The Watkins Family of Surry, Wilkes, Rowan and Rutherford Counties, North Carolina

Suit of John Bedingfield v. David and Isaiah Watkins, 1771.

This was a tough nut, but I think I've finally cracked it. As it turns out, the name Watkins was very common in the early 19th century South. Many of these Watkins families crossed paths, lived in the same counties, had children with the same names and even appeared together in court and yet remain entirely unrelated. To make matters more challenging, the Watkins family that I've been researching had hardly a will or deed of gift among them to clarify family links so I've done my best with this family.

There are numerous Watkins men that appear in some of the northern Piedmont counties in North Carolina in the 1750s-1770s. There was a James Watkins who began appearing in records in Rowan County in 1754; Henry, George, Joseph and Ambrose Watkins who begin appearing in Surry County deeds in the 1770s. Later there's also Israel Watkins who appears to have come from Richmond County, North Carolina and a David Watkins who could be related to the above list of men... or a brother of Israel from Richmond with the same name (per their father's will).

To make matters even more complicated, these family members appear in records across several neighboring counties (mostly Surry, Rowan and Wilkes), making it even harder track them or distinguish who is related to who.

The genealogies presented below are a best-fit lineage with the imperfect evidence I have. I cannot claim they are all-encompassing and there may be several children (mostly women) missing. 

I believe most of these Watkins men are related and descend from the Quaker Watkins family of Henrico County, Virginia. John Watkins of Henrico County signed his will on July 28, 1743 naming children David Watkins, Isaiah Watkins, John Watkins, Nathaniel Watkins, Lucy Perkins, Constant Woodson, Elizabeth Watkins and Joyce Watkins.

It seems clear that David, Isaiah and Joyce Watkins (who married William Thomas) migrated out of Henrico County within a few years, with David and Isaiah appearing in the court records of Albemarle County, Virginia in 1746. By the 1760s, Isaiah had settled in Halifax County, Virginia, where he begins appearing in deeds in early 1764. Part of Halifax County was sectioned off to form Pittsylvania County in 1767 and Isaiah appears in the first tax list; Isaiah and David Watkins were jointly sued by John Bedingfield in Pittsylvania County court in 1771 and this seems to be the only record in which they appear together; David never again appears in the county. That same year, Isaiah Watkins sold William and Joyce Thomas property in the county, making it crystal clear that this is the family from Henrico.

In 1778, a court ordered the sheriff of Wilkes County, North Carolina to arrest Isaiah Watkins with the sheriff responding that Watkins lived in Pittsylvania County, Virginia and could not be retrieved. Whether Isaiah ever actually lived in North Carolina is unknown, but around this time several Watkins men started buying land in the adjoining counties of Surry and Rowan: Ambrose in 1778; George in 1778; Joseph in 1779; Henry in 1783. A David Watkins later described as "of Salisbury" (in Rowan County) bought land in Camden District, South Carolina in 1783. He also appears in Rowan County in the 1790 US census with another David Watkins, John Watkins and Ambrose Watkins. The same year, Joseph and George Watkins were enumerated in Surry County.

Wilkes, Surry and Rowan Counties as they were in 1780.

George, Henry, Joseph and James Watkins appear in records together and are clearly related; David Watkins, Isaiah Watkins and Thomas Watkins, who appear in later deeds are likely from the next generation of this family group. Ambrose and David Watkins are a second family group who lived in Rowan and whose children had some of the same names. It isn't clear that group one is related to group two just by looking at deeds and census records, but the name carryover among the different families suggests they probably are.

That said, here's how I've put this family together.

ISAIAH WATKINS (bef.1726-1797) and wife Alice of Pittsylvania County, Virginia had the following likely sons:

1. John Watkins (bef.1747-1799) of Pittsylvania County, Virginia; first deed in Halifax County dated 1767; took the oath of allegiance in 1777; appears in 1782 tax list; appeared in court as a witness for Stephen Watkins in 1784. Deed of 1799 names Mary Watkins "widow and administratrix of John Watkins."

2. Stephen Watkins (bef.1757-aft.1799) of Pittsylvania County, Virginia; took the oath of allegiance in 1777; appears in 1782 tax list and 1791 marriage bond of Nancy Watkins. Appears in court through at least 1799.

3. Benjamin Watkins (bef.1762-aft.1794) of Pittsylvania County, Virginia. Appears in 1782 tax list and was a witness with John Watkins for Daniel and Betsy Bates in a 1783 deed. Named son-in-law in the 1794 will of Henry Blanks, which also names Benjamin's wife as Sarah.

4. Willis Watkins (bef.1764-aft.1802) of Pittsylvania County, Virginia; named assignee of Isaiah Watkins in a grant dated 1784 and defendant in a suit against the Watkins family in 1797; Willis is found briefly in the deed books of Spartanburg County, South Carolina in 1788 but seems to have sold off his land quickly and disappeared; he was charged with forgery in Surry County, North Carolina in 1802 and seems to have disappeared thereafter. 

5. Lidwell Watkins (bef.1765-aft.1830) named in a 1797 suit in Pittsylvania County, Virginia with Willis and several other members of the Watkins family; moved to Burke County, North Carolina before 1800; appears in Rutherford County, North Carolina in the 1810 census and appears there through the 1830 census. Probable father of Stephen, Isaiah and Jane Watkins (who married Ephraim Cook in 1812), all of Rutherford County, North Carolina.

DAVID WATKINS (bef.1726-aft.1790) of Rowan County, North Carolina had the following likely sons:

1. Henry Watkins (c.1748-aft.1820) of Surry County, North Carolina, where he first appears in the 1771 tax list. Received a land grant adjacent Stephen Clayton in 1783. May be father of Henry Watkins who begins appearing in Stokes County, North Carolina in 1790 and James Watkins to whom he sold land in Surry County in 1804. Removed to Stokes County, North Carolina in 1803-1804 and a deed there from Henry Watkins to James Davis in 1809 mentions land adjacent Stephen Clayton. Last appears in 1820 US census of Stokes County.

2. Joseph Watkins (c.1750-1827) of Surry County, North Carolina, where he was first granted land in 1783. In an 1801 survey his chain carriers were David and Thomas Watkins. Joseph deeded land to Henry and James Watkins in 1804 before removing to Pendleton District, South Carolina. His will in 1827 names wife Frances and children Jane, Henry, Frances, Thomas, Cassie, Alcey and Esther Watkins.

3. George Watkins (c.1752-aft.1807) of Surry County, North Carolina where he first appears in the 1775 tax list; wife Mary named daughter of Thomas Wooten in his 1793 will. A chain carrier on his first survey in 1778 was Joseph Watkins. In 1798, David Watkins and Isaiah Watkins were chain carriers for another of George's surveys in Surry County; these are likely to be his sons. George and Isaiah jointly sold property to Richard Mendenhall in 1807. Isaiah later moved to Rowan County where he appears in deeds through 1832; David (b.1781) married Dorcas Silvey in 1808 and later moved to Putnam County, Indiana, where he appears in census records. Another probable son, Thomas (b.1788), appears in Putnam County with David.

4. Ambrose Watkins (c.1754-aft.1824) of Rowan County, North Carolina. Ambrose is found in the deed books of Rowan County (1778-1795), Surry County (1779-1786), briefly in Wilkes County (1792-1795), and Rutherford County, North Carolina (1800-1810). He moved to Warren County, Kentucky in 1810 and appears in court records through 1815 when he finally settled in Allen County, Kentucky where he seems to have spent his final years. Two Kentucky records indicate his wife was Martha. He died with no known will or recorded probate but North Carolina and Kentucky records show his likely children were Joel, Nancy, Ambrose, Connie, John, Andrew and James Watkins. Three other daughters remain unidentified. 

5. David Watkins (c.1762-1844) of Rowan County, (until at least 1790), later Wilkes County, North Carolina, where he spent the rest of his life. Described as "of Salisbury" in Rowan when he bought land in Camden District, South Carolina in 1783. A 1789 marriage bond shows he married Ruth Hendricks. His 1844 probate documents and census records show his likely children were Andrew, David, Willis, Joel, Ferebey and Jesse Watkins, all of Wilkes County. Joel was administrator of his estate, Willis and Andrew are also named. The fact that Ambrose and David Watkins, both of whom lived in Rowan in 1790, both had sons named Joel and Andrew suggests they are brothers.

There are other men in Surry, Rowan and Wilkes named Watkins who show no evidence of relation to this family: James Watkins, Beverly Watkins, Spencer Watkins, Leonard Watkins and beyond. In Rutherford, there's also Peter and David Watkins, who belong to a different family from Frederick County, Virginia. There's also Thomas Watkins and George Watkins and probably more in Pittsylvania County, Virginia who either aren't related or come from some other branch of the family. So I'll just leave it here.

A few great resources here:

https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~grizzard/genealogy/watkins188.htm

http://sites.rootsmagic.com/KaysAncestry/individual.php?p=17560

https://reynoldspatova.org/histories/Descendants%20of%20HENRY%20WATKINS,%20JR..pdf 

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Watkins-994

 

Research by Jason M. Farrell with contributions on Willis Watkins by Marianne Greer

The Wyatts of Tryon County, North Carolina and Spartanburg County, South Carolina

In Tryon County, North Carolina during the 1760s, a small family of Wyatts first started appearing in records. James Wyatt Sr. was granted 392 acres on the Catawba River in October 1767; in April 1769 he sold part of that tract to Daniel Wyatt. In 1771, James Wyatt appeared in a Tryon County militia roll; by 1777, Edmund Wyatt and Vincent Wyatt began appearing in deeds. When Tryon was subsumed by the newly formed Lincoln County in 1779, the Wyatts began appearing in Lincoln county court and by 1784 migrated into South Carolina, where many of their descendants continued to appear in records for decades thereafter. Other names appearing in these first two generations in North Carolina were John, William, Jeremiah, Leonard, Abraham, Thomas, Elizabeth, Susannah, Rachel and Lillian Wyatt.

While it is widely known among genealogists that James Wyatt Sr. (c.1722-c.1795) and wife Bethlehem had migrated from Northumberland County, Virginia (where several of their oldest children were born and baptized in 1746-52), it seems no one as yet has been able to figure out who James's father was, or arrange a comprehensive theory of how the Wyatt clan was likely structured. A deep dive into the deed and order books of several counties in Virginia and North Carolina, as well as certain parish registers, sheds light on this family and its Virginia origins.

Both James Wyatt and Daniel Wyatt who appear in Tryon County, North Carolina in the 1760s first entered the historical record in Richmond County, Virginia. Daniel Wyatt witnessed a deed in Richmond County in 1740; James Wyatt first appeared in court in 1744. They also appeared in Northumberland County court records around the same time, Daniel Wyatt having witnessed a deed in Northumberland in 1744 and James Wyatt having children baptized there in 1746, 1749 and 1752. So its clear that their father might be found in either county.

The only Wyatts who appear in Northumberland County records who are old enough to be father to James or Daniel are Edward Wyatt of Gloucester County (c.1705-bef.1771), son-in-law and executor of John Keene's will in October 1740; and William Wyatt, who was named debtor to Mathew Quill in Northumberland court on Aug. 28, 1740. This is likely William Wyatt, mariner of Gloucester County (d. aft. June 2, 1747), brother to the above Edward Wyatt. William is not otherwise known to have lived in Northumberland and he is known by old family letters now in the British Archives to have married and raised children in Liverpool, England through at least the 1750s so he can be ruled out as father to James and Daniel. It seems neither Edward nor William ever lived in Northumberland, but only appeared in court as they had business. John Wyatt, merchant of Gloucester, mentioned having an estate in Northumberland in a letter of 1756, but he was a young man then and cannot be father of James Wyatt or his siblings.

It is known that Edward Wyatt was a son-in-law of John Keene (1671-1740) by the latter's 1740 will in Northumberland County. The will mentions his daughter Eleanor Wyatt and two of her children, John and Elizabeth Wyatt. John appeared in court in 1754 to sell the inherited land and disappears from county records. Decades later in Lincoln County, North Carolina, an Elizabeth Wyatt was deeded land by John Wyatt adjacent James Wyatt on June 21, 1783. This may be the same John and Elizabeth Wyatt named grandchildren in the will of John Keene; if so, this would affirm James and Daniel Wyatt sons of Edward Wyatt and Eleanor Keene. Of course, the names John and Elizabeth are two of the most common in the English-speaking world and appear across several Wyatt clans in this time period, so caution should be exercised.

The will, deed, order and account books of Northumberland show no other Wyatt families in these early years. Edward Wyatt appears in the will books to handle John Keene's estate in 1740-43; then John Wyatt witnessed a deed in 1744; James Wyatt's childrens' births were recorded 1746-52. John Wyatt, son of Edward, sold land given to him by John Keene in 1754. The Wyatts then vanish from Northumberland.

It is tempting to theorize that Edward Wyatt of Gloucester, a descendant of the wealthy Boxley Wyatts of Kent, is father to the Wyatts who immigrated to Tryon County, North Carolina in the 1760s. But this is problematic at best. 

First, Edward is documented to have married Eleanor Keene, daughter of John Keene, who we know by parish records was born September 29, 1710. It does not seem likely that she could have given birth to men who started having children and appearing in court in 1740. There also seems to be no evidence Edward was married twice. Second, Edward was a coastal merchant and spent much of his time overseas, in particular, in Barbados. It seems odd that all of his children would have moved inland to become farmers. Third, Edward is documented to have had children named Edward, John and Elizabeth but no others.

As previously noted, both James and Daniel Wyatt of North Carolina first appeared in court not in Northumberland, but in Richmond County, Virginia. Daniel and wife Susannah had a son named Edmund in 1740 (Overwharton Parish Register) and its worth noting an Edmund Wyatt appeared in records with them in North Carolina in the 1760s-1780s. Its probably not a coincidence then, that the only Wyatt who appears in Richmond County records before James and Daniel was an Edmund Wyatt who died intestate and whose widow Mary Wyatt appeared in court on July 4, 1737 to receive letters of administration on his estate. This Edmund Wyatt is known from other records to have come from Westmoreland County, the son of a senior Edmund Wyatt, and had documented siblings named Sarah, James and William. His brother William also had a documented son named Vincent Wyatt, which is unique a name we see being appearing in the 1770s in Tryon County, North Carolina.

Further association is shown in a court record of 1739, whereby Susannah Wyatt who we know by several other records to be the wife of Daniel Wyatt, was a witness for Mary Wyatt, administrator of Edmund Wyatt in Richmond County, Virginia. This shows a firm association between James and Daniel and the late Edmund Wyatt of Richmond County.

Because of these documents and the uniqueness of some of these names, the circumstantial evidence is strong that the Edmund Wyatt who died in 1737 was the father of the Wyatts who immigrated to Tryon County, North Carolina.

This is the case that I make in my latest e-book, The Descendants of Edmund Wyatt of Westmoreland County, Virginia, available for free at archive.org. You can access it now by clicking here.

 

Research by Jason M. Farrell

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." Execs 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 deed below 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

Th weight of this evidence 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.1689-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 (1643-1682), died c.1743 and Nathaniel, son of Joseph (1637-1695), 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 according to parish records, 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 and would have had no need of a guardian.

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 Nathaniel (d.1682) and wife Deborah
Sr. was born Aug. 6, 1673
Sr. married Parthena (since Jr. married Bennett/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 Sutton's 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

The Ashleys of Albemarle County, North Carolina

The surname Ashley was relatively common in colonial America, making untangling lines difficult. Fortunately DNA testing has shed light on the various Ashley lines of Virginia and North Carolina and has been an enormous aid in determining who is related and who isn't.

Within the borders of old Albemarle County, North Carolina, which now encompasses Perquimans and Chowan counties, three early Ashley progenitors begin appearing in records in the late 17th and early 18th centuries.

They are:

Joseph Ashley (d. after 1741) transported to North Carolina in 1693; married Mary __, lived in Chowan County, North Carolina. Had children Joseph and probably Sarah Ashley of Perquimans County; others possible.

Thomas Ashley (d.1760-61) first appears in Chowan County, North Carolina in 1708, died in Bertie County. Married Ann Hicks, had children John and Thomas, others possible.

William Ashley Sr. (d. after 1733) married Eleanor Tyner, daughter of Nicholas Tyner (c.1650-c.1708) by 1711; settled in Chowan County, North Carolina. Had children William and Margaret; others possible.

Despite earlier theories to the contrary, a combination of the Ashley DNA project and documentation has shown us that all three of these colonial lines are very likely unrelated to each other. 

We'll go through the documentation for their origins one by one.

***

JOSEPH ASHLEY (c.1670-aft.1741)

Joseph Ashley's origins are affirmed by a headright grant to Francis Tomes (1633-1712) of Perquimans County, North Carolina on Jan. 5, 1693: Albemarle Co., NC, Francis Tomes granted headright of 510 acres for transport of Mary Tomes, Mary Fitzgarrett, a servant, Joseph Ashley, Charles, two Indians, three negroes, Elizabeth, a servant.

Since Joseph and these others were imported to live in North Carolina in 1693, they must have been from outside the colony. So where were they from?

The key to the identity of these people is the above Mary Tomes, who is the third wife of Francis Tomes.

The first big clue comes from the will of Francis Tomes, Sr. in Perquimans County, 6 day, 10 month, 1709; it names wife Mary, sons Francis and Joshua, daughter Priscilla Nicholson; daughter Mary married Gabriel Newby, grandson Francis Newby. Witness, Wm. Boyd, Matthew Alberson, John Stepney, and father-in-law John Nicholson.

The second clue is from his wife Mary's will, sealed in March 1713, making bequests to Vesty Lewis, Rachel Laurence, and Elizabeth "daughter of my brother William Nicholson."

So we know she was a daughter of John Nicholson and sister to William Nicholson, the latter of whom died in Currituck, Albemarle County, North Carolina in 1723.

If we can find the origin for John and William Nicholson, then we have a place of origin for Mary Tomes and by extension, Joseph Ashley.

As it turns out, John and William Nicholson were from right over the border in Lower Norfolk County, Virginia, and are found in records there between at least 1694 and 1705.

Apr. 20, 1694: William Nicholson witnessed the will of Henry Nicklis (Lower Norfolk Co., VA wills)

May 12, 1696: Theodore Taylor sold a 1686 patent to John Nicholson (Lower Norfolk Co., VA deeds)

[c.1700]: John Nicholson bequeathed land in will of Theodore Taylor, Lower Norfolk Co., VA

Jan. 5, 1705: William Nicholson witnessed the will of Richard Church (Lower Norfolk Co., VA wills)

According to some great research I found online, this is evidently the same Taylor/Nicholson family that appears in Currituck County, North Carolina:

Thomas Taylor was probably living in Currituck Co. by the late 1690s. He was probably the same Thomas Taylor who was granted 1000 acres in Norfolk Co. by Richford Swamp with Thomas Edwards on 20 Oct. 1689... Currituck Co. records show in 1716 "one levie paid for Luke Whit by Mr. Tayler." A Currituck Co. tax list from 1720 whose location was given as Currituck Shoar lists, among others, Thomas Vince, Luke White, William Nicholson, William Bell, and Thomas Taylor, Sr. The facts that Thomas Taylor evidently had owned land on Richford Swamp in Norfolk. Co., and that the White, Taylor and Nicholson names occurred at both Richford Swamp and Currituck Shore seem to show a connection of these families. Also, the fact that Luke White was listed as a headright on a grant to John Manning suppports the idea that the Whites living in Norfolk and Currituck Counties in the 1700's were related to the earlier family of Thomas White.

So it is clear that Mary Nicholson Tomes and Joseph Ashley were from Lower Norfolk County, Virginia. There is an Ashley family there, evidently descended from Dennis Ashley, a transportee to Maryland by 1664 who was granted land in Lower Norfolk with Edward Outlaw in 1677. This makes Dennis the likely father of Joseph Ashley of Perquimans County, North Carolina.

***

THOMAS ASHLEY (1682-1760)

Thomas Ashley of Chowan County, North Carolina gave his age in affidavit of 1739 as fifty years:

13 February 1739/40: Thomas Ashley, aged 50 ... deposed that William West possessed land in the fork of Casshoke Creek since 1718 until his decease; left by will to Robert West, son of Col. Robert West. signed by Cullen Pollock. (Source: NCGSJ xii -162 abstract by William Doub Bennett from Land Grant Record Book 9)

This would place his birth as 1689 or thereabouts. However, because nothing in colonial southern genealogy can ever be simple, there is solid evidence that he was actually born seven years earlier, in 1682.

Thomas is very likely to be the Thomas Ashley who was born on December 3, 1682 in Boston, Massachusetts. The "Book of Eastern Claims" (which contains claims for lands in Maine that had been abandoned decades earlier due to Indian wars) contains a claim by "Mary Spikes of Boston in behalf of her Selfe and Brother Thomas Ashley now of North Carolina and Sister Anna Mansfield of Marblehead" for land on the eastern shore of the Kennebec River in Maine. 

Since the claims in the "The Book of Eastern Claims" were filed during 1714-1720, this record definitively places Thomas Ashley, son of Thomas Ashley of Boston, in North Carolina in 1714-1720. In those early days, North Carolina consisted of just seven coastal counties with no other Thomas Ashleys having been recorded, so the Thomas in Chowan County must be the same man.

***

WILLIAM ASHLEY (1674?-aft.1733)

It's already well-established that Thomas Ashley came from Boston right around 1708.

William Ashley may have come from Boston as well. 

Capt. Edward Ashley of Boston, a mariner, made repeated appearances in Chowan and Perquimans County, North Carolina in the late 17th century. He is known to have been present in the late 1670s and again in the mid-1690s, when he appears in the following court record: 

A true and just account of what Vessels has been cleared ye Honble Dep. Govr. has given Richard Plater a Commission for Compr & Drur which was in Novr., 1695, as will be made appearing, Dan'l Johnston, Capt. Ranking, John Truett, Mounr Rathe, Edward Ashley, Xathn Bell, Ross Bell. In 1696 Abram Dill, Ross Bell, John Blount, Edward Ashley, James P Kilbrooks, John Triuett, John Gilbert, Rich'd Bently, Abra Lewis, John Oowley. (Chowan Co., NC Court)

After Edward died around 1698, his widow hired a lawyer in North Carolina, evidently to deal with his affairs in the colony. 

Boston records show that Edward Ashley had a son named William on June 24, 1674, who never appears in records in Massachusetts. So it is a strong possibility that William Ashley of Chowan was a son of Capt. Edward Ashley.

Joseph and William Ashley appeared in Chowan County court as witnesses together in a deed of 1719 (Chowan County Colonial Records., Vol. 2 p.364). So naturally absent information to the contrary, genealogists have assumed they were related; being the same generation, likely brothers. However, as we'll see below, DNA suggests they are probably not related at all.

 ***

DNA EVIDENCE

We have Y-DNA tests done for descendants of Benbury Ashley of Chowan County and John Ashley of Anson County, North Carolina that could shed light on who these families are.

John Ashley of Anson is almost certainly from one of these Albemarle County, North Carolina lines. We know from Anson County records he had a (likely) brother named Robert Ashley, who petitioned Anson County court in 1761 that he was aged and infirm and should be exempted from paying taxes. Probably the same Robert Ashley appeared much further east in a 1754 militia roll of Granville County, North Carolina, indicating the Anson Ashleys had likely been part of the Perquimans/Chowan Ashley clans. According to his will, John Ashley's daughter Eleanor married a Sutton, another family from Perquimans that had migrated to Granville County.

John Ashley cannot be a son of Thomas, who had a son named John who was still in Bertie County in 1761. A theory that can be found online claims he is "John Plowman Ashley" the above son of Thomas, suggesting that in the will of John Ashley of Anson County there is named a daughter Mary Ann Franks, with this daughter suggested as the wife of a Joseph Franks who appeared in records with John Plowman Ashley -- this is false. The name in the will is not Franks but Francis, with the long letter after the N clearly being a medial S rather than a K. Someone unfortunately put this erroneous theory on a tombstone, ensuring confusion will carry on innumerable generations.

John Ashley also cannot be a son of William Ashley Sr. William is proven to be a son-in-law of Nicholas Tyner via a deed in Isle of Wight County, VA in February 1711 which his wife "Elinor" signed and the will of Nicholas Tyner in 1709 which names a daughter Elinor. William had a son named William (c.1712-1782) and spinster granddaughters named Mary and Eleanor via his daughter Margaret. Mary's will was sealed in 1759 and William Jr. was executor; John Jordan provided bond. John Ashley of Anson County named children William, Eleanor and Jordan, possibly for these family members. However, he doesn't really fit into this family chronologically -- it seems that Elinor and William were married between her father's will in 1708 and a deed of 1711; given that John's son John Jr. was already buying land in 1749, and so was born 1728 or earlier, it's quite a squeeze to fit him in here. Furthermore, Y-DNA testing has shown that Jordan Ashley (1737-1817), son of John (d.1759) and Benbury Ashley of Chowan (b.1814), great grandson of William Ashley Jr. (1712-1782), are unrelated.

John Ashley of Anson County, North Carolina's son, Jordan Ashley's descendants appear in GROUP 4 (R-M269), so this is where all John Ashley descendants belong. According to Chase Ashley, the DNA test administrator:

Common ancestry of Group 4 members established; relationship with other members of the project highly unlikely - The results for the members of Group 4 indicate that they all probably share a common male ancestor within the genealogical time frame; however, further genealogical research will be needed to determine the the relationship between the group's members. The results also indicate that it is highly unlikely that any member of Group 4 is has a common male ancestor with any project member outside of Group 4 within the genealogical time frame (15 generations). The closest any kit in Group 4 comes to any kit in the project outside of Group 4 is a genetic distance of 13 on a comparison of 37, while a genetic distance of 6 on a comparison of 37 is enough to make it highly unlikely that test takers share a common ancestor within the genealogical time frame.

GROUP 4 is unrelated to:

John Ashley of Mecklenburg Co., NC b. 1755
"Papa John" Ashley of Coffee Co., TN, b.1752
Thomas Ashley of Lancaster Co., VA b.1660
"James Jordan Ashley" of SC b. 1780 (fake middle name suspected)
Joseph Ashley (c.1675-1757) of Rochester, MA
Robert Ashley b.1797 SC
Thomas Atchley (1695-1775) of UK
Phillip Ashley of Shropshire, UK
Edward Ashley b.1652 of Somerset, UK
John Astley of Wellington, Shropshire, UK
Benbury Ashley b.1814 of Chowan Co., NC
Moses Ashley b.1801 of Abbeville Co. SC (Kent, MD line)
All Ashleys of Kent, MD
Robert Ashley of Orange Co., NC

This basically eliminates John's potential descent from almost every other Ashley family during the colonial period, including the Kent County, Maryland, Lancaster County, Virginia and Orange County, North Carolina families.

Benbury Ashley of Chowan County, North Carolina b. 1814 is haplogroup R-BY73511 and matches only to a descendant of Thomas Atchley (1695-1775). (Group 9).

This means Benbury Ashley of Chowan cannot be related to John Ashley of Anson County, North Carolina.

Benbury Ashley appears in Edenton, North Carolina in the 1850 census near Baker Ashley, Anna Ashley, Delia Ashley, Elizabeth Ashley, Mary Ashley, Mead Ashley, Miles Ashley, Richard Ashley and Sarah Ashley.

More specifically, in 1850 Baker Ashley, who is next door to Benbury Ashley, has a "Nancy Deverson" in his household, age 64 (b.1786) -- this is Nancy Bacchus, widow of Mead Ashley Jr. (m.1808), who remarried to Isaac Daverson Feb. 26, 1835 (per Chowan County marriage bonds). Mead's father, also named Mead Ashley (bef.1757-1814), was named in the will of William Ashley Jr. (c.1712-1782) finalizing that Benbury is a descendant of William Ashley and Elinor Tyner. Because of the Y-DNA discrepancy, this eliminates the possibility that John Ashley of Anson is a descendant of William Ashley Sr. (1674?-aft.1733) of Chowan.

Mead Ashley's children were according to his 1818 estate papers: William Ashley, Mead Ashley, Sarah Stacey, Elizabeth Stacey (m. Wm. Stacy 1791), Margaret Stacey, Mary Stacey, Deborah Stacey, John Stacey, Jonathan Ashley, Milley Ashley, Sally Ashley, Edy Ashley and John Davison.

***

CONCLUSION

John Ashley of Anson County, North Carolina cannot be a son of William Ashley of Chowan County, because William's descendants are haplogroup R-BY73511 and John's are R-M269.

John Ashley can't be a son of Thomas Ashley, because he had a son named John Ashley who administered his estate in 1761 in Bertie County, North Carolina, more than a decade after John Ashley of Anson had left the North Carolina shore and moved hundreds of miles to the western part of the state.

By elimination, he has to be a son of Joseph Ashley of Chowan County.

This places Joseph in haplogroup R-M269, William in R-BY73511 and Thomas, unknown.

So it appears that William and Joseph Ashley of Chowan County are unrelated, despite appearing in a document together.

This also means John Ashley is a likely descendant of the immigrant Dennis Ashley of Virginia.

Special thanks to the research of Chase Ashley, Kevin Ashley and Mike Ashley, who have spent countless years documenting and analyzing volumes of colonial evidence. Though I have drawn heavily on their research, this conclusion about John Ashley is my own. I am always open to discussion and debate.

=JMF

Winifred Starling, Wife of Thomas Camp of Rutherford County, North Carolina

The wife of Thomas Camp (1717 - 1798) of Rutherford County, North Carolina is named in the John Camp (1743 - c.1818) family bible as his mother "Winniford Starling." (Source: Genealogical Records Committee, Arkansas DAR, Vol. IX, pgs. 137-140, NSDAR Library, Washington D.C. "Bible owned by Mrs. E. H. Abington, Beebe, Arkansas." Camp-Kemp Family History by Mann)

This seems to be partially corroborated by an old claim by W. A. Camp (1852 - 1906) that one of the children of Thomas Camp was named "Starling Camp" and that his wife was named Winifred Starling. Winifred appears in multiple SAR applications in the early to mid-twentieth century, with her name is given in full, her dates as 1720 - 1761, and marriage as 1738. The SAR application of Wilfred Camp Moon in 1924 additionally gives her place of death as Halifax County, Virginia.

Since these sources seem to be quite old and probably credible, we can theorize that Winfred was almost certainly descended from a Starling family of Virginia. Our only traditional clue is that she is said to have been "of Welsh descent" by W. A. Camp. The identity of her father is given as Richard Starling by Robert Mann in his Camp-Kemp Family History, but does not appear to be based on records. A Richard Starling died testate in Accomack County, Virginia before Aug. 10, 1710, but he seems to have died too early to have been her father.

Online family trees almost always give her father as a Richard Starling who lived from 1694 to 1720; he even (unfortunately) has a memorial on Findagrave. There's just one problem: he doesn't seem to exist. He appears to have been a creation of genealogist Russ Williams. As told on Elroy Christensen's old genealogy site on the Camp/Kemp family "this record is a conjecture of Russ Williams who deduced that there had to have been another son of Richard Starling since Richard Sterling/Starling was to have died ten years prior to the birth of Winifred Starling." The 1720 "death date" appears to refer simply to Winifred Starling's presumed birth date.

So this fictitious Richard Starling was a stop-gap measure designed to explain the ten year difference between the death of Richard Starling and the birth of Winifred. This has been copied and pasted across the internet for decades, with no evidence.

Given the scarcity of the name in the early 18th century records, it seems the only Starling in Virginia who could be her father is John Starling (c.1695 - 1770) of Accomack County, Virginia, a likely son of Richard Starling (1669 - 1710).  

The two men do have a bit of a connection via the Booth family of Accomack County. Richard Starling witnessed the will of John Booth in 1706 wherein John Booth names an under-aged son as George Booth. George wrote his own will in 1762 naming his godson "William Sterling, son of John Sterling." This shows a strong familial connection, and suggests that Richard Starling did in fact have children and the Starlings of Virginia and North Carolina may descend from him.

Richard's children may have been John Starling, Ann Starling Robbins and Isaac Starling. 

John Starling's estate was probated by his wife Rachel on January 30, 1770. No heirs were named, but he is known to have had at least one proven son, William Starling (c.1725 - 1775) and one likely son, Isaac Starling (d. aft.1778), both of Accomack County. The family name is also frequently written as "Sterling."

"My daughter Ann Starling Robbins" was named in the will of William Robbins of Accomack County, Virginia on Nov. 27, 1718, suggesting another early Starling relative.

Isaac Starling Jr. (d.1764), of Chowan and Northampton County, North Carolina had children named Abraham, John, Sarah, Rachel, Ann, Mary, Elizabeth, Thomas and Isaac in his will, dated May 3, 1760. He was called "Isaac Starling Jr." in a North Carolina land grant of 1723. Winifred Starling is not likely a child of Isaac (she is not named in his will), but his presence shows that there were Starlings that migrated into North Carolina, as the Thomas Camp family did. There is an Isaac Starling that was transported to Virginia in 1663 (headright grant), and though he's much too old to be Winifred's father, he could perhaps have been a brother of Richard, having no known descendants himself.

=JMF

A Genealogical Study of Edmund Waldrop of Rutherford County, North Carolina

The task of identifying the parents of Edmund Waldrop (1778-1846) of Rutherford County, North Carolina has vexed genealogists for quite a few years, despite dedicated researchers having thoroughly mapped out the Waldrop family of North and South Carolina. 

Typically, Edmund, who begins appearing in deeds in Laurens County, South Carolina in 1800 but removed to Rutherford County, North Carolina by 1804, is usually logged as a son of Luke Waldrop Jr. (c.1750-c.1829) who migrated from Laurens County, South Carolina to Rutherford County, North Carolina in 1796. Since Edmund followed him to Rutherford eight years later and none of Luke's brothers had done the same, it would see to fit.

However, there are serious problems with placing Edmund Waldrop as a child of any of the sons of Luke Waldrop Sr. (c.1710-c.1780). As I'll try to illustrate below, circumstantial evidence suggests he is actually from the Michael Waldrop (c.1700-c.1771) line.

PARENT PROBLEMS

We don't know much for certain about Edmund's origins, but there are some strong clues that show us his immediate family. He is likely to have had two brothers, Harmon Waldrop (c.1775-aft.1840) and James Searcy Waldrop (c.1780-1859) who appear in the following deeds:

Jan 11, 1801, 34$ was received of Administrator of estate of Samuel Waldrop, it being in full of all demands against said estate. Signed James Cersey Waldrop for Harmond Waldrop. On 31 Mar 1800, received of administrator of the estate of Samuel Waldrop, the sum of $42.00 part of account for one brown mare and signed by Harmon (X) Waldrop. (Laurens Co. SC deeds) 

Deed Book "G" p. 260, Laurens Co., SC. "Indenture made the 16th day of May 1800 between George Rose, and Tamer, his wife, of the state of SC. and County of Laurens on of the one part and Harmon Waldrop of the same... tract of 100 acres... Signed George Rose, Tamer X Rose. Witnesses: Edmund Waldrop, William Rose. Confirmed by oath of Edmund Waldrop 9 Feb 1801.

Laurens Co., SC. Deed Book H, page 215. 28 Sep 1801. Recorded 7 Apr 1807 - James Waldrop and wife Elizabeth to James Moss for $550, 150 acres borders on Cheek, James Brown, Spencer Brown, said James Waldrop. Witnesses - Augustin Bumpass, James Cersy Waldrop, Edmond Waldrop. Starlin Tucker, J.P.

We can infer that James Searcy Waldrop was a brother of Edmund because he named a son Edmund--the only other Edmund to appear in the entire Waldrop clan. These three Waldrop men appear in these deeds together and show obvious association; neither Edmund nor James Searcy show Waldrop associations in Laurens County outside of these deeds; only Harmon Waldrop appears to show familiarity with the James Waldrop (c.1740-1799) clan, being administrator of his son, Samuel (also died in 1799).

This would seem to place Harmon (and by extention, probably James Searcy and Edmund) as potential sons of James Waldrop. However, James's 1798 will names an enormous family of twelve children (Solomon, Richard, David, John, Elisha, Elijah, Isaac, Samuel, Abraham, Mary, Rita and James), with a whopping ten of them being boys, leaving no room for Harmon, James Searcy and Edmund.

None of the three "brothers" (Harmon, James Searcy, Edmund) appear in the wills of any Waldrop men in North or South Carolina, so there is no easy way to infer who their father was.

But it's even worse than that. Upon careful analysis, these three unplaced sons-- Harmon, James Searcy and Edmund-- do not seem to fit anywhere among the grandsons of Luke Waldrop Sr. (c.1710-c.1780).

Luke Sr. had six documented sons: John, James, Joseph, Michael, Luke and Jechonias Waldrop. We've already eliminated James as a potential father, but we're going to go through the rest of them one by one just to get all our cards on the table.

LUKE WALDROP ELIMINATED

As previously noted, many researchers have tried to fit Edmund among the children of Luke Waldrop Jr. (c.1750-c.1829) of Rutherford County, NC. 

Unfortunately, this really doesn't work. Luke Waldrop Jr. names three children, Sarah, Mary and Asa Waldrop in his will in Rutherford County, NC in 1828. It was witnessed by his son, also named Luke Waldrop. And in 1809 Luke sold all of his land except 30 acres "where Daniel Waldrop lives," indicating another likely son. He and his wife attended a church in Greenville and were named congregants along with Amos, Sary and Nancy Waldrop in 1809, with Amos and Nancy being two more. So we have documentation for children named Asa, Daniel, Amos, Luke, Sarah, Mary and Nancy.

That's seven children, four sons and three daughters. In the 1790 US census of Laurens County, SC he had seven kids (four sons and three daughters). In 1800, he had four sons and two daughters. So that lines up perfectly. There's no room for Harmon, Edmund or James Searcy Waldrop. Luke can be ruled out.

MICHAEL WALDROP ELIMINATED

Michael Waldrop (c.1748-1807) had no will. He had two documented sons, John and Michael Jr. (both born bef.1775) who sold his land in January 1807. John lived next door in 1800; Michael Jr. does not appear in census records, unless he's the Michael Waldrop in Spartanburg County, SC.

1790: Laurens Co., SC. U. S. Census. Michael Waldrop - 2 Males over age 16; 2 males under age 16 and 3 females. Michael b. ca. 1748 would have been age 42.

1800: Laurens Co., SC. U. S. Census. Michael Waldrop - 1 male under 10; 1 male 10-16; 1 male 16-26; 1 male 45 +; 2 females 16-26; 1 female 45+. Michael born ca. 1748 would have been age 52. John Waldrop next door (Son)

Michael has a son in his household that is the correct age to be Edmund. However, we can't place Michael's documented children (John, Michael Jr., both b. bef.1775) as well as Harmon (b.1770s) Edmund (b.1778) and James Searcy (b.1780ish) ALL in Michael's household because in the 1790 US census he only had one son over 16 (b.bef.1774) and two under 16. So besides his two proven sons, there's only room in Michael's family for one extra son. This rules out Michael as well.

JOSEPH WALDROP ELIMINATED

In 1803, Joseph Waldrop (c.1745-aft.1817) took two sons, William and John to Kentucky and later settled in Illinois where he died with no will circa 1818. He may have had other daughters as well. His family does not seem to be particularly well documented, and it is possible he left other sons behind.

Unfortunately, Joseph cannot be the father of Harmon, James S. and Edmund. He simply has too few sons in the 1790 and 1800 US census:

1790 US census, Laurens Co., SC: Joseph Waldrop 2 wm +16; 2 wm -16; 5 females. So he has one son born bef.1774 (William) and two sons born 1774-1790 (William and James?)

1800 US census, Laurens Co., SC: Joseph Waldrop 3m -10; 1m 16-25; 1m +45; 1f 10-15; 1f 26-44; 1f +45. So he has 3 sons born after 1790 and only 1 born 1775-84 (John).

So Joseph is eliminated as well.

JOHN WALDROP ELIMINATED

John Waldrop (c.1733-1794) left Granville County, North Carolina and moved to Newberry County, South Carolina in 1772. There is no evidence he ever set foot in Laurens County. He also had 13 children born between 1760-1780 or so, and zero room in his family for three more boys. So this theory is DOA.

JECHONIAS WALDROP ELIMINATED

Edmund Waldrop married Mary Ann, daughter of Jechonias Waldrop (c.1754-1826) as his second wife (marriage bond Oct. 23, 1840, Rutherford Co., NC) so unless they were horrifyingly incestuous he cannot be a son of Jechonias.

***

SO WHO WERE THE PARENTS OF HARMON, JAMES SEARCY AND EDMUND WALDROP?

Their parents were likely James and Elizabeth Waldrop of Laurens County, South Carolina, cousins of the Luke Waldrop families. James (c.1735-aft.1801) was a probable son of Michael Waldrop (c.1705-aft.1766), likely brother to Luke Waldrop Sr. (c.1710-c.1780). 

To make things as confusing as possible, this older James Waldrop (called Sr. in the following deed) can be directly associated with James Waldrop, son of Luke, of Laurens. No less than three James Waldrops took part in the following deed, one as grantor, two as witnesses: James Waldrop, son of Luke (c.1740-1799), his son James (c.1763-1799) and "James Waldrop Sr.", son of Michael (c.1735-aft.1801). However, this helps to explain why Harmon Waldrop was administrator of Samuel Waldrop, brother and son of the above Jameses from the Luke line; these two families appear to have been close:

Laurens Co., SC. Deed Book "B", p. 183-185. Dated 23 Jan 1787. James Waldrop Sr., late of Laurens Co., to John Waldrop for 40 pds sterling, 100 acres on the South side of the Enoree River. Original patent to James Waldrop 19 Jun 1772. Bounded by Luke Waldrop. Witnesses - James Waldrop, James Waldrop and David McElroy.

And perhaps the simplest bit of evidence, a sale by James and Elizabeth Waldrop, witnessed by two of their likely sons, James Searcy and Edmund Waldrop:

Laurens Co., SC. Deed Book H, page 215. 28 Sep 1801. Recorded 7 Apr 1807 - James Waldrop and wife Elizabeth to James Moss for $550, 150 acres borders on Cheek, James Brown, Spencer Brown, said James Waldrop. Witnesses - Augustin Bumpass, James Cersy Waldrop, Edmond Waldrop. Starlin Tucker, J.P. 

In the 1800 US census of Laurens County, SC there is James Waldrop Sr. (b. bef.1755), James Waldrop (b.1755-1774) and another James in Spartanburg (b.1755-1774). None of these Jameses could be James (c.1740-1799) or his son James (d.1799), both of whom are deceased. "James Waldrop Sr." in Laurens has in his household two males b.1774-84, who are likely to be Edmund (b.1778) and James Searcy (b.1780). Harmon Waldrop (b.1775-1784) is a head of household in Laurens, just one page over from James Waldrop Sr. So now we finally have a good fit for Harmon, Edmund and James Searcy in terms of both deeds and census records.

Aside from a probable son named Matthew (his next door neighbor in the 1800 US census), there are no other proven sons for James and Elizabeth Waldrop, so there is ample room in this family for the three Waldrop brothers as well as a clearly documented association. The only traditional Waldrop name that Edmund gave one of his own sons was "James."
 

***

WIFE OF EDMUND WALDROP

The family bible of Asbury Waldrop, also known as J. E. A. Waldrop gives a date of death for Edmund's first wife, "Nancy Waldrep" as September 8, 1828. It also gives Edmund Waldrop's death as August 3, 1846, at age 68 years.

She is often called Nancy or Sarah McGregor in online family trees. This is false. According to information found in a PDF research report called Modified Register for Luke Waldrop by Howard and Carol Ann Waldrop, it appears to be a mistake loosely based on the research of Mrs. Jewll Minor Wallace from 1997 or earlier which named Sarah, wife of Luke Waldrop (c.1781-1854) of Rutherford County, North Carolina as "Sarah McGregor", which was evidently a misremembering of his wife's correct name "Sarah McBrayer." Somehow this erroneous information was attached to Edmund Waldrop and has stuck for more then twenty years.

Nancy, the first wife of Edmund Waldrop was born Nancy Pettypool, daughter of John Pettypool (later John Pool) of Laurens County, South Carolina. The will of John Pool, sealed in Greenville County, South Carolina on January 13, 1837, names "Edmund Waldrope my son-in-law." He gave Waldrop one dollar "for I consider that I have given him part before this date."

The Pettypools and Waldrops first show association back in 1788, when John Waldrop, possibly older brother or uncle of Edmund, leased land to "Seth Petty Pool," (grandfather of Edmund's wife Nancy) that he had recently bought of James Waldrop Sr. (Laurens Co., SC Deed  Book B p. 399)

***

I am indebted to Howard and Carol Ann Waldrop's extensive documentation of the Waldrop family of South Carolina.

=JMF

Genealogical Study of James Middleton of Rutherford County, North Carolina

I've been assembling information from various sources and a picture is starting to emerge about James Middleton of Rutherford County, North Carolina, who appears in records there from at least 1785 (when he first appears in a local tax census) to July 9, 1794, when he received a state land grant. 

James Middleton evidently died young, probably not long after receiving his land grant. He's the only Middleton who appears in the county in the 1790 census; he doesn't appear in the 1800 census or any thereafter.

PARENTAGE 

The most significant clue to James's origin is the presence of men named Robert and Smallwood Middleton in the 1800 US census of Rutherford County, North Carolina, who seem likely to be his sons. Robert is age 16-25 (b.1775-1784) and Smallwood is 26-44 (b.1755-1774). Given that he doesn't appear in the 1790 census or any early records, Smallwood was probably born in the early 1770s.

If Smallwood Middleton was his son, it suggests James Middleton was almost certainly an undocumented son of William Middleton (d.1755) and Mary Coghill (whose mother was Ann Smallwood) of Charles County, Maryland. William died intestate and we have no formal record of his children aside from the 1769 will of his own father, William Middleton Sr., which mentions William Jr.'s sons Isaac Smallwood Middleton and Hugh Middleton. This is evidently the only place the given name "Smallwood" appears in this (or any) Middleton family.

Isaac Smallwood Middleton (c.1741-1789) settled in Fairfax County, Virginia in the 1770s and had sons named James Middleton and Smallwood Coghill Middleton (among others) who remained in Virginia and are well documented.

James could also be an undocumented son of Robert Middleton (c.1720-c.1803), brother to the above William Middleton (c.1718-1755). Robert lived a long life but had only one documented son, Robert Middleton Jr., but is likely to have had several others who appear near him in Augusta and Columbia County, Georgia from c.1770 through the time he moved to Fayette County, Kentucky (c.1782) and finally settled in Natchez County, Mississippi. Robert Middleton, Smallwood Middleton (probably the same man from Fairfax County, Virginia), Bennett Middleton, Hatton Middleton and others were awarded land in Franklin County, Georgia in 1784 for service in the Revolutionary War.

CLUES TO IDENTITY OF HIS WIFE

Clue #1: In the 1790 census (and earlier tax lists) James Middleton appears next door to the household of Jones Williams (1720s-1807). Jones Williams had no recorded will and his children are only partially documented. However, the written family history compiled by the late Roy D. Stubbs of Georgia reveals a tantalizing clue: "James Middleton, the progenitor of all the Georgia Middletons, came originally from Rutherford County, North Carolina. He married Zillah Williams." This came from Ancestry.com user "StubbsBarrettTree." This family tradition points at Jones Williams as the probable father-in-law of James Middleton.

Clue #2: William Middleton and Jones Middleton appeared in court in Walton County, Georgia on September 19, 1822 to appoint a power of attorney in order to obtain their share of the estate of their grandfather, Jones Williams in Rutherford County, North Carolina. (Walton Co., GA Deed Book C, pg. 130.)

Clue #3: A man named Haynes Payne died in Jackson County, Alabama in 1836 and his estate probate names his wife as Zillah Payne. G. B. Middleton bought property from Payne's estate sale and via other sources the Paynes had sons named James Middleton Payne and Jones William(s) Payne. Judging by the name congruence, this seems to be a likely daughter of James and Zillah Middleton.

These three sources seemed unaware of each other, and paint a pretty clear picture that Zillah Williams was evidently a daughter of Jones Williams and Elizabeth Ledbetter of Rutherford County, North Carolina. If you're researching the Jones Williams family you'll find excellent documentation by Effie Williams on the Familysearch.org public tree. Most of the stuff you see on the Williams-Ledbetter family on Findagrave is nonsense. Beware fake middle names, they're everywhere.

CLUES TO OTHER RELATIVES

There are a number of families in Rutherford County who may have also been related by marriage to James Middleton:

Middleton Sutton (c.1800-1870s), likely son of William Sutton and an unidentified first wife who died prior to 1807. She may have been a daughter of James and Zillah Middleton. Middleton Sutton had a grandson named James Middleton Sutton (1878-1943).

Josiah Ashlock (1760s-aft.1814) of Rutherford County, North Carolina m. Elizabeth, probably born Sutton, since Josiah is a legatee of the will of John Sutton of Rutherford County in March 1814. They had a son named James, who descendants swear was named James Middleton Ashlock. No record of his life gives him a middle name, but he does have a son named James M. Ashlock and a nephew (son of his brother Josiah Ashlock 1807-52) who is called in his death certificate "Joshua Middleton Ashlock." (Jack Co. TX, Mar. 17, 1923).

William Williams (d.1834) of Rutherford County, North Carolina, who was kin to Jones Williams, m.1782-83 Nancy, whose last name is undocumented, but descendants apparently have a tradition that she was a Middleton.

LIST OF PROBABLE CHILDREN

Taken the information all together, here is what the family of James Middleton (c.1750-aft.1794) and Zillah Williams (c.1756-bef.1822) probably looked like:

1. Smallwood Middleton (c.1773-1824) died in Jefferson Co., Tennessee
2. unknown Middleton (c.1775-bef.1807) m. William Sutton of Rutherford Co., North Carolina
3. Robert Middleton (c.1778-aft.1800) of Rutherford Co., North Carolina
4. Hanson Middleton (c.1780-18??) appears in Rutherford Co., North Carolina records
5. Zillah Middleton (c.1782-bef.1860) of Titus Co., Texas, m. Haynes Payne of Alabama
6. Jones Middleton (c.1785-aft.1845) of Pontotoc, Mississippi
7. William Middleton (c.1790-aft.1830) of Putnam Co., Georgia

=JMF