WILLIAM THOMAS, SON OF STEPHEN

This report is taken from the monograph ≥William Thomas 1741-1800 of Richmond County, North Carolina

By Betty Ratliff Carson and Howard S. Hazlewood and used with their permission.

I am grateful for their generosity in allowing its use on the website.

The entire book may be purchased from Betty Carson

William Thomas was born 31 January 1741[1]in Queen Anne's County, Maryland and died in 1800 in Richmond County, North Carolina.[2] He was the son of Stephen and Mary Clothier Thomas. Their marriage is recorded in the Quaker records of the Treadhaven Monthly meeting in Oxfqrd near the mouth of Tread Avon River, Talbot County, Maryland January 1731.[3]  Stated by others, though not proven by us, Stephen and Mary Clothier Thomas had thirteen children all born into the Quaker Faith.[4]

William Thomas married Hannah Pratt, daughter of William and Mary Pratt, in Queen Anne's County, Maryland.[5]  References to the Pratt family are found in Queen Anne's County Anglican records. It is not known whether William left the Quaker Faith when he married Hannah or later on. We know by 1788 he had left the religion of his parents. Benjamen Covington deeded one acre of land to the Trustees of Richmond Academy in N.C. for a school of the Presbyterian Society. William Thomas is listed as one of the Trustees in this deed dated 15 October 1788.[6]

In William Pratt's Will dated 21 November 1760, Queen Anne's Co., Maryland, daughter Hannah was not yet married. In the Final Account dated 6 May 1762 heirs of William Pratt were listed as follows:

Mary, the widow of eight children Henry Wright Pratt, the accountant Mary Ann, wife of Robert Jarman Rachel, wife of Stephen Thomas Hannah, wife of William Thomas Henrietta Pratt, about 8 years old William, about 19 years old Nathan, 15

Solomon, 10.

Mary, the widow of eight children

Henry Wright Pratt, the accountant

Rachel, wife of Stephen Thomas

Hannah, wife of William Thomas

Henrietta Pratt, about 8 years old

William, about 19 years old

Nathan, 15

Solomon, 10

William Thomas and Hannah Pratt were married sometime between 21 November 1760 and 6 May 1762. William Pratt, Hannah's brother, married Sarah Denny later on. William. Stephen and Sarah Thomas were children of Stephen and Mary Clothier Thomas.

The following Pratt and Thomas families moved to Anson County, North Carolina:

Robert and Mary Ann (Pratt) Jarman,

Stephen and Rachel (Pratt) Thomas,

William and Hannah (Pratt) Thomas.

William and Sarah (Denny) Pratt and

Widower Stephen Thomas Sr. and his other ten children also moved to Anson County, N. C.

Refer to the sketches of Anson Co. and Richmond Co. North Carolina for the location of their land and some of their neighbors. Widow Mary Pratt and the other Pratt children remained in Maryland.

William and Hannah (Pratt) Thomas had eight children. At least four and possibly five of these children were born in Maryland prior to their move to North Carolina. William Thomas received a land grant in Anson Co., North Carolina 16 December 1769. In the same year his father, Stephen Thomas and his brother-in-law Robert Jarman, received grants in the same area. These grants were located NE of the Pee Dee River near Blewett Falls. William's grant bordered William Blewett's and Edmund Cartledges' line and was near Cartledge Creek. These grants fell in that part of Anson County that became Richmond County in 1779. William Thomas purchased 1466 acres of land between 1769 and 1799. He sold 1229 acres leaving approximately 237 acres, give or take a few acres for the widow and ultimately the five younger children. Two hundred of these acres were from Grant No.16 that was originally the 300 acre tract he received 16 December 1769. This was William Thomas' home plantation.

Records for William Thomas are found in early Anson County before Richmond County was formed. Since he died in 1800, many of his records are found in Anson County. The following references for Hannah (Annah) are found in early Anson County records:

 "Annah" Thomas witnessed a Deed1 Jan 1771 for land east of Cartledge's Creek.[7] "Hannah Thomas, wife of William Thomas" witnessed an oral will 14 July 1774.[8]

William Thomas is sometimes referred to as "Ram Billy" of Richmond County, North Carolina. According to legend, he acquired this nickname when he was butted by a big ram that left him with a limp the rest of his life.

It is believed Hannah, William's first wife, died about 1785. He then married Rachel Roe, daughter of John Roe.[9]  In 1780 John Roe willed his daughter, Rachel, "two hundred acres of land lying on the West side of Hamerπs Creek". This tract of land is also referred to in the Will of William Thomas (1800) as "two hundred acres of land in Montgomery County on Hamer's Creek left by Will by John Roe to my wife Rachel." William and Rachel Roe Thomas had five children. In William Thomas' Will (1800), he refers to "my five younger children" which implies these were the children of his second wife, Rachel. An analysis of deeds and census records prove widow Rachel had died by 1813 and probably by 1810, as she was not located in the 1810 Census records.[10]

William Thomas is credited as having represented Anson County at the Assembly of the state of North Carolina in 1774 and 1775.[11]  The Assembly was the first movement of the people of North Carolina as a State apposing the Royal government. It was at the State Assembly that delegates were appointed to attend the Continental Congress in Philadelphia. The Daughters of The American Revolution accept this as Patriotic Service giving women descendents eligibility into the DAR.

William Thomas descendants have claimed and had their claims accepted by the DAR that the William Thomas who represented Anson County at the Assembly in 1774 and 1775 is also the one who served in Lt. Col. Harney's Company of Col. John Patten's Battalion in the 2nd Regiment of North Carolina from June 1778-Jan 1782. The enclosed DAR application included this military service based on the accepted claims of others. However, we now feel it is unlikely this William Thomas is the one in Anson Co. of our story since Lt. Col, Harney recruited his men in and around his home County, Camden.[12]  Camden County is located in the Northeast corner of the State of North Carolina while Anson County is located South central North Carolina on the South Carolina border. It does not seem likely that a delegate to the Assembly from Anson County would have ridden many, many miles across extremely difficult terrain at the age of 37 with five of his eight children under the age of 12 to join-up as a private in Camden County.

We claim William Thomas of the Fayetteville District in Anson/Richmond County, the Delegate to the N.C. State Assembly 1774-1775 as our ancestor; but would like to release the William Thomas who served in the 2nd'Regiment of N.C. in Lt. Col. Harney's Company, Col. John Patton's Battalion for others to claim. Descendants of William Thomas, the Delegate, are eligible for DAR membership on the basis of his Patriotic Service as described above.

In the January session of 1833, Richmond County, N.C., a William Thomas, age 70, born in Queen Anne's County, Maryland was awarded a pension for serving at least 12 months in the North Carolina Militia 1780/1781. He served in the Infantry as a Sergeant and in the Cavalry under officers from Richmond Co.,N.C.[13]  According to our estimation, William Thomas, Jr. was born about 1762 in Queen Anne's Co., Maryland and appears to be this Revolutionary soldier.

In the Fayetteville Gazette, Richmond County. North Carolina dated 19 November 1793 William Thomas placed a notice stating he had completed his Orrery (mechanical planetarium) and he would take orders for it. He stated that it could be seen at his home in Richmond County, and it would be displayed in Fayetteville. In his words, the notice further stated:

"The machine will show to a great degree of truth, all the Lunations--the solar and lunar eclipses, with the days of the moon's age, her apogees, perogees and nodes--also, the sign and degree which the sun, moon and other planets are in, on every day throughout any given year--It carries the days of the month and date of the year--it shows the leap year with 366 days, and the three common years with 365 days, also, the medon(?) of a comet, together with many other things too tedious to mention.≤[14]

William Thomas in his Will dated 1800 leaves to his sons William Thomas, Nathan Thomas, John Thomas and George Thomas "all my wearing apparel with all my books, my Bible and testament excepted, and my Orrery to be equally divided among them".

Also in his Will, he leaves a gristmill, a 200-acre tract of land in Montgomery Co., North Carolina and his "dwelling plantation" believed to be around 240 acres at the time of his death.[15]  The 200 acre tract" of land in Montgomery County, North Carolina is the land John Roe: left to his daughter Rachel before she married William Thomas.[16]  Even though this property was originally Rachel's, it became joint property on

their marriage. William Thomas left it to Stephen Thomas, Elizabeth Ratliff and Sarah Moorman, children of his first wife. Hannah. Rachel's children were to inherit profits from the gristmill and the home plantation instead. In any case, it is through the "Deed of Conveyance" regarding this land and other land transactions involving her brothers and sisters that prove Elizabeth Ratliff was the wife of Zachariah Ratliff.[17]  All of William Thomas' thirteen children are accounted for in his Will and land records, giving spouseπs names for most of them.[18]  Refer to The Family Group Sheets for each wife for more details on the children. Additional information on Elizabeth Thomas, wife of Zachariah Ratliff can be found in our book, William Ratcliff/Ratliff Family of Anson Co., N.C. and Maryland.

The William Thomas family cemetery is located on his "home plantation". The only inscription on any tombstone in this graveyard is at the head of his grave that reads: "William Thomas, born 1741 died 1800≤. [19] There lies William Thomas, father of thirteen children, Patriot, sponsor of education and religion, and scientist/inventor (mechanical planetarium). He earned his living from a gristmill and some acreage for planting.