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Selected Families and Individuals
Notes
Martin Futch
Martin Futch's stock and brand mark were recorded September 20, 1737. North Carolina records also show he owned 100 acres on the west side of Chinquapin Creek at the mouth of Little Creek. Martin bought more land in 1753 and 50 more acres in 1756.
Martin's estate was probated in 1767 in Craven Co, NC.
The will stated in part: He desires that his wife, Isabella, should have all that he has in the world during her widowhood and after her widowhood then Joseph Chilly his son Martin (Joseph Chilly's son Martin) is to have one Negro girl named Cloe forever, and one feather bed to Joseph Chilly forever and then to my Onesamus Futch his son Jack (Onesamus's son Jack) have all the remainder of my estate to him and his heirs forever. "My Onesamus" above, is now thought by many to be Martin's only son. Isabella moved in with and lived for a time with Onesimus. It is thought that Joseph Chilly's son Martin was a namesake as Joseph is now thought to have been a stepson to Martin Futch by way of Isabella's first marriage to John Chilly.
John Lawson
John Lawson is a well known North Carolina surveyor and co-founder with the Baron Christopher deGraffenried of the New Bern on the Neuse River.
John Lawson's Will of Bath Co, NC it states: Dearly beloved Hanna - the house I now live in during her life, 2/3 my personal estate in North Carolina. To my daughter Isabella of Bath County, and the brother & sister which her mother Hannah is with child and "then Every Child of hers by me" - rest of my estate, when they arrive to 21 or marry.
John wrote:
The History of Carolina, Containing the Exact Description and Natural History of that Country : Together with the Present State Thereof. And a Journal of a Thousand Miles, Travel'd Thro' Several Nations of Indians; Giving a Particular Account of their Customs, Manners, &c.
(London: W. Taylor and J. Baker, 1714)
A native Londoner, John Lawson (d. 1711), sailed to South Carolina, in August, 1700, to assume an appointment as Surveyor-General of North Carolina. Although his origins remain obscure, he appears to have had a solid scientific education and was sufficiently elevated socially to append "gent." to his name, no meaningless appendage in the England of Queen Anne.
At the time of Lawson's arrival, South Carolina was still a new colony. He found its only major city, Charleston, to be a pleasant town with "very regular and fair streets" lined with "good Buildings of Brick and Wood," and already awash in money, but European habitation had not yet extended beyond the waterways within sixty miles of the coast. Much of the interior remained entirely unseen by European eyes, and it was there he set his eyes. Setting off on December 28th with a party of six Englishmen, three Indian men and one Indian woman, Lawson ventured up the Santee River by canoe and thence by foot through the interior, headed north to Virginia to survey places for new settlement. Upon arriving at the Indian village of Occaneechi (modern day Hillsborough, N.C.), however, Lawson learned that an Iroquois raiding party was scourging the region, and as a result, he veered back toward the coast for safety. On the north bank of the Pamlico River, where a few scattered Europeans had already settled, he purchased sixty acres in 1705 to incorporate the colony's first town. The town, Bath, prospered as North Carolina's first port of entry, boasting the colony's first grist mill and a robust twelve houses and fifty residents by 1708. Lawson remained at Bath until returning to London in 1709 to supervise the publication of his book, The History of Carolina.
Though far removed from North Carolina, Lawson remained active in provincial affairs, representing the colony in its boundary dispute with Virginia and, more ambitiously, organizing a group of Palatine Germans to settle on the Neuse and Trent Rivers in 1710. His second visit to the colony, however, would be cut short. In September, 1711, improprieties in their trade with the settlers drove the Tuscarora Indians to lash out in revenge. Lawson and his associate Christopher von Graffenreid were captured while ascending the Neuse River, and were taken as hostages to the town of Catechna (near modern day Snow Hill). Insulting, rather than placating the Tuscaroras, Lawson was put to death, an event which engendered a fearful response. Using all their military might, the English inflicted grievous wounds on the Tuscarora nation, killing many and capturing over 1,000 Tuscarora and selling them into slavery. War weary, most of the nation's survivors left North Carolina in 1722 to take refuge among the Iroquois nations to the north, becoming the sixth nation in the Confederacy.
A brief biography:
John Lawson
LAWSON, John, historian, born in Scotland; died on the river Meuse, North Carolina, in 1712. He came to this country as surveyor-general of North Carolina, and began his surveys in 1700, but fell a victim to the jealousy of the Tuscarora Indians, who confounded the surveyor of their territory with those that despoiled them of it. He was captured while he was exploring North Carolina in 1712, in company with a Swiss named Graffenried (q. v.). The latter was permitted to buy himself free, but Lawson was put to death, probably in the manner he thus describes in his book: "Their cruelties to their prisoners are such as none but devils out of hell could invent. Others keep their enemy's teeth which are taken in war, while others split pine into splinters and stick them into the prisoner's body, yet alive, then they light them, which burn like so many torches, and in this manner they make him dance around a great fire, every one buffeting and deriding him till he expires." Lawson left one of the most valuable of the early histories of the Carolinas, entitled "A New Voyage to Carolina, containing the Exact Description and Natural History of that Country, together with the Present State thereof; and a Journal of a Thousand Miles travelled through Several Nations of Indians, giving a Particular Account of their Customs, Manners, etc." (London, 1700; new eds. in 1709, 1711, 1714, and 1718). The volume is a quarto of 258 pages, well illustrated with one of the best maps of the time, and with various other engravings, chiefly in natural history. The original edition is now very rare; it was reprinted at Raleigh, North Carolina, in 1860.
Hannah Smith
North Carolina documents record that she "came into court and prayed orders for letter of administration with the will annexed of said deceased, having given the bond and qualified as the law directs" Craven County Estates - Martin Futch 1767. Inventory April 18th, 1767 by Isabella Futch. Isabella, after her short appearance in court, is thought to have moved in with her son Onesimus as there is no other reference to her yet found.
Martin Chilly
Mentioned in his step-father's will.
Jacob Futch (Fuchs)
That Jacob is the father of Martin is based on pretty slim evidence. However, it is presently all we have.
There is a deed dated 1747 showing Martin Futch selling 120 acres "whereon Jacob Futch liveth", on the north side of the Trent River, being a part of 320 acres.
Jacob came to America after 1711. It is thought that brother Daniel made the trip to America with him but must have died early after arrival in the hardship of the times. Daniel was one of the signers of aggreement to build a new church along with Jacob.
On 6 Apr 1710 in Craven House, London. Baron de (Von) Graffenried a Swiss nobleman having financial problems in his hometown of Bern, Switzerland, escaped to England from his creditors. While there, he heard a rumor of silver in North Carolina. The Baron then persuaded Queen Ann's Council to allow him to take a colony of Swiss to America. In order to gain the Queen's backing, he was forced to include the Palatines of Germany in his venture. An agreement was signed by the Proprietors of Carolina for the Swiss Baron to purchase 10,000 acres on or between the Neuse River and Cape Fear River in North Carolina. Also in this project with the Baron was a man named Louis Michel (Mitchell in one record), who was to receive or be allowed to purchase 3500 acres of land. And both men were to have a lease on royal mines and minerals for a period of 30 years. The Baron chose 600 young healthy people of various trades. At the last minute an additional fifty people were added, probably, the families of the Palatine men. Each person received 10 shillings worth of clothing from the British government, and payment for passage of 5 pounds, 10 shillings. Thus Jacob and Daniel emigrated in Jan 1711 from New Bern to North Carolina. The ship ran into a storm that took them off course, making the trip last thirteen weeks before landing on the coast of Virginia. In addition, a French vessel captured one of the transport ships and plundered it leaving the emigrants with virtually nothing. Many of the Palatines died soon after arriving in America and only about half of those who set out from England, survived. From Virginia they traveled about 20 miles overland, until they reached the Plantation of Colonel Pollock, who was kind enough to provide them with boats to reach their destination across Albemarle Sound to the Neuse River. Each family was assigned three acres of land and the settlement was given the name of New Bern in honor of the Baron. The Palatines signed a contract with the Baron proclaiming the colonist owed him fidelity, obedience and respect, and in return the Baron would give them protection. He also agreed to give each family in the first year, a cow, two pigs and some utensils. In three years the Baron was to give each family, 300 acres of land if they paid the Baron a quit-rent of two pence per acre.
In 1738, Jacob Futch's mark and brand were described, recorded and granted. And also recorded August 20, 1746 in the sale of 100 acres by Jacob Futch and his wife Margaratha, of land bounded by the fork of Millbank, and the south side of the Trent River and the west side of the east fork of Millbrook for the sum of 400 pounds. Since Jacob said on his petition to own his own land that he had eight in his household, himself, his wife Margaratha. He may have had six children or perhaps five, and brother, Daniel. Daniel Futch appears in early records only once, when he signed the church petition with Jacob, it is thought that he could have been a brother of Jacob, and thought to be single and perhaps died young. Daniel never owned land or at least no such record can be found to show any ownership. On 2 Aug 1740 in New Bern, NC Jacob and Daniel, signed a petition in Craven Co, NC wherein they promised to build a house of worship or chapel on the south side of the Trent River for the use of "the High Germans and Church of England". _______________________________________
Jacob Futch
Little is known of Jacob except that he was with the original names at Topsail, NC.
William Futch
William is thought to be the son of Jacob because he was in the same Military Company with John Futch, also thought to be a brother. William is listed on the roster of Topsail Military Company on November 12, 1747.
He is listed on the tax rolls of New Hanover Co, NC in 1763.
Onesimus Futch
Family Connect indicates that Onesimus married Mary about 1755. However, the first child attributed to them was born about 1737 so I have moved the date of marriage back to reflect this. It also lists his birth as Craven, Rowan Co, NC but I have decided to go with New Bern, NC at this time.
In Craven Co, NC in court minutes 1730-1746, Craven Co, NC "For security given, Onesimus Futch prays this court that he have his mark and brand recorded" dated December 19, 1738.
In 1755, he owned land in New Hanover Co, NC. However, there is no record of his having purchased land in Craven Co. It may be that he was the same Onesimus appearing in New Hanover Co tax list of 1755 and who's will is recorded in 1782 in the same county of North Carolina. His nephew of the same name, did own land in New Hanover Co and this Onesimus may have moved there to be close to his namesake. He died about 1781 in New Hanover Co, NC. His estate was probated in Jan 1782 in Edgecomb County, North Carolina. His will recorded January 1782 gives all he had to his wife Mary, sons Martin, James, Jacob, John and a grandson, Simon Malpass Jr., with his brother John Futch named to administer the will. Findings suggest that Onesimus is the son of Jacob Futch and brother to Martin Futch and John Futch, found listed in the 1800 North Carolina Census. His Will was proved by son John, who testified that the decedent "would have signed the same if he were able" and Mary Futch, decedent's widow, then qualified as Admrx., with will annexed, January 1782.
Mary Blunt
Mary had an estate probated in 1766 in Tyrrell CO, NC. Named in her father's Will. The Blunt family name was originally Blount from a William le Blund or le Blount who died about 1280 per the unpublished Blount Manuscript of Helen M. Prescott in her Genealogical Papers in the Southern Historical Collection at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Investigation so far shows that a William Blunt of 1642, the son of William Blount is the first to change the spelling of the name to better match the preferred pronunciation of the name.
James Futch
Jame's will was listed with his brother Martin's family and recorded in January 1787 in New Hanover Court Minutes 1789-1793 showing Margaret Futch (may or may not be Martin's wife, could be Jame's wife), administrator, Estate of sale of James Futch, decreed, account of sale filed April 4, 1787. James was probably younger than his brother Martin as Martin asked in his Will for James to take care of his wife and her property, A deed dated October 8, 1782 gives to James, "for divers good causes and valuable consideration hereunderto, going a solder have given and granted, etc. to James Futch, my brother, etc." He died on 4 Apr 1787. James received 160 acres on Bull Tail joining John Futch and he received 100 acres west of Sawyers Creek from his father, Onesimus. James is last mentioned when Margaret Futch filed inventory and was authorized to sell perishables on October 1791 as administrator of his estate.
Carter Futch
Probably died quite young. Not mentioned in any wills.
Maragaret
We do not know what happened to Margaret after Martin's death.
Jacob Blunt Futch
Jacob owned land in New Hanover Co, NC in 1792. He received 160 acres on Bull Tail Creek joining his brother, John. He appeared on the census in 1800 in Bladen County, NC
with three sons and three daughters, but only the names of the sons and one daughter can be found, William, Isaac, Onesimus and Viney.
He may have died in 1812 in Amite Co, MS.
He may be the Jacob who immigrated to the area of Conecuk Co, AL and appears in the 1820 census and on a membership list of the Pigeon Creek Baptist Church in Butler Co, AL.
He appeared on the census in 1820 in Butler Co, AL.
Isaac Futch
1850 Conecuh Co, AL Federal Census: This may be the fellow listed below. 17 525 525 FUTCH ISAAC 55 M FARMER 350 NC
18 525 525 FUTCH SUSAN 56 F SC
19 525 525 FUTCH MARGARET 20 F AL
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