The James Whitlock Family of Rowan & Surry County, NC...Part 2

So I ended my last post discussing how the widow and family of James Whitlock Sr. had left Rowan County and resettled just to the north in Surry County, NC at some point in the 1780's. But at exactly what point? The earliest mention of any Whitlocks in Surry County that I've been able to locate is the 1772 Tax List where you find a Nathaniel Whitlock listed. I have no idea who this gentleman is or if there is any relation to James Whitlock. The next individual to appear in the county records is a Charles Whitlock who is found receiving a 640 acre grant on the waters of Snow Creek on April 3, 1780. It's important to make note of the date and watercourse mentioned, because at the time, this area would have been located in the far northeastern section of Surry which ultimately became the far northeastern section of Stokes County in 1789. This is quite a ways away from the Hunting Creek area of Surry County where the family of James Whitlock Sr. are known to have resettled.

The next person to emerge from the county records shows a little more promise, but at the same time provides just as many questions as answers. This would be the listing of a Silvis Whitlock on the 1782 Tax List for Capt. Gains District. It's pretty clear that James Whitlock's wife Sylvia was indeed a widow by this point, which is based on a petition she had made to Brigadier General Davidson on January 20, 1781 which states "the widow of James Whitlock requests the return of a Negro boy, and she wants to retain 20 bushels of corn demanded of her." Sylvia can also be found this same year making a claim for compensation in the Revolutionary War Army Accounts housed at the NC State Archives. With the very similar name and knowledge that Sylvia was a widow by this point, one might be quick to make the assumption that she is this "Silvis" listed in 1782. The first issue to arise from making this connection is once again location. The area of Surry County that was considered Capt. Gains District in 1782 later became what is today known as the township of Peters Creek in north central Stokes County. Once again, pretty far off the mark from the area of Hunting Creek where the family is known to have lived not very long after this point. With this "Silvis Whitlock" shown being taxed for 100 acres of land, 4 horses or mules, and 10 heads of cattle, signs of an obvious working farm and not just land owned, it's difficult to determine why Sylvia (Jones) Whitlock would have done this when she already owned a working 620 acre farm in Rowan County during this time, and for the next 8 years to come. Not only this, but the rest of her extended family and Methodist neighbors in the area of Dutchman's Creek all made the short 10 mile migration to the Hunting Creek area around this time. So why would she have chose an area so far removed, only to end up in the same area as everyone else just a few years later?

The first individual to appear in the Surry County records that is known to be related to this family is James and Sylvia's son John Whitlock. On September 5, 1787 he can be found acting as a witness along with James Hudspeth and Henry Speer for a land transaction between Thomas Cain and wife Lelah and a man named George Brooks. The land is described as being on Harmon's Creek which lies between the towns of Yadkinville and Hamptonville and eventually connects to South Deep Creek. Definitely the right geographic area for the James Whitlock family. Despite being in the county in 1787 and being shown listed as "of Surry County" in 1790 when he sells his father's land on Dutchman's Creek, he doesn't appear on the 1790 Census for the area or the county tax lists until 1793. In fact, the only Whitlock to show up on the 1790 Census for Surry County is a William Whitlock. I would tend to believe that he shares a connection to this family based on his close proximity to James, John, and Thomas Whitlock ten years later on the 1800 Census. I've often wondered if he might be the same William Whitlock arrested in Rowan County in 1774 for producing and passing counterfeit money and a possible brother to James Whitlock Sr.

Since I've brought up the 1800 Census, now is as good of time as any for me to make the statement that I believe James, John, and Thomas to all be sons of James and Sylvia (Jones) Whitlock. The first mention of a Thomas Whitlock in Surry County is found in a deed dated March 24, 1788 between James Meredith and William Martin. With the land being on Crooked Creek which ended up in the far northeastern corner of Stokes County the following year, I don't believe this to be the correct Thomas Whitlock. With the William Martin who purchased the land showing up on the 1790 Census for Stokes County on the same page as Charles Whitlock, I tend to believe this Thomas is actually part of that group of Whitlocks. William Martin and this Thomas Whitlock are mentioned together once again in a deed dated September 15, 1789 acting as witnesses for the sale of land between John Childress and wife Nancy and a David Dalton. Once again this land is listed on Crooked Creek and adjacent the Virginia line. The correct Thomas Whitlock makes his first appearance in the Surry County records on November 9, 1795 when he purchases 128 acres on the North Fork of Dutchman's Creek in from William Steelman. The land is described as "adjoining the Rowan County line, Thomas Cook, and Jesse Reavis." Later land and tax records would seem to indicate that the amount of land was actually 130 acres. The following year a deed is written up in Surry County on May 7, 1796 showing Thomas Whitlock selling 80 acres of land on Dutchman's Creek to a George Moore of Rowan County which was witnessed by John Reavis and William Steelman. I don't believe the 80 acres he sold in 1796 was part of his 128 acre purchase from William Steelman because when Thomas makes his first appearance in the Surry County tax lists in 1796 for Captain Hudspeth's District, and the following year, he is shown still owning 130 acres of land and listed adjacent his brother James Whitlock. By 1798, county tax lists show him having acquired an additional 95 acres on Hunting Creek which was finalized in a deed from Matthew Brooks of Stokes County on September 16, 1799. This land was later sold to Reuben McDaniel on November 11, 1815. Reuben McDaniel was the brother of Isaac Jones' son Wiley's wife Nancy. The tax list for 1799 once again shows Thomas owning 225 acres in Surry County, but more importantly, it shows him listed adjacent Bennet Wood.

As I believe I've mentioned before, Bennet Wood was the son of the Stephen Wood who acted as a witness for both of the Rowan County deeds involving the sale of the land once owned by James Sr. and Sylvia (Jones) Whitlock. With Bennet Wood's proximity to Thomas Whitlock on the 1799 Tax List, I would say it's very likely that the Betsy Whitlock he married in Surry County on November 30, 1799 is the sister of Thomas Whitlock and thus a child of James Sr. and Sylvia (Jones) Whitlock. I think further weight is added to my theory with Bennet Wood's acting as bondsman for the May 17, 1799 Surry County marriage of Thomas Whitlock to Mary Ponsonbay. The deed that really pulls James, John, and Thomas Whitlock together can be found in Surry County and was written up on New Years Day in the year 1803. On this day Thomas Whitlock can be found selling his 1795 130 acre purchase on the North Fork of Dutchman's Creek to a man named Joshua Brown with John and James Whitlock acting as witnesses. The connection between John and James Whitlock is cemented even further with the November 15, 1803 court judgement against the two men who are being sued by Joseph Smith and ordered to pay "26 pounds 9 shillings and costs."

Surry County, NC Court Minutes ~ November 15, 1803

While on the topic of Surry County marriages, I believe it's also a pretty safe assumption that the Mary Whitlock who married John Anthony on February 26, 1799 is also a daughter of James Sr. and Sylvia (Jones) Whitlock. This John Anthony was the son of Thomas Anthony, and brother to David Anthony, as stated in Thomas' Surry County will dated October 8, 1816. It is this David Anthony that people widely view as having married a Sylvia Whitlock in 1788, and that he and his brother John eventually left Surry County for Franklin County, Georgia around the year 1800. It's also generally believed that David Anthony was born on August 26, 1764 in Amherst County, Virginia which would make him a bit young to have married Sylvia (Jones) Whitlock as it would appear from all the deeds I discussed in my last post. I have yet to find an exact birth year or anything that even alludes to it for Sylvia (Jones) Whitlock, but based on those of her siblings and the possible birth years of her children, I feel it's safe to say it was sometime between 1745 and 1752.

For the sake of argument I'm going to assume that James and Sylvia (Jones) Whitlock might have had a daughter named Sylvia. Based on the Rowan County court records I discussed in my last post, Sylvia (Jones) Whitlock was still alive in 1788 for the settling of her husband's estate. We also know that by 1788 she was living in the Hunting Creek area of Surry County based on the vacant land entry made by Henry Speer that mentions the land being adjacent to "Sylvanus Whitlock". If the Sylvia Whitlock that married David Anthony was actually a daughter of Sylvia (Jones) Whitlock, one then has to determine how the couple ended up with her mother's entire 300 acre land grant in Rowan County which I discussed in my last post. Not very likely considering she would have had at least three brothers to contend with over that land, and that's assuming the mother Sylvia died at some point between 1788-1790. I should also point out that there are no existing records pointing to any sort of transfer of this land from Sylvia (Jones) Whitlock to David Anthony or anyone else for that matter.

David Anthony is the only "Anthony" that appears in Surry County records in 1790. There are two vacant land entry records for a Thomas Anthony dated February 1, 1783 for land on the waters of Deep Creek, but by the time the grants were issued in 1789 and 1801 he had already sold them, one to Francis Clayton and one to Drury Holcomb. Because of this and the fact that he doesn't appear on any of the pre-1790 county tax records, it's difficult to say whether he actually ever occupied the land. As with the census, David Anthony is the first to make an appearance in the tax records in 1790, shown being taxed for one white poll and owning 300 acres of land. It's not until 1793 that you see Thomas Anthony make his first appearance on the county tax list in Capt. Hudspeth's District along with his son James. David Anthony is also listed, now shown owning 385 acres. Interestingly enough, I've never been able to locate any documents related to how he came to own or sell this land. The fact that David Anthony drops from the tax record completely between 1794-1797 and his father Thomas shows back up with 390 acres, I'd be inclined to believe David transferred or sold it to him. It's not until 1798 that he reappears with 200 acres, which would coincide with his 1798 purchase on Hunting Creek from Isaac Mize. The tax records for Capt. Hudspeth's District that span 1790-1797 do seem to indicate a family connection between David and Thomas, as well as what I can only think to call.....inter-family land switcheroo. Here are the Anthonys and their land acreage as they show between those years. (an "X" means the individual is absent from the tax list)

                 1791    1792   1793   1794   1795   1796   1797

David         300      300     385       X        X         X         X

Thomas        X          X      200       X       390     390     390

James           X          X         0      200     200     200     400

As I mentioned earlier, David Anthony makes a return to the county tax lists for the years 1798-1800 shown being taxed for 200 acres which he purchased from Isaac Mize and later sold to James Parks in 1800. The county court minutes provide pretty clear evidence that this is the same David Anthony on the tax lists for the years 1790-1800. On May 14, 1793, the courts ordered that "David Gault be appointed overseer of the road in the room of David Anthony" which coincides with his disappearance from the tax list the following year. This would be the same David Gault mentioned owning land adjacent the 200 acres David Anthony would later purchase in 1798 from Isaac Mize.

Now what about the 1790 Census listing for David Anthony. The first thing that catches my eye is that the household seems strangely crowded for a newlywed couple of only two years. There is one male over the age of 16 which is of course David Anthony, but then there is one male under 16 and four females. Now there's a couple of different ways to view this living situation, but I believe it represents David Anthony the son of Thomas Anthony, his wife Sylvia Whitlock who is a daughter of Sylvia (Jones) Whitlock, his wife's younger brother Thomas Whitlock, her two sisters Betsy and Mary, and then the mother-in-law Sylvia (Jones) Whitlock. This might explain how Sylvia's daughter and husband came about selling her mother's 300 acre grant in Rowan County. It's quite likely that it may have been gifted to them somehow as a means of financial support for taking in and housing her and her underage or unmarried children. Some may also make the case that the "one male under 16" is David and Sylvia Anthony's son Martin who is thought to have been born around this time.

David Anthony drops from the Surry County records entirely after 1800, so it's difficult to argue against the 1801 first appearance of a David Anthony on the Franklin County, Georgia tax list for Captain Moses Wilcoxes Company. When one also sees a John Anthony, and more importantly a Bennet Wood listed in the same tax list company, it becomes pretty clear that these are the two sons of Thomas Anthony and the three men had most likely married Whitlock sisters.

The document that seals the deal for me that David Anthony married a daughter of Sylvia (Jones) Whitlock named Sylvia, and not Sylvia (Jones) Whitlock herself, can be found in the Surry County Records of Inventories & Accounts of Sales. Sylvia (Jones) Whitlock's son James eventually married a woman named Nancy Bowen whose mother Sarah married a man named Phillip Howard upon the death of her first husband. When Sarah Howard died in Surry County in 1828, it was James Whitlock who administered her estate. The document I mentioned is the inventory of the estate and eventual selling of it's items where you find a Silvey Whitlock purchasing two dishes, one bottle, and one other illegible item for $1.62. By this point in time, Sylvia (Jones) Whitlock would have most likely been in her late 70's so it's entirely possible that this could be her. With the presence of a woman over 45 in the household on the 1810 Census, it would seem to indicate that she was possibly living with her son James after David Anthony and her daughter left for Georgia in 1800.

.......to be continued.


1795 Surry County, NC Deed ~ William Steelman to Thomas Whitlock (page 1)

1795 Surry County, NC Deed ~ William Steelman to Thomas Whitlock (page 2)

1796 Surry County, NC Deed ~ Thomas Whitlock to George Moore

1799 Surry County, NC Deed ~ Matthew Brooks to Thomas Whitlock

1803 Surry County, NC Deed ~ Thomas Whitlock to Joshua Brown (page 1)

1803 Surry County, NC Deed ~ Thomas Whitlock to Joshua Brown (page 2)

1815 Surry County, NC Deed ~ Thomas Whitlock to Reuben McDaniel (page 1)

1815 Surry County, NC Deed ~ Thomas Whitlock to Reuben McDaniel (page 2)

1828 Surry County, NC ~ Inventory of the Estate of Sarah Howard           

Jeffrey Family UPDATE!!!!!!!

Well, all you descendants of William Jeffrey Sr. (1765-1831) and his wife Patsy will be happy to know that I found out what happened to Patsy after her husband's death in 1831.

Apparently she died in Surry County, NC at some point prior to February of 1835.

Here's the proof from Surry County's Record of Inventories & Accounts of Sales.....

The James Whitlock Family of Rowan & Surry County, NC...Part 1

Dutchman's Creek, Davie County, NC

(where it crosses James Whitlock Sr.'s 1787 land grant)

Since been dammed to create this small lake. 

Born circa 1766-1770, James Whitlock Jr. joins the extended family of Isaac Jones through the Surry County, NC marriage of his son Bowen Whitlock to Isaac's oldest daughter Alavina. James was the son of James Whitlock Sr. and Sylvia Jones who was the sister of the well-known Methodist Hardy Jones and daughter of Samuel and Sarah Jones. The earliest mention of any Whitlocks in Rowan County, NC can be found on the 1761 Tax List for Caleb Osborn's District which ultimately became Davie County in later years. On this tax list you find a Joseph Whitlock with a James and Mark Whitlock residing in the home or sharing the property. Despite what would appear to be the right name and location, it is my opinion that James Whitlock was actually in Lunenburg County, Virginia at this time. My reasons for believing this are based on the fact that James Sr.'s wife Sylvia, and her family, were all from Lunenburg County, as well as the fact that a James Whitlock can be found on the 1764 list of tithes for St. James Parish in the county. Further confirmation that this is indeed the correct James Whitlock I feel can be seen in the fact that he is listed adjacent to a Robert and Jessey Bowin on the tithe list. Considering his son James Whitlock Jr. eventually married a Nancy Bowen and even went a step further by naming their oldest son Bowen, this would have to be more than sheer coincidence.

At some point prior to 1768 the family of James Whitlock Sr., and his Jones in-laws, decided to relocate to the northwest corner of Rowan County, NC. The earliest mention of James Whitlock that can definitely be attributed to the subject of this post is the 1768 Tax List for Morgan Bryan's District where he can be found being taxed for himself and a "Negro Fan". This is certainly the correct James Whitlock based on the other individuals listed adjacent to him which correspond with the same names shown adjacent him or in close proximity on the 1772 Tax List for William Sharp's District. Once again, James Whitlock is shown being taxed for himself and "one negro". More importantly, James Whitlock is listed directly adjacent a man named Robert Farrington. Two years after the tax list the two men are mentioned together in the minutes for the county's Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions where it is recorded that on August 4, 1774 that the court issued James Whitlock the "letters of administration" to the estate of Robert Farrington. Currently at this point I am unaware of what the prior connection was, if any, between these two men, but it would be 10 years before the courts would declare the estate "settled" and by this point James' wife "Silvia" is listed as the "Admx de bonis non" due to her husband's death that same year. Another interesting mention of a Whitlock can be found in these same records from earlier that year on May 4, 1774. On this particular day it was ordered that James Cole and William Whitlock be taken into custody "on suspicion of having knowingly passed counterfeit money of this province." There must have been something to the case because two days later it was ordered that the two men were to be "kept in common gaol of the District of Salisbury" with that word "gaol" being an Old English word for jail.

1778 Vacant Land Entry entered by James Whitlock

for 320 acres on Dutchman's Creek, Rowan County, NC.

The following year James Whitlock makes a return to the county court records on May 2, 1775 when "letters testamentary" for the estate of his father-in-law Samuel Jones are granted to him and Samuel's wife Sarah. It's not until 1778 that you find mention of James Whitlock in any of the county land records. On July 28 of that year James Whitlock makes a land entry for 320 acres which lay on both sides of Dutchman's Creek in what is now Davie County. I expect this is also where he had initially settled when coming to the county because the land is described as including "his own improvement". The land wouldn't be officially granted to James by the State until August 9, 1787 which also happens to be three years after his death. At the time the grant is issued, it is listed as Grant #1596 and adjacent "John Beeman and Silvas Whitlock". The fact that the land was granted to James after his death has lead many to question whether this could be the same James Whitlock. To this, I say yes based on the history of the North Carolina land grant system itself. It's important to know that in the initial years of the land grant system started in 1778 all fees, which included the entry fee, surveyor's fee, and the grant fee (cost of land) were required at the actual time of entering a land entry.With the land having already been paid for, it was just understood that the individual who made the land entry owned the land, and unless the claim was sold before the official grant was issued, it was issued to the name of the original entry maker.

This 1778 land entry made by James Whitlock also provides clarification concerning his inclusion on the 1778 "List of Tories in Capt. Johnston's District". It's important to note that this isn't the official title of that list, but rather a misleading title created by author Jo White Linn in her book Rowan County, North Carolina Tax Lists 1757-1800. This listing of individuals is actually transcribed from the Minutes of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions for Rowan County where it was announced on August 7, 1778 that certain individuals in Capt. Johnston's District, including James Whitlock, had "neglected or refused to appear before the Justice of their respective Districts and take the Oath of Affirmation of Allegiance to the State". In the case of James Whitlock, it was certainly due to neglect and not refusal because he wouldn't have had any reason to believe he needed to make an appearance having already sworn his allegiance to the State eleven days earlier when he made his land entry on July 28. As part of the requirements to apply for a land grant in 1778, the individual had to swear the "oath of allegiance to the State" at the time of making his initial land entry. This system was set up specifically with the intent of keeping Tories (British Loyalists) from acquiring land that had been recently confiscated from the King by the Colonial government. Further negating the claim that James Whitlock was a Tory is the fact that two months later James Whitlock entered a second land entry on November 3, 1778 for 300 acres on Dutchman's Creek that was ultimately "made to William Cook".

1785 Vacant Land Entry entered by Silvias Whitlock

for 170 acres on Dutchman's Creek, Rowan County, NC

In regards to the 1787 land grant, one of it's most important aspects that merits discussion is the mention of it being adjacent land owned by Silvas Whitlock. The same exact day that James Whitlock receives his grant, the State also issues 300 acres on Dutchman's Creek to "Silvas Whitlock" which is listed as Grant #1562 and described as being "adjacent James Whitlock, William Halmar, William Cook, and John Gwaltney." This person is indeed James Whitlock's wife Sylvia. Although I have yet to find anything that states it in these exact words, I am fairly certain that a woman would not have been able to purchase a state land grant during this point in time. The wording in the statute by the North Carolina General Assembly that created the state land grant system in 1778 hints to this fact. Despite using the term "any person" in the law, when referring to said persons throughout the statute, it is done in the masculine form using words such as "him" and "he". Women were certainly able to own property during this time, but taking part in the state land grant system seems highly unlikely. But in the case of this particular land grant, Sylvia wasn't the original person to make the land entry. According to records at the NC State Archives this was actually done by Thomas Prather on October 12, 1779, who then sold the land to the Whitlock's neighbor John Beeman, who in turn sold the land to "Silvas Whitlock" who was then issued the official grant. Interestingly enough, two years prior on September 24, 1785 Sylvia, now listed as "Sylvias Whitlock", is found making a land entry for 170 acres on Dutchman's Creek adjacent John Beeman and James Whitlock. This land entry was ultimately "made over to John Bruman" who I expect is actually supposed to be listed as John Beeman due to the same piece of land being officially granted to him on August 9, 1787 as Grant #1558. While women were indeed able to own property during this time, usually through inheritance, this is certainly a rare instance of a woman actually purchasing land. I know this person to in fact be the wife of James Whitlock due to a series of deeds that would occur after his death.

James Whitlock Sr. would die at some point shortly prior to the Rowan County court granting the administration of his estate to his wife Sylvia on February 6, 1784. A man named Isaac Enochs acted as security on the 1000 pound bond that was required by the court. Nine months later the estate inventory was filed with the court on November 4, yet it would be just shy of four years before the Rowan County courts announced on November 6, 1788 that the estate had finally been settled. I have yet to uncover the details of how the estate was ultimately settled, but it would appear that eventually all of James Whitlock's land ended up in the hands of his son John Whitlock. Evidence of this can be found in a Rowan County deed dated March 13, 1790 showing John Whitlock of Surry County selling 320 acres of land to John Beemon that are described exactly as his father's 1787 grant and the 1778 land entry. It's important to note that Stephen Wood of Surry County fame, along with a man named Henry Johnston, were the witnesses to the transaction. This is important because in the vacant land entry records for Surry County a record can be found from two years earlier on February 11, 1788 showing Henry Speer entering 100 acres on Hunting Creek "adjacent Sylvanus Whitlock and Stephen Wood."

Now here's where it gets interesting. On that very same day James Whitlock's land was sold by John Whitlock to John Beeman, a second deed was written up involving this same Henry Johnston of Rowan County purchasing 300 acres of land on Dutchman's Creek from a "David Anthony and wife Silva of Surry County." The land is described as being adjacent James Whitlock, William Holoman, William Cook, and John Gwaltney; the exact same individuals listed adjacent Silvas Whitlock's 1787 land grant. The transaction was witnessed by John Beeman and once again Stephen Wood. With page two of the deed even mentioning the other 320 acre transaction between John Whitlock and John Beeman, it's pretty clear that this is indeed the same piece of land. Surry County tax records for this same year (1790) show David Anthony being taxed in Captain Hudspeth's District which is the same district where you find just about every Surry County resident I've ever mentioned in this blog, including eventually James Whitlock Jr. I would say that it's extremely likely that this David Anthony's wife Silva is actually the remarried widow of James Whitlock Sr. My theory would certainly make a solid explanation for how all of James Whitlock Sr.'s land ended up in the hands of his son John. Further evidence that David Anthony's wife Silva is actually the remarried Sylvia Jones Whitlock can be found in a later series of Surry County, NC deeds.

The first of these deeds is dated January 30, 1798 and shows an Isaac Mize of Kentucky selling to David Anthony of Surry County, 200 acres on Hunting Creek adjacent to a man named David Gault. Roughly three years later on October 9, 1800, David Anthony and "wife Silvanus" are found selling this same piece of land to James Parks. In case I failed to mention at some point earlier in my blog, James Parks was a famous Methodist minister who helped co-found the Cokesbury School in Rowan County with Sylvia Jones Whitlock's brother Hardy Jones. Not only this, but James Parks was also Hardy Jones' son-in-law through his marriage to Hardy's adopted ward Elizabeth Jones. With this "wife Silvanus" most likely being the remarried widow of James Whitlock Sr., it comes as no surprise to me that you find their son James Whitlock acting as a witness for the transaction. Not only this, but the second witness on the deed is William Holeman, the same individual that owned land next to Sylvia Jones Whitlock's 1787 Rowan County land grant. It also comes as no surprise that less than two months later on December 1, 1800 you find James Parks selling this same piece of land to none other than Hardy Jones. As with the prior land deed, James and Sylvia Jones Whitlock's son James Whitlock is once again found acting as a witness for the transaction.

To be continued...........


1774 Rowan County, NC Court Minutes ~ Estate of Robert Farrington

1775 Rowan County, NC Court Minutes ~ Estate of Samuel Jones

1778 Rowan County, NC Court Minutes ~ No Oath Of Allegiance To The State List (Capt. Johnston's District)

1784 Rowan County, NC Court Minutes ~ Estate of Robert Farrington

1784 Rowan County, NC Court Minutes ~ Estate of James Whitlock

1784 Rowan County, NC Court Minutes ~ Estate of James Whitlock #2

1787 Rowan County, NC Deed ~ James Whitlock land grant (page 1)

1787 Rowan County, NC ~ James Whitlock land grant (page 2)

1787 Rowan County, NC Land Grant Plat Record ~ James Whitlock

1787 Rowan County, NC Deed ~ Silvas Whitlock land grant

1787 Rowan County, NC Land Grant Plat Record ~ Silvas Whitlock

1788 Rowan County, NC Court Minutes ~ Estate of James Whitlock

1790 Rowan County, NC Deed ~ David Anthony & wife Silva to Henry Johnston

1790 Rowan County, NC Deed ~ John Whitlock to John Beemon

1798 Surry County, NC Deed ~ Isaac Mize to David Anthony (page 1)

1798 Surry County, NC Deed ~ Isaac Mize to David Anthony (page 2)

1800 Surry County, NC Deed ~ David Anthony & wife Silvanus to James Parks

1800 Surry County, NC Deed ~ James Parks to Hardy Jones (page 1)

1800 Surry County, NC Deed ~ James Parks to Hardy Jones (page 2)
                  

The Jeffrey Family of Surry County, NC

1816 Surry County Tax List ~ Capt. Jones District

Of the many families to marry into the Isaac Jones clan, fortunately, few are able to match Isaac Jones in regards to mystery of origin as that of the family of William Jeffrey Sr. What little that is known about William is primarily pulled from the federal census records. As with Isaac Jones' son Joshua, luck would have it that William Jeffrey's son John lived to see the 1880 Census on which he states that his father was born in North Carolina. William Jeffrey's inclusion on the 1786 Tax List for Surry County, NC would indicate that William was born at some point prior to 1765.

As to the identity of William Jeffrey's parents, that information still remains a mystery to me. There is one individual that stands out to me as a likely candidate though, and this would be the James Jeffery that can be found living in Rutherford County, NC on the 1790 Census. If one were to want to put stock in the traditional child-naming system, he would certainly rise well above the rest considering William Jeffrey named his oldest son James. The earliest record I've been able to locate involving this James Jeffrey in Rutherford County is his appearance on the 1782 tax list where he is found listed adjacent a John Wells and being taxed for 50 acres of land, 3 horses, and two head of cattle in Captain Uel Lamkin's Company. Two years later, he is joined by a Jeremiah Jeffery on the 1785 tax list and is now shown adjacent a William Wood. By 1800 James Jeffery disappears from the Rutherford County record and I've seen where some researchers believe him to be the same James Jeffery who ended up in Izard County, Arkansas where he died in 1844. This Izard County James Jeffery is thought to have been born in Virginia in the year 1758 and also to be a son of a James, which would probably make a better case if they are one and the same, for him possibly being an older brother of William Jeffrey.

As I discussed in an earlier post concerning Isaac Jones, there was a distinct migratory pattern of many families moving from Rutherford to southern Surry County in the late 1700's. With there not being any record of other Jeffreys, or any of it's spelling variations in Surry County prior to William, it may be that William Jeffrey was also part of this migration considering he makes his first appearance in Surry County records on the 1786 tax list for Captain Sanders District. Despite being listed as "William Jeffes", confirmation of his identity can be found in the Surry County Court Minutes for May 19, 1787. It would appear that Captain Sanders District didn't have a tax collector in 1786 and "William Jeffery" is listed as still owing tax on a single white poll. This would be a pretty good indicator that he was new to the county and is consistent with what William Jeffes was being taxed for on the1786 tax list. Evidence seems to suggest that William Jeffrey certainly wasn't a man of means, because even as late as 1790, tax lists still show him not owning any land and only being taxed for a single white poll. In fact, his earliest known land purchase doesn't occur until October 6, 1797 when he buys 103 acres on Deep Creek from Allen Gentry for the sum of 40 pounds. I would venture to say that it's quite likely that William Jeffrey had migrated to the area as a young newlywed with the family of his wife, much as his own son William Jr. later did after marrying a daughter of Isaac Jones and going to Tennessee with him.

Very little is known concerning the identity of William's wife, who we're told was named "Patsy" based on his "verbal will" later recorded by the courts in 1831. Her real first name was most likely Martha due to Patsy being it's common nickname and her son William Jr. naming his oldest daughter Martha. The 1830 Census for Surry County states that she was born sometime after 1770 and her son John would later claim on the 1880 Census that she was born in Indiana. It's difficult to say how accurate this claim is due to the fact that Patsy was born during a time when the area that eventually became known as Indiana was off-limits to colonial settlement due to a British proclamation setting it aside as Indian territory in 1763. It may be this that has partially played a role in leading some to speculate that Patsy was Native American. I kind of doubt that possibility due to the fact that North Carolina had anti-miscegenation laws making it illegal for whites to marry Native Americans during the Colonial Era and long after the American Revolution. By the late 18th Century, Surry County wasn't exactly the frontier region anymore where you might have been able to get away with it like many did who moved out and actually lived among the Indians. With William actively buying land and serving the county courts as a juror he wasn't exactly living under the radar, not to mention the simple fact that Patsy was granted the rights to his property upon his death which certainly wouldn't have occurred if she was Native American. One thing is certain, by today's standards she would be considered a fairly young bride, most likely no older than 16 at the time of her marriage to William.

Assuming that the couple didn't have any extended or immediate family members living with them, the 1790 Census would seem to indicate that they had three daughters by this point in time. Of the possible three, the only one known to me is their daughter Sarah who was born in Surry County in 1789. She would eventually go on to marry Benjamin Sparks and live out her days in neighboring Wilkes County. Unfortunately the 1800 Census doesn't provide any further clarity as to the identity of the other two females, or any additional children, due to the census being severely faded through most of the surnames starting with "J". The only other child known to me that was born prior to 1800 was their son James who was born in 1794. If the information is correct, the 1810 Census points to the possibility that William and Patsy also had at least one additional daughter by the year 1800 and two more between 1800-1810. It was also during this period of time that their sons William Jr.(1806) and John (1807) were born. Unless the information is incorrect or William and Patsy had a widowed daughter and her children living with them at the time, the 1820 Census shows the addition of three new sons and one new daughter all under the age of 10. Of these three boys, the only identity known to me is that of their youngest son Harrison.

Vicinity of William Jeffrey's Homestead

Yadkin County, NC

As I mentioned earlier, William Jeffrey's initial land purchase was located along the waters of Deep Creek in what is now Yadkin County. The area or land must not have been to his complete satisfaction because a mere three years later he turns around and sells it to a man named Richard Parsons for the amount of "sixty-two Spanish milled dollars" otherwise known as pieces of eight, on January 20, 1800. The deed was witnessed by Ambrose Chappel and Airs Hudspeth and signed by William Jeffrey using "his mark". The following month on February 28, 1800 William purchases 170 acres on Hunting Creek from Reuben Sparks of Wilkes County for the sum of  150 pounds. The land is described in the deed as being "on the waters of Hunting Creek on the Brushy Mountain" and running along the Surry and Wilkes County line. The only neighboring individual named in the deed is listed only as Denny, this being most likely James Denny, who tax records and later deeds show was in fact William Jeffrey's direct neighbor. Of all the land that William Jeffrey would buy and sell over the years, this is the actual parcel that he lived on and would still own at the time of his death. Based on the deed description I would say it was most likely located in the vicinity of where Hwy 421 crosses from Wilkes into Yadkin County. Interestingly enough, this deed is also witnessed by Ambrose Chappel and two other men named James Chappel and Solomon Sparks. Even more interesting is the fact that on every land transaction involving William Jeffrey, whether buying or selling, the deed is witnessed by Ambrose Chappel. Possible connection?

Ambrose Chappel appears once again when William Jeffrey receives a 100 acre land grant from the State of North Carolina on December 9, 1802. The land is described as being on "the North Fork of the North Fork of Hunting Creek" and bordering Ambrose Chappel. In the fall of 1804 William Jeffrey continues to add to his land holdings, purchasing 80 acres adjoining Samuel Hicks, Isaac Jones, and John Brown on October 17th from Benjamin Hicks and then another 21 acres from William Hicks on November 13th. This second tract of land also bordered John Brown and Samuel Hicks. The following year on August 3, 1805, William purchases another 100 acres on Hunting Creek from William Hicks, with the land once again bordering John Brown, Samuel Hicks, and now also Richard Messick. One has to wonder what William Jeffrey's motive was with these three land purchases because roughly three months later he turns around and sells all 200 acres to William West on November 19, 1805 for 125 pounds. He certainly lost money on that deal having originally paid 170 pounds for all of it.

1828 Surry County Tax List ~ Capt. Ashby's District

Two months later on January 18, 1806, William Jeffrey purchases another 100 acres closer to his original land purchase along the Wilkes County line from Amos Chappel for the amount of $200. Just one year later on January 10, 1807 he turns around and sells this same piece of land to a man named William George for the same amount he originally paid for it. By February 1, 1811, William Jeffrey had reduced his total land holdings down to just his original 170 acre Hunting Creek property after selling his 100 acre 1802 land grant to Elisha Chappel for 58 pounds. Having only paid 50 shillings originally for the land, this was quite the profit considering 1 pound equals 20 shillings. Later that same year on October 2, William would make his final and largest land purchase to date, buying 270 acres from Thomas Allen of Wilkes County for the amount of $500. The land is described as being "on both sides of Hunting Creek" and starting "west of the Brushy Mountains near the head of said creek" also running adjacent to the land owned by Nathan Pearson and James Fisk. By 1812, the Surry County Tax List for Capt. Hatley's district shows William Jeffrey being taxed for a total of 440 acres. Although there are no existing deeds for the transactions, later tax lists such as the one for 1818 indicate that William Jeffrey later sold some of this land. By 1818 he was only being taxed on 347 acres and by the following year only 327. By 1828 he is down to only the 170 acres he had purchased from Reuben Sparks back in 1800. This would be the land he would leave to his wife Patsy with his passing on September 5, 1831.

A week after William Jeffrey's death, the Surry County Court sent two of their acting justices, Elisha Chapell and Thomas Hampton, out to William's house to record his "verbal will" based on the sworn testimony of Richard Benge and Elizabeth Chapell who stated they "did hear the decd. Wm. Jeffrey say a number of times during the decd. sickness and on the week before he died" that "his beloved wife Patsy Jeffrey should have and enjoy the hole of his property." The only other provision he made was that for his son Harrison to be given "a horse worth sixty dollars and one bed" upon reaching the age of 21. As executors, he appointed his son James Jeffrey and his son-in-law Benjamin Sparks.

It remains a mystery in regards to what happened to Patsy after William's death. No further record exists in the county involving her or the land that William left to her. Their oldest son James remained in the county until as late as 1844 before moving to Hancock County, Indiana. It may be that she died at some point prior to 1840 because she doesn't appear as a head of household or in her son's household on the census for that year. But with the possibility that William and Patsy had as many as 13 children, most of them apparently girls, there's really no telling who she could have been living with if still alive in 1840.                          


1797 Surry County, NC Deed ~ Allen Gentry to William Jeffrey (page 1)

1797 Surry County, NC Deed ~ Allen Gentry to William Jeffrey (page 2)

1800 Surry County, NC Deed ~ William Jeffrey to Richard Parsons

1800 Surry County, NC Deed ~ Reuben Sparks to William Jeffrey (page 1)

1800 Surry County, NC Deed ~ Reuben Sparks to William Jeffrey (page 2)

1802 Surry County, NC Deed ~ The State of NC to William Jeffrey (page 1)

1802 Surry County, NC Deed ~ The State of NC to William Jeffrey (page 2)

1804 Surry County, NC Deed ~ Benjamin Hicks to William Jeffrey

1804 Surry County, NC Deed ~ William Hicks to William Jeffrey

1805 Surry County, NC Deed ~ William Hicks to William Jeffrey

1805 Surry County, NC Deed ~ William Jeffrey to William West

1806 Surry County, NC Deed ~ Amos Chappel to William Jeffrey (page 1)

1806 Surry County, NC Deed ~ Amos Chappel to William Jeffrey (page 2)

1807 Surry County, NC Deed ~ William Jeffrey to William George (page 1)

1807 Surry County, NC Deed ~ William Jeffrey to William George (page 2)

1811 Surry County, NC Deed ~ William Jeffrey to Elisha Chappel (page 1)

1811 Surry County, NC Deed ~ William Jeffrey to Elisha Chappel (page 2)

1811 Surry County, NC Deed ~ Thomas Allen to William Jeffrey

1831 Surry County, NC "Verbal Will" of William Jeffrey (page 1)

1831 Surry County, NC "Verbal Will" of William Jeffrey (page 2)



 

The Brown (Braun) Family Of Rowan & Surry County, NC...Part 4

Surry County Court Minutes ~ November 12, 1811

Being a large landowner in the county at the time, it's only natural that John Brown can be found with high frequency in the county court records. On two separate occasions he can be found suing a man named James Fitzgerald; first on February 10, 1807 and then again on November 12, 1811. Considering James Fitzgerald was at one time the sheriff of Surry County and is found being sued repeatedly by different individuals, I would assume that these two lawsuits most likely involved an issue with taxes. In 1810 John Brown is selected to act as a juror during the November court session, eventually serving on two cases dated November 16, 1810 involving a lawsuit between Nathan Chaffin and Nicholas Horn and a lawsuit between The State and one of his neighbors named Stephen Woode (Wood). As with most of the people closely associated with John Brown in Surry County, Stephen Wood was also originally from Montgomery County, MD and had married the sister-in-law of John Brown's neighbor Isaac Windsor. It may be that there is a deeper connection between the Brown family and the Wood family because this surname also appears on deeds from Washington County, TN involving John's father Jacob.

John Brown makes his return to the Surry County land records as a primary participant on October 28, 1816 when he sells the 100 acres he had purchased from Noel Wadel back in 1800 to his son Daniel. Two months later, and interestingly enough on Christmas day, John Brown writes out another deed transferring 100 acres to Jesse Peeter for the amount of "fifteen pounds current money." I find this deed particularly interesting due to the fact that John's granddaughter Jeannette Caroline Jones, eventually married a man named John Wesley Peter in 1836, although I've never made an attempt to connect the two men. 

Just a month later on January 24, 1817, John Brown parts with another 100 acres of his land on Hunting Creek. The tract lay adjacent to the land he had just sold to his son Daniel, and in this instance was being purchased by his son Isaac. As I mentioned in my last post, it is also in 1817 that John Brown fulfills his obligation as the administrator of the estate of John Roark and on his behalf sells 50 acres of land on the Long Branch to William Tulbert. The Long Branch lies just to the south of North Hunting Creek and eventually feeds into it just downstream of John Brown's property which gives you a good idea of the close proximity of the two men.

On February 21, 1818, John's son John Jr. takes a turn at purchasing some land from his father and buys 100 acres adjacent his brother Isaac. Based on the property's description, it was most likely part of John Brown's 179 acre purchase from Josiah Roughton in 1799. What is most important about this deed is the fact that it is witnessed by his son-in-law Thomas Jones. With the name discrepancy caused by John Brown referring to his daughter as "Polly Jones" in the writing of his 1830 will and the existing marriage record that he acted as bondsman for naming her Nancy, I believe this deed to be further evidence of Nancy and Polly being one and the same person.

Five years would pass before John Brown makes his final land transaction in Surry County, selling 146 acres to his son Thomas A. Brown on September 18, 1823. The land is described as being adjacent John Brown, Tolbert, Henry Brown, and Isaac Brown and the deed was witnessed by A. Johnson, Aniais Roton, and John Brown Jr. The first thing that is interesting about this deed is that for the first time involving land transactions with his sons, no money is supposedly exchanged, and the land is granted "for and in consideration of the natural love and affection that a parent hath towards a child and for the better support and mantainance (sic)." Even more interesting is that for the first time on any document, John Brown doesn't sign his name and instead signs with "his mark". This is seen again when he writes his last will and testament on September 22, 1830 which would indicate to me that he had possibly suffered an illness or accident some seven years prior to dying, that rendered him unable to fully use his normal writing hand.

Last Will & Testament of John Brown.

Sept. 22, 1830 ~ Surry County, NC

"In the name of God amen. I John Brown of the county of Surry and state of North Carolina being of sound mind and disposing memory blessed be God, do this twenty second day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty make and publish this my last will and testament revoking all others in manner following to wit: First, I will that all my just debts be paid. Second, I will and bequeath unto my wife Molley Brown all my land and stock of every kind, house hold and kitchen furniture during her natural life or widder hood. Third, I will and bequeath unto my son Henry Brown one dollar over and above what he has all ready had. (Fourth) I will and bequeath unto my son John Brown twenty five dollars to be paid out of the property at my death over and above what he all ready had. (Fifth) I will and bequeath unto my son Daniel Brown twenty five cents over and above what he all ready had. (Sixth) will unto my son Isaac Brown twenty cents over and above what he all ready had. (Seventh) I will unto my daughter Polly Jones formerly Polly Brown fifty cents over and above what she has all ready had. (Eighth) I will unto my daughter Susanah Felts formerly Susanah Brown twenty five cents over and above what she has all ready had. (Ninth) I will unto my daughter Elizabeth Jones formerly Elizabeth Brown fifty cents over and above what she has all ready had. (Tenth) I will and bequeath unto my son James Brown all my lands and tennements stock of every kind and all my farming tools of every kind at the death or marrage of my wife and at my death I will unto my said son James Brown my one waggon and harness one still and the debts that is due to me and also at the death or marriage of my wife I will unto my said son James Brown all my house hold and kitchen furniture. (Eleventh) I will unto my son Thomas A. Brown twenty five cents over and above what he has all ready had. I hearby make and ordain my beloved sons John Brown and James Brown of the county and state aforsaid  executor of this my last will and testament in witness where of I the said John Brown of the county and state afore said do here unto set my hand and affix my seal the day and date above written sind sealed in presence of A. Johnson Dr., George Messick, Wiley Messick."   (original spelling left intact)

Surry County Court Minutes ~ November 8, 1830

John Brown's last will and testament was eventually proved in the Surry County court by the oath of Wiley Messick on November 8, 1830 thus placing John Brown's death between September 22 and November 8 of that year. His wife Mary (Molly) never remarried and continued to live on his main property up until her death sometime after 1850, with the land then being passed on to their son James as stipulated by the will. Their son James and his descendants would continue to occupy the property through the years, with there still being Browns living in the area to this day.

As far as a final resting place for John Brown and his wife, that still remains a mystery. The two most likely locations would be either the George Messick Cemetery or somewhere on his own land. Having been to the George Messick Cemetery, I would say there is a pretty good possibility he could be buried there. There are a number of unmarked graves and graves with stones that have been rendered illegible over time, leaving this possibility wide open. In fact, I tend to wonder if the cemetery wasn't actually misnamed. To the best of my knowledge, the cemetery's name originates with the writing and publishing of the book Cemeteries of Yadkin County, North Carolina compiled by Carl C. Hoots. The author cites his information on the Messick cemeteries as "through courtesy of Kathryn Ring." With all due respect to the author and Mrs. Ring, a few of the graves were definitely transcribed incorrectly. Most important to my point is the grave of George T. Messick for whom the cemetery is named. I tend to believe it's possible that the cemetery was only named after him because they thought his grave was the oldest and belonging to an obvious patriarch. With the date having been trancribed as "3- -1816" that would certainly be a correct assumption, but instead the stone actually reads 3- -1846. Another stone, supposedly even older belonging to Abigail Messick, is listed as having a death date of "5-27-1808". This has to be an error because Abigail Messick was the granddaughter of George T. Messick through his son John Nelson Messick and wouldn't have even been born in 1808, let alone dead in 1808 at age 39 as the book reads. With that being said, the oldest readable stone in the cemetery actually belongs to John Brown Jr. who died on February 12, 1834. The next oldest legible stone belongs to John Brown Jr.'s son George who died as an adult on May 1, 1839. Could it be that the cemetery actually started out as a Brown Family cemetery and saw shared usage with the Messicks due to John Brown Jr. having married into the family? It is in very close proximity to land known to be owned by John Brown Sr. and quite possibly lays on the parcel of land he sold to his son John Jr.

As I mentioned earlier, the other possibility is that John Brown is buried somewhere on his former property. I decided to put this theory to the test a few weeks ago and went down to have a look around and talk to some of the current landowners. After knocking on a few doors, I was directed to the sole remaining Brown still living in the vicinity of the property who happens to be an elderly woman once married to a descendant of John's son James. She had recollection of a small cemetery out in the middle of a cow pasture along the road that takes you back into John Brown's original 1786 land purchase. With the land having been parceled-out over the years and now under various people's ownership, I had the chance to talk to numerous people now living on the property. On two separate occasions I was told by different people about a gentleman who had built a home in recent years on the land in question and during the construction process he had uncovered what he thought was an Indian burial ground. I never got a chance to speak with the actual homeowner, so I'm not certain about how he determined it to be an Indian burial ground and not a 182 year old family cemetery. Being that I only live about 30 minutes from there, I do plan to make a return trip to dig into this matter a little further.....no pun intended. Stay tuned.

1816 Surry County, NC Deed ~ John Brown to Daniel Brown (page 1)

1816 Surry County, NC Deed ~ John Brown to Daniel Brown (page 2)

1816 Surry County, NC Deed ~ John Brown to Jesse Peeter (page 1)

1816 Surry County, NC Deed ~ John Brown to Jesse Peeter (page 2)

1817 Surry County, NC Deed ~ John Brown to Isaac Brown (page 1)

1817 Surry County, NC Deed ~ John Brown to Isaac Brown (page 2)

1817 Surry County, NC Deed ~ John Brown to William Tulbert (page 1) Roark Estate

1817 Surry County, NC Deed ~ John Brown to William Tulbert (page 2) Roark Estate

1818 Surry County, NC Deed ~ John Brown to John Brown Jr. (page 1)

1818 Surry County, NC Deed ~ John Brown to John Brown Jr. (page 2)

1823 Surry County, NC Deed ~ John Brown to Thomas A. Brown

1830 Surry County, NC Will ~ John Brown      

The Brown (Braun) Family Of Rowan & Surry County, NC...Part 3

Brown Road in Yadkin County, NC

(vicinity of John Brown homestead)

Of the eleven children of Jacob "The Wagonmaker" Brown, it was his son John who decided to pass on the family migration to Tennessee and remain behind in North Carolina. As I mentioned in an earlier post, John Brown had been born in Rowan County, NC around the year 1762 and quite possibly left for Surry County, NC in 1780. I say "quite possibly" because it is on April 3 of this year that a land grant of 100 acres in Surry County is issued to a John Brown by the governor at the time, Richard Caswell. Unfortunately, the grant makes no mention of any indentifying waterways or names of bordering landowners to definitively say it was this John Brown; although, the 1786 county tax list for Captain Sanders' District would indicate the possibility because John Brown is shown owning 300 acres by that point in time. Of these 300 acres, apart from this possible land grant, only 100 acres can be accounted for definitively through deed by the year 1786. This transaction occurred on December 8, 1786 when John Brown purchased 100 acres on the actual bank of North Little Hunting Creek from Philip Britain and his wife Mary for the amount of 60 pounds. The deed describes the land as running "down the meander" of the creek, which is still visible to this day, and places this land at the end of modern-day Cliff Road off of Brown Road in the North Buck Shoals area of Yadkin County. There is a vacant land entry on record that was made by William Elsberry on June 14, 1787 involving 100 acres on Hunting Creek. The land is described as being "between Christian Brown, land Thomas Kell sold to Rotan, and a branch of Hunting Creek." The land entry also mentions that it was transferred to John Brown.

The way the vacant land entry system operated in the state of North Carolina at the time was that first an individual would find an unoccupied piece of land, pay a small fee, and then file a land entry, or vacant land entry, at the county land office. A waiting period would then follow to allow any individuals who may already own all or part of the land to come forward and dispute the individuals entry. If there were no issues at this point, a land warrant was issued and sent to the county surveyor to have the land surveyed. Once the land was surveyed and all fees were paid, which included the cost of 10 pounds per 100 acres at this period of time, a grant was issued from the governor. From this point forward, the land usually changed hands through deeds on the county level. No corresponding deed seems to exist for this transfer between William Elsberry and John Brown and I'm not really sure how it could have been transferred prior to the actual land entry, but the transaction is later backed up by a land entry made by John Brown on October 12, 1794 when he files for 50 acres on the waters of North Hunting Creek that border "Christian Brown, his former entry  No. 251, and Joshua Tolbert." It is mentioned once again almost eight years later in 1802 when John Brown enters a 150 acre land entry which includes "the plantation he purchased of William Elsberry."

Part of John Brown's 100 acre 1786 land purchase

from Philip Britain.

(North Hunting Creek is just beyond the trees.)

Despite being shown owning 300 acres on the 1786 tax list, by 1790 John Brown is only being shown taxed for 100 acres in what is now known as Captain Hudspeth's District despite him actually owning at least 200. With the constant discrepancies involving these tax lists, it may very well be that he was issued the 1780 grant. Another important fact to mention concerning the 1790 tax list is that it marks the first appearance of John Roark in Surry County. As I discussed in my post about Burrel Jones, the John Brown being discussed here did not marry Molly McCulloch in Rowan County as has long been believed, and it is this John Roark who has been put forth as a likely father-in-law. There are actually quite a few factors that could possibly validate this claim. First would be the fact that John's older brother David married John Roark's daughter Sarah in Rowan County. Despite the lack of a marriage record, the union is documented in a Washington County, TN deed dated December 1, 1796 between John Roark and his "loving son in law David Brown." The second piece of evidence pointing to this possibility is the fact that the Surry County court granted the administration of John Roark's estate to John Brown on November 14, 1804. Odd considering  there is no further mention of John Roark in Surry County after 1793, apart from this court minutes entry, and John Brown's eventual sale as estate administrator of 50 acres of land belonging to John Roark on the Long Branch to William Tulbert on November 8, 1817. Tax records from 1790-1793 show John Roark owning a varying amount of 240-340 acres without any existing deeds to cross-reference. It may be that John Brown was merely a co-administrator of the estate and chosen solely based on his proximity to the land still owned by John Roark in Surry County after he left for TN. Unfortunately, I've never been able to locate any other deeds or estate related documents involving John Roark in Washington County, TN either, apart from the single deed from 1796 involving David Brown. With all that being said, one must still ask the question why John Roark chose to relocate from Rowan to Surry County in such close proximity to John Brown in the first place. About all that is known about John Brown's wife with any certainty, is that her name was Mary, or sometimes Molly, and that she was born in Pennsylvania around 1764 as per the 1850 Census for Surry County, NC.       

Administration of the Estate of John Rowark to John Brown.

November 14, 1804 ~ Surry County, NC

On August 16, 1796 John Brown makes a second 100 acre purchase from Philip Britain who had since relocated to Burke County, NC. The land was most likely adjacent the 1786 purchase and is described as being "on the north bank of the North Fork of Hunting Creek" and starting on "Rotten's ford on said creek." The deed was witnessed by a George Brown and John Pettyjohn. Roughly six months later John Brown acquires an additional 46 acres on Hunting Creek from his neighbor Christian Brown on February 4, 1797. Once again the deed is witnessed by a George Brown, who I expect was most likely a son of Christian Brown based on their age difference and the sheer number of deeds involving the two men together. Unfortunately, Christian Brown's connection to John Brown remains illusive; although, I expect there is some sort of family connection between the two men considering John's grandfather was named Stephen Christian Braun and the the two men arrived in the same area of Surry County around the same time. If there is a family connection, I would guess that Christian was most likely a cousin to John Brown.

For the next three years John Brown would continue to purchase more land along North Little Hunting Creek, starting with 179 acres he bought from Jacob Roughton on August 28, 1799 for the relatively cheap amount of 40 pounds. The land is described as being adjacent land already owned by John Brown and once again mentions "the meander" on the creek. The deed was witnessed by Josiah Roughton and Windle Cook. It is generally believed that Jacob and Josiah Roughton were brothers and the sons of the David Rhoton that witnessed John Brown's 1786 land purchase from Philip Britain. The Roughtons were one of several tightly interwoven families who had come to the area from Sussex County, Delaware. Jacob and Josiah's sister Eunice Roughton had married George Messick who was also originally from Sussex County, and their sister Pollyanna Roughton had married a man named Joseph Roark Salmons also from Sussex County. Isaac Jones' son Thomas owned land adjacent Joseph Salmons in 1818, and it was Josiah's son James Roughton who later purchased land owned by Isaac's son Wiley in Warren County, TN in the 1820's. This same James Roughton had married Nellie Messick who was the daughter of George Messick's brother Richard.

May 15, 1799 Surry County, NC Court order 

to lay off a road in the vicinity of Hunting Creek.

John Brown certainly had a very close tie with the family of George Messick, considering his oldest son Henry married George Messick's daughter Lucia (Luah) on October 7, 1808 in Surry County. With no existing county marriage bond, it's very fortunate that the event was seen as an affair worthy of having announced in the October 20, 1808 edition of the Raleigh Register newspaper. Twelve years later on July 14, 1820, John's son John Jr. married one of George Messick's other daughters named Lovey Messick. Lucia and Lovey's brother Leonard Messick went on to marry a woman named Elizabeth Verlinda Windsor, who also shared the same surname as their father George's mother Rebecca Windsor. Elizabeth's father Isaac Windsor lived adjacent to a man named Iley Denny who has a somewhat bizarre connection to Isaac Jones. Iley, also known as Azariah, had a sister named Elizabeth who married a man named Priddy Meeks. Priddy and Elizabeth's granddaughter Keziah Meeks Carter married Isaac Jones' grandson John Logan Jones some 40 years later in Arkansas. Not only this, but Keziah's son James Carter was the second husband of Isaac Jones' great-granddaughter Lucy Jones Gist, which also happened some 50 years after Isaac and his family had left Surry County.

Both George Messick and Josiah Roughton would act as witnesses for John Brown's next purchase of 50 acres of land from Jacob Roughton on October 23, 1800. Once again the land was located on the north side of Hunting Creek and listed adjacent John Brown's prior purchase from Jacob Roughton and the property of a man named William Wooldridge. Three days prior to this transaction on October 3, John Brown had purchased 100 acres for 60 pounds from Noel Wadel (Waddel) which lay adjacent to the 50 acres he would soon buy from Jacob Roughton. This deed was also witnessed by George Messick and Josiah Roughton and this purchase is most likely what led to John Brown acting as a witness for Noel Waddel's sale of land to Isaac Jones in 1801. John would eventually sell this 100 acre parcel to his son Daniel on October 28, 1816 and Isaac Jones would eventually sell his second 1814 purchase from Noel Waddle to Daniel Brown in 1823. John Brown's last known land purchase in Surry County would be a state land grant for 50 acres issued on December 9, 1802. The grant was derived from the 150 acre land entry I mentioned earlier dated February 10, 1802 and described as "joining his own land, Christian Brown's and others, including the plantation he purchased of William Elsberry." Due to the inclusion of the 100 acre William Elsberry plantation he already owned, the end amount granted was only 50 acres. What is interesting about this particular 50 acres is that it is the exact same 50 acres he filed a land entry for in 1794 which can be seen in the corresponding original entry date of October 12, 1794 on the grant. Based on known land purchases only, by 1802 John Brown owned at least 725 acres along North Hunting Creek in Surry County. There is mention in the Surry County Court Minutes of a "bill of sale" from James Frazier to John Brown being "proved by the oath of Thomas Wright", but there is nothing more to indicate that it involved the purchase of any land and could have been for just about anything.

1815 Surry County, NC Tax List

Capt. Jones District

(John Brown Sr. ~ bottom left)

One document of particular interest from 1800 involving John Brown is the federal census for that year. What makes this census stand apart from any of the others he is listed on, is the fact that he is shown with one free person of color and two slaves in the household. At no point prior to or after 1800 is there any mention found of John Brown purchasing, inheriting, or owning slaves. A Brown family researcher named Cindy Schroeder had pointed out to me that the 1815 county tax list shows a Mary Brown listed above John Brown Sr. and being taxed for one black poll, opening the possibility that John's wife Mary was the actual owner of the slave/slaves. While I suppose possible, it would certainly mark a rare occurrence of a married woman being taxed on individual property considering that in most cases that would only occur if the woman were an unmarried adult or widow. The 1800 census listing in question is most certainly the correct John Brown based on other individuals listed in the district, as well as, the number and ages of the family members is dead on in accounting for the eight children they had at the time: Henry (ca 1784), John Jr. (ca 1786), Daniel (ca 1787), Susannah (ca 1792), Isaac (ca 1794), Nancy/Polly (ca 1795), Elizabeth (1799), and James (1800). John and Molly would have their last child Thomas A. in 1803. I have John Jr. listed as being older than Daniel primarily based on how they are named in their father's will, although, if the information is accurate, the 1820 Census would seem to indicate that Daniel was actually the older of the two.

To be continued...........      


1780 NC Land Grant to John Brown in Surry County (page 1)

1780 NC Land Grant to John Brown in Surry County (page 2)

1786 Surry County, NC Deed ~ Philip Britain & wife Mary to John Brown

1796 Surry County, NC Deed ~ Philip Britain to John Brown (page 1)

1796 Surry County, NC Deed ~ Philip Britain to John Brown (page 2)

1797 Surry County, NC Deed ~ Christian Brown to John Brown (page 1)

1797 Surry County, NC Deed ~ Christian Brown to John Brown (page 2)

1799 Surry County, NC Deed ~ Jacob Roughton to John Brown

1800 Surry County, NC Deed ~ Jacob Roughton to John Brown & 1800 Surry County, NC Deed ~ Noel Wadel to John Brown (page 1)

1800 Surry County, NC Deed ~ Noel Wadel to John Brown (page 2)

1802 NC Land Grant to John Brown (page 1)

1802 NC Land Grant to John Brown (page 2)