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.