“The lives of these people of African, Indigenous, and mixed-race descent
wove their way into my family’s history when we once lived
as neighbors in the Upper Cape Fear River Valley.”
In 1804, Joseph Thomas sold his land in Chatham County to Ishmael Roberts, a person of color who served from North Carolina in the Revolutionary War. Curiosity driven research connected the ancestral heritage of these two men to the remote reaches of Northeast North Carolina, where, for a moment in time, people of African, European, and Indigenous descent peacefully coexisted. However, constantly changing laws and the inability to consistently and fairly classify people failed in the Crown’s attempt to control the population. The resulting culture expanded slowly, eventually crossing the Cape Fear River, where some settled near Buckhorn Falls. Others removed to the Free State of Indiana. From the 1711 Tuscarora War to life in Indiana to reconstruction era atrocities in North Carolina, this writing details changes in law and related events impacting family and community, particularly including neighbors of color. Never could the author have imagined that his more than thirty years of genealogical research would culminate in connecting his family history to matters of race and history important to us all.
“Of those who stacked the rocks and built the church and homes,
I imagine there were times when some glanced south,
dreaming of days spent along the Cape Fear River.”
That’s an interesting inquiry! I am both a researcher and writer, as well as a direct paternal descendant of Benjamin Thomas, who initially settled in Anson County, NC, in 1778. Previously, it was assumed that my ancestor Benjamin had different origins until property deeds and yDNA testing linked my lineage to a Joseph Thomas from Wake County, NC, who later died in Chatham County. For all intents and purposes, I am racially white, with recent DNA evidence suggesting our family lineage traces back through several men named Joseph Thomas from Bertie County, NC.
Initially, I relied on genealogies from websites like Ancestry until discovering that numerous individuals mentioned in a 1752 will and testament were non-white. Furthermore, unbeknownst to the family I matched with in Chatham County, their paternal ancestor had sold land to a free person of color named Ishmael Roberts. This revelation led to further discoveries, and the narrative we pieced together appeared to corroborate the broader story of racial and ethnic mixing, as well as the migration to the north and west.
Challenges arise from the lack of yDNA studies linking my family to other lineages originating from Bertie. Additionally, there is no conclusive documentation that connects the group in Chatham to the presumed relatives in Bertie. Despite the absence of a direct relation, I am deeply convinced that the individuals in Bertie, who are believed to be my ancestors, are of mixed race, and those who later resided in Chatham were part of a mixed-race community. This reality starkly contrasts with the narrative I was told growing up.
does anyone know of Joseph B Thomas, born March 4, 1813 and died July 8, 1901? I found his grave deep in the woods across from the Memphis Church near the Avent ferry in Chatham County NC
Chris, thanks for sharing and some say he is the son of Frederick. Not so sure. I think he is the same fellow whose land adjoins the following. I’ll look into tracing that land to see who he belongs too. ArchibaldMurphyYarborough – Roots & Branches
They Lived Along a Rocky River 
Enjoying the book. Ordered it from Amazon the day this email arrived! Would it be possible to get an index or a searchable doc?
Good day
What is the reference to George Thomas?
That’s an interesting inquiry! I am both a researcher and writer, as well as a direct paternal descendant of Benjamin Thomas, who initially settled in Anson County, NC, in 1778. Previously, it was assumed that my ancestor Benjamin had different origins until property deeds and yDNA testing linked my lineage to a Joseph Thomas from Wake County, NC, who later died in Chatham County. For all intents and purposes, I am racially white, with recent DNA evidence suggesting our family lineage traces back through several men named Joseph Thomas from Bertie County, NC.
Initially, I relied on genealogies from websites like Ancestry until discovering that numerous individuals mentioned in a 1752 will and testament were non-white. Furthermore, unbeknownst to the family I matched with in Chatham County, their paternal ancestor had sold land to a free person of color named Ishmael Roberts. This revelation led to further discoveries, and the narrative we pieced together appeared to corroborate the broader story of racial and ethnic mixing, as well as the migration to the north and west.
Challenges arise from the lack of yDNA studies linking my family to other lineages originating from Bertie. Additionally, there is no conclusive documentation that connects the group in Chatham to the presumed relatives in Bertie. Despite the absence of a direct relation, I am deeply convinced that the individuals in Bertie, who are believed to be my ancestors, are of mixed race, and those who later resided in Chatham were part of a mixed-race community. This reality starkly contrasts with the narrative I was told growing up.
does anyone know of Joseph B Thomas, born March 4, 1813 and died July 8, 1901? I found his grave deep in the woods across from the Memphis Church near the Avent ferry in Chatham County NC
Chris, thanks for sharing and some say he is the son of Frederick. Not so sure. I think he is the same fellow whose land adjoins the following. I’ll look into tracing that land to see who he belongs too. ArchibaldMurphyYarborough – Roots & Branches
Thank you. Attached are a couple of pics of their graveyard. ..I haven’t been able to find any info on them
Chris, for some reason the photos did not attach. Could you send them to geothos@bellsouth.net? Thanks