Moses Splawn (c.1777-c.1828) of Rutherford County, North Carolina

It's been well established that Moses Splawn, who appears in the deeds and census records of Rutherford County, North Carolina from 1807 to 1824, was a son of John Splawn (c.1744-c.1794) and Sebara Helms (d.aft.1800) of Fairfield County, South Carolina. What has been less thoroughly documented online are Moses Splawn's own wife and children so that's what I'm setting out to do here with the best documentation available.

Moses evidently co-migrated from South Carolina to Rutherford County with his presumed brother James Splawn ( c.1765-aft.1830), who begins appearing there in the 1810 census and Peggy Splawn (d.1830s), evident widow of his brother John Splawn (c.1767-bef.1810), Peggy having bought property in the county in 1815.

Census records indicate that Moses was born some time between 1776 and 1784. He enters the historic record with a land purchase on Floyd's Creek on December 8, 1807. He appears in only a handful of deeds and two census records. He died sometime between June 6, 1824, when he witnessed the will of Larken Lee, and October 24, 1828 when Nancy Splawn, his presumed widow, bought land from Isham Cook in Rutherford County.

Nancy Splawn begins appearing as a head of household in the 1830 U.S. census and makes her final appearance in the household of Lathy Splawn near Floyd's Creek in 1850. At the time Nancy was enumerated as seventy years of age, born in North Carolina. She makes her final recorded appearance in a deed to her son James Splawn on February 9, 1853 where she seems to have unloaded her real estate.

There are several clues as to Nancy's children: the most obvious being the Lathy Splawn she lived with in 1850. Nancy also appeared on the same page as a Nathan Splawn in the 1840 census and sold her property to the above James Splawn. An 1860 deed shows Nathan Splawn sold land to "Lithia" Splawn. So right off the bat we have three obvious children identified.

Deed from Nathan Splawn to Litha Splawn, 1860.

So how many are missing? The 1820 census shows us that altogether Moses and Nancy had four sons and five daughters. Possibly more were born after 1820. So that leaves at least two more sons and four daughters to identify.

Despite this family's almost complete lack of wills or probate records, there is one incredible document that tells us basically what the rest of the family looked like: the October 1867 deed of sale from the "heirs at law" of Henry Splawn (c.1831-1863), eldest son of Nathan Splawn (c.1802-1860), to William Splawn (c.1820-aft.1881) of Rutherford County.

Henry Splawn was a childless, unmarried man when he died a prisoner of war in January 1863. Being an only child, he had inherited the entirety of his parents' estate following the death of his father in September 1860. With no siblings, parents or descendants to leave his estate to, it ended up in the hands of his "heirs at law" as named below:

Wow, that's a lot of heirs. They can't all be his aunts and uncles, right? As it turns out, they're not. More on this later.

There is an additional document: an estate account for Henry Splawn from March 1872 that states a few of the same names above and a few new ones:

Notice that everyone on this list is getting an equal portion of the estate. We know via Henry's parents' marriage bond in 1829 that his mother was Susannah McDaniel. So the first five on the list were his mother's relatives, the second five were his father's.

We can see from the settlement that William Splawn, who bought the above land from Henry's heirs at law was himself an heir; this places him as one of Henry's probable uncles. We can see the "Lathy Splawn" from the 1850 census -- clearly a daughter of Nancy -- signed in 1867 as "Lithia Splawn" and was listed in the settlement account as "Telitha Splawn" which was probably her full name. Between the two documents we can also identify James Splawn, Hosea Splawn, "Amila" Splawn and Anna Splawn.

But wait -- there's more information hiding in here. In 1867 we have signatures for what looks to be A. S. Green, W. P. Green, Manly Green, Pinkney Green and Artilda Green. Census records show these are children of Thomas Green (c.1808-1882) and Elizabeth Green (c.1807-aft.1860). Interestingly, in the 1860 census this couple had a tenant named Anna Splawn living in their household. Its clear that Elizabeth is another Splawn daughter, evidently not living as of 1867, so five of her children showed up in court to sell their share of the estate.

There's another interesting couple in there: William and Nancy Dills. There would have been no reason for Nancy to show up in court if her husband was the heir, so Nancy is clearly the relevant signatory. William and Nancy lived right next door to James Splawn in the 1860 census. The 1850 census indicates she was 23 years old and recently married, so she could fit as a last child for Moses and Nancy. 

So now we can take these inferences and assemble a list of the likey children of Moses and Nancy Splawn:

1. Nathan Splawn (c.1802 - Sep. 1860) married Susannah McDaniel in 1829.

2. Elizabeth Splawn (c.1806 - bef. Oct. 1867) m. Thomas Green c. 1827.

3. Artilda Splawn (c.1807 - aft. Dec. 28, 1888) m. William Martin by 1840.

4. James Splawn (c.1808 - aft. 1870) m. Artie M. Smith by 1846.

5. Amila Splawn (c.1810 - aft. Oct. 1867) not known to have married.

6. Telitha Splawn (c.1815 - aft. 1880) not known to have married.

7. William Splawn (c.1820 - aft. Dec. 6, 1881) married Jane Waldrop in 1840.

8. Hosea Splawn (c.1822 - aft. Dec. 6, 1878) married Mary Perry by 1854.

9. Anna Splawn (c.1825 - 1905) not known to have married.

10. Nancy Splawn (c.1827 - aft. 1880) married William Dills by 1847.

There may have been others, possibly children who died young and never made it into the historical record. But these are the children we can positively identify. You'll notice Artilda Splawn here -- I found her accidentally searching for Artilda Green. William and Artilda Martin appear in several deeds and census records in Rutherford County and the 1930 death certificate for their son, William gives his parents as William Martin and "Tillie Splawn."

NANCY SPLAWN (1780 - aft.1853)

Now that we've identified the children of Moses and Nancy Splawn, we can turn to Nancy's origins. From census records, we only know that she claimed to have been born in North Carolina in 1780 or thereabouts. Whoever her parents were, they must have been in Rutherford County by the time of her marriage around 1801.

After researching several neighboring families: McClure, McDaniel, Hinson, Robbins, Twitty, Owens, Briscoe and more, I've found only one family that fits: Watkins.

Interestingly, the first tract of land Moses Splawn bought in Rutherford County in 1807 was adjacent Ambrose Watkins. In an unusual move, the deed stated that Moses had Joel Watkins deliver the payment to the land owner in his stead. This shows a high level of trust in someone he must have been very close to, indicating a possible in-law relationship. Moses later witnessed a deed for Joel in 1811.

1807 deed to Moses Splawn, payment made by Joel Watkins for land near Ambrose Watkins

Joel Watkins, who married Elizabeth Dills, moved out of state a few years later and died in Christian County, Illinois in 1839. Census records indicate that Joel had a son named Nathan Watkins, named for his wife's step-father, Nathan Briscoe (d.1807). Moses and Nancy Splawn named their first son Nathan and we know the name didn't come from the Splawn side. Joel Watkins also had a daughter named Nancy and women named Nancy Watkins appear in marriage bonds in early 19th century Rutherford County, probably daughters of Ambrose Watkins Jr. and Isaiah Watkins, among possible others.

There's other inferential evidence as well: the two families stuck together like glue. In the 1830 census, Ambrose Watkins Jr. lived right next door to Nathan Splawn, eldest son of Moses and Nancy. In the 1850 census, J. J. Watkins lived next door to William Splawn, another of their sons. Since Watkins does not appear in the deed books of Rutherford County, he may have lived on William Splawn's land.

Nancy Splawn had two grandsons named Henry, despite the name not appearing anywhere else in the Splawn family. Oddly enough, her son Nathan named his only child Henry. Ambrose Watkins had a likely older brother named Henry Watkins (c.1748-1820s) who lived in Surry County, North Carolina and several nephews named Henry as well.

And finally, the rare given name "Telitha" looks like it might have come from the Watkins family as well, with Stephen Watkins, a cousin of the above Ambrose, having married a Telitha "Lithy" Stewman in 1809 according to their marriage bond, several years before Telitha Splawn was born.

The weight of the evidence suggests Nancy Splawn was likely a daughter of Ambrose Watkins (c.1754-aft.1824) and his wife Martha from Rowan County, North Carolina. While the name Ambrose didn't seem to make its way through many Watkins or Splawn lines, the name Martha appears in both. 

Its an inferential case, but its the best I have given the lack of will and probate records for both the Splawn and Watkins families.

 

Research by Jason M. Farrell

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

Who Were the Parents of Polly Capshaw Splawn?

Death certificate of Margaret Elizabeth Splawn Ponder, 1914.

William Splawn (1806-1884) and Polly Capshaw of Rutherford County, North Carolina were named as the parents of Margaret Elizabeth Ponder (1831-1914) and Sarah Lithia Davis (1844-1914) in their respective death certificates. A Splawn family bible referenced online gives their mother's name as Mary Capshaw and her date of birth as January 4, 1806. For the sake of this post, we'll assume that date is correct.

Mary Capshaw's father is widely believed to be James Capshaw (c.1773-aft.1830) and his wife Margaret Tabor, but this is improbable. Rutherford County, North Carolina deeds show James Capshaw left the state in 1814 or 1815 and relocated to Tennessee, when Mary would have only been eight or nine years old. Because the 1810 and 1820 census show James Capshaw had the same number of daughters born after 1800, it isn't possible that he left a pre-teen daughter behind in North Carolina, which would be absurd anyway.

James Capshaw's brothers, Josiah, William W., David and Daniel Capshaw had also all left North Carolina by 1815. William W. can be eliminated entirely as a possible father because he had no daughters under age 10 in the 1810 US census. Josiah has 4 girls under age 10, but deeds and grant records show Josiah was already living in Warren County, Tennessee by November 1815. She cannot be a daughter of David Capshaw, who is said by a family account written in the 1880s to have had a daughter named Mary in 1823. And Daniel Capshaw was born in the 1790s according to the 1830 census and seems to be far too young to have had a daughter in 1806. Thomas Capshaw, whose father is unknown, was out of North Carolina by 1813; Essex Capshaw (bef.1748-1827), uncle of the above James, was gone by 1796. Records are clear that the entire Capshaw clan was out of the state of North Carolina by 1815.

This is confounding because we have reliable documentation that Mary was a Capshaw and we know she married in North Carolina around 1826 and lived there until her death, so there MUST have been a Capshaw to remain behind in North Carolina after 1815. To find him, we have to examine post-1815 deeds.

First, in 1822, the sheriff of Rutherford County, North Carolina seized land in the county owned by James Capshaw and sold it at auction to pay off debts Capshaw left when he moved to Tennessee. It is clear that James did not returned to the state for this event and his name never again appears in North Carolina records.

Second, on August 31, 1831, Alexander Capshaw was named in a Rutherford County survey order for Christopher Huntington and Jonathan Blackwell on the waters of White Oak Creek as an adjoining landowner along with Benjamin Edwards and Daniel Edwards.

This tract was referenced again in a deed of January 13, 1844 when Elizabeth Muster, relict of George Jones, bought 330 acres including a "mansion house on the south bank of the north fork of White Oak Creek... to Daniel Edwards corner... corner of John Webb's tract... to Neiles gap to a pine knot, also now William Splawn's corner... to Watson Abrams line... to the old... line of the Blackwell or Capshaw tract of 300 acres to their line..."

Note that both the 1844 deed and the 1831 survey order indicate that Daniel Edwards, Jonathan Blackwell and Alexander Capshaw are neighbors on White Oak Creek, but shows that William Splawn lives there as well. This leaves zero doubt that William Splawn lived in close proximity to Alexander Capshaw.

There are two further references to Capshaws in North Carolina records after 1815, one of which also involves the above William Splawn, husband of Mary Capshaw.

A North Carolina Supreme Court case dated November 11, 1850 records that a 278-acre tract in Rutherford (later Polk) County was "on both sides of the middle fork of White Oak Creek in two surveys joining the William Capshaw land" and "including the Jinkins improvement" and running to "Sharp's line" was claimed title to by William Splawn according to a notice sent to Splawn to enter himself as defendant in the ejectment suit of Fanny Blalock and others v. William Splawn.

So who was this William Capshaw? The above referenced tract, with the exact same metes and bounds, appears in a memorial from William Capshaw to Benjamin Jenkins written December 3, 1791 and recorded May 23, 1795 in Rutherford County, whereby Jenkins' heirs claimed the original deed dated June 1779 had never been recorded and was destroyed in a house fire in 1780.

Given the 1779 sale date, this William Capshaw referenced in 1850 can only be William Capshaw Sr. (c.1740-aft.1813), who was long dead by 1850. Mary Capshaw Splawn cannot be his daughter because the 1810 census shows his final daughters were born in the 1790s. Even assuming the Splawn family bible birth date was wrong, Mary Capshaw Splawn could not have been born that early if, as census records show, she had her last child in 1848.

There are no further references to Capshaws owning land in Rutherford County after 1815. So by process of elimination, Alexander Capshaw is the likeliest father of Polly Capshaw Splawn.

Alexander Capshaw seems to have only been documented in two records, the second being the above 1831 survey order. In fact, he may have only been recorded in the 1799 tax list of Christian County, Kentucky; it is possible he died a few years later, leaving his widow to return to Rutherford County, North Carolina so that her family could help raise her children. 

It would make sense then, that the Alexander Capshaw who appears in the 1831 survey order may have actually been a younger Alexander Capshaw (1804-aft.1860) who census records show was the last Capshaw in North Carolina, with his twin sons having been born there in 1832 and his daughter Sarah being born in Alabama in 1834, per the 1850 U.S. census. Being the last Capshaw in North Carolina, only two years older than Mary Capshaw Splawn and living nearly adjacent to William Splawn on White Oak Creek, its virtually certain that Alexander was her brother.

This theory could explain why one of Mary Capshaw Splawn's sons was named Alexander; this would be in honor of her likely father and brother.

It remains possible that her son Alexander was only named in honor of her brother Alexander, and that they are not the children of Alexander Capshaw of the 1799 tax list in Kentucky; the only other possible fathers in the entire Capshaw clan would be William Capshaw (bef.1776-aft.1825), who was adjudged insane by a Kentucky court in 1810 and left to the care of his father, Essex Capshaw Sr.; and Essex Capshaw Jr., who was last confirmed living in 1796 but may have been alive in Missouri as late as 1817. All other documented Capshaw men of this generation seem to have lived beyond 1830 and remained in Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas, Missouri or Mississippi. As a final note, Polly cannot be a daughter of Essex Capshaw Sr. (d.1827) because he reported no daughters born after 1800 in the 1810 US census.

There seems to be no evidence that the insane William Capshaw mentioned above married or had children. He never appears in a census record and evidently lived with his parents his whole life. After his father became too infirm to take care of him in 1824, he was left in the charge of his brother-in-law, Peyton Tucker. Family lore written in the 1880s claims Essex Capshaw Jr. died shortly after his marriage. In both cases, there seems to be no contemporary or later census evidence that they had children. By elimination, the evidence points back to Alexander Capshaw as the father of Alexander and Mary "Polly" Capshaw.

So who was Alexander Capshaw? He had only two possible fathers. Family lore from the 19th century indicates that only two of the Capshaw men who migrated to North Carolina in the 1760s had children: William Capshaw (c.1740-aft.1813) and Essex Capshaw (bef.1748-1827). William Capshaw's children were listed by his grandson, Dr. Preston Capshaw, in his book Concerning the Origin of the Capshaw Family in America in the 1880s. There is no Alexander. Therefore, Alexander can only be the son of Essex Capshaw, whose children have never been fully documented.

Research by Jason M. Farrell

The Parents of William Splawn (1806-1884) of Rutherford County, North Carolina

William Splawn (May 27, 1806 - July 10, 1884) was a farmer in Rutherford and (after 1855) Polk County, North Carolina, where he lived on White Oak Creek. Marriage bonds show he married Jane Waldrop in December 1850, but census records show he had numerous children before then; death certificates of two of his older children show their mother was named Polly Capshaw.

William Splawn was granted a 125-acre tract in Rutherford County on June 20, 1829 on the head waters of Nancy Wilson's fork, adjoining an older woman, Margaret "Peggy" Splawn. Peggy had herself bought land in the county in November 1815. William and Peggy Splawn appeared in court together when they were sued for trespass along with an Anna Mase in July 1833. The close association and significant age difference suggests that Peggy was likely his mother.

Peggy appeared in Rutherford County the 1810 census and had one male in her household, a boy under 10 who was exactly the right age to be William. She is no longer a head of household in the 1830 census and is likely the woman in William Splawn's household who was born in the 1760s. Peggy Splawn appears to have died before the 1840 census.

So its clear that Peggy was William's mother, and we know she was widowed at some point before 1810. Knowing her origins can help us identify her late husband. Peggy came from Fairfield District, South Carolina, where she was named in a court case of 1791 as "Margaret Splawn" and was clearly related to the Splawn family there, as some of them are known to have co-migrated to Rutherford County and there is only one other Splawn family in the entire South at this time, that of Thomas Splawn who came from Prince William County, Virginia and shows no relation to North Carolina.

Peggy and William Splawn's deeds both name an adjoining neighbor as Aspasio Earle (1785-1874). Aspasio Earle's father, Baylis Earle (1734-1823) a prominent judge, was next door neighbor to John Splawn of Spartanburg District, South Carolina in the 1800 US census. Splawn also witnessed a deed for Earle in October 1800. John Splawn appears in no further records in either North or South Carolina and Peggy begins showing up as a head of household in the very next census. This shows sufficient connection to suggest that John Splawn of Spartanburg District who evidently died before 1810 was the father of William.

The 1800, 1810 and 1820 census shows John and Peggy seem to have had several daughters in the 1790s but only one son, evidently William Splawn of Rutherford County. William had children named John and Margaret but none named Moses, James, Stephen or others that would imply he was a son of one of the other sons of John Splawn Sr. (c.1740-1794) of Fairfield County, South Carolina. The evidence is circumstantial, but points firmly toward John and Margaret Splawn being his parents.

Note: The above photo of William Splawn's gravestone appears to show his birth date as May 27, 1800. However, the 1860, 1870 and 1880 census as well as his 1884 obituary all agree that he was born in 1806. I think its more likely that the gravestone was incorrectly carved than that every record from his lifetime was consistently wrong by six years, so I'll be referring to his birth date as May 27, 1806 in my blog posts.

 

Research 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

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