The John Colyer who appeared in Washington County TN and was tried as a horse thief and who may be same as person in pension record S16728 is obviously different from the John Colyer who married Grizilda Taylor. The John and Grizzy Colyer has pension record W8624. This John is the one in Rockcastle county KY when he dies and his wife applies for pension anew in 1843 at age 90.

The John Colyer who lived in Washington County TN for 2 years, is living in Misourri near his children in about 1845 per pension file S16728.

There was also a John Colyer of neighboring Greene county TN (next to washington county tn.) that is in area referred to in this internet post:

Looking for descendents of John A. Colyer, b. Greene County, Tennessee, went to Montana and then to Oregon. Other researchers have posted on same John A. Colyer, but address are no longer valid. Need help.

So we have two John Collyer, Colyer, Collier:

1. John Colyer born about 1744 who married Grizelda Taylor and is decorated but war disabled revolutionary war veteran who dies in Rockcastle county Ky.
2. John Collyer who his pension record says is born in 1757 in Cumberland County VA. This John Collyer lives per his pension record in Washington County TN for 2 years. However as seen below, the convict John Colyer was in Washington County area for more than 2 years. Also suggesting connection however to the family of Colliers in Henry county and thus Charles Colyer below is fact that pension record says this John Colyer enlisted first in Pittsylvania VA which was once part of Henry County VA where a Charles, William and John Colyer sign Oath of Allegiance. This John Collyer may be the one who is accused of horse thief, tried and sentenced to 20 lashes. The conviction is evidently appealed to superior court and bail bond for such appeal is put up by a Charles Colyer and Jacob Brown. This John Colyer was a constable in Washington County and had to resign as a result of his conviction. An inconsistency here in the records is that The John Collyer of pension app born 1757 says he lived in Washington County TN 2 years. But the court records of Washington County TN give evidence of the John Collier accused thief of being a constable around 1784 and a court conviction with 20 lashes happening around 1788 resulting in said John Collier having to resign as a Constable. It should be noted that Jacob Brown was the name of the man who was one of the very first settlers of the Jonesboro area. It is reported that he in about 1772 acquired by lease/purchase something like 30,000 acres in the area that he then began selling off to settlers. Also note that in 1795, the court awards a Mary Brown money for keeping a child of John Colyer for three months.

Washington County Court Records

Review of court records found in the John Fain Anderson collection in the Archives of Appalachia in the East Tennessee State University Library in Johnson City TN reveal the following:

1780-1965 Subgroup G judicial docs Box 4 Folder 5 a lawsuit Colyer vs. Colyer –order to sieze

Box 2 Folder 2 a receipt March 1802 Charles Colyer

Box 1 Folder 3 Item 19—John Collier—bond with the State of North

Carolina Sept. 11, 1790 for bond posted accuses of being horse thief.

Charles Colyer- on jury of Washington County court 1787 p.148 (p-314)

John Collier convicted of petty larceny –sentenced to 20 lashes must resign as constable, sentence appealed—Charles Collier and Jacob Brown provided bond for appear to superior court. P.178 (p-370)

Ruth Brown paid paid $25 a yar for keeping child of John Colyer for 3 months p.288 ( p569)

Charles Colyer land sold 1795 p.295 (p-582)

Charles Colyer on jury 1796 p307 (p-609)

Wm Colyar on jury 1784 (p236)

Wm Colyar on jury 1795 p283 (p-556)

John Collier "Cons." (?constable ?) assessed inventory property tax 1784 in 1^st District of Richard White Esq. Andrew Wilson consta. Pl115 (p-245)

Law suit of James Aeton against John Collier 1790 p.225 (p-456)

Stephen Colyer on jury p.3 (p-7)

Washington County North Carolina –lawsuit of John Colyer against Richard Pig for defamation Aug 18, 1790

Wm Colyar and Wm Colyar jr. with a Mr. Brown are on jury to review Wm Chester road 1813 p.117

Alexander Colyar review road from Hamptons ford to 3 mile tree at William Colyar’s fence 1816

Many references to William Colyar Jr. being arbiter of cases/disputes along with Jacob Brown and others 1809

William Colyar ordered to lay out 3000 acres for Ironworks in Bumpass Cove 1816

Wm Colyar deed from Jeremiah Ragan for 100 acres Sept. 30, 1812

John Collier on Jury 1801

Charles Colyer is sued in 1804 for debt collection (p-25)

Charles Collier deeds 190 acres to Richard Collier July 1804

Charles Colyer sued to collect $150 Nov 1804

Charles Colyer sued by merchants King & McAllister for $287

Richard Collier is on jury August 1805

Nathanial Taylor to Elihu Embree land 280 acres for $900 at Greasy Cove, Indian Creek in Washington county near Jacob_____, Charles Collier . Oct 20, 1808

Charles Collier to Richard Collier for $500 390 acres of the 640 acres Charles received in grant number 992 in Limestone Cove on Indian Creek in August 13, 1804. Then Richard sells 60 acres of same in August 1807.

May 16, 1807 Robert Love of North Carolina to Richard Colyer by quit claim for $25 266 acres at the head of Limestone Cove by James Stuart. This is land in North Carolina grant number 992 to Charles Colyer that was sold by Sheriff Byer to satisfy judgement debt of Thomas Love vs. Charles Colyer.

Sept 1796 Charles Colyer appears in Carter county court records as a court constable.

Per Overmountain Press publisher in Historical Reminiscenses of Carter County TN pub 1985----in the 1796 list of taxables , the year Carter county was formed, shows Charles Colyer with 400 acres .

One of the earliest settlers is Charles Colyer

Carter County was formed from Washington County. In January 1796, delegates met at Knoxville for a constitutional convention. The Tennessee General Assembly organized Carter County from Washington County on April 9, 1796, before Tennessee was officially a state. On June 1, 1796, President George Washington signed the bill admitting Tennessee to the Union as the sixteenth state. Carter County was named for Landon Carter. Elizabethton, the county seat, was named for Elizabeth M cLin Carter, wife of Landon Carter.

Carter County is the parent county of two other Tennessee counties. Johnson County was created from the northeastern section in 1836. In 1875, Unicoi County was created by the separation of the southern area of Carter County and the southeastern area of Washington County.

Goodspeed History of Carter County

HISTORY

OF

T E N N E S S E E

FROM THE EARLIEST TIME TO THE PRESENT; TOGETHER WITH AN HISTORICAL
AND A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF FROM TWENTY-FIVE TO THIRTY
COUNTIES OF EAST TENNESSEE, BESIDES A VALUABLE
FUND OF NOTES, ORIGINAL OBSERVA-
TIONS, REMINISCENCES,
ETC., ETC.

CARTER COUNTY is one of the extreme eastern counties of the State. It is bounded on the north by Sullivan County, on the northeast and east by Johnson County, on the south by Unicoi County and the line of North Carolina, and on the west by Was hington County. Its area is about 360 square miles. The surface is Mountainous, the proportion of arable land being comparatively small. The principal stream in the county is Watauga, which receives Buffalo Creek and Doe River from the South, and Stony Cr eek from the north. The mineral resources are varied and extensive. The iron ores are especially valuable, and prior to the war furnaces and forges were operated with profit.
The vicinity of Watauga River in Carter County is one of the most historic spots in. the State, since it was along this stream that the first permanent settlement was made. The first white men to visit this region, and the first to make a settlement south of the present Virginia line, are believed to have been Andrew Greer, an Indian trader, and Julius C. Dugger, who came some time about the year 1766. The former lived on the north side of Watauga River about three miles above Eliz abethton. The latter lived and died at a place known as Dugger's Bridge, on the Watauga, near where Allen T. Carriger now resides. James Robertson came to Watauga in 1770, and the next year settled beyond the bluff opposite the mouth of Doe River. He rema ined there until 1779, when he removed to the Cumberland. Valentine Sevier, Sr., the father of Gen. Sevier, came at about the same time as Robertson. He located between Sycamore Shoals and Elizabethton, where he died in 1805. Col. John Carter, about 1770 or 1771, made a settlement one-half mile north of Elizabethton. He was the progenitor of one of the most illustrious families of the State, and a most striking coincidence occurs in the political career of himself and his descendants. He was a member of t wo constitutional conventions of North Carolina. His son, Gen. Landon Carter, was prominent in the constitutional convention of 1796, and his grandson, Gen. William B. Carter, was the chairman of the convention of 1834, while his great-grandson, also, Wil liam B. Carter, was an active participant in the constitutional convention of 1870. All of these men represented the same constituency, and the last named, a Democrat, was chosen in a strong Republican District.
The first settler on Gap Creek was Simeon Bundy, whose house stood near the Big Spring, the head of that stream. Matthew Talbott also lived on Gap Creek, where he built one of the first mills in the State. Another was built at abo ut the same time, perhaps a little before, by Baptist McNabb. It was on Buffalo Creek near where Alexander Anderson now lives. Charles Robertson lived on Sinking Creek on the farm now owned by Robert Miller. Michael Hyder settled on Powder Branch, about a mile from Watauga, on property still owned by his descendants. James Edens located near Big Spring, on Gap Creek, above Simeon Bundy. Thomas Gourley, William Boyd and Joseph Hyder also located in that vicinity. Col. John Tipton located in the present Was hington County, but owned a large body of land in what is now Carter County, extending from Happy Valley to the farm now owned by Dr. J. M. Cameron. He became involved in debt, and his son, Samuel Tipton, who had not immigrated from Virginia with his fath er, purchased the greater part of this land, and made his home on Doe River, opposite Elizabethton, a little below the bridge. His brothers, Isaac and Thomas, also obtained a portion of the land Edmund Williams located on Buffalo Creek, where he entered a large body of land. He had five sons: George, Archibald, Samuel, John and Joshua. Near him was located David Pugh, a brother of Jonathan Pugh, one of the sheriffs under the dual government of Franklin and North Carolina.
The Taylor family also located in the county very early. Isaac, Andrew and Abner Taylor were the first, together with their half brother, Nathaniel. The last named lived on the Watauga near the mouth of Buffalo. Isaac located on th e Buffalo near where Milligan College now is, and Andrew on the south side of Watauga, at what is now known as Taylortown. Andrew Taylor built a mill on a branch of Buffalo which had fallen into disuse as early as 1800, and a second was built higher up th e branch by Nathaniel. The latter was also a pioneer in the manufacture of iron, and owned and operated works on Roane Creek. The first forge in the county, however, was built about 1795 by Landon Carter, at the foot of the mountain at Elizabethton, where he also built a mill. The ironworks were afterward greatly enlarged by his son, Alfred M. Carter. Several years later a forge and furnace were built about three miles above Elizabethton, and operated for a time by Joseph O'Brien and William Gott. Later i t became the property of John and James O'Brien, who conducted the business for several years. It had a capacity of about one ton of merchants' bar iron per day, which at that time was considered a large amount, In addition to the early settlers mentioned above were Peter John and Henry Nave, John and William McNabb, and Jeremiah Dunjoin.
One of the first forts built in this section was the Watauga Fort, erected upon land owned by John S. Thomas, about half a mile northeast of the mouth of Gap Creek. In 1776 this fort was attacked by a large body of Cherokees. At th at time it contained 150 settlers, including the entire garrison from Gillespie Station on the Nolachucky below Jonesboro. The attack was made on the 21st of July at daybreak. The women had gone outside to milk the cows and were fired upon, but made good their escape to the fort. The Indians were twice repulsed, but remained before the fort for six days, at the end of which time the approach of re-enforcements from the Holston put them to flight. The fort was defended by Capt. James Robertson and Lieut. S evier, with about forty men. Near this fort was built a rude courthouse and jail, erected by the Watauga Association.
A second fort was built higher up Watauga on the north side, on land then owned by Valentine Sevier, Sr., but now the property of Solomon and Abraham Hart. A third fort stood near Hampton's Station in a cove of Doe River. &nb sp;Carter Womack is also said to have had a fort near the head of Watauga. Another fort is said to have been near the site of Carter's depot.
On April 9, 1796, the General Assembly divided Washington County, and erected the ,eastern part into Carter County, which then included all of Johnson and part of Unicoi. The court of pleas and quarter Sessions was organized on the 4th of July, 1796, at the house of Samuel Tipton. The magistrates present were Andrew Greer, Landon Carter, Nathaniel Taylor, David McNabb, Lochonah Campbell, Guttredge Garland, John Vaught, Joseph Lands and Reuben Thornton. They qualified in the f ollowing manner: Landon Carter administered the oaths to Andrew Greer, who in turn administered them to Col. Carter, and the remainder of the court. The following Officers were then elected: Godfrey Carriger, register; Joseph Lands, ranger; George William s, clerk; John Maclin, trustee; Nathaniel Taylor, sheriff, and Charles Colyer, Aaron Cunningham, Samuel Musgrove, Thomas Whitson, Solomon Campbell and John Robertson, constables.

UNICOI COUNTY lies almost wholly in the Unaka Mountain belt, on the border North Carolina, immediately south of Washington County. It has an area of about 480 square miles, of which only a comparatively small proportion is adapted to cultivation. Greasy Cove and Lime Stone Cove, however, are among the most beautiful an fertile spots in the State.

Its mineral and timber resources are exceedingly abundant. The iron ores embrace both the red and brown hematites and the speculum. Manganese is also found in large quantities. These resources when developed will render Unicoi one of the wealthiest counties of East Tennessee. The principal streams in the county are the Nolachucky River which traverses it in a northerly direction, and the two tributaries of this stream the North Indian and South Indian Creeks.

The first settlers of this county located in Greasy Cove not long after the first settlement was made on the Nolachucky. The first to enter the cove were James Acton, Jonathan Webb, Robert Hampton, George Martin, Richard Deakins and -- Judd, and a little later came Baxter Davis, Enoch Job, Jesse Brown, Peleg and William Tilson. William Lewis located on the upper part of Indian Creek, where in a short time his wife and seven children were killed by the Indians. One of his sons escaped, and a daughter taken prisoner was afterward ransomed for a gun. Among the earliest settlers in Lime Stone Cove were Richard C. Garland, whose six sons, David, Gertredge, Elisha, William, Stephen and Ezekiel, all located in the vicinity. Edward Banks, Richard Colyer, John Chambers a Henry Grindstaff also settled in this cove. About 1785 a Baptist Church was organized, and at the formation of the Holston Association it was represented by Richard Deakins and James Anton who, with Robert Hampton and their families constituted the church. After 1791 the name of the church disappears from the minutes of the association, and it was doubtless disbanded.