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Article of the Month |
Several of our Members have started searching for our Eaton southern families, and as frequently happens, research triggers new stories coming to light. Upon my early review of VA and North Carolina census material, it was apparent that I would first need to look at the boundary areas and how the various counties developed. Initially, areas in VA and NC overlapped, and both VA and NC were territories with vast land mass. What follows then is a story which begins with my determination of boundary lines in NC, and stumbles into an Eaton family associated with that of Daniel Boone. The first permanent English settlers in North Carolina were immigrants from the tidewater area of southeastern Virginia. The first of these "overflow" settlers moved into the Albemarle area of northeast North Carolina around 1650. In 1663, Charles II granted a charter to eight English gentlemen who had helped him regain the throne of England. The charter document contains the following description of the territory which the eight Lords Proprietors were granted title to: “All that Territory or tract of ground, situate, lying, and being within our Dominions in America, extending from the North end of the Island called Luck Island, which lies in the Southern Virginia Seas and within six and Thirty degrees of the Northern Latitude, and to the West as far as the South Seas; and so Southerly as far as the River Saint Mathias, which borders upon the Coast of Florida, and within one and Thirty degrees of Northern Latitude, and West in a direct Line as far as the South Seas aforesaid; Together with all and singular Ports, Harbours, Bays, Rivers, Isles, and Islets belonging unto the Country aforesaid; ...." [emphasis added]The territory was called Carolina in honor of Charles the First ("Carolus" is the Latin form of "Charles"). In 1665, a second charter was granted to clarify territorial questions not answered in the first charter. This charter again extended the boundary lines. Between 1663 and 1729, North Carolina was under the control of the Lords Proprietors and their descendants who commissioned colonial officials and authorized the governor and his council to grant lands in the name of the Lords Proprietors. Initially, there were three precincts--Berkley, Carteret, and Shaftesbury--but as the colony expanded to the south and west, new precincts were created. The Albemarle Region was the first permanent settlement in the Carolina area and, for the period 1692-1712, the colonies of North and South Carolina existed as one unit of government. By 1729, there were a total of eleven precincts: six in Albemarle County and five in Bath County, which had been created in 1696. Seven of the Lords Proprietors sold their interests in North Carolina to the Crown -- North Carolina then becoming a royal colony. The eighth proprietor, Lord Granville, retained economic interest and continued granting land in the northern half of North Carolina, but until 1775, all political functions were under the supervision of the Crown. Colonial government in North Carolina was essentially the same during both the proprietary and royal periods. The term "precinct" as a geographical unit ceased to exist after 1739 and these areas became known as "counties." "Albemarle County" and "Bath County" ceased to exist as governmental units. On April 12, 1776, North Carolina authorized her delegates to the Continental Congress to vote for independence. This was the first official action by a colony calling for independence and became known as the Halifax Resolution. The Halifax Resolves were also important because they were held not as unilateral recommendations, but were instead directed to all the colonies and their delegates assembled at the Continental Congress in Philadelphia. Soon after the adoption of the Halifax Resolution, Virginia followed with her own recommendations, and eventually on July 4, the final draft of the Declaration of Independence was signed. In early December 1776, delegates to the Fifth Provincial Congress adopted the first constitution for North Carolina. On December 21, 1776, Richard Caswell became the first governor of North Carolina under the new constitution. In contrast, the history of North Carolina's mountains is a study in isolation. For most of the time Europeans have been in North America, the Appalachians had been on the geographic, political and economic fringe. In the colonial era, the mountain ranges served as a barrier to westward expansion. Roads were possible only through gaps in the ridges. Even then, they were mostly rough, primitive affairs not conducive to the movement of people or commerce. The most efficient form of transportation in the 18th century was waterborne. Again, mountainous areas were at a disadvantage with their shallow, rocky, un-navigable streams. Many people of the mountains claim descent or collateral relationship with Daniel Boone, but the mountains of North Carolina was the home of his boyhood, his young manhood and the State in which he chose his wife. From his home at Holman's Ford, he passed to his cabin in the village of Boone on frequent occasions, making hunting trips from that point into the surrounding mountains. From there too he started on his trips into Kentucky. Daniel Boone's grandfather, George Boone III, was born in Stoke Canon (a village near Exeter), Devonshire, England where he pursued his trade as a weaver. Stoke Canon is a village located in the lowlands of the beautiful rolling countryside of Devon. It is situated between the merging of the River Culm into the River Exe, about five miles north of the city of Exeter. The baptisms of George and two other siblings were recorded in the register of Stoke Canon Parish, along with the burials of two other siblings and the interment of his parents, George II and Sarah [Uppey/Uphay]. George III married Mary Maugridge, daughter of John Mogridge and Mary Milton of Bradninch, a village about nine miles north of Exeter. Mary Mogridge was baptized in Bradninch Parish, where she and George were married in 1689 at St. Disens Church, Bradninch. They had nine sons and 2 daughters -- nine who lived to be adults, namely, George IV, Sarah, Squire, Mary, John, Joseph, Benjamin, James & Samuel. The Boone families originally belonged to the Anglican Church in England, but Old George Boone and Mary had embraced the faith of the Society of Friends (Quakers) and became members of the Collumpton Society of Friends near Bradninch. Because Quakers were subject to persecution in England, they were increasingly turning their attention to Sir William Penn's inviting colony in America's wilderness. Like many of their brethren, George III and his family soon looked to America and "Penn's Woods" as a haven where they could worship as they pleased and where they could perhaps better their circumstances. George sent his three oldest children. George IV, Sarah and Squire to America late in 1712, and upon their arrival, they settled near the Abingdon (now Abington) Friends Monthly Meeting in Bucks County, PA. Sarah married Jacob Stover and, in 1714, moved to Oley Valley in Philadelphia County, now in Berks Co. about eight miles east of Reading. Finally, the entire family emigrated to the province on August 17, 1717, arriving in Philadelphia seven weeks later on October 10. After a short stay with his children in Abingdon, George and his household settled in a small hamlet of North Wales in Gwynedd Township, a few miles from present-day Abington. Originally settled by the Welsh, Gwynedd had two other Quaker families residing there, and they formed the Gwynned Family Meeting. Two years later, George moved to Oley Valley along with his son George. Jr., where they purchased about 400 acres along the Owatin (now Spring) Creek and built their cabins. His daughter, Sarah, and her husband Jacob Stover lived nearby. Soon after settling, George Sr. and his family organized the Exeter Friends Meeting in the valley, and gave the ground on which the meeting house still stands. Here many of the Boones lie buried. When George died, he left 8 Children, 52 Grand-Children, and 10 Great-Grand-Children. Squire Boone, George's youngest son, was originally from Bradninch, England, 11 miles north of Exeter, about 40 miles northeast of Plymouth in the southeast corner of England. Squire’s baptism is listed in the records of St. Disen’s Church. He is described as a strong wiry man of small stature, ruddy complexion, with red hair and grey eyes. Like his father, Squire was a weaver and had five or six looms that he used. In the New World, he was a farmer, a tanner and weaver, a blacksmith, a tavern keeper and later Justice of the Peace in Rowan Co., NC. In 1726, Squire married Sarah Morgan, descendant of the celebrated Gen. Daniel Morgan of the Revolution, a Welsh Quaker family prominent in the Gwynned Meeting. Sarah was taller than her husband and is said to have been of distinguished appearance, with black hair and dark flashing eyes. During the first ten years of their married life, Squire and Sarah lived in a stone house (which is still standing) built on the bank of the Neshaminy Creek near the town of Chalfont, in Bucks County. Here the first of their twelve children were born. In 1730, they moved to the Oley Valley where Sarah, Israel, Samuel, Jonathan, Elizabeth, Mary, Daniel, George, Edward, Squire and Hannah were born; there Squire bought from "Ralph Ashton, gentleman" of Philadelphia, a tract of 250 acres not far from the home of his father, his brother George, and his sisters, Sarah Stover and Mary Webb. With the help of his neighbors, Squire Boone built a log cabin on a stone foundation, which even now supports part of the present house. As was customary with the early pioneers, he built his cabin over a spring so that water would be readily available and provided a cool place for perishable food, safe from marauding Indians and wild animals. The eastern portion of the present stone house adjoining the cabin was probably built by In 1748, Squire was removed from the Quaker Church because he gave support to his son Israel to marry “out of unity,” which is one of the reasons the family left Pennsylvania in May 1750 and moved to Holman’s Ford on the Yadkin River, Rowan (now Davidson) Co., North Carolina in 1751. Squire died at the age of 76 and Sarah Morgan Boone died in 1777. Both are buried at Joppa Cemetery, Mocksville Davie County, NC. Daniel Boone was their sixth child, born November 2, 1734. In the spring of 1756, Squire Boone, Justice of the Peace, officiated at the marriage of his son Daniel and Rebecca Bryan, daughter of Joseph Bryan, who was one of the founders and defenders of Bryan Station near Lexington, Kentucky. Their children were James, Israel, Susannah, Jemima, Lavinia, Rebecca, Daniel Morgan, John B. and Nathan. The four daughters married; the two eldest sons were killed by Indians; and the three younger children emigrated to Missouri. About 1767, Daniel and his family moved sixty-five miles west from the Yadkin settlement near Dutchman's creek, "choosing his final home on the upper Yadkin just above the mouth of Beaver creek. Col. James M. Isbell's grandfather, Martin, told him that Daniel Boone used to live six miles below James M. Isbell's present home near the bank of the Yadkin River on a little creek now known as Beaver creek near Holman's ford. The Boone house was in a little swamp and canebrake surrounding the point of a ridge, with but one approach by the ridge. The chimney stones of the cabin are still visible. Daniel Boone(1) was a neighbor of the Clifford family who had merged with a pioneering family, the Eatons, who arrived from Wales around 1685, settling in Pennepack, Pennsylvania as members of the original Baptist community in Philadelphia and then traveled the famous Wagon Road to North Carolina and settled in Rowan (Davie) County, between the years 1760 and 1790. Here the Eaton family established their well known Dutchman’s Creek Baptist Church. Many of the families lived adjacent to each other along Dutchman's Creek near Mocksville, and marriages blossomed between families.  This map shows how the families were dispersed in Davie County, NC. Notice family names such as Eaton, Hall, Hunter and the famous Boone family. Edward Boone, younger brother of Daniel, was born in Oley Township, Philadelphia County, PA. (today’s Berks County) on November 30, 1740. In 1750, Edward moved with his family to the Yadkin District of NC (Anson County). (In 1753, Rowan County was formed from Anson County and, in 1770, Surry was formed from Rowan County where he is listed on the Surry Co., Tax Rolls.) On January 22, 1774 Edward Boone was baptized (adult baptisms were typical of early Baptists) in the Mulberry Field Baptist Church, a branch of Dutchman’s Creek (Eaton’s) Baptist Church (the oldest Baptist Church in the upper Yadkin River Valley) and became Clerk & Deacon of this church. (In 1777, Wilkes County was formed from Surry and we find Edward listed on their tax rolls.) In "Rowan Co. Vacant Land Entries 1778/1779" is an entry dated Jan 17, 1779, Rowan Co NC, which shows Isaac Eaton on waters of Dutchman's Creek adjacent to Alexander, Isaac Johnson, George Wilcoxson and Jonathan Boone (Edward’s brother). Edward and Daniel married sisters, Martha and Rebecca Bryan. Edward and Martha were married in the Eaton Baptist Church Yadkin, North Carolina and spent most of their lives in what is today Wilkes County, North Carolina where Ned (as he was known) was a community leader and family man. In May 1769, Daniel started to wander through the wilderness of America in quest of the country of "Kentucke." Kentucky was the land of promise reposed in primeval beauty and grandeur. It was a hunter's paradise; the buffalo, elk, bear, deer and other wild game roamed everywhere. But no white men were yet visible; no ruthless axe had invaded this land of forests and green meadows. In Sept 9, 1779, Ned took out a land entry in Wilkes County for 200 acres on Beaver Creek, but decided one month later, to follow his brother to Kentucky. Daniel was leading a large party of family members [at least families of Sarah, Israel, Samuel and Jonathan] to Kentucky for the promise of free land, and this was Ned’s chance for western exploration and adventure. One year later, Edward was killed by Indians while on a hunting trip with Daniel. He was 36 years old. By1792, Kentucky was a member of the American Republic and was inhabited by over a million happy, peaceful people. Sources: (1) My [Webmaster: B.Fitzsenry] Eaton/Simpson ancestral lines stem from an Eaton connection in Virginia (c. 1764) to that of a Simpson family, also from VA, who traveled the pathways set out by Daniel Boone and were one of the parties who joined Daniel (and possibly other Eaton families from NC) through the Appalachian mountains and to points West. "When Daniel Boone was enlisting settlers to move to Kentucky, Richard Simpson, III decided the future would be more profitable if he moved his family to Kentucky.” (Simpson Clan (Book) http://www.nonawilliams.com/newsletters/simpson_clan_toc.htm, by Nona Williams, published: Genealogy Research Publications and Daniel Boone's site, “Extraordinary Life of a Common Man...”) Daniel's sister was said to have been married to an unknown Simpson. Daniel's brother, George, had a daughter, Sarah, who married Solomon Simpson and George had sons, who married daughters of Matthew Simpson: Edward Boone married Dorcas Simpson and Samuel Boone married Anna Simpson. George was also joined to Eaton's (Dutchman Creek) Baptist Church by baptism on August 7, 1774, located a few miles northeast of where their father, Squire Boone, first staked his claim on Bear Creek ca 1750 at Cana, Davie County, NC; ergo the Boone, Simpson and Eaton families were brethren and kinfolk. |
