When contemplating this question, we might think of the King of England or possibly some local Stanly County family who made it big. But Stanly was not formed until well after Revolutionary War and there’s nobody to my knowledge whose station in life rises to the level of a person I have in mind.

In 1790, at the age of 16, Anna Marie Brodeau married William Thornton, aged 31. Dr. William Thornton designed the United States Capitol Building and is considered the father of the United States Patent Office. Following the discovery of gold in Cabarrus County, North Carolina, William purchased over 50,000 acres of speculation land encompassing much of what is present day Stanly County. The following map I put together from original Secretary of State land grant survey plats show just how far Thornton’s lands reached. It was his intention to start a lucrative business known as the North Carolina Gold Mining Company.

After his death in 1828, William Thornton’s land passed to his wife Anna Marie by way of last will and testament. Though the gold mining venture failed, Anna continued selling off parcels of the land well beyond the 1842 formation of Stanly County. By rights, Anna was clearly the largest land owner in Stanly County. But, this fact alone is not why I believe her to be the most important land owner.

Celebrating something good within America’s most tragic moment, a well-done segment on CBS Sunday Morning portrayed the August 1814 burning and fall of Washington, DC. Two hundred years ago this very month, the British burned our capitol during the War of 1812. The TV story celebrated Dolly Madison by highlighting her saving of a famous portrait of George Washington.

Anna and William Thornton were friends of Dolly Madison and lived close to the White House. On that fateful day, Anna retreated to a friend’s mansion on the Georgetown Heights, overlooking the Potomac. From their location, Anna and her host wrote of the unfolding situation while recording the movements of Dolly Madison. And seeing that the Patent Office was about to be burned, William Thornton himself made it to town where he persuaded the British to spare the building. Today, what was first a hotel, and later the first patent office, now houses the United States National Portrait Museum.

Years later, following the death of our first president, Anna Marie Thornton lobbied Congress on behalf of her friend Martha Washington. Though it was Martha’s wish for her husband to be buried on the family estate, the prevailing powers were adamant that he should be interred at the newly constructed monument bearing his name. Anna’s effort must have been of help as George Washington was laid to rest at Mount Vernon.

George Washington’s Tomb at Mount Vernon

Later in life, a Supreme Court Case arising from Stanly County, North Carolina names Anna Marie Thornton in connection with the title history of her land holdings. The case includes her deposition along with a copy of the deed of sale for the large tract of land. Recently, I was contacted by the editor of the William Thornton Papers as it had been previously believed that there was no existing copy of Thornton’s land deed in North Carolina. You see, besides the copy found in the court case, the original had been destroyed when the Montgomery County, North Carolina court house was burned in 1843 by Elijah Spencer, an arsonist. And, the only other known copy was recorded in Washington DC only to be destroyed by the very same fire that Anna witnessed in 1814.

Along with being Stanly County’s largest land owner, Anna Marie Brodeau Thornton’s time and place in history helped to make our country what it is today. Anna’s diary can be found in the Library of Congress and there’s much information available on the  events of 1814.  One particularly good blog can be found at Washington Burning: Ladies of the Capitol

My maternal ancestor is James Love, born in the early-mid 1700’s possibly in the area of Brunswick County VA. The son of James and Elizabeth Love, he did in fact live in Brunswick County prior to moving westward through the south side of Virginia before crossing the border into old Surry County, now Stokes County NC. He moved deeper into the foothills of Wilkes County NC where his son John served in his stead during the revolutionary war. John remained in Wilkes County as his father James and family moved east to Mecklenburg, now Cabarrus County NC. Our James Love, fondly known by us as Grandsire Jimmy, is well recorded in the annals of time. Though I’ve seen him listed as James Jr. and James Sr., his purported middle name Allison has never been recorded to my knowledge. That being said, where does the name come from and how did its use come to be?

All evidence goes back to information provided to my great uncle James Adam Love, son of John Ephraim and Frances Isabelle Hinson Love. The author of The Rocky River Love Family, Adam frequently read his story during the Love family reunion at Love’s Chapel UMC in Stanfield NC. I remember so many times my mother telling of him standing before the congregation reading from the history. Old Mump Love leaned forward with ear horn in hand listening carefully to every word said. Following the program, the gathering adjourned to the grounds where a great spread of food awaited. Just a little girl then, my mother remembers large barrels of ice tea and the pleasures of family and fellowship. It’s almost as if I were there.

James Adam Love died 6 Apr 1939 and is buried at Love’s Chapel. A letter from his collection was given to his sister (my Grandmother), Minnie Ann Love. It’s a correspondence Uncle Adam had received from a distant cousin in Pope County AR whose ancestors had left Stanly County back in the mid 1800’s. Mrs. Robert Bigham Henry wrote of her grandfather Darling Love and of her family’s rich history. From a visit to Helen Tucker Obermeier in Stanly County NC, I learned of the existence of Adam’s response to the letter written by Mrs. Henry. From a typed copy obtained from Myra Norwood, Helen allowed me to copy James Adam Love’s letter of reply. Written in August 1932, he announced success in what was the first ever Love Family Reunion. He writes of a day of reading and singing and confirms the spirited event just as has been passed down to me by my mother.

Listen up as this upcoming sentence is important. From family in Arkansas, we know Darling Love had a son James Allison Love whose daughter passed on that he, James Allison Love, was named for his grandfather. Court records here in NC opened the door, allowing this prevailing thought from Arkansas to be mistakenly associated with the life record of old Grandsire Jimmy. At that day and time it was believed against all likelihood that Darling Love was the son of old Grandsire Jimmy. Darling was born ca. 1815 and Grandsire Jimmy was born ca. 1745. Read the letters closely and you can sense the miscommunication in the correspondences between my great uncle and Ms. Henry from Arkansas.

Since the days of Adam Love, two discoveries offer new possibilities. Most recently found, DNA from descendants of a James Love born ca. 1764, who died ca. 1824 in Campbell County GA, matches that from descendants of our Grandsire Jimmy. And, a petition in support of constructing public buildings ca 1794 in the newly formed Cabarrus County names James Love Sr. and James Love Jr. More than likely, James Love, who died in Campbell County GA is “Jr,” being the son of Grandsire Jimmy. There’s no mention of Allison in records of either James Love Sr. or Jr.

During the War of 1812, a person named James Love served in a unit raised in Cabarrus County. This could not be old Grandsire Jimmy nor James Love who later died in GA. They‘re simply too old. Per the unit roster, Private James Love served under Captain Evan S. Wiley who served under Lt. Col. Richard Allison. Could this James Love be the father of Darling Love and could Darling have named a son for a leader of the unit in which his dad served? And when Darling Love’s granddaughter said that her father James Allison Love was named for his grandfather, could the namesake have been this private who served in the War of 1812? You bet, but what ever happened to this James Love?

Helen Tucker Obermeier introduced me to a record that few others had seen. Dated 3 Sep 1858, the 62 year-old “Mary Brooks” applied for bounty land she believed due her on behalf of military services rendered by her deceased husband James Love in the War of 1812. In the two-page affidavit, Mary states she and James Love married 10 Aug 1813. And “…her name before said marriage was Mary [Polly] Tucker.” James and Mary were married by Isaiah Spiers, Justice of Peace of Cabarrus County. Two years later James Love enlisted about 10 Aug 1815 in Concord, Cabarrus County NC. James Love served for fifteen days until being honorably discharged 2 Mar 1815 at Wadesboro in Anson County. The unit returned home due to ratification of peace with Great Britain. Mary states that her husband James Love “died on Rocky River [at his residence] on the 8th day of April 1825.” Mary Tucker Love married 16 Sep 1828 David Brooks in Montgomery County. They were married by John Little, Justice of the Peace. Mary goes on to state that said husband David Brooks died about 1 Aug 1842. G. H. Honneycutt and Jonah Love witnessed the affidavit.

More on this James Love can be found on my site at: http://www.angelfire.com/nc/benjthomasofansonnc/lovetucker.html

Traditional family history had it that late in life, old Grandsire Jimmy had four children named Darling, Pleasant, Hartwell, and Nica Love. And after his death, the children were raised by George Tucker and wife. We now see this younger, previously unknown James with wife of maiden name Tucker. Was she George’s sister? Even if not, the record gives a hint at why George raised the kids after the death and remarriage of Polly.

In bringing this post to close, there was no Allison in VA tied to the family in such a way to be the namesake of our Grandsire Jimmy. However, there were plenty of that name in the area surrounding Cabarrus. I believe it’s wrong and a mistake that we refer to old Grandsire as James Allison Love. The records instead point to the younger James who married Polly Tucker. This James could be the son of the James who moved to GA. He could also be the son of Thomas Love who also lived along Rocky River. He could also be a son of a son of Grandsire Jimmy who died young and has not been found in record?

I thoroughly enjoyed my days at NC Archives reading through state level petitions and court records from the opening days of our country. The time spent was not only about organizing my own understanding of history, there was also the raw pleasure in finding the occasional deposition or petition having all the elements of a good a novel. Some cases were deadly serious while others were beyond funny.
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In 1771, General Hugh Waddell was heading north from Salisbury to Hillsborough to quell a rebellion of regulators. Intended as support for Waddell, a convoy of munitions from Charleston camped in now Cabarrus County was attacked during the night by locals who hid behind blackened faces. Known today as the “Cabarrus Black Boys,” I wonder if there were other such attacks or similar acts by Regulators in the southern piedmont of North Carolina?

A year prior to the attack on Waddell’s munitions, the Anson county surveyor named Robert Jarman was robbed as he headed east from the Peedee river. He too was attacked at night and by men with blackened faces. And just a year earlier than the robbery, regulators of Anson County signed a petition.

Robert Jarman provided a deposition of the attack to the Governor’s Council in 1770. Though it could have been all about a robbery, one line screams that the crime might be the doings of the Regulators. Can you pick it out from Robert Jarman’s deposition below? Warning: this is a graphic read!

North Carolina                                                                     December 10, 1770
Craven County

The deposition of Robert Jarman of Anson County in the Province aforesaid, Deputy, Surveyor, aged about thirty eight years, who being sworn upon the Holy Evangelists, deposeth and saith, that about two hours after sunset in the evening of the twenty ninth day of November last past, as this deponent was riding the road from Blewit’s Ferry on the Peedee River to Cole’s Bridge on Drowning Creek near an old diserted cabbin on a branch of Hitchcock’s Creek commonly called the Chalk Fork, he this deponent was robbed of five or six shillings in small pieces of silver, forty six shillings in Proclamation Money, and fifteen Portugal Pieces of Gold commonly called half Joe’s, in the following manner, to wit, As this deponent had passed the said branch about twenty or thirty yards from the ford thereof, he this deponent saw three men all armed with guns, rush suddenly out of the said cabbin and run towards this deponent, whereupon this deponent put forward and spurred on his horse with all his might and the said three men advancing toward the road aforesaid to meet this deponent, some of them cried out repeatedly, Damn your soul, stop, or we will blow your brains out, whereupon this deponent immediately attempted to take a pistol out of his pocket, but hearing at the same instant two of them cock their guns as they came within about six or seven yards from this deponent, he desisted from making any defense, and stopped his horse under the greatest shock and surprise, and thereupon one of the men immediately stopped, and presented his gun at this deponent, another of them seized this deponents horse by the bridle, and the third man seized hold of this deponent, pulling and shriving to get him off his horse, and at the same time cursing this deponent in the most shocking manner, and ordering him to deliver up his money, or they would instantly kill him, but he who held the deponents horse by the bridle, said damn him, leave off pulling him, and get his money, whereupon the others desisted in pulling this deponent, and began to search his pockets on the side he then stood, but finding no money there, he went round to the other side of this deponent, and took out of this deponent’s fob, about five or six shillings in small silver, and then took hold of this deponent’s saddle bags and began to search them, and from thence took out one parcel of this deponent’s proclamation money, and at the same time cursed this deponent, and said, I have got some of your money, and I’ll be damned if we don’t kill you if you don’t tell us where your Gold is, whereupon this deponent told him he had none, but the other replied, I know you have some, and damn you, we will kill you if you don’t give us all you have; yes damn him, said the other who held this deponents horse by the bridle, and we will have his cloaths too, I do insist out. No damn him said he that was searching this deponent, we will take nothing but his money, and finding another parcel, here, said he, I have got other bundle of his proc and we will have all he has got, or damn him we will kill him, and then immediately finding the fifteen half Joe’s, took them out of this deponents saddle bags and swearing by his Maker, said, Boys, we have got it, and seemed then to be contented, and began to return and put up into the saddle bags some of this deponents cloaths and things which had been taken out in the search, and takin up a bottle of rum belonging to this deponent, held it up between himself and the moon (which at this time shone very bright) and swore that if they did not take the bottle they would have the rum, and then drank to him who held this deponents horse by the bridle, and taking the bottle again, carried it to him who had stood with his gun presented at the distance aforesaid, and after drinking two drams a piece, the same person who had been searching this deponent, drinking to him that held this deponents horse by the bridle, said damn me boys, we have done it; No, said he that held this deponents horse, I want his cloaths too; No said he that searched this deponent, we have got what we wanted, and I’ll be damned if we will have any of his cloaths and then put the said bottle again into the deponents saddle bags, and then upon the said two persons who had seized hold of this deponent and his horse, left this deponent and went to the other person who had stood with his gun presented at a distance of about five or six yards from this deponent as aforesaid, and then all three of the said persons advanced about four or five step further from this deponent, and there stood talking together, whereupon this deponent pleaded with them not to leave him destitute of any money to ______________ his _____________, and in answer thereto, one of them said damn your blood, go off this instant or we will take everything you have, for I will be damned, continued he, if there shall ever go as much money again out of Anson to the damned sons of bitches below, as there has gone, if we can help it, and thereupon this deponent left them and proceeded as fast as he could to John Cole’s at the bridge on Drowning Creek aforesaid, then being in such concern, terror and confusion, that he scarce knew what course to take, And this deponent further saith that the said three men who robbed this deponent aforesaid are all unknown to this deponent, their faces being all blackened and disguised, and that those two who had seized him and his horse in the manner aforesaid, were smallish or rather under a middle size, and that he who stood off some distance with his gun presented at the time of the robbery committed as aforesaid, appeared to be a tall stout man, who never spoke during the whole action, to this deponents knowledge; that all three had in hunting shirts, and all wore their hair, the two former had their hair hid, the latter had his hair short and loose about his neck. And this deponent further saith that at the time when this deponent desired and intended to have lit out on his journey from home with company, his wife was in labour, and in such circumstances as humanity forbade him to leave her in, that that the day after she was brought to bed, he set out on his journey and rode late at night at the time he was robed as aforesaid, in order to overtake the company which were on the road before him, and further this deponent saith not.

Rob’ Jarman

Sworn the tenth day of December, 1770 before R. Cogdill

During the late 1990’s, I began a project to map land records in southern Cabarrus County NC in hopes of building a better understanding of the surrounding community. Granted lands were located and conveyances documented several transactions out from their origin. Every new piece added to the growing puzzle opened new possibilities and raised new questions. Much of my blogging effort is based on discoveries made during this effort.

Looking at the above map of land grants, the following descriptions are important to understanding one such discovery:

7. Grant # 3119, Mecklenburg NC, ent. 1 Jun 1779, sur. 10 Mar 1780, iss: 22 Oct 1782. Issued to Charles McCammon, being 195 acres on the south side of Rocky River “opposite the mouth of Coldwater Creek.” The metes and bounds are: from a b. o. on Thomas Watson’s line near the Indian Path, running with the line) north 41 east 14 to hic. grub (said Watson’s corner), (with his other line) north 88 east 42 to two pines (Watson’s other corner), with another line of his) south 88 east 61 to a w. o. sapling (another corner of said Watson), (with another line of his) north 69 east 64 to b. o. (another corner of said Watson), north 10 west 64 to w. o. sapling (on bank of river), up said river to r. o. on bank, west 57 to b. o. sapling, north 24 west 48 to ash (on bank of river), up the river to w. o. and ash (on bank of river), south 16 west 100 to hic. grub, then to begin. CC: Charles Dorton, John Love
8. Grant # , Mecklenburg NC, ent. _____, sur. 18 Aug 1780, iss. ____. Issued to Thomas Watson, being 135 acres on the waters of Horse Branch. he metes and bounds are from two pines (his own and Charles McCammon’s corner, running then with McCammon’s line) south 88 west 42 to hic. grub (his other corner near the old Indian path), (with his other line) south 41 west 103 to b. o. (near said path near John Love) south 34 to b. o. sapling, south 54 east 100 to stake (near Charles McKindley), north 83 east 47 to large hic., south 60 east 86 (crossing two branches of the horse branch to a corner of the place he lives on) to a stake, (with his own line) north 108 to stake (his other corner, (with his other line) west 92 to stake (another corner of his), (with his own line) north 103 to begin. CC: John Love, Charles Dorton.
12. Grant # 3052, Mecklenburg NC, ent. 2 Aug 1779, sur. 3 Mar 1780, iss. 22 Oct 1782. Issued to William McAnulty, being 156 acres on the waters of Reedy Creek. The metes and bounds are: from two b. j. (on the Indian path, running thence with Charles McKindley’s entry) south 30 west 132 to b. o., (with said McKindley’s entry) south 22 west 33 to b. o. (David McKindley’s corner), (with this line) north 58 west 66 to b. j. (near said McKindley’s other corner), north 45 west 127 to w. o. sapling, north 16 east 101 to hic. (near Robert Davis & James Love’s entries), south 61 east 106 to stake, then to begin. CC: Charles McKindley.
26. Grant # 3174, Mecklenburg NC, ent. _______, sur. 10 Apr 1780, iss. _______. Issued to David McKindley, being 228 acres on the head waters of Anderson Creek. The metes and bounds are: frpm a b. o. north 58 west 60 ( with William McAnulty’s entry) to small w. o., south 65 west 55 to pine, south 47 west 108 to r. o. (on the Indian path, south 58 west 83 to hic. , south 46 east 84 (with Hugh Campbell & Joseph Bigger’s entry) to s. o., east 126 to long b. o. , north 62 east 109 to w. o., north 18 east 60 to small b. o. (by a pond), with Charles McKindley’s entry) to begin. CC: Samuel White, Charles McKindley.

In 1782, Charles McCammon received a North Carolina Secretary of State land grant (#7 above) for 195 acres on the south side of Rocky River opposite the mouth of Cold Water creek. Unlike any tract of land I had seen before, this grant effectively excluded a triangle of land along the river bank that would have normally been included (see the green triangle in the above plat map).

The excluded triangle of land had no meaning what so ever until, having sufficiently platted enough surrounding tracts, an awesome ah-hah moment revealed itself.

Notice the little black triangles in several of the above tracts (tracts 4, 7, 8 13, 26). The surveyor noted in his plats that these were points where the granted parcels of land joined or neared the “Indian Path.” Connecting the triangles, it’s easy to follow the path to its river crossing somewhere in the green triangle at the mouth of Cold Water creek.

Raising as many questions as answers, the discovery gave me a unique opportunity to stop and look closely at how the crossing and records fit into the greater scheme of things. Zeroing in on the green triangle located in tract #7 above, the first question raised was “what was so important that led the surveyor to exclude the land around the crossing?” Could there be a burial ground near the crossing? Was the land excluded in order to allow passing Indians a place to camp?

I made several trips to what is now a relatively new housing development along the river. There, I was met by a group of boys who led me on a hike along the river bank. A small drain and hill angled into the river from the bank. It’s said that Indians paths run the high ground and cross running water in shallow points. If that is true, then the site perfectly fits the Indian need. Though I did not find any hint of a burial ground, I suspect the area would make for great archeological project to be undertaken by a local college.

It’s also said that Indian paths were first and that the Dutch Wagon Road simply improved on the path already in place. Though using wheeled wagons, the incoming settlers required a more gentle approach down and crossing the steep river banks. Not shown in the map above, and moving away from the river on its northern bank, tracts on the north side of the river are identified as joining the “Dutch Road.” The wagon road actually left the Indian path and turned east as it neared the river on the north bank. This was because of steepness in the area and also because of a dam built just downstream by Peter Kizer. The best place for wagons to ford the river was in the shallow water below the dam.

Looking back to the green triangle of land, it remained vacant land for nearly 50 years when John H. Bost received a grant for acreage on both sides of Rocky river that included the little triangle. I’m sure this land had a history before the days of John Bost and even before the days of the first white settlers. I’d love to be able to walk the land more, to look for arrow heads and other signs of a culture that predates our own.

The general run of the Indian path is along and near present day Flowes Store road and further south along the Camden road. More on the above map and legal descriptions can be found on my site at:
http://www.angelfire.com/nc/benjthomasofansonnc/northwestmap.html
http://www.angelfire.com/nc/benjthomasofansonnc/northwestword.html