The MacBeans: Our Link to Daniel Boone

Family Line Links: (WikiTree.com)(Ancestry.com)(FamilySearch.org)

The MacBeans are an old, old Scottish clan, which may have existed in some form as early as the 6th century. They came into power in about 1291, when a royal marriage between clan Clan Chattan and Clan Mackintosh helped to elevate the status of clansman Bean Macdhomhil Mor. The clan's original seat was in the area around Kinchyle, Inverness, Scotland and Bean Macdhomhil Mor is considered its first Clan Chief. Its original Gaelic meaning was likely either "son of life" or "lively one". The original pronunciation was more like "bane" than "bean", and thus it is often found spelled as "Bain" or "Bayne" as well.

The arrival of our MacBean line in America happened rather abruptly in 1652. The MacBeans were Royalists, meaning that after the execution of Scottish King Charles I in 1649 (led by the English Oliver Cromwell), they were in favor of his heir Charles II retaining the joint throne of Scotland, England, and Ireland. Cromwell, meanwhile, had declared England to be a commonwealth, run by Parliamentarian rule rather than kingly "divine right". The result was the Anglo-Scottish war, which culminated in the Battle of Worchester on Sept. 3, 1651. 

Long story short, the battle did not go well for the Scottish Royalists. Although at least 16,000 strong, they were outnumbered and outgunned by Cromwell's English forces. They are said to have fought fiercely and bravely against the odds, but in the end, roughly 3,000 were killed and another 8,000 taken captive. Most of the prisoners were sent to either Bermuda, the West Indies, or New England, to work as indentured servants for a typical period of 4-5 years. Three hundred of these defeated soldiers were randomly selected to board the "John and Sarah" on Nov 11, 1651. Two hundred seventy-two would arrive in Boston, MA, over 3 months later, on Feb 24, 1652; cold, unkempt, in ill-health, and defiant (Ref 1). From there, they were sold out everywhere, for the new colonies were in dire need of cheap labor.

Our direct ancestor, William Bean (b. 1635 in Inverness, Scotland), was only 16 years of age at the time, but he would never see his family again. His name was recorded on the list of passengers as Wm Bayne. Like many Scottish immigrants, he dropped the "Mac" portion of the name (meaning "son of"), upon arriving to America. Over time, the spelling of the remaining portion became altered as well. It is unknown where his servitude took place, but he shows up again in Cherry Point (near Heathsville), Northumberland, VA by 1675 (see Note 1). By then he had married a woman named Margaret and had a son named William Beane Jr. (b. 1655). In 1688, he was elected to be constable of the Cherry Point District (Ref 2).

The Cherry Point Neck area was part of the Chickacoan Parish, which later became St. Stephen's Parish in 1698. Much of the early documentation for the family line appears in these parish records. Not a lot more (that we know of) happened for a few generations after that. From wills, we know that the Beans were slave owners, and likely farmed the tobacco that this region was known for growing in abundance. William Bean Jr. married Elizabeth Symmons and begat John Bean (b. 1675). John married Lydea and begat another William (b. 1700). This William Sr. married Margaret Hatton and begat William Jr. (b. 1721) (See Note 2). And then things get interesting again.

St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, original site of the Chickacoan Parish in Northumberland County, VA

St. Stephens Parish in Heathsville, Northumberland, VA (Cherry Point Neck)

William Jr. joined the Augusta Co., VA militia in 1742 at the age of 21. His military service provided him with a land grant in VA, along the river of current day Roanoke, VA (Ref 14, p.12). He married, Lydia Russell (b. 1726) in about 1744 (See Note 3). By 1748, they had resettled along the Dan River, near current day Sutherlin, Pittsylvania Co., VA (then a part of Lunenburg Co. and later Halifax Co.)(Ref 14, p.27). They stayed at this location until late 1768. Lydia had 8 children during this time, and by early 1769, she was pregnant again.

Location of Danville, VA

The area they set off for in early 1769 would later become northeastern Tennessee. It was known to William Jr. due to prior hunting trips with his brother John, and their family friend Daniel Boone (yup, doing a little name dropping here). Daniel Boone and the Bean family were experienced longhunters, and their early exploration of what would soon become the Watauga District, was invaluable to future settlement ventures. In 1762, William's brother John established a camping site for the group along Boones Creek, a branch of the Watauga River near current day Johnson City. Hunting/scouting trips such as these could last for up to 6 months at a time, so it was likely a site with which they became well familiar.

Approximate location of hunting site and later cabin of William & Lydia Bean

Typical gear of an 18th century longhunter in the American colonies

It was on this camp site that William Jr. stepped into history, for by building a cabin home there in 1769 (and surviving the Native American raids to tell the tale), he and his family became the first permanent White settlers of the future state (Ref 0, Ref 3, p.110). Lydia furthered this celebrity by birthing the first white child of future TN, Russell Bean, in May 1769 (Ref.6, p.8). I'm sure she was relieved to have made it safely to her new home before the baby was born. They are said to have arrived just a few days prior to the birth. Given that the "roads" at this time were only Indian trails, they would have traveled by foot or horse only, and it must have been a difficult journey.

Artists conception of Bean Family Cabin on Boones Creek

Over the next few years, many relatives of the Bean and Russell families would join them in this area. Unfortunately, due to incomplete earlier surveying efforts, the settlers had gone further south and west than they realized, and it was later determined that their new homesteads lay outside the established borders of VA or NC (Ref 3, p.110). This placed them in violation of the 1770 Treaty of Lochaber, which the British Crown had made with the Cherokee Native Americans. Not only that, but it placed them outside the protection and laws of the American colonies as well. Things came to a head in 1772, when the British government ordered the new settlers to leave.

Land boundaries established with the Cherokees by the 1770 Treaty of Lochaber

On the eve of the American Revolution as this was though, the new settlers weren't much inclined to take orders from the British government, and with the looming war, Britain had bigger things to worry about. The settlers took advantage of the temporary disarray to basically form their own independent nation, which they called the Watauga Association. They copied the law structure of the Virginia Colony to form their Articles of governance, and then passed the Watauga Republic into existence by unanimous settler consent. Then they formed their own militia (of which William Jr. and his sons were members) and elected 5 magistrates to serve on the Wataugan court. Having settled this, they approached the Cherokee peoples for new treaty terms, in which they would lease the land from them directly as an independent nation, to which the Native Americans agreed!

Alas, peace with the Native tribe did not last long. Many Cherokee felt that their nation's interests aligned more closely with the British, who seemed more willing to uphold treaties, than with the Americans, who seemed intent on pushing further into their lands regardless of what prior treaties stated. And once the Revolutionary War began, with the Wataugans declaring themselves as firmly on the side of the American patriots, they found themselves at odds with Native tribes once again. To help defend themselves, in 1775 they built Fort Caswell (now called Fort Watauga) at the nearby town of Elizabethton. Eventually, upon their request, North Carolina agreed to annex them in 1777 (TN did not become a state until 1796), and they became a part of America once more.

Fort Caswell at Sycamore Shoals Historic State Park in Elizabethton, TN

The Siege of Fort Caswell, depicting Catherine Sherill being pulled to safety by her future husband John Sevier

The height of the Indian conflict for the Beans occurred in July 1776. In that month, a group of Cherokee, led by War Chief Abraham, were preparing to attack the Watagan settlement (Ref 13, p.64). One member of the Cherokee General Council disagreed with this plan, however. Her name was Nanye-hi, (called Nancy Ward by settlers), and she held the title of Ghigau (Beloved Woman) on the council, giving her the only female voting voice. She felt it was wrong to intentionally take civilian lives, and was an advocate for peaceful co-existence with the settlers. Indeed, she saw this as the only possible successful strategy in the face of the unrelenting influx of White settlers to their lands (Ref. 4). Because of this, she sent warning to many of the settlers before the attack, allowing them time to gather at the fort and prepare for what was coming. 

In the early morning of July 21, 1776, Lydia (Russell) Bean and many other women were outside the fort milking cows when the Indians advanced with a surprise attack. Most of the women were able to make their way back to the safety of the fort. But Lydia, along with 2 of her milking cows, as well as 13 year old Samuel Moore, were captured by the Cherokee (See Note 4). The story told is that Indian warriors brought them back to their camp on the Nolichucky River and tried to extract information from them about the fort. Lydia misled them to believe that they were very well supplied with men, food, and arms. Regardless, the decision was made that they should be burned at the stake. A surely terrified Lydia was already bound, and the fires lit, when Nanye-hi saw what was being done. She scattered the ashes, cut her bounds, and admonished the warriors that no "squaw" would be tortured while she was on the council. (Sadly, Samuel Moore was not so lucky.)

Nanye-hi/Nancy Ward, Cherokee Beloved Woman

Nanye-hi then took Lydia back to her home, where she stayed until it was safe to let her return to her family again. Lydia had been wounded, and Nancy nursed her back to health. In return, Lydia shared some of her domestic skills. She taught Nancy how to use the milk from cows to make things like butter, cheese, and cream. She also taught her the art of loom weaving. They became friends, and Nancy began to teach her people these new skills as well. Long after the battle was over, these teachings would have significant effects on the Cherokee, both good and bad (Ref 4). On the one hand, with game and land becoming more scarce, it made them less reliant in the White settlers for provisions like food and textiles. On the other, the hard labor of cattle herding made them appreciate the White's desire for slave labor. Nancy Ward would later become the first Cherokee to own Black slaves.

In the years following this near tragedy, the Bean family played important roles in the Revolutionary war. The family was known for their superior gun making abilities (Ref 5) and served as riflemen in the Watauga militia. William Bean Jr.'s oldest son, William III (b. 1745), was a Capt. during the Battle of Kings Mountain (see Note 7), with his brothers George, John, and Edmund serving under his command. His other brothers, Robert and Jesse (our direct ancestor, b. 1756), were Captains in their own right. For their service, they were soon granted large tracts of future Tennessee land.

Battle of kings Mountain - The Wataugans

The new land William Bean Jr. chose to settle was about 50 miles west of his original tract, in what would later be Grainger Co., TN (then still part of Washington Co.). It was a well chosen site that was first discovered by William and Daniel Boone while they were on one of their exploratory hunting trips in 1775 (Ref. 11). They found it by following the north-south Cherokee Great Warrior's Path, which White settlers renamed to the Great Wilderness Road as it was expanded (now Hwy. 11W). But it also intersected with an east-west Indian trail known as Chickamauga Path, which was being converted into a stage coach route called the Broadway of America (now US 25E). William noted the area as being rich with timber, wildlife, and fertile soil. He also foresaw that it would be an important crossroads stop for travelers as they continued west into Kentucky, along the path that Daniel Boone was blazing. And thus was born Bean Station (Ref 12, p.60).

William Bean, Jr. and Daniel Boone, overlooking the future Bean Station in 1775.

Location of Bean Station, TN at the border of Grainger and Hawkins Counties

Original area of Bean family land grants prior to 1942 river flooding, about 5 miles west of current Bean Station, TN

William Bean Jr. and his son Robert are said to have settled the new land with adjoining plots on German Creek in 1776. Robert's brother Jesse Bean (our direct ancestor) followed soon after. Eventually the entire family relocated to the new area. Unfortunately, William Bean Jr. would not live past the Revolutionary War's end in 1783. He died of unknown cause in 1782, at the age of 60. But his vision for the future Bean Station was passed on to his children. By 1787, his sons began construction of a fort to protect the family from the continued Native American raids. Soon they opened Bean's Blacksmith Shop as well. As predicted, being so conveniently located at the western trail crossroads, it was not long before merchants and businessmen were attracted to the area. By the early 1800's, it hosted 3 reputable tavern/inns and was a welcome stop for many notable visitors. 

Northwest Corner remains of Bean Station Fort prior to 1942

Sadly, the history for much of this area was lost to time in 1942, when the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) finished construction of the Cherokee Dam; necessary to meet the growing electrical demands of the area. About 200 Bean Station household were forced to vacate their land due to eminent domain laws. The Bean Station Tavern was so well loved that its building materials were taken apart and stored with the hopes that it might one day be reconstructed, though that has not yet happened. The site of the original Bean cabin near Johnson City is now underwater as well. It is believed that William and Lydia were buried at the original Bean Station site (Ref 6), though their graves were unmarked, likely due to the Indian custom of desecrating enemy graves at that time.

Old Bean Station Tavern (1935)

Restored gravestone of Jane Bean, daughter of William Bean Jr. and Lydia (Russell) Bean. She was killed by "Indian arrows" in 1799, while weaving under a willow tree. Her remains were moved to the German Creek homestead to Dalton Cemetery in 1942, just prior to the TVA Cherokee Dam opening.

Changes in water levels after Cherokee Dam construction

William Jr.'s son Jesse (our direct ancestor) would follow in his father's trailblazing footsteps. In 1778 he married Elizabeth Mitchell, and together they had 9 children. Although Jesse cannot claim to be the first White settler in all of the state of Tennessee, he was the first White settler in what would later become Franklin Co., TN (Ref 7, p.786). When they left Bean Station and set out for southern TN in early 1800, their 4th child, Elizabeth Ann Bean (b. 1787, our direct ancestor) was 13 years old. Already a well known and respected gunmaker, Jesse's reputation followed him into this new region. He set up a new blacksmith workshop in a cave that is located off Caney Hallow Branch, near Old Salem, TN (then called Beans Creek). Davy Crockett, who also fought at the Battle of King's Mountain, is said to have been a regular customer of his rifles. They are still highly sought after by historical gun collectors today (Ref. 5).

Jesse Bean's gun making shop cave on Caney Hallow Branch near Old Salem, TN

Old Bean Creek Cemetery, site of Jesse Bean homestead in Old Salem, TN

Jesse fought in the TN militia during the war of 1812. He was assigned to western TN, parts of which were about to become Arkansas and Missouri. Likely this is why he later chose the area for his homestead. By 1818, he was living in now Pleasant Hill (Little Mulberry), Lawrence Co., AR (now Crawford Co.)(Ref 8) where he helped to establish the first Baptist Sunday School (Ref 9). At this time, however, the Cherokee peoples had rights to the land, having already ceded their ancestral eastern homelands in Tennessee, Virginia, Georgia, and North/South Carolina in exchange (Ref 10). In return for this relocation, the Treaty of 1817 had promised them reservation land in Arkansas, on which they were to be free to fish, hunt, and live according to their native customs, with protection from White settler interference.

In 1819, when the government caught word of the White settlers living on this land, they initially honored the Native American treaty, and ordered the settlers to leave. An exception was made for Jesse Bean's family, as well as the family of Judge Sanders (Ref. 8, p.606). They were both blacksmiths by trade; skills which were highly desired by both Native and European peoples alike (see Note 6). It is said that a few others managed to remain as well, and thus the White settlement of Pleasant Hill lived alongside the Cherokee settlement of Chekelee (later Mulberry) for a decade (see Note 5). Because of it being the only allowed White settlement during this period of Cherokee occupation, it is now the oldest town within the county as well (Ref. 8, p.644).

Mulberry, Crawford, AR

Pleasant Hill and Mulberry, AR. Most early White settlers lived north of where I40 now runs, along both sides of the Mulberry River.

As this story unfortunately always goes, eventually the Native Americans were pushed off the land once again. This time by the Cherokee Treaty of 1828, which removed them to Oklahoma (supposedly in exchange for yet more land and other benefits), in order to make way for White settlers clamoring to move in. By 1829, these new settlers were coming in droves (Ref 8, p.607), and this is when Jesse's daughter Elizabeth Bean (b. 1787, our direct ancestor), and her husband William M. Quesenbury moved in as well. Their homestead was about a mile and a half NE of Maxey Mountain (another line of our family) on the Eastern side of the Mulberry River.

Note

1) There were a number of other Beans in America before 1652 as well (https://www.houseofnames.com/beane-family-crest). In the 1911 book by Jennings Cropper Wise "YE KINGDOME OF ACCAWMACKEOR THE EASTERN SHORE OF VIRGINIA IN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY", p.37, there is a William Beane listed as being present in 1623 (having arrived in 1618) in what is now Northampton County, VA. Northumberland county lies across the Chesapeake Bay from Northampton, much closer than Boston, MA where the "John and Sarah" docked. 

Although most online genealogies currently list this ship as the origin of our Beans, I have found no records directly linking the Scottish Boston William Bayne to St. Stephen's Parish, Northumberland, VA. It seems at least possible then, given the proximity, that our William Beane is really an English settler of the early Jamestown colony. 

There is, however, Y-DNA testing being carried out for clan MacBean, that is trying to sort out the answers to these questions. https://www.familytreedna.com/groups/the-clan-mac-bean/about. So far, they seem pretty certain that the results still point to the Boston Scottish origin. And all that said, the English Beanes do seem to still be related to Clan MacBean anyways, albeit more distantly.

2) There is a Beane Family Cemetery near Heathsville, Northumberland, VA that seems very likely to be linked with our family line, but I have not yet been able to find a way to verify this online. https://www.google.com/maps/place/Beane+Family+Cemetery/@37.9541079,-76.4924381,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x89b7559fa5aa06cf:0xebac0e3344c7a1d9!8m2!3d37.9541079!4d-76.4902441!16s%2Fg%2F11td9_w9dv. Perhaps this was their homestead?

3) There is a lot of speculation about who exactly this Lydia Russell is. The only thing that is supposed to be known about her for sure is that she had at least two brothers, named George and John, who later settled near her in TN. There is a Lydia Russell born in 1726, who was christened in the North Farnham Parish of neighboring Richmond, VA. Her parents were Joseph and Sarah Russell. Given its proximity to St. Stephen's Parish, this seems the most logical choice. But there are no records of this Lydia having a brother named George. 

There is also a George Russell of North Farnham Parish, born in 1720, but his parents were George and Mary Russell. Sometimes people quote these parents as being her parents as well, but that is not the case. Possibly they were actually cousins instead? Or there is a completely different Lydia Russell that we just don't know about yet. Regardless, after the marriage of William and Lydia, the Bean and Russell families remained in close proximity for many generations to come.

4) There are other accounts of this story that say she was taken while fleeing from her property on horseback, and sometimes the date is stated as July 20th, 1776 instead of the 21st. So perhaps this actually happened the day before the Fort Caswell incident (though I'm not sure where the cows she taught them with came from then). This would make sense also because William Bean is said to have built his family a different fort (Bean Fort-Spring) around 1775, this one off Boone's Creek- much closer to where his family lived, than Fort Caswell in Elizabethton. You can see a video of the parts that are still standing here: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=318470138497495. He also built the first gristmill in the area, the remains of which are in Flourville, TN. None of the historical accounts of the Lydia capture story mention this fort by name though.

5) Some sources list Jesse Bean as having also lived in Batesville, Independence Co., AR during this time period. Based on land and tax records, there was definitely a Revolutionary War veteran Jesse E. Bean awarded land in Batesville around 1820-1830. It is said that many people purchased land there during this period without actually settling, due to the low prices so this may have been our Jesse. But more likely it is the Jesse that actually lived in Batesville during the same time period that ours lived in Pleasant Hill, AR. 

For one thing, our Jesse is supposed to have died by 1829, whereas Batesville Jesse died in 1844. For another, our Jesse was supposed to have been in Pleasant Hill from 1818-1828, during the Cherokee occupation (Ref 8). Additionally, the Batesville Jesse was supposed to have been a coroner rather than a blacksmith, and had part ownership in a steamboat operation. See Worley, Ted R. “Glimpses of an Old Southwestern Town.” The Arkansas Historical Quarterly, vol. 8, no. 2, 1949, pp. 133–59. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/40030606. Accessed 15 Mar. 2023. Most importantly, he was made Captain of a new Calvary company (Bean's Rangers) in 1832, at which point our Jesse would have been 76 years old! https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/independence-county-776/

Jesse's son Robert did settle in Batesville later, and also had a son named Jesse (b.1822), but this Jesse would have been too young. On the other hand, Jesse's brother Robert had a son named Jesse (b. 1784), who would be the right age, so perhaps this is really his son? 

6) An interesting article in: Littlefield, Daniel F. “The Salt Industry in Arkansas Territory, 1819-1836.” The Arkansas Historical Quarterly, vol. 32, no. 4, 1973, pp. 312–36. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/40027640. (Accessed 15 Mar. 2023) states that it was more likely Jesse and the Beans were allowed to stay in the Cherokee territory due to salt interests the government had in a part of Lovely's 1816 purchase. Jesse's son Mark, and his son-in-law Reuben Saunder's family, were the ones with direct interests in this salt works, but no doubt its success or failure affected the interests of the entire Bean family in the area. Jesse's son Richard H. Bean joined in the venture in 1823 when Saunders sold his interests, and both are said to have moved there (near Gore, OK) in 1817-1819 because of it. The family's ties to this area seem strongly tied up in their interests to this developing mining operation and government actions regarding it. Mark Bean was sheriff of Crawford Co. as well as a member of the legislature.

7) Some people cite it as having been William Bean Jr. rather than William Bean III who fought at King's Mountain in 1780. As far as I can tell, there was only one William Bean in service for Watauga District at that time. Given William Jr. was already 58 and would die only 2 years after this event, it seems likely that it was his son, rather than him, who was fighting at this point.

References

0) National Register of Historic Places. https://files4.revize.com/johnsontn/document_center/Development%20Services/Planning/HISTORIC/nation_registry_of_historical_places.pdf : 2023.

1)  MacBean, Bernie. "The life and family of John Bean of Exeter and his cousins". Seattle, WA : Seattle Genealogical Society, 1970 (1906). https://archive.org/search.php?query=creator%3A%22MacBean%2C+Bernie%2C+1906-%22 : 2023.

2) Northumberland County Court Order Book, 1688, p.430. https://www.colonial-settlers-md-va.us/getperson.php?personID=I25375&tree=Tree1 : 2023.

3) Goodpasture, A. V. "The Watauga Association". The American Historical Magazine, Vol. 3, No. 2 (APRIL, 1898), pp. 103-120 Published by: Tennessee Historical Society. https://www.jstor.org/stable/45340432 :2023.

4) Tucker, N. "Nancy Ward, Ghighau of the Cherokees" The Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 53, No. 2 (June, 1969), pp. 192-200. https://www.jstor.org/stable/40579126 : 2023.

5) TN Dept. of Conservation. "A Preliminary Survey of Historic Period Gunmaking". Nashville, TN : TN Printing Div., 1991. https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/environment/archaeology/documents/reportofinvestigations/arch_ROI_8_Gunmaking.pdf : 2023.

6) Armstrong, Z. "Notable Southern Families, Vol. 2". Chattanooga, TN : Clearfield Publishing, Inc., 1922, p.13. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/48262/images/NotableSoFamiliesII-000471-ii?pId=271699 : 2023.

7) Goodspeed. "History of Tennessee, from the earliest time to the present; together with an historical and a biographical sketch of Giles, Lincoln, Franklin and Moore counties", pp.785-796. Chicago: Goodspeed Publishing, 1886. https://archive.org/details/historyoftenness00good/page/n11/mode/2up : 2023.

8) Goodspeed. "History of Benton, Washington, Carroll, Madison, Crawford, Franklin and Sebastian Counties, Arkansas : from the earliest time to the present, including a department devoted to the preservation of sundry personal, business, professional and private records; besides a valuable fund of notes, original observations, etc., etc.". Chicago, IL.: Goodspeed Publishing, 1889. https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/records/item/581394-history-of-benton-washington-carroll-madison-crawford-franklin-and-sebastian-counties-arkansas-from-the-earliest-time-to-the-present-including-a-department-devoted-to-the-preservation-of-sundry-personal-business-professional-and-private-records-besides-a-valuable-fund-of-notes-original-observations-etc-etc?offset= : 2023.

9) Bean, B. and Bean, C. "MacBean in North America", Volume II, e-book Edition. Denver, CO : The Clan MacBean in North America, 2019. https://clanmacbean.org/Shop/product/vol-ii-tn-2019/ : 2023.

10) Logan, C. R. "The Promised Land: The Cherokees, Arkansas, and Removal, 1794-1839". Little Rock, AR : Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, 1997. https://www.arkansasheritage.com/docs/default-source/ahpp-documents/state-wide-historic-contexts/cherokee_removal_newe6ee0577-cda1-47d9-8455-06ea8e681c37.pdf?sfvrsn=b1a929da_5 : 2023. 

11) Coffey, K. "The First Family of Tennessee". Grainger Co. Historical Society. https://web.archive.org/web/20200811133037/http://graingertnhistory.com/story_2/ : 2023.

12) Goodspeed. "History of Tennessee containing historical and biographical sketches of thirty east Tennessee counties : Anderson, Blount, Bradley, Campbell, Carter, Claiborne, Cocke, Grainger, Greene, Hamblen, Hamilton, Hancock, Hawkins, James, Jefferson,...". Nashville, TN : Goodspeed Publishing, 1887. https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/records/item/87512-redirection : 2023.

13) Finger, J. R. "Tennessee Frontiers: Three Regions in Transition". Indianapolis, IN : Indiana University Press, 2001. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Tennessee_Frontiers/u-0OMQw4N_sC?hl=en&gbpv=0&kptab=getbook : 2023. 

14) Grady, J. A. "William Bean Pioneer of Tennessee and His Descendants." Knoxville, TN: Grady, 1973. https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/records/item/48240-redirection : 2023.

An Enduring Friendship: Our Scotch-Irish Williamson-Cloyd Line

Family Line Links: (WikiTree.com)(Ancestry.com)(FamilySearch.org)

The Scotch-Irish were so named because of their origination from lowlands of Scotland (and northern England), followed by their relocation to Northern Ireland (Ulster) in the 1600s for a variety of political reasons. Many of these same people then further migrated to America in the 1700s, this time primarily due religious persecution and poverty. Unlike the Irish Catholics who would come later in the 1800s, they were mostly Presbyterian, and initially settled mainly in Pennsylvania and Delaware.

Two of our Scotch-Irish lines, the Cloyd's and the Williamson's, seem to have followed this early migration pattern. Though the exact dates of their immigrations are not certain, both lines seem to have been present in Chester Co., PA. by the 1730s. In fact, in 1736, both Michael Williamson and Joseph Cloyd were living in the same neighborhood of Newtown, Chester Co., PA (now Delaware Co.)(Ref 1) and his brother David Cloyd was nearby in New Castle Co., PA (now part of DE). By 1750, another brother, John Cloyd (our direct ancestor, b. abt. 1710), had come to Chester Co., PA as well (Ref 2, Note 0). And thus began a friendship that would span many generations.

Newtown, Delaware Co, PA, approx. 12 mi west of Philadelphia

The Cloyd's, originally said to have been from the lowlands of Scotland (see Note 1), probably bore the original surname MacLeod (son of Leod), the spelling of which transitioned into MacCloyd over the centuries. When the MacCloyd's relocated to Ireland, some went by O'Cloyd for a time instead. And then, upon arriving to America, many anglicized it further by dropping the Mac/O' altogether. The family tradition of the Williamson's is that they were originally from Northumberland, in Northern England, before their temporary exodus to Ulster, Ireland.

Alas, they were not to stay for long in Pennsylvania either. The Pennsylvanian Quakers found themselves discomforted by the proud, quick-tempered, rowdy, and somewhat ungovernable Scotch-Irish. They also greatly frowned upon the Scotch-Irish tendency to claim any empty piece of land they came across and then refuse to acknowledge anyone else's pre-existing property rights. However, these same traits were well-suited to guerilla fighting with Native Americans on the wide-open, ungoverned Virginian frontier. This provided the settled colonial cities a buffer from Indian attacks while allowing the Scotch-Irish the land and freedom they desired. By the 1740's, many Scotch-Irish began to flow into this region, steadily pushing the Native Americans farther west and south as they went.

Frontiers man

Our Williamson-Cloyd lines joined with this stream of settlement in 1758. However, shortly before leaving, another Scotch-Irish line joined the mix. John Cloyd's son John Jr. (b.1740) married Margaret Scott (b. 1742) in Wilmington, New Castle Co., DE in 1758. Margaret, an orphan, had originally come to America from Belfast, Ulster, Ireland with her uncle at the age of 15 (Ref 2, p.10). When it was feared that she had acquired consumption (tuberculosis), her uncle sailed back to Ireland to dispose of the 76 acres of land she has inherited. Unfortunately, he was shipwrecked, and never heard from again. Despite this, Margaret survived, and went on to have 7 children of her own.

Old Swedes Church (now called Holy Trinity) in Wilmington, DE, where John Cloyd Jr. and Margaret Scott were married in 1758.

Following the Great Valley Road, the Cloyd's moved through the mountains of what was then Augusta Co., VA, with various branches settling between Staunton and Roanoke. John Jr. and Margaret originally settled near Staunton, in an area called Beverly's Manor, while David (see Note 2) and Joseph settled further southwest. Meanwhile, Michael Williamson continued south from Roanoke into Granville Co., NC, with his 5 sons, James (our direct ancestor, b.1740), Thomas, Joseph, Robert, and John.

Great Valley Road, used by settlers from PA and DE to reach Virginia and North Carolina by wagon starting in the mid-1700s

By 1764, Michael Williamson had purchased 247 acres of land on Rattlesnake Creek, a branch of Grassy Creek near Stovall, NC. There, he and his sons helped to establish the Grassy Creek Presbyterian Church (Ref 1, p.100). Of note, Presbyterians were generally opposed to slavery, and Rev. Henry Patillo, the Grassy Creek clergyman from 1770-1801 was a well known abolitionist. Yet, the Williamson sons had mixed beliefs on slavery themselves. Michael's son Thomas was anti-slavery (see Note 3), and went on to have son who was a participant in the Underground Railroad (Ref. 1, p. 102). John seems to have had a "pro-choice" stance, and while he did not choose to own slaves himself, he did not necessarily oppose others who did. Joseph did own slaves, but freed them upon his death, similar to many enlightened Southerners at the time, such as the likes of Thomas Jefferson. Unfortunately, our ancestor James represented the other end of this spectrum of beliefs, and he did both own and pass on slaves to his offspring (Ref. 1, p102).

Granville Co., NC

Stovall, Granville Co., NC, 7 miles SE of Rattlesnake Creek

The Williamson's remained in Granville Co. until 1773. In that year, Joseph chose to leave North Carolina, and rejoin with the Cloyd's in Virginia. Two years later, his father Michael and remaining brothers joined him. By that time, John and Margaret Cloyd seem to have relocated to what is now Dublin, Pulaski Co., VA (See Note 5), though at the time it had become a part of Fincastle Co. The Williamson's purchased land that adjoined the Cloyd farm on the Back Creek branch of the New River (Ref. 1, p.101).

Pulaski Co., Virginia (see Note 4)

 

Dublin, Pulaski Co., VA

Cloyd's Cemetery along Back Creek, 5 miles NW of Dublin, VA

Not long after this resettlement, the Revolutionary War commenced. Many men of the Cloyd and Williamson lines enlisted in the fight on the side of the American Patriots. In fact, many of the ideals our nation is founded on are said to be strongly influenced by Scotch-Irish values (Ref 5). In 1777, John Cloyd and James Williamson both joined the Montgomery Co., Virginia militia under John's cousin Joseph Cloyd. James Williamson's oldest son John (our direct ancestor, b.1764) had a different idea though.

Revolutionary War Soldiers on the Frontier

Perhaps he missed the North Carolina of his youth that his family had left 5 years prior. He chose to enlist with a regiment bound for the Watauga District of North Carolina (now part of east TN), and at the age of only 15, set out to cross the Appalachian mountains once more. There, at the Battle of King's Mountain, he helped to bring about a decisive victory against the British, using the guerilla style fighting tactics his family and neighbors had honed against Native Americans on the frontiers. This was an important battle for demonstrating a successful fighting technique against the British, given the limited numbers of troops the colonist had. It is considered by many to be a turning point for the Americans in the Revolutionary War, who had been losing many battles to that point.

Battle of Kings Mountain in NC (now Eastern TN)

After 3 years of service, John Williamson retuned to his homestead in Virginia, where he married the daughter of John and Margaret Cloyd in 1781, Margaret Scott Cloyd (b.1766). A few years later, Margaret Scott Cloyd's brother Ezekial completed the "sister swap" as it was called, by marrying John Williamson's sister, Rebecca Williamson. They remained near Back Creek until 1789 when they decided to join the Cumberland settlement of Sumner Co., TN (site of future Nashville). Revolutionary War veterans had been given land grants for this area, which likely factored into their decision. They are said to have carried their two small daughters, Sallie and Peggy, in baskets on each side of a pack horse. Our direct ancestor John Robert Williamson, Jr. (b. 1786) would have been with them as well, but perhaps he was carried in arms (see Note 6). Many other Williamson-Cloyd's also made the journey, including the families of John Sr. Williamson's brother Thomas, and Margaret's brother Ezekiel Cloyd, as well as her parents.

Margaret Scott Cloyd (b. 1766), wife of John Williamson, Sr.

Life on this new frontier was said to have been extremely hard due to frequent troubles with the pre-existing Chickamauga Cherokees led by Dragging Canoe. John Sr.'s younger brother George was killed in one of the many Indian raids, and he wrote in a letter that he felt the stress of the brutal event was responsible for his mother Margaret's death soon after. John and his brother Thomas entered into a saddlery business together in 1802 (Ref 6) and both John and Thomas went on to serve in both the TN militia and State Legislature. Thomas became a well respected Colonel in the militia during the War of 1812, and worked closely with Andrew Jackson, who lived only 5 miles away at The Hermitage.

Early Cumberland Settlement

In 1799, John Sr. and Margaret (Cloyd) Williamson moved their family to nearby Wilson Co., TN, where they built a home off Stoner's Lick at Clover's Bottom, near the area now called Green Hill. John Sr. was buried here at the Williamson Family Cemetery in 1829. The area is now a part of the Willoughby Station subdivision in Mt. Juliet, TN. Although the original home no longer remains, as a part of the 1988 purchasing agreement, the family cemetery is maintained by the homeowners association. Margaret's parents moved about 2 miles east and established Cloydland Farm, which still exists today (Ref 10).

The Williamson's Green Hill Farm in Nashville, Wilson Co., TN

Williamson Family Cemetery, Willoughby Station, Mt. Juliet, TN

John Sr. and Margaret (Cloyd) Williamson's son John Robert also jointed the TN militia, and served in the war of 1812. However, his main early occupation was farming, and like his father and grandfather, he also owned slaves (as many as 18 at one point). In 1807, at the age of 21, he married Sarah Tate from Nashville. Her family had come to TN from NC in about 1796. They were members of the Stoner's Creek Presbyterian church, for which his uncle Ezekiel Cloyd was the minister. They had 13 children, though sadly only 7 survived to adulthood. Two of them died within a week of each other in the late summer of 1823, presumably from illness. Our direct ancestor Sally Ann Williamson, born in the fall of 1822, was still an infant at the time, but thankfully she survived or we would not be here today.

Most of the Williamson offspring chose to remain in Wilson Co., TN for the long haul. Our direct ancestors took a different path though. In 1830, John Robert and Sarah (Tate) Williamson chose to rejoin the frontier lifestyle of the many generations before them. An aggressive campaign to remove the Native Americans from the new territory of Arkansas has started in 1818, and was mostly complete by 1826. Then in 1830, Andrew Jackson, now president, signed the Indian Removal Act. It was at this point that our Williamson line left Tennessee on a wagon train to set out for newly formed Pope county, Arkansas. Sally Ann was not quite 8 years old at this time, and it must have been quite an adventure.

Upon their arrival to Russellville, Pope County, AR, John Robert Williamson quickly became involved in both the politics and religion of the developing territory. He purchased 2000 acres of land in northern Russellville along Shiloh Creek, part of which is now Arkansas Tech. There, he helped to organize the first church of Pope county, Shiloh Cumberland Presbyterian. The church grew so popular that large religious camp meetings were being regularly held by congregants on the Williamson property, in what was then referred to as the Williamson campground. In 1858 (Ref 7), the family donated this land to the church. The Shiloh Williamson Cemetery is still owned by the current church, and contains many generations of Williamson ancestors. 

Russellville, Pope, AR

Shiloh Church and Cemetery along Illinois Bayou and Shiloh Creek

John Robert Williamson was also elected to the AR state legislature starting in 1833. He served as a senator for Pope Co. until 1851, and was briefly asked to step in as acting governor for one month in 1844 (Ref 8, Ref 9). From 1851 to 1861, he retired to his plantation as a farmer. He is now buried in the Shiloh Williamson Cemetery, and although the original marker no longer stands, a new memorial marker has been placed in his honor.

John Robert Williamson (1786-1861)

(Note that while John lived in TN for most of his early life, he was actually born in VA.)

Meanwhile, John Robert and Sarah (Tate) Williamson's daughter Sally Ann (b. 1822) went on to marry Ranson Drew Alston in 1839, of the Bettis-Alston line discussed in a prior post. They resettled in Ozark, Franklin, AR and had a large family of 10 children.

Notes

0) In "Genealogy of the Cloyd, Basye, and Tapp families in America", the author list 2 different conflicting John Cloyds. The first (Immigrant #5) (p.16) is a JOHN CLOYD, d. in Chester Co., Pa., 9-9-1782. He m. Mrs. Sarah (Carver) Bartholomew prior to 3-23-1757. He left no children. This John is supposed to be the son of James Cloyd (p.15), as is his brother David (b. 1710), (p.63).
The second (Immigrant #8) (p.99): is "John Cloyd, a Scotchman, came to America from the northern part of Ireland and settled in Augusta County, Va. in 1758. He had been preceded by at least one son, Ninian, and was accompanied by a son and daughter, John and Mary. He died on or shortly before NOV. 13, 1759 and David Cloyd, was appointed administrator of the estate and also guardian of two minor children, John and Mary." This would suggest that it is this second John who was actually the son of James and the brother of David but this needs to be cleared up.

1) There is still some uncertainty about this. Although it is known that our Cloyd's came from Ulster, Ireland and were part of the transplanted Scotch-Irish, there is no direct records linking them back farther than that. Many Scotch-Irish actually came from Northern England, where the Cloyd name is also present.

2) In 1759, a year after resettling in Virginia, John Cloyd Jr.'s father John died. Although he was already married, John Jr. was not yet legally an adult (age 21), but chose his uncle David Cloyd to be his his guardian until he was of age (See Ref 4).

3) Actually, Thomas did own slaves, but he was said to have purchased them at their own request, to prevent them from being bought instead by harsher masters. He willed them to his children with instructions that they be freed.

4) States that were early colonies are always a mess when tracking county name changes. Prior to 1738, pretty much all of unexplored VA was considered part of Orange Co. Then in 1738, as further western settlement was beginning, Augusta Co. was created. Augusta Co. originally encompassed the entire Virginian Appalachian mountain range and everything westward. Over the ensuing years of settlement, Augusta Co. was split up into smaller and smaller areas, resulting in what is now called Pulaski Co. At prior times, this same area has also been called Botetourt, Fincastle, and Montgomery Co. I highly recommend the link provided above to help visualize these changes over time.

5) They did not actually obtain settlement rights for this land until 1789, but he seems to have done this mainly for the purpose of selling it shortly after. According to tax records, he was definitely living in Montgomery Co. by 1783 (a portion of which later became Pulaski Co.) rather than Augusta Co. near Staunton as he was up until selling the land in 1765. It is my assumption that 1765 was when the move to the Pulaski Co. area occurred. I believe the evidence for this probably exists in the reference Kegley, M. B. "Early Adventures on the Western Waters, Vol. II", Green Publishers, Inc. : Orange, VA, 1982, p.337, but I have yet to be able to obtain an affordable copy of this out of print book. Please email me if you ever come across it for less than $50!

6) Actually I am somewhat confused about this discrepancy. According to later census records, John Williamson Jr. states both that he was born in 1786 and that he was born in TN. The story of the two daughters in baskets also remains consistent across sources. However, I have never found a source saying the family relocated earlier than 1788, and indeed the Robertson/Donelson expeditions are not said to have arrived until Winter 1789. So either he was born later than reported (perhaps shortly after arriving?), or, my guess, he was actually born in VA after all. 

References

1) Williamson, J. F. "An American Pioneer Heritage: Michael Williamson and His Descendants". Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy & History, 1999, Vol. 13, N. 3, pp.99-105. http://www.mtgs.org/journal/default.html : 2023.

2) Doyle, A. J. "History and Genealogy of Daniel Webster Jones". Salt Lake City, UT : 1953, pp.9-11. https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/viewer/279828/?offset=#page=20&viewer=picture&o=&n=0&q= : 2023.

3) Cloyd, A. D. "Genealogy of the Cloyd, Basye, and Tapp families in America". Columbus, OH : The Champlain Press, 1912. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/11601/images/dvm_GenMono001160-00002-0?pId=2 : 2023. 

4) Chalkley, L. "The Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish Settlement in Virginia: 1745 to 1800". The Commonwealth Printing Company: Augusta Co., PA, 1912. https://sites.rootsweb.com/~chalkley/volume_1/vindx_cl.htm : 2023.

5) American Heritage. "The Scotch-Irish". https://www.americanheritage.com/scotch-irish : 2023.

6) Williamson, J. F. "A Tennessee Pioneer Heritage: Colonel Thomas Williamson and his Descendants". Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy & History, 1999, Vol. 7, N. 3, pp.104-108. http://www.mtgs.org/journal/default.html : 2023.

7) Pope County Historical Association Quarterly, Sept 1973, page 13 (I have not yet been able to locate this source).

8) Powell, G. "The Political Career of John L. Williamson". The Arkansas Historical Quarterly, Vol. 4, No. 3 (Autumn, 1945), pp. 231-233. (Note, there are some inaccuracies in this article, starting with the middle initial L., which was his son's name).

9) Daniels, C. "Historical Report of the Secretary of State 2008 (Arkansas)". https://ssl-sos-site.ark.org/uploads/elections/historical_report1210.pdf : 2023.

10) Cloydland Farm. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Cloyd_House : 2023.