John William Ledford, I

Per Carolyn Carpenter.

Came to Virginia in 1738 on the ship Wapoole with Captain James Patton at age 14 as an indentured servant for seven years.

After four month journey, arrived at Port Belhaven on the Potomac River, then traveled overland to Augusta County, VA. Later moved Southwest with Patton to what is now Montgomery County, VA near Blacksburg.

Left Virginia due to Indian uprisings and moved to Rowan County, NC.

His land in Rowan later was included in Guilford then later Randolph.

biography: Per Carolyn Carpenter.

Came to Virginia in 1738 on the ship Wapoole with Captain James Patton at age 14 as an indent ured servant for seven years.

After four month journey, arrived at Port Belhaven on the Potomac River, then traveled overla nd to Augusta County, VA. Later moved Southwest with Patton to what is now Montgomery County , VA near Blacksburg.

Left Virginia due to Indian uprisings and moved to Rowan County, NC.

His land in Rowan later was included in Guilford then later Randolph.

Note: The original Ledford family were farmers near Lancaster, England and sons, Henry (18), William (16), John (14), Peter (age unknown) came to America on ship Walpoole captained by Mr. James Patton, in 1738. They bought land together off Roanoke River in Virginia 1750, 1752, 1754 their names were on tax bills in Randolph County N.C. in 1769. This data is from "Generations: An American Family", by John Egerton, University Press of Kentucky, 1983.

http://www.genealogy.com/ftm/l/e/d/James-W-Ledford/GENE2-0001.html

ID: I0664 •Name: John LEDFORD , Sr. •Sex: M •Birth: 1724 •Death: 1799 in Davison Co, N.C. or Randolph Co. N.C. •Note: 1738 on the ship Wapoole with Captain James Patton.

Married Lucy while in Virginia before 1745.

Moved into Randolph Co. N.C.

• *********************This information comes from one of the forums********************************

I have been working on John Ledford, Sr. and would be glad to tell you what I think I've come up with. Most of it is from working with the census records, some came from other researchers and researchings.

I believe I've got John narrowed down to having been born ca.1761-1765, and his wife ca.1771-1775. But don't know the parents or where or wife's name yet.

-1790 Randolph Co, NC - John with 2 free white males over 16; 2 free white females. (I believe the other over 16 male in the household is John's brother, Obediah. Obediah is another story, but this one's not the same one as the one in the 1790 Rowan Co,NC census.)

-1800 Burke Co,NC - John age 26-44 with 4 males under 10, 1 female under 10, 1 female 10-16, and 1 female 26-44. (Keep count, that's 4 sons...) I'm not sure who the 2 older ones are, one is probably named James. The younger ones are William b.ca.1794, and John,Jr. b.2-8-1798, Burke Co,NC. James' wife may have been Lydia; I have William married to Elender Israel; and John,Jr. to Sarah (Salley) Graves Israel.

-1810 Buncombe Co,NC - John age 45+ with 3 males under 10, 1 male 10-15, 2 males 16-25, 1 female under 10, 1 female 10-15, 1 female 26-44. (7 sons now) Not sure who all 3 new sons are, but I think at least 2 are Benjamin b.1-3-1800 and George W. b.3-8-1806. Benjamin married Grace Owenby and George W. married Hannah Denton.

-1820 Buncombe Co,NC - John age 45+ with 3 males under 10, 1 male 10-14, 1 male 16-26,1 female under 10, 1 female 16-26, 1 female 45+. (10 sons...) Again, not sure of all the new sons, but think at least one of them was Isaiah b.ca.1815, wife's name Mary (Polly?) Barrett, daughter of David and Elizabeth Barrett. It is pretty certain that Isaiah is George W.'s brother, whether they really were John,Sr.'s sons or not.

-1830 Macon Co,NC - John,Senr. age 60-69 with 1 male 5-9, 1 male 10-14, 2 males 15-19, 1 female 10-14, 1 female 15-19, 1 female 50-59. (11 sons!) I think this last son is Curtis b.ca.1821, married Susannah Baker. There also appears to be a female here that wasn't in the 1820 census (there was only 1 girl under 10), so I don't know if he had 3 or 4 daughters?

1840 - Cherokee Co,NC - John age 70-80 with 2 males and 3 females is all the info I have, but I think the last 2 sons at home are Isaiah and Curtis since neither shows up in the census until 1850 Cherokee Co,NC. And John or his wife no longer does. I assume they died before 1850.

I don't know about Sam, Amos, or Center being John Sr.'s sons, but I am mostly certain that Thomas was not. For one thing, the Thomas that married Eliza Tanner/Waters? was the son of Peter G. Ledford, Sr. Thomas is also one of my ancestors through his son, Samuel H. Ledford who married Rutha M. Hill. But also, I have a copy of a letter written Feb.6,1866 from John Jr's daughter and her husband, Joshua and Telitha Curtis, addressed to her sister and her husband and their parents, E.G. and Rheufina Smith and John and Sary Ledford in Old Berlin, NC. In it, Telitha writes: "...I would be glad to hear from you any time give my best respects to James Nelson & family & cozen Thomas Ledford & family & tell him we are not verry far from where him & Curtis lived when they came to Ill..." So see if Thomas was John, Sr.'s son, he'd be Telitha's uncle instead of cousin. (Nor do I think she was talking about Thomas's son, Thomas Lafayette, because he would've only been 16 in 1866.) I believe it proves that John, Sr. and Peter G. Sr. were brothers, though.

Hope this helps.... Melessia Croker

• *******************************Information on the Counties of North Carolina*******************

The county formations are very important when tracing the genealogy of JOHN LEDFORD. FORMATIONS: Clay Co.,NC formed 1861 from Cherokee Co.,NC Cherokee Co., formed 1839 from Macon Co.,NC Macon Co., NC formed 1828 from Haywood Co.,NC Haywood Co., NC formed in 1808 from Buncombe Co.,NC. Buncombe Co., NC formed in 1791 from Burke and Rutherford Co., NC. I hope this will be helpful. Barbara Ledford Wright

1738 on the ship Wapoole with Captain James Patton.

Married Lucy while in Virginia before 1745.

Moved into Randolph Co. N.C.

• *********************This information comes from one of the forums********************************

I have been working on John Ledford, Sr. and would be glad to tell you what I think I've come up with. Most of it is from working with the census records, some came from other researchers and researchings.

I believe I've got John narrowed down to having been born ca.1761-1765, and his wife ca.1771-1775. But don't know the parents or where or wife's name yet.

-1790 Randolph Co, NC - John with 2 free white males over 16; 2 free white females. (I believe the other over 16 male in the household is John's brother, Obediah. Obediah is another story, but this one's not the same one as the one in the 1790 Rowan Co,NC census.)

-1800 Burke Co,NC - John age 26-44 with 4 males under 10, 1 female under 10, 1 female 10-16, and 1 female 26-44. (Keep count, that's 4 sons...) I'm not sure who the 2 older ones are, one is probably named James. The younger ones are William b.ca.1794, and John,Jr. b.2-8-1798, Burke Co,NC. James' wife may have been Lydia; I have William married to Elender Israel; and John,Jr. to Sarah (Salley) Graves Israel.

-1810 Buncombe Co,NC - John age 45+ with 3 males under 10, 1 male 10-15, 2 males 16-25, 1 female under 10, 1 female 10-15, 1 female 26-44. (7 sons now) Not sure who all 3 new sons are, but I think at least 2 are Benjamin b.1-3-1800 and George W. b.3-8-1806. Benjamin married Grace Owenby and George W. married Hannah Denton.

-1820 Buncombe Co,NC - John age 45+ with 3 males under 10, 1 male 10-14, 1 male 16-26,1 female under 10, 1 female 16-26, 1 female 45+. (10 sons...) Again, not sure of all the new sons, but think at least one of them was Isaiah b.ca.1815, wife's name Mary (Polly?) Barrett, daughter of David and Elizabeth Barrett. It is pretty certain that Isaiah is George W.'s brother, whether they really were John,Sr.'s sons or not.

-1830 Macon Co,NC - John,Senr. age 60-69 with 1 male 5-9, 1 male 10-14, 2 males 15-19, 1 female 10-14, 1 female 15-19, 1 female 50-59. (11 sons!) I think this last son is Curtis b.ca.1821, married Susannah Baker. There also appears to be a female here that wasn't in the 1820 census (there was only 1 girl under 10), so I don't know if he had 3 or 4 daughters?

1840 - Cherokee Co,NC - John age 70-80 with 2 males and 3 females is all the info I have, but I think the last 2 sons at home are Isaiah and Curtis since neither shows up in the census until 1850 Cherokee Co,NC. And John or his wife no longer does. I assume they died before 1850.

I don't know about Sam, Amos, or Center being John Sr.'s sons, but I am mostly certain that Thomas was not. For one thing, the Thomas that married Eliza Tanner/Waters? was the son of Peter G. Ledford, Sr. Thomas is also one of my ancestors through his son, Samuel H. Ledford who married Rutha M. Hill. But also, I have a copy of a letter written Feb.6,1866 from John Jr's daughter and her husband, Joshua and Telitha Curtis, addressed to her sister and her husband and their parents, E.G. and Rheufina Smith and John and Sary Ledford in Old Berlin, NC. In it, Telitha writes: "...I would be glad to hear from you any time give my best respects to James Nelson & family & cozen Thomas Ledford & family & tell him we are not verry far from where him & Curtis lived when they came to Ill..." So see if Thomas was John, Sr.'s son, he'd be Telitha's uncle instead of cousin. (Nor do I think she was talking about Thomas's son, Thomas Lafayette, because he would've only been 16 in 1866.) I believe it proves that John, Sr. and Peter G. Sr. were brothers, though.

Hope this helps.... Melessia Croker

• *******************************Information on the Counties of North Carolina*******************

The county formations are very important when tracing the genealogy of JOHN LEDFORD. FORMATIONS: Clay Co.,NC formed 1861 from Cherokee Co.,NC Cherokee Co., formed 1839 from Macon Co.,NC Macon Co., NC formed 1828 from Haywood Co.,NC Haywood Co., NC formed in 1808 from Buncombe Co.,NC. Buncombe Co., NC formed in 1791 from Burke and Rutherford Co., NC. I hope this will be helpful. Barbara Ledford Wright