Identifying the Wives of James Wyatt Jr. of Spartanburg District, South Carolina

James Wyatt Jr. (1752-c.1818), a native of Northumberland County, Virginia, migrated with his documented parents, James (c.1726-c.1795) and Bethlehem Wyatt to Tryon County, North Carolina, where his father was granted 392 acres in October 1767. The family seems to have moved to Spartanburg District, South Carolina by 1788, when James Jr. appears in a juror list.

James Wyatt Jr.'s wife is called Mary or Molly in various deeds beginning in June 1790, with her final appearance in a September 1795 sale to Job Sosbree in Spartanburg District. She doesn't seem to appear in any wills and there don't seem to be any strong clues as to her parents.

Some genealogists believe her father was Thomas Massingale, who named a daughter Mary in a deed witnessed by James Wyatt on January 2, 1794 in Spartanburg District. While this is certainly possible, the evidence is thin. Just because James Wyatt witnessed the deed doesn't mean Massingale was his father-in-law. Massingale doesn't give last names for any of his children, so it isn't clear if his daughter Mary was Mary Wyatt. Furthermore, there are no Massingales in the deed books of Tryon and Lincoln County, North Carolina in the 1770s and 1780s, when the Wyatts and Massingales should have been acquainted.

Often overlooked is a marriage bond in Lincoln County, North Carolina between James Wyatt and Mary "Wyrim" (possibly Wyman), dated March 19, 1787. James Wyatt's wife isn't named in deeds prior to 1790 and there doesn't seem to be any other James Wyatt in this generation in either Lincoln County, North Carolina or Spartanburg District, South Carolina, so this is almost certainly the same James and Mary Wyatt.

Census records indicate however that James Wyatt Jr. married and had children long before 1787... and so he must have had a wife before Mary Wyrim.

Interestingly, the identity of this first wife may have been hinted at in a deed from James Wyatt Jr. to his son, dated March 29, 1815. James Wyatt "to son Elisha Jones Wyatt... for love and affection... give... at James death and not before...", 200 acres, border Peg's Old Field (in Lincoln County, NC).

That name "Elisha Jones Wyatt" is pretty specific. He was almost certainly named in honor of someone named Elisha Jones.

Fortunately, its no mystery who Elisha Jones (c.1765-aft.1830) was. He was constable of Lincoln County, North Carolina, where the Wyatts lived from 1779 (when the county was formed from old Tryon County) to 1788. He didn't migrated into South Carolina with the Wyatts, but remained in Lincoln County through at least the 1830 US census and likely died there.

While its possible Elisha Jones was simply a beloved family friend, there is a strong possibility that he was a younger brother of Mary Wyatt. The fact that the Wyatts left the state while Elisha Jones was still very young, possibly a teenager, and named a child after him years later strongly suggests he was a relative.

There is no question that the Wyatts knew him. In fact, James Wyatt and his son John Wyatt were buyers at the estate sale of Thomas Hawkins in Lincoln County, North Carolina in February 1793, which was administered by none other than Elisha Jones.

While it doesn't prove Jones was Wyatt's brother-in-law, it may be the best clue we have to the identity of his wife.

So who were Elisha Jones's parents? A thorough analysis of the Joneses of Tryon and Lincoln Counties don't reveal any relevant deeds or wills that might shed light on this question. But we do have a couple of decent clues:

1. Elisha Jones appears next door to a Charles Jones (born before 1755) in the 1800 US census of Lincoln County, North Carolina. Charles is at least a decade older than Elisha (who married in 1794, and was probably born in the late 1760s or early 1770s) and could be either his father or older brother.

2. Elisha Jones's papers for the estate of Thomas Hawkins reveal a note dated October 8, 1795 where Jones informs the court that he could not locate an important account book pertaining to a John Whiteford but noted he believed Benjamin Jones of Maryland also had the right of administration.

3. Zachariah Spencer granted security for Elisha Jones for the administration of the Hawkins estate.

Zachariah Spencer (1761-1835) of Lincoln County, North Carolina, was born in Baltimore County, Maryland, the son of a senior Zachariah Spencer (1732-1789), who also migrated to Lincoln County; this Zachariah was the son of another Zachariah Spencer (c.1705-c.1783) and his wife Christina Cobb of Maryland.

Christina Cobb was sister-in-law to Charles Jones of Baltimore County (1703-1767), who had sons Benjamin Jones (1728-1797), likely the Benjamin Jones mentioned in the above note; and Charles Jones (1731-aft.1752), who disappears from Maryland records after 1752, and is likely father of the Lincoln and Rutherford County Jones families, which may include Benjamin Jones (bef.1755-1809), Charles Jones Jr. (d. aft.1830), James Lee Jones (d.bef.1790) and Littleberry Jones (d. aft.1810), all of Rutherford County, North Carolina.

The Hawkins family likewise migrated with the Spencer and Jones families from Baltimore County, Maryland to North Carolina and the families show repeated intermarriages through the generations.

This makes Elisha Jones of North Carolina a second cousin of Zachariah Spencer, and a nephew of "Benjamin Jones of Maryland." 

Interestingly, "Zechariah Spencer of Delaware County, Maryland" was deeded land by James Wyatt Sr. in Tryon County, North Carolina in a deed dated December 26, 1772, showing another link between the Wyatts and this Jones-Spencer-Hawkins family group.

So if Elisha Jones was a younger son of Charles Jones and Hannah Nichols of Baltimore County, Maryland who married on December 26, 1752, it seems possible that James Wyatt's first wife was one of their older children, born c.1753-54.

Research and documentation by Jason M. Farrell

Identifying the Lost Suttons of Albemarle County, North Carolina, Part II

In Part I, I laid out the case that Samuel Sutton (c.1722-1764) of Perquimans County, North Carolina was an undocumented son of Nathaniel Sutton (1681-c.1743) by an unknown first wife. Samuel is one of four Sutton men of his generation who seem likely to be brothers. The other three are:

John Sutton (c.1702-aft.1741) appears in Bertie County 1723-1741, wife Mary;

James Sutton (c.1712-1770) married Anne Penrice (Perquimans, Granville & Bertie County 1753-1770);

Ephraim Sutton (c.1720-bef.1772) was a neighbor of James Sutton in Perquimans County.

There is further circumstantial evidence that these men are potentially brothers, and further evidence that James's descendants migrated west into what is now Rutherford County, North Carolina.

JOHN SUTTON (c.1702-aft.1741)

An unidentified John Sutton was the Clerk of Court in Bertie County, North Carolina from at least August 1723 and was a witness to about a third of the deed written over the next two decades. John was himself  recorded buying land in Bertie County in 1725, 1726 and 1739. A 1737 deed identifies his wife as Mary. 

Not much else is known about this John Sutton, who disappears from Bertie County after 1741. Given his status as a local clerk, it seems unlikely that he died around then with no mention in court records. It seems more likely that he simply moved away, though where to isn't clear.

He could be the John Sutton who appears in the records of Dobbs County, North Carolina in 1748 and died there in 1773. No wife was recorded, but he had three documented sons: Benjamin Sutton (born about 1752; died 1837); John Sutton, Jr. (born about 1758; died 1820-1830); and William Sutton (born about 1760; died 1813-1820). All three sons were born and lived in Bucklesberry, which is about 100 miles southwest of Perquimans County. 

There were four other possible sons living in the county as well: Thomas Sutton (born before 1758; death year unknown); James Sutton (born 1755-1767; death year unknown); Richard Sutton (born 1755-1773; died 1800-1810); and Simon Sutton (born 1765-1767; died before 1813). John likely had daughters, too, but no document evidence to date has emerged to identify their names.

Given the age difference between John Sutton of Bertie County and the children born to John Sutton of Dobbs, it is possible that John of Bertie was the father of John of Dobbs; or they may be unrelated. For further information on the Dobbs County John Sutton, see https://suttonancestry.com/john-sutton-first-in-bucklesberry/

JAMES SUTTON (c.1712-1770)

James was extensively documented in Perquimans County, beginning with a deed of 100 acres from Francis Penrice in April 1753.

The following year, James appears in tax list of Perquimans County, with just 1 tithable (himself). On this same list are Samuel Sutton (5), Joseph Sutton Esq., Joseph Sutton Jr. and Edward Penrice, indicating they lived in the same part of the county.

Sometime during that year, James seems to have moved to Granville County, North Carolina, being named along with a John Sutton in a muster roll of the Granville County militia in October 1754. The following year he appears in the Granville County tax rolls, again claiming only himself as tithable. James disappears from Granville County after 1755, but appears in Bertie County beginning in the tax census of 1757.

While these could be different men named James Sutton, the scarcity of the name in this Sutton clan suggest they are the same man. Also, Robert Allen appears with James Sutton in the Granville County 1755 tax census just 11 households away from Sutton. In the 1757 tax list of Bertie County, James Sutton shared a household with Robert Allen, indicating co-migration among these eastern counties.

James Sutton seems to appear in no further records until April 15, 1770, when his estate entered into probate in Perquimans County. Samuel Penrice, his brother-in-law, was administrator and a James Sutton was the only Sutton at his estate sale. This is his son. Evidently there was a will but it doesn't seem to have been recorded.

James Sutton Jr. appears in a 1771 deed clarifying some of the relationships in this family:

Oct. 21, 1771 - James Sutton to Benj Scarbrough - 15 pds for 30 acres - NW Yeopin Creek near bend of a swamp out of Franks Creek - sd land given by my grandfather Francis Penrice to my father James Sutton Sr and by his will to me. (Perquimans Co. NC deeds, Book H, #183)

And in a further deed he shows a relation to the late Ephraim Sutton, probable brother of James Sr.:

Feb. 6, 1772 - James Sutton to Joshua Skinner - 25 pds for 50 acres - NS Yeopim Creek adj to land belonging to orphans of Ephraim Sutton to a branch issuing out of Albemarle Sounty. Witnesses Samuel Penrice, Elizabeth Penrice. (Perquimans Co. NC deeds, Book H #198)

James Sutton and Ann Penrice (named daughter in the will of Francis Penrice of Perquimans County, in April 1756) had four likely sons who migrated into western North Carolina:

1. John Sutton (c.1734-1817), who appears in the Granville County militia rolls in 1754 and was noted "absent" in rolls of 1771. He appears in court in Granville County in 1755 and 1757. He is likely the same John Sutton who begins appearing in deeds in Anson County, North Carolina in 1768 and evidently married Eleanor Ashley, daughter of John Ashley of Anson County, who names a daughter "Elianer Sutton" in his 1759 will. In 1772, John Sutton was a witness for John Ashley (Jr., son of above John Ashley) in a deed in Tryon County, North Carolina; by 1779, he had been granted 50 acres on Floyd's Creek in Rutherford County, North Carolina, where he would remain the rest of his life. He sealed his will in March 1814 naming children Elizabeth Sutton, Robert Sutton, William Sutton, John Sutton, Sarah Sutton and James Sutton, among other legatees. His will was recorded July 6, 1817.

2. James Sutton (1751-aft.1834), a Revolutionary War veteran who self-reported being born in Granville County, North Carolina in April 1751 in his veteran's pension application. In 1771-1772, he sold off his father's property and (by his own account) removed to Halifax County, North Carolina where he lived until 1780, though contemporary records actually place him back in Granville County during this period, serving under Capt. William Gill during the Revolutionary War. James reported living in Rutherford County, North Carolina from 1780 to 1805, when he finally settled in Lincoln County, North Carolina. He reported being poor and illiterate and evidently wrote no will. No wife is known, but he seems to be father to James Sutton, William Sutton, Colby Sutton and others who later migrated from Rutherford County, North Carolina to Smith County, Tennessee. Colby was named legatee in the will of the above John Sutton.

3. Samuel Sutton (1750s-aft.1800), about whom little is known. In 1788 he appears with John Sutton in a suit against James Kincaid in Lincoln County, North Carolina. Samuel, who was likely named for Samuel Sutton (d.1764) of Perquimans County, North Carolina, appears in census records of Lincoln County through 1800. He may be the father of William and James Sutton who appear in Lincoln County marriage bonds in 1818 and 1832, respectively.

4. Dempsey Sutton (bef.1765-aft.1820), another brother about whom little is known. He does appear to have initially migrated with the other Suttons to Lincoln County, North Carolina where he appears as "Densy Sutton" in a suit by the state of North Carolina in January 1788. After being found guilty, he seems to have returned to Granville County where he was sold property near Low Ground Creek by David Blalock in 1801. He last appears in the 1820 census of Granville County. No name found for his wife. He may be the father of Edward Sutton, a War of 1812 veteran who also appears in Granville County in the 1820 census.

EPHRAIM SUTTON (c.1720-c.1772)

Ephraim Sutton is only mentioned in three deeds between 1757 and 1772, the earliest of these confirming he was more likely to be a brother than a son of James Sutton (c.1712-1770). In February 1757, Ephraim bought 100 acres in Perquimans County on Franks Creek, "adjacent James Sutton." In a final deed of October 1772 the "orphans of Ephraim Sutton" were mentioned, but there appears to be no record of their names. It is possible he is the father or grandfather of another Ephraim Sutton (1768-1819) who genealogists believe was from Chowan County, North Carolina.

Research and documentation by Jason M. Farrell

Identifying the Lost Suttons of Albemarle County, North Carolina, Part I

George Sutton (c.1613-1669) and his wife Sarah Tilden (1613-1677) were immigrants to Massachusetts (1634) and later became among the earliest colonial inhabitants of North Carolina in 1668, settling in a quaker community in Perquimans Precinct, part of old Albemarle County, Carolina. Many of their descendants appear in Quaker records and they are widely believed to have been Quakers themselves.

The records identifying members of this family are unusually robust for the colonial south of this time period, and they have been thoroughly dissected by various genealogical works, most notably Marjorie Sutton Oliver’s The Suttons of England and North Carolina, U.S.A. 1620-1974 and History of Perquimans County by Ellen Good Rawlings Winslow.

While the study on this family has been extensive, every genealogical study has found itself with a handful of unidentified Suttons from the record period of approximately 1723 to 1770. They are:

John Sutton (c.1702-aft.1741) appears in Bertie County 1723-1741, wife Mary;

James Sutton (c.1712-1770) married Anne Penrice (Perquimans & Bertie County 1753-1770);

Ephraim Sutton (c.1720-bef.1772) is closely associated with James Sutton;

Samuel Sutton (c.1722-1764) (Perquimans 1752-1764); wife Sarah Robbins

Given the isolation of this particular Sutton family and the close proximity to known George Sutton descendants, it is very likely that these men fit into the descendants of George Sutton and Sarah Tilden somewhere; they are unlikely to have been other colonists of the same name who found themselves in tiny Perquimans Precinct and its surrounding coastal counties.

A careful examination of colonial-era documents shows these Suttons can be placed within the family by means of an often-overlooked provision of the will of Nathaniel Sutton (c.1643-1682), documented son of George Sutton and Sarah Tilden, and places these “lost” Suttons as sons of Nathaniel’s son, also named Nathaniel Sutton (1681-c.1743). There is some other circumstantial evidence supporting this theory, which will be addressed below.

IDENTIFYING THE CORRECT SUTTON LINE IN PERQUIMANS

John, James, Ephraim and Samuel Sutton show some evidence of relation to each other and don't fit into other Sutton family groups in the northeastern North Carolina coastal counties (Perquimans, Currituck, Pasquotank, Chowan, Tyrrell).

As I'll demonstrate here, they are likely sons of the only Sutton of the previous generation to not have a will, Nathaniel Sutton (1681-c.1743), who has only two confirmed children via his probate and orphan records: Deborah Sutton and Joseph “Riverside Joe” Sutton.

The first major clue is the will of Samuel Sutton (c.1722-1764) of Perquimans County, the abstract being as follows:

1764 SUTTON, SAMUEL; Sarah, Samuel, George, John
Written Jan 30, 1764 (recorded in 1764, no date)

Loving wife Sarah, 3 Negros, livestock etc, "use of part of my plantation and land that I now live on which is that part my grandfather gave to my father in his last will and testament until my son Samuel Sutton comes of age" then he to have 1/3 part and my son George when he comes of age to have 1/3 part, daughter Mary when she comes of age, son John Sutton land I bought of Sarah Jones of 405 acres from 2 patents, "give to my son Samuel Sutton the land I hold which was patented by my grandfather by estimation one hundred and fifty acres also 15 acres to son Samuel which Uncle Joseph Sutton is duty bound to make a deed for and I hope he will keep his promise, also to son Samuel 25 acres out of a new patent, son George rest of my land which came from a new patent, lot of negros, brother William Robbins my best beaver hat and suit of clothes, and to "continue to be overseer for my wife as long as she continues a widow." Exex Charles Blount, Tulle Williams, and William Robbins. WIT John Clayton, Joseph Sutton, John Whedbee

There are some vital clues here as to his immediate family, which are as follows:

1. The 150-acre patent by his grandfather bequeathed to his father in his grandfather's will.
2. He had a close relative named "uncle Joseph Sutton", a legal adult in 1764.

What Sutton genealogists seem to have missed is the 150-acre patent that was bequeathed from Nathaniel Sutton (1643-1682), son of George Sutton, to his son Nathaniel Sutton (1681-c.1743) in his will of 1682, per the following abstract:

Sutton, Nathaniel (1), died Dec 29, 1682. (His will Grimes, p Mar 12, 1682.) He left to son George, "plantation where I now live," to Joseph plantation where Edward Poulter lives, son Nathaniel 150a of land "belonging in the forks between his two brothers," d Rebeckah, cousin John Godby (Gosby). Wife not named, but she survived him, & m 2d John Whedby, May 10, 1685, who died leaving her a widow, when she m for her 3d husband, Dennis Macclenden.     https://ncgenweb.us/perquimans/sutton/

The patent in question:

GRANT: Sutton, Nathaniel. 150a "in ye precinct of Perq, on ye East side of Suttons Creek, by a Branch, called 'Eye branch' along Joseph Suttons, line." (No date; bef. 1682)

This will is the key to understanding where these “lost” Sutton men belong because there is no other will in the Sutton family that shows a 150-acre tract being handed down from father to son in these early generations.

Samuel Sutton seems to have lived at Fork Creek, and sold a small parcel adjacent George Sutton and Nathaniel Sutton; while "George" named in the will could be the George Sutton who was then living (1696-aft.1763), there was no living Nathaniel Sutton in 1760 aside from Nathaniel, the son of "Riverside Joe", who was not older than 13; this suggests the George and Nathaniel referenced in the deed were George (1669-1700) and his brother Nathaniel Sutton (1681-c.1743), both of whom were long deceased:

BOOK F
#382 - 19 Sept 1760 - Lord Prop to Samuel Sutton - 340 acres on ES Sutton's Creek at mouth of Fork Creek to line of Richard & Nathan Sutton on Bridge Branch

#389 - 4 Oct 1760 - Samuel Sutton to John Clayton - 3 pd for 8 acres - adj George Sutton & Nathaniel Sutton. WIT Sarah Sutton, William Robins

This establishes Samuel Sutton as a son of Nathaniel Sutton (1681-c.1743), son of Nathaniel (1643-1682). So the "Uncle Joseph Sutton" who is uncle to his son Samuel is probably "Riverside Joe" Sutton (1727-1789).

While there is no dispute that Nathaniel Sutton (d.1682) had a son Nathaniel born in 1681, most genealogies you'll see online claim that Nathaniel Sutton (b.1681) is called Nathaniel Sutton Sr. and died in February 1724. They also say that Nathaniel, son of Joseph Sutton (c.1637-1695), married Elizabeth Chancey in 1726 and had children Joseph and Deborah.

Put more simply, the most popular theory is:

1. Nathaniel Sutton Sr. (1681-1724) son of Nathaniel Sutton (1643-1682) died leaving a will but naming no wife or children.

2. Nathaniel Sutton Jr. (c.1682-c.1743), son of Joseph Sutton (c.1637-1695), died intestate, two children Joseph and Deborah known from birth records.

If this were true, Samuel could not be a son of Nathaniel Sutton (b.1681) and grandson of Nathaniel Sutton (d.1682), because the "Nathaniel Sutton Sr." who died in February 1724 left a will naming no wife or children and leaving only "cousins" as legatees.

His abstracted will:

Nathaniel Sutton. Will dated Feb. 23, 1724, probated March 30, 1725. Legatees: "John Cave of Chowan"; Ruth Gloster; brother Joseph Sutton's son Joseph; Elizabeth Whedbee, daughter of Richard Whedbee; cousin Parthena Sutton; James Anderson; cousin Thomas Sutton; cousin George Sutton; Richard Whedbee's children "exceping" Christopher and Elizabeth Sutton; Rebecca Cores children "exceping" her "holes?" on John. Brother Richard Whedbee and cousin Thomas Sutton executors.

On the contrary, there is sufficient evidence that Nathaniel (b.1681), son of Nathaniel (d.1682), died c.1743 and Nathaniel, son of Joseph (d.1695), died in 1724, allowing Nathaniel, son of Nathaniel, to be father to the "lost" Suttons.

What has thrown genealogists off for several decades is a confounding vital record that confuses two contemporary Nathaniel Suttons. You can see it below. It reads: "Nathaniell Sutton Senr: Departed this life the 23d of Feb'y 1724/5."

The "Senr" is unmistakable.

I contend that the Nathaniel Sutton in this record was not "senior" (i.e. born in 1681, making him the oldest Nathaniel Sutton then living) but was actually "junior," born right around 1689 and the younger of the two Nathaniel Suttons in Albemarle.

In case there is any confusion, it is important to note that during the colonial period Sr. and Jr. didn't just refer to fathers and sons; it was a way to distinguish any two men of the same name living in the same jurisdiction in legal documents.

PROVING “SR.” WAS ACTUALLY “JR.”

Note that in the 1694 will of Joseph Sutton Sr. (c.1637-1695), Nathaniel is twice mentioned last in the list of his younger sons ("sons Christopher, George, Nathaniel"), suggesting he was the youngest of the family. Christopher and George were born in 1685 and 1687, placing Nathaniel's birth around 1689. This is also true for the will of Joseph Sutton Jr., which bequeaths items to brothers "George Sutton and Nathaniel Sutton." This suggests that the “Nathaniel Sutton Sr.” who died in 1724, the son of Joseph, was actually Jr., being almost a decade younger than his cousin that was born in 1681.

This later birth is supported by an entry from the orphan's court:

Apr. 14, 1702: Upon A peticon of Georg Sutten and Nathanell Sutten to Chuse thare Garden ordered that Nathanell Nicholson take Care of George Sutten he Haven Chosen Him for his garden And that Joseph Sutten Juner take Nathanell Sutten Into his Care He Haven Chosen him for his garden. (Perquimans Co. NC)

This proves that Nathaniel Sutton, son of Joseph, was not only still a minor in April 1702, but that was so young he was only then old enough to choose his guardian-- seven years after being orphaned. So its clear that he is likely the youngest in the family. He also cannot properly be called "Senr" as his death record indicates, since he is clearly younger than Nathaniel Sutton, son of Nathaniel, b. Aug. 1681, who turned 21 in 1702.

Evidence from tax lists supports this conclusion: "Nathaniel Sutton Jr." is grouped by household with the definite sons of Joseph Sutton Sr. (c.1637-1694), while Sr. isn't close to any Sutton family:

1713: Nathaniel Sutton Jr. (1), Joseph Sutton Jr. (2) and George Sutton (1) appear as next-door neighbors in poll tax. It's clear these are the sons of Joseph Sutton Sr. (1637-1695) because George the son of Nathaniel was dead by 1700. Joseph Sutton Sr. (4) Nathaniel Sutton Sr. (1) appear elsewhere.

1715: Poll tax has entries "Jo. Sutton sons" (4) and "Nath: Sutton sons" (1) as well as "Nath: Sutton Jun" (1) who lives far away. Also "Jo. Sutton Jun" (2), George Sutton (1) and "Richard Sutter" (x). Evidently Nathaniel Sr. had sons over 16 at this point, while Jr. did not. Both Joseph Suttons had extra tithables, but evidently the census taker wanted to differentiate between one that had sons and one that did not. The one with sons lived next door to Deborah Sutton McKlendon, widow of Nathaniel Sutton (1643-1682) and mother of Nathaniel Sutton (b.1681).

1718-19: Nathaniel Sutton Jr. (1) is again next door to Joseph Sutton Jr. (3) and George Sutton (2) in 1718; Nathaniel has only one tithable both years (himself), Joseph has 3 both years (himself and sons George and Thomas) and George has 2 in 1718 and 3 in 1719 (undocumented older sons). "Nathaniel Sutton Senr" has two tithables, probably himself and a son over age 16. Though court records show he was charged with being guardian of Richard Sutton in 1705, this son cannot be Richard, who has his own household nearby.

It is also important to note there are no children named in the 1724 will of Nathaniel Sutton "Senr" (b. c.1689, Jr. in the tax list), son of Joseph (d.1695), which corresponds to his lack of tithables besides himself in 1718-19. He left everything to his two brothers, Joseph, son of Joseph, and his named "cousins," also sons of his brother Joseph Jr. (c.1674-1723).

By contrast “Nathaniel Sutton Sr.” (b.1681) shows 2 tithables in both 1718 and 1719, indicating a son born around 1702, (possibly the John Sutton who first appears in Bertie County in 1723); this shows he had sons long before his first documented marriage in 1726. 

We know this because the Nathaniel who was next door neighbors with the sons of Joseph (d.1695) is called "Nathaniel Sutton Jr." in the 1713, 1715, 1718 and 1719 tax lists. Therefore, the death record calling him "Sr." in 1724 is a mistake; Nathaniel Sutton b.c.1689, son of Joseph, is the younger of the two Nathaniels of his generation, and properly called "Jr."

Circling back to the will of Nathaniel Sutton in 1724: taking note of his naming Parthenia Sutton a "cousin" and Richard Whedbee a "brother" (i.e. brother-in-law) shows he followed the typical naming conventions of his time, with brother/sister indicating actual siblings or their spouses and "cousin" indicating any relative outside the nuclear family. We know Parthenia was married to Joseph Sutton who died between January and March 1723/4.

According to deeds, wills, parish records and tax records:

Joseph Sutton Jr. is husband of Bennett
Jr. bought land of Richard Sutton
Jr. mentions land bought of Richard Sutton in his will, wf. Rebecca executrix
Jr. died Jan. 18, 1723/4
Jr. grouped with sons of Joseph Sutton (d.1695). in tax lists

Joseph Sutton Sr. is son of Deborah and Nathaniel
Sr. was born Aug. 6, 1673
Sr. married Parthena (since Jr. married Bennet/Rebecca) 

So it seems clear that Parthenia Sutton being "cousin" rather than "sister" to the Nathaniel Sutton who died in 1724, and her husband Joseph being a definite son of Nathaniel (d.1682), that makes it even clearer that the Nathaniel Sutton who died in 1724 was a son of Joseph (d.1695), not a son of Nathaniel (d.1682).

Now there is a single confounding factor: the will of Nathaniel Sutton in 1724 names "my brother Joseph's son Joseph Sutton." The will of Joseph Jr. (c.1674-1723) husband of Bennett Stipney and son of Joseph Sutton (1637-1695) in 1723 doesn't name any sons named Joseph; however it is known that Joseph Sr. (1673-1723) husband of Parthenia Durant and son of Nathaniel (1643-1682) did have a son named Joseph (1707-1771). This is a troubling fact that has to be acknowledged. However a will omission is not uncommon, especially if an older son is already established and has been deeded property. It is also possible he is the Joseph Sutton who married Rachel Lee in January 1732. I'll leave it for readers to decide which theory is correct.

The bottom line is that John, James, Samuel and Ephraim Sutton of Perquimans County, all born c.1700-1730 have to fit in somewhere. The early generations of the family are so well documented with wills that the Nathaniel Sutton (d.1743) is the only Sutton who could be their father. And the only way that makes sense, considering the facts of Samuel Suttons will, is if the Nathaniel Sutton who died c.1743 was the son of Nathaniel Sutton (d.1682). Considering Nathaniel Sutton (d.c.1743) doesn't have a documented marriage until he was 45 years old strongly suggests there was an earlier one, along with older undocumented children. The tithables in his household in the tax lists seem to bear this out.

Research and documentation by Jason M. Farrell

Identifying the Parents of Elizabeth Coleman Cannon

 

Any genealogist familiar with the Ellis Cannon (1748-1833) family has assuredly read that his wife (charmingly called "Ailsabeth" in Ellis's Revolutionary War pension application) has been identified as Elizabeth Coleman. If she was a Coleman, she was almost certainly from the wealthy Coleman family of King & Queen County, Virginia that migrated into Spotsylvania and Culpeper Counties, Virginia in the 1730s.

Though I haven't been able to ascertain exactly where this tradition came from, it struck me as more likely to be an authentic tradition than an assumption made by a genealogist (which is unfortunately common). As I began researching this claim I found near zero relationship between the Cannons and Colemans in either Virginia or South Carolina, so a genealogist making an assumption from records seems unlikely. Though in-laws commonly migrated together, the Colemans did not migrate with the Cannons to South Carolina. There is a small Coleman family that appears in the records of Spartanburg, Union and Fairfield Counties but they are an unrelated family from Amelia County, Virginia.

No parents have ever been identified for Mrs. Cannon, but if you know where to look, sometimes the evidence just falls together.

Assuming the identification credible, we can start our research with the established facts.

• In deeds and other records, she was identified as "Ailsabeth" Cannon, which is clearly a phonetic spelling of "Elizabeth" based on her husband's unique pronunciation.
  

• In his Revolutionary War pension application statement dated March 6, 1829, Ellis Cannon noted that his wife was 79 years old, so we can ascertain that she was born in 1749 or early 1750.

• We know that between 1769 and 1788 she gave birth to several children and that she migrated with her husband's family from Culpeper County, Virginia to Spartanburg District, South Carolina in 1784.

That's about it. With no identified gravestone, family bible, census records or anything else shedding light on Mrs. Cannon, we don't have much to go on.

But I think it's enough. In fact, I believe I've been able to correctly identify her parents.

The best place to start looking for her origins is where records show the Cannons would have first intersected with the Colemans: Culpeper County, Virginia.

We can surmise based on the birth of her first son in Culpeper County in October 1769 (per his tombstone, which gives the county of his birth) that the marriage of Ellis Cannon and Elizabeth Coleman likely ocurred in Culpeper around 1768. Unfortunately, Culpeper is a burned county and no pre-Revolutionary court records survive aside from a single minute book from 1763-64, which does not mention any Cannons or reveal much about the few Colemans it mentions. The will book of 1749-70 isn't helpful either. And of course, no marriage bond has been found.

There is one small clue: In the Culpeper County tax list of 1783, "Robin Coleman" is shown with John Cannon in the list of Benjamin Lillard. "Robin" was probably a nickname for Robert. This is the closest the Cannons get to the Colemans in any Culpeper record. Unfortunately, the list is alphabetical so it isn't possible to tell how close together their households were. There were a number of Robert Colemans associated with Culpeper County at this time, from different branches of the family and we don't have enough information to positively identify this particular one.

Adding to the complexity, the Coleman family of Culpeper/Spotsylvania was large and used many of the same given names over and over again across generations; they also spread out across several counties and interacted with each other in complex ways, making tracking individual members difficult. Being wealthy landowners however, they were extensively documented and most of them had wills, even if they died young.

It's a daunting task. But the key to cracking this mystery is a little body of water seen in a handful of deeds in the mid-18th century: something called Gourd Vine Fork. It is also sometimes called Gourdvine Branch, or Gourdvine River. Its a small tributary of the Rappahannock River in the northernmost section of Culpeper County near what is now Rixeyville.

If you've read my earlier post about the origins of the Cannons, you know that John Cannon (c.1720-c.1788) of Spartanburg District's likely father, James Cannon, patented 552 acres on Gourdvine Fork in October 1727:

1726-1730 Cavaliers and Pioneers, Patent Book No. 13; [Nell Marion Nugent]; Page 16. JAMES CANNON, 552 acs. (N. L.), Spotsyl. Co., in St. George's Par; by the North River of the Goardvine River on the N. side; crossing Cattail Mountain Run; 13 Oct, 1727, p. 167.

James Cannon bought more land in the same area the following year. By 1732, he had his own namesake tributary, which is still called "Cannon's Run."

April 27, 1728: James Cannon, planter, of St. Margaret Parish, Spotsylvania County, VA to John Thompson of same 100 acres in Spotsylvania County on the north side of the North River of the Guard Vine fork. Wit: Thomas Duncomb, Thomas Little. Signed James Cannon and wife Mary Cannon.

This is important. Because the ONLY Colemans who can be placed near the Cannons are found in a series of deeds referring to Gourd Vine Fork in the 1740s through the 1780s. One of them is likely to be the father of Elizabeth Coleman Cannon.

First we have this deed between Robert Coleman Sr. (1701-1793) of Culpeper County, and a distant relative, Richard Lort Coleman (c.1725-1783) of King & Queen County, Virginia:

1745-1747 Orange County, Virginia Deed Book 10; [Antient Press]; Page 438
Indenture 25 Sept 1745 between Robert Coleman and Sarah, his wife, of St. Mark's Parish, Orange County, and Richard Lort Coleman of St. Stephen's Par., County of King & Queen .. to Farm, lett land in the Gourd Vine Fork containing 900 acres pattent granted Robert Coleman 28 Sept 1730 and bounded .. Francis Brown's .. line .. Wm. Lobb's line .. in possession of Joseph Abel .. for five shillings ..
Witnesses: P. Clayton, J. Pendleton, John Campbell
Recorded Orange County 25 September 1746.

Richard Lort Coleman sold a third of this tract to another relative, Robert Spilsbe Coleman, in 1752:

1757-1762 Culpeper County, Virginia Deed Book C; [John Frederick Dorman]; Page 274-77.
20 Nov. 1752. Richard Lort Coleman of St. Stevens Parish, King and Queen County, to Robert Spilsby Coleman of Drisdale Parish in county aforesaid. For £35 current money. 300 acres on the Gourd Vine Fork being part of a patent granted to Robert Coleman 28 Sept. 1732 and by Robert. Coleman conveyed to Richard-Lort Coleman by deeds of lease and release 24 Sept. 1746 ... in Francis Browning's line corner to William Lobb now in possession of Joseph Abell ... on Black Water. Run side.... a small rock near a rock of stones at the head of a small branch corner to the land in the possession of Abell Richd. Lo. Coleman
Wit: Joseph Wood, N. Pendleton, Betty Pendleton, Mary Pendleton.
18 Jan. 1753. Proved by Nathaniel Pendleton.
15 March 1753. Proved by Betty Pendleton.
[n.d.] Fully proved by Mary Williams another witness thereto.
] Nov. 1752. Bond of Richard Lort Coleman of St. Stephen's Parish, King. and Queen County, unto Rob.. Spilsby Coleman of Drisdale Parish, King and Queen County. For £70 current money. To keep the covenants mentioned in the indenture.
Richd. Lo. Coleman
Wit: Joseph Wood, N. Pendleton, Betty Pendleton Mary Pendleton.
18 Jan. 1753. Proved; by. Nathaniel Pendleton.
15 March 1753.. Proved by Betty Pendleton.
21 Feb. 1760. Fully proved by Mary Williams another witness.

Throughout the Coleman clan, there are a few men named Robert Spilsbe/Spilsby Coleman. But there is only one who was an adult in the 1750s -- Robert Spilsbe Coleman (c.1710-1761) of Essex County, Virginia, who frequently bought land in Spotsylvania County, Virginia in the 1740s and this one tract in Culpeper in 1752. He and his wife Sarah were the proprietors of an ordinary in Tappahannock, Virginia, which is still standing.

Despite the fact that almost every record of his life places him in South Farnham Parish in Essex County, we know this Robert Spilsbe Coleman is the same as the above man, said to be "of Drisdale Parish, King and Queen County" because he appears there in a merchant's account ledger book there around the same time, along with two of his sons John and Thomas. 

He was also said to be from King & Queen County in one other deed of 1750, when he was sold property in his native Essex County:

21-22 Dec 1750, p. 178, Fleet: Hugh Wilson & Catherine his wife of S. Farnham Parish, Essex Co. sell Robert Spilsbe Coleman of Drisdel (sic) Parish King & Queen Co. for L56., 112 acres in S. Farnham Parish, Essex Co. being part of 340 acres left by the will of James Taylor, late of King & Queen Co. to Ann his daughter...

These appear to be the only two references to Robert living in King & Queen County, so he evidently lived there only briefly in the early 1750s. 

Robert's will was sealed in Essex County on December 8, 1760, naming his wife Sarah and children Richard, James, Sarah, Whitehead and Elizabeth Coleman and a married daughter named Susannah Richards. These children were born in the 1730s and 1740s.

Importantly, the will states that he was to leave land owned in "Spotsylvania, Orange and Culpepper Countys" to his son Whitehead Coleman. He also left to his son James a 400 acre tract "bought of Francis Taylor, Nathaniel Pendleton and Hugh Wilson." Though it isn't the same tract, note above that Nathaniel Pendleton was a witness on his 1752 purchase in Culpeper County. He also left to his daughter Susanna Richards land in King & Queen County, further indicating he is the man from the 1752 deed.

So it is clear that Robert Spilsbe Coleman of Essex County, Virginia bought property in 1752 on Gourd Vine Fork in Culpeper County where James Cannon (d. aft.1748) lived; property inherited by his son John Cannon (c.1720-c.1788), who later migrated to South Carolina and left it to his own son, John (1750-aft.1806), who remained in Virginia. 

This makes Robert the only Coleman that shows any proximity or association with the Cannons of Culpeper who could be her father. Robert Coleman Sr. (1701-1793) who was originally granted the Gourd Vine tract left a will but named no daughter Elizabeth; Richard Lort Coleman (c.1725-1783) evidently only had a son named Francis. Robert Coleman Jr. (c.1740-1817), son of the above Robert Coleman Sr., was too young to be father of Elizabeth.

And its also clear that Robert Spilsbe Coleman had a young, unmarried daughter in 1760 named Elizabeth, who would be the perfect age to be the Elizabeth Coleman who married Ellis Cannon c.1768. This Elizabeth has never been identified by Coleman genealogists in any records of her adult years.

But wait -- there's more.

Because two of Robert Spilsbe Coleman's children -- his son John (c.1730-aft.1775) and his daughter Susanna Richards (c.1735-1778) -- migrated into Stafford County, Virginia in 1753. John, whose eldest son Spencer Coleman reported in 1832 that he was born in King & Queen County in 1752, had children baptized in Stafford County's Overwharton Parish church in 1753, 1755 and 1757 before departing for the Shenandoah Valley. His sister remained in Stafford the remainder of her life, with her husband, Capt. John Richards, serving as a tobacco inspector at Falmouth.

Stafford County's Overwharton Parish is of course where John and Sarah Cannon married in 1745 and where Ellis Cannon was born on January 3, 1748.

Interestingly, these are the only families of the Cannons and Colemans alike who lived in Stafford County; none of their kinfolk seem to have settled there in the 18th century.

One would assume their acquaintance began as close neighbors in Culpeper in 1752, but its hard to say. As congregates of the same church, they could have also met in Stafford in 1753 and realized they had neighboring properties in Culpeper. In any case, Ellis Cannon and Elizabeth Coleman probably met as young children around this time.

What is clear is that the circumstantial evidence lines up very clearly on Robert Spilsbe Coleman, who died in early 1761 in Essex County, Virginia, as the father of Elizabeth Coleman Cannon. He was the son of Spilsbe Coleman (c.1690-1727) and his wife Mary and the rest of the Colemans are very well documented.

 

Research and documentation by Jason M. Farrell

Origins of the Cannons of Spartanburg District, South Carolina

The Cannons of Cannon's Campground have been extensively documented over the years by a number of genealogists. Its widely known that they started a Methodist church in what is now Spartanburg County, South Carolina on land donated by minister and Revolutionary War veteran Ellis Cannon in 1789, with membership continuing to this day.

We know that Rev. Ellis Cannon (1748-1833) and his siblings were children of John Cannon and Sarah Hammett, whose marriage was recorded in the pages of the Overwharton Parish Register of Stafford County, Virginia in July 1745. John Cannon relocated the family to Culpeper County, Virginia by 1765, and in February 1784 sold his land and moved to Ninety-Six District, South Carolina, in a section that is now part of Spartanburg County. He sealed his will in 1787 and was deceased by June 1788.

John Cannon's origins, however, have remained mysterious since he seems to pop up out of nowhere in 1745, with no other Cannons or obvious relations appearing in Stafford County. To answer questions pertaining to his origin, genealogists have joined the Cannon Y-DNA project, which unfortunately hasn't yielded much insight. Descendants of John Cannon of Spartanburg District, South Carolina place into haplogroups as diverse as R-M269 (the most common European haplogroup), R-Z72 and I-M223. John Cannon has been grouped into group 13C with Richard Kennon (c.1650-1696) Burgess of Henrico County, Virginia (also I-M223), said to be an "Englishman of Fortune" and a "constant visitor to London." The other Cannon families (unrelated to Kennon) of Henrico County fall into this same haplogroup, as do others who descend from Irish Cannons, notably from County Leitrim.

It seems some genealogists have interpreted the results to mean that John Cannon (c.1720-c.1788) descended from the Henrico County, Virginia Cannons. Commonly, you see John Cannon named as the son of John Cannon Sr. of Henrico County (c.1684-1735) and his wife Mary Price, there being a John Cannon Jr. named in his will. The fact that there is no evidence they are one and the same John Cannon doesn't seem to have deterred people from attaching our Spartanburg John Cannon to the Henrico trees.

Fortunately, I believe there is evidence that John Cannon's correct parents can be identified much closer to his known point of origin than Henrico County, although it takes some careful interpretation of cursory evidence found in colonial Virginia deeds.

Remember, Overwharton Parish records show John Cannon (c.1720-c.1788) had a son named John Cannon Jr. in February 1750 who we know married Sarah Harrison Brazier in September 1782 per a Fauquier County, Virginia marriage bond. This younger John Cannon was living in Culpeper County during Revolution and after the war evidently removed to Fauquier County. But he does appear much later in the deed books of Culpeper County, Virginia (where our Spartanburg Cannons came from) once for a very important transaction:

AA-294: 12 Jan. 1806, John Cannon and Sarah his wife to James Duncan, for £3.17.6, 3-3/4 acres on little fork of Rappahannock on both sides of Cannon's Run, line of John Little. No Wit. (FHL film 30,954)

It may not look like much, but this is the most important document in the search for the parents of John Cannon (c.1720-c.1788). It confirms an inheritance by John Cannon of a fork of the Rappahannock River called "Cannon's Run."

Cannon's Run is still extant today. It sits approximately on the modern border of Rappahannock and Culpeper Counties, about 19 miles north of the town of Culpeper. You can see it at the red marker below:

So we have a confirmed connection between John Cannon Jr. and a "Cannon's Run" in the same county that the Spartanburg Cannons called home for more than twenty years. This inheritance likely came to John Jr. through the death of his father in 1787-88, being the only family member remaining in Virginia. But we have no record of John Cannon having bought Cannon's Run or having any association with it during his time in Culpeper. So who is it named for?

The deeds of Culpeper County and its parent county (Orange) make it clear that Cannon's Run was named for James Cannon (c.1690-aft.1748) an early settler who first patented land in Spotsylvania County, Virginia in 1727. James and his wife Mary are the likeliest parents for both Luke Cannon of Prince William County, Virginia and John Cannon of Culpeper, later Spartanburg County. 

James Cannon is found in Spotsylvania County deeds as far back as 1723 and his first patent appears in Cavaliers & Pioneers Vol. 3:

1726-1730 Cavaliers and Pioneers, Patent Book No. 13; [Nell Marion Nugent]; Page 16. JAMES CANNON, 552 acs. (N. L.), Spotsyl. Co., in St. George's Par; by the North River of the Goardvine River on the N. side; crossing Cattail Mountain Run; 13 Oct, 1727, p. 167.

This initial patent sits on the site that will later become known as "Cannon's Run" or "Cannon's River" by 1732.

His wife is named in a deed in 1728 when James sold a portion of his 1727 patent:

April 27, 1728: James Cannon, planter, of St. Margaret Parish, Spotsylvania County, VA to John Thompson of same 100 acres in Spotsylvania County on the north side of the North River of the Guard Vine fork. Wit: Thomas Duncomb, Thomas Little. Signed James Cannon and wife Mary Cannon.

 By 1734, James is already associated with Cannon's Run:

Nov. 21, 1734: (p. 367) JAMES CANNON, 50a, Spotsylvania Co. in the Little Fork of Rappahannock R.; mouth of a fork of Cannons R. 21 Nov. 1734.

In 1740, James Cannon sold a portion of this land to his son, James Cannon Jr. in Orange County (parent county to Culpeper):

1740-1741 Orange County, Virginia Deed Book 4; [John Frederick Dorman]; Pages 221-24. James Cannon of Orange County to James Cannon Junr, of same. Lease and release; for £10 current money. 50 acres in the little fork of Rapahanock River ... at the mouth of a fork of Cannon's River ... up the north fork. James Canon. Wit: John Newport, George Utz. 28 Aug. 1740. Acknowledged by James Cannon.

This James Cannon Jr. is likely the same James Cannon who appears in a deed of Culpeper County in 1764, right around the same time John Cannon was living there:

1762-1765 Culpeper County, Virginia Deed Book D; [John Frederick Dorman]; Page 690-92.
21 March 1764. James Compton, Esqr., of the Kingdom of Great Britain to William Lighfoot (Lightfoot) of Culpeper County. For £43.9.- current money. 869 acres in Bromfield Parish in the litle fork of Rapahannock River joyning on the Rush River, it being part of 10,000 acres granted James Compton, Esqr., by the Right Honorable Thomas Lord Fairfax, Proprietor of the Northern Neck in Virginia ... on the Rush River side corner to James Cannon ... on a steep hill ... line made for William Presl [sic?] at the head of a branch ... in Peyton's line ... corner to Francis Slaughter ... on the long mountain a corner made for Slaughter ... to the Rush River ...
James Compton
by Fielding Lewis his attorney
Wit: Frans. Tyler, Alexd. Wright, Henry Mitchell., Danl. (X) Brown.
20 June 1765. Proved by Alexander Wright, Henry Mitchell, Fras. Tylor and Danl. Brown.

James Cannon was named a landowner in deeds of 1771 and 1783 in Culpeper County, Virginia. Either he or a son of the same name served in the Revolutionary War from Culpeper County as well.

To show that John Cannon of Culpeper County, who sold the Cannon's Run tract in 1806, is in fact from the Cannon family of Spartanburg, we can turn to a deed by William Hammett (1706-c.1777), the documented father-in-law of John Cannon (c.1720-c.1788) of Spartanburg District, South Carolina. Hammett patented land right on Cannon's Run in Culpeper County in 1748:

27 May 1748 (Prince William - NN Pat Bk F:289) William HAMMET of Pr. William Co. 270 A. in said Co. Surv. Mr. George BYRN. Adj. Mr. John SAVAGE dec'd, Cannon's Run, Dorrell's Run, Taylor Brentown Road. 27 May 1748. (Virginia North Neck Land Grants, 1694-1742, compiled by Gertrude E. Gray, GPC 1987, hereinafter NNLG) 

For good measure, here is a mention of a deed of gift between William Hammett and his son-in-law, John Cannon in Culpeper County court in 1784, right before the Cannons departed for South Carolina:

1783-1785 Culpeper County, Virginia Deed Book M; [Antient Press]; Page 135-139
THIS INDENTURE made the Twenty fourth day of February in year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred and Eighty four Between JOHN CANNON and SARAH his Wife of County of Culpeper and Commonwealth of Virginia of one part & DANIEL CLARK of the same County and Commonwealth of other part Witnesseth that JOHN CANNON & SARAH his Wife in consideration of sum of Sixty five pounds current money of Virginia to them in hand paid by these presents do bargain and sell unto DANIEL CLARK his heirs a certain tract of land lying in County aforesaid in the Little Fork of RAPPHANNOCK RIVER on the East side of a Branch called HENRY'S BRANCH containing One hundred and two acres and a half (the said JOHN CANNON hold the same by Virtue of a Deed of Gift from WILLIAM HAMMET SENR deced) And is part of a greater tract and bounded Begining at a parcel of Pines on the East side of HENRY'S BRANCH and runing thence binding on THOS. UNDERWOODs line One hundred and thirty five poles to a Poplar by side of Branch in DETHERAGE's Line, thence Sixteen poles to two red Oaks near a Branch, thence South thirty five degrees East One hundred and two poles to two white Oaks in the line of said DETHERAGE by a Branch of INDIAN RUN, thence binding with WILLIS's line North seventy nine degrees West to said HENRY's BRANCH, thence runing up the Branch the several Courses thereof to the Begining containing One hundred and two and a half acres be the same more or less Together with all houses, profits &Emoluments whatsoever to the same belonging To have and to hold the said One hundred and two and a half acres of land and all appurtenances unto DANIEL CLARK his heirs and JOHN CANNON and SARAH his Wife will warrant and forever defend by these presents against any person 'whatsoever In Witness whereof the parties to these presents have Interchangeably set their hands & Seals the day & year first above written
in presence of us WM. FARGASON, JOHN CANNON
JOHN. H. FARGASON, JOHN WIGGINTON SARAH CANNON
WM. McCLANAHAN
The Commonwealth of Virginia to JAMES PENDLETON, WILLIAM McCLANAHAN & JOHN WIGGINTON Gentlemen Greeting (The Commission for the private Examination of SARAH, Wife of JOHN CANNON, dated at the Courthouse the Fourth day of February 1784 and in the 8 year of the Commonwealth) (The return of the private Examination of SARAH CANNON dated the 24th day of February 1784 and signed by WM. McCLANAHAN and JOHN WIGGINTON)
At a Court held for Culpeper County the 19th day of April 1784
This Indenture was proved by the Oaths of WILLIAM FARGUSON, JOHN WIGGINTON & WILLIAM McCLANAHAN Witnesses thereto and ordered to be recorded, with Commission thereto annexed and Certificate thereon

This proves conclusively a direct family connection between John Cannon (c.1720-c.1788) of Spartanburg County, South Carolina and "Cannon's Run," founder James Cannon (c.1690-aft.1748), both of Culpeper County, Virginia.

No need to look 115 miles away in Henrico County.

So who was James Cannon? He was likely an immigrant from Ireland. He does not seem to appear in Virginia records prior to 1723, nor have I ever found him in the parent counties of Spotsylvania County. Given that the 1720s coincides with the beginning of Scotch-Irish immigration to the colonies, he probably immigrated shortly before his first appearance in deeds in 1723. This suggests that his likely sons James, Luke and John Cannon may have all been born in Ireland as well.

 

Research and documentation by Jason M. Farrell