Family:Whitney, Francis (b1735-a1762)
Francis4 Whitney (Joshua3, David2, Samuel1),[1] was born before 1735, probably in Virginia,[2] and died after 1762.[3]
He was bequeathed three silver spoons in his father's 1735 will.
Circa 1750's francess (sic) Whitney is listed on the roll of the North Carolina Militia from Edgecombe County North Carolina.[4]
Deed Records Edgecombe County North Carolina
24 September 1759 John Thomas of Edgecombe Co. to his son, Jonathan Thomas of same, for love and affection the 200 acre plantation whereon said Jonathan then lived, situated on the north bank of Toisnot Swamp at the mouth of Buckhorn Branch, it being parts of two tracts (except one acre for the rise of a meeting house for the Baptists wheon the meeting house then stood). Wit: John Thomas, Junr., Francis Whitney, Barnaby Barron.[5]
24 September 1759 John Thomas of Edgecombe Co. to his son, John Thomas, of same, for love and affection the 311 acre plantation wheon he then lived on the north bank of Toisnot Swamp at the mouth of Buckhorn Branch adjoining John Stevens, it being parts of two tracts. Wit: Johnathan Thomas, Francis Whitney, Barnaby Barron. [6]
On 22 June 1762, Francis Whitney was granted 700 acres of land on Cattail Swamp in Edgecombe County, North Carolina.[7](This land is located in present day Wilson County North Carolina and is located in the same general area as Buckhorn/Buck Branch, Toisnot Swamp, and Whiteoak Swamp.)
This grant was from The Granville Proprietary Land Office which "was closed in 1763, never reopened, and the State of North Carolina confiscated the lands during the Revolution. Consequently, no land grants were issued in the Granville District between 1763 and 1778, when the State of North Carolina began issuing grants of its own in the old Granville proprietorship." [8]
There must have been some provisions made, at some point, by the State of North Carolina, to return these confiscated lands because:
- MAY, 1797 Edgecombe County North Carolina, Minutes of
- County Court - A patent or grant from the Earl Granviile
- to Francis WHITNEY. The parity of Joseph
- MONTFORDs handwriting, a witness thereto, was proved by
- Edward HALL. [9]
It is not known, if this was Francis Whitney, in Edgecombe County Court, or possibly, a representative for him.
The Regulator Rebellion raged across North Carolina starting, in 1766, and ended with the Battle of Almance, in 1771. Many participants in this movement were forced to flee North Carolina to avoid capture and/or forced to sign oaths. Their destination was usually the frontier of Western Virginia.
It is possible that Francis Whitney of Edgecombe North Carolina was the same man as Francis Whitney (s1750-a1783), of Fincastle and Washington Counties, Virginia, who has been documented in that area from 1772-1785.
Could he also have been the Francis Whitney (c1766-a1810) listed in Orangeburgh County, South Carolina on the 1790 Census, who is documented, as early as 1785, in Edgefield South Carolina.
Notes
Edgecombe County was formed, in 1732, from Bertie, by proclamation of the Governor. The assembly, however, did not confirm it's creation until 1741. Granville (1746), Halifax (1758), and Nash (1777) were fromed from Edgecombe. Parts of Edgecombe, Johnston, Nash, and Wayne Counties were taken in to form Wilson County in 1855.
References
1.^ Avant.
2.^ Ibid.
3.^ Estimated from 1762 land purchase.
4.^ Clark, Murtie June, Colonial Soldiers of the South 1732-1774, Genealogical Publishing Co.Inc. Baltimore 1983. Pages 672-673. Information transcribed from State Archives of North Carolina, Raliegh, NC: File# TR 1-12: Edgecombe County, North Carolina Militia Roll c. 1750's.
5.^ Edgecombe co. NC deed Book 00, p. 34.
6.^ Edgecombe Co., NC deed Book 00, p. 35
7.^ North Carolina Archives,Class: State Records Collection, Group: Secretary of State Record Group; Series: Granville Proprietary Land Office: Land Entries, Warrants, and Plats of SurveyBox: Edgecombe County, Wh-Y; MARS Id: 12.12.24.23 (Folder) Call Number:S.108.270--S.108.283.
8. ^ "Granville and the State of North Carolina Land Grants", Greensboro North Carolina Public Library. http://www.greensboro nc.gov/departments/Library/OnlineResources/genealogy/landrecords.htm#additional.
9. ^ http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~usgenweb/nc/edgecombe/edgecombecourt.htm
Copyright © 2008, Jeanne Neilon and The Whitney Research Group
