Thirty Fathers in Thirty Days: Benjamin Hathcock, Sr.

 

Lloyd Hathcock Family Cemetery, Red Cross, NC

The frailty of the human condition is an inherent reality that blends biological vulnerability with the philosophical search for meaning. Genetically and psychologically, we are built with delicate physiological reserves and deep emotional capacities that ultimately shape our resilience and mortality. The Divine Mercy.

My fifth Great Grandfather, Benjamin Hathcock, Sr.  was another long-lived ancestor of mine. This trait did not pass down to all of his descendants, however. Benjamin F. Hathcock was the ancestor of my paternal grandfather. My father lived to 81, his father lived to 71, his father lived to 68, his father lived to 73, and so on. Then there was Ben. His Find-a- Grave claims he was born August 10, 1742, in Brunswick County, Virginia and he died January 18,1857, in Stanly County, North Carolina. That amounts to 114 years old, in the mid 19th Century of all times.

Do I believe this man was 114 years old? Of course not. Do I believe he was a very old man? Yes, well obviously. 

I descend from Benjamin Hathcock, Sr. through one of his younger sons, Benjamin Hathcock Jr., who married Nancy Ann Burris, daughter of Solomon Burris and his wife, Judith. I refrain from throwing a 'Franklin' in, at least on Senior. Yes, there was a trend to name a son after the Revolution for the astute and respected stateman, Benjamin Franklin, but Benjamin Heathcock or Hathcock Sr. was born well before that time. He was simply Benjamin.

He seems to have been a well-liked, but not a wealthy man, so he didn't leave too many traces in his early years, only in the recall and memories of his grandchildren, whom he lived to see grow up, which was an amazing feat. They remembered him as an old man, though, so little is known about his youth. As far as his arrival to the area in which he died, he was here by 1783, when his name appears on a Montgomery County Tax list.

Census Records

1790

Benjamin Hathcock was the only Hathcock, Hethcock or Heathcock in the 1790 census of Montgomery County, North Carolina. It counted 1 male over 16, two under 16 and 3 females in the household. Edgecomb reported 4: Frederick, Ptolemy, Isham and William. Chatham: Hosea, James, John and William. Northampton: John, Rueben and Newman. Richmond County also had just one: Thomas. More on him later.

In 1800, the name appears as "Heckcock" and there are 3 in Montgomery County, Benjamin, Young and Dempsey. Benjamin had a full house. Ten people, a man and woman over 45, a boy 10-15 and another under 10. Six girls, two in each age group of 16-25, 10-15 and under 10. Dempsey looked like a young married couple, a man and a woman, both 16-25. Young had a male 26-45 and a female 16-25, there were two children under 10, a boy and a girl. It appears Young was the oldest son, at about 26, and Dempsey was second.

In 1810, there is Benjamin, Dempsey, James and "D". Ben still has 10 people in his household, but the dynamics have changed. There is still a male and female over 45, so his wife is still alive. He has one male 16-25 and two under ten, so two more sons born between 1800 and 1810. There are two females between 16 and 25 and two in the 10 - 15 brackets. He has one under 10. Dempsy and his wife are now both 26-45, two girls 10 -15 and two boys under 10. James has now started his own household, with a man and woman both 16-25 and a little girl under 10. James is next to Benjamin, and the unknown "D" is up a few spaces next to Edward and Edmund Almond. There is a theory that "D" Hethcock was actually Young Hathcock. The ages are correct.

Dempsey is listed among Burris's, Hardy Hatley, Malachi Harwood and Ezekiel Morton, and Edward Almond Sr., several of those also ancestors of my grandfather.

There was no 1820 Census for Montgomery County. By 1820, however, Young Hathcock was one of the many young men who removed to Tennessee. He settled in Montgomery County, Tennessee. The name must have felt familiar.

In 1830, There is Dempsey, James, James H, Jesse and John. No Benjamin.

Name	Benjn Haithcock
Home in 1830 (City, County, State)	Southampton, Virginia
Free Colored Persons - Males - Under 10	1
Free Colored Persons - Males - 24 thru 35	2
Free Colored Persons - Females - Under 10	2
Free Colored Persons - Females - 24 thru 35	1
Free Colored Persons - Females - 55 thru 99	2
Total Free Colored Persons	8
Total - All Persons (Free White, Slaves, Free Colored)	8

There is a Benjamin Hathcock (or spelling variant), in Southampton, Virginia. This is not our Benjamin. He was a free person of color and that branch, and subject will be discussed later in the post.

Back in Montgomery County, North Carolina, Dempsey Hathcock is living next to Dempsey Springer and Frederick Lambert. This is intriguing to me, because I know that Frederick will soon migrate to Mississippi, and the two Dempsey's makes me wonder if there was a connection between the Hathcock and Springer families. Just a thought.

Jesse, James and James H. are living very near each other. One James is in his 20's and the other James in his 30's. Jesse is in his 50's. He may have just joined the family from another County. Jesse's oldest son, James Green Hathcock was born about 1804, so I believe he was the younger James. Jesse has an 80-year-old in his home, and it's listed here as a female, but I think that may be an error, and this was actually Benjamin, because the age is right. A decade later, he is in a grandson's house as a nonagenarian. There is also a a John Hathcock in his 20's living between Will Morton and Richard Poplin Jr., who was living near Dempsey before. I believe this John is a son of Dempsey.

Name	Jesse Hathcock
Home in 1830 (City, County, State)	West Side Pee Dee River, Montgomery, North Carolina
Free White Persons - Males - Under 5	2
Free White Persons - Males - 15 thru 19	1
Free White Persons - Males - 20 thru 29	2 One of these could be youngest brother, Ben.
Free White Persons - Males - 50 thru 59	1 Jesse
Free White Persons - Females - Under 5	1
Free White Persons - Females - 5 thru 9	1
Free White Persons - Females - 10 thru 14	2
Free White Persons - Females - 15 thru 19	1
Free White Persons - Females - 20 thru 29	1
Free White Persons - Females - 50 thru 59	1
Free White Persons - Females - 80 thru 89	1 Error? Benjamin?
Free White Persons - Under 20	8
Free White Persons - 20 thru 49	3
Total Free White Persons	14
Total - All Persons (Free White, Slaves, Free Colored)	14

In 1840, the name is back to Hethcock and there is Ben Jr., James Jr., James, James Sr, Jesse Sr., Jesse Jr., Lloyd and Neelin. Benjamin, Sr. is obviously living with his Grandson Lloyd, as well as Lloyd's mother, Sally. The Grandsons are beginning to populate and youngest son, Benjamin Jr. is head of his own household.

Name	Loyd Heathcock
Residence Date	1840
Home in 1840 (City, County, State)	West Pee Dee River, Montgomery, North Carolina
Free White Persons - Males - Under 5	2
Free White Persons - Males - 20 thru 29	1 Lloyd
Free White Persons - Males - 90 thru 99	1 Benjamin
Free White Persons - Females - Under 5	1
Free White Persons - Females - 20 thru 29	2
Free White Persons - Females - 60 thru 69	1 Sarah, Lloyd's mother
Persons Employed in Agriculture	3
No. White Persons over 20 Who Cannot Read and Write	2
Free White Persons - Under 20	3
Free White Persons - 20 thru 49	3
Total Free White Persons	8
Total All Persons - Free White, Free Colored, Slaves	8

I personally believe the Hathcock family is a little more complicated than it's made out to be.

And then we have the 1850 census. Benjamin Hathcock Sr made it to the 1850 census. Amazing! This actually is the most amazing fact about him. Lloyd was now 41, married, and with seven children. At the top of the page, you'll see a two-year-old Sarah M. Hathcock. Her father, Benjamin Hathcock Jr. was listed on the previous page and she was a rollover. After Benjamin was miner Calvin Hathcock, 21. That was John Calvin Hathcock, Ben Jr.'s oldest son, who married Mary Hartsell. Notice that Benjamin's age is give as 108, and his birthplace as Virginia. 

The Wife

There is no document that gives the name of Benjamin Hathcock Sr.'s wife. Let me repeat that, there is no documentation of the name of Benjamin Hathcock Sr.'s wife. There is, however, speculation. By living so long, many of the grandchildren of Ben Hathcock had the advantage of knowing him and knowing him well. You can imagine a pack of them huddled around his feet as he told them of his childhood in Virginia. So, things undocumented were passed down. David Burris was one grandchild recorded speaking on Ben Sr., and he quoted from another grandmother of his, Judith Taylor Burris. The wife of Benjamin Hathcock Sr. is named either as Sarah or Nancy. Her maiden name is given as either Taylor or Young, sometimes crunched together. If I was to guess, I believe he probably had two wives, not one, as the ages of his children stretch from about 1775 to 1802. There seems to be a gap of about a decade in between two groups, which would lead me to believe that Young, Dempsey, Martha, James and Jesse were by one wife, and Sarah (Sally), Jane, Lee, and Ben II, were by a second one. He appears to have had a living wife through the 1810 census, but she was gone by 1830, or 1840, at least. The Young surname appears to have evolved from the given name of the oldest son, Young. This group also most commonly claim Nancy. The younger ones claim Sarah. Sarah may have been some relation to Judith Taylor Burris, so Sarah Taylor. But remember, no proof of either, just vague memories of a few elderly grandchildren written down somewhere.

Personality

-Benjamin Sr. and his family were musically talented. It was recounted to David Burris by his grandmother, Judith Taylor Burris, that Ben Sr. was the fiddler at her wedding, (to Solomon Burris).

-He was said to have owned the first Buggy in Stanly County. He wasn't into collecting large swaths of land, or owning the biggest farm, but he must have liked his vehicles. 

-He was said to have won a sharpshooter contest after he was 100 years old. 

Quite an incredible fellow.

There are a few sources of where most of the information we have concerning old Benjamin derives from. First and foremost is the deposition he gave for the pension from the Revolutionary War for William Poplin and his wife, Lucy. Benjamin did not serve in the Revolutionary War. I personally believe he was born more around 1857, than 1842. This deposition is best, and most accurate we have, because it's in his own words. I'm beginning to see a group move, a wagon train forming in my mind., with Hathcock's, Poplins, Perry's and probably a few more. Individuals usually did not travel alone. There would be a collective of families, some related, others just neighbors or acquaintances, heading for the same destination. 

The other information was from a letter, and recollections from grandchildren or others, who knew Old Ben, had met him, or heard their parents, his children, talk about him and passed the information on, someone having the forethought to write it down. 

Above, the pension claim of William Poplin of Montgomery County, North Carolina, a Private in the Company commanded Captain Welch of the Regiment commanded by Col. Alston. 9 months in North Carolina. June 7, 1832, Lawrenceville, NC. Although he was living elsewhere during the time of his service, he had moved to Montgomery County, NC by 1830.

Lucy Poplin, widow of William Poplin, stated she was married about 1767 or 1768. She believed she had three children at the time her husband left for the War, and that they were married in Chatham County, NC. She was in her 80's at this time.

State of North Carolina  

Montgomery County

On this 25 day of April 1840, personally appeared before me Solomon Efird a justice of the peace in and for the county aforesaid Benjamin Heathcock aged about ninety years form what he states and on his appearance.

indicates and who being duly sworn according to law Declares that as nearly as he can state he's now about ninety years of age. that he was born and raised in the state of Virginia and came to the county of Chatham in this state before the Revolutionary War. He further states that he became acquainted with William Poplin and his wife Lucy Poplin before the war and lived in the same neighborhood that they lived in Chatham. That they then lived together as man and wife and had before the war one child or two he cannot state which but he knows that they had a child. He states that the fact...

of their marriage was never questioned and the has no doubt at this time but that they were duly and legally married. He further states that William Poplin has been dead for several years and that Lucy Poplin who now declares for a Pension is his widow and has not married since his death and from the time he first knew them they had lived together as man and wife and have raised a large family of children and no doubt of suspicion in his mind nor ever entertained that they wee not duly married. That they  .... now in Montgomery County. 

Sworn to and Subscribe before me 

Solomon Efird

Benjamin X Heathcock (his mark)

This document gives us four facts about Benjamin:.

• He was born and raised in Virginia.
• He came to Chatham County, NC before the War.
• He met William and Lucy Poplin before the War and they all moved from there to Montgomery County.
• He was around 90 in 1840.

Family Tree of Mary Catherine Hathcock

The whole matter of Benjamin Hathcock's origins and the floundering, later, of prideful grandchildren is the story of human frailty and nature as old as time. The mortar of brick walls. We'll go through the sources later, but the bottom-line was that Benjamin Hathcock, was not a Hathcock down the male line. His father was a Hamilton or Hambleton, and his mother was a Hathcock. The man named Hathcock who raised him was his grandfather. There have been multiple books written on the Hathcock, and its many spellings, clan. Quite a few contain information on Benjamin, and some of that information is pretty old. One author of it was a Dr. Thomas Alexander Hathcock, a grandson of Benjamin Hathcock, Sr. He, being a learned and austere, (insert prideful) man, had to formulate a speculative, yet believable canard about his grandfather's origins that would not bring shame upon the family, so he told a half-truth. His story was that Ben was an orphaned boy who was taken in by an old man named Hathcock, although his real name, or his father's name was Hambleton or Hamilton. 

His cousin, Mary Furr, another descendant, would recount what her mother, a daughter or granddaughter of old Ben, told her. That Ben had been born out of wedlock to a Hambleton or Hamilton man and a Hathcock girl. He was raised in the home his maternal grandfather, Hathcock. This explains a lot, like Ben's lack of property and records, and a few other details. 

Ben had the opportunity to payback the care of his grandfather, and then to receive care back in turn. His own daughter, Sarah, aka "Sally", became an unwed mother by Daniel Perry, from another family who seem to have migrated at the same time from the same place, here. She had a son named Lloyd, and possibly a daughter, Mary. That's something I have to look at a little closer. Benjamin Sr. kept up his daughter and her child, (or children). Her son Lloyd is the one who took care of Ben in his old age. Reciprocal care.

Where did Ben first settle in Montgomery County? We know he first was found on a Tax list there in 1783.

He entered a grant on Long Creek of 100 acres,  on October 2, 1799, entry # 5115. Grant # 2392 was issued on December 6, 1816, Book 130, Page 373. The tract was on the waters of Long Creek, at the mouth of a branch on James Lee's line. Later is mentioned John Poplin's line.

He appears to have entered a failed grant two years earlier, as an assignee of Wiley Carpenter, for 100 acres on Long Creek, but no matching patent was found. It was entered on April 25, 1797, entry # 3057. There is no record of it actually being issued. 

This entry, shown above is mentioned as "Beginning at Poplin's corner", then to Taylor's corner, then to Carson & Moore's line, then to Lee's corner. James Howell and James Lee were chain carriers. Knowing that Lee probably referring to James Lee and that Poplin referred to John Poplin, I looked to see which Taylor it may have been referring to. Having looked well into, I was pretty sure I knew already.

Carson and Moore spoke of the partnership of Thomas Carson and Willam Moore, land speculators who had acquired large tracts of land in Piedmont North Carolina, primarily along the Rocky River, Island Creek, Long Creek and Bear Creek, most of which was in present Stanly County. In 1795, they received a grant for 17,920 acres in the forks of the Rocky River, and along Bear and Long Creeks. A John Carson later bought them out and sold tracts out of it, including one of 67,000 acres to William Thornton, whose name is also seen a lot in these early deeds. So, Ben's grant bordered one of Carson & Moore's lines, their presence is not one to look into as they owned half the county at the time.

I figured out that the Taylor mentioned in Ben's grant was most likely Nimrod Taylor. I found him in conjunction with Jonathan Taylor. There is also a Grant that reveals Johnathan Carpenter had property connecting Wyley or Wilie Carpenter, and also John Carpenter. 

Wylie Carpenter was the name Ben was an assignee of on the failed Grant. The Carpenters are also one of my family lines. They migrated here with the Upchurch family from counties east. John Carpenter was the son-in-law of Benjamin Upchurch, and I descend from his son, James Ludwell Carpenter, who married Obedience Broadway, one of my two Broadaway lines.

Another interesting name to look into was that of William Poplin.

His entry was on Scaley Branch and ran with Daniel Perry's line. Daniel Perry was the father of Ben's grandson Lloyd, or Loyd, Hathcock by his daughter, Sally. Jonathan Poplin had a grant that bordered John Poplin and Daniel Perry. 

"The above warrant of one hundred acres of land is transferred to Benjamin Hathcock for Value Rec'd and the security is required to Issue the grant in his name as witness my hand and seal this 14th day of January 1798. Test Asa Atkins His mark Wiley Carpenter (Seal).

Where did the Hathcock's originate to start with? What did the name mean?

It's of British origin and derives from the word haeth, meaning an open Moorland and cot for cottage, Heath Cottage, or Cottage on a Heath, a place name, like Hill or Woods. It was first found in Derbyshire in the 12th Century and is of Anglo-Saxon origin.

The Hathcock name has about a dozen variations including, but not limited to Hathcox, Hatcoat, Hathcoat, Haithcock, Haithcoat, Heithcock, Heathcock, Heathcoat, Heathcote, Heathcot, Heathcott, Hethcox, Hethcock. The most common one used in Stanly and Montgomery Counites were Hathcock, Hethcock and Heathcock. Most books on the family agree that our specific line began with a Thomas Hatcock who came to America from England about 1635. He first settled in what is now Northampton County, Virginia. By 1730 descendants had moved to Prince George County and Brunswick County, Virginia. 

We can't know for certain who exactly Benjamin's kin were, but by following the real estate, we can see the flow, like a river, from where we know he came from to where we know he ended up. Greensville County, Virginia was formed from Brunswick County in 1781. Its southern border is Northampton County, NC. 

There was a Joseph Heathcock whose plantation had been located in Brunswick County, in the part that became Greensville in 1781. 

Joseph had a son, John, who would later move to Bute County, NC, the part that later became Warren.

Hosea "Ozzy" Hathcock

Recall from the 1790 census, that a Hosea Hathcock lived in Chatham County, along with James, John and William. In the 1779 deed abstracts of Montgomery County, NC, we find the below information;

"50 acres of land was granted to Jesse Wooten in Montgomery County, NC". The property was said to have adjoined that of "Ozzy" Hathcock and a Mr. Collins. 

The same year that Hosiah "Ozzy" Hathcock in noted as having land in Montgomery County, NC. Thomas Hathcock, son of Edward Hathcock of Northampton County, NC, is noted as living in Anson County, 1779, in the part that would later become Richmond County, NC. Thomas and Hosiah were close together at this time. Josiah was a member of Captain Elisha Cains Chatham County Militia in September 1772, in Chatham County, NC. He appears to have been in Chatham, went to Montgomery, then back to Chatham. Militia groups would naturally travel to various places, sometimes on a near constant move, in the years between 1775 and the early 1780's. Hosea would move to Elbert County, Georgia, and is found there in 1800. There were several Hathcock's who preceded him there, including a John, Hastin, William and James, perhaps relatives.

Edward Heathcock

Edward Heathcock may have been born in Henrico County, Viriginia sometime between 1643 and 1675. He seems to have had some kinship to Joseph and Jesse Heathcock who were in the Brunswick County area with him in the 1730's.  Edward owned land on Arthur's Creek and Norton's Branch an in the Turbyfield's Run area near the NC/ Virginia border and along the Roanoke. Joseph, (1700 -1782), who had land on Beaver Pond Creek in Brunswick County may have been his son. Joseph died in Brunswick County on his Falling Run property.  Jesse Heathcock, who lived in the same area at the same time may also be a relative. 

A Granville grant dated June 22, 1749, to Joshua Stepp tells of land on the east side of Arthur's Creek adjoining Edward Heathcock and Norton's Branch, meaning Edward had settled there by 1749

 In April 1757, Edward Hathcock, in conjunction with his wife, Catron, sold 100 acres of land in Brunswick County, Viriginia to Drury Jordan, on the north side of Ragland's Ferry Road, adjoining James Norton and other land belonging to the Heathcocks. Deed Book 2 Page 387. Catron is a form of Catherine with Welsh origins, possibly indicating his wife may have been of Welsh extract.

On November 26, 1753, "Edward Heathcock, Planter" sold 100 acres in Northampton County, NC, to James Norton, "part of a patent originally granted to Edward Heathcock". Deed Book 2, Page 129. James Norton was his son-in-law, having married his daughter, Martha. The Norton family had land holdings dating back to the 1740's and references to a place called Norton's Corner are found in the old deeds. 

In May of 1758, Edward gave "for love and goodwill", to his son, Thomas Heathcock, 100 acres on "Turbafields Run", a name that would evolve into Troublefield in our area, found in Deed Book 2 Book 476.  On the same day, he conveyed 20 acres, also on Turbafield's Run to John Heathcock, found in Book 2 Page 475. He doesn't' specify John as his son in the deed, but it's likely. 

James 

A James Hathcock (1743-1838) was born in Brunswick County, Virgina to William and Nancy Anthony Hathcock. He removed to Chatham where he married Elizabeth Sexton and had seven known children; Charlotte, Isaac, Isaiah, Hiram and Patrick. He served in the NC militia during the Revolutionary War and afterwards settled in Hillsborough. He died in Chatham in 1838, at the age of 95, continuing what seems to be a nature towards longevity in this particular Heathcock/Hathcock line. He was known as Scout or Scott. Whether that was a middle name, or a nickname, I don't know. It could have indicated a career if it was Scout, or origins if it were Scott.

Thomas 

Thomas Hathcock was the son of Edward Heathcock of Northampton County, NC, whose property seemed to have straddled the State lines. Edward was there by 1758. Thomas was in Anson, then Richmond, by October of 1777. It was a fact that River Jordan and John Jordan had moved to the same general area. River Jordan was previously a resident of Brunswick County, Virginia and would also move to Elbert County,  Georgia where Hosea Heathcock moved.

A John Jordan witnessed a Heathcock deed in Northampton County and Edward Heathcock had sold property there to Drury Jordan, who was also his neighbor. There seems to be a strong Jordan theme running through the family connections. Thomas died on April 13, 1818, and it appears he had something in common with Benjamin Hathcock than just a surname. His age was greatly exaggerated.

A newspaper article that appeared in the Carolina Observer of Richmond County and was reprinted in Augusta Chronicle out of Georgia, made the following incredible claim:

"Longevity - Died in Richmond County on 13th instant at the seat of Col. Therogood Pate, Thomas Heathcock age 125 years!

He left a numerous family of children settled in different parts of the country, two of whom live in the State of Georgia. (Elbert County?!?), One aged 93 and the other 87, and one son in Richmond County but little over 16 years of age."

His known sister, Martha Norton, was born during the 1720's to 1730. He was probably fairly close to his age, and that would have put him between 80 -90 at death. 

A quick check of the 1820 census in Richmond, finds only a Samuel Heathcock, with only Hosea in Georgia, Elbert County. His age is only categorized as over 45, so we can't know, but Hosea was probably one of the sons. There's also a Grace Hathcock in Chatham that year, which interests me, because Ben Jr. named a daughter Grace.

Recall the 1830 census of a Benjamin Hathcock family in Southampton County that were classified as "Other Free"? There was a branch of the Hathcock/ Heathcock family that were considered mixed with the Nottaway tribe. The paragraph below is from the book, "Family Connections of the Brooks, Hathcock and Nance Families of the United States, Compiled Genealogies". Authors include Bill Gullickson, Nancy Norton, Sam Norton, Marcy Stephens, June Melvin and Myrtle Stephens.

From the book 'Hathcock Family History: United States. Family Histories 1991 (no single author given, just collaborate efforts mentioned)

Holiday Hathcock was a free man of color from Johnston County, North Carolina. Born about 1760, he volunteered for multiple tours of service in the Revolutionary War. His 1834 pension application was suspended. His eventual successful fight was helped by the testimony and affidavit of Justice of the Peace, William Bryan. Byran provided that Free People of Color were drafted, volunteered and served just like white Patriots.

A timeline of Holiday Hathcock's locations show:

• 1784 in Sampson County, just south of Johnston, (Sampson Early Tax List)
• 1788 assigns his Revolutionary War Bounty lands over to his daughter Nancy Sheppard (John)
• 1790 Census Johnston County, North Carolina (6 people, Other Free Persons)
• 1800 Hillsborough, Orange County, (6 people, Other Free Persons)
• 1832-1836 Pension Application
• 1853, his son David applied for his pension in 1853, meaning he was deceased. His wife named as Sally.

Why would Holiday Hathcock be important to the story of  Benjamin Hathcock?

Many believe Holiday to be the son of Edward Hathcock. He was born in Northampton County, where Edward had moved to from Brunswick/Greensville County, Virginia, along the same waterways, as Greensville borders Northampton. There was interaction on a road crew. Had Edward, who was known to be a white man, marry a Nottaway woman or have a child with her? Or was she not a Nottaway? Who really was Edward?

I question this because Hathcock DNA studies link Benjamin Hathcock descendants with the Edward/Thomas group, only autosomal, but then again, Ben wasn't a Hathcock down the male line. Hosea Hathcock group matches with them among Ydna testing within a normal range of mutations. The Joseph Hathcock group, who was a contemporary of Edward, is also connected, but not as directly. I am copying and pasting the information below because if I just typed it, no one would believe me.

From Familytreedna.com

More on the Poplins:

In 1777 in the Chatham County Superior Court records, Sally Hathcock of Halifax County, was ordered to appear before a Justice of the Peace, to give testimony against William Poplin, of Chatham for a charge of Horse Theft. William was later convicted. Sadly, the records do not include Sally's exact testimony. Since Benjamin knew William Poplin and bore the same name, there could have been a relation between he and Sally, as we know that she also knew William Poplin and knew of his criminal act. Could Benjamin have also had a connection to Halifax County?

Of course, Halifax borders Northampton, and all arrows point to the family being in Northampton before arriving in Chatham.

Again, I link to the incredible research and blog of George Thomas, who mentions in the following post the family of William Poplin prior to his service and after, and connections to the early Taylor and Burris families. Please see below:

A Veteran's Story from They Lived Upon a Rocky River

We know from his grant that William Poplin also ended up in Montgomery (Stanly) County, along with Benjamin Hathcock. He was born about 1749 and died on June 2, 1835 in Stanly County, becoming the Patriarch of a large Stanly County family. He served under that dastardly Col. Phillip Alston who tormented my Dowd relatives. He lived in Chatham briefly after the War, moved to Moore County for a few years before removing to Georgia, finally returning to Montgomery County where he lived out his last years.

Dr. Thomas Alexander Hathcock, Jr.

Dr. Hathcock, who was the son of  Thomas Alexander Hathcock, Sr., (1824-1908), was a Great Grandson of Old Benjamin Hathcock. He published a genealogy in "Makers of America. Vol. 3, 'Biographies of Leading Men and Women. Including Family Histories and Accurate Genealogical Records" by Leonard Wilson, F.S.A.  B. F. Johnson Incorporation, Washington DC. 

Family can be biased in recounting their ancestry. That's an understatement. It particularly can apply to descendants of education and status, like those with letters after their names, beyond Jr. and such.

Dr. T. A. Hathcock, Jr.

Among the claims and whitewash in Dr. Hathcock's account of his ancestor was the exaltation of the eight Hathcock's who were soldiers along the NC line during the Revolution. Fair enough. He mentions Thomas Hathcock of Richmond County,  as being a forebear, due to his first name, Thomas. See quote below.

"Christian names are often repeated in families, and following reasonable deductions, it is possible that all these Hathcock's are descendants of Thomas Hathcock who was an early Viriginia (Stone County) immigrant. The repetitive use of the name Thomas Alexander Hathcock suggests that the original immigrant's full name may have been Thomas Alexander Hathcock".

Dude get over yourself! I take his recounts with a grain of salt. For one thing, he invented a County in Virginia that never existed. I suppose he pulled that from the name of William Stone who transported a Thomas Heathcock from England, who was an indentured servant by the way! He left that little tidbit of information out. He also attempted to whitewash the whole story of how Benjamin, whose father was a Hambelton or Hamilton, became a Hathcock. Mrs. Mary Furr's account is much more credible.

Debra Baugh's account of the Benjamin Hathcock family seems more accurate and carefully compiled. She didn't contrive anything out of the ether due to the multiple occurrences of a common name in a family.  Ms. Baugh carefully and diligently collected information from various Hathcock families in Stanly and surrounding counties, weaving together the various patches of the spring branches of the Benjamin Hathcock tree. There were common threads that would weave into a consistent dialogue. 

Debra Baugh compiled and incorporated Mary Furr's records into her book, 'Hathcock Family History, Descendants of Benjamin Hathcock, Vol. IX (1986).

Mary Furr had written a letter in 1969 with the following information, "My mother, (Elizabeth Jane Burris), told me just before she died that Benjamin's mother was a daughter of this Mr. Hathcock".  She had admitted on her deathbed that the Mr. Hathcock known to have raised Benjamin was his grandfather and that his mother was not married. 

Also, in Mrs. Baugh's rendition of the Hathcock menagerie was the recount of an undated letter from a David Burris to an unknown person, (probably Eliza Jane Burris, she surmises). This could have been my second Great Grandfather, David Burris, (1851-1928), who married Ellen Honeycutt. He was the son of Gideon Green Burris and Obedience Hathcock, a daughter of Benjamin Hathcock Jr. and Nancy Ann Burris. There were multiple David Burris's, so I can't be sure that he's the one, but the shoe fits. 

He made several interesting observations and recollections of Old Ben in his letter, which must have come to him in the stories of older relations. One was the story of how Benjamin had been orphaned as a child and was raised by Mr. Hathcock, (his grandfather), and that his father's name had been Hamilton or Hambleton. It was David who revealed the musical talents of the bunch. He recalled, "This generation was much inclined to music. They were drummers, fifers and fiddlers and some were fine singers. I heard Grandma Burroughs, (Judith Taylor Burris) say that old man Hathcock, (Benjamin), of them all was their fiddler when she and grandfather, (Solomon Burris) married". This was probably a David Burris a generation up from my David, as, although my David was a Hathcock descendant as well, he was a Great Grandson of Solomon, not a Grandson.

Continuing quotes from the letter, "Old Jimmy Hathcock, (James Sr., son of Benjamin), your Great Grandfather on your grandmother Hathcock's side of the family said that their proper name was Hambleton. Your grandfather Lloyd Hathcock's father was Daniel Perry, but he (Lloyd) took his mother's name. As to their children, I do not recollect that they were twins. I think they died in infancy. That is all I know about them." I don't know what children he was referring to, perhaps those of Lloyd and his wife who had died young. 

"A postscript to this letter continues, 'Old Benjamin Hathcock of all, I have seen this often. He belongs to the old school Baptist, Primitive Baptist and lived to be very old - 115 years of age. They said he had a son named Benjamin who married my father's sister, Nancy Burris. (This indicates this could have been David Wright Burris, son of Joshua C. Burris), "Old Billy Whitley married one of old man Benjamin's daughters, (Martha Hathcock Whitley). " I have forgotten her name. He lived, (William Whitley) to be of great age 118 years.' (Another exaggeration) This letter was in the possession of Beatrice M. Hanson of Mesa, Arizona in 1971."  It is also in her book the claim that Benjamin had the first buggy in Stanly County. She added that even though no stone exists that Benjamin is regarded as having been buried, in 1857, in the family cemetery of his grandson, Lloyd, with whom he lived. The cemetery is located on the east side of Ridgecrest Road in the town of Red Cross, Stanly County, NC. The book reports that it's "Just before crossing Stony Run Creek." 

Summary on Benjamin

These are my own summations. We know from his own words, and the 1850 census, that Benjamin Hathcock Sr. was born in Virginia. He later moved to Chatham County, "before the Revolution". This doesn't mean he went straight there. He followed the same trail, more or less, as Thomas Hathcock and Hosea "Ozzy" Hathcock, at first. His parents were rumored to have died of smallpox, his father at least. Fatherless children were considered orphans in those days. His father's surname was Hambleton, (or Hamilton). His mother's surname was Hathcock/Heathcock. He was taken in and raised by his maternal Grandfather, Mr. Hathcock. 

Some claim descent from the long living Thomas Hathcock who moved to Richmond County. Thomas was the proven son of Edward and lived in Northampton County before moving to Anson as early as 1758. Benjamin first appears in Montgomery (Stanly), as early as November of 1782. Thomas shows up in Richmond by 1777, with a connection to the Jordans. Thomas was of an older generation than Benjamin, but he was not old enough, to have been Benjamin's grandfather. I believe he was more of an uncle, and that Hosea was the son of Thomas. There were certainly similarities with Thomas, and James, who lived to be a believable 95. 

My bets would be on Edward Heathcock being the grandfather who raised Benjamin. It all fits together. There is a consensus among the Hathcock family authors and that Ben was born in Brunswick and then lived in Greensville Counties in Virginia. I propose that he lived along the border in the part that was Brunswick but became Greensville. I can see him following his grandfather into Northampton, before moving to Chatham with relatives after the passing of Edward. An exact birth year for him would help with my theory, but alas. If Benjamin was born in 1742, like his Find-A-Grave entry suggests, he would have been a young adult of 21 when Edward Hathcock died. I think he was younger than that and may have been 10 or 12 in 1763. There was indeed a smallpox outbreak in 1759. I believe this was probably a few years after Benjamin was born. He may have traveled down this way with Chatham neighbors, or with Hathcock relatives. 

The Children

United States. Family Histories 1993

1) Dempsey Hathcock (1775- aft 1860) wife or children unknown. Died in Guy, Montgomery County, Arkansas after 1860. There were two Dempsey Hathcock's. The other lived in Moore County, NC. He also had his start in Chatham County, and ended up in Jack County, Texas. The Moore County Dempsey was older, but not a generation older. This could suggest a familial relationship somewhere up the line. 

2) Martha "Patsy" Hathcock (1776-1880) Married William "Old Billy" Whitley. They had a son named Jesse who married Reuah Perry, the daughter of Daniel Perry and Sarah "Sally" Hathcock, a cousin marriage.

3) James Hathcock Sr. (1778 - May 9, 1848) Buried at Old Freedom Cemetery. Married Esther or Easter Honeycutt.

4) Jesse Hathcock Sr. (1780-1847) Married Catherine "Katie" Whitley. There were many marriages between the two families. The prevalence of the name "Jesse" leads me to a believe a definite familial relationship between the Jesse and Joseph Hathcock families who were in Brunswick with Edward and moved down into Johnston and Halifax. 

Ten-year gap between children indicating a second marriage, possibly. A wife appears to have been living at least until the 1810 census, possibly longer. 

5) Young Hathcock (1790 -1850) Married Sarah Meredith. Moved to Montgomery County, Tennessee.

6)  Sarah "Sallie" Hathcock (1792-1860) Did not marry. Mistress of Daniel Perry had at least two children, Lloyd in 1809 and Reuah in 1818. Possibly a Mary in 1811. Reuah was an old Hebrew name that meant breeze, wind or spirit.

7) Jane Hathcock (1795-after 1870) Married John Whitley. Died in Mount Mourne, Iredell County. I have posted on John and Jane and their family while I was focusing on the Whitley family. 

8) Lee Hathcock (1798 - 1849) Married Sarah Ann Wilhelm. Settled in neighboring Cabarrus County.

8) Benjamin Hathcock, Jr. (1802 - 12 Jun 1884) Married Nancy Ann Burris, daughter of Solomon and Judith Taylor Burris. 

Benjamin Hathcock's Grant as an assignee of Wiley Carpenter bordering Carson & Moore, Poplin's corner, Taylor's corner and Lee's line. James Howell and James Lee, Chain Carriers.

John Poplins Grant on both sides of Long Creek dated 1794 beginning at James Lee's corner, to William Taylors line, Richard Thomason and Benjamin Hathcock chain carriers.

James Hathcocks 1830 Grant of 42 acres on Scaleybark Branch, running with Daniel Moooses entry. Benjamin Hathcock (probably Jr.) and Solomon Hathcock chain carries.

Lloyd Hathcock allowed $38.75 for keeping and taking care of his grandfather, Benjamin Sr.

1850 Paupers list for Stanly County. Benjamin Hathcock near bottom.

See the below book for more information on the descendants of Benjamin Hathcock, Sr. 

Thirty Fathers in Thirty Days: Connor Dowd

 

Mary’s petition to the North Carolina General Assembly

The last post in my 'Thirty Fathers in Thirty Days' series concerned a Scottish immigrant 7th Great Grandfather of mine, who was a Patriot, a Colonel in the Mecklenburg County, Clear Creek Militia and a Signer of the Mecklenburg Resolves or The Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence, John Query by name. This post will be about a very different 7th Great Grandfather.

John Query was on my paternal Grandmother's side of the family tree. Connor Dowd is on my maternal Grandmothers side. Different side of the family, different outlook and actions during the Revolutionary War. 

Connor Dowd was an Irishman, born around 1730 in Cootehill, Cavan, Ulster, Ireland. He is also my 7th Great Grandfather via his daughter, Sarah Jane who married Claborne Mauldin. My maternal grandmother was a Mauldin, through and through, meaning she was born a Mauldin, and married a Mauldin and when he died, she married another Mauldin.  So,  this pair are sort of a super-ancestor couple, holding not one, but two spots, in my family tree. He was the son of an older Connor Dowed (1700-1789) and wife, Margaret Bourke (1704-1770), a daughter of Thomas Ruadh Bourke of Limerick. There were two known sons who came to America, Connor II and Owen. *As a matter of conflict and confusion, my Connor's brother Owen and his wife, Judah, had a son they named Connor who was born October 18,1757. He married Hannah Greave in Chatham County, NC in 1799. This Conner Dowd, the nephew, moved to Ohio and was a Revolutionary Patriot. He died March 31, 1839, in Vinton County, Ohio.* 

* Widow's Petition of Hannah G. Dowd for Rev. War Pension

The Dowd brothers had arrived to Cumberland County, the part that is now Moore County, around the early to mid 1850's. When he was yet a child, Connor had learned how to bleach linen. People would weave the material at home and then sell it to the linen bleachers. They arrived in America in 1751, in Wilmington, NC,  and Connor soon found employment with a Wilmington merchant. He would travel through the Upper Cape Fear River valley, making acquaintances and friends and learning the area. He was doing so while selling goods for his mercantile employer. Whilst up and down the river making his rounds, he met a widow named Nancy, by some accounts, and Mary by others, with the surname of Roberts. The widow Roberts owned 500 fertile acres. My enterprising Irish ancestor married the woman and begin raising grain and livestock. This was his settlement in Deep River. The couple also had orchards of peaches and apples and Connor created a distillery for making whiskey. 

The Deep River is a 125 mile long tributary of the Cape Fear River.  It begins near Jamestown in Guilford County, runs the length of Randolph County, through Randleman and Ramseur, dips into Moore County, making a right turn just above Robbins, turns north to create the border of Chatham and Lee Counties, south of Goldston and north of Sanford, before emptying into the Cape Fear south of Jordan Lake. It is a reputedly rapidly flowing stream and must have been so much more before dams and development. The opportunistic Connor took advantage of his position along the river, building four mills along its banks. He built a sawmill for lumber, a grist mill for corn and flour, a bolting mill for refining the flour, and a bark mill for grinding oak bark to extract its tannin he used to make leather in his tannery. He operated a Ferry across Deep River, near present day Carbonton. The industrious Connor Dowd grew his wealth as he grew his industry and continued to invest in land and business, running also a store and an Inn, or Ordinary. Much of the merchandise sold in his store came from his former employer in Wilmington. He was aided by a dozen slaves who helped to run his investments and businesses, and soon he was a very wealthy man.  It is said that he granted his slaves great liberties, compared to other situations and habits of the day, to operate the Mills and make runs to markets on their own.

The property owned by Connor Dowd, recorded primarily in Cumberland County, lies in what is now Chatham (formed in 1771), Moore (formed in 1784), and Lee (formed in 1907) counties.

A Timeline from deeds and court records show the progression of his increase, and later the decrease after the War.

Please note the following abbreviations:

P & Q's stand for the Court of Pleas and Quaters. 

LG stands for Land Grant.

B for Book and P for Page in deeds.

CumCo is for Cumberland County.

MoCo is for Moore County.

ChatCo is for Chatham County.

CD stands for Connor Dowd.

Adj. is the abbreviation for adjoining.

S is South and R is River.

1757 P& Q CumCo Connor Dowd allowed to keep an Ordinary at the house of John Overton.

1760 LG CumCo 128 acres South of Deep River adjoining Governor Johnston and John Overton.

1761 LG CumCo 150 acres on Deep River adjoining Gov. Johnston and Lord Carterett's land.

1762 Deed CumCo B2 P140 C D received 150 acres from James and Mary Finley south of Deep River part of Thomas Armstrongs 300 acre tract.

1763 LG Orange County NC for 300 acres on Deep River and Smith's Creek Adj Kings land and Nathaniel Powell.

1764 P&Q CumCo - Granted License to keep an Ordinary Tavern at his own dwelling house.

1766 C D received 83 acres from Cornelius Tyson on Deep River and the Chatham County line. CumCo B3 P61.

1766 CD purchases 250 acres from Powell Benbow.

Tax Time 1767 Connor Dowd is taxed for 4 white Polls and 2 black Polls.

1769 Deed CumCo B 3 P 436 CD to John Hunnicutt 128  acres S Deep River adj Gov. Johnston & John Overton.

1769 Deed CumCo B3 P 541 John May Deed witnessed by Connor Dowd and Richard Mauldin,(also my ancestor).

1770 Deed CumCo B4 P301 John Hunnicutt to CD, those 128 acres back.

1771 Deed CumCo B4 P 430 CD to John Hancock Jr. 150 acres.

1772 Deed CumCo B5 P 128 James Russell to CD 400 acres on Deep River and Govenors Creek.

Then the years arrived when things began to change. War came and a new country was being born. We'll look more closely at the Dowds part in that shortly, but with a new country came Tax lists. In a brief time, we can watch the literal growth of Connor Dowds wealth.

 

In 1777 his taxable value was $7447

In 1778 his taxable value was $19, 850

In 1779 his taxable value was $24, 750

In 1780 his taxable value was $30, 889.

including 3559 acres of land valued at $10,000, three town lots in Campbellton and 12 enslaved human beings.

Although the War was raging, Connor Dowd's wealth was increasing, at first.

1780 LG Chatham County to CD for 30 acres on Falls Creek Adj Goldston and Edward Griffin.

1780 a second LG of 300 acres on the Foggy Branch of Indian Creek including the improvements of Edward Griffin adj Duncan.

Then we see a marked change.

1788- 8 years since the last transaction - Book D Pages 581-582 Mary Dowd of Moore County to Sampson Brewer 150 acres on Falls Creek Adj Goldston. The land had been granted to Connor Dowd.

Oddly, there are two transactions the next two years that feel out of place. In 1789, in the P's &Q's, A deed to CD from to Clem Hancock proved by Edward Griffin. One year later, in 1790, in the P&Q's, a Deed from CD to William Davis was proved 

1791 in the P&Q's of Chatham County North Carolina, Benjamin and Aaron Tyson were allowed to operate a ferry across the Deep River at the place Jonathan Barnes and entered into bond with Cornelius Dowd, a son of Connors'. Then it was repeated that these same Tyson's were allowed to build a water Gristmill where Connor Dowds' old mill has sat.

Then in 1797, Mary Dowd, wife of Connor Dowd, deeded to the heirs of now deceased Edward Griffin the 300 acres of Flaggy Branch of Indian Creek Adj. Duncan.

The dates are debatable, but sometime between 1760 and 1774, Connor's first wife died and he remarried another widow, Mary Overton Sheilds, the daughter of John Overton, in whose house he had established that first tavern when he had moved to Deep River. She was the widow of Reuben Sheilds. Mary was a smart lady, and a shrewd businesswoman. She helped Connor run his businesses and became his bookkeeper. They also had 10 children together. He only had two by his first wife, supposedly..

Even in the years before we were a county, Americans were not a homogeneous group. You had new arrivals with a smorgasbord of different languages and accents. You had those who were born here, descended from the earliest arrivals. You had the people who were already here to begin with. You had the people who had been brought here against their will, be it from Africa, the Caribbean Islands, poor Irish or waifs from the streets of London. Then there were the religious sects, various Catholic or Protestant groups and the odd little cults like the Shakers and Dunkers. Some in Central North Carolina, like the Quakers and the Moravians, in Salem and Bethania and the western fronts, were pacifists. War was brewing, but they didn't believe in War, at a time when everyone, no matter who you were, or where you were from, or what you believed, were forced to choose a side. 

As for their part, The Dowds were members of the Haw River Separatist Baptist Church. A quick google search led to the AI utilized information below:

In the North Carolina backcountry, Separate Baptist congregations grew in the 1760s. The Haw River (Separate) Baptist Church was established in the 1760s, with its earliest members coming from the remnants of Mulkey’s church at Deep River. These settlers, including Nathaniel Powell, Conrad Dowde, Isaac Brooks, George Williams, and others, met in 1764 and united with the Sandy Creek Association in 1765 Baptist History Homepage.

The church’s first pastor was Rev. Elnathan Davis, a former Seven-Day Baptist from Maryland who embraced Separate Baptist beliefs in 1757. Davis led the congregation for many years, overseeing worship, discipline, and community life. Notably, the church passed a resolution in 1764 declaring that any member refusing to join the Regulators would be excommunicated, reflecting the political tensions of the time Baptist History Homepage.

As you can see above, "Conrad Dowde" was included in the brief list of early members. This was actually Connor Dowd. His faith played a large part in his later actions.

Dowd and his enterprises were crucial to life in the Deep Creek region. His wagons transported much needed goods between there and Cross Creek, or Fayetteville, a center oftrade and banking. Some goods were imports from Britain and France. For a while, his mills and store were the only ones between the Capitol of Hillsborough and Cross Creek. Many travelers and new arrivals crossed over on his ferry and stayed at his Inn. The Dowd place was a very important spot along the main road and for a time, a portion of the road bore his name. His actions would not go without notice.

The War and Phillip Alston

Phillip Alston (Abt 1745-1791) was a Whig Militia Leader in the Revolution, and a very wealthy, prominent man known for building the beautiful historic site known as "The House in the Horseshoe".

On July 29, 1781, his home became the site of a Skirmish, an incident considered a degree less than a battle, when Colonel David Fanning led a group of Loyalists against the Whig Militia camped at Alston's home. Alston surrendered and his home was threatened to be burned, but thankfully escaped that fate. Alston had reason to dislike the Loyalists and anyone who aided them. He became an archenemy of Connor Dowd.

As a pacifist, Grandpa Connor attempted to avoid taking sides as long as he could. He never took part in any fighting and never wielded a gun. However, with his multiple businesses and landholdings that stretched through Chatham, Moore and Lee Counties, his financial resources were much sought after for aid, from either side.

In January of 1776, Josiah Martin, the King appointed Governor of North Carolina, asked for citizens to come to the town of Brunswick, which sat near the mouth of the Cape Fear River on the coast, below Wilmington, to welcome the Red Coats expected to land there, sent by King George, in a show of support of the British and Governor Martin. 

Remains of historic town of Brunswick, NC

Connor Dowd was one of the ones who showed up, although the British didn't. He declined to join the ranks of the Loyalist forces but brought supplies that were given to General Donald McDonald. He brought 100 lbs. of pistol powder, iron, linen and cotton, shoes and leather from his own stores, flour, venison and other food stuffs, and allowed for the use of his own wagons. It is said he even went in debt to supply the loyalist forces with beef and pork to sustain them. So, he didn't fight, but he did provide support to the other side, not the Red Coats, in particular, but to the Americans who stayed loyal to the crown, called Tories. 

The Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge

The Loyalist troops that were headed to Brunswick never made it there. Again, using the AI Google inquiry:

The Battle

On the morning of February 27, 1776, nearly 1,000 Patriot militiamen waited behind entrenchments at Moore's Creek Bridge, about 18 miles north of Wilmington U.S. National Park Service. The Patriots had removed planks from the bridge and greased the remaining surface with tallow and soap to hinder crossing northcarolinahistory.org. As the Loyalists, primarily Scottish Highlanders, charged across the bridge shouting "King George and Broadswords," they were met with devastating musket and artillery fire northcarolinahistory.org+1. Within minutes, the Loyalist ranks were decimated, their leaders killed or captured, and the survivors forced to retreat northcarolinahistory.org+1. The Patriots pursued the fleeing Loyalists, solidifying their control of the area American Battlefield Trust.

Casualties and Aftermath

The Patriots suffered minimal losses, with one soldier killed and one wounded, while the Loyalists lost approximately 30 men, with 20 more wounded, including the death of Captain Alex McLeod northcarolinahistory.org. The defeat effectively ended Loyalist recruitment in North Carolina and forced Governor Martin into exile, leaving the colony under Patriot control Wikipedia+1. The battle also marked the last recorded Highland broadsword charge in history Wikipedia+1.

Phillip Alston demanded the arrest of Connor Dowd after this battle. He was eventually released on bail, but was prejudicially charged an undue bond, higher than his compatriots and peers. This battle caused a change in the minds and attitudes in many of the Carolina loyalists. They took oaths to the State, renouncing loyalty to the crown, even joining the revolutionary forces. Connor Dowd was not one of these. It had become personal for him. The Dowds aided in assembling a small militia group to meet Cornwallis, the British General, who was on his way to North Carolina. He financed and arranged for a mounted force of 40 men, commanded by his son, Owen, named for his brother. The men never made it to meet up with Cornwallis but entered into small clashes with groups of Patriots. The Dowds paid highly for this. The worst price was the death of his son. Owen was killed on September 13, 1781, at Lindley's Mill on Cane Creek in Alamance County.

A portion of Thomas Kitchin's 1781 map of North Carolina, depicting Hillsborough, the Haw River, and Lindley's Mill on Cane Creek

The link below will give more information on this particular battle. Local names from surrounding counties I recognize that participated on the Patriot side are Patrick Boggan, Thomas Wade, and Joseph Howell.

Carolana: Battle of Lindley's Mill 

Local lore retells the story of Connor receiving the bloodied and broken body of his son, returned by his surviving men. At this point the tale tends to bend in two distinct directions. One form of the story is that Connor was again arrested and deported to Ireland. The other version claims that Connor escaped capture, fleeing to join the British troops in Wilmington and sailed off to England in 1782.

Both forms acknowledge the fact, proved by documented record, that he left Mary and his ten children, some quite young, to carry on alone. In response, Mary began to sell off a few of Connors most recently acquired lands for money to support herself and her children. An incredible woman, Mary fought back when in retaliation for Connor's support of the Loyalist forces, their land and several of his mills and business properties were seized. Abandoned, and aware of the portentous events around her, Mary did not possess the state of dejection many of the widows, and solitary women left in the wake of the War, had embraced. Instead, she fought back. 

The image that is the lead in for this post is Mary's petition, an appeal to the new Revolutionary Government to return some of her shared properties, in order to support her family. The women and children were always left holding the bag for the actions of the men. Her petition was groundbreaking, the first one of a loyalist sueing, and eventually winning, to recover confiscated property.

Moore's Creek Bridge Battle between Patriots and Loyalist, primarily Scotts.

According to the pension requests of several elderly Patriots later on, one of Connor's Mills in Moore County,had been taken and used as a Headquarters for Patriot forces. In November of 1782, a lower court in Chatham County awarded Mary the return and possession of 1000 acres in property. A community group, led by members of the families of Revolutionary soldiers, voiced complaint of this action because of Connor's actions and support of the Loyalists. 

 In May of 1784 , Mary Overton Dowd petitioned the North Carolina General Assembly for the right to sue the debtors who still owed Conner, or any of his business associations, any money. She was also attempting to either have confiscated property returned, or recoup the money received from that which had been sold, and to be able to sue those individuals,or governments, in court.

So for being on the wrong side of history, this 7th Great Grandfather lost his son, his businesses, his land, his citizenship, and contact with his surviving family members.

The above document is an excerpt of a letter from Robert Rowan to Governor Richard Caswell, dated September 18, 1777. In the letter, Rowan tells Governor Caswell about the outcome of his effort to get Connor Dowd to take the oath to the new United States government. Rowan, a friend and associate of Connor's, felt like he was making headway on swaying Connor's sympathies in the direction of the Patriots side.  He felt his efforts were undermined by the opposing actions of Philip Alston, who had aided in having Connor thrown in jail. The entire letter and tale can be found at the link below. 

Link

Mary Overton Sheilds Dowd worked to arrange Connor's return and managed to retain some of the family property. Connor returned to North Carolina in 1783 after the Treaty of Paris ended the War. The fifth article of the Treaty instructed Congress to 'earnestly recommend" for State legislatures to return either confiscated properties, or the money got of it, to its original owners. Not everybody listened to the recommendations. One unfortunate side effect of the act is that it also allowed people to sue Mary for Connors debts, even after his death, like the debt he owed for the pork and beef he had gotten for the Loyalists.

 It is recorded that Connor made several transatlantic trips after returning to North Carolina. I wonder if this was an attempt to rebuild his trade business or legal dealings with the British or Irish governments. 

North Carolina had passed a special act allowing Mary to retain use of some of her property and pursue legal actions in her own name. Connor Dowd is supposed to have died in 1789, in Chatham or Moore County, NC. Mary Dowd died in 1806; the paragraph below comes from information on the page of the House in the Horseshoe State Historic Site. I wish some of the Dowd property had survived. 

By the time Mary Dowd died in 1806, most of the estate she had regained was gone. She had sold over 1,000 acres piecemeal through the years in order to repay debts that were accumulated by her husband, Connor Dowd. According to court documents, the estate took years to settle as debts against the estate were filed. Mary lived the rest of her life fighting to regain the wealth she had before the American Revolution, like many loyalists in North Carolina, her life was never the same.

Image: Court document, dated 1812 asking for recuperation for cows and money borrowed by Connor Dowd in 1777. House in the Horseshoe State Historic Site

The known children of Connor Dowd were:

1. Owen Dowd 1745-1781 by first wife
2. James Dowd, years unknown by first wife
3. Mary Catherine "Katie" Dowd 1764-1803 Married Burwell Kendrick
4. Robert Robin Sheilds, 1764-1882 Stepson - son of Mary and Reuben Shields
5. Major Cornelius Dowd 1767 -1840 married Mary Dickerson Sheilds
6. Mary 'Polly' Dowd 1770-1840 married Moore.
7. Patrick Dowd 1771-1825 married Rita Dickerson
8. Sarah Jane Dowd 1772-1829 married Clayborne Mauldin - My line
9. Rosanna Dowd 1774-1850 married James Dalyrymple
10. Atlas Samuel Dowd 1775 -1852 married Hannah McSwain
11. Richard Dowd 1776-1840 married Rebecca 
12. Laura Dowd 1777- after 1840 asa 'Retta'.
13. Margaret Dowd 1778-1779.

General area of some of Connor Dowds properties on Deep River and the road along which he built his store and tavern.