Person:John Sears (40)

John was a corporal in Capt Anderson Walker's co, Col Gilbert Christian's command, Green County militia, Southwest Territory, 17 Sep 1793 [13-Murtie Clark, American Militia In The Frontier Wars, 1790-1796, Baltimore: Genealogical Pub Co, p 111].

In 1799, Sears signed a petition to carve Anderson co from Knox County, Tennessee.

John and James Sears were on the 1803 Knox County, Kentucky tax roll. Only James Sears was present in 1802[14-Knox co Kinfolk, Jul 1985].

In 1810 Knox co, KY John Sears and wife, 26-45, had a boy under 10, one 10-16, a daughter 16-26, and three slaves. (Nearby were William, James, and Jesse Sears, each 26-45) [15-William Kozee, Pioneer Families of Eastern and Southeastern KY, Baltimore: Genealogical Pub Co, 1973. 1810 Knox County, Kentucky census, p.65] Among Tellico claims, Warrant #13, John Sears on 2 Oct 1810 had #388 survey for 170 acres in Knox co on Patterson Creek, surveyed 14 Jan 1814, granted on 12 Apr 1816. Jesse and William Sears on 17 Jul 1812 each received Knox co land on Cumberland River. In 1816 - four years after the first entry was made there - Sears entered land in Orleans twp, Orange co, IN. (As did Christian Hostetler and William Kerr) [16-History of Lawrence, Orange and Washington co, IN, 1884] (Orange co, 20 by 20 miles, was carved from Washington co on 26 Dec 1815 and organized in Feb 1816. Orleans, the first town, was platted 11 Mar 1815. Orleans twp, organized with the county, extended into Old Lost River twp.; it was the best land and quickly settled. Orleans twp adjoins Lawrence co and Northeast twp) In 1816, land was conveyed to Sears and other trustees of Orleans Methodist Church. On 7 Oct 1817, John and Nancy conveyed to son James Brock Sears a hundred acres of NW 1/4, Section 31, Twp 3, Range 1. She signed with an X. David Green, JP, and Samuel Lewis witnessed [17-Orange County, IN Deed Book A, p 88]. In 1817, Sears and William Lindley were viewers for the Paoli and Orleans road. Sears took up 170 acres on Patterson Creek [19-Knox co, KY Surveyor's Book A, #13]. He made a power of attorney, on 15 Feb 1819, to Samuel Cox, Sr, to convey that land to Jesse Sears, of Pulaski co, KY [20-Whitley co, KY Deed Book 1, pp 364-5]. The deed was executed 9 Jan 1831. John Sears m, second, Mary Elizabeth Stanfield. An overseer was appointed for "the Quaker road from Jonathan Jones to John Sears near Orleans." In 1820 Orange co, John Sears was at least 45, his wife 26-45, a daughter was under 10 and one 10-16[21-1820 Orange co, IN Northeast twp, census, p 133. James B Sears was on p.131] When the Methodists organized, in 1820, John and Mary Sears were original members. In 1822, as trustee, John helped build a log church.

Patrons Sears, Brooks, Webb, and Lewis, in 1823, built the first school in Orleans, which was incorporated by 1829.

On 9 Jan 1831, John Sears, of Orange co, by attorney-in-fact Andrew Craig- through power derived from Samuel Cox of Whitley co - for $400 sold 100 acres on Pattrson creek to Jesse Sears, of Pulaski County [22-Whitley co, KY Deed Records, p 364]. Led by Sears and Joseph Crawford, in 1831, citizens built a 20 by 20 foot log schoolhouse, with glass windows, in Orleans. The Sears children were pupils [23-History of Orange co, Vol I, 1950] In the 1840 census John Sears was 60-70 and his wife was 40-50, boy under 5, two 5-10, and one 15-20, girl 5-10, one 10-15, and one 15-20. (In Orleans town John W Sears, 40-50, had a son 10-15, a girl under 5, a female 40-50, one 50-60)[24-1840 Orange co, Orleans twp, IN census]. Sears d 18 May 1841. His Apr 1840 will, probated 19 Jun 1841, named children by first wife: James B Sears and Elizabeth, who m a "Gunton"(Gherton).