Person:John Magee (15)

John Magee was born before about 1720. He first appears in North Carolina in 1742, where on 6 May he patented 300 acres of land at the intersection of Tar River and Fishing Creek in Edgecombe County. I have been unable to locate the record of patent of this attractively located tract, however the land is described in a 1748 deed from John Magee to William Spicer: 28 Dec 1748, John Magee to William Spicer, 28 pounds VA, 300 acres on NS Tar River, joining Fishing Creek and George Stevenson, all houses, orchards, etc., as by patent to John Magee 6 May 1742; wit. Samuel Ruffin, Thomas Wills, Richard Sessums (Edgecombe Co deed, recorded in Halifax Co NC DB 3, 297). He was already living on this land on Fishing Creek, or some place close by, at the time of the 6 May 1742 patent, since he is shown as an adjacent landholder in a 15 Feb 1742 deed from Richard Sessums to Michael Dorman for 440 acres on the north side of Fishing Creek (Edgecombe Co deed 15 Feb 1742, recorded in Halifax Co NC DB 5, 124-5). His father William Magee and brother Solomon Magee both held land on the north side of Fishing Creek, as well...perhaps John inherited land held by his father at the time of the elder man's death.

John Magee appears to have sold his land on Fishing Creek in anticipation of his patenting, on 25 March 1749, of 120 acres nearby, on Deep Creek (Hofmann, Granville Dist of NC, vol 1, 101; ref to Patent Bk 11, 231). Both Fishing Creek and Deep Creek empty into the Tar River, with the mouth of Deep Creek being immediately below the mouth of Fishing Creek, within a few miles. He held this land on Deep Creek for roughly ten years when, in light of his removal to Duplin County, he and his wife “Sarah” sold it to Michael Darmon, who was previously his near neighbor on Fishing Creek. There is no date in the abstract of this deed, but it was recorded at Feb Court 1758 (Edgecombe Co deed, recorded in Halifax Co NC DB 6, 258-9)

John Magee bought land from Noah Barfoot in Duplin County, North Carolina on 16 Nov 1757 for £35 Virginia currency. The land that he bought was a tract of 200 acres on the south side of Great Coharie Creek “on the side of a marsh,” being part of a 600 acre tract granted to Simon Herring 2 Oct 1751, and conveyed by said Herring to said Barfoot in 1753 (Duplin Co NC DB 3, 10-11). On the next day, 17 Nov 1757, John bought from John Herring, for £20, a tract of 200 acres on a marsh on the south side of Great Coharie Creek, adjoining the Beaverdam Swamp and Noah Barfoot’s corner, part of the same 600 acre tract granted to Simon Herring 2 Oct 1751, above (Duplin Co NC DB 3, 3-4). The second of these tracts John sold, on 21 Jan 1760, to William Newman, for 20 pounds (Duplin Co NC DB 3, 89-90). On 16 Dec 1769, he patented 200 acres on the west side of Great Coharie “in the fork of Newmans Beaverdam, joining the fork and side of the branch, Houlders Line, and Newmans Line” (Hofmann, Colony of NC Land Patents, vol 2, 151; ref to Patent Bk 20, 495). On 18 April 1770, he bought for 20 pounds 200 acres on WS Great Coharie from his son Elisha Magee, which Elisha had patented 22 Dec 1768 (Duplin Co NC DB 4, 415-16).

During most of the American Revolution, John’s holdings held steady at 600 acres on both sides of Great Coharie Creek. By 1790, he had disposed of all of this real estate by the following transactions. First, on 15 Aug 1782, he sold to Robert Butler Sr, for 35 pounds, the 200 acre tract he had patented on 16 Dec 1769 (Duplin Co NC DB 7, 365-6).

Second, on 7 Dec 1784 he engaged in a swap with his son John Magee Jr. The younger John sold to his father, for 100 pounds, 150 acres on ES Great Coharie, on Woodward’s line (Sampson Co, NC DB 20, 58-60), this land being the 150 acres that the younger John had purchased from Simon Parker on 5 Dec 1781 (Duplin Co NC DB 7, 400-401); in turn, John Sr on the same date 7 Dec 1784 sold to John “Jr,” for 200 pounds, the 200 acre tract he first patented in Duplin County on 16 Nov 1757 (Sampson Co NC DB 10, 58-9).

Third, 11 Aug 1789, John Sr. made a deed of gift to his son Phillip Magee (his youngest) for two tracts, including the 150 acres on the east side of Great Coharie that he had purchased from John Jr, and also the 200 acres that I believe was sold to John by son Elisha in 1770. At the time Elisha sold the land to John, it was on the west side of Great Coharie, joining John’s own line. The 1789 deed states that the 200 acres of land sold to Phillip was on the east side of Great Coharie, adjoining John’s [former?] line. There is no other indication in the 1789 deed clarifying the issue.

At any rate, by the time of the 1790 census, John Magee appears to have disposed of all of his land holdings. The 1790 federal census for Sampson County, NC shows him enumerated “next door” to his youngest son Phillip, his household consisting of 2 males +16, 1 female and 4 slaves. He appears to have died sometime shortly after this census enumeration.

Submitted by: Bevin Creel

Edgecombe Co NC deed, 15 Feb 1742, Richard Sessums to Michael Dorman, recorded in Halifax Co NC DB 5, 124

Edgecombe Co NC deed, 15 Feb 1742, Richard Sessums to Michael Dorman, recorded in Halifax Co NC DB 5, 125

Edgecombe Co NC deed, 28 Dec 1748, John Magee to William Spicer, recorded in Halifax Co NC DB 3, 297

Edgecombe Co Deed, 1758, John and Sarah Magee to Michael Darmoon, recorded in Halifax Co NC DB 6, 258

Edgecombe Co Deed, 1758, John and Sarah Magee to Michael Darmoon, recorded in Halifax Co NC DB 6, 259

1. ↑ Hofmann, Edgecombe County Deeds 1732-1758, 100-101, ref to DB 3, 297.
2. ↑ 1790 Federal Census, Sampson County, NC.