The Crippen Family. New Clues in the Search for Ancestors.

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
Our Great Great Great Grandmother Sarah Martha Crippen, who married Levi Dennis is the last of the Crippens on our family line. She was born in 1814 in Knox, County Tennessee. After her the Crippen line comes to an abrupt end.

Today I spent several hours working on this line hoping to make a breakthrough. The result of that work (which isn't much, but in tracing family lines anything to show for a day's work must be considered a victory or you can really become discouraged) is given below.

First, a few explanations.

1. There are no records of Sarah's parents. Period.
2. Without records, one broadens the search for the family name. I found a few Crippens living in Knox County Tennessee in 1814. They are all in the same Crippen line. I'm taking into account that the population of Knox County was relatively small in 1814. Tennessee was considered, the Far West. It was Indian country and not always safe. Here are the population facts from the Census of 1810. Knox County. Population: 10,171. Land area: 526 square miles. The population of the county seat (Knoxville) was 810. That meant the other 9,300 people were spread out over 500+ square miles meaning about 18 people per square mile.
3. Knowing that Tennessee was made a state in 1796, and knowing that back then if you had the same last name as someone else living in your "neck of the woods" then you were related to some degree or another.
4. Therefore, the chances that our Grandmother Sarah Martha Crippen being related to the Crippens showing up on the county records for that time period is likely.

I list other pieces of evidence in the Relationship Chart given below. So, knowing all of this - here is a strongest contender yet for the origin of our Crippen line. Our link to the line comes with with one of not both of the couples colored 'red'.

Proposed Crippen Relationship Chart

John Crippen b. 1720 Conn. married Elizabeth James
John and Elizabeth moved to Knox County, Tennessee. Both died there.
Their Children were:

John Crippen. .

Margaret Crippen

Elizabeth Crippen

James Osborn Crippen. married. Martha Patsy Hall.
Interesting side notes. Our grandmother’s middle name was Martha (Sara Martha Crippen). We also know that Sara Martha named one of her daughters Nancy Jane. James Osborn Crippen and Martha Patsy Hall had a daughter also named Nancy Jane. If our Sara Martha Crippen was not a member of this family, then this Nancy Jane may have been an cousin.

George Crippen b. 1792.
Possible parent of Sarah Martha. We know he married. Spouse unknown

From this line of Crippens, Living in Knox County Tennessee at the time our Great Grandmother Sarah Martha Crippen was born (1814) I believe we can then trace our line.....
to
Sarah Martha Crippen b. 1814 Knox, Tennessee. married Levi Dennis b. 1812. Tenn.
to
John Mayberry Dennis b. 1844 Knox, Tenn. married Isabel McCrilles b. 1851 Vt.
to
Vesta Althea Dennis b. 1892. Hot Springs SD married Walter Edwin Pierce b. 1885 SD.
to
Violet Mae Pierce married Walter Albert Mattson
to
Luella, Linda, John, Marvin
to
Us

I will continue to search, but until concrete evidence of Sarah's parentage emerges, then this Crippen line, in my opinion, will stand as the strongest possible candidate.

Simply,
Victor