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| Research Notes for Samuel CURRY Sr. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Samuel Curry's date of birth is unknown as is his place of birth. Some Curry brothers came into Augusta County in the 1740s having come through Lancaster County, Pennsylvania from Ulster, Northern Ireland. ("From Corner to Corner with John Curry, Sr." by Lt. Col. James A. Curry, USA Ret. pp. 17, 18, 23, 29, 33, 35, 37)(This book needs to be examined again.) In all likelyhood, Samuel was the son of one of these brothers. Unfortunately, the children of one of the brothers, Isaiah are not listed. The parents of these Curry brothers are reported to be William Curry and his wife, Sally Young, I have no proof of this at this time Samuel Curry married Mary Seawright. This is verified in "Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish Settlement in Virginia" 1745-1800 by Lyman Chalkley, page 177, in Volume II. It verifies that Mary (called Polly) Curry was the daughter of John and Sarah Leeper Seawright. We do not have a marriage date. I wonder if it could be in the papers of Mossy Creek Presbyterian Church. In the Augusta County Court House, "page 359-363, 20 August 1771. James Blair, Jr., farmer, to Samuel Curry, 30 pounds, 100 acres. Teste: William Young, John Hare, James Searight. Delivered: Samuel Curry, March Court 1773." Cited in Volume III of "Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish Settlement in Virginia" 1745-1800 A marginal note says," Examined and delivered Samu'l Curry March Court 1773. (Witness, James Seawright was probably a brother to Polly Seawright Curry) Also, Samuel Curry on 19 November 1776, sold this same land to Robert Young, 100 acres first granted to Thomas Watterson by patent then through several other owners until it came to James Blair who conveyed the same to this said Samuel Curry. (One of the witnesses was Gawen Leeper, no doubt an uncle of Polly Seawright Curry) Page 304 - 306, Augusta County, Deed Records. These documents say nothing about Naked Creek, for it was not on Naked Creek. According to a map of Augusta County showing waterways and roads by name, Curry road is on the map, and Long Glade Run disects this road. Dr. Blair, a member of Mossy Creek Presbyterian Church, marked our map. We found this road and what looked like the remains of an old log house. Because of the proximity of Mossy Creek Presbyterian Church, and because of the identity of witnesses being related to Samuel Curry's spouse, I believe that my Samuel Curry was the one who purchased this land. The surname Young keeps popping up and may be significant - in Augusta Co. and Hawkins County, TN. If this Samuel Curry was a son of one of the sons of William Curry and wife, Sally Young, then he had a grandmother named Young. Research into the Youngs in Augusta County has not been made. A book in the Augusta County, VA, library entitled "My Augusta" by C. E. May, on page 333, says that Samuel Curry son of Dr. Robert Curry, purchased this 100 acres of land on Naked Creek, in 1771. (Samuel Curry $on of Dr. Robert Curry, was born 17 Apr 1770 so he cannot be the one who bought the land.) While Robert Curry lived on Naked Creek, this 100 acres was not on Naked Creek. In Augusta Co., VA, in 1787, tax commissioners were required to visit each household, give the date of his visit, give the name of each male 21 years or older in that household, give the number of males age 16-21 years of age. Samuel Curry was not available for this tax visit, since Samuel Curry and his wife Mary Seawright Curry left Augusta Co., VA, in 1778 and removed to Sullivan County, NC, which was created in 1779 from Washington County,N.C., Hawkins County, N.C. was created from Sullivan County, in 1786. Tennessee became a state in 1796. So when Samuel arrived it was in Sullivan County and still in N.C. The state became Hawkins Co, TN, in 1796. The 181 acres in the Land Grant was in McPheeters Bend. He was on the same land all time. In Hawkins County, TN, a booklet about New Providence Presbysterian Church, we find on page 5 the following information: "No roll of original members has been preserved, but a partial list compiled more than one hundred years ago lists the following prior to 1800. George Maxwell, his first wife Sally Armstrong and his second wife, Jane Campbell Evans. He was one of Shelby's Captains at Kings Mountain. Samuel McPheeters and his wife Margaret SEaright, who brought their letter from Mossy Creek Church in Rockingham County, Virginia. He was the first elder known by name. It was customary for the early pioneers to carry their letter of church affiliation with them when they moved to a new teritory. Samuel McPheeter's letter read as follows: That the bearers hereof, Samuel McPheeters and his wife Margaret McPheeters, have resided in the bounds of Mossy Creek congregation for about the space of thirteen years past, and have the during that time behaved in a regular and Christian manner, free from all church censure, and have been in full communion with the Church, and are now clear of anything that might prevent their being received into full communion in any Christian congregation, where Providence may order their lots, is certified by us the members sof Mossy Creek session, October 2, 1778. William Phipps, who came from Botetourt County, Virginia, in 1786 and married Sarah Erwin. Edward Erwin and his wife Mary, also from Mossy Creek in 1784. They carried their letter to New Providence. Samuel Curry and his wife Mary Searight, sister to Mrs. McPheeters. David Kinkead and his wife Mary Williams. His father settled in Carter's Valley aromd 1770. John Long and his wife, the widow Jane Young. John Long and Joseph Kinkead were the first real settlers of Carter's Valley. John Marshall and his wife Am Long, who moved to West Tennessee in their old age. Rosanna Cooper, widow of James Cooper, Sr., and mother of four Revolutionary War soldiers. Thomas Taylor and his first wife Ama Campbell. Margaret Brown, widow of Gawen Leeper .... etc. Dr. Blair told us he did not know of any very old church records from this early day. He plans to write a book about Mossy Creek Presbyterian Church. A History of McPheeters Bend Baptist Church on page 4, says that "Samuel McPheeters, Sr. and his wife Margaret Seawright McPheeters, were the first white people in the area now bearing his name - McPheeters Bend. The Currys were not far behind. Samuel Curry received a Land Grant from North Carolina File N 145, on 4 October in 1782. It was for 181 acres on the South side of the Holston River, in what was called McPheeters Bend. His land was next to Samuel McPheeters who got a 300 acre Land Grant in 1784, south of the Holston River, it was next to land of John Young. Samuel Curry got another Land Grant No. 1517, for 200 acres of land on the South Fork of Beech Creek. In 1797, Samuel Curry sold this 200 acres of land to Moses Ball, near Brown's mountain. Tradition among descendants of Samuel Curry, Jr., says that three Curry brothers married three Seawright Sisters. Robert Curry married Jane Seawright and Nicholas Curry married Sarah Seawright. There may have been a brother named Alexander Curry. But, no proof is available that Samuel Curry was a brother to these other Curry men, who ended up spelling their name Corry. Robert and Jane Curry went to Greene Co., Georgia, and Nicholas and Sarah Curry to Union Co., SC. This line of Curry's are in a book entitled "William Corry and His Descendants," Compiled by Mildred Seab Ezell. William came to SC in 1767. It has been said by several that Samuel Curry was a Private in the Revolutionary War, lst PA Reg., Volume II, PA Archives, 5th Series; "Notable Southern Families, Volume V, pages 185, 186; also cited, on p 243 of The Scism and Allied Families" by Delos M. Scism. The Revolutionary War began in 1775 and ended in 1782. Since Samuel Curry bought land from James Blair on 19 Aug 1771, Augusta Co., VA, and this same land was sold to Robert Young on 19 Nov. 1776. It appears Samuel Curry was in AugLista Co. at the beginning of the war. and for several years during the war. It is not known what he was doing between 1776 and 1778 when he removed to what is now Hawkins Co., TN. But this author does not believe he was in the Revolution. Those from Augusta County who were in the war were well documented. Could he have gone to Pennsylvania from whence the Currys came? In "The Pemsylvania--German in the Revolutionary War 1775-1783 by H. M. M Richards, m page 69 is listed a Samuel Curry, a private, Killed, wounded or missing at Fort Washington. On page 715, of First Pennsylvania is listed Samuel Curry, William Curry, and James Curry, who enlisted May 17, 1777 discharged July 12, 1780, in Parr's company in 1777; in McClellan's 1780. Proof that one of these Samuels was definitely mine has not been found. Samuel Curry's name appeared on a list of voters in Hawkins County in 1790. Samuel Curry bought land in Hawkins County, Tennessee, from Francis Guithery on 17 May 1797, 640 acres (Have copy of deed). A visit to Hawkins County, Tennessee, led us to find a place on the Holson River which was known as Curry's Ford in the area known as McPheeters Bend. Samuel Curry sold to Thomas Campbell 158 and 3/4 acres of land in Powels Valley on 25 Feb. 1799 Recently it came to our attention that in Wilson Co., TN., Deed Book A., pp 190-191, Samuel Curry of Hawkins Co., TN sold John Curry 186 acres on Spring Creek. Date was 28 Oct 1801, recorded 6 Nov. 1801. His sons John and James had transactions as did Archibald Simpson, son-in-law. It is not known if Samuel actually lived in Wilson Co. or not. A person would not have to be in a county to sell land. Samuel Curry was listed in Hawkins Comty, TN, in the 1809 Tax List for Early East Tennessee Taxpayers compiled by Pollyama Creekmore, page 165. He had 165 acres and 1 white poll. Samuel Curry made his will dated 22 May 1812, Hawkins County, Tennessee. The children on the family group sheet were named in the will. The land he left George and Samuel Jr., was later sold by their heirs. Deeds were found for the children of Samuel Curry's son George Curry and his wife Elizabeth, my great great great grandparents in Hawkins County records. Which proved that George Curry and his wife Elizabeth were parents of those who sold the land inherited from them.18 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Modified 31 Oct 1999 | Created 14 Aug 2005 by Eric Aldhizer----www.aldhizer.com/genealogy |