Author: Susan Cantrill Christie
Publication: 231 Madison Street, Brooklyn, New York
Page 97
23. Thomas Cantrell 4 (John 3, Joseph 2, Richard 1) was
born Jan. 23, 1761. About 1780 he married Elizabeth Norris,
daughter of Thomas Norris, who served in the Revolutionary War
from Pennsylvania. She was born March 10, 1765. After their
marriage they first settled in Greenville district, S.C., but later
moved to Tennessee. It has been said that he was the first of the
name to migrate to that state. He settled on Sink Creek, DeKalb
county, where he operated an iron forge, whidh is still called the
"Old Forge," and where one of his descendants now lives.
The War records, at Washington, D.C., show that "Thomas
Cantrell served as s amember, rank and company not stated, of
Lieutenant Coloner Lytle's command, Caswell county, North
Carolina, Revolutionary War." His name has been found only
on a list, not dated, of men "enrolled for Captain Robert Moore,
from Caswell county.
There is a tradition, which comes from William Magness Can-
trell, that: "Thomas Cantrell, in company with Mr. Adcock, who
was an uncle of his grandmother, were captured at the battle
of the Cowpens, S.C., and placed on a British ship to be sent to
England. After getting some four miles from land, they escaped
by jumping overboard and swimming to shore, having to escape
not only the dangers of the sea, but also the fire of the British."
He was a deacon in the Baptist church. He and his wife are
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buried in the old cemetery at Grady, Tenn. This town was first
known as Cantrell's Cross Roads; later the name was changed to
Williamsburg, and to-day is known as Grady. The inscription on
his tombstone reads:
"Here lies the body of Thomas Cantrelle, Born January 23,
1761. Died September 25, 1830."
Children:
1091. i. Isaac.
1092. ii. Jacob
1093. iii. Mary, b Dec. 13, 1784, in South Carolina; m. William Henry
Cooke, in 1804. He was b. May 15, 1784, in Culpepper county,
Va., and was a son of Robert and Susannah Watson Cooke.
Robert Cooke was in the Revolutionary War and served under
Washington at Valley Forge; d. Nov. 12, 1841, at the age of
eighty-nine years.
William Henry cooke was deputy surveyor in Spartanbury
county, S.C., in 1807. In 1820 he moved with his family to
McMinn county, Tenn., where he purchased a large tract of
land in the Hiwassee district, on the Conesuaga. One of his
descendants writes:
"It is over eighty years since William and Mary
Cantrll Cooke came to their new home in Tennessee. The
country was new and they reached the end of their long, tire-
some journey just at nightfall. It was raining; there was no
house to receive them and a temporary shelter was hastily
erected. Beneath that, wrapped in quilts, with her babe in he
arms, all through that dark, rainy night, sat Mary Cantrell
Cooke weaping, so dreary and lonely seemed the prospect.
Nevertheless she was a woman of strong mind and great capa-
bilities. Her husband was an upright and enterprising citizen,
but she was the poetent factor in the training of her children:
one of their sons became a noted lawyer and judge; another a
Baptist minister; another an excellent physician, and still
another, one of the most influential citizens in the section in
which he lived. She was founder and promoter of the Conesauga
Baptist church. The hill where the family spent their first
night in Tennessee was afterward given as a burial spot for his
kindred by William H. Cooke: his wife was the first to be laid
there, and one week later he was placed by her side. Now many
of the descendants of the first, second and third generation are
sleeping there."
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1094. iv. Thomas, b. about 1786, in Greenville district, S.C.; m(1)--
Cantrell; m. (2) -- Glaze. THomas Cantrell and his
family moved to Alabama, where he d. leaving a family, of
whom we could get no records.
1095. v. Elijah.
1096. vi. Nancy, m. Isaac Cantrell, son of John and Elizabeth Cantrell
1097. vii. Sarah, m. John Kaskie. THey moved to Missouri
1098. viii David.
1099. ix Gabriel, b. in Greenville district, S.C.; went with his parents to
Tennessee, where he married Nancy Smith. Gabriel Cantrell
moved with his family to Missouri and wh have been unable
to trace his descendants.
1100. x. Brazalia, m. Thomas Kaskie. They moved to Missouri.
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10. Isaac Cantrell 3 (Joseph 2, Richard 1) was born in
New Castle county, PA., probably about 1729. Married and
moved to North Carolina. It has been impossible to get a com-
plete list of his children, or the order in which they were born,
but the following names were furnished by descendants of this
line, as given:
Children:
1520. i. Isaac.
1521. ii. James.
1522. iii. Elizabeth, m. her cousin, John M. Cantrell, called "Miller John"
1520. Isaac Cantrell, Jr. 4 (Isaac 3, Joseph 2, Richard 1)
was probably born in New Castle county, PA. That Isaac Cantrell
and his family went to the Carolinas is certain, but we do not
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know to what section they first moved. It is claimed that Isaac
and James Cantrell were the first of th name to settle in Spartan-
burg county, S.C., but whether this was Isaac Cantrell, Sr., or
Isaac Cantrell, Jr., isnot known. This branch of the family were
later joined in South Carolina by their uncle John Cantrell, who
came from North Carolina.
Isaac Cantrell settled on Pacolet river, where he owned large
tracts of land, near where Buck creek church now is. He married
twice, the name of his first wife is not known; (2) Mary Leonard.
The first two chilcren were by his first wife. He died in 1805 and
his will was probated in Spartanburg county.
Will of Isaac Cantrell
"I give and bequeat unto my loving wife, Mary Cantrell, all
my real and personal estate, during the time of her natural life, or
widowhood, except the money that is now in my hands.
" I will that it be equally divided amongst all my children, ex-
cept my son Elijah Cantrell's heirs; to the two children he left at
his decease, I will that they have of my estate ten shillings between
them.
"I also except George Pirtle, and my grandson, Isaac Pirtle,
George Pirtle's son. I give and bequeath to George Pirtle five
shillings and to my grandson, Isaac Pirtle, five shillings.
" I aslo give and bequeath to my son Enoch Cantrell and his
heirs, after the decease of my wife, one negro boy named Watt.
" I also give to my son Lanceford one negro named Sam.
"I also give to my son Abraham one negro woman, Poll, except
her increase.
"I also give to my son Caleb, the child the wench now has named
Will, if he dies before he is ten years old, then to have the next
living child, and the other increase left to the disposal of my wife:
if no living children, the wench to be equally divided between
Abraham and Caleb, at the decrease of my wife.
"I also will that my wife give the children that are now under
her care, when they leave her what she thinks necessary, and also
will that she give Nimrod such necessaries as the rest had, when
she thinks good.
(Signed) "Isaac Cantrell.
"Executors:
"Mary Cantrell.
"George Pirtle."
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In 1830 Mary, widow of Isaac Cantrell, by a deed of gift gave
a number of negroes and a large tract of land to her children: Nim-
rod, Caleb, Abraham, Lanceford aand Enoch and grandchildren:
Mark Cantrell, Peter Cantrell (sons of Elijah), and Isaac Pirtle.
Children:
1523. i. Charles, whose name appears in deeds and other document in
Spartanburg county, S.C., but we could find no trace of his
descendants.
1524. ii. Peter.
1525. iii. Elijah.
1526. iv. Daughter (name not known), m. George Pirtle; d. and left a son.
Child:
1. Isaac Pirtle.
1527. v. Enoch.
1528. vi. Lanceford, lived and died in Spartanburg county. No record of family
1529. vii. Abraham, sold all his property in South Carolina, in 1816, and
went to Warren County, Tenn. No record of his family.
1530. viii. Caleb.
1531. ix. Nimrod.
N.B. Lanceford, Abraham, Caleb and Nimrod Cantrell's
names appear in a great many deeds of land in Spartanburg
county, SC., but we could not find any of their descendants.
As there are a number of the name now living in that county,
whom we have been unable to locate, it is probable that some
of them are descendants of this branch of the family.
A record of the descendants of Richard
Cantrill, who was a resident of Phila-
delphia prior to 1689, and of earlier
Cantrills in England and America.