Thomas Divine, Sr., was born in Ireland on Feb. 21, 1748 and sailed to America in 1766. He married Jemima Dill on April 12, 1782 in Kent County, Delaware. She was born on Nov. 25, 1755 in Kent County, Delaware, and was the daughter of Joseph and Nancy ________ Dill. Thomas died on June 20, 1840 and Jemima died in 1850. Both are buried at Big Creek Cemetery, Monroe County, TN.

Front & Back sides of Grave of Thomas Lee Divine, Sr.
Big Creek Cemetery, Monroe Co., TN

• Thomas and Jemima were married by Esquire Cohoon.
• They moved to the Greenville District of South Carolina prior to 1790 and were them removed to Tennessee in 1820.
• Their first four children were born stillborn.
• Thomas enlisted in the Delaware Regiment of the Continental Line in 1776 and served at Brandywine, Germantown, Monmouth, and Yorktown.
• Big Creek Baptist Church was constituted in 1834 on land given by Thomas Divine. He also furnished the land for the cemetery, which is up on the hill from the church.
• Thomas, Sr.'s middle name might be Lee.

Children of Thomas Divine, Sr. and Jemima Dill are:

1. ? Divine - born stillborn
2. ? Divine - born stillborn
3. ? Divine - born stillborn
4. ? Divine - born stillborn
5. James Divine - born April 20, 1793 in SC married Nancy Calloway on April 1, 1816.
6. Thomas Divine, Jr. - born Feb. 24, 1795 in SC married Elizabeth Avens on Sept. 12, 1824.
7. Nancy Ann Divine - born Jan. 30, 1798 in SC married Barkley Henry.
8. Margaret Peggy Divine - born June 30, 1801 in SC married Tom McGowan.

Graves of Thomas Lee Divine, Jr. & Elizabeth Avens Divine
Big Creek Cemetery, Monroe Co., TN

Notes on Thomas and Elizabeth Avens Divine:

• Thomas worked as a miller.
• Elizabeth joined the Baptist church in Oct. of 1866 a lived a member until her death.
• Thomas, Jr.'s middle name might be Lee.

1. Lt. Col. Joseph "Fightin’ Joe" Divine - born March 6, 1812 in Monroe County, TN married Nancy Hicks on Feb. 22, 1838
2. James Calhoun "Jim" Divine - born 1818 in Monroe County, TN married Matilda Webb
3. William "Wad" Divine - born Nov. 3, 1820 in McMinn County, TN married Jemima Whorton
4. Lucinda Divine - born Oct. 9, 1823 in Monroe County, TN married James Roach Webb
5. Andrew "Andy" Jackson Divine - born 1829 in Monroe County, TN married Amanda McGaha/McGaughey
6. Mary Jane Divine - born July 3, 1833 in Monroe County, TN married Thomas Tallent
7. Martha A. Divine - born Jan. 13, 1835 in Monroe County, TN married James Martin Cagle
8. Dr. John Washington Divine, M.D. - born April 17, 1836 in Monroe County, TN married Adeline Newlee

Grave of Lt. Col. Joseph "Fightin' Joe" Divine
and Military Marker (Front & Back)
Big Creek Cemetery, Monroe Co., TN

• Joseph was a Lieutenant Colonel in the Third Tennessee Mounted Infantry Regiment in the Civil War.
• He was mustered at Loudon on Aug. 10, 1864.
• He was captured in Dr. Upton’s cellar (later known as Biereley Funeral Home) in downtown Madisonville, TN by Confererate troops. They later marched him to McMinn County where some say he was beat to death on Jan. 28, 1865. Others say he was shot to death.
• His body was buried in a field in McMinn County, TN and was later retrieved by his family and was buried at Big Creek Cemetery, Monroe County, TN.

1. Mary Jane Divine - born Dec. 19, 1839 in Monroe County, TN married Lieutenant James L.D. "Jack" Pearson
2. William H. Divine - born ca. 1840 in Monroe County, TN
3. Joseph M. Divine - born ca. 1842 in Monroe County, TN
4. James Divine - born ca. 1848 in Monroe County, TN married Elizabeth D. Glenn
5. Martha Divine - born ca. 1849 in Monroe County, TN married James W. Yates
6. Lucinda Divine - born Feb. 9, 1850 in Monroe County, TN married William Jefferson Burris
7. Margaret J. Divine - born May 6, 1855 in Monroe County, TN married David McNabb
8. Matilda Divine - born Oct. 14, 1856 and died Sept. 11, 1857
9. Jacob Devine - born ca. 1857 in Monroe County, TN married Annis Cottrell (Jacob spelled his last name Devine)
10. Julia Ann Divine - born ca. 1859 in Monroe County, TN married John C. Mason

1. Sarah L. "Mahala" or "Coonie" Divine Raper - born in Monroe County, TN married James Calvin Kirkland

1. Isaac Newton Divine - married Sarah Redmond

• William married a second time to Addie Cardin on Jan. 29, 1899. She was born in 1877 and died in 1916. Their children were 1.) Marshal G. Burris - born in 1901 married Ona Strickland, 2.) Nettie Burris - married Lloyd Harriss, and 3.) Prudie Burris - married first to John Roberts, second to John Holliday, and third to Ray Culp.

Graves of William Jefferson & Lucinda Divine Burris & Addie Cardin Burris
Ebenezer/Ballplay Cemetery, Monroe Co., TN

1. Dollie Ann Burris - born July 11, 1869 in Madisonville, TN married Oliver Perry Robert Anderson
2. Minnie Burris - born 1871 in Madisonville, TN married William "Billy" Thomas
3. Ella Burris - born May 14, 1873 in Madisonville, TN married George Washington Mills
4. Charles Burris - born July 15, 1874 in Madisonville, TN married first Lavenia Hensley and second to Rachel Bivens
5. Unie Burris - born Dec. 1, 1876 in Madisonville,TN married Columbus Giles
6. Thomas Burris - born in 1879 in Madisonville, TN
7. James Walter Burris - born Oct. 3, 1882 married Lola ______ (Lola’s last name is Rogers or Hooper)
8. Easter Viena Burris - born Dec. 2, 1885 in Madisonville, TN married Benjamin Ulysses Arp
9. Homer Garriet Burris - born Sept. 18, 1888 in Madisonville, TN married Leah Hyde
10. Sally Nora Burris - born in Madisonville, TN married Andrew Jackson Williams

1. Mary Lucinda Mills, born Sept. 2, 1899 in Sunset, Washington
2. Nelle Lee Mills, born April 12, 1902 in Sunset, Washington
3. Minnie Grace Mills, born Aug. 3, 1903 in Sunset, Washington
4. Aaron Holmes Mills, born Nov. 15, 1905 in Monroe County, Tennessee

Notes for Aaron H. and Bernice Crowder Mills:

• Aaron was the Chief Deputy of Monroe County under Sheriff George "Chief" Tallent. He was hit by a hit and run drunk driver in Madisonville, TN. He died two weeks later from his injuries.

Children of Aaron Holmes Mills and Bernice Crowder are:

1. George Lee Mills - died as an infant
2. Elizabeth Mills
3. Aaron Holmes Mills, Jr.
4. Bernita Mills
5. Ralph Mills
6. Herbert Hoover Mills
7. Caroline Mills
8. Charles Douglas Mills
9. Martha Ann Mills
10. William Jefferson Mills
11. Lynn Mills

Children of Charles Douglas Mills, Sr and Catherine Donzetta Phillips are:

1. Charles Douglas Mills, Jr. - born Dec. 23, 1968
2. Chadwick DeWayne Mills - born April 14, 1973
3. Cory DeVon Mills - born Feb. 5, 1980