Individual Details
John Castellaw
(Abt 1727 - Dec 1813)
A court was held at the Court House at Cashy Bridge Aug. 11, 1747. Present, Jas. Castellaw, Ben. Hill and John Harrell, Esqs., Justices.
... John Castellaw, John Sallis and Anna Slawsen (daughter of Ebenezer) record their marks and brands.
In 1758 John met Martha Butler and had several children who did retain the Castellow surname.
John's tax listing in 1763 listed one free mulatto, one negro man and one negro woman.
John was in Bertie County, Northa Carolina in 1784, 1787 and 1790
John sold his son William (brother of James and son of Martha Butler) 170 acres for the sum of 10 pounds.
John Castellaw and Martha Butler had a son William that John sold 170 acres to for 10 pounds.
From the Miller book by Latham Lee Miller (researched by Shirley Ihnen, a Historical and Genealogical Researcher) it is stated that Martha Butler had two sons by John Castellaw (most likely before he married Margaret Dawson. They were given the Castellaw surname. The two sons remained in Bertie County while most of the children of John and Margaret (Charlotte, Thomas, Bartholomew, John Dawson, Henry D., Nancy and John W.) moved to Haywood County, Tennessee. The other brother, Thomas moved to Duplin County, North Carolina.
There is information on Martha Butler on a website www.freeafricanamericans.com
Here is some of the information for Martha:
She was said to be an Indian.
The person in Question was Martha Butler, Indian who was the Common-Law wife of John Castellaw.
Bastardy bond 1754
Mcglaughon appears to be involved only as friend and bondsman for Castellaw.
Martha and John were not married. She was a "free mullatto female" taxed in 1761 and 1763 in John Castellaw's household in the Bertie County Tax List of John Hill and was in Castellaw's household in the tax list's of 1766-1772. She was apparently John's common-law wife for in 1771 William Castellaw was taxed in the Bertie list of Humphrey Nichols as a "free Mullatto" and in 1771 John made a deed of gift to "William Castellaw son of Martha Butler" (DB L:283). The deed was proved in Bertie Court by the oath of Arthur Williams who was probably the common-law husband of Elizabeth Butler. Martha was head of a Gates County household of 10 "free colored" in 1820 (NC:143). She was also said to have been Indian. In this time period if you were not white you were considered colored. It did not make any difference if you were Indian, Spanish or whatever, you were listed on tax rolls as "colored" or "Mulatto". So we may never actually know if Martha was a true "Mulatto" or if she was actually "Indian"
John Castellaw would probably have married Martha, but interracial marriages were forbidden by law, and any minister or Justice performing one lost his license. After Martha's death, John married a Dawson from "Eden House" on the Chowan River.
FREE AFRICAN AMERICANS OF NORTH CAROLINA, VIRGINIA, AND SOUTH CAROLINA, by Paul Heinegg. (also on line) Listed in the INTRODUCTION, page 8, second paragraph,
.......and John Castellaw, [brother?] of James Castellaw, a member of the Assemble from Bertie County, had mixed race common-law wives, Elizabeth and MARTHA BUTLER [Saunders, COLONIAL RECORDS, IV:115
Bertie Co. Wills
Dawson, Richard, March 25, 1796; May Term 1796. Susanna Evans daughter of Michael and Margaret Evans, six silver table and six silver tea spoons marked R. P. D. nephew George Dawson, sisters Ann Sebree and Elizabeth Dawson, brother George Dawson's children, viz.: Jane, Hannah, James and George Dawson, brothers John Castellaw and William Dawson, George Outlaw and David Tayloe Exrs. Test. Miles Bonner, James Yeats, H. Hardy.
A John W. Castellow was a testor for John Cobb Sept 8, 1809 Bertie Co. -
Cobb, John, Sept. 8, 1809; Nov. Term 1809. Wife Sarah, sons Charles and John, daughter Polly Cobb (wife of Henry Cobb), daughter Cloe Gaskins, children Nancy, Mourning and Fanny Cobb, Benjamin Hardy and son Charles Exrs. Test. Geo. Gaskins, John W. Castellow.
... John Castellaw, John Sallis and Anna Slawsen (daughter of Ebenezer) record their marks and brands.
In 1758 John met Martha Butler and had several children who did retain the Castellow surname.
John's tax listing in 1763 listed one free mulatto, one negro man and one negro woman.
John was in Bertie County, Northa Carolina in 1784, 1787 and 1790
John sold his son William (brother of James and son of Martha Butler) 170 acres for the sum of 10 pounds.
John Castellaw and Martha Butler had a son William that John sold 170 acres to for 10 pounds.
From the Miller book by Latham Lee Miller (researched by Shirley Ihnen, a Historical and Genealogical Researcher) it is stated that Martha Butler had two sons by John Castellaw (most likely before he married Margaret Dawson. They were given the Castellaw surname. The two sons remained in Bertie County while most of the children of John and Margaret (Charlotte, Thomas, Bartholomew, John Dawson, Henry D., Nancy and John W.) moved to Haywood County, Tennessee. The other brother, Thomas moved to Duplin County, North Carolina.
There is information on Martha Butler on a website www.freeafricanamericans.com
Here is some of the information for Martha:
She was said to be an Indian.
The person in Question was Martha Butler, Indian who was the Common-Law wife of John Castellaw.
Bastardy bond 1754
Mcglaughon appears to be involved only as friend and bondsman for Castellaw.
Martha and John were not married. She was a "free mullatto female" taxed in 1761 and 1763 in John Castellaw's household in the Bertie County Tax List of John Hill and was in Castellaw's household in the tax list's of 1766-1772. She was apparently John's common-law wife for in 1771 William Castellaw was taxed in the Bertie list of Humphrey Nichols as a "free Mullatto" and in 1771 John made a deed of gift to "William Castellaw son of Martha Butler" (DB L:283). The deed was proved in Bertie Court by the oath of Arthur Williams who was probably the common-law husband of Elizabeth Butler. Martha was head of a Gates County household of 10 "free colored" in 1820 (NC:143). She was also said to have been Indian. In this time period if you were not white you were considered colored. It did not make any difference if you were Indian, Spanish or whatever, you were listed on tax rolls as "colored" or "Mulatto". So we may never actually know if Martha was a true "Mulatto" or if she was actually "Indian"
John Castellaw would probably have married Martha, but interracial marriages were forbidden by law, and any minister or Justice performing one lost his license. After Martha's death, John married a Dawson from "Eden House" on the Chowan River.
FREE AFRICAN AMERICANS OF NORTH CAROLINA, VIRGINIA, AND SOUTH CAROLINA, by Paul Heinegg. (also on line) Listed in the INTRODUCTION, page 8, second paragraph,
.......and John Castellaw, [brother?] of James Castellaw, a member of the Assemble from Bertie County, had mixed race common-law wives, Elizabeth and MARTHA BUTLER [Saunders, COLONIAL RECORDS, IV:115
Bertie Co. Wills
Dawson, Richard, March 25, 1796; May Term 1796. Susanna Evans daughter of Michael and Margaret Evans, six silver table and six silver tea spoons marked R. P. D. nephew George Dawson, sisters Ann Sebree and Elizabeth Dawson, brother George Dawson's children, viz.: Jane, Hannah, James and George Dawson, brothers John Castellaw and William Dawson, George Outlaw and David Tayloe Exrs. Test. Miles Bonner, James Yeats, H. Hardy.
A John W. Castellow was a testor for John Cobb Sept 8, 1809 Bertie Co. -
Cobb, John, Sept. 8, 1809; Nov. Term 1809. Wife Sarah, sons Charles and John, daughter Polly Cobb (wife of Henry Cobb), daughter Cloe Gaskins, children Nancy, Mourning and Fanny Cobb, Benjamin Hardy and son Charles Exrs. Test. Geo. Gaskins, John W. Castellow.
Events
| Birth | Abt 1727 | Bertie, North Carolina, United States |  | ||
| Census | 1790 | Edenten District, Bertie, North Carolina, United States |  | | |
| Will | 11 Dec 1813 | Bertie, North Carolina, United States | | | |
| Death | Dec 1813 | Bertie, North Carolina, United States | | ||
| Marriage | North Carolina, United States - Margaret Dawson | ||||
| Marriage | Martha Butler | |
Families
| Spouse | Martha Butler (1739 - ) |
| Child | William Castellaw ( - ) |
| Spouse | Margaret Dawson ( - 1813) |
| Child | Charlotte Castellaw ( - ) |
| Child | Thomas Castellaw ( - ) |
| Child | Bartholomew Castellaw (1778 - 1845) |
| Child | John Dawson Castellaw (1780 - 1859) |
| Child | Nancy Castellaw ( - ) |
| Child | John William Castellaw ( - 1821) |
| Father | James Castellaw (1685 - 1749) |
| Mother | Sara Williams ( - 1749) |
| Sibling | Bethiah H. Castellaw (1715 - 1805) |
| Sibling | Thomas Castellaw (1720 - 1790) |
| Sibling | Katherine Castellaw (1723 - ) |
| Sibling | William Castellaw (1724 - 1749) |
| Sibling | James Castellaw Jr. (1735 - 1785) |
| Sibling | Sarah Castellaw (1738 - 1818) |
Notes
Census
Castelow, Jn 113 5 total1 male 16+
1 male under 16
3 females
no slaves
Will
Castellow, John, Dec. 11, 1813; May Term 1816. Daughter Charlotte Castellow, sons Thomas, Bartholomew, John D. and Henry D. Castellow, daughter Nancy, wife Margaret and Benj'n Hardy Exrs. Test, Wm. Steel, Henry Francis.Marriage
Martha had;james,prudence,william,john,elizabethEndnotes
1. Castilaw H., Cheryl, "Castilaw and Barfield Family of NC research notes.," e-mail message from
2. U.S. Census images. Heritage Quest Online. Subscription database through the Sonoma County Public Library. (ProQuest LLC, 2009.), 1790 > NORTH CAROLINA > BERTIE > EDENTON DIST Series: M637 Roll: 7 Page: 352.
3. , "Abstract of Bertie County Wills. (1795-1840 abt.): (Original in Court House at Windsor, N. C.)," North Carolina Historical and Genealogical Register, p. 496- (http://gallery.mac.com/dmkheritage#100515/Bertie-20County-20Wills_Page_01&bgcolor=black : accessed 14 September 2009).
4. Castilaw H., Cheryl, "Castilaw and Barfield Family of NC research notes.," e-mail message from