Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Brook Ferry Rd and Stewarts Ferry

Emails from Bev Hamel today:

"...Anyway - there was a road called Brook Ferry Road - ca 1770's named so after Matthew Brooks - (aka Moravian so called Bruxe) and ended by what was once Stewart and/or Gentry Ferry. Matthew Brooks was one of the first Senators for NC too - I don't think Deb or Wes know this - but I think they are getting close with the land and deeds - oh and Brooks was also connected to Daniel Boone..."

and then also,

"
Hi Wes - I happen to be looking at a 1927 map when what to my wandering eyes should appear, but a name - Brookstown directly located in the vicinity of Brookberry farm - the roads are not named but I think Robinhood, Peacehaven and Shattalon as well as Meadowlark. However up till the early 1900s there was road called Brookstown Road and part of this still exists as Brookstown Ave. Then I went to the Forsyth Cty Historical Assoc which I recently joined, and attached you will find a 1898 map which shows Brookstown Road (formerly Brook Ferry Road still intact and ending no less at Conrad's Ferry - there is also a Glenn's Ferry and both might contend for Stewart Ferry (aka Stuart and Stuard) - Both Stewarts and Gentrys married Brooks women."

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Brookberry Farm Deed Mapping

To date I have uncovered about 25 deeds that made up Brookberry Farm. As I have been mapping out those tracts on my Deed Mapper program I have discovered a couple "holes" in my overall "deed map" of the farm.

Using some maps of the farm online (official Brookberry Farm site map and Rezoning Request and Map) has helped me realize there may be a few more smaller tracts on the perimeter than I was previously aware of. I will need to investigate that further. According to the farm's official site, it is an 800-acre farm currently. Of course, that does not include the land that was sold to the Winston-Salem Forsyth County School system, which currently houses Meadowlark Elementary and Middle Schools. So this farm truly may have been 850-900 acres in its prime.

I am currently mapping out the northern tracts and have run into a couple snags. In some of these older deeds (early and mid 1900's), errors were made in surveying - I have discovered - and those errors in the boundary descriptions were carried from one deed of sale to the next. I have had to trace them back several sales in some cases to find an older deed for the same tract to find the correct dimensions for said tract.

Once I finish mapping the deeds in my possession, I'll search for the remaining tracts that I have apparently missed. Once that is complete, I'll then begin the "full steam ahead" research on tracing these tracts back to their original owners from the 1700's. I've actually already begun that a few weeks ago and have already discovered some very interesting details. But I'll save them for later.

By the way, an excellent site is "Captivated by Mandie", which is her blog from 2004-2005 when the initial housing development began on the farm. And of course, Bo Gray's blog is a tremendous resource for pictures and anecdotal details about the farm "from the inside" - inside the Gray family, that is.

Wes

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Deed Mapping Goals: Stewarts Creek

I have recently purchased (thanks to Debbie McCann) the software called DeedMapper 4.0 which allows me to map out the boundaries of deeds and plot them on maps. I have already begun the process of mapping the deeds for Brookberry Farm (Bowman Gray Farm) using the deeds from 1946 - 1960's.

My two main goals for this project are 1) to map out the tracts of Brookberry Farm and trace them back to the original owners, and 2) to map out the tracts along the greater Stewarts Creek area and likewise, trace them back to the original owners.

Goal #1 is for helping Debbie McCann with her book project. It's a lot of fun and I really enjoy doing this with and for her. Goal #2 is for my personal interest in finding the original tracts for Samuel Stewart Sr and his sons, David and Samuel, as well. Goal #1 may or may not help me find the Stewarts' tracts - I don't think it will directly, but indirectly it most certainly will as it gives me the foundation for expanding to the rest of Stewarts Creek.

Here are the steps to reaching both of these goals:
  1. Map the Brookberry Farm tracts (1940's - 1960's)
  2. Make a new map for Brookberry Farm (BBF) that is one tract to use later on other maps as a referential overlay.
  3. Trace these tracts back to the original owners.
  4. 1850's map of BBF tracts.
  5. 1750's map of BBF tracts.
  6. Expand 1950's map to cover all of Stewarts Creek - the southern portion includes everything b/w Country Club Rd/Shallowford Rd and Robinhood Rd, and also b/w Lewisville-Vienna Rd and Muddy Creek. The northern portion includes everything b/w Robinhood Rd and Yadkinville Hwy, and also b/w Lewisville-Vienna Rd and Olivet Church Rd.
  7. 1850's map of Stewarts Creek tracts.
  8. 1750's map of Stewarts Creek tracts.

Monday, November 30, 2009

Was John & Margaret Black Patterson EVER in Pendleton Dist., SC?

Marty [Grant],

Time to ask the obvious question - a question I'm sure you knew I'd ask after reading your page. Great job on the page, too, I might add.

Any idea where "we" (collectively speaking, that is) ever came up with the "research" that my John and Margaret Black Patterson were in Pendleton District, SC in 1790? I was pretty much given that info from day one and have carried it forward to today.

Now you are stating that the John Patterson on page 8, Pendleton District SC 1790 that has been typically assigned to my John, might be Viola's John, if I understand your notes correctly.

I want to throw out a couple thoughts regarding that.
  1. I have never found any of the other York Pattersons and Blacks (for sure, anyway) in Pendleton District, SC. Always thought that was strange, if mine were there.
  2. John and Margaret Black Patterson's daughter, Amy Jane Patterson (Kincaid) - b 1793, always told her family that they were from Camden District, SC - which includes York Co. She never said anything about Pendleton, as far as I know. To reconcile this, my assumption was always that they moved back to York and then up to Buncombe. That seems weak, too, though.
  3. The other associated families from York who moved to Buncombe, appear to have moved straight there in the 1790s and early 1800s.
My John and Margaret had their oldest son about 1789, named Joseph B. Patterson.

Any thoughts?

Wes

*********************

Marty's page on this other John Patterson group of Pendleton District, SC from 1790 forward. Marty gave the following analysis which is what I referred to above:

Nancy Chapman was born ca 1769/70 per her age on the 1850 census (80). The same record shows her birth place as North Carolina. She is a proven child of Joseph Chapman (1745-1836) of old Pendleton District, SC (which later became Pickens District). Nancy was associated with Joseph and other Chapmans and was named as one of Joseph's heirs in his estate papers. His Revolutionary War Pension Record shows he was born in Halifax Co., VA and was living in Guilford Co., NC before the war. Perhaps Nancy was born in Guilford. 
Nancy's children are proven by an 1831 deed in Hall Co., GA. The oldest one was born ca 1790/94, so she must have married by ca 1790 or just after that. 
The 1790 census for Pendleton Dist., SC shows Joseph Chapman listed there with four females in his household. This would probably be his wife and three daughters. One of those could be Nancy if she wasn't married yet. However, there is a John Patterson listed just six houses away. His household is somewhat large for newlyweds though (1 male over 16, 2 males under 16 and 6 females). This may be a different John Patterson. Looking at this census there were four Patterson households there in 1790, a James Patterson and three John Pattersons. Here are each of those listings (since we don't know for certain that Nancy's husband was named "John").

p. 8 John Patterson 1-1-1-0-0

p. 9 Joseph Chapman 1-5-4-0-5

p. 9 John Patterson 1-2-6-0-0

p.10 John Patterson 1-4-5-0-0

p. 12 James Patterson 2-0-5-0-0
The only one who seems to fit is the John Patterson on page 8. His households suggests newlyweds with a small son and no other children. That fits what Nancy's family should look like at this point.....

William Wright of Augusta Co Va

Mr Wright,

I enjoyed reading your analysis of the William Wright family of Augusta Va. My Robert Patterson of Linville Creek Va was there during the same time period before moving south to SC in the 1760s, although some of his family returned to Augusta for a few years during the 1770s, namely, my line of Thomas Patterson, born ca 1740-44.

I still do not know the identity of Thomas Patterson's wife. Their oldest son was named John Patterson, born 1765 - my ancestor. There may have been a son named Alexander Patterson, also, and possibly an Andrew Patterson. There was also a son named Robert, too.

My Pattersons were heavily involved with the Black family, and also the Cravens and Harrisons and Ponders.

Do you think it's possible that Thomas' wife could have been one of William Wright's daughters, such as the one born 1735-41, or even Jean?

Thomas' father, Robert Patterson, was recorded in a court case with William Wright vs Thomas Linville.

11 March 1745, William Wright vs. Thomas Linville.--Writ 11th March, 1745. Thomas Linville told Robert Patterson that he had paid to William Wright a certain sum of money which was due to said Wright's father. Order by William Wright's, 10th December, 1744, to Robert Patterson to collect the account.

Any idea who "said Wright's father" was, by any chance? Were they any kin the Wrights of Sussex Co DE and Long Island, NY - where the Harrisons had migrated from? There were kin to the Gideon and Peter Wright clan from those locations.

Wes Patterson
North Carolina

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Peter Patterson of York Co SC

The following email was sent to Harald Reksten, a fellow descendant of Robert "R" Patterson, who died in York Co SC in 1775. I descend from Robert's oldest son Thomas, Harald descends from son Robert (II), and then there's the son Peter, which has not been well documented previously. That said, we're making a valiant attempt at it:

Harald,

We've discussed the Patterson males that might be tied to Peter before, such as Andrew (possibly), and then more importantly, James, John Marion, and Peter.

As far as daughters are concerned, he appears to have had at least 4 daughters, according to the 1790 and 1800 census records. One born before 1790, another about 1789, another about 1790/91, and the 4th b/w 1790 and 1800.

I have believed for a few years now (actually, since 2003) that the second daughter was named Jane, b 1789. There was a Jane who moved to Buncombe roughly around 1805-1810 and then married a James Freeman about 1811/12. She was born in 1789 in SC. Their two oldest children were named Abigail Freeman (1813) and Peter Patterson Freeman (1816). There were 7 more kids born after that, all 9 being born in Buncombe.

James Freeman's parents were named Aaron Freeman and Mary Bentley (Freeman). Haven't we seen a York deed or two that has Peter Patterson AND an Abigail Patterson listed? Ah, yes - here it is:


E-502 13 July 1797 Peter Patterson of York County to Malcolm Henry of York County for 150 pounds, 150 acres, on the waters of Clarks fork of Bullock Creek being Patterson's branch and also 80 acres adjoining the above and Peter Patterson's lower field, the ridge road above Jacob Peters School House, Robert Love's corner at cross road and -------Ponder. Also 62 acres, adjoining and originally granted to Robert Patterson Sr., deceased, and is on both sides of Clarks fork. Witnesses: Robert Love, William Henry and Abigail Patterson. Samuel Watson J.P.


I was out walking a few minutes ago and then I was reminded of a person from Buncombe I found a few years that I couldn't ever tie to anyone. I now am quite certain this is yet another grandchild of Peter. I'm speaking of a boy named Robert Patterson Sandlin, born June 03, 1815, Buncombe, NC. This fella was the son of Ezekiel Sandlin and Martha ______.

I just did a follow up search and found that some Sandlin researchers believe Martha to have been a Patterson, but cannot prove it. Martha was born in 1790 in SC. She most certainly could be the 3rd daughter of Peter Patterson.


Get this... they supposedly married in SC around 1807, according to one source. They moved to NC about then and their children were all born in Buncombe. I also know that James Patterson (m Sarah Marr/Morrow) moved to Buncombe b/w 1805-1810.


Ezekiel Sandlin was the son of William Sandlin and they were from York Co SC, Kings Creek area - probably not far from the Ponders. After they moved to Buncombe, guess where they lived. Here's the abstract, followed by explanation:



(Buncombe Co NC)
(E 155) 5/12/1807 (8/22/1812)
Ezekiel Sandlin to James Patterson, 70 acres, "…Newfound Creek, joins George Black and Thomas Patterson's lands…, beginning on a ridge Black's corner running east to Thomas Patterson's corner…"
Witnesses: John Love & Daniel Ponders

(12/271) 3/8/1816
James Patterson to Reuben Black, 70 acres, (same land James Patterson had bought from Ezekiel Sandlin in 1807.) - "…Ridley Pence's corner…. (both men living in Buncombe at this time)"
Witnesses: Nathaniel Harrison & Jane Harrison

This means that Ezekiel Sandlin lived on the western side of Thomas Patterson. My John Patterson lived on the eastern side of Thomas Patterson. George Black lived to the south of them all. George Black was the brother in law of John Patterson. It appears now that Ezekiel Sandlin may have been the brother in law of James Patterson, as this was the same James who married Sarah Morrow. Remember that John Patterson had bought a different tract of land a little further away from a Richard Morrow.

Furthermore, Thomas Patterson's land was sold by the sheriff, and it changed hands a few times and ended up being owned by this same James Patterson. The land that John was living on next to Thomas's land had been bought by John from Reuben Black, son of Matthew Black of Burke Co NC and formerly of York Co SC. We see that James P later sells this Sandlin tract to Reuben Black. It is believed that Reuben's grandparents were Robert and Madge Cravens Black, by the way.

And last but not least, Nathaniel and Jane Harrison were siblings, and children of Joseph Harrison, and grandchildren of Nathaniel Harrison who signed Robert Patterson's 1775 will in SC.

Oh, and one more caveat. Notice that Ridley Pence lived next to them also, in 1816. John Patterson sold his land next to all this to Abram Pence, no doubt some relation to Ridley. These Pattersons were selling their land from 1815 to 1820 and moving a little further west into Haywood Co NC. A few years later, Abram Pence shows up next to John Patterson and his oldest son Joseph Black Patterson in Haywood. Abram Pence's daughter, Cassey Pence, married John Marion Patterson, brother of the above James Patterson.


Confused yet?


I don't see how this Martha could be a daughter of my Thomas, nor your Robert. If she's from the Robert "R" clan, it has to be Peter. We can't forget the daughters of Robert "R", but this Martha couldn't have been Sarah's (m Joseph Black), nor could she have been Lydia's (m John Black). While it's possible she could have been Elizabeth's (m Daniel Ponder), according to Ponder researchers, the youngest daughter they had was born in 1788, so it doesn't seem likely that she could be Elizabeth's daughter.


I am of the opinion that this Martha Sandlin was the third daughter of Peter Patterson.


Your thoughts?


Wes


P.S. I'm doing a quick review right now of your York SC deed abstracts and noticed this:


O-005-071 (Charleston) 18 February 1785 James Wilson of Camden District, farmer to John Wilson of same 4 pounds sterling, 200 acres the lower end of a survey in said district on Kings Creek adjacent Wilkinsons branch. Witnesses: Robt. Patterson, Willm. Sandlin. Proved: 19 February 1785 in Camden District by William Champion. Recorded: 15 March 1785.

Willm. Sandlin was the father in law of this Martha whom I'm suggesting is the daughter of Peter Patterson!

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Conrads of Lewisville, NC

The following notes are simply a compilation of scattered notes I'm pulling together concerning the Conrads who lived on or near the Stewarts Creek region of Lewisville / Vienna.

http://www.fmoran.com/conrad.html

Leonard Conrad (1787-1865) m. 1) Annie Vest, 2) Rebecca Lash, probably d/o George Lash Jr. and Nancy Wall

Children of Johann Jacob Conrad (1751-1818) and Catharina Weybrecht Johann Conrad:
Jacob Conrad (1779-?)
Daniel Conrad (1783-?)
Leonard Conrad (1787-1865) m. 1) Annie Vest, 2) Rebecca Lash, probably d/o George Lash Jr. and Nancy Wall
Elisabeth Conrad (1789-aft. 1850) m. Martin Leinbach (1791-1848)
Johann Jacob and Catharina married in Pennsylvania in 1775, and probably didn't arrive in NC until 1777.

Which John Conrad was the POA (1825) for John Stewart (son of David Stewart)? Was it Leonard's brother? It wasn't Leonard's father as he died in 1818. Leonard's father was probably known as Jacob Conrad Jr.

His parents were Johann Jacob Conrad and Maria Catharina Royer.

Must also consider the following families of Christian and John Conrad, uncles of Leonard.

Probable children of Christian Conrad and Maria Boeckel:
Maria Catharina Conrad (1772-1830) m. Johann Christian Hauser (1766-?)
John Conrad (1774-1841) m. Catharina Spainhour (1775-1862)
Peter Conrad (1777-1850) m. 1) Maria Magdalena Schumacher? (1781-1818), 2) Catharina Spainhour (1787-1866)
Anna Magdalena Conrad (1782-1863) m. Peter Pfaff (1773-1865)

Christian Conrad came to NC in 1769 and settled on the land his father had purchased the preceding year. Maria Boeckel was originally listed on this page as Boeke. We now think she may be a Boeckel - but who were her parents? And were there other children in this family?

We are not entirely sure that John and Peter Conrad are their sons, but they fit nicely into the sequence of children. Also, Peter named a son Christian.

----------

Children of Johannes Conrad and Catharina Romig:
John Conrad (1778-1850) m. 1) Elizabeth Miller (1782-1837), 2) Mrs. Margaret Grimes (abt. 1806-?) was she the Margaret Harris who married Benjamin Grimes in 1825?
Anna Elisabeth Conrad (1780-1781)
Jacob Conrad (1782-1839). Did he marry Catharina Krause in 1809? and/or Catharina Krieger?
Abraham Conrad (1784-1869) m. Phillipina Christina Loesch (1788-1847)
Isaac Conrad (1790-1832) m. Charity Wolff (1804-1857)

----------

So we have a John Conrad brother of Leonard we know nothing about. Then there's two other John Conrads who were 1st cousins of Leonard, one of whom married a Spainhour and the other married a Miller. Both are eligible to have been the John Conrad who acquired part of David Stewart's lands.

----------

The Sharon UMC site says that Leonard Conrad was the son of Jacob Conrad, one of the 3 brothers who came to this area.

Leonard's wife, Annie/Janie/Chanie Vest, was the daughter of Samuel Vest Sr, and sister of Charles Vest Jr, as shown on Judy Cardwell's page at http://home.windstream.net/judyscard/sandj.htm

Leonard and Chaney are both buried at Sharon UMC.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Hauser Family Info

Mark Arslan has a great website dedicated to properly documenting the Martin Hauser family which migrated through this Stewarts Creek region.

I will try to contact Mr Arslan...

David Stewart's 138 acre tract

David Stewart (Stuart) had a tract of 138 acres on which he lived. This was on Stewarts Creek. This land was sold to Frederick Miller in 1825 by David's last executor, his son Reuben Stewart.

Miller later sold 63 acres of this to John Spease in 1837, and prior to that in 1833 he sold 50 acres to John Conrad. This 1833 piece was where David Stewart had actually lived, according to the deed.

I'll map out the details further at a later time, but for now, we know that 113 of the 138 acres on Stewarts Creek passed into the Spease and Conrad families, with the dwelling location passing to John Conrad.

More later...

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Stewarts who remained in Stewarts Creek area

David Stewart, oldest son of Samuel and Lydia Harrison Stewart, was the first of the clan to move from the Harrisonburg, Va region to the Stewarts Creek location of modern day Forsyth Co NC. This was about 1748 when David and his wife Abigail moved to what was then Anson County (later Rowan, then Surry, then Stokes when they died, now Forsyth).

There is mention of Swan Creek, Snow Creek, Stewarts Creek. Were they all the same?

It appears that of all of Samuel's sons, his two oldest remained in this general area for the duration of their lives, i.e. David Stewart and Samuel Stewart Jr. There was a Reuben Stewart who was the son of David who also remained here for some time. Further research needs to be done to learn about these families. (see below)

STOKES COUNTY NC WILLS 1790-1864. Will of David Stewart (Stuart) Nov 24, 1801. Pr Dec 1807. Jamiah (Jemima) Harrison, Hezekiah Rankin, Lydia Potter and Abigail Curd, 20 shillings each. Five sons: John, David, Reuben, Samuel and Thomas, all my estate, also negroes (6 of them) Wife Abigail Stewart to be maintained, Execs John and Reuben Stewart. Wit: Thompson Glenn, Frederick Miller, and Henry Holder. Signed David (X) Stewart.

Dr Johnson says "Isaiah [Harrison] Jr was b Sept 27, 1689 and would have been 61 years old in 1750 and 64 when he entered land in 1753 (Swan Ponds) and in 1761 he would have been 72 when Isaiah appears on the tax list above.. pretty old for those days."

He further states "Joseph Harrison bought land from Anthony Furlerburg in 1758 on the E side Yadkin. In 1762 Thomas Harrison was a witness to a deed from Jacob Lash both sides Town Fork Creek, and in that same year Thomas was a witness to deed of Jacob Lash from Granville, on Mill Creek of Gargabs Creek, which Mrs Hulse takes to mean Gargales Creek, which later is called Muddy Creek and is located in SW Stokes Co."

Dr Johnson continues... "From THE STEWART CLAN MAGAZINE, Dec 1938. Article, STEWARTS OF OLD ROWAN COUNTY, NC -SAMUEL AND LYDIA STEWART OF YADKIN COUNTY. David Stewart, son of Samuel b c 1722 was in Augusta Co. VA 1747-48 when he "beat the bounds" (processioning boundaries I presume). About 1748 he got a Granville grant for 138 acres on the Yadkin in Anson Co. NC, later Rowan, then Surry... It was surveyed Jan 10, 1748-9 with chain carriers Abraham Potter and Anthony Heavely. David settled on Swan Creek probably before his parents came. He had a constable's beat on the north side of the Yadkin from Muddy Creek upward as shown in the minutes of the court 1753-1756. In 1757 he was granted 380 acres on the east side of Yadkin which he sold in 1779 to John Lynch. David and Samuel Stewart sureties 1762 on the marriage bond of JOSEPH HARRISON and ANN BALLS of Rowan. David and Samuel Stewart were execs of their father's will in 1770 and their mother's will in 1772. David Stewart had a daughter Lydia.

"Samuel Stewart, son of Samuel and brother of David b c 1724 m Elizabeth _____. He moved from VA to NC about 1751 probably before his parents. He obtained a grant of 646 acres 1751 with survey 1753. Later in 1762 he got another grant on the east side of the Yadkin on both sides of Swan Creek adjacent to his brother David. John Harrison was a witness. He and David may have been living in Stokes Co in 1790 for the census. There was also a Thomas Stewart, a Rev. War Vet in Surry who m Jane Potter."

Samuel Stewart later obtained a second grant for 332 acres, apparently on Swan Creek. "Will of Lydia Stewart. 11 Jan 1771, widow of Samuel Stewart. Surry Co. NC. It reveals a possible defect in title to the Swan Creek property. She states that if a clear title can be obtained, the land should be sold and divided equally among her sons David, Samuel, John and Isaiah. Samuel Stewart had left the other property to the two younger sons."

ROWAN COUNTY NC MARRIAGE BONDS: "Joseph (X) Harrison and Arms Bawls 30 June 1762 with David Stewart, Samuel (X) Steward and Jacob Losh (Loesch or Lash)." This is very interesting to find these Stewarts WITH Jacob Lash so many times.

Another source sheds more light on David Stewart's family:

"David Stewart left a will dated 24 Nov 1801 in Stokes County, North Carolina. Researcher: Joyce Lindstrom."

This source also states "On June 5, 1781, David bought of John Lynch 200 acres on south fork of Stewart's Creek. David's land was in Stokes County when that county was formed. He was surety on the marriage of Thomas Stewart and Prudence Busey on May 4, 1791. He made his will on Nov. 24, 1801. He appointed his sons, John and Reuben Stewart as executors.

"He gave 20 shillings each to Jemima Harrison, Keziah Rankin, Lydia Potter, and Abigail Curd, and left to John, David, Reuben, Samuel, and Thomas Stewart, 'all my estate, land, negroes, and stock all kinds & household goods & plantation tools to be equally divided. My five sons are to have no division until the death of my wife Abigail whom they are to maintain.' John Stewart, one of the executors, moved to Knox County, Ky., where he gave power-of-attorney on July 19, 1819, to John Conrad of Stokes County and to attend his interest in his father's estate. Reuben Stewart, the remaining executor, sold on Mar 14, 1825 to Frederick Miller, for $450, 138 acres of land."

This tells us that the 138 acres on Swan Creek was what was sold to Frederick Miller in 1825. This is very important!!! It's equally important to note that David's son John assigned POA authority to a Conrad, likewise a resident of the region currently around Brookberry Farm and Stewarts Creek.

Samuel Stewart Jr was issued a land grant for 640 acres "above the head of Stewarts Run", named for David Stewart. It goes on to say "The tract had been entered on Oct. 9, 1751, in Granville's office, and a deed was issued Jan. 10, 1761, according to a notation on the order of survey... The surveyor's certificate, dated Apr. 23, 1753, says, 'I have surveyed for Samuel Stewart, junior, a plantation on the north side of the Yadkin and on the waters of Reedy [Muddy] Creek, beginning at a hickory David Stewart's corner, running from thence South...chain carriers: David and John Stewart. Ent'd 9th Oct. 1751.' The plat showed 646 acres, surveyed for Samuel Stewart, Junr."

This places David and his brother Samuel Jr next to each other, on Stewarts Creek in the 1750s (therefore not the modern day Surry Co lands). At this early date, David only owned land on what was later referred to as Swan Creek according to some sources. There are two major branches of Stewarts Creek that begin with a bunch of lakes or ponds, and then flow south, cross modern day Robinhood Rd and then come together, then join up with Lashes Branch or Creek, then flow east and then south into the modern day Brookberry Farm, south across Country Club Rd, joins Tomahawk Branch and then flows into Muddy Creek.

It was May 9, 1757 when their father, Samuel Stewart Sr, obtained his land grant for 508 acres on the E side of the Yadkin River. All of this is east of the Yadkin.

One more observation concerning "Lashes Creek". Looking at Judy Cardwell's page again, it appears that what she's referring to as Lashes Creek must be the creek flowing east from Beauchamp Lake into Stewarts Creek. This is on the southern end of Brookberry Farm. The 3 tracts of 200 acres each must make up the original 600 acre grant to John Hauser. I need to dig into that further. I can pull the 1789 deed to Christian Hauser, and both 1799 deeds to Samuel Vest and Matthew Brooks, all for 200 acres each, all three occurring in Stokes county, which means it's available online.

I also need to do some follow up research on Frederick Miller (any relation to Jacob Miller?) and the 1825 deed from Reuben Stewart to him, for 138 acres originally granted to David Stewart. I also need to identify this John Conrad.

More later...

Stewarts Creek, Tomahawk Creek, Lashes Creek

Judy Cardwell has helped me get a better understanding of where these creeks are today, and why all the confusion in modern maps.

Bottom line... the creek that runs N to S through Brookberry Farm is Stewarts Creek. Further upstream, toward Robinhood Rd, a couple creeks flow into it from the west. The largest tributary, according to Judy, is Lashes Creek. This is important to remember. This is also along the northern part of Brookberry Farm, and even to the north and west of the farm.

As Stewarts Creek runs S and approaches Country Club Rd, another creek flows into it from the west. On some maps that is referred to as Little Tomahawk Creek, and flows from Beauchamp Lake into Stewarts Creek.

Some modern maps refer to Stewarts Creek as Tomahawk Creek or Reynolds Creek, but it's really Stewarts Creek.

Then, as the main branch flows S and under Country Club Rd (formerly Shallow Ford Rd, from Old Salem to Lewisville), yet another large creek flows into it from the west, just before it dumps into Muddy Creek. This westerly creek in the old deeds is THE Tomahawk Branch or Tomahawk Creek. A couple modern maps show the same thing, but most modern maps label this as Reynolds Creek. That could be because just west of Stewarts Creek, this westerly creek flows under Styers Ferry Rd and passes beside the L.A. Reynolds Nursery. Nonetheless, it really is Tomahawk Creek.

Therefore, my past assumptions were incorrect as to the proper location of Tomahawk Creek. I want to thank Judy for helping me with this, as she has done extensive research on the Vest family and others along all of these creeks. There is no question as to the location of Tomahawk Creek.

That said, I have always believed Stewarts Creek (Branch, Run) was where it is. And, it runs a long way, beginning at the lakes along Lake Forest Rd some two miles or so north of Brookberry Farm. Somewhere along this creek, and I now presume it to have been further north from the modern Brookberry Farm, the Stewarts lived during the 1750s - 1770s. David and Abigail Stewart are thought to have lived there first near some "ponds", and then later his parents, Samuel and Lydia Harrison Stewart, also lived there, beginning about 1754, roughly. Other family members most likely lived here also, but for now I'm simply trying to document the Brookberry Farm owners, and then I can work my way up the creek later.

Another important historical tidbit... During the 1750's, the Great Wagon Road traversed this section of the country. Later, a newer part of the Great Wagon Road was laid out along the modern Yadkinville Highway. But during these early years, it snaked across this part of the country on a path lost long ago. That said, it crossed Stewarts Creek SOMEWHERE along the way between the northern end at the ponds and the southern end at the modern day Brookberry Farm. That was the early route from Bethania to Lewisville to the Shallow Ford of the Yadkin River.

Wes

Friday, November 6, 2009

Sharon United Methodist Church

Sharon UMC is located just south of the SW corner of Brookberry Farm. They have a tremendous history chronicled on their website which gives great clues to the history of the community and the families involved in Brookberry Farm. Many of the former owners of BBF tracts are buried at Sharon.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Brookberry Conrad Pedigree

Faye Moran has an excellent history on the genealogy of many families of Stokes and Forsyth counties, and in this case, sheds light on the Conrads of Forsyth County in general, and Rufus and Robert C Conrad in particular. I don't find Vance E Conrad in this pedigree however, so there may not be any connection between him and these other Conrads. Really, the only Conrad who's lands were later in Brookberry was Robert C Conrad, but Rufus appears to be his 1st cousin.

Here are some genealogy details:

Children of Calvin Conrad and Edna Brown
Lucas Isaac Conrad (1866-1913)
Luther Conrad (1868-1878)
Robert Curtis Conrad (1872-1936) m. Della Sheets (1877-1936)
Mary Conrad
Titus Conrad

Then, going back one generation:

Children of Isaac D. Conrad and Sarah Maria Shamel
Selesta Conrad (abt. 1837-?) m. Elisha McKnight (abt. 1834-?), prob. s/o George McKnight and Lydia Elrod
Calvin Conrad (1838-1895) m. Edna Brown (1839-1908)
Gideon Conrad (1844-1886) m. Mary Jane Livengood (1846-1909)
George Dallas Conrad (1847-1917) m. Clementine Rebecca Cornish (1851-1934)
Lewis Conrad (abt. 1850-?)
Augusta Conrad (1852-1937) m. John Livengood
Regina Conrad (1853-1926) m. Julius Sylvester Norman (1851-1943)

Notice above that the McKnights and Elrods start showing up. Let's go one more generation back:

Children of Leonard Conrad and Annie Vest
Joseph G. Conrad (abt. 1808-aft. 1870) m. Nancy Stolz (abt. 1816-aft. 1870). Who were her parents?
Sarah Conrad (1810-1898) m. Nathaniel Ketner (1810-1879)
Isaac D. Conrad (1814-1882) m. Sarah Maria Shamel (1817-1905)
Samuel Conrad; named in his father's will (1865) as deceased, but left heirs
Susan Conrad (1818-1855) m. Nathaniel Hartman (abt. 1812-?)
Fizy or Fisa W. Conrad (1820-1905) m. George H. Flynt (1818-1893)

Children of Leonard Conrad and Rebecca Lash
Delphia Conrad (1827-1877) m. Milton Hartman (1821-1870)
John Leonard Conrad (1832-1862) m. Caroline L. Conrad (1836-1925)
Lucetta Conrad (1833-1873) m. 1) Lewis Hartman (abt. 1825-1865, 2) Joseph Brewer, s/o Henry Brewer and Elizabeth Boeckel
Julia Sybilla Conrad (1835-1902) m. Julius Abraham Transou (1832-1930)
James H. Conrad (abt. 1837-1911) m. Emily L. Gamble (1839-1911), d/o Andrew Gamble
Mary Ann Conrad (abt. 1844-?) m. Jesse Marshall (abt. 1840-?), s/o Tandy Marshall

The above family group shows that Isaac's step mother was Rebecca Lash, presumed niece of Nathaniel Lash, who is buried on Brookberry Farm! Robert C Conrad's land is known to have come from Leonard Conrad, as well. Flynts live just north of Brookberry, and Ketners were on the western edge of, and part of, Brookberry.

Children of Johann Jacob Conrad and Catharina Weybrecht
Johann Conrad
Jacob Conrad (1779-?)
Daniel Conrad (1783-?)
Leonard Conrad (1787-1865) m. 1) Annie Vest, 2) Rebecca Lash, probably d/o George Lash Jr. and Nancy Wall
Elisabeth Conrad (1789-aft. 1850) m. Martin Leinbach (1791-1848)

So, we see that the Conrads were intricately connected with these other Moravian and Brookberry Farm families.

Stewarts Creek confirmed to run through Brookberry Farm

I have updated my spreadsheet and there are actually 25 separate deeds I know of (no duplicates) that make up Brookberry Farm, by 1962. I am in the process of sketching out the boundaries and dimensions of all 25. I started with the first 3 tracts last night and already have a pretty clear understanding of where all 25 tracts are now. The first 3 are in the middle, and they tie all the others together, so that was a great exercise last night.

For the first time I now have my arms (and head) around the farm and all the tracts that make it up and who owned them just prior to the Grays.

In my list, track #1 actually (not further down like I had previously thought) is where the manor house is. It was the first tract bought (1946). There are 203 acres on that lot bought from Felix Webster in 1946, and that is the tract that goes all the way back to John Hauser, the northern third of his 600 acre grant.

Furthermore, this tract provides clear proof that Stewarts Branch (aka Run, aka Creek) runs through the middle of this tract which is in the middle of Brookberry Farm. And in looking at the deeds for this tract back through the 1800s and even the 1700s, they refer to it as Stewarts Creek, Branch, etc., and even as Stuarts Creek in one of them.

Proof (evidence) is a powerful motivator.

More later...

Monday, November 2, 2009

Stokes County, NC Online Deeds

http://www.stokescorod.org/II_main.asp

This gets us back to the inception of Stokes county, which was around 1790, but there are 1787 deeds on this site.

Latest on Brookberry Farm Research

For the last several days, or even a week now, I've been emersing myself in Forsyth Co NC deeds. Debbie (McCann) helped me discover that Forsyth County (the county in which I live) has an online site for looking up old deed indexes and the deeds themselves going back to the county's inception (1849). What a huge time-saver and money-saver.

I have found 25 deeds which make up the Brookberry Farm landholdings. All of these deeds initially were to Bowman Gray and/or Gordon Gray, with most of them going to both Bowman and Gordon. These men were brothers, sons of Bowman Gray Sr. It also appears that we can do the same for Stokes Co NC, which prior to 1849 would be the county in which the farm was located. This is great news concerning our ability to track these deeds efficiently.

I have cataloged these deeds in a spreadsheet, and have identified 4 or 5 of the largest tracts I want to tackle first. I'll be tracking these deeds back to the original owner(s), and will hopefully discover that Samuel Stewart was one of said original owners.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Israel George Lash 1810-1878

http://wapedia.mobi/en/Israel_G._Lash

"Israel George Lash (1810 - 1878) was a Congressional Representative from North Carolina; born in Bethania, North Carolina, August 18, 1810. He attended the common schools and the local academy in his native city; engaged in mercantile pursuits and subsequently became a cigar manufacturer; also engaged in banking in Salem, North Carolina; delegate to the State constitutional convention in 1868; upon the readmission of the State of North Carolina to representation was elected as a Republican to the Fortieth Congress; reelected to the Forty-first Congress and served from July 20, 1868, to March 4, 1871; was not a candidate for renomination in 1870; again engaged in banking in Salem (now Winston-Salem) N.C., until his death there on April 1, 1878; interment in the Moravian Cemetery, Bethania, N.C."

What is significant about this man to me is that he is connected to the Lash family of Brookberry Farm, off Meadowlark Drive in Winston-Salem, NC.

Another source at http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=8059680 has this to say, and even has a picture of him:

"US Congressman. Banker and cigar maker Lash was elected as a U.S. Representative from North Carolina from 1868 to 1871."

The following photo was taken in 1865.



Another source is http://www.historync.org/BankCapeFear.htm where we learn the following about Israel Lash:

"Salem branch: There were three individuals initially appointed in 1815 to act as agents for the Bank of Cape Fear in Salem. Charles F. Bagge, cashier (July 1815+), in some records also referred to as president, even though this was an agency operation until 1847; Emanuel Schober (July 1815), John Christian Blum, agent (July 1815 -1827); Friedrich Heinrich (Henry) Schumann, agent & cashier (1828 -1847), a physician who also was involved with the Salem Manufacturing Company and its cotton mill in Salem; Israel George Lash, cashier (1847 - 1866)."

Some very interesting information concerning banking, and connections between the Lash and Gray families. See http://www.archive.org/stream/forsythcountyonm00frie/forsythcountyonm00frie_djvu.txt. This source says the following:

"As early as 1815 the Bank of Cape Fear, Wilmington, N.C., appointed agents in Salem. Two years before the founding of Winston, the formal business of banking was launched in Salem with the establishment of a branqh of the same Bank. Israel G. Loesch, or Lash, was the first banker. The bank was housed in a brick building located at what is now the southwest corner of Bank and Main streets. This branch bank seems to have prospered until it went down in the general financial crash of the Civil War. In 1866, Lash opened a bank of his own, the First National Bank of Salem, using the same building which had sheltered the branch of the Bank of Cape Fear. Following the death of Israel Lash in 1879, the bank closed its doors and the banking center of the community moved into the new village of Winston.

"The Wachovia Bank & Trust Company dates back to the establishment of the Wachovia National Bank in June, 1879. This institution had as its president Wyatt F. Bowman, E. Belo as vice-president, W. A. Lemly (formerly associated with Israel Lash in Salem) as cashier, and James A. Gray as assistant cashier. Lemly was president of this flourishing institution from 1882 to 1906 and James A. Gray from the latter date to 1911. The bank started business with a capital of $100,000 and in about two months it was increased to $150,000. In 1888 the bank was moved from its original build- ing on Main Street to the corner of Main and Third streets, where it occupied a three-story building on the present site of the Main office of the Wachovia Bank and Trust Company.

"In 1893, the Wachovia Loan and Trust Company was organized by F. H. Fries and his nephew, H. F. Shaifner. Its first home was in a modest one-story wooden building on the east side of Main Street between Second and Third in Winston. The directors were James A. Gray, J. E. Gihner, C. H. Fogle, J. C. Buxton, J. H. Millis, T. L. Vaughn and R. J. Reynolds. Two of these directors, Messrs. Gray and Buxton, were closely identified with the Wachovia National Bank! Gray was elected a vice-president of the Trust Company at the beginning but was not active until later."

Another tidbit about Lash and Gray, Debbie McCann found an 1878 deed in which Israel G Lash sold a plot of land to James A Gray.

More later...

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Holland Family, by Diana Holland Calderon

http://listsearches.rootsweb.com/th/read/TXNAVARR/2008-05/1211117788

Francis Holland D.O.B. 1776 Canada; Wife: Margaret Buck

THE HOLLANDS OF AUSTIN"S COLONY (now) GRIMES COUNTY, TEXAS by Roy E. Gibson Francis Holland (Sr), the father of one of the martyrs of the Alamo (Tapley Holland), was born about 1780-1785 (believed to have been Canada). On Oct. 29,1804 in Scioto County, Ohio he married miss Margaret Buck. Her parents are ,however a Thomas and Massie Buck were listed as pioneer settlers of Scioto County,Ohio. This marriage was performed by one Elyjah Glover, a justice of the peace. Their marriage was blessed with six(6) known children,namely James,Susanna"Susan",Tapley,Francis, Jr."Frank", William and Nancy.

Scioto County was formed in 1803 from Adam County,(1797) and Washington County(1788) which were original counties from the Northwest Territory. There is no early probated record,will or estate settlement in Scioto County,that would document his percentage,therefore it is assumed that he, his brother William and sister Mary,moved into the now Scioto County, Ohio area in their teens or early twenties. Francis is listed among pioneers of this county for the period 1776-1806. The lack of land records, deeds or grants,to Francis or his brother William is not fully understood by this compiler/copier. Could it be that many of the pioneers leased or rented their land from the government or--some Land Co.?The negative land records almost eliminates knowing the name of the township in which Francis Holland and his family lived. The man that performed the marriage rites between his sister Mary Holland and William Peterson was a justice of the peace for Valley Township,Scioto Co.,Ohio. This was in 1805.Francis Holland did serve at least for a short time in the military service. He is listed as a private in Capt. John Lindsey's Company; This said company is probably from Scioto County. It is recorded he served from July 28 until Aug. 18 1813. A veteran of the War of 1812 would be indicated in this case.In 1816 Francis and William Holland,brothers, were pioneer residents of Jackson Co. Ohio. This being the year Jackson County was formed from Pike County.,which in turn was formed from Scioto, County in 1815. Since our subject from all known records lived in Scioto County from 1804 or before,until about 1816 and in Jackson County from 1816-1820 it is reasonably assumed that Francis and Margaret(Buck) Holland's children,James,Susanna,Tapley,and Francis"Frank" were natives of Scioto County, Ohio while the two youngest,William and Nancy were natives of Jackson Co.In 1816-1820 at the time Francis and William and their families were residents of Jackson County, Ohio their residency was in the township of Franklin. The area of their residence in Franklin Township became Hamilton Township on Dec. 6 1825(after the Hollands had moved away).Francis' land consisted of 75 acres, now located in Hamilton Township, Range 19,Township5,Section 28 east one-half of northeast quadrant. His property was along Holland Creek, which was most likely named for him and/or his brother. Holland Creek's course is as follows:heads sec. 24,R19,Hamilton Township,Jackson Co. Ohio;NW of sec. 25,R19,same Township, Scioto Co., Ohio. The above property of Francis Holland was carried on the tax list or rolls of Jackson County as late as 1838.The Holland brothers participated in the early elections of Franklin Township,Jackson Co. Ohio. Francis was one of the election officers "Clerk",when the election for justices was held in 1816. When the votes were counted, April 6, 1816 the record shows that Francis Holland received 36 votes for Commissioner;however he was not one of the three winners.Court records of Jackson Co.,Ohio show that on July 24,1817, Francis Holland was one of the witnesses against one Burgess Squires for paying two counterfeit notes to the county sheriff,Abraham Welch. The conviction of Squires led to the eventual indictment of Welch for counterfeiting. His bond was set at 500.00 with Francis Holland being one of the three securities. Welch's case was called for the second time on Monday Mar. 23 1818; he failed to appear as in the first. This called for his bond to be forfeited. These court actions put an end to the circulation of counterfeit money in Jackson County.Neither Francis nor William Holland were enumerated in Jackson nor any other county in Ohio in the census of 1820;this applies also to the state of Indiana. Either the enumerator missed them or they had started their migratory move south and west, about the summer of 1820. Their mode of transportation was most likely by riverboat via the Ohio and Missouri Rivers.It is not clearly known where they stopped along the way,some authors say Kentucky,and Tennessee, but they were in the State of Louisiana no later than 1821. In 1821 they moved from Cheneyville, Louisiana to what is now Sabine County, Texas.

In the year of 1822 Francis Holland with a large group of relatives arrived in Grimes County Texas(now known to have been a part of Stephen F. Austin's "Old Three Hundred" RRS) The group camped near the Andrew Millican place. Francis Holland found the area to his liking while Millican wanted to move on. Francis bought Millican's property which was a league of land located along both sides of Ten-Mile Creek some three and one-half (3 1/2) miles southwest of the present town of Anderson, Grimes County, Texas. Millican's land also included improvements. Francis Holland and his relatives settled here These relatives were Francis' wife Margaret, and their children;namely:James,Susanna"Susan",Tapley,Francis,Jr."Frank",William and Nancy.Also the family of William Holland(Francis' brother) which included William's wife,Susannah,their children; Catherine"Katy", Sarah, and a daughter who's name is not known(believed to be Nancy who later married a man named Stewart).The sister of Francis and William; Mary Holland Peterson and her two sons. Mary was a medical doctor and was at that time a widow.There was also a John and Wesley Fisher reported to be related to the Hollands(Their relationship is unclear,perhaps related to the wives of Francis and William Holland).???????The land granted to Francis and William Holland was finalized on Aug. 10,1824. Their leagues were adjacent to the property purchased from Andrew Millican in 1822 and along the Ten-Mile Creek. Due to the large number of Hollands and/or relatives settling this creek , the name was changed from "Ten-Mile" to "Holland Creek"(at present June 21,1996), it is still called Holland Creek. RRS) Therefore our subject had a creek in Jackson County Ohio and in Grimes County, Texas bearing the name "Holland Creek".

About three and one-half miles out of Anderson in Grimes County, Texas stands what is believed to be the oldest Anglo house in Texas.It is the Francis Holland house. Originally the house was a cabin or some cabins built by a colonist named Andrew Millican in 1821.According to W.P. Zuber, Andrew Millican settled on the Coshattee Trace in 1821 on the southwest side of Ten-Mile Creek, "Where he erected a set of substantial log houses, and enclosed and cultivated a farm on which he raised one(1) crop of corn.The Coshattee Trace was a section of the old"Contraband Road" which ran through Grimes County and was used by smugglers in their illicit dealings between Alexandria, La. and the Rio Grande River.The Coshattee Indians used it for their hunting grounds,therefore the name the" Coshattee Trace".Dating from the earliest days of Stephen F. Austin's "Old Three Hundred" , the house has been the scene of more tragedy than triumph.Located on the early immigrant trails the house was a place of hospitality for early colonists as they traveled toward the LaBahia Crossing of the Brazos River and down to San Filepe de Austin. It was a gathering place for colonists as they came to cast their votes for office in the Austin Colony.Most significantly however, this sturdy log cabin was the boyhood home of heroes in the Texas cause. From it's door went forth three young men to answer the call to arms in the autumn of 1835. These brave young men were James Holland, Tapley Holland and Francis"Frank" Holland, Jr. Within days they fighting for the independence of Texas at old Mission Concepcion near Bexar.

In the spring of 1836(1834?),as dreaded cholera crept up the Brazos disease took all of the residents still there,first young William, who had curvature of the spine and had been an invalid since birth,then Francis and Margaret.(one report says the parents died first).

James contracted measles during the spring of 1836 that settled in his lungs(pneumonia).Frank took him home and tried to nurse him back to health but in the fall of 1836 James Holland died at the home of his sister Susanna(Holland)Burney.

In 1838, Francis Holland,Jr."Frank" was employed by some land-owners and surveyors headed by William F. Sparks to go with them beyond the frontier as their "huntsman".Near the source of Richland Creek, about 12 miles from the present day town of Corsicana,Navarro County, Texas, Frank was killed by some Indians. It is ironic that this expert Indian fighter,well trained by his old Indian fighter father, to protect himself, should one day be killed by Indians.His fellow pioneers realizing the danger to themselves, returned home. Some years later a friend found some of the expeditions rusty equipment and Frank's bones which he buried. The grave site is .Tapley Holland had joined his brothers in enlisting in Capt. Joseph L. Bennett's regiment of the Texas Army. When James became ill and Frank left to take him back home, Tapley stayed. He was in the fighting at Concepcion and the storming of San Antonio in December of 1835 then in the garrison at the Alamo,and when Col. William B. Travis stood before his men saying there was no longer hope for reinforcements,he gave them the choice to try to escape before the battle began or staying to fight to the end;.according to the Moses Rose story of the battle of the Alamo, Tapley Holland was the first to volunteer his life. When Col.William B. Travis drew the line with his sword and invited all who would stand beside him to cross over the line, after a moment of silence,young Tapley leaped over the line with a bound saying "Let me give a life for Texas".(all accounts give the "Moses Rose Story full credit)His heroism is recorded on a monument on the courthouse grounds in Anderson and a painting depicting the "line" scene hangs in the Alamo as well as a portrait of Tapley with a plaque that reads: Tapley Holland was the second son of Francis Holland, who came to with his wife and six children from Louisiana to settle in what is now Grimes County, Texas.On March 6 1836 the Alamo fell and more than one hundred and eighty brave men died. One of them was Tapley Holland.In San Filepe de Austin, the Telegraph and Texas Register printed the tragic news from Bexar as the reports spread throughout the Colony. In the issue of March 24,1836, the name of Tapley Holland was printed in a casualty list.

This is the Holland House. But there are no Hollands anymore.

The brother of Francis, William and his wife Susannah had died shortly after their arrival in Texas leaving three daughters who then came to live with Francis and Margaret. Then in the brief span between the spring of 1834/1936 and the fall of 1838, Francis, his wife Margaret and all four of their sons had died.All of the daughters survived to become adults.

Francis Holland's residency in Texas the last fourteen years of his life 1822-1836 has been fairly documented for the time and place. Our subject appears to have been the type of person highly sought by Stephen F. Austin for his colony; That is, industrious,honorable and law-abiding. The records show he was quite active in the Colony. Among these activities were;served terms as Alcalde(Judge) for his district; in Dec. 1829 he was elected Commisario to the precinct of Viesca; He was presiding judge for the elections at least part of the time, for his home was the voting place as early as Nov. 1829. In 1832 he was delegate to the Convention that met at San Felipe de Austin: Served as a second sergeant in the 1st Militia organized in the municipality of Austin Mar 21,1829. He was without a doubt a literate person, and had not death occurred he would have most certainly been a participant in the Texas Revolution.

It has been reported that their was an epidemic of Cholera that killed some of the Holland family.It is known that William Holland, his wife, Susannah as well as Francis Holland, his wife Margaret and their sons William and James all died here in the year 1834/36. (It is known that James died from measles complications in the fall of 1836.

Questions are;Where are these people buried, was their a family cemetery on the property of Francis Holland? Are there any grave markers?

(more info is on the page but most of it is repetitive)

Tapley Holland - Alamo

Tapley "Tap" Holland is described as a 26 year old son of a War of 1812 vet. His father was William Holland, who was an original colonist with Stephen Austin.

For more information on the Holland family, see my article on The Holland Family, where I quote much of the research of Diana Holland Calderon.

My son descends from the Hollands through his mother's family (my ex-wife). The Wards trace back to the Hollands, and specifically to Susannah Holland, sister of Tap Holland.

Another source of information regarding the Hollands and Tap Holland in particular is Dr. V. M. Holland and Holland History Blog.

The Texas State Historical Association has more information about Tapley Holland as well.

Friday, October 23, 2009

Did Robert "R" Patterson's sons remain in VA to work that farm?

An email to Harald Reksten concerning a question he had asked me:

Been thinking on your question a little more... did one or more of Robert's sons stay in Va to work the land?

Your Robert (II) married late. Was that because he stayed behind and ran the farm in Va?

Peter never acquired a land grant in SC (that I know of). Was that because he stayed behind in Va, and then later bought land in SC from someone else?

Did Thomas stay a while in Va but then move south later? His son John was born ca 1765 (pretty solid date), supposedly in SC.

Thomas could have stayed in Va and then gone back and forth, but then acquiring the other Va land in 1773 negated his need for a share in his father's land.

Another angle... Robert II and Peter may have been left the land since they stayed and worked it the most, thus earning their right to inherit it.

Another thought... Robert II and Peter were not listed as Loyalists from York Co SC. Why? I'm sure there's several possible reasons, but one could be that they were not living there all the time, or as vocal there due to their interests in Va. That said, Robert and Peter do later come down and buy up land, but that may have been due to the fact that the Loyalist factions of the family were being "driven out". I remember seeing a book at the SC Archives that documented that Joseph Black's land on Clarks Fork was confiscated and then resold in 1783. Did you know that? It's my understanding that Nathaniel Harrison's was, too. And George Julian, as well. Some of them got their lands back, but apparently Joseph Black didn't.

I need to get over to Randolph Co NC and search through their records and try to determine if those Pattersons there in 1790 were my Thomas and his clan or not. I've gotta be honest with you, I'm 50/50 on it right now. Normally, I'd be 20/80, meaning I think there's an 80% chance it was NOT him. I'm more like 10/90 on the Dorchester SC Thomas now. I've seen much of the records surrounding that Thomas and it just doesn't look like mine. It COULD have been, but this Randolph group seems more likely, for more reasons.

Back to the Va lands... this means those families around Muddy Creek, Linville Creek, etc are more likely to be the families those sons married into (Thomas, Robert II, Peter). Just a possibility we have to consider.

Wes

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Turner - Patterson Reunion

Each year on the 3rd Sunday of October there is a reunion in north Ga at a church attended by many Pattersons and Turners who are "very related", shall we say. Many Turner-Patterson marriages occurred over the years.

I am working with Stan Turner and now also a Roger Turner to see if I (we) can determine where their ancestor (John Patterson Jr - married Sarah "Sallie" Hicks) is buried. John Jr died in Union Co Ga in 1854. In 1850, his mother, Margaret Black Patterson, was living with him. However, she was also recorded with her oldest son, Joseph B Patterson, that same year.

Joseph and John Jr lived several miles apart I think, and the modern county border b/w Union and Fannin counties ran b/w their farms. Where did they live exactly? Where did their parents live, more importantly to me. I descend from George Patterson, younger brother of Joseph and John Jr. I believe there to be one or more family cemeteries on their farms that I would like to one day find.

Wes

John Pattersons in 1830 VA, NC, SC, GA, AL, TN, MO

Courtesy of Margaret Smith:

John Patterson Northern District, Augusta, Virginia
John Patterson Northern District, Augusta, Virginia
John Patterson Southern District, Augusta, Virginia
John Patterson Brooke, Virginia
John Patterson Brooke, Virginia
John Patterson Senr. Greenbrier, Virginia
John Patterson Jr. Greenbrier, Virginia
John Patterson Kanawha, Virginia
John Patterson Bedford, Virginia
John Patterson Stafford, Virginia
John Patterson Wheeling, Ohio, Virginia
John Patterson Pittsylvania, Virginia
John D Patterson Bedford, Virginia
John H Patterson Hanover, Virginia
John H Patterson Lynchburg, Campbell, Virginia
John W Patterson Hanover, Virginia
Jon Patterson Rockbridge, Virginia
John Patterson Ashe, North Carolina
John Patterson Bladen, North Carolina
John Patterson Pittsboro, Chatham, North Carolina
John Patterson Fayetteville, Cumberland, North Carolina
John Patterson Guilford, North Carolina
John Patterson Iredell, North Carolina
John Patterson Iredell, North Carolina
John Patterson Iredell, North Carolina
John Patterson Lincoln, North Carolina
John Patterson Mecklenburg, North Carolina
John Patterson Mecklenburg, North Carolina
John Patterson Esq. Moore, North Carolina
John Patterson Esq. Moore, North Carolina
John Patterson Richmond, North Carolina
John Patterson Laurel Hill, Richmond, North Carolina
John Patterson Rutherford, North Carolina
John Patterson Regiment 2, Randolph, North Carolina ***** (not the same one that was in Randolph in 1790; this John was born in the 1770s and is clearly younger)
John Patterson Surry, North Carolina
John Patterson Stokes, North Carolina
John H Patterson Northampton, North Carolina
John T Patterson Orange, North Carolina
Esta John Patterson St Peters Parish, Beaufort, South Carolina
John Patterson Abbeville, South Carolina
John Patterson Barnwell, South Carolina
John Patterson St Bartholomews Parish, Colleton, South Carolina
John Patterson Edgefield, South Carolina
John Patterson Darlington, South Carolina
John A Patterson Abbeville, South Carolina
John A Patterson Abbeville, South Carolina
John B Patterson Anderson, South Carolina
John L Patterson Spartanburg, South Carolina
John Patterson Company District 72, Burke, Georgia
John Patterson Crawford, Georgia
John Patterson Dekalb, Georgia
John Patterson Habersham, Georgia
John Patterson Hall, Georgia
John Patterson Rabun, Georgia
John T Patterson Monroe, Georgia
John Patterson Montgomery, Alabama
John Patterson Fayette, Alabama
John Patterson Bedford, Tennessee
John Patterson Carroll, Tennessee
John Patterson Anderson, Tennessee
John Patterson Fayette, Tennessee
John Patterson Franklin, Tennessee
John Patterson Lawrence, Tennessee
John Patterson Hawkins, Tennessee
John Patterson McNairy, Tennessee
John Patterson Overton, Tennessee
John Patterson Sumner, Tennessee
John Patterson Wilson, Tennessee
John Patterson Wilson, Tennessee
John Patterson Williamson, Tennessee
John Patterson Williamson, Tennessee
John Patterson Pike, Missouri
John Patterson Jr. St Ferdinand, St Louis, Missouri
John Patterson Senr. St Ferdinand, St Louis, Missouri
John Patterson Bonhomme, St Louis, Missouri
John Patterson Saline, Ste Genevieve, Missouri
John Patterson Perry, St Francois, Missouri
John Patterson Cape Girardeau, Missouri
John Patterson Le Sieur, New Madrid, Missouri

Our Margaret Adams

Courtesy of Harald Reksten:

Augusta Co, Va Court Records:

11-754. 19 November 1764 Thomas Harrison and Sarah to John Harrison for £---, 150 acres on a Sinking Spring Branch of Linvel's Creek; corner Mary Adams.

Our Margaret Addams received her Va land patent under the name of Mary Adams. She was the mother of Robert "R" Patterson, and the widow of William Patterson first, then later a widow of John Addams.

While her land patent was recorded under that name of "Mary", however, that was in error. Her name was not Mary, but Margaret. Thomas Jefferson's Memorandum Books shows a court case that clarifies that issue of her name.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Thomas Patterson 1773 record found

For those of you who connect to the Thomas Patterson of York Co SC and Buncombe Co NC...

Thanks to Harald Reksten for all the research and analysis he's currently doing on the old records of the Shenandoah Valley of Va. In the course of his work he has uncovered the following record:

13-495. 21 August 1767 Ruben Moore & Ann of Frederick County to Rubin Harrison for £100, 400 acres on the Dry Fork of Smith's Creek patented to John Harrison, deceased, 10 February 1748 who devised the same to Ann. Delivered: Thomas Patterson by your order January 1773.

This means the land was subsequently sold by Rubin Harrison TO Thomas Patterson in 1773.

I am 100% convinced this Thomas Patterson is the one from whom I descend, and who was the father of John Patterson (b ca 1765) who married Margaret "Peggy" Black.

Robert "R" Patterson (father of Thomas) had a sister named Elizabeth who married Jeremiah Harrison. Jeremiah's brother John Harrison was the father of the above mentioned John Harrison, Rubin Harrison, and Ann (Harrison) Moore. This court record shows that John Harrison (Jr) patented this tract of land on 10 Feb 1748 in Augusta Co Va. This same John was killed in 1763 by a negro slave. John was unmarried and had no children. He devised (bequeathed) the land to his sister Ann, who in turn sold it on 21 Aug 1767 (along with her husband Ruben Moore) to her brother Rubin Harrison.

Anytime Augusta Co court records mention a transaction and then at the end say "delivered", what it means is that it was subsequently sold to "whomever". In the case above, this land after being sold to Rubin Harrison in 1767, was in turn sold (delivered) to Thomas Patterson in Jan 1773. I'll not bore you with the details, but there is no doubt as to the identity of this Thomas Patterson being ours from York Co SC.

I do find it interesting to then wonder if Thomas was in the act of moving back to Va where he grew up? If so, he didn't stay long as he was later listed among the Loyalists of York Co SC during the Revolution. That said, I know that Robert Cravens Jr (a nephew of Elizabeth Patterson Harrison) owned land on Clarks Fork in SC next to our Robert Patterson and also Robert Black (another uncle of said Cravens). I also know that Cravens continued to live in Va. His brother William Cravens, however, is said to have lived in the Carolinas from approximately 1766 to 1773. Interesting, as that puts him returning to Va in the same year as this Thomas Patterson transaction.

Furthermore, William Cravens and Thomas Patterson were chain bearers together in SC on at least one occasion, and I knew they grew up practically next to each other in Va.

Some of you in this forum descend from Thomas Patterson via a man named William Craven Patterson, b 1813 NC. He was a great grandson of Thomas Patterson.

Just how often did these folks travel up and down that dirt road back in the day? More than we imagine, I believe.

Wes

P.S. Harald found another record for Thomas Patterson in November, 2009, as follows:

(Augusta Co, Va) 21-075. 16 August 1775 Robert Cravens and Abigael his Wife of Augusta to Michael Mullin of same for £80, 169 acres on both side of Cooks Creek adjacent a survey of James Fisher, crossing the creek and line originally granted to Robert Cravens Senior. Signed: Robert Cravens, Abigael Cravens (X). Witnesses: John Christian, Thomas Patterson, John Smith. Acknowledged: 15 August 1775 by Robert Cravens and Abigael his Wife she being first privately Examined. Delivered: June 1777 to Mach Mullen.

This Robert Cravens was also known as Major Robert or Robin, and was the son of William and Jane Cravens, and therefore a grandson of Robert and Mary Harrison Cravens, Sr. Abigail was Abigail Harrison, daughter of Jeremiah Harrison, who was the uncle of Thomas Patterson. That means Abigail was a 1st cousin to my Thomas Patterson (my ggggg-gf).

Craven(s) Connection or Not?

Taken from an email to Harald Reksten on 16 Oct 2009:

Harald, I'm beginning to be drawn back to the Craven(s) family once again, but this time, in searching for the identity of Sarah, Robert's wife (i.e. Robert Patterson). I have no conclusions at this time, but I'm beginning to see some evidence that could lean that direction. I still have more organizing of data to do to make the analysis easier, but for now, here are some random thoughts concerning this line of thinking.

We know that Robert and Sarah married b/w 1732 and 1738. We also know they had children before 1744. I believe they may have had as many as 3 or 4 of their children by then, certainly Abigail, Mary and Thomas, and quite possibly Sarah, too. This dau Sarah had her first child (Susannah Kincaid) by 1763, by the way. All that to say this... I would be surprised if Robert and Sarah were married after 1735. If that is the case, then Sarah was probably born by 1715-17, perhaps.

We know that the Cravens family was all around the Harrisons, et al in Sussex Co De as well as Salem Co, NJ. Robert Cravens (b 1696) and his sister Margaret both married Harrison siblings. Elizabeth Patterson (Robert's sister) married another Harrison sibling. This older Cravens generation is not as well documented, but many have made attempts over the years and there's just enough info out there to raise certain questions.

There was a trio of Cravens siblings who were orphaned in Salem Co, NJ in the early 1680s, Thomas, Peter, and Ann Cravens. Ann was born 1670, and Thomas was born about 1665-68, and Peter more like 1672-74. Neither of these Cravens brothers are well documented, but Robert (1696) is thought to have come from one of them, perhaps, but that hasn't been proven. I know that Thomas Craven was under the guardianship of an uncle until the late 1680s or so. It would not be unreasonable for him to be the father of Robert 1696. Furthermore, he certainly could have fathered children over a 20 year period, such as our Sarah (1715-18).

The name Peter Craven(s) was passed down for generations among the Peter Craven family. Peter II was born 1712. His descendants are not sure if he was the son of Peter I or of Thomas, however. Peter II moved his family to Augusta Co Va in 1744. Around 1755 or a little later perhaps, he moved his family to Randolph/Guilford Co NC around the Deep River. The Cravens lived around the Quakers in NJ and also in NC. They were Regulators and Loyalists during the Revolution.

Furthermore, during the Revolution, Loyalists from York Co SC were identified as our Pattersons and Blacks, plus Nathaniel Harrison, plus some others, including a whole group of Julians. Peter Julian sr and Jr and many others, were named. Many of these Julians also moved during the Revolution to Randolph/Guilford Co NC near the Cravens. The Julians were also Quakers.

I don't have to remind you that our Robert and Sarah Patterson named one of their sons Peter. I believe he was the second son, after Thomas.

I have thought for years that the move to SC was precipitated by the Blacks (I still believe that to be the case) and that Robert Patterson and Nathaniel Harrison followed because their wives somehow were related to the Blacks. But what about this possibility? Could it be that the wives of Patterson and Harrison were related to the Cravens instead! Robert Black, one of the key members of this Black clan who moved to SC, was married to Majey Cravens, dau of Robert Cravens and Mary Harrison Cravens. Perhap the connection is a Cravens connection. We also know that Robert Cravens Jr and his brother William Cravens speculated in SC and owned land right next to Robert Patterson and Robert Black. These Cravens brothers were brothers to Majey Cravens Black. Was Sarah Patterson their aunt by virtue of being a younger sister of their father Robert Cravens?

Another connection is that Robert Patterson's niece, Esther Harrison (dau of Eliz Patterson and Jeremiah Harrison), married Robert Cravens Jr (mentioned above). They were also first cousins to each other by virtue of the fact that Esther's father (Jeremiah) and Robert Jr's mother (Mary Harrison), were siblings.

Thomas Patterson had multiple things in common (chain bearers together, etc) with William Cravens. Furthermore, Thomas Patterson's oldest grandson was named Joseph Black Patterson, born 1789 in SC. This grandson named a son William Craven Patterson (1813).

One source even has the elder Thomas Craven having several daughters and a son named Nehemiah Cravens. That was a common name passed down thru the Robert Cravens family, also. Rachel was another name I saw in these other Cravens families (from the Peter Cravens line). We know that Nathaniel Harrison's wife was named Rachel.

Just thinking out loud.

Wes
*********************

Apparently there was a Thomas Craven Sr and a Thomas Craven Jr in Burlington, West New Jersey in 1701.

See http://books.google.com/books?id=VKaOB4sKiL0C&pg=PA250&lpg=PA250&dq=%22thomas+craven%22+salem+new+jersey&source=bl&ots=8uMI-KwhM6&sig=rNOEuMgSFclxKOf_EOqfBxwWRUc&hl=en&ei=ubnYSr_cNpPR8QaT7cm3BQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CCwQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=%22thomas%20craven%22&f=false

They were witnesses to a deed involving the Stokes family.

Another source http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=ttg13&id=I28337 leads one to believe that none of the DE and VA Cravens could have come from this Thomas or Peter Cravens... but there must have been a relation as Thomas' uncle was a Smith from Smithtown, NY and the Harrisons descended from the same Smiths.

Still searching...
Wes
********************

This source paints an accurate picture of what JH Harrison wrote in Settlers by the Long Grey Trail:

http://www.heritagecenter.com/Research/WPA/Robert%20Cravens%20Home.htm

Bottom line is, no one knows for sure where Robert Cravens (m Mary Harrison) came from, but he and his sister both married Harrisons in Sussex Co DE. Most people assume his father was a Richard Cravens.

Bottom line is, I think the Craven(s) family is one we need to keep our eyes on for Sarah's ancestry.

Wes

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

TDL - Rowan NC

To Do List for Rowan Co NC Research Trip:
  1. Pull Samuel Stewart Will (1768/70).
  2. Wills for key families: Stewart, Harrison, Wright.
  3. Deeds for key members of families Stewart, Harrison, Wright, Brooks, Lash, and anyone other key deed from Stewarts Branch.
  4. Land grants?

TDL - Surry NC

To Do List for Surry Co NC Research Trip:
  1. Jo White Linn, "Surry County, North Carolina, Will Abstracts Vol I-III, 1771-1827"
  2. Pull Lydia Stewart Will (1771/72).
  3. Wills for key families: Stewart, Harrison, Wright.
  4. Deeds for key members of families Stewart, Harrison, Wright, Brooks, Lash, and anyone other key deed from Stewarts Branch.
  5. Land grants?

Monday, April 27, 2009

BBF Timeline

The following records are in chronological order and serve as an event timeline related to Brookberry Farm (BBF) and Stewarts Creek.
  1. 1748, David Stewart received 138 acres on the Yadkin River, Anson Co., surveyed 10 Jan 1748/49. As the first to settle on this branch of Muddy Creek, the branch (creek) took his name, Stewart's Creek. Other names for this same creek are Gentry's Branch, Lash's Creek, Stewarts Branch, even Tomahawk Branch, but the latter branch is more properly located south of Country Club Rd. On the other hand, Stewarts Creek begins just south of Yadkinville Hwy (modern day Forsyth Co, NC), between Olivet Church Rd and Lewisville-Vienna Rd. It flows south, crossing Robinhood Rd, through Brookberry Farm, and crosses Country Club Rd immediately to the west of Meadowlark Rd.
  2. 1753, Rowan County formed from Anson County.
  3. 1753, the Moravians are granted almost 99,000 acres in Anson/Rowan County (modern day Forsyth County). The call this tract Wachovia. The old western boundary of Wachovia is roughly the eastern boundary of modern day Brookberry Farm (just west of Meadowlark Rd).
  4. 1770 (Feb 15), James Glenn, Joseph Harrison, James Buck, Samuel and David Stewart, Georg Lash, Martin Houser, of the Yadkin, Henry Spoonhour [Spainhour] and Michael Houser of Bethany, Jacob Stoner, Jacob Blecken and John Ranke of Bethabara, and George and Charles Holder of Salem to lay off a road from the Shallow ford of the Yadkin to cross the North Fork of Muddy Creek a little above the mouth of Steward's Creek to the town of Salem. [Muddy Creek a little above the mouth of Stewarts Creek is Shallowford / Country Club Rd. The old wagon road came into Lewisville at Shallowford Rd near Lewisville-Vienna Rd. The part of Shallowford Rd that runs from there to Old Salem was not laid out until this time in 1770 apparently. Sam Stewart Sr had already died, so this was Samuel Jr and his brother David.]
  5. 1771, Surry County formed from Rowan County.
  6. 1771 (May 3), Deed from George Lash (father of Nathaniel Lash) and his wife to Spencer Altum for 100 acres. (Rowan Co) [We know this is on Stewarts Branch based on Altum's 1785 sale of this property... see below.]
  7. 1772, William Gentry hired by Moravians to build a bridge across Muddy Creek on the road to the Shallow Ford. This location is now Country Club Rd in Winston-Salem, crossing Muddy Creek just .1 mile from Meadowlark Rd and therefore about .1 mile from southern edge of BBF.
  8. 1775 (Aug), Proceedings of the Safety Committee in Surry County (NC). Committee met according to appointment 25th August 1775. Present: Benjamin Cleaveland, John Hamlin, Jesse Walton, Samuel Freeman, Benjamin Herndon, Charles Lynch, John Armstrong, James Hampton, Richard Gorde, Augustus Blackburn, James Doke, Matthew Brooks, John Hudsbeth, George Lash, John Snead, Malcom Curry.
  9. 1785 (Mar 14), Spencer Altum of Mongomery Co, to Zebedee Billator 70 pds. 100 acres Stewarts branch adj. Mr. Cosart's land on northwest. Witnesses: Nathaniel Lash, James Reynolds, William (mark) Garrot. Signed: Spencer (mark) Altum s/Ann Altum. (Surry Co, NC Deed Bk C, pp 199-200) [Nathaniel Lash is buried in "Cemetery #1"]
  10. 1785, Surry Co., Record of Estates (1809-1818); Hauser, George & others - pp. 6, 8; 30 Jul 1785 - executors bond w/ Matthew Brooks & George Lash. [Remember that George Lash's son Nathaniel married Aggie Brooks nine months after this record, and both are buried in "Cemetery #1". Was she the daughter of Matthew Brooks? And, Matthew Brooks had bought all of Samuel Stewart's 508 acres by 1779.]
  11. 1786 (Apr 24), Nathaniel Lash obtained marriage license, Surry Co. [We know that he married Aggie Brooks, as both are buried in "Cemetery #1".]
  12. 1789, Stokes County formed from Surry County.
  13. 1789 (Aug 18), WILL: A true inventory of the Estate of Michael Hauser, deceased.
    ... four hundred acres of land on Stewarts Branch, one hundred and twenty seven acres upon Mill Creek, ... August the 18th 1789.
  14. 1789 (Dec 9), bet. Michael Howser & Peter Howser of Surry Co., Execs. of Michael Howser, decd., and Christian Howser of Surry Co., legatees of the sd. decd... 5 sh.. 200 ac in Surry Co. Stewarts Branch.. waters of Muddy Cr (part of land orig granted by the State to John Howser - from John to Michael)... Witnesses: Wm. Thornton and Jos. Howser. Signed: Michel Howser and Peter Howser. (Stokes Co Deed Bk 1)
  15. 1792 (Sept 11), bet. William Elrod and John Krouse.. 200 pds.. 200 ac. Stewarts Branch... Millars corner... Bolejacks (Bulitscheck) and Lashs lines. Carvers line... (orig. granted to Matthew Brooks and from him to Aquilla Matthews 16 Feb 1787, and from Matthews to sd Elrod 14 Nov 1787)... Witnesses: Geo. Hauser and Peter Hauser. Signed: William Elrod. (Stokes Co Deed Bk 1)
  16. 1792 (Sept 11), bet. George Hauser and William Alford (Elford / Elrod).. 114 pds., 165 ac. Gentrys Branch of Muddy Creek.. Henry Holders SW corner.. Jacob Nulls line.. (part of 350 ac. granted to James Gordon 3 Nov 1784; from Seth Gordon heir of sd James Gordon to George Lash 22 Jan 1785; and from George Lash to George Hauser 20 Feb 1788; Witnesses: Abm. Steiner and Laughlin (X) Flin. Signed: George Hauser. (Stokes Co Deed Bk 1) [WP note: George Lash was father of Nathaniel Lash]
  17. 1793 (Oct 22), Stokes Co., NC, Will of "Jeams" Crook: Oct. 22, 1793 -Wife: Elizabeth (5 slaves plus land); sons: Bignal, Jeamy, Jeremiah (all land on Stewart's Branch, Stokes County), William; daughter: Mary, wife of Richard Bennet. Executors: wife and son Bignal; witnesses: Christian Lash and John Shemel. Probated: December Term, 1793. March term, 1794, Stokes County, NC: Inventory of Estate of James Crook in detail. [one source indicates that Jeremiah Crook was born circa 1767]
  18. circa 1794, Zebdiel Billiter [sic] was one of several appointed by Stokes County NC court to a jury to straighten the road from Matthew Brooks to Harveys and make report thereof. (Carol Leonard Snow, STOKES COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY COURT OF PLEAS &QUARTER SESSIONS, VOL. ii, 1793-1795, P. 28) [Wes Patterson note: Samuel Stewart's 508 acres were sold to Matthew Brooks in the 1770s. Stewart's 1768 will was witnessed by a Mr. Harvey.]
  19. 1801 (Nov 24), Will of David Stewart (Stuart). Proved Dec 1807. Jamiah Harrison [Jemima, wife of Nathaniel Harrison], Hezekiah Rankin, Lydia Potter and Abigail Curd, 20 shillings each. Five sons: John, David, Reuben, Samuel and Thomas, all my estate, also negroes (6 of them) Wife Abigail Stewart to be maintained, Execs John and Reuben Stewart. Wit: Thompson Glenn, Frederick Miller, and Henry Holder. Signed David (X) Stewart. (STOKES COUNTY NC WILLS 1790-1864)
  20. 1819, The will of George Lash, Sr. appears in Surry Co., NC, Will Book 3-143 and is dated 15 Jul 1819, but was not proved. The will names his sons: Nathaniel, John, George, James, Harmon. His daughters were Margaret Garner, Elizabeth Lash, Mary Holliman, Susanna Lash, and Nancy Groce. George Groce son of Allen Groce [Grace] Executors: Christian Lash, John Conrod [Conrad]. Wit: S. Speera and Nicklas Bean.
  21. 1822 (July 21), Aggie Brooks Lash buried in "Cemetery #1" (born 26 May 1767).
  22. 1826 (Nov 3), Nathaniel Lash buried in "Cemetery #1" (born 20 Feb 1763).
  23. 1849, Forsyth County formed from Stokes County.
  24. 1946 (May 1), Gordon Gray and Bowman Gray Jr began buying the land that would become Brookberry Farm, encompassing some 900+ acres, depending on the source. This farm is on both sides of Stewarts Creek. This land is immediately to the west of Muddy Creek and the old Moravian "Wachovia Tract", and is a few miles east of the Yadkin River, which is synonymous with "north of the Yadkin", based on the way the river flows.
  25. 1949, Bowman Gray Jr builds mansion.
  26. 1950 (March), Family of Bowman Gray Jr moves into mansion, per Lyons Gray, one of the five sons of Bowman Gray Jr and Libby, his wife.
  27. 1962 (May 11), Bowman Gray and his wife Elizabeth acquire the 25th and final tract of land that make up Brookberry Farm. Other deeds transpire from time to time with adjustments to the overall boundaries, but no further significant additions are made to the overall farm.




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  28. 2009 (April), Debbie McCann and Wes Patterson begin meeting with Bo Gray to learn more about the farm regarding our respective research projects. Mrs. McCann is writing a book on the history of Brookberry Farm, while Wes Patterson is working to pinpoint the exact location of Samuel Stewart Sr's 508 acre farm.
  29. 2009 (Nov), Using the Forsyth County, NC Online Deeds web site, 25 deeds have been located involving Brookberry Farm in regards to Bowman and/or Gordon Gray purchasing land for the farm. Wes is now tracking these deeds back in time through their previous owners in an attempt to connect the farm to it's original owner(s).
  30. 2010 (Jan), Wes Patterson has determined that Samuel Stewart's 508 acre farm was NOT located within the boundaries of Brookberry Farm. Rather, it must be further north on the waters of Stewarts Creek. Will continue that project after completing the Brookberry Farm history.

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