NOTE: Obit lists death at "Norris Creek," another name for the early Belleville Post Office.

Family history indicates the Faulkners came to LCT from Charleston, SC where they docked after arriving from Ireland, presumably County Derry, Ulster (Martha Faulkner, William's purported mother, lists that as her birthplace in the 1860 LCT Census. County Derry is now called County Londonderry. It is worth noting that Press Faulkner's death certificate lists Billy's birthplace as Dublin; informant was Scott Faulkner.)

William "Billy," Robert O., Jim, Sarah "Sallie" J., and Mary Jane are all said to be siblings. Martha is said to be their mother, and family lore originally indicated their father died at sea. However, a later article on one of Billy's children states the father died in South Carolina.

All but Jim, who is said to have remained behind in SC, arrived in LCT in the 1830's.

Billy was a blacksmith, and married (09/17/1842, LCT) Elizabeth "Betsy" Bandy, no doubt named for her mother. Elizabeth was reared on Duck Branch in a dwelling that Fred Logan owned circa 1986, and where Rutledge Crockett Logan and Lila Lee (Mills) Logan at one time lived.

Although many online sources have theories as to whom he was, Elizabeth's father is officially unknown; both John or Dempsey Bandy have been put forth as possibilities. Elizabeth (unknown maiden name) Bandy has been proven to be her mother, since Calvin L. and Jesse were known brothers of the younger Elizabeth, and have been established as sons of the elder.

More specifically, the elder Elizabeth is the mother of Ann, Calvin, and Elvina, and that Elvina and Ann were later proven to be (1900 CA Census) siblings of Jesse.

Mama Elizabeth, it seems, died in Texas in 1880 and was buried there (at 80 years of age!).

Billy and Elizabeth's known children are:

• John Thomas (~1844 - ~1877, Galveston Co.?, TX), who married (in Texas?) Viny Helms

• Mildred "Milda" Caledonia (05/18/1849 – 04/28/1918), who married (12/31/1870, LCT) John Henry Sullivan (11/15-1851 – 06/10/1940), son of Berry Sullivan and Cynthia Emeline Marr

• William Calvin "Bud" (03/24/1852 – 04/10/1935), who married (12/31/1874, Moore Co., TN) Buenavista Ann "Annie" Milstead, daughter of George Milstead and Ruth "Ruthie" Rutledge

• James Franklin "Frank" (02/04/1855 – 05/31/1935), who married (10/26/1876, LCT) Josephine Tennessee "Tennie" Milstead, Annie's sister

• Sarah Jane (02/1858 – after 1900), who married (07/20/1879, LCT) William Frank McGee, possibly known as "Nix," and may have moved on to Texas

• Frances "Fannie" E. (03/22/1860 – 09/01/1901), who married (05/05/1878, LCT) James Wiley Duncan

• Martha "Mattie" A. (01/25/1863 – 09/21/1930), who married (08/03/1881, LCT) Tobias "Tobe" W. Shields

• Preston "Press" Overton (03/15/1866 – 12/15/1948), who married (01/12/1888, LCT) Ella Dunn – he appears in two censuses as Preston, but later went by "Pressley"

• Mary Magdelina "Maggie" (11/27/1870 – 03/15/1955), who married (12/24/1889, LCT) Granville "Uncle Gran" Walker Mills, son of John Hewitt Mills and Temperance "Tempy" Daniel Mansfield

• Mary's unnamed twin (11/27/1870 – ?)

Some references also show Uncle Gran's middle name as "Walden." (Due to the middle name of Walden Bradley Mills, some have postulated that Gran's middle name was likewise Walden; this was disputed by his grandson, Bobby Joe Mills, who said it was definitely Walker.)

All of the children were believed to have been born in LCT; John and Sarah are the only siblings to die out of state.

Apparently, John was told it was either "marry a Milstead or move." He served in the Civil War and reputedly died in Texas after contracting pneumonia from a nor'easter while working on a roof.

Sarah and her family may also have moved to Texas, where ostensibly she died.

After his first wife Elizabeth died, Billy married (02/07/1881, LCT) Martha Adaline "Aunt Mat Ab" McGee, daughter of Abner S. McGee and Mary Ann Marshall.

Their children were:

• Thomas Arthur "Kip" (01/15/1883 – 06/01/1946), who married (12/05/1903, LCT) Fannie Cornelius Groce

• Lavina "Vinie" A. (02/18/1887 – 05/20/1946), who married Ernest Jackson Ashby (08/16/1903, LCT) and, after his death, Benjamin "Ben" Monroe Brown (02/18/1923, LCT); she is also seen as "Vina"

Like many of his half-siblings, Kip died in LCT, but Vinie passed away near Petersburg in Marshall County.

Many family members are buried in the Concord Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery, including Robert O. and his wife, Mary Ann (O'Quinn) Faulkner.

Interestingly, Mary's tombstone reads, "Robert, I'm waiting for you," while Robert's says, "Well, I'm here."

We can tell family members had a good Irish sense of humor, and a thick Irish brogue, to boot – Robert's marriage license, no doubt written down by someone into phonetics – lists him as "Fackender!"