Person:Samuel Alexander (23)

This family was from Scotland, as Samuel II in the year 1771 petitioned for land in Georgia to strt a community where they could practice their religion of the Church of Scotland, thinking that more Scots would then come to the area. The petition was turned down as being premature--see notes of 1771 for Samuel Alexander II for more information.

I use the designation I, II and III to tell the three generations of Samuels apart when I can for at one time all three were in the Duplin County, North Carolina area together in 1758 and again later in South Carolina in 1765, and in Georgia, sometimes with the designation Sr. and Jr. but not always. Samuel Alexander II becomes known as the Senior Alexander during (mistakenly in some people's genealogy) and after the Revolutionary War and the death of his father.

It is impossible to tell which Samuel is which in the information below unless a document says Sr., or Jr. or the two appear together in a document so I have included all references to Samuel Alexander which means there will be an overlap in information for each person.

Abt 1703 - Samuel was born. This date is based on the DAR corrected dates for his son Samuel being born about 1733.

Abt 1733 - his son Samuel II was born, 1752-19=1733, a date accepted by DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution), who corrected their information in 1988 to show this. I think that this son lived with his father until he married and then perhaps lived with his wife and her brother in Duplin Co., North Carolina until he and

1752 - SamueI's son, Samuel II, married Bethia Castellaw in Duplin County, North Carolina where she had come to live with her brother, Thomas, after her father died in Bertie County North Carolina Abt 1749. At this time there is no record of a marriage license/certificate but this date is from the bible of their grandson, James Madison Alexander. James M. Alexander's father was their son Moses and though his bible was of a later date than his grandparents marriage, it's the most reliable source of this information as he would have gotten the information from his father and uncles who lived during his lifetime; the bible has also been passed down in James Madison's family. The DAR has accepted this as the best record possible at this time.

Duplin County (formed in 1749 from New Hanover County) is connected to Onslow County (formed in 1734 from New Hanover County) which is connected to New Hanover County, North Carolina. New Hanover County is bordered by the Cape Fear River where the 350 Scots from Argyle, Scotland came into North Carolina in 1739, "Carolina Scots" by Douglas F Kelly and Caroline Switzer Kelly, prb. 1998 by 1739 Publications, Dillon, South Carolina. This about Onslow County is from "North Carolina Wills: A Testator Index, 1665-1900", Thornton W. Mitchell, a corrected and revised edition in one volume, Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. 1992,1996, an identification of counties.

1754, Oct 25 - Onslow County, NC Militia has a Samuel listed as a Sgt. in Capt. Hick's Company: "NC Colonial & State Records", Vol XXII, p339. This is probably the son, Samuel II, because he would have been about 21 years old and his father's age about 54, but perhaps the elder would have had more military experience. Did Samuel II live with his wife and son on his father's property until he left in 1759 for Georgia?

1755, Jan 17 - Onslow Co. NC - Samuel witnessed a will of Alen Gray, probated Jul 1755: "NC Will Abstracts, 1660-1790", Ancestry.com.

1756 - Onslow Co., NC - Samuel Alexander sold land in Onslow to Thomas Alberton (Albritton): "Records of Onslow Co., NC" Vol 1, Zae Hargett Gwynn. So far I haven't seen the original purchase or grant; Onslow Co. was created in 1734 from Bath, Craven & New Hanover -- Bath Co. created 1696 (Albemarle Sound to Cape Fear, p 69 "NC through 4 Centuries", Wm. S. Powell), Craven Co. from Bath in 1705 and New Hanover from Craven in 1729. The first record I know of an Alexander immigration to Cape Fear Area was with the Argyle group from Campbeltown, Scotland in 1738/39 with an advance group going to see the area in 1736 - did any of them from this first trip stay there?

The land Samuel sold probably was on SW side of S.W. branch of New River, as described in a deed of Jul 8 1758, Onslow Co., Thos. Albritton later sold land that included what he had purchased (above) from Samuel Alexander,  with this description.

1757, Jan 8 - Duplin Co., NC; Moses Tyler of Bladen Co., Planter, to Samuel Alexander of Duplin Co. for 20£ Proclamation money, 150 acres of land in Duplin Co. on the north side of Goshen Swamp, abutted by the swamp and land of "Mr. Castellaw" (Thomas). Witnesses were William Parish and John Fryer. Proved Jan 13, 1757 and recorded in Duplin Co., NC. Abstracts from early Duplin County Deeds Book 2, p386 by genealogist Mark Windover also in "Abstracts of Sampson - Duplin Deeds, Books 1-3", Max R. Peterson.

1758, Apr 28 - Duplin Co., NC, a survey for 130 acres was ordered for land adjoining Samuel Alexander's home place in 1758, Duplin Co., NC which indicates he was already living there (see above). Samuel Alexander II and James Castellaw (Jr.) signed the survey report as chain carriers, Duplin Co., NC in 1758 -- Duplin Envelope 576a.

 Richard C. Wooten, genealogist, said "NC land grants were not free by a long shot.  From the original entry (application) to the final issuance of the grant, each step required the payment of a fee by the applicant.  The survey also required the applicant to provide two able bodied men to carry chain for the surveyor.  To save money, the applicant generally used his sons, brothers, other available relatives, or friendly neighbors for this purpose."    I have copies of the survey with the signatures of the chain carriers.

1758, Jul 1 - Duplin Co., NC, Grant to Samuel Alexander for above 130 acres, N. side of Goshen Swamp on Fryer's Branch, joining said Alexander's "home place" (Abstracts Sampson - Duplin Deeds, Books 1-3, Duplin Co., NC Max R. Peterson, from Patti Andrews); NC Grant Book 16, 1755-1760, p222. It apparently is also recorded in Grant Book 2 p 203, Duplin Co.

1760, Feb 22 - Duplin Co., NC, Samuel Alexander sold plantation "I now live upon" - 150 acres N. side of Goshen Swamp; probably the above "home place" which he bought from Moses Tyler, bounded by land of Thomas Castellaw. Abstracts Sampson - Duplin Deeds, Books 1-3, Duplin Co., NC Max R. Peterson; Abstract by Mark Windover of Duplin County Deeds 3/114.

1760, Feb 22 - Duplin Co., NC, Samuel Alexander sold 130 acres N. side Goshen Swamp on Fryer's Branch joining said Alexander's home place. This corresponds with the time period that the two Samuels moved into South Carolina and Georgia. Abstracts Sampson - Duplin Deeds, Books 1-3, Duplin Co., NC Max R. Peterson; Abstract by Mark Windover of Duplin Co. Deeds 3/117.

The designation of Sr. and Jr. for Samuels I and II is first seen in the South Carolina land petition, survey and grant below. During and after the Rev. War in Georgia there are some records showing Samuels Sr. & Jr. : these references are to Samuel II and III; Samuel II (formerly Jr., now known as Sr.) was a Patriot, serving as a magistrate in the courts and Samuel III, now known as Jr., became a Captain in the Rev. War - DAR Corrected records, 1998.

1760, Sep 2 & Oct 21 - Granville Co., South Carolina, survey ordered for Samuel Alexander, Sr. on Sep 2 and completed Platt dated 21 Oct, 250 acres on Savannah River, "butting and bounding to ye S East on lands laid out to Sam'l Allexander Jun"...granted 1765, copy from South Carolina Archives. I assume Samuel Sr./I lived on and worked the land in South Carolina until he moved into Georgia, below. I have a copy of an early South Carolina map that shows the name "Alexander" on the 3 Runs River and the Savannah River ---and also the name "Castellaw", just below him. Both families probably moved together from North Carolina.

1762, Dec - St. George Parish, Georgia, Petition for land by Samuel Alexander who said that he had no land granted him, prays council for 100 acres on Savannah River in Halifax Dist. He has two slaves. Petition granted - Colonial Records of the State of Georgia, Vol 8 Allen D. Chandler 1907, p766, from Herbert Newell & Abstracts Sampson-Duplin NC Deed Bks 1-3, Max R. Peterson, from Patti Andrews.

I will assume that this 100 acres is for Samuel I; in 1765 in South Carolina (below) Samuel Sr. was granted the greater acreage of 250 acres and his son Samuel, Jr. was granted the lesser amount of 200 acres.  This Samuel also does not say he has been in the Province for two years as did the Samuel who asked for 60 acres at this same time (Samuel Jr/II had petitioned for land in Georgia in Jun 1759, not granted; he must have stayed and worked the land anyhow, as his petition says he had been in the county for two years).

1764, Jun - St. George Par., Georgia, which became Burke Co. in 1777, the Governor signed a grant to Samuel Alexander on this date for 100 acres in St. George Parish (and for 48 acres in same for which Samuel? Sr. & Jr.?). "Col. Rec. of State of Georgia", Allen Chandler, 1907, Vol 9, p187, from Herbert Newell). Probably the larger grant was to Samuel Sr./I and the 48 acres to Samuel Jr.,/II or maybe to the father and the two of them lived and worked the property together as Samuel Sr. is now about 64 years old, but....I read in "North Carolina through Four Centuries" that some men lived to a vigorous old age, one 80 year old leading a group of men on a ship from Barbados to help colonize Carolina.

1765, Sep 27 - Granville Co., South Carolina, signing of Samuel Alexander, Sr.'s land grant for 250 in South Carolina on the Savannah River, Three Runs River area, no. 253, copy from South Carolina Archives in Columbia (from Katherine Mims). Samuel Jr./II received a grant for 200 acres at the same time and place; the Castellaw family also received land just below there on the Savannah River at the same time.

1765, Oct 9 - Granville Co., South Carolina, entry for Samuel Alexander Sr. in grant book for above, saying it was certified 6 Aug 1765 and granted 27 Sep 1765, copy from South Carolina Archives. Did they ever live on this South Carolina property? Perhaps Samuel Sr. did between 1760 and 1762 when he petitioned for and was granted land opposite the South Carolina property. Samuel Jr. appears to be already living in Georgia opposite the South Carolina property in 1759 when he petitioned for land--and said in 1762 that he had been two years in the province.

The only other possible reference that I have to Samuel I could be the following: [Hugh McCall's History of Georgia pub 1811 p488]: "Among the number was the father of Captains Samuel and James Alexander, in his 78th year of his age.." in 1781 (b 1703). Another story: the old father of the Alexander sons was arrested and imprisoned at age 78; he was freed after long imprisonment when Augusta fell to the Patriots in 1781. If any of the stories are true, the age of this man is about right for Samuel I. He would not have been the father of Capt. James and Capt. Samuel Alexander (III) as Hugh McCall indicated, but their grandfather. Their father is Samuel Alexander II, b abt 1733, married to Bethia Castellaw, who died after 1791, (Greene Co.?) GA; DAR corrected records and information are shown for this family; he was a "Patriot" during the Revolution, serving as a Justice, and providing provisions.

1. ↑ Patron Submission Entry Form. LDS church. (Batch 8708203, Serial sheet 48, Input source 1396321).