The Parents of Hardy Caldwell

1. Sarah BROWN was born on 9 Mar 1787 in , Virginia. She died on 23 Dec 1872 in Tennessee. She was buried in Fagg Cemetery, Macon Co, Tn.

Sarah BROWN (March 9, 1787 - December 23, 1872)

Keziah GRANT (1780 - August 12, 1850)???

Seth and Elizabeth Caldwell

Parents of Hardy Caldwell of Sumner County, Tennessee

Hardy Caldwell was born January 27, 1785. The census records of Sumner County, Tennessee for 1850 and 1860 state that Hardy Caldwell was born in North Carolina. The information that we now have indicates that Hardy was either born in Virginia, most likely in Pittsylvania County or in Wilkes County, North Carolina. The preponderance of evidence suggests that the parents of Hardy Caldwell were Seth Caldwell and Elizabeth (very possibly Elizabeth Hardy), who originally came from Loudoun County, Virginia. To present the case for the parentage of Hardy Caldwell, we will start in Bedford County, Virginia.

In 1787, John Grant bought land in Bedford County, Virginia. According to the deed, John Grant was residing in Botetourt County, Virginia at the time of this purchase. John Grant was on the personal property tax rolls for Botetourt County in 1785 and 1786. John Grant was the father-in-law of Dance Brown. John Grant's daughter Keziah, married Dance in 1799, in Montgomery County, Virginia. Dance Brown was the brother of Hardy Caldwell's future wife, Sarah. There are several documents that verify that Sarah and Dance Brown were brother and sister. For example, in Sarah's 1872 widow's pension application (for Hardy's service in the War of 1812), one of the affidavits states that Dance Brown was Sarah's brother. John's first wife was Lydia (or Violet), as stated on the deed for a piece of land that he sold in Bedford County, in 1792. Personal property tax rolls from Bedford County in the early 1790's seem to indicate that John Grant lived in the same area as Edith Brown. In 1794, John Grant married Edy Brown, in Bedford County. The information that we now have suggests that Edy or Edith Brown, was the mother of Dance and Sarah Brown. In 1796, John and Edith Grant sold their land in Bedford County and John Grant disappears from the property tax rolls and personal property tax rolls of Bedford County after that year. We don't know if John and Edith Grant moved to Montgomery County, Virginia directly after leaving Bedford, or bought land elsewhere first.

Seth Caldwell first appears on the scene in the Loudoun County, Virginia tithables list in 1765, where he is listed with Hugh Caldwell and Hugh Jr., however Seth's name is crossed off. Perhaps this means that Seth lived in the household, but was too young to be listed as a tithable. We have calculated that Seth was born about 1745-46. Hugh Caldwell is listed in the tithable rolls for Loudoun County in 1760 as head of the household and a William Caldwell residing in the household. Hugh, William and Hugh Jr. are listed in 1761. Seth is again listed in the household of Hugh in 1767 and 1768. Hugh died about 1769, as his land was sold by his heir William Caldwell (as oldest son) and wife Sarah in that year. In 1773 and 1774, Seth Caldwell is listed in the tithable lists for Loudoun County living in close proximity to Solomon Hardy. Solomon Hardy later moved to Bedford County, Virginia in 1794, not too far from the land that John Grant bought in 1787. The facts suggest that Seth's wife Elizabeth is possibly a sister of Solomon. That Seth lived in such close proximity to the Hardys and his youngest son is named Hardy, seems to be strong evidence for his wife to have been a Hardy.

By 1775, William, Hugh Jr. and Seth Caldwell had moved from Loudoun County. William and Hugh Jr. apparently moved to Botetourt County about 1769 or 1770, when William bought land in Botetourt County. In 1779, William had sold his land in Botetourt County. By 1782, William Caldwell had moved to Montgomery County, Virginia, while Hugh remained in Botetourt County.

About 1775, Seth first appears in Pittsylvania County. In 1777, he signed an oath of allegiance to the United States. Seth had land surveyed in Pittsylvania County in 1782, and was listed on the tax rolls in Pittsylvania County for 1784 and 1787. It is possible that Seth moved to Pittsylvania County to be near his wife's family, because in the same county are George, William and Benjamin Hardy who also seem to have come from Loudoun County. Also moving to Pittsylvania County from Loudoun County was the family of James Buckley, which included his son John. Seth Caldwell first appears in the records of Montgomery County in 1787, when John Buckley transferred 365 acres to Seth. From Montgomery County Survey Book D, Page 61--"John Buckley (assignee of Nicholas Johnson)--365 acres at Buckeye Mt. adjacent to John Kirk, Whitley and Alsup. Transferred to Seth Caldwell, March 7, 1787". In 1787, John Buckley and William Caldwell also received land in the same area. Seth Caldwell also appears in the personal property tax rolls of Montgomery County in 1788, along with a Joseph and William Caldwell. In 1789, Seth did not appear on the personal property tax rolls of Montgomery County, neither did Joseph Caldwell. The 1788 tax roll states that Joseph Caldwell went to North Carolina before he paid the taxes he was assessed. It is believed that Joseph Caldwell may be a cousin of Seth's, as there is a Joseph Caldwell in Loudoun County who had a son by the name of Joseph.

In 1790, a Seth and Joseph Caldwell appear on the census records for Wilkes County, North Carolina. In 1792, there is a Seth Caldwell on the tax rolls for Wilkes County, North Carolina. This is probably the same Seth Caldwell that appeared in the records of Montgomery County, Virginia. After 1792, Seth Caldwell disappears from the records of Wilkes County, North Carolina, however, there is a Seth Caldwell that reappears in Montgomery County, Virginia in the same area where Seth Caldwell and William Caldwell were living when the prior tax rolls were taken. It seems possible that Seth returned to Montgomery County upon the death of William Caldwell, as William apparently died about this time and was very probably Seth's brother. Seth Caldwell received a setters patent for 365 acres near Buckeye Mountain on the Bear Springs, near the land of John Alsup in 1798.

In Montgomery County on August 13, 1796, Sarah Caldwell, daughter of Seth Caldwell, married Daniel Kirk. At least two other children of Seth Caldwell married in Montgomery County, Susannah, who married Thomas Kirk in 1798 and William, who married Mary Clybourne in 1799.

By 1800, John Grant and his family had settled in Montgomery County, Virginia. John Grant received a land grant, on May 12, 1801. From Montgomery County Entry Book D, Page 196--"52 acres together with 118 acres on the Bearspring to begin at a white oak corner to a survey made for John Alsup and with the lines marked out to include the same land and wherein the said Grant now lives". This locates the Grant family in the exact same area of Montgomery County where Seth Caldwell and his family lived during that same time period. On November 2, 1799, Dance Brown married Keziah Grant. On the marriage license it states that Keziah is the daughter of John Grant. On November 15, 1803, Hardy Caldwell and Sarah Brown, Dance Brown's sister were married, very probably in Montgomery County.

In 1803, Seth and Elizabeth Caldwell sold their 365 acres to three different individuals, a portion of that land was sold to John Grant. The deed states the location of the land as being near Buckeye mountain, on the Bear Springs, next to the survey for John Alsup. So again, we have evidence for the close physical proximity for these two families.

In December 1803, Seth Caldwell bought 100 acres of land from Claiborne Hix, in Russell County, Virginia. This land was on Beck's Branch adjoining Charles Keezee. In February 1805, his son-in-law Daniel Kirk bought land in Russell County, from John Jessee. In February of 1804, John and Edith Grant sold their land in Montgomery County and moved to Russell County. Later that same month, Dance Brown bought 40 acres of land in Russell County, on Copper Ridge. In October of 1806, John Grant bought a piece of land in Russell County, from Charles Cazee (Keezee). Again, we have the families of Dance Brown, his father-in-law John Grant, Seth Caldwell and his son-in-law Daniel Kirk, living close together, having arrived in Russell County, Virginia within a span of several months.

So far we don't have any evidence for the presence of Hardy Caldwell, just the close physical proximity of the Seth Caldwell, John Grant and Dance Brown families. However, in the June Court of 1807, Hardy Caldwell appears in the court minutes of Russell County. So, Hardy is indeed in Russell County at the very time that John Grant, Dance Brown and Seth Caldwell lived there. On June 5, 1807, is listed the case of Hardy Caldwell (plaintiff) vs John McGlaughland (defendant), however the court minutes do not disclose the nature of the case. The charges were dismissed and the plaintiff and defendant were ordered to split the court costs.

In 1807, Seth and Elizabeth Caldwell sold their land in Russell County to George Johnson. This same year Daniel and Sarah Kirk also sold their land in Russell County to Archelus Jessee. It is most probable that in the winter of 1807-1808, Seth Caldwell, his wife Elizabeth and the families of Hardy and Sarah Caldwell and Daniel and Sarah Kirk, crossed over the Cumberland Gap and eventually settled in Warren County, Kentucky. Hardy and Sarah Caldwell would have crossed over the mountains with two small children, Elizabeth about two years old and William, born just that October. Settlers, such as Hardy Caldwell and his family, needed to bring in a crop before they could leave their old homes and arrive in their new home in time to plant their crops for the coming year or they would starve.

Seth Caldwell and Hardy Caldwell both appear on the Warren County, Kentucky tax rolls for 1808. Each of them had one tithable and one horse, but no land. Daniel Kirk (listed as Daniel Cirk) also first appears in the Warren County on the 1808 tax rolls. In 1809, Hardy Caldwell was taxed for one tithable, one horse and 300 acres of land, Daniel Kirk is also listed on the tax roll for that year, but with no land. Seth Caldwell does not appear on the tax rolls for Warren County after 1808. Both Hardy Caldwell and Daniel Kirk appeared on the Warren County, Kentucky census records for 1810, Seth Caldwell does not. There is not a male in either household that is old enough to be Seth.

Apparently Seth and Elizabeth Caldwell left Warren County, Kentucky and returned to Giles County, Virginia, to Buckeye Mountain, in the area that had once been part of Montgomery County. In 1809, Seth and Elizabeth sold some land in Giles County. This is our last record of Seth and at this time we don't know what may have happened to either Seth or Elizabeth Caldwell.

There do not appear to be any other likely candidates for the parents of Hardy Caldwell other than Seth and Elizabeth Caldwell. Seth Caldwell and his family were in close physical proximity to Dance Brown and his father-in-law John Grant in Montgomery County and Russell County, Virginia. We have some evidence that Seth Caldwell and John Grant may have known each other even earlier, in Loudoun County. Hardy Caldwell certainly was in Russell County, Virginia at the same time as Seth, Seth's son-in-law Daniel Kirk, Dance Brown and John Grant. As Seth and Hardy both arrived in Warren County about 1808, as well as Seth Caldwell's son-in-law Daniel Kirk, after all three of them had been in Russell County, Virginia we could argue that they very probably traveled together. In the tax rolls for Warren County, Kentucky in 1809, Hardy Caldwell and Daniel Kirk appear to live in the same area, as they were listed on the same day. Although we may never find a specific document or records that state that Seth Caldwell is the father of Hardy, all the evidence we have supports the premise that Seth is his father.

Sarah was married to Hardy CALDWELL Sr. (son of Seth CALDWELL and Elizabeth) on 20 Nov 1803 in probably, Montgomery Co., Va.. Hardy CALDWELL Sr. was born on 27 Jan 1785 in , Nc. He died on 4 Sep 1864. He was buried in Fagg Cemetery, Macon Co, Tn.. Sarah BROWN and Hardy CALDWELL Sr. had the following children:

+2 i. Elizabeth CALDWELL.
+3 ii. William CALDWELL.
+4 iii. Mary Edy CALDWELL.
+5 iv. Martha Rebecca CALDWELL.
+6 v. David Y. CALDWELL.
+7 vi. Sarah CALDWELL.
+8 vii. "One Armed" Hardy CALDWELL Jr..