Thurmon to List 16 Feb 2005: Nancy Ann Stapleton
Descendants of John Stapleton ( -1764)
First Generation
John Stapleton, b. unknown, d. before 27 August 1764 Baltimore Co., MD
Although there are genealogies around that give the immigrant ancestor
of
Nancy Anne Stapleton as a John Stapleton born in England, we have no
definite
Stapleton connection beyond a John Stapleton whose estate was settled on 20
May 1765. We have no records which show that he immigrated to Maryland from
England. Also, there are no records to establish a positive connection
showing this John Stapleton as a descendent of any of the other known
Stapletons of that general time frame.
There is mention in; "Early Settlers of Maryland" by Gust Skordas, 1968,
Baltimore
Stapleton, Bryant, transported 1659, Bk. 7, Folio 464, pg. 437 Hall of
Records # at Annapolis 7464
Stapleton, Ann, " 1674 Bk. 18, Folio 160, pg. 437; Hall of
Records # at Annapolis 18160
Stapledonn, John transported 1675-80 Servant Hall of
Records
# at Annapolis WC2380
(Note: Derek Barlow in London says "TRANSPORTATION to American or
Australian
colonies was for varying specific terms on pain of death for returning
within
the given period, i.e., exiled." Presumably, must remain in the colony.
(hand written note: "Not necessarily true, could be a clerk, lawyer hired by
another"))
For the person "Stapledonn, John" to be ancestor of Nancy Anne Stapleton
we must assume that the name Stapledonn is a misspelling of Stapleton, or
that the name changed through the years. The time of his immigrateion would
make the time frame right for him to possibly be the John Stapleton whose
will was dated 6 Mar 1728 below; but he would have been too old to have been
the John Stapleton whose estate was settled in 1765.
The John Stapleton who had a will dated 6 Mar 1728 had a son named
John:
Calendar of Wills, Vol. 6: St Mary's Co, MD.-- Stapleton, John; will dated
6 Mar 1728/9 bequeathes to Margaret, wife. Henry, son; John, son (both sons
under 18). We have nothing positive to connect the son John (under 18 in
1728) to the John Stapleton whose estate was probated in Baltimore County,
MD. in 1764/65. The fact that John Stapleton (d. 1762) had a son, Edward,
born ca. 1711-1715; would remove him from consideration as being John who
was under 18 at the time of the death of his father (John whose will was
probated 6 Mar 1728).
In light of the considerations above, I would say that the first member
of our Stapleton line we are sure of is John Stapleton of Baltimore County,
MD. whose estate was settled on May 20th 1765. The first public record of
him appears to be: On 27 August 1764 Edward Stapleton administered the
estate of John Stapleton in Baltimore. [Robert W. Bartnes: Baltimore CountyFamilies, 1659-1759, Genealogical Publishing Co., p. 606]. The following
year the final accounting of the estate was filed:
From: State of Maryland, Dept. of Genreal Services, Hall of Records,
Accounts
Volume 52, pgs. 237-38:
"The additional Account of Edward Stapleton Senior of John Stapleton late of
Baltimore County, deceased. This accountant chargeth himself with the
balance of the deceased's estate as will appear in the Prerogative Office
amounting to the sum of 12: 2: 2
and with cash recd. Garrison 7: 6
12: 9: 9
And he craves allowance of the following payments of current money due from
the deceased
to Samuel Harris 1:15: 1
to Benjamin Hanson 1: 1: 3
to Doct. James ?Sproule? 1: 2: 6
to ?Ganet? Campbell 0:12: 0
to Matthew Laughlin 0: 7: 6
to Catherine Bradford 0:10: 0
to Wm. Mow 0: 8: 6
to Doct. Ephriam Andrews 0:10: 0
to Robert Adair Esq., High Street, for the late
Commissary General's fees at 12/6 1:10:10
Of current money due to the Estate of Capt. James Philips 2: 1: 0
to Wm. Young ?DYPLOMAT? for paying this Acct.,
drawing and stating the same 0: 9: 0
of ... Ct. Common allowed 0:19:10
Payment 10:16: 6
Balance due 1:13: 2
12: 9: 9
May 20th 1765 came Edward Stapleton and made oath by the Holy Evangels of
Almighty God that the foregoing acct. is just and true such after due
examination is ... by
Final Account Wm. Young ?Dylomay? (probably "Dyplomat" - T.
King)
Balt. County"
Unfortunately Edward Stapleton, Sr. is the only child of John Stapleton
who is mentioned in the papers pertaining to this estate. Although, as
mentioned above, there are indications that there may have been another son
named Thomas; there is nothing conclusive. To date, no positive connection
has been found to link Thomas Stapleton in the records we have from St.
George's Parish of Harford Co., MD. to Edward Stapleton, Sr., of the same
parish.
Second Generation
Edward Stapleton Sr. b. ca 1711-1715, possibly, Deer Creek MD.; d. after
12
May 1780, Rowan Co., NC.; m. Rachel [Parks] (-Ruth E. Rawlings).
Edward Stapleton was in Baltimore County, Maryland, at least from 1736
to
1765. On 21 March 1736 he
purchased 150 acres at Paradise and still owned that land in 1750. He
married Rachel ___ and they had children Alce (Alice?) born 10 June 1737,
Joseph (No. 62) born 5 February 1742, Hannah born 14 May 1744, Joshua (No.
64) born 22 June 1746, and Edward born 1 August 1749.
On 27 August 1764 Edward Stapleton administered the estate of John
Stapleton in Baltimore. [Robert W. Bartnes: Baltimore County Families,1659-1759, Genealogical Publishing Co., p. 606]
Edward Stapleton gave an Oath of Fidelity during the March 1778 term of
the court in Harford County, Maryland. [Gaius Marcus Brumbaugh: MarylandRecords, Colonial, Revolutionary, County and Church from Original SourcesVol. II, p. 235; Lancaster, Pennsylvania (1928)]
Edward, Sr. and Edward, Jr. filed a Vancant Land Entry (film C, B-97,
Vol. 1-6; #626) on 300 acres in Rowan Co., NC. on 24 Mar 1778: "#626
Edward
Stapleton, Sen. & Jun.., 300 a. on S side of South R & N side of Robert
Johnston adj Joseph Campbell's conditional line & running to the R & vacant
on all other points." In 1778 in Capt. Armstrong's District of Rowan
County,
North Carolina, Edward Stapleton was listed as a "Pole" and Edward
Stapleton,
Jr. was on the Tax List with property valued at £225. [Mrs. Stahle Linn,Jr.:Abstracts of Wills and Estates Records of Rowan County, North Carolina;1753-1805 and Tax Lists 0f 1759 and 1778; pp. 121-122]. From this we sees
that Edward, Sr. and his son Edward, Jr.moved to Rowan Co., NC. in 1778.
We know that Edward Sr., was still there on 12 May 1780. On that date
he
made a Deed of Gift to his son Joshua and his son-in-law James Harris:
ROWAN COUNTY., NC. Deed Book 9 page 119
Know all men by these presents- That I Edward Stapleton of the State of
North Carolina and County of Rowan having Taken into serious consideration
the frailty of my nature through the Infirmity of Oald age, together with
the
Duty I ly under to Divide the Portion of my Estate unto such of My Children
who through ye Divine Blessing will pay the most Dutiful Regard to me in my
oald Age & seeing the unjustness of som of my former proceedings of makin
over Unto my Son Joshua Stapleton now living in the province of Maryland the
whole of my Estate by Deed of Gift, withouth having the least Security for
my
Maintenance during Life, and being now full satisfied that I was then
incapable of Settling my Affairs with Discretion through frailty of Nature
indispositions of Body and unsoundness of mind; I Doe herein decalre Said
Deed of Gift to be unjust and to be void- Null and of no Effect, and being
now fully capable of Settling my Estate in Such a manner as is most
agreeable
to my own mind and not injurious- to my Chldren, Doe of my own free will
and
accord give and grant the whole of my Estate in manner & form following,
first of all I doe make over the one half of my Land goods and Chattles,
including my improvement wherein I now live unto my Loving Son Joshua
Stapleton to be his Whole & Entire Right from me for Ever. And the other
half of my Land lying west of my improvement up the South Adkin river to the
foard & abise the ford generally known by the name of Renshaws foard
together
with the other half of my Goods & Chattles, unto my loving Soninlaw &
Daughter, James & Hannah Harris to be for their proper use and behoof from
me
for Ever, and I give a field Supposed about Six Acres on the South side of
my
Improvement unto the sd Harris for two years, And for all & Singular my
Estate by me made over unto my Son & Soninlaw Joshua Stapleton and James
Harris, they shall Each of the Singular & for themselves, be at Equal
Expence in providing for me Sufficient Meat, Drink, Washing & Lodging
Wearing apparel & Careful attendance according as my various Circumstances
Shall require dureing my Natural Life, but if they Goath or Singular any one
of them shall fail to perform this, then this my present Obligation Shall
be-
to the failors null void * of none Effect, but if Carefully performed until
my Death, Shall be their right from me forever.
Given under my hand & Seal this 12th day of my (May) 1780
his
State of North Carolina Edward + Stapleton
(Seal)
, mark
Then, by the time the August term of the Rowan County Court convened it
would
appear that Edward, Sr. had died for at that time, listed with other Court
actions taken on Wednesday, August 9, 1780, the Deed of Gift was entered:
Ss, August Trem 1780----
Rowan County
It is hereby Certified that the Within Deed was duly proved
In Open Court by the oath of Samuel Luckey, recorded in the
Clerks Office according to Law, and ordered to be registered
Test Ad: Osborn C C
(Adlai Osborn)
Children of Edward Stapleton, Sr. and Rachel ______:
(5 children listed Vital Records St George's Parish, Harford Co., MD.)
1. Alice b. 5-10-1737
2. Joseph b. 2-5-1742, d. 1776
3. Hannah b. 1-14-1744 (m. James Harris) They lived and died in Rowan Co.,
NC. James served in Rev. War, his will is recorded in Salisbury, NC.
Their
son James Harris Jr. supposed to have moved to Bedford Co., TN.
along with a Neil family and another Stapleton family.
4. Joshua b. 6-22-1746, m. Susan
5. Edward Jr. b. 8-1-1749 living in Rowan Co., NC in 1780
Third Generation
Joseph Stapleton b. 5 Feb 1742, St. George's Parish, Harford Co, MD.; d. ca.
1776 Rowan Co., NC. Married Sarah _________. (According to the DAR
application of Gertrude Moore Burnham 25 Nov 1944; Sarah's surname was
Lewis)
Children:
1. Hannah Stapleton b. ca 1766; d. prob Ohio; m. Daniel Lewis Jr. abt 1788
Rowan Co., NC. He was
b. 13 Oct 1767 Rowan Co., NC. d. 1820 Greene Co., Ohio.
2. Nancy Anne Stapleton b. ca Feb 1768; d. 18 Sep 1855 Bell Brook, Greene
Co., OH. m. Cyrus Sackett 10 Jan 1792 Bourbon, Co., KY
3. Avis Stapleton b. ca 1769 d. 23 Aug 1807 Bell Brook, Greene Co., OH.; m.
Abram Van Eaton 17 Ded 1789 Rowan Co., NC.
4. Rachel Stapleton b. 1772 MD.; d. 1846 Cass Co., IN.; m. Joel Lewis Jan
1795 Rowan Co., NC.
In 1774 Maryland issued a Declaration of Independence which led to the
British attacking the residents who were involved in the declaration. This
appears to be the time Joseph Stapleton moved to North Carolina. Oral
stories from descendants of the Lewis families say that Joseph Stapleton was
injured in the attack. He then fled to Rowan Co., NC. and that he
eventually
died there as a result of his injuries. The first record of Joseph in
Rowan
County, NC. is found in Rowan County Court Minutes; copies from "McCubbins
Genealogical Notes" at Rowan Public Library, Salisbury, NC. Book 8, pg.
398:
December 11, 1772, Matthew McCllagh -- no wife signs & he makes his mark --
lets William Smith (Both of Rowan Co., NC.) have inprovement next to Charles
Bayley, for 11 pounds, witnessed by James Dickey.
April 9, 1774, William Smith assigns the above land to Joseph Stapleton
July 1, 1774, Joseph Stapleton makes land over to James Cathey
Sept. 1774 James Cathey makes the land over to Joseph Stapleton
Oct. 4, 1776 Sarah Stapleton makes the land over to Hugh Cathey, witness
Rachel Bishop, (acknowledged Aug. 1777).
Oct. 10, 1776 Sarah Stapleton, wife of Joseph Stapleton of Rowan Co.,
NC.
Lets Hugh Cathey Have an improvement on Brushy Hill between Charles
Baily & James Fitzpatrick having two houses & a spring-house, also four
different fields, for 16 pounds, witness James Bailey, acknowledged Aug.
1777. (A continuous transaction); [Mrs. Stahle Linn, Jr.: Abstracts of theDeeds of Rowan County, North Carolina; 1753-1785; Vols. 1-10; p. 136]
>From the fact that Sarah Stapleton is the one to sign the land over on 4
Oct
1776 it is assumed that Joseph Stapleton had died before that date.
In the August session of the court in 1777 we have some significant
transactions. In the proceedings of August 6, 1777 there were three orders:
1) Ordered by the Court that Hannah Stapleton Orphan of Joseph Stapleton be
bound to Hugh Cathey she being 11 years old and to serve until she
be
18 Years of Age, said Master to give said orphan 6 pounds and one Spinning
Wheel, and what the Law allows.
2) Ordered That Anne Stapleton Orphan of Joseph Stapleton be bound to John
Lowry, she being Nine Years and Six Months old, to serve until she be
18
Years old, said Master to give her six pounds a Spinning Wheel and what the
Law allows.
3) Ordered that Avis Stapleton Orphan of Joseph Stapleton be bound to James
Bailey she being 8 Years old and to serve until she be 18 Years old
said Master to give her six pounds a Spinning Wheel and what the Law allows.
Then on August 9, 1777: "Deed of sale for land from Sarah Stapleton to Hugh
Cathey on October 10, 1776, is acknowledged."
From the fact that there was no court proceeding binding out Rachel
Stapleton, about five years of age, it is assumed that Sarah kept Rachel
with
her. We have no record of Sarah marrying again. However, this cannot be
ruled out. During that period of time, one did not need a marriage bond if
the pending marriage was announced in a church for a prescribed number of
weeks. In those instances, the records would have been kept in the church
and
due to the fact that many of those old churches have ceased to exist and the
records have disappeared along with the churches; those marriage records may
have been lost forever.
Fourth Generation
Nancy Anne Stapleton (1768-1855) m. 10 Jan 1792, Cyrus Sackett (1764-1846)
The third Stapleton daughter to marry was Nancy Anne who concluded her
obligation to John Lowry in 1786 and married Cyrus Sackett on January 10,
1792 in Bourbon Co., KY. The marriage bond for this marriage gives the
names
as Cyrus Sackett and Anne Steepleton which would indicate that Nancy Anne,
almost 24 yrs of age, was still a single woman and had made her way from
Rowan Co., NC. to Bourbon Co., KY. With whom did she travel?
The first thought was that she had made the move with the John Lowry
family to whom she was bound in 1777. However, land records in Rowan Co.,
NC. indicate that John Lowry was still living there September 23, 1803 when
he deeded 160 acres of land to Henry Williams. There remained the
possibility that she traveled with one of the sons of John Lowry who are
believed to have moved to KY., but the dates of the move were not known.
The
second thought was that she had traveled with her sister Hannah and her
husband Daniel Lewis, Jr. but this theory was discounted when it was learned
that Daniel Lewis, Jr. and Hannah did not leave Rowan Co., NC. until after
1800. "As executor of the will of his father, Daniel Jr., conveys March 15,
1802, land to John Hendrix (Hendricks) Jr. He was evidentially the nephew
of
Daniel Jr., his sister Sarah's son. Under date of August 12, 1804 Daniel
sells land to William Wilcockson (Wilcox), said land "being part of the land
grant and conveyed to Daniel Lewis, deceased" (Record Book 19, page 188".
So, it is obvious that Daniel and Hannah did not leave Rowan Co. until after
August 12, 1804.
We have the record of Nancy Anne's sister Avis Stapleton's marriage to
Abraham Van Eaton 17 Dec 1789. Along with that, there is information that
the
Van Eaton Baptist Church split and reorganized in 1790 over the question of
supporting missionaries. Shortly after the reorganization, Abraham Van
Eaton, husband of Avis Stapleton, (Nancy's sister) was dismissed by letter
from the church. In the 1790 Kentucky Census constructed from the Tax
Records (page 97) Abraham Van Eaton was listed in Bourbon Co., KY on the
March 1791Tax List. When we add to this the knowledge that Cyrus and Nancy
Anne (Stapleton) Sackett were noted for being Baptists in Greene Co., OH.
after they arrived there; it would appear that the logical solution as to
the
traveling companions of Nancy Anne in her move from North Carolina to
Kentucky would be the family of her sister Avis (Stapleton) Van Eaton, the
Hugh Cathey family, and probably Joel Lewis, Sr. (who was in his teens at
the time and still single). The main problem with this construction is the
letter written 27 Jan 1806 (above) by Cyrus Sackett in which he says that
Nancy Anne had not seen her oldest sister for "these seventeen years". This
statement would seem to indicate that Nancy Anne left Rowan Co., NC. in the
year 1789, unless they had not seen one another for a period of time before
Nancy Anne left Rowan Co., NC. However that may be, we do know from the tax
records of Bourbon Co., KY. that both Cyrus Sackett and Abraham Van Eaton
were on the tax rolls there from 1791 to 1798. Neither of them are on the
tax roll for 1799, the year in which we know that Cyrus made the move to
Greene Co., OH. in the month of October.
Cyrus and Nancy, who was about 7 months pregnant, along with
three children under age six, moved from Kentucky to Ohio in October 1799
arriving there on the 17th day of the month at three o'clock in the
afternoon. Cyrus Sackett was among the first settlers in what is known
today
as Greene County, Ohio. At that time the only home where Bell Brook now
stands, was an old frontier tavern. Shortly after their arrival in Ohio
their fifth child, Samuel was born on 5 Dec 1799. As mentioned above, it
appears that Nancy Anne's sister Avis and her husband Abraham Van Eaton
moved
from KY to Greene County, OH. with them. And then by the end of 1806 the
other two of the Stapleton sisters, Hannah and Rachel, had arrived in Greene
County where they all lived for a time.
He bought 160 acres of land at $2.00 per acre. It was all
timber land and in a spot near a spring he cleared off a space large enough
to put up a tent. The sides were covered with bed clothing, while the wagon
cover served as a roof. Here they managed to live and "keep the wolf" (real
living wolves) from entering their door, until he could build a round-log
cabin, in which they lived for several years. He then built a large
hewed-log
house, which was at that time considered very fine. Here Cyrus and Nancy
spent the remainder of their lives.
He paid for his farm chiefly by raising hogs and driving
them
to market in Cincinnati. Due to the fact that there were no mills nearer
than Cincinnati, he frequently went there on horse back, sometimes taking
two
horses when he needed both flour and corn meal.
Cyrus Sackett was an earnest and devoted Christian; he joined
the Regular (Old-Style) Baptists and afterwards went to what was known as
Carmine's Church, which stood on the site of the old burial ground one mile
south of Bell Brook. A few years before his death he became a member of what
has been long known as Owen's Church, founded about 1835 - 1836. He remained
a member of this Church until his death, which occurred 13, October 1846, at
the age of 83 years leaving his wife, Nancy, and the following children:
sons, Alexander, Joseph, Samuel and Cyrus Sackett, Jr.; daughters Sarah
Hand,
Mrs. Anna Goblet and Mrs. Poague (Pogue). Nancy, his wife departed this life
September 18 1855, aged 88 years, 6 months, and 12 days. They were both laid
to rest in the Carmine burying grounds above mentioned.
* * * * *
NANCY ANNE4 STAPLETON (JOSEPH3, EDWARD2, JOHN1) was born Abt. Feb 1768 in
Baltimore Co., MD., and died 18 Sep 1855 in Bell Brook, Greene Co., OH..
She
married CYRUS SACKETT 10 Jun 1792 in Bourbon Co. KY..
Children of NANCY STAPLETON and CYRUS SACKETT are:
i. SAMUEL5 SACKETT, b. 05 Dec 1799, Bell Brook, Greene Co., OH.; d. 08
Aug 1856, Blue Creek Twp., Adams Co., IN.; m. (1) ISABELLA MOORE, 10 May
1821, Montgomery Co., OH.; m. (2) JULIE ANN HEATH, 28 Mar 1837, Adams Co.,
IN..
ii. JOSEPH SACKETT, b. 30 Mar 1794, Buourbon Co., KY.; d. Aft. 13 Jul
1846; m. ANNA VANDOLAR, 28 May 1816, Greene Co., OH..
iii. SARAH SACKETT, b. 24 May 1795, Bourbon Co. KY.; d. 08 Jan 1872,
Miami Co OH; m. BENJAMIN HAND, 16 Apr 1816, Greene Co., OH..
iv. MERCY SACKETT, b. 26 Feb 1797, Bourbon Co. KY.; d. Aft. 13 Jul 1846;
m. CHARLES WEAVER THOMAS, 08 May 1825, Greene Co., OH..
v. REUBEN SACKETT, b. 17 May 1798, Bourbon Co. KY..
vi. ANNA SACKETT, b. 08 Oct 1801; d. Aft. 13 Jul 1846; m. MERRIT HABLIT.
vii. ANER SACKETT, b. 24 Jan 1807, Bellbrook, Greene Co., OH.; d.
Aft.
13 Jul 1846; m. PRESTON POGUE, 13 Nov 1836, Greene Co., OH..
viii. ALEXANDER SACKETT, b. 03 Apr 1808, Bell Brook, Greene Co., OH.;
d. 10 Apr 1893, Bell Brook, Greene Co., OH.; m. (1) ISABELLA PRESTON, Abt.
1840, Bell Brook, Greene Co., OH.; m. (2) MARY BREWSTER, Aft. 1841, Bell
Brook, Greene Co., OH..
ix. CYRUS SACKETT, b. 26 Jan 1803; m. NANCY JEFFRIES.
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