Rev John London

(1839-1923)

John LONDON was born on 4 Apr 1839 in Murray County, Georgia1 to Henry and Sarah (Poston) London.  Henry and Sarah were married in 1834, in Rutherford County, North Carolina and came to Georgia sometime before John’s birth in 1839.  It is speculated that when Henry and Sarah migrated into Georgia, they were attracted by the early land lotteries. Families who had lived in the territory for at least one year were permitted to draw for acreages as large as 4OO acres.2      John was the oldest son and third child in the family of 14 children.  The census of 1840 finds the family in Murray County, Georgia, district 874.  In the census of 1850, the London family has migrated across the state line into Polk County, Tennessee.  The census of 1860 finds the family just west of Polk County, in Bradley County, Tennessee.   Henry London is on the 1862 Tax List in Bradley County, owning 160 acres.   By 1870, Henry and Sarah were living with the younger children in Catoosa County, GA, where they would spend the rest of their lives.   On 24 Sep 1859, John London married Setira E York, the daughter of James and Martha (Goodner) York, in Cleveland, Bradley County, Tennessee.  In the census of 1860, John and family are living in Bradley County.  The family is shown as:          John 24, GA, farmer          Tira 20 (Setira), GA          James H 5/12, TN  In January of 1862, John and his brother, Martin Van Buren London, enlisted for three years in the Confederate Army3.  They were both in Co. E, 5th (McKensie’s) Tennessee Cavalry4 , and both were made prisoners of war at Cleveland3.  No information on the prisoner release date.   John and Setira (Tira) had three children, James H London, born 1860, Mary J London, born 1862 and John T London, born 1864.   We believe Setira (York) London died sometime between 1864 and 1866.   On November 18, 1866, John married Setira’s cousin, Charlotte Buena Vista Goodner, daughter of Jacob and Charlotte (Kemp) Goodner, in Bradley County.  The ceremony was performed by J. T. Sartin.   In the census of 1870, John and Charlotte are living in Bradley County.  They have two children of their own by this time, but Tira’s son James died sometime before the census.  The family is shown as: John 31, farmer Charlotte B 21 Wife Mary J, 8 John T, 6 Robert J, 3 Sarah C, 1 Living next to the Londons is Charlotte’s older brother, Caswell Goodner, with his family.   John and Charlotte had two children, Robert Andrew London, born 1867, (my great-grandfather) and Sarah Katherine London, born 1869.  We believe that Charlotte (Goodner) London died5 sometime between 1870 and 1874, because John LONDON married Mahala (Mahaly) Adeline EDGEMON on 27 Dec 1874 in Catoosa County, Georgia.    In 1880, John and Mahaly are living in Marion County, Tennessee, (two counties west of Bradley County).  The family is shown as: John, 40. farming Mahaly A, 27. keeping house John T, 16. Fanny V, 5. Henry U, 3. William, 21. farm labor (John’s younger brother, William Henry London) John and Mahaly London had seven children: Fanny L London, born 1876, married Andrew J. Ledford Henry H London, born 1877 Samuel Washington London, born 1880 Laverna (Venie) London, born 1884, married Druary Arthur Rhinehart Cora London, born 1885, married Luther Madison Poe Adeline M London, born 1887, married Charles G Acuff Josie E London, born 1890, married Auzie Merrill Liner   In the census of 1900, John and Mahaly were living in James County, Tennessee.   James County had been formed in 1871 from portions of Bradley and Hamilton counties.  The county went bankrupt and lands were returned to Hamilton County in 1919.  The family is shown as: John, 61 (b. Apr, 1839) farmer Mahala, 48 (b. Feb, 1852) Leverna, 16, (b. May 1884) Samuel W, 19, (b. Aug, 1880) Cora, 14, (b. May 1886) Adda M, 11, (b. Oct 1888) Josie M, 10, (b. Jan 1890) To a 1900 census question, Mahaly states that 6 of her 7 children are still living.  The only one of the seven children that cannot be accounted for after 1880 is Henry H. London.    John and Mahaly were married for 27 years, by far the longest marriage of John's four wives.  Mahala (Edgemon) London died on April 10, 1902.  She was buried in Mt. Vernon Baptist Church cemetery, Catoosa County, Georgia.    John London married Zana Rodgers in 1903.   Although listed in every census as a farmer, at some point in his life, John London became a minister.  I have not been able to confirm any formal training in the ministry, but can document several instances (listed below) of his being recognized as a minister, and can estimate that he started preaching in about 1888.   1.     John London was briefly the Pastor of Apison Baptist Church, in Apison, James County, Tennessee, in 19026. 2.     Marriages performed in James County, TN as John London, M.G. (Minister of the Gospel)6      M.M. Arms and Minie Tankersley      Nov 15, 1914 L.C. Rains and Mabel McGhee           March 3, 1915 C.W. Land and Georgia Hughes        January 1, 1916 Frank L. Rhinehart and Lola Sims      January 19, 1916 Goffrey Goins and Minnie Dyson       January 25, 1916 Orvel McGhee and Leona Trew         February 6, 1916 J. M. Camp and Rosina Ware            June 12, 1916 W. H. Thatch and Effie Longley         Dec 20, 1916 John Chestnutt and Lottie Trew        January 13, 1917 Frank Marler and Jessie Hughes        July 7, 1918 (listed as Rev. John London) 3.     Quote from obituary, The Chattanooga Times7:   “He was an active Baptist minister for thirty-five years.”    Rev. John London died on December 16, 1923.  He was buried in Mt. Vernon Baptist Church cemetery, Catoosa County, Georgia, near his wife, Mahaly.   Footnotes: John London's birthplace in Murray County is based on the location of the family in the census of 1840. From "200 Years of the London Family in America" - Bicentennial Edition, 1976.  Compiled by Mrs. Opal London Cox (Arthur) pg. 290. From "200 Years of the London Family in America" - Bicentennial Edition, 1976.  Compiled by Mrs. Opal London Cox (Arthur) pg. 292. From "Soldiers and Sailors" website of the Civil war: Film Number M231 roll 26 Assumption on the death of Charlotte Goodner London during this time, but no evidence has been found.  Divorce is another possibility. From "James County, a Lost County of Tennessee." East Tennessee Historical Society, 1983 Obituary:  The Chattanooga Times-Free Press, December 18, 1923 (see full obituary below)

OBITUARY December 18, 1923 The Chattanooga Times-Free Press   The Rev. John London The Rev. John London, aged 84, well-known resident of Apison, died at his home Sunday evening at 8:35 o’clock, following a short illness.  He is survived by his wife, two sons, R. A. and S. W. London, of this city; four daughters, Mrs. A. J. Ledford, of Shepard:  Mrs. D. A. Rhinehart, of Apison; Mrs. C. G. Acuff, of Ringgold, and Mrs. A. M. Liner, of Hixson.    The Rev. London spent most of his life in the Apison community.  He was a Confederate veteran and a member of the Ringgold Masonic lodge.  He was an active Baptist minister for thirty-five years.  Funeral services, conducted by the Rev. W. C. Tallent, will be held from the Mount Vernon Baptist Church this morning at 10 o’clock.  Services at the grave will be in charge of the Masonic fraternity.  Wann’s are in charge of arrangements.