Descendants of William Tell Kerby

The parents and birth place of these three men is unknown: William Tell Kerby, Quill Kerby, and Bud Kerby. (The information I have, was obtained from Bertha Ingram, daughter of William Sustser Kerby, youngest son of Willam Tell in 1985.

These three men arrived at the home of Euall and Pricilla (Kerby) Bryson. For years the family thought Pricilla was William Tell's sister, but that has been proven wrong, she was actually the daughter of Bailey and Elizabeth (Sherrill) Kerby, who were first cousins. This makes for an interesting combination of how she would be a cousin of William T. or the other two men. Bailey was born in 1799 and william T. in 1814. Bailey would have been to young to be married and a father.

After arriving the men parted company. Quill stayed in the area of, Blue Ridge, Ga. Bud is believed to have gone to Fannin County. Wiilliam Tell put in for and received several land grants from the government, extending from Double Knob Mountain down into the valley which also contained a good source of running water. He cleared and farmed a good portion of the land, sold off some parcels of the property and donated some of the land, on which the Young Harris College was built, to the college founders, but he kept a major portion of the land.

William Tell Kerby was bornin 1814 in North Caronlina, died, (date unknown.) They were married in 1847 or 1848. She was 16 years younger than William T. They had 4 children:

Augustus Willburn Kerby (Wib or Web) born 1849, died 1885
Rebecca Adeline Kerby, born 1850, died (unknown)
Howell Cobb, born 1856, died (unknown)
William Sutser, born 1865, died, 10-10-1937

*See Chart


One of the men accompanying William Tell from North Carolina, was Quill Kerby. Quill lived around Blue Ridge, Ga. and is reported to be buried in the Blue Ridge Cemetary after losing his life in the Civel War.

We were told, the other person coming from North Carolina was a nephew of William Tell, Bud Kerby, who was reported as going to Fannin County, becoming a minister, marrying (name and dates unknown ) having at least one son, who suffered shell shock during World War One. When these three arrived at the home of Euell Bryson and his wife, Pricilla Kerby Bryson, they carried everything they owned in individual bandana handkerchiefs.