Person:John Sharp (78)

John Sharp was one of the Early Settlers of Augusta County, Virginia

Contents 1 Estate Records of John Sharp in Augusta County, VA 2 Location of John Sharp's Family in Virginia 3 Information on John Sharp		Welcome to Old Augusta Early Settlers Beverley Manor Borden's Grant Register Data Maps Places Library History Index
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Estate Records of John Sharp in Augusta County, VA

• Page 192.--25th August, 1749. Margery Sharpe's bond as administratrix of John Sharpe, with sureties Jno. Smith, Jno. Wamock.

• Vol. 2 - Page 59.--28th February, 1750: Orphan Wm. Sharp bound to John Anderson.

• Vol. 2 - Page 71.--28th November, 1750: Orphan John Sharp bound to Mathew Armstrong.

• Vol. 2 - Page 72.--28th November, 1750: Orphan Jennet Sharp bound to Nicholas Leeper.

• Vol. 2 - Page 86.--28th November, 1751: Orphan Margery Sharp bound to John Archer.

Location of John Sharp's Family in Virginia

Land records proving the location of John Sharp's family in Augusta County records have not been located. Since his estate records were recorded in Augusta, they clearly lived somewhere in the vicinity.

Information on John Sharp

Our ancestor is, William Sharp Sr, orphan of John Sharp and Margaretha (Margery) McCnely (McNealy). In mulitple historical documents I recently uncovered more of the story for descendants of the Sharp Family.

John Sharp (abt 1714) and his wife Margery were born in the early 1700’s. They were married in Lancaster, Pennsylvania on 13 Aug 1738 by John Casper Stoever. There was also another Family discovered in Lancaster Pennsylvania whose y-DNA matches ours. Their names were Edward Sharp(e)(1700) and Sarah McNeely. This indicates that our autosomal DNA may also be a match between Margery and Sarah. It is known that Edward left a daughter in Lygawry, Ireland named Helener. It is probable that Sarah is his second wife because Helener and Henry are at least 15 years older than his son Edward.. John and Margery and both of Edward’s sons followed the immigration route from Pennsylvania to Beverly Manor, Augusta, Virginia. However, John and Margery had been killed by Indians before the other Sharps passed through and continued into the Carolinas. John and Margery Sharp lived at a time of turmoil in the Territory of Virginia which had been established in British America. The place they chose to settle and raise a family was known as Augusta County. During this time Augusta County was a vast territory with an indefinite western boundary. Most of what is now West Virginia as well as all of Kentucky were formed from it, and it also claimed the territory north and west of those areas, theoretically all the way to the Pacific Ocean. Frontier conflicts were almost nonstop. European settlers were taking over lands which had been in the hands of Native American tribes for countless generations. Their ways of life clashed violently. Settlers from the Bitish Isles were trying to establish permanent homesteads, with towns and villages to serve each other for protection. On the other hand, Indian tribes often moved with the season and followed the wildlife which provided their sustenance. When they returned to lands which they had always inhabited, the lands were being developed by white settlers. The Indians settled this conflict in the same way they would have if another tribe had tried to over run them. Raids and killings were abundant. Suffering occurred on both sides of the conflict that lasted for generations. John and Margery Sharp began their family. In the years between 1740 and 1749 they had 4 children. First William (possibly in Pennsylvania), then John, Jennett and baby Margery. The last 3 children have christening records in the Tinkling Springs church of Beverly Manor. During the Indian wars of 1749-1750 both John and his wife Margery were killed. Records indicate that John was killed first and his wife within a year, leaving 4 little children as orphans. At that time children were bonded out to families that would accept them. Bonding consisted of a family taking in an orphan in exchange for the child working for the family until the age of majority. Male children were often taught the trade of the Head of the Household and stayed until the age of 21. Female children were at the beck and call of the household until age 18. They were taught all of the necessities and expected to share all of the family responsibilities. Some families treated bonded children as family members and some families treated bonded children as slaves. William was bonded to John Anderson of Augusta County following the death of his parents in 1749-1750. Beginning date of the bond was February 28th 1750 and found in Augusta Parish Vestry Book pg 59. William followed the Carpenter's trade and lived in the area of what is now Marlinton, Pocahontas, West Virginia. As a family we refer to this William as William Sharp Sr. He is the progenitor of the West Virginia Sharp family. He is buried near Marlinton, West Virginia. His will is said to have included 13 children, of which we have found 11 children. Augusta County Parish book #I , page 71, records “November 28, 1750 John Sharp orphan bound to Matthew Armsrong until full age of 21.” The family were weavers who left the Stauton, Augusta area, presumably to go south getting nearer the cotton fields. No further records have been found. Augusta County Parish book #I , page 72, records November 28 1750 Jennett Sharp orphan bound to Nicholas Leeper, a barber, until age of 18. Jennett was reported to have married into the family she was bound to and settled in Tidewater, Virginia and was buried there. We have not found documentation. The Leeper family had immigrated from Belfast, Antrim Ireland. They were headrights of John Smith who imported Scotch and Irish immigrants to Virginia. James and Margaret Leeper came in 1738, bringing their children NICHOLAS,Sarah, James Jr., Andrew, Jane and Guine Leeper.

  	On November 28th the Augusta Parish Vestry Book records on page 86

‘Margery Sharp orphan was bonded to John Archer, a weaver.’ As intimated by these records the children were unable to remain near each other and lost track of their siblings, severing the family relationship. However, the Church Parish was responsible to find appropriate families to place the children with.

          John Meek and his wife Ann were also settlers in Augusta Virginia. They were busy raising their 6 children, three girls and three boys. The oldest of their children was Thomas who had left home and started a family of his own. In 1761 John Meek and his wife Ann were both killed during another Indian raid. Again a family of orphans was left to survive according to the colonial laws. One by one, all 5 of the younger children were bound to local families. 	

According to the U S archives for Virginia/West Virginia, in February of 1762 Mary Meeks was bound to the Andrew Settleton family, Her sister Martha was bound to the James Walker family and the youngest sister Jane was bound to Moses Moore. (Years later the descendants of Moses Moore married into multiple lines of the Sharp family.) Augusta Court records indicate that William Meek was bound to William Warwick and the younger brother James was bound to William Wilson. However it appears that the Meek children were able to keep more of their family intact than the Sharp orphans had been able to. Within 6 months Thomas was able to gain guardianship of the middle brother William. When Mary Meek married nine years later, her husband William Sharp Sr. obtained guardianship of her youngest sibling, Jane Meek.

Mary Meek’s husband was the same William Sharp Sr who had experienced the loss of his parents then having the relationships with his siblings severed. Together, William and Mary understood completely how important it was to be part of a family. These two Colonial pioneers are our Great grandparents. For children of Charles Jack Sharp and Ora Thompson they are 4th GreatGrandparents. For grandchildren, they are 5th GreatGrandparents, and so on. For the youngest of our family they are our 8th Great Grandparents.

Our heritage is rich with sacrifice and the instinct for survival.

                                                       Marta Sharp Heap 6th generation  6/15/2014 
 								Updated 7/28/2018     

From William Sharp, Sr. - Pocahontas County Pioneer "Lest We Forget", by Rebecca Ann Sharp:

William Sharp Sr. was born around 1740 at Beverly Manor. He was the son of John & Margery Sharp(e) (1714-1749 and 1718-1750.) William's father, John Sharp, was killed by Indians in 1749. It is believed that the following year his mother Margery was also killed by Indians, leaving William and three younger siblings orphaned. It is known that William was bound as an orphan/apprentice to John Anderson, tanner, of Beverly Manor, Augusta Parish in February 1750. His brother John Sharp b. 1742 was bound to Matthew Armstrong, weaver, in Nov. 1750. Sister Jennot b. 1744 was bound to Nicholas Leeper, planter in Nov. 1750, and the youngest orphan Margery b. 1746 was bound to John Archer in November 1751.