LEAVES FROM OUR TREE:

Rev. Timothy CARRINGTON in
Virginia and North Carolina

Rev. George White in his book, Historical Collections of Georgia, written in 1854, stated in the chapter on the history of Madison County on page 544: "…There are several instances of longevity. Mr. James Pittman, 93; Mrs. Lettuce Mulligan, 89; Mr., Stephen Groves was over 93; James Thompson was over 80; Mr. James Caruth, over 80; Mr. James Saunders, 80; Captain Robert L. Tate [sic], 80; Rev. Timothy Carrington died at 80; Alexander Haman, at 80; /Wm. Cheek, at 89; Charles Tugle [sic], 87...."

We know that Rev. Timothy died in September 1822, so subtracting 80 years from 1822 indicated a birth year of 1742 for Rev. Timothy. Therefore, Rev. Timothy was 32 years old in 1774 when he married 16-year-old Winnifred King.

The following narrative of Rev. Timothy's life was researched and contributed by one of his 4th great grandsons, Lanny Cauthen (edited by Diane Carrington Bradford, a 4th great granddaughter through son, Osborne).

The first known residence of Timothy Carrington was Loudoun County Virginia, where he was listed in the Tithable records for Cameron Parish in 1768. He was recorded as living on the plantation of Col. Francis Lightfoot Lee and was listed under the overseer's name (John Childs), but above the slaves. Possibly Timothy worked on the plantation. Timothy was also listed in 1769 with Col. Lee. Col. Francis Lightfoot Lee was an uncle to Gen. Robert E. Lee. Col. Lee was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and was a representative at the First Continental Congress. He was a very important man who undoubtedly owned several plantations, but he probably did not live full time on the Loudoun County property (Hiatt, Marty, & Scott, Craig. Loudoun Co., Va. Tithables 1758-1786, Vol. 1. Athens, Georgia: Iberian Publishing Co., 1995).

In 1771 Timothy was listed separately from Col. Lee, but right below him, perhaps because he was no longer a minor. In 1772 Timothy was listed in Cameron's Parish along with John King and John King, Jr., who eventually became his father-in-law and brother-in-law respectively. In 1773, 1774, 1775, and 1777 Timothy was listed alone in the Tithables for Cameron Parish, an indication that he no longer lived on Col. Lee's plantation. In 1778 a William Carrington was listed with Timothy in Cameron Parish. Perhaps William was Timothy's brother, then 16 and required to tithe. Both Timothy and William were listed in 1779 in Cameron Parish (Hiatt, Marty, & Scott, Craig. Loudoun Co., Va. Tithables 1758-1786, Vol. 2. Athens, Georgia: Iberian Publishing Co., 1995).

Timothy was mentioned several times in the early Loudoun County, Virginia, deed books:

• Deed Book H, p 182-6: He witnessed a deed between Col. Francis Lightfoot Lee and Jacob Remey, Jr. on June 15, 1771.
  
  
• Deed Book H, p 186-90: He witnessed a deed between Francis Lightfoot Lee and James Lane, Jr., on June 15, 1771. John King was also a witness to both deeds.
  
  
• Deed Book I, p 183-9: Timothy witnessed a deed between Francis Lightfoot Lee and James Cleveland on Dec. 1 (year left off).
  
  
• Deed Book I, p 189-94, Timothy witnessed a deed dated Dec. 5, 1772 between Francis Lightfoot Lee and William Humphris.
  
  
• Deed Book K, p 366-370: On April 20, 1773, Timothy and others signed an agreement to rent one hundred acres on Stalion Branch in the Parish of Cameron, County of Loudoun, from Francis Lightfoot Lee. Renting the land with Timothy were Robert and Nancy King and the children of Smith King (relatives of Timothy's future wife, Winnifred King Carrington). Payment was six pounds sterling money of Great Britain, with the first payment due Dec. 1, 1775. The agreement stipulated that "within 5 years, a good framed dwelling house 16 feet square at least and a good clapboard or plank tobacco house 24 by 20 feet wide must be built. Also within 5 years 30 winter apple trees must be planted." Timothy was granted the right to take trees blown down by the wind for use on the plantation.
  
  
• Deed Book K, p 371-2: On Dec. 29, 1774, Timothy signed a deed with John Giles in which Timothy sold his right to rent the land "for Twenty pounds current money—10 to be paid in hand and 10 to be paid by the next October." [Interestingly, in Deed Book M, p 153-5, it was recorded that on Nov. 8, 1778, John Giles sold the right to rent this property to Alexander Cleveland for 400 pounds of Virginia currency.]
  
  
• Deed Book L, p 30-5: Timothy witnessed a deed dated April 20, 1773, between Francis Lightfoot Lee and Benjamin Mason.

Timothy Carrington married 16-year-old Winnifred "Winney" King in Loudoun County, Virginia, in December 1774. She was the daughter of John King and his wife Mary Osborne. Winney was born in Virginia on July 16, 1758, and died in Coweta County, Georgia, on Oct. 22, 1852.

Winney's parentage and siblings were evidenced by the following documents:

• John King left a will in Loudoun County dated April 1, 1784, probated March 15, 1785. (Will Book C, 1783-88, p 119).
  
  
• John and Mary King and their children were mentioned in the will of her brother, Richard Osborne, probated in Fairfax County, Virginia, on March 27, 1750. In The Historian's Guide to Loudoun Co., Va. Vol. I, Colonial Laws of Va. and County Court Orders 1757-1766, by John T. Phillips, II (Leesburg, Virginia: Goose Creek Productions, 1996), on page 505 it states that "John King is the executor for Richard Osborn [sic], deceased (Book A, p. 240)."
  
  
• Another of Mary's brothers, Robert Osborne, left a will in Fairfax County that was probated on April 4, 1744.

Possibly as early as 1777 or as late as 1780, but most probably during 1779, Timothy, Winney, their first-born son, Daniel, and second child, Nancy, moved from Loudoun County, Virginia to Wake County, North Carolina. One may reasonably pinpoint that time period based on the following documentation:

• Rev. Timothy recorded in his family Bible that Daniel was born December 25, 1776.
  
  
• Daniel Carrington stated on the 1850 Wilkes County, Georgia, Census that he was born in Virginia.
  
  
• Rev. Timothy recorded in his family Bible that second child, Nancy Carrington, was born April 18, 1778. Winney would not have risked the rigors of moving to another state during the late stages of pregnancy.
  
  
• The original North Carolina land grant was dated July 30, 1778.
  
  
• A grant for a second parcel of land was dated Jan. 21, 1779.
  
  
• In 1778 and 1779 a William Carrington was listed with Timothy in Cameron Parish in the book, Loudoun Co., Va. Tithables 1758-1786, Vol. 2.
  
  
• Rev. Timothy recorded in his family Bible that third child, Henson Carrington, was born December 25, 1780. Winney would have been pregnant March through December of 1780.
  
  
• Sarah Carrington stated on the 1850 Coweta County, Georgia, Census that she was born in North Carolina.

[Records show that Timothy and Winney Carrington and family migrated to Wake County, North Carolina, in the company of Winney's sister, Sarah King, and her husband, William Floyd, and their family. Based on the dates of events listed above, one may theorize that Timothy Carrington and William Floyd (and perhaps other men now unknown) went to North Carolina to apply for land grants in May, June or July of 1778. Upon obtaining their land, the men immediately began clearing it, if necessary, and building log cabins and any necessary outbuildings. Probably during the good weather months of spring and summer 1779, they returned to Loudoun County, Virginia, to pack up their families and belongings and move them to their new homes in Wake County, North Carolina. That scenario, although unproved, would account for why Timothy Carrington's name still appeared on the Cameron Parish Tithables List the year after receiving his original land grant in North Carolina plus a grant of additional adjoining acreage in January 1779. [Diane Carrington Bradford)] To return to Lanny Cauthen's narrative:

Timothy settled his young family on the north side of Bryar Creek on the Dorum Branch where he was granted 200 acres of land on July 30, 1778 (Grant #137). His land lay on both sides of Dorum Branch and adjoined Joseph Jones's line, 200:50/:5. (Wake Co., NC Land Entries 1778-1846, #464, p 156-7)

From Wake County, North Carolina, Court Minutes:

Page 216—Timothy Carrington - Grants ordered to be registered, 200 acres, Grant # 137.

Page 307—A deed from Timothy Carrington to James Brown was proved in Open Court by the Oath of John Humphries Va. a witness thereto and Ordered to be registered.

On Jan 21, 1779, he was issued another 100 acres on Dorum Branch (100:50/2..10.) that adjoined his own land and that of John Dempster. (Wake Co., NC Land Entries 1778-1846, #955, p 293).

Timothy served in the military enlisting as a private for a six-month period in 1781 in Wake County, North Carolina. He participated in the Battle of Eutaw Springs, South Carolina on Sep 8, 1781. He was paid for his services as shown by the following entry from North Carolina Revolutionary Army Accounts, Vol. 1, Book 3, page 36:

"Specia Certificates pd into the comptrollers office by John Armstrong & c.: No 1160, granted by Bledsoe & Williams to TIMOTHY CARRINTON (sic), 10 June 1783, Sum=17£, interest 7.7 to 29 Oct 1783; Prin & Int=17.7.7"

Application #R1730 filed on Oct. 15, 1855, by eldest son, Daniel Carrington, for Bounty Land and pension money based on Timothy Carrington's Revolutionary War service, stated that Timothy served as a private for a term of six (6) months and participated in the Battle of Eutaw Springs, South Carolina. (The application was rejected since both Timothy and Winney were already deceased, as were any possible witnesses who served with Timothy, making his service too difficult to prove so long after the war.) That battle took place on Sept. 8, 1781; therefore, Rev. Timothy had to have enlisted during spring or summer 1781 and either completed his six months of service shortly after that battle or very early in 1782.

He then returned to Wake County, North Carolina, where he, Winney, and their three young children—Daniel, Nancy and Henson (b Dec. 25, 1780)—continued to live on their 300 acres. The Revolutionary War raged until sometime in 1783, and fourth child, Sarah "Salley" Carrington, was born June 30, 1783, so one might safely conclude that the family remained in North Carolina until after Sarah's birth.

NEXT: Rev. Timothy Carrington in Georgia

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