Family/Spouse: James Tanksley. James was born about 1824 in Tennessee; died before 1911. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. John T. Tanksley was born about 1847 in Kentucky; and died.
2. Sarah Tanksley was born about 1848 in Kentucky; and died.
3. Malinda Tanksley was born about 1853 in Kentucky; and died.
4. Mary Tanksley was born about 1857 in Kentucky; and died.
5. Francis J. Tanksley was born about 1859 in Kentucky; and died.
6. James Tanksley was born about 1861 in Kentucky; and died.
7. Benjamin Tanksley was born about 1864 in Kentucky; and died.
8. Eliza E. Tanksley was born about 1866 in Kentucky; and died.

Notes:

George K. McCuistion speculates death to be in Kentucky. (Hand written in Leona's book.) Thomas was in Bedford County in 1830, gone in 1840. Resurfaced in Ballard County, Kentucky in 1853. There is no record of their deaths.

Thomas married Ann Williams. Ann (daughter of Andrew Williams) was born about 1802. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Robert's mother, Ann Moody McCuistion, gave him the little keg of gold coins because, she said, "he has Texas in his blood and he needs an inheritance that he can take to Texas with him." The gold was a family legacy handed down from the McCuistion ancestors and brought to America by Ann Moody McCuistion. Through Ann's lifetime she never used any of the gold and when she died, in 1819, the keg of coins was passed to her son, Robert. After San Jacinto, the Texas Republic was without funds and its only resource was land. The Texas dollar was worthless. Sam Houston knew his only hope to bolster the economy was to exchange public land for gold. To accomplish his purpose, the hero of San Jacinto invited seventeen men to exchange their gold for seemingly worthless land. Robert McCuistion was one of the seventeen men. By their contributions the value of the Texas dollar rose to almost par value on the world market and the Republic was saved. ..."the ten thousand acres of land accepted in exchange for the McCuistion gold remained worthless but Robert never regretted his gift to Texas."
All of Robert's children were born in Davidson and Bedford Counties, Tennessee.
Robert went to Robertson County, Texas in 1835 and established himself at a strong spring of good water, later known as the McCuistion Headwaters. This is near the present village of Easterly.

Birth:
One source lists the date of birth 12 May whereas the other lists 2 May.

Robert married Charity Dunn on 1 Jul 1799 in Davidson County, Tennessee. Charity was born between 1775 and 1780; died in 1804. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Died:
The original genealogy lists the year of death as 1806.

Notes:

The two story hewn log home of Thomas and Ann was briefly occupied by British General Cornwallis during the Revolutionary War.

Birth:
Although Nellie Smith McCuistion states he may have been possibly born in South Carolina; the family did not immigrate to America until 1735, therefore, Thomas would have been born in Ireland.

Died:
Thomas apparently died from "biting off the end of bristle while mending a shoe, which became fast in his throat causing inflamation, to take place from its effects he died. Several of his neighbors called in one rainy day and a joke sprang up (while he held a bristle in his mouth) causing a laugh, and by accident bit it off"

Thomas married Ann Moody on 15 Sep 1756 in Rowan County, North Carolina. Ann (daughter of Thomas Moody, Sr. and Jean McCuistion) was born on 17 May 1732 in Derry County, Ireland; died on 30 Sep 1819 in Shelbyville, Bedford County, Tennessee; was buried in Shelbyville, Bedford County, Tennessee. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Hearing that the British were approaching, Andrew Jackson, being older than Ann and Thomas McCuistion's children, helped his Aunt carry a little keg of gold coins down to the creek where they let it sink far out of sight among some fallen trees. It was while they had taken refuge in the smokehouse that a British officer ordered Andrew, then 13, to polish his boots. Andrew refused, and the officer struck him across the cheek with his sword, leaving a lasting scar. Andrew wrote home that 'Dear old great-aunt Ann bandaged it.

Ann Moody is the great aunt of General Andrew Jackson, 7th president of the United States. Ann was the 'Dear Old Great Aunt' referred to in Andrew Jackson's writings, who took him and sent him to school in Guilford. His parents lived in the wilderness on the line between North and South Carolina at the Waxhaw Settlement.

Died:
She is buried in a family burying ground, which was still preserved as of 1937. The land was bought by a Mr. Aikins and then owned by a Thomas Green in 1925.

Notes:

Married:
Ann Moody and Thomas McCuistion were fifth cousins.