Sarah Roark

Sarah Dorris was born abt 1757 in Orange, North Carolina and died February 11, 1832 in Allen Co., Kentucky.

Parents: It is believed that Sarah Dorris was born about 1757 in Germany. Her maiden name may be spelled Dorres. There has been no physical evidence to date that proves that William Roarke's wife's maiden name was Dorris.

Married:

1. Abt. 1779 in Orange Co., North Carolina to Reverend William Roarke. He was born Abt. 1757 in Ireland or North Carolina and died February 11, 1832. Mentioned in husband's will (see document, attached).

Children:

1. Samuel Reuben Roark (1782 - 1858)*
2. Sarah Roark Poe (1785 - 1822)*
3. Asa Roark (1787 - 1860)*
4. John W. Roark (1788 - 1850)*
5. Levi Roark (1788 - 1855)*
6. Josiah Roark (1791 - 1872)*
7. Permelia Roark Tudor (1794 - 1883)*
8. Marah Roark Driver (1796 - 1832)*
9. Elijah Roark (1798 - 1858)*
10. William Roark (1800 - 1858)*
11. Joel Roark (1801 - ____)*
12. Nancy Roark Stinson (1803 - 1875)*
13. Margaret R. Roark Pipkin (1805 - ____)*
14. Elizabeth Roark Dyson (1808 - 1850)*

Legend?

Sarah's husband, William Roark, became an orphan at an early age and he and his brothers were bound out to different families. His uncle kidnapped the boys so they could stay together and stowed them away on a ship that brought them to the American Colonies.

Links

• http://genforum.genealogy.com/cgi-bin/pageload.cgi?reverend,john,do...
• http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/2075643/person/-74869100/story/935ab...
• http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=43229218

Research Notes

excerpt from: Information supplied by Eva Roark Wood

After he had begun his new life in America, William Roark became a Baptist Minister and also served in the Revolutionary War, where he was a musician. He served with the Ralston County - 1st NC Militia.

William Roark married Sarah Dorris in 1779 or 1780. Sarah Dorris was born in 1755 in Orange County, NC.

Sarah was the daughter of William Dorris - born in 1715 and died in 1795 - and Mary Roake (is this Roarke??) - born in 1707. Both parents were born in Ireland - William Dorris in County Down. (Sarah Dorris also had a brother - named Joseph Dorris - who became a preacher.)

In the early 1790's, William, Sarah and their only child, at the time, moved to what is now middle Tennessee (then it was still part of North Carolina). He received free land because of his involvement in the Revolutionary War.

The land grants he received at that time were in Tennessee counties that are presently known as Sumner, Smith and Macon.

William and Sarah continued to acquire other land also and owned land in both of the states of Tennessee and Kentucky. At that time the area in Tennessee was known as Smith County; now it is known as Macon County, TN. The land is also adjacent to those purchaed in Kentucky. The Kentucky land was known as Barren County then; now it is known as Allen, Barren and Monroe Counties (still in KY).

William and Sarah had several children and as the children became grown, many of them moved and continued to move westward. Actually, some of them moved toward and/or into Carroll County, TN.

William served in the Revolutionary War as a musician in Captain Ralstons Company in the 1st North Carolina Regiment.

William was a baptist preacher. He moved his family from Orange Co. NC to Sumner Co. TN in 1794 where he purchased 220 acres at Station Camp Creek. He sold his land in 1804 and moved to Allen Co. KY where he was a baptist preacher for the Puncheon Camp Church.