Main
John Alston
Born Apr 18, 1735 Bertie Co. NC
Died Jul 2, 1802 ?New Madrid or West Feliciana Parish, Spanish Louisiana

Go to:
Father
SPOUSE CHILDREN
Elizabeth Hines

m. 1760?

b.
?NC
d. Jul 1781
?Petit Gulf, Natchez Dist.
Philip Louis (or Lewis)

b. 1764?
Chowan Co. NC
d. Nov 16, 1802
West Feliciana Parish
Anne

b. 1765?
?

William

b. 1769?
?Natchez Dist.

Jacob

b. 1770?
Natchez Dist.
d. 1856
Lucy

b. 1774"
Natchez Dist.

Solomon

b. 1775?
Natchez Dist.
d. after Mar 31, 1804
Henry

b. 1770?
Natchez Dist.
d. Aug 3, 1781
Petit Gulf, Natchez Dist.
John was born in Bertie Co. NC. Edgecombe Co. NC was formed in 1741 from Bertie Co. (Map), then became part of Granville Co. in 1754 (Map), and Warren Co. was formed in 1779 (Map), See Map of the region in 1746 from the Granville County 1746 Society's website.
In April 1781, a person named "Stille" [probably John Stillee], a messenger for the merchant Alexander McIntosh, with whom he resided on St. Catherine's Creek, was forced to be part of a plan to take over the Fort of Natchez from the Spanish guard. Among these rebels was John Alston, who forged the message using his skill in handwriting [JFH Claiborne, pp. 127-8].
The Commandant of the Natchez District received notice of the death on Jul 29, 1781 of Elizabeth Alston. On that date a Conveyance was issued to appoint the guardian of the surviving children, and an Estate Inventory was performed, listing 16 slaves as well as lands and buildings [McBee, Book A, p. 1].
On Sep 5, 1781 John sold "all his cattle" to a William Brocus, as witnessed by John Townshend. By Sep 29, 1781 John Alston had "absconded" when the rest of his estate was put up for sale [McBee, Book A, p. 3, Book F, p. 235].
Joshua Howard was among those who petitioned the British Govt. of West Florida for land on Nov 6, 1776. He was given a warrant for 200 acres on Second Creek in the Natchez District and the receipt for surveying fees was dated Jan. 22, 1777. After the Spaniards took possession of the territory, Howard left the Natchez District for the Cumberland Settlement in an area of far western North Carolina that later became Nashville TN. He returned to Natchez at the end of 1788.
On Nov 11, 1776, the petition of Absalom Hooper for pardon, he being "accused of robbery on the Mississippi", was considered by the West Florida government. On the same day the land grant petition of brother Philip Alston was considered. On Dec 10 and 16, the land grant petition of John Alston was also considered [David Library of the American Revolution, West Florida Records, vol 593, no. 107].
On Oct 19, 1778 brother Philip Alston bought 200 acres from Philip Barbour. The land was located just below Petit Gulf. He had asked for 1,100 acres five days earlier from West Florida. John Alston had also requested land "but no locations were designated" [McBee, p. 592].
Map of the Natchez District as it may have looked between 1779 and 1799.
In January and October 1779, Absalom Hooper signed Loyalist petitions to the governor of British West Florida. On 27 Oct 1780, he was named in a deposition now held in Seville, Spain. Several others named in depositions in the record series in late 1780 include Joshua Howard, Thomas Holmes, and Philip Alston, father of John McCoy Alston who in 1795 married Hooper's daughter Sinia.
By May 1780, brother Philip Alston was in the new Cumberland Settlement in Washington Co. in western NC territory (now TN). Philip, along with about 250 other men over the age of 16, signed the Cumberland Compact created May 1, 1780. It was finalized on May 13 and established a provisional government for the isolated area; provided for the election of twelve representatives from the eight stations or forts; provided for a Sheriff, a Clerk, a Militia that required service by all men over age 16, and for the adjudication of causes, the administration of estates, and the awarding of executions. Image of page 4 of what survived of the original Compact. The signature, of "Philip Alston" is next to last of all signatures, just below that of "Howard Lucas". It appears to be written with his own pen and in perfect script.
A possible son or nephew of John also signed the Cumberland Compact in May 1780. Image of page 3. The signature of "Thos W. Alston" is third of the signatures on the page. To sign, he would have to be sixteen, born by 1763, which would make him the first born son of John or Philip Alston. The two Alston signatures are similar.
Washington Co., previously Washington District, was formed by North Carolina in 1777 and extended west to the Mississippi River, mostly containing land inhabited by five different tribes of Native Americans, but mostly Cherokee. In 1779, the Cumberland Settlement was created by the granting of land by the NC government. In 1783 this settlement was mostly contained in the newly formed Davidson Co. and surrounded by Indian Lands, and Virginia and Kentucky to the North. Map of the Cumberland Settlements showing Forts, known as Stations, in present-day counties.
Joshua Howard arrived in the Cumberland Settlement from the Natchez District by the beginning of 1781. He eventually was assigned Captain of the Freeland's Station on Mar 15, 1783 [Clayton, p. 37].
John Alston and John Smith, participated in a 1781 attempt to overthrow the Spanish in Natchez. After the Apr 1781 rebellion to take control of Fort Panmure at Natchez, and about the time Spain was ceded control of British West Florida, "John Alston with another small party of loyalists, which seems to have included Captains Blomart and Winfrey, Parker Carradine, George Rapalje, John Smith, and William Eason, made his way to the Creek nation, where he and his companions were arrested by the Indians. After being carried to Mobile, they were carried to New Orleans and condemned to death on the charge of rebellion, but were pardoned by the Governor" by Jul 5, 1784 [Siebert, Loyalists in West Florida, p, 13].
On Jun 17, 1782 two lands of John Alston were confiscated "for use of the King" of Spain. One was 800 acres on Second Creek in the Narchez District very near the British grant of Joshua Howard.
Niece Frances married James Dromgoole in 1782, in the Natchez District.
On Jul 4, 1786, the McIntosh brothers William and James, administrators of the estate and guardians of the children of John Alston, declared to the Natchez District Commandant that a 20 year old slave named King had been stolen by James Drumgoole and Philip Alston. King had "formerly belonged to the 'robber' Philip Alston" [McBee, p. 34].
On Dec 31, 1788, "Joucha Hayward" arrived in Natchez from "Cumberland/Tennessee", not listed among the flatboats and without family. In a letter dated Mar 2, 1790, from Carlos de Grand-Pré, Natchez, Mar 2, 1790 to Governor Don Estavan Miro, the amount of tobacco was reported by growers of Natchez. A "Joshua Houvard" reported producing 5000 pounds of tobacco [MS Dept of Archives & History, website].
On Oct 26, 1789 The mother of James and William McIntosh, "Eunice McIntosh, widow, [sold] to Ithamar Andrews a negro named King, aged 23, nat. of Va., for $550 (Mexican), terms" and James McIntosh witnessed the transaction for Mrs. McIntosh [McBee, Book B, p. 71]. James and his brother William had reported King stolen on Jul 4, 1786.
Son Lewis married Marianna Gray but she died Feb 28, 1790 in Natchez, when she is identified as his wife when he signed an inventory along with a Mr. Ruffin Gray who "represents that his sister Marian Gray, lawfully married to Lewis Alston" [McBee, p. 343]. He then married Rebecca Smith, who was born in SC in 1772 and died Oct 7, 1822 in Wilkinson Co. MS. They were raising children in what became West Feliciana Parish by 1792 [Geni.com, website].
New Feliciana was in what became in 1810 Feliciana Parish (see present day map for location). It borders Mississippi south of Natchez.
By Jan 16, 1791, the will of Frederick Calvit, dated Sep 22, 1790, was opened. Son "Lewis Alston" was one of the witnesses [McBee, Book B, p. 81].
According to the 1792 Spanish Census for Natchez District, "Juan Alston" and brother "Phelipe Luis Alston" were each heads of household in the District of Buffalo Creek, which was replaced by parts of Adams and Wilkinson Cos. MS [MSGenWeb, 1792 Census Index]. A different translation has a "Juan Haton" with 1200 arpents of land (about 1,000 acres), 3 White persons [possibly John, son Solomon and ?], and 13 Black persons, in the same area, which was south of Natchez [Adams Co. Miss. Gen. & Hist. Network].
On Mar 31, 1804, after John died, son Solomon claimed "as heir and representative" 450 acres 5 miles south of Natchez granted to John Alston on Jun 16, 1777 by the British Govt. This land back then bordered the lands of Absalom Hooper and "Mrs. Holmes" [McBee, p. 504].
Nephew John McCoy Alston married Sinah Hooper, daughter of Absalom Hooper, on Jan 3, 1795 in Davidson Co. when it was part of the Southwest Territory.
Petit Gulf where the Alston family owned land is now part of Jefferson Co., created from Adams Co., Mississippi Territory, in 1796 (see present day map).
Joshua Howard had become "Conservator of the Peace for the Southern District, Mississippi Territory" by Oct 27, 1798 when two men swore to the truth of statements made re: suit involving Elizabeth Still Lee lending a slave girl Peg to her son-in-law Alexander Freeland in the Summer of 1796. She had made her deposition before Cato West, Howard's counterpart in the Northern District [Ragland p.6].
On Mar 24, 1804 Capt. John Stump claimed a lot in Natchez. Lot no. 4, Square no. 26 in the town of Natchez was originally granted on Oct 3, 1795 to Louisa Higdon before she became the wife of John Wylie. Louisa and John Wylie deeded the lot to John Stump "of Davidson Co. Tennessee" [McBee, p. 450]. John's sister, Anna Guice, named her daughter born in 1807 Louisa.
In the 1816 Franklin Co. MS Census, page 4 (line 17), there is a household headed by "Jonathan Guice" with:
2 males over 20 [Jonathan],
1 male under 20 [son Nathaniel],
1 female over 20 [Anna Stump, John's sister],
4 females under 20 [daughters Salome, Elizabeth, Barbara, Louisa],
and 10 slaves.
Franklin Co. MS was founded in 1809 (see present day map for location).
Sources:
Adams Co. Mississippi Genealogy & History Network, "1792 Census for Natchez District (under Spanish Government control)", 2009, 1792 Census.
Claiborne, J.F.H., Mississippi as a Province, Territory and State, with Biographical Notices of Eminent Citizens, vol. 1, Power & Barksdale, Jackson, MS, 1880, pp. 126-131.
Clayton, Prof. W.W., History of Davidson County Tennessee, reprod. 1971 by Charles Elder, Nashville TN.
Corbitt, D. L., The formation of the N.C. counties, 1663-1943, Dept. Arch. & Hist, Raleigh NC, 1950, 323 pp.
Cumberland Compact, original document signed May 13, 1780, Washington County NC, website.
David Library of the American Revoution, "British Colonial Office Records CO5 West Florida Reords", website, vol 593, item 107.
Drake, Doug, Jack Masters and Bill Puryear, Founding of the Cumberland Settlements, The First Atlas, 1779-1804, Warioto Press, 2009, pp. 23, map E7.
Gurganos, Ray, "Ray's Extended Family Tree", website.
McBee, May Wilson, comp., Natchez Court Records, 1767-1805, Greenwood MS, 1953, v. 2, Book A, p. 1-3, 34, 450, 541, Book B, pp. 71, 81, Book F, p. 235, pp. 343, 592.
MS Dept. of Archives & History (MDAH), Jackson MS, rootsweb, Americans Arriving in Spanish-Held Natchez 1780-1790.
MSGenWeb, Natchez District 1792 Census Index, comp. by Ellen Pack, Head of Household Index, transcribed and translated from Spanish.
Rowland, Dunbar, "1816 Census for Franklin Co. Miss.", taken from The Official and Statistical Register of the State of Mississippi,Centennial Edition, 1917, rootsweb website.
Siebert, Wilbur H., Loyalists in West Florida, vol II, no. 4, p. 13.
Tennessee, County Marriages, 1790-1950, "John Alston" Marriage Record, p. 8.
Wells, Carol, Natchez Postscripts 1781-1798, Heritage Books, pp. 101, 144-5, 151.
Will Books 3 and 4, Wilkes County, North Carolina, 1811-1848, The Genealogical Society of "Original" Wilkes County), Will Book 3, "Estate of Joahua Howard", Oct 1814, page 89, 120.