A HISTORICAL EXAMINATION OF THREE ROBESON INDIAN FAMILIES

   A HISTORICAL EXAMINATION OF THREE ROBESON INDIAN FAMILIES

 

HATCHER INDIAN FAMILY

Jack Hatcher, born about 1729, “alias Indian Jack,” petitioned John Parish, Sr., in Goochland County, Virginia court on 19 September 1750. Parish died before November court 1751, and Jack sued his widow and administrator Judith Parish for trespass in May 1752. The deposition of Robert Napier, Sr., an “aged and infirm person” of Albemarle County was taken on Jack’s behalf.

“Edward Hatcher for love & affection to my daughter Sarah Hatcher, an Indian girl, Kate.” 1 Aug. 1682 Wit: Sam Knibb, Ben Hatcher. Signed: Edward (E) Hatcher. Recorded 1 Aug. 1682 [Henrico County, Virginia, Wills and Deeds, 1677-1705 Compiled by Benjamin B Weisinger III, p.222]

“The Deposition of Robt Napier aged Eighty ffive —- being Examined & Sworn Saith that between fifty & Sixty years ago Capt John Lydall Jr went to Henrico & he bought of one Edward Hatcher an Indian woman named Bettey wch he called Betty Hatchor & she had a reputed Daughter Called Sarah Hatcher wch was the reputed mother of Indian Jack Hatcher wch Said Indian Bettey was brought in to this Collony by the Said Edward Hatcher an Indian Trader & sold by him to Serve according to Law this Depon?t further Saith that he bought of Edward Hatcher an Indian Trader of the same company an Indian boy between Fourteen[?] & Sixteen[?] years of age & that he Expected he was to Serve only to the age of thirty one or thirty three to the best of my remembrance & further this Depon?t Saith not,[signed] R Napier. Janu?y 5th 1753, Taken before us: Sam?l Jordan, John Cobbs [Library of Virginia, Goochland Co Chancery Court online documents 075-1754-002:]

In a Roster of North Carolina Soldiers in the American Revolution was a list of men raised under the present Act of Assembly, in Companies 1-15 Inclusive. Signed by Capt. Ralph Williams, 9-N.B. This was dated May 25, 1778 and listed Capt. Samuel Walker’s Company, George Woodlift, planter, David Hunt, planter, Gibson Harris, planter, David Hatcher, planter, Tolbert Tucker (several trades), and John Kennedy, trader.

 “David HATCHER, age 16, half indian, 5 ft 7 in. high, well made, planter” [“A Descriptive List of Men Raised Under the Present Act of Assembly, 25 May 1778, Granville County, NC”, abstracted from the original in NC Archives.]

Name and Rank: Hatcher, David, Pt. Dates of Enlistment and Commission: 1779 Occurrences: Mustered, Dead Sep 1779 Pierce’s Register, Vol X, p 266 To whom granted and rank: The heirs of David Hatcher, Privt Number of acres: 640 Service in months: 84 [1778 Granville Co, NC. NC State Records, Clark, Vol XVI, 1782-1783, p 136.]

Isam Hatcher obtained 140 ac on a 640 ac tract south of Drowning Creek on Cubbages Swamp Dec. ,17 1772 (Bladen Co. deeds, 1738-1779, 387-88).  Hatcher is listed in Bladen in 1773 and 1778 on Drowning Creek.

Robert Hatcher and Timothy Hatcher each had a tract in Bladen County, NC on Gap Way Swamp in 1778-1779.

SWEAT INDIAN FAMILY

[1]Robert Sweat, born about 1670, a white Virginian of Surry County, married to a Pamunkey Indian woman named Margaret. Robert was a “white” listed in the Surry County Muster of January 1688. He died before 1696 when his wife was awarded the administration of his estate, but only after Robert’s white brother, William Sweat, and another local white, Anthony Cornish, agreed to provide security. The Surry Court would still not allow the Indian Margaret full rights to the estate and retained Court oversight. Less than a year after approving Margaret as Administrator, the Surry Court ordered her and her new husband. John Kicotan (a Pamunkey Indian) to give a full account of Robert Sweat’s estate on behalf of Robert’s half-white son, Cornish Sweat.

  [1a]Cornish Sweat, born 1690-1695, married a white woman in Surry County, VA and their children were:

      [1a1]Robert Sweat, born 1708-1710, was sued in June, 1729 Goochland County, VA for trespass by James Taylor [Orders 1728-30, 114, 123] and was living on the north east side of the Black River in South Carolina July 19, 1736 when Alexander Nesbitt recorded a plat for land adjoining his [S.C. Archives Alphabetical Index 9-003-0003-00333-02]. On December 23, 1754 he was granted 100 acres on Wilkerson Swamp near the Little Pee Dee River on the South Carolina line that later became Robeson County in 1787 [Land Patents, I:340]. This land adjoined land of Joshua Perkins and was sold by Philip Chavis on 21 November 1768 [Bladen DB 23:104-5, 424-5]. His children were:

[1a1a]Margaret Sweat, born 1728.

[1a1b]William Sweat, born 1730-1735. William was taxable in Bladen County, NC, on himself and son Benjamin in 1768 and taxable on himself and son George in 1772 [Bladen County Tax Lists, I:7, 82]. On October 13, 1773 he was included on the “A List of the Mob Raitously Assembled together in Bladen County”. He received a patent for 100 acres “in Bladen or Anson County” on the northeast of Leith’s Creek on 6 March 1775. He was the father of:

                           [1a1b1]Benjamin Sweat, born 1748-1754, taxable in his father’s Bladen County household in 1768 and later taxable in 1772 in the Bladen County household of Benjamin Dees, who was taxed as “white”[Bladen County Tax Lists, I:7, 78]. He was taxed as “white” in Orangeburgh District, South Carolina. He was living near Richard Groom and William Groom, also taxed as “white”, who were later listed with Benjamin in Bladen County in 1773.

                         [1a1b2]George Sweat, born 1750-1756, taxable in his father’s Bladen County household in 1772 [Bladen County Tax Lists, I:82].

                         [1a1b3]Ephraim Sweat, born 1752-1758.

              [1a1c]Anthony Sweat, born 1736-1740, probably named for Anthony Cornish. He was listed in the Cherokee Expedition Muster Roll of Captain John McCant’s Company of Colonel Gabriel Powell’s Battalion of South Carolina Militia from October 1759 to January 1760[Colonial Soldiers of the South, 895, 925]. He purchased land in South Carolina between 1766 and 1767 and sold land in South Carolina by deed proved between 1771 and 1772 [Index to Deeds of South Carolina, F-3:305, Y-3:418].

     [1a2]Cornish Sweat jr, born 1710-1715, moved near his white grand-uncle, William Sweat, in Isle of Wight County, VA, and he and his wife Lucy recorded the birth of their son Robert, on July 17, 1740 [Old Parish Register of Newport Parish, 183]. He was one of the freeholders of Isle of Wight County who were ordered to work on the road from Days’s Neck Road near Thomas Day’s over Wakefield Run to Hogpen Point on August 11, 1748. On July 3, 1760 he confessed that he owed James Ridley 9 pounds, 11 shillings [Orders 1746-52, 115, 158]. He died before 1767 in Isle of Wight County, his brother, William Sweat (who was then living on the Pamunkey Indian Reservation), was granted administration of estate on August 6, 1767.

     [1a3]William Sweat, born 1735-1745, taxable on the Pamunkey Indian Reservation in King William County, VA from 1788 to 1815. He was taxable on himself as a tithe and on 2 horses on the Pamunkey Indian Reservation from 1797 to 1800 (this would imply that William Sweat was no more than ¼ Pamunkey Indian as he was eligible under the Virginia tax code to tithe those of ¼ Indian blood or less residing on state Indian reservations). Three of William Sweat’s sons (William Sweat, Abram Sweat, and Allen Sweat) were among 28 Pamunkey Indians that signed a petition to the Governor of Virginia in 1836.

REVELL INDIAN FAMILY

[1]James Revell, the Indian (his Indian name never recorded in the Accomack County records), born 1656. A full blooded Accomack Indian from the village of Matomkin. Apprenticed October 1667 along with fellow 11 year old Matomkin villager, Wincewough). James the Indian was apprenticed to Edward Revell, possibly by his Matomkin village chief, the “head man, Amongus” who witnessed the apprenticeship in Court. James the Indian, later referred to as James Revell, and his Indian friend, Dick Shooes, cooperated in a successful hog raising enterprise. James Revell died in the autumn of 1681 at the age of 25, just days before his apprenticeship was to expire. James Revell had two sons:

[1a]Edward Revell, born 1676-1678, moved across the Chesapeake Bay to Virginia where he and his son, Edward Revell jr, were taxable in the list of Thomas Holt, Surry County, VA 1703.

[1b]Charles Revell, born 1679-1680, taxed as a “non-white” in 1725 Manokin Hundred, Somerset County, Maryland (now known as Revell’s Neck, this was the original site of the Manokin Indian Town). Charles Revell and his unnamed wife are known to have had an unknown number of daughters and only one son:

[1b1]Edmund Revell, born 1719-1725, moved across the Chesapeake Bay into Virginia, lived briefly in Henrico County, VA, but eventually settled in Edgecombe, County, NC. Edmund was among the freeholders who, in March of 1762, were ordered by the Edgecombe County, NC court to work on the road near Plumbtree Bottom [Minutes 1759-64]. On April 1, 1763 he received a patent for 700 acres in Edgecombe County, NC [Granville District Land Grants]. He patented 150 acres in the northeast portion pf Bladen County, near Drowning Creek which later became Robeson County, on April 29. 1768 [Land Patents, vol. II, no. 6913]. He was later granted two patents in Bladen, one for 150 acres on both sides of Bear Swamp and the other east of Long Swamp, on November 7, 1784. In 1784 he was taxable on 300 acres and one poll in Bladen County. His children were:

[1b1a]Sabra Revell, born 1739-1742.

[1b1b]Elijah Revell, born 1740-1745, bought 350 acres of Edgecombe County, NC land from his father for 5 shillings on October 7, 1765.

[1b1c]Micajah Revell, born 1744-1748, bought 100 acres of Edgecombe County, NC land from his father for 8 pounds on September 25, 1766.

[1b1d]Burwell Revell, born 1746-1750, head of a Robeson County household of one “other free” in 1790 [NC:49] and 4 “free colored” in 1820 [NC:306]. On April 6, 1801 and April 4, 1803 the deeds to his land purchased in Robeson County were proved [Minutes 1797-1806].

[1b1e]Nathaniel Revell, born 1748-1754.On May 4, 1801 Samuel Hammond sold him 50 acres in Robeson County on the east side of Saddletree Swamp.. Rachel Jones purchased from him five head of cattle, five sows, 20 pigs, and household goods in Robeson County on 30 January 1829.

If you have Native American ancestors who lived in, or passed through, South Carolina, you may find this book to be a valuable resource: