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I (Marty Grant) am not related to the John Grant family as far as I know. I am very interested in him though.
John Grant was born ca 1757 or earlier, in the Walnut Creek area of what is now Wayne Co, NC. He is a son of John Grant (c1729-1773) and Mary.
On 20 Nov 1771, a John Grant was listed on a Dobbs Co, NC Militia Muster Roll. I don't know if this is the same John Grant, or his father, or another John Grant that lived in what is now Lenoir County. (Dobbs Co, NC Militia Muster Roll)
On 6 Aug 1773 John Grant (Sr) was murdered by James Wilson in Dobbs County. I don't know the details, but found this in some Dobbs County published records. I didn't note the source, so I need to try and find it again. The records indicated that John's wife Mary and their son John Grant Jr were witnesses. This proves the name of John's wife, and at proves that John (Jr) was his son.
Any records for John Grant after 1773 are for the John Grant under study here, or for another John Grant who appeared in the Lenoir County part of old Dobbs County about the same time. John Grant (son of John and Mary) lived on Walnut Creek, or in that area, but moved away in the 1790's. Since John Grant (son of John and Mary) first appeared on the public records in 1778, I put his birth at ca 1757 or before. His 1773 mention as a Witness in his father's murder can't be considered his first record as an adult, since we have no idea how old he was at that time. However, he received a land grant in 1778, so he had to be at least 21 by then.
On 26 Jun 1777 John Grant "Jr" was named on the Militia Roll for Captain Kennedy's company. This is most likely the John Grant of what is now Lenoir County, and not the John under study here, though I'm not entirely sure of that. The "Jr" used in his name meant he was the younger of the two adult John Grant's living in Dobbs County at that time. It doesn't mean he is related to whoever John Grant "Sr" was. It was used to distinguish men of the same name, regardless of how (or if) related. (Dobbs Co, NC Militia Muster Roll)
On 6 Jan 1778 John Grant entered 100 acres of land on the North side of the Neuse river, and both sides of Reedy Branch bordering Michael Herring. This was in the Walnut Creek area. (Dobbs Co, NC Land Entries 1778-1790 Book 1 page 21).
On 14 Mar 1778 John Grant (of Lenoir) entered 50 acres on the south side of Briery Branch joining Thomas Bond, Thomas Phillips, William Moore and William Wooten. These are some of his same neighbors on the 1780 Dobbs Co, NC tax list, so I'm sure it is the other John Grant, and not the one under study here. (Dobbs Co, NC Land Entries 1778-1790 Book 1 page 285).
On 19 May 1778 One of the two John Grant's received bounty from Richard Caswell for military service in Dobbs Co, NC. I don't know which John Grant this was. (From Dobbs County Genealogical Society Journal, May 1983.)
In 1779 Wayne County was formed from the western part of Dobbs County. So records for John Grant after 1779 in Dobbs pertain to the other John Grant, while the John we are studying was in Wayne County beginning 1779.
In 1783 John Grant received an 80 acre land grant on the west side of Reedy branch adjoining Michael Herring and Joel Herring. This is probably the same land he entered in 1778 (though that was for 100 acres). The land grant doesn't give the date, but says "In the 7th year of our Independence in the year of our Lord 1802". Now "1802" is incorrect. The 7th year of Independence would be 1782 or 1783 depending on how you count from 1776. That year makes sense. The grant had Alexander Martin, Esquire, Governor of NC listed, and he was Governor in 1782-1784 and again in 1789-1792. (Wayne Co, NC Deed Book 1 page 124).
The 1786 Wayne Co, NC Tax list shows John Grant listed and charged with 100 acres (his original entry amount), but not charged with any white taxables. That probably means that he didn't live in Wayne County, but he did own land there, or he was deceased, but the land was still in his name. I think the first answer is correct. He owned the land, but lived elsewhere. The 1790 census for Wayne Co, NC shows his brothers Elisha Grant, Michael Grant and William Grant all listed next to each other, but there is no listing for John Grant in the area.
On 3 Mar 1796 John Grant Sr and Rachel Grant sold the 80 acre tract of land to Richard Kethley. The land is described as adjoining Michael Herring, so it is clearly the same land entered 1778, and granted 1782. John and Rachel both sign with a mark. The witnesses are Benjamin Herring and Hardy Hines. (Wayne Co, NC Deed Book 5E page 347).
The above deed is the last we have of John Grant and Rachel his wife. The deed refers to them as being residents of Wayne County, though the 1786 tax list and 1790 census don't back that up. The fact that he is listed as "Sr" on this record indicates that there was another John Grant in the same county who was an adult. The 1800 census shows a young John Grant with a new family listed, and also in the precise same area, living near Michael Herring and the other Grant's in the Walnut Creek area. This John Grant of the 1800 census was born ca 1774/84 per that census, and couldn't be the one in the land records of 1778, 1782 and 1796. This younger John Grant is probably a son of William Grant, or so I think.
So John Grant and his wife Rachel were gone from Wayne County by 1796 (probably gone by 1786). Where did they go? Many other folks from Wayne County were heading west around this time, to Tennessee and Kentucky and other places. There were lots of John Grant's in those states, so unless we find one born ca 1757 or before, and married to a "Rachel", we may never know what happened to them.
The 1800 census shows lots of John Grant's, including one in Currituck Co, NC (unlikely), one in Lincoln Co, NC (maybe), one in Northampton (unlikely), one in Onslow Co, NC (maybe), one in Wayne Co, NC (much younger than the John under study), and one in Wilkes Co, NC (not him). The 1800 census for TN is lost, and the same is true for 1800 census of KY.
I don't know who any of the children of John and Rachel Grant may be. If they had any, they probably went west with their parents.
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