Where was Boston's Branch?

Location! Location! Location!

The mantra for real estate agents worldwide has implications in  genealogy circles,too.

I recall when I was in the D.A.R., an individual attempting to prove her lineage using decendancy of land records and proof of bordering properties in a case of the lack of a Will, or estate records to prove the connection between generations. Simply put, would they accept the fact that these individuals of the same generation who owned adjoining properties and had the same Surname, qualify as proof that they had inherited it as heirs at law of the man of an older generation who  lived there prior?

I don't know if her submitted application and the hard work she had done to provide proof, or whatever ragged shards of it remained, was accepted, but it was suffice for this descendant to know who 'her people' were. 

In the case of Isham Robbins, who shows up suddenly in the first tax list of Stanly County, North Carolina, dated 1841, as owning 150 acres on Cucumber Creek, without even a trace of him before, I wondered if there could be a link in the descendacy of the land that would tie him to the Robbins family who had dwelled there decades earlier?

Isham Robbins isn't in the 1840 census of Montgomery County, North Carolina, the parent county of Stanly. Neither is his son, Solomon Franklin Robbins, despite being active in the earliest court records just a year or so later. There is no grant or deed showing how the land he was taxed for came into his hands. So my thoughts turn to the possibility of it having had been inherited, and as the Montgomery County Courthouse was known to have been the victim of arsonists several times over, any records could have, and probably had been, destroyed.

Isham Robbins estate was settled in 1843, a mere two years after he was taxed, by his widow, Frances Caroline Whitley Robbins and John Honeycutt, who was in the least, her neighbor. Two years after that, John Honeycutt was taxed for 300 acres on Stony Run Creek. Solomon Robbins also owned land on Stony Run Creek, but Fanny's property was said to be located on Bear Creek. Cucumber Creek, which still holds the same name all of these 180 years later, was located primarily in the same township, but in a different location than those two. Was the property inherited from Fanny's Whitley family,  or could they have been inherited from the earlier Robbins? 

I began searching old maps. The history room at our local museum has an excellent collection of maps. Among them were two, where a team of local historians, some years ago, had begun mapping early land grants and naming landmarks. I zeroed in on this location shown above. Little Bear Creek flows from north to south down the middle of the screen. To its east is Long Creek and southeast Little Creek. Midways near the middle of the map is Saint Martins Church. Saint Martin's Church is a Lutheran congregation that was established in the early 1820's, beginning with meetings held at the home of the Swiss Jacob Efird (Efrect or Eoforheard). Just to the left of where 'St. Martin' is labeled, you see "Exodus" for Exodus Whitley. Exodus Whitley also owned property across the Rocky River in Anson County on Richardson's Creek, which bordered that of old John Robbins. The Creek that rises north from his name is Big Bear Creek. West of the name of Exodus Whitley is Stony Run Creek. Traveling up Big Bear from Exodus Whitley's grant, crossing Hwy 24/27 is another stream, or two. The stream to the west of Big Bear shows George Whitley's grant and is called Whitley's Branch and the stream to the east of Bear is called Ramsey's Creek, or "Big Branch". Although my ancestor, Samuel Ramsey lived near, and is buried at, Saint Martin's, I believe that stream was probably named for William Ramsey, who lived early in this area. 

I keep running into my Ramsey relatives while researching my Faulkner lines, and now, by digging into the Robbins. I've never attempted to find out anything about William Ramsey, early Stanly County settler, and kept my eyes on Anson, and a little bit into Richmond Counties. This is neglectful on my part, especially since Samuel Ramsey's father, Starkey Ramsey, is another one of my brickwalls, and really didn't live far south of the Rocky River. The only clue was on one of his land grants, his property bordered that of a John Ramsey. John Ramsey was older, and shows up in the 1790 census of Anson, when Stark doesn't show up until 1800. There were a few other Ramsey's that showed up in those early years, including a Samuel Ramsey, before his son, Samuel was born. Stark, and his children, were the only ones who remained in the area. The rest disappear, probably having migrated on, south or west, as was the trend in those days. 

On March 2, 1780, John Robins recieved a 150 acre Grant, Warrant 140, issued by Benjamin Baird, on the SW side of the Yadkin River and on Boston's Branch. The border began at a Red Oak along the branch near where a path crosses "from Parmours towards Robins'. It was surveyed 5 years later, 1785, by Edmund Lilly. William Ramsey, whom I just mentioned, and John Robbins, Jr. were chain carriers. John Jr. would have been in his teens at this point. The grant, pictured below, is difficult to read, #342, issued August 9, 1786.

In all honesty, there were not that many grants given for Boston's Branch. It must have been a small stream. The other one dated 1780 was that of William Baird, for 200 acres, Warrant 292 issued on June 26, by Benjamin Baird to William Baird on Boston's Branch on the Waters of Long Creek and includes Andrew Bankston's or John Kelly's improvement. It was surveyed in 1785 by Mark Allen, on the SW side of  the Yadkin River between Deep Creek and Long Creek and began at  a pine on Parmer's line. Zachariah Hogon and Mark Allen were chain carriers. Grant 422 issued Nov. 26, 1789

There's that name, 'Parmer" or 'Parmour' again, as well as Baird. Another intestesting thing is the part where it includes the improvements of Andrew Bankston or John Kelly. John Robbins Sr. must have gotten anscious after  his young son, John Jr. was drafted into service during the Revolutionary War, and hired a substitute named William Bankston to take his place. My bets would be that William Bankston was related somehow to the above mentioned Andrew Bankston. This was a family that did not remain in the area. A quick search of just Land Grants shows grants being in 1779, the year Montgomery was cut from Anson, and the names of Jacob, Lawrence, Daniel and Andrew Bankston, with Andrew recieving a whopping 5 grants, all located in what would become Stanly County. Switch the search to Anson and I found 5 more for Andrew, beginning in 1775, all on the West Side of the Yadkin, the first on the east side of the Long Branch of theYadkin River, two on the Middle Fork of Mountain Creek and two on Deep Creek, which is in modern Anson. 

Another interesting deed, not on Boston Branch, but included here because of the date, was a 150 acre grant received of Henry 'Munger' (Mounger) in 1782 on the Northeast side of Bear Creek, and includes a springhead at the head of Little Creek, beginning at a pine, whereinThomas Reynolds and John Robins were chain carriers. This must have been John Jr. as John Sr. was declared an invalid in the 1782 tax records. 

Inspecting a terrain map, Little Creek seems to be born off the runoff from a ridge to the east of Tyson Road and begins near Western Road, fed by hills along the side of it. Henry Mounger, like Benjamin Baird, was an early land prospector. He was continually cutting grants from his larger tracts.

Next up, on Christmas Eve, 1785 was Hezekiah Dollarhide,shown above,recieving a 100 acre grant from John Crump on Boston's Branch of Long Creek and included 'young John Robbins improvement'. Grant 403 was issued on August 7, 1787 and John Pamer and Edmund Lilly, Jr. were chain carriers. It appears John Jr. was clearing and cultivating this land before Hezekiah Dollarhide recieved the grant. 

Two years later, in 1787, Hezekiah Dollarhide recieved a second grant, to property on Little River in Randolph County, NC, as an assignee of John Knight.  There were two Hezekiah Dollarhides, one born in 1745 and the other in 1783. This would have had to be Hezekiah Sr. The family left Randolph County before 1820 and settled in Wayne County, Indiana. He died there after 1830.

Hezekiah Dollarhide
Home in 1820 (City, County, State)	Wayne, Indiana
Enumeration Date	August 7, 1820
Free White Persons - Males - 45 and over	1
Free White Persons - Females - 16 thru 25	1
Free White Persons - Females - 45 and over	1
Number of Persons - Engaged in Agriculture	1
Free White Persons - Over 25	2
Total Free White Persons	3
Total All Persons - White, Slaves, Colored, Other	3

When John Robbins Jr. stated in his pension application that he had lived in Indiana for awhile after his service, I wondered if that had had anything to do with Hezekiah Dollarhide, or if he had travelled with him. 

Then came the Smiths. On October 3, 1800, warrant 5391 was issued by John Neal to "Sherrid" Smith for 150 acres that began at Sherrod Smiths (also seen as Sherwood) own corner tree on Boston's Branch of Long Creek, surveyed on May 4, 1801 by Thomas Cotton. It was on the southwest side of the Yadkin River, on Bostons' Branch of Long Creek, and joined the property of Asa Smith, 'near' Castle. Sherrod and Asa Smith were the chain carriers. It then stated that on November 24, 1801 Sherrod Smith paid purchase money for 150 acres in entry #5391, signed by the comptroller, grant 1785. 

The very next grant, No 5392, was to the aforementioned Asa Smith. While his property was not on Boston Branch, I've included it because he had property that bordered that of Sherrod Smith that was on Boston's Branch.

Asa Smith recieved a grant for 200 acres on each side of "Bear" Creek, that was SW of the Yadkin River and on both sides of Little Bear Creek bordering a post oak in his own 100 acre tract. Richard Green and Sherrod Smith were chain carriers.

I kept looking for a spot where a branch off off Long Creek might lend itself to allowing joinng properties close enough to touch a 150 acres property that straddled Little Bear Creek. 

Asa Smith owned several properties. The below deed has an interesting northern border that looks very difficult to plat. This was the one that straddled Little Bear Creek.

But we're not done with the Smiths, oh no! 

In 1814, Phillip Smith received a warrant of 100 acres, issued on June 8 by Will Stone, on the waters of Long Creek, on Boston's Branch, joining the lands of Sherrod Smith and Andrew Bankston, Surveyed in 1814 by David Cochran on the waters of  Long Creek, the border beginning at a pine in 'Sharwood' Smith's line, joined Phillips own line and that of Lloyd Rowland. Sherwood and Phillip Smith were chain carriers. 

Boston's branch was becoming a regular little Smithville. 

And above is Phillip Smiths plat of land, a simple rectangle with an anchor. I am not able to tell which side of it was on Boston's Branch, and where it met the property of Sherwood Smith or Andrew Bankston. My best guess would be that 'toe' was sticking in the creek. 

Then below, we have Sherwood Smith's land on Bear Creek, meeting Whitfields line and was 50 yards east of Little Bear Creek It also met the property of William Capel and William Capel and 'Sherwood' Smith were the chain carriers

I keep coming back to this area of the county, and these creeks and roads, flipping them one way or another, and looking at the current county GIS maps to see if any shapes look familiar. As of yet, this puzzle remains scattered on the table in so many pieces. 

Asa Smith owned another tract which bordered the property of Brittain Chappel. I begin to notice that some of these mulitiple tracts to the same individuals were not that close together. This wasn't a small farmer adding to his already owned property widen his purvey, this seemed more like an investor, grabbing up property, perhaps as people moved on, and maybe capitalizing by renting it out, but they certainily were not driving that oxteam up a dirt road for 10 miles every day to plow their second field. 

Asa Smiths grant that neighbored Brittain Chappel named Elijah and David Smith as chain carriers. This was certainly a family venture. 

The Smiths seemed to have a bit of an enclave on, or near, Bostons Branch, so it is time to take a close look at who they were.

Asa Smith was counted in the 1790, 1800 and 1810 census records of Montgomery County, North Carolina.

He recieved several land grants in Montgomery County. The first, Grant Number 1786, in 1801, was located on the Southwest side of the Yadkin River, on both sides of Little Bear Creek. This grant of 200 acres included Sherrod Smith and Richard Green as chain carriers.

His second grant, shown above. 7629, dated 1817, joined the property of Brittain Chappel, joined his own property on Long Creek.

His third grant, Number 2529, Dated December 5, 1818, was on the waters of Long Creek. Elijah and David Smith were chain carriers. 

Asa may have removed to Tennesee. I can not be certain. I am also not certain of his relationship with Sherrod, or Sherwood Smith, but the chances are pretty good that they were related in some way, the most likely being brothers, as they were not parent/child. This is just a possibility.

Sherwood or Sherrod Smith, is a little better known. He was born in Viriginia and was also in Montgomery County, North Carolina by the 1790 census, but did not stay here. He married his wife, Faith "Faithy" Holmes in Mecklenburg County, Virginia on December 21, 1786. By 1830, he was in Carroll County, Tennesee and he is in Willamson County, Tennesee in 1840 and 1850. He was also on the 1816 petition concerning the county courthouse location, along with his sons, Phillip and Sherwood Jr. 

Will of Sherwood Smith

Sherwood Smith died in Williamson County, Tennessee in 1851 and left a will., menitioning two of his sons living in Illinois. One of them was Phillip.

Name	Philip Smith
Gender	Male
Birth Date	1780
Birth Place	Montgomery County, North Carolina, United States of Jo
Death Date	14 Sep 1860
Death Place	Blueville, Christian County, Illinois, United States of America
Cemetery	Taylor Cemetery
Burial or Cremation Place	Riverton, Sangamon County, Illinois, United States of America
Has Bio?	N
Spouse	Nancy Smith
Children	Nancy Ann WestIrvin Milton SmithLevi SmithEphraim SmithTilman SmithPhilip Smith

Phillip Smith was the oldest son of  Sherrod Smith. He was born in Montgomery County, North Carolina in 1780 and married Nancy Cooper, daughter of John and Elizabeth Carter Cooper. He first shows up in the 1810 census of Montgomery County, on the West Side of the Pee Dee River and recieves his grant on Boston's Branch of Long Creek in 1814. By 1820, he was in Sangamo, Madison County, Illinois, where he chose to raise his family.  He died there in 1860.

In 1810, however, the Smiths were in Montgomery County, North Carolina. The above list is the census page that Sherwood, Asa and Phillip Smith all appear on. The complete list is a little difficult to read in spots and since I am familiar with most of these names, I will retype it here:

James Casles (Cassels/ Castles)

Sherwood Smith (also seen as Sherrod)

David Rowland

Asa Smith

Richard Greene (Chain Carrier mentioned in Asa's grant)

Daniel McLester

Andrew Bankston (also mentioned in several of the above deeds. Land bordered Smith land on Boston's branch)

John Palmer  (see * note below. Very important)

Robert Stokes

Ambrose Stokes

Allen Stokes

James Coleman

Phillip Smith (son of Sherwood, on Bostons' Branch)

Henry Carter

Samuel Mann

Henry Mann

Solomon Holt

Malachi Mann

Richard Stokes, or Stoker

I thought WOW!, I know these people! No, I don't literally know them. I'm not that old. I am familiar with these names having came across them in prior research adventures. How's that?

*Note: Now I know who "John Parmer" or "Parmour" was, the dude with the path. Palmer, not Parmer. Not only do I know him, somewhere in my dna are pieces that John Palmer shared. He's my 5th Great Grandfather. John Palmer (1746- 1817)  was born in Maryland and the son of Thomas Palmer and Susanna Hunt. The Palmers were a very, very old New England family.  He married Janice Tamer and settled along the upper part of Long Creek in what is now Stanly County, and was then, Montgomery. Henry Davis, son of Job Davis, whom this blog is named for, married Martha Palmer, a granddaughter of John Palmer, as his second wife, and became my third Great Grandparents. This was at the inception of the new county of Stanly and Henry had moved from the Rocky River and purchased land on Cloverfork Creek, to be closer to his business in helping found the infant town of Albemarle.

James and Martha Atkins Palmer

I don't know exactly where John Palmer lived, but I do know exactly where his son James Palmer and wife, Patsy Atkins Palmer lived, and where Martha Palmer Davis had grown up. I also know the general location of where the Holts and Manns, listed at the bottom of the page, lived. 

Now, census takers used a methodology of taking count that I am not familiar with, but I do know they didn't count one family, and then ride 15 miles in another direction to count the next. The people listed were centrically located near enough to each other. Given, the population was sparse and neighbors could be far more than " hollering distance" away. Still, the neighborhood is suggesting a location more along the northern part of  Long Creek, an entirely different location than I was looking at. 

Could Boston Branch have been, literally, in my own backyard?

Plats assembled by George Thomas

I have a distant cousin on the Burris side who has an inate talent for assembling these little snippets of plats, and had already some of the Smiths.  Now we have a visual of  where Phillip Smith's  little point of land belonged.

Now I have new names to cut out and stare at like so many pieces of a jigsaw, and try to place them on a map.

And we are back to John Robbins barely visible grant on Boston's Branch. While in Anson County, I can find mention of properties adjoining that of John Robbins into the 1830's, long after I expect John Robbins Sr. was deceased, the latest mention of John Robbins, which I expect was John the Younger, in Montgomery County, was in 1814.

I will attempt to track his course from Montgomery County, North Carolina into Tennesee and Indiana and finally, to Spadra, Johnson County, Arkansas.

Which Branch was Boston's Branch and where did it go? Did it dry up and just disappear from record, or did it just gain a new name? Why was it called "Boston" in the first place? Did one of the early settlers upon it come from Boston? I keep looking at Gilberts Creek, shown on the left side of the map. In other deeds and records, the Robbins were very involved with a family of Gilberts, both in Montgomery County and in Anson. John Gilbert, Jesse Gilbert, Samson Gilbert, for the most part. I've found in other families that I've delved into that when two families seem particularly intwined and involved in one anothers business, that they are in fact, one family, intermarried and connected, usually, generationally, sometimes in several ways. 

William Ramsey is another man I want to look into. Maybe, just maybe, there was a connection to Stark or to John Ramsey the elder, (as Starkey had a son named John). Another little tidbit, is that signature of John the Younger, (and of even a younger John Robbins who appears to be John III) as Jno (squiggly) Robbins Jr. The squiggly is not a J, as it looks nothing like a J. I believe it might be an I.

The location of Boston' branch has not been acertained. I'm tossing this missive into the metasphere to see if anyone out there has any more information about it. Was it renamed, or did it dry up due to changes in the environment? Was it on the northern end or southern end of Long Creek? Only just a handfull of men had grants located on it, so it must have been a small, short branch. The only thing I am sure of, Boston Branch was nowhere near Cucumber Creek.

When the jigsaw is assembled, I will be back. I will be looking at those men in the 1810 census located nearest to the known occupants along Boston Branch. Until then, I'm going to Clarksville.

Mary Whitley

My first encounter with a mysterious woman named Mary Whitley was when I was studying the story and tragic beginnings in life of Drucilla Beasley. Drucilla Beasley had been born in the Olive Branch community of Union County, North Carolina near the Anson and Union County border. Her mother was a young woman named Martha Beasley, known as "Patsy".

Patsy was the daughter of John Beasley and lived alone with her infant daughter in a cabin on the corner of her father's property. Pasty had been disgraced by the birth of her child out of wedlock. The baby's father was one Thomas Nash, son of Walker and Edna Nash. It's recorded that he was a blonde, good looking young man. Tom apparently frequented the home of Patsy Beasley, but would not marry her. About a year afer the birth of their daughter, Drusilla, His attention had been captured by a different lass, a girl named Mary, maiden name unknown. Mary had refused his attentions based on his ongoing sexual relations with his "baby momma", Patsy Beasley. Tom had confessed to Mary that he would get rid of that obstacle. And he did, quite savagely, Tom Nash had murdered Patsy Beasley.

He had found Patsy, as the story goes, washing clothes at a spring. From the scene later discovered by neighbors, they assumed she had decided to do the laundry while the baby napped, as she was found crawling around the cabin unharmed. Patsy had been shot and stomped and her head bashed in with a large stone. It was a particularly grievous crime. One can imagine him shooting her first, and as his aim was bad and had merely wounded her, he either beat her first and then attacked her with the stone while she was down, or he knocked her unconscious with the stone and then proceded to stomp on her lifeless body.

He was soon found out and jailed, having given his guilt away at Jerusalem Church and having had admitted his plot to rid himself of the obstacle, Patsy, to win Mary's heart, to Mary. It took 3 or 4 years of delays and appeals and bouncing the trial from county to county because so many were tainted against Tom Nash, his right to a fair trial was hindered.

In 1964, in the Rowan County newspaper, The Salisbury Post, a staff reporter named Heath Thomas gave an account of the story of Patsy Beasley's murder for the Sunday, April 12 edition of the newspaper. This rendition has been attached to the profile of Tom and Patsy on ancestry.com by user billieranson from an account by Dee Austin Creech quoting the 1964 article. Below is the mention of Mary Whitley, as given in this account. She went on after the romantic leanings of murderer Tom Nash, to marry someone else, an unknown Mr. Whitley, and was expecting her first child.

C.W. Wooly, Clerk of Montgomery Superior Court on February 25, 1846. Clerk Wooly also ordered the prisoner be returned to Wadesboro, and that he be returned to Troy on the last Monday in August 1846. At the August term at Troy, Judge Thomas Little was on the bench and Robert Strange again filled the role of prosecutor. This time it was the state that asked for a continuance. John Beasley (Patsy's father) made oath that Mary Whitley was a material witness for the state, by whom he expected to prove admissions of the defendant that he was guilty of the murder. Mary, it was pointed out, had attended prior sessions, but was then in a state of pregnancy, "so far advanced as to render it very unsafe for her to attend the present term of court." Beasley also swore that he had recently learned that Henry Marshall of Stanly County was a material witness by whom he expected to prove that Nash admitted to Marshall that he had killed the Beasley girl. John Beasley made the affidavit on September 2, 1846. It was then ordered by the court that Thomas Nash be committed to the custody of Col. George D. Boggan, sheriff of Anson, who was to keep the prisoner in Wadesboro until the next term of Montgomery County Superior Court, the first Monday of February, 1847. Thomas Nash made an oath that A. Kael Burger would be a material witness for him in this trial of this cause, that he had been summoned and was absent without the consent of the affiant, who expected to prove by him that the gun of the prisoner was in the same condition on the 1st of August, 1844, as it was on the 5th of August, and that prisoner was not within two miles of the place where Martha Patsy Beasley was killed, between the hours of 10 o'clock in the forenoon and 2 o'clock in the afternoon, on the day of her alleged death. This affiant further swore that on his arrest upon the charge, he was carried before a justice of the peace before whom the examination was taken and many witnesses were examined on the part of the State, whose testimony was reduced to writing by the said examining magistrate; this defendant was informed and believes that the said examining magistrate; this defendant was informed and believes that the said examination was regular and was returned to the clerk's office of the Superior Court of the County of Anson and he could not come safely to trial without the benefit of said evidence. So Nash was ordered back to Wadesboro once more to wait the August term of Montgomery County Superior Court. At last in August, 1847, Thomas Nash was put on trial for the murder of a woman who had died more than three years before.

So, who was Mary Whitley? While over the years in Anson County and most espcially, in neighboring Stanly County, there were a few Mary Whitley's, only one would have been the right age for this Mary, and she had been pregnant in 1847. The others were either far to young or far too old, or were not yet born at all.

Name:	Mary Whittey
Gender:	Female
Age:	31
Birth Year:	abt 1819
Birthplace:	North Carolina
Home in 1850:	Lanesboro, Anson, North Carolina, USA
Cannot Read, Write:	Y
Line Number:	32
Dwelling Number:	1101
Family Number:	1101
Household Members:	Name Age Mary Whittey 31 Sarah Whittey 7 Rosa Whittey 5 James Whittey 3

Mary first appears in the 1850 census, alone with her 3 children,  Sarah, Rosa and James, in Lanesboro in Anson County. She is sandwiched between the family of Joseph J Williams and that of his older son. One might think she may have been a daughter of his, but she isn't. He does have a widowed daughter named Mary living with him and she had married an Allen.

I looked into land records involving Joseph Williams to see if there is any mention of a neighbor named Whitley, and there is not.

The only Whitley mentioned in the 1840 census of Anson County, the one before Mary would have gotten married is a Henry Whitley and he clearly already had a family. In 1830, there is Henry and Allen Whitley. I found this information on Allen and Henry Whitley.

Allen Whitley was born in 1806 in North Carolina. A birthdate of October 10 is given for him. On November 25, 1820, at the age of 19, he purchased land in Anson County from Thomas Trull. Four years later, at the age of 23, he married Mary Ann Price, age 15, and daughter of Abraham and Ester Price. In 1830, the couple is shown next door to her parents. On November 18, 1835. Allen Whitley sells the property to Daniel Sneed. The deed is witnessed by Henry Whitley and David Webb. It is believed that Henry and Daniel were brothers, or some other way related.





Allen moves to Roswell, Cobb County, Georgia. Henry is found in Cherokee County, Georgia in 1850 and then later moves to Fayette County, Alabama where he remains until his death in 1881. He has a large family with a wife named Nancy, who was his contemporary, so he was not the husband of Mary Whitley, although a relative of his could have been. As Henry was born in 1793, he may have even had a son who was old enough to have married Mary.

This set of Whitley's originated in Nash County, in fact ,there seems to have been a very close connection between the Whitley's and the Nashes of Nash County and those of Anson County.  In fact, in the Allen Whitley deed was noted that the property adjoined that of Richard Nash.

And then there was Exodus. Exodus Whitley, through grants and census records, clearly lived in Montgomery County, North Carolina. A petition drawn up by the citizens of Montgomery County in 1811 asking to be annexed into Cabarrus County, due to the dangers of having to cross the Pee Dee River in order to go to Court and take care of business, asked that the annexed section include those on the West Side of the River, which eventually became Stanly County, down to Exodux Whitley's ford on the Rocky River.

This meant that Exodus Whitley lived on the (now) Stanly County side of the Pee Dee River, along the Rocky River just across the Anson County border, near the edge of the county.

He had two deeds, however, recorded in Anson County. In the first one, he made a purchase of a tract on Cedar Branch from Daniel Hinson. It's noted that Exodus Whitley was from Montgomery County and Daniel HInson from Anson. Dated March 29, 1809, the property bordered John Robbins property and went to the Gurley's corner stake. I had already researched the Gurleys and may be related to John Robbins, so I am familiar with  the general location of this property. It consisted of 150 acres and also bordered the Phillips property. Steven Whitley and Benjamin Grey were witnesses.

The second deed, in Book Y Page 472 is even more interesting. On October 28th, 1833, 24 years after he bought the property on Cedar Branch, Exodus Whitley sold it to Walker Nash. Exodus was still described as being from Montgomery County and Walker Nash from Anson. It was the same property in the same dimensions, still bordering the lines of John Robbins, Phillips and Gurley's corner. It was signed by Exodus Whitley and witnessed by Isham Whitley and Wyatt Nance.

What makes this interesting is the association of persons. Walker Nash was the father of Tom Nash who murdered Patsy Beasley and at whose trial Mary Whitley was called to testify. Wyatt Nance was the father of Robert Nance who would marry Mary Whitley's daughter, Sarah. It would make perfect sense that Mary Whitley was somehow related to this group of  Whitley's, due to the fact of the spot she landed and is shown is for 4 census records, being the only Whitley around, nearly. Addison Whitley shows up in Union County, later and supposedly the son of George Whitley. From what I've seen online, George and Exodus were brothers, but I've not done a great deal of research on it myself, so I couldn't swear by it.

CLIPPED FROM

The North-Carolina Star
Raleigh, North Carolina04 Aug 1820, Fri  •  Page 3
I had decided Exodus Whitley deserved a closer look. He recieved 5 Land Grants in Montgomery County, with the first being 50 acres on the West Side of the PeeDee River (now Stanly County), in 1790,and two in 1795 being described as being on Stillwater Creek. Stillwater Creek is now known as Island Creek and empties in to the Rocky River at the site of Old Nance's Mill. Remember the property in Anson bordering that of Wyatt Nance?

He recieved a 4th Grant in 1802 on the Rocky River and the 5th and last one in 1820 on the Rocky River. 

Name:	Exodus Whitley
Home in 1800 (City, County, State):	Montgomery, North Carolina
Free White Persons - Males - Under 10:	1 1790-1800
Free White Persons - Males -10 thru 15:	1 1785-1790
Free White Persons - Males - 16 thru 25:	2  1775-1784
Free White Persons - Males - 45 and over:	1 Exodus- born before 1755
Free White Persons - Females - Under 10:	1 1790 - 1800
Free White Persons - Females - 10 thru 15:	2  1785 - 1790
Free White Persons - Females - 45 and over:	1 Wife- born before 1755
Number of Household Members Under 16:	5
Number of Household Members Over 25:	2
Number of Household Members:	9

Exodus Whitley first appears in the 1800 census of Montgomery County, NC, wherein the oldest male in the Household is over 45, meaning he was born in 1755 or earlier. Right next to him is a Cager Whitley, (the nickname for Micajah), a much younger man. They live right next to James Gurley.

Name:	Cager Whitley
Home in 1800 (City, County, State):	Montgomery, North Carolina
Free White Persons - Males - Under 10:	1
Free White Persons - Males - 16 thru 25:	1 1775-1784
Free White Persons - Females - 16 thru 25:	1 1775-1784
Number of Household Members Under 16:	1
Number of Household Members:	3

Exodus appears in the 1800 - 1830 census records. In the 1810, he is still listed as over 45 and near him is a young man named Needham Whitley. Up the page just a little is an older Needham Whitley, with George Springer appearing between that older Needham and a Titus Whitley and Patsy Whitley right next to him, most likely a widow. Below Exodus Whitley and young Needham is Bryant Austin, an ancestor of mine who lived on the Rocky River below Oakboro, and James Gurley. I've done research on James Gurley and he obviously owned property on both sides of the Rocky River in Anson and Stanly. The property that Exodus had bought in Anson bordered that of James Gurley and he will come up again in a minute. Just below them, you find Cager Whitley and a new one, Jonathan Whitley, listed side by side. Keep going and some distance down is not one, but two,George Whitleys, but all within two pages.

Name:	Exodus Whittey [Eadus Whitley]
Home in 1810 (City, County, State):	Wagster, Montgomery, North Carolina
Free White Persons - Males - 10 thru 15:	1795-1800
Free White Persons - Males - 45 and over:	1 Exodus before 1765
Free White Persons - Females - 10 thru 15:	1 1795-1800
Free White Persons - Females - 16 thru 25:	2 1785-1794
Number of Household Members Under 16:	2
Number of Household Members Over 25:	1
Number of Household Members:	5

In 10 years, the family of Exodus Whitley went from 9 members to 5. There is no longer an older lady, presumably his wife, in the household. The same 3 younger females, (daughters), match up exactly in a decade progression from the 1800 census, but only the youngest son is left at home. The younger Needham and Jonathan could possibly be sons of Exodus.

Name:	Cager Whittey [Cager Whitley]
Home in 1810 (City, County, State):	Wagster, Montgomery, North Carolina
Free White Persons - Males - Under 10:	3
Free White Persons - Males - 16 thru 25:	1 1785-1794
Free White Persons - Females - Under 10:	1
Free White Persons - Females - 10 thru 15:	1
Free White Persons - Females - 16 thru 25:	1
Number of Household Members Under 16:	5
Number of Household Members:	7

Again, Cager is still a young man and living close to Exodus in 1810. There are several children in his household.



In the late 1700's and early 1800's, a Palantine immigrant from Pennsylvania migrated to this area named John Melchor. Instanly, I began to wonder if he was a relation to Mathias Melchor who settled in Stanly County near Albemarle. John Melchor operated a Grist Mill on the Rocky River in what is now Cabarrus County, but was, in the beginning, part of Mecklenburg. He also ran a country store neat the current village of Mount Pleasant. Portions of his account still exists and can be found online in the archives. The names in the book cover a wide range of territory with citizens of Anson, Cabarrus, Mecklenburg, Stanly, Rowan and Union Counties being his customers. In 1794-1796, he makes the first mention of Exodus Whitley in this area, along with Titus Whitley and George Whitley "Jr.". I've seen it written that these 3 were brothers. That, I don't know, but they were contemporaries.Neighbors of Exodus Whitley are also named in the book, like Richard, Killis and Martin Almond, "Andy" Bird, Harbard Suggs and James and Jacob Gurley.Exodus Whitley is listed in the book in association with a Thomas Motley.Titus Whitley made a purchase for  a "Mainor". George Whitley is designated as "Jr.", indicating the older George Whitley, said to be the father of these three, was alive.

I mention this because Jonathan Whitley, who makes his first appearance in the 1810 census next to Cager Whitley, is shown as a young man under 25 with a young wife and 3 little girls. 

Name:	Jonathan R Whitley
Gender:	Male
Bond date:	23 Aug 1813
Bond Place:	Mecklenburg, North Carolina, USA
Spouse:	Jane Price
Spouse Gender:	Female
Event Type:	Bond

A Jonathan R. Whitley is shown as marrying a Jane Price in 1813 in Mecklenburg County. The surname Price will reappear later. The bondsman was B. Wilson Davidson. Addison Whitley, who would later live in Union County and is thought to be a son of George Whitley II, also married in Mecklenburg County to Samira Medlin.

Cager Whitley the younger, would move to Walton County, Georgia. Several other of the Whitleys did too, like James and Nathaniel.There was an older Micajah Whitley from Wayne County, who was a Revolutionary War soldier. He lived in Wayne County and left a will there about 1835. It's quite possible he was the older "Kager" in the 1810 census, and had returned to Wayne.There is no surviving 1820 census for Montgomery County. It was probably lost in one of the many courthouse fires. Jumping ahead to 1830, the Whitley family had grown, so much that a portion of Stanly County, around the area George Whitley settled, was known as "Whitley". 
There's a young Zachariah Whitley living near Thomas Motley, Jr.. Not far is a Thomas Whitley, Isham Whitley, George Whitley and Needham Whitley. A second Needham Whitley, designated as "SR." is on the next page living near Bryant Austin, Esq. Exodus is not far behind. James Gurley is no longer listed, but David Gurley is.Thomas Castle and Henry Manuel, supposedly their kin, are listed on the next page, along with John Whitley. William Whitley is living near the Almonds and Solomon Burris. Lastly an 80 plus year old George Whitley is living near John Gilbert, the bondsman for Addison Whitley and Silvia Springer, who will be mentioned again shortly.In the two deeds in Anson County involving Exodus Whitley, Isham Whitley signs as a witness in the first deed in 1809, while a Stephen Whitley signs as witness in the later one. 

Name:	Stephen Whitley
Home in 1810 (City, County, State):	Anson, North Carolina
Free White Persons - Males - 16 thru 25:	1
Free White Persons - Females - Under 10:	2
Free White Persons - Females - 16 thru 25:	1
Number of Household Members Under 16:	2
Number of Household Members:	4

While Isham is in Montgomery (Stanly) in 1830, Stephen is in Anson, and I have came across him before in my Gurley Research. 

Name:	Stephen Whitley
Gender:	Male
Age:	68
Birth Year:	abt 1782
Birthplace:	North Carolina
Home in 1850:	Division 12, Cass, Georgia, USA
Occupation:	Laborer
Industry:	Industry not reported
Cannot Read, Write:	Y
Line Number:	24
Dwelling Number:	80
Family Number:	80
Household Members:	Name Age Stephen Whitley 68 Unity Whitley 54 Lucinda Whitley 20

George Whitley II

Stephen Whitley married Unity Gurley, daughter of Jacob Gurley and is mentioned in his will. They later migrate to Cass County, Georgia.  In 1840, no Whitley's are in Anson County. In Montgomery, Exodus Whitley is no more. He died between 1830 and 1840 and no will is found. As Montgomery is a burned county, he may have had one. 
Although many of the young Whitleys had migrated away to take that gene pool onward to Georgia and Alabama, many remained in what was soon to become Stanly County. Green D. Whitley makes his first appearance near the Burris and Tucker clans.A cluster of Whitleys appear near the Cagles and Bryant Austin still. There's George, Neeham, Jr., with Isham 'Isam' in this appearance, right next door, and Allison.A different cluster involves Edmund Whitley, near the Castles and Henry Lowder. The Castles were relatives as a Martha Castles supposedly married George Whitley I, father of George II, Titus and Exodus. Also in this cluster is William Whitley, Sr and Mary Whitley, an older lady of 70 +, living with a man about 40 named J or G Mills.

I've definitely got to do more Whitley explorations, for a number of reasons. One, I've found that I share DNA with several descendants of a Meredith "Mereday" Whitley from Nash County, NC. Second, I share DNA with the descendants of the only Grandchild of Mary Whitley, the main subject of this post. Although I have no rock solid Whitley ancestry in my family tree, as of yet, I have two viable possibilities.I discovered that a lady named Fannie Robbins, widow of Isham Robbins, who had a close relationship with my ancestor, John Honeycutt, was born a Whitley and was a sister of George II. I believe that she was the mother of John Honeycutt's wife, Sylvia. Some have Sylvia pegged as a Cagle, and while the couple was a neighbor of some Cagles, my leanings are with her being a Robbins.The other possible connection is that of my 5th Great Grandmother, Piety (seen as "Phida" in the 1850 census) Lambert, maiden name unknown. Her husband, Elder John Lambert, was a resident of Johnston County, North Carolina before arriving to the area of Stanly County known as "Lambert". His connection as a Primitive Baptis Minister was under the tutelage of a Rev. Whitley in Johnston County and those Whitleys are related to the Stanly County Whitleys. In fact, some of them became Stanly County Whitleys. He also lived near a Drury Honeycutt, and of course, the Honeycutts also arrived, en masse, to Stanly County. If I took bets on what Piety's maiden name was, which I may never know for sure, my bets would be on either Whitley or Honeycutt.

While most of the Whitleys that pop up in 1840 or 1850 are attributed to George, Exodus Whitley definately had children. I believe Stephen Whitley was his, and we know he married Unity Gurley. But I also believe Isham and Cager the younger was probably his as well, and probably Johnathan.Where Mary Whitley of Anson County shows up and the Nash connection points me to the family of Exodus Whitley as her most likely origins. And the one Whitley who disappears between 1840 and 1850, who witnessed a deed with Exodus Whitley, and who doesn't pop up in another state, was Isham.So there is my theory of Mary Whitley. It's going to take a great deal more digging on my part before it is anything more than a substantive theory, but I believe Mary may have been the second wife of Isham Whitley. He most definately had a first one, and all of Mary's children were born after the murder of Patsy Beasley in 1844 and before she is alone with her three children in 1850.

Name:	Mary Whitley
Age:	40
Birth Year:	abt 1820
Gender:	Female
Birth Place:	North Carolina
Home in 1860:	Diamond Hill, Anson, North Carolina
Post Office:	Ansonville
Dwelling Number:	133
Family Number:	133
Personal Estate Value:	25
Household Members:	Name Age Mary Whitley 40 Sarah Whitley 15 Rosa Whitley 13 James Whitley 11 Wm Thomson 18

We last saw Mary in 1850 with her 3 children as youngesters. In 1860, we see her with them as teens. She has a laborer named William Thompson living with her.
Over the next decade, both daughters marry. Sarah will become the second wife of Robert Nance, a much older man with a large family. Robert was the son of Wyatt Nance.Rosa will marry Andrew Jackson Newton, son of David and Rosanna Haire Newton.There is no further trace of James Whitley. He may have been the 17 year old James Whitley killed in the Civil War, although he would have been too young, and more like 14 that year. Of course, many a young soldier had lied about their ages. If he were large enough to pass as older, it's possilbe, but I have no way to certify this and so all I know is that he disappears from record without trace.

Name:	May Whitley
Age in 1870:	49
Birth Year:	abt 1821
Birthplace:	North Carolina
Dwelling Number:	91
Home in 1870:	New Salem, Union, North Carolina
Race:	White
Gender:	Female
Post Office:	Beaver Dam
Occupation:	At Home
Cannot Write:	Y
Household Members:	Name Age Robert L Nance 62 Sarah Nance 25 Sarah M Nance 15 William Nance 12 Colin M Nance 10 Joseph H Nance 6 May Whitley 49

By 1870, Mary Whitley is living in the home of her daughter, Sarah Nance, with her son-in-law Robert Nance and his children. Sarah was not the mother of any of them, just the stepmother.

Name:	Mary Whitley
Age:	58
Birth Date:	Abt 1822
Birthplace:	North Carolina
Home in 1880:	New Salem, Union, North Carolina, USA
Dwelling Number:	339
Race:	White
Gender:	Female
Relation to Head of House:	Self (Head)
Marital status:	Widowed
Father's Birthplace:	North Carolina
Mother's Birthplace:	North Carolina
Occupation:	Keeps House
Cannot Write:	Yes
Neighbors:
Household Members:	Name Age Mary Whitley 58 Sarah E. Nance 34

By 1880, Sarah is a young widow and she and her mother Mary are living in New Salem together.Daughter Rosie Whitley Newton passed away before 1874, when her husband remarries to his cousin, Sarah. She had one son, James David Newton.Sarah Whitley Nance passed away in 1882 at the age of 36, leaving a will and leaving everything to her nephew, James David Newton.It is quite possible that Mary Whitley outlived all of her children, however, she did not make it to 1900. The only grandchild she had that I can discover was J. D. Newton, and sometimes that is all you need to march into the future.I am very curious to Mary's origins because several of the descendants of her grandson share DNA with me and as of yet, I can't determine how. Not Yet.