Ocoee baseline, 40 acres, probably to a son Isaac Hardin, Jr.

Researcher John Michael Hardin <hardin1957 at hotmail dot com> believes that Isaac Hardin is a good candidate to be the father of his ancestor, Joshua Hardin (b. 1880-1890, SC), who migrated through Wayne County,Tennessee in 1830 and obtained land in 1834 in Lauderdale County, Alabama.

Deductions from Census (table) PDF
Further Deductions TXT
Also see Migration to Washington County, Georgia and notes there.

Isaac Hardin in NorthCarolina

I first find Isaac Hardin listed in Chatham County, N.C. as insolvent 11 Nov 1782 (See John Hardin page). The other Hardins in Chatham County were also behind on their debts and taxes at the same time. He left Chatham County after February 1782 and in 1785 lived in northern Moore County -- whether near his father Gabriel Hardin or separate from him I am not certain. He was then about 30 years of age. Abruptly he goes to Georgia with cousins Adam and Eve to claim newly opened headright land. When he just as abruptly moves from Georgia to Union District, SC he is near neighbors in Union District who once lived in Chatham County.

I believe that between 1785 and 1788 Isaac married a second wife, Rachel. Perhaps his first wife dying is what precipitated his hasty trip with his cousins to try to get headright land in Georgia.Perhaps the second marriage was in Moore County, North Carolina or somewhere on the road to Georgia.

Isaac Hardin Headright Land in Washington County, Georgia

Isaac Hardin, with his cousins Adam and Eve, heard of Georgia's headright land grants and went there to claim land which became available in Washington and Franklin County after an act of February 25, 1784. Isaac Hardin did not remain long, relocating to Union District, SC in 1789 or 90. See my page  Hardins from Chatham County go to Washington County, Ga. for more on that period in Isaac Hardin's life.

Isaac Hardin in South Carolina

As shown in the introduction on this page, Isaac Hardin in 1790 lived in Union District, SC. Among his neighbors there were surnames from Chatham County () and Moore County ().

When Joshua Hardin (b. 1780-1790) went to Lauderdale County, Alabama he was surrounded by surnames from Union County, SC., supporting the possibility he is a son of Isaac Hardin.

Hardin, John K. (or H.) and Hardin, Joseph were listed as registered voters in Greenville County in 1868 in Douthat's Election Precinct. Other Hardins found in Greenville County were Hardin, G.C. in Oil Camp Election Prct. and Hardin, G. L. in Shockley's. They might be descendants of Isaac Hardin who lived in Greenville County about 24 years from 1804 to 1828. He is of my family, the I-M253 Hardins.
-Sec. of State, Abstract of Voter Registration Reported to the Military Government, 1868, Greenville County, https://digital.tcl.sc.edu/digital/collection/voterreg/id/1227/rec/28, accessed 11 July 2019.

Isaac Hardin in McMinn County, Tennessee

Sometime in 1837 (date illegible) his son Asel Hardin (here spelled Asaiel Harden) attended a sale of John McMahan's property and bought "25 bushels corn 52 1/2¢  per bushel." (McMinn County Wills 1838-1841 Vol C, image 5 of 181 at familysearch.org.)

Date and place of Isaac Hardin's death is unknown to me, except it was probably before 1840. He is not on that census in McMinn County.

Allen Butler b. 1796, Parallels with Isaac Hardin

1825, Allen Butler. Listed in Grant Book A, B,or C as a "McMinn County Occupant Enterer" in Hiawassee District.
http://www.tngenweb.org/records/mcminn/land/pg163-184.htm

30 Aug 1859   [Undescribed property] Allen Butler to daughter Nancy Price formerly Butler, wife of A.J. Price.
Deed book K p. 92, item 515, http://www.tngenweb.org/records/mcminn/land/pg68-162.htm

Rachel Hardin, Daughter of Isaac Hardin, Marries Allen Butler

The connection of the Hardins with the Butlers is that Rachel Hardin, daughter of Isaac Hardin, married Allen Butler. Deducing the dates of her major life events should be as easy as tracing her father's whereabouts. That I have done in general. At her birth in 1794 her father was in Union District, SC or Pendleton District, SC, or between the two. In 1810 and 1820 Isaac Hardin lived in Greenville County, SC. Her marriage in 1815 likely occurred there unless she went away with Allen Butler before marrying him. That was not usual in those days.

The Bible of John Butler of Athens, Tennessee   Photo

In top margin in modern handwriting: "Eugenia Harbin Garcia.   Bible is in possession of John Butler, Rt. 3. Athens, Tn."

                                      Family Record
Name              Place of Birth           Date of birth          Married             Date of death

Allen Butler       Cumberland Co N.C.  Oct. 15, 1796          1815               Apr. 2, 1885

Rachel Butler                                  Feb. 26, 1794          1815               Jen[sic] 28, 1882

Melinda                 N.C.                  July 29, 1813

Loisa                    N.C.                   Apr. 11, 1819                                May 1885

Amanda                Tenn                   Ju 28, 1822

Mary                      do                     Oct. 22, 1824

John                      do                     Feb. 26, 1896

Nancy                    do                     Dec. 12, 1828                                Apr 19, 1869

Isaac                     do                      Mar 13, 1832

Newton                                           Jan 13, 1834

Thom Houston                                  Aug 1, 1836                                  Feb 19, 57
(The transcriber has omitted the later Butler generations listed.)

Death Certificate of Thomas Houston Butler showing the date as 9 Nov 1918 and his mother's maiden name as HARDIN.

ALLEN BUTLER in McMinn County, Tennessee and its People 1819-1997

Thanks to Hardin/Butler researcher Susan E. Hohlman of Dallas, TX  <susanholman55 at gmail dot com> for the one-page Bible record, the death certificate of Thomas Houston Butler, and for the copies of the articles from the McMinn County Heritage Book. Thanks to my cousin David Dixon for putting me in touch with her.

COMMENTARY
From the records of Isaac Hardin's whereabouts, it seems likely he is the same person who lived in Chatham County, northern Moore County (until 1784 known as Cumberland County), who hopped around western South Carolina, and eventually settled in McMinn County, Tennessee.

Here is Susan Hohoman's letter of 9/14/2014 that I will quote from and delete the rest.

It't been quite awhile since I've worked on the Buter/Hardin lines. I've attached the family record page of the bible and a copy of the pages of the McMinn County Tennessee and it's People 1819-1997 that contains information about the Allen Butler family. The bible page does not contain Rachel's maiden name. I would love to find more source data connecting Rachel to Isaac Hardin. Please keep me posted on your research.

The following are notes I have on Allen Butler, Rachel Hardin Butler and an Isaac Hardin family living in McMinn co. TN

The Family Record page of the Bible of Rachel and Allen Butler has "Cumberlanco NC" written as the birth place of Allen Butler, Rachel Butler has a "do" [ditto], the first two children have NC with the third child Amanda  "Tenn" and a "do" for the birth place for the remainder of the children. This page gives the dates of birth, marriage and death for Allen and Rachel and birth dates for their children. Allen and Rachel came to TN. between 1819 and 1822 as indicated by the childrens' birth years from census records. Rachel's maiden name is not given but the death certificate of her son Thomas H. Butler has Hardin as mother's maiden name. The Bible was in the possession of John Butler Rt.3 Athens Tenn.  I received a photocopy of the family record page from David Dixon in 1995.  This Bible seems to have been in possession of grandson Oliver Butler as his and wife Lula's dates and children are included. The last named entered on the family record page is of Glenn Grubb born April 21, 1934.

Rachel's parents are stated to be Isaac Hardin and Rachel. [source, "McMinn County, Tennessee and It's People, 1819-1997" Waynesville, NC; McMinn County Heritage Book committee; Don Mills, Inc. 1997 (Allen Butler family page 140).]

The 1830 McMinn co. TN census page 156 has Isaac Hardin age 70 to 80 [b. 1755], with one female age 10 to 15, one female age 50 to 60 [b. 1775]. Page 150 Hardy Hardin age 40 to 50, with two males 10 to 15, one female under 5, one female 30 to 40. Martin Hardin age 10 to 15, one male under 5, one female age 20 to 30. Page 134 Joseph Hardin age 30 to 40, with one male under 5, two females under 5, one female age 5 to 10, one female age 30 to 40. Patsy Hardin age 30 to 40. Page 168 Richard Hardin age 20 to 30, two males under five, one female age 5 to 10, one female age 20 to 30.

Louisa Harden married Philip Ellis Jan. 8, 1839 in McMinn co. TN. [ancestry.com]

The 1840 McMinn co. TN census page 86 has a female age 70 to 80 in the household of Benj Hardon, one male under five, two males age 20 to 30, one female under 5, one female age 20 to 30.

The 1850 McMinn co. TN census page 326 has Rachel Hardin age 80 [b. 1770] in the dwelling following Asel Hardan age 40, Mary age 33, Mary age 14, Martha age 12, Minerva age 11, James age 6, Nancy age 5, Phoebe age 3, Margaret age 1 all have TN as birth state. Rachel is family 1431 and Asel is 1430. In dwelling 1429 on this page is Mathew Hardin age 38 [b. 1812] a shoemaker born in SC, Sarah age 26, Thomas age 8, Isaac age 6, Roswell age 5, Susan age 2 all born in TN. 

The 1850 McMinn co. TN. census page 305 has Phillip Ellis age 32 a miller born TN, Louisa age 51 [b. 1799] in KY, Julia age 13, Anderson age 10, Sander age 8, Isaac age 6, Phebe age 4 all born in TN.

242 6 Oct 1835 Heirs of HARDY HARDIN, dec'd, to GEORGE W. WALLIS; signed by TABITHA MORRIS, THOMAS, SAMUEL C., and ELIZABETH HARDIN, and WILLIAM E. (C.) and LEVICY PARMER. [McMinn Tennessee Land Deeds, book K, pg. 68, accessgenealogy.com]

403 27 Sep 1853 RILLA, MATILDA, ELISABETH and WILLIAM G. B. HARDEN and PHILLIP ELLIE and wife LOUISA to THOMAS PRIGMORE. [McMinn Tennessee Land Deeds, book K, pg. 68, accessgenealogy.com] [Louisa Harden m. Philip Ellis license Jan. 7, 1839, ceremony Jan. 8, 1839]

There were two Hardin males who fought in the same regiment as our Thomas H. Butler. Joseph Harden private and Thomas Harden Corporal in 5th Regiment Tennessee Cavalry (McKenkie's).

Susan Holman

Dallas

Sons of Isaac Hardin

See Deductions from Census (table) PDF and Further Deductions TXT
Also see Migration to Washington County, Georgia and notes there.

Gabriel Hardin born 1795, Son 3 of Isaac Hardin's second wife. New March 2016.

A War of 1812 pension application was filed 5 July 1871 by Gabriel Hardin (rtf), age 75, who in 1871 lived in Middle Saluda, Greenville County, S.C.  He enlisted at Spartanburg SC in Capt. William Hanes Company, Walker's regiment, on 18 July 1813 and was discharged at Greenville, SC in March 1814.

Gabriel Hardin says he married Elizabeth Grogan at Pendleton, SC in May 1813.

The factors that indicate this soldier was the 3rd or 4th son of Isaac Hardin's second wife is that both those unidentified sons were born between 1791 and 1800. Gabriel Hardin was born between 6 July 1795 and 4 July 1796. That fits. Secondly, young Gabriel lived in Greenville where Isaac Hardin lived during the 1810 and 1820 censuses. Third, the young Gabriel was married in Pendleton in May 1813 (at age 18, two months before enlisting) where lived Isaac in 1800 along with sons of his first cousin Gabriel. Fourth, Isaac's father and cousin were named Gabriel. The family often named sons after uncles and other family.

When applying for pension in the 1870s, Gabriel lived at Middle Saluda post office in Greenville County. A communication of July 18, 1871 originated at Marietta Post Office in Greenville County. (An unrelated Hardin family lived about 10 miles west of Marietta  on Carricks Creek of South Saluda River. See Joseph Hardin at this site.

1820 Census, Greenville County. Enumeration date Aug 2, 1820

		Free White Males   	Free White Females	 
			Under 10		Under 10
			10-16			10-16
			16-18	 		16-18
			16-25			16-25
			26-44			26-44	
			45 & Over     		45 & Over
 86	GARIBEIL HARDON	2-0-0-0-1-0		2-1-0-1-0-1 Final female column missing on form.
Gabriel Hardin was 

John Carroll Robert Hardin, b. Dec 25, 1795 d. Jan 3, 1881, age 86

There is reason to believe this man is a son of Isaac Hardin and that he migrated to Tennessee with his father and mother and found a wife on the journey. Carroll R. Hardin was married to Polly Kirkland on 4 March 1828 in Haywood County, NC. The bondsman was William Shelton and the witness was Johathan Coward. Carroll was about 32 years of age. We know that Isaac Hardin of Greenville County, SC had relocated his family to McMinn County, Tennessee by 1830. Isaac Hardin's family's route to McMinn County in early 1828 could have been north from Greenville to Haywood County (on a parallel with Ashville), west to Bryson City through a notch in the Great Smoky Mountains, then along the Tuckasegee and Little Tennessee to the west side of the Smokies. The river emerged from the mountain into the valley town of Vonore in Monroe County, Tennessee. It was there Carroll and Polly settled, raised a family, and lived until Carroll's death on Jan. 3, 1881.

Leaving that couple in Monroe County, Isaac and wife and what other family was with him travelled about 30 or 40 miles southwest along the valley that present US highway 411 runs through to settle in McMinn County, Tennessee. The Isaac Hardin family is fairly well documented there.

Also in Haywood County, NC, an Eli Hardin married Eiizabeth M. Collins  on 6 Oct. 1830. The bondsman was William Cathey and the witness was R. Deaver.

I found J. C. R. Hardin in an ancestry.com tree that claims his father is Isaac Hardin (no evidence) and conveniently included a tombstone photograph. The stone bore a Masonic emblem. This man could be Male 2 of the second wife of Isaac Hardin. Male 2 left home before 1810.

The ancestry.com tree by owner tdnkjcrew called the Branham Family Tree shows the third name as Roberts. Nowhere in documentation have I seen a record of his full name. He died 3 Jan 1881 and is buried in Monroe County, Tennessee. His tombstone says "J.C.R. Hardin." The 1840 Monroe County TN census says "C.R. Hardin."

My own  hasty and incomplete tree showing this family is at http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/9335705/family

Findagrave.com, some tombstones at Mount Zion Baptist Church, Vonore, Monroe County, Tennessee:

J.C.R. Hardin, Birth Dec. 25, 1775 (in error, every other record suggests birth year was1795). Death Jan 3, 1881.

Hardin, Polly (wife of J.C.R.) Birth: June 8, 1810. Death: Jul 21, 1894

Gray, Sarah Caroline Hardin. Birth: Jul 23, 1830 Death Jun 30, 1905

The 1840 US census of Monroe shows no Hardin in the index.

The 1850 US Census of District 15 of Monroe Couny:

C. R. Hardin, 55, male, stiller, b. SC (1795)
Mary Hardin, 38, female, b. NC (1812)
Sarah Hardin, 20, female, b. NC (1830)
William Hardin, 3, male, b. Tenn. (1847)

The 1880 US Census for District 15, Monroe County, TN.

Hardin, J.C.R., white male, 107 (actually 85), married, retired, disabled, can't read or write, born SC. Father born Virginia. Mother born North Carolina.

Hardin, Polly, white female, 70, keeping house, married, can't read or write, born North Carolina, father and mother both born South Carolina.

Gray, Warren, white male, 58, married, farmer; self, mother, and father all born NC.

Gray, S. C., white female, 49, wife, married, keeping house, disabled; self, father, and mother all born Tennessee.

Note by your compiler -- The 1880 census report is consistent with Carroll's being a son of Isaac (b. 1850-55), son of Gabriel (b. about 1810). We have a record of Gabriel knocking around between Brunswick County, Virginia and Granville County NC in 1753; so  it rings true that his son Isaac was born in the southern edge of Virginia. Gabriel Hardin and brothers drifted south, so at the time Isaac met his wife and married roughly 1770 he was settled in Moore County, North Carolina in the interior of the state. North Carolina being the state Carroll's mother lived in, it is more likely than not she was born there. However there is no proof beyond Carroll's 1880 census statement. 

The Will of J.C.R. Hardin
State of Tennessee, Monroe County. March 4, 1879.

In consideration of my age and desiring to dispose of my effects goods and chattels lands and teniments in a satisfactory manner, to my family and also to myself. Therefore I make this my last will and testament in view thereof. To my wife POLLY HARDIN I will and bequeath  all the  right title and interest that I have  in and to the lot or tract of land lying in the 15th Civil District of the Monroe County Tenn. and containing one hundred and thirty acres more or less, and being the tract or parcel of land upon which we now reside and joining the lands of JOHN MCGHEE, CALAWAY KENNEDY and others. Also eighty acres adjoining and being a part of the same corner now owned and possessed by me, and to which I hold an undisputed right and title and being in the same district and adjoining the land of BELLEN, MARTHA WHITE, and others. And at the death of my wife POLLEY HARDIN, the said eighty acres just specified above I will and bequeath to my grand son ROSS A. HARDIN and to the lawful heirs of his body. In separating the two tracts or parcels of land, in marking the division I want the Paz-Singer Road to be the dividing line.

Now in view of the uncertainty of life I make this provision, that should my said
wife, POLLEY HARDIN, die before I do, then I will and bequeath said lands that were set apart for my wife, to advert to my daughter SARAH C. GRAY. Otherwise should my wife live longer than I do, she is to retain in possession both parcels of land and to have the proceeds thereof during her natural life.

J.C.R. Hardin (his mark)

Witnesses: W.H. Dawson, J.R. Latimore.

Marginal note: "See probate on Record Book B page 156. July 3, 1882.

Source: Monroe County Marriages and Wills 1823-51, Vol 2, page 92. Online database, Tennessee, Wills and Probate Records, 1779-2008>Monroe>Wills, Vol 1-4, 1833-1922, online at Ancestry.com, frame 278 of 684.

Probate record Book B page 156, July 3, 1882. (Under research)

Morris R. Hardin, b. 1810-20 (speculative)

Found in the 1840 census of McMinn County, indexed as "Hordin," Morris R. Hardin age 20-30, a wife the same age, one boy and one girl, each under 5.

Isaac Hardin, Jr.

On Aug. 18, 1841, Isaac Hardin was granted 40 acres in township 1, range 1 east, of Ocoee baseline, in the SE corner of the SE corner of section 26. The certificate was dated Sep. 24, 1841. The land locates in McMinn County. This is most likely a son of Isaac Hardin, Sr., who I did not find on the 1840 census.

Tennessee, Early Land Registers 1778 - 1927. Series 2, 1839-1842, page 53. Image 367 of 1247. Ancestry.com retrieved 7 Dec 2016.