From: Ronprins@aol.com 
Subject: Re: [PRINCE-L] Polk county Tenn. April Session 1850 
Date: Sun, 3 Oct 2004 02:23:15 EDT

http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/PRINCE/2004-10/1096784590 

Phil:

Your theory about the possibility that William D. Prince is the same person 
as the William Prince who was elected Constable of Polk Co., TN, in 1850, 
sounds good, but as you pointed out, the dates are conflicting. As you said, it's 
unlikely William D. Prince would have been elected Constable of Polk Co., TN, 
and at the same time being enumerated in the census of Walker Co., GA. My 
theory is that the Constable William Prince is actually William Albert Prince, born 
January 22, 1829, son of Ephraim Prince. He would have been of legal age (21) 
in 1850. He is listed in the 1850 census of Polk Co., TN, on Page 259. He is 
listed with his new bride Elizabeth Jane Hayes. They were married on July 15, 
1850, in Gilmer Co., GA. The fact that William married in Gilmer Co., GA, 
indicates he was probably closely related to the other Prince's residing in 1850 
Gilmer County. Though William was only 21 years old in 1850, perhaps his youth 
was an asset for being a Constable. I haven't been to that area of Tennessee, 
but I imagine it to be a rough mountainous area and a youthful person would be 
better suited to traveling over that kind of terrain as compared to an older 
man. You will note that the Constable election court papers were signed by 
Ephraim Prince, the father of William Albert Prince. When the Civil War began, 
William was elected a Lieutenant in Company A, 43rd Tennessee Infantry. On his 
way home he was seriously wounded by bushwhackers. He recovered and was elected 
Constable at Ducktown. This election lends some credence to my theory that he 
is the same William that served as a Constable in 1850. William also served 
four years as a Justice of the Peace. He was a Master Mason. Ron