The case for Richard Holt being Dicia Holt's father
Clayton Mann
As most of you are aware, it is contended that Dicia "Dicy" (or "Dicey") Holt, wife of Eli Jones, was the daughter of Richard Holt; the Richard Holt who died in Chatham County, NC in very early 1823 or perhaps December of 1822 and who left estate papers in that county in the year 1823. I imagine I am the source for this contention, so here is why I assert this relationship to be as stated, one I feel as confident is correct as we all do that Josiah E. Jones was the son of Eli & Dicey Holt Jones. Though neither of these relationships has that quintessential historic record, or records, that proves the familial connection, a preponderance of circumstantial evidence leads to the inescapable conclusion that these purported relationships are accurate. I'll go over much of that here. It's a little lengthy, but I hope helpful to all interested in this extended family.
From a marriage bond drawn up on 30 JAN 1810 in Wake County, North Carolina, it is known that a man named Ely Jones intended to marry a woman named Dicy Holt. As many of you know, marriage bonds only tell us intent to marry by license, not that a marriage actually took place. In most cases, a very high percentage of cases as I understand it, actual marriages did take place in short order following the filing of the bond. In the case of Eli (Ely) and Dicy, I see no reason to doubt the two obtained a marriage license, but when they did is uncertain. All available evidence points to them living as man and wife and no evidence points to the contrary. My guess is they married the first weekend in February since January 30, 1810 was a Tuesday, but that's just a guess. The fact that this bond was filed in Wake County is important as the county in which the bond was filed was supposed to be the county in which the bride was residing. I can tell you from nearly 30 years of genealogical research and from reviewing hundreds of NC marriage bonds that I have never seen an exception to this. That Dicy was from Wake County is very important in establishing who her father was as you will see in the information that follows.
Richard Holt, who died in Chatham County probably in January of 1823, was the same Richard Holt in Johnston County, NC in 1790. His origins are cloudy, with the best guess being that he was born in Virginia around 1750; and all his children are not yet known, but much has been pieced together about his life from the available evidence. I won't get into all that too deeply here, but will cover most of the highlights and some of the most critical details. From deed, tax, census and personal records it can be determined that Richard and his family moved to Montgomery County (very probably the southeastern part of that county) about 1797. Richard appears in Johnston County in 1784 on a tax list in Captain Isaac Hinton's District. Again he appears in that same county and district in 1787 when the State of North Carolina Census was taken. He was recorded with the following family members: 1 white male 21–60, three white males under 21 or over 60, 5 white females. Surely the one white male in the first category is Richard, the three in the next category are quite likely his sons and the females are quite likely his wife and four daughters. In the 1790 census, he again appears in 1790 with the following family members: 3 males 16 or older, 2 males under 16, and four females. As you can see, during the the three years between the State census and the Federal census, one male was added, probably a son born during this period, and one female was dropped perhaps explained by a death or early-age marriage. Actually, since we know Dicy was born in 1788, it appears two daughters died or were married in this period.
In April of 1797, Richard Holt sold 500 acres and all buildings on this land including the home place to Byran Whitfield and Robert Gulley of Smithfield (Johnston County, NC). These 500 acres were on Little Creek and near Little Swamp in southwestern Johnston County. It's interesting that he sold 500 acres because I can only find where he purchased 300 acres (from John & Mary Tinsley) in 1780 in this same area. By 1800 he was in Montgomery County, NC, about 110 miles southwest of where he had lived in Johnston County, probably living very near the county line that is shared by Montgomery and Richmond Counties. The census shows Richard as over 45 with one son 16-25 (George, my ancestor), wife over 45, and one daughter 10-15 (Dicy). Sons John and Richard, Jr. are living next door, both married. Richard's youngest son had apparently died young and the other daughters had all married or died, probably in Johnston County. It's an odd move they made to Montgomery County in that they returned a few short years later either to where they were living earlier, in the case of Richard's son John (for the remainder of his life) and Richard's son Richard (for a few years), or in the case of father Richard & wife (unknown, perhaps last name of Searcy), son George and daughter Dicy, to near Bonsal, NC, a small community in the Buckhorn District of Wake County very near the Chatham County line, about 50 miles due west of where they had lived in Johnston County. You won't see many families move west in 1700s and 1800s, even if it was only a hundred miles, then turn around and come back.
In a letter written in September of 1939 by a cousin of mine through the Holt, Mann, and Johnston families, Irene Johns[t]on Holt of Merry Oaks, Chatham County, NC, to her cousin Gena Gillespie Porterfield, "Cousin Irene" states that the Holts were from Montgomery County. This could have only been known to them because of person family knowledge. I can assure you there was no census, deed or will research being done back then by these people in the 1930s. She reveals a wealth of information about the Holts in this letter and in others, but I'll only mention the pertinent information here. Irene stated that "these facts about the first Holts in this section of the county {Chatham County, NC} was given me by my brother years ago, and I had them jotted down years before I ever dreamed of putting it in a record. He said that there were three Holt brothers who came to North Carolina from Montgomery County. I have heard it said they came from Old England, but any way, they came to North Carolina. Two of the brothers settled here near Merry Oaks, or near where Merry Oaks later was built up. The third brother went on farther north and I never heard what his name was; but the two brothers who settled here were Richard Holt and George Anderson or George Andrew Holt." Irene states in another letter on the same subject the following: "As I have it there were three brothers who came to North Carolina from Montgomery County, wherever that may be. Some say they came from old England. Anyway, they came and two of them settled here and the other went on farther up." This information from Irene, coupled with the census information, coupled with the statements made by Richard Holt Jr.'s wife in her petition for a pension for Richard Jr.'s War of 1812 service where she states she and Richard were married in Richmond County and that her maiden name was George (her maiden name was also known to "Cousin Irene") combine to make it a certainty I believe that the Holts lived in Montgomery County before coming to Wake/Chatham County or returning to Johnston County. Also, the other brother, the one that "went on farther up", was John Holt. He reappears in Johnston County on tax and census records for around 30 years starting about 1804. I have been in communication with a few of his descendants. He was probably the oldest brother. Apparently, not only did Irene forget his first name, but was not aware that the father Richard moved to the area, as well, and that a daughter Dicy came with them. I think Irene can be forgiven since both these family members disappeared from the scene over 100 years before she became seriously interested in the family's history.
These Holts, except for John Holt in Johnston County, do not appear in the 1810 census. This is significant because I believe it bolsters the contention that they were still living in Wake County at the time, though perhaps just barely within the county limits. Wake County census records for 1810 and 1820 are missing. They are not missing for 1800. There are no Holts there in 1800; in fact there are few Holt records in Wake County from 1780 until 1830 of any kind and I can place every one of them that I have seen so far with this family. There simply were no other Holts. While I'm on that tangent, the same can be said for Chatham County except for a very small sprinkling of Holt records that pertain to the Holts of Orange/Alamance County that spilled a little ways over the northern border of Chatham County, but around 30 miles away from "our" Holts. Returning to Wake County, George Holt shows up as a witness to the will of Moses Hicks in November 1807 and then again in a follow-up to that will in November 1810. Moses Hicks lived in the Buckhorn District of Wake County and died in 1810. George was also on the 1809 tax list (attached to this e-mail) in the Buckhorn District of Wake County. Oddly enough, he does not show up on the 1810 tax list, nor does Richard Sr. or Jr. A Richard Holt is on the same tax list as John Holt in the same district as John in Johnston County in 1809, 1810 and 1811, but not on the 1810 census?!? This Richard I believe was Richard Jr. because he was liable for poll tax. Apparently he moved to Chatham between 1811 and 1815 to join the rest of his family. By 1815 Richard & George Holt are on a Chatham County tax list in the Cape Fear District. I assume the father Richard, being too old for a poll tax in 1815, is living with a son or other family member and must not have had any property tax charged to him; or the kids covered the property tax perhaps (see http://www.ncgenweb.us/chatham/partrtax.html).
Now back to Dicy, remember she was married in Wake County in early 1810. There were no other Holts in Wake County at that time besides the Richard/George Holt families. And remember that the 1790 and 1800 census records support a daughter Dicy's age in Richard's family. Also notice that Eli Jones is living on the same creek as George Holt in the same district as George and Richard Holt in 1815 according to the Chatham County tax list of that year. Obviously George Holt and Eli Jones were close neighbors, probably next door neighbors. Additionally, note that the 1820 census shows Eli Jones on the same page of the census as George Holt and Richard Holt, only two lines above George, and that Dicy had a son named Richard. And also important is the fact that I can find no information that does not fit this conclusion that Dicy is Richard's daughter or that points me in a different direction.
Finally, my hunch is Eli & Dicy moved west before early 1823 as neither Eli or Dicy show up on the estate paper listings for her father Richard. John Holt does not either, but then he lived 50 miles to the east and may have decided the trip was not worth it. This also reminds me that Dicy had a few older sisters as is evidenced by the census records noted above. I mention that because a Burwell Copeland who lived in Johnston County and who was born in the early 1790s shows up buying things at the estate sale of Richard Holt. I think he may have been a grandson. I can't imagine why someone who lived about 40 or 50 miles away would come to a small estate sale in 1823 unless there was a close relationship. There was a William Copeland who lived near Richard Holt in Johnston County around 1790. He may have married one of Richard's older daughters. More research is needed here.
Any questions, please let me know. Any feedback will be welcomed.
Clayton Mann
Clayton Mann
Not sure why the two attachments did not stay attached. Sometimes GMail baffles me. Anyway, here they are...I hope.
Clayton
Clayton Mann
Correction: Dicy was born in 1791 according to her tombstone, and not 1788...certainly close enough to the age of the youngest daughter in Richard Holt's 1800 household for me to still believe that this youngest daughter was Dicy. Who knows, she might really have been born a year or two earlier. I've seen that a few times as I'm sure many of you have.
Clayton
Sybilene Lanzone
Her Parents were Ruffin Holt and Penny M Ella Mann, Ruffin was the son of George A. Holt and (Betsy) Elizabeth J. Johnston. George A. Holt was the son of Richard Holt and Elizabeth George.
Below is the information that I have concerning his baby sister Dicia. Is it accurate? I do not know, but I believe that it is. I have such a strong desire to regroup my family "Accurately" fitting the pieces as they were. I would love the help or correction of any who have the truth.
Thanking you in advance. Syb
First there was Richard Holt who was born around 1750. We're not sure who he
married, but there is evidence to suggest she was a Searcy. Whoever it was,
they were married in Johnston County, NC. This Richard died in Chatham
County in 1822. He had three sons that we know of and one daughter. I think
a couple of older daughters existed, but stayed behind in Johnston
County...probably married there. Anyway, Richard w/ wife unknown moved to
Wake County about 1802 from Montgomery County, NC. The stay in Montgomery
County was a short one. His sons John, Richard, George A., and Dicia M. came
along, though John appears to have stayed only a very short while, or
perhaps not at all, before returning to Johnston County to live out his
life. Dicia married Eli Jones and in the 1820s moved to Tennessee, then
Mississippi.
So, all the descendants of the Holts in Wake & Chatham Counties descend from
either George A. Holt or his older brother Richard. This Richard, who was
born about 1774 and who married Elizabeth George about 1799, died in 1837 on
Christmas Day after falling from his horse near his home in Chatham County.
He had several children: seven boys and two girls. At least this is how many
children are remembered and who are mentioned in the property division
papers of the late 1840s. I actually think there was another son who died as
a young man, but I don't know for sure. Anyway, back to this 2nd Richard who
died in 1837. His sons were Squire, Rigdon, George, Richard, John, Thomas
and James Partin. This next Richard, let's call him Richard III, was born
probably in 1809 or early 1810. He died about 1891. His first wife was Gilly
Mann, daughter of Stephen Mann. The Richard J. Holt we have also discussed
was his nephew. He was the son of Squire Holt. He would be the 4th Richard.
Mimi
In Sept 1818 Ely Jones sold his land (100 acres) in Chatham County to
William Crump.
In 1823 William Crump posted bond for George Holt, administrator of
his father, Richard's will.
Mimi Kelly
> Chatham County, NC, to her cousin Gena Gillespie Porterfield, "Cousin Irene"
> states that the Holts were from Montgomery County. This could have only
> been known to them because of person family knowledge. I can assure you
> there was no census, deed or will research being done back then by these
> people in the 1930s. She reveals a wealth of information about the Holts in
> this letter and in others, but I'll only mention the pertinent information
> I had them jotted down years before I ever dreamed of putting it in a
> record. He said that there were three Holt brothers who came to North
> Carolina from Montgomery County. I have heard it said they came from Old
> England, but any way, they came to North Carolina. Two of the brothers
> settled here near Merry Oaks, or near where Merry Oaks later was built up.
> The third brother went on farther north and I never heard what his name
> was; but the two brothers who settled here were Richard Holt and George
> same subject the following: *"As I have it there were three brothers who
> say they came from old England. Anyway, they came and two of them settled
> Richard Holt Jr.'s wife in her petition for a pension for Richard Jr.'s War
> of 1812 service where she states she and Richard were married in Richmond
> County and that her maiden name was George (her maiden name was also known
> to "Cousin Irene") combine to make it a certainty I believe that the Holts
> lived in Montgomery County before coming to Wake/Chatham County or returning
> to Johnston County. Also, the other brother, the one that "went on farther
> communication with a few of his descendants. He was probably the oldest
> brother. Apparently, not only did Irene forget his first name, but was not
> aware that the father Richard moved to the area, as well, and that a
> daughter Dicy came with them. I think Irene can be forgiven since both
> these family members disappeared from the scene over 100 years before she
> became seriously interested in the family's history.
>
> These Holts, except for John Holt in Johnston County, do not appear in the
> 1810 census. This is significant because I believe it bolsters the
> contention that they were still living in Wake County at the time, though
> perhaps just barely within the county limits. Wake County census records
> from 1780 until 1830 of any kind and I can place every one of them that I
> have seen so far with this family. There simply were no other Holts. While
> I'm on that tangent, the same can be said for Chatham County except for a
> very small sprinkling of Holt records that pertain to the Holts of
> Orange/Alamance County that spilled a little ways over the northern border
> of Chatham County, but around 30 miles away from "our" Holts. Returning to
> Wake County, George Holt shows up as a witness to the will of Moses Hicks in
> November 1807 and then again in a follow-up to that will in November 1810.
> Moses Hicks lived in the Buckhorn District of Wake County and died in
> 1810. George was also on the 1809 tax list (attached to this e-mail) in the
> Buckhorn District of Wake County. Oddly enough, he does not show up on the
> 1810 tax list, nor does Richard Sr. or Jr. A Richard Holt is on the same
> tax list as John Holt in the same district as John in Johnston County in
> 1809, 1810 and 1811, but not on the 1810 census?!? This Richard I believe
> was Richard Jr. because he was liable for poll tax. Apparently he moved to
> Chatham between 1811 and 1815 to join the rest of his family. By 1815
> Richard & George Holt are on a Chatham County tax list in the Cape Fear
> District. I assume the father Richard, being too old for a poll tax in
> 1815, is living with a son or other family member and must not have had any
Clayton Mann
Thanks for that information, Mimi. Wonder where Eli picked up the extra 10 acres?? In 1815 he had only 90 acres. And I wonder why he sold the 100 acres in 1818 when he did not move until after 1820? Makes me wonder if he had more land by then, and if not, where did he live for three or four years. Do you see any other deeds in that time period involving Eli? Wonder when he purchased the 90 acres and from whom?
I'm going to look to see what I can find out about William Crump.
Clayton
Mimi Kelly
period. Do you know who Eli Jones parents were?
Maybe Eli lived in Wake County after selling his land in Chatham
County. Wake County Online deeds only go back to 1900. They are also
moving their office and will be closed Aug 11 and 12th. Maybe once they
get moved and have time to settle in their new quarters I will go down
and look for early deeds.
Mimi
Clayton Mann wrote:
>
> Thanks for that information, Mimi. Wonder where Eli picked up the
> extra 10 acres?? In 1815 he had only 90 acres. And I wonder why he
> sold the 100 acres in 1818 when he did not move until after 1820?
> Makes me wonder if he had more land by then, and if not, where did he
> live for three or four years. Do you see any other deeds in that time
> period involving Eli? Wonder when he purchased the 90 acres and from
> whom?
>
> I'm going to look to see what I can find out about William Crump.
>
> Clayton
>
>
> On Wed, Aug 6, 2008 at 4:23 AM, Mimi <iced...@mindspring.com
> <mailto:iced...@mindspring.com>> wrote:
>
>
> Here is another bit of info on Eli Jones.
>
> In Sept 1818 Ely Jones sold his land (100 acres) in Chatham County to
> William Crump.
> In 1823 William Crump posted bond for George Holt, administrator of
> his father, Richard's will.
>
> Mimi Kelly
>
> On Aug 3, 10:58 pm, "Clayton Mann" <claytonpm...@gmail.com
Clayton Mann
I think Eli's parents lived in the Buckhorn District of Wake County. There are a couple of good candidates to be his father. I've attached the 1809, 1810 and 1811 tax records of that district. Eli does not appear in them. Makes me think he lived in Chatham after marrying.
Early Wake deeds would be good to review.
Strange how the Eli Jones and the Holts ended up with a little land in Chatham County, but with no record of how they got it.
Clayton
erm...@hotmail.com
your proof argument very compelling. I did have a comment about
marriage bonds, however. One of my Chatham County ancestors, Harriett
Harman, married William Pearce and the marriage bond was filed in
Cumberland County with a Chatham County bondsman listed. I have
puzzled over this bond as the Harmon family was present in Chatham
very early and this branch never left the area. (Harriett is the great-
granddaughter of Zachariah Harman, one of the earliest sheriffs). I
am unsure about William's place of residence or ancestry but, for a
number of reasons, suspect he was part of the Pierce/Pearce family in
Moore County. I would love to have your thoughts about this bond. I
have a copy of the original and the details are also listed on
Ancestry.com.
Elizabeth Moye
> Chatham County, NC, to her cousin Gena Gillespie Porterfield, "Cousin Irene"
> states that the Holts were from Montgomery County. This could have only
> been known to them because of person family knowledge. I can assure you
> there was no census, deed or will research being done back then by these
> people in the 1930s. She reveals a wealth of information about the Holts in
> this letter and in others, but I'll only mention the pertinent information
> I had them jotted down years before I ever dreamed of putting it in a
> record. He said that there were three Holt brothers who came to North
> Carolina from Montgomery County. I have heard it said they came from Old
> England, but any way, they came to North Carolina. Two of the brothers
> settled here near Merry Oaks, or near where Merry Oaks later was built up.
> The third brother went on farther north and I never heard what his name
> was; but the two brothers who settled here were Richard Holt and George
> same subject the following: *"As I have it there were three brothers who
> say they came from old England. Anyway, they came and two of them settled
> Richard Holt Jr.'s wife in her petition for a pension for Richard Jr.'s War
> of 1812 service where she states she and Richard were married in Richmond
> County and that her maiden name was George (her maiden name was also known
> to "Cousin Irene") combine to make it a certainty I believe that the Holts
> lived in Montgomery County before coming to Wake/Chatham County or returning
> to Johnston County. Also, the other brother, the one that "went on farther
> communication with a few of his descendants. He was probably the oldest
> brother. Apparently, not only did Irene forget his first name, but was not
> aware that the father Richard moved to the area, as well, and that a
> daughter Dicy came with them. I think Irene can be forgiven since both
> these family members disappeared from the scene over 100 years before she
> became seriously interested in the family's history.
>
> These Holts, except for John Holt in Johnston County, do not appear in the
> 1810 census. This is significant because I believe it bolsters the
> contention that they were still living in Wake County at the time, though
> perhaps just barely within the county limits. Wake County census records
> from 1780 until 1830 of any kind and I can place every one of them that I
> have seen so far with this family. There simply were no other Holts. While
> I'm on that tangent, the same can be said for Chatham County except for a
> very small sprinkling of Holt records that pertain to the Holts of
> Orange/Alamance County that spilled a little ways over the northern border
> of Chatham County, but around 30 miles away from "our" Holts. Returning to
> Wake County, George Holt shows up as a witness to the will of Moses Hicks in
> November 1807 and then again in a follow-up to that will in November 1810.
> Moses Hicks lived in the Buckhorn District of Wake County and died in
> 1810. George was also on the 1809 tax list (attached to this e-mail) in the
> Buckhorn District of Wake County. Oddly enough, he does not show up on the
> 1810 tax list, nor does Richard Sr. or Jr. A Richard Holt is on the same
> tax list as John Holt in the same district as John in Johnston County in
> 1809, 1810 and 1811, but not on the 1810 census?!? This Richard I believe
> was Richard Jr. because he was liable for poll tax. Apparently he moved to
> Chatham between 1811 and 1815 to join the rest of his family. By 1815
> Richard & George Holt are on a Chatham County tax list in the Cape Fear
> District. I assume the father Richard, being too old for a poll tax in
> 1815, is living with a son or other family member and must not have had any
>
> read more »