Joseph GREGORY Land Notes

Finneywood:

Mapping the Joseph Gregory, Sr. Mecklenburg land indicates it was the same land on which Finneywood post office and much of the village sprang up with the advent of the railroad in that area.

The Daniel Williams patent:

In 1753, Daniel Williams patented (Pat Bk 31:349) 420 acres on south side of the South Fork of Meherrin River (then in Lunenburg, fell in Mecklenburg 1765). The tract bounded on the east - land patented by Hugh Miller.

In Nov. 1757, Daniel Williams, of Granville Co., NC, sold the 420 acres to son Henry Williams of Lunenburg, "where said Henry now lives." (Lunenburg DB 5:52)

Henry Williams added 200 acres on the west side in 1768, purchased from William Evans of Amelia. Boundaries mentioned were Washing Run and Evans. (Mecklenburg 2:76)

In 1772, Henry Williams sold to Joseph Gregory 420 acres. This was not the exact 420 acres conveyed to Henry Williams by his father, but included the 200 acres from Evans, mentioned above. This deed has some of the same descriptions as the Evans tract, "beginning at the mouth of a small branch and up Washing Run." Mentioned are Evans' line and Tanner's line (Tanner was the later adjoining John Gregory tract). (Mecklenburg DB 3:370)

Five years later, February 1777, Henry Williams of Orange County sold to Anthony Hancock of Lunenburg, the remaining east end of the 420-acre tract he had purchased from his father,190 (or 198) acres [deed abstract] on Meherrin River. In December Anthony Hancock of Charlotte County sold it to Lewis Burwell of Mecklenburg, described as being on south side of Meherrin River, bounded by said Burwell, Cox and Joseph Gregory. It appears from the 1855 land division of the Doct. John Bigger estate that this tract, or part of it, belonged to Robert Saunders at that time.

Additional adjoining tracts:

In 1795 Joseph Gregory purchased 82 additional acres adjoining his own land from Philip Whitehead Jackson and Elizabeth (Marable) his wife (heir of Matthew Marable). (Meck DB 9:15) The land was part of 300 acres residue of land Matthew Marable purchased from his brother John in 1780. David Stokes purchased the balance of the 300 acres.

In January 1801, Joseph Gregory purchased 30 acres from John Snead and Mack Goode of county of Charlotte, land lying and being in Mecklenburg and Lunenburg on both sides of Meherrin River, bounded by Benjamin Evans, said Gregory and afsd river. (Meck DB 10:484) This 30-acre tract had been purchased in 1788 by Mack Goode and John Snead of Charlotte from John Evans of county of Amelia, described at that time as "lying on the west side(?) of the south fork of Meherrin River...being part of a larger tract formerly the property of William Evans dec'd...Benjamin Evans line to Joseph Gregory's corner, thence along his line to a small branch..." (Meck DB 7:304) This likely included the 2-acre mill site north of the river mentioned in the 1808 deed, Joseph Gregory to William Tisdale.

Succeeding land transactions of this tract indicate the only part of the 30-acre tract north of the river, in Lunenburg, was the 2 acre mill tract. (The mill site was first part of a land patent to William Evans, then son John Evans, 1788 to Mack Goode and John Snead of Charlotte, 1801 to Joseph Gregory, and as seen further on, 1807 to William Tisdale of Lunenburg, 1808 to Eddins Moore of Lunenburg, 1832 to David Thompson Jr, from estate of Eddins Moore dec'd, then in 1835, the one-acre mill site only, lying in Mecklenburg and Lunenburg, to Lewis Burwell. This would be approximately where Burwell's Mill is seen on the 1870 map of Mecklenburg, at the river.

Joseph Gregory, Sr. remarried and sold his land:

In January 1807, Joseph Gregory remarried and moved to Charlotte County. His land
was resurveyed and sold in two tracts.

To Edward Jones 322 3/4 acres:

In Jan 1807, Joseph Gregory "of Charlotte" sold to Edward Jones of Mecklenburg 322 3/4 acres on both sides of Carpenter's branch adjoining Ben Evans line on northwest, John Robertson and Crenshaw on southwest, John Gregory on the south, and Stokes on the east. (Meck DB 13:245) Possibly this tract became part of the Edward Jones deceased estate in 1810.

To William Tisdale (then to Eddins Moore) 323 1/4 acres - The home tract?:

Later in 1807, Joseph Gregory of Charlotte sold 323 1/4 to William Tisdale. The land on South Fork of Meherrin included two acres on the north side (Lunenburg) for the use of the mill, adjoining Evans on the northwest and Stokes on the southeast. (Meck DB 13:366) The was probably the home tract since it included the mill site on the river, and it was the latest deed recorded.

The following April, 1808, William Tisdale and his wife Jincy, of Lunenburg, sold the 323 1/4-acre tract to Eddins Moore of Lunenburg. (Meck DB 14:150) (The Joseph Gregory tract)

Mecklenburg Land Tax records for 1813 show 50 acres transferred to Eddins Moore from Thomas Evans. Eddins Moore was taxed with 373 1/4 acres adjoining Lewis Burwell, Thomas Pettus and John Robinson. By 1814, Eddins Moore "deceased" was taxed with 373 1/4 acres. In 1818, the taxed estate fell back to 323 1/4 acres.

In absence of further deeds obtained, it appears from Mecklenburg Grantor Index: 16 Jun 1817 Eddins Moore by Admr & Admx Susannah to Richard M. Allen (DB 17:40) - probably the 50 acres from Thomas Evans on land tax records.

To David Thompson, Jr:

In Oct 1832, commissioners of the county court of Mecklenburg for $772 conveyed to David Thompson Jr. the land of Eddins Moore dec'd. The tract, by now estimated to be 386 3/4 acres, was described as lying on South Meherrin River in the counties of Mecklenburg and Lunenburg, adjoining land of Robert Saunders and others. [DB 25:243]

The following February, David Thompson and his wife, Martha, of Mecklenburg sold 20 acres of the above tract to Robert Saunders of Lunenburg, tract described as adjoining Saunders' line on the south side of Meherrin River and the line of Jno Bigger. [DB 25:396]

Note: David Thompson can be found on the 1850 and 1870 censuses of Mecklenburg.

Probably contributed by JoLee Gregory Spears