Who Were the Parents of the Mullins Children?

Submitted by MHS board member Katherine James

I have seen and heard many discussions on the “three” sets of children from the marriages of Nancy Gibson and Madison Mullins, etc. The following should clarify the confusion on these three sets of children.

I. Nancy Jane Gibson, daughter of Kenner Gibson and Hettie Collins married Elbert Mullins, son of John and Mehala Collins on July 20, 1871 (Taylor notes). The following sons were born to them:

1. Howard Mullins born 1873 .
2. Kinley Mullins born 1876
3. Thomas Mullins born 1879

Elbert Mullins , born 1851 married 2 nd Eliza Seals, daughter of John Seals from below Sneedville. They lived on the Panther Creek side of Newman’s Ridge. Nancy’s sister, Elizabeth Gibson married Elbert’s brother Rubin Mullins.

Madison was the son of Jimmy Mullins and Nance Collins. Jimmy was the son of “hairlip ” Jim and Nance was the daughter of Eva n Collins and Mehala Delp.

Madison Mullins was living in the household of Thomas Bell in 1870.

II. Nancy Gibson Mullins, daughter of Kenner and Hettie Collins Gibson, who had been previously married to Elbert Mullins then married Madison Mullins on January 20, 1879. The following children were born to them:

4. Keener Mullins born 1880
5. Brownlow Mullins , who married Maude Collins daughter of Conoway and Hannah Bell who was the daughter of Burdine Bell.
6. Hillary Mullins, born 1886

Madison Mullins married Eliza Mullins on July 15, 1888. Rev. Abijah Collins officiated.

III. Nancy Gipson Mullins Mullins (who had previously been married to Elbert Mullins and Madison Mullins) then married William Davidson on September 8,1889. The following children were born to them:

7. Marshall Davidson, born February 28, 1888 who married Orpha Collins, daughter of Rev. Lewis Collins (son of Silas who was the son of Solomon Collins and Orpha Collins, who was the daughter of Martin and Elizabeth Collins).

8. Luther Davidson , born May 8, 1892, died April 6, 1938 of pneumonia who married Flora Goins, daughter of Tennessee Goins and Kyra Collins Goins. Luther and his brother Garrett Hobert Davidson both died the same day of pneumonia.

9. Pearly Davidson, born, 1896 married Madison Oaks , son of

Bill and Martha Goodman Oaks.

10. (Garrett) Hobert Davidson, Was born November 6, 1898 and died April 6, 1938. He married Sallie Johnson of Harlan County, KY.

Hill Mullins is listed as born 1886 and stepson of Willie

Davidson on 1900 census for Hancock County, Tennessee . Also living with Nancy and Willie was her brother, Hilary Gibson, shown as a brother-in-law to Willie.

( Willie’s sister Cornelia (Neila) Davidson , married Nancy’s nephew, son of her brother Preston Gibson .)

That it was Nancy Gib(p)son Mullins who mothered the 11 children is further supported by the 1900 census where Nancy is married for 12 years to William (Willie) Davidson , son of Jeb “Gib Davidson and the mother of 11 with 10 still living. She very well could have had one child who was born and died in the 20 years between 1880 and 1900 and was not picked up on the census.

Willie Davidson’s 2 nd wife was Lindy Moore.

Note: Sarah Gibson was a first cousin to my great grandfather, Jarvis Gibson. Jarvis’ mother Mary and Nancy’s father Kenner were children of Joseph Fisher Gibson. Fisher’s children were Morning, Preston, Mary, Kenner, Zachariah and Jim. There are a number of marriages between the Mullins and Gibson families.