Joshua Stewart (c1775-aft 1850) of South Carolina and North Carolina (Buncombe) and Georgia (Cass, Lumpkin)

Marty and Karla Grant

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[Stewart Home] - [Table of Contents] - Joshua Stewart (c1775-aft 1850)

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I am not related to Joshua Stewart as far as I can prove. However, he lived in Buncombe Co., NC, his time there overlapping with my own ancestor John Stewart (1730/40-1830).

Joshua Stewart was born ca 1774/75 per his age on the 1850 census (75). The same record shows his birth place as South Carolina, though I’m not entirely sure that’s correct.

I have no direct proof of his parents, but I suspect he is a son of Nathaniel Stewart Sr who died in 1824 in Buncombe Co., NC. I can’t prove that Nathaniel is his father, but Joshua did live in the same general area awhile, and Nathaniel did have an unknown son who is an age-match to him. Of course it’s entirely possible that Joshua isn’t connected to Nathaniel at all. However, if Nathaniel is his father, Joshua would have been born in Surry Co., NC instead of South Carolina.

Joshua would have been about 15 or 16 for the 1790 census. That means he should be in the under 16 age group (ca 1774/90) or the 16 and over group (before 1774). There were six Stewart households in Surry Co., NC that year, five of whom had at least one son aged under 16 (born ca 1774/1790), and one who had an extra male 16 and up. Assuming that Joshua is from Surry, then one of these is likely him:

1790 Census, Surry Co., NC

p. 511 Hambleton Stewart 1-2-3-0-0

p. 511 William Stewart 2-4-1-0-0

p. 511 Nathaniel Stewart 1-5-3-0-0

p. 515 David Stewart 1-2-3-0-0

p. 523 John Stewart 1-1-2-0-0 Probably not.

Of those, John Stewart’s children are proven, and no Joshua was among them. Hampton went off to Tennessee right after 1790, so he isn’t likely his father either since Joshua didn’t go to Tennessee.

Nathaniel and some of the other Surry Stewarts moved to Greenville Dist., SC in the 1790s.

Joshua would have been about 24 or 25 for the 1800 census, certainly old enough to be listed on his own. However, the only Joshua’s I found was one in Newberry Dist., SC who was too old, and one in Rowan Co., NC who certainly could be him:

1800 Census, Rowan Co., NC

p. 419 Joshua Stuart 00200-00100-0-0

1800 Census, Newberry Dist., SC

p. 95 Joshua Stewart 21001-10001-0-0

As noted, the one in Rowan is an age match. His small family suggests he just married. That could work for the Joshua we seek. Then again, if he’s part of Nathaniel’s family, as I suspect, then he was probably in South Carolina by this time. There are several Stewarts on the 1800 census in Greenville Dist., SC, many of them former Surry Co., NC residents. Of those, a few had someone Joshua’s age with them, including Nathaniel Stewart. William Stewart did as well, and he might be a better suspect for Joshua’s father considering Joshua named his oldest (known) son William.

1800 Census, Greenville Dist., SC

Name

M0-9

M10-15

M16-25

M26-44

M45+

F0-9

F10-15

F16-25

F26-44

F45+

FPC

Slaves

100

184

Edward Stewart

100

186

Nathaniel Stewart

119

605

Wm Stewart Senr

* This census taker numbered each household.

Nathaniel and some of the others left Greenville Dist., SC for Buncombe Co., NC in the 1800-1810 time frame. Joshua did as well as he is listed there on the 1810 census.

In 1810 he was just a page from his potential brother James Stewart. Joshua was listed between the households of Henry Watzel and Daniel Carinder. Other neighbors were names I recognize as residents of that part of Buncombe that later became Henderson County. Though some neighbors on the other side, just a few houses away, are some that lived in the part of Buncombe that later became Yancey County. That just shows that you can't assume all people listed near each on the census were actually neighbors. The two sections were not all that near each other.

This record shows that Joshua Stewart had three children born 1800-10, suggesting he married someone, name unknown, during that same period, perhaps in Greenville Dist., SC if that’s indeed where he was prior to this.

1810 Census, Buncombe Co., NC

Page

Name

M0-9

M10-15

M16-25

M26-44

M45+

F0-9

F10-15

F16-25

F26-44

F45+

FPC

Slaves

271

Joshua Steward

My analysis (who each person *might* be)

1m 26-44 (1765/1784) Joshua Stewart (c1775)

2m 0-9 (1800/1810) 1. William M. Stewart (c1809) son

2. Son?

1f 16-25 (1784/1794) Wife?

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

Joshua was not listed on the 1820 census in Buncombe Co., NC, nor elsewhere in North Carolina as far as I can find. He isn’t listed in South Carolina either. The 1820 census is lost for eastern Tennessee if he just happened to be there. We know he was in Georgia later, so he might have already been in Georgia by 1820. I didn’t find a Joshua listed there on the 1820 census but there is a Joseph in Hall Co., GA, which could be him, as that is the county where his son William married in 1830 just ten years later. Here is that listing just in case it is him. Keep in mind that it might not be him.

1820 Census, Hall Co., GA, Capt Byrds District

Page

Name

150

Joseph Stewart

My analysis (who each person *might* be)

1m 26-44 (1775/1794) Joshua Stewart (c1775)?

1m 10-15 (1804/1810) William M. Stewart (c1809) son

1m 0-9 (1810/1820) Son?

1f 26-44 (1775/1794) Wife?

2f 0-9 (1810/1820) 1. Daughter?

2. Daughter?

As noted, the above listing might not be Joshua Stewart, though it wasn’t too uncommon for those named Joshua and Joseph to have their names mixed up in records.

I didn’t find Joshua Stewart on the 1830 census in Hall Co., GA nor elsewhere. Joseph Stewart from 1820 wasn’t in Hall in 1830 either, which lends itself to my theory they are the same person, but doesn’t quite prove it.

Joshua’s son William Stewart married Nancy Thomas on 18 Feb 1830 in Hall Co., GA. This suggests the family was there and should be on the 1830 census. It’s possible they were already living in the Cherokee territory before they were supposed to.

Joshua Stewart is listed on the 1837 tax list in Lumpkin Co., GA. He has no land and no polls, which means no taxable white males. He was about 62 then, so probably exempt from the poll tax.

Joshua is listed on the 1840 census in Cass Co., GA. His son William is in Lumpkin that year, which is two counties distant. Joshua’s “next door” neighbors were Claracy Crawford (apparent widow) and Asa Tate.

1840 Census, Cass Co., GA

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+

103

Joshua Stewart

My analysis (who each person *might* be)

1m 60-69 (1770/1780) Joshua Stewart (c1775)?

1f 60-69 (1770/1780) Wife?

1f 20-29 (1810/1820) Daughter?

1f 15-19 (1820/1825) Daughter?

1f 10-14 (1825/1830) Daughter?

1f 0-4 (1835/1840) Granddaughter?

Mrs. Stewart seems to have died before 1850 for I find Joshua, an apparent widower, living with son William back in Lumpkin Co., GA on the 1850 census. Although his age is listed as 75 here, it is indexed as age 13 and does indeed look like 13 at a quick glance.

1850 Census, Lumpkin Co., GA, Robertson’s Dist*

Page 63, House 1, Family (blank)

Name	Age	Sex	Race	Occupation	Real $	Birth Place
William Stewart	41	M		Miner	100	SC
Nancy	40	F				NC
Almeda	17	F				GA
Francis	15	M				“
Lucy	13	F				“
William	11	M				“
Anna	8	F				“
Oregon	6	M				“
John	3	M				“
Mary	1	F				“
Joshua Stewart	75	M		None		SC
James	22	M		Taylor		GA

* On subsequent pages it is Robinson’s Dist.

The only other Stewart in Lumpkin in 1850 was Cornelius Stewart (c1815) listed here as “Niece” Steward, age 35 in another district. He was also there in 1840. I don’t know if he’s Joshua’s son, or even related, but I felt his presence should be noted.

Meanwhile, back in Cass Co., GA where Joshua had been in 1840, there was Joseph Stewart (c1820/21 NC) with wife Adaline and children. I don’t know who he is. Next was James S. Stewart (c1790/91 SC), a Cabinet Maker with a young wife and ch ild. Then finally, Jacob B. Stuart (c1794) son of Edward Stuart (1755/60-aft 1834) of Buncombe, who could be closely related to Joshua, though not his father.

I was unable to find Joshua Stewart on the 1860 census. I would assume he died before then but since we know he liked to play hide-n-seek with census takers, it’s possible he was still alive somewhere at the time. He was not residing with his son William who was in Chattooga Co., GA in 1860.

Children

Joshua Stewart and wife had a few children per the 1810, 1840 and 1850 census records, the only censuses we have for him. Most are unidentified. I found a few marriage records in the counties where Joshua had been around that time. Those could be his children, but that is far from proven.

1. Unknown Son (1800/1810). He was home in 1810, aged under 10 (c1800/10). No further record.

2. Unknown Daughter (1800/1810). She was home in 1810, aged under 10 (c1800/10). No further record.

3. William Stewart (c1809). William was apparently home in 1810, aged under 10 (c1800/10). He married in 1830 Hall Co., GA. Joshua was residing with him in 1850 Lumpkin Co., GA.

4. Unknown Son (1810/1820). If the 1820 census entry in Hall Co., GA for Joseph Stewart is him, then he had a son this age with him then. No further record. This *could* be David B. Stewart (1810/20) who married Virginia Phillips on 8 Nov 1837 in Cass (now Bartow) Co., GA. He was in Cass in 1840 same as Joshua, but in a different district. I wasn’t able to find them in 1850.

5. Unknown Daughter (1810/1820). If the 1820 census entry in Hall Co., GA for Joseph Stewart is him, then he had a daughter this age with him then. This *could* be Mary “Polly” Stuart (c1818 NC) who married Joseph Wilson on 26 Dec 1835 in Lumpkin Co., GA. They are in Cass Co., GA in 1840 same as Joshua Stewart. They were in Paulding Co., GA by 1850, and still there in 1860, and in Cass Co., GA in 1870.

6. Unknown Daughter (1810/1820). If the 1820 census entry in Hall Co., GA for Joseph Stewart is him, then he had a daughter this age with him then. Joshua had a daughter with him in 1840 aged 20-29, (born ca 1810/20) who would be this same one, most likely.

7. Unknown Daughter (1820/1825). Joshua had an apparent daughter this age with him on the 1840 census, aged 15-19 (c1820/25). No further record. This *could* be Marcella Adeline Stewart (c1825 NC) who married James T. Henson on 9 Aug 1849 in Cass (now Bartow) Co., GA which is where Joshua had been back in 1840. The Hensons were still in Cass for the 1850 census.

8. Unknown Daughter (1825/1830). Joshua had an apparent daughter this age with him on the 1840 census, aged 10-14 (c1825/1830). No further record. This *could* be Elizabeth Stewart (c1827 SC) who married Dennis Carroll on 16 Dec 1839 in Cass (now Bartow) Co., GA, which is where Joshua was living at that time.

9. Unknown Daughter (1835/1840). Joshua had an apparent daughter this age with him on the 1840 census, aged 0-4 (c1835/1840). This would almost certainly be a granddaughter considering Mrs. Stewart’s age at the time.

10. James Stewart born ca 1827/28 in Georgia. James was living with Joshua and William in 1850. Census analysis doesn’t support him being Joshua’s son, but he is probably a grandson or a nephew.

11. Sinthy Stewart married Abram Cox on 19 Nov 1823 in Hall Co., GA. This *could* be a child of Joshua Stewart, but I have nothing linking them together other than her marrying in the county where he was possibly living at that time. I didn’t find them on the 1830, 1840 or 1850 census.

For Family Group Sheet and other notes see my database pages for Joshua Stewart and wife.

Revised: July 3, 2024

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