Solomon Rye I

Solomon Rye I was born around 1750/55 in Richmond County, North Carolina. A land transaction on April 4 1811 in Marlborough, South Carolina, shows his wife as Sarah. A Will for Solomon in 1818 indicates his children were Solomon Rye II, William T. Rye, Sarah B. Rye, and Martha (Rye) Weaver. Martha was deceased as stated in the Will. Sarah, wife of Solomon I, was not mentioned and therefore assumed to be already deceased. Solomon Rye I died in the fall of 1818 in Dickson County, Tennessee.

Solomon Rye II

Solomon Rye II was born on June 4, 1783 in Richmond County North Carolina, the son of Solomon and Sarah Rye. He married Elizabeth Williams, born on May 6, 1794 in Virginia. Solomon Rye II, Elizabeth, Jon M. and Moses H. Rye are listed on the 1850 Mississippi Monroe County Census. Some researches seem to think Solomon Rye II was married twice and that William Monroe Rye's mother was not Elizabeth, but there is no proof of this.

Solomon Rye II died on August 10, 1855, in the Parham Community near Hately, Monroe County, Mississippi. Elizabeth died July 5, 1852 also in the Parham Community.

William Monroe "Billy" Rye

William Monroe "Billy" Rye was born on March 11, 1816 in Dickson County, Tennessee. He was the son of Solomon II and Elizabeth Rye. Billy Rye first married Ann Bowling on November 10, 1833 in Lawrence County, Alabama. Ann Bowling was born around 1821 in Tennessee. Her parentage is unproven at this time. Ann Rye died sometime after her last child, Matilda, was born, though there is some uncertainty as to the true date. She is buried in the abandoned Whittle Cemetery located near Marion County Highway 124.

William Rye was married second to Elizabeth Caroline Jeffreys on February 17, 1858 in Marion County, Alabama. Elizabeth was the daughter of William and Melinda Borden Jeffreys (great-grandparents to Florence Lewis).

William was a potter and farmer. William died on January 9, 1905 and is buried in the Cooper Cemetery, Marion County, Alabama.

Adapted from The Heritage of Marion County, Alabama
© 2000 The Marion County Heritage Book Committee