Research data of the Cumberland County family of John Hunnicutt is submitted by Michael Motes. Thanks, Michael! Posted 12/9/99 by Myrtle Bridges.
JOHN HUNNICUTT OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY
1. JOHN5 HUNNICUTT (AUGUSTINE4, JOHN3, AUGUSTINE2, WILLIAM1 HUNCOTE)1 was born 15 October 1716 in Surry Co., VA2, and died in Probably Cumberland Co., NC. He married JEMIMA ROWELL in Surry Co., VA, daughter of EDWARD ROWELL and ELIZABETH COOPER. She was born Abt. 1717 in Surry Co., VA, and died 03 May 1773 in Cumberland Co., NC2.
Notes for JOHN HUNNICUTT:
In 1747 John Hunnicutt and his brother Augustine left Surry County, VA, and went to the Southeast area of Granville County, NC, where they applied for a land grant. In 1755, they received grants in Granville as recorded in Abstracts of the Early Deeds of Granville Co., NC, 1746-1765 by Zae Hargett Gwynn, page 105. He received a Lord Granville Grant (surveyed, but never granted) of 700 acres in Johnson Co., NC, 20 April 1762.
On 8 February 1765, John Hunnicutt witnessed a deed in Cumberland Co., NC, and on 14 January 1767, he and his son Randolph witnessed a deed between Sterling Carrol to John Carrol for 200 acres on the south side of Deep River, "beginning at the mouth of Buck (McLendon's) Creek."
In May 1767 he served on a jury in Cumberland and appears on the Tax Lists for that year as a resident of Cumberland, along with his sons Hartwell and John and probable nephew, "Merreday" [Meredith] Hunnicutt.
In Bute County, NC, Minutes of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions 1767-1779 by Brent Howard Holcomb, the following transactions appears:
February 1769 -- A deed of bargain and sale from John Hunnicutt to Joseph Norris was proved by the oath of John Alford one of the witnesses thereto and on motion the same is ordered to be registered (page 58).
May 1769 -- A deed of bargain and sale from John Hunnicutt to William Floyd Williams was proved by oath of Jesse Adams one of the witnesses thereto, and on motion of same is ordered to be registered (page 83).
On 24 July 1769 he witnessed a deed in Cumberland as recorded in Book C, page 411, and a deed of the same date is recorded in Book C, page 426, Conner Dowd to John Hunnicutt for L12 proclamation, 128 acres lying on the south side of Deep River. "Beginning at a hiccory on Governor Johnston's line; thence as it, South 2 East, 30 poles; thence South 41 West, 80 poles; thence North 48 West, 94 poles to John Overton's line; thence as it, North 41 East, 227 poles to the river bank; thence as the river to the beginning. Whereas, George Blair and John Johnston has taken up by oldest grant than Dowd's, that in case the Blair and Johnston land is [not?] good, the said Hunnicutt is not to look to the said Connor Dowd for maintenance of title &c." Wit: James Russell, Benjamin Shealds. [A record of this also appears in Abstracts of Deeds of Cumberland Co., NC, Vol. One, Books 1-3, 1754-1770 by William C. Fields, 1994, as being recorded in Book 3, page 426.]
On 14 May 1770, John and his son Randolph witnessed a deed between Sterling Carroll to James Russell as recorded in Cumberland County Deed Book E, page 44. On page 294 of Deed Book E, is recorded John Hunnicutt's sale back to Connor Dowd the 128 acres he purchased from him on 24 July 1769 as cited above. Randolph Hunnicutt was a witness along with Reuben Shields. (Deed Book D, page 301)
Randolph and John Hunnicutt were witnesses to the deed from Sterling Carroll to Hartwell Hunnicutt on 1 November 1770, "on the upper prong of Governors Creek 200 acres" as recorded in Cumberland Co., NC, Deed Book D, page 294.
John Hunnicutt sold land to John Hardin in Cumberland County on 29 July 1772 [Abstracts of Minutes of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions of Cumberland County, North Carolina, October 1755-January 1779, Volume 1, page 192].
On 22 January 1773, John Hunnicutt received a patent for 100 acres in Cumberland "on the lower side of Deep River joining Joseph Duckworth, Jr., the bank of said river and supposed lines of John McLendon or Gabriel Harden." [Colony of North Carolina 1765-1775 Abstracts of Land Patents, Vol. 2 by Margaret M. Hoffman, Patent Book 22, page 176] He sold this land on 3 April 1775 to John Harden in a deed recorded in Deed Book F, page 455, and witnessed by his sons Randolph and John Hunnicutt
Philip Alston purchased land from John Hunnicutt on 23 July 1776 in Cumberland which was obviously cut from larger land holdings as evidenced by a deed of 17 March 1778 in which Alston purchased from John Harden 80 acres "beginning at a Spanish oak a little below the Rocky Ford; thence along John Harden's and John Hunnicutt's line..." John Hunnicutt was a witness to the deed, which is recorded in Book F, page 480.
On 16 Dec 1779 John Hunnicutt entered a claim for 150 acres on the waters of Governors Creek in Cumberland County. This was for land previously granted but unclaimed, therefore open to be filed for by a new claimant. [Cumberland County, North Carolina Land Entrys 1778-1795, page 44, entry #434]
Randolph and John Hunnicutt witnessed a Cumberland County deed on 1 January 1780. This is land which today lies in Moore County, NC. [Cumberland Deed Book G, page 18]
On January 27, 1781, John Hunnicutt purchased two tracts of land from Hugh Gilmore containing a total of 250 acres along the area of Crain's (Herd's) Creek. [Cumberland Deed Book G, page 101] A short while later, on 10 March 1781, John Hunnicutt sold this land to Kintchen Kitchen for a rather large profit. He had originally paid 150 pounds "hard money" for the two tracts and sold them for 3000 pounds "legal money." (Deed Book G, page 105]
He is probably the John Hunnicutt granted 150 acres in Cumberland Co., NC, surveyed 18 May 1789 and perhaps the John Hunnicutt who purchased several sections of land in Old 96 District, South Carolina. But if he is the same, he was quite old at this time and probably lived only a short time after buying the land.
As John Hunnicutt's son of the same name is not always referred to as "John Hunnicutt, Jr." in these transactions, it is possible that the son is the one to whom the record refers.
Children of JOHN HUNNICUTT and JEMIMA ROWELL are:
i. HULELAH6 HUNNICUTT2, b. 11 March 1735.
ii. HARTWELL HUNNICUTT2, b. 15 May 1738; d. 07 September 1821, Pendleton Dist., SC; m. MARY SEWART, 17793,4.
Notes for HARTWELL HUNNICUTT:
Received a land grant in Cumberland Co., NC, of 500 acres on 30 October 1765. Residing Pendleton District, SC, in first Federal Census, 1790.
iii. ELIZABETH HUNNICUTT5, b. 15 January 1740.
iv. ROBERT HUNNICUTT5, b. 07 February 1743.
v. JOHN HUNNICUTT5,6,7, b. 01 May 1745.
Notes for JOHN HUNNICUTT:
Received a Lord Granville Grant of 100 acres in Cumberland Co., NC, 5 February 1770. He may be the John Hunnicutt living in Pendleton District, SC, 1790.
vi. RANDOLPH HUNNICUTT8,9,10, b. 14 January 1747, Surry Co., VA11; d. Bet. 1833 - 1834, Pendleton District, SC; m. FRANCES COLLINS, 03 March 1767, Cumberland Co., NC; b. Abt. 1755, Cumberland Co., NC; d. Pendleton District, SC;.
Notes for RANDOLPH HUNNICUTT:
Randolph Hunnicutt's birth is recorded in his father's Family Bible as 14 January 1747. At that time his father is thought to have still be residing in Surry Co.,VA.
Randolph purchased land in Cumberland Co., NC, in 1773 and made his residence there. In 1779 he was appointed Overseer of Road Repairs for Cumberland County. This civil service during the American Revolution may be used by his descendants for membership in DAR, SAR and CAR. It was first established by J. V. Michael Motes as a supplemental lineage in the National Society Sons of the American Revolution [NSSAR #91863] in November 1999.
On 27 March 1792, he was granted 371 acres of land in Abbeville District, SC, located on Beaver Dam Creek. This was followed by an additional grant of 371 acres in Pendleton District, SC, 5 November 1792. Both of these grants were surveyed in 1801 by James Milwee. On 22 March 1766, he received a grant of 762 acres on 26 Mile Creek of the Savannah River, Ninety Six District, SC. He also left behind papers showing that he owned land in Jackson Co., NC.
He is shown as a resident of Pendleton Co., SC, in the first Federal Census of 1790 and continues to appears in the census returns of 1800, 1810 and 1820 in Pendleton. In the 1830 census, he is listed as a resident of Anderson Co., SC, where he died during the winter of 1833-1834..
Endnotes1. John Bennett Boddie, Historical Southern Families, Volume VI, Page 251.
2. John Hunnicutt Family Bible.
3. John Bennett Boddie, Historical Southern Families, Volume VI, Page 251.
4. Richard N. Gookins, A History of the Gookin Family of England, Ireland and America, (Revised Edition, Salem, Oregon, 1991), Page 121.
5. John Hunnicutt Family Bible.
6. John Bennett Boddie, Historical Southern Families, Volume VI, Page 251.
7. Richard N. Gookins, A History of the Gookin Family of England, Ireland and America, (Revised Edition, Salem, Oregon, 1991), Page 107.
8. John Bennett Boddie, Historical Southern Families, Volume VI, Page 251-252.
9. John Hunnicutt Family Bible.
10. Richard N. Gookins, A History of the Gookin Family of England, Ireland and America, (Revised Edition, Salem, Oregon, 1991), Pages 107 and 122.
11. John Hunnicutt Family Bible.
Research notes compiled by J. V. Michael Motes, 282 Kennesaw Avenue, NW, Marietta, Georgia 30060–1636. Telephone 770–429–8262. E-mail: Michael Motes
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