John Washington of Knap of Reeds, Granville County

John Washington of Knap of Reeds Area, Granville County

Submitted by Evelyn W. Wallace

This is part of a collection of notes and genealogies put together by the late author over more than 50 years of research of many Granville Co. families and being shared here hopefully to help others in their quest for their own ancestors. There is additional info and documents on this website for many of the names included in these notes, so do a Search above, or click onto any of the underlined links included in these records.

JOHN WASHINGTON. SON OF WILLIAM WASHINGTON OF COLONIAL GRANVILLE CO. NC

(William Washington, John's father, a Baptist minister, migrated to Georgia after the American Revolution, where he died testate in Hancock Co. GA 1799. This Washington family seems to have had earlier roots in Surry Co., VA or surrounding counties. William Washington's daughter married Frederick Rose of the Knap of Reeds area of colonial Granville Co. NC. Rose and family also migrated to Georgia and records are in Putnam Co. GA, formed from Hancock Co.)

A Granville Co. land entry:
John Washington enters 740 [write over] ac in Granville Co Tarr R; border; Stephen Merril [must be Merritt], Myles Wells, James Daniel, Thomas Person, & his own line; includes his improvement being "inclosed" by deeded land. issued May 29. [year not given but others indicated from 1778 to 1780, during the American Revolution.]

     In 1778, John entered land in Granville Co., NC, but apparently the land had already been entered by another.

    Entry 125. "John Washington enters 50 ac in Granville Co. on N side of Tarr R; border: William Washington [his father] on 'the' great branch & Thomas Philpots 'fifty ac only;' at 5 pds. Nov 3, 1778 money repaid as the land was before entered by T. Person."

     (Dr. A. B. Pruitt, ABSTRACTS OF LAND ENTRIES, GRANVILLE CO. NC 1778-1877, p. 11; FHL book 975.6535, R28p

His name appears in the following Road Order, Granville Co., NC. Punctuation has been added by this writer.

Feby 3, 1783 "The following persons are appointed to lay out a Road the best & most convenient way from near Shermons meeting house to a Road laid out from Caswel Court house to Granville County line viz't. John Washington, William Philpot, James Meadows, Jacob Slaughter William Allin Philip Lewis, Rich'd Fowle Miles Wells, Stephen Merrit, Jo's. Langston, Thomas Person Ja.'s Daniel, Tho's. Goss, George Roberts, John Williams, Ephra Frazier, William Kennon, William Gill & that John Washington, with the hands of Ja's. Daniel, Ja's. Hester, Jo's. Langston, Miles Wills, William Oakley, Tho's. Oakley, Hezekiah Habgood, Harrison Duncan, William Philpot, William Cocke, Person's hands at his Mill, open & keep the same in repair."

(Thomas McAdory Owen, HISTORY AND GENEALOGIES OF OLD GRANVILLE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, 1746-1800 [Greenville, SC: Southern Historical Press, 1993], p. 131)

He is shown on the 1787 tax list of Granville Co. as having 1197 acres. The watercourse is not shown. (FHL film 19,039)

John Washington - Government Official?

Among the Members of the House of Commons, General Assembly of North Carolina, was one John Washington, 1807. There is no proof he is the same person.

(W. H. Wheeler in HISTORICAL SKETCHES OF NORTH CAROLINA FROM 1584 TO 1851 [Baltimore: Regional Publishing Co., 1964], p. 166)

Is this the same John Washington? The general area of Tar River was where the Washingtons lived.

Person Co. NC DB E-471 John Washington of Granville Co. to James Webb of Person Co. for $1531.31 371 1/2 acres on Tar River in Person and Granville Counties on the Goshen Road adj. Richard Woods, Bumpass Old Corner, to Cattail Br, McVey, Thorp. 8 Sept 1821. Wit: Lewis G. Lanier, John McVay.

End of Book E

(Katherine Kerr Kendall, Person County North Carolina Deed Books 1792-1825 [Baltimore: Clearfield Publ., 1994], p. 178]

Person Co., NC DB G-170-1 John Washington of Granville Co. to Richard Wood of Person Co., for $1000, 277 1/2 in Person & Granville Counties on Tar R adj said Wood, James Webb, J. Parker, being part of tract purchased of Wm. Blount Esq. 24 Mar 1824. Wit: Jas Webb, Alexr. S. Webb

(Katherine Kerr Kendall, PERSON COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA DEED BOOKS 1792-1825 [Baltimore: Clearfield Co., 1994], p. 200)

He is listed in a 1788 tax list, found in Colonial and State Recods of North Carolina, as digitized, as owning 1247 acres of land. He is labeled Esq.

John Washington, Esq

Granville.

1247

John Washington apparently died ca 1826, as Thornton Mitchell in his index of North Carolina wills lists such a person of Granville Co. whose will is recorded in Granville Co. Will Bk 10/179.

(Thornton W. Mitchell, NORTH CAROLINA WILLS; A TESTATOR INDEX, 1665-1900 Corrected and Revised Edition [Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., second printing 1993 of 1992 edition], p. 539)

Filmed Index of wills of Granville Co. provide this information:

Devisor: John Washington, 1826 - May Court Bk 10-179

Devisees: Delphia W., Martha H. Wortham, James. L. Wortham, George Washington

(FHL film 18,968)

The will has not yet been read as of early 2011. The relationship of the devisees to the devisor is unknown.

Refer to the biography of John's father, William Washington, who died in Hancock Co., GA before 15 Oct 1799, when his will was proved by Pleasant Rose, William Washington's grandson.

This abstracted deed appears in Caswell Co., NC:

Deed Bk G-187-188 John Washington and Mary Washington his wife of Granville Co., NC, to Gabriel Davey of CC [Caswell Co.] for 40 lbs., 60 A both sides Tarr R adj orphans of Edward Bumpass decd being land Mary Washington had allotted for her dower right of her former husband William Bumpass. 29 Jan 1791. it: Eleck Gray, John Gwin, James Roberts.

(Katharine Kerr Kendall, Caswell County North Carolina Deed Books 1777-1817 [Easley, SC: Southern Historical Press, copyright 1989 by Katherarine Kerr Kendall], p. 127)