There is a VESS family hiding in plain sight in Wilkes County, North Carolina. They are easily missed, because they do not appear to be on any census or tax records, or so, none that have been transcribed yet. However, court-records have revealed that there was, in fact, a VESS family in Wilkes County, North Carolina between 1803-1810. Those records then opened the door to discover more records!
1787-1790: William Vest on Elk Creek
1787 Wilkes County, NC tax list, listed next to Benjamin Duncan.
1790 census record listed near to Benjamin Duncan.
1803-1807: Absalom, Jonathan, Peter, Pryor & William Vess/Vest
1803 May
Absalom Vest
Jury Duty Wilkes County, NC
1803 Nov
Jonathan Vest
Jury Duty Wilkes County, NC
1803 Nov
Absalom Vest
Jury Duty Wilkes County, NC
1805 Feb
Jonathan Vess
Witness land record between Nathan Dunkin and John Fletcher, Jr. Brushy Mountain -Smoots Line
1805 Feb
Jonathan Vess
Witness (with Mary Dunkin) between James Fletcher, Jr. and John Fletcher, Jr. Brushy Mountain
1805
Peter Vest
Wilkes county, NC Tax List Thurmonds District
1806 Mar
Absalom Vest
Jury Duty Wilkes County, NC
1806 May
Absolom Vess
Jury Duty Wilkes County, NC
1806 Nov
Absolom Vess
Absalom Vess vs James Fletcher & William Fletcher Case No. 7
1807 Nov
Priah Vest (Pryor)
State vs Priah Vest: Assault; Jury find the defendant not Guilty
1807 Nov
Priah & Wm Vest
Order by the Court: Prosecutor pay costs in both cases & jail fees, suit against the Vests
1807 Nov
Priah & Wm Vest
Order: Priah and Wm Vest be bound in the sum $200 for their good behavior for 12 months, James Gwen enters himself Security
Wilkes County, NC, Pleas & Quarter Sessions Court Minutes 1798-1805 and 1805-1810 Transcribed by John A. McGeachy and 1805 Wilkes County, NC tax list
Absalom Vess: 1808-1830
In 1808, Absalom Vess married Hannah Raymond in Wilkes County, NC.
In 1809-1810, he is listed on an Estate record for William Fletcher in Wilkes County, NC.
In 1810, Absalom is listed on the Iredell County census record.
In 1815, we see him on the Iredell Tax List.
In 1820, with extremely close examination, squeezed in at the bottom of the census, we find Absalom Verl (Vest) on the Wilkes County, NC census.
In 1815, Wilkes county gained from Iredell county, so it is not clear as to whether Absalom moved to Wilkes county from Iredell county, or he is on record for Wilkes county, due to a county change.
At this time, Pryor and William Vess were in Tennessee, with Pryor Vess having a land record dated as early as 1814 in White County, TN.
In 1830, Hannah Vess appears on the Wilkes County census record instead of Absalom Vess, suggesting he may have passed.
I’ve done some more digging into Absalom Vess of Wilkes County, North Carolina and here is what I’ve discovered:
Absalom “Vess” first appears on record in 1803 in the Wilkes County, North Carolina Pleas & Quarter Sessions Court Minutes 1798-1805 for a couple of jury duty sessions.
In 1806, he is part of a couple more jury duty sessions followed by a court case: Absalom Vess vs. James Fletcher & William Fletcher. I have not found any sources that specifically link this Fletcher family with the Fletcher family in Patrick County, VA. However, Fletcher and Vess seem to have a history together. The Fletcher family in Wilkes county come from Fauquier County, VA, so they may have stopped in Patrick County, but it is not confirmed.
In 1808, Absalom marries Hannah Raymond. I could not find any RAYMOND families, but I did find a REYNARD family in the area, which looks like Reymond in cursive. Hannah might be a Reynard.
In 1809-1810, Absalom Vess is mentioned in the Will documents for William Fletcher: Acct Sale of Estate (1809) and Inventory of Estate (1810).
There are only two family trees on Ancestry.com for Absalom Vest, which states his daughter is Elizabeth Vest who married Westly Dishmon (various spellings). Together they had a daughter named Maranda Fletcher Cogner.
In 1810, Absalom is listed on the Iredell County, NC census and then disappears after that, with Hannah Vess being listed as head of household in 1840.
My guess, is that Absalom Vess was born sometime during the 1780’s and died before 1840.
The Vess family may have not left an obvious trail of bread-crumbs, but upon further investigation of numerous documents, we do find a trail of DODSON’s.
Below, DODSON is pointed out in numerous VESS/VEST records from Patrick County, VA all the way to Franklin County, Alabama.
Patrick County, Virginia The DODSON name first appears on the 1793 land record for Peter Vess in Patrick County, Virginia. Peter appears to have transferred land to John Spencer; land located on the waters of the Mays (MAYO) River, connected to the Dodson line. Witnesses are George Dodson Sr & Jr, and Thomas Dodson.
*Notice Benjamin FLETCHER is also noted as a witness. Is this the same Fletcher family associated with Absalom Vess in Wilkes County, NC?
Wilkes County, North Carolina Although I haven’t found any specific DODSON-VESS records in Wilkes County, North Carolina, I have discovered a DODSON family in Wilkes County with land records for Brushy Mountain dated 1800. This is interesting, because research on Absalom Vess (1803-1809), suggests he was also living near Brushy Mountain.
White County, Tennessee The DODSON family are neighbors to Peter Vess on the 1820 White County, TN census. The DODSON family are also mentioned in land records for Willis and William Vess.
Franklin County, Alabama We then later have a couple of DODSON families listed on a plat map next to Willis Vess in Franklin County, Alabama.
Are These DODSON Families Related
It would be a crazy coincident if these DODSON families were not related. I mean what are the odds, this particular VESS family keeps finding themselves next to a DODSON family?
Interestingly, I discovered a DODSON family website, that reveals a similar migration pattern as the VESS family.
We are looking at the descendants of LAMBETH DODSON and SARAH HARRIS of Halifax Co. Virginia (1689-1780). According to this website, Lambeth DODSON had land on the MAYO RIVER in 1765. [Samuel, Peter, and William Vess also had land along the Mayo River 1780-1793]
His brother THOMAS DODSON, married ELIZABETH ROSE. [DNA Triangulation suggests the VESS family may have a ROSE ancestor]. Thomas Dodson had a son named George Dodson, but I am not sure if they are same Thomas and George Dodson’s on the 1793 land record with Peter VESS.
According to the website, Thomas DODSON may be connected to Rev. William Dodson of Iredell County, NC. Unfortunately, this is not 100% confirmed. [Absalom Vess is in Iredell County, NC]
Interesting notes on the children of Lambeth DODSON and Sarah HARRIS:
● RUBEN DODSON married AGNES WHITLOCK in 1780 in Surry County, North Carolina. Agnes Whitlock does appear to be part of the same WHITLOCK family as Talithia Whitlock (wife of Willis Vess) via CHRISTMAS family connections; further research is needed.
[WHITLOCK was in Patrick County, VA the same time as the VESS family and was in Surry County, NC]
● WILLIAM DODSON died in White County, Tennessee after 1830. His son died in White County, TN during the 1820’s, during the same time Peter Vess was in White County, TN too. This may be the same DODSON family living next to Peter VESS.
Other Interesting Finds
The DODSON family has connections with the WHITT family. This is interesting, because Samuel Vess in 1782 is listed next to a WHITT family. It also brings us back to HENRY VICE (more fun stuff on him later).
The DODSON family website references having property on the MAYO RIVER in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, which may suggest a time before Henry County was formed. After discovering BETTY VESS, perhaps there is another DODSON-VESS connection to be found.
In Wilkes County, North Carolina between 1787 – 1790, there is a WILLIAM VEST. He is found residing in the Isbell District along Kings Creek. In 1789, he is appointed to oversee the road along Elk Creek. Then, in 1790, he appears to have moved to the Judd District on Reddies River.
After 1790, the VEST name disappears. However, between 1803 – 1810, we begin to see the VESS name with Absalom, Jonathan, William, and Pryor “Vess.” After 1810, these men completely disappear from Wilkes County, North Carolina.
Betty Vess 1773: Pittsylvania County, Virginia
Looking at the 1790 Wilkes County, North Carolina census for William VEST, he is listed next to Barnet OWEN (Judd District). After a little digging, Barnet OWEN is related to Henry MULLINS (also on 1790 census).
Barnet OWEN and Henry MULLINS, both purchased land in 1787 on the waters of Reddies River at the head of Tumbling Shoal Branch. Reddies River connects to the Yadkin River. These are the only two families with land records, via nclandgrants.com, referencing “Tumbling Shoal Branch,” so I assumed these families probably have close connections with each other.
I discovered a family website, “The Descendants of Henry Mullins,” by Charles Owens. According to Owens, Henry Mullins purchased land from William Owen in Pittsylvania Co., VA in 1773; listing BETTY VESS as one of the witnesses! If this record does read “VESS,” it would become the earliest known “VESS” record found to-date.
Also listed as witnesses is the ALFORD family, which we know is related to the VEST family (Bedford / Chesterfield Counties). However, the ALFORD family is quite extensive, according to their amazing website, The ALFORD American Family Association, and thus has connections with many early American families.
I am in the process of trying to find the original record between Henry Mullins and William Owen to see if there is a property description to determine exactly where in Pittsylvania County, VA this property was located; for that it may better determine if Betty Vess is a VESS, VEST, or VOSS.
Samuel, Peter, and William Vess resided in Patrick County, VA, an area that was once Henry County; but prior to the formation of Henry County (1777), it was Pittsylvania County. Betty Vess predates the formation of Henry County. So, was Betty in the southern part of Pittsylvania that will become Patrick County (making her a VESS), was she in the northern part that will later become Bedford County (making her a VEST), or was she in today’s eastern portion of Pittsylvania (making her a VOSS)???
More research is needed.
What are your thoughts? Do you think this is another potential “Vess” ancestor?
I recently received a book in the mail called, “Wilkes County, NC, Pleas & Quarter Sessions Court Minutes, 1798-1805,” by John A. McGeachy. I meant to order the book covering dates 1805-1810 with Priah (Pryor) Vess; however, the book that came in wasn’t a disappointment…
The book I accidentally ordered has a record for Absalom and Jonathan Vest. Prior to this, the earliest record I have for Jonathan is 1805 and the earliest record I have for Absalom is 1809. This book has them listed for Jury Duty as early as 1803!
Unfortunately, the book for court records between 1805-1810 is not available; however, Google Books online provides us with a preview for PRIAH (Pryor) Vess:
It reveals that Priah (Pryor) Vest was charged with Assault. The preview does not show the date of the court-minute session. However, it continues to state that the defendant was found “not guilty” and that the court ordered Priah and William Vest be “bound” in the sum of 200 pounds for 12 months good behavior (McGeachy).
The index references Absalom and Jonathan Vess/Vest, but provides no preview.
In addition, Vince Vess sent us a link from Genealogy.com in reference to James P. Fletcher. It appears that Jonathan Vess wasn’t the only Vess associated with the Fletcher family; so was Absalom Vess.
In 1809 and 1810, Absalom Vess is mentioned in the Sale of Estate and Inventory of Estate for William Fletcher.
So, who was this Fletcher family and do they have relation to the Fletcher family in Patrick County, VA?
I am beginning to unearth a hidden VEST/VESS family who appears in Virginia as early as 1782 and venturing off towards the west and south during the 1800’s.
Having spoken to many VESS/VEST families of Virginia, the VESS/VEST family in Patrick County is one they do not recognize nor listed on any known VEST family trees; providing us with further hope that this might very well be our VESS ancestors of the R1a2 lineage. However, it is just their mere presence that has just recently surfaced and more digging is needed to uncover records to identify their specific relationships with each other.
I have so much to share that I am unable to fit it all into one post, so here is just the tip of the iceberg of what I have dug up and I will certainly follow up with more details later…
Wilkes County, North Carolina
It has been long thought that our earlier ancestors converged sometime in Stokes County, NC; however, recent research now suggests it may have been Wilkes County, NC instead.
The discovery of William VEST in Wilkes County, North Carolina has been ground breaking; not only is he completely separate from the William Tunwell VEST family, but is residing in an area near families that Vincent Vess has identified as possible earlier ancestors of our Vess family (Sparks, Pennington, Hodge, and Rose families). Further investigation of this area, has also revealed families who are later found near Peter and Willis Vess.
William Vest first appears in the 1787 tax list for the Capt. Isabell District of Wilkes County, NC. I am not yet sure if he is the same William Vest in Patrick County, Virginia, for that the records for William in Virginia are not consistent, but more or less sporadic with records only for 1783, 1790, and 1792. In other Patrick County tax years there is a William “VIAS,” but I am not sure if this is suppose to be VESS, considering Samuel and Peter’s surnames remain consistent on the annual tax lists. BUT, I also see William VIAS in Wilkes County records when William Vest is absent from record – so perhaps they are one and the same, or perhaps a mix of Sr. & Jr.
On the 1787 tax list, William Vest is listed in the Capt. Isbell District. He is listed next to Richard Green who established a church on Buffalo Creek. In 1789, county court records state William Vest was appointed to “oversee” the road along Elk Creek. In short, we have a pretty good idea where William Vest was in between 1787-1790.
There are a lot of interesting families associated with this particular area too. One family in particular who has gained my recent attention is the previously mentioned, Richard GREEN.
I discovered that Richard GREEN is related to Amos GREEN in Rutherford County, North Carolina. Amos Green is listed as a member of Bill’s Creek Baptist Church with Peter Vess. The Green family are known to be allied with the Hambrick & Bridge families, who Peter is listed near on the 1820 census. Interestingly, my research so far, suggests that Elizabeth Green, mother of Talithia Whitlock (wife of Willis Vess), may be a distant cousin of Amos Green (further research is needed).
I have also recently discovered a HAMBRICK family in Wilkes County near William Vest who I am curious if whether or not they have any relation to the Hambrick families in Rutherford County, NC near Peter Vess. AND, also in Wilkes County I stumbled upon a Joseph SOUTHER, who I am curious if whether or not is the same Joseph Souther who bought Peter’s land in 1846. There is also Jacob NICHOLS, who I am curious if whether or not is related to the NICHOL family who married 2 of the children of Willis Vess in Franklin County, Alabama.
Recent finds also include the records for Absalom Vess/Vest and Jonathan Vess. Absalom Vest married in Wilkes County in 1809 to Hannah Raymond and settled, to the best of my knowledge, in Iredell County, NC. The record for Jonathan Vess is super interesting, because it mentions Brushy Mountain, which according to early maps is very close to Hunting Creek, where the Sparks family eventually settled, suggesting a migration South.
Wilkes County, NC has a fascinating history and many of its residents migrated to South Carolina before coming back up to Tennessee; which brings me to wonder if this may be how Nathaniel Vess fits into the puzzle.
There is still so much more to research, but it is clear that there was a good-size VESS/VEST family hiding under the radar in Wilkes County at one time; including a Pryor Vess, which is what seems to connect everything together.
Connecting The Pieces Together
▼ Below is a picture that represents the locations of this particular VESS/VEST family from VA to AL.
As you can see, there appears to be a migration pattern from Patrick County, Virginia to possibly Franklin County, Alabama.
I forgot to add Absalom Vest (Iredell County 1810).
Records are scarce and the few records I did find, don’t really tell us too much up front; but when you lay them out across the table, there does appear to be something going on…
First, it is interesting that Willis Vess has a land record that mentions William Vess as his “heir,” yet none of his children are named William; so this could be William Vest of White County, TN. Then, there are the White County, TN records…
William and Willis Vest both have land records for White County, TN on Caney Fork next to the DOBSON family.
Peter Vest is the only Vess/Vest on census in White County, TN. We know he lives on Caney Fork, because he is listed next to the DOBSON family on census who are also listed on the Willis and William Vest land records. He is also neighbors with the HODGE family (our Vess family is related to via DNA data) from Franklin county, VA, who were listed on the 1782 Henry County tax list with Samuel Vest; suggesting this Vess/Vest family in White County, TN may be the Patrick County, VA Vess/Vest family.
There is also a PRYOR VEST, who has a land record for Caney Fork dated 1814, which predates records for Peter, William, and Willis. Pryor Vest is not on census anywhere and has stumped me for a very long time.
However, yesterday, I came across a book called, “Wilkes County, NC, P&Q Minutes, 1798-1805,” by John A. McGeachy, that not only lists Jonathan Vess, but also Absalom, William, and PRIAH (Pryor) “VESS!”
There is no e-book version, so I had to order the physical book, which I do hope will come in this weekend. I am extremely excited, for that one of the previews of the book mentions an “assault” charge involving Pryor and William Vess. Finally, a little bit of drama!
Anyway, my point is, there seems to be overlapping evidence that strongly suggests this could very likely be one Vess/Vest family.
Lastly, I also find it interesting that records for Willis and John P. Vess state their parents were born in North Carolina, which lines up pretty well with William Vest in Wilkes County, North Carolina who has records as early as 1787. This allows plenty of time to have a Vess generation in between him and Willis Vess. Also, records for John P. Vess state he was born in Tennessee in 1822, which makes a connection to the White County, TN Vess/Vest family plausible (considering their record dates).
Research Continues
If Willis Vess is in fact connected with the VESS/VEST family of Patrick County, VA, through White County, TN and Wilkes County, NC, then so is Peter Vess; for that Willis and Peter are confirmed to be related to each other by Y-DNA analysis. Unfortunately, records to identify their specific relationship to one another still remains elusive, but perhaps recent findings of more specific locations of these families will give us a better look at where we need to start digging next…
While exploring records for Wilkes County, North Carolina, I came across a record, dated 1805, for a Jonathan Vess! This was completely unexpected!!
Familysearch.org Deed Book F-1 Wilkes County, North Carolina 1778-1807
Duncan & Fletcher Families
This record for Jonathan Vess is very intriguing.
It involves a Duncan and a Fletcher family, which are family names seen associated with the Vest/Vess family in Patrick County, VA in 1793.
According to the Patrick County, VA court records, the Vess and Fletcher families were involved in some kind of dispute against another family. Also, court records show a deed transfer for Peter Vess involving John Duncan. Did these families travel to North Carolina?
I am not sure if this is the same Jonathan Vess who married Elizabeth Heron and settled in the Republic of Texas or our mysterious John Vess, father of Willis Vess. Further research is needed.
For the last couple of months, I’ve been researching extensively on Willis Vess of Franklin County, Alabama and William Vest of Wilkes County, North Carolina. What we thought was a convergence of families in Stokes County, NC, may have actually been in Wilkes County, NC.
I have discovered that a lot of families associated with Willis and Peter Vess have earlier ties in Wilkes County, NC. I have also discovered a lot of interesting things about William VEST and his neighbors in Wilkes County, NC. I am gathering my notes and I will be posting soon regarding my recent findings that might be leading us closer to some earlier Vess ancestors.
A genetic genealogy method known as Triangulation recently suggests the VESS family may have a SPARKS – ROSE maternal ancestor. I think this is incredible, unfortunately, I was on a hot trail until I accidentally lost all my recent research due to epic user error. So, below is a look at the bits and pieces of what I’ve been working on lately…
Not Too Far From Foxtrap
Hidden in plain sight, I discovered SPARKS, HESTER, and WILLIS families west of Foxtrap (Franklin County, AL). Interestingly, these families have documented history with records dating back as early as 1820! FINALLY!
A few SPARKS family websites reference Russellville, but they also mention an earlier place called, “Frankfort,” which is actually on the plat-map (below). I am guessing Frankfort came first, as we know that many of the early residents in the area had to travel north for supplies.
Below, I outlined Foxtrap and Mountain Star (red box) where Willis VESS and John WILLIS have property. And I outlined (blue box) the SPARKS, HESTER, and WILLIS, west of Foxtrap area. I also highlighted Frankfort, family cemeteries and Foxtrap / Mt. Star, just to give you an idea where the families are geographically from one another.
It is strongly believed that Willis VESS was named after the WILLIS family, suggesting the two families may have a longer history together. At this time, I do not know if John WILLIS (neighbor to Willis Vess) is connected to the WILLIS family in the Frankfort area; however, further research strongly suggests a likely connection.
Andrew Jackson Willis & Artamissa Sparks
My discovery of the SPARKS, HESTER, and WILLIS families, was accidental. Somehow I came across records of Andrew Jackson Willis and Artamissa Sparks.
Again, I am not sure if Andrew Willis and John Willis are related. It pretty much led me to a dead end. However, I was able to find information on the Sparks family:
Artamissa was born in Spartanburg County, SC (1816).
Her parents are William Sparks and Eunice Woodruff.
William Sparks lived on the Enoree River. In the 1820 census, he is listed on a page with Nancy Pool, Woodruff family, and looks like a John Willis.
He was born in Wilkes County, NC.
He is a descendant of Mathew Sparks and Sarah Thompson. (Thompson is a big name in Franklin County, AL too)
I match with the Sparks family on both sides of my family (just to make it more challenging). However, I do match with a Hester line from Franklin County, Alabama (they are shown on the map above too, with Sparks and Willis families). This is a 5th-8th cousin, descendant of William Sparks and Eunice Woodruff.
Artamissa’s brother, married Nancy Benson who is from White County, Tennessee. I am not sure if she is related to David Benson who is in connection with Charles Travers in Anson County, NC.
Now, I also match with a descendant of William Sparks (1783-1869) and Rhoda Pennington (4-6th cousin) of White County, Tennessee.
This William Sparks is brother to Solomon Sparks Sr. who married Sarah Thompson. Solomon and Sarah had Reuben Sparks, who had John Sparks that married Elizabeth Rose, daughter of Emmanuel Rose (Wilkes County, NC).
I also match with descendants of Solomon’s other son, John Wesley Sparks who married Sarah Shores.
It appears all these Spark families are related, but the family tree is a little complicated.
William Sparks, husband of Eunice Woodruff, is a descendant of Matthew Sparks, who is supposedly (it differs between sources) the brother of William and Solomon Sparks (mentioned above). Between different sources, the generations differ, but all of them at one point or another connect to Joseph Sparks. It’s very confusing.
Also, I match with a descendant of Jonas James Sparks from Tazewell County, VA. I am not sure how he falls on the Sparks family tree.
So, there is definitely a Sparks connection on the Vess side!
William Sparks and Rhoda Pennington are very intriguing because they settled in White County, Tennessee. Pennington is a big name in Franklin County, Alabama. Anna Popejoy says Pennington families traveled with the Whitlock family. Rhoda Pennington is supposedly the daughter of Major Jacob David Pennington and Mary Tuttle (both born in SC). I don’t know how William Sparks ended up in White County, TN, but he’s not the only Sparks to do so. It probably had something to do with the War of 1812 or crossing over from Wilkes County, NC.
Sparks has a connection with Duncan and Watson, which are family names on the Patrick County, VA deed list with Peter and William Vess. I am not sure if it’s related, but I just wanted to make note of it.
*Note: Some of my DNA matches to descendants of the Sparks Family of Wilkes County, VA may also be via the COX family. My great-grandmother Pearl Lena Cox married my great-grandfather James Elmer Vess. At this time, I believe my DNA matches with the VICE family (South Carolina and KY) and VESS family from Tazewell County, VA might also be through my COX line connected through the Cordell family. [Not confirmed yet]
Exploring Wilkes County, North Carolina: William Vest
We find a William Vest in Wilkes County, as early as 1789. Records confirm he is not William Tunwell Vest of Stokes County, NC. William is listed on the 1790 census record next to Thomas Hodge.
Thomas Hodge was born in Virginia, possibly having ties with the Hodge family in Franklin County, Virginia (Vess family has genetic ties to the Hodge family in VA-specific connection not known yet). Thomas Hodge has a documented history which states his family settled in a place called Hodges Gap.
Hodges Gap is located in the town of Boone, in today’s Watauga County, NC. Watauga County was established in 1849 from parts of Ashe, Caldwell, Yancey, and Wilkes. The town Boone was named after Daniel Boone of Wilkes County. From my perspective, overlaying these county maps, Hodges Gap appears to have once been part of Wilkes County (which explains why Thomas Hodge and William Vest are close together on a Wilkes County census record).
Also, on the same page of the 1790 census are numerous Rose families. The Sparks family (related to Solomon Sparks) is also in Wilkes County, NC at this time, but there is also a few Sparks families in Surry County, NC too.
Now, Wilkes County is a mess when it comes to boundary changes. Wilkes County was established in 1778 from Surry County, NC and Washington District.
State of Franklin and Washington District (Watauga Association)
There is no better place than here for ancestors to disappear!
Portions of Wilkes County, NC was once part of the Washington District, which was part of the brief existence of the State of Franklin. The State of Franklin comprised of several Tennessee Counties and the Washington District, where the Washington District eventually dissolved into Washington County, TN, that once extended to parts of Wilkes County (which is now part of Watauga County).
I know, super confusing!
Anyway, the Washington District was established by settlers of the Watauga, Nolichucky, and Holston river valleys who created their own short-lived government called the Watauga Association.
The Holston River is where we find James Heron (who also has land in Abbeyville Co. SC as well as in Patrick County, VA along side William Vess/Voss and Peter Vess), Henry Vice, and the White family who later have connections with Johnathan Vess via his wife Elizabeth Heron who married Peter White.
So, clearly there is a lot going on up there in the Washington District area.
I haven’t looked up all the names above, but I can tell you that Zac Isbell stands out.
There is an Isbell family in Franklin County, Alabama near Willis Vess. Miller Isbell (below) is related to Zach Isbell (above). I am still in the process of researching more information about this, but I thought that was pretty interesting.
Sparks Family in Rutherford County, North Carolina: Possible Connections To Peter Vess
Vince sent me a potential lead about a Sparks family in Rutherford County, North Carolina, which really made things interesting!!
In Rutherford County, NC there is a Sparks family via Lewis Morgan Sparks, son of John Sparks.
According to the link Vince sent me, “Sparks Cemetery – A Civil War Era Memorial,” by David Abbott, John Sparks is often confused with John Sparks in Wilkes County, related to Solomon Sparks. So, there is a possibility that perhaps the Sparks-Rose connection we get via Triangulation may be referring to this line, instead of the Solomon line. Further research is needed though.
John Sparks in Rutherford County, NC supposedly has connections with Spartanburg County, South Carolina (Enroee / Tyger River area). There is a Sparks family in Spartanburg County, SC (Matthew Sparks 1790) who is from Maryland and they are neighbors with Richard Willis, which is interesting, because I believe John Willis in Franklin County, Alabama maybe related to Richard Willis of Spartanburg County, SC (not confirmed yet).
Early census records show the Sparks and Willis family are close to the Pool family, who has family connections with Henry Pettit (neighbor of Peter Vess in 1820).
The Sparks family in Rutherford County, North Carolina lived on Sandy Run and Shoal Creek, near Willis Branch (map below). Even in North Carolina, the Sparks and Willis families are close together. Interesting to note, Henry Pettit later obtains land in this area too.
This area is located in today’s Cleveland County (was once part of Rutherford County). North of Shoal Creek, we interestingly have “Knob Creek.” This is not the Knob Creek near Bill’s Creek, but Knob Creek near the Lincoln County line, where the Mooney family lives and where the Tryon courthouse was located (a family home). Turns out, Knob Creek is also Township 10 in Cleveland County.
According to Abbott, Lewis Morgan Sparks was married to Sarah Bridges, daughter of Samuel Bridges and Mary Hamrick. Bridges and Hamrick are super familiar family names and I can’t tell you how excited I was when I pulled up the record in which I remembered seeing those names: 1820 census record for Peter Vess!
Another interesting find, is that the neighbor of Samuel Bridges on the 1820 census is ALFRED WEBB. Could Alfred Webb Vess be named after Alfred Webb?? Also, James Logan is in the area too! Esom Logan (above) is the son of James Logan!
Further research on the Bridges and Hamrick families reveals they were once neighbors with a George Vaughn. Could he be related to Pugnance Vaughn, wife of Peter Vess of VA or Margaret Vaughn, wife of John Vess of AL??
Prior research narrowed Peter’s location to a Knob Creek and now current research appears to have narrowed it down even further, possibly to Sandy Run / Shoal Creek area!! Which makes total sense! The Mooney family had lots of property in this area too, which could explain David Mooney on the 1820 census record above.
My Final Thoughts
Current research strongly suggests some kind of triangle-connection between North /South Carolina border area – Franklin County, Alabama – and Tennessee/North Carolina area. Pretty much all the leads I come up with bounce between these three geographical places.
It is plausible our Vess family trail is lost in the area that was once part of the short-lived State of Franklin and there definitely appears to be a Vess connection somewhere with the Sparks family.
I am excited to have narrowed down Peter Vess to a more specific (much more plausible) area in Rutherford County, North Carolina in 1820.
I still have a handful of leads to explore! I am so excited!
We’ve made a new significant discovery, but we need your help!
If you have completed an Autosomal DNA test through Ancestry or 23andMe, please help us by transferring your results for free to Familytreedna.com so that we can continue our research. If you need help completing the process or have any questions, please email vessgenealogy@gmail.com for assistance.
What Is Triangulation: Genetic Genealogy
Triangulation is a method used in genetic genealogy where segments of DNA are analyzed and compared between shared DNA matches. Those who share the same segments of DNA are likely to share a common ancestor and their family trees (and family histories) provide clues to help identify those common ancestors.
Recent Findings Via Triangulation: Rose-Sparks Connection
Vincent Vess is working on using triangulation methods to identify the parents of Peter Vess and Catherine Cook. His recent finds are super intriguing!
He analyzed segments of DNA of 3 different VESS descendants whose most recent common ancestors are Peter Vess and Catherine Cook. Each, different descendant, descends from a different son of Peter and Catherine [Andrew Logan, Jasper, and Josiah Vess]. The importance of having different descending lines from Peter and Catherine not only help confirm a solid Vess connection, but also helps in identifying early maternal lines (the parents of Catherine Cook).
He then triangulated one segment of DNA on the 5th Chromosome with other shared DNA matches who have public family trees. He discovered 4 matches who share the same segment of DNA as the 3 Vess descendants, yet none of those 4 matches have VESS in their family trees; suggesting all 7 matches share an earlier common ancestor prior to Peter and Catherine Cook.
Between the 4 matches, he discovered they share common connections with Emmanuel ROSE and Reuben SPARKS families in Wilkes County, North Carolina.
The connection between Rose and Sparks maybe recent, for that those names come up frequently as shared DNA matches in Ancestry for both Vincent and I (we suspect it will for other Vess families too).
Wilkes County Is Our Mark
Ever wonder about that War of 1812 record with Peter Vest listed on it?
A good portion of names listed have no records in Surry County. In fact, only 15 of them can be found on the 1810 census record, most having earlier land records, suggesting they were older soldiers. Most of the other names listed are younger soldiers who were not head of household yet in 1810 and many of them actually have later connections with Wilkes County. This is because Wilkes County was made from parts of Surry County in 1777 and a few names on the list (confirmed by maps) had their properties split by the county border. Although no longer part of Surry County, their close proximity to the border probably had them doing much of their business in Surry County, which explains why so many were drafted under Surry County rather than Wilkes County. Is this the case for Peter Vess?
North-Western North Carolina: Migration Routes Converged
Earlier ancestors of the names listed above have original land records issued by Rowan County, for that Rowan County once covered the western parts of North Carolina. When Surry County was formed, the portion of what will become Wilkes County was the District of Washington (but it only lasted a year). In 1777, Wilkes was created in between Surry County and Washington County (formerly District of Washington).
In 1784, the short-lived STATE OF FRANKLIN was formed, mixing records like a tossed salad with the formation of Wayne County (State of Franklin) in a good portion of Wilkes County.
This affected many families in the surrounding areas, especially, those living in Wilkes County.
Why is this important to Vess Genealogy? Because what we have discovered is that many families coming down the Great Wagon Road or those coming up from South Carolina into Tennessee, all converge in this area at one time or another. This was the area in which families traveled across the Cumberland Gap into Kentucky, into Tennessee, or down into the Carolinas.
Vincent Vess discovered the following names listed on a North Carolina, U.S. Census, 1784-1787 (Ancestry.com).
Samuel McQueen/Queen, John Sparks, Joshua Pennington, Richard Estes, William Sparks, Thomas Hodges, Agnis Nichols, Robert Whiteside, William Underwood, William Pennington, Jacob Nichols, Joseph Pruitt, Emmanuel Rose, John Turner, James Webb, Stephen Caudill, Roger Turner, William Hodges, James Caudill, Benjamin Rose, Timothy Buttery, John Rose Sr., Abraham Cook, Thomas Cook…
These names are extremely familiar to us as they are becoming more repetitive in our family research.
Also, included in this list of names is a William Vest, who we have not been able to identify his origins yet. Perhaps, he might have a connection with James Harvey Vest due to the presence of the Caudill family or maybe he is related to Peter Vest on the Surry County War of 1812 record?
Reuben Sparks and Emmanuel Rose
The 4 matches (as mentioned earlier) are connected to the Sparks and Rose families of Wilkes County.
Reuben Sparks and Emmanuel Rose are of the same generation as Peter and Catherine Cook, so a common ancestor would likely be someone prior to them.
These families are intriguing for a number of reasons, but one particular fact that interests us (or at least me) is that both families originated in Maryland, with the Sparks family having come from Frederick County, Maryland and the Rose family having come from Calvert County, Maryland. Note: Calvert is across from Dorchester County, Maryland (Travers family).
Following Geographical Features Rather Than Records
Fortunately, the father of Reuben Sparks, Solomon Sparks, has a lengthy recorded history. He first settled in Surry County when it was Rowan County, then his land was split between Surry and Wilkes County, making him a Wilkes County resident. We can easily track where the Sparks family have gone, for that notes are specific on the Rivers and Creeks in which the Sparks family resided on, making it much easier to locate records due to county changes.
We can use the geographical features mentioned in the genealogical notes provided by the Sparks family to reconstruct the community (like we did for the Tyger River community in SC) further identifying more families in the area that may offer more clues to Vess Genealogy.
Both Sparks and Rose families lived off the Yadkin River, something I look forward to further investigating.
Rose & Travers Family in Anson County, North Carolina
Emmanuel Rose may have a brother named Samuel Rose, who supposedly ended up in Anson County, North Carolina. He is found on the 1763 taxpayer record. Interestingly, so is John Travis (Travers).
John Travis, is supposedly the son of Dr. Edward Travers who came from Cork, Ireland. Also, we recently discovered a Charles Travers in Anson County, NC who may be the brother of John Travis (Travers). Research states John Travis ended up in Abbeville County, South Carolina; which is another place of interest in Vess Genealogy.
Is there a connection? I am interested in finding out!
Genetic Genealogy: The Door To Answers
Genetic genealogy helps us identify specific families that we share a common ancestor. By exploring these families, we can narrow down the genealogical search to specific geographical places.
We have genetic proof that our name changed, but we don’t exactly know when our name changed to VESS, making it very difficult to find early records. Identifying families we are closely related to can help us explore the areas they once lived, thus helping us look for evidience of families with names similar to Vess or Travers.
At this time, we have no genealogical proof of Catherines maiden name (is it really COOK?) nor Peter’s mother’s maiden name; so with more Autosomal DNA kits to analyze, compare, and triangulate, the more matches to family trees we can identify and further explore for answers to Vess Genealogy.
Vess Genealogy 