William McLemore

Notes:

James McLemore, III writes that . "Assuming William came with his father Wright to NC in 1750+/-, I assume his son William Jr. was born in Sampson Co., NC, but it's close enough that it could have been either Va. or NC. It was this William Jr. who I have as the ancestor of a lot/most? of the Johnson County NC family, of which our local high school principal Thomas McLemore is a member."

William McLemore was patented land (#2087) on 29 Oct 1772 in Duplin County (Bk 47, pg 94)...150 acres, grant #355, issued...entry #489, entered June 26, 1779, book #47, pg 94 -- E. side of Little Cohera. This later became part of Sampson County. (Courtesy of Robert McLemore Butler)

I have in my notes, unsourced, a reference to a deed between McLemore, William Grantee Book 6, Page 432 Deed Southey FISHER to William McLEMORE Dated 30 Nov 1779 30 pounds for 100 acres "on the side of little Cohary beg by marsh branch" Wit: John MORGAIN and Joseph FOULLER

Could he also be the father of Mary McLEMORE, who wed Jordan GILLAM in Sampson/Duplin County, NC in 1779. Bond: Harris GILLAM Wit: John Heflin Cooper

Sampson County Deeds Book Book 7, Page 294 Abstract of Deed William McLEMORE to Gabriel HOLMES

Dated 24 December in the...year after American Independence and the Year of our Lord 1780...

Between William McLEMORE of the province of North Carolina and County of Duplin and Gabriel HOLMES of the (locations) aforesaid

William McLEMORE for the sum of Thirty (30) pounds paid by Gabriel HOLMES .....convey a certain plantation...containing by survey One Hundred (100) acres of land lying and being in the County aforesaid On the East side of little Cohary being the plantation whereon the above said William McLEMORE now hath his dwelling...beginning by the marsh Branch ...Gabriel HOLMES...running up the Branch North East...running to the said Gabriel HOLMES line to the Beginning of the said land for Southey FISHER ....date the twenty second day of July 1774...conveyed by deed from the said FISHER for the aforesaid William McLEMORE....date the November 30th 1779 and from the said William McLEMORE to the above said Gabriel HOLMES...(to include) all mines and minerals saving an fifth part of the ore of gold and silver...and minerals together with the liberty of Hunting Fishing and Trawling... .....Rents of four shillings...for every hundred acres of land hereby bargained and sold which yearly will become due and the said William McLEMORE for himself his heirs....

In Witness whereof I the said William McLEMORE have....set my hand...and affixed the day and year ....William McLemore (Seal) Signed sealed and delivered in the presence of Owen HOLMES John (his mark) MORGAIN State of North Carolina Duplin County January Court 1782 William Dickson, CC Registered in....September 1783 by Richard CLINTON Regstr

(abstracted by Melinda McLemore Strong on 5 July 2005)

William married ??? ??? about 1752. ??? was born before 1736; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Married:
Could they also have had a son named Drew? (Drew was one of the first taxpayers of Sampson County, NC, along with William, West and Archibald)..

James McLemore, III thinks he was also the father of Elias McLemore, born ca 1758.

1. William McLemore, Jr. was born between 1755 and 1756 in North Carolina; and died.
2. West McLemore was born between 1757 and 1758 in Southampton County, Virginia; died about 1818 in Sampson County, North Carolina.
3. Archibald McLemore was born between 1759 and 1762 in Southampton County, Virginia; died between 1820 and 1830 in Sampson County, North Carolina.

Notes:

Wright MACKLEMORE had 140 acres of land patented to him on the south side of Poplar Swamp in Isle of Wight County (the southwestern part, later Southampton County), Virginia on August 1, 1734 (Patent Book 15, pg. 242). Since Wright was not among the known sons of James and Fortune, and therefore must have been one of, if not THE, oldest grandson. Hence his father had to have been James' eldest son, William, as no one else could have been married by 1713, the latest date possible for Wright's birth.

Wright is known to have had at least four sons (and possibly a fifth) and two daughters. After 1750, he and his sons Wright Jr., William, Moses, and Drewry (and according to Rudy H. Leverett, also a James), and two daughters Judeth, wife of William PITMAN, and ???, wife of James WIGGINS, are found in Edgecombe County on or near land devised to Wright's father William Sr. by James, the original immigrant. Several of these family members moved southward into Duplin (later Sampson) County, North Carolina, in the 1770's, where Wright's son William is credited with founding a large family line. (James L. McLemore, III, p 51).

Robert McLemore (Bob) Butler PO Box 487Fuquay Varina, NC 27526 Email: rmbnc@juno .com
Briar Branch Baptist Church is the third oldest Baptist Church in Bladen County. The church had its beginning as a mission of the Beaver Dam Baptist Church of Sampson County [ed: Cumberland County] which some years ago was in Bladen County. According to the records of the Beaver Dam Baptist Church that church began holding conferences at Briar Branch on Saturday before the fourth Lords Day in October of 1828. This was some four years before White Lake Baptist Church was constituted as the Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church and some six years before Hickory Grove Baptist Church was constituted. But Briar Branch continued to be a mission of Beaverdam Church until 1843, and was not duly constituted.

In a conference at Briar Branch on Saturday before the fourth Lord's Day in October of 1843, Beaver Dam Baptist Church agreed to dismiss the following members to constitute the church at Briar Branch: Amos Cain, Daniel L. Smith, Daniel Smith, Daniel Register, George W. Downing, Thomas Sessoms, William D. Smith, Baseter Davis, Edward Davis, Beaman West, Sarah A. Smith, Rhoda Gardner, Mary A. Downing, Elizabeth Smith, Aley Bryant, Margaret Sessoms, Anna M. Tatum, Elsa McLemore, May J. Tatum, Mary J. Reeves, Mary Register, John Smith, Sr., Evin Downing, William Harvey, John H. Tatum, William J. Cowan, Daniel R. Cain, John D. Smith, Owen J. Gardner, Nathan H. Jones, Meredith Cain, Helen Davis, Francis Sessoms, Ann J. Harvey, Mary Smith, Susan Smith, Martha Smith, Elizabeth A. Downing, Jane Weeks, Susan Smith, Sr., Mary Sessoms, Molsey Davis, James Smith, Theophlus Tatum, Wright McLemore, John Downing, James S. Beard, John Cain, Milton J. Smith, Thomas B. Cowan, William C, West, John Edge, Elizabeth Cain, Mary Downing, Pen[n]y Hayes, Sarah Suggs, Claressa Beard, Susan Smith, Zillpha Smith, Mary A. Cain, Francis Sessoms, Martha West.

Wright married ??? ??? between 1731 and 1733. ??? was born before 1715; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Thought by some researchers to be Lavinia Drury, but this is not proven.

Notes:

Married:
James L. McLemore, III writes "But when we get down to Wright's children, I have come up with some dates of birth based on my analysis of Leverett's appendix entries in the third edition of his book "Ole Rosinheels", and the order of births then based on that analysis. I may start to get a lot of argument from one or more of you as to that, and in fact I am not entirely satisfied with having so many children born so close together (one year apart). But since several of these children went to the Duplin/Sampson/Bladen Counties area together, I figure the best place to start our discussion would be the basics, i.e., getting Wright's family more or less solidified (to the extent we can), or at least discussed, before going on down to the next generation or so where we find so many possible ancestors for those of you still trying to hook up."

Notes:

The Scotch had a rather strict custom for naming their children; the oldest son was generally named for the father's father. On this basis, James Macklemore's father would have been named William, and this is supported by the fact that William is the only name duplicated by Abraham in naming his own sons. (James L. McLemore, III, p 39).

William received a portion of the Mosley patent (as his inheritance from his father), which included a part of the island as well as land on the south side of the river, and these lands were apparently the farthest east or downstream. These lands on the island and on the south bank of the Roanoke fell into Edgecombe County when it was formed in 1741. It was the luck (or misfortune) of these early McLemores that they always seemed to end up near or right on political boundary lines; so although the modern researcher's physical task of tracing the records is made more difficult, it has nevertheless aided him in following the seperate family lines to know that, though close together, they fell into different jurisdictions and can be traced generally in separate counties. (James L. McLemore, III, pp 46, 47).

At least three sons have been tentatively ascribed to him, though he left no will so absolute proof is lacking. His oldest surviving son was named Wright, who was probably born not later than 1713, as he was probably at least twenty-one when he was granted a land patent in 1734. The other two sons were William Jr. and Richard, whose birth dates are unknown, but who were both apparently born before 1729 (perhaps considerably before). Other than the devises granted him by his father's will, there are no references which can be positively ascribed to William MACLEMORE Sr. He is believed to have settled initially in Virginia, near the area where his parents had lived before moving to the Roanoke River, because at least two of his sons had connections there---Wright in Isle of Wight County and Richard appeared close to the Virginia McLemore's in South Carolina. (James L. McLemore, III pp 50, 51).

William married ??? ??? about 1712. ??? was born after 1691; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Believed by many to have the maiden name of WRIGHT, based on the name of their eldest son.

Notes:

Married:
Thought by many to have married a woman whose last name was WRIGHT based on the name of his son. His brother, Ephraim, also named a son WRIGHT. They both may have married into the WRIGHT family, or it might be that the WRIGHT surname belonged to a common ancestor, and was not the last name of either of their spouses.

Notes:

Both James and (brother?) Abraham Macklemore settled on the banks of the Roanoke River, just across the Virginia-North Carolina line following its establishment by the Byrd Commission in 1728. Just what had the Macklemores been doing, just where they had been located, during the period from Mun. Macklemore's importation in 1681 to the 1732 repatent of the James Macklemore patent following his removal to North Carolina, has long been a matter of inquiry and dispute. Without further record, we may never know for sure. (James L. McLemore, III, p 36). It is assumed that James and Abraham were immigrants, but it is possible they were born on U.S. soil to an unknown progenitor, possibly even Mun. Maklemore.

Mun. Macklemore is the earliest recorded family member in the Americas. His relationship to James and Abraham is unknown. Although it has been speculated he might be the father of James Macklemore he is more likely an uncle or cousin, based on their projected ages.

James began having his children while still in Virginia. It is probable that all six (known) children were born prior to James' 1714 patent adjoining Richard Washington. (James L. McLemore, III, p 40).

Will, dated 7 Feb 1733/4 Bertie Co., NC: (Extract courtesy of Mark Freeman)

" ... being sick and weake of body ..."

Son William Macklemore - plantation formerly laid off for George Mosley. Son James Macklemore - plantation where I now live, and the land from the line formerly laid off to Mosley to the riverbank. Son Charles Macklemore - rest of the land from the riverbank to the head. Son Ephraim Macklemore - 70 or 80 acres on Peehill Creek on the upper side of the first branch of the creek. Sons William and James - cattle each. Daughter Margery Macklemore and son Charles Macklemore - cow and calf each. Sons William, James, Charles, and Ephraim - sows and pigs each. Remaining estate to my wife Fortain Macklemore for her lifetime with reversion to my said children.

Ex. wife

Wit. John Doyle, Abraham Macklemore, Thomas Roberson

Most of James' children moved along the edge of the frontier in north central North Carolina in the early to mid 18th century, and their families are not as easily traced. Some speculation is therefore involved in the following outline of their activities. A careful review of the last will and testament of James Macklemore can aid the reader in understanding the early subsequent history of his sons. As we shall see shortly, the oldest two boys, William and John, had grown to manhood while the family lived in Virginia, and remained there to start families.

William, either due to being the oldest son or stronger ties to his father, was left land by his father. John, already firmly established with land of his own--and being a younger son---was left money instead. James left most of his land to be divided among his three younger sons, and by devising oldest son William with them as well, he preordained that the descendants of the younger three, plus descendants of William, would be Carolinians (at least initially), and that John's posterity would comprise the Virginia branch of the family. (James McLemore, III, p 46).

James married Fortune Gilliam about 1690. Fortune (daughter of John Gilliam and Margaret Henshaw) was born between 1668 and 1671 in Surry County, Virginia; died after 1736 in Bertie County, North Carolina. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Fortune or Fortain. Assumed to be the daughter of John and Margery GILLIAM, she would have had to have been one of their youngest children (if not the youngest), as she was probably born with a few years of the time of her father's death in 1671.(James L. McLemore, III, p 39).

Robert McLemore Butler shows her date of death as 12 May 1754 in Surry County, Virginia, much later than the date shown by James McLemore and Mark Freeman.

Billy W. McLemore of Alabama shows her to be half-Cherokee Indian.