Stephen Tedders Data

This article contains information provided by User:Pariss, and originally included on the talk page for Person:George Teater (1). It has been transferred here in order to a) improve page load time for the talk page, and b) help with the organization of the information. See: Category:George Teater (1) Support Articles for other support articles.

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Comment: The following material is too far removed from the thrust of the Southwest Virginia Project for me to convert it into a person article, however, it would be useful to have this as a formal person article, rather than just a supporting article. Personally, I would not include a description of his Indian wife as ""Princess Morning Dawn". While that iscommon in genealogists description of their Indian Ancestry, its a eurocentric styling that was not used by American Indians, and in reality is very unlikely. But that's my personal preference. Q 22:43, 24 October 2008 (EDT)

Stephen Tedders (aka Stephen Tudors) b: Abt 1770 Clay Co, KY MARRIED: Morning Dawn (aka Princess Morning Dawn) m: in Abt 1793, in NC or SC said to be daughter of a Cherokee Indian Chief, of Clay Co, KY (and parts of NC or SC)

This Tedders family was also known as Tudors

From an "It Happened Here" column that appeared in a circa-1978 issue of "The Rural Kentuckian Magazine," distribued by the Louisville-KY Electric Company THE LEGEND OF AN INDIAN VILLAGE IN CLAY COUNTY - - by Jess D. Wilson Indians stole a young boy in one of the settlements across the mountains and brought him through Cumberland Gap to an Indian Village in (now) Clay County, before any settlers came into Kentucky. The village was called Taluegue and was near Fogertown. This would have been before Daniel Boone came in 1775 to Boonesborough in (now) Madison County.

About 1778, white settlers or hunters, while passing the village, recognized the boy and told him and the Indians who the boy was and where across the mountains in the old settlements his parents lived.

Evidently this was a peaceful tribe of Indians. They may have bought the boy from other less peaceful Indians. The Chief liked the boy and sent word to the boy's parents to tell them where he was.

The boy married a daughter of the Chief. He and the Indian Princess had daughters who married in Clay County.

The late Robert J. Johnson and Mollie Young of London were the first to tell me about this legend. I wrote about it in the January 1976 issue.

Recently, Mrs. Wilma J. Johnson of London wrote me that the legend was in the Hodge, Stivers and Johnson families. She said the boy's name was Steven Tettler and he had three (3) daughters who married in Clay County. She asked if I could find their names and to whom they were married.

WHAT DID I FIND?

In Clay County records I found a Stephen Tuders, sometimes Tedders or Tudurs, who appears to have had three (3) daughters who married in Clay County in the very early days of the county. The marriage records with added information in [brackets] are as follows:

• 1. Leathy [Letty] Tuders

     [born about 1795 in South Carolina] married March 28, 1812 to
     George Stivers [born 1792 in Kentucky].
     John Rodgel [Ridgel], bondsman.

• 2. Polly Tedders [Tuders]

     married September 30, 1817 to Joseph Dane [Doan].
     Stephen Tedders, bondsman.
     [As she appears to be the middle daughter I would guess that Polly was
     born about 1800 in South Carolina.]

• 3. Winny Tuders

     [born ca 1806 in South Carolina] daughter of Stephen Tuders,
     married February 11, 1824 to Henry Dane [Doan].
     Joseph Dane [Doan], bondsman. 

All of the families in these three (3) marriages, even the bondsman, John Rodgel (Ridgel) lived or owned land on the waters of Little Goose Creek. Foggertown is less than a mile through a low gap in the head of Gray's Fork of Little Goose. So the "near Foggertown" part of the legend seemed to relate to these three (3) marriages. Were the girls part Indian? When I had completed this part of my report, I called Forrest Stivers at Manchester. Without telling him what I had found, I asked-

"What do you know about your great, great grandmother Stivers?" He answered, "All I know was that her maiden name was Tuders, she was part Cherokee Indian."

A more recent letter from Mrs. Johnson explained how the legend may have traveled from the Doan family into the Johnson and Hodge families in Laurel County.

Was Stephen Tuders the Steven Tettler in the legend? I can only say that if there is any truth in the legend as to a Steven or Stephen having three (3) daughters who married early in Clay County, the man must be Stephen Tuders and these are the three (3) marriages. I carefully studied each marriage record from 1807 to 1855. If Stephen Tuders were the boy, how can we explain the girls being born in South Carolina; Leathy in 1795, Polly 1800 and Winnie in 1806? I think the Indians must have moved, probably to North or South Carolina, as soon as settlers started coming to Clay County. John Gilbert may have come to (now) Clay County as early as 1789. He found only Red Bird and Crippled Jack on the river that bears Red Bird's name. The following chart shows how the events are related in time. My guesses are in [brackets] and are intended to show possible ages.

EVENTS IN THE LIFE OF STEPHEN TUDERS DATE Ages of Steven Tudors Ages of Others Stephen Tuders born [1770] [0] Stephen captured [1772] [2] Stephen recognized by settlers. The Indians go to South Carolina?

• The date 1778 considered questionable in the legend. *1778 [8]

Stephen and Indian Princess marry [1793] [23] Leathy Tuders born [1795] [25] Polly Tuders born [1800] [30] Stephen brings daughters to Clay County 1804 [34] Winnie Tuders born 1806 [36] Leathy, born 1795, married George Stivers, born 1792 1812 [42] Leathy 17 George 20 Polly born, 1800, married Joseph Doan 1817 [47] Polly 17 Winnie, born 1806, married Henry Doan 1824 [54] Winnie 18 The last record I find of Stephen Tuders, he deeded land on Little Goose Creek to George Stivers 1843 [73]

Source Some of the lineage info for this page was found in files at Rootsweb.com MANY THANKS TO THOSE WHO SHARE INFORMATION! But particulary an entry in the Rootsweb Clay County Mailing List Archives of 05 Jan 2001 by Theresa Hodge THANKS, THERESA, FOR SHARING!--Parris 08:52, 17 October 2008 (EDT)

RICHOMOND CO NC 1779 TO ONWARD .

150 Stephen Tedder one of the early Stephen Tedders appears to be connected to the Dobbs NC Tettors Tedders--Parris 09:06, 17 October 2008 (EDT)