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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

IDENTIFYING THE CORRECT SUTTON LINE IN PERQUIMANS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The patent in question:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Put more simply, the most popular theory is:

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

2. Nathaniel Sutton Jr. (c.1689-c.1743), son of Joseph Sutton (c.1637-1695), died intestate, two children Joseph and Deborah known from birth records.

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

His abstracted will:

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

On the contrary, there is sufficient evidence that Nathaniel (b.1681), son of Nathaniel (1643-1682), died c.1743 and Nathaniel, son of Joseph (1637-1695), died in 1724, allowing Nathaniel, son of Nathaniel, to be father to the "lost" Suttons.

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

The "Senr" is unmistakable.

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

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

PROVING “SR.” WAS ACTUALLY “JR.”

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

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

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

This proves that Nathaniel Sutton, son of Joseph, was not only still a minor in April 1702, but that was so young he was only then old enough to choose his guardian-- seven years after being orphaned. So its clear that he is likely the youngest in the family. He also cannot properly be called "Senr" as his death record indicates, since he is clearly younger than Nathaniel Sutton, son of Nathaniel, b. Aug. 1681, who turned 21 in 1702 and would have had no need of a guardian.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Joseph Sutton Sr. is son of Nathaniel (d.1682) and wife Deborah
Sr. was born Aug. 6, 1673
Sr. married Parthena (since Jr. married Bennett/Rebecca) 

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

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

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

Research and documentation by Jason M. Farrell

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

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