I69476: Marah ADKINS (ABT 1620

Notes

The following information comes from an article prepared by Katherine Kerr Kendall and published in "The Heritage of Caswell County North Carolina 1985", Jeannine D. Whitlow, Editor, published by the Caswell County Historical Association in cooperation with Hunter Publishing Company, Winston-Salem, NC, 1985:

"Thomas Graves was probably the oldest son of John Graves. Born in Spotsylvania County, Virginia about 1740, Thomas came to North Carolina, then Orange now Caswell County, about 1753 with his father. On the first tax list of 1777, he valued his assets at over 605 pounds. After opening of the state land grant office in 1778, Thomas purchased acres on Red Fork of Country Line Creek, South Fork of same, and on Bear Tree Branch. In 1792, he shared in the estate of his father.
Thomas was deceased by April 1799, when an inventory was ordered of his estate. The division of land was approved at January Court 1800. He left 2,497 acres of land which was allotted among his 10 children.
Thomas married about 1770, ___Miles, a daughter of Jacob Miles who mentioned his four Graves grandchildren in his will to wit: Jacob, John, James and Martha Graves.

About 1782, Thomas married Hannah Simmons, a relative of his first wife and her father, Thomas Simmons, named Thomas Graves "son-in-law" as executor of his will in 1794. The second wife, Hannah, died testate in 1803.

The land of Thomas Graves was allotted in 1800 to his children, as follows:

(1) John Graves who married 13 Feb. 1794, his first cousin, Mary Yancey and they moved to Tennessee.
(2)Jacob Graves who married about 1793 Nancy Kimbrough.
(3)James Graves--see his information elsewhere.
(4)Nancy Graves who married William Moore.
(5)Lewis Graves, who married Elizabeth Graves, daughter of General Azariah Graves.
(6)Azariah Graves, who married May 16, 1809, Penelope Simpson.
(7)Major Graves.
(8)Thomas Graves, Jr. who was dead by 1802, having died without issue.
(9)Martha Graves married September 22, 1792, Thomas Gunn.
(10)Isabel Graves who married William Graves 25 Nov. 1805.

The children listed above are not listed chronologically, but are in order of their drawing for land. The division of the 25 slaves of Thomas Graves was approved at July Court 1799. His land adjoined Dr. Lancelot Johnston, Thomas Yancey, Thomas Simmons, Carrols, Thomas & John Kimbrough, the Ridge Path crossing Country Line Creek, French's tract, Alexander Murphey, the widow Browning, Thomas Wiley, John Richmond, and Thomas Shadden. His son Lewis Graves built the old Federal style part of the Thomas Covington home and near the Wiley's and Richmond near Grier's Presbyterian Church."

In his history of Caswell County published in 1977, Professor William S. Powell relates the following regarding raids by Tories and British soldiers in Caswell during the Revolutionary War.
"John Williams, 'Commissioner of Specificks for the County of Caswell' at this time, reported in 1788 that when the British under Lord Cornwallis were in Caswell in 1781, they took possession of the 'Stores or Magazines...and used or otherwise destroyed great quantities of grain and other species of provision.' As a result of this, [Col. John] Williams was unable to balance his accounts to the satisfaction of the Comptroller and he pled with the Legislature for relief. Legislators concluded that Williams was not guilty of 'any neglect or Sinister Conduct' and ordered that he be allowed the value of the lost goods so that the account might be closed. Affidavits submitted in this connection relate exactly what happened. Thomas Graves [the subject of this note] testified that ' in the month of February, 1781, he saw a party of British and Tory soldiers at a Store house of Col. John Williams's on the plantation of John Graves, Senr. [the deponent's father] in which was contained a large quantity of Corn belonging to him [Col. Williams]; that the said Thomas Graves was the first person there on the ensuing day, and found the quantity diminished, and he supposes it to have been done by the aforesaid Soldiers, who at the time commited many acts of violation upon his father's property; and he further deposeth that he saw the Soldiers conveying the corn from the Store house of the Mill." Williams, himself, reported the British under the command of Lord Cornwallis 'encamped near a public Store called Williamson Old Store (formerly Harts)' which he owned. From it the British destroyed about 20 bushels of wheat, 17 of rye, and about 13 or 14 of corn. Robert Dickens testified that on or about February 25, 1781, he was taken prisoner by Tarleton's Light Horse and conveyed to Alexander Rose's where Cornwallis's army was then in camp. There Dickens heard it reported that the army had taken 'possession of the Corn Store, then belonging to Col. John Williams.' "

"The State Census taken in 1786 in Caswell County, lists a Thomas Graves as living in Gloucester District of Caswell with 1 white male (probably Thomas himself) aged 21-60; 4 white males either under 20 years old or over 60; 4 white females of all ages; 2 blacks ages 12-50 and 4 blacks either under 12 years of age or over 50.

Caswell Court minutes reflect that on April 24, 1799, Azariah Graves, Thomas Gunn, Solomon Graves and John Graves were appointed commissioners to inventory the estate of Thomas Graves.

In 1815, James Graves (Thomas' son) re executed a bond as guardian for his half brother, Major Graves. Therefore, Major was still a minor in 1815. The bond records of Caswell County indicate that Thomas' son, Lewis, came of age some time prior to December 30, 1817."

The NC State Archives contained the records of the probate of Thomas Graves' estate. See file # C.R. 020.508.18. WTG reviewed these in 1967."

^[S2010]

My Southern Family

Marah ADKINS

ABT 1620 - ____

ID Number: I69476

Sources

Eloasie BELLARD

ABT 1870 - ____

ID Number: I15806

Sources

Annie Myritis CONERLY

14 Jan 1881 - 30 Dec 1951

ID Number: I2257

Sources

HUGH de FLAMVILLE

____ - ____

ID Number: I88930

Sources

Thomas GRAVES

ABT 1740 - 1799

ID Number: I55101

Notes

Sources

Elise Atkinson LEE

ABT 1850 - ____

ID Number: I32326

Sources

Julia Chew PACA

ABT 1840 - ____

ID Number: I23043

Sources

Susanna RAGLAND

ABT 1760 - ____

ID Number: I71022

Notes

Sources

James RIDGEWAY

27 Oct 1680 - ____

ID Number: I78759

Sources

Mary Elizabeth ROBINSON

Catherine Agnes WACTOR

ABT 1800 - ____

ID Number: I80305

Notes

Sources

Archelaus YANCEY

ABT 1715 - ____

ID Number: I73392

Sources

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