Elizabeth "Betty" Ann Diffee

Elizabeth "Betty" Ann YORK is the fourth child of ten children born to Jeremiah York I and his wife Sarah Wilson in 1726 at West Nottingham, Chester County, Pennsylvania. By 1733 she was living at their new log family cabin on Terrapin Neck, Colonial Frederick County, Virginia (now Jefferson County, West Virginia). No doubt as the only girl among a lot of brothers Betty Ann York and her mother Sarah became great friends and cooks for the Jeremiah York family. Betty Ann had not married because she helped her mother as a most dependable domestic helper for the household work for the large family of men.

The Jeremiah York I family went through a major transition when her mother Sarah Wilson died in 1752. Jeremiah sold their farm of 323 acres, her older brothers had begun to marry, move out and establish their own homesteads. It is most probable that the William Diffee as close family relatives came to visit at Terrapin Neck at this time of grief. Most likely William Diffee, Jr. became well acquainted with Elizabeth "Betty" Ann YORK during this time period. It is very likely that William Diffee, Jr. age twenty married Elizabeth "Betty" Ann YORK age twenty six at Terrapin Neck in 1752.

These may have been the events that led to the sale of the 323 acre “Terrapin Neck” property on the beautiful high bluffs of the Potomac River in 1753. Her older brothers were marrying, moving out and establishing their own homesteads. Most likely Betty Ann and her new husband William Diffee, Jr. continued to serve the remaining Jeremiah York family with cooking, house keeping and their domestic needs during this time of adjustment.

In less than three years William Diffee, Jr. and his new wife Betty Ann York were joining the wagon train in 1755 migrating with most of the Jeremiah York I families traveling to central colonial North Carolina. The two William Diffee families no doubt had meet and made friends the Julian families who were perhaps part of the same wagon train migrating to North Carolina.

It is observed that Betty Ann and William only started their family after they arrived in 1755 because of their many domestic duties in Virginia. The two Diffee families settled on land in Colonial Orange (now Randolph) County that was near the land grants of their new Julian family friends.

The eight children of Elizabeth "Betty" Ann YORK and William Diffee, Jr. are:

1. William Diffee, III, b. 1755 NC 2. Moses William Diffee, b. 1756 NC; d. 1803 NC 3. Mary Diffee, b. 1758 NC; d. 1804 NC 4. Elizabeth Diffee, b. 1760 NC; 5. Catherine Diffee, b. 1762 NC 6. John Diffee, b. 1765 NC; d. 1835 NC 7. Sarah Diffee, b. 1766 NC; d. 1804 NC 8. Hannah Diffee, b. 1768 NC; d. 1790 NC* Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Aug 26 2020, 17:19:35 UTC