East Tennessee is part of Appalachia. At the end of the French and Indian War, colonists began drifting into the area. In 1769, they first settled along the Watauga River. During the Revolution, the Overmountain Men defeated British loyalists at the Battle of Kings Mountain. The State of Franklin was formed in the 1780s, but never admitted to the Union.
Philip Mulkey, Sr. was born in 1732 in Edgecomb County, North Carolina.
He married Anne Ellis.
Philip and Ann 's children included:
David Mulkey (1751),
Jonathan Mulkey (1752, married Nancy Howard),
Sarah Mulkey (1754),
Martha Mulkey (1756), and
Philip Mulkey, Jr. (1756)
Robert Mulkey (1763).
In 1757 Philip was ordained by the Reverend Shubal Stearns at the Sandy Creek Baptist Church.
In 1758, he became the pastor of the Deep River Baptist Church in what is now Chatham County. In 1759 Reverend Mulkey and twelve of his congregation left the Deep River Church.
He was excommunicated in 1790 and churches were warned against him for adultery, perfidy and falsehood.
Philip Mulkey died in Washington County, Tennessee in 1801.
The Cherokeewere indigenous people who lived in the southern Appalachian mountains. European Americans called their towns in eastern Tennessee, the Overhill Towns. The towns included Chota, Tellico and Tanasi.
In 1776, the Cherokee planned to drive settlers out of the Washington District. The settlers were warned and stopped the first attack at Heaton's Station. The second attack was stopped at Fort Watauga. In response to these attacks, the militia burned Tuskegee and Citico.
North Carolina was one of the thirteen original Colonies. It was first settled by small farmers and grew quickly in the mid 18th century.
Washington County, Tennessee,was established in 1777 as Washington County, North Carolina. From 1784 to 1788,it was part of the State of Franklin.
Jonathan Mulkey was born on October 16, 1752 in Halifax County, North Carolina. His parents were Philip Mulkey and Ann Ellis.
He was described by Elder Sparks in Raccoon John Smith:
One more exhorter, Jonathan Mulkey, was son of Philip Mulkey, another of Stearn's young Carolina backwoods preachers, who had been an extremely apt imitator of the old man's musical, emotive preaching cadence, and for better or worse, the spiritual ancestor of every brassy, pomaded southern television evangelist ever caught in a scandal.
He married Nancy Howard. Nancy was the daughter of Obediah Howard and Priscilla Avery Breed.
John Mulkey (1773, married Elizabeth B. Hayes),
Philip Mulkey (1776, married Ruth Odell),
Jonathan Mulkey, Jr. (1776, married Elizabeth Ensor),
Mary Mulkey (1778, married Thomas Means/Mares),
Elizabeth Mulkey (1779, married John Murray),
Nancy Mulkey (1780, married Samuel Billingsley),
Sarah (Sally) Mulkey (1785, married ? Bayless and Samuel Marrs),
Rebecca Mulkey (1788, married William Slaughter),
Isaac Mulkey (1788)
John and Philip Mulkey moved from the Big Pigeon Church in 1797 to what is now Monroe County, Kentucky.
Jonathan married Anna Denton Lacey on March 13, 1818 in Washington County, Tennessee. Anna was born about 1760. Her first husband was John Lacy, Jr.
Jonathan's will (Will Book 1, p. 180) was dated August 3, 1826 in Washington County, Tennessee. He mentioned his wife, Anne and his children Isaac, Rebecca, Elizabeth, John, Phillip, Jonathan, Mary, Nancy, Sarah. The executors were Nathan Shipley, William Slaughter, and John Murray. Jonathan was buried in the Buffalo Ridge Cemetery, in Gray, Washington County, Tennessee. Anna died circa 1840 and is buried with him.
