"Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, Or what's a heaven for" Robert Browning, from his 1855 dramatic monologue Andrea del Sarto.

"son John Exom be Equally Divided William Exum John Exum Susanah Exum Micajah Exum Thomas Exum Barnaby Exum , nevertheless if my Executors here mentioned should think There was any part of my Estate had better be sold for the Benefit of my Children my will and desire is it should be soone , and that they should raise money to pay my Just Debts out of any part of my Estate as they shall think proper Except that part I have given to my son John Exum , And I do hereby 2 Constitute and appoint , John Exum Figures Lewis and Nathan Harris my Hole and Sole Executors of this my Last Will and Testament In Witness thereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal this 11th Day his of April 1785"

His Mark, Micajah Exum

Signed Sealed and Declared in the Presence of

Exum Lewis

Caleb Coker

From the Will of Micajah Exum Sr. 1785

It was sheer providence coming across that Family Bible. It began with brief correspondence with a fellow researcher down a common line, who suggested I contact a wonderful couple not 25 miles from me, which she was not, but had been in contact with herself. Not only did I make friends of my distant cousins, but I was given a tour of an old family homestead that stood within distance of their own home, but the home had remained untouched, but cared for, and contained not only pictures on the wall of my maternal Great Grandmother's Grandparents, but a family Bible that took me back to not only that Great Grandmother's Grandfather's Grandparents, but several generations beyond after discovering the surname of his Grandmother.

James Turner Sr. had died in Anson County, North Carolina sometime in 1843, He had been particularly concerned with the fortune and future of his two unmarried daughters, Mary and Martha, and his grandson, Washington, who had been born out of wedlock to his daughter, Mary, my third Great Grandfather and fourth Great Grandmother.

He bore a common name that would have barred me from tracing his footsteps prior to arriving in Anson, except for one small detail, he had married a woman named Susannah Axom. And that was to be discovered in the Family Bible.

As seen above, the Will was dated April 14, 1843, and probated in July of the same year. He named his single daughters, Mary and Matha, his grandson Washington, and the rest of his children: Axum, Nancy, Mary, Susan, Sary, Matha, James and Lazarus.

Martha married Reddick Drew, one of the witnesses, but died in 1864.

The three sons, Axom, James Jr. and Lazarus, along with sister, Susannah, ended up in Alabama. I do not know the fate of Nancy and Sarah Turner, outside of their father's Will. I've not found who they may have married or if they passed away before 1850. Reddick Drew and his family and excursions became a big hint, in tracking down the Axom/Exum family, but I discovered that two men, William and Micajah Exum/ Axom, who turned out to be brothers, and later, their younger brother, Thomas, had graced the early records of Anson County, NC

In 1850, there was only one Axum family remaining in Anson, (besides a few orphaned children taken in by Reddick Drew, coincidentally), that of Samuel. His children would drift into different counties. I was prompted to begin looking into the origins of the Exums/Axoms, as the name was spelled in various ways for the same individuals, begging with and 'A' or 'E", ending with 'um' or 'om'.

That's when I discovered the Exum family of Edgecomb County, North Carolina, of whom some had migrated west to Anson County. This is the spelling I will stick with from hereunto.

In 1796, Arthur Smith had sold 217 acres on Jack's Branch, including the fork of Jack's Branch, to Micajah Exum. This location was also integral in tying everything together.

Then came this cog in the wrench with Franes or Francis Axum selling land to John Livingston on the Southwest of the PeeDee River on the Camp Branch of Savannah Creek containing 150 acres. Francis Axum and her heir and assigns. The date was November of 1810 and was witnessed by Mildred Davis and Donald Livingston. So, Francis was a woman, and the Livingston connection was important, as I would come across it again. Francis was probably a widow, I guessed.

Now, in August of 1799, Micajah Exum II, the brother of my 5th Great Grandmother, Susannah Exum Turner, sold property to Jeptha Morris. This property was on Jack's Branch, where James and Susannah Turner also lived. It met Arthur Smith's line, formerly Ezekial McClendon's' line, and was 217 acres on Jack's Branch of Brown Creek. It had initially been granted to William Wood on a patent dated January 7, 1795, just four years previously. Remember the name 'Arthur Smith', and not the Charlotte host of a country music TV show that your grandma used to watch with Tommy Faile and Horace and Doris.

Brother William Exum also sold his nearby property at the same time to the same man, Jeptha Morris.

Above is a list of the names and years of Exum family Wills recorded in Edgecomb County, North Carolina. The years ranged from 1775 to 1796. They were all related. The name Micajah was the cookie crumb that led me from Anson to Edgecomb. Thankfully, Micajah Exum Sr. had named one of his sons, Micajah Exum Jr. His oldest was evidently John Exum, and Susannah was the only sister. The oldest, John, and the youngest, Barnaby, stayed in Edgecomb County, at least for a while, while the middle children; William, Micajah II, Thomas and Susannah, moved to Anson. I have not yet determined who died in Anson and who migrated onward again. I know Susannah had, and I believe Thomas, did, as he left his son Samuel, who later moved south. Francis must have been the widow of either William or Micajah II. She may have moved on after the sale of her land.

Knowing my 6th Great Grandfather was Micajah Exum Sr., who died about 1775 in Edgecomb County, NC, and that either he or his son served in the Revolutionary War, I was able to trace them back even further, into Virginia.

I discovered a site titled; Exum of Isle of Wight County, Virginia and Edgecombe County, North Carolina.

"William Exum came to Virginia with his wife Jane and son, Francis. On 27 Mar 1671 he witnessed a power of attorney from William Bressy to Arthur Smith. On 9 June 1675 William Exum and Robert Harris witnessed a deed from Anthony Matthews and wife Anne to John Moore, son of said Anne, for 300 acres in Isle of Wight on Seward Swamp for love and affection,"

Now, this introduces us to a William Exum who came to Virginia, but we don't know where from. He had a wife named Jane and a son named Francis. This was not the Francis who deed land left her in Anson. Different gender and a century apart. But the repetition of the name "Arthur Smith" caught my eye. Now, this Arthur Smith in 1671 could not have possibly been the same Arthur Smith who lived in Anson County in 1799, but what if this was a descendant, from the same family? The coincidence is remarkable, and could show a lengthy interrelated or possibly generational connection.

The property was said to be part of 1300 acres patented by Anthony Matthews on July 30, 1660. Nearly two decades later, "William Exum, Planter" from the Upper Parish of Isle of Wight, bought 300 acres from John and Mary Davis on the main swamp. Davis was populous surname, even in those early years, so I can't know if this couple, with the most common Christian names in the land, were of any relation to my Surry County Davis's.

In 1693, William Exum received 450 acres in a patent for the transportation of nine people, including himself, William Exum, his wife, Janee, and his son, Francis, and associates, Richard Hickman, Thomas Harlow, John Allison, Samuel Browne, Frederick Bullibant and Abraham Bralah.

In court on December 10, 1694, William Exum was ordered to take possession of the estate of Roger Stevens. I am wondering if Roger Stevens was a neighbor, or a relative.

Again, in court, on April 25, 1702, William and Jane Exum received the headrights of Richard Holiman, of 1230 acres. William Exum wrote or dictated his will on December 3, 1701, found in Book 3, page 436, Wills of Isle of Wight, Virginia.

Then we find a list of his heirs in the book: Historical Southern Families, Volume I: Exums of Isle of Wight.

This list takes us to William Exum II, who married a Susannah, maiden name unknown. William II was the owner of 1400 acres in Isle of Wight County. William II made his will on April 25, 1720, and it was probated in August of the same year. This takes us to another list of children of William and Susannah.

William Exum married Susannah. He witnessed a deed of John Portis and Jane his wife to John Brett dated 8 April 1696 (Book 1, page 199). After his death, Susannah joined in a deed with her son, John Exum, on 19 Aug 1772 and released her dower. The 1704 Quit Rent Rolls showed that he held 1440 acres in the Isle of Wight County. The will of William Exum was probated 22 Aug 1720. Issue:

Among the six children of William Exum II was another William, the third in this descent, who married Patience Purcell. William III and Patience would finally take us another generation down and to someone besides William.

The eldest son of William III, Named John, would take the family out of Virginia and strike out for Edgecombe County in North Carolina. Eventually, others of the family would follow. In his father's will, William III had received land on the North side of Round Hill Swamp, in the Isle of Wight., at the mouth of Reedy Creek. His brother, Joseph had gotten the rest of the Round Hill property and his other broth, Robert, had received 100 acres the bordered the estate of Robert Crockett.

William III married Patience Purcell, the daughter of an Arthur Purcell, who was mentioned in her fathers' July 1745 Will. William III expanded his holdings during his lifetime into Southampton County, and he was living in Southampton when he passed away. His own Will was written in October of 1756 and probated on January 13, 1757, found in Book 1 -210; C-Wills page 21. His heirs listed were his wife Patience and their ten children named in the will as Joseph, Barnaby, William, Moses, Michel, Elizah, Mary, Arthur, Sarah and Parnell Robert Purcell Exum. Whoa the names left on that last son. They must have known he was the last and loaded him down with the list. The executor of the will of William Exum III was his son, William IV and the witnesses were Joseph Gray and Martha Purcell. Patience Purcell Exum, my 7th, (is that right?) Great Grandmother, outlived her husband by nearly two decades, passing away shortly before April of 1775, when her estate was appraised and divided.

Michael, or Micajah Exum Sr., was the father of the Exum siblings who came to Anson County, NC. This makes him my 6th Great Grandfather.

All Michael/Micajah received from his father's will, along with his brother, Barnaby, was a feather bed and furniture. He was a middle child; his due and fate were to make it on his own. He married Anne Phillips, scraped by a raised a sizeable family of his own.

Michael (Micajah) Exum Sr. first settled in Sussex County, Virginia. In Deed Book B, page 107 is a recorded a sale dated February 19, 1760, between George Briggs to Michael Exum for 10 pounds, 100 acres, which had been granted to George Briggs in 1749, and was bound by Tuscarora Branch. Witnesses were Charles Briggs, John Mitchell and Henry Briggs.

Some years later, in August of 1774, George Briggs and his wife Sarah, and Micajah Exum, the same man that was called "Michael" in his father's will, and his wife Anne, all of them living in Sussex, together made a transaction. The transaction was a transfer to John Wall of Surry County, keeping in mind that Wall was a prominent Anson County name, for 60 pounds of 197 acres where Micajah Exum was currently living, connected with the property of John Birdsong and bordering on the Tuscarora Branch. There may have been a relation between the wives. Witnesses were Charles and Howell Briggs, Joseph Rosser, John King and George Nicholson.

During this same time came the transaction that would bring this branch of the Exum family to North Carolina. A lot was going on during the 1773-1775 era. By this time, Tidewater lands had been farmed for well over 100 years. Primarily tobacco plantations had depleted the soil, so as crops were becoming poor and sparse, expenses for goods from Brittain, and demands from the homeland upon the colonies were growing. Then came Lord Dunmores's War. In Virginia, the Colonial Royal Governor of Virginia, Lord Dunmore, dissolved the House of Burgesses. Protests against unfair taxation were growing. Without functioning Court System, the buying and selling of land, inheritance disputes, contracts and indentures could not be proven, disproven or enforced. Then came a full-blown war with the nearest Indigenous tribes caused by the continual push west that became as Lord Dunmore's War. The British Proclamation of 1763 made it illegal for settlers to move west of the Appalachians, so many Virginians looked south to lands that were less populated, cheaper and safer. This event is still happening.

Yeomen farmers and former indentured servants poured across the southern border of the state looking for virgin soil and greener pastures, that endless search for good bottomland.

July 13, 1773, shown above, from Edgecombe County, North Carolina, in Deed Book 2, page 71, we find Micajah Exum of Sussex County, Virginia buying 230 acres on Cabin Branch of Swift Creek, that bordered the White Oak Swamp. The land had been sold him William Jackson of Edgecomb and the property bordered that of James Speir, Thomas Watkins, and David Smith. The flow was like that of a river pouring over its banks. The property was also said to have been part of a patent granted to James Speir Jr. by Earl Granville on December 8, 1760, and 30 acres of it had been granted to Captain James Speir Sr in March of 1743, with Etheldred Exum and William Belamey as witnesses. The Belamy family had close ties to the Exum family and Ethelred Exum was a relative.

Ethelred was the son of John Exum and Elizabeth Kinchen, who I had previously shown making the earlier venture into Edgecomb. Ethelred had married Rachel Belamy in Edgecomb, but there were multiple marriages and legal interactions between the two families while still in Virginia. An Etheldred Phillips had married Etheldred Exum's sister, Sarah Jane Exum, being another tie to the Phillips family. Recall my mention that Micajah Exum had married Anne Phillips. She was also one of my 6th Great Grandparents, making the Phillips family another line in my family tree.

One can imagine a letter going up to Virginia checking on family left behind and the Virginia Exum's complaints concerning Lord Dunmore's actions and the reply being sent, "Come on down here to NC Cuz! We aren't under the thumb of Dunmore.", or something like that.

"John Exum came into Court & being Sworn Sayeth that he hath notes in his possession given by Isaac Morgan Daniel Wadkins and John Dixon to Micajah Exum to the amount of Sixteen dollars, and which he says were given to him as Gift by his brother Micajah Exum, he the said John not having given and Consideration therefore......Judgement against John Exum in ordered by the Court for the sixteen dollars ack. (acknowledged ) by him to be in his possession upon the above examination"

Family disagreements are nothing new. Micajah had to take his brother John to court to reclaim a loan, basically, from a note of $16, with John saying the money was given to him as a gift, not a loan. Micajah won.

Upon the decease of John, younger brother Micajah received back $32.16 owed.

Micjah Exum died around 1785 in Edgecomb County, North Carolina. Other than the above few land records noted above, and the estate records after his death, there is not much to discover about Micajah. Some of his children were still quite young when he died, it appears, minors still.

I believe William, one of the sons who moved to Anson County, was the second oldest. In a 1789 distribution of the estate of Michael Micajah Exum Sr., a few years after his death, William is named first, seen above being award a young boy named Alexander, followed by about three paragraphs of items, money and property.

Son John, another oft repeated name, but anything but unusual, is shown given a woman named Mial, and five head of sheep, among other bequests.

Only daughter, Susanna Exum received 110 pounds and five shillings, among other items of furniture.

Thomas Exum, whom I believe to be the youngest son, the only child younger than Susanna, was allotted a woman named Polly, a feather bed and furniture, six pounds and a pewter dish among other bequests. Thomas was among the children who would remove to Anson County.

Son Micajah Exum II, another one of the brothers who moved to Anson, received a girl named Amey a feather bed and furniture, which each had been given, and other items.

Above is seen the bequest to Barnaby, one of the sons who remained in Edgecomb County. Among his inheritance was a boy named Bob, a gun, a knife, tools and a frying pan, and another Feather bed and furniture. Micajah Sr had a stockpile of featherbeds.

Dated July 4, 1789, Micajah's estate files show he died in the United States of America. Witnesses to the division document were John Nicholson, Jesse Johnson and George Linch.

In the August term of Court, also in 1789, we find the below, suggesting Thomas was indeed still in his teens, and a minor.

"Thomas Exum Orphan of Micajah Exum came into court and chose James Coker as Guardian who entered into bond of L400 with William Cotten"

"Ordered that the perishable estate of Thomas Exum, Orphan of Micajah Exum decd be sold by the Guardian". I take this to mean crops, etc., such as corn, wheat, tobacco and other farm products.

Below: The Printed Version of the Will of Micajah Exum, making it easier to read, from The Descendants of Robert Harris of Isle of Wight County, Virginia, by J. A. Brayton.

Eldest son John, as was tradition, inherited the plantation of his father, and remained in Edgecomb. He was given a horse named Brandon, which I find interesting, as I have a son by that name, though also knowing it derived from an old Virginia family surname. He was also unusually requested to keep the children that were yet under 21 together for four years. That is the reason, I believe, for the four-year gap between the 1785 will and the 1789 Division of Property. Exum Lewis, son of Figure Lewis, was one of the witnesses, was a relative. He had come into his given name from a maternal line. Another witness was Caleb Coker. Recall Thomas Exum had chosen a James Coker as his guardian.

The Cokers were a family who also lived on White Oak Swamp. Caleb Coker (1753-1785) would die soon after signing this will. What an omen! He was the son of a James and the father of a James, so as he died at only age 32, it was more likely his father whom Thomas Exum chose as Guardian, than his son. The last witness was a William Exum. I believe this to be his brother, William and not his son, William.

No wife was named, so Anne had died before Michael Micajah. Children named were: William, John, Susannah, Micajah, Thomas and Barnaby.

Brother William wrote his will in October of 1790, and it was proved in February of 1795. He had a wife named Mary. At this time, Micajah's son William was in Anson County.

Here is William in the 1790 census of Anson County. There is one male over 16, himself, and two females. Micajah, his brother, is not listed, besides already having land there.

And here is Willian's 300 acres Grant on Jack's Branch, bordering that of his brother, Micajah Exum, witnessed by Micajah II and Barnaby Porter.

Barnaby Exum died 11 years after his father. His will had been written on April 9, 1792, and recorded in November of 1796, in Edgecomb County, NC. He had two sons, Williamson and William and a daughter, Simma. His wife remains unknown, but it appears he died a young man and must have outlived her.

There are more records on Micajah II, probably due to the number of Williams, that are difficult to tell apart, and Micajah being a rarer name. He married Martha Van on December 29, 1800, in Edgecomb. It appears he went to Edgecomb after having lived for a while in Anson County, to marry her. Did he return with her to Anson? It is believed so. Martha was a widow. She was actually Martha 'Patsy' House Vann, the daughter of a Revolutionary War Veteran, name Jacob House, who had married Elizabeth Phillip, and we see the Phillips name again. Micajah had married his cousin. Patsy was the widow of an Edward Lee Vann and had several children.

Thomas Exum, another of the brothers, married the same year to Elizabeth King. Again, the Coker family with Jacob Coker as his bondsman.

Anne Phillips

Anne Phillips married Michael Micajah Exum about 1762, in Surry County, Virginia, making her my 6th Great Grandmother. She passed away sometime before her husband, and we can't know exactly where.

Anne sprang from a well-documented family. Her father, John Phillips was born in Brunswick County, Virginia about 1690, son of William Phillips (1679-1721) and Mary Swann ((1679-1727). He died on January 10, 1777, in Brunswick County at the age of 83.

William Phillips was the son of Thomas Phillips (circa 1647) and wife Elizabeth, and was born in Surry County, Virginia. and died there on April 19, 1721, at the age of 42. His wife Mary Swann Phillips was also born in Surry and died there on March 17, 1727. Her mother was a Harris.

According to Southside Virginia Families Vol. 2 by John Bennett Boddie 1956, The Phillips Family, like the Exams had floated downstream into Edgecomb. Anne's father, William was known as "William Phillips of Blackwater", because he owned a plantation on the Blackwater River. William's father, Thomas, sometimes called 'Sir Thomas Philllips', was born in 1599 and came to Virginia aboard the "William and Thomas" in 1618. He was living in Basse's Choice, a James River Plantation at the time of the 1625 muster. His wife, Elizabeth, who was born in 1602, arrived aboard the "Sea Flower" in 1621.

Sir Thomas Phillips received a grant of 300 acres in James City County in 1635, on the south side of the Chickahominy River, which was "150 acres for the personal adventure of himself, Elizabeth his wife and Elizabeth his daughter." Elizabeth, the widow of Thomas, gave a deposition in Surry County in 1672 and claimed to be 72 years old.

Mary Swann, the wife of William Phillips, parents of John, was the daughter of Matthew Swann who was an early resident of Surry County. When William Phillips died, he left a Will, dated February 14, 1721, and named his wife Mary, four sons, John, William, Swan and Matthew and three daughters, Ann, Mary and Elizabeth. His property included Blackwater Plantation, Round Hill Plantation and his "Home" plantation. Mary outlived Willam by six years and wrote her will on March 28, 1727. She names her daughter Mary, wife of John Edwards, daughter Ann, niece Mary Crafford, daughter of Carter Crafford, her daughter Elizabeth, wife on William Hancock, and sons William and Swan Phillips, and granddaughters, Ann Hancock and Mary Swann.

John, the oldest son of William and Mary Swann Phillips, is thought to have married twice, the first time to Hannah Fort and the second to Martha Crafford. His daughter Anne would have been a product of the second wife, and therefore of Crafford descent. He was the father of ten children:

1725 John Phillips Jr.

1727 Arthur Phillips

1728 Mary Phillips

1730 Joseph Phillips

1732 Lucy Phillips

1734 Sarah Phillips

1736 Anne Phillips

1738 Elizabeth Phillips

1740 an unknown son who died before 1758, his clothing willed to Hartwell

1741 Hartwell Phillips

Three sons were known to have moved to Edgecomb County; Arthur, Joseph and Hartwell.

Joseph Phillips married Sarah Exum and named two of their five children Exum Phillips and Etherdred Phillips. Hartwell married Jane Hancock.

The Will of William Exum III, father of Michael Micajah Exum

James Turner

James Turner Sr. (1771- August 12, 1843) who married Susanna Exum (1772- May 3, 1843), dates of death coming from the Family Bible, still in family possession in Anson County, NC, is not the subject of this post, but as a 5th Great Grandfather, garners a mention. He has been much more difficult to research, as he had such a common name in early North Carolina. He was not the only James Turner during his day, even excluding his own son, and he often gets merged with the other James Turner, who was a more socially involved and connected man.

James has also been made difficult to research due to another James Turner (1766-1824) from Butte, Warren and Granville County, who served three terms in the State House of Representatives, then a term as Senator in 1801, and as the Governor of North Carolina from 1803-1805. So, when looking for James Turner in old records, this is the James Turner who pops up most of the time.

There are a few records, outside of the known records in Anson, which involved his children and his will, which of course I could be certain were my James, like the one from Edgecomb, below.

And this one from an estate sale including members of the Exum and Phillips families

Here is a mention of him in the estate sale of Robert Thompson in 1798 Edgecomb. He was a young man, and not making many traces in records yet.

I believe him to be the son of the James Turner, shown below, a much older James Turner, who lived in Southhampton County, and then later in Edgecomb.

Above is a document involving the older James Turner.

Southhampton County, Virginia sits on the Virginia-North Carolina border, meeting Sussex to the west and Isle of Wight to the east, and a corner of Surry to the north. James Senior was in Edgecomb by 1761, a decade before James Jr. (who would later become James Sr. of Anson), was born.

I'm still working on some thing, some fact or even an unignorable coincidence, that nails my James Turner to this James Turner, but I've not uncovered that nail, or even a thumbtack, yet. It hovers just out of reach.

If my James is that James, his mother was a Martha "Patty" Phelps, and he comes from a line of James Turners, in the way that Micajah Exum came from a line of William Exums.

There is still a lot to discover about Michael Micajah Exum, and his family in particular. I have planned to do an extensive F. A. N. search on all of those around him, and see if I can discover, at a minimum, what became of his children and grandchildren. Who all survived and where did they go. I do know that the one Exum/Axom who was left in Anson in 1850, Samuel, migrated ever more south, like many others, and one orphan child of Julia, who lived with Reddick Drew, James Turner's eventual son-in-law, ended up in Union County where a handful of Axom/ Exum descendants live to this day.