Person:John Norwood (18)

Obituary

From "Knoxville Enquirer", September 26, 1826:

Departed this life on 8/30 (1826) after illness of several months, John Norwood Esq. in the 67 year of his age. Formerly resident of Washington County, for many years now of Blount County, where he ended his pilgrimage. Was an acceptable member of the Methodist Church for 49 years; die strong and joyful confidence in hope of an immortal life. Was a soldier of the Revolutionary War.

Last Will Testament of John Norwood

• Data for most of this Norwood line is taken from the Norwood Family Association Publications (Indianapolis, IN) and a Geocities Website Submission of Linda Roberts in 2009.

Will of John Norwood

24 June 1826

In the name of God Amen.

I John Norwood of Blount County in the State of Tennessee being sick and weak in body but of sound mind and disposing memory (for which I thank God) and calling to mind the uncertainty of human life and being desirous to dispose of all such worldly substance. Substance as it hath pleased God to bless me with. I give and bequeath the same in the manner following.

That is to say,

1st I desire that all my personal property be immediately sold after my decease except so much as may be herein after named as the dowry of my Widow. And out of the monies _______ therefrom all my last debts and funeral expenses be paid. And the remainder of said monies if any, be appropriated to payment of installments upon my land and if my decease should take place between the first day of May and the first day of January that one third of the crops and one third of the pork if fattened be sold.

2nd I give and bequeath to my beloved wife Ruth (Kilpatrick) Norwood the plantation on which I now live during her natural life or widowhood. I also give and bequeath to her my bed and bedding, Cupboard and furniture, all the household and the kitchen furniture which she brought with her upon our marriage or that she has made since. All my farming utensils also; All the cattle and increase that she brought with her. Also all my sheep and half my hogs. I also give and bequeath her a black horse called Jolly, a bay mare called Dorcus and a sorrel filly between two and three years ago.

3rd I give and bequeath to my son John Norwood, $5.

4th I give and bequeath to my daughter Mary Norwood (Gates), $5.

5th I give and bequeath to my daughter Elizabeth Norwood (Rudd), $10.

6th I give and bequeath to my son George Norwood, $30 and Wesley's notes on the New Testament.

7th I give and bequeath to my son Nicholas Norwood, $70 and my wearing clothes.

8th I give and bequeath to my son Charles Wesley C. Norwood, $5 and my large Bible.

9th I give and bequeath to my daughter Henrietta Norwood (Sperry), $20.

10th I give and bequeath to my son Caleb Merriman Norwood, $5.

11th I give and bequeath to my daughter Providence Norwood (Mitchell), $50.

12th I give and bequeath to my daughter Sarah H. Norwood (Mitchell), $50.

13th I give and bequeath to Thomas W. Norwood, $45 and Wood's Dictionary of the Bible.

14th I will that the above Legatees be paid out of the sale of my land and the remainder be equally divided among my children.

Lastly I do hereby constitute and appoint my friends William Wallace Junior and John Cox Executors of my last will and testament.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 24th day of June in the year of our Lord 1826.

(Signed) John Norwood.

Signed, Sealed published and declared to be the last will and testament of the above named testor John Norwood...

John Norwood, Owner of the Norwood Inn 1812-1821

• Norwood Inn - Woods Tavern - Blount County, Tennessee, 1785. Was renamed The General Jackson. Located in Maryville, Tennessee.
• Timeline:

Established in 1785

1812 - David Russell sells Russell Inn to John Norwood, who renames it The General Jackson in honor of Andrew Jackson

1821 - John Norwood sells the General Jackson Inn, formerly Wood's Tavern

Norwood Inn

The Norwood Inn was built in 1820, styled in a type of architecture popular in the early 1800's, a large two story main part and an ell of one story flanked by porches. It was a pretentious building in its day, containing in the original structure eight rooms.

The Inn was located on the Niles Ferry Road (old) then called the Federal Road and was about 14 miles from Maryville, 14 from Madisonville and 14 from Loudon. Many stages passed the Inn, stopping for a change of horses, or overnight rest depending upon the time of day and the stage coach schedule. The Inn was built by John Norwood, who had been an Innkeeper in Maryville, following his service as a soldier of the Revolutionary War.

The original Inn had two identical entrances and ten windows on the front elevation, each window contained 15 panes. The two doors led to large rooms which had huge fireplaces and high mantles.

An interesting architectural fact is that the wall between the rooms was made of brick and then plastered while the outside walls of the house were constructed of hand hewn weather-board. The two main rooms, heated by huge fireplaces had between them a small tap room for the weary traveller to have his night cap or hot rum, or stronger drink.

Back of the reception rooms was an enormous dining room, 30 feet in length. To the right of this was another dining room with an open fireplace and built in cupboards on either side. Back of these dining rooms was an attached kitchen. The 30-foot room was referred to as the summer dining room because it did not have a fireplace and was only used in cold weather if the Inn had an 'overflow' crowd.

There are faded old records in Blount County's Courthouse which showed that John Norwood purchased in 1819, the furniture for this Inn. He bought 14 beds, ten bureaus (chest of drawers) and ten tables, according to court records. Of course, much other furniture was added and much of it still remains in the families of descendents of the Norwoods.

In 1826, John Norwood died and his son John Norwood the third, bought the interests of the other heirs and operated the Inn until his death in 1840. At this time, John's brother Wesley, bought the Inn and established himself and his family as owners and keepers of the Norwood Inn. He bought more land and more slaves. The original Inn was now too small for the amount of business it had and so Wesley Norwood added three more large rooms. These were a continuation of the front and in line with the original rooms. These added rooms each had an outside entrance, and the front of the Inn now had five front doors.

The Inn prospered until the coming of the War Between the States. War put an end to travel, raiders and bushwhackers took their toll from the massive operation of the Inn and the surrounding acreage. After the war, the railroads put an end to the need of Inns along the routes of Stage Coach travel.

The site is now marked on the New Niles Ferry Highway by a Tennessee Historical Commission marker.

There is an ink drawing of the Inn with the article. The caption reads, The late E. A. Nichols made this beautiful drawing of the Norwood Inn in 1939 from the structure and also many pictures of it. The picture is so accurate that the count of bricks in chimney is correct. This article appeared in the Maryville Enterprise dated February 31, 1962, page 7, "Tizzy's Corner"

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 International Genealogical Index. ( The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint, 1999-2008).
2.   John Norwood, in Find A Grave.
3.   East Tennessee Genealogy Organization.

   Maryville Enterprise April 02, 09, 1930 "Interesting Old Places In County"

4.   Boarding Houses, Houses of Entertainment, Hotels, Inns, Ordinary's, Stations, Stops, and Taverns of Early East Tennessee, in Website. rootsweb.ancestry.com
   Pre-statehood until about 1920.
5.   Descendants of John Norwood - Submitted by Linda Roberts, in Website. www.oocities.org.
6.   Patrick Hogue (Samples). The Samples / Semples Family.

   Evidence in Ruth Samples's father's will points to her marrying twice; first, to Rev. Hugh Kirkpatrick on 27 February 1793. Hugh Kirkpatrick died on 18 March 1810 in Dandridge, Jefferson County, Tennessee. Ruth married 2nd, prior to the writing of her father's will in 1824, to John Norwood, from Baltimore County, Maryland (John had a previous marriage to Mary Hale). Ruth was referred to as "Ruth Norwood" in her father's will:
   
   To my daughter Ruth Norwood I leave one dollar and to the natural heirs of her body I leave one child's part of my property not otherwise appointed in this will to divide among them share and share alike accept John Kirkpatrick, to him I leave fifty cents.
   
   Note: the John Kirkpatrick mentioned in the paragraph from Moses Sample's Last Will & Testament referred to above, was the eldest son of Ruth and her first husband, Rev. Hugh Kirkpatrick.

7.   Moses Samples Last Will & Testament
   24 JAN 1824.