Spouse and Children

Matilda O'Neal Elizabeth Sarah J. Norwoo... (1832-1880) William R. Norwood (1834-1874) James W. Norwood (1836-1902) Thomas Jefferson Norwood (1842-1933) Francis M. Norwood (1847-1860) Mary R. Norwood (1849-1860)

Brothers and Sisters

James Norwood (1814-1910) Wesley Norwood (1818-1869) Lewis Norwood (1825-1873) Henry Norwood (-)

After living a few years in Madison and Henderson counties, John and Matilda moved to Carroll County around 1841. In 1845, John along with his father witnessed the last will and testament of James Pinkston. John would later purchase the rights to the inheritance of three of James' children. During the 1840s, John began to purchase land in Carroll County. By 1850 he had almost 500 acres. John's largest crop in that year was corn. He also had 100 pigs and 150 head of sheep.

Just like his ancestors in South Carolina, John was a slave owner. In 1856, John sold four slaves to Thomas Walker for $1,650.00. The oldest, a woman named Matilda would later take the last name Norwood and live beside John's brother Lewis.

Unlike the three generations before him, John did not fight in a war. During the Civil War, he was elected sheriff and served from 1862-1864. While he was sheriff, he held an election for a representative to the Congress of the United States from the ninth congressional district of Tennessee.

Three of John's sons did serve during the war. William and James fought for the Confederacy and Thomas fought for the Union. Even though John supported the Union, he appeared to have no ill feeling toward William and James. After the war, John had business dealings with his oldest son William and in 1880 John gave James power of attorney to sell all of his property in Carroll and Benton County Tennessee.

In 1871 John sued James J. Pinkston, the father-in-law of his son Thomas. The suit was about a debt dating back before the Civil War. John won the suit but he had to pay court cost.

John and Matilda continued to prosper after the war and in 1880 sold their property and moved to Nashville, Arkansas. Several years earlier John had purchase land in Arkansas. His sons William R. and James W. had moved to Arkansas 20 years earlier.^{5 6 7 8 9}

Sources:

1. John Norwood's Last Will and Testament
2. Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979
3. John Norwood's Headstone
4. Office of Freddie Pruitt, County Clerk, Madison County, Jackson, Tennessee
5. Thomas Walker Bill of Sale
6. 37th Congress, House of Representatives, Report No. 46
7. 1850 Agricultural Schedule Carroll County Tennessee
8. Norwood vs Pinkston Bill of Complaint
9. Federal Census 1840-1880