Person:John Canaday (6)

Research Notes

• Possible birth location = Prince Georges, Maryland - verification needed.

1. ↑ Family Notes, in A. Donovan Faust (Foust). A Family History: The Ancestors of Thomas Wilson Faust. (1997).

   John Canaday was a child of only about four years at the time his father died around 1745. Nothing further is known of him until his marriage in 1764. On that occasion Quaker records note: "Whereas John Canaday of New Garden in Rowan County, North Carolina, son of Charles Canaday, deceased, and Margaret Thornburg, daughter of Walter Thornburg of Deep River, having declared their intentions of marriage with each other before several of the monthly meetings of the people called Quakers, and nothing appearing to obstruct were left at their liberty to accomplish their marriage according to good order, which they did on the 10th day of ye 4th month, 1764 at Deep River in the presence of many witnesses." It is interesting to note the custom that marriages, as well as transfers to other Quaker Meeting locations, had to be certified by the elders of the Society to which they belonged.
   
   
   John and Margaret became the parents of seven children, the first a girl and the remainder boys, all born between 1765 and 1777. In 1796, after all of their offspring were grown and several had established families of their own, they moved to Tennessee and settled on a farm near Knoxville. There they joined the Lost Creek Monthly Meeting of Quakers to which they had been given transfer papers by the New Garden group. At least five of their adult children appear to have made the move with them.
   
   It was there in Tennessee that a 13-year-old youngster who would become a legend came to live with them, work with them on the farm later go to live with one of their sons and note his stay with the family in his memoirs. His name is inscribed in history and mythology as a famous frontiersman, sharpshooter, wild animal hunter, humorist, and story teller. He was a scout for Andrew Jackson in the Creek Indian War, Colonel in the Tennessee Militia, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee, author of three books on his exploits and a member of the valiant band of 181 Americans who fought to the last man against a Mexican army of 5000 in defending the Alamo. He was, of course, Davy Crockett -- who was further immortalized in a 20th Century song and television series as "king of the wild frontier." (Taken from: A Family History, by Donovan Faust 1997)

2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5} Quaker Records, in Hinshaw, William Wade; Thomas Worth Marshall; and John Cox. Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy. (Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States: Edwards Brothers, 1936-1950).

   [NEW GARDEN MONTHLY MEETING - Guilford County, North Carolina]
   
   [BIRTH AND DEATH RECORDS]
   Vol 1, p 493 -
   
   p 10.
   Charles Kannada (also Canaday)
   Phebe Kannada
   Ch:
   John b. 1-25-1741 O.S., 4-5 N.S.
   Charles b. 9-25-1740 O.S., 11-4 N.S. (?)
   
   p 25.
   John Canaday
   Margaret Canaday
   Ch:
   - Phebe b. 1-10-1765.
   - Henry b. 6-29-1766.
   - Bowater b. 5-14-1766.
   - Chearls [sic] b. 4-18-1770.
   - Walter b. 12-19-1771.
   - John b. 4-13-1774.
   - Robert b. 1-13-1777.
   
   [MEETING RECORDS]
   Vol 1, p 530 -
   CANADAY.
   1764, 4, 10. John (Cannaday), New Garden, Roan Co., s Charles, m Margaret Thornbrugh.
   
   Vol 1, p 577 -
   THORNBRUGH.
   ... 1764, 4, 10. Margaret, dt Walter, Deep River, Roan Co., m John Cannaday. ...
   
   [LOST CREEK MONTHLY MEETING - Jefferson County, Tennessee]
   [BIRTH AND DEATH RECORDS]
   Vol 1, p 1103 -
   -----
   [cos1776 Note: The family of John and Margaret (Thornbrugh) Canaday are NOT listed here, but the family of their son, John Jr. and Julitha (Cox) Canaday is.]
   -----
   
   [MEETING RECORDS]
   Vol 1, p 1116 -
   CANADAY.
   1797, 6, 17. John & s, John, Robert & Barton [Bowater], rocf New Garden MM, N.C., dated 1796, 10, 29. (directed to New Hope MM, but accepted here)
   1797, 6, 17. Margaret rocf New Garden MM, N.C., dated 1796, 10, 29.
   ... [then follows records about their children but nothing specifically about John or Margaret until] ...
   1816, 11, 30. John & w gct White Water MM, Ind.
   1816, 11, 30. Margaret gct White Water MM, Ind. ...

3. ↑ Family Notes, in The family files of Bill Putnum, Feb. 6, 1999.

   From the periodical, "Muzzle Blasts" dated October 1980, an article appeared, taken from the book "A Narrative of the Life of Davy Crockett of the State of Tennessee" by Davy Crockett: "I had by this time got to be very fond of the rifle, and had bought a capital one. I most generally carried her with me wherever I went, and though I had got back to the Old Quaker's to live, who was a very particular man, I would sometimes slip out and attend shooting matches where they shot for beef." According to the article, the "Old Quaker" is John Canaday who lived at Panther Springs near the present town of Morristown, Tennessee. But Davy's impatience to get a horse so that he could go courting Polly Finley of Long Creek in Jefferson County, caused him to trade the rifle and some labor, for a horse owned by the son of John Canaday.
   
   The whole Canaday Clan settled near the town of Economy as did a number of other "Tennessee Quakers." Originally they joined the Whitewater Meeting and then it became the New Garden Meeting. However, there were so many in the Economy, Indiana area that they established their own Monthly Meeting (Springfield) in 1820. John continued to be a Quaker teacher in Economy. (From the files of Bill Putnam, Feb. 6th, 1999.)

4.   Family Notes, in Henry County Historicalog, Spring, 2001.

   The younger of Phebe and Charles' sons, John, married Margaret Thornburgh in 1764 at the New Garden Friends Meeting. In the 1790's he moved his family to Jefferson County, Tennessee, but, by 1816, he had relocated to Wayne County, Indiana, where Margaret died in 1819 and John in 1830. Their descendants are numerous in both Henry and Wayne Counties. (Taken from Henry County Historicalog, Spring, 2001)