Tuesday, April 2, 2019
Writing Projects: Butterfly Biographies, Newfound Church Minutes, and Brookberry Farm
1) One project was a shorter, one-chapter historical record to be included a book by Debbie McCann on Brookberry Farm, located in Winston-Salem, Forsyth County, NC. This 800-900 acre farm is located on the outskirts of what used to be the Moravians' Wachovia Tract, granted to them in 1753. Many of my relatives lived on land just to the NW of Wachovia, part of which overlaps with the modern-day Brookberry Farm. Debbie hopes to have her book published later this year (2019). I sent my completed chapter to Debbie in February.
2) Last Fall I began writing a long-overdue book on my PATTERSON ancestors. For years I have questioned how much content to include in a book or books on the Pattersons. Robert Patterson was my 6x-G-GF and he lived from the early 1700's until 1775. Writing about just him could fill multiple books. On the other hand, his grandson John Patterson - my 4x-G-GF - has long been a well-known figure in our family tree. There are thousands of his living descendants across the USA and Canada today. However, for decades, we could not figure out who John's parents were.
Therefore, I chose to focus this book on John's father, Thomas Patterson (son of Robert), and Thomas's family. Some details will be given on Thomas's parents and siblings, but the greater focus will be on Thomas and his immediate family, and their descendants. It will also focus on the family of Thomas's wife, Margaret HARRISON. It took many years to discover who John's father was, and who the legendary "brothers" were that my family has talked about for generations. Thus, "LEGENDS REVEALED..." is the beginning of the title of this book, as the legend of John's father is revealed, and the legend of the "brothers" is also revealed. The series finally became known as "Butterfly Biographies".
This work is still on-going, but thus far, well over 300 pages have been put together. My goal is to finish this book in 2019.
3) Working on the "Legends Revealed" book has forced additional research in a few key areas, naturally. One such area involves the Church Minutes of Newfound Baptist Church from western NC, a church which began in 1802. My ancestors and many of their relatives began this church and were heavily involved in it through 1815. The third project I am finishing up now is an article to be submitted to the quarterly magazine called "A Lot of Buncom" or ALOB, which is published by the Old Buncombe County Genealogical Society. Harald Reksten (and Greg Brookshire) have been pushing me for years to get this work completed. This initial article will focus on the early years (1802-1815) with some introduction about the minutes themselves and the difficulty one has in reading the handwriting. Many attempts have been made over the years at interpreting the names therein, but many errors have been published. I have worked diligently to learn about these families and to get the names correct. I am finishing up the final editing now and hope to submit this article during April, 2019.
Once the ALOB article is completed, I will then be in a better position to leverage those edited minutes and incorporate them into the "Legends Revealed" book. This book will continue to be my primary focus during the remainder of 2019.
More later,
Wes
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Deed Mapper maps
This also includes the Brookberry Farm lands on Stewarts Branch.
On with the plotting...
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Original Owners of Brookberry Farm Tracts
1) The Moravians Wachovia Tract (1753 - almost 99,000 acres), as much as 175+ acres later fell under the Brookberry Farm boundaries (Reid tract, eastern parts of Hartley and McCants tracts).
2) John Hauser (3 Apr 1780 - 600 acres), 235+ acres became Brookberry (Tise, Shoaf, Peacock, Webster, and Shutt tracts, including the Bowman Gray mansion). This John Hauser was the son of Michael Hauser, Sr., and therefore a grandson of Martin Hauser, Sr.
3) Henry Holder (3 Apr 1780 - 200 acres), 100+ acres became Brookberry (Bingham and Brandon tracts, plus the western part of McCants and eastern part of Beck tracts).
4) Michael Carver (13 Oct 1783 - 600 acres), as much as 75+ acres became Brookberry (Boggs and Vogler tracts, southern half of Ketner tracts).
5) James Gordon (3 Nov 1784 - 350 acres), as much as 100+ acres became Brookberry (Northern half of Ketner tracts and western half of Beck tract).
Brookberry Farm at it's height included as much as 900+ acres. At least 800 of that if not all of it can be accounted for in the above 5 original land grants. I am still working on the exact positions of some of these original grants, thus the reason for not being able to be more conclusive on the acreage of each grant that falls under the Brookberry Farm boundaries. That will come in time, however.
Wes
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Gentry's Branch and the James Gordon Grant
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Notice Meadowlark Rd at the far right as it runs north into Robinhood Rd. The latter road runs west across the northern section of the Gordon grant and continues another couple miles west to the Yadkin River. There are three (3) main branches that intersect within Gordon's tract. One from the north, one from the northwest, and one from west, all joining together and flowing south through the southeast corner of Gordon's tract.
Not too distant south from Gordon the fourth branch (to the right) also flows into this creek known as Stewarts Creek, eventually dumping into Muddy Creek about a mile (or less) south of Gordon's tract, having traversed Brookberry Farm in the process. All of these branches are part of Stewarts Creek, but are there other names for these branches? The following map may help you get a better idea of where this tract was. The northern edge of it is along Robinhood Rd at Chickasha Rd.
View Larger Map (Click and drag map to move around)
I believe the branch coming down from the northwest of Gordon's tract to be Gentry's Branch. The following details will help explain why.
When this 350 acre grant was issued to James Gordon on 3 Nov 1784 this location was situated in Surry Co NC. It was later in Stokes County once it was formed in 1789, and then Forsyth County beginning 1849.
Gordon didn't keep this tract long, as it was sold by Gordon's heir to George Lash just two months later on 2 Jan 1785. George Lash (Loesch) was the brother of Jacob Lash and was also the father of Nathaniel Lash. While on the subject of family connections, it should be noted that Nathaniel Lash married Aggie Brooks, daughter of Matthew Brooks Sr. Nathaniel and Aggie Brooks Lash are both buried on Brookberry Farm, not far to the southeast of this Gordon tract.
Continuing with the history of this tract, George Lash divided it into two sections, which later are described as 165 acres and 195 acres, which doesn't equal 350, but welcome to the world of metes and bounds! In 1788 George Lash sold 165 acres to George Hauser, who in turn sold it to William Alford in 1792.
This 1792 deed is important for several reasons. From it we learn that it was described as being on "Gentry's Branch of Muddy Creek", and that it also bordered Henry Holder's SW corner and Jacob Null's line. It also points out that it was part of 350 ac. granted to James Gordon 3 Nov 1784, that it passed from Seth Gordon heir of sd James Gordon to George Lash 22 Jan 1785, and from George Lash to George Hauser 20 Feb 1788. The witnesses of this 11 Sept 1792 sale to Alford were Abm. Steiner and Laughlin (X) Flin.
14 July 1797, William Alford sold two tracts to Matthew Brooks. One was 100 acres sold to Alford on 23 July 1791 from Samuel Soward (Seward); the other tract was for "175" acres on Gentry's Branch, previously obtained from George Hauser on 11 Sept 1792. Here we go with Matthew Brooks again. There are dozens of deeds that need to be meticulously scanned to determine when and to whom Brooks disposed of this property.
Some people have listed Soward as Seward, but many of the deeds involving him list him as "Soward". However, his name WAS Samuel Seward. He and his family were intermarried multiple times with the Billiter family. Samuel Seward was even a granduncle of William Henry Seward of "Seward's Folly" fame... supposedly. As for Alford, get ready for this... We've seen Alford listed as Olford, but in this 1791 deed where Soward sold the 100 acres to him, he is listed as William Elford two or more times, and then later in the same deed he's listed multiple times as William Elrod - a name I've seen many times before. So, William Alford is the same person as Elrod, Elford, Olford. My goodness!
The 1791 Soward to Elford deed (Stokes, Bk 1 Pg 319) describes this 100 acre tract as being on "Lashes, otherwise called Stewarts Branch". It also described it as being the westernmost half of a 200 acre NC grant to Henry Holder (east of the Gordon grant), who conveyed the 100 acres to Wintle Krouse, who in turn conveyed it to Samuel Soward.
But what about the other "195" acres? In 1806 (Stokes Co Deeds, Bk 5 Pg 83), Nathaniel Lash sold 195 acres to John Doub, described as being on Gentry's Branch of Muddy Creek, and having passed from George Lash to Nathaniel Lash. It goes on to describe it as "beginning at a white oak formerly Carver's corner", then it runs south along Carver's line, then east to a former corner of George Hauser, then it runs north along Hauser's line to another corner of Hauser in Jacob Null's line, then comes back west and south to More's corner and then "Olford's" corner. (John Doub sold this 195 acre tract to Jacob Doub in 1808. Haven't found any further sale as of yet.)
So clearly we're dealing with another part of the same 350 acres given the common names within the boundaries of both tracts. Given that Carver is to the southwest, I am confident in Judy Cardwell's placement of the Gordon grant, relative to the other surrounding grants. This placement leads me to believe, then, that the northwest branch of Stewarts Creek is known as Gentry's Branch. If anyone has any evidence to refute or substantiate this claim I would certainly appreciate hearing from you. Thank you.
Monday, January 25, 2010
John Hauser 600 acre Grant
Other tracts from the 1770s and 80s in the southern half of the Stewarts Creek watershed, according to Judy's map, include the following:
- Henry Holder, 200 acres, 3 Apr 1780 (same day as Hauser)
- Michael Carver, 600 acres, 13 Oct 1783
- John Lyon, 200 acres, 3 Nov 1784
Mid 20th century deeds indicate that Leonard Ketner's lands would have been the long vertical "gap" between Carver's tract and Hauser's tract. Ketner Rd runs through the western edge of Ketner's old tracts, plus some other tracts to the west in some places. I still have a lot of research and mapping to do to show this, however.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Brookberry Farm Deed Mapping
John Hauser's grant (still need more details on it, but this much I do know) contained about 600 acres. After his death in the late 1700's his land was devised to his heirs, who in turn sold the 3 tracts of 200 acres each to various parties. The northern most 200 acre tract was sold to Matthew Brooks (possibly "Jr") in 1799 (Stokes Deed Book 3 Page 227). This includes the land from Hundley Rd at the back side of Meadowlark Downs, running north behind Meadowlark Downs to Brookberry Farm Rd. From there it runs west all the way to the Gray mansion and just a little west of that (but not all the way to Ketner Rd, however). Then it runs south to a point even with Hundley Rd and then back east to the backside of Meadowlark Downs.
The above tract contained 200 (actually about 204.75) acres.
Also in 1799, another 200 acre tract on the SOUTH side of Brooks' tract was sold to Samuel Vest (Stokes Deed Book 3 Page 202). Beauchamp Rd runs into the heart of that tract. The southern line of this tract, however, ran a little north of Country Club Rd.
Ten years prior to this, in 1789, the other 200 acre tract was sold to Christian Hauser (Stokes Deed Book 1 Page 52). This tract is south of Vest's tract and crossed over Country Club Rd and encompassed Lewisville Motor Company, etc.
As for Matthew Brooks, he sold his 200 acres to Nathaniel Lash (probably his brother-in-law) on 19 Feb 1802 (Stokes Deed Book 4 Page 149). The cemetery where Nathaniel Lash, and his wife Aggie Brooks Lash, are buried is located in the NW section of this very same tract of land, originally owned by John Hauser.
Debbie... you live on this tract of land, by the way.
Wes
Friday, January 22, 2010
Old Forsyth
The history of what is now northern Forsyth Co, particularly north and northwest Forsyth, has become a hobby of mine in recent years. The following are some excellent resources for researching the NW and northern parts of Forsyth Co.
Judy Cardwell has some excellent documentation on her website of the old wagon roads and deeds plotted (and overlaid) on modern maps. Two pages of particular interest to me are her pages on Charles Vest Sr and Some Early Wagon Roads of Northwestern Forsyth County. Judy has put a tremendous amount of research into her work and has been super gracious in sharing her research.
Another excellent resource is Kay Haden's site concerning Gideon and Hezekiah Wright. Kay has tons of research notes available, especially on the pages under the link "Descendants of ??? Wright" (the father of Gideon and Hezekiah).
A wonderful book by Beverly Hamel on the history of Bethania covers a myriad of historical issues from the mid 1700's to date, using the Moravian diaries, and many other resources. Her book is entitled Bethania: The Village by the Black Walnut Bottom, and is available at Amazon.com (follow the link).
Two excellent resources for researching deeds are the Forsyth Co Register of Deeds and the Stokes Co Register of Deeds. Both have their deeds imaged and available online.
Another good map is of the old Wachovia Tract, placed in modern Forsyth County.
Another good map (thanks to Bev Hamel for pointing it out to me) is the 1770 Collet Map of NC. This is stored online and you can zoom in and out.
Surry County NC Wills 1771-1827 by Jo White Linn is a good resource to have.
I'm sure there are many more online resources, but I'll start with these and add more as they become evident.
Wes
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Brook Ferry Rd and Stewarts Ferry
"...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
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
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:
- Map the Brookberry Farm tracts (1940's - 1960's)
- Make a new map for Brookberry Farm (BBF) that is one tract to use later on other maps as a referential overlay.
- Trace these tracts back to the original owners.
- 1850's map of BBF tracts.
- 1750's map of BBF tracts.
- 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.
- 1850's map of Stewarts Creek tracts.
- 1750's map of Stewarts Creek tracts.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Conrads of Lewisville, NC
http://www.fmoran.com/conrad.
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.
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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)
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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.
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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/
Leonard and Chaney are both buried at Sharon UMC.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Stewarts who remained in Stewarts Creek area
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
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
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Brookberry Conrad Pedigree
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
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
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
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
"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...
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
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