| SPOUSE | CHILDREN | ||
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"Amy" or Annah m. by 1745 Long Cane Township SC b. 1725? ?SC d. after 1810 Avoyelles Parish, Orleans Terr. |
Susannah b. by 1765? ?SC ?SC |
Mary Ann b. by 1765 ?SC ?SC |
Elizabeth ?Wiley b. 1747? SC d. 1811 Nashville, Davidson Co. TN |
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Charles b. 1750? ?SC k. executed May 1774 Natchez, British West Florida |
William b. by 1765 ?SC d. ? ?SC |
Thomas Jr. b. by 1765 ?SC d. after 1818 ?Adams Co. MS |
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Joseph b. by 1769 ?SC d. after 1790 ?Natchez Dist. |
Simpson or Simon b. by 1774 ?SC d. after 1830 ?Adams Co. MS |
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On Nov 25, 1765 daughter Elizabeth married
Absalom Hooper, in Long Cane SC.
This area near Abbeville used to be Cherokee land, until
it became part of Granville and Colleton Counties, which in 1791 was replaced
by the Washington District of SC. |
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In 1769, son-in-law Absalom Hooper
witnessed a deed for land lying on Canes Creek,
a branch from the Long Canes in SC. Then, in 1770, Thomas Holmes sold 100 acres,
described as being "on which Absalom Hooper
lives" and lying on Russell Creek. |
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About 1770 son-in-law Absalom Hooper
was charged with being a horse thief and with murder.
He appeared for trial in Charleston SC, apparently made bail, and was to reappear
for a continuance the next spring, but he never showed up. |
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Thomas and Sarah Holmes moved to Natchez District in 1772. Sarah was described
as a widow in the Natchez Court Records in Jul 1781 as owning adjoining
land in the inventory of John Alston,
and as "Mrs. Holmes" in Jun 1777 owning land bordering "450 acres 5 mi. south
of the Natchez" claimed by Alston and also bordering land of son-in-law
Absalom Hooper [McBee, Book A,
pp. 1, 504]. On Sep 21, 1772, a British grant to Sarah Holmes of 200 acres was
"on waters of Middle Cr., b. by William Radcliff" [McBee, Book A, p. 548]. The
"Middle Cr." would be Second Creek, between St. Catherine's and Sandy Creeks. |
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On Sep 21, 1772, son-in-law Absalom Hooper
patented 250 acres from the British Govt. on Second Creek
near the Fort of Natchez in what was then British West Florida. "Absalom Hooper
claims 250 acres being unto me granted as above. Plat shows Indian Old Fields"
[McBee, Book F, p. 525]. That year, Absalom was the head of a
household in the Natchez area of British West Florida. His family would have
included 4 other members since the claimant was allowed 100 acres and 50 acres
for each additional family member. |
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1895 Map
of Natchez shows the likely routes of the Second and Sandy Creeks in 1772
[Ancestral Trackers website]. |
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On Sep 21, 1772, a Sarah Holmes was granted 200 acres "on waters of Middle
[Second] Cr., b. by William Radcliff" and
Joshua Howard witnessed claim #317 to
the land on May 26, 1804 [McBee, Book A, p. 548]. Sarah may have been a widow
of a son of Thomas Holmes, maybe Charles Holmes, who was executed
for murder in 1774. |
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In December 1772, son Charles and son-in-law
Absalom Hooper were involved with a gang
that killed a Frenchman named Carbonneau and four others, including two Negroes,
on the Mississippi River just south of the Yazoo River and north of Grand Gulf.
This crime managed to get recorded in several colonial newspapers. The gang
consisted of son Charles Holmes, Ennis [sic] Hooper,
Joshua Howard,
Absalom Hooper,
Richard Holloway, and Reason Young. |
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The Spanish Government from New Orleans captured
Joshua Howard, Innes Hooper
and Charles Holmes by the end of Spring 1773 and turned them over to the British
Government of West Florida [Davies, pp. 177-8, 242-243]. |
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The governors of both New Orleans and of British West Florida
tried to capture the culprits, but never managed to get the last three men
named. Joshua Howard gave evidence on
the crime, and [Absalom's brother] Ennis [sic] Hooper and Charles Holmes
both were hung in May 1774
[1774 Proclamation,
Rivington's New York Gazeteer, Aug 4, 1774]. |
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On Aug 18, 1776 Thomas Holmes, wrote his will in St. Marks Parish in the
"provence of South Carolina in Perfect & Sound Memory but Weak", wishing to be
"buried Decently [and] in a Christian Manner at the Discretion of my Executors".
Transcripts on microfilm of the will,
page 1 and
page 2, identified
his wife "Amy" and his three sons, "Charles, William [and] Thomas" who would
"when the eldest son comes of age" receive the "money" from 3 different
adjoining tracts of land, and his three daughters "Susannah [and] Mary Ann [and]
Elizabeth" who would equally share the money from "my Negro Cate with her two
children Peter [and] Ceasar" when the "Eldest Daughter comes of Age". Amy did
sign but her mark was recorded at "Ammah" [SCDAH]. |
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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 (where Absalom
also had a grant) in the Natchez District. 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. |
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Five days after the Howard petition, on Nov 11, 1776, son-in-law
Absalom Hooper's petition of pardon,
he being "accused of robbery on the Mississippi River" was considered by the West
Florida Govt. On the same day the land grant petition of
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]. |
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Map of
the Natchez District as it may have looked between 1779 and 1799. |
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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 Dec 1780
deposition 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 Absalom Hooper's daughter Sinia
[Papeles Procedente de Isla Cuba Records in the Archives of Seville, Spain
relating to U.S. History in the Spanish Provinces of Louisiana, Illinois and
Florida Occidental, microfilm]. |
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On Mar 19, 1782 son "Benj. Holmes" was one of three witnesses of the will of
James Perry, the brother of Daniel Perry Sr..
On Jan 12, 1783 Joseph Holmes and Benjamin Holmes were two of the three who
witnessed the will of William McIntosh
(1740?-1783) [McBee, Book A, pp. 14, 19-20]. |
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Son Thomas Holmes was married to the daughter of Judith Holston (nee King),
and had at least one child, since on May 7, 1784, Judith "Holstein" sued a
David Choat, claiming he had "carried off her daughter, the wife of Thomas Holmes,
and the child of said Holmes has also been carried away" by Choat and his daughter
[McBee, Book G, p. 321]. Judith King, possibly a sister of
Justus King, was the wife of Stephen Holston (1718-1787).
Her daughter Sarah (1755-1813) may have married John Choat Sr. (1751-1830), who
was a fugitive rebel in Oct 1781 [familysearch,org, website]. |
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In 1783, North Carolina created Davidson County, the first county in what became
the state of Tennessee in 1796 formed from the Southwest Territory. |
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On Nov 6, 1783 son-in-law Absalom Hooper
made a deposition in Davidson Co. regarding a Daniel Oglesby
who lived in Cumberland and previously in Natchez. A James Oglesby owned land on
Second Creek [McBee, Book C, p. 105]. Daniel made a deposition on Mar 23, 1821
that in 1785, he went to hunt with Absalom, crossed "the Red River about two
miles below where Phil Alston lived" and
met William Hooper [son] at the Muddy River, an area now in Logan Co. KY
[Logan Co. KY Abstracts of Equity Cases, vol 1, p. 20]. |
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Map of
the Cumberland Settlement in 1780 [Summerville]. |
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On Oct 4, 1784, son-in-law Absalom Hooper
recorded his stock mark, "a crop off each ear and
upper & lower slopes in each, commonly called Piggin Handles" [Davidson Co. Court
Minutes, Book A, page 42]. |
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In 1787, the first year Davidson County levied a tax on land and polls (persons),
the Absalom Hooper family had 7 taxable persons,
and his son had one taxable [Whitley, Pioneers of Davidson Co. Tennessee,
pp. 11-12]. |
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In late 1788, son Joseph Holmes and others witnessed a 500 arpent land
obligation that was declared paid on Feb 15, 1789 [McBee, Book A, p. 42]. |
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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]. |
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In a letter dated Mar 2, 1790, from
Carlos de Grand-Pré, Natchez to
Governor Don Estavan Miro, the amount of tobacco produced in 1790 was reported
by growers of Natchez. "Benjamin Holmes" reported producing 7,700 pounds of
tobacco and "Joseph Holmes" reported producing 6,500 pounds of tobacco
that year [MDAH, rootsweb website]. |
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On Jul 9, 1792 the family of son-in-law
Absalom Hooper and daughter Elizabeth was
living on the east side of Whites Creek when
"Absolom Hooper" deeded 48 acres
"on East side of Whites Creek, se corner of
preemption of 640 acres of Benjamin Drake Sr." to a David Earhart. This land
was adjacent to "Hoopers line of tract he now lives on" with Ennis Hooper [nephew]
one of the witnesses. The deed was recorded Jul 26, 1792 [Davidson Co. Deeds,
Book C, page 59]. |
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According to the
1792 Spanish
Census for the Natchez District, widow "Sarah Holms" was a head of household
in the Second & Sandy Creek section as was
Joshua Howard, a single person without
slaves. No Hooper households were counted at that time. Sarah Holmes had 200 arpents with 3 other White persons [sons Joseph & Simpson & Thomas Jr.] and 4 slaves, and the "Benjamin Holmes" household had 4 Whites on 400 arpents with 4 slaves [MDAH]. |
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In Oct 1792, the Stump distillery in Nashville TN was burned down by one of the
area tribes.
Frederick Stump was the first to distill
whiskey in the region. By 1795 the rebuilt distillery along Whites Creek was
producing up to 600 gallons of whiskey per year. Son-in-law
Absolom Hooper was also producing
whiskey as he was taxed for doing so by the end of the century [Tenn. State
Museum]. |
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On Sep 3, 1793 son Simpson gave a deposition in which
he asked William Glasscock about a foot
race "at Simon Holmes'" involving "Mr. Cobb"
and "the Smiths" [McBee, Book F, p. 267]. |
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| Granddaughter Sinah Hooper married John McCoy Alston (1767-1856), son of Philip Alston, on Jan 3, 1795 in Davidson Co. | |||
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On Aug 10, 1795 son-in-law "Absolom Hooper"
deeded to
"Bishop Francis Asbury" one half acre "adj.
Charles Parker line" with Joseph Hooper [son] and Samuel Hollis witnesses. The
deed was recorded Oct 13, 1795 [Davidson Co. Deeds, Book C, page 431]. |
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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]. |
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Granddaughter Letitia "Letty" Hooper married Aquila Jones, her second husband, on
Apr 16, 1798 in Davidson Co. TN. |
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In the half year ending Dec 31, 1799,
"Absolem Hooper" paid tax of 4.26 in
Distillery Tax to Davidson Co. [Record display, Tennessee State Museum,
Nashville TN]. |
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On Mar 21, 1804 son "Simon Holmes" witnessed a land sale from John King Sr.
to Benjamin Osman of 370 acres on St. Catherine's Creek that was part of 550
acre Spanish grant to Joseph Ford
[McBee, Book F, p. 434]. |
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On Mar 23, 1804, son-in-law Absalom Hooper's
250 acres on Second Creek was
claimed by the heirs of Samuel Wells [McBee, Book F, p. 442]. In 1796, a
Rebecca Wells married Robert Holloway,
the son of John Holloway who was killed
by Indians on nearby land on Second Creek. |
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The 200 acres on Second Creek that was granted to Sarah Holmes by British West
Florida was claimed by her on Feb 24, 1804 and witnessed by
Joshua Howard, and the certificate was issued
on Feb 27, 1805 [McBee, Book A, p. 548]. |
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In the 1810 Census for Louisiana,
a "Benjamin Holmes" household in Orleans Parish had: 1 male under age 10, 2 males between age 10-16, 1 male over age 45 (Benjamin born by 1765), 1 female between age 16-26, and 1 female between over age 45 (? wife), and 3 slaves. In the same census was a "Madam Holmes" (?Sarah) household in Avoyelles Parish, with only one member (female) over age 45 and 2 males and 2 females all older than 16, and 9 slaves. |
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In Jul 1812, an enumeration of the 2200+ free male inhabitants of Davidson Co.
included son-in-law Absolom Hooper and
his sons Absalom Jr. and Nimrod in Capt. Cloyd's Militia Company, which also
included a John Lucas, probably related to the two Hooper daughter-in-laws
[Whitley, Pioneers of Davidson Co. Tennessee, p. 22].
It seems that the Hooper men had all moved away from the Whites Creek section
after the mother Elizabeth Hooper died in 1811. |
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In the 1816 Adams Co. MS Census,
page 8
(line 19), there was a household "Thomas Holmes" with
one other male adult, a male child, a female [?wife, and daughter of
Judith King Holston], 7 female children, and 1 slave. Two years later
the household was the same except Thomas was the only male adult (page 21, line 11). In the 1816 census, on page 14, line 18, son "Simpson Holmes" was head of a household of 9 white persons and 19 slaves, and on page 13, line 16, son "Benjamin Holmes" was head of a household of 16 white persons and 20 slaves. In 1818, Simpson had 8 persons and 20 slaves. On page 33, line 25 of the same census a "Mrs. Holmes" had a large household with no adult males and 28 slaves, near 3 other Holmes households and the household of "Joshua Howard Sen." [MDAH, 1816 & 1818 Adams Co. Census, microfilm]. |
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In the 1830 Adams Co. MS Census, son Simpson headed a household of 3 free white
males and three white females, with one taxable [MDAH, 1830 Adams Co.
MS Census, microfilm p. 11, line 20]. Son Benjamin headed a household of
3 free white males, 1 free white female, one taxable [MDAH, 1830 Adams Co.
MS Census, microfilm p. 12, line 6]. |
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Sources: Adams Co. Mississippi Genealogy & History Network, "1792 Census for Natchez District (under Spanish Government control)", 2009, 1792 Census. Cumberland Compact, original document signed May 13, 1780, Washington County NC, website. Clayton, Prof. W.W., History of Davidson County Tennessee, reprod. 1971 by Charles Elder, Nashville TN. David Library of the American Revoution, "British Colonial Office Records CO5 West Florida Records", website, vol 593, item 107. Davidson Co. Deed Book C, pages 59, 431. Davies, K. G., ed., Documents of the American Revolution, 1770-1783, vol. VI “Transcripts 1773”, Irish University Press, Dublin, 1974, pp. 177-8, 242-243. Drake, Doug, Jack Masters and Bill Puryear, Founding of the Cumberland Settlements, The First Atlas, 1779-1804, Warioto Press, 2009, pp. 23, map E7. Fischer, Marjorie Hood, comp. Tennessee Tidbits 1778-1914 Volume I, II, Ram Press, Vista CA, p. 180. Logan Co. KY, Abstracts of Equity Cases, Vol 1, p. 20. McBee, May Wilson, comp., "Land Claims", in Natchez Court Records, 1767-1805, Book F, p. 434, 436, 442. McBee, May Wilson, comp., Natchez Court Records, 1767-1805, Greenwood MS, 1953, v. 2, Book A, pp. 1, 14, 19-20, 42, 450, 504-5, 518, 541, 548, Book F, pp. 267, 434, Book G, p. 321. MS Dept. of Archives & History (MDAH), Jackson MS, rootsweb, Americans Arriving in Spanish-Held Natchez 1780-1790. MDAH, Adams Co. MS 1816 Census, Territorial Census 1801-1816 website, microfilm. MDAH, Adams Co. MS 1818 Census, website, microfilm. MDAH, Adams Co. MS 1830 Census, State Census Returns 1818-1880, website, microfilm. MSGenWeb, Natchez District 1792 Census Index, comp. by Ellen Pack, Head of Household Index, transcribed and translated from Spanish. North Carolina Land Grants, vol. 2, at Morganton NC Library, p. 6, #1476, transcribed by Lisabeth M. Holloway Oct 9, 1987. Ragland, M.L., comp., "Holloway Succession Records of St. Helena Parish, LA", Greenwood MS, May 1990, pp. 6, 15-16. Rivington's New York Gazeteer, Aug 4, 1774. Papeles Procedente de Isla Cuba Records in the Archives of Seville, Spain relating to U.S. History in the Spanish Provinces of Louisiana, Illinois and Florida Occidental, microfilm. SC Dept. of Archives & History (SCDAH), Columbia SC, images of microfilmed records, downloaded from website, Summerville, James, Southern Epic, Gloucester Point VA, Hallmark, 1996. Tennessee, County Marriages, 1790-1950, "John Alston" Marriage Record, p. 8. Wells, Carol, Natchez Postscripts 1781-1798, Heritage Books, pp. 101, 144-5, 151, Tennessee Co. Marriages, 1790-1950. Tennessee State Museum, Nashville TN, Tennessee Distillery Tax Ledger, years 1795-1802, inside display case. USGenWeb Archives, contr. by Houston Tracy Jr., "Deposition of William Wall, 20 Dec 1780", microfilm folio 458-9. Tennessee State Library and Archives, Davidson Co. Tennessee Will Book 4, page 246, Microfilm Roll No. 427. Whitley, Edythe Rucker, comp., Pioneers of Davidson County, Tennessee, Clearfield Publ., 2009. Will Books 3 and 4, Wilkes County, North Carolina, 1811-1848, The Genealogical Society of "Original" Wilkes County), Will Book 3, "Estate of Joshua Howard", Oct 1814, page 89, 120. |
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