Individual Details

Alexander Kirkpatrick

(1741 - 14 Aug 1825)


Alexander Kirkpatrick (1741-1825) was the first sheriff of Augusta County, Virginia. He sold his land and his property in August County in 1769 and purchased land (or so he thought) in Orange County, North Carolina. King George III of England made grants of huge tracts of land to the noblemen whom he liked and favored. One of these was Lord Granville to whom he granted the entire northern half of the Colony of North Carolina. If Granville visited this country more than once, there is no record of it in existence today. His agent was a man named McCullough. He was notoriously careless, dishonest and dissolute.

Seventy men moved with their families to Orange County when it was almost in primeval condition, inhabited only by the "beasties of the fields". By the literal sweat of their bodies they cleared and put into cultivation their farms. They all thought they had clear titles to their land. However, they received notices from the new Continental Government in 1776, which had seized the lands of the pro-British in this country, that they had the choice of either paying rent for the number of years they had occupied the land and then either continuing to rent or purchase it. They wrote and signed a long petition and sent it to the House of Commons then meeting in Philadelphia, protesting against the unjust seizures of their land. It was not settled finally until 1789 and no one knows what the decision was as all the papers pertaining to it have been destroyed.

Alexander Kirkpatrick and all of his family (except Samuel) removed to Sumner County, (later Wilson County, was taken from a part of Sumner County) in 1790. Alexander brought with him nine slaves, his household goods and the stock and money that he owned. At his death in 1825 he owned 305 ½ acres of land in Sumner and Wilson Counties, 13 slaves, and several thousand dollars.

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NORTH CAROLINA - Vol. 1, Page 161 - North Carolina Land Grant

Sumner County - To all to whom these presents shall come:

Greetings: Know ye that for and in consideration of the original bravery and persevering zeal, Mark Rogers, a private in the sole line of duty has given, granted and by these presents do give and grant unto Alexander Kirkpatrick, assign of heirs of said heirs of Mark Rogers, a tract of land containing six hundred and forty acres, lying and being in the county of Sumner on the North side of the Cumberland River. Beginning at a beach on the bank of the river at the lower edge end of the front bluff below the Virginia line running up the river agreeable to it's several meanders to all emersions of the bank of the river, then West four hundred and six poles to a stake, then south two hundred and seventy-two poles to a stake, then East four hundred ninety-two poles to the beginning as by the plot hereunto un-annexed doth appear together with all woods, waters, minerals, mines and appurtenances to the said land belonging or appertaining to the whole, to the said Alexander Kirkpatrick, his heirs and assigns forever, yielding and paying to us such sums of money yearly or otherwise as our general assembly from time to time may direct. Provided always that the said Alexander Kirkpatrick shall cause this grant to be registered in the Registrar's office of our said County of Sumner within twelve month's of the date hereof otherwise the same shall be void and of no effect.

Witness:
Samuel Johnston Esquire and Commander in Chief at Fayetville, the Twenty-seventh day of November in the fourteenth year of our Independence and in the year of our Lord, One Thousand Seven Hundred and Eighty Nine. By his Excellency Commander Samuel Johnston O. Glasgow - Secretary, C. W. Robertson

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Alexander Kirkpatrick - Will #792 in loose records of Sumner County, TN

In the name of God amen. I, Alexander Kirkpatrick of the county of Wilson and state of Tennessee being in tolerable health and perfect memory, God be thanked, but calling to mind the mortality of our bodies, that it is appointed for all men once to die. I do this twenty first day of February in
the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty four make and publish this my last will and testament in the following manner (To wit)

Item) I give and bequeath unto my son James Kirkpatrick a certain tract or parcel of Land containing
Ninety three acres to him and his, heirs forever, being the land where Robert Taylor first improved.

Item) I give and bequeath to my six grandchildren, Jane Motherall, Alexander Kirkpatrick, Samuel Kirkpatrick, Ann Kirkpatrick, Hanah Clendenin, and Anderson Kirkpatrick, heirs of John Kirkpatrick deceased one hundred acres wherein Alexander Kirkpatrick, son of John now lives, the above land to be
appraised by three free holders as woodland and the above named children to receive the above named tract of land as a part of their part of my property and expresley understood that the above named children are not to sell nor dispose of any part of same until the youngest child above named shall
arrive at the age of twenty one years, to them and theirs forever.

Item) I give and bequeath to my daughter Elizabeth Anderson and to the heirs of her body forever, the following property and with the following conditions. Viz. one Negro woman named Fann and her four children, Harry, Hanah, Jesse and Bob. also one note of hand I hold on her husband for four hundred and thirty five Dollars sixty two and one half unto given the fifth of September eighteen hundred seventeen, but it is expressly understood that in case she dies without an heir of her body. The afore mentioned legacy to go back to my children and their heirs forever. Viz the Negroes are to be
returned to my children and their heirs, But the amount of the note is not to be returned back.

Item) I give and bequeath to my children James Kirkpatrick, Hugh Kirkpatrick, Joseph Kirkpatrick and Margaret Taylor all the negroes that are mine at my death to be equally divided among the above named children to be valued by three good men and lotted for unless they can agree except my Negro woman
Sarah and Cool, they are to have the privilege of going to which of the above named children they may think proper provided they will receive them at their valuation to the above named Children and their heirs forever.

Item) I give and bequeath to the heirs of John Kirkpatrick deceased, to the heirs of Alexander Kirkpatrick deceased, and to the heirs of David Kirkpatrick deceased, In land that I hold and have not disposed of to be valued by three good men as much as will give to them their father's share in case they were living, that is the Legatees of each of the deceased are to receive in land to an equal amount, to what my living children are left in Negroes, that is, that the children of each of the deceased, to receive in land to the amounts of one share of the Negroes, and let it be fairly understood that the land on which the heirs of John Kirkpatrick now lives is to be in parte of their accounts.

Item) I give and bequeath all my property real and personal not otherwise disposed of to be sold to the highest bidder and all my body money and all my notes of hand and bonds to be collected and equally divided among the within named children, and grand children, also my son Samuel Kirkpatrick of
North Carolina to them and their heirs forever, and let it be expressly understood that Elizabeth Anderson is not to receive any part of this Item.

Item) And it is my will that James Kirkpatrick, Hugh Kirkpatrick, and Joseph Kirkpatrick execute and carry into effect this my last will evoking and disannulling all other wills and testaments heretofore made by me, In witness whereof, I have hereunto, set my hand and affixed my seal the day and date
first written.

Signed in presence of,
H.Hayes
W. M. Davis
Charles Blalock

Alexander Kirkpatrick, seal

Events

Birth1741Mine Brook, Somerset Co., New Jersey
MarriageBet 1764 and 1765Augusta Co., Virginia - Jane Stewart
Death14 Aug 1825New Hope, Wilson Co., Tennessee
Burial

Families

SpouseJane Stewart (1743 - 1815)
ChildSamuel Kirkpatrick (1766 - 1829)
ChildJames Kirkpatrick (1768 - 1852)
ChildJohn Kirkpatrick (1770 - 1808)
ChildAlexander Kirkpatrick (1772 - 1807)
ChildMary Kirkpatrick (1773 - )
ChildHugh Kirkpatrick (1774 - 1864)
ChildWilliam Kirkpatrick (1775 - 1794)
ChildDavid Kirkpatrick (1777 - 1816)
ChildMargaret Kirkpatrick (1784 - 1846)
ChildElizabeth Kirkpatrick (1785 - )
ChildJoseph Kirkpatrick (1786 - 1852)
FatherAndrew Kirkpatrick (1720 - 1790)
MotherMargaret Gaston (1728 - )
SiblingJennet Kirkpatrick (1742 - 1772)
SiblingElizabeth Kirkpatrick (1749 - )
SiblingMary Kirkpatrick (1752 - )
SiblingSarah Kirkpatrick (1753 - 1838)
SiblingAnne Kirkpatrick (1754 - )
SiblingHannah Kirkpatrick (1755 - )
SiblingMargaret Kirkpatrick (1771 - 1855)

Endnotes