-
"Caswell" Family Pages
Descendants of Governor Richard CASWELL Surnames : Allen, Desmond, Gatlin, Herittage, Jerkins, Lovick, McIlwean, Pridgen, Rouse,Sheppard, White First Generation - 1. Governor Richard CASWELL was born on 3 Aug 1729 in Joppa, Md. (Mulberry Point).
- He died on 10 Nov 1789 in Fayetteville, NC and was buried in Kinston, NC.
- Richard Caswell was the first Governor of the independent state of North Carolina. .He was the
- only one ever to serve for six one year terms, and the only one ever from Lenoir (then Dobbs)
- County. Caswell was distinguished also among governors of the newly independent states for
- having directly participated in the Revolutionary battles.
- While serving in the militia with rank of colonel in 1771, Caswell saw action under Governor
- Tryon in the Battle of Alamance. Three years later the First Provincial Congress met at New
- Bern to name delegates to the First Continental Congress, opening in Philadelphia on
- September 5, 1775. In May 1775, while enroute to the Continental Congress, Colonel Caswell
- learned of the April 19th battles at Lexington and Concord. By the time he returned to North Carolina,
- Colonial Governor Josiah Martin had fled the Royal Palace, Tryon, at New Bern, taking refuge on a
- British warship at the mouth of Cape Fear River. Military preparations increased throughout North
- Carolina andCaswell was named commander of the militia in one of the six military districts. Then, at the
- battle of Moore's Creek Bridge on Feb. 27, 1776, Caswell led some 1,100 Whig troops who
- ambushed the Tories, upset British invasion plans and made him a hero of the Revolution.
- In 1776, after the Provincial Congress enacted the Halifax Resolves, military preparations
- escalated and Caswell was promoted to brigadier general of militia. Later he was to command
- all North Carolina militia and was to join General Horatio Gates in the unsuccessful action
- against Cornwallis at the battle of Camden. In the meantime, Caswell served as chairman of a
- group to draft a state constitutuion, which was adopted, following the Declaration of
- Independence, by the Continental Congress. General Caswell was chosen and reelected
- Governor of North Carolina by the general assemblies of 1777, 1778, and 1779. The
- constitution permitted only three successive terms for governor. It was in 1777, his first year as
- constututional governor, that Caswell bought Harmony Hall; according to Dr. Charles Holloman,
- Caswell occupied Tryon Palace for a brief period, but then moved the government to Kinston,
- feeling the palace presented too exposed a target for British warships. Caswell was again
- elected N.C. Governor in 1785 and was re-elected for the full legal limit of three successive
- terms, serving until 1788. He suffered a fatal paralytic stroke while presiding over the state
- senate in the general assembly at Fayetteville in the Fall of 1789. He died on 10 Nov. 1789 and
- is believed to be buried at Kinston in what is now Caswell Memorial Park. The park houses the
- Caswell museum and Visitors Center Since Caswell left no land or houses and precious
- momentoes, his wealth having been sorely depleted as a result of the war, only Harmony Hall
- remains as the restored proof of his courage and service to the State and the Nation.
- SOURCES: Harmony Hall LH 08288-6 Lenoir Community College
- History of Lenoir County by Charles Holloman
- ********************************************************************************************
- *Note-Richard Caswell and his second wife Sarah raisedtheir grandson Richard William after
- Caswell's son (by first wife Mary Mcllwean) William's death (Jan.6, 1785) and wife Gatsey's
- death(1785) They also raised Sarah Richard, dau. of his son Richard,jr (d.Dec. 27,1784). and
- Mary McIlwean Mary married Benejah White shortly after Gov. Caswell's death (c.1790) so it is
- unclear where Sarah Richard was by 1790 census.. They also reared Richard Francis
- McIlwean and his 2 sisters Sarah and Elizabeth, children of his daughter Sarah (d.1787) and
- her husband John Sturgis McIlwean(d.(d.1788). In addition, he appears to have taken in William
- and Elizabeth Lovick,nephew & niece of his wife Sarah Sarah also took in Benjamin John
- Caswell(b.c1793) following John Caswell's death in 1795.
- SOURCE: 1790 census- Sarah Caswell has two males over 16, two boys under 16, and 3
- females (including herself) and 21 slaves.
- ********************************************************************************************
- Copy obtained from the North Carolina Archives. Submitted by Clair Hadley
- WILL OF GOVERNOR RICHARD CASWELL
- In THE NAME OF GOD AMEN. I, Richard Caswell, of Dobbs County in the State of North
- Carolina, Do this second day of July, in the Year of our Lord, one thousand, Seven hundred and
- eighty seven, make and declare this to be my last Will and Testament as the one I made on the
- death of my dearly beloved son, William Caswell, will not suit with my present circumstances. I
- declare the and all former Wills and Testaments by me made, null and void, holding this and
- this only for firm and effectual, which is as follows:
- First, I reserve for the use of a burying ground for all those of my family and Connections who
- may choose to bury their Relations and friends there, one half acre of land where the Bones of
- my dear father and Mother lie, at a place called the Hill, to be laid out East, West, North and
- South so as to leave those Bones near the center of the said half Acre of Ground, and I also
- reserve in like manner, one half Acre of Land where the Bones of beloved wife (and) son,
- William, now lie near the red house, to be laid out in the same manner and for the same
- purpose as the above half Acre is directed; and these two half Acres to be reserved for the
- uses afores'd forever. And its likewise my Will that those who wish to bury their Dead at either
- of the said places and coming with in the meaning of the description above, shall always have
- liberty of Egress, Ingress and regress to, at and from the said respective burying grounds to
- bury the dead or repair or raise an enclosure to the same,
- Secondly, to prevent any kind of Dispute which might arise between my Brother Martin Caswell,
- or his heirs or Assigns With those claimings under me, I declare all the land comprised within
- his Title from Samuel Caswell of the Title to Samuel
- Caswell or Nathaniel Bird, I have no claim to, notwithstanding my patent may be of a Younger
- date, than the Deed I granted to Nathaniel Bird for the same.
- Thirdly, Whereas my Brother, Samuel Caswell, in his life time and myself, agreed for two
- hundred acres of Land whereon he lived, immediately before his death, which was to begin at
- Mackilwean's (corner) next to the river, near Mrs. Skiners dwelling and run up Mackilweans to
- Dosiers out corner, then with his line to the flat branch near the end of Mr. Caosts field, then
- with the side of the said Flat and land down to where a small branch empties into the said Flat
- branch, which runs through Kellings old field, then a direct line to the mouth of the Cypres Gut.
- Then down the river a small distance to Boxes corner, then with his line out to my corner and
- then to the Beginning, which included part of Dosiers, Kellings, Boxes and my own former
- claims, for three hundred pounds and notwithstanding a very small part of that Sum was paid
- me in my said Brother's life time, and knowing it would very much distress his family was I to
- require the remainder, therefore, I leave the use of the Land aforesaid with the plantation and
- appurtenances to my sister, Eleanor Caswell, the widow of said Brother, until her son, Shine
- Caswell, arrives to the age of twenty one Years, at which time I give and devise the same to
- him, the said Shine Caswell, his heirs and Assigns for ever.
- Fourthly, I give to my Grandson, Richard William Caswell, a Negro boy named Boson, and his
- assigns forever.
- Fifthly, I give to my Grandson, Richard Francis Mackilwean, a Negro boy named Daniel, and to
- his Assigns forever.
- Sixthly, if Jonathan Morris chooses to take the land whereon old Jack lives, which I bought at
- the vendue of Richard Caswell, Junr's estate at the price I gave for it, I desire that the Title may
- be made to him for the same,
- Seventhly. Whereas I purchased at the Vendue of the Estate of my Son, Richard Caswell, one
- Lot and half a Lot of Land in Kinston, with the house wherein Mrs. Caswell now lives and the
- appurtenances, one Negro Woman named Sarah, one Negro girl named Sall, one Negro boy
- named Charles, and one Negro boy named Jim, which Lot and Half and premises with the said
- Negroes, I leave the use of to my Daughter in Law, Mary Caswell, until my Niece, Sarah
- Caswell, her daughter, arrives to the age of eighteen Years, if my said Daughter should so long
- live, and at that period or at the time of my said Daughters Death, if it should happen before my
- said granddaughter arrives to the age aforesaid, I give, devise and bequeath the said Lot, half
- Lot, an premises with the said negroes, to my said Grand Daughter, her heirs and Assigns
- forever, to be delivered over to her free of any charges or incumbrances on account of the
- maintenance and support of my said grand Daughter. And as it is uncertain into whose hands
- she may fall, or it may so happen that she may fall into distress unless provided for by me, I
- therefore desire the Executors of this will in such case to find her reasonable and decent
- support, in cloathing and board, and attend to her Schooling and Education, which they shall
- themselves pay to those who may be intitled to receive the expenses of the same, without its
- going through other hands, and shall be a charge against my Estate, which support in the case
- aforesaid, I direct shall be made and continued to her until she arrives at the age of eighteen
- years or marries.
- Eighthly, and, as I have heretofore virtually given to my daughter, Anna Fonvielle, the land I
- hold on the east side of the Atkin branch form the road down to the river and down the same to
- the mouth of the Cypress gut, bounded by the lines form thence of the Land herein given to
- Shine Caswell, and John Coasts lines and my own lines to the road, and then with the road to
- the Beginning, including all the land I claim adjoining the Atkin and Neuse, below the road, is
- what is called the Walnut Hill and contains about three hundred acres. I have also verbally
- given to my said daughter, Anne, Negroes Peter and his wife Barbara, and Doll, these verbal
- gifts I now confirm to the said Anna Fonveille, her heirs and Assigns forever.
- Ninthly, Whereas I am engaged to pay very considerable sums of money of account of
- purchases made of my dear son, Richard's estate, and as the articles then purchased will by no
- means bring a sum sufficient, and as I cannot now discriminate what of my property may be
- best to dispose of, to raise money sufficient to pat all my debts, I hereby direct the Executors
- hereof or such of them as may be acting at the time it may become necessary to dispose of
- such part of my real or personal estate, as he or they Judge necessary and on such terms, I
- think twelve months credit will be best, may appear most for the advantage of my Estate and I
- hereby empower such Executor or Executors or acting Executor to make Legal and authentic
- conveyances to the purchasers for the same.
- Tenthly, After my debts are paid and the expenses of my household, and schooling of my
- children, with every other incidental charge so as a fair and just inventory of the remainder of
- my estate can be made, of both real and personal property, I require my Executors or acting
- Executor to return such inventory with his or their account of the whole transactions relative to
- my estate, to my friends Spyers Singleton, Robert White, John Heritage, Jesse Cobb, Francis
- Childs, Simon Bright, Joshua Croom, Benjamin Caswell and John Coart, or the majority of them
- or of the Survivors of them, and I request such majority, will arrange the personal estate into
- five equal divisions or parts as near as may be, of which parts, I give my wife, Sarah Caswell,
- one, which I request she may be allowed to choose, at the same time, I request such majority
- of my friends may set apart for my said wife, in lieu of her dower of my Lands, as she may
- choose to live on, and such part I leave her the use of during her natural life; the other four
- remaining parts of my personal property, I request may be drawn for by my three sons, Winston,
- Dallam, and John, and Susannah, and such lot I give to the respective drawers, his or her heirs
- and Assigns forever.
- Lastly, I nominate and appoint my said Sons, Winston, Dallam, and John Caswell, Executors of
- this my Last Will and Testament, that is to say, Winston to act alone until Dallam arrives at
- twenty one Years of age, then those two to Act until John arrives to the age of twenty one, after
- which the whole to act as Executors until the business is compleat, and I appoint my good
- friend James Glasgow, in trust to advise and direct the due Execution hereof, which I beg he
- will attend to.
- In testimony of the premises, I have hereunto Set my hand and Seal, the day and year first
- herein written, contained on five sides.
- R. Caswell (Seal)
- Executed in presence of us, who have subscribed our names as Witnesses in presence of the
- Testator, and of each other:
- Simon Bright
- James Bright
- A codicil to the foregoing last will and Testament of Richard Caswell, made and executed the
- same day of the will and is to be considered as a part of the same, that is to say, I give to my
- son, Winston Caswell, Negroes Venus and Diamond, and to his Assigns for ever, to be
- appraised in like manner and by the persons named in my will, and the value deducted from his
- one fourth part, with my sons, Dallam, John, and Daughter Susannah. It is further my will, that
- in case of the death of any of my now living children, to wit, Winston, Anne, Dallam, John, and
- Susannah, before marriage, arriving at lawful age or legally disposing of any of the property,
- herein given then that such property shall go to my surviving children and their heirs and
- Assigns, to hold forever.
- Witness my hand and seal which is affixed to the string which binds these two sheets together.
- R. Caswell (Seal)
- Executed in presence of:
- Simon Bright
- James Bright
- State of North Carolina, Dobbs County January Court 1790
- Then was the within Last Will and Testament of Richard Caswell, deceas'd, exhibited into Court
- and proved by the oaths of Simon Bright and James Bright, the only Subscribing witnesses
- thereto, who swore that they saw the Testator sign, seal, publish and declare the dame to be
- and contain his last Will and Testament, and that they also saw him Sigh and Seal the Codicil
- thereto, and acknowledged it to be a part of his Will; and to the best of their knowledge, he was
- at that time of perfect mind and memory. At the same time, Winston Caswell, one of the
- Executors therein named appeared and Qualified as such. Ordered that Letters Testamentary
- issue accordingly.
- Test. W. Caswell, Cler.
- (Official Seal)
- Copy of Original Will, filed in the office of the Secretary of State
- *********************************************************************************************
- **NOTE-By 1828 William Croom was in possession of most or all of Gov. Richard Caswell's
- properties.
- :
- WILL of WILLIAM CROOM - June 2, 1828 From original at the NC Archives, Raleigh, NC.
- Abstracted and contributed by Guy Potts
- .In the name of God, Amen, I, William Croom of NEWINGTON, Lenoir County,North Carolina,at
- the home of George Whitfield on my way to Florida, do on this 2nd day of June inthe year of our
- Lord one thousandeight hundred and twenty eight, make and declare this instrument of writing,
- written on one sheet of paper, to be my last Will and Testament, in manner and form following ,
- viz.1st. I give to my beloved wife Elizabeth Croom for and during the termof her natural life my
- NEWINGTON PLANTATION and lands adjoining called the RED HILL plantation,containing in
- the whole about twelvehundred acres....3rd. I give to my son Bryan Croom in Florida, all
- thenegroes I have then in his possession,also Jacob and John, in the possession of Joshua St.
- Byrd, and all my right of lands in Florida. Also twothousand dollars to be paid him out of the
- sales of my estate to aid him in purchasing more lands in Florida, to him, his heirs and assigns
- forever.....5th. I give to my son William Croom my TOWER HILL plantation, beginning at Neuse
- River, ..6th. I give to my two daughters Anne and Eliza Croom all my lands below Tower Hill
- lands,
- given to William, including the Collier, MCILWEAN PLACEwhere Wingate now lives(**I think
- Wingate must be related to the Isaac Wingate who married Martin's daughter Mary) and the
- Stonington lands where David Evans lives to be equally divided by three competent
- commissioners chosen bymy Executors for that purpose, to them, their heirs and assigns
- forever.." **NOTE-other former Caswell lands are also mentioned.This Bryan is probably the
- Bryan lost in the wreck??? and perhaps the William is the one who married Sarah R. Caswell
- *******************************************************************************************
- Mrs. W.T. Hines of 207 East King Street has in her possession a list of the persons buried
- in the Caswell graveyard which was given to her by Mrs. Sue Bond, granddaughter of
- Dallam Caswell, son of Richard Caswell, on April 2, 1914.
- The following graves are on the list:
- Richard Caswell, born August 3, 1729, died November 10, 1789; Susan Caswell Gatlin,
- died March 5, 1843 at 67 years of age; Sarah C. Reavis, daughter of John and S. Gatlin,
- died March 24, 1838, age 23 years; Lewis C. Desmond, born April 19, 1812, died
- October 24, 1868. Joshua Desmond, born November 26, 1827, (epitaph reads "Here lies a
- good man"); Eliza W., wife of Lewis Demond, born September 1804, died September,
- 1844 (granddaughter Richard Caswell); Mary E. Fonville, daughter of Lewis and Eliza
- Desmond, born July 25, 1823, died April 18, 1900; John Gatlin, died June 20, 1830, age
- 67 years; Walter Davenport, a native of Connecticut, died 1832, age 32 years; Mary
- Catherine, wife of J. Chestnut and great granddaughter of Richard Caswell, died February
- 23, 1854, age 24 years; Mary McIIwain, first wife of Richard Caswell;William Caswell;
- Dallam Caswell and Holland Caswell West, daughter of Dallam Caswell and wife of
- William B. West.
- The list notes the unmarked graves of several children. Indisputable evidence as to the
- people buried in the several remaining graves has never been secured. Governor
- Caswell's grave was marked by the Masons in 1908. "Until then the only marker was one
- erected by nature--a giant oak tree, still standing."
- (The article had to have been printed in the newspaper prior to 1958, because there is a
- handwritten notation stating that Mrs. Waitman Thompson Hines (Leone Hardy) died
- December 4, 1958.)
- Richard married (1) Mary MCILWEAN on 21 Apr 1752. Mary was born in 1732.
- They had the following children:
- 2 F i. stillborn daughter CASWELL was born on 15 Sep 1753.
- + 3 M ii. Gen. (Rev. War) William CASWELL was born on 24 Sep
- 1754 and died on 6 Jan 1785.
- Richard also married (2) Sarah HERITTAGE, daughter of William HERITTAGE and Susannah
- MOORE, on 20 Jun 1758. Sarah was born in 1740. She died in 1794.
- SOURCE: 1790 census- Sarah Herittage Caswell has two males over 16, two boys under 16,
- and 3 females (including herself) and 21 slaves.
- *Note-Richard Caswell(died 1789) and his second wife Sarah took in their grandson Richard
- William after Caswell's son (by first wife Mary Mcllwean) William'sdeath (Jan.6, 1785) and wife
- Gatsey's death(1785). They also raised Sarah Richard, dau. of his son Richard,jr (d.Dec. 27,
- 1784) and wife Mary McIlwean.Mary remarried Benejah White by 1788.
- They also reared Richard Francis McIlwean(b.1784) and his 2 sisters Sarah and Elizabeth,
- children ofhis daughter Sarah (d.1787) and her husband John Sturgis McIlwean(d.(d.1788). In
- addition, he appears to have taken in William and Elizabeth Lovick,nephew & niece of his wife
- Sarah. They were the children of Sarah's sister Ann and George P. Lovick.
- Richard and Sarah had the following
children:
- + 4 M iii. Richard CASWELL Jr. was born on 15 Sep 1759 and
- died in 1784.
- + 5 F iv. Sarah CASWELL was born on 26 Feb 1762 and died in
- 1786.
- + 6 M v. Winston CASWELL was born on 7 May 1764 and died in 1799.
- + 7 F vi. Anna CASWELL was born on 4 Dec 1766.
- + 8 M vii. Dallam CASWELL was born on 15 Jun 1769 and died in
- 1834.
- + 9 M viii. John CASWELL was born on 24 Jan 1772 and died on
- 14 Apr 1795.
- + 10 F ix. Susannah CASWELL was born on 16 Feb 1775.
- 11 F x. Christian CASWELL was born on 7 Jan 1779. She died at
- birth.
Second Generation - 3. Gen. (Rev. War) William CASWELL (Richard) was born on 24 Sep 1754. He died on 6 Jan
- 1785 and was buried in Johnston Co. NC.
- .William Caswell (b. 24 Sept 1754 - d. 06 Jan 1785)
- William grew to manhood and attained distinction during the Revolution. He
- was a Farmer, County Official, State Legislator and a Continental Army
- Captain and became a Brigadier General. He also served as the North
- Carolina Adjutant General. His father, Richard Caswell Jr, wrote him a
- letter telling him of the hardships and dangers that were soon to be his lot
- as a soldier of the Revolution. The letter was written from Philiadelphia on
- 11 May 1775 and it described the growing spirit of the Revolution and
- advised him to prepare to risk his life in the service of his country.
- William was wounded at the Battle of Brandywine and spent a misreable winter
- at Vallley Forge with Gen. George Washington. When William was 28 years old,
- he married Gathra (Gatsey) Mackilwean on 22 Dec 1782, a daughter of his
- mother's brother, Francis Mackilwean and his wife Mary. They had a son,
- Richard William Caswell born 05 May 1784. On 06 jan 1785, William died from
- an illness probably brought on by the wounds and wartime hardships, leaving
- a wife a son who was just a little over a year old. His wife Gathra died
- later that same year. Their child, was an orphan who was taken in by Richard
- CASWELL Jr and his 2nd wife, Sarah HERITAGE.
- William married Gathra MCILWEAN, daughter of Francis MCILWEAN and Mary NIXON, on 22
- Dec 1782 in Christ Church, new bern, NC.
- They had the following children:
- + 12 M i. Richard William CASWELL was born on 17 May 1784
- and died on 5 May 1810.
- 4. Richard CASWELL Jr. (Richard) was born on 15 Sep 1759. He died in 1784.
- In Dec. 1784 Richard was a successful merchant in Kinston; he made a voyage to Charlston,
- SC to purchase a cargo of goods fro transport to New Bern. His ship sailed on Dec. 27, 1784.
- Neither ship nor any person aboard was ever seen again. He was then 25 years ofd. It is
- presumed the ship was taken by pirates He and his wife Mary lived at Harmony Hall.
- Richard married Mary MCILWEAN, daughter of Francis MCILWEAN and Mary NIXON, on 26
- Mar 1782 in Harmony Hall, Kinston NC. Mary died in 1801 in Kinston, NC.
- Mary McIlwean was the first wife of Richard Caswell,Jr., the son of Gov. Richard Caswell. After
- Richard's untimely and sad death in 1784, she married Benejah White by 1788, brother of Sec.
- of State William White, who was married to Gov. Caswell's daughter Anna.
- Richard and Mary had the following
children:
- 13 F i. Sarah Richard CASWELL was born in 1783 in Kinston, NC.
- Sarah Richard 's father, Richard Caswell, jr,. died in 1784. She and her mother
- lived with Gov. Richard until Sarah's mother married again.. Her mother Mary
- remarried Benejah White, brother of William White. When her mother died
- Sarah Richard went to live with her aunt, Anna Caswell White, in Raleigh. Sec.
- of State William White was Anna's husband.Sarah Richard was mentioned in
- Gov. Caswell's will.
- Sarah married Grove WRIGHT in 1801.
- 14 F i. Sarah MCILWEAN was born in 1780.
- Sarah married Ridgen WHITE in 1798.
- Ridgen White was the brother of Sec. of State William White who had married
- Gov. Caswell's daughter Anna. he is also the brother of Benejah White, who
- married the widow of Gov. Caswell's son Richard,jr. He was a wealthy man
- 17 F i. Elizabeth Green CASWELL was born on 9 Jul 1791.
- Elizabeth married Mr. Fonville.
- I have a note that Anna reared Sarah Richard Caswell, dau. of Richard,jr. and Mary McIlwean.
- Mary had remarried to Benejah White before the death of Gov Caswell. When Mary died, date
- unknown, Sarah Richard probably went to live with her aunt Anna. Benejah did bring a lawsuit
- (1802-6) against the estate of Gov. Caswell for the expenses of rearing Sarah Richard. It
- appears that Benejah remarried; possibly at that point, Sarah went to live with Anna & William.
- 18 F i. Ann WHITE.
- Ann married Gen. Daniel L. BARRINGER.
- 19 F ii. Elizabeth WHITE.
- Elizabeth married Gen. & Senator Boone FELTON.
- 20 F iii. Eleanor Hope WHITE.
- Eleanor married Governor David Lowry SWAIN.
- 21 F iv. daughter WHITE.
- + 22 F i. Elizabeth CASWELL.
- 23 F ii. Holland CASWELL.
- Hollon had her grandfather's (Gov. Caswell's) papers and turned them over to
- scholar Hardy Bryan Croom, who was to write a biography of Gov. Caswell. All
- the papers were lost in the summer of 1737 when the ship THE HOME sank off
- the North Carolina coast.The Croom family was among the 70 passengers and
- 25 crew members lost and the Governor's papers were never found.
- Jake West of Kinston is a descendant of William West. Jake recovered the
- memorial obalisk commemorating Gov. Caswell after it had been hit by a car.
- The recovered section is now in front of St. John's Lodge in Kinston.
- John Pridgen was listed as a tavern owner in the Greene 1850 census. Lewis
- Caswell, age 21 in 1850, and William
- H.Caswell, age 23 in 1850, also children of Dallam, lived in the same home and
- were listed as clerks Their father Dallam died in 1834 so the boys obviously
- went to live with their sister Mary Anne and her husband John.
- There is evidence that her father, Benjamin Sheppard, was not married to Hannah McIlwean.
- 33 M i. Benjamin John CASWELL was born 1793 ca.
- Need to check dates for her 2 husbands.
- 34 M i. Brig. Gen. Richard Caswell GATLIN was born on 18 Jan
- 1809 in Lenoir Co NC. He died on 8 Sep 1896 in Mt. Nebo, Ar..
- BRIGADIER GENERAL RICHARD CASWELL GATLIN
- The only Confederate General from Lenoir County was Brig. Gen. Richard
- Caswell Gatlin. He was born 18
- Jan 1809 inLenoir County, NC to John S. Gatlin and Susannah Caswell,
- daughter of governor Richard Caswell. He graduated from West Point in1832;
- served as acareer military officer in Florida, Mexico, and theAmerican West;
- and resigned his commission in Arkansas in 1861 to jointhe Cofederate Army in
- NC. After the War, he returned to Arkansas where he farmed. He died at
- Mount Nebo, AR on 8 Sep 1896 and is buried at the National Cemetery in Fort
- Smith, AR. His wife was Mary AGibson and they had a daughter, Mary Knox
- Gatlin, who married U of NC
- geologist Collier Cobb.
- SOURCE:The heritage of Lenoir County: John Lovick was a cousin of Susanna's and was
- reared by Gov. Caswell
- SOURCE:This is from LCC," The Peebles House in Kinston"-chapter 5
- .'"First of all, that house was occupied by John Lovick in 1800. John Lovick had married
- Susannah Caswell in the mid 1790s and in 1796 he and Susannah petitioned the court for his
- wife's share as one of the heirs to Richard Caswell's properties"...and further along.."The orde
- rof enumeration shows that the Bright Street house was then the residence of John Gatlin, who
- apparently had purchased the lot from the estate of
- Richard Caswell, Sr...."."Sometime shortly after 1800, Gatlin married Susannah Caswell Lovick,
- daughter of Richard Caswell and widow of John Lovick. They moved outside of town before
- 1810 and apparently rented out
- the house for a short time.." The article goes on to describe the house that John & Susannah
- built.
- 35 F ii. Sarah LOVICK.
- Richard was killed when he was thrown from his horse; he was only 25 years of age.
- 36 F i. Jane Eliza CASWELL was born on 16 Mar 1808 in Spring
- Hill Tenn. She died on 17 Jun 1887 in McMinnville TN..
- Jane married John Rogers GRUNDY on 12 May 1825. John was
- born on 7 Dec 1803 in Bardstown, Ky. He died on 5 Jun 1836 in Columbus Miss.
- 37 M ii. Major General William Richard CASWELL was born on
- 22 Oct 1809 in Tennessee. He died in Aug 1862.
- William Richard Caswell, was a Major General for the
- Confederacy in Tennessee. He was the great grandson of Gov. Richard
- Caswell.
- William Richard Caswell ( born 22 Oct. 1809 d. Aug. 1862) was the son of
- Richard William Caswell and Sarah Lytle. Richard William was the only son of
- General William Caswell and Gathra McIlwean. General William Caswell (b.24
- Sept. 1754,d.Jan, 1785) was the only surviving child of Gov. Richard Caswell
- 's first marriage to Mary McIlwean.
- William Richard Caswell attended Nashville University. He held the rank of
- Captain in the Mexican War. A lawyer by profession, he was appointed
- attorney general for the 12th Judicial Court of Tennessee in 1843, and
- attorney general for the 12th Solicitorial Court in 1849. Each appointment
- was for six years.
- He was one of the early advocates of the Confederacy in Tennessee and was
- appointed a Brigadier General by Gov. Isham G. Harris, commanding
- Tennessee
- troops until they were turned over to the Confederate government. On 17 Nov.
- 1847 he was commissioned as Major General of the 1st Division of the
- Tennessee Militia. Major General William Richard Caswell was murdered in
- August 1862, being found about a half mile from his home with his throat
- cut. Newspaper clippings indicate that the murderer was not known at the
- time and that blame was placed on a runaway slave and a group of
- unidentified men who supposedly ambushed him. He was 52 years old when
- he
- was killed.
- At the time of his death, The Knoxville Register contained comments about
- General Caswell:
- "One of the most universally esteemed and respected of our citizens. Perhaps
- no man who occupied as prominent a position as a public man ever enjoyed
- more personal popularity. Affable in his demeanor to everyone, kind and
- generous and upright, and just in all his transactions, it is remarkable
- that he should have an enemy so desperate a character as his slayer must
- have been".
- This information was kindly sent me by Mae Hooten.
- Clair
- Richard Francis was born in 1784 and was taken in by his grandfather, Gov. Richard Caswell,
- and wife Sarah after his mother's death in 1787. His mother, Sarah Caswell was a daughter of
- Gov. Caswell.He was left a negro boy in his grandfather's will. He and his sister Sarah were
- taken in by Benejah White and his second wife, Mary Allen following the deah of Sarah Caswell
- in 1794. Richard Francis had a son, Lewis S. McIlwean and possibly a daughter Sarah who
- would have been born in 1809. A Sarah McIlwean married Alonzo T. Jerkins in 1831 Her birth
- on the tombstone was 1809.
- A Richard McIlwean was detached from the 2nd regiment 3rd Co.(Pitt Co) in 1812
- A Richard McVain is listed in the Pitt 1820 census with a wife , a male 0-10 (doesn't match
- Lewis S's birth of 1807) and a female 10-16 years of age.
- *Note There are land transactions which strongly suggest that Richard Francis married a
- daughter of a Lewis Cannon.
- .
- SOURCE: Pitt Deed Book Q, p.357 date:2-10-1805 Grantor: Shadrach Allen Grantee: Richard
- McIlwean 100A +95A + 110 A; $1500. Former owners; Peter Nelson; henry Smith, Sr. (Pat.
- 1746); Robert Palmer (Pat. 1759); Stephen Pugh (Pat. 1787). Adj. Dennys Cannon, Hugh Pugh,
- sr. Wit: Simon Burney, charles Tripp
- *NOTE: Shadrach Allen was probably the brother of Sarah Allen who married Lewis Cannon.
- Perhaps Richard Francis McIlwean married another Allen sister? If so, then the Lewis Cannon
- land that was divided between Lewis and Sarah McWain in the 1830's could be this land.
- SOURCE: Pitt Deed Book Q (1805-7) p. 192 Date: 3-18-1806 Grantor: Richard Francis
- McIlwean Grantee: Guilford Murphey . Negro: $500.00 Wit: Harmon Handcock
- SOURCE: Pitt Deed Bk Q. p. 195, Date: 5-14-1806 Grantor Richard McIlwean Grantee: John
- Washington (Lenoir)Mtg. yellow boy 6lbs. Wit: Samuel Braxton, Richard Washington
- ?
- 38 M i. Lewis S MCILWEAN was born in Aug 1807.
- It has not been proved that Lewis and Sarah were children of Richard and Mary.
- SOURCE: Pitt Deed book DD (1825-30) p. 34; date: 10-12-1824 Grantor:
- Matthew Manning Grantee: Lennington manning 25A +3A; $50. Formern
- Owners: Charles Jinkins, dec. Joseph Jackson. Wit: Edward Sturdivant, Lewis
- McIlwean
- SOURCE:Pitt Co. Deed book EE (1826-1832), p. 463 date: 5-6-1829 grantor;
- Lewis S. McIlwean Grantee: William Gardner negro: $180.oo Wit; I. B.
- Hutchens
- SOURCE: Newspaper "The Spectator" Rueben Wallace of Snow Hill to Ann Elizabeth Caswell
- April 27, 1832. Married by Richard Croom, esq.
- 40 M i. William DESMOND was born on 28 Sep 1826.
- 41 F ii. Elizabeth DESMOND was born in 1832.
- 42 M iii. Sarah Catherine DESMOND..
- 43 M i. George CASWELL was born in 1859.
- Both Lewis and his brother William went to live in the home of their sister Mary Anne Caswell,
- wife of John Pridgeon Both boys are listed as clerks in the Green Co. census of 1850. John
- Pridgeon was a tavern owner and had many people in his home.
- SOURCE: Carolyn Black's mother-in-law (old bible)
- "L.A. Caswell was a direct descendent of Richard Caswell. His first marriage
- was to a woman named Nancy Pridgen. Marriage date:March 7, 1854.
- This wife died, and on Dec. 10, 1857, he married an Indian woman known only
- to us as "Tuscumbia".Now, according to the writing on an old Bible page, (I believe my
- mother-in-law has only the page, not the whole Bible. It is very old, and has been taped
- together. I have a photocopy. This is how it reads:*Mary Catherine, daughter of L.A. Caswell
- and Tuscumbia his wife,
- born Sept. 3,1858.*Catherine Ann, second daughter of L.A. & Tuscumbia Caswell was born
- October 15, 1859.
- Then, it goes on to list the children of Isaac Carr and Annie his wife.This Annie, was Catherine
- Ann Caswell, my husband's great-grandmother. She was born in Bull Head, GreeneCounty, NC
- (near Kinston at a place called Snow Hill).
- The family story is this-- The first daughter of L.A. Caswell and Tuscumbia died as an infant.
- Tuscumbia died
- not long after this. It seems that she went to a fancy dress ball not properly attired for the cold
- weather. She got
- very sick from the exposure and died. Annie's father died in the Civil War, leaving her an
- orphan. An aunt took
- care of her. I don't know whether the aunt died, or what,but she was sent to an orphanage near
- Raleigh, NC
- when she was about 17 years old. For some reason in the later family records, Annie is called "
- Annie Caroline".
- My mother-in-law doesn't know why this is, but she always thought her name was Annie
- Caroline. She is very
- positive that her parents are L.A Caswell and Tuscumbia.
- Annie Caswell married Isaac Newton Carr on May 30, 1878."
- SOURCE: Greene Co Civil War records: Lewis A. Caswell 3rd reg. Co. A DIS (died in service)
- 1863
- 44 F i. Nancy E. CASWELL was born on 11 Nov 1856.
- 45 F ii. Mary Catherine CASWELL was born on 3 Sep 1858.
- 46 F iii. Catherine Anne CASWELL was born on 15 Oct 1859 in
- Bull Head Greene Co Nc.
- Catherine married Isaac Newton CARR.
- This Sarah McIlwean is the most likely one to have married Alonzo Jerkins as his wife Sarah's
- birthdate on her tombstone matches. I had thought Sarah, sister of Francis mcIlwean was the
- correct one; Francis married Alonzo's sister and thus it seemed likely. However, that Sarah was
- born in 1799.
- SOURCE: Lois Neale, ABSTRACTS of VITAL RECORDS 1830-1839:#3054 JERKINS:M. at
- Fort Barnwell on the 29th ult. Mr. Alonzo T. Jerkins of New Bern to Miss Sarah McIlvain
- RaNCSw Thurs. 14 July 1831 3:6
- SOURCE: Years of Light: History of St. John's Lodge, no.3 by Gertrude Carraway.p.141
- ALONZO T. JERKINS
- The New Bern Mason during the middle of the 19th century who took the most active part in
- Grand Lodge activities was Alonzo Thomas Jerkins, who served as North Carolina's 24th Grand
- Master, elected in 1850, 1851 and 1852, the fifth member of St. John's Lodge to hold this
- exalted position and a worthy successor to the first four-Richard Caswell, Judge John Louis
- Taylor, Robert Williams, and Gov. Richard Dobbs Spaight, Jr.
- Born June 2, 1807, in the brick house at 39 Johnson Street built by his father, he was the son of
- Thomas Jerkins, A mason and sea captain who operated ships between New Bern and the
- West Indies. A native of Beaufort County, the father had settled here in 1804. While he was
- away on one of his long voyages, his wife died. After that he stopped his sailing trips and
- remained in New Bern. The epitaph on the tombstone at the wife's grave in Cedar Grove
- cemetery, erected in 1824, reads: "Look where the silent marble weeps
- A friend, a wife, a mother sleeps."
- At the time of the death of his mother, who was a sister of Capt. George Sears, Alonzo Jerkins
- was a student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. But for her death he would
- probably have remained there to graduate. For some time he taught school at his local home
- assisted by his wife. The young man became an active merchant, shipper, banker, and
- business man in general here, long recognized as one of the community's outstanding citizens.
- In 1850 he represented his section in the State House of Commons. He served as president of
- the Bank of Commerce here, and was a prominent official of the First Baptist Church….After an
- active career in business and civic life, he died here on April 7, 1895. He is buried in Cedar
- Grove cemetery in a family lot near the Confederate Monument. Near him are the graves of his
- two wives: Sarah, born July 28, 1809, who died Sept. 13, 1874; and Susan Carr, who survived
- him, having been born March 14, 1836, and dying Feb. 19, 1911.
- ********************************************************************************************
- Alonzo was the executor of Harriet McIlwean Caswell's will of 1858. I believe she chose him
- because of the family connection of his first wife, Sarah McIlwean. She may have been the
- daughter of Richard Francis Mcilwean and thus her cousin.******************************************
- *************************************
- SOURCE: The final accounting of Susan C. Jerkins , EX. of A.T. Jerkins, deceased, Cr.
- wherein he leaves his only personal item, his watch and chain, *noted as $400.00 to Sallie E.
- Caswell *note-. Don't know who she was.
- 47 F i. Susan JERKINS. She was related to her parents by adoption.
- Susan was adopted.
Please Credit Clair Hadley when using this material.
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