John Stewart (1730/40-1830) and Mary Ann (—) (1740/50-aft 1842) of North Carolina (Guilford, Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Buncombe, Haywood, Macon)

Marty and Karla Grant

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[Stewart Home] - [Table of Contents] - John Stewart (1730/40-1830)

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John Stewart and Mary Ann, his wife, are my 5 times great grandparents and my 6 times great grandparents via three lines of descent.

Special thanks to Lawrence Wood (1937-1997) for getting me started on this family. Also thanks to many others for shared information since then and continue to research John and his origins, especially Kathi Bobb, Rick Stewart, Gerd Naydock and others.

John Stewart (just as often spelled "Stuart") was born in the 1730s. This is proven by his age on the 1830 census which shows him in his 90s. This is compatible with his earlier census records:

• 1790 Census, age 16+, born before 1774

• 1800 Census, age 45+, born before 1755

• 1810 Census, age 45+, born before 1765

• 1820 Census, age 45+, born before 1775

• 1830 Census, age 90-99 , born between 1730 and 1740

It’s been suggested that perhaps he wasn’t quite as old as being born in the 1730s. People did tend to exaggerate their ages when they got really old, though I don’t know if that’s the case with John. Many of his children were born in the 1770s, so that would put him born in the 1750s at least. We can be certain he was born before 1755 if we accept the 1800 census as accurate. It’s not a stretch to also accept the 1830 census as accurate. He could have been born ca 1739/40 which would still agree with the 1830 census.

Whether John was born in the 1730s, 40s or early 50s, we don’t know where he was born. We know he was in North Carolina at least by ca 1775. It’s entirely possible he was born in North Carolina, but if the 1730s birth date is accurate, it’s much more likely he was born somewhere further north and moved to North Carolina from there. Virginia, Pennsylvania or Maryland would be the most likely places, but there are other possibilities as well. It’s also possible he was born in Scotland, migrated to America (Pennsylvania, most likely), then came south to North Carolina.

We just don’t know for certain.

We don’t know who John’s parents were, nor have we identified any siblings. There are several potential siblings for him though, men of his same generation who could be his brothers or otherwise closely related. Click here for more on that subject.

John Stewart married Mary Ann before ca 1775, perhaps much earlier than that. She was born in the 1740s per her age on the 1830 census. This is compatible with her earlier census records. We haven’t located her on the 1840 census though she was still alive then.

Her maiden name is unknown. Some have suggested that she is the Mary Davis who married a John Stewart in Cabarrus Co., NC in 1795. If that is correct, then Mary is not the mother of John’s children as they all predate 1795. However, I personally think that marriage is for a different John and Mary. I could be wrong. If I am wrong, then Mary would have to be our John’s second wife.

When and where did John and Mary marry? Their suspected son Jacob Stuart reported in 1850 (Macon Co., NC 1850 census) that he was born in Cabarrus Co., NC and that he was 75 years old. If this is correct, that puts John and family in Cabarrus Co., NC ca 1775. At that time, Cabarrus did not exist and was still a part of Mecklenburg County. However, to confuse matters, Jacob reported his birth place in 1860 as "Guilford" Co., NC (Macon Co., NC 1860 census), and gave his age as 86, or born ca 1773/74. Since in both cases, Jacob was residing with his son-in-law and his daughter, it is quite possible that in one of these instances, he gave the information, and in the other case, someone else told the census taker the wrong thing. The trouble is, which is correct? Guilford is more technically accurate in the sense that Guilford actually existed as a county ca 1775 when he was born (formed in 1772). Cabarrus, however, didn’t exist until 1792 being part of Mecklenburg before then.

John and Mary Ann may have resided in Guilford Co., NC and/or Cabarrus Co., NC (then Mecklenburg) in the 1770s.

Cabarrus County was formed from Mecklenburg in 1792. Mecklenburg was formed from Anson in 1762. When did our Stewarts arrive in that area? See my page for John Stewart Records of Mecklenburg for more detailed analysis of the various John Stewarts there.

On 11 & 12 Dec 1754 (Lease and Release), John Clark deeded 700 acres to William Moore in Anson Co., NC. The land was on Broad River, bought of Joseph Hollingsworth & John Stuart, opposite to mouth of Sandy River. Witnesses were Saml. Young and John Oates. (Anson Co., NC Deed Book B, pp. 467-470.)

The same land, or a portion of it, was mentioned in another deed. This one dated 30 Nov 1758 and 5 Dec 1758 (Lease and Release). John Clark of Anson Co., NC deeded land to John Dickinson of Augusta Co., VA. The land was on the south side of Broad River, South Fork of Sandy River “including the improvements he bought of John Stewart ...” The abstract says that the grantee was later referred to as Adam Dickins. The deed was signed by John Clark. Witnesses were Adam Dickinson, John Larsey, John Butler. (Anson Co., NC Deed Book 5, pp. 76-78).

Is the above our John Stewart? I suspect this is much too early to be ours, but since this is our area or interest we should look at it. The Broad River rises in eastern Buncombe, flows southerly into Henderson briefly, then south easterly along the Rutherford / Polk border then into Cherokee Co., SC and continues south for many miles. The land above was described as being on the south side of the Broad River which only means south of the river, not necessarily right on the river. This means the land was either in present day Polk Co., NC or Spartanburg or Cherokee Co., SC or even further south as much of upper South Carolina was thought to be in North Carolina at that time. We can narrow it down more by the references to Sandy River. The deeds refer to the mouth of Sandy River and to the South Fork of Sandy River. This river is almost entirely within present day Chester Co., SC. However, the Broad is Chester’s western border, meaning the land in question wasn’t in Chester but opposite it in what is now Union Co., SC. In 1758, this area was thought to be part of Anson Co., NC, though I believe South Carolina also claimed it as part of Craven County. Regardless, is this too far south to be our John Stewart? I suspect this is not our John at all.

I found no other references to a John Stewart in early Anson Co., NC Deeds.

Rowan County was formed from Anson and Orange in 1753. There was a John Stewart and wife Mary in Rowan in the 1760s. Is this our John and Mary? The names certainly match. Of course these are very common names.

On 10 Aug 1762, John Stewart Jr received a “Granville Grant” in Rowan Co., NC (now Surry Co., NC) of 390 acres. It was described as being on both sides of Tarrarat River. He and wife Ann sold this land in 1769. See below. Being listed here as “Jr” in 1762 means he was the younger of the two men of that name in the county then, not necessarily the son of the older one.

On 24 Jan 1763, Andrew Bailie (Bailey) of Rowan made a deed to John Stewart of Rowan for 200 acres. The land was described as being conveyed to Bailie on 21 Dec 1761 by Earl Granville. Deed was signed by “Andw Bailie.” Witnessed by Edward Hughes, Will Reed and William Harrison. On 25 Jan 1763, the release of the above deed was made. (Rowan Co., NC Deed Book 5, pp 470-472.) John and wife Mary sold this same land in 1767. See below.

On 4 Mar 1767, John Stewart and Mary his wife of Rowan deeded the above land to Andrew Ferguson of Orange Co., NC. John signed with a mark that resembles an uppercase A, while Mary signed with an X. Witnesses were James Dorchester and William Frohock. (Rowan Co., NC Deed Book 6, p. 425.)

No landmarks or waterways mentioned in either deed, so it isn’t immediately obvious where this land was exactly. However, when Andrew Ferguson sold some other land on 6 Sep 1765 to James Brown, it was described as being on both sides of Stewarts Creek being the west fork of the Tarrarat River adjoining Maj. Andrew Bailie. Witnesses to that deed were Thomas Donnell and Joseph Brown. (Rowan Co., NC Deed Book 7, pp. 267-268.)

* Joseph Brown and John Donnell and Andrew Donnell were in several Guilford County deeds ca 1778-1780 with land on North Buffalo which is now in northern Greensboro. Nothing in the 1765 deed that Joseph Brown and Thomas Donnell witnessed proves that the Browns or Donnells are related to the Stewarts, but they were certainly neighbors at some point, and being near him in Rowan and near each other in Guilford is certainly interesting. See more in the Guilford section below.

The Tarrarat River (now known as Ararat River) is in the part of Rowan that later became Surry County. On 5 Sep 1769, John Stewart and wife Ann sold 390 acres on the Tararrat River to Martin Armstrong. The land was conveyed to Stewart by Earl Granville 10 Aug 1762. Both John and Ann signed by marks, both an X this time. Keep in mind these are the court house copies of the deeds and not the originals. The clerk didn’t always try to duplicate the actual mark from the original. The witnesses were Henry Manadue Junr and Lawrance Stewart (who also signed with a mark). (Rowan Co., NC Deed Book 7, pp. 126-127.) Henry Manadue’s name comes up again later. See below.

I don’t know who Lawrence Stewart was, but certainly closely related to this John Stewart. An obvious question is whether “Mary” from the 1767 deed is the same person as “Ann” from the 1769 deed? We do know for a fact that ours was named Mary Ann, so this could be them, listed as Mary one time, Ann the next. However, that would be rather unusual, so it gives me pause. My gut feeling is that this is not our John and Mary in these early Rowan deeds. I could be wrong of course.

For reference purposes, take notice of a deed dated 29 Feb 1764 between John Stuart and wife Susanna Stuart, formerly Bledsoe, to William Robertson of Halifax Co., VA. They deeded him 300 acres on the East side of Middle Fork, Tarrarrat River which was granted to Frederick Fulkerson 9 May 1757. (Fulkerson was Susannah’s father). Witnesses were Jacob Lash and Abraham V. Gammerons. (Rowan Co., NC Deed Book 5, p. 445). According to other researchers, this John Stewart is a son of Samuel and Lydia Stewart. This is probably the older of the two John Stewarts in Rowan at this time.

Also, on 26 Oct 1765, John and Susannah Stewart made a deed to Henry Menadue for 200 acres, being part of a larger grant to Frederick Fulkerson dated 9 May 1756, which was sold to Susannah Stewart in her widowhood as Susannah Bledsoe. Witnesses were James Dorchester and Susannah Blecher. (Rowan Co., NC Deed Book 6, p. 302). Note that Henry Manadue Jr was a witness the 1769 deed of John and Ann Stewart mentioned earlier. Other researchers say this is the same John who’d married Susannah, but she’d died and John had remarried Ann. I don’t think that is correct. I believe they are two different couples.

On 11 Feb 1771, John Stewart and William Ireland witnessed two deeds from William Morrison to Andrew Miller for land on south side of Catawba River and 8 Mile Shoal Creek. (Rowan Co., NC Deed Book 7, p. 295.) I don’t know which John Stewart this was. The Catawba River is no longer in Rowan County. When Burke was formed in 1777, it fell into that county, so this land would have been in old Burke, which was quite large at the time. I don’t yet know where Eight Mile Shoal Creek was.

The next deed reference I found for a John Stewart in Rowan was dated 1783. I think ours was long gone from there by then, assuming he was ever there in the first place.

Guilford County was formed from Orange and Rowan in 1770/1771.

See my page for an outline and analysis of all early John Stewart records in Guilford.

I’ve done a fairly thorough study of the John Stewarts in early Guilford County records. My sad conclusion is that none of those are our John. Refer to page linked above for more details.

I see four possible explanations for the lack of our John Stewart in Guilford records:

1. John and Mary never lived there, meaning Jacob’s 1860 census entry is wrong. Possible, but it’s difficult to dismiss a record like that entirely.

2. They lived there for a short while before moving on, but never owned land. As a renter John wouldn’t have appeared on (m)any records. If this is the answer, then they were there ca 1773-1775, long enough for Jacob to be born in that county.

3. My analysis is flawed, and one of the John Stewarts found in the records there is indeed our John Stewart. This is possible. Refer to the records yourself via the link above. Second opinions are always helpful.

4. John didn’t live in present day Guilford, but in one of the counties cut off from Guilford. Guilford was formed in 1772. At the time it also included present day Randolph and Rockingham Counties. Randolph was formed in 1779 by cutting off the southern third of Guilford. Rockingham was formed in 1785 by cutting off the northern half of what remained of Guilford. There were Stewarts in both those new counties. Perhaps our John lived in one of those, and not within what is now Guilford, but was then Guilford. I’ve researched Stewarts in both those counties to some extent. The Rockingham study is included with the Guilford study above. My conclusion is that neither of the two John Stewarts found in Rockingham are our John. There was no John Stewart on the 1779 Randolph tax list, nor any in the deed books prior to 1836. There was a John Stewart on the 1790 census, one male over 16, and one female. They were gone by 1800. That couldn’t be our John for they should have at least two sons at home in 1790.

Mecklenburg County was formed in 1762, effective 1763, from Anson. We’re reasonably sure our John was there at some point. The trouble is, several John Stewarts were there through the years.

See my page for John Stewart Records of Mecklenburg for more on the various John Stewarts there. The bottom line is that I don’t believe any of the census, deed or will/estate references in Mecklenburg are for our John. He might not have ever lived there, or if he did, he wasn’t a landowner and thus left no public records.

A map showing the waterways in old Mecklenburg where Stewarts had land.

Where was our John Stewart on the 1790 census? There were 12 John Stewarts listed in our general area of interest of Western North Carolina in 1790 including Guilford and Rockingham. There were none in upper west South Carolina. There is no 1790 census for eastern Tennessee.

Guilford Co., NC

p. 494 John Stuart 1-1-5-0-0

p. 495 John Stuart 1-0-1-0-2

p. 501 Jehu Stuart 3-2-4-0-0 indexed as John, but says Jehu. Quaker family.

Iredell Co., NC

p. 392 John Stuart 3-5-4-0-0 Not ours. Revolutionary War Pensioner still here in 1830s.

Mecklenburg Co., NC

p. 374 John Stuart 1-0-3-0-0 not likely

p. 384 John Stuart 2-3-4-0-0

Montgomery Co., NC

p. 416 John Stewart 1-1-4-0-0 Not ours. Revolutionary War Pensioner still here in 1830s.

Rockingham Co., NC

p. 537 John Stewart 1-0-1-0-2 not likely

Rowan Co., NC

p. 325 John Stuart 1-0-2-0-0 not likely

p. 328 John Stuart Jur 1-0-2-0-0 not likely

p. 328 John Stuart Senr 1-3-2-0-0

Rutherford Co., NC , 14^th Company

p. 148 Jno Steward 1-2-5-0-0

Surry Co., NC

p. 523 John Steward 1-1-2-0-0 not likely

Our John should have had at least two sons in the under 16 age group (born between 1774 and 1790), i.e. Jacob (c1775) and Noah (c1786). Using that knowledge, we can eliminate the two in Guilford, the one in Rockingham and one of the two in Mecklenburg, the one in Montgomery, two of those in Rowan and the one in Surry as they did not have the requisite number of apparent sons. We can also remove the one from Iredell and the one from Montgomery (again) as both were Revolutionary War pensioners who remained in those counties through the 1830s. That cuts the list down to three possibilities in 1790.

Mecklenburg Co., NC

p. 384 John Stuart 2-3-4-0-0

Rowan Co., NC

p. 328 John Stuart Senr 1-3-2-0-0

Rutherford Co., NC , 14^th Company

p. 148 Jno Steward 1-2-5-0-0

Unless our John was missed in 1790, then it seems likely he was one of the three men listed above. I doubt he was (still?) in Rowan County at that time, so that leaves Mecklenburg and Rutherford as more likely. Both are decent matches for our John, age-wise.

The John of Mecklenburg is a proven son of Alexander Stewart as named in Alexander’s Will. On 10 Nov 1789, Alexander made his Will naming his wife Elizabeth, grandson Andrew Stewart, sons John Stewart and David Stewart. He also named Alexander Stewart son of John. Alexander (Sr) named daughters Sarah Stewart and Frances Greir. The Will was witnessed by Alexander Campel (Campbell) and Elias Alexander and Hezekiah Alexander. (Mecklenburg Co., NC Will Book F, p. 182).

From the above we can see that John, son of Alexander, also had a son named Alexander, born prior to 1789. There is a John Greer listed in the same grouping with this John Stewart in 1790. John Stewart has a sister Frances Greer per their father’s Will. I don’t know if John Greer is her husband though. There is also a William Stuart in that grouping.

What about John Stewart of 1790 Rutherford? He was in the part of Rutherford that became Buncombe County in 1792, so that’s a point in favor of this being our John since ours definitely lived in Buncombe by 1803. However, that doesn’t mean this is our John. There was also a William Stewart in Rutherford in 1790. He was in a different district from John, but they could still be connected.

On 13 Jan 1794 John Steward purchased 100 acres of land on the Little River from Gilliaham Harris, in Buncombe Co., NC. Little River rises in southern Transylvania County just on the South Carolina line, and flows generally northward into the French Broad River. Its entire course is within present Transylvania County, but at that time (1794) this was all Buncombe County. I have found no record of John selling this land. This could mean he lost it do to court action or perhaps never finished paying for it, which sometimes happened, and it reverted to the grantor. (Buncombe Co., NC Deed Book 3 page 33).

The bottom line is that we don’t know which of those two Johns in 1790 is our John. It’s possible that neither are.

On 28 Feb 1791 William Stewart and wife Jean, of Mecklenburg County sold 124 acres of land on Andersons Creek to John Stewart of Mecklenburg County. In 1791 Andersons Creek was still in Mecklenburg, but when Cabarrus was formed in 1792, it fell into the new county. William Stewart was a son of Thomas Stewart who died 1778 in Mecklenburg Co., NC. Thomas also had a son John, but I get the impression that Thomas Stewart was about the same age as our John, so couldn't be his father. He could be his brother, but no proof so far. William Stewart (with wife Jean) who sold land to John Stewart in 1791 was born ca 1755/1774 per the 1800 census. That makes him much younger than our John. This deed is not our John Stewart.

Cabarrus County Court records show a John Stewart called for jury duty in July 1795 and October 1796. A William Stewart was called in January 1794, and July 1794. These are likely Thomas Stewart’s son John.

On 19 Jan 1797 John Stewart was named in the Court minutes for Cabarrus Co., NC as being part of a jury to lay out a road from Charlotte to Fayetteville through the lower part of the county from the Mecklenburg line. This is likely Thomas Stewart’s son John.

What about the 1800 census? We have several potential matches in western North Carolina in 1800. There were none in Buncombe by the way. This census is lost for Tennessee.

Cabarrus Co., NC

p. 693 John Stuart 01201-20101-0-0

Guilford Co., NC

p. 622 John Stewart 10001-01101-0-0 next to William Stewart

Iredell Co., NC

p. 639 John Stuart 12101-31001-0-0 Not ours. Revolutionary War Pensioner still here in 1830s.

Mecklenburg Co., NC

p. 604 John Stuart 42001-22110-0-0

Montgomery Co., NC

p. 480 John Stuart Senr 00102-00002-0-1 Not ours. Revolutionary War Pensioner still here in 1830s.

Richmond Co., NC

p. 266 John Stewart 00200-00001-0-0 Too young

Rockingham Co., NC

p. 677 John Stewart 21010-01100-0-0 Too young

Rowan Co., NC

p. 343 John Stuart 00001-00101-0-0

p. 417 John Stuart 32111-01001-0-0

Surry Co., NC

p. 612 John Stuart 10001-00101-0-0

p. 613 John Stuart 32010-20100-0-0 Too young

p. 691 John Stewart 00010-00101-0-0 Too young

We can eliminate the one in Richmond, Rockingham and two in Surry for being too young. We can probably safely remove the ones in Iredell, Montgomery and Rowan and the remaining one in Surry since those are farther away from where our John ought to have been in 1800 (and the Iredell and Montgomery ones are proven to not be our John). That leaves only two contenders, and both are where ours might have been.

Cabarrus Co., NC

p. 693 John Stuart 01201-20101-0-0

Mecklenburg Co., NC

p. 604 John Stuart 42001-22110-0-0

I should note that there were several John Stewarts in upper west South Carolina in 1800, namely in Greenville and Pendleton Districts. I don’t know that our John ever lived in South Carolina, but it’s certainly possible.

The John Stewart in 1800 Mecklenburg is next door to Alexander Stewart, which makes it almost certain this is the same John Stewart who is a proven son of the older Alexander who died in 1789. This isn’t our John.

Cabarrus John wasn’t near any other Stewarts but was only two pages from Michael Waters, who is our John’s son-in-law. Two pages seems close, but it might be quite far. However, knowing Michael Waters was in Cabarrus in 1800 makes the John Stewart there at that time much more likely to be ours. This John was the only Stewart / Stuart in Cabarrus in 1800. One major problem with claiming this as our John is that he was next door to a man who was a known neighbor of the younger John Stewart (son of Thomas). However, there is a problem with this being that younger John. He was listed as being over 45 (born before 1755), and that does not work for Thomas’s son, but it does work for our John. It’s confusing to say the least. There is an explanation that works. Consider the possibility that this census entry is our John (1730/40) and the reason he’s next to one of younger John son of Thomas’s neighbors is because our John is related to those Stewarts, thus it makes sense for him to live in the same area, at least briefly.

1800 Census, Cabarrus Co., NC

Page

Name

M0-9

M10-15

M16-25

M26-44

M45+

F0-9

F10-15

F16-25

F26-44

F45+

FPC

Slaves

693

John Stuart

My analysis (who each person *might* be).

1m 45 and up (before 1755) John Stewart (1730/40)

2m 16-25 (1774/1784) 1. Jacob Stewart (c1775) son

2. Son? Maybe John Jr of 1810 census? (1765/84)

1m 10-15 (1784/1790) Noah Stewart (c1786) son

1f 45 and up (before 1755) Mary Ann (—) Stewart (1740/50) wife

1f 16-25 (1774/1784) Daughter?

2f 0-9 (1790/1800) 1. Daughter?

2. Daughter?

Another thing to note about the 1800 entry for John Stewart in Cabarrus. It doesn’t perfectly correlate with the 1790 census entry in Rutherford, but it’s reasonably close. For example, John of 1790 Rutherford had five women at home (no ages given on that census). In 1800, John had only three females at home old enough to have been listed in 1790. That works for these three could have been three of the five from 1790. The males are problematic in that John of 1800 has three apparent sons that should have been listed with him back in 1790, but John of 1790 Rutherford only had two at home. Census analysis is not an exact science though, so this doesn’t automatically mean the 1790 entry is for a different John.

If the John Stewart in 1800 Cabarrus is ours, and it seems likely he is, then he moved to (or back to) Buncombe County by 1803, for in that year he was listed as a founding member of the Newfound Baptist Church (listed as John Stuard). Newfound Creek is in the section of Buncombe County very close to the Haywood County line. Newfound Mountain is part of the boundary. (Topo Map of the Area)

On 18 Dec 1806 John Stewart purchased 200 acres of land on Rocky Branch, Waters of French Broad River from William Young. Witnesses were William Bryson (Young's father-in-law) and Elizabeth Watkins. (Buncombe Co., NC Deed Book B page 188).

I haven't found Rocky Branch yet. There are several streams named Rocky Branch in present day Haywood County (formed 1808 from Buncombe), but none empty directly into the French Broad River. However, it should be noted that the Brysons and Youngs lived in the part of Buncombe that later became Henderson County. Of course this land could have been anywhere in old Buncombe. It may have been in present Haywood because that’s where we find John Stewart on the 1810 census.

John Stewart, John Stewart (Jr) and Noah Stewart are all in Haywood County in 1810. All three are spelled "Stuart" on this census. This census is alphabetized, so you can't tell if the three were neighbors or not. I suspect the younger John is a son of the older John, but have no direct proof of that, nor any real circumstantial evidence other than this census. Noah is almost certainly the elder John’s son.

It’s impossible to tell where in Haywood they lived at the time, but it may have been on or near Beaverdam creek, which is just over the mountain (and Buncombe County line) from Newfound Creek where John had lived prior this.

1810 Census, Haywood Co., NC

Page

Name

M0-9

M10-15

M16-25

M26-44

M45+

F0-9

F10-15

F16-25

F26-44

F45+

FPC

Slaves

John Stuart

My analysis (who each person *might* be)

1m 45 and up (before 1765) John Stewart (1730/40)

1f 45 and up (before 1765) Mary Ann (—) Stewart (1740/50) wife

The other John:

1m 26-44 (1765/1784) John Stewart (Jr)

1m 10-15 (1794/1800) Son?

1m 0-9 (1800/1810) Son?

1f 26-44 (1765/1784) Mrs. John Stewart, wife

1f 10-15 (1794/1800) Daughter?

3f 0-9 (1800/1810) 1. Daughter?

2. Daughter?

3. Daughter?

From the above it appears that all of John and Mary Ann’s children were married and moved out by 1810.

They were back to Buncombe by 1814 for on 15 Jul 1814, they were received back into the Newfound Baptist Church by letter: July the 15 day 1814 the church again met and after divine servis proseeded to the bisness of the day. 1) Received John & Mary Start into our church fellowship by letter. 2) Recied Broth Jacob Caylar by letter into our church felowship .... (Newfound Baptist Church Minutes, p. 40 (47), From: "Newfound Baptist Church Minutes 1802-1865, Wes Patterson, Editor, 2022.)

John should be listed on the 1820 census in Buncombe Co., NC but one would be hard pressed to find him. He is listed, but I can’t quite prove it’s him but it almost has to be as they are two houses from their son Jacob Stewart. Both entries are badly faded or damaged and the given name can’t be made out in John’s case. Since the one entry is almost certainly Jacob Stewart, the other one has to be his parents John and Mary Ann. There is a Henderson household between them.

1820 Census, Buncombe Co., NC

Page

Name

M0-9

M10-15

M16-17

M16-25

M26-44

M45+

F0-9

F10-15

F16-25

F26-44

F45+

–cob Stuart

— Henderson

— Stuart

My analysis (who each person *might* be)

1m 45 and up (before 1775) John Stewart (1730/40)

1f 45 and up (before 1775) Mary Ann (—) Stewart (1740/50) wife

During the mid 1820s John Stewart (1730/40) and his son Jacob (1775) moved to what is now Macon County, NC, but was then western Haywood County. John was listed as a member of the First Baptist Church in Macon Co., NC from 1826 through 1830. Mary Ann was listed 1826 through 1835.

John Stewart is not listed on the 1830 census by name, but his wife Mary Ann is. John wasn’t dead though, but being in his 90s then, he may have become mentally incapacitated, thus causing Mary Ann to be considered the head of household. They are listed between their son Jacob Stuart, and their grandson-in-law Abraham Moore (married to Lydia, daughter of Jacob Stuart). And next to the Moore family was Thomas Postell, who married another of Jacob's daughters (Mary).

1830 Census, Macon Co., NC

Page

Name

(Males first row, females on second)

0-4

5-9

10-14

15-19

20-29

30-39

40-49

50-59

60-69

70-79

80-89

90-99

100+

Merian Stuart

My analysis (who each person *might* be)

1m 90-99 (1730/1740) John Stewart (1730/40)

1f 80-89 (1740/1750) Mary Ann (—) Stewart (1740/50) wife, head of household

John Stewart died not long after the 1830 census according to the First Baptist Church minutes:

“1830, July 31st, ... with painful feelings we record the death of dear brother John Stewart which took place since last meeting.” July 3^rd was last meeting mentioned in minutes, so that means he died between 3 July 1830 and 31 July 1830. First Baptist Church, now known as Franklin Baptist Church, is in the town of Franklin and has an old cemetery including graves from this era. However, there is no marker there for John Stewart. It seems more likely he was buried somewhere near where he lived which was probably in what is now Ellijay Township.

Mary Ann Stewart was listed on the membership rolls of First Baptist church each year 1831 through 1836.

On 5 Nov 1836, in the church minutes, it said “Granted sister Maryann Stewart and brother Elijah Kimzey letters of disunion.” That meant she was leaving the church to join another church, though it isn’t stated which one. However, at her age (between 86 and 96), it could have meant she was no longer going to attend at all due to her health. However, letters weren’t usually issued for that reason as far as I know. Perhaps it was a courtesy in case she found herself able to rejoin that church or some other church closer to home if her health improved.

Elijah Kimsey (1812-1896) was not related or connected to her as far as I know. He was simply granted letters at the same time.

Mary Ann was still alive for the 1840 census, but not listed as head of household. At her age then (90+) she was probably residing with a child or grandchild or other relative in their household. She doesn’t seem to be with her daughter Emelia Waters, nor with sons Noah Stewart or Jacob Stewart. We know that Eli Collins, her grandson-in-law, took care of her for awhile, but she doesn’t seem to be with him in 1840 either.

I scoured a transcribed version of the 1840 Macon census and took note of any household that had a woman aged 90 or older. There was only one of those, so I also noted those in their 80s just in case Mary Ann’s age in 1830 was off a tad. There were a few more women in their 80s:

p 42 Joel Simonds 0001001000000-0011101000010

p 144 Barbary Hefley 0001000000000-0000010000100

p 145 William Mason 0021100010010-0000401000100

p 146 William Barnes 0001001000000-2000100000100

p 153 Catharine Fouts 0001000000000-1000100000100

p 159 Thomas Williams 0000000001000-1000100000100

p 160 Mark Coleman 0011001000000-0110201000100

p 161 Martha Grant 0101100000000-1000010000100

p 161 Jesse Ledford 1121101000000-3210101000100

p 161 Saml Lovingood 0000000001000-0000000000100

p 162 Wm M. McClure 0010200100000-0001000100100

At a glance I couldn’t say with any certainty that any of those listed are Mary Ann Stewart. However, I can eliminate two right away: Catherine Fouts and Martha Grant. Those are both my ancestors, and were themselves quite elderly in 1840, so they are the ones in the 80s column. We can also remove William Mason because the older woman with him was almost certainly another of my ancestors, his mother-in-law Mary Cross Miller (1750s).

That leaves eight potential matches. I’ve researched each of them to a small extent hoping to narrow the list down even more.

Joel Simonds, the very first one listed, is also the most interesting. He married Lurany Stewart in the 1810s in Rutherford Co., NC. Lurany (or Lurena), is a proven daughter of William Stewart and Lurany Lacefield (married 1768 Rowan Co., NC with a John Stewart as bondsman). William was born in the 1740s and died 1832 in Rutherford Co., NC. His wife died sometime after 1832. I suspect this elderly woman with Simonds in 1840 is either his own mother (unidentified) or Lurany, his mother-in-law if still living then. Of course it could be Mary Ann Stewart, widow of John. That would only make sense if her late husband John and William Stewart were brothers. That would make Lurany Stewart Simonds her niece. However, I have no evidence at this time that our John is the same one who was bondsman for William’s marriage in 1768. He certainly could have been though.

Barbara Hefley was born ca 1789 per her 1850 census entry (Macon), which agrees with her 1830 entry (Haywood). Her 1840 entry has her in her 30s which is off from the rest. I don’t know much about her or her family, thus I can’t speculate on the identity of the 80 something woman residing with her in 1840. I do know that Barbara was also a member of the First Baptist Church in Franklin, so that does mean she was probably acquainted with Mary Ann Stewart.

William Barnes (c1798 Iredell) is mostly unknown to me. The 80 something with him could be his mother or his wife Polly’s mother. Polly was born ca 1813 also in Iredell County, maiden name unknown.

Thomas Williams (c1761 NJ) was in his 70s in 1840. The 80 something woman with him is probably his own wife. She died before 1850.

Mark Coleman (c1793 Cabarrus Co., NC) and wife Nancy Welch (c1797 Burke) were the next household listed with an 80 something woman with them. I don’t know much about this family, but I’d assume the older woman with them in 1840 was the mother of either Mark or Nancy. Mark was born in Cabarrus. That might be of special interest, or it may be a coincidence.

Jesse Ledford (1797 Randolph Co., NC) and wife Marena McCurry (c1810 Rutherford) were the next listed with an older woman at home in 1840. It should be noted that they had a 70 something woman with them in 1830. That could very well be the 80 something from 1840. If so, it couldn’t be Mary Ann Stewart.

Samuel Lovingood was in his 70s in 1840, so the woman with him in her 80s is probably his own wife, thus it’s not likely it was Mary Ann Stewart residing with him.

That leaves William M. McClure. He was born ca 1784 in Burke Co., NC. His wife was Nancy Strain (c1784 Iredell). The older woman with them could be his mother Mary Wilson McClure, if still living then, or Nancy’s mother Mary (—) Strain, who was still living then. (She died 1841).

Unfortunately, this analysis of the women in Macon County in 1840 aged 80 and up didn’t bare any fruit. It is entirely possible that Mary Ann (—) Stewart had died before 1840, or was simply left off the census. It is also possible, though less likely at her age, that she was residing with unidentified relatives in a different county.

On the chance she was “next door” in Cherokee County, I scoured a transcribed version of the 1840 Cherokee census and took note of any household that had a woman aged 90 or older or any in her 80s just in case.

p 235 D. W. McReynolds 0105401000000-0020001100100

p 237 Peter Ledford 0000000000100-0000000000100

p 239 Henderson Poteat 0000100000000-0000000010100

p 245 John Standridge 0000000100000-0002000100100

p 245 Washington Standridge 2210010000000-0010100000100

p 246 Robert Reed 1111010001000-1111001000100

In the cases of Peter Ledford and Robert Reed, we can probably conclude the older women were their wives since the men were of similar age. In the other instances, D. W. McReynolds, Henderson Poteat, John and Washington Standridge, we can assume the older women with them were either their widowed mothers or mothers-in-law.

I was unable to find D. W. McReynolds on the 1850 census.

I didn’t find Henderson Poteat in 1850. There was an “H. Poteat” 39 in Union Co., GA. That might be him. No older woman was with him.

John Standridge (c1785) and wife Sarah (c1784) were in Gilmer Co., GA by 1850. The older woman from 1840 was not with them. Washington Standridge (c1807) was also in Gilmer in 1850 with wife Celia (c1810). Their older woman from 1840 was not with them in 1850.

My gut feeling is that none of the older women listed in 1840 Cherokee County was Mary Ann Stewart.

In the January 1842 session of Macon County, NC Court, Eli Collins was given an allowance for keeping Mary Stuart. The court record doesn't indicate if this was past tense or if he was currently keeping her. Eli Collins’ wife was Lydia Waters, a granddaughter of John Stewart and Mary Ann. This seems to show that she spent her final years with granddaughter Lydia Waters Collins. Was Mary Ann still living in 1842? This record isn’t clear on that.

The 1842 record is the last I have for Mary Ann. She was not found on the 1850 census so certainly dead by then.

Children

None of the children of John and Mary Ann Stuart are completely proven, but at least two of them seem irrefutable, namely Jacob and Emelia. Family tradition stated that my Noah was a brother of Jacob. While that’s not proof, it does fit. DNA testing strongly supports that connection as descendants of Noah and Jacob share close matches via the Y-Chromosome which indicates a definite connection.

A Family Bible record written by Jacob's Great Granddaughter has a little information though it can’t be considered primary since written so long after this generation had passed away. It mainly refers Jacob Stewart’s family, but mentions he had a sister Ruthie. If accurate, that is one more child for John and Mary Ann.

Unfortunately that is the last of the records or family tradition we have regarding John and Mary Ann’s children. It is almost certain they had other children, perhaps numerous others.

Highly likely children of John and Mary Ann, none completely proven:

1. Emelia Stewart (1770/75-aft 1840) married Michael Waters. Their daughter kept Mary Ann in her old age before her death. That seems to be good proof.

2. Jacob Stewart (c1774-1863) married 1 (maybe): Margaret “Peggy” Carroll, 2: Elizabeth Setzer. Proximity seems to prove a connection between Jacob and John and Mary Ann. Jacob’s oldest daughter was named Mary, and oldest son, John. Note that in 1850, Jacob Stewart was two households from Lurany Stewart Simonds (c1785) daughter of William Stewart (1740/50) of Rutherford Co., NC. Coincidence? If John and William are brothers (unproven), that would make Jacob and Lurany first cousins.

3. Noah Stewart (c1786-1881) married Nancy Dillard? Family tradition among Jacob’s people says that Noah was Jacob’s brother. Noah’s oldest daughter was named Mary, and oldest son, John.

4. Ruth Stewart (no dates) married “Old man” Johnson Moss. “Ruthie” was listed as a sister of Jacob in the bible record mentioned above. It was dated no earlier than 1870, so can’t be considered a primary source, but there’s little reason to doubt it.

The record says “The young Ruthie Stewart* Moss married Johnson Moss Junor. And old Ruthie Stewart grandady Jake sister married the old man Johnson Moss. Brother to Babe Moss & old man Billie Moss who married Drusil Hooper Moss sister to Bettie Hooper Moss. Drusie was the mother of Glenville Jim Moss.”

* Note that someone wrote in “Stewart” above the first mentioned Ruthie’s name.

The above is worded poorly, but seems to show something like this:

Jacob Stewart (c1775) had a sister Ruth Stewart (no dates) who married “old man” Johnson Moss.

“Old man” Johnson Moss had siblings Babe Moss and Old man Billie Moss who m Druscilla Hooper. Drucilla Hooper is a sister of Bettie Hooper Moss who was apparently Billie’s second wife. (William Moss c1780s-1860 married Elizabeth Hooper 1787-aft 1860).

The ages involved here would generally put Ruthie, wife of Johnson Moss Sr in the same generation as Jacob Stewart (c1775) so that fits.

I’ve had very little luck locating more information on these two. There is no Johnson Moss (or similarly named person) on the 1790, 1800, 1810 or 1820 censuses. It is entirely possible he left North Carolina for one of the regions to the west where those census records are lost.

There is a Johnson Moss on 1830 census in Tuscaloosa Co., AL. He is aged 40-49, so born ca 1780/90. His wife is 30-39, so born ca 1790/1800. This is within the range of possibility for her to be a daughter of John and Mary Ann based upon their 1800 census entry. By 1840 that same Johnson Moss (I believe) was in Choctaw Co., MS, aged 50-59, wife aged 40-49, so that’s a good match to the 1830 person. Johnson had 17 slaves in 1830, and 49 (!) in 1840. This man was certainly what one would call a wealthy planter. I did not find Johnson Moss on the 1850 census. He was not listed in Choctaw. The only Moss there in 1850 was the family of Archibald Moss (c1809 NC), who certainly could be Johnson’s son, though I don’t know that he was. Archibald’s birth of ca 1809 suggests that his parents should still be in North Carolina for the 1810 census. Perhaps “Johnson” Moss has another name he went by on some records. There is a marker fo Johnson Moss at the Moss Cemetery in Choctaw that lists his death date as 19 May 1841, and his age as 51 years, 6 days, which calculates to a birth of 13 May 1790, which matches his 1830 and 1840 census entries. His is the only marked grave there.

There is a marriage record for a Johnson Moss and Nancy Ann Smith dated 10 Dec 1812 Oglethorpe Co., GA. I don’t know if this is the same Johnson Moss I found in 1830 and 1840. If so, he wasn’t Ruth Stewart’s husband unless they married prior to this marriage to Nancy, and Ruth died before 1812.

Unfortunately, court house fires in 1874 and 1888 destroyed nearly all the earlier county records in Choctaw.

I found a published genealogical writeup on the Moss family which gives Johnson Moss, born 13 Mar 1790, married Nancy Smith, and that he was a son of Nathaniel Moss (1752-1824) and Joanna Johnson (1765-1826), both of whom died in Louisiana. This Johnson Moss is probably the same one I found in 1830 and 1840 censuses who died in 1841. If so, he is not our Ruth Stewart’s husband.

I’m thinking that the person who put “Ruthie” Stewart and “Old man Johnson Moss” in the family bible may have been mixed up about their names, or at least his name. I would wager our aunt Ruth, if she existed, was married to some other Mr. Moss.

Potential children of John and Mary Ann based on proximity:

5. John Stewart (Jr). In Haywood Co., NC in 1810. All we know about him is that he was listed on the 1810 census in Haywood.

This John’s 1810 census entry shows him born between ca 1765 and 1784 with his wife in the same age range. They have one son and one daughter who were born ca 1794/1800 and some born 1800/1810. If those two older children are theirs, that means that this John married his wife prior to 1800. Where were they on the 1800 census? Using the same data I used for John Sr in 1800, we can attempt to find John Jr in 1800. These are the John Stewarts in our general area of interest on the 1800 census:

1800 Cabarrus Co., NC

p. 693 John Stuart 01201-20101-0-0

1800 Guilford Co., NC

p. 622 John Stewart 10001-01101-0-0

1800 Iredell Co., NC

p. 639 John Stuart 12101-31001-0-0

1800 Mecklenburg Co., NC

p. 604 John Stuart 42001-22110-0-0

1800 Montgomery Co., NC

p. 480 John Stuart Senr 00102-00002-0-1

1800 Richmond Co., NC

p. 266 John Stewart 00200-00001-0-0

1800 Rockingham Co., NC

p. 677 John Stewart 21010-01100-0-0

1800 Rowan Co., NC

p. 343 John Stuart 00001-00101-0-0

p. 417 John Stuart 32111-01001-0-0

1800 Surry Co., NC

p. 612 John Stuart 10001-00101-0-0

p. 613 John Stuart 32010-20100-0-0

p. 691 John Stewart 00010-00101-0-0

We can remove John of Cabarrus, Guilford, Iredell, Mecklenburg, Montgomery, Rowan and one in Surry for being too old, each of them being over 45 in 1800.

That leaves these potential matches:

1800 Richmond Co., NC

p. 266 John Stewart 00200-00001-0-0

1800 Rockingham Co., NC

p. 677 John Stewart 21010-01100-0-0

1800 Surry Co., NC

p. 613 John Stuart 32010-20100-0-0

p. 691 John Stewart 00010-00101-0-0

We can remove John of Rockingham because he was still in Rockingham in 1810. Likewise, we can remove John of Richmond for the same reason. That leaves the two in Surry to consider. Only one of those was still in Surry in 1810, seemingly the one from page 691 judging by his 1810 household. Does that mean that John of page 613 is our 1810 Haywood John? Maybe, but this does not prove it's the same person. 1800 Surry John does have children born ca 1790/1800 so that fits our John of 1810 Haywood, but Surry John has more in 1800 than our John had in 1810, so that makes it less likely to be the same person.

There are two other John Stewarts in the 1800 census to consider. Both were in "Upper west" SC.

1800 Greenville Dist., SC

p. 149 John Stewart 10010-20110-0-0

1800 Pendleton Dist., SC

p. 114 John Stewart 40101-42010-0-0

Of those, John of Pendleton is too old.

John of Greenville is a really good fit though, age-wise. He has 1 boy under 10 and two girls under 10. That works with our John of 1810 Haywood, though ours only had one girl in the equivalent age group in 1810. One cold have died, or been listed in the next column if born on the cusp. Furthermore, John of 1800 Greenville was no longer there in 1810. That means he could have moved to Haywood Co., NC by 1810.

If, and this is a big if, John of 1800 Greenville is the same man as John of 1810 Haywood, can we conclude that he's probably *not* the son of our John and Mary Ann? Consider that John of 1800 Greenville was listed next door to a William Stewart Senr (age 45+) and a few houses from Alexander and Joseph Stewart, both in the same age grouping as John. From proximity alone, I'd say John, Alexander and Joseph were sons of that William. (Of course he could be an uncle just as easily.)

Problem one is that we don’t know where John of 1810 Haywood was in 1800. The one in Greenville is a reasonable match though.

Problem two is that we don’t know if John of 1810 Haywood is actually a son of our John or not. He might not be related at all.

Problem three is that we don’t know what became of 1810 Haywood John. He wasn’t in the region in 1820 meaning he died or moved “west” somewhere.

It is entirely possible that apparent widow Elizabeth Stewart (c1790) of 1850 Union Co., GA is his widow. More on her below.

6. Elizabeth Stewart (c1790-aft 1850). She was in 1850 Union Co., GA just three houses from Noah Stewart.

1850 Census, Union Co., GA, 85^th District

Page 232B, House 426, Family 426

Name	Age	Sex	Race	Occupation	Real $	Birth Place
Francis Hampton	35	F			100	NC
Marion	15	M		Farmer		“
Margaret	12	F				TN
Narcissa	8	F				“
John	6	M				GA
Martha	4	F				“
Elizabeth Stewart	60	F				NC

Unfortunately, this 1850 census entry is all we have for Elizabeth Stewart. Was she a widow and the mother of Frances Stewart Hampton, also widowed? That was my initial assumption, though of course there could be other explanations. She could a single woman and Frances’s aunt instead of her mother. Or she could be a single mother. Unfortunately we can’t say for sure from this one record.

Does her proximity to Noah Stewart (age 65 then) mean they are siblings or in-laws? It certainly could mean that. Then again, Union County, Georgia attracted settlers from all over western North Carolina. It could be pure coincidence they wound up so close together. I prefer to think it wasn’t coincidence though. It is very tempting to think that Elizabeth might be the widow of John Stewart (Jr) who was on the 1810 census in Haywood. I can’t prove that, not even circumstantially.

Kathi Bobb suggested this could be Elizabeth Setzer, wife of Jacob Stewart. The age isn’t a perfect match though. Jacob’s wife was born ca 1775/80 per her combined ages from the 1810, 1820 and 1830 censuses, but census ages can always be questioned, especially when it’s a good round number like 60, as it’s often an estimate. You can just imagine someone telling the census taker, “She’s around 60, I reckon.” Then of course that’s what he would have written down.

Let’s say this is Elizabeth, wife of Jacob. Why weren’t they together? He didn’t die until after 1860. She wasn’t with him in 1840, so we’d assumed she died in the 1830s. It’s not unreasonable to think they may have separated for personal reasons, or perhaps because in their old age their children “broke them up” no one child able to take care of both parents at once, with Jacob remaining in North Carolina with Lydia, and Elizabeth winding up in Georgia with Frances.

Is this the answer? Is Elizabeth of 1850 Union Co., GA Jacob’s wife? That would make her neighbor Noah Stewart her brother-in-law.

Unfortunately we can’t prove anything right now.

Children per early census records:

7. Unknown daughter (before 1790) with John in 1790 in Rutherford (if this is our John). Gone by 1800.

8. Unknown daughter (before 1790) with John in 1790 in Rutherford (if this is our John). Gone by 1800.

9. Unknown daughter (before 1790) with John in 1790 in Rutherford (if this is our John). Still with John in 1800, aged 16-25 (born ca 1774/84). This is assuming that John of 1800 Cabarrus is our John and the same one from 1790 Rutherford.

10. Unknown daughter (1790/1800) with John in 1800 in Cabarrus (if this is our John). Gone by 1810.

11. Unknown daughter (1790/1800) with John in 1800 in Cabarrus (if this is our John). Gone by 1810. One of these last two could be Ruth Stewart wife of Johnson Moss. His wife in 1830 and 1840 census was born ca 1790/1800, so that fits.

Cabarrus Co., NC marriages that had a John Stewart as bondsman or groom:

22 Jul 1794 James Cullens and Abbaja Stuart, John Stewart, bm. Others claim this is Olivia, daughter of Thomas Stewart (d 1778). She had a brother named John Stewart.

25 Sep 1795 John Stewart and Mary Davis, Jonathan Davis, bm. Others claim this John as a son of Thomas Stewart (d 1778).

11 Nov 1796 John Cromwell and Elizabeth Stewart, John Stewart, bm. Others claim this Elizabeth as a daughter of Thomas Stewart (d 1778). She had a brother named John Stewart. I once thought this Elizabeth was ours mainly due to John Cromwell winding up in Buncombe for awhile. However, it turns out there were several men of that name, so there’s no easy way to know which of them wound up in Buncombe.

For Family Group Sheet and other notes see my database pages for John Stewart and Mary Ann ---

Revised: June 1, 2024

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