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 am browsing records and I came across WILLIE VESS in Van Buren County, Tennessee dated 1846.
There are land records for a WILLIS VESS dated 1831 and 1837 in White County, Tennessee on the “south side” of Caney Fork (Mountain side). In 1840, Van Buren county was created and Caney Fork became the boundary line between White County and Van Buren County; meaning, the Willis VESS property should now be in Van Buren County.
According to Van Buren County deed records, a WILLIE VESS (maybe Willis) sold 2.78 acres at the foot of the mountain to Zachariah T. SIMMONS. Is this Willis Vess property?
According to Ancestry.com, Zachariah T. SIMMONS married Mary Louisa DODSON. Mary’s parents are supposedly William “Bucky” DODSON and Martha Frances PECK. William “Bucky” DODSON is supposedly William DODSON in White County, TN living next to the Peter VEST family on Caney Fork.
I discovered a death record for a Sarah Elander DODSON, wife of Thomas Bryant SPARKMAN, whose parents are listed as William DODSON and Martha VEST. On Ancestry.com, Sarah Elander DODSON is supposedly the sister of Mary Louisa DODSON (wife of Zachariah SIMMONS), both daughters of William DODSON and Martha PECK.
Is Martha PECK and VEST the same person? Where did the PECK name come from? Also, could it be VEST, since her gravestone doesn’t have a maiden name on it?
Interestingly, I do have a handful of SIMMON, SPARKMAN, JOHNSON, and DODSON as DNA relative matches, all who share close matches with VESS relatives and all connecting to the SIMMON, SPARKMAN, DODSON families in White /Van Buren County, TN.
Is the connection through WILLIS VESS?Does this further support a VESS family connection in Tennessee?
There is a VESS/VEST family in Rockbridge County, Virginia, who first appears on record during the early 1800’s. There doesn’t seem to be any Y-DNA data available for this family; so I do not know if they are related to the VESS R1a2 line or another family with a similar surname.
Family Origins: Still A Mystery
There appears to be numerous theories as to where the VESS/VEST family of Rockbridge County, Virginia comes from…
DESCENDANTS OF THE WEST FAMILY
I had the opportunity to speak with a few members of this family who state it is believed that they are descendants of the WEST family; specifically, the De La Warr lineage (Englishroots). Unfortunately, I have not found any documentation yet to support this connection.
There was an extensive DNA project available a few years ago which identified several different WEST families in America; some distantly related and some completely unrelated. The research also included descendants of the De La Warr lineage, revealing their Haplogroup to be R1b (different from VESS R1a2).
The WEST Family DNA Project is no longer available to review online; however, I have saved some information from the website, which may be useful with Y-DNA testing through FTDNA.com. It is my understanding that many WEST families have also tested through FTDNA.com.
GERMAN ORIGINS: THE VEST FAMILY
Some believe the VESS/VEST family of Rockbridge County, Virginia may be German in origin. I do not know if this is an oral family tradition or something that came about from all the Rockbridge VESS/VEST family trees online connecting to the John Daniel VEST family of Chesterfield County, Virginia (Haplogroup I), who is believed to be a descendant of Moses Johann Vest from Germany (1650).
Families trees with the VEST family connection seem to be inconsistent. Some connect the VESS/VEST family of Rockbridge County, VA to Samuel Vest, son of John Daniel Vest I of Chesterfield Co., VA; however, John Daniel Vest I did not have a son named Samuel (at least not named in his Will & Testamentdated 1765).
Another connection is via Samuel Vest, son of William Tunwell Vest; however, the dates and census records do not seem to add up. Unfortunately, the name “Samuel” was just as common as “John.” In that case, the Rockbridge County, Virginia VESS/VEST could (in theory) be connected to Samuel Vest of Patrick County, Virginia.
Unfortunately, I have not found any documentation yet to support a connection with the VEST family either.
Y-DNA Testing
There doesn’t seem to be any available Y-DNA data yet for this particular VESS/VEST family. It would be very beneficial for direct male descendants of this VESS/VEST line from Rockbridge County, Virginia to complete a Y-DNA test via Familytreedna.com.
A basic Y-DNA test will provide us with a Haplogroup, which would be a great start to researching this family’s mysterious origins; especially, since we know the VEST family is Haplogroup-I, WEST family is Haplogroup R1b, and our VESS line is Haplogroup R1a.
If you are interested in Y-DNA testing through FTDNA.com, have any information related to the Vess/Vest family of Rockbridge County, Virginia you would like shared on this website or information that will further assist with this research, please feel free to email me at vessgenealogy@gmail.com. 🙂
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 wonder if there is a connection between the Abner Hodge family and Vest/Vess family in White County, TN? I have traced Abner’s line to Robert Hodge of Franklin County, Virginia living near Chestnut Mountain.
On the 1820 census for White County, Tennessee, we see Peter VEST next to Abner Hodge and Ephraim Hodge (brothers) living on Caney Fork.
I decided to review the family tree for Abner and Ephriam Hodge, which states their father is Josiah Hodges (son of Robert Hodge). According to online sources, Josiah Hodges was born in 1740 in Henry County, Virginia. The problem is, Henry County was not established until 1777.
He was likely born in Pittsylvania County, which parts later became Henry County. With that said, it wasn’t until 1785 that parts of Henry County (and a portion of Bedford Co) later became Franklin County, VA.
The Chestnut Mountain area was once part of Henry County. Chestnut Mountain is also less than 30 miles away from where we find Samuel, William, and Peter Vess in Patrick County, VA (formed in 1791) on Koger Creek and North Mayo River (border of Patrick Co and Henry Co).
Samuel Vess has tax records as early as 1782 in Henry County, VA, so I decided to check to see if there are any Hodges nearby AND there is!
Josiah Hodges is listed on the page prior, and Samuel Vest and Abemingo (Josiah’s brother) are listed on the same page (or same slide).
I do not know if families listed on tax lists are neighbors of a specific community; however, this does show that the Hodges and Vest families were in the same county at the same time.
If the families listed above are neighbors, then Samuel Vest at the time had not obtained land yet from Abraham Penn, for that the names of families in the Koger/North Mayo River (1791 deed list), including Abraham Penn, are listed a couple-several pages back on this 1782 tax list.
The Hodges family, including Robert Hodges (likely Robert Hodges Jr., brother of Abner Hodge) is listed on the 1783 tax list; however, the 1783 tax list and moving forward are in alphabetical order.
If they knew each other in Henry County, VA; perhaps it was through a local church or they lived close to each other, but were later separated by the formation of a county line (Franklin Co.); as Chestnut Mountain is very close to the Henry County border.
Also, I discovered a Richard Vest in Franklin County, Virginia on the 1788 tax list. He is the only VEST family listed. However, there is also a VEST family in Bedford County, VA, but from what I can tell, none of the VEST family trees seem to have this particular Richard Vest.
Richard Vest and the Hodges family (Abner Hodge) appear on the Franklin Co. VA tax lists until 1794. The 1793 tax list is the last time Richard Vest appears and the 1794 tax list is the last time Abner Hodge appears. In 1795, there are no Hodges or Vest families listed.
In fact, they disappear around the same time as Peter and William Vest!
Is there a connection? Who is Richard Vest? And could Samuel, Peter, and William Vest actually be part of our VESS family – Haplogroup R1a1??
Also, it is interesting to note that Robert Hodges is supposedly from the Isle of Wight, VA (1704). Not too far from there is the Travers family of Jamestown Island who have connections with both England and Ireland (post about later).
But of course, that is probably stretching it a bit too thin…
In August of 2020, I discovered two John Vess families in South Carolina whose origins are a mystery.
The first is an 1850 census record for John and William E. Vess of Saluda Regiment, Abbeville, South Carolina. Both of them are in their 20’s, they are listed as carpenters, and they claim to be born in North Carolina.
The second is an 1850 census record for John Vess and Drucilla Vess of Saluda, Abbeville, South Carolina. John is 25 and he is listed as a farmer. 1860 census, suggests John Vess died, for that it is just Drucilla Turner and James Vest (assuming their son).
Today, I came across Civil War records for John Vess and William VESTZ (pretty sure it’s William Vess). The first record, John Vess states he enlisted in Greenville, South Carolina and his occupation is a carpenter. These two records, might be referring to John and William Vess from the 1850 census. According to these records, John Vess was hospitalized and William was captured. I am not sure if they survived the war though.
In between John Vess and William Vestz, is a Civil War record for JOHN VEST. He too was enlisted in Greenville, South Carolina. What makes his record so interesting, is that he was forced to write a letter asking to be discharged from the military due to his age. The discharge was granted, which means this John Vest was born sometime before 1815.
Fold3: Civil War Record and Letter Certifying His Age
I found an 1880 census record for a John Vest in Greenville, South Carolina with a birth year that would put him at the approx. same age as John Vest in the Civil War record above. This John Vest (1880 census) was born about 1815 in South Carolina and states both his parents were born in South Carolina.
This is very intriguing, because there are no early records of a VEST or VESS family in South Carolina. All we know is that we have records that strongly suggest that Nathaniel Vess was born in South Carolina in 1794 with a connection to Greenville, South Carolina via Clarinda Bellew who also states both his parents were born in South Carolina (below). Could Nathan Vess and John Vest be related???
I am very excited to have found a new record for Peter Vess!
1838 Rutherford County, NC Court Minutes
In the Fall of 1838, Peter Vess was selected as a Juror for next January; however, later records indicate he failed to appear.
Unraveling Peter and Catherine’s Past
Many sources say Peter Vess died a pauper and is buried in Bill’s Creek Baptist Church, but is that true?
Peter obtained land in 1831 on Cedar Creek in the Broad River Township of Rutherford County, North Carolina (below). According to Bill’s Creek Baptist Church: Two Hundred Year History, by Helen M. Lu, Peter and Catherine were members until 1836.
The last record I discovered of Peter Vess was a church record dated 1838 for Bethlehem Baptist Church in Burke County, which explains what happened to them after 1836.
Bethlehem Baptist Church is located in today’s McDowell County (below), not far from Peter’s property on Cedar Creek in the Broad River Township of Rutherford County, NC. McDowell County did not exist until 1842 and Broad River Township area didn’t become part of McDowell County until 1844. So, it makes sense that we find Peter in two different places in 1838.
With Peter being a resident of Rutherford County, NC (1840 census), but yet a member of Bethlehem Baptist Church across the county border in Burke/McDowell County, NC, certainly makes it difficult to find records on him.
According to Helen M. Lu, Catherine Vess came back to Bill’s Creek Baptist Church in October 1844 without Peter. We can probably accurately conclude that Peter had died and if so, records of his death would be floating between Rutherford and McDowell Counties, because his property in Broad River Township of Rutherford County, became part of McDowell County in 1844!
So the question is, which county settled his estate?? If Catherine moved back to Bill’s Creek in 1844 (1850 census), his property must have been sold and if so, to who?
Zilla Vess, wife of Josiah Vess (son of Peter), is the only VESS buried in Bill’s Creek Baptist Church cemetery (per church cemetery records) and recent research suggests the Vess family (Catherine and her younger children) may have moved to Buncombe County, NC after 1850. To be honest, I think Peter is buried in McDowell County whose tombstone is likely too deteriorated to recognize.
In addition, I do not think Catherine died in Rutherford County either. Despite her last record showing her in Bill’s Creek, her younger children are shown on the 1860 census record living with Dempsey Sumners in Buncombe County, NC. Dempsey Sumners has spent his entire life in Buncombe County, so the only way I can assume he ended up with the VESS children is if Catherine had moved to Buncombe County in between 1850-1860.
I am not sure if Dempsey Sumners is kin, but his mother is Elizabeth Grace Davis. I am told that the Davis and Vess families are very close. Andrew Logan Vess is buried in Davistown Cemetery, which originally was a private Davis family cemetery.
I still do not know how the Davis and Vess families are considered close. My VESS family tree only has 1 DAVIS relative (Dicie Augustus Davis) and it doesn’t look like her family has any connection with Elizabeth Grace Davis. However, the Davis family that Nathaniel Vess line married into is related to Elizabeth Grace Davis – is there a connection?
The good stuff is often found in unindexed microfilmed records that force us to skim through each individual record hoping to come across a familiar family name. Oddly, as a genealogist, the one thing I hate to do is read…
It’s not that I don’t know how to read or I struggle to read, I just don’t have time to read. I am a kind of person that reads the summary on the back of books and waits for the movie (except Harry Potter- I read those books).
I’ve come to a point in my research, where I think I’ve pretty much found as much as I could about the VESS family via Indexed records. You know, type in a few keywords and Whola! Desired records appears like magic! Only just recently have I started to make time, with a few cups of coffee, to scour thousands of microfilmed records.
I must admit, once the brain adjusts to deciphering Old English, local history bursts into life!
These records appear to be “continuance” notes. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find the original entry about what the dispute may have been about nor an entry about it’s resolution. I also cannot make out the last entry above. Others listed above, do have recorded resolutions. Either I missed it, due to the handwriting or the dispute was dismissed entirely and not worth recording.
Land Transfer 1793
Below is the deed transfer between Peter Vess and John Dunkin (Duncan) to John Spencer in 1793. The transcribed typed document, Patrick County deeds 1791-1801, mentions Peter’s wife, but Peter’s wife is not mentioned here.
Other Interesting Records: 1794
In 1794, we can probably safely assume that Peter Vess had left Patrick County, VA; however, there are a couple of records I think are pretty interesting.
Below, we see that Charles Vest, father of William Tunwell Vest, was in Patrick County, VA in 1794. Is this proof that Peter Vess belongs to the Charles Vest family (Haplogroup I)?
Not necessarily, largely because Charles Vest, per other court records, tells us he traveled a lot. He was a manufacturer (builder) by occupation and he often traveled to other counties putting in building bids. An interesting account is via a record in Guilford County, NC where he put in a bid to rebuild the Guilford Court house (after it was destroyed by a battle); however, he “walked out” and never came back. Due to his absence, the bid was granted to another bidder.
Another record I found interesting, looks to be like a record for a John Gosnell. It would be interesting if the Gosnell family was also in Patrick County, VA at the same time as Peter and William Vess, as that may further support a connection between Nathaniel Vess and Peter Vess. The Whitlock family is also in Patrick County, VA.
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!
If there is one thing in Vess Genealogy that bothers me the most, it is the close genetic connection between Peter and Willis Vess. I mean, how are they so closely related?
A number of descendants of Willis Vess show as DNA matches on my Autosomal DNA test, which means there is an early connection somewhere between 6-8 generations back. For me, my 3rd great-grandfather, Andrew Logan Vess, would be the 6th generation. Is Willis Vess the brother of Peter Vess?
Andrew Logan Vess
Before we found out that Peter and Willis Vess were part of the same Vess family (via Y-DNA), I figured I must be connected to Willis Vess through an ancestor on my mother’s side, whose family also had deep roots in Georgia and the Carolinas. But, now I know descendants of Willis Vess also show up as DNA matches for a number of other descendants of Peter Vess.
So, where does Peter and Willis Vess fall on the Vess family tree?
Consistent Geographical Places
As research continues, we have discovered that the Vess family live in communities whose residents appear to be consistently associated with the same geographical places:
1. Enroee River, Spartanburg County, South Carolina 2. Abbeville County, South Carolina 3. Wilkes County, North Carolina 4. White County, Tennessee
You would think that mountainous terrain and dangerous confrontations with Native Americans would have hindered families from traveling large distances; however, that is far from the truth. Many early families owned and maintained land in other states; in which often required the head of household to travel back and forth for business. A lot of families were also uprooted due to wars or the expansion of the new frontier.
Connections To Abbeville County, South Carolina
What also boggles my mind, is that while we find early Vess families in communities associated with common geographical places, there still appears to be no early existence of the Vess family. Generally, one would expect to find at least 1 or 2 close relatives hanging around nearby, as families often traveled together. But in our case, it is as if Peter and Willis Vess, even Jonathan and Nathaniel Vess, seemingly appear into their community out of nowhere!
What is even more curious, is that Alfred Webb Vess, son of Peter Vess, settled in Georgia (prior to the Civil War), while the rest of the Vess family pretty much stayed in North Carolina. Why did he move out of state?
Alfred Webb Vess
It is interesting to note, that he left North Carolina in the early 1850’s, which may have been after the death of his mother, Catherine. In 1860, the entire Rutherford County, N.C. Vess family is shown having had split their ways, with the youngest of Peter and Catherine’s children shown to be living with another family (largely suggesting Catherine had died).
I have yet to figure out why the youngest children of Peter and Catherine went to live with a man named Dempsey Sumner in Buncombe County, NC. I have not found any evidence suggesting any kind of family connection between them. However, I do have reason to believe, Sumner may have given Jasper an apprenticeship, for that Jasper later acquired some of him land. [Note: Indentured servant contracts were still going on prior to the Civil War.]
Alfred Webb Vess married Mary Elizabeth McFarlin, daughter of Benjamin McFarlin and Nancy Stone. They married in 1853, in Franklin County, Georgia, not too far from Mary’s roots in Abbeville County, South Carolina.
Is that a clue that the Vess family also had early roots in Abbeville County, South Carolina, as other research suggests? Was there Vess family in Abbeville County, SC that Alfred went to after Catherine’s death?
Franklin County, Georgia- Abbeville County, South Carolina
This intrigues me, because many residents in Franklin County, Alabama also have earlier connections with Abbeville County, SC. Jonathan Vess of Texas also appears to have connections with Abbeville County, SC, through the families his children married (like McBee and McCullough families). In addition, James Heron (from Patrick County, VA) also owns land in Abbeville County, South Carolina and do not even get me started on the bulk of Travis families who descend from Cork, Ireland also living in Abbeville County, SC, with one of them becoming an important part of early Texas history [William B. Travis: The Battle of the Alamo].
Exploring The TRAVESS Name
Earlier this week, I’ve started to explore the TRAVESS name. I find it interesting that this name is found in Caroline County, Maryland. Although Y-DNA tells us there is no recent connection between the Vess family and the Travers family of Dorchester, Maryland (next to Caroline County); that doesn’t mean, a different Travers family (perhaps with a similar name) wasn’t ever in Maryland. The TRAVESS name, is interestingly, a name that can also be found in both England and Ireland, particularly in Lancashire, England and Donegal (not Cork), Ireland.
Unfortunately, there is no DNA evidence (as of yet) suggesting a connection with any early TRAVESS families (not even sure if TRAVESS is even related to TRAVERS); however, it is a name variant (along with TRAVIS) that we might want to take in consideration when exploring these earlier common geographical places; as it is abundantly clear that our family’s mysterious tracks throughout early Colonial America are hidden behind a different surname.
Vess Genealogy 