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Before he was "Adam Simonton of Ohio", Adam Simonton lived in a portion of Rowan County which later became Iredell County (Nov. 18, 1788), North Carolina alongside of many other Simonton families. Despite this fact, Adam Simonton of Ohio's precise relationship to these Simonton families has never been clearly established. These Simonton families were all direct descendants of "Theophilus Simonton I" (1675-1754) and Mary Smith (d. 1762), who were Irish immigrants to Lewes, Delaware (1725) who relocated to Manor Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania about 1730. Their sons and daughters (Theophilus II, Robert, William, Ann, Mary, and Magdalene)all later moved to Rowan County, North Carolina, except for their son "Theophilus Simonton II" (abt.1701-1750), who like his father, died in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Mostly through a process of elimination, the extensive research and book of Verne and Jackie Helmke (email: [email protected]) suggests that Adam Simonton of Ohio was most likely either a son or grandson of this "Theophilus Simonton II", though this remains a matter of speculation.
In this report, Adam Simonton, who moved to Ohio in 1796, is designated as "Adam Simonton of Ohio" to differentiate him from a contemporary "Adam Simonton" who moved from Iredell County, North Carolina to Georgia a few years earlier (1788). The latter "Adam Simonton" was a son of Robert Simonton and grandson of the original "Theophilus Simonton I". Robert's brother William, also bore a son, "Adam Ross Simonton" ( May 8, 1785-May 10, 1863), who also lived in the area.
The earliest known record of Adam Simonton of Ohio comes from the 1768 Rowan County Tax List of Walter Lindsay. As reproduced on page 88 of Jo White Linn's 1995 book entitled "Rowan County North Carolina Tax Lists, 1757-1800: Annotated Transcriptions", the list clearly shows the name of Adam Simenton (sic) following the listing of his father-in-law and neighbor John Cooper. Their precise location in Rowan County is shown on an ancient map made in 1773 by William Sharpe,Esq. of landowners in the Fourth Creek Community around present day Statesville, North Carolina (see below). Adam Simonton (blue arrow) is shown residing between the South Yadkin River and 5th creek nearby his father-in-law John Cooper (green arrow). About five miles to the south are the homes of Robert and William Simonton including the Simonton mansion (orange arrow). Finally, to the west, Robert's son, Adam Simonton who later moved to Georgia, resides (red arrow).
Early church records (Bethany Presbyterian Church - Iredell County, North Carolina, Volume Two, p. 39) also show that both Adam Simonton and John Cooper were on the original Session membership list of the Bethany Presbyterian Church in 1779, when that church was formally organized and a house of worship was erected nearby their property. They both probably began worshipping at that church as early as 1775 when it was an open air church, newly split off from the Fourth Creek Presbyterian Church in Statesville.
Based on land deeds and the 1790 Federal Census, it is clear that Adam Simonton moved several miles northward along with sons Theophilus, William, (and 5 females) before 1790 (probably by 1783). At that time he was living on Hunting Creek in Iredell County at a point where Iredell County borders with Surry County. Meanwhile, his son John remained living at or near the original homestead about ten miles due south, probably next to Adam's wife's aging parents, John and Jane (or Jean) Cooper.
Based on additional land deeds, sometime around 1794 or 1795 (about the time of the death of John Cooper), Adam Simonton and his family (including William), along with the newlyweds Theophilus and Mary (Sale) Simonton probably returned back to their original homestead between the South Yadkin River and Fifth Creek to rejoin John Simonton. The following year (1796) they all moved together to Ohio, eventually selling off their remaining land holdings in North Carolina by 1800.
Although poorly educated and illiterate, Adam Simonton was evidently an industrious and enterprising man as evidenced by his many land deeds in North Carolina and Ohio. He was also a generous and excellent provider for his family, giving large acreages to sons Theophilus and William for a nominal fee and love and affection to help them get a start in life. (His oldest son John had been given a similar provision by Adam's father-in-law John Cooper.)
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