On July 3, 1769 Andrew [Cottrell] claimed a 342 acre tract of land called "Plot # 35, Elk Hills" on the Monongahela River in Nicholson Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania. The tract was located where New Geneva stands today. The land was surveyed June 26, 1770 and was conveyed to John Wilson September 17. 1785.
In 1771, Andrew and his brother Samuel apparently moved from Pennsylvania and settled on Elk Creek in the part of Monongalia County VA that became Harrison County VA (WV) in 1774. Andrew was allegedly shot by John Simpson in an altercation over either a pint or a peck of salt, depending on the source material. Glen Lough commented on the incident in his book "Now and Long Ago":
"William Childers wrote that 'Mr. John Simpson traded down where Morgantown is for a long time and would come here where Clarksburg is when the Indians came in to hunt, and trade with them like all the others. He built a trading cabin on Elk creek in later years and that's where he shot Mr. Andrew Cottral after he stole some salt from Mr. Cottral and his friends. and Mr. Cotral came to his cabin with his gun to get it back. They took Mr. Cotral's body down the river in a canoe to his home in Pennsylvania and buried it. and he said that Mr. Simpson did not tell the truth when he said he shot Mr. Cotral because he saw that Mr. Cotral was about to shoot him.'"
Andrew died before 1781, since two Monongalia County land certificates issued in 1781 assigned property to his heirs. These two tracts were near Nutters fort.
"Heirs of Andrew Cottrill, deceased, 400 acres on Ann Moore's Run, adjoining lands of Amaziah Davisson, to include his settlement made in 1772."
"Heirs of Andrew Cottrill, deceased, 400 acres of the water of Elk Creek, adjoining lands of Joseph Hastings, to include his settlement made in 1773."
Although the records are silent on Andrew's widow, Harrison County VA minute books record the "binding out" of children of Andrew Cottrell years after his death. William was bound to Alexander West September 22, 1784, Thomas to Ann Burrows September 17, 1787 and Andrew to James Davidson October 15, 1787.
Orphan children were usually "bound out" to families in the community, however, apprentices for various trades were also bound out. Andrew was released August 18, 1790 as being of full age and having received his estate in full. This release suggests that Andrew's children were apprentices rather than "bound out orphans."
http://www.doddridgecountyroots.com/html/nti/nti08657.html#sthash.6HHv3nCe.dpuf
