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.
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
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