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 Parents of Elizabeth Coleman Cannon

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

But wait -- there's more.

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

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

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

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

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

 

Research and documentation by Jason M. Farrell

Origins of the Cannons of Spartanburg District, South Carolina

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

No need to look 115 miles away in Henrico County.

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

 

Research and documentation by Jason M. Farrell

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