An introduction to Ailsey Tippett Gardenhire is found in her son's biography in, "Prominent Tennesseans," by William S. Speer, published by Albert B. Travel in 1888. "Miss Ailsey Tippet (Gardenhire) born June, 1792, in Rowan County, North Carolina, was the daughter of Erasmus Tippett, a farmer, who served for two and a half years in the later part of the Revolutionary War. He was a man of good estate, owned some forty negroes, but never owned land. Her mother, Lucy Bierling, was a daughter of John Bierling, of Rowan County, North Carolina. She (Ailsey) was a woman uniformly kind to her children, and to her negroes, whom she treated with genuine humanity, was a member of the Methodist Church for sixty years before her death, and died as she lived, throughly honest in her convictions. She had more courage than ordinary women, but was gentle, rather than demonstrative."

Ailsey Tippett was the daughter of Erasmus Lee Tippett, (1760-1823), a corporal in the 2nd North Carolina Regiment of Light Dragoons. He was the son of Phillip Tippett III and Jane Lee Tippett. Ailsey Tippett's mother was Lucy Cartwright Bierling (1759-1845), daughter of John and Jane Cartwright Bierling.

Ailsey Tippett married Adam Gardenhire on December 24, 1813, in Roane Co., Tennessee. Adam and Ailsey had eight children in 10 years:
- Benjamin T.
- Erasmus Lee
- Almira - burial unknown, (b. 1817-? m. Solomon Holford)
- Quinn M. - burial unknown (1819-1862, m. (1) Catherine, (2) Cassandra P.)
- Margaret B.
- James B.
- Adam Jr. - burial unknown (1823-1901)
- Leah

By 1819 Ailsey Tippet Gardenhire was living in Overton Co. Tn. Her husband is found there in the 1820, 1830, 1840, and 1850 US Federal Census records for Overton Co., Tn

Ailsey is found, by her own name, in the following US Federal Census records:
- 1850 for Overton Co., Tn., by her name (Alcey) with her husband, Adam, and her daughter, Margaret Hinds and her granddaughter, Almira (Valina) Hinds, age 3, and her other grandchildren by her daughter Almira Holford; Erasmus Lee Holford, age 14 and granddaughter, Almira Holford, age 12.
- 1860 for Overton Co., Tn. by her name (Aley) with her granddaughter Malinda (Valina) Hines (Hinds) age 13
- 1870 for Overton Co., Tn by her name (Ally) with her granddaughter Lena (Valina) H. (Hinds) age 22

In the settlement of her father, E.L. Tippett's estate, dated June, 1823, her husband, A. Gardenhire signed a receipt for Alsey. This was his wife's portion of her father's estate, valued at 1,200.00. At this time a married women could not inherit, so the money went to her husband. Since the source of this is a transcribed document and another source lists the inheritance as $12.00 the real amount is yet to be determined.

- compiled by Gaynelle Hobt Morton
- revised March 2016
- revised Feb 2019
- revised Aug 2023