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Below is a family biography included in the book, The History of Haywood County, Tennessee published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1886.  These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

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Oliver Alexander, an old resident and farmer of the Second District, was born May 26, 1816, in Mount County, Tenn., near Knoxville, on the south side of the Holston River. His father, Benjamin G. Alexander, was of Scotch descent, born in Virginia in 1779, came to Tennessee in 1796, and married in 1799 Ruth Wallace, who was born in North Carolina in 1776, and died in 1851. She was also of Scotch parentage. Mr. Alexander died in 18438. Oliver Alexander was raised on a farm, and remained with his parents until twenty-one. Then being without money and dependent upon his own exertions, he commenced clearing Government land and farming. In 1855 he moved to Dancyville, and engaged in merchandising until the war, and up to that time had accumulated about $60,000. He was colonel of the militia, and was solicited to take his regiment into the service, and started, but received orders to furnish thirty-two men and disband the others. Mr. Alexander was a magistrate in his district for nearly three terms, and in 1877 was elected to fill an unexpired term in the Legislature. May 5, 1836, he married Elizabeth Lucas Gee. They had eight children Sarah V. (wife of William J. Lyle); George Lucas, Elizabeth Mary (wife of Joseph H. Thomas); Felix M. and Olivia L. (wife of Simon N. Tunly), and three others that died in infancy. Mr. Alexander has now about $6,000, besides over $25,000 he has given to his children. He is a man of influence and fine social standing, and is a member of the Missionary Baptist Church. Politically he is a Henry Clay Democrat, and was elected to the Legislature on the Greenback platform. His wife died February 11, 1878, a devout Christian. In November of the same year he married Mrs. Sarah G. Alley, but lived with her only a short time when they separated by mutual consent without any unkind feeling on either side. She being from Arkansas, and her children being there, she was not contented away from them, and he could not leave his business in this State. Mr. Alexander has prepared a history of Haywood County, which has been published. He is widely known and respected.

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This family biography is one of 82 biographies included in the book,  The History of Haywood County, Tennessee published in 1886 by Goodspeed.  The History of Haywood County was included within The History of Lauderdale, Tipton, Haywood, and Crockett Counties of Tennessee. For the complete description, click here: History of Lauderdale, Tipton, Haywood, and Crockett Counties, Tennessee

View additional Haywood County, Tennessee family biographies here: Haywood County, Tennessee

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