The Widows of Wharf

Phillip Lynch appears only in one United States census, the very first, 1790, but he appears in that one twice, in Montgomery and in Anson. 

That must have been the year he crossed the river, that muddy, stone-filled, trifling- more-than- a- creek, steam known as 'The Rocky River', that forms a border between Stanly and Anson Counties. As seen in my previous post, Phillip is found first in Montgomery County, in the part that would become Stanly, and later in Anson, in the area that would become known as Wharf, for a time.

He bought land that bordered Green Roper, my Winfield relatives, Griffin Nash, and a Joshua Davis who had married Hannah Hogan, daughter of William Hogan. Then as soon as Joshua Davis dropped from sight, my ancestor, Job Davis appears. That's a fact that has piqued my interest in Phillip Lynch. 

In his Anson and in his Montgomery appearance, he appears as head of a family of three, himself, a male over 16, and two females. One would be his wife, Elizabeth, and the other, unknown, but possibly a firstborn daughter, as we can't be quite sure when some of his daughters were born.

In the 1800 census, no Lynch or Linch is to be found, but Phillip and his family should have been living in the following neighborhood.

There's William Marshall, James Marshall and Isaac Ambercrombe, who were all living near him in deeds. On up the page is my ancestor, Peter Winfield, before he passed away in 1802, and his estate divided between his heirs, who were Phillips neighbors. Next to Peter is Richard Howell, his son-in-law, whose household would have included my 4th Great Grandmother, Sarah Winfield Howell Davis. Richard would also die not long after this census, but after Peter, and before Phillip Lynch. I can't help but wonder if the Phillip Smith, just before Abercrombie, was actually Phillip Lynch. 

The family structure fits, two sons, one daughter missing, but not all of his daughters were born before 1800. The oldest female besides his wife, Elizabeth, may not have been a daughter at all, which is what I am thinking. I can't find this Phillip Smith in the next census, or in any deeds in this area.

The above map is the section that would fit like a puzzle piece to the section in the above map that says "Wharf". It would sit north of the previous map, between Davis Ford and Crump Ford. This one is from the early 20th century and called "The Furr Map".

We really can't know when Philip Lynch was born, nor from whence he came. If someone knows, I'd like that information. So I can't say if he was an older father with a younger wife, or a young father who became sick. I would guess the former, because Elizabeth "Betsy" Lynch would outluve him by over four decades, and Philip had accumulated lots of property and possessions, too much for most younger men. 

He wrote his Will on November 15, 1807, and passed away, not long after. My translation is below, leaving out most of the "legalese" and metanoia. 

So, we know Phillip had a wife, Betsy, short for Elizabeth, two sons, Green and John, and four daughters, Sally (Sarah), Catey (Catherine), Nancy and Betsy II, (Elizabeth). Most, if not all, of the children were minors at this time. The three whose years of birth I am aware of at this juncture, were John W. Lynch, 1799, Betsy, 1804, and Nancy, about 1807, so these three of the six, at least, were very young when his Will was written. 

Elizabeth appears as a widow in 1810. She's between 26 and 44. Only five of her children are still at home, meaning one daughter has married, and I believe that one to be Sarah, which we'll see why later. Her oldest son was between 16 and 25, which would have to be Green, or in full, Edmond Green Lynch. The younger son between 10 and 15, John W. Lynch would have been 11. One daughter would have been between 10 and 15, Catey, and two under 10, Betsy and Nancy.

Just for a quick reference, there is a deed recorded in Anson County, supposedly from Montgomery County, NC, dated August 21, 1810 "Jane Norwood to Phillip Lynches Heirs", in Book O, Page 375.

This brief document referred to an older deed dated April 12, 1800, where Thomas Norwood of Montgomery County sold to Phillip Lynch of Anson County, for 100 pounds, a tract of land on Indian Camp Branch bordering John Gibson. Witnesses were Whitmell Ryle and Hugh Ross, Hugh Ross, a large land trader himself, shown as a neighbor of Phillip Lynch. A decade later, Jane Norwood is renounciing her right of dower to the heirs of Philllip Lynch. I don't know where Indian Camp Branch is, I'd like to know. It has a very interesting name.

In July of 1815, the actual division of the property of Phillip Lynch began, although it was clear he had passed away beofre 1810. The delay may have had something to do with the age of most of the children. By 1815, most of them had reached a solid age. John W Lynch, for example, was 16, his brother Green would have been twenty or more. Isaac Abercrombie, Edward Winfield, C. Coppedge, John Grady and Josiah Allen were appointed as Commissioners to divide the estate of Phillip Lynch. It didn't seem to go as his Will had required, most likely due to debts of the family. 

Lot 1 went to Nancy Lynch, consisting of 50 acres valued at  $129,  adjoining Job Davis (my 4th Great Grandfather) and Thomas Avett, (his brother-in-law, they married sisters). Phillip Lynch had left Nancy 250 acres on Jacobs Creek in his will.

Lot 2 went to Sally "Cawton", 50 acres valued at 139, adjoining the properties of Griffin Nash and Thomas Avett, again, sons-in-law of Peter Winfield and brothers-in-law of Job Davis. This property was up against the old Winfield property that had been divided out to the four children of Peter Winfield.

Lot 3 went to Green Lynch, 250 acres valued at $180 that bordered the lands of Griffin Nash and "Varhine", referring to Everett Verhine, whose name comes up in other documents.

Lot 4 went to Catey Lynch, 100 acres vales at $260, bordered Isaac Abercrombe and was called 'Sanders Old field".  Phillip had willed Sanders Old Field to his daughter Sally, and Catey was to get 250 acres on Mountain Creek that belonged to her father. The Will was not being followed at all. 

Lot 5 went to John Lynch, only 36 acres, but valued at $190 and bordered William Marshall and the Rocky River. The value of the property may have been because it was riverfront property. John had been willed a tract of land called 'Hyde's Folly', that bordered the property of Job Davis. 

Lot 6 went to daughter, Betsy Lynch, a 48 acres tract valued at $194 and bordered the properties of her mother, Elizabeth and brother, John. This land was in Anson County and Betsy had been deeded 100 acres on Long Creek in Montgomery (Stanly) County. I wondered what had become of Phillips properties in Montgomery County?

The document was signed by the Commissioners, men who were neighbors and members of the "Wharf" area community; Isaac Abercrombie, Edward Winfield, the only son of Peter Winfield, whos property Phillip Lynch bordered; C. Coppedge, John Grady and Josiah Allen. 

One noticable thing was that one daughter, Sally, was no longer a Lynch. Other deeds would make it clear that Sally, or Sarah, had married a man named William Cawthon, Cathon, Cawthorn or Cawthorne. William was the only member of his family in Anson County, so he wasn't a local. I wonder if he came just to marry Sally. The Cawthons and the Lynches seem to have came from Granville County, and Mecklenburg County, Virginia prior to that.

Above is William and Sally and family in 1820 Anson County. It shows both parents being between 26 and 44. If Sally was 26, she would have been born in 1794. They have a boy between 10 and 15 in the home and three under 10, and well as 2 girls under 10. That's 6 children by 1820, and they also had 5 slaves in the household. 

1820 was the census where the citizens were listed in alphabetical order, by district, or township. The Cawthons lived in 'Coppedge".

Elizabeth Lynch is not listed as a Head of Household in 1820, but son Edmund Green Lynch is, and it appears that Elizabeth is living with him. The younest daughter is now between 10 and 15, or a birth year of 1805-1810. John W. Lynch doesn't appear to be in the home. He may have been living with Tod Robinson, which will be seen later. 

Several interesting deeds give a little input into the missing children and the movement of the heirs of Phillip Lynch. 

April 3, 1821 Jordan Howell, John W Howell of Fayetteville NC and Levy Stancill& wife Charlotte,of Montgomery County, NC sold property to Peter Howell of Anson County, 140 acres for $300 beginning at a Mulberry onthe Riverbank (Rocky), beginning at Griffin Nash'es line and joins Lynch and Nashes corner. It was witnessed by Stephen Nash and Darling Allen. Book U Page 1.

This was an important document in my own family and in that of the Lynches. Jordan Howell, John W. Howell, Charlotte Howell Stancill and Peter Howell, were the four older children of my 4th Great Grandmother, Sarah Winfield Howell Davis. Their father, Richard Howell had passed away. Peter, the oldest, took over his father's plantation. Jordan and John W. Howell, the middle two children, became merchants and moved to the trading town of Fayetteville, where their stepfather, Job Davis, owned property on Haymount and a brick townhouse on Hay Street. They were members of Hay Street Methodist Episcopal Church. Charlotte, the youngest, married Methodist Minister Levi Stancill and they would move to Georgia. But what does this have to do with the Lynch family, besides being neighbors. Stephen Nash and Darling Allen ! Both married Lynch daughters. 

Stephen Nash was the son of Griffin Nash. He would marry Nancy Lynch. They would have one son, James W. Nash, whom Griffin would name in his will, as Stephen would die a young man. 

Darling Allen Jr. would marry Catherine "Catey" or Katie Lynch. The above would be Darling Jr. because his father, Darling Allen Sr., was deceased by this time. They would have a number of children, whom I haven't nailed down completely yet, but the oldest son was named Edmund. Darling would outlive Catey and remarry to Eliza Harrison, and have more children, so which child belongs to which mother is still elusive. 

Also in 1821, a deed found in Book T, Page 311 Anson County, Elizabeth Lynch sells to Oliver Coppedge, for $275, a little 10 year old girl named "Chain" , guaranteed to be sound. This wasn't a random exchange. Oliver H. Coppedge was also a son-in-law. Witness was C. Coppedge, probably Charles.

Conestoga Wagon 1883 by Newbald Hough Trotter.

The mid to late 1820's was a time of upheavel and movement in piedmont North Carolina. Partially because of land opening up for settlement, and also due to allotments from service in the War of 1812. It was rare for a person or family to leave alone. For support, and for safety, they usually traveled in groups. When you see a family who migrated in a particular spot and then notice people with familiar names around them, it could be that they had all traveled together.

In Anson County Deeds, Book V, page 386, we see that in October of 1826, John W. Lynch, a young man of about 27, of the town of Washington, Alabama, sells to Thomas Waddill of Anson County, for $325, 36 acres on the West Side of the Rocky River that joined the Coppedge lands, his brother-in-law, Oliver, and sister Betsy. The deed states "being land allotted to me from land of Phillip Lynch deceased & known on division plat as lot #5." Signed by John W. Lynch and witnessed by Clement Marshall. Other deeds show John W. Lynch involved with Toddy Robinson, Tod Robinson served as a clerk in Anson County for quite awhile, but had his own land dealings and family interactions. It was his family that John W. Lynch migrated to Alabama with. 

On this same page, similar interactions were taking place, same book, V, same page, 386, William and Nancy Smith are selling to Dolly Lanier land belonging to the estate of Darling Allen, deceased. Witnessed by R N. Allen and Edward Winfield. This was the father and siblings of Darling Allen , Jr. who married Catherine "Catey" Lynch. These were all the Viriginians who had migrated from Southside Virginia and had built plantations along the Rocky River. The Allens were Baptists and the Winfields were Methodist Episcopal.

Darling Allen Sr. had been murdered in 1802 by Moses Allen , a slave of Darling Allen, who was afraid of being sold. Moses was hanged. Darling was about 40 at this time and his children were young. Little Darling Jr. was only 6. This is probably why the land transactions took so long to take place. 

The next page, Book V, page 388 involves a transaction between John Thompson, Sr. of Montgomery County. and Thomas Tomlinson of the same and mentions land on the southwest side of the Rocky River, in Anson, granted by the "King" in 1763 to Walter Gibson sold by deed two years later, 1765, to Shadrack Hogan, in 1771 to James Hogan and in 1777 to James Roper & William Colson and willed by James Roper to William Roper, who sold it to John Thompson. The land was 'immediately below Roper's Ford,  and witnesses by Clement Marshall and Thomas Waddill. It was this connection between the Ropers and the Hogans, and to Joshua Davis that piqued my interest in Phillip Lynch, as he became a neighbor and had land adjoining these, and also my Davis-Winfield family.

I wonder where Roper's Ford was? Was it one of the Ford's nearly a century later that would be called Carpenter's Ford, or Crumps Ford? I know from a very old map, predating 1800, that what would be known as Davis Ford, was originally known as Winfields Ford, before Peter Winfields property that lie on that part of the river would be transferred to his daughter Sarah, who took Job Davis as her second husband. 

In August of 1828, on the 12th, we find this very informative deed in Book X Page 41:

"Oliver Coppedge and wife Elizabeth of Henderson County, Tennesee to Thomas Waddill (same dude who bought the property of John W. Lynch)". They sold the 45 acres for $250 that Elizabeth Lynch Jr. was allotted in 1815 of her father, Phillip Lynch's property. It lie on the Rocky River, beginning at a hickory, just above a spring branch and joined the properties of William Marshall, her mother Elizabeth Lynch, a hill, the river, and the lower edge mouth of a gut. It "being part of the land in Anson County North Carolina left to Elizabeth Lynch, now Elizabeth Coppedge, by her father Phillip Lynch in his will.'

It was witnessed by John Waddill and Wyatt Temple and signed by Oliver and Elizabeth Coppedge. It was also signed by John A. Wilson, clerk, of Henderson County, Tennesee. In a Pleas and Quarters Session in Henderson County, John C. Walker, chairman, verfied Mr. Wilson's credentials. 

Samuel Temple and William Cawthorn, Esquires ordered to obtain dower renouncement from Elizabeth Coppedge, William Cawthorn/Cawthon being her brother-in-law, having married oldest daughter, Sarah "Sally"Lynch. The dower was renounced on August 13, 1828 at the home of Oliver Coppedge before Samuel Temple and William Cawthorn in Nashville, Tennesee. December 8th of that year, Govenor Sam Houston certified John A. Wilson was a clerk of Henderson County. Signed by Sam Houston and Daniel Graham, Secretery of State and filed in Anson County, NC in July of 1829.

This was indeed THE Sam Houston. He was the sixth Governor of Tennesee and the 7th Govenor of Texas.His signature alone, makes this a very important document.

1830 

Elizabeth Lynch, widow of Phillip, is now Head of House again. Her oldest son Edmund Green Lynch, is seen in other deeds as getting himself into a bit of debt. She is living still in Anson County.

The 1830 census tells us that Elizabeth is between 50 and 59 years of age, giving her a year of birth of between 1771 and 1780. She has two males in their 30's living with her. One of them would be Green Lynch. John was supposedly in Alabama. Did he come back home for awhile? She was stilll a lady of substance and property. She had six slaves. Her neighbors were Joseph B. Ingram, Ann Allen, Wilson Burns, Elizabeth Billingsley and James Turner. 

John W. Lynch is not found in the 1830 census, so maybe he was in Anson at the time.

Sarah Lynch Cawthorn/ Cawthon was in Henderson County, Tennesee with her husband William.

The had what appeared to be 8 children and 8 slaves. William was in his 50's and Sarah in her 40's, probably on the lower end, as her mother was in her 50's. Guessing Sarah 40 and Elizabeth 58 or 59? There were two daughters between 10 and 14.

Catherine "Catey" Lynch Allen, and her husband, Darling Allen, Jr. were still in Anson County in 1850.

Catey was a younger child, still in her 20's. Her husband was in his 30's and they had one slave, a teenaged girl, likely , and three young children, a girl and two boys. There was a woman Catey's age living with her. I wonder if it was her sister, Nancy.

Betsey and her husband, Oliver Coppedge were also living in Henderson County, Tennessee. Oliver was in his 30's and Betsy in her 20's. They had two daughters under 9 and one son under 5, from the appearance of the census.

John W. Lynch and Nancy Lynch Nash do not appear in the 1830 census. As mentioned, they may have been living with relatives, and not heads of household. The last time Stephen Nash appears in land records is 1825, while Nancy appears as late as 1842. She may be the Nancy found as late as 1860, but that is another post.

John was the first child of Phillip and Elizabeth Lynch to pass away.

He was buried in the Doster Family Cemetery in Prattville, Autauga County, Alabama, 20 days before turning 34.

His estate was settled in October of the same year.

Tod Robinson, as the administrator of John W. Lynch's estate is eye-catching. John W. Lynch witnessed several deeds for Tod "Toddy" Robinson in Anson County as he distributed properties before leaving. I wonder what their relationship was, as John Lynch never married, so not a son-in-law. Perhaps he was an employee. Tod was a wealthy man. 

May 6, 1834, back in Anson County, Thomas Waddell, Jr. of Montgomery County sold to Clement Marshall of Anson for $400, two tracts of land. The first was 36 acres on the west side of the Rocky River joining the Coppedge property and the Rocky River "being land sold by John W Lynch and Oliver Coppedge and wife Elizabeth to Thomas Waddill Jr. "

The second tract was the one that started at a hickory on that spring branch, joined a hillside & lower edge of the mouth of a gut, "being land left by Phillip Lynch to his daughter Elizabeth, now Elizabeth Coppedge, who sold with Oliver Coppedge, her husband to Thomas Waddill Jr.". 

It was witnessed by Edmond Green Lynch, who had stayed behind with his mother, and R. M. Lanier. Proved with oath in July, 1843 by Edmond G Lynch. Book 11, Page 162.

The next year, in the Christmas season,  December 23, 1835, Elizabeth Lynch of Anson County, in a bill of sale, deeded two children, Jane, aged 8 and Edward, aged 4, to her son, Edmund Green Lynch, for $600. I think of my own 8 year old granddaugther and 4 year old grandson, and I can't imagine such a horrific thing. Still, it is there, in Book 10, Page 112. I have tried to find what became of these children with no success.

The deed was witnesses by James W. Nash, Elizbeth's grandson. He would have been about 17. It was then proven by the oath of James W. Nash in July of 1840 and ordered to be registered by N. Boggan.

Elizabeth Lynch is still living in Anson County, and by the names of her neighbors, it appears she was in an entirley different area than before. There were alot of female headed homesteads around her, Elizabeth Lloyd, Sarah  Smith, Charlotte Hair, Peggy Teal, Mary Lockhart, Mary Pilcher, Nancy Williams. Were these the widows of Wharf?

She would have been the woman aged 70 to 79, giving her a date of birth between 1761 and 1770. In 1830, she had been given an age bracket of 50 to 59, or a date of birth between 1771 and 1780, So 1770 would be a good estimate of her general year of birth. In 1820, she had been "over 45", meaning born before 1785 and in 1810, between 26 and 44, or between 1766 and 1784, which both fit. 

The 40 year old man was probably son Edward Green Lynch, giving him a birthdate of between 1790 and 1800. In 1830, he was in his 30's, same decade, and in 1820, he was between 16 and 25, or 1795 to 1804, so that narrows his years of bitrht range to 1795 to 1800. He was just a few years older than John W. Lynch, born in 1799. The man in his 20's was probably James W. Nash, grandson, as he had witnessed the Christmas deed. 

All of the other children, and grandchildren, had already migrated away to Tennesee, Mississippi and Alabama. I will look at them separately. 

There were two more deeds pertinent to this story.  On October 4, 1842, Griffin Nash, husband of Jemima Winfield, father of Stephen Nash, father-in-law of Nancy Lynch Nash and Grandfather of James W. Nash, of Anson County, sold to John Spillman Kendall, the Whale of Wharf., for $105, 54 and a half acres of land beginning at Kendalls corner and joining Howell (this would have been Peter Howell, son of Griffin's sister-in-law, Sarah Winfield Howell Davis). The Lot "being laid off to Nancy Nash in division of the land of Phillip Lynch deceased".  It was witnessed by  Allen Carpenter and James T. Kendall and listed in Book 11 Page 84 of the Anson County deeds. 

James W. Nash of Madison County, Mississippi on May 23, 1842 to Griffin Nash of Anson County, NC, gave Power of Attorney to his grandfather to sell his property in Anson County, known as the land on which the late Stephen Nash, his father, lived on before he died. He gave Griffin permission to 'sell the land to anyone'. He sold it to J. S. Kendall. Book 11 Page 69.

Griffins other sons, Peter Winfield Nash and Wilson Griffin Nash were in Madison,Mississsippi. James would marry Mary Nash, daugther of Wilson in 1846. Also in 1846, Griffin Nash, a man of many years, would pass away.

Sometime during this time, Elizabeth Lynch would migrate to Henderson County, Tennesee, where some of her daughters had settled. It is unknown if Green went with her, but he probably did, I can't imagine a woman of her age traveling alone in those days. 

Elizabeth's estate would be settled in Henderson County, Tennesee in 1849, suggesting she died sometime in late 1848. She would have been about 78. There is no mention of Edmund Green Lynch. She appears to have outlived all of her children except one, but she had lots of grandchilren, and therein is another tale.