It is likely that he died closer to Oct 1786, when his Will was proved in Court, than in Dec 1785 when it was signed. He apparently died very shortly after arriving in Randolph County NC from VA.
Rowland Andrews
in the Family Data Collection - Births
Name: Rowland Andrews
Father: William Andrews
Mother: Ann Varney
Birth Date: 1741
State: VA
Rowland Andrews
in the Family Data Collection - Marriages
Name: Rowland Andrews
Spouse: Henrietta Harmon
Marriage Date (Day, Month, Year): 1758
Rowlen Andrews
in the Virginia, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1607-1890
Name: Rowlen Andrews
State: VA
County: Mecklenburg County
Township: 06 00
Year: 1782
Record Type: Continental Census
Page: 34
Database: VA Early Census Index
Rowland Andrews
in the Family Data Collection - Deaths
Name: Rowland Andrews
Death Date: 31 Dec 1785
City: Asheboro
County: Randolph
State: NC
Spouse and children (from Jessica West):
Spouse: Henrietta Harmon (1755 Henrico County, Virginia-1812 Randolph, NC)
Their Children:
1. Beverly Andrews (1776 Virginia – 1850 Williamson County, TN)
2. Harmon Andrews (1778 Randolph, Charlotte, VA – 8/9/1857 Randolph, NC)
3. Asa Andrews (9/22/1778 Mecklenburg, Co., VA – 9/6/1862 Williamson County, TN)
4. Richard Andrews (1780 Mecklenburg, VA – 1850 Randolph, NC)
5. Lucy Andrews (1780 Mecklenburg Co., VA – 1850 Carroll, GA); in 1800 married Thomas Sanford Tolbert (1780–1860) and they had the following children: Osborn Tolbert (1803–1880); Sanford Harmon Tolbert (1806–1892); Thomas Moody Tolbert (1812–____) and Elisha Tolbert
6. Roland A. Andrews, Jr. (1786 Randolph, North Carolina – 7/24/1863 Paulding, Georgia). On May 30, 1831 in Randolph Co, NC, Rowland Andrews married Hilva Kelly (1815–1860), where the oldest children of his new family were born. (This may indicate that Roland had a family prior to marrying Hiva, or that with his marriage to Hilva he had a family for the first time.) He married later in life to a much younger woman; and appears to have spent the early part of his life living with his mother. [Additional information from Millie Agee]. Rowland may have had the following children, but the child Hilda apparently is confused with Roland's wife Hilda and Roland (born 5/9/1818 may be from an earlier, undocumented marriage, or else his parentage can not be explained with information currently available: Hilda Andrews (1814–____); Rolen Roland Andrews (1818–1900) [Hilda and Roland presumably were from the earlier marriage and the remaining children with Hilva Kelly]; Moses Andrews (1832–1862); Linsey Andrews (1834–____); Lucy Ann Andrews (1834–1880); Frankin Andrews (born abt. 1837 in North Carolina - ____) and Henrietta Andrews (1838–1920). Henrietta married John A. Mills (1841-1822) and they had the following children: Nancy Victoria Mills (5/4/1859–10/10/1925); Rebecca Ann Mills (7/17/1863 GA – ____); Elizabeth "Lizzie" N. Mills (1865 TN – Aft 1930 Ark - married Jesse Jones); John P. Mills (10/1867–____ TX); William Monroe Mills (2/1869 Pauling, GA – ____); Delia Octavia Mills (5/12/1872 Van Buren Co, Ark – 9/25/1923); Rhoda L. Mills (3/22/1875 Van Burne Co, Ark – 8/24/1901); Ruth O. F. Mills (12/17/1877 – 8/10/1898) and Thomas Roland Mills (6/16/1880 Van Buren Co., Liberty Twn., Ark – 12/2/1963 Conway Co., Ark).
7. Ava Andrews
A deed dated 7-27-1767 executed by (1) William Andrews of Mecklenburg County transferred 155 acres of land to "his son (2) Roland Andrews." The deed described this land as located on the Meherrin River in Mecklenburg County, and stated that (1) William Andrews had acquired the land by patent, (Deed Book 1, pages 472-473.) A volume titled: "FIRST CENSUS OF THE UNITED STATES, 1790, published by the U.S. Department of Labor" listed (2) Roland Andrews as head of a family in Mecklenburg County, Virginia.
MECKLENBURG CO, VA DEED BOOK 1 p. 470. Jul 27, 1767 -
William Andrus of Mecklenburg County to James Cooper of Lunenburg County, 125 lbs. Abt 155 acres in Mecklenburg on the south side of Meherrin River bounded by (blank) Andrews, the same being patented to William Andrews, and given to his son Lasz Adrus, sold by him to the same James Cooper.
Signed -William (X) Andrus
Eleazor attempted to sell his portion of the land prior to it becoming legally his which appears to have prompted the 1767 deed between William Andrews & James Cooper. There is some unusual wording in the deed recorded, between William Andrews & his son Roland, which appears to indicate William was performing legal housekeeping duties on land previously loaned to his son.
Rowland & Eleazor (Lazez) along with Ephraim were the only children legally deeded their portion of the land prior to William Sr.'s will having been written. Therefore the acreage assigned to them was not listed in the will. Ephraim's only bequest in the will was to receive the Negro Nell after the death of his mother.
Not mentioned in the will, but indicated as sons in two 1767 Mecklenburg Co, VA deeds by William Andrews, who patented the land, were Lazez (later named in a James Cooper to Abram Andrews deed as Eleazor) & Rowland.
Here is a copy of the will of Roland ANDREWS, which can be located in Randolph Co., NC Will Bk. 1, pg. 32:
In the name of God, Amen. This thirty first day of December one thousand seven hundred and eighty five, I, ROWLAND ANDREWS, of the county of Randolph in the State of North Carolina, being weak in body but of sound perfect mind and memory do make and declare this to be my last will and testament in manner and form following[,] that is to say first, that my body is decently buried and the cost of all my just debts be by them honestly paid and as to my worldly estate both real and personal my will and desire is that my wife Hennaritta have this whole in her possession for the purpose of supporting herself and children and educating them, the personal estate until the youngest child shall arrive of age of twenty one years or married and the real estate while the eldest shall arrive to the same age or married and then to be divided in the following manner among my wife and five children, HARMOND, ASA, RICHARD, BEVERLY and LUCY or such of them as shall be then living at the time appointed for the division of my estate that is to say when my eldest son who may or shall live to the age of twenty one or marries then my land to be equally divided among my wife and children then living according to quantity and quality each ones part to him or her or to his or her heirs assigns for ever and when my younger child shall arrive to the age of twenty one or marries then the personal estate to be equally divided among my wife and children then living and I having constitue appoint my truly friend THOMAS INGRAM and my eldest son, HARMOND, executors of this my last will testament hereby revoking all former wills by me made.
Signed, sealed acknowledged in the presents (sic) of THOS. SATTERWHITE, RO BURTON, THOS. WILLIAMS. ROLAND ANDREWS
Mecklenburg Co., Va deed book 1 P.472 July 27, 1767 from William Andrews of M, to Rowland Andrus of M, for 125 lbs a certain tract of land of about 155 in M on the south branches of Meherrin River, and bounded by James Cooper, the same being granted to William Andrus by patent (1 blank line) as may more fully appear to his son Roland Andrus, the above mentioned land and all the appurtenances.
Signed: William (his mark) Andrus.
Wit - Richd Booker, Eleazer Andrus, John Grainger. Recorded Aug 10, 1767.
General Revolutionary War era data: I know from the activities of a number of my other NC families, that the area that ran from Charlotte to Salisbury was a real hot bed of Revolutionaries, and Montgomery County was not very far from this axis. These Revolutionary hot-heads simply did not tolerate anyone who did not agree with their fervent enthusiasm for the Revolution, and certainly did not tolerate neutrals, and Woe! to the proven Loyalist, or Tory. The times and the location were dangerous if you were not fully in bed and in agreement with the Revolutionary agenda.
It got so bad that some of the local enthusiasts decided it was patriotic to confiscate the property of anyone who was not an ardent supporter of the cause (my Lockes, seated up in Salisbury, were very influential in this movement, and gained a lot of their property as a result of this maneuver -- to their shame, by the way). You can imagine that it did not take a giant leap of imagination for opportunists to see the opportunity to grab some "free" land by this maneuver, and some others seemed to act just plain out of jealousy. One of my Allens -- the very prominent Mark Allen in the Anson and Montgomery County deeds -- got caught in th is trap, and had to fight for his reputation and possession s. Yep, they were dangerous, and illogical, times.
So when you see someone who is "branded" a loyalist from the region, be careful of how you take that. I might not have been necessarily so.
Henrietta Andrews was born August 31, 1838, probably in Carroll Co, GA, and married Confederate soldier John A. Mills March 28, 1860 in that same county. Her father, Rowland Andrews married Hilva Kelly May 30, 1831 in Randolph Co, NC, where the oldest children of his new family were born. He married later in life to a much younger woman; and appears to have spent the early part of his life living with his mother. A DAR application filed in the 1980's indicated that he was the posthumous son of Rowland Andrews and his wife Henrietta. Although this author has found no hard documentation to substantiate his parentage, I have little doubt that the information supplied to DAR is correct. A child of his age appears on the Widow Andrews 1790 census record and subsequently is enumerated in her household. He is living, and has associations throughout his Randolph Co, NC sojourn with the children listed on the elder Rowland Andrew's will. Following his move to Georgia, the land on which he was living is taken over by Richard Andrew's son, Harris, without the benefit of any deed. The family appears to be one that did not bother with legal land transfers, as an exhaustive search of deeds at the North Carolina Archives turns up nothing to legalize the property transfers within the family. The North Carolina Archives records also indicates that many Randolph Co, NC records are "missing".
The elder Rowland Andrews, of Randolph Co, NC, was the son of William Andrews, who died in Dinwiddie Co, VA in 1770. Earlier researchers had deducted different parentage until the discovery of exciting new information. The May 22, 1770 will of William Andrews Sr. of Dinwiddie Co, VA, on file at the Library of Virginia, and a thorough study of Mecklenburg deeds and land patents, shed new light on the parentage of Rowland Andrews of Mecklenburg Co, VA & Randolph Co, NC.
Descendants mentioned in William Sr.'s will, written May 22, 1770, were: his loving wife Avis, Ann Brooks, widow of William Andrews, and his grandsons Varney, David, William & Ephraim; and children: John; Thomas; Winifred Granger; Richard; Ephraim, Abram; Lucy; Avis; & Mark.
Not mentioned in the will, but indicated as sons in two 1767 Mecklenburg Co, VA deeds by William Andrews, who patented the land, were Lazez (later named in a James Cooper to Abram Andrews deed as Eleazor) & Rowland.
MECKLENBURG CO, VA DEED BOOK 1
p. 470. Jul 27, 1767 - William Andrus of Mecklenburg County to James Cooper of Lunenburg County, 125 lbs. Abt 155 acres in Mecklenburg on the south side of Meherrin River bounded by (blank) Andrews, the same being patented to William Andrews, and given to his son Lasz Adrus, sold by him to the same James Cooper. Signed - William (X) Andrus. Wit - Richard Booker, Eleazor Andrews, John Grainger
Recorded Aug 10, 1767.
Mecklenburg Co, VA Deed Book 1, Page 472
This Indenture made this twenty-seventh day of July in the year of our Lord Christ one thousand seven hundred and sixty-seven Between William Andrus of Mecklenburg County of the one part and Rowland Andrus of the said County of the other part, Witnesseth that the said William Andrus doth for and on the behalf of himself, for and in consideration of the just and full sum of one hundred and twenty-five Pounds current money of Virginia, in hand well and truly paid by the said Rowland Andrews, the receipt whereof the said William Andrus doth hereby acknowledge, hath given, granted, bargained and sold, and by these presents doth give, grant, bargain and sell, and confirm unto the said Roland Andrus, his Heirs and assigns forever, a certain tract or parcel of land containing by estimation one hundred and fifty-five, be the same more or less, situate, lying and being in the County aforesaid on the south branches of Meherrin River and is bounded as followeth, to wit, Beginning at a large red oak at corner of James Cooper's running thence on Cooper's line South seventy-one and a half Degrees East one hundred and eight poles to a white oak thence South forty Degrees West seventy-four poles to a ( blank ) South sixty-six poles to a ( blank ) South forty degrees West twelve poles to a ( blank ) and North two and a half degrees East two hundred and thirteen poles to the first Station, the same being granted to William Andrus by patent bearing date ( blank ) as may more fully appear to his son Roland Andrus, his Heirs and assigns forever the above mentioned land with all houses, etc. To have and to hold........
William Andrus (mark)
Witnesses:
Richard Booker
Eleazer Andrus
John Grainger
Recorded: 10 August 1767
William Andrews (of Dinwiddie), is the documented father of William Andrews (of Mecklenburg). William Sr's will devises the property on which they presently live in Mecklenburg to William Jr's widow Ann Brooks and William's Sr's 4 grandchildren: Ephraim, Varney, William & David. A study of the area land patents yields the fact that William Sr. was the only Andrews who patented land in that area. He patented 1400 acres south of the Meherrin (Mecklenburg) & 400 acres north of the Meherrin (Lunenburg.) The intent of those patents appears to be to provide a home for his children. Although the children lived on the land and paid tax on the land, William Sr. obviously retained legal title to the land. The first actual deeds where William Andrews (who patented the land per the deeds) devised property in Mecklenburg were the above two 1767 deeds: (1) to James Cooper, which had been sold to Cooper by his son Lazez (probably Eleazor since he is called by that name in the James Cooper to Abram Andrews deed listed below) & (2) to his son Rowland. Therefore William Jr. (who many attribute this sale to) could not have been the devisor in the deeds as he did not own the property. I believe the designation in the deeds which specified that the person who patented the land was William Andrews of Mecklenburg, was just an assumption on the part of the recorder that since William Andrews owned the property in Mecklenburg, that he lived in Mecklenburg.
MECKLENBURG CO, VA DEED BOOK 1
P. 438. May 5, 1770 - James Cooper of Mecklenburg, to Abram Andrews of Lunenburg County. James Cooper owes Abraham Andrews 100 lbs. James Cooper, for and in consideration of his debt plus an additional 5 shillings to him paid by Abraham Andrews, has sold to Andrews a certain tract of land of about 140 acres in Mecklenburg County, on the south side of Meherin River bounded by William Allin, Peter Andrews, William Andrews, this being the same tract conveyed from Elizer Andrews to James Cooper. This deed is upon special trust and confidence that Abraham Andrews may at any time he thinks proper or James Cooper requests after 10 days notice, sell at public auction the above named land and out of the money thence raised, pay and satisfy himself the 100 lbs, with interest from today, and the charges attending this indenture and the expense of the sale, with the remainder of the money, if any, paid to the said Cooper. Signed - James Cooper. Wit - Thomas Andrews, John Andrews, John Grainger. Recorded Jul 9, 1770.
The remainder of the 1800 acres can be accounted for in William Sr's will & deeds prior to his death. These deeds & legacies to his children account for the sum total of the patented acreage. (I can find no record of William Sr purchasing any more than the patented acreage.) William Jr's land obviously only legally became the property of his family, after his death. Eleazor attempted to sell his portion of the land prior to it becoming legally his, which appears to have prompted the 1767 deed between William Andrews & James Cooper. There is some unusual wording in the deed recorded, between William Andrews & his son Roland, which appears to indicate William was performing "legal housekeeping duties" on land previously loaned to his son.
Therefore we deduct that, although they were not mentioned in the will, the 1767 deeds above indicate Rowland & Eleazor (Lazez) to also be sons of William Andrews Sr. of Dinwiddie Co, VA, the individual who patented the land devised to them. They, along with Ephraim, were the only children legally deeded their portion of the land prior to William Sr. 's will having been written. Therefore the acreage assigned to them was not listed in the will. Ephraim's only bequest in the will was to receive the Negro Nell after the death of his mother.
MECKLENBURG CO, VA DEED BOOK 2
P. 396. Feb 14, 1769 from William Andrews of Dinwiddie County, to Ephraim Andrews of St. James Parish, Mecklenburg County. William Andrews, for several other good reasons and for the better maintenance of his family, has given his son, Ephraim Andrews, a certain tract of land 280 acres in St. James Parish on the south side of Meherin River bounded by Broadnax. Signed: William Andrews. Wit: William Parker, Samuel Whitworth, Robert Blake.
Recorded May 14, 1770.
Previous researchers have posted estimated dates of birth for the children of Rowland Andrews who died before October Court 1786 in Randolph Co, NC. The dates generally show the oldest child born 1778-1779. I have believed for some time that these dates are incorrect. A fellow Andrews research, Eric Newsom, sent me a court record from Williamson Co, TN which gives Bevoley Andrews' age. This record is the final puzzle piece to prove that the children's birthdates are earlier than previously indicated.
First, Rowland Andrews is listed on the 1782 Mecklenburg Co, VA census with 6 whites in his household. If he is the same Rowland Andrews who moves into Randolph Co, NC in 1785 (and all indications point in that direction) then that census would not be consistent with children born beginning 1778-1779.
Second, a June 1773 Mecklenburg Co, VA deed from Rowland Andrews to Sylvanus Walker indicates that there was an unnamed wife. Therefore we would expect children to be born beginning at least by 1774. The 1850 Randolph Co, NC census indicates Harmon Andrews' age to be 71, which appears to be the basis of many of the age estimates. Harmon is indicated in the Rowland Andrews will as being the eldest son. I feel this age was given incorrectly by the person who provided information to the census taker, as it is not consistent with other documented data.
First, Asa Andrews' descendants list Asa's birthdate to be September 22, 1778. Therefore we would expect Harmon, as the eldest to have been born at least by 1777. But that still leaves a rather large gap between the marriage and the birth of the eldest child. This is where Eric's Williamson Co, TN records provides a wonderful piece of new information.
List of people in the poor establishment, December 1844: Beverly Andrews, 68 years. (Miscellaneous Records, Williamson County, Tennessee, vol. 2, Louise Gillespie Lynch, 1978, p. 1)
This record dates Beverly Andrews as being born abt. 1776. Harmon, being the eldest, would then be pushed into the "born abt. 1774" category and would fit quite consistently with Rowland and Henrietta having been married at least by June 1773.
Richard Andrews' 1850 census record indicating him to be 70 years old is consistent with him being the 4th son born to Rowland & Henrietta. Does anyone have any documented information on daughter Lucy?
My ggg-grandfather Rowland Andrews, reputed to be a posthumous son of Rowland & Henrietta Andrews, lists his age as 63 on the 1850 Carroll Co, GA census. This would indicate he was born 1786-1787, which fits perfectly with the death of Rowland Andrews bef. October Court 1786. The younger Rowland's move to Georgia can be documented as 1838 due to the fact that he was on the 1838 Randolph Co, NC tax list. The Randolph Co, NC tax lists show Harris Andrews (son of Richard Andrews) as paying tax on the land on which the younger Rowland Andrews had lived, after Rowland's move to Georgia. I have found no deed to show the land transfer from Rowland to Harris Andrews.
There are some strange unanswered questions concerning the younger Rowland's age that came from my detailed study of the Randolph Co, NC tax lists at the NC Archives. Rowland shows up with "No Poll" long before he should, based an an age of 50 as being sufficient to eliminate that tax requirement.
The Widow Andrews 1800 Randolph Co, NC census lists 1 male 10-16 years old, which would be consistent with Rowland Andrews' 1850 Carroll Co, GA census record. The older boys appear to be split between the households of Harmon & Henrietta in 1800. Harmon's household (enumerated next to Widow Andrews) shows 2 males 16-26 & Henrietta's household shows 2 males 16-26. So this accounts for all the male children. Lucy appears to be either married or deceased in 1800. The fact that 3 children under the age of 10 also were living in the Widow Henrietta's household might indicate that Lucy was deceased at that time.
Henrietta's 1810 household lists 1 male 16-26, which is consistent with the age of the younger Rowland. Also living in the household was a female under 16, which is consistent with the female child under 10 in 1800. The 1830 Randolph Co, NC Census lists Roland Andrews as Head of Household. Henrietta is obviously deceased at this time. His age range is listed as 30-40. This is close, but obviously not exactly correct, based on all previous & subsequent census entries.
The death of Henrietta and Rowland's subsequent marriage to Hilva Kelly prompted a big change in his life. Why he chose Carroll Co, GA as his new home is still not known. At the time of his death the family was living in adjacent Paulding Co, GA, where his estate records were filed. That change may not have actually been a move. It could possibly have been a change of county boundary lines. Rowland Andrews burial location and the subsequent history of his widow Hilva is still a mystery waiting to be solved. The last track I have of Hilva is the 1860 Paulding Co, GA census. She is listed as "Hilvy" and is Head of a Household consisting of her daughter Henrietta, and Henrietta's future husband John A. Mills. Rowland was obviously deceased by the enumeration of the census.
ROLAND ANDREWS
Carol Shrader believes Rowland Andrews was another son of William Andrews Sr and Avis. The records to support Rowland Andrews and another possible son Eleazor Andrews can be found on Carol's webpage.
Does proof exist that Roland ANDREWS b NC 1786, married Hilva KELLY May 30, 1831 Randolph Co, NC, is the posthumous youngest son of Rowland ANDREWS (wife Henrietta) whose will was filed October 1786 in Randolph Co, NC? The younger Roland Andrews removed to Georgia between 1836-1838. He is listed on the 1850 Carroll Co, GA Census. His widow is listed on the 1860 Paulding Co, GA Census.
Roland was born Bef. 1746 in Virginia, and died Bef. October 1786 in Randolph Co, NC. He married Henrietta Abt. 1773 in Virginia. She was born Bef. 1755 in Virginia, and died Bet. 1810 - 1815 in Randolph Co, NC.
Rowland Andrews
in the Family Data Collection - Births
Name: Rowland Andrews
Father: William Andrews
Mother: Ann Varney
Birth Date: 1741
State: VA
Rowland Andrews
in the Family Data Collection - Marriages
Name: Rowland Andrews
Spouse: Henrietta Harmon
Marriage Date (Day, Month, Year): 1758
Rowlen Andrews
in the Virginia, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1607-1890
Name: Rowlen Andrews
State: VA
County: Mecklenburg County
Township: 06 00
Year: 1782
Record Type: Continental Census
Page: 34
Database: VA Early Census Index
Rowland Andrews
in the Family Data Collection - Deaths
Name: Rowland Andrews
Death Date: 31 Dec 1785
City: Asheboro
County: Randolph
State: NC
Spouse and children (from Jessica West):
Spouse: Henrietta Harmon (1755 Henrico County, Virginia-1812 Randolph, NC)
Their Children:
1. Beverly Andrews (1776 Virginia – 1850 Williamson County, TN)
2. Harmon Andrews (1778 Randolph, Charlotte, VA – 8/9/1857 Randolph, NC)
3. Asa Andrews (9/22/1778 Mecklenburg, Co., VA – 9/6/1862 Williamson County, TN)
4. Richard Andrews (1780 Mecklenburg, VA – 1850 Randolph, NC)
5. Lucy Andrews (1780 Mecklenburg Co., VA – 1850 Carroll, GA); in 1800 married Thomas Sanford Tolbert (1780–1860) and they had the following children: Osborn Tolbert (1803–1880); Sanford Harmon Tolbert (1806–1892); Thomas Moody Tolbert (1812–____) and Elisha Tolbert
6. Roland A. Andrews, Jr. (1786 Randolph, North Carolina – 7/24/1863 Paulding, Georgia). On May 30, 1831 in Randolph Co, NC, Rowland Andrews married Hilva Kelly (1815–1860), where the oldest children of his new family were born. (This may indicate that Roland had a family prior to marrying Hiva, or that with his marriage to Hilva he had a family for the first time.) He married later in life to a much younger woman; and appears to have spent the early part of his life living with his mother. [Additional information from Millie Agee]. Rowland may have had the following children, but the child Hilda apparently is confused with Roland's wife Hilda and Roland (born 5/9/1818 may be from an earlier, undocumented marriage, or else his parentage can not be explained with information currently available: Hilda Andrews (1814–____); Rolen Roland Andrews (1818–1900) [Hilda and Roland presumably were from the earlier marriage and the remaining children with Hilva Kelly]; Moses Andrews (1832–1862); Linsey Andrews (1834–____); Lucy Ann Andrews (1834–1880); Frankin Andrews (born abt. 1837 in North Carolina - ____) and Henrietta Andrews (1838–1920). Henrietta married John A. Mills (1841-1822) and they had the following children: Nancy Victoria Mills (5/4/1859–10/10/1925); Rebecca Ann Mills (7/17/1863 GA – ____); Elizabeth "Lizzie" N. Mills (1865 TN – Aft 1930 Ark - married Jesse Jones); John P. Mills (10/1867–____ TX); William Monroe Mills (2/1869 Pauling, GA – ____); Delia Octavia Mills (5/12/1872 Van Buren Co, Ark – 9/25/1923); Rhoda L. Mills (3/22/1875 Van Burne Co, Ark – 8/24/1901); Ruth O. F. Mills (12/17/1877 – 8/10/1898) and Thomas Roland Mills (6/16/1880 Van Buren Co., Liberty Twn., Ark – 12/2/1963 Conway Co., Ark).
7. Ava Andrews
A deed dated 7-27-1767 executed by (1) William Andrews of Mecklenburg County transferred 155 acres of land to "his son (2) Roland Andrews." The deed described this land as located on the Meherrin River in Mecklenburg County, and stated that (1) William Andrews had acquired the land by patent, (Deed Book 1, pages 472-473.) A volume titled: "FIRST CENSUS OF THE UNITED STATES, 1790, published by the U.S. Department of Labor" listed (2) Roland Andrews as head of a family in Mecklenburg County, Virginia.
MECKLENBURG CO, VA DEED BOOK 1 p. 470. Jul 27, 1767 -
William Andrus of Mecklenburg County to James Cooper of Lunenburg County, 125 lbs. Abt 155 acres in Mecklenburg on the south side of Meherrin River bounded by (blank) Andrews, the same being patented to William Andrews, and given to his son Lasz Adrus, sold by him to the same James Cooper.
Signed -William (X) Andrus
Eleazor attempted to sell his portion of the land prior to it becoming legally his which appears to have prompted the 1767 deed between William Andrews & James Cooper. There is some unusual wording in the deed recorded, between William Andrews & his son Roland, which appears to indicate William was performing legal housekeeping duties on land previously loaned to his son.
Rowland & Eleazor (Lazez) along with Ephraim were the only children legally deeded their portion of the land prior to William Sr.'s will having been written. Therefore the acreage assigned to them was not listed in the will. Ephraim's only bequest in the will was to receive the Negro Nell after the death of his mother.
Not mentioned in the will, but indicated as sons in two 1767 Mecklenburg Co, VA deeds by William Andrews, who patented the land, were Lazez (later named in a James Cooper to Abram Andrews deed as Eleazor) & Rowland.
Here is a copy of the will of Roland ANDREWS, which can be located in Randolph Co., NC Will Bk. 1, pg. 32:
In the name of God, Amen. This thirty first day of December one thousand seven hundred and eighty five, I, ROWLAND ANDREWS, of the county of Randolph in the State of North Carolina, being weak in body but of sound perfect mind and memory do make and declare this to be my last will and testament in manner and form following[,] that is to say first, that my body is decently buried and the cost of all my just debts be by them honestly paid and as to my worldly estate both real and personal my will and desire is that my wife Hennaritta have this whole in her possession for the purpose of supporting herself and children and educating them, the personal estate until the youngest child shall arrive of age of twenty one years or married and the real estate while the eldest shall arrive to the same age or married and then to be divided in the following manner among my wife and five children, HARMOND, ASA, RICHARD, BEVERLY and LUCY or such of them as shall be then living at the time appointed for the division of my estate that is to say when my eldest son who may or shall live to the age of twenty one or marries then my land to be equally divided among my wife and children then living according to quantity and quality each ones part to him or her or to his or her heirs assigns for ever and when my younger child shall arrive to the age of twenty one or marries then the personal estate to be equally divided among my wife and children then living and I having constitue appoint my truly friend THOMAS INGRAM and my eldest son, HARMOND, executors of this my last will testament hereby revoking all former wills by me made.
Signed, sealed acknowledged in the presents (sic) of THOS. SATTERWHITE, RO BURTON, THOS. WILLIAMS. ROLAND ANDREWS
Mecklenburg Co., Va deed book 1 P.472 July 27, 1767 from William Andrews of M, to Rowland Andrus of M, for 125 lbs a certain tract of land of about 155 in M on the south branches of Meherrin River, and bounded by James Cooper, the same being granted to William Andrus by patent (1 blank line) as may more fully appear to his son Roland Andrus, the above mentioned land and all the appurtenances.
Signed: William (his mark) Andrus.
Wit - Richd Booker, Eleazer Andrus, John Grainger. Recorded Aug 10, 1767.
General Revolutionary War era data: I know from the activities of a number of my other NC families, that the area that ran from Charlotte to Salisbury was a real hot bed of Revolutionaries, and Montgomery County was not very far from this axis. These Revolutionary hot-heads simply did not tolerate anyone who did not agree with their fervent enthusiasm for the Revolution, and certainly did not tolerate neutrals, and Woe! to the proven Loyalist, or Tory. The times and the location were dangerous if you were not fully in bed and in agreement with the Revolutionary agenda.
It got so bad that some of the local enthusiasts decided it was patriotic to confiscate the property of anyone who was not an ardent supporter of the cause (my Lockes, seated up in Salisbury, were very influential in this movement, and gained a lot of their property as a result of this maneuver -- to their shame, by the way). You can imagine that it did not take a giant leap of imagination for opportunists to see the opportunity to grab some "free" land by this maneuver, and some others seemed to act just plain out of jealousy. One of my Allens -- the very prominent Mark Allen in the Anson and Montgomery County deeds -- got caught in th is trap, and had to fight for his reputation and possession s. Yep, they were dangerous, and illogical, times.
So when you see someone who is "branded" a loyalist from the region, be careful of how you take that. I might not have been necessarily so.
Henrietta Andrews was born August 31, 1838, probably in Carroll Co, GA, and married Confederate soldier John A. Mills March 28, 1860 in that same county. Her father, Rowland Andrews married Hilva Kelly May 30, 1831 in Randolph Co, NC, where the oldest children of his new family were born. He married later in life to a much younger woman; and appears to have spent the early part of his life living with his mother. A DAR application filed in the 1980's indicated that he was the posthumous son of Rowland Andrews and his wife Henrietta. Although this author has found no hard documentation to substantiate his parentage, I have little doubt that the information supplied to DAR is correct. A child of his age appears on the Widow Andrews 1790 census record and subsequently is enumerated in her household. He is living, and has associations throughout his Randolph Co, NC sojourn with the children listed on the elder Rowland Andrew's will. Following his move to Georgia, the land on which he was living is taken over by Richard Andrew's son, Harris, without the benefit of any deed. The family appears to be one that did not bother with legal land transfers, as an exhaustive search of deeds at the North Carolina Archives turns up nothing to legalize the property transfers within the family. The North Carolina Archives records also indicates that many Randolph Co, NC records are "missing".
The elder Rowland Andrews, of Randolph Co, NC, was the son of William Andrews, who died in Dinwiddie Co, VA in 1770. Earlier researchers had deducted different parentage until the discovery of exciting new information. The May 22, 1770 will of William Andrews Sr. of Dinwiddie Co, VA, on file at the Library of Virginia, and a thorough study of Mecklenburg deeds and land patents, shed new light on the parentage of Rowland Andrews of Mecklenburg Co, VA & Randolph Co, NC.
Descendants mentioned in William Sr.'s will, written May 22, 1770, were: his loving wife Avis, Ann Brooks, widow of William Andrews, and his grandsons Varney, David, William & Ephraim; and children: John; Thomas; Winifred Granger; Richard; Ephraim, Abram; Lucy; Avis; & Mark.
Not mentioned in the will, but indicated as sons in two 1767 Mecklenburg Co, VA deeds by William Andrews, who patented the land, were Lazez (later named in a James Cooper to Abram Andrews deed as Eleazor) & Rowland.
MECKLENBURG CO, VA DEED BOOK 1
p. 470. Jul 27, 1767 - William Andrus of Mecklenburg County to James Cooper of Lunenburg County, 125 lbs. Abt 155 acres in Mecklenburg on the south side of Meherrin River bounded by (blank) Andrews, the same being patented to William Andrews, and given to his son Lasz Adrus, sold by him to the same James Cooper. Signed - William (X) Andrus. Wit - Richard Booker, Eleazor Andrews, John Grainger
Recorded Aug 10, 1767.
Mecklenburg Co, VA Deed Book 1, Page 472
This Indenture made this twenty-seventh day of July in the year of our Lord Christ one thousand seven hundred and sixty-seven Between William Andrus of Mecklenburg County of the one part and Rowland Andrus of the said County of the other part, Witnesseth that the said William Andrus doth for and on the behalf of himself, for and in consideration of the just and full sum of one hundred and twenty-five Pounds current money of Virginia, in hand well and truly paid by the said Rowland Andrews, the receipt whereof the said William Andrus doth hereby acknowledge, hath given, granted, bargained and sold, and by these presents doth give, grant, bargain and sell, and confirm unto the said Roland Andrus, his Heirs and assigns forever, a certain tract or parcel of land containing by estimation one hundred and fifty-five, be the same more or less, situate, lying and being in the County aforesaid on the south branches of Meherrin River and is bounded as followeth, to wit, Beginning at a large red oak at corner of James Cooper's running thence on Cooper's line South seventy-one and a half Degrees East one hundred and eight poles to a white oak thence South forty Degrees West seventy-four poles to a ( blank ) South sixty-six poles to a ( blank ) South forty degrees West twelve poles to a ( blank ) and North two and a half degrees East two hundred and thirteen poles to the first Station, the same being granted to William Andrus by patent bearing date ( blank ) as may more fully appear to his son Roland Andrus, his Heirs and assigns forever the above mentioned land with all houses, etc. To have and to hold........
William Andrus (mark)
Witnesses:
Richard Booker
Eleazer Andrus
John Grainger
Recorded: 10 August 1767
William Andrews (of Dinwiddie), is the documented father of William Andrews (of Mecklenburg). William Sr's will devises the property on which they presently live in Mecklenburg to William Jr's widow Ann Brooks and William's Sr's 4 grandchildren: Ephraim, Varney, William & David. A study of the area land patents yields the fact that William Sr. was the only Andrews who patented land in that area. He patented 1400 acres south of the Meherrin (Mecklenburg) & 400 acres north of the Meherrin (Lunenburg.) The intent of those patents appears to be to provide a home for his children. Although the children lived on the land and paid tax on the land, William Sr. obviously retained legal title to the land. The first actual deeds where William Andrews (who patented the land per the deeds) devised property in Mecklenburg were the above two 1767 deeds: (1) to James Cooper, which had been sold to Cooper by his son Lazez (probably Eleazor since he is called by that name in the James Cooper to Abram Andrews deed listed below) & (2) to his son Rowland. Therefore William Jr. (who many attribute this sale to) could not have been the devisor in the deeds as he did not own the property. I believe the designation in the deeds which specified that the person who patented the land was William Andrews of Mecklenburg, was just an assumption on the part of the recorder that since William Andrews owned the property in Mecklenburg, that he lived in Mecklenburg.
MECKLENBURG CO, VA DEED BOOK 1
P. 438. May 5, 1770 - James Cooper of Mecklenburg, to Abram Andrews of Lunenburg County. James Cooper owes Abraham Andrews 100 lbs. James Cooper, for and in consideration of his debt plus an additional 5 shillings to him paid by Abraham Andrews, has sold to Andrews a certain tract of land of about 140 acres in Mecklenburg County, on the south side of Meherin River bounded by William Allin, Peter Andrews, William Andrews, this being the same tract conveyed from Elizer Andrews to James Cooper. This deed is upon special trust and confidence that Abraham Andrews may at any time he thinks proper or James Cooper requests after 10 days notice, sell at public auction the above named land and out of the money thence raised, pay and satisfy himself the 100 lbs, with interest from today, and the charges attending this indenture and the expense of the sale, with the remainder of the money, if any, paid to the said Cooper. Signed - James Cooper. Wit - Thomas Andrews, John Andrews, John Grainger. Recorded Jul 9, 1770.
The remainder of the 1800 acres can be accounted for in William Sr's will & deeds prior to his death. These deeds & legacies to his children account for the sum total of the patented acreage. (I can find no record of William Sr purchasing any more than the patented acreage.) William Jr's land obviously only legally became the property of his family, after his death. Eleazor attempted to sell his portion of the land prior to it becoming legally his, which appears to have prompted the 1767 deed between William Andrews & James Cooper. There is some unusual wording in the deed recorded, between William Andrews & his son Roland, which appears to indicate William was performing "legal housekeeping duties" on land previously loaned to his son.
Therefore we deduct that, although they were not mentioned in the will, the 1767 deeds above indicate Rowland & Eleazor (Lazez) to also be sons of William Andrews Sr. of Dinwiddie Co, VA, the individual who patented the land devised to them. They, along with Ephraim, were the only children legally deeded their portion of the land prior to William Sr. 's will having been written. Therefore the acreage assigned to them was not listed in the will. Ephraim's only bequest in the will was to receive the Negro Nell after the death of his mother.
MECKLENBURG CO, VA DEED BOOK 2
P. 396. Feb 14, 1769 from William Andrews of Dinwiddie County, to Ephraim Andrews of St. James Parish, Mecklenburg County. William Andrews, for several other good reasons and for the better maintenance of his family, has given his son, Ephraim Andrews, a certain tract of land 280 acres in St. James Parish on the south side of Meherin River bounded by Broadnax. Signed: William Andrews. Wit: William Parker, Samuel Whitworth, Robert Blake.
Recorded May 14, 1770.
Previous researchers have posted estimated dates of birth for the children of Rowland Andrews who died before October Court 1786 in Randolph Co, NC. The dates generally show the oldest child born 1778-1779. I have believed for some time that these dates are incorrect. A fellow Andrews research, Eric Newsom, sent me a court record from Williamson Co, TN which gives Bevoley Andrews' age. This record is the final puzzle piece to prove that the children's birthdates are earlier than previously indicated.
First, Rowland Andrews is listed on the 1782 Mecklenburg Co, VA census with 6 whites in his household. If he is the same Rowland Andrews who moves into Randolph Co, NC in 1785 (and all indications point in that direction) then that census would not be consistent with children born beginning 1778-1779.
Second, a June 1773 Mecklenburg Co, VA deed from Rowland Andrews to Sylvanus Walker indicates that there was an unnamed wife. Therefore we would expect children to be born beginning at least by 1774. The 1850 Randolph Co, NC census indicates Harmon Andrews' age to be 71, which appears to be the basis of many of the age estimates. Harmon is indicated in the Rowland Andrews will as being the eldest son. I feel this age was given incorrectly by the person who provided information to the census taker, as it is not consistent with other documented data.
First, Asa Andrews' descendants list Asa's birthdate to be September 22, 1778. Therefore we would expect Harmon, as the eldest to have been born at least by 1777. But that still leaves a rather large gap between the marriage and the birth of the eldest child. This is where Eric's Williamson Co, TN records provides a wonderful piece of new information.
List of people in the poor establishment, December 1844: Beverly Andrews, 68 years. (Miscellaneous Records, Williamson County, Tennessee, vol. 2, Louise Gillespie Lynch, 1978, p. 1)
This record dates Beverly Andrews as being born abt. 1776. Harmon, being the eldest, would then be pushed into the "born abt. 1774" category and would fit quite consistently with Rowland and Henrietta having been married at least by June 1773.
Richard Andrews' 1850 census record indicating him to be 70 years old is consistent with him being the 4th son born to Rowland & Henrietta. Does anyone have any documented information on daughter Lucy?
My ggg-grandfather Rowland Andrews, reputed to be a posthumous son of Rowland & Henrietta Andrews, lists his age as 63 on the 1850 Carroll Co, GA census. This would indicate he was born 1786-1787, which fits perfectly with the death of Rowland Andrews bef. October Court 1786. The younger Rowland's move to Georgia can be documented as 1838 due to the fact that he was on the 1838 Randolph Co, NC tax list. The Randolph Co, NC tax lists show Harris Andrews (son of Richard Andrews) as paying tax on the land on which the younger Rowland Andrews had lived, after Rowland's move to Georgia. I have found no deed to show the land transfer from Rowland to Harris Andrews.
There are some strange unanswered questions concerning the younger Rowland's age that came from my detailed study of the Randolph Co, NC tax lists at the NC Archives. Rowland shows up with "No Poll" long before he should, based an an age of 50 as being sufficient to eliminate that tax requirement.
The Widow Andrews 1800 Randolph Co, NC census lists 1 male 10-16 years old, which would be consistent with Rowland Andrews' 1850 Carroll Co, GA census record. The older boys appear to be split between the households of Harmon & Henrietta in 1800. Harmon's household (enumerated next to Widow Andrews) shows 2 males 16-26 & Henrietta's household shows 2 males 16-26. So this accounts for all the male children. Lucy appears to be either married or deceased in 1800. The fact that 3 children under the age of 10 also were living in the Widow Henrietta's household might indicate that Lucy was deceased at that time.
Henrietta's 1810 household lists 1 male 16-26, which is consistent with the age of the younger Rowland. Also living in the household was a female under 16, which is consistent with the female child under 10 in 1800. The 1830 Randolph Co, NC Census lists Roland Andrews as Head of Household. Henrietta is obviously deceased at this time. His age range is listed as 30-40. This is close, but obviously not exactly correct, based on all previous & subsequent census entries.
The death of Henrietta and Rowland's subsequent marriage to Hilva Kelly prompted a big change in his life. Why he chose Carroll Co, GA as his new home is still not known. At the time of his death the family was living in adjacent Paulding Co, GA, where his estate records were filed. That change may not have actually been a move. It could possibly have been a change of county boundary lines. Rowland Andrews burial location and the subsequent history of his widow Hilva is still a mystery waiting to be solved. The last track I have of Hilva is the 1860 Paulding Co, GA census. She is listed as "Hilvy" and is Head of a Household consisting of her daughter Henrietta, and Henrietta's future husband John A. Mills. Rowland was obviously deceased by the enumeration of the census.
ROLAND ANDREWS
Carol Shrader believes Rowland Andrews was another son of William Andrews Sr and Avis. The records to support Rowland Andrews and another possible son Eleazor Andrews can be found on Carol's webpage.
Does proof exist that Roland ANDREWS b NC 1786, married Hilva KELLY May 30, 1831 Randolph Co, NC, is the posthumous youngest son of Rowland ANDREWS (wife Henrietta) whose will was filed October 1786 in Randolph Co, NC? The younger Roland Andrews removed to Georgia between 1836-1838. He is listed on the 1850 Carroll Co, GA Census. His widow is listed on the 1860 Paulding Co, GA Census.
Roland was born Bef. 1746 in Virginia, and died Bef. October 1786 in Randolph Co, NC. He married Henrietta Abt. 1773 in Virginia. She was born Bef. 1755 in Virginia, and died Bet. 1810 - 1815 in Randolph Co, NC.
It is likely that he died closer to Oct 1786, when his Will was proved in Court, than in Dec 1785 when it was signed. He apparently died very shortly after arriving in Randolph County NC from VA.
Rowland Andrews
in the Family Data Collection - Births
Name: Rowland Andrews
Father: William Andrews
Mother: Ann Varney
Birth Date: 1741
State: VA
Rowland Andrews
in the Family Data Collection - Marriages
Name: Rowland Andrews
Spouse: Henrietta Harmon
Marriage Date (Day, Month, Year): 1758
Rowlen Andrews
in the Virginia, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1607-1890
Name: Rowlen Andrews
State: VA
County: Mecklenburg County
Township: 06 00
Year: 1782
Record Type: Continental Census
Page: 34
Database: VA Early Census Index
Rowland Andrews
in the Family Data Collection - Deaths
Name: Rowland Andrews
Death Date: 31 Dec 1785
City: Asheboro
County: Randolph
State: NC
Spouse and children (from Jessica West):
Spouse: Henrietta Harmon (1755 Henrico County, Virginia-1812 Randolph, NC)
Their Children:
1. Beverly Andrews (1776 Virginia – 1850 Williamson County, TN)
2. Harmon Andrews (1778 Randolph, Charlotte, VA – 8/9/1857 Randolph, NC)
3. Asa Andrews (9/22/1778 Mecklenburg, Co., VA – 9/6/1862 Williamson County, TN)
4. Richard Andrews (1780 Mecklenburg, VA – 1850 Randolph, NC)
5. Lucy Andrews (1780 Mecklenburg Co., VA – 1850 Carroll, GA); in 1800 married Thomas Sanford Tolbert (1780–1860) and they had the following children: Osborn Tolbert (1803–1880); Sanford Harmon Tolbert (1806–1892); Thomas Moody Tolbert (1812–____) and Elisha Tolbert
6. Roland A. Andrews, Jr. (1786 Randolph, North Carolina – 7/24/1863 Paulding, Georgia). On May 30, 1831 in Randolph Co, NC, Rowland Andrews married Hilva Kelly (1815–1860), where the oldest children of his new family were born. (This may indicate that Roland had a family prior to marrying Hiva, or that with his marriage to Hilva he had a family for the first time.) He married later in life to a much younger woman; and appears to have spent the early part of his life living with his mother. [Additional information from Millie Agee]. Rowland may have had the following children, but the child Hilda apparently is confused with Roland's wife Hilda and Roland (born 5/9/1818 may be from an earlier, undocumented marriage, or else his parentage can not be explained with information currently available: Hilda Andrews (1814–____); Rolen Roland Andrews (1818–1900) [Hilda and Roland presumably were from the earlier marriage and the remaining children with Hilva Kelly]; Moses Andrews (1832–1862); Linsey Andrews (1834–____); Lucy Ann Andrews (1834–1880); Frankin Andrews (born abt. 1837 in North Carolina - ____) and Henrietta Andrews (1838–1920). Henrietta married John A. Mills (1841-1822) and they had the following children: Nancy Victoria Mills (5/4/1859–10/10/1925); Rebecca Ann Mills (7/17/1863 GA – ____); Elizabeth "Lizzie" N. Mills (1865 TN – Aft 1930 Ark - married Jesse Jones); John P. Mills (10/1867–____ TX); William Monroe Mills (2/1869 Pauling, GA – ____); Delia Octavia Mills (5/12/1872 Van Buren Co, Ark – 9/25/1923); Rhoda L. Mills (3/22/1875 Van Burne Co, Ark – 8/24/1901); Ruth O. F. Mills (12/17/1877 – 8/10/1898) and Thomas Roland Mills (6/16/1880 Van Buren Co., Liberty Twn., Ark – 12/2/1963 Conway Co., Ark).
7. Ava Andrews
A deed dated 7-27-1767 executed by (1) William Andrews of Mecklenburg County transferred 155 acres of land to "his son (2) Roland Andrews." The deed described this land as located on the Meherrin River in Mecklenburg County, and stated that (1) William Andrews had acquired the land by patent, (Deed Book 1, pages 472-473.) A volume titled: "FIRST CENSUS OF THE UNITED STATES, 1790, published by the U.S. Department of Labor" listed (2) Roland Andrews as head of a family in Mecklenburg County, Virginia.
MECKLENBURG CO, VA DEED BOOK 1 p. 470. Jul 27, 1767 -
William Andrus of Mecklenburg County to James Cooper of Lunenburg County, 125 lbs. Abt 155 acres in Mecklenburg on the south side of Meherrin River bounded by (blank) Andrews, the same being patented to William Andrews, and given to his son Lasz Adrus, sold by him to the same James Cooper.
Signed -William (X) Andrus
Eleazor attempted to sell his portion of the land prior to it becoming legally his which appears to have prompted the 1767 deed between William Andrews & James Cooper. There is some unusual wording in the deed recorded, between William Andrews & his son Roland, which appears to indicate William was performing legal housekeeping duties on land previously loaned to his son.
Rowland & Eleazor (Lazez) along with Ephraim were the only children legally deeded their portion of the land prior to William Sr.'s will having been written. Therefore the acreage assigned to them was not listed in the will. Ephraim's only bequest in the will was to receive the Negro Nell after the death of his mother.
Not mentioned in the will, but indicated as sons in two 1767 Mecklenburg Co, VA deeds by William Andrews, who patented the land, were Lazez (later named in a James Cooper to Abram Andrews deed as Eleazor) & Rowland.
Here is a copy of the will of Roland ANDREWS, which can be located in Randolph Co., NC Will Bk. 1, pg. 32:
In the name of God, Amen. This thirty first day of December one thousand seven hundred and eighty five, I, ROWLAND ANDREWS, of the county of Randolph in the State of North Carolina, being weak in body but of sound perfect mind and memory do make and declare this to be my last will and testament in manner and form following[,] that is to say first, that my body is decently buried and the cost of all my just debts be by them honestly paid and as to my worldly estate both real and personal my will and desire is that my wife Hennaritta have this whole in her possession for the purpose of supporting herself and children and educating them, the personal estate until the youngest child shall arrive of age of twenty one years or married and the real estate while the eldest shall arrive to the same age or married and then to be divided in the following manner among my wife and five children, HARMOND, ASA, RICHARD, BEVERLY and LUCY or such of them as shall be then living at the time appointed for the division of my estate that is to say when my eldest son who may or shall live to the age of twenty one or marries then my land to be equally divided among my wife and children then living according to quantity and quality each ones part to him or her or to his or her heirs assigns for ever and when my younger child shall arrive to the age of twenty one or marries then the personal estate to be equally divided among my wife and children then living and I having constitue appoint my truly friend THOMAS INGRAM and my eldest son, HARMOND, executors of this my last will testament hereby revoking all former wills by me made.
Signed, sealed acknowledged in the presents (sic) of THOS. SATTERWHITE, RO BURTON, THOS. WILLIAMS. ROLAND ANDREWS
Mecklenburg Co., Va deed book 1 P.472 July 27, 1767 from William Andrews of M, to Rowland Andrus of M, for 125 lbs a certain tract of land of about 155 in M on the south branches of Meherrin River, and bounded by James Cooper, the same being granted to William Andrus by patent (1 blank line) as may more fully appear to his son Roland Andrus, the above mentioned land and all the appurtenances.
Signed: William (his mark) Andrus.
Wit - Richd Booker, Eleazer Andrus, John Grainger. Recorded Aug 10, 1767.
General Revolutionary War era data: I know from the activities of a number of my other NC families, that the area that ran from Charlotte to Salisbury was a real hot bed of Revolutionaries, and Montgomery County was not very far from this axis. These Revolutionary hot-heads simply did not tolerate anyone who did not agree with their fervent enthusiasm for the Revolution, and certainly did not tolerate neutrals, and Woe! to the proven Loyalist, or Tory. The times and the location were dangerous if you were not fully in bed and in agreement with the Revolutionary agenda.
It got so bad that some of the local enthusiasts decided it was patriotic to confiscate the property of anyone who was not an ardent supporter of the cause (my Lockes, seated up in Salisbury, were very influential in this movement, and gained a lot of their property as a result of this maneuver -- to their shame, by the way). You can imagine that it did not take a giant leap of imagination for opportunists to see the opportunity to grab some "free" land by this maneuver, and some others seemed to act just plain out of jealousy. One of my Allens -- the very prominent Mark Allen in the Anson and Montgomery County deeds -- got caught in th is trap, and had to fight for his reputation and possession s. Yep, they were dangerous, and illogical, times.
So when you see someone who is "branded" a loyalist from the region, be careful of how you take that. I might not have been necessarily so.
Henrietta Andrews was born August 31, 1838, probably in Carroll Co, GA, and married Confederate soldier John A. Mills March 28, 1860 in that same county. Her father, Rowland Andrews married Hilva Kelly May 30, 1831 in Randolph Co, NC, where the oldest children of his new family were born. He married later in life to a much younger woman; and appears to have spent the early part of his life living with his mother. A DAR application filed in the 1980's indicated that he was the posthumous son of Rowland Andrews and his wife Henrietta. Although this author has found no hard documentation to substantiate his parentage, I have little doubt that the information supplied to DAR is correct. A child of his age appears on the Widow Andrews 1790 census record and subsequently is enumerated in her household. He is living, and has associations throughout his Randolph Co, NC sojourn with the children listed on the elder Rowland Andrew's will. Following his move to Georgia, the land on which he was living is taken over by Richard Andrew's son, Harris, without the benefit of any deed. The family appears to be one that did not bother with legal land transfers, as an exhaustive search of deeds at the North Carolina Archives turns up nothing to legalize the property transfers within the family. The North Carolina Archives records also indicates that many Randolph Co, NC records are "missing".
The elder Rowland Andrews, of Randolph Co, NC, was the son of William Andrews, who died in Dinwiddie Co, VA in 1770. Earlier researchers had deducted different parentage until the discovery of exciting new information. The May 22, 1770 will of William Andrews Sr. of Dinwiddie Co, VA, on file at the Library of Virginia, and a thorough study of Mecklenburg deeds and land patents, shed new light on the parentage of Rowland Andrews of Mecklenburg Co, VA & Randolph Co, NC.
Descendants mentioned in William Sr.'s will, written May 22, 1770, were: his loving wife Avis, Ann Brooks, widow of William Andrews, and his grandsons Varney, David, William & Ephraim; and children: John; Thomas; Winifred Granger; Richard; Ephraim, Abram; Lucy; Avis; & Mark.
Not mentioned in the will, but indicated as sons in two 1767 Mecklenburg Co, VA deeds by William Andrews, who patented the land, were Lazez (later named in a James Cooper to Abram Andrews deed as Eleazor) & Rowland.
MECKLENBURG CO, VA DEED BOOK 1
p. 470. Jul 27, 1767 - William Andrus of Mecklenburg County to James Cooper of Lunenburg County, 125 lbs. Abt 155 acres in Mecklenburg on the south side of Meherrin River bounded by (blank) Andrews, the same being patented to William Andrews, and given to his son Lasz Adrus, sold by him to the same James Cooper. Signed - William (X) Andrus. Wit - Richard Booker, Eleazor Andrews, John Grainger
Recorded Aug 10, 1767.
Mecklenburg Co, VA Deed Book 1, Page 472
This Indenture made this twenty-seventh day of July in the year of our Lord Christ one thousand seven hundred and sixty-seven Between William Andrus of Mecklenburg County of the one part and Rowland Andrus of the said County of the other part, Witnesseth that the said William Andrus doth for and on the behalf of himself, for and in consideration of the just and full sum of one hundred and twenty-five Pounds current money of Virginia, in hand well and truly paid by the said Rowland Andrews, the receipt whereof the said William Andrus doth hereby acknowledge, hath given, granted, bargained and sold, and by these presents doth give, grant, bargain and sell, and confirm unto the said Roland Andrus, his Heirs and assigns forever, a certain tract or parcel of land containing by estimation one hundred and fifty-five, be the same more or less, situate, lying and being in the County aforesaid on the south branches of Meherrin River and is bounded as followeth, to wit, Beginning at a large red oak at corner of James Cooper's running thence on Cooper's line South seventy-one and a half Degrees East one hundred and eight poles to a white oak thence South forty Degrees West seventy-four poles to a ( blank ) South sixty-six poles to a ( blank ) South forty degrees West twelve poles to a ( blank ) and North two and a half degrees East two hundred and thirteen poles to the first Station, the same being granted to William Andrus by patent bearing date ( blank ) as may more fully appear to his son Roland Andrus, his Heirs and assigns forever the above mentioned land with all houses, etc. To have and to hold........
William Andrus (mark)
Witnesses:
Richard Booker
Eleazer Andrus
John Grainger
Recorded: 10 August 1767
William Andrews (of Dinwiddie), is the documented father of William Andrews (of Mecklenburg). William Sr's will devises the property on which they presently live in Mecklenburg to William Jr's widow Ann Brooks and William's Sr's 4 grandchildren: Ephraim, Varney, William & David. A study of the area land patents yields the fact that William Sr. was the only Andrews who patented land in that area. He patented 1400 acres south of the Meherrin (Mecklenburg) & 400 acres north of the Meherrin (Lunenburg.) The intent of those patents appears to be to provide a home for his children. Although the children lived on the land and paid tax on the land, William Sr. obviously retained legal title to the land. The first actual deeds where William Andrews (who patented the land per the deeds) devised property in Mecklenburg were the above two 1767 deeds: (1) to James Cooper, which had been sold to Cooper by his son Lazez (probably Eleazor since he is called by that name in the James Cooper to Abram Andrews deed listed below) & (2) to his son Rowland. Therefore William Jr. (who many attribute this sale to) could not have been the devisor in the deeds as he did not own the property. I believe the designation in the deeds which specified that the person who patented the land was William Andrews of Mecklenburg, was just an assumption on the part of the recorder that since William Andrews owned the property in Mecklenburg, that he lived in Mecklenburg.
MECKLENBURG CO, VA DEED BOOK 1
P. 438. May 5, 1770 - James Cooper of Mecklenburg, to Abram Andrews of Lunenburg County. James Cooper owes Abraham Andrews 100 lbs. James Cooper, for and in consideration of his debt plus an additional 5 shillings to him paid by Abraham Andrews, has sold to Andrews a certain tract of land of about 140 acres in Mecklenburg County, on the south side of Meherin River bounded by William Allin, Peter Andrews, William Andrews, this being the same tract conveyed from Elizer Andrews to James Cooper. This deed is upon special trust and confidence that Abraham Andrews may at any time he thinks proper or James Cooper requests after 10 days notice, sell at public auction the above named land and out of the money thence raised, pay and satisfy himself the 100 lbs, with interest from today, and the charges attending this indenture and the expense of the sale, with the remainder of the money, if any, paid to the said Cooper. Signed - James Cooper. Wit - Thomas Andrews, John Andrews, John Grainger. Recorded Jul 9, 1770.
The remainder of the 1800 acres can be accounted for in William Sr's will & deeds prior to his death. These deeds & legacies to his children account for the sum total of the patented acreage. (I can find no record of William Sr purchasing any more than the patented acreage.) William Jr's land obviously only legally became the property of his family, after his death. Eleazor attempted to sell his portion of the land prior to it becoming legally his, which appears to have prompted the 1767 deed between William Andrews & James Cooper. There is some unusual wording in the deed recorded, between William Andrews & his son Roland, which appears to indicate William was performing "legal housekeeping duties" on land previously loaned to his son.
Therefore we deduct that, although they were not mentioned in the will, the 1767 deeds above indicate Rowland & Eleazor (Lazez) to also be sons of William Andrews Sr. of Dinwiddie Co, VA, the individual who patented the land devised to them. They, along with Ephraim, were the only children legally deeded their portion of the land prior to William Sr. 's will having been written. Therefore the acreage assigned to them was not listed in the will. Ephraim's only bequest in the will was to receive the Negro Nell after the death of his mother.
MECKLENBURG CO, VA DEED BOOK 2
P. 396. Feb 14, 1769 from William Andrews of Dinwiddie County, to Ephraim Andrews of St. James Parish, Mecklenburg County. William Andrews, for several other good reasons and for the better maintenance of his family, has given his son, Ephraim Andrews, a certain tract of land 280 acres in St. James Parish on the south side of Meherin River bounded by Broadnax. Signed: William Andrews. Wit: William Parker, Samuel Whitworth, Robert Blake.
Recorded May 14, 1770.
Previous researchers have posted estimated dates of birth for the children of Rowland Andrews who died before October Court 1786 in Randolph Co, NC. The dates generally show the oldest child born 1778-1779. I have believed for some time that these dates are incorrect. A fellow Andrews research, Eric Newsom, sent me a court record from Williamson Co, TN which gives Bevoley Andrews' age. This record is the final puzzle piece to prove that the children's birthdates are earlier than previously indicated.
First, Rowland Andrews is listed on the 1782 Mecklenburg Co, VA census with 6 whites in his household. If he is the same Rowland Andrews who moves into Randolph Co, NC in 1785 (and all indications point in that direction) then that census would not be consistent with children born beginning 1778-1779.
Second, a June 1773 Mecklenburg Co, VA deed from Rowland Andrews to Sylvanus Walker indicates that there was an unnamed wife. Therefore we would expect children to be born beginning at least by 1774. The 1850 Randolph Co, NC census indicates Harmon Andrews' age to be 71, which appears to be the basis of many of the age estimates. Harmon is indicated in the Rowland Andrews will as being the eldest son. I feel this age was given incorrectly by the person who provided information to the census taker, as it is not consistent with other documented data.
First, Asa Andrews' descendants list Asa's birthdate to be September 22, 1778. Therefore we would expect Harmon, as the eldest to have been born at least by 1777. But that still leaves a rather large gap between the marriage and the birth of the eldest child. This is where Eric's Williamson Co, TN records provides a wonderful piece of new information.
List of people in the poor establishment, December 1844: Beverly Andrews, 68 years. (Miscellaneous Records, Williamson County, Tennessee, vol. 2, Louise Gillespie Lynch, 1978, p. 1)
This record dates Beverly Andrews as being born abt. 1776. Harmon, being the eldest, would then be pushed into the "born abt. 1774" category and would fit quite consistently with Rowland and Henrietta having been married at least by June 1773.
Richard Andrews' 1850 census record indicating him to be 70 years old is consistent with him being the 4th son born to Rowland & Henrietta. Does anyone have any documented information on daughter Lucy?
My ggg-grandfather Rowland Andrews, reputed to be a posthumous son of Rowland & Henrietta Andrews, lists his age as 63 on the 1850 Carroll Co, GA census. This would indicate he was born 1786-1787, which fits perfectly with the death of Rowland Andrews bef. October Court 1786. The younger Rowland's move to Georgia can be documented as 1838 due to the fact that he was on the 1838 Randolph Co, NC tax list. The Randolph Co, NC tax lists show Harris Andrews (son of Richard Andrews) as paying tax on the land on which the younger Rowland Andrews had lived, after Rowland's move to Georgia. I have found no deed to show the land transfer from Rowland to Harris Andrews.
There are some strange unanswered questions concerning the younger Rowland's age that came from my detailed study of the Randolph Co, NC tax lists at the NC Archives. Rowland shows up with "No Poll" long before he should, based an an age of 50 as being sufficient to eliminate that tax requirement.
The Widow Andrews 1800 Randolph Co, NC census lists 1 male 10-16 years old, which would be consistent with Rowland Andrews' 1850 Carroll Co, GA census record. The older boys appear to be split between the households of Harmon & Henrietta in 1800. Harmon's household (enumerated next to Widow Andrews) shows 2 males 16-26 & Henrietta's household shows 2 males 16-26. So this accounts for all the male children. Lucy appears to be either married or deceased in 1800. The fact that 3 children under the age of 10 also were living in the Widow Henrietta's household might indicate that Lucy was deceased at that time.
Henrietta's 1810 household lists 1 male 16-26, which is consistent with the age of the younger Rowland. Also living in the household was a female under 16, which is consistent with the female child under 10 in 1800. The 1830 Randolph Co, NC Census lists Roland Andrews as Head of Household. Henrietta is obviously deceased at this time. His age range is listed as 30-40. This is close, but obviously not exactly correct, based on all previous & subsequent census entries.
The death of Henrietta and Rowland's subsequent marriage to Hilva Kelly prompted a big change in his life. Why he chose Carroll Co, GA as his new home is still not known. At the time of his death the family was living in adjacent Paulding Co, GA, where his estate records were filed. That change may not have actually been a move. It could possibly have been a change of county boundary lines. Rowland Andrews burial location and the subsequent history of his widow Hilva is still a mystery waiting to be solved. The last track I have of Hilva is the 1860 Paulding Co, GA census. She is listed as "Hilvy" and is Head of a Household consisting of her daughter Henrietta, and Henrietta's future husband John A. Mills. Rowland was obviously deceased by the enumeration of the census.
ROLAND ANDREWS
Carol Shrader believes Rowland Andrews was another son of William Andrews Sr and Avis. The records to support Rowland Andrews and another possible son Eleazor Andrews can be found on Carol's webpage.
Does proof exist that Roland ANDREWS b NC 1786, married Hilva KELLY May 30, 1831 Randolph Co, NC, is the posthumous youngest son of Rowland ANDREWS (wife Henrietta) whose will was filed October 1786 in Randolph Co, NC? The younger Roland Andrews removed to Georgia between 1836-1838. He is listed on the 1850 Carroll Co, GA Census. His widow is listed on the 1860 Paulding Co, GA Census.
Roland was born Bef. 1746 in Virginia, and died Bef. October 1786 in Randolph Co, NC. He married Henrietta Abt. 1773 in Virginia. She was born Bef. 1755 in Virginia, and died Bet. 1810 - 1815 in Randolph Co, NC.
Rowland Andrews
in the Family Data Collection - Births
Name: Rowland Andrews
Father: William Andrews
Mother: Ann Varney
Birth Date: 1741
State: VA
Rowland Andrews
in the Family Data Collection - Marriages
Name: Rowland Andrews
Spouse: Henrietta Harmon
Marriage Date (Day, Month, Year): 1758
Rowlen Andrews
in the Virginia, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1607-1890
Name: Rowlen Andrews
State: VA
County: Mecklenburg County
Township: 06 00
Year: 1782
Record Type: Continental Census
Page: 34
Database: VA Early Census Index
Rowland Andrews
in the Family Data Collection - Deaths
Name: Rowland Andrews
Death Date: 31 Dec 1785
City: Asheboro
County: Randolph
State: NC
Spouse and children (from Jessica West):
Spouse: Henrietta Harmon (1755 Henrico County, Virginia-1812 Randolph, NC)
Their Children:
1. Beverly Andrews (1776 Virginia – 1850 Williamson County, TN)
2. Harmon Andrews (1778 Randolph, Charlotte, VA – 8/9/1857 Randolph, NC)
3. Asa Andrews (9/22/1778 Mecklenburg, Co., VA – 9/6/1862 Williamson County, TN)
4. Richard Andrews (1780 Mecklenburg, VA – 1850 Randolph, NC)
5. Lucy Andrews (1780 Mecklenburg Co., VA – 1850 Carroll, GA); in 1800 married Thomas Sanford Tolbert (1780–1860) and they had the following children: Osborn Tolbert (1803–1880); Sanford Harmon Tolbert (1806–1892); Thomas Moody Tolbert (1812–____) and Elisha Tolbert
6. Roland A. Andrews, Jr. (1786 Randolph, North Carolina – 7/24/1863 Paulding, Georgia). On May 30, 1831 in Randolph Co, NC, Rowland Andrews married Hilva Kelly (1815–1860), where the oldest children of his new family were born. (This may indicate that Roland had a family prior to marrying Hiva, or that with his marriage to Hilva he had a family for the first time.) He married later in life to a much younger woman; and appears to have spent the early part of his life living with his mother. [Additional information from Millie Agee]. Rowland may have had the following children, but the child Hilda apparently is confused with Roland's wife Hilda and Roland (born 5/9/1818 may be from an earlier, undocumented marriage, or else his parentage can not be explained with information currently available: Hilda Andrews (1814–____); Rolen Roland Andrews (1818–1900) [Hilda and Roland presumably were from the earlier marriage and the remaining children with Hilva Kelly]; Moses Andrews (1832–1862); Linsey Andrews (1834–____); Lucy Ann Andrews (1834–1880); Frankin Andrews (born abt. 1837 in North Carolina - ____) and Henrietta Andrews (1838–1920). Henrietta married John A. Mills (1841-1822) and they had the following children: Nancy Victoria Mills (5/4/1859–10/10/1925); Rebecca Ann Mills (7/17/1863 GA – ____); Elizabeth "Lizzie" N. Mills (1865 TN – Aft 1930 Ark - married Jesse Jones); John P. Mills (10/1867–____ TX); William Monroe Mills (2/1869 Pauling, GA – ____); Delia Octavia Mills (5/12/1872 Van Buren Co, Ark – 9/25/1923); Rhoda L. Mills (3/22/1875 Van Burne Co, Ark – 8/24/1901); Ruth O. F. Mills (12/17/1877 – 8/10/1898) and Thomas Roland Mills (6/16/1880 Van Buren Co., Liberty Twn., Ark – 12/2/1963 Conway Co., Ark).
7. Ava Andrews
A deed dated 7-27-1767 executed by (1) William Andrews of Mecklenburg County transferred 155 acres of land to "his son (2) Roland Andrews." The deed described this land as located on the Meherrin River in Mecklenburg County, and stated that (1) William Andrews had acquired the land by patent, (Deed Book 1, pages 472-473.) A volume titled: "FIRST CENSUS OF THE UNITED STATES, 1790, published by the U.S. Department of Labor" listed (2) Roland Andrews as head of a family in Mecklenburg County, Virginia.
MECKLENBURG CO, VA DEED BOOK 1 p. 470. Jul 27, 1767 -
William Andrus of Mecklenburg County to James Cooper of Lunenburg County, 125 lbs. Abt 155 acres in Mecklenburg on the south side of Meherrin River bounded by (blank) Andrews, the same being patented to William Andrews, and given to his son Lasz Adrus, sold by him to the same James Cooper.
Signed -William (X) Andrus
Eleazor attempted to sell his portion of the land prior to it becoming legally his which appears to have prompted the 1767 deed between William Andrews & James Cooper. There is some unusual wording in the deed recorded, between William Andrews & his son Roland, which appears to indicate William was performing legal housekeeping duties on land previously loaned to his son.
Rowland & Eleazor (Lazez) along with Ephraim were the only children legally deeded their portion of the land prior to William Sr.'s will having been written. Therefore the acreage assigned to them was not listed in the will. Ephraim's only bequest in the will was to receive the Negro Nell after the death of his mother.
Not mentioned in the will, but indicated as sons in two 1767 Mecklenburg Co, VA deeds by William Andrews, who patented the land, were Lazez (later named in a James Cooper to Abram Andrews deed as Eleazor) & Rowland.
Here is a copy of the will of Roland ANDREWS, which can be located in Randolph Co., NC Will Bk. 1, pg. 32:
In the name of God, Amen. This thirty first day of December one thousand seven hundred and eighty five, I, ROWLAND ANDREWS, of the county of Randolph in the State of North Carolina, being weak in body but of sound perfect mind and memory do make and declare this to be my last will and testament in manner and form following[,] that is to say first, that my body is decently buried and the cost of all my just debts be by them honestly paid and as to my worldly estate both real and personal my will and desire is that my wife Hennaritta have this whole in her possession for the purpose of supporting herself and children and educating them, the personal estate until the youngest child shall arrive of age of twenty one years or married and the real estate while the eldest shall arrive to the same age or married and then to be divided in the following manner among my wife and five children, HARMOND, ASA, RICHARD, BEVERLY and LUCY or such of them as shall be then living at the time appointed for the division of my estate that is to say when my eldest son who may or shall live to the age of twenty one or marries then my land to be equally divided among my wife and children then living according to quantity and quality each ones part to him or her or to his or her heirs assigns for ever and when my younger child shall arrive to the age of twenty one or marries then the personal estate to be equally divided among my wife and children then living and I having constitue appoint my truly friend THOMAS INGRAM and my eldest son, HARMOND, executors of this my last will testament hereby revoking all former wills by me made.
Signed, sealed acknowledged in the presents (sic) of THOS. SATTERWHITE, RO BURTON, THOS. WILLIAMS. ROLAND ANDREWS
Mecklenburg Co., Va deed book 1 P.472 July 27, 1767 from William Andrews of M, to Rowland Andrus of M, for 125 lbs a certain tract of land of about 155 in M on the south branches of Meherrin River, and bounded by James Cooper, the same being granted to William Andrus by patent (1 blank line) as may more fully appear to his son Roland Andrus, the above mentioned land and all the appurtenances.
Signed: William (his mark) Andrus.
Wit - Richd Booker, Eleazer Andrus, John Grainger. Recorded Aug 10, 1767.
General Revolutionary War era data: I know from the activities of a number of my other NC families, that the area that ran from Charlotte to Salisbury was a real hot bed of Revolutionaries, and Montgomery County was not very far from this axis. These Revolutionary hot-heads simply did not tolerate anyone who did not agree with their fervent enthusiasm for the Revolution, and certainly did not tolerate neutrals, and Woe! to the proven Loyalist, or Tory. The times and the location were dangerous if you were not fully in bed and in agreement with the Revolutionary agenda.
It got so bad that some of the local enthusiasts decided it was patriotic to confiscate the property of anyone who was not an ardent supporter of the cause (my Lockes, seated up in Salisbury, were very influential in this movement, and gained a lot of their property as a result of this maneuver -- to their shame, by the way). You can imagine that it did not take a giant leap of imagination for opportunists to see the opportunity to grab some "free" land by this maneuver, and some others seemed to act just plain out of jealousy. One of my Allens -- the very prominent Mark Allen in the Anson and Montgomery County deeds -- got caught in th is trap, and had to fight for his reputation and possession s. Yep, they were dangerous, and illogical, times.
So when you see someone who is "branded" a loyalist from the region, be careful of how you take that. I might not have been necessarily so.
Henrietta Andrews was born August 31, 1838, probably in Carroll Co, GA, and married Confederate soldier John A. Mills March 28, 1860 in that same county. Her father, Rowland Andrews married Hilva Kelly May 30, 1831 in Randolph Co, NC, where the oldest children of his new family were born. He married later in life to a much younger woman; and appears to have spent the early part of his life living with his mother. A DAR application filed in the 1980's indicated that he was the posthumous son of Rowland Andrews and his wife Henrietta. Although this author has found no hard documentation to substantiate his parentage, I have little doubt that the information supplied to DAR is correct. A child of his age appears on the Widow Andrews 1790 census record and subsequently is enumerated in her household. He is living, and has associations throughout his Randolph Co, NC sojourn with the children listed on the elder Rowland Andrew's will. Following his move to Georgia, the land on which he was living is taken over by Richard Andrew's son, Harris, without the benefit of any deed. The family appears to be one that did not bother with legal land transfers, as an exhaustive search of deeds at the North Carolina Archives turns up nothing to legalize the property transfers within the family. The North Carolina Archives records also indicates that many Randolph Co, NC records are "missing".
The elder Rowland Andrews, of Randolph Co, NC, was the son of William Andrews, who died in Dinwiddie Co, VA in 1770. Earlier researchers had deducted different parentage until the discovery of exciting new information. The May 22, 1770 will of William Andrews Sr. of Dinwiddie Co, VA, on file at the Library of Virginia, and a thorough study of Mecklenburg deeds and land patents, shed new light on the parentage of Rowland Andrews of Mecklenburg Co, VA & Randolph Co, NC.
Descendants mentioned in William Sr.'s will, written May 22, 1770, were: his loving wife Avis, Ann Brooks, widow of William Andrews, and his grandsons Varney, David, William & Ephraim; and children: John; Thomas; Winifred Granger; Richard; Ephraim, Abram; Lucy; Avis; & Mark.
Not mentioned in the will, but indicated as sons in two 1767 Mecklenburg Co, VA deeds by William Andrews, who patented the land, were Lazez (later named in a James Cooper to Abram Andrews deed as Eleazor) & Rowland.
MECKLENBURG CO, VA DEED BOOK 1
p. 470. Jul 27, 1767 - William Andrus of Mecklenburg County to James Cooper of Lunenburg County, 125 lbs. Abt 155 acres in Mecklenburg on the south side of Meherrin River bounded by (blank) Andrews, the same being patented to William Andrews, and given to his son Lasz Adrus, sold by him to the same James Cooper. Signed - William (X) Andrus. Wit - Richard Booker, Eleazor Andrews, John Grainger
Recorded Aug 10, 1767.
Mecklenburg Co, VA Deed Book 1, Page 472
This Indenture made this twenty-seventh day of July in the year of our Lord Christ one thousand seven hundred and sixty-seven Between William Andrus of Mecklenburg County of the one part and Rowland Andrus of the said County of the other part, Witnesseth that the said William Andrus doth for and on the behalf of himself, for and in consideration of the just and full sum of one hundred and twenty-five Pounds current money of Virginia, in hand well and truly paid by the said Rowland Andrews, the receipt whereof the said William Andrus doth hereby acknowledge, hath given, granted, bargained and sold, and by these presents doth give, grant, bargain and sell, and confirm unto the said Roland Andrus, his Heirs and assigns forever, a certain tract or parcel of land containing by estimation one hundred and fifty-five, be the same more or less, situate, lying and being in the County aforesaid on the south branches of Meherrin River and is bounded as followeth, to wit, Beginning at a large red oak at corner of James Cooper's running thence on Cooper's line South seventy-one and a half Degrees East one hundred and eight poles to a white oak thence South forty Degrees West seventy-four poles to a ( blank ) South sixty-six poles to a ( blank ) South forty degrees West twelve poles to a ( blank ) and North two and a half degrees East two hundred and thirteen poles to the first Station, the same being granted to William Andrus by patent bearing date ( blank ) as may more fully appear to his son Roland Andrus, his Heirs and assigns forever the above mentioned land with all houses, etc. To have and to hold........
William Andrus (mark)
Witnesses:
Richard Booker
Eleazer Andrus
John Grainger
Recorded: 10 August 1767
William Andrews (of Dinwiddie), is the documented father of William Andrews (of Mecklenburg). William Sr's will devises the property on which they presently live in Mecklenburg to William Jr's widow Ann Brooks and William's Sr's 4 grandchildren: Ephraim, Varney, William & David. A study of the area land patents yields the fact that William Sr. was the only Andrews who patented land in that area. He patented 1400 acres south of the Meherrin (Mecklenburg) & 400 acres north of the Meherrin (Lunenburg.) The intent of those patents appears to be to provide a home for his children. Although the children lived on the land and paid tax on the land, William Sr. obviously retained legal title to the land. The first actual deeds where William Andrews (who patented the land per the deeds) devised property in Mecklenburg were the above two 1767 deeds: (1) to James Cooper, which had been sold to Cooper by his son Lazez (probably Eleazor since he is called by that name in the James Cooper to Abram Andrews deed listed below) & (2) to his son Rowland. Therefore William Jr. (who many attribute this sale to) could not have been the devisor in the deeds as he did not own the property. I believe the designation in the deeds which specified that the person who patented the land was William Andrews of Mecklenburg, was just an assumption on the part of the recorder that since William Andrews owned the property in Mecklenburg, that he lived in Mecklenburg.
MECKLENBURG CO, VA DEED BOOK 1
P. 438. May 5, 1770 - James Cooper of Mecklenburg, to Abram Andrews of Lunenburg County. James Cooper owes Abraham Andrews 100 lbs. James Cooper, for and in consideration of his debt plus an additional 5 shillings to him paid by Abraham Andrews, has sold to Andrews a certain tract of land of about 140 acres in Mecklenburg County, on the south side of Meherin River bounded by William Allin, Peter Andrews, William Andrews, this being the same tract conveyed from Elizer Andrews to James Cooper. This deed is upon special trust and confidence that Abraham Andrews may at any time he thinks proper or James Cooper requests after 10 days notice, sell at public auction the above named land and out of the money thence raised, pay and satisfy himself the 100 lbs, with interest from today, and the charges attending this indenture and the expense of the sale, with the remainder of the money, if any, paid to the said Cooper. Signed - James Cooper. Wit - Thomas Andrews, John Andrews, John Grainger. Recorded Jul 9, 1770.
The remainder of the 1800 acres can be accounted for in William Sr's will & deeds prior to his death. These deeds & legacies to his children account for the sum total of the patented acreage. (I can find no record of William Sr purchasing any more than the patented acreage.) William Jr's land obviously only legally became the property of his family, after his death. Eleazor attempted to sell his portion of the land prior to it becoming legally his, which appears to have prompted the 1767 deed between William Andrews & James Cooper. There is some unusual wording in the deed recorded, between William Andrews & his son Roland, which appears to indicate William was performing "legal housekeeping duties" on land previously loaned to his son.
Therefore we deduct that, although they were not mentioned in the will, the 1767 deeds above indicate Rowland & Eleazor (Lazez) to also be sons of William Andrews Sr. of Dinwiddie Co, VA, the individual who patented the land devised to them. They, along with Ephraim, were the only children legally deeded their portion of the land prior to William Sr. 's will having been written. Therefore the acreage assigned to them was not listed in the will. Ephraim's only bequest in the will was to receive the Negro Nell after the death of his mother.
MECKLENBURG CO, VA DEED BOOK 2
P. 396. Feb 14, 1769 from William Andrews of Dinwiddie County, to Ephraim Andrews of St. James Parish, Mecklenburg County. William Andrews, for several other good reasons and for the better maintenance of his family, has given his son, Ephraim Andrews, a certain tract of land 280 acres in St. James Parish on the south side of Meherin River bounded by Broadnax. Signed: William Andrews. Wit: William Parker, Samuel Whitworth, Robert Blake.
Recorded May 14, 1770.
Previous researchers have posted estimated dates of birth for the children of Rowland Andrews who died before October Court 1786 in Randolph Co, NC. The dates generally show the oldest child born 1778-1779. I have believed for some time that these dates are incorrect. A fellow Andrews research, Eric Newsom, sent me a court record from Williamson Co, TN which gives Bevoley Andrews' age. This record is the final puzzle piece to prove that the children's birthdates are earlier than previously indicated.
First, Rowland Andrews is listed on the 1782 Mecklenburg Co, VA census with 6 whites in his household. If he is the same Rowland Andrews who moves into Randolph Co, NC in 1785 (and all indications point in that direction) then that census would not be consistent with children born beginning 1778-1779.
Second, a June 1773 Mecklenburg Co, VA deed from Rowland Andrews to Sylvanus Walker indicates that there was an unnamed wife. Therefore we would expect children to be born beginning at least by 1774. The 1850 Randolph Co, NC census indicates Harmon Andrews' age to be 71, which appears to be the basis of many of the age estimates. Harmon is indicated in the Rowland Andrews will as being the eldest son. I feel this age was given incorrectly by the person who provided information to the census taker, as it is not consistent with other documented data.
First, Asa Andrews' descendants list Asa's birthdate to be September 22, 1778. Therefore we would expect Harmon, as the eldest to have been born at least by 1777. But that still leaves a rather large gap between the marriage and the birth of the eldest child. This is where Eric's Williamson Co, TN records provides a wonderful piece of new information.
List of people in the poor establishment, December 1844: Beverly Andrews, 68 years. (Miscellaneous Records, Williamson County, Tennessee, vol. 2, Louise Gillespie Lynch, 1978, p. 1)
This record dates Beverly Andrews as being born abt. 1776. Harmon, being the eldest, would then be pushed into the "born abt. 1774" category and would fit quite consistently with Rowland and Henrietta having been married at least by June 1773.
Richard Andrews' 1850 census record indicating him to be 70 years old is consistent with him being the 4th son born to Rowland & Henrietta. Does anyone have any documented information on daughter Lucy?
My ggg-grandfather Rowland Andrews, reputed to be a posthumous son of Rowland & Henrietta Andrews, lists his age as 63 on the 1850 Carroll Co, GA census. This would indicate he was born 1786-1787, which fits perfectly with the death of Rowland Andrews bef. October Court 1786. The younger Rowland's move to Georgia can be documented as 1838 due to the fact that he was on the 1838 Randolph Co, NC tax list. The Randolph Co, NC tax lists show Harris Andrews (son of Richard Andrews) as paying tax on the land on which the younger Rowland Andrews had lived, after Rowland's move to Georgia. I have found no deed to show the land transfer from Rowland to Harris Andrews.
There are some strange unanswered questions concerning the younger Rowland's age that came from my detailed study of the Randolph Co, NC tax lists at the NC Archives. Rowland shows up with "No Poll" long before he should, based an an age of 50 as being sufficient to eliminate that tax requirement.
The Widow Andrews 1800 Randolph Co, NC census lists 1 male 10-16 years old, which would be consistent with Rowland Andrews' 1850 Carroll Co, GA census record. The older boys appear to be split between the households of Harmon & Henrietta in 1800. Harmon's household (enumerated next to Widow Andrews) shows 2 males 16-26 & Henrietta's household shows 2 males 16-26. So this accounts for all the male children. Lucy appears to be either married or deceased in 1800. The fact that 3 children under the age of 10 also were living in the Widow Henrietta's household might indicate that Lucy was deceased at that time.
Henrietta's 1810 household lists 1 male 16-26, which is consistent with the age of the younger Rowland. Also living in the household was a female under 16, which is consistent with the female child under 10 in 1800. The 1830 Randolph Co, NC Census lists Roland Andrews as Head of Household. Henrietta is obviously deceased at this time. His age range is listed as 30-40. This is close, but obviously not exactly correct, based on all previous & subsequent census entries.
The death of Henrietta and Rowland's subsequent marriage to Hilva Kelly prompted a big change in his life. Why he chose Carroll Co, GA as his new home is still not known. At the time of his death the family was living in adjacent Paulding Co, GA, where his estate records were filed. That change may not have actually been a move. It could possibly have been a change of county boundary lines. Rowland Andrews burial location and the subsequent history of his widow Hilva is still a mystery waiting to be solved. The last track I have of Hilva is the 1860 Paulding Co, GA census. She is listed as "Hilvy" and is Head of a Household consisting of her daughter Henrietta, and Henrietta's future husband John A. Mills. Rowland was obviously deceased by the enumeration of the census.
ROLAND ANDREWS
Carol Shrader believes Rowland Andrews was another son of William Andrews Sr and Avis. The records to support Rowland Andrews and another possible son Eleazor Andrews can be found on Carol's webpage.
Does proof exist that Roland ANDREWS b NC 1786, married Hilva KELLY May 30, 1831 Randolph Co, NC, is the posthumous youngest son of Rowland ANDREWS (wife Henrietta) whose will was filed October 1786 in Randolph Co, NC? The younger Roland Andrews removed to Georgia between 1836-1838. He is listed on the 1850 Carroll Co, GA Census. His widow is listed on the 1860 Paulding Co, GA Census.
Roland was born Bef. 1746 in Virginia, and died Bef. October 1786 in Randolph Co, NC. He married Henrietta Abt. 1773 in Virginia. She was born Bef. 1755 in Virginia, and died Bet. 1810 - 1815 in Randolph Co, NC.
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