Holmes-Bell

According to ROBERT HOLMES’s pension records, on October 10, 1781, shortly before the end of the Revolution, he married MARJORY BELL-2, the daughter of THOMAS BELL-1 in Rowan County, North Carolina. THOMAS was another Scots-Irishman, and one of the earlier settlers in the area having arrived in the mid-1740s with his young family. THOMAS BELL was likely from the same general area of Ireland as ROBERT HOLMES’s family, but had come to the colonies much earlier, and it is unlikely that they had known each other prior to ROBERT’s family moving to the North Carolina area. ROBERT had likely become acquainted with MARJORY at church meeting. Both families were solid Presbyterian stock. THOMAS BELL was a substantial farmer and landowner, and his sons had fought in the Revolution. He was also a pillar of the Presbyterian Church, so the marriage was probably well-approved by both families. Both sets of parents were alive, and both families contained many members, so the wedding party was probably well attended by both the family and a large number of friends.

ROBERT’s pension tells us that “the marriage banns were posted at the church for three successive Sabbaths but on the day of the wedding, the minister was called out on business and the wedding party went to the local magistrate, a Mr. King, to be married.” Then the wedding party came back to THOMAS BELL’s house for the celebration. One of the guests was Margarette [Mrs. David] Henry, who also had moved to Sumner County, Tennessee, to live. She gave an affidavit in the 1830s for the widow’s pension application. [Revolutionary Pension Robert Holmes.]

Before the Revolution, the Church of England was the established church in North Carolina, just as in Virginia. Until 1767, only the ordained ministers of that church and civil officials were permitted by law to perform marriages, although ministers of other denominations married couples illegally. After 1741, those who wished to marry could have “banns” posted or announced from the pulpit, or they could buy a license. We know that MARJORY’s family were Scots-Irish Presbyterians and not members of the established church. Since they were married after the Revolution, their marriage by a Presbyterian [if the minister had been there that day] would have been legal. Before the Revolution, it would not have been accepted by the establishment.

The Scots-Irish brought their wedding customs with them into the Colonies when they came.

The wedding [celebration] was almost always held in the home of the bride rather than in a church. Friends and family and neighbors would come to the wedding from miles around. On the morning of the wedding, the bride’s male friends and family would gather at her house and pick the two best riders among them to “race for the bottle.” The signal for the race to start was the shot of a gun from about a mile off, made by the groom’s approaching party. The winner reached the groom’s party first and claimed his prize from the groom. When both parties got back to the bride’s house the bottle was passed around, and starting with the minister, everyone drank.

After the marriage ceremony everyone kissed the bride. An elaborate dinner followed the wedding, more bountiful than dainty, during which a festive spirit prevailed, especially among the young men. After the dinner, the remainder of the afternoon was spent in games and athletic sports until suppertime. Supper over, the dancing started and lasted sometimes all night. The customs also required the young married couple to make a formal appearance at the next regular church service. [Dunaway, The Scotch Irish of Colonial Pennsylvania.]

During the dinner, members of the wedding party would crawl under the table and attempt to grab the bride’s shoe. If they succeeded, her party had to reclaim the article. Sometimes these games became quite rough. When the shoe was recovered, the bride and groom were put to bed amid much teasing.

Both families contributed to the newlywed’s new household, the bride’s mother providing quilts and household equipment, and the bride’s father a cow or a horse. The community might also help with a log cabin if the home was not already standing by the time of the marriage.

The Bells

Augusta County, Virginia

The name Bell is usually a Scots or English-Border name. Sometimes is also spelled Beal in the records.

Some of the Bells had been forcibly expelled from the English/Scots border and settled in Ireland during the time the Lowland Scots were voluntarily moving from Scotland to Northern Ireland. At least by the early 1700s, these people were allied with the Presbyterian Scots-Irish groups.

MARJORY’s father, THOMAS BELL, was a member of the Presbyterian Church and was of either Scots-Irish or English-Border descent. He was probably born before 1713. His family was numbered in a group of families, the BELLS, HOLMES, and WILSONS, who left Northern Ireland shortly before 1720, and migrated to the Forks of the Brandywine Presbyterian community in Chester County, Pennsylvania, then into Cecil County, Maryland. About 1734-1737, these families moved into Augusta County, Virginia, and settled in an area called “Beverly Manor.” This was a large tract of land granted by Governor Gooch to William Beverly who agreed to get settlers for the 118,000 acres of land. Due to the heavy migration into Pennsylvania and the high birth-rate, land prices were increasing and the Scots-Irish there readily grasped at the land proffered by the agents of William Beverly. They moved south in large groups along the Great Wagon Road. Though Virginia did not particularly like dissenting religions, such as the Presbyterians and Quakers, the Act of Toleration had stopped most of the earlier very harsh persecution of various religions by the time the Presbyterians moved to Virginia. [Tinkling Spring.]

By 1734, the Great Wagon Road had pushed into the Virginia Valleys and the settlers traveled a well-worn path through the valleys, across the hills, and across the rivers into Virginia. The Quakers in Pennsylvania and the Scots Presbyterians did not agree on what the Pennsylvania area needed in the way of protection. The Scots were not one to bear the brunt of the Indian fighting, nor to allow the Indians to not be taught a lesson of force, so many moved south into Virginia.

Carolina Cradle, by Robert W. Ransay, gives additional, and possibly conflicting, information about the origin of these BELL, Holmes, and WILSON families.

The BELLS originated before 1720 in Cecil or Talbot County Maryland whence many of them removed to Philadelphia County sometime before 1739. Accompanied by many of his kin, THOMAS BELL removed to the Shenandoah Valley in 1741 or 1742 and then to Carolina.

The family of John Holmes, BELLS’s brother-in-law, was evidently in Lower Dublin township. Philadelphia County, between 1734 and 1741. Holmes himself moved on to Prince Georges County in 1742 and proceeded from there to the Shenandoah Valley. Holmes was a man of considerable prominence, for he served as Constable of Augusta County in 1747 and was appointed Justice of the Peace for Anson County in September the following year. [Ransay, Carolina Cradle.]

Anson County was a vaguely defined area that later included much of North Carolina, Orange, Rowan, Iredell, etc.

The McCubbins Collection of Rowan County Records, available at the Arkansas History Commission on microfilm, gives another account of John Holmes. It says that he first moved to Savannah, Georgia, then to Pennsylvania, and then to Rowan. He had nine children: Robert Holmes, Mary Holmes, Margaret Holmes, James Holmes, Katherine Holmes, Jane Holmes, Elizabeth Holmes, Richard Holmes, and William Holmes. We find this Robert Holmes, son of John Holmes, in early records. Robert, son of John, married into the Luckie family. Robert apparently also had a son, Robert Holmes, Jr., who married Elizabeth Askew.

The McCubbins collection is quite helpful at times in researching this area but has many factual errors. Nothing in this collection should be taken as “gospel.”

John Holmes left a will dated January 1, 1772, and probated in May, 1775, [Book A, page 1890, in Rowan] which shows that he is the same John Holmes found in Augusta County, Virginia. It mentions his wife, “Jennet” [Jane Wilson] and most of the children that we know John and Jane had. The will of his father-in-law, ROBERT WILSON, mentioning his son and his wife, confirm that this is the same John Holmes.

After leaving the Pennsylvania area, the BELL, WILSON, and Holmes families took up land in Augusta County, Virginia, about 1736. For each cabin they built or each area “blazed,” they were to be allotted so much land. Many times they did not file their claims officially, because they did not have to pay taxes until after the claim was filed. The land was not supposed to be “free,” but there was so much land, and it was so sparsely settled, that they, more or less, got away with squatting.

One history about Augusta County recounts that a maidservant of one of the men named James Bell [there were several by that name] dressed in men’s clothing and went from cabin to cabin pretending to be a different man for the “head count” in order to secure more land. Later lawsuits disallowed these bogus claims.

The County of Augusta was formed about 1736, but records prior to 1746 are found in Orange County. Some records, wills for example, were not recorded in Augusta records until at least 10 years after the formation of the county. In 1737, a petition was sent to the Donegal Synod for an official Presbyterian church to be formed in that area. It was granted. The Tinkling Spring Meeting was formed in the southern part of Beverly’s grant and THOMAS BELL was a member of it. He had signed the petition in 1737. This allows us to somewhat estimate the birth date of THOMAS as before 1716, if he was at least an adult by 1737. The connection to Donegal Synod also makes us believe that these people are relatives of the family of ROBERT HOLMES who came later.

James Patton, who was involved in shipping, was one of the men known to be from County Donegal, Raphoe Parish. Another source says he was born in Newtown Limars, Londonderry County, Ireland, in 1692. He brought many ship-loads of settlers directly from Ireland to settle on a large grant of land he received and agreed to settle. He was also one of the men elected to the Burgesses in Augusta. He was killed by Indians in 1755.

Augusta County, Virginia, was actually established in 1738, but there were too few residents to formally form a complete government for several years. It was not until 1745 that the county finally came to be organized. The first court was assembled at Staunton in 1745. James Patton was one of these magistates. He was also commissioned high sheriff. He had been the first man to survey and locate lands in what became Washington County, Virginia. He secured a grant from the Governor and Council of Virginia for a grant of 120,000 acres of land west of the Blue Ridge, and h e and his son-in-law, John Buchanan founded two towns. In 1748, he and several other surveyors, including John Findlay, and Dr. Walker, explored Southwestern Virginia and East Tennessee.

In the 1750s settlers were moving into the New River settlements in western Virginia, into areas that are now located in Eastern Kentucky and West Virginia. They were under constant Indian predation. Colonel James Patton was in the area along with several other whites. A report of the killing of Col. Patton is located in History of Southwest Virginia, 1746-1786, Washington County, 1777-1870, by Lewis Preston Summers, 1906.

Colonel Patton, at the time of the attack, was seated at a table writing, with his broad sword beside him. He immediately arose and killed two of the Indians before he was shot by others beyond his reach.

The Indians then plundered the premises and began a hasty retreat.

…the body of Colonel James Patton was buried at Drapers’s Meadows. Colonel John Buchanan sent a company of men to pursue the Indians, but they did not succeed [pg. 57-58.]

Not withstanding that Drapers Meadows settlement was far from the Ohio, and apparently safe from any probability of attack from any quarter, and although these settlers must have been aware that war was being waged by the Indians against the whites, they took no reasonable precaution for their safety, but on Sunday, the 8^th day of July, 1755, the day before Braddock’s defeat on the Monongahela, they permitted themselves to be surprised by a band of marauding Shawnees from North of the Ohio, who killed wounded and captured every person present. Killed were Colonel James Pattion, Mrs. George Draper, Casper Barrier, a child of John Draper, James Cull, wounded Mrs. William Ingles, Mrs. John Draper, and Henry Leonard Captured…..the house of Philip Barger, an old white haired man, whose head they cut off, put in a bag and took with them to the house of Phylip Lybrook where they left it, telling Mrs. Lybrook to look in the bag and she would find an acquaintance.

The morning of the attack upon the settlers of Drapers Meadows, Colonel Patton had sent his nephew, young William Preston, over to Philip Lybrook’s on Sinking Creek to get him to come over and help next day with the harvest, which was ready to cut. Preston and Lybrook instead of following the river, crossed the mountains, probably at the place where Newport, in Giles County, is now situated and doubtless escaped death or capture. Of the facts and circumstances attending the attack on this settlement, the killing, wounding and capture of all present, of the journey of the prisoners to Ohio, the escape and return home of Mrs. Ingles, the writer is larger indebeeted to the authentic, pathetic account by the late Dr. John Hale, of Charleston, West, Virginia, in his book, “Trans Alleghany Piioneers.”

[http://www.kinyon.com/westvirginia/midnewriver/chapter2.htm, 2/27/02.]

By express this morning from Augusta we have the melancholy account of the Murder of Col. James Patton, who was killed by a party of Indians, the last day of July [1755], on the head branches of Roanoak, and eight more men, women and children [Virginia Gazette, 8 Ag55:32.]

The name Patton would frequently show up in connection with our WILSON relatives in Sumner County, Tennessee, for generations.

There was dissension among the members of the Tinkling Spring Congregation about the location of the church house itself. Early in the century, the American Presbyterian church had become divided into what were known as the “Old Side” and the “New Side.” The quarrel was over the proper methods of promoting the religion. The New Sides, also called “The New Lights,” were followers of George Whitefield, who traveled the country with zeal and caused religious excitement. The Old Side were the more conservative and less aggressive elements. Most of the Augusta County churches were “Old Siders.” The Reverend John Craig, who was the minister at Tinkling Spring, was not involved until after the breach was healed in 1758. His problem wasn’t over “old side” vs. “new side,” but with the tightfistedness of the members. He was not neutral, however, in the quarrels. Mr. Craig wrote [Annals of Augusta, pg 45.]

That part now called Tinkling Spring was most in numbers and richer than the other and forward and had public management of the affairs of the whole settlement; their leaders close handed about providing necessary things for pious and religious uses and could not agree for several years upon a plan or manner where or how to build their meeting house which gave me great trouble to hold them together their disputes ran so high.... [Annals of Augusta, pg 44.]

A feud arose between two factions, and especially two men, Colonel Lewis and Colonel [James] Patton. Mr. Craig was not neutral in the dispute, however. When an arbitrator of the dispute, Mr. James Pilson, cast his vote for the church to be built at the Tinkling Spring location, Mr. Craig vowed “You too, are against me Jimmy! Well, I am resolved that none of that water shall ever tinkle down my throat!” He kept his word. [Tinkling Spring, pg 92.]

Mr. Craig’s morning services lasted from 10 a.m. until almost noon, and the evening services from one p.m. until dark. In the one of his printed sermons that survives, he had 55 divisions of points to bring out.

Mr. Craig had graduated from the University of Edinburgh on February 6, 1733. He arrived in America the next year to study theology. His license to preach the Presbyterian gospel was granted in 1738. Various things have been written about this man, but he was apparently as stubborn as his flock.

When the church building was finally finished, it contained back-less benches for the congregation to sit on, and did not contain any provision for heat. It must have been very uncomfortable during mid-summer and mid-winter. There was the colonial equivalent of a “powder room,” called a “retiring house.” This was a small building, separate from the main one-room meeting house, that had provision for warmth, and was used for small meetings, and probably for mothers to take small children to attend to diapers. Very probably, the women did not depart from services to nurse a child, but might take a squalling infant out of the service if it would not be comforted. [Tinkling Spring.]

In pre-Revolutionary Virginia, which had an “established church,” but allowed dissenting religions to build “Meeting Houses,” the designation of “church” was reserved for the houses of worship built by the established church.

We are not sure of the exact form taken in their worship services morning and night. This was in the days before “Sunday School,” and the minister would usually read a chapter of the Bible and comment upon it. There was a great emphasis upon the teaching role of the ministers, and the presbytery had decreed that they should read the Bible and teach it.

Communion was held several times per year, rather than every Sunday. The minister would determine each member’s qualifications for receiving the Lord’s supper, and would issue that member a metal token. There was a long table at the front of the meeting house, with the minister and the elders sitting on the pulpit-side of the table. Members of the congregation would come up to the table, and sit facing the minister and the elders, who would serve them the Lord’s Supper, in turn, until each member of the congregation would have partaken. If a member did not have a token, he did not participate. It was a very important part of religious life.

The congregation had agreed to pay so much each toward the building of the church and the minister’s salary, but appeared to be pretty tight-fisted in fulfilling these promises. The minister, Mr. Craig, even sued one of these men in court to collect what he had promised. This back-fired, however. The man testified that Mr. Craig had not done his duty as a minister and had not visited him. The court decided that the man did not have to pay.

Mr. Craig later said, in his life’s story, “their leaders proud self interested contentious and ungovernmable all of them closshanded [sic] about providing necessary things for pious or religious uses.” [Tinkling Spring, page 92.]

The rental of pews, another scheme to raise money for the church, was undertaken in 1748.

At a meeting of ye Comm’s of the Tinkling Spring Congregation it is agreed that there is not above two families to sit upon one seate unless some be for when ye seates is full that we the said Com’s shall place such families or persons in Sd seats where we see ye most room they paying theirre proportionable part of Sd seats where pleac’d signed per order, 10th May 1748. John Christian. [Tinkling Spring, page 96.]

In 1742, the House of Burgesses was formed. Also, the militia was formed to protect the settlers from Indian attacks. Most of the BELLS and the WILSONS were in Captain John Christian’s district. Captain John Wilson was the leader of another militia group and was an affluent and influential man in the community.

Margaret Hannah was an independent and intelligent woman, thought by the locals to be a witch. She was born in 1797 and told a story before she died, at the age of 87, that had been related to her by her family.

They were building a bigger log house, John had gone to Dickson’s fort not far away to get some help for the house raising the next day. William Jr. [called Thomas] had gone to the Mill, and the two sisters, Margaret and Elizabeth, were out on the river washing flax-tow. Mrs. Wilson in feeble health, had walked down by the river. An Irishman had a loom in the yard and was weaving. The sisters Barbara and Susan were in the cabin ironing the clothes. Father and several men were working on logs for the house.

The Indians first went down by the river and the girls started to run and tried to help their mother, but she told them to go and hide. The Indians threw a tomahawk at the old lady and when she put her arm up to shield her face, it cut her wrist badly.

The Indians went to the cabin and shot the weaver, but he escaped with a hole in his side. Barbara started out and her skull was fractured. Susan closed the door and burned and mashed the fingers of the Indians with an iron.

Father and the men attacked with axes and adzes and drove the Indians off. John was returning from the Fort when the Indians shot at him, he wheeled his horse and ran for help. He and his help didn’t get back until after dark. He sneaked up, fearing the worst. At dawn, they followed the bloody trail left by the old lady and found her out of her mind and almost dead. William was tracked to where he was taken prisoner. He had on his shoes, though he usually wore moccasins. Returned prisoners later told of seeing him at Chillicothe Town and reported that he was alive. They had not been allowed to speak to him.” [Tinkling Spring.]

Another story about the BELLS is that one of the families had a cabin out in the woods, and the women heard that there were Indians in the neighborhood. They decided to hide in case the Indians came near. By this time, the Indians were supposed to be non-hostile, but the prudent person did not trust them.

The girls took to the woods and were safe, but the passing Indians heard the family’s geese and were alerted to the presence of the cabin, which they looted and burned. “From that day to this,” the Bells do not keep geese.

A thin volume, Action at the Galudoghson, December 14, 1742, by Lyman Copeland Draper, edited by Jared C. Lobdell, tells about the first serious altercation with the Indians that happened with the Augusta County Militia. Apparently, the gist of the story is that a band of Indians [of unknown tribe] were passing through Augusta County with a written pass, of some sort, given by another territory. They came to a house in Augusta and something happened there, possibly the killing of a hog by the Indians, and then they went on their way. For some reason, the Indians were followed by a group of Augusta’s militia, some mounted, and some afoot. When the militia overtook the Indians, there was shooting, and several Indians and several militia were killed.

Apparently, there had been a misunderstanding, on both parts. The Indians had stayed in the area of Augusta to rest, and during that time, had availed themselves of the hospitality by shooting the settlers’ horses and cattle, and taking a few hogs. The Indians did not have the same idea of “ownership” of animals that the white man did, and saw nothing wrong in this practice.

When the whites had followed the Indians, one of the McDowells, who was the leader of the militia, had no other intention except to talk to the Indians. Apparently, a trigger-happy member of the militia opened fire upon one of the Indians in the rear, at which point, the Indians counter-attacked. The battle lasted several hours and several on each side were killed and wounded.

Social life in the community centered at the militia musters in April and October, at weddings, church attendance, funerals, and other local gatherings. The Scots-Irish made and drank more whiskey than any other ethnic group. Not that they were all drunkards, as a general rule, but to not offer a visitor a drink was a grave insult. They didn’t play cards, or throw dice, or gamble, but they amused themselves with reels and jigs and other entertainment.

THOMAS BELL was probably born before 1716, and may have been born in Ireland before the family emigrated, or may have been born in Pennsylvania or Maryland, after they arrived. Due to his supposed age, we assume that he didn’t come to America alone, but came with his parents as a child if he wasn’t born here. It is still possible that at some future date, we may be able to trace his parents. It is possible, maybe likely, that his family came from County Donegal.

Almost all of the Scots-Irish that came in the 1717 to 1720 era were economic, rather than religious, refugees. Though the British had persecuted the Presbyterians, and other dissenting sects in Ireland, establishing the Test Act in 1704, which disenfranchised them from office or holding military posts; it was the suppression of the wool-cloth industry that hurt them the worst. The Scots-Irish wool-cloth industry gave stiff competition to the English. The Scots were allowed to sell their products only to England or Wales, which essentially cut off their markets. Coupled with the famines, and the increased rents, these economic problems were the prime movers in the migrations to the colonies.

There is a good chance that at least some of THOMAS’ nuclear family accompanied him to Virginia, if they were alive. Albion’s Seed, page 610, states that a study done of the records of the emigrants “from Northern Ireland, 91 percent of 405 Ulster emigrants who came to the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia in 1740, arrived in families. Only 37 traveled as individuals.” This makes us believe that there is a better than 90% chance that THOMAS came with family to Augusta County. Since he named his oldest son, William, there is a good chance his father’s name was William.

There was one man named James Bell, who died in 1748, and whose will is of record in Augusta County, naming both his son James and his “nephew” [probably grandson] James. Both of these Jameses had eight or nine children each, and the list of the names of their children is almost identical. One of the two men named James was referred to in the records as “Of the Glades” and the other as “Of South River.” They both died in the 1780s leaving wills mentioning their “identical families.” The two younger Jameses both had sons named Thomas, but neither son was old enough to be our THOMAS. Another record mentions Joseph Bell, “called Thomas.” The custom of naming a child something and calling him by his “middle name” is still in use today in the descendants of these people. The author’s younger son is named William, called Patrick.

One of the men named James Bell was taken prisoner in the French and Indian war in 1755. Captain James Patton was killed during this time by the Indians. Notices were published in the Virginia Gazette advertising a lottery “for the further protection of His Majesty’s subjects from the insults and incroachments of the French.” Several men, locally prominent, were listed as managers of the lottery to raise funds, including Charles Carter, Landon Carter, and Peyton Randolph.

The Wilsons

THOMAS BELL married CATHERINE WILSON about 1740, maybe in Augusta County, Virginia, or possibly before the family came to Virginia. She was the daughter of another Scots-Irish immigrant, ROBERT WILSON, and his wife, JANE, who had also come down the Great Wagon Road to Augusta, very possibly in the same troop with THOMAS.

We know little about ROBERT WILSON-1, except that his will was the first will probated in Augusta when the records started to be kept in Augusta, instead of the precursor county of Orange. Augusta had been formed for almost ten years when the records started being kept. Prior to that, they were found in Orange County. We aren’t sure just when ROBERT WILSON came to the area, but it most likely predated the keeping of records in Augusta. The name “Robert Wilson” was so common in this group of people that any records concerning him are difficult to pinpoint as being his.

The Beverly Manor Map, Augusta County, Virginia, taken from the internet [http://www.rootsweb.com/~vaaugust/bevswmap.html] shows the land plats of the Beverly Manor. The Southwest Section of the Beverly Patent-1736, shows a plat of land for Robert Wilson, 130 acres on the extreme right hand section of the Southwest section of the patent. It adjoins areas in which James Patton, who owned 1398 acres, John Black, William Long, and near where the BELLS lived. That is the only man named “Robert Wilson” who had a patent from Beverly, shown on this map. The date appears to be 1736. It is probably ROBERT WILSON-1. It is also near the Tinkling Spring Meeting House.

He was at least a middle-aged man at the time of his death, and this author estimates his date of birth between 1690 and 1700. His will was written November 3, 1745, and probated March 11, 1745/46 [OS/NS] It named at least some of his children and his wife, JANE. He was most likely connected, at least distantly, to the family of Major David Wilson of Mecklenburg, whose family apparently passed through Augusta County.

The estate of ROBERT was appraised February 11, 1745/6 [OS/NS] by “William Henderson, William Long, James Alexander, and Jno Black.” John Black lived not far from ROBERT WILSON, and had a grant dated 1749 of 738 acres.

The Children of Robert-1 and Jane _?_ Wilson

[as named in his will]

1. Jannet Wilson-2, who married John Holmes, and would later move to Rowan County with THOMAS and CATHERINE.

2. Frances Wilson-2, who was apparently unmarried at the time of the will.

3. John Wilson-2, was administrator of the estate and the only son named. The father of ROBERT’s grandson, [“nephew”] Robert Holmes.

4. Elizabeth Wilson-2

5. Jane Wilson-2

6. CATHERINE WILSON-2, who married THOMAS BELL.

The will also mentioned his “nephew,” Robert Holmes. Actually, the child mentioned was Robert Holmes, son of John Holmes and Jannett Wilson. The term “nephew” was frequently used to refer to a grandson or granddaughter rather than a siblings’ child. Some records even refer to ‘my nephew, Sarah.’

ROBERT WILSON was probably born in Ireland about 1700, and though we have no proof, except that he was with this group of people, we can imagine that he came through Pennsylvania with them, perhaps by way of Maryland. There is much published information on the Wilson clan, but much of it is in error. The proliferation of common and heirloom names makes tracing this group extremely difficult. Wilson is also the eighth-most common name in the British Isles, which adds to the difficulty.

We don’t know from which county in Ireland he came, but again, a good guess would be Donegal. There were no Scots undertakers there named Wilson, but there was a British undertaker in Raphoe Parish, William Willson. ROBERT WILSON very probably came with the Scots-Irish group who came in the 1717-1720 migration. Since ROBERT probably came as a young adult, his parents may or may not have come with him. Many of the WILSONs who came from Ireland are related. Due to the proliferation of Christian names, however, it is easily embarrassing to try to untangle the skein of relationships. Therefore, we will relate, in general, a few things about some of the people named Wilson that were living near ROBERT in Augusta.

Captain John Wilson, born about 1701, was referred to as “gentleman,” and was captain of militia and was a representative of the House of Burgesses for 27 years, according to his tombstone. He was an elder in the North Mountain Church and died in 1773. His wife was Martha, who died at age 60. This John was probably an age-peer of ROBERT’s, and may have been a brother or a cousin. There doesn’t appear to be anyone in the Augusta group old enough to be ROBERT’s father. That this group of sojourners was strongly related by blood and marriage, as well as origin and religion, is not doubted. In this group, 80% of the time, the first son was named for the paternal grandfather, and if that were the case with ROBERT, his father would have been named John. There were even instances where if that child died, another child who is born later would be named the same Christian name.

In court on May 17, 1754, Ann, the wife of James Brown, called Justice William Wilson, Gentleman, a “rogue” and invited him to step down from the bench, so she could give him “what for.” She was taken into custody and arrested. In those days, the community punished common scolds with the ducking stool. The community did not feel itself complete until the stocks and the jail were built. William Wilson, who was a cousin of the Reverend William Wilson, had married Barbara McKane in Dublin and moved to the Forks of the Brandywine in Chester County, Pennsylvania, before 1720. His son, John, was born there in 1732, and became a surveyor of note and a Revolutionary soldier. William moved to Virginia about 1747 and stayed there until about 1762 when he and his family moved over to Highland County for a few months, but returned due to Indian pressure. [McCubbins Collection.]

A woman from Augusta, Margaret Hannah, related another story about the Wilson family. Joseph Wilson had an only son, also named Joseph. The elder Wilson and his wife were at home with two indentured-servant women and a male indentured-servant, who was enamored of one of the other servants. He had asked permission of the Wilsons to marry one of the women and was denied, since Mrs. Wilson did not think him a “fit” man to marry the woman.

The male servant told Mrs. Wilson he was going hunting and took the gun down off the peg, but instead, he turned the gun on the family and shot the couple. The servant fled and was never seen again. Joseph was an heirloom name of a group of the Wilsons that moved from Pennsylvania to Virginia, and some of this group ended up in North Carolina, then Tennessee.

Reverend Craig’s diary of baptisms for the Tinkling Spring Church notes the Presbyterian baptism of the illegitimate children of “papish convicts” into the church. These convicts were apparently Celtic Catholics, working off their sentences as indentured servants in the Scots-Irish households. Due to the scorn in which the Scots-Irish held the Celtic Irish, both from a racial and religious standpoint, their lots must have been harsh. One entry says:

January 1742. Mr. James Patton stood sponser for a [boy] baptized named Henery, born in his house of a papish convict servant a base person. Could not be brought to tell who was the father not withstanding all means used. But supposed to be begotton by one ….Hiky [Hickey?] an nother [sic] papish convict servant because they had been seen too great together. [Craig’s Baptisms.]

In the above instance, when the convict mother of a bastard child refused to give the father’s name, Reverend Craig noted that “much persuasion” had been used to extract the name from her. This probably means that she was whipped. In 1755, the Virginia Gazette published a proclamation of the Lieutenant Governor and Commander in Chief, the Hon. Robert Dinwiddie, Esq., that “Garret Byrns, a convict servant man belonging to Alexander Finnie, of the city of Williamsburg, ran away from the Service at Wood’s Gap, in Augusta County.”

England was using the colonies, especially Virginia, as a dumping ground for its “criminal class.” People were deported for minor infractions and thefts, and required to serve from seven to fourteen years as virtual slaves. If a person or their family had the money to buy them out of this slavery when they reached the colonies, they did not have to serve this time as a servant, but could be immediately free, but could not return to England, or Ireland, as the case may be, until their number of years had expired. If the convict was sold on the docks of Virginia or another colony, the purchaser had a virtual stranglehold on the convict. It is obvious from Reverend Craig’s comments about the “base person” above, that the Scots-Irish did not have any love for these poor wretches. Many times the theft which would result in transportation might be for something of as little value as a handkerchief or of some food.

In 1755, the English Colonies had declared war on the French, and the fighting continued until 1758. Virginia supplied 800 men at first and more later. George Washington participated in this war. James Bell was captured in 1755, and Josiah Wilson was killed on South Branch, April 24, 1758. The fighting was only in the colonies and the French recruited the Indians to fight for them. This was the French and Indian War.

THOMAS BELL and CATHERINE, started having children in the early 1740s and their births were recorded at Tinkling Spring by Reverend Craig. The children recorded as born to THOMAS BELL and CATHERINE WILSON BELL were William, born in 1742, Agnes, in 1744, and Robert, in 1746. With the second son named Robert, presumably after ROBERT WILSON, CATHERINE’s father, it indicates that the first son, William, may have been named after THOMAS’ father. [Craig’s Baptisms]

Between 1746 and 1749, THOMAS and CATHERINE, and their three children, migrated down the Great Wagon Road to “Anson” [Rowan County], North Carolina, where they were some of the first settlers in the area. Several other Bell families went with them, as well as many other families from Augusta. In 1749, they were noted as living in the “Irish Settlement.” It was also called “Cathey’s Settlement,” after John Cathey, who seems to have been one of the instigators of the move

There were two men named Thomas Bell in the community. There were also men named James and Walter Bell. THOMAS’ brother-in-law, John Holmes, and John’s son, Robert, were also part of the move from Augusta to North Carolina. The Holmes men were living in the part of Rowan that would stay Rowan after the county was split into Iredell and Rowan. THOMAS BELL’S lands fell into the county of Iredell.

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North Carolina

The first settlers in Carolina, west of the Yadkin River, settled there about 1749. That year, the governor granted petitions from 80 different persons for land warrants in the new county of Anson. The following year, 88 petitions were granted. The dates of the warrants do not show exactly when the land in question was actually settled or entered upon, and some people were granted land they never actually settled on. In 1751, there were grants made to people actually living in the area and these included a total of 82 families. These families included: John Holmes, THOMAS BELL, James Cathey, George Cathey, and John Cathey. Later, more English, Quakers, and Germans came to the area to join the Scots-Irish.

THOMAS BELL had probably moved into the “Irish Settlement” about 1747 with James Cathy. About 14 families constituted that first group. Their settlement was located on the headwaters of Second Creek, 30 miles southwest of the shallow ford. James Cathy and his son, George, were probably the leaders who established the first English-speaking settlement to be established in North Carolina so far from a navigable river. It was on George Cathey’s land that the earliest known meeting house [church] west of the Yadkin was built, Thyatira Presbyterian Church. The very first surveys in the area were done by Charles Robinson in 1748. He was the Granville surveyor. In 1754, a population survey was made in “Anson,” and it was reported that 790 men could be mustered. This would indicate that there were about 1,000 families in the area. [Heritage of Iredell, #103.]

James Cathey first lived in Cecil County, Maryland, between 1719 and 1724. He lived in Augusta for a while, and then brought the settlers to North Carolina with him. THOMAS BELL also received a grant of land on “Cathy’s Creek.” THOMAS was listed as “of Anson” County on the grant, but careful research shows that it was “our” THOMAS. The entire area was “Anson” until Rowan was formed in 1753. After 1788, this same piece of ground was called Iredell County. The constant name changes and the “moves” confused this research for some time. A map showing creek locations was very helpful. With this family, positioning them within the group with whom they traveled and settled is about the only way to get them straight!

In 1754, the horizon was clouded by the approach of the French and Indian war. In 1755 on the western frontier, some of the Indians had become hostile. In one settlement, they killed some 15 people and carried off others as captives. In 1759, the people in the Carolinas heard that the Cherokees and the Creeks, heretofore friendly, had declared war against the English. Bands of Indians began to pass the mountains and range the foothills. A reign of terror set in.

After settling into frontier life again in North Carolina, THOMAS BELL, and several of MARJORY’s brothers, are recorded on the tax and census lists. Though Bell is a common name, there were not many men by that name in Rowan county or in Iredell when it was formed.

There were three men named Thomas Bell, however, which included THOMAS BELL, MARJORY BELL HOLMES’ father, and her brother, Thomas Bell, Jr., and Thomas Beal. An investigation of the separate men named Thomas Bell leads us to believe that the man designated as “THOMAS BELL, Sr.,” whose will is of record in Book D., page 147, Rowan County in 1800, is MARJORY BELL HOLMES’ father. That, and the associated evidence of the HOLMES family, leads us to believe we have the “correct” THOMAS BELL. ROBERT HOLMES lived near this THOMAS BELL. ROBERT HOLMES served in Captain Samuel Reed’s unit. Samuel Reed lived near this THOMAS BELL. Samuel Reed’s family intermarried with this THOMAS BELL’s family. David Henry and his wife, Margarette, lived near both ROBERT HOLMES and this THOMAS BELL and also moved to Sumner County, Tennessee, and Mrs. Henry attended the wedding of ROBERT and MARJORY. David Henry was appointed in 1791 in Sumner County as Captain in the Sumner Militia. In 1807, he bought some lands on “West fork of Goose Creek.”

Apparently, in addition to the 685-acre grant made to THOMAS BELL “of Anson” in 1751, THOMAS received two other grants, one for 700 acres, and one for 100 acres. He also bought, sold, and traded lands. He received one grant in 1761 and sold part of it to Andrew Steele in 1766. He sold land to Joseph Erwin in 1772. In 1773, THOMAS’ daughter, Elizabeth, married Thomas Caradine. In 1776, his son, William, married Margaret McNeely, and THOMAS gave him 186 acres on Second Creek. In 1777, THOMAS and KATHERINE gave Thomas, Jr., 186 acres of land on Bell’s Creek. They also gave more land to William. In 1778, they gave more land to Thomas, Jr.

The Minutes of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions of Iredell County, North Carolina, on page 147, mentions that in the court of August, 1799, THOMAS BELL, SR., Thomas Bell, Jr., and Thomas Beall were part of a jury to lay out a road.

Children of Thomas Bell-1 and Catherine Wilson-2

1. William Bell-2, the eldest son, whose birth was recorded at Tinkling Spring on June 6, 1742, was a Revolutionary soldier and died in 1819. His estate mentioned daughters, Margaret Wilson-3, Nancy Wilson-3, and Catherine Wilson-3, as well as his wife, Jane. “Captain Bell” was mentioned in the records from Iredell. Captain William Bell’s company was mentioned in the pension claim of James Bell in Rowan County [S.2971] as being at Ramsours Mill. The naming of his first son leads us to believe there is a good chance that the father of THOMAS BELL, Sr., may have been named William.

2. Agnes Bell-2, born in August, 1746, married one of the Reeds. Her birth is recorded in the Tinkling Spring records. Agnes is the Scots-Irish equvalent of “Ann” or “Nancy.”

3. Robert Bell-2, born in Virginia, probably predeceased his father. This child’s birth was recorded in Virginia Presbyterian records at Tinkling Spring. Robert Bell fought in the Revolution.

4. James Bell-2, had a son named John Bell-3, and was executor of THOMAS BELL-1’s estate. He may be the same man from pension S.2971 who fought as a private in William Bell’s Company. He died in 1834 in Gibson County, Tennessee. He was the only man by this name with a pension from North Carolina.

5. Thomas Bell, Jr.-2, was born after 1746 and received lands from his father.

6. Elizabeth Bell-2, married Thomas Carradine.

7. Daughter-2, unnamed, but married Patrick Sloane.

8. - 13. “Six younger children,” this group of children, whose names were not mentioned, must contain MARJORY BELL-2

Abstract of Thomas Bell’s Will

THOMAS BELL. 15 November 1792 Prob. 1800 Advanced in years, Wife CATRINA to have half of home plantation. Eldest son William and son Thomas to each have 40 shillings. Son James to have home plantation. Daughter Agness Reed to have 40 shillings. Daughter Elizabeth Carradine to have 10 shillings. Son-in-law Patrick Sloane to have 10 shillings. Grandson John Bell, son of James to have 30 pounds. Six youngest children [not named] executor wife CATHERINE and son James. Witnessed by David McNeely and Archibald McNeely and James Brandon.

Though MARJORY BELL was not mentioned by name in THOMAS’ will, there is little doubt that we have the right THOMAS BELL located as her father. The preponderance of evidence is very strong.

The best piece of evidence we have is ROBERT HOLMES’ pension. The pension states that she was the daughter of THOMAS BELL and where and when the wedding took place. Another solid piece of evidence is the will of ROBERT WILSON, in Augusta, Virginia, mentioning his daughter, CATHERINE BELL. That, coupled with the will of THOMAS mentioning his wife, CATHERINE, adds to the weight of evidence.

We can eliminate Thomas Bell, Jr., as being too young to be MARJORY’s father. All other men by that name did not live close enough, nor are associated with enough of the “correct” neighbors to be the right THOMAS BELL. An additional piece of evidence was the heirloom name of one of MARJORY’s children. She named a son “Wilson” as a given name, corresponding to the maiden name of her mother, CATHERINE WILSON, wife of THOMAS BELL, SR. All contribute to the preponderance of evidence.

Putting all the bits and pieces of the evidence together, we can conclude, with a reasonable degree of certainty, facts about the HOLMES and BELL marriage. We can conclude that ROBERT HOLMES-2, who was from Raphoe Parish County Donegal, Ireland, immigrated to Pennsylvania about 1771 with his parents, NATHANIEL HOLMES-1 and MARY, then moved to North Carolina, and settled near the family of THOMAS BELL-1 and his wife, CATHERINE WILSON-2 BELL, and married their daughter, MARJORY BELL-2, after the American Revolution, in which he and his brother, James Holmes, both fought.