John Stewart (1755/65-aft 1818) and Alcey Brown of North Carolina (Rockingham)

Marty and Karla Grant

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[Stewart Home] - [Table of Contents] - John Stewart (1755/65-aft 1818)

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I am not related to this John Stewart as far as I can tell. However, he lived in Rockingham Co., NC for a time which was part of Guilford prior to 1785. My own ancestor, also named John Stewart (1730/40-1830) lived in Guilford early on. There is no possibility this John and my John are one and the same person, but they certainly could be related.

There were records for several different John Stewarts in Guilford. Follow the link for more on the other Johns and my attempts to sort them out.

John Stewart was born ca 1755/65, whereabouts unknown. I base his birth on his age on the 1800 census, 26-44, or born ca 1755/74, combined with his age on the 1810 census, 45 and up, born before 1765. That comes to 1755/65.

John Stewart’s parents are currently unknown.

He married someone, perhaps a Miss Brown, in the 1780s. I base her maiden name on an 1818 deed which may or may not show that she was a Brown. See below for more on that.

If married in the 1780s, John should have been on the 1790 census. There was a John in Rockingham on that census, but I don’t think it’s this same John. It could be him. If so, he had two slaves and no children at the time. He was living next door to James Stewart, which is why I think this record is actually for John Stewart (Sr) of Benaja Creek and his son James which was in the southeastern corner of the county.

1790 Census Rockingham Co., NC

p. 537 John Stewart 1-0-1-0-2

The 1800 census entry for John Stewart shows an entirely different set of neighbors from John of 1790. Going by those neighbors he was in the northwestern part of the county. Also, he has two children who seem to be born before 1790, whereas the John from the 1790 census had no apparent children. John is the only Stewart in Rockingham in 1800.

1800 Census Rockingham Co., NC

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

John’s “next door” neighbors in 1800 are William Motley (or Mobley) and George Russell. George received a land grant in 1797 on “waters of Mayo River” joining Andrew Hunter. Peter Hunter and George Hunter were chain carriers for the 1794 survey. Peter and George were listed very near George Russell and John Stewart in 1800, thus we can tell they were living somewhere along or near the Mayo River which puts them somewhere in the northwestern corner of Rockingham County perhaps near the Stokes County line or the Henry Co., VA line. This is pretty far from Benaja Creek, which makes me really doubt this is the same John Stewart from earlier records.

On 18 Nov 1805, John Stewart received a State Land Grant for 205 acres on South waters of Mayo River, Charles Moore’s corner ... Jordan’s line. (Rockingham Co., NC Deed Book M, pp. 170-171.)

The land entry for the above was made on 12 Oct 1803. The entry description mentioned the lines of Charles Moore and Chesley Barnes. The survey was dated 10 May 1804. It mentioned Charles Moore’s corner, and Jordans line, but didn’t mention Barnes. James Jackson and Thomas Jackson were chain bearers. (North Carolina Land Grants.)

John Stewart is in Rockingham on the 1810 census. He is no longer the only Stewart. There is an Ephraim Stuart, George Stuart and Robert Stuart listed also, none near John, nor each other.

1810 Census Rockingham Co., NC

p. 219 John Stuart 10101-20010-0-0

As for John, he is next to John Brown who is next to Ellis Brown (see 1818 deed below).

On 22 Nov 1811 John Stuart of Rockingham made a deed to Nathaniel Barnes of same, for $150, 105 ½ acres, part of 205 ½ acre patent to John Stuart dated 18 Nov 1805. Charles Moore’s corner ... Signed by John Stuart (his mark). Witnessed by Hubbard Brown, John Brown. (Rockingham Co., NC Deed Book R, pp. 142-143.)

This was approximately half of his 1805 land grant.

On 30 Dec 1811 John Stewart of Rockingham made a deed to John Moore of same, $75, 100 acres on South side of Mayo River. Kings line. Signed John Stuart (his mark). Witnessed by David Kellam, James Coffey, John Anglin and William Mitchell. (Rockingham Co., NC Deed Book O, pp. 354-355.)

This is the remainder of his 1805 land grant.

On 25 Jun 1818, Ellis Brown, William Brown, John Brown, Nancey Brown, John Stewart and Robert Chandler, all of Rockingham and Stokes made a deed to Robert King, deeded 55 acres, Thomas Gibson old line, waters of Buffalow. The deed doesn’t say so explicitly, but they all appear to be heirs of someone recently deceased. Signed by Ellis Brown (mark), William Brown (mark), John Brown (mark), Nancy Brown (mark), Robert Chandler (mark) and John Stewart (mark). Witnesses were Peter Martin, Alcey Stewart (mark), William Brown (mark). (Rockingham Co., NC Deed Book R, pp. 441-442.)

Buffalo Creek rises in northeast Stokes County and flows easterly into Rockingham where it joins the Mayo River not far from the Henry Co., VA line. This is northwestern Rockingham which is where we know John already lived.

Is Alcey Stewart, who signed as a witness, John’s wife?

Deeds like this are usually heirs of someone recently deceased jointly selling land which can’t be easily divided among them, thus the sale, then they divide the money. Sometimes the grantee is another heir, but not always. Since most of the grantors are Browns, it stands to reason they are heirs of a Brown who died recently. I checked the Wills and Probates and only found one Brown listed between 1810 and 1818, an Alexander Brown, and he doesn’t seem to be connected to these.

Ellis and John Brown were neighbors of John Stewart on the 1810 census. There was no William or Nancy Brown listed on the 1810 census in Rockingham. Robert Chandler was in neighboring Stokes for the 1810 census close to William Brown and another John Brown. They were in Germantown District or Beaver Island District. I didn’t find Robert King nor Peter Martin on the 1810 census.

More research may turn up an explanation as how all those Browns, Robert Chandler and John Stewart were connected. The assumption is that the Browns were siblings, and that Chandler and Stewart married their sisters. Nancy Brown, also named, could be an unmarried sister, or perhaps the widowed mother of the others.

John Stewart was not listed on the 1820 census in Rockingham. Robert and George from 1810 were still there in 1820, not near one another. Robert Chandler and William Brown were in Rockingham in 1820, side by side.

I don’t know where John Stewart went to after 1818.

Children

Unfortunately, I found no Will or Estate records for John Stewart in Rockingham, nor anything else to indicate who any of his children might have been. He may have had as many as seven per the 1800 and 1810 censuses.

For Family Group Sheet and other notes see my database pages for John and Alcey (Brown) Stewart.

Revised: May 23, 2024

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