It’s always exciting to add newly discovered ancestors to the Vess family tree!
Rachel Melinda Vess (1881-1969) is a new addition to the Peter Vess lineage. She is the daughter of James Harvey Vess and Mary Josephine Dalton, granddaughter of Andrew Logan Vess and Lucy Malinda Halford, and great-granddaughter of Peter Vess and Catherine Crook.
Rachel M. Vess never appeared on census, due to the 20 year gap in missing census records between 1880 – 1900. Imagine how many Vess ancestors are missing due to the lost 1890 census!
Rachel Vess married Henry O. Smith on May 11, 1899 in McDowell County, North Carolina. Together they had 5 children: Ella Mae, Lina, Alan, Nelson Burlan, and Bulah Josephine.
From what we can tell, the names “Rachel” and “Melinda” hold significant importance to the Peter Vess family, as we see these names repeated throughout several earlier generations. We do know that Rachel is the name of Catherine Crook’s mother, Rachel Haynes. We also know that Peter and Catherine had a daughter named Rachel. However, I am not sure where the name Melinda comes from – perhaps Peter’s side of the family? Records tell us that one of Peter and Catherine’s daughters also went by the name Melinda.
Josiah (Joseph) Vess is the son of Peter Vess and Catherine Crook in Rutherford County, North Carolina. Not much is known about him, as he seems to have disappeared after 1850, like his older brother John. Fortunately, I was able to dig up a little something…
Burke County
Josiah Vess was born in Rutherford County, North Carolina, in 1822, most likely on Knobs Creek. In 1831, his father obtained land on Cedar Creek (located in the Broad River Township), which is sandwiched in between Burke and Buncombe County.
We know from Peter’s records, that the family had connections to Burke County, even though they were residents of Rutherford County. This was likely because Cedar Creek is located closely to the Burke County border.
His parents, Peter and Catherine, left Bill’s Creek Baptist Church prior to 1836, and by 1838, they appear to have become members of Bethlehem Baptist Church, located in Crooked Creek of Burke County. This area of Burke County, will later become part of McDowell County in 1842.
Bastardy Bond: Elizabeth Justice
In 1844, Josiah Vess of Rutherford County, was called to McDowell County, to answer to a Bastardy Bond via Elizabeth Jutis (Justice).
I could not find any more court records about it, so I cannot confirmed whether or not Josiah Vess had a child with Elizabeth Justice. But, if true, the child may have been William A. Justice.
William A. Justice was born in 1844 in McDowell County, and died during the Civil War from disease. The 1850 census reveals his mother’s name was Elizabeth Justice, and there was no father listed on census with her.
1846: Family’s Return To Bill’s Creek
On April 27, 1846, Josiah married Zillah (Zilia) Early, daughter of Andrew Early and Nancy Duncan. Together they had six children: Mary Jane, William Bailey, Rhoda Adeline, Zilla, John Jefferson (pictured below), and Emmaline.
Josiah’s son, John Jefferson Vess and wife, Dorce Sylvain Laughter, with children, Jason and baby Zilla.
During the Fall Court of 1846, Josiah, and his older brother John, are part of the deed transaction between his father, Peter Vess, and Joseph Souther. This is when Peter gave his land (on Cedar Creek) to Joseph Souther to settle a $50 debt.
On December 26, 1846, Josiah and his wife, Zilla, along with his brothers John, Andrew, Alfred, and Alexander, become members of Bill’s Creek Baptist Church, joining their mother, Catherine who returned in 1844.
On the 1850 census, the Vess family is back in Bill’s Creek (Rutherford Co).
Here we see Josiah, listed with his wife, Zilla, and two of their children, Mary and William. His older brother, John and his family are also listed, as well as their mother Catherine, with the rest of his siblings (except for Andrew, who is living near his Halford in-laws).
Peter probably died shortly after transferring his land to Joseph Souther in 1846.
1849-1853 Conflict With Father-In-Law
We can find records of Josiah Vess in the book, “Bill’s Creek Baptist Church: Two Hundred Year History,” by Helen M. Lu.
Lu notes that Josiah Vess was a member of the church in 1846, 1847, 1848, and 1849.
On October 15, 1853, he was excluded due to excessive drinking. In November, he was charged for threatening to kill his father-in-law (Andrew Early). However, his membership was restored in December, after admitting that he did make “some threat,” but did not follow through with it.
Death of Josiah and Zilla Vess
There is no official record of Josiah’s death, however, Josiah and his family seem to have disappeared after the 1850 census, with their children reappearing after 1870 as adults.
We do know that Zillah died on December 26, 1862, as we find her memorial in the book, “Bill’s Creek Baptist Church: Two Hundred Year History,” by Helen M. Lu. Her memorial does not mention her husband, focusing largely on her young children, suggesting he may have passed away prior to 1860.
“Sister Vess left behind a numerous family of helpless little children to mourn their irreparable loss.” – Bill’s Creek Baptist Church: Two Hundred Year History, by Helen M. Lu.
1860: The Nanney Family
Although Zilla’s death is reported to be in 1862, her children appear to be living with the Nanney family on Cathey’s Creek in 1860.
On the 1860 census, in Cathey’s Creek, Rutherford County, North Carolina, Amos and Temp Nanney list their children as “Thomas, Mary, Zeruah, Jothan, William, and Infant.”
Thomas is the son of Amos Nanney, as later records reveal; but, the other listed children, do not appear in future records or are listed on any family trees. However, their names do match the names of Josiah’s children (Mary, Zillah, John, and William), strongly suggesting, these children are likely VESS.
I cannot confirm 100%, that the children of Josiah were living with a Nanney family in 1860, as the record itself is badly faded (below is just a transcription of it); however, there are a couple of other Nanney-Vess connections.
Nanney Family Connections
Josiah’s oldest daughter, Mary, married Charles Nanney, son of Randal Nanney. And, his son, John Vess is listed in the will for Tinsey Searcy (Nanney), daughter of James Nanney (Amos Nanney’s uncle).
I wasn’t able to find any earlier Vess-Nanney connections. They do not appear as members of Bill’s Creek Baptist Church, so I am not sure how the children of Josiah and Zilla became acquainted with the Nanney family.
Burke County, North Carolina is interesting, because many families in Wilkes County, North Carolina relocated to this area after 1800, including our families of DNA interest: the Rose, Parks, and Sparks families. But, so did the Souther family, who were once close neighbors of Absalom Vess in Wilkes County, North Carolina.
Peter Vess seems to have a connection with some of the Wilkes County, NC families in Burke County, NC, but whatever those connections are specifically, have yet to reveal itself…
I found a new Burke County record, dated 1833, with Peter Vess listed on the “Sale of the Estate of Moses Noblitt/ Noblett,” having obtained an ax and a saw from the sale. Also listed, but not the least surprising, is also John Souther. Another record with Vess and Souther.
You can find Noblitt/Noblett on the Vess Family tree, but the connection is generations later, via sisters, Lola Mae Vess and Mattie Vess, daughters of Alfred Vess and Nancy Banther (descendants of Andrew Logan Vess). They married Noblitt cousins, related to the earlier Noblitt family of Burke County, NC.
Moses Noblitt lived on Crooked Creek. In 1831, he added 5 acres to his existing property next to the Davis family. This is interesting for several reasons:
The Vess and Davis families have a long oral history of being old close families, but no one seems to know their history together. We don’t have a lot of Davis-Vess connections on the family tree. Yet, Andrew Logan Vess is buried in the Davistown Free-Will Baptist Church cemetery, that used to be a private cemetery for the Davis family.
Michael Souther, from Wilkes County, North Carolina obtained land in 1801 on Crooked Creek. This makes me wonder if Peter Vess could have also been on Crooked Creek prior to 1820.
Other interesting families on Crooked Creek include the Burgin, Bird, Bellew, and Crawford families:
a) Burgin and Bird are some of my earlier ancestors via my 2nd great grandmother, Cora Nevada Moffitt, wife of Pinkney Vess (son of Andrew Logan Vess).
b) The Burgin family was a prominent family in North Carolina, with large tracts of land and plantations, who were also involved in politics. A website during the early 2000’s, mentioned Burgin having a “Vess” servant, which has been long since deleted (I never saved a copy). If not a man named “Vess,” I do not know what a “Vess” servant could mean. But the idea of Peter having been an indentured servant is not new.
c) Jesse Souther, brother of Michael Souther, came to Burke County after 1810 and appears on record near the Burgin, Bird, and Bellew families.
d) Bellew interests me, because we don’t exactly know (100% for sure) the origins of Nathaniel Vess and Clarinda Bellew.
e) Crawford interests me, because I share DNA matches with Willis Vess of Franklin County, Alabama via a Crawford connection – which is bizarre, as the Willis Vess family, to the best of my knowledge, has never been to Burke, Rutherford, or Buncombe County.
Peter Vess obtained land on Cedar Creek in Rutherford County, North Carolina in 1831. This property is located in the Broad River Township, which is sandwiched in between Buncombe and Burke County. Peter’s property is close to the Crooked Creek area, where we are finding records of him in Burke County.
There is so much more to explore in Burke County, North Carolina; especially, in the Crooked Creek area (now McDowell Co), as many of those families later relocated to Buncombe County, where we have more Vess connections.
I didn’t think there were anymore records to be discovered for Nathaniel Vess.
When it comes to early Vess ancestors, Nathaniel Vess probably has the most records, so it was extremely exciting when I was able to find more records for him.
1849 Buncombe County, North Carolina: Land Record
In 1849, Jackson Vest (Andrew Jackson Vess), son of Nathaniel Vess, makes several transactions with D. E. Freeman, to secure a debt, which requires repayment. A. Baird is authorized to auction Jackson’s property, if repayment is not made. Nathaniel Vess is witness to the transactions.
Jackson transferred the Deed of Trust to D. E. Freeman on 11/3/1849.
1853 Haywood County, North Carolina: Court Record
In 1853, State Vs Nathan Vest, Nathaniel Vess had a judgement against him for $100, which was dischargeable upon payment to the court.
1854 Haywood County, North Carolina: Court Record
In 1854, Nathaniel Vess was called upon as a witness in a court case between Robert Rogers (and others) and John L. Smith (and others).
The case pertained to the estate of Lewis Smith (deceased 1842), specifically, regarding a dispute about a rental agreement and maintenance responsibilities of the property that were not being kept up.
Robert Rogers requested that rent be minimal due to the conditions of the property affecting the land value. There were several witnesses giving testimony about the condition of the property and improvements (if any).
Nathaniel Vess was a witness for John L. Lewis, giving testimony about the condition of the property the past 3 years and noting changes to the property.
He submitted a request for reimbursement for $1.40, for appearing as a witness and for travel expenses.
1856 Haywood County, North Carolina: Court Record
In 1856, Nathaniel Vess was bound to $500 to the court for the welfare of a child Abraham Vess, had out of wedlock with Caroline Mathis.
1860 Haywood County, North Carolina: Land Record
In 1860, there are 2 land records (2857 & 2858) for Nathaniel Vess.
He first claimed 100 acres located on Hurricane Creek & waters of Pigeon River.
Then, he claimed 100 acres on the east side of Pigeon River with John L. Smith.
Nathaniel Vess of North Carolina
I never thought in a zillion years, I’d ever discover a land record for Nathaniel Vess, let alone court records.
When we think of Nathaniel Vess, we immediately connect him to South Carolina; however, he appears to have spent a good portion of his adult life in North Carolina. It’s also important to note, that almost all of his children were married in Haywood County, North Carolina.
But, remarkably, not a single record suggesting any kind of connection to Peter Vess of Rutherford County, North Carolina, despite being in Rutherford County, North Carolina in 1830 with his Bellew in-laws. And, nothing to further support his connection to South Carolina.
During the 18th and 19th century, it became increasingly popular among Southern families to use their middle name as their first name.
While it wasn’t uncommon for formal documents to address men by their middle name, rather than their given name, it didn’t usually apply to women (they often had to use their given name).
1852 Case Record: Eleana Vest vs John Vess & Others
An 1852 record was shared with me, about a case between an “Eleana Vest” (deceased) and the children of Peter and Catherine Vess, pertaining to the sale of property.
The immediate question on everyone’s mind is: Who in the world is Eleana Vest?
Jones O Williams Administrator of Eleana Vest Deceased Vs John Vest & Others Petition to sell real Estate
“In this case the Court appoints R. L. Gilkey Guardian [illegible] to the infant defendants to wit, Rachel, Eliz or Malinda, Zephaniah , & Jasper Vest , and orders publication to be made in the Mountain Banner for six consecutive for John, Alfred & Alney Vest to appear at the next term of this court to be held on the 6th Monday after the 4th Monday in June and next to show cause if any they can why the [illegible] of the Petition shall not be granted. Publication made 8th June 1852.
Another record was shared with me, dated 1856, pertaining to the same case above, acknowledging the “execution of an order to Jonathan Williams, a tract of land containing 109 acres more or less.”
Neither record provides a description of the land, but according to a deed record in 1846, Peter Vess transferred his property, “109 acres more or less” to Joseph Souther, to cover a $50 debt. The record did state that if the debt was paid, the transaction would become void.
Because the property involves the children of Peter and Catherine, including their minor children, this strongly suggests this could be Peter’s property on Cedar Creek.
Would this mean, the property was returned to the Vess family at some point? And, if so, is “Eleana,” his wife, Catherine?
Unavailable Records
The case was supposedly published in the Mountain Banner (local newspaper) in 1852, which probably would have included a description of the property. Unfortunately, Newspapers.com, the largest database of newspapers, does not have any copies of the paper published in 1852.
There also doesn’t seem to be any further deed records available regarding this sale of property. Neither under the names of Jones Williams or Eleana Vest to Jonathan Williams.
1848 Court Minutes: Tax List
There are no census records for an Eleana Vest. However, we do see an “Eleazar Vest” on the 1848 Rutherford County, NC tax list with Andy Vest (Andrew Logan Vess). Could this be Eleana (Eleanor), misspelled?
At first I thought this was Eleazar Vest, a real person from Virginia, but there are no records suggesting he ever left Virginia, had any business in North Carolina, or any kind of possible connection to VESS.
Eleanor Is Often Misspelled
In the book, “Bill’s Creek Baptist Church ⎮ Two Hundred Year History 1782-1982,” by Helen M. Lu, there does list an E. C. Vess, Elaner C. Vess, and an Eleanor C. Vess. However, she appears in member lists after 1880, and is noted as the wife of Bailey Vess, with census records (listed as B. W. Vess and Ellen C. Vess) stating she was born in 1851. Rules her out as Eleana Vest in 1852.
I do not know which Bailey Vess. Interestingly, our family lineage for Peter Vess, which is quite extensive, has several ancestors named Bailey Vess; however, neither are listed with a wife named Eleanor C. Vess. I guess we have another mystery to dig into!
Anyway, my point, is that the name Eleanor has various misspellings. I’ve also seen it spelled as Eliana too.
So…perhaps Catherine’s full name is Eleanor Catherine Crook? This might explain why we haven’t found any marriage records between Peter and Catherine.
More Research Is Needed To Confirm
While, this seems like this could be Catherine and may very well be Catherine, we need more records to confirm it!
Nonetheless, this is very exciting! Please let me know your thoughts in the comments!
Citations
Lu, Helen M. Bill’s Creek Baptist Church: Two Hundred Year History. 1984.
Summers are generally when I take a break from genealogy.
But, this summer, I’ve been steadily busy uncovering new Vess-related records! So many new records, to the point, I realized that this website needs a major update!!
Also, I think I am finally ready to blog again! I’ve had a serious writers block since 2023, preventing me from keeping readers up to-date on new discoveries. I mean, the research never stopped, just the posts.
At some point, I had lost direction and a lot of motivation.
There came a point when I truly thought the older Vess generation was right and that I probably should just “let dead dogs lie.”
That dreadful thought that the Vess Genealogy adventure was finally coming to an end, where there just simply wasn’t anything more to discover…
But, I reminded myself, this research exists because I refuse to let dead dogs lie. I will continue to dig up all those old dead dogs and see what secrets they hide!
And that is exactly what I’ve been doing all summer!
In the coming months, I hope to begin a weekly blog, keeping readers and family researchers up to date on new family discoveries, the continued effort in uncovering earlier Vess ancestors, and sharing my passion for the world of genealogy!
Please be sure to subscribe, to receive those discoveries directly to your inbox!
John Vess (b. 1820) is the son of Peter Vess and Catherine Crook in Rutherford County, NC. He married Elizabeth Taylor and had 5 children together: Sarah, Silas, Mary, Sophrona, and William.
In 1854, Elizabeth announced her divorce to John Vess in the newspaper, stating he was an out-of-state resident. She married Joshua Souther in Henderson County, NC, the same day she announced her divorce in the newspaper.
A newly discovered record, reveals that Silas and Mary Vess, “orphans of John Vess,” were bound to Joshua Souther in 1855.
This suggests John Vess either died or is long gone from the state of North Carolina!
We do not know where John Vess went after 1850.
There is some speculation that he is one of the three John Vess families in Abbeville County, South Carolina, while there is some speculation that he is John P. Vess in Franklin County, Alabama who is not only the same age at John Vess in North Carolina, but also doesn’t appear in Alabama until 1860.
John Vess as John P. Vess would make those mysterious close shared DNA matches between me (a descendant of Peter Vess) and the Alabama Vess family (connecting to Tennessee Simmons/ Dodson family) make better sense, since John P. Vess married Louisa F. Simmons, who I believe is Louisa F. Dodson, former wife of Zachariah T. Simmons in Tennessee.
Remarkably, by arranging my shared DNA matches to the Alabama Vess family to match their suggested relationship to me on Ancestry’s family tree, strongly suggests that Willis Vess or John P. Vess is the son of Peter Vess.
Unfortunately, just because it would make sense, doesn’t mean it’s accurate.
We need more DNA testing and genealogical records to further explore the relationship between both Vess families.
According to the Stephen F. Austin’s Register of Families, Jonathan Vess arrived in Texas in 1829 from Missouri.
Stories about Jonathan Vess never mention Missouri, as it has been long believed he came from South Carolina.
So, let’s do some research!
Vess/Vest Records
Early Vess records often alternate between the VESS, VOSS and VEST surnames. We see it in records for the early Vess/Vest families in Patrick County, Virginia, early Vest/Vess families in Wilkes County, North Carolina, and early records for our known ancestors like Peter and Willis Vess.
The VESS surname didn’t really stick until after 1840.
This consistent use of alternating names in early records helps us identify “potential” VESS ancestors to further research. We cannot immediately assume they are VESS, but it has become an efficient tool in looking for Vess-related records that may be under a similar surname.
Jonathan – Not As Popular As John
Fortunately for us, Jonathan Vess appears to have preferred the name “Jonathan” over “John,” which vastly narrows down the search field for potential records.
Interestingly, Jonathan, as a first name, doesn’t seem as popular as the first name, John. Indexed searches for Jonathan on Ancestry.com, in general, regardless the surname, still returns just a couple of pages of results – making it extremely easy to browse through!
Military Records
I came across two military records – one for Jonathan VESS (Rangers, United States Volunteers) and another for Jonathan VEST (Capt. Collard’s Co. Louisiana Militia).
I am very confident these records refer to the same individual, but further research is needed, because there are no stories that Jonathan Vess ever went to Missouri, let alone Louisiana!
Interesting Military History: War of 1812
It turns out that, Capt. Collard’s “Louisiana Militia” is sort of misleading on this record for Jonathan Vest. It’s not Louisiana as we know it today.
Elijah Simmons Collard started out as a private in the Upper Louisiana Militia, an area that was known as Haute-Louisiane (aka Illinois Country), which included Missouri territory. He then became Captain of the “Missouri” Militia.
Jonathan VEST is listed as a private under Captain Collard’s Company, which if Collard was “captain” at that time, this would likely include the Missouri Militia.
There is also a military record for Jonathan VESS as a Ranger. Rangers were volunteers, and they came out of Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Missouri. As you can see on the map above, those states appear to be located in Upper Louisiana.
The Capt. Collard’s Co. record for Jonathan Vest likely refers to the Battle of New Orleans (1815), which included volunteers (Rangers) and militia’s.
Jonathan Vest is listed as a Louisiana solider for the Battle of New Orleans. However, there doesn’t seem to be a record of him, on official military lists regarding that battle, suggesting he was likely a volunteer. Which is probably why there are two War of 1812 records for him – one regarding the Battle of New Orleans and the other stating he is a Ranger.
Building A TimeLine To Search For More Records
Given the history of the Rangers and Capt. Elijah Simmons Collard, I suspect Jonathan Vess was not a resident of Louisiana during the Battle of Orleans, but a resident somewhere in Upper Louisiana (Missouri, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois area).
While records for Jonathan Vess appear scarce, these military records give us a further look at where he might have been in between his marriage in 1792 in Virginia (to Elizabeth Heron) and his arrival to Texas in 1829, allowing us to narrow our search for more records.
As for his connection to South Carolina, I am still researching!
1792 Patrick County, Virginia Marriage Jonathan Vess and Elizabeth Heron
1795 Patrick County, Virginia Tax List Jonathan Vess
1803 Wilkes County, North Carolina Jury Duty Jonathan Vess
1805 Wilkes County, North Carolina Land Record Jonathan Vess/Vest Witness to land record between Nathan Duncan & John Fletcher Jr.
War of 1812 Records Jonathan Vess (Ranger) Jonathan Vest (Capt. Collard Louisiana Militia) Battle of New Orleans
1829 Stephen F. Austin Register of Families Jonathan Vess
Last year, I made some new discoveries about Absalom Vest in Wilkes County, North Carolina.
He married Hannah Raymond (possibly Reynolds) in 1809, they appeared to live on the border of Wilkes and Iredell County (Brushy Creek/ Rocky Creek area). He appears on census and tax lists near the Souther family, who just so happen to be associated with Peter Vess in Rutherford County. Three of Absalom’s children settled in Indiana, with one of them having married a Fletcher.
The few records that we have, do seem to suggest that Absalom and Jonathan Vess/Vest were associated with the Fletcher family in Wilkes County, NC – but to what extent?
According to further research, the estate record that mentions Absalom Vest is supposedly for William Charles Fletcher.
The parents of William Charles Fletcher are supposedly (if family trees are accurate) Reuben Fletcher and Mary Gray, daughter of James Gray and Elizabeth Parks! (Parks is a DNA match to Vess via DNA Triangulation Method)
BUT…there are a lot of Fletchers in Wilkes County and the 1809 Estate record does not specifically say William “Charles” Fletcher.
Some believe, William Charles Fletcher married Margaret Cargile / Cargilet. However, I found the marriage record between William Fletcher and Margaret Cargile / Cargilet and the marriage record between Reuben Fletcher and Mary Gray. Unfortunately, both marriages took place around the same time; so, they are likely not father.
However, the William Fletcher 1809 Estate record may belong to “William Fletcher Sr.” who has land records dating between 1794 – 1799 joining land next to the Smoot family. Wit. include Spencer, James, and Absalom Fletcher – all who lived near the Souther and Smoot families in Brushy Creek in 1790.
Wilkes County records show Absalom and his wife, Hannah, next to the Smoot family too. And, we have a land record between Nathan Duncan and John Fletcher Jr., also joining land next to the Smoot family, witnessed by Jonathan Vess.
The Cargile family is also listed within the same company as the Fletchers, Smoot, and Souther families in 1790, suggesting maybe all the Fletchers are related to each other (I could be wrong though).
William Fletcher and Mary Cargile are believed to have lived in Iredell county, next to the Williams family (on Rocky Creek). Interestingly, on the 1810 census, Absalom Vest is listed next to the Williams family, with William Fletcher listed on the next page, next to another Williams family.
I am curious…are Absalom Vest and Peter Vess related to each other?
Results from the DNA Triangulation Method pinpoint to Brushy Creek for a potential ancestor for Peter Vess of Rutherford County, NC…AND is it just coincidence that Peter Vess has several run-in’s with the Souther family from the same place?
Could the Fletcher and Souther families been guardians of the Vest family? Especially, since William Vest (listed on earlier census records) disappears from the Wilkes County records in 1800??
Andrew Crook is the grandfather of Catherine “Katie” Crook, wife of Peter Vess. He was born in Ireland probably around the late 1750’s. It is not known when he left Ireland, but we do know he was in North Carolina between 1804-1814.
According to his probate record (1814), he has one “illegitimate” son named John Emmanuel Crook (mother unknown) and one daughter named Mildred Arthur Creighton Crook (with Sarah Baber).
Buncombe County, NC Gap Creek
The earliest record we have for Andrew Crook is his land records dated 1804 on Gap Creek in Buncombe County, North Carolina.
In 1804, he obtained land on Gap Creek from Jesse Norton (acreage not specified). Then, in 1805 (issued 1804), he obtained 100 acres of land on Gap Creek, joining the property of William Henry and William Mills. (Wit. J. Paris and Wm Justice)
Ancestry.com, North Carolina, U.S., Land Grant Files, 1693-1960
Rutherford County, NC Cleghorn Creek
About 1806, Andrew Crook relocated to Rutherford County, North Carolina, where he married Sarah (Sally) Baber, the daughter of James Baber and Mildred Arthur. According to Baberfamilytree.org, their marriage was short, as Andrew died in 1814. They only had one child together, named Mildred Arthur Creighton Crook, born in 1810.
Andrew’s son, John Emmanuel Crook and his wife Rachel Haynes, (parents of Catherine “Katie” Crook) was already living in Rutherford County at the time. They are listed on the 1800 Rutherford Co. census (5 family members). The data on census correlates with the ages of family members who would have been alive during that time. John and Rachel were likely married sometime before 1790 in Rutherford County, NC.
Rachel’s father, William Haynes, is believed to be the first pastor at Bill’s Creek Baptist Church. They lived on Cove Creek. In December 1804 (entered Jan 1803), John Crook obtained 100 acres of land, joining his in-law’s property (William Haynes) on Cove Creek.
We do see Andrew Crook on census in 1810, with his wife Sarah Baber and daughter Mildred. He owned slaves and other records reveal that he lived on Cleghorn Creek.
In 1808, he sold 50 acres of his Buncombe County property on Gap Creek to William Staton, and it appears the rest of the property was then sold to William Justice in 1813 (finalized in 1815).
In 1809, Andrew obtain land on Cleghorn Creek from J. Miller (acreage not specified). He then, obtained an additional 95 acres on Cleghorn Creek from Anthony Dickey in 1811. This property was then sold by the “executors of Andrew Crook” in 1817 and 1820.
Andrew Crook died in Rutherford County, NC in 1814 and is buried in the Twitty-Miller family cemetery (Rutherford County, North Carolina).
Interestingly, Andrew Crook is the only Crook to be buried in the Twitty-Miller family cemetery, suggesting to me, he may have family connections with them. Specifically, with the Miller family, as cemetery mapping indicates he is buried outside the fence with the Miller family, not Twitty family.
Col. Issac Craton – Possible Miller/Twitty Connection
According to family sources, Andrew Crooks mother was a “Creighton.” Hence, his daughter’s full name is Mildred Arthur Creighton Crook.
In Rutherford County, NC we have a Col. Issac “Craton.” Not only is his surname similar to Creighton, but he married a Miller (Elizabeth “Betsey” Miller), and is also listed as a witness on several marriage records for John Crook’s children. Coincidence??
Elizabeth “Betsey” Miller is the daughter of John Miller and Susanah Bell Twitty, granddaughter of the prominent land owner, David Miller! Many earlier residents of Rutherford County and Buncombe County, obtained their land from David Miller.
The Miller and Twitty families (mostly the Miller family) also owned land on Cleghorn Creek in Rutherford County, NC. I am curious if Andrew Crook obtained his land on Cleghorn Creek in 1809 from “John” Miller (listed as J. Miller)?
Now, according to Isaac’s newspaper obituary, family and friends believed he came from Guilford County, NC. This is interesting to me, because we do have a Crook family from Guilford / Rowan County who eventually settled in White County, TN with the Goolsby family. I wonder if there could be a connection?
Andrew’s mother is believed to be a Creighton, so could Andrew Crook and Issac Craton be related? Cousins or perhaps, uncle/nephew? What is Andrew’s connection to the Twitty-Miller family? Was John Emmanuel Crook’s mother a Miller? Or is Andrew Crook buried with the Miller family, because of a family connection to Issac Craton, husband of Elizabeth Miller? So many questions!
Sources:
Ancestry.com, North Carolina, U.S., Marriage Index, 1741-2004 Ancestry.com, North Carolina, U.S., Land Grant Files, 1693-1960 Familysearch.org, Buncombe County, Grantors Index 1789-1889 Familysearch.org, Rutherford County, Deeds v. 6-8 1800-1808 Newspaper.com FindAGrave.com Alabama Department of Archives and History; Montgomery, AL; Alabama Surname Files; Box or Film Number: M84-4563
Vess Genealogy 