Person:John Edwards (8)

Biography

John Edwards11 Carroll 1765-1815: The Settlements, By John Perry Alderman; Published by Alderman Books, 1985, p. 339-340 The first Edwards settler known to have lived in the southern part of the county was an Edmond Edwards who was taxed first in 1779 in Henry County, and who received a grant to 263 acres on Stewarts Creek in 1780 (Grants, E-660). He and his wife Elizabeth sold this property to Andrew Ray in 1785 and presumably moved away (Henry, D. B. 3- 87). There were several households of Edwards in Henry County in the late 1770s and it is not known what relationship, if any, they bore to either Edmond or John Edwards. John Edwards apparently came to southern Carroll from North Carolina; at least the old census records show that William and Thomas, his sons, were born in North Carolina. John was taxed in Patrick in 1791 (at the time of the formation of that county), and probably had been in the area for some time previously. In 1796 he had three surveys in Patrick, two of which were transferred to him from a William Edwards who was likely some relative. The grants were issued to John in 1804. The three tracts were described as on the Poplar Cove, on McCarvers Creek, and on the Indian Fork of Loville Creek. There are not many references to John in the old records. He did leave a will which was written Dec. 17, 1809 and describes him as John Edwards of Patrick County; by the time it was probated August 1810 his home had been annexed to Grayson County, so the probate proceedings were before the Grayson Court (W. B. 1-67). The will left 100 acres to his son Elijah and 100 acres to his son Elisha; it names eight children, apparently in the order of their birth: (1) William Edwards, (2) Thomas Edwards, (3) Nancy Edwards Shockley, (4) Catey Edwards Sexton, (5) Jenny Edwards Burk, (6) Easter Edwards, (7) Elijah Edwards, and (8) Elisha Edwards. Elijah was nominated as one of the executors, but declined to qualify and the Grayson Court appointed Thomas Edwards in his stead. The appraisal of his estate was returned at $203. 37 and included one horse, nine hogs, five cattle, and a shotgun (Grayson, W. B. 1-72). The marriages of none of his children have been found. William was still living in the county in 1850, as was Thomas who by that time had moved to Crooked Creek on top of the mountain; both are enumerated in the census of that year and both apparently overstated their ages to the census taker. William apparently was born a little before 1770 and Thomas a little after that. Elisha moved to North Carolina where he was still living in the 1850s for he made an affidavit for Howell Dean’s pension application. Elijah was exempted from tax in May 1810 and apparently did not enjoy good health. The writer learned nothing of the girls.