My cousin & I have been searching for over 10 years for the ancestors of our ggg grandfather, James Matox Gentry, but no luck. His name has been shown as Matox, Mattox, Maddox or James M.. All we can find about him is 2 records of a marriage in Hickman County,KY. First marriage was on 01/24/1830 to Polly Nichols. Second marriage was on 4/13/1843 to Mary Carter. After those marriages we can't find anything until the 1850 census in Obion County,TN. On that census it shows: Matox, wife Mary, sons James, John, Robert & daughter Sarah. In the 1860 Obion Co. census it shows: Maddox Jentrey, wife Mary, sons: James Milton, John, Robert, Edward & daughters Sarah & Alice R.. The 1870 Lake County,TN census shows: James M., sons: Thomas, James H.,Daughter Sarah (Richardson) & her son Edwin. There is no wife listed, sons James Milton,John E., & Robert have undoubtedly left the home, daughter Sarah had married & had a child but husband not shown (did he die?). Note: Lake County,TN was formed by land taken from Obion County,TN on 6/24/1870.
We have not found any land records, wills, etc for James Matox Gentry.
On the census' for 1850 & 1860 he stated he was born in TN but no town.
We continue to search and would welcome any information about our mysterious ggg grandfather.