1810 Census Randolph Co NC: Is it John Jr and Joseph?

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Greg
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1810 Census Randolph Co NC: Is it John Jr and Joseph?

Post by Greg »

Is this John Rosson Jr and Joseph?
Randolph
John Rawson
  • Males: 0 / 1 / 1 / 0 / 1
  • Females: 2 / 2 / 0 / 0 / 1
Joseph Rawson
  • Males: 0 / 0 / 1
  • Females: 0 / 0 / 1
Misheal, John's daughter, is married in 1812 to Marcellus Cook in Randolph Co, and both of them turn up in documents in Lincoln/Marshall County TN, she in John's will, him in various court documents. With their unusual names and this, there can be no doubt that the couple in Randolph Co are the same people in Lincoln/Marshall Co. The question is: did Marcellus go to Randolph Co to marry Misheal or was he already living there? His father died in 1806 (Chatham Co will book A p 130 - John and wife Bethany witness the will in 1801), but I can't find him or his brothers or mother in Randolph or Chatham. If he wasn't living in Randolph Co, it's clear to me this is John Jr and Joseph. She was living there and he went there in order to marry her. If he was living in Randolph Co, it's harder to make the case that these people aren't one of the other 50 billion John or Joseph Rossons floating around.

I can't find any mention of any Rossons in Randolph Co in the 1815 tax list (not so surprising) or in land records, but I presently don't have any access to any of these from after 1801. The latest residence I have for John prior to 1810 is 30 Dec 1801 in Chatham Co (executor for Henry Bagley's will), so I really do need to see post 1801 land records from there.

A Joseph Rosson also married a Mary McMasters in Randolph, but there's no evidence to connect Joseph in Bedford Co TN with a Mary McMasters. I wish I knew how somebody came up with 1819 as the date of his marriage to Rebecca (TN wife). If I had that as a solid fact, it would be easier to connect him to Randolph Co. He would have children that predate that marriage which of course means a prior marriage.

All of this being said, I think it probably is, namely because this John's family fits so well with what we know about it John Jr's (a genealogist's famous last words):

John Rawson[1]
  • Males: 0 / Henry B[2] / William H[3] / 0 / John Jr[4]
  • Females: Sarah and Candia[5] / Mary Uland and Misheal[6] / 0 / 0 / Bethany[7]
Joseph Rawson
  • Males: 0 / 0 / Joseph
  • Females: 0 / 0 / Mary McMasters?
Notes and Sources:
[1]In John's will, his children are given in the same order throughout: Sarah S, Joseph, William, Misheal, Henry B, and Candia. When only males are mentioned, it's Joseph, William and Henry B. When it's the females, it's always Sarah S, Misheal, and Candia. Is this oldest to youngest? It doesn't quite jive with my reasoning below, but it would make more sense than a random order repeated the same way 3 separate times. Mary Uland presumably died before the will was composed.

[2]1820 Census age (only one aside from 1810): 16-25 (i.e. b 1795-1804). 1810 census implies he was b 1795-1800.

[3]1850 birth year: ~1791; 1840: 1781-1790; 1830: 1791-1800; 1820: 1776-1794; 1810: 1785-1794. Birth year of ~1791 agrees with all of these.

[4]See my post on figuring out his birth year. This census implies the latest he could have been born would have been 1765.

[5]The birth dates for the women are harder to figure out, aside from Misheal. Mary Uland is mentioned in Henry Bagley's will along with her mother (Chatham Co Will Book A pg 43), which suggests to me that she was the first born female child. (It looks like Wm H is older, so she can't be the absolute first born.) This would make her and Misheal the two elder daughters. I have absolutely nothing on Candia. Sarah is 50-59 in 1840 but 20-29 in 1830. I'm guessing she was b 1800-1805. Her eldest child was born 1819 (http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cg ... id=5412211), which probably means she got married in 1818. You'd expect she was 15-18 when she got married.

[6]Misheal: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cg ... d=25708189

[7]>44 in 1800-1820 censuses and 70-79 in 1830 census. This suggests a birth year somewhere in 1751-1755. This would make her 10 or so years older than John Jr. Was she married to someone else prior to John?
==
Greg

Greg
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Re: 1810 Census Randolph Co NC: Is it John Jr and Joseph?

Post by Greg »

I want to make a minor revision to the above. After talking to my brother, I'm inclined to put more stock in John's will as the birth order of his children. This would make Sarah S the oldest, Joseph the next, William (b ~1791), Misheal (b 1798), Henry B (1799-1800), and Candia (>1800). This would mean that if 1810 John Rawson is John Jr, Candia and an unknown female (Mary Uland?) were the 2 who were <10, and Misheal and an unknown female (Mary Uland?) were the 2 10-15 year olds. Sarah S would already be out of the house, presumably living with Nathan Bagley, as would Joseph. Conveniently, a roughly appropriately aged Joseph Rawson is in the same county. With Sarah S and Joseph being older than William, their birth years would fall in the 1780s. This would be consistent with a 15-20 year old John Jr (b 1763-1769) marrying Bethany (very roughly) around 1780 and immediately having kids.
==
Greg

Greg
Senior Member
Posts: 62
Joined: Wed Oct 26, 2011 6:08 pm
Are you directly related to a Rosson?: Yes
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Which Rosson are you researching?: John Rosson Sr of NC and descendents
Location: Chicago, Illinois

Re: 1810 Census Randolph Co NC: Is it John Jr and Joseph?

Post by Greg »

Yikes! How did I miss this when looking at Rossons in the 1800 NC census?

Randolph Co NC 1800 Census
John Rawson: 2101 / 1111

This pretty much ends the debate. The 1810 John Rawson in Randolph Co is most likely NOT John Jr. In the Chatham Co 1800 census, there are two John Rossons in close proximity, one identified as Sn. A John Rosson Jr is also known previously from Chatham Co court records. These facts make it very likely that the younger John Rosson in the 1800 census is John Sr's son. That would make the one in Randolph Co a different person and presumably the 1810 Rawson as well.
==
Greg

Greg
Senior Member
Posts: 62
Joined: Wed Oct 26, 2011 6:08 pm
Are you directly related to a Rosson?: Yes
How Long have you been doing Genealogy Research? (Years): 0
Which Rosson are you researching?: John Rosson Sr of NC and descendents
Location: Chicago, Illinois

Re: 1810 Census Randolph Co NC: Is it John Jr and Joseph?

Post by Greg »

And just when I think I have things somewhat worked out. From the NC state archives:
Marriage bonds are statements of intent to marry that were attested by the prospective groom before the clerk of court in the bride's county of residence.
Marcellus Cook took out a marriage bond on Misheal Rosson in Randolph County in 1812. She was ~14 at the time. Surely an unmarried 14 year old girl would have been living with her parents. Thus it seems likely that John Jr was living in Randolph Co in 1812. Is the John Rawson in Randolph Co in 1810 John Jr? If so, who is the John Rawson in Randolph Co in 1800?

I've got to look at Randolph Co deeds. Hopefully I can find a John Rosson of Chatham Co buying land in Randolph Co.
==
Greg

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