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Alexander Documents, Manuscripts, Reports, etc.
If researching this line, you may be interested in Alexanders of Cannon County, Tennessee
Alexander Family
by Edythe J. R. Whitley, 1931; Nashville, TN
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Among the early settlers of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina were many be {of} the name Alexander, and no name is more prominent in the entire settlement than this one, neither are descendants more numerous than those descending from various branches of the family.
The first record we have of this family is that of James Alexander born probably in Scotland about 1695, died in Cecil County, Maryland 1779 (see extract of wills), son of {"John Alexander" marked through & "Joseph Alexander, the tanner" written below}, with whom he came to America, and settled in Cecil County, Maryland, 1714.
Arthur Alexander, Farmer; David and James Alexander, weavers; Joseph Alexander and son James, tanners; James Alexander, farmer; Elias and Walter Alexander and William Wallace took title to a tract of 2000 acres of land in Cecil County, on the east side of the Elk River, close to the border of Pennsylvania and Delaware, which they purchased from James Stevenson, Gent., of Buck County, Pennsylvania, through his agent John McKnitt. These men seem to have been related. Other Alexanders, also app{a}rently related came into Cecil County, in the next generation, also apparently from earlier settlers, presumably from an earlier colony in Somerset County, Maryland. Many of them seem to have emigrated to North Carolina and South Carolina about 1780.
James Alexander, tanner, ruling elder in the New Castle Presbytery 1725, married about 1716 Margaret McKnitt (died about 1740) probably sister of John McKnitt (who mentions James Alexander brother-in-law in his will dated 1733). James Alexander married second 1746 Abigail {blank with "Wallace" handwritten in space}.
Issue of James Alexander and his (1st) wife Margaret McKnitt: (All born in Cecil County, Maryland).
1. Theophilus, born Nov. 10, 1716 and died 1768.
2. Edith born Jan. 10, 1718.
3. Keziah, born May 9, 1720.
4. Hezekiah, born Jan. 13, 1722 moved to North Carolina 1754 one of the signers of the Mecklenburg Declaration {referring to Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence}, 1775, left issue. He died in 1801 in North Carolina.
5. Ezekiel, born June 17, 1724, died young.
6. Jemima born Jan. 9, 1726 married Thomas Sharp and moved to North Carolina 1754.
7. Amos, born June 13, 1728, married Sarah Sharp of Cecil County, Maryland, and eleven children were born to their union several of whom moved to Tennessee in very early pioneer settlement and left many descendants through this section.
8. John McKnitt, born June 6, 1733, {ma}rried Jean or Jane Bane moved to North Carolina where he was secretary of the Convention {and} a signer of the Mec{k}lenburg Declaration in 1775. He left two sons and five daughters.
9. Margaret, born June 6, 1736 (probably died young).
Issue born to James Alexander and his second wife Abigail to wit: (all born in Maryland).
10. Elizabeth born Nov. 17, 1746, married William Sample and settled in North Carolina.
11. Abigail born May 4, 1748.
12. Margaret born April 30, 1750. {handwritten note beside entry: "m. James Beatty McCoy"}
13. Josiah, born Aug. 3, 1752.
14. Ezekiel, born October 21, 1754. (Later).
(References for above -- Records collected by Mrs. Rasmussen, taken from Magazine of American Genealogical Magazine October 1929. Hopewell Section of North Carolina by Alexander page 10, published 1897. Hunters Sketches of Western North Carolina. Also, History of Cecil County Maryland page 136).
Of this family Ezekiel born October 21, 1754, married Jemima Esther McCoy who was born about 1757-58, married September 1773.
The exact date of the departure from Maryland when going to North Carolina is not determined, but we are aware that Ezekiel went to North Carolina between 1775 and 1780, and appears to have settled on lands owned by his father in Mecklenburg Co., North Carolina, being the same section in which his half-brothers, John McKnitt and Hezekiah, had already settled and become most prominent. James the father, who, continued his resident {sic} in Maryland, owned large holdings of land in the Mecklenburg Section in the State of North Carolina, and it is presumed that Ezekiel his son, settled first on s{o}me of this land, later being given the name {sic ? s/b same} by his father, (see will of James Alexander).
In 1782 we have the following record pertaining to this pioneer:
"Roster of the Continental Line from North Carolina 1783. A Copy of a Register showing the name alphabetically, rank, dated of Commissions and enlistments, periods of service and occurrences taken from the original muster and pay rolls of North Carolina Line of the late Army of the United States.
Under 10th Regiment.
Abraham Shepard, Colonel.
Ezek"l Alexander, private, Hall's Company Enlisted Mar. 1, 1782, for 12 months.{"}
(Reference --- North Carolina State and Colonial Records)
(Vol. 16, page 1008 in the record).
In 1792 he was an elder with his brother in the Hopewell Church, Mecklenburg, North Carolina (Hunters Sketches of the Western North Carolina.) (In the records Volume 1, page 206).
In the latter part of 1792 Ezekiel Alexander appears to have gone into Hawkins County, Tennessee, or this may have been in 1793. He evidently did not tarry long, (not over two years), in this section, but in 1795 he registered a grant in Hawkins County which he had received from the State of North Carolina. On several of the grants around this date he appears to have been a chain carrier for the surveyors and therefore may have received land for this service, no evidence as proof {of} such has been located.
The fact of his being in Hawkins County is verified by registery {sic} of his own grant in that county, although the grant was at that time not in the section at all, but in the Middle District, which you will see from the following documents.
If Ezekiel ever received but the one grant prior to 1800 it can not be located, neither does the located grants recite that they were for any certain service, neither does the grant recite that he was a resident of Hawkins or any certain place at the time, it does recite I find in some of the records regarding it, that he purchased the grant paying the required ten pounds to each one
hundred acres.
I have found several records pertaining to this same grant and I shall quote them as accurate{ly} as possibly (in the Bedford County records and the ones copied therefrom, I was compelled to use a very high powered glass to make out some of the words -- Bedford County records damaged by fire twice -- I have made as near accurate a copy as I believe can be made by anyone under the circumstances. First I copy that which I find in the Land Office, Archives of Tennessee, at Nashville, Tenn. now on file in the department under the management of Mr. P. E. Cox, Memorial Building, Nashville, Tennessee.
Grant Book A page 165, North Carolina Grants ---
1000 acres Warrant # 1817, North Side of Duck River, State of North Carolina. ---
No. 204 --- Know ye that we have granted unto Ezekiel Alexander one thousand acres of land in our middle District, on the North Side of Duck River beginning at a white oak Mare {? s/b "marked"} D at the mouth of Spring Creek running thence North four hundred poles to a stake then west four hundred poles to a stake the South four hundred poles to a stake on the river bank thence with the meanders of the river to the beginning. -- To hold to the said Ezekiel Alexander his heirs and assigns forever. Dated the 6th of December 1794.
Richd Dobbs Spaight
J. Glasgow, Secretary
A true Copy
Wm. Hill Secretary
Warrant No. 1817 surveyed by David Wilson, John Wilson and Ebenezer Alexander chain carrier.
(Please note that I have not confused this Ebenezer Alexander with the Ezekiel of whom I am tracing as chain carrier, as Ezekiel is noted in a number of Western District surveys as chain carrier and is Ezekiel, I have not copied the grants giving this record as it would be of no value in this lineage as the grants were to no one directly connected with this lineage).
In Goodspeed's History of Bedford County, page 863, there is named among the list of those receiving grants in the county of Bedford, Ezekiel Alexander. I located this mention {sic} and went to Bedford County, the County seat being Shelbysville, and went into their old records with great care and patience, the result being the two following records: ---
This book in Bedford County is labeled Deed Book. B. --- page 242. ---
Ezekiel Alexander Grant for 1000 acres.
State of North Carolina No. 294. -- To all whom these -- Greetings Know ye that we have for and in consideration of the sum of Ten Pounds for every hundred acres hereby granted paid unto out {sic} Treasury by Ezekiel Alexander. Have given and granted and by these presents do give and grant unto the said Ezekiel Alexander a Certain tract of land containing one thousand acres lying and being in out Middle District on the North side of Duck River beginning at a white oak marked D, at the mouth of Spring Creek running thence North four hundred poles to a stake thence West four hundred poles to a stake thence south one hundred poles to a stake on the River bank thence West with the meanders thereof to the Beginning as by the Plat, hereunto annext {sic} doth appear Together with woods minerals mines meatas(?) {sic} hereditaments {sic} and appurtenances to the said Land belonging or appertaining To have and to Hold to the said Ezekiel Alexander his heirs and assigns forever yelding {sic} and paying to us such sums of money yearly or otherwise as our General Assembly forms terms. To __?__ __?__ May decreet {sic} proceed always that the said
Ezekiel Alexander shall have this grant to be registered in the registers office of our County of Middle District within the Time Limited by Law otherwise the same shall be void and of no Effect. In Testimoney {sic} {w}hereof we have placed these our letters to be made patent and our Great Seal to be hereunto affixed Witnesses Richd Dobbs Spaight, Esquire, Our Governor Captain General and Commander in Chair at Newburn the tenth day of December in the 17th year of our Independence and in Ninty {sic} four by the Governor.
{Hand drawn copy of Plat} Ezekiel Alexander 1000 acres
Richd Dobbs Spaight, done by a scale of two hundred poles to the inch.
John Wilson and Ezekiel Alexander Chain bearers Middle District October 3, 1792. (note this records quote that Ezekiel Alexander was chain carrier while the grant in the land office spells it Ebenezer Alexander as chain carrier).
Agreeable to the endorsed warrant No. 1817 I have surveyed for Ezekiel Alexander, one thousand acres of Land on the North Side of Duck River, Beginning at a White Oak Marked D. at the Mouth of Spring Creek thence West four hundred poles to a stake on the River Bank then with the meanders of the river to the Beginning surveyed by
David Wilson, D.S.
Hawkins County
This grant is registered in my office in Book No. 12, page 57, this 12th day of July A.D. 1795 -- W. B. Alexander, register.
Registered April 9, 1810
John Ake, Register.
(I tried in vain to locate the creek in Bedford and in the sections which were included in Bedford County, namely Spring Creek. If such a creek was at that time called which is so stated in this record, it must have been the small branch like stream of water running from a big spring now in the edge Shelbysville, and at or near the base of Spring Street in this town. There is not that I can find any creek other than this one mentioned, by the name of Spring Creek in the County of Bedford or any of the counties which have been taken from Bedford, in such lay of the land that it could have been a branch of Duck River. The Spring Creek or branch I refer to is just on the outskirts of the town as it stands today and is not more than one mile from the river, some say it is not more than one-half a mile from the river. It does run into the river right in the edge of Shelbysville. This is Duck River as noted in the Record.)
(Bedford County formed 1807 from Rutherford County. Cannon County formed in 1836 from Warren, Coffee, Wilson and Rutherford.{)}
It does not appear that Ezekiel lived in Bedford County or that section later named Bedford County. I find nothing in the records of Bedford County that show even where he disposed of this grant of land. I have endeavored to find a deed of disposal of this land in Rutherford County, as it appeared that he may have sold the land before the County of Bedford was formed, but there is not a deed recorded that I can find giving this exchange.
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Submitted by: Vera Andrews
Online transcription by Susan Shields Sasek. Items I had difficulty reading and my notes are in curly { } brackets.
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