(This paper was originally written to research any possibility that a Phelps from this area was the father of James Phelps d 1786 Caswell Co, NC. Hopefully other researchers will find information helpful to them.)
There is
clear evidence to indicate he was not the father of my James (of Caswell Co,
NC), since this William's son,
James, moved to Georgia
and lived there after our James' time.
This William of Albemarle at first seems very likely to be our James’
father. This James was born at exactly the right time; there are
familiar family names like Thomas and John, and they are reasonably close to
Caswell Co. However, while I have tried in every possible way to support
this, all the evidence – and there is a lot – gives very, very strong support
of denial of this parentage.
Acknowledgement
Phelps researcher James Rogers was instrumental in helping me put compile the information about James Phelps. Without his continuing help, I would be lost. Most of the James Phelps records were supplied by Mr. Rogers. He descends from the William Phelps Sr line and the family property is in Appomattox County where this James Phelps lived.
To prove that this James was the son of William and that he moved to Georgia, the following county formation maps will help locate the property James owned and sold.
This James
Phelps was born likely in Goochland Co, VA, based on the probable time of his
birth and the location of the family property as recorded over the years since
then. During his time, this Phelps property did not change, but the
county border he lived near did. The present-day location of this
property is in Appomattox County
(see the map at the end of this
section). James Ridgemont: “Some Real estate tax lists for Buckingham county
have faint and brief info. on his lands for some years and it appears that
for a couple of years he is not listed. I personally think he got away from
paying taxes some years because many officials in the various counties
concerned were unsure where and how his lands were boundaried exactly.”
The wills of
Thomas and son William Phelps
(father of James)
were
recorded in Albemarle in 1749 and 1751.
Bedford County formed in 1753 from Albemarle County
1756: James Phelps AND William Phelps receive a patent in Albemarle Co. VA
1756, August 16. James Phelps AND William Phelps receive a patent in Albemarle Co. VA (present Appomattox), 400a on the western fork of Wreck Island Creek adjacent William Still. The 1784 deed and the 1797 deed (see below) give metes and bounds that match this original 1756 patent.
Later in 1761 the property was in the border area of Buckingham (formed from
Albemarle in 1761) and Bedford counties.
[7]
See the following map.
6/16/1768: Charles Patteson entered a caveat against James Phelps for 1000 acres in Buckingham on Elk Creek, a branch of Wreck Island Creek.
6/13/1770: Thomas Patteson and James Phelps entered Caveat against Thomas Phelps for 200 acres on both sides of a north fork of Wreck Island Creek)
Albemarle Co. Deed Book 6, pg. 17-19 “James Phelps, of the county of Bedford, and Elizabeth, his wife, on April 12, 1772, granted a deed to Robert Carter NICHOLAS of the city of Williamsburg, two tracts of land granted to William PHELPS, father of said James PHELPS, by Patent dated April 1, 1749, the one tract containing 400 acres, the other 350 acres, lying in the county of Albemarle.” There is a very important comment on this deed that may help some of the county boundary questions: "The annexation of this commission appears in a certain schedule hereunto annexed Buckingham (to Wit)” There must have been some question even then as to what was in Buckingham and what was not.
When Campbell Co was formed in 1782 from Bedford, part of his lands were then in Campbell county. A Campell Co deed in 1782 also identifies Elizabeth as his wife.
Campbell Co. db 1 p 22-23 dated 1782 listed James being of Campbell Co selling
180 acres of land on Callaways road granted to William Phelps in 1772.
Elizabeth,
his wife, was examined here as well. ( William must have bought it
from his brother James' wife.)
See the following map.
1784, June
15 James Phelps sold 100a,
more or less, on the upper West fork of Wreck Island Creek, to John Hunter,
adj. George Stovall, patent line mentioned, dividing line mentioned,
witnesses, Charles Hall, Thos. Carson, Robert Hunter. Campbell Co.
VA DB 1, p.
263-264 (present Appomattox)
James Continues
to Live
in Buckingham Campbell Through 1797
1797, September 9. James Phelps and wife Elizabeth sold 178a on both sides of Wrack Island Creek to Isaac Crews, adj. John Hunter, Shearer. (Campbell Co. Deed Book p 248-249). The 1784 deed and the 1797 deed give metes and bounds that match the original 1756 patent.
In 1800 James, while in Elbert Co, GA, sold property in Campbell Co - the Wreck Island Creek area - which researcher and descendant James Rodgers knows very well as part of the family property. The two deeds, one recorded in GA and the other in Campbell Co prove that this James and wife Elizabeth are in Elbert Co, GA and are selling land on Wreck Island Creek in Campbell Co, [1] The two deeds are:
This 1800 deed that was made from Elbert Ga does not give metes and bounds but mentions joining the land of Isaac Crews. (He bought the land in the 1797 deed) and also mentions Shearer.
See the
following map.
Conclusion
Therefore
this James, son of
William died Albemarle, and wife Elizabeth are in Buckingham Co up through
1797 and are in GA by 1800. So we can say with very good evidence that this
James could not have been our James of Caswell Co since this James lived after
ours died in Caswell Co, NC.
Additional Information
James Rodgers reported to me: “I have in my hand a copy of the original from the courthouse in Campbell Co. What will help and solidify the record is I also have a verified abstract of the same transaction that was recorded in the Elbert Co. GA Courthouse.” Mr. Rodgers concluded that James moved to Elbert Co. This James also had a son named James, often called "James of Wreck Island", and is listed in the Buckingham censuses of 1810, 20 and 30, way beyond our James' (of Caswell) time.
County
formations
Goochland
County formed from Henrico in 1728
Albemarle
County formed from Goochland Co in 1744
Cumberland
County formed from Goochland Co in 1749
Bedford from
Albemarle and Lunenburg in 1753
Buckingham
County formed from Albemarle Co in 1761
Campbell
County formed from Bedford County in 1782
To see the
images of VA county formation, go to
www.myvirginiagenealogy.com/va_maps/va_cf.htm
Worth
noting:
Caswell Co,
NC is on the VA border, near Halifax Co., VA and to the north of Halifax, is
Campbell Co. The land of this James, now in Appomattox Co. is near
the middle of VA.