Person:Thomas Huntley (4)

Questionable and Undocumented Information

Family tradition said that Thomas Huntley was of Scottish origin, either he or his parents having been born there; that he was born about 1745 and came to Anson County, North Carolina from Bedford County, Virginia about 1761; and this wife was Zilpha Meadows, daughter of Jason Meadows and Elizabeth Stone.^[6] As Virgil Huntley^[6] points out, there are many problems with that tradition.

• A birth date of 1745 is much too late for Thomas to have been the father of his older children. His oldest son, Thomas, was born by 1756^[6], at which time Thomas would have been about 11 if he was born in 1745. Similarly, Thomas' daughter Susanna had to be born by 1753, as she witnessed a deed in 1769 and would have had to be 16 years of age at that time. If Thomas was born in 1745, he would have been 8 years old at the time of Susannah's birth. Huntley suggests that Thomas was probably born about 1730,^[6] a date also preferred by The Daughters of the American Revolution, which has raised concerns about information in a number of early membership applications based on family traditions.^[4]
• There is no evidence that Thomas was ever married to a woman named Zilpha, and there is no evidence that Jason and Elizabeth (Stone) Meadors ever had a daughter named Zilpha. The name Zilpha was apparently first suggested by a descendant of Thomas, John Wilson Huntley, born in 1833, who in his retirement, began to question other living descendants and long time residents for what they could remember. Only one person, was able to suggest a name for Thomas' wife, an aged African American preacher, and only after persistent questioning by John Huntley.^[6] To date, the only record for Thomas' wife is his will, in which he calls her Sarah.^[4][6]

Documented Information

• Thoms Huntley first appears in the records for Anson County, North Carolina receiving a grant of land on 16 December 1769.^[6]
• On 10 October 1771, Thomas, Abraham Rushing and others were ordered to lay out a road from the Province line at the end of the Cheraw road.^[5][6]
• On 12 October 1774, Thomas proved a deed from Robert Jarman to Thomas Jones.^[6]
• In 1777 and 1783 Thomas signed a petition to have the Court House in the centre of the county^[6]
• Thomas supported the American Revolution with generous donations of both goods and money.^[4][6]
• Thomas' will was signed 11 January 1800 and proved in Court in April 1802.^[3][6]
• Thomas and his wife Sarah may be buried in unmarked graves on their original property.^[2][6]

Speculative Information

• Thoma Huntley of Anson County, North Carolina is most likely the same Thomas Huntley who appears in the records for what is now Sampson County (formerly Dauphin County), North Carolina between 1757 and November 1763. During that time he seemed to have an on-going name with a John Williams.
• Thomas of Anson County, North Carolina may be the Thomas Huntley wo appears on the tax records for 1752-1754 in Norfolk County, Virginia.

1. ↑ Meador, Victor P. (Victor Paul), and Bernal M. Meador. Our Meador families in colonial America: as found in the records of Isle of Wight, Lancaster, (old) Rappahannock, Richmond, Essex and Caroline Counties, Virginia. (Independence, Missouri: V.P. Meador, 1983).

   Zilphia Meador m. Thomas Huntley (b. 1745, VA)
   Thomas Huntley served in the Revolutionary War

2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3} Thomas Huntley, Sr, in Find A Grave
   accessed 17 Aug 2014.

   Thomas Huntley, Sr
   Birth: 1730
   Death: 1802, Anson County, North Carolina, USA
   Burial: Huntley Cemetery , White Store Township, Anson County, North Carolina, USA
   
   Thomas Huntley came to Anson County about 1761.
   He was a patriot in the American Revolution.
   He was husband to Zilpha (1747 - 1812), also known as Sarah Meadows Huntley.
   Father to nine children.
   
   Children: Robert Huntley (1761 - 1854)

3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} Original wills Dorsey, William - McDearmid, Mary, in North Carolina. Division of Archives and History (Raleigh, North Carolina). Wills and estate papers (Anson County), 1663-1978. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1988-1989)
   Huntley, Thomas 1802 Image 994, accessed 22 Jun 2019.

   Thomas Huntley Senior of Anson County, North Carolina . . . .
   To my dear wife Sarah one third of all my possessions . . . .
   To my four daughters, 5£ each: Clowe Rushing, Zilpha Gulidge, Lavina Watts, Sabra Lyttle. . . .
   To my son Isaac, 400 acres of land only my wife to hold her thirds her lifetime. . . .
   To my daughter Susana Garnard, 5 shillings sterling. . . .
   The rest of my property to be equally divided amongst my children except Susan Garnad. . . .
   Signed 11 Jan 1800, Thomas T his mark Huntley
   Test: Thomas Lewis, Elijah Huntley
   Proved in Court April 1802

4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4} DAR Ancestor A060808, in Daughters of the American Revolution. Genealogical Research System.

   HUNTLEY, THOMAS
   Service: NORTH CAROLINA Rank: PATRIOTIC SERVICE
   Birth: CIRCA 1730
   Death: ANTE 4- -1802 ANSON CO NORTH CAROLINA
   Service Source: NC REV ARMY ACCTS, VOL VI, P 23, FOLIO 4, ROLL #S.115.57.2; PRUITT, ANSON CO NC LAND ENTRIES, 1778-1795, P 38, #573
   Service Description: 1) FURNISHED SUPPLIES; SIGNED OATH OF ALLEGIANCE TO MAKE LAND ENTRY, ANSON CO, 10-31-1778
   RESIDENCE: 1) County: ANSON CO - State: NORTH CAROLINA
   SPOUSE: 1) ZILPHIA SARAH MEADOWS - challenged
   Notice: PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN DISCOVERED WITH AT LEAST ONE PREVIOUSLY VERIFIED PAPER
   1) STEPHEN IS GRANDSON OF THE PATRIOT, CHILD OF HIS SON THOMAS
   2) NANCY WHO MARR THOMAS GADDY IS NOT NAMED AS A CHILD IN THIS MAN'S WILL
   3) SPOUSE NAMED AS "SARAH" IN WILL; NO PROOF OF A 2ND MARR. 7/2012
   Children include:
   Robert S., married Betsey Wilson
   Zilphia, married Joel Gulledge
   Lavinia, married Thomas Watts
   Thomas, married Jane
   Isaac, married Nancy
   Nancy, married Thomas Gaddy - eliminated
   Stephen, married Rebeccas Rushing - eliminated

5. ↑ ^5.0 5.1 McBee, May Wilson. Anson County, North Carolina abstracts of early records. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1985)
   p. 72.

   Abstracts of County Court Minutes, 1771-1777
   10 [October] 1771
   Ord. Abraham Rushing, Thomas Creet[?], Job Meadows, Lewis Meadows, Joel Chivers, Wm. Johnson, Wm. Rushing, James ___, Charles Booth, Thomas Huntley, John Jackson, ___ Bales lay out road from Province line at the end of Cheraw road.

6. ↑ ^{6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 6.11 6.12 6.13 6.14 6.15 6.16 6.17 6.18} Huntley, Virgil W. Thomas Huntley Sr. of Anson County, North Carolina: his descendants in the Carolinas and elsewhere. (Mystic, Connecticut: V.W. Huntley, c1988 (Dallas, Tex. : Taylor Publishing Company))
   pp. 2 -9.
7. ↑ Anson, North Carolina, in United States. 1790 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publication M637)
   p. 191, Image 5 of 12, FamilySearch.org.

   Thomas Huntley, 1 male under 10 [Isaac], 1 male 16+ [Thomas], 4 females [probably Sarah/Sabra, Lavina, Chloe, (wife) Sarah]

8. ↑ Minute docket 1771-1776, in North Carolina. County Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions (Anson County). Minute docket, 1771-1777, 1848-1858, 1868. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1942).

   p. 61, Image 60, FamilySearch.org, Oct 1771