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Separating William Easts

Thomas Gilbert.⁵ When Thomas traded one parcel of land on Buffalo to William Smith for a Negro wench in 1771, William and Frances East were witnesses. He also sold the other land on Buffalo Creek to William Smith and William and Frances East were again witnesses.⁶ In January of 1778, William East and Fanny his wife of Bedford County sold 107 acres on Buffalo Creek to James and Richard Jones.⁷ This is no doubt the same land that was bought by the William who was formerly married to Mary. When William Smith died in Surry County, North Carolina in 1780, William and Thomas East were the executors.⁸ That this William and Thomas are the same in, each instance and that William's first wife, Mary died about 1770 and that he remarried to Frances (also called Fanny) before 1771 seems to be a quite logical conclusion. This is bolstered by the pension application papers of Isham East, 1758-1835, son of William.⁹ According to his testimony, he was living in Bedford County and "in the winter of 1777 (William of Bedford sold land in Halifax in January, 1778) he went to Surry County, North Carolina to see his father who had moved to that county." Isham served in the Revolution with a group from North Carolina and when he returned to Bedford, he volunteered with a group from Halifax led by Captain Edmund King.¹⁰ He returned to Bedford and then in 1783 he moved to Surry County, North Carolina, now Stokes County. William had moved to Grayson by 1797 when he was named in a deed in Stokes as "William East of Greason(sic) Co. VA" He was selling his land in Stokes to Isham.¹¹ Isham moved to Patrick County, Virginia in 1801. In the Bible record submitted by his son as proof of the birth dates of the children, Isham is named as the son of William and Mary.

            In 1782 William East was listed in Capt. Lovells District in the tax records of Surry County with 300 acres of land. Thomas East is listed with two plots of land, one with 200 acres and one with 125 acres and Joseph East with 100 acres.¹² In the deeds of Surry

Journal of GSRS

County, William bought 300 acres on Middle Fork of Little Yadkin from William Boyles in 1783.¹³ William bought an "unspecified amount of land being a WATER PLAT containing as many acres as may be drowned on Christian Fears land in raising a sufficient head of water to support William East's Grist Mill" on waters of Little Yadkin.¹⁴ William East Senior of Greason(sic) County, Virginia sold 150 acres on middle fork of Little Yadkin River to Isham East in February 1797.¹⁵ In March of that year, William East Senior of Greason(sic) County, Virginia sold to John Boyles 150 acres on middle fork of Little Yadkin River.¹⁶

            Willam East wrote his will the following year but it was not probated until August 1803 in Grayson County, Virginia. In his will, he names his wife Fanney, his son Isham and William, and his daughters: Mary, Rebekah. Susanna. Frankie, Sarah Fitzpatrick, Usley Venable, Elizabeth Biles (Boyles?), Martha Jones.¹⁷

            Thomas East bought 125 acres of land on the Little Yadkin River in Surry County, North Carolina from John Horn in 1786.¹⁸ The following year he sold this land to Matthew Doss and Mary signed the deed.¹⁹ Thomas received a grant from the state of North Carolina in 1789 for 200 acres in Surry County on the Little Yadkin River.²⁰ In the state census for North Carolina taken between 1784 and 1787, there were listed: Joseph Eist, with one male between 21-60, two males under 21 or over 60, and 4 women; Thomas Eist with two males between 21-60, 2 males under 21 or over 60, and 4 women; William Eist, (next to John Fitzpat-rick) with one male between 21-60. one male under 21 or over 60, and 6 females. In the census records of Stokes County in 1790, there are listed: William East, four males over 16, one male under 16. and 6 females; Isham East, two males over 16, four males under 16,

Separating William Easts

and 1 female.²¹ By 1800, William has left the state but in Stokes County the following are listed: Thomas Eass, Senior with one male between 16-28, one male over 45, one female between 26-45, and one female over 45; Thomas Eass, Junior with one male under 10, one male between 16-28, and one female between 16-26; Isham Eass with two males between 10-16, two males between 16-28, one male between 26-45, four females under 10, and one female between 16-26; Asa Eass with 2 males under 10, one male between 26-45, one female under 10, one female between 26-45; Joseph East with one male under 10, one male over 45, four females between 10-16, and one female over 45.²²

            Thomas East left a will in Stokes County, dated 28 March 1807. The will was entered into court in September 1808. He left 400 acres of land, two slaves, and his blacksmith tools to Thomas East, Junior. To his grandchildren, at the decease of their mothers, he left slaves. He named three grandsons, Jesse Brown and Thomas East Brown, sons of his daughter Caty Brown; and Thomas Edwards, son of Abel Edwards. He also left 200 acres of land to the Brown grandsons. He mentions his daughters by name; Caty, Elizabeth, and Nancy but only tells the married name of Caty. He does not mention his wife so we may presume she had predeceased him. He also instructs that the household goods be distributed at his death.²³

            It is thought that these Easts were brothers and that they were the sons of Isham East, son of Edward. Isham East, Senior had left Charlotte County, Virginia by November, 1769 when Tarlton East, Constable, was sent to call him into court.²⁴ He has not been located afterwards unless he is the Isham East in Laurens County, South Carolina in 1790. Several East families moved there from Halifax about 1778 and Isham East received a grant of land in Laurens County in 1786. The Joseph found in the Surry County records could be another brother to Thomas and William but the research is still in progress on him.

            Sometimes the only way to separate these early families is to follow the land and the court records. In this case, when the wives changcd, there was some confusion but by pursuing the land records it was finally resolved.