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| birth = about 1739<br />probably [[wikipedia:Anne Arundel County, Maryland|Anne Arundel County, Maryland]] | | birth = about 1739<br />probably [[wikipedia:Anne Arundel County, Maryland|Anne Arundel County, Maryland]] | ||
| death = 31 Dec 1826<br />[[wikipedia:Knox County, Tennessee|Knox County, Tennessee]] | | death = 31 Dec 1826<br />[[wikipedia:Knox County, Tennessee|Knox County, Tennessee]] | ||
| parents = | | parents = [[William Alldredge (b. 1702)]] | ||
| children = [[William Alldredge]], [[Eleanor (Alldredge) York]], [[Margaret (Alldredge) Allred]], [[Sylvania (Alldredge) Long]], [[Mary (Alldredge) Allred]], [[Sarah (Alldredge) Julian]], [[Nathan Alldredge (b. 1781)]], [[Andrew Alldredge]], [[James Alldredge]], [[Enoch Alldredge (b. 1790)]], [[Hannah (Alldredge) Wood | | married = Hannah (maiden name unknown)<br />probably about 1766 in [[wikipedia:Randolph County, North Carolina|Randolph County, North Carolina]] | ||
| children = [[William Alldredge (b. 1767)]], [[Eleanor (Alldredge) York]], [[Margaret (Alldredge) Allred]], [[Sylvania (Alldredge) Long]], [[Mary (Alldredge) Allred]], [[Sarah (Alldredge) Julian]], [[Nathan Alldredge (b. 1781)]], [[Andrew Alldredge]], [[Elizabeth Alldredge]], [[James Alldredge]], [[Enoch Alldredge (b. 1790)]], [[Hannah (Alldredge) Wood]] | |||
}} | }} | ||
== Overview == | == Overview == | ||
'''Nathan Alldredge''' was born about 1739, probably in [[wikipedia:Anne Arundel County, Maryland|Anne Arundel County, Maryland]]. He is believed to be the son of [[William Alldredge (b. | '''Nathan Alldredge''' was born about 1739, probably in [[wikipedia:Anne Arundel County, Maryland|Anne Arundel County, Maryland]]. He is believed to be the son of [[William Alldredge (b. 1702)]], who settled in about 1755 on Sandy Creek in what was then [[wikipedia:Orange County, North Carolina|Orange County, North Carolina]], now [[wikipedia:Randolph County, North Carolina|Randolph County]]. Nathan received his own land grant in Randolph County in 1786. Migrating westward, Nathan died in [[wikipedia:Knox County, Tennessee|Knox County, Tennessee]] on 31 Dec 1826. | ||
A great deal of genealogical confusion has resulted from the fact that there was also a man named [[Nathaniel Aldridge Sr.|Nathaniel Aldridge]], a contemporary of Nathan Alldredge, who | A great deal of genealogical confusion has resulted from the fact that there was also a man named [[Nathaniel Aldridge Sr.|Nathaniel Aldridge]], a contemporary of Nathan Alldredge, who settled in Orange County, North Carolina, at around the same time. Genealogists over the years have ascribed records to Nathan that actually related to Nathaniel, and ''vice versa'', even sometimes conflating the two men as one. They also have assumed that both men were related to William Aldridge (b. 1702), placing both Nathan and Nathaniel as William's sons. | ||
Recent DNA research at the [https://www.familytreedna.com/groups/aldridge Aldridge Surname Group DNA Project] at [https://www.familytreedna.com/ Family Tree DNA] has proved conclusively that Nathan Alldredge and Nathaniel Aldridge were two different men with different, unrelated paternal lineages. But untangling the confused and conflated records of the two men is an ongoing task. In this page, I will seek to present exactly what is known and can be proven about Nathan Alldredge. | Recent DNA research at the [https://www.familytreedna.com/groups/aldridge Aldridge Surname Group DNA Project] at [https://www.familytreedna.com/ Family Tree DNA] has proved conclusively that Nathan Alldredge and Nathaniel Aldridge were two different men with different, unrelated paternal lineages. But untangling the confused and conflated records of the two men is an ongoing task. In this page, I will seek to present exactly what is known and can be proven about Nathan Alldredge. | ||
== Family == | |||
=== Nathan's wife, Hannah === | |||
Nathan Alldredge's wife, named in his will, was Hannah. Most researchers online give her name as Hannah ''Madden''. Dennis York, in his biography of her on Find a Grave, stated unequivocally that "Hannah was the fourth child of six children born to John MADDEN Jr. and his wife Anne BENNETT. Hannah was the second great granddaughter of her emigrant 2nd great grandfather John MADDEN from England to Maryland." I have seen many such assertions, but no documentation, and Mr. York offered no documentation in his biography. | |||
The argument that Hannah's maiden name was ''Madden'' dates back at least to the 1960s. Memory Aldridge Lester did not know of it in her 1957 book. She wrote: | |||
: His wife was called Hannah in the will. So far I haven't been able to find Hannah's maiden name. It might well have been York from the way the two families used the same names.<ref name="lester16" /> | |||
In 1971, William Amel Sausaman wrote: | |||
: He married Hannah _____, maiden name not known. Some researchers say that her maiden name was "Madden".<ref name="sausaman1">William Amel Sausaman, ''Nathan Alldredge (1739–1826) of North Carolina and Tennessee and His Descendants'' (Springfield, Ill.: self-published, 1971), 1 ([https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/26841/images/dvm_GenMono007255-00006-0?pId=7 Ancestry], [www.familysearch.org/library/books/idviewer/544976/8 FamilySearch]).</ref> | |||
So apparently the assertion was made then also without proof. It appears to me a case of an assertion being made so many times that it was accepted as fact. I would like to see documentation before I accept it. My suspicion is that John Madden and Anne Bennett may be "likely candidates" who were adopted to fit the assertion, rather than documentation indicating them. | |||
The closest thing I have seen to an argument in favor of Hannah's maiden name was actually from a ''Maiden'' researcher, Donna Hay, who placed her as the daughter of Andrew Maiden and his wife Eleanor. As possibly is the case with John Madden, she did not have actual documentation of Hannah's connection to Andrew either, but because she heard Aldridge researchers "universally state" that Hannah was Hannah Madden, she made a circumstantial argument that she was in fact the daughter of Andrew.<ref name="maiden_hay">Donna L. Hay, "Andrew and Eleanor Unknown Maiden," on Hay Family Tree. [https://web.archive.org/web/20151031110900/https://haygenealogy.com/hay/unknown-maiden.html https://haygenealogy.com/hay/unknown-maiden.html] (accessed 9 Sep 2022; website dead as of 4 July 2023, but available at Internet Archive).</ref> I will summarize the argument here: | |||
* Andrew Maiden did have a daughter named Hannah, named in his will (though not named as Hannah Alldredge).<ref>Will of Andrew Maiden, on Hay Family Tree. [https://web.archive.org/web/20150930220058/http://www.haygenealogy.com/hay/sources/maiden/1772maidenwill.html https://haygenealogy.com/hay/sources/maiden/1772maidenwill.html] (accessed 9 Sep 2022; website dead as of 4 July 2023, but available at Internet Archive).</ref> | |||
* The Maiden family is known to have been in Orange County, North Carolina, in 1754, per the testimony of son Larons Maiden. | |||
* The Maiden family is not documented to have removed to Rowan County, North Carolina, until 1768. | |||
* No other Maiden or Madden family is documented to have lived in Orange County in decades of the 1750s or 1760s. | |||
* Naming patterns: Hannah Alldredge named her oldest daughter Eleanor and a son Andrew, neither of which names were evident in the Alldredge family prior to Nathan and Hannah. | |||
* The Maiden family is believed to have sympathized with or taken part in the Regulators Movement, of which Nathan Alldredge was a part. | |||
I do find this argument persuasive. But I would like to see some stronger evidence of a connection. This whole argument rests of the assumption that her maiden name was, in fact, Madden or Maiden. | |||
=== Children === | |||
Nathan Alldredge had a large family of children. All are believed to have been born in Randolph County, North Carolina. | |||
# [[William Alldredge (b. 1767)|William Alldredge]], born about 1767 in Randolph County, North Carolina. | |||
# [[Eleanor (Alldredge) York|Eleanor Alldredge]], born 17 Nov 1769, died 26 Feb 1849 in Randolph County; married Isaac York. | |||
# [[Margaret (Alldredge) Allred|Margaret Alldredge]], born about 1772; married Thomas Allred. | |||
# [[Sylvania (Alldredge) Long|Sylvania Alldredge]], born about 1774; married Tobias Long. | |||
# [[Mary (Alldredge) Allred|Mary Alldredge]], born about 1776; married Solomon Allred. | |||
# [[Sarah (Alldredge) Julian|Sarah Alldredge]], born 7 Mar 1779, died 10 Jan 1857 in Cass County, Indiana; married John Julian. | |||
# [[Nathan Alldredge (b. 1781)|Nathan Alldredge]], born Feb 1781; died 14 Jan 1844 in Fayette County, Indiana; married Elizabeth Julian. | |||
# [[Andrew Alldredge]], born 11 Oct 1782; died 6 Nov 1848 in Brooksville, Blount County, Alabama; married Leah Chaney. | |||
# [[Elizabeth Alldredge]], born about 1784. | |||
# [[James Alldredge]], born 14 May 1785; died 18 Mar 1859 in Story County, Iowa; married Anna Wood. | |||
# [[Enoch Alldredge (b. 1790)|Enoch Alldredge]], born 4 May 1790; died 31 Aug 1852 in Carroll County, Indiana; married Elizabeth Larew. | |||
# [[Hannah (Alldredge) Wood|Hannah Alldredge]], born 17 Jun 1793; died 29 Mar 1858 in Knox County, Tennessee; married Clement Wood. | |||
== Distinguishing Nathan Alldredge from Nathaniel Aldridge == | == Distinguishing Nathan Alldredge from Nathaniel Aldridge == | ||
I will argue that the spellings of the names "Nathan" and "Nathaniel" are distinct and identifying, that records referring to "Nathan" refer to Nathan Alldredge, records referring to "Nathaniel" refer to Nathaniel Aldridge, and that any "Nathaniel" record ascribed to Nathan in the past must now be considered highly suspect. | |||
Ameliorating the confusing situation somewhat is the discovery that the land claims of Nathan Alldredge and Nathaniel Aldridge, despite both originally being in Orange County, North Carolina, are actually separated by some 46 miles and two modern counties: Nathan's land today being in Randolph County, and Nathaniel's being in Person County. Nathan's land on Mount Pleasant Creek, a branch of Sandy Creek, adjoins the land of two men named William Aldridge (or ''Alldredge''), both the one born in | Ameliorating the confusing situation somewhat is the discovery that the land claims of Nathan Alldredge and Nathaniel Aldridge, despite both originally being in Orange County, North Carolina, are actually separated by some 46 miles and two modern counties: Nathan's land today being in Randolph County, and Nathaniel's being in Person County. Nathan's land on Mount Pleasant Creek, a branch of Sandy Creek, adjoins the land of two men named William Aldridge (or ''Alldredge''), both the one born in 1702 and the one born in 1729,<ref name="landGrants1" /> while Nathaniel Aldridge's land lies on the Brushy Fork of the Flat River adjoining that of [[Joseph Aldridge]].<ref name="landGrants2" /> Nathan Alldredge shares with [[William Alldredge (b. 1729)]] and his descendants the distinct spelling of the surname, ''Alldredge'', while Nathaniel Aldridge and Joseph Aldridge both had their names spelled ''Aldrage'' or ''Aldrige'' in early land grants, and their descendants have since maintained the spelling ''Aldridge''. Finally, the [[Y-DNA]] of Nathan Alldredge's descendants matches that of the descendants of William Alldredge (b. 1729), and does not match that of Nathaniel Aldridge's descendants. Nathaniel Aldridge's descendants, on the other hand, match the Y-DNA of the Joseph Aldridge's descendants. | ||
[[File:Aldridge Land Grants.jpg|center|alt=Aldridge land grants in the of area of what was, in 1755-1765, Orange County, North Carolina, showing the distance between Nathan Alldredge's Sandy Creek settlement and Nathaniel Aldridge's Flat River settlement.|Aldridge land grants in the of area of what was, in 1755-1765, Orange County, North Carolina, showing the distance between Nathan Alldredge's Sandy Creek settlement and Nathaniel Aldridge's Flat River settlement. 1760 county lines are thick green lines, while modern county lines are dotted blue lines. 1760 county labels are in green, while modern county labels are in blue.|thumb|600x600px]] | [[File:Aldridge Land Grants.jpg|center|alt=Aldridge land grants in the of area of what was, in 1755-1765, Orange County, North Carolina, showing the distance between Nathan Alldredge's Sandy Creek settlement and Nathaniel Aldridge's Flat River settlement.|Aldridge land grants in the of area of what was, in 1755-1765, Orange County, North Carolina, showing the distance between Nathan Alldredge's Sandy Creek settlement and Nathaniel Aldridge's Flat River settlement. 1760 county lines are thick green lines, while modern county lines are dotted blue lines. 1760 county labels are in green, while modern county labels are in blue.|thumb|600x600px]] | ||
Line 87: | Line 129: | ||
: "Hiram Green of the County of Knox, Territory south of Ohio sells a piece of land consisting of 640 acres on the south side of Clinch River to Nathan Aldridge of Jefferson County, territory south of Ohio ..." Witnesses: Stephen Julian and Thomas Hunter. | : "Hiram Green of the County of Knox, Territory south of Ohio sells a piece of land consisting of 640 acres on the south side of Clinch River to Nathan Aldridge of Jefferson County, territory south of Ohio ..." Witnesses: Stephen Julian and Thomas Hunter. | ||
There is no deed record of Nathan Alldredge in Jefferson County, Tennessee. According to Memory Aldridge Lester, "This deed shows that Nathan stopped briefly in Jefferson County, Tennessee. I went there once and looked for him in the deeds but did not find any record of him. Nathan sold out in Randoloph [North Carolina] in September and October | There is no deed record of Nathan Alldredge in Jefferson County, Tennessee. According to Memory Aldridge Lester, "This deed shows that Nathan stopped briefly in Jefferson County, Tennessee. I went there once and looked for him in the deeds but did not find any record of him. Nathan sold out in Randoloph [North Carolina] in September and October 1794, so he must not have taken up land in Jefferson. Probably just spent the winter there."<ref>Lester, ''Alldredge-Aldridge'', 17 ([https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/26644/images/dvm_GenMono007254-00017-1?ssrc=&backlabel=Return&pId=27 Ancestry], [https://archive.org/details/alldredgealdridg00lest/page/17/mode/1up Internet Archive]).</ref> | ||
== Ambiguous records == | == Ambiguous records == | ||
=== 1802 tax list, Anderson County, Tennessee<ref name="1802tax" /> === | === 1802 tax list, Anderson County, Tennessee<ref name="1802tax" /> === | ||
The name of Nathan Aldridge on an 1802 tax list in [[wikipedia:Anderson County, Tennessee|Anderson County, Tennessee]], adjacent to Knox County, could refer to either Nathan Alldredge Sr., or to his son, [[Nathan Alldredge (b. 1781)|Nathan Alldredge Jr]] (b. 1781). Anderson County was created by act of the Tennessee legislature on 6 Nov 1801, from fractions of Knox and Grainger counties. Though Nathan Sr.'s will was probated in Knox County, it is not certain that he resided there all the time from 1799 until his death. | The name of Nathan Aldridge on an 1802 tax list in [[wikipedia:Anderson County, Tennessee|Anderson County, Tennessee]], adjacent to Knox County, could refer to either Nathan Alldredge Sr., or to his son, [[Nathan Alldredge (b. 1781)|Nathan Alldredge Jr.]] (b. 1781). Anderson County was created by act of the Tennessee legislature on 6 Nov 1801, from fractions of Knox and Grainger counties. Though Nathan Sr.'s will was probated in Knox County, it is not certain that he resided there all the time from 1799 until his death. | ||
: A List of taxable property and polls in Capt. McCamey's Company for 1802. By John McCamey Esquire. | : A List of taxable property and polls in Capt. McCamey's Company for 1802. By John McCamey Esquire. | ||
Line 108: | Line 150: | ||
== North Carolina records == | == North Carolina records == | ||
=== 1794 deeds in Randolph County, North Carolina === | === 1794 deeds in Randolph County, North Carolina === | ||
Though I don't personally consider these records ambiguous or disputed, the fact is that both the Nathan Alldredge and the Nathaniel Aldridge lineages claim descent from [[William Aldridge (b. | Though I don't personally consider these records ambiguous or disputed, the fact is that both the Nathan Alldredge and the Nathaniel Aldridge lineages claim descent from [[William Aldridge (b. 1702)]], and that, according to DNA evidence, at least one of them is wrong. So for the sake of argument, I will include them in their own category. | ||
To me, the coincidence of the dates of Nathan Alldredge selling land in Randolph County, North Carolina, in September and October 1794, and buying land in Knox County, Tennessee, in May 1795, is too near to be mere chance. | To me, the coincidence of the dates of Nathan Alldredge selling land in Randolph County, North Carolina, in September and October 1794, and buying land in Knox County, Tennessee, in May 1795, is too near to be mere chance. | ||
Line 117: | Line 159: | ||
I appreciate that these deeds give their own title history. It thus appears that Nathan Alldredge was selling his land in Randolph County, North Carolina, in the fall of 1794 and buying land in Knox County, Tennessee, in the spring of 1795. | I appreciate that these deeds give their own title history. It thus appears that Nathan Alldredge was selling his land in Randolph County, North Carolina, in the fall of 1794 and buying land in Knox County, Tennessee, in the spring of 1795. | ||
=== 1790 census, Randolph County, North Carolina<ref name="1790census" /> === | |||
This entry in the 1790 census of Randolph County, North Carolina, is almost certainly Nathan Alldredge: | |||
: Nathan Alridge | |||
: 2 free white males under 16 | |||
: 4 free white males 16 and over | |||
: 7 free white females | |||
Per Nathan's will, he had five sons and seven daughters. This record would indicate that perhaps the youngest daughter had not yet been born. This too is consistent: per her tombstone, Hannah (Alldredge) Wood was born in 1793. | |||
=== 1786 deeds and land grant in Randolph County, North Carolina === | === 1786 deeds and land grant in Randolph County, North Carolina === | ||
The September 1794 deed specifically | The September 1794 deed specifically refers back to this deed in 1786: | ||
: Deed Book 3, page 90. 27 January 1786. Nathan Aldredge buys from Henry Pierce 200 acres on Mt. Pleasant Creek for consideration of 75 pounds. Witnesses: Jeremiah York and William Aldredge.<ref name="1786deed">Randolph County, North Carolina, Deed Book 3, page 90. Available at [https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L98Q-W434?i=301&cat=164942 FamilySearch].</ref> | : Deed Book 3, page 90. 27 January 1786. Nathan Aldredge buys from Henry Pierce 200 acres on Mt. Pleasant Creek for consideration of 75 pounds. Witnesses: Jeremiah York and William Aldredge.<ref name="1786deed">Randolph County, North Carolina, Deed Book 3, page 90. Available at [https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L98Q-W434?i=301&cat=164942 FamilySearch].</ref> | ||
Line 155: | Line 207: | ||
: Witness Jere. York. | : Witness Jere. York. | ||
This record clearly establishes a close connection between William Alldredge and Nathan Alldredge, such that the land William entered in 1778, he later assigned to Nathan to receive as a grant in 1786. But which William? Without further context, this record could indicate either [[William Aldridge (b. | This record clearly establishes a close connection between William Alldredge and Nathan Alldredge, such that the land William entered in 1778, he later assigned to Nathan to receive as a grant in 1786. But which William? Without further context, this record could indicate either [[William Aldridge (b. 1702)|William (b. 1702)]] or his son, [[William Aldridge (b. 1729)|William (b. 1729)]]. William Sr. is believed, per Dennis York's reading of a discovered tombstone at Sandy Creek Baptist Church, to have died on 11 April 1786, shortly before the date of this grant, 24 July 1786. I would argue that the proximity of these dates suggests that this land was William Sr.'s, the father's. By the land description, this is the same land that Nathan sold in 1794. And the spelling of the signatures on the warrant is clear: ''Alldredge'', a clear example of even William Alldredge spelling his name this distinctive way. | ||
=== 1779 Randolph County tax list<ref name="1779randolphTax" /> === | |||
One record that gives me some pause is the 1779 tax list, in which appears who is almost certainly our Nathan Alldredge, but listed as ''Nath'l:'' | |||
: Nath'l Alldridge | |||
: Improved Lands: 9 acres | |||
: Lands: 200 acres | |||
: Cattle: 11 | |||
: Horses: 3 | |||
: Money: 16 pounds | |||
: Total: 346 pounds in value | |||
Memory Aldridge Lester wrote that on the 1779 tax list, "we KNOW it is our Nathan".<ref>Lester, ''Alldredge-Aldridge'', 16.</ref> Since he is in the same district as William Alldredge, I suppose that is true. But it does give me pause, given my argument that all "Nathaniel" records belong to Nathaniel Aldridge. The spelling, at least, clearly has two Ls. | |||
On the 1777 tax list of Caswell County, North Carolina, then encompassing the area where Joseph Aldridge and Nathaniel Aldridge earlier took land grants, only Joseph Aldridge is listed (for what it's worth, also listed as ''Alldridge'').<ref>Tax Lists, Caswell County, 1777. State Archives of North Carolina, Call Number S.S. XVIII, Recordkeeping (Misc.): Tax Lists, Box 1, MARS 12.97 ([https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/tax-lists-caswell-county-1777/350616?item=350690 North Carolina Digital Collections]).</ref> Nathaniel Aldridge, it seems, did not remain in that area, but by 1769 had departed for Tryon County, North Carolina (his land would today be in Lincoln County).<ref>Franklin Rudolph Aldridge, ''Aldridge Records'', vol. 2 (Nashville: self-published, 1975), 58 ([https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/26642/images/dvm_GenMono007241-00138-0?ssrc=&backlabel=Return&pId=363, Ancestry], [https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/112361?availability=Family%20History%20Library FamilySearch]). Memory Aldridge Lester also notes these Tryon records, stating "this is not our Nathan" (Lester, ''Alldredge-Alldridge'', 11, [https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/26644/images/dvm_GenMono007254-00014-1?ssrc=&backlabel=Return&pId=21 Ancestry], [https://archive.org/details/alldredgealdridg00lest/page/11/mode/1up Internet Archive]).</ref> | |||
=== 1768 Regulators petition<ref name="1768regulators" /> === | === 1768 Regulators petition<ref name="1768regulators" /> === | ||
Line 164: | Line 231: | ||
* Nathan Aldridge | * Nathan Aldridge | ||
I argue that this is certainly our Nathan Alldredge, and likely his brothers, for these reasons: the leader of the Regulator movement was [[wikipedia:Herman Husband|Herman Husband]], a Maryland native and a settler on Sandy Creek. He was a close neighbor and associate, if not friend, of William Alldredge (b. | I argue that this is certainly our Nathan Alldredge, and likely his brothers, for these reasons: the leader of the Regulator movement was [[wikipedia:Herman Husband|Herman Husband]], a Maryland native and a settler on Sandy Creek. He was a close neighbor and associate, if not friend, of William Alldredge (b. 1702), Husband witnessing William's 1755 land grant. Sandy Creek Baptist Church, where William Alldredge and his family are buried, was at the heart of the Sandy Creek Baptist Association, whose protests as early as 1766 were the organizational precursor of the Regulator movement.<ref>Lester, ''Alldredge-Aldridge'', 8 ([https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/26644/images/dvm_GenMono007254-00013-0?ssrc=&backlabel=Return&pId=18 Ancestry], [https://archive.org/details/alldredgealdridg00lest/page/8/mode/1up Internet Archive]).</ref> | ||
Whether or not Nathan Alldredge took part in the armed rebellion that culminated in 1771 in the [[wikipedia:Battle of Alamanace|Battle of Alamance]] is uncertain. His brother William appears to have served in the Orange County Militia | Whether or not Nathan Alldredge took part in the armed rebellion that culminated in 1771 in the [[wikipedia:Battle of Alamanace|Battle of Alamance]] is uncertain. His brother William appears to have served in the Orange County Militia during the Regulator conflict.<ref>Payroll for David Hart's company of the Orange County Militia." In Colonial and State Records of North Carolina, vol. 22, pp. 418-419. ([https://docsouth.unc.edu/csr/index.php/document/csr22-0147 Documenting the American South] [accessed 3 Jul 2023], scan of original at [https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/payroll-of-orange-regiment/275690 North Carolina Digital Collections] [accessed 3 Jul 2023]).</ref> | ||
== Possible Revolutionary service == | == Possible Revolutionary service == | ||
Firm family tradition has held that Nathan was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. In Thomas McAdory Owen's biographical sketch of Enoch Alldredge, he refers to him as the "grandson of Nathan Alldredge, a Revolutionary soldier."<ref>Thomas McAdory Owen, ''History of Alabama and Dictionary of Alabama Biography'', vol. 3 (Chicago: S. J. Clarke, 1921), 22 ([Internet Archive https://archive.org/details/history-of-alabama-owen-v3/page/n23/mode/2up]).</ref> No record of Revolutionary service is extant that is clearly identifiable as our Nathan Alldredge. | Firm family tradition has held that Nathan was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. In Thomas McAdory Owen's biographical sketch of [[Enoch Alldredge]], he refers to him as the "grandson of Nathan Alldredge, a Revolutionary soldier."<ref>Thomas McAdory Owen, ''History of Alabama and Dictionary of Alabama Biography'', vol. 3 (Chicago: S. J. Clarke, 1921), 22 ([Internet Archive https://archive.org/details/history-of-alabama-owen-v3/page/n23/mode/2up]).</ref> No record of Revolutionary service is extant that is clearly identifiable as our Nathan Alldredge. | ||
In 1966, Charles Grady Alldredge, my great-great-uncle, applied for membership in the Sons of the American Revolution on the service of Nathan Alldredge, and was apparently accepted. In Grady's testimony, he wrote: | In 1966, Charles Grady Alldredge, my great-great-uncle, applied for membership in the Sons of the American Revolution on the service of Nathan Alldredge, and was apparently accepted. In Grady's testimony, he wrote: | ||
Line 179: | Line 246: | ||
: Also, Enoch Alldredge, grandson of Nathan Alldredge and brother of Mary Frances, above, said that his grandfather, Nathan, was a Revolutionary soldier. It seems very unlikely that Enoch did not know the facts about his own grandfather for he was a highly intelligent man and was in the Alabama Legislature for almost forty years. He was 19 years old when his grandfather died. It seems quite safe to assume that he knew what he was talking about. | : Also, Enoch Alldredge, grandson of Nathan Alldredge and brother of Mary Frances, above, said that his grandfather, Nathan, was a Revolutionary soldier. It seems very unlikely that Enoch did not know the facts about his own grandfather for he was a highly intelligent man and was in the Alabama Legislature for almost forty years. He was 19 years old when his grandfather died. It seems quite safe to assume that he knew what he was talking about. | ||
The name Nathan Aldridge appears on a roster of the Continental Line in Maryland,<ref>Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783, Maryland, Various Organizations, page 19 (National Archives Publication M246, NAID 602384, Record Group 93, Roll 0034) ([https://www.fold3.com/image/12006773/35?terms=nathan,war,us,revolutionary,aldridge Fold3], [https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/1405818:4282 Ancestry]).</ref> but the man's compiled service record is cross-filed with a Nathan ''Albridge''.<ref>Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in the American Army During the Revolutionary War, Maryland, Continental Troops, Miscellaneous (National Archives Publication M881, NAID 570910, Record Group 93, Roll 0154), records of Nathan Aldridge ([https://www.fold3.com/image/12898358?terms=nathan,war,us,revolutionary,aldridge Fold3]) and Nathan Albridge ([https://www.fold3.com/image/12898322 Fold3]).</ref> Another Nathan Aldridge in Maryland served in the Washington County Militia, the wrong part of the state.<ref>Ibid., Sarer's Company (Washington County), Militia, record of Nathan Aldridge ([https://www.fold3.com/image/17139113 Fold3]).</ref> | The name Nathan Aldridge appears on a roster of the Continental Line in Maryland,<ref>Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783, Maryland, Various Organizations, page 19 (National Archives Publication M246, NAID 602384, Record Group 93, Roll 0034) ([https://www.fold3.com/image/12006773/35?terms=nathan,war,us,revolutionary,aldridge Fold3], [https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/1405818:4282 Ancestry]).</ref> but the man's compiled service record is cross-filed with a Nathan ''Albridge''.<ref>Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in the American Army During the Revolutionary War, Maryland, Continental Troops, Miscellaneous (National Archives Publication M881, NAID 570910, Record Group 93, Roll 0154), records of Nathan Aldridge ([https://www.fold3.com/image/12898358?terms=nathan,war,us,revolutionary,aldridge Fold3]) and Nathan Albridge ([https://www.fold3.com/image/12898322 Fold3]).</ref> Another Nathan Aldridge in Maryland served in the Washington County Militia, the wrong part of the state from where our Nathan would have originated and likely returned to.<ref>Ibid., Sarer's Company (Washington County), Militia, record of Nathan Aldridge ([https://www.fold3.com/image/17139113 Fold3]).</ref> | ||
== DNA evidence == | == DNA evidence == | ||
{{Main|Aldridge DNA Project}} | |||
One male-line descendant of Nathan Alldredge has tested his DNA at the [https://www.familytreedna.com/groups/aldridge/about Aldridge DNA Project], a descendant of Nathan Alldredge > [[Andrew Alldredge]] > [[Dr. William Alldredge]]. He tested his Y-DNA at the Big-Y 700 level, revealing his Y-DNA haplogroup to be '''R-FTB32679''', a subclade of R-U106 > R-Z154. He has two Big-Y matches, one to another descendant of William Alldredge (b. 1702), and another to a descendant of [[Thomas Aldridge]], believed to be William's brother. | |||
This DNA evidence confirms Nathan Alldredge's paternal connection to William Alldredge, and, we believe, to [[Nicholas Aldridge]] of Anne Arundel County, Maryland. This R-U106 Aldridge-Alldredge lineage is confirmed not to be a match to the descendants of Nathaniel Aldridge and Joseph Aldridge, who are Y-DNA haplogroup I-M223. | |||
== References == | == References == | ||
<references> | <references> | ||
<ref name=" | <ref name="lester16">Memory Aldridge Lester, ''Alldredge-Aldridge-Bracken-Nesmith Families and Their Kin'' (Chapel Hill, N.C.: privately printed, 1957), available on [https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/26644/ Ancestry], [https://archive.org/details/alldredgealdridg00lest Internet Archive], and [https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/202048 FamilySearch].</ref> | ||
<ref name="landGrants1">There are three early land grants that I identify with William Alldredge and Nathan Alldredge: (1) file no. 312, Granville land grant no. 3, patent book no. 14, page 328 (Call #S.108.947, MARS 12.14.95.309), entered 15 March 1755, issued 13 November 1756, 256 acres to William Aldridge, in Orange County, on Mount Pleasant, a branch of Sandy Creek ([https://nclandgrants.com/grant/?mars=12.14.95.309&qid=942684&rn=3 NCLandGrants.com]); (2) file no. 486, state land grant no. 526, patent book 66, page 373 (Call #S.108.975, MARS 12.14.103.556), entered 14 September 1784, issued 11 July 1788, 184 acres to William Aldridge, in Randolph County, on waters of Sandy Creek ([https://nclandgrants.com/grant/?mars=12.14.42.916&qid=942684&rn=2 NCLandGrants.com]); (3) file no. 166, state land grant no. 359, patent book no. 58, page 409 (Call #S.108.974, MARS 12.14.103.236), entered 5 December 1778, issued 24 July 1786, 200 acres to Nathan Aldridge, assignee of William Aldridge, in Randolph County, on waters of Mount Pleasant, branch of Sandy Creek ([https://nclandgrants.com/grant/?mars=12.14.103.236&qid=942684&rn=1 NCLandGrants.com]). There is little in these records to distinguish one William Aldridge from the other.</ref> | <ref name="landGrants1">There are three early land grants that I identify with William Alldredge and Nathan Alldredge: (1) file no. 312, Granville land grant no. 3, patent book no. 14, page 328 (Call #S.108.947, MARS 12.14.95.309), entered 15 March 1755, issued 13 November 1756, 256 acres to William Aldridge, in Orange County, on Mount Pleasant, a branch of Sandy Creek ([https://nclandgrants.com/grant/?mars=12.14.95.309&qid=942684&rn=3 NCLandGrants.com]); (2) file no. 486, state land grant no. 526, patent book 66, page 373 (Call #S.108.975, MARS 12.14.103.556), entered 14 September 1784, issued 11 July 1788, 184 acres to William Aldridge, in Randolph County, on waters of Sandy Creek ([https://nclandgrants.com/grant/?mars=12.14.42.916&qid=942684&rn=2 NCLandGrants.com]); (3) file no. 166, state land grant no. 359, patent book no. 58, page 409 (Call #S.108.974, MARS 12.14.103.236), entered 5 December 1778, issued 24 July 1786, 200 acres to Nathan Aldridge, assignee of William Aldridge, in Randolph County, on waters of Mount Pleasant, branch of Sandy Creek ([https://nclandgrants.com/grant/?mars=12.14.103.236&qid=942684&rn=1 NCLandGrants.com]). There is little in these records to distinguish one William Aldridge from the other, but the proximity of their burial sites suggests that their land was adjacent.</ref> | ||
<ref name="landGrants2">I likewise identify three land grants as belonging to Nathaniel Aldridge and Joseph Aldridge: (1) file no. 315, Granville land grant no. 69, patent book no. 14, page 329 (Call #S.108.947, MARS 12.14.95.312), issued 6 February 1761, 220 acres to Nathaniel Aldrige, in Orange County, on the Bushy Fork of Flat River ([https://nclandgrants.com/grant/?mars=12.14.95.312&qid=942695&rn=1 NCLandGrants.com]); (2) file no. 309, Granville land grant no. 57, patent book no. 14, page 328 (Call #S.108.947, MARS 12.14.95.306), issued 8 December 1762, 700 acres to Nathaniel Aldrage, in Orange County, on waters of Flat River ([https://nclandgrants.com/grant/?mars=12.14.95.306&qid=942693&rn=1 NCLandGrants.com]); (3) file no. 317, Granville land grant no. 74, patent book no. 14, page 330 (Call# S.108.847, MARS 12.14.95.314), 455 acres to Joseph Aldrage, in Orange County, on Flat River ([https://nclandgrants.com/grant/?mars=12.14.95.314&qid=942696&rn=1 NCLandGrants.com]).</ref> | <ref name="landGrants2">I likewise identify three land grants as belonging to Nathaniel Aldridge and Joseph Aldridge: (1) file no. 315, Granville land grant no. 69, patent book no. 14, page 329 (Call #S.108.947, MARS 12.14.95.312), issued 6 February 1761, 220 acres to Nathaniel Aldrige, in Orange County, on the Bushy Fork of Flat River ([https://nclandgrants.com/grant/?mars=12.14.95.312&qid=942695&rn=1 NCLandGrants.com]); (2) file no. 309, Granville land grant no. 57, patent book no. 14, page 328 (Call #S.108.947, MARS 12.14.95.306), issued 8 December 1762, 700 acres to Nathaniel Aldrage, in Orange County, on waters of Flat River ([https://nclandgrants.com/grant/?mars=12.14.95.306&qid=942693&rn=1 NCLandGrants.com]); (3) file no. 317, Granville land grant no. 74, patent book no. 14, page 330 (Call# S.108.847, MARS 12.14.95.314), issued 11 Dec 1762, 455 acres to Joseph Aldrage, in Orange County, on Flat River ([https://nclandgrants.com/grant/?mars=12.14.95.314&qid=942696&rn=1 NCLandGrants.com]).</ref> | ||
<ref name="deathNotice">''The Enquirer'' (Knoxville), 17 Jan 1827, page 3. [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-enquirer-nathan-alldredge-death-noti/99325990/ Clipping on Newspapers.com].</ref> | <ref name="deathNotice">''The Enquirer'' (Knoxville), 17 Jan 1827, page 3. [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-enquirer-nathan-alldredge-death-noti/99325990/ Clipping on Newspapers.com].</ref> | ||
<ref name="will">Historical Records Project, Knox County Estate Books 1812–1830, Book 4 (1824–1830), 250-251 (images 854–855), pages 325–327 in original book. Available at [https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:2:77TV-YLBX?i=853&wc=M6QQ-WWL%3A179635401%2C179786701&cc=1909088 FamilySearch] and [https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/9176/images/004769031_00854 Ancestry].</ref> | <ref name="will">Historical Records Project, Knox County Estate Books 1812–1830, Book 4 (1824–1830), 250-251 (images 854–855), pages 325–327 in original book. Available at [https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:2:77TV-YLBX?i=853&wc=M6QQ-WWL%3A179635401%2C179786701&cc=1909088 FamilySearch] and [https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/9176/images/004769031_00854 Ancestry].</ref> | ||
Line 194: | Line 266: | ||
<ref name="1802tax">Pollyanna Creekmore, "Early East Tennessee Taxpayers," East Tennessee Historical Society Publication No. 23, 117–135, at 12 ([https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2883/images/33119_290491-00015?pId=244103 Ancestry]), in Ancestry.com, ''Tennessee, U.S., Early Tax List Records, 1783-1785'' [database online] (Lehi, Utah: Ancestry.com, 2013); original data from Tennessee State Library and Archives, Early Tax Lists of Tennessee, microfilm.</ref> | <ref name="1802tax">Pollyanna Creekmore, "Early East Tennessee Taxpayers," East Tennessee Historical Society Publication No. 23, 117–135, at 12 ([https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2883/images/33119_290491-00015?pId=244103 Ancestry]), in Ancestry.com, ''Tennessee, U.S., Early Tax List Records, 1783-1785'' [database online] (Lehi, Utah: Ancestry.com, 2013); original data from Tennessee State Library and Archives, Early Tax Lists of Tennessee, microfilm.</ref> | ||
<ref name="1794deeds">Transcribed in Lester, ''Alldredge-Aldridge'', 16 ([https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/26644/images/dvm_GenMono007254-00017-0 Ancestry], [https://archive.org/details/alldredgealdridg00lest/page/16/mode/1up Internet Archive]).</ref> | <ref name="1794deeds">Transcribed in Lester, ''Alldredge-Aldridge'', 16 ([https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/26644/images/dvm_GenMono007254-00017-0 Ancestry], [https://archive.org/details/alldredgealdridg00lest/page/16/mode/1up Internet Archive]).</ref> | ||
<ref name="1790census">Nathan Alridge on 1790 United States Federal Census, Randolph County, North Carolina ([https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/190091:5058?ssrc=pt&tid=120605287&pid=212066445598 Ancestry], [https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHKB-1DY FamilySearch]).</ref> | |||
<ref name="1779randolphTax">Tax Lists, Randolph County, North Carolina, 1779, page 13. State Archives of North Carolina, Call Number S>S. XVIII, Recordkeeping (Misc.): Tax Lists: Box 2, MARS 12.97 ([https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/tax-lists-randolph-county-1779/352198?item=352241 North Carolina Digital Collections]).</ref> | |||
<ref name="1768regulators">"Regulators' Advertisement No. 9." In Colonial and State Records of North Carolina, vol. 7, pp. 733-737, at 736. Available on [https://docsouth.unc.edu/csr/index.php/document/csr07-0289#p7-736 Documenting the American South].</ref> | <ref name="1768regulators">"Regulators' Advertisement No. 9." In Colonial and State Records of North Carolina, vol. 7, pp. 733-737, at 736. Available on [https://docsouth.unc.edu/csr/index.php/document/csr07-0289#p7-736 Documenting the American South].</ref> | ||
</references> | </references> |
Latest revision as of 03:45, 19 June 2024
Name: | Nathan Alldredge |
Born: | about 1739 probably Anne Arundel County, Maryland |
Died: | 31 Dec 1826 Knox County, Tennessee |
Married: | Hannah (maiden name unknown) probably about 1766 in Randolph County, North Carolina |
Parents: | William Alldredge (b. 1702) |
Children: | William Alldredge (b. 1767), Eleanor (Alldredge) York, Margaret (Alldredge) Allred, Sylvania (Alldredge) Long, Mary (Alldredge) Allred, Sarah (Alldredge) Julian, Nathan Alldredge (b. 1781), Andrew Alldredge, Elizabeth Alldredge, James Alldredge, Enoch Alldredge (b. 1790), Hannah (Alldredge) Wood |
Overview
Nathan Alldredge was born about 1739, probably in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. He is believed to be the son of William Alldredge (b. 1702), who settled in about 1755 on Sandy Creek in what was then Orange County, North Carolina, now Randolph County. Nathan received his own land grant in Randolph County in 1786. Migrating westward, Nathan died in Knox County, Tennessee on 31 Dec 1826.
A great deal of genealogical confusion has resulted from the fact that there was also a man named Nathaniel Aldridge, a contemporary of Nathan Alldredge, who settled in Orange County, North Carolina, at around the same time. Genealogists over the years have ascribed records to Nathan that actually related to Nathaniel, and vice versa, even sometimes conflating the two men as one. They also have assumed that both men were related to William Aldridge (b. 1702), placing both Nathan and Nathaniel as William's sons.
Recent DNA research at the Aldridge Surname Group DNA Project at Family Tree DNA has proved conclusively that Nathan Alldredge and Nathaniel Aldridge were two different men with different, unrelated paternal lineages. But untangling the confused and conflated records of the two men is an ongoing task. In this page, I will seek to present exactly what is known and can be proven about Nathan Alldredge.
Family
Nathan's wife, Hannah
Nathan Alldredge's wife, named in his will, was Hannah. Most researchers online give her name as Hannah Madden. Dennis York, in his biography of her on Find a Grave, stated unequivocally that "Hannah was the fourth child of six children born to John MADDEN Jr. and his wife Anne BENNETT. Hannah was the second great granddaughter of her emigrant 2nd great grandfather John MADDEN from England to Maryland." I have seen many such assertions, but no documentation, and Mr. York offered no documentation in his biography.
The argument that Hannah's maiden name was Madden dates back at least to the 1960s. Memory Aldridge Lester did not know of it in her 1957 book. She wrote:
- His wife was called Hannah in the will. So far I haven't been able to find Hannah's maiden name. It might well have been York from the way the two families used the same names.[1]
In 1971, William Amel Sausaman wrote:
- He married Hannah _____, maiden name not known. Some researchers say that her maiden name was "Madden".[2]
So apparently the assertion was made then also without proof. It appears to me a case of an assertion being made so many times that it was accepted as fact. I would like to see documentation before I accept it. My suspicion is that John Madden and Anne Bennett may be "likely candidates" who were adopted to fit the assertion, rather than documentation indicating them.
The closest thing I have seen to an argument in favor of Hannah's maiden name was actually from a Maiden researcher, Donna Hay, who placed her as the daughter of Andrew Maiden and his wife Eleanor. As possibly is the case with John Madden, she did not have actual documentation of Hannah's connection to Andrew either, but because she heard Aldridge researchers "universally state" that Hannah was Hannah Madden, she made a circumstantial argument that she was in fact the daughter of Andrew.[3] I will summarize the argument here:
- Andrew Maiden did have a daughter named Hannah, named in his will (though not named as Hannah Alldredge).[4]
- The Maiden family is known to have been in Orange County, North Carolina, in 1754, per the testimony of son Larons Maiden.
- The Maiden family is not documented to have removed to Rowan County, North Carolina, until 1768.
- No other Maiden or Madden family is documented to have lived in Orange County in decades of the 1750s or 1760s.
- Naming patterns: Hannah Alldredge named her oldest daughter Eleanor and a son Andrew, neither of which names were evident in the Alldredge family prior to Nathan and Hannah.
- The Maiden family is believed to have sympathized with or taken part in the Regulators Movement, of which Nathan Alldredge was a part.
I do find this argument persuasive. But I would like to see some stronger evidence of a connection. This whole argument rests of the assumption that her maiden name was, in fact, Madden or Maiden.
Children
Nathan Alldredge had a large family of children. All are believed to have been born in Randolph County, North Carolina.
- William Alldredge, born about 1767 in Randolph County, North Carolina.
- Eleanor Alldredge, born 17 Nov 1769, died 26 Feb 1849 in Randolph County; married Isaac York.
- Margaret Alldredge, born about 1772; married Thomas Allred.
- Sylvania Alldredge, born about 1774; married Tobias Long.
- Mary Alldredge, born about 1776; married Solomon Allred.
- Sarah Alldredge, born 7 Mar 1779, died 10 Jan 1857 in Cass County, Indiana; married John Julian.
- Nathan Alldredge, born Feb 1781; died 14 Jan 1844 in Fayette County, Indiana; married Elizabeth Julian.
- Andrew Alldredge, born 11 Oct 1782; died 6 Nov 1848 in Brooksville, Blount County, Alabama; married Leah Chaney.
- Elizabeth Alldredge, born about 1784.
- James Alldredge, born 14 May 1785; died 18 Mar 1859 in Story County, Iowa; married Anna Wood.
- Enoch Alldredge, born 4 May 1790; died 31 Aug 1852 in Carroll County, Indiana; married Elizabeth Larew.
- Hannah Alldredge, born 17 Jun 1793; died 29 Mar 1858 in Knox County, Tennessee; married Clement Wood.
Distinguishing Nathan Alldredge from Nathaniel Aldridge
I will argue that the spellings of the names "Nathan" and "Nathaniel" are distinct and identifying, that records referring to "Nathan" refer to Nathan Alldredge, records referring to "Nathaniel" refer to Nathaniel Aldridge, and that any "Nathaniel" record ascribed to Nathan in the past must now be considered highly suspect.
Ameliorating the confusing situation somewhat is the discovery that the land claims of Nathan Alldredge and Nathaniel Aldridge, despite both originally being in Orange County, North Carolina, are actually separated by some 46 miles and two modern counties: Nathan's land today being in Randolph County, and Nathaniel's being in Person County. Nathan's land on Mount Pleasant Creek, a branch of Sandy Creek, adjoins the land of two men named William Aldridge (or Alldredge), both the one born in 1702 and the one born in 1729,[5] while Nathaniel Aldridge's land lies on the Brushy Fork of the Flat River adjoining that of Joseph Aldridge.[6] Nathan Alldredge shares with William Alldredge (b. 1729) and his descendants the distinct spelling of the surname, Alldredge, while Nathaniel Aldridge and Joseph Aldridge both had their names spelled Aldrage or Aldrige in early land grants, and their descendants have since maintained the spelling Aldridge. Finally, the Y-DNA of Nathan Alldredge's descendants matches that of the descendants of William Alldredge (b. 1729), and does not match that of Nathaniel Aldridge's descendants. Nathaniel Aldridge's descendants, on the other hand, match the Y-DNA of the Joseph Aldridge's descendants.
Records that are indisputably Nathan Alldredge
Death notice[7]
There is no question that our ancestor, Nathan Alldredge, died on 31 Dec 1826 in Knox County, Tennessee. His death notice appeared in the Enquirer (Knoxville) on 17 Jan 1827:
- DIED — On the 31st of last month, in this county, NATHAN ALDRIDGE, aged 87 years.
It is from this same record that we fix his approximate birthdate at about 1739.
Will of Nathan Alldredge[8]
Nathan Alldredge signed his will on 23 Mar 1818, not so "sick and weak in body" that he didn't live another nine years. The following transcription is from the Historical Records Project's transcription of Knox County Estate Book No. 4 (1824–1830) — the original book apparently no longer extant.
- Nathan Alldridge
- The last will and testament of Nathan Alldridge was produced to court for probate, whereupon Alexander Stowell & Maxwell Brown subscribing witnesses thereto made oath that they saw the said Nathan Alldridge sign and seal, and heard him pronounce publish and declare the same as his last will and testament and that at the time of publishing the same he was of sound mind and memory to the best of his knowledge and belief — and the same is admitted to record and is in the words and figures following to wit —
- "In the name of God Amen. I Nathan Alldridge of the county of Knox being suck and weak in body but of sound mind and disposing memory (for which I thank God) and calling to mind the uncertainty of human life, and being desirous to dispose of all such worldly substance, as it has pleased God to bless me with, I give and bequeath to my well beloved wife Hannah to live in the house I now live in, during her natural life if she should continue a widow, also two feather beds and furniture and bedstead and cord — one cow and calf and all the puter and kitchen furniture and one chest and one table, one flax wheel, one check reel, one arm chare & one common chare.
- Item. I give to my son William Alldridge 1 dollar.
- Item. I give to my daughter Ellenor York one dollar.
- Item. I give to my daughter Margaret Allred one dollar.
- Item. I give to my daughter Sylvanie Long one dollar.
- Item. I give to my daughter Mary Allred one dollar.
- Item. I give to my daughter Sarah Julian one dollar.
- Item. I give to my son Nathan Alldridge one dollar.
- Item. I give to my son Andrew Alldridge one dollar.
- Item. I give to my daughter Elizabeth Alldridge one lume, one flax wheel and one cotton wheel, one cow and calf and two year old heifer and one sorrel horse, saddle and bridle, two feather beds and furniture, one bedstead and cord — one ewe and two weathers and one lamb and one Bible —
- Item. I give to my son James Alldridge fifty acres of land where he now lives — Running strait across the tract — Beginning on the lower line of the tract I live on — Running north forty five — East so as to include fifty acres on his part —
- Item. I give to my son Enoch Alldridge fifty acres of land where I now live to run strait across the tract with James line, also one sorrel mare, one saddle and bridle and one gray horse and all the plantation and carpenter tools, two feather beds and furniture and one bedstead and cord, one cow and two year old heifer, five head of sheep, and all the tubs, barrel and cags and all other such like plunder and twenty two dollars that is due from Julian Millicom, and Enoch to be at the expence of all demands against the estate. I also give to Enoch one rifle gun, and it is my desire that all the hogs be left for the familys use.
- Item. I give to my daughter Hannah Wood one dollar. And lastly I do hereby constitute and appoint my son William Alldridge and James Alldridge Executors of this my last will and testament, Hereby revoking all other former wills or testaments by me heretofore made; in witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 23d day of March and in the year of our Lord 1818.
- Nathan {his mark} Alldredge
- Signed, sealed, published and declared to be the last will and testament of the above named Nathan Alldridge in presents of us who at his request and in his presents have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses to the same.
- Alexander Stovall
- Aron Gentry
- Maxwell Brown
It appears the spelling Alldridge is consistent throughout the will, with the name spelled Alldredge at the signature. This spelling serves as a distinguishing mark of this Nathan and his family compared to other Aldridge families.
1799 Knox County petition[9]
Nathan Alldredge, a resident of Knox County, Tennessee, by 1799, signed a petition of Knox County residents for the division of the county for better administrative convenience:
- To the Honorable General Assembly of the State of Tennessee:
- The petition of sundry Inhabitants of Knox County humbly sheweth that their local situation is such as renders it very inconvenient for them to attend the usual place of holding Courts, General Musters, Elections, etc., some of us having at least from 25 to 40 miles to travel & generally very bad Roads, having sundry large Water-Courses, and Ridges to cross, Your Petitioners humbly conceive that their Grievance might be much alleviated by the division of Knox County in the following manner, viz. ...
Signatories to the petition include:
- Nathan Alldredge
- Wm. Alldredge
- Nath'l aldredg junr
- Solomon Allred [son-in-law of Nathan, husband of Mary]
- Geo. Julin [Julian]
- Jn. Julin [Julian] [son-in-law of Nathan, husband of Sarah]
- William Wood
- Sampson Wood
- Obadiah Wood
The spelling Alldredge is present in the available transcription. (The "Nath'l" of Nathan Junior, we will excuse as a bad reading.)
1795 Knox County deed[10]
The first record of Nathan Alldredge in Tennessee is a deed, recorded in Knox County, Tennessee, Deeds of Conveyance Book C2, page 81, on 6 May 1795:
- "Hiram Green of the County of Knox, Territory south of Ohio sells a piece of land consisting of 640 acres on the south side of Clinch River to Nathan Aldridge of Jefferson County, territory south of Ohio ..." Witnesses: Stephen Julian and Thomas Hunter.
There is no deed record of Nathan Alldredge in Jefferson County, Tennessee. According to Memory Aldridge Lester, "This deed shows that Nathan stopped briefly in Jefferson County, Tennessee. I went there once and looked for him in the deeds but did not find any record of him. Nathan sold out in Randoloph [North Carolina] in September and October 1794, so he must not have taken up land in Jefferson. Probably just spent the winter there."[11]
Ambiguous records
1802 tax list, Anderson County, Tennessee[12]
The name of Nathan Aldridge on an 1802 tax list in Anderson County, Tennessee, adjacent to Knox County, could refer to either Nathan Alldredge Sr., or to his son, Nathan Alldredge Jr. (b. 1781). Anderson County was created by act of the Tennessee legislature on 6 Nov 1801, from fractions of Knox and Grainger counties. Though Nathan Sr.'s will was probated in Knox County, it is not certain that he resided there all the time from 1799 until his death.
- A List of taxable property and polls in Capt. McCamey's Company for 1802. By John McCamey Esquire.
- Aldridge, Nathan
- 50 acres
- Brush[y] Fk
- 1 poll
Also listed:
- Allred, Solomon [son-in-law of Nathan Sr., husband of Mary], 1 poll
- Juland, George [probably Julian], 125 acres, B. Fork
- Juland, John [probably Julian, and son-in-law of Nathan Sr., husband of Sarah], 1 poll
North Carolina records
1794 deeds in Randolph County, North Carolina
Though I don't personally consider these records ambiguous or disputed, the fact is that both the Nathan Alldredge and the Nathaniel Aldridge lineages claim descent from William Aldridge (b. 1702), and that, according to DNA evidence, at least one of them is wrong. So for the sake of argument, I will include them in their own category.
To me, the coincidence of the dates of Nathan Alldredge selling land in Randolph County, North Carolina, in September and October 1794, and buying land in Knox County, Tennessee, in May 1795, is too near to be mere chance.
- Deed Book 7, page 26. 30 October 1794. Nathan Aldredge sells to Jeremiah York for 20 pounds 50 acres on Mt. Pleasant Creek, branch of Sandy Creek land adjoining John Alred, being a tract that "I bought of Absalom McDaniel and bought by sd. McDaniel of Jas. McAlroy by deed from Granville dated 30 June 1762..." Proven August Term Court by oath of John White.
- Deed Book 6, page 8. 2 September 1794. Nathan Alldredge sold to Peter Smith of Guilford County, North Carolina, 200 acres for 260 pounds being part of tract that Nathan purchased of Henry Pierce first cleared out of the state office 20 July 1786, adjoining Jonathan McCallum, Jeremiah York and Pearce's...[13]
I appreciate that these deeds give their own title history. It thus appears that Nathan Alldredge was selling his land in Randolph County, North Carolina, in the fall of 1794 and buying land in Knox County, Tennessee, in the spring of 1795.
1790 census, Randolph County, North Carolina[14]
This entry in the 1790 census of Randolph County, North Carolina, is almost certainly Nathan Alldredge:
- Nathan Alridge
- 2 free white males under 16
- 4 free white males 16 and over
- 7 free white females
Per Nathan's will, he had five sons and seven daughters. This record would indicate that perhaps the youngest daughter had not yet been born. This too is consistent: per her tombstone, Hannah (Alldredge) Wood was born in 1793.
1786 deeds and land grant in Randolph County, North Carolina
The September 1794 deed specifically refers back to this deed in 1786:
- Deed Book 3, page 90. 27 January 1786. Nathan Aldredge buys from Henry Pierce 200 acres on Mt. Pleasant Creek for consideration of 75 pounds. Witnesses: Jeremiah York and William Aldredge.[15]
By far the record offering the most convincing evidence of Nathan Alldredge's connection to William Aldridge (Alldredge) is this 1786 land warrant and patent:
- Randolph County File no. 166, Grant no. 359, Patent Book 58, page 408. 24 July 1786. 200 acres granted to Nathan Aldridge on waters of Mount Pleasant, branch of Sandy Creek, adjoining Henry Pierce, Jonathan McCallom, and Jeremiah York.[16]
Full text:
- State of North Carolina, grant no. 359 (Patent Book 58, page 409; File no. 166)
- To all whom these presents shall come, Greeting.
- Know ye, that We, for and inconsideration of the sum of fifty shillings for every Hundred Acres hereby granted, paid into our Treasury by Nathan Aldridge, have Given and Granted, and by these Presents do Give and Grant unto the said Nathan Aldridge a Tract of Land, containing two hundred Acres, lying and being in our County of Randolph.
- On Mount Pleasant Sandy Creek waters, Beginning at a post oak in Henry Peirce's line and running west bounded by Jonathan McCallom line cooping a Branch fifty five and a half chains to a white oak then south bounded by Jeremiah York thirty-six chains to a post oak then east fifty-five and a half chains to a hickory in Pierce's line then north on said line to Beginning...
- as by the Plat hereunto annexed doth appear; together with all Woods, Waters, Mines, Minerals, Hereditaments, and Appurtenances, to the said Land belonging or appertaining: To hold to the said Nathan Aldridge, his Heirs and Assigns, for ever. Yielding and paying to us such sums of Money yearly, or otherwise, as our General Assembly from Time to Time may direct. Provided always, That the said Nathan Aldridge registered in the Register's Office of our said County of Randolph within Twelve Months from the Date hereof, otherwise the same shall be void and of no Effect.
- In Testimony whereof, we have caused our Great Seal to be hereunto affixed. Witness Richard Caswell, Esquire, Captain-General, and Commander in Chief, at Kingston, the twenty-fourth Day of July in the Eleventh Year of our Independence, and in the Year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Eighty-Six.
- Rd. Caswell.
- J. Glasgow, Secretary.
The following warrant is attached:
- Warrant no. 927. 5 December 1778. Survey for William Alredge 200 acres in Guilford County on waters of Mount Pleasant, branch of Sandy Creek, adjoining Henry Pearce.
Full text:
- State of North Carolina, warrant no. 927.
- Ralph Garrett, entry officer of claims for lands in the County of Guilford.
- To the surveyor of the said county, greetings.
- You are hereby required ... to lay off and survey for William Alredge ... a tract of land containing two hundred acres laying in the county aforesaid on the waters of Mount Pleasant a branch of Sandy Creek beginning at a white oak near a small branch thence north adjoining Henry Pearce's claim thence south for complement including said Alredge's improvement.
- Observing the directions of the act of assembly in such case made and provided for annexing out lands, two just and fair plans of such survey with a proper certificate annexed to each, you are to transmit with this warrant to the secretary office without delay. Given under my hand at Spring Field the fifth Day of December anno Dom. 1778. Ralph Garrett.
(Reverse side)
- December 24th 1783
- I sign all my right of this within warrant to Nathan Alldredge. Signed by me,
- Wm. {his mark} Alldredge
- Witness Jere. York.
This record clearly establishes a close connection between William Alldredge and Nathan Alldredge, such that the land William entered in 1778, he later assigned to Nathan to receive as a grant in 1786. But which William? Without further context, this record could indicate either William (b. 1702) or his son, William (b. 1729). William Sr. is believed, per Dennis York's reading of a discovered tombstone at Sandy Creek Baptist Church, to have died on 11 April 1786, shortly before the date of this grant, 24 July 1786. I would argue that the proximity of these dates suggests that this land was William Sr.'s, the father's. By the land description, this is the same land that Nathan sold in 1794. And the spelling of the signatures on the warrant is clear: Alldredge, a clear example of even William Alldredge spelling his name this distinctive way.
1779 Randolph County tax list[17]
One record that gives me some pause is the 1779 tax list, in which appears who is almost certainly our Nathan Alldredge, but listed as Nath'l:
- Nath'l Alldridge
- Improved Lands: 9 acres
- Lands: 200 acres
- Cattle: 11
- Horses: 3
- Money: 16 pounds
- Total: 346 pounds in value
Memory Aldridge Lester wrote that on the 1779 tax list, "we KNOW it is our Nathan".[18] Since he is in the same district as William Alldredge, I suppose that is true. But it does give me pause, given my argument that all "Nathaniel" records belong to Nathaniel Aldridge. The spelling, at least, clearly has two Ls.
On the 1777 tax list of Caswell County, North Carolina, then encompassing the area where Joseph Aldridge and Nathaniel Aldridge earlier took land grants, only Joseph Aldridge is listed (for what it's worth, also listed as Alldridge).[19] Nathaniel Aldridge, it seems, did not remain in that area, but by 1769 had departed for Tryon County, North Carolina (his land would today be in Lincoln County).[20]
1768 Regulators petition[21]
In May 1768, a group of citizens of Orange County, North Carolina, calling themselves "Regulators," published a petition protesting high public fees and corruption in the colonial government. Among the signatures were the names of three Aldridges:
- James Aldridge
- Nich: Aldridge
- Nathan Aldridge
I argue that this is certainly our Nathan Alldredge, and likely his brothers, for these reasons: the leader of the Regulator movement was Herman Husband, a Maryland native and a settler on Sandy Creek. He was a close neighbor and associate, if not friend, of William Alldredge (b. 1702), Husband witnessing William's 1755 land grant. Sandy Creek Baptist Church, where William Alldredge and his family are buried, was at the heart of the Sandy Creek Baptist Association, whose protests as early as 1766 were the organizational precursor of the Regulator movement.[22]
Whether or not Nathan Alldredge took part in the armed rebellion that culminated in 1771 in the Battle of Alamance is uncertain. His brother William appears to have served in the Orange County Militia during the Regulator conflict.[23]
Possible Revolutionary service
Firm family tradition has held that Nathan was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. In Thomas McAdory Owen's biographical sketch of Enoch Alldredge, he refers to him as the "grandson of Nathan Alldredge, a Revolutionary soldier."[24] No record of Revolutionary service is extant that is clearly identifiable as our Nathan Alldredge.
In 1966, Charles Grady Alldredge, my great-great-uncle, applied for membership in the Sons of the American Revolution on the service of Nathan Alldredge, and was apparently accepted. In Grady's testimony, he wrote:
- All our tradition is that Nathan Alldredge was in the Revolutionary War, yet no record has been found for him in North Carolina. A great granddaughter of Eleanor (Alldredge) York, the oldest daughter of Nathan Alldredge, said that he refugeed to Virginia during the Revolution; that the Tories were having all the Patriots along the Mt. Pleasant Creek as soon as they found them. Hence it became necessary for them to flee for their lives. Nathan Alldredge was a Regulator in Orange County, N.C., in 1768 and there was a price on the heads of all Regulators after the Battle of Alamance in 1771. There is also a legend that he may have refugeed to Maryland as well as Virginia.
- Aunt Mary Frances Alldredge, granddaughter of Nathan Alldredge, said that her grandfather fought in the Revolutionary War; that he was wounded and had to go home, and that he lived to be very old and went blind before he died.
- Also, Enoch Alldredge, grandson of Nathan Alldredge and brother of Mary Frances, above, said that his grandfather, Nathan, was a Revolutionary soldier. It seems very unlikely that Enoch did not know the facts about his own grandfather for he was a highly intelligent man and was in the Alabama Legislature for almost forty years. He was 19 years old when his grandfather died. It seems quite safe to assume that he knew what he was talking about.
The name Nathan Aldridge appears on a roster of the Continental Line in Maryland,[25] but the man's compiled service record is cross-filed with a Nathan Albridge.[26] Another Nathan Aldridge in Maryland served in the Washington County Militia, the wrong part of the state from where our Nathan would have originated and likely returned to.[27]
DNA evidence
One male-line descendant of Nathan Alldredge has tested his DNA at the Aldridge DNA Project, a descendant of Nathan Alldredge > Andrew Alldredge > Dr. William Alldredge. He tested his Y-DNA at the Big-Y 700 level, revealing his Y-DNA haplogroup to be R-FTB32679, a subclade of R-U106 > R-Z154. He has two Big-Y matches, one to another descendant of William Alldredge (b. 1702), and another to a descendant of Thomas Aldridge, believed to be William's brother.
This DNA evidence confirms Nathan Alldredge's paternal connection to William Alldredge, and, we believe, to Nicholas Aldridge of Anne Arundel County, Maryland. This R-U106 Aldridge-Alldredge lineage is confirmed not to be a match to the descendants of Nathaniel Aldridge and Joseph Aldridge, who are Y-DNA haplogroup I-M223.
References
- ↑ Memory Aldridge Lester, Alldredge-Aldridge-Bracken-Nesmith Families and Their Kin (Chapel Hill, N.C.: privately printed, 1957), available on Ancestry, Internet Archive, and FamilySearch.
- ↑ William Amel Sausaman, Nathan Alldredge (1739–1826) of North Carolina and Tennessee and His Descendants (Springfield, Ill.: self-published, 1971), 1 (Ancestry, [www.familysearch.org/library/books/idviewer/544976/8 FamilySearch]).
- ↑ Donna L. Hay, "Andrew and Eleanor Unknown Maiden," on Hay Family Tree. https://haygenealogy.com/hay/unknown-maiden.html (accessed 9 Sep 2022; website dead as of 4 July 2023, but available at Internet Archive).
- ↑ Will of Andrew Maiden, on Hay Family Tree. https://haygenealogy.com/hay/sources/maiden/1772maidenwill.html (accessed 9 Sep 2022; website dead as of 4 July 2023, but available at Internet Archive).
- ↑ There are three early land grants that I identify with William Alldredge and Nathan Alldredge: (1) file no. 312, Granville land grant no. 3, patent book no. 14, page 328 (Call #S.108.947, MARS 12.14.95.309), entered 15 March 1755, issued 13 November 1756, 256 acres to William Aldridge, in Orange County, on Mount Pleasant, a branch of Sandy Creek (NCLandGrants.com); (2) file no. 486, state land grant no. 526, patent book 66, page 373 (Call #S.108.975, MARS 12.14.103.556), entered 14 September 1784, issued 11 July 1788, 184 acres to William Aldridge, in Randolph County, on waters of Sandy Creek (NCLandGrants.com); (3) file no. 166, state land grant no. 359, patent book no. 58, page 409 (Call #S.108.974, MARS 12.14.103.236), entered 5 December 1778, issued 24 July 1786, 200 acres to Nathan Aldridge, assignee of William Aldridge, in Randolph County, on waters of Mount Pleasant, branch of Sandy Creek (NCLandGrants.com). There is little in these records to distinguish one William Aldridge from the other, but the proximity of their burial sites suggests that their land was adjacent.
- ↑ I likewise identify three land grants as belonging to Nathaniel Aldridge and Joseph Aldridge: (1) file no. 315, Granville land grant no. 69, patent book no. 14, page 329 (Call #S.108.947, MARS 12.14.95.312), issued 6 February 1761, 220 acres to Nathaniel Aldrige, in Orange County, on the Bushy Fork of Flat River (NCLandGrants.com); (2) file no. 309, Granville land grant no. 57, patent book no. 14, page 328 (Call #S.108.947, MARS 12.14.95.306), issued 8 December 1762, 700 acres to Nathaniel Aldrage, in Orange County, on waters of Flat River (NCLandGrants.com); (3) file no. 317, Granville land grant no. 74, patent book no. 14, page 330 (Call# S.108.847, MARS 12.14.95.314), issued 11 Dec 1762, 455 acres to Joseph Aldrage, in Orange County, on Flat River (NCLandGrants.com).
- ↑ The Enquirer (Knoxville), 17 Jan 1827, page 3. Clipping on Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Historical Records Project, Knox County Estate Books 1812–1830, Book 4 (1824–1830), 250-251 (images 854–855), pages 325–327 in original book. Available at FamilySearch and Ancestry.
- ↑ Tennessee Genealogical Society, Ansearchin' News, vol. 15, no. 3 (July–September 1968), 121–122. Available from Tennessee Genealogical Society.
- ↑ Knox County, Tennessee, Deeds of Conveyance, Book C2, page 81. Available on FamilySearch. Transcript by Memory Aldridge Lester, Alldredge-Aldridge, 16 (Ancestry, Internet Archive).
- ↑ Lester, Alldredge-Aldridge, 17 (Ancestry, Internet Archive).
- ↑ Pollyanna Creekmore, "Early East Tennessee Taxpayers," East Tennessee Historical Society Publication No. 23, 117–135, at 12 (Ancestry), in Ancestry.com, Tennessee, U.S., Early Tax List Records, 1783-1785 [database online] (Lehi, Utah: Ancestry.com, 2013); original data from Tennessee State Library and Archives, Early Tax Lists of Tennessee, microfilm.
- ↑ Transcribed in Lester, Alldredge-Aldridge, 16 (Ancestry, Internet Archive).
- ↑ Nathan Alridge on 1790 United States Federal Census, Randolph County, North Carolina (Ancestry, FamilySearch).
- ↑ Randolph County, North Carolina, Deed Book 3, page 90. Available at FamilySearch.
- ↑ North Carolina Land Grant, Randolph County file no. 166, Grant no. 359, Patent Book 58, page 408. MARS 12.14.103.236. Available at NCLandGrants.
- ↑ Tax Lists, Randolph County, North Carolina, 1779, page 13. State Archives of North Carolina, Call Number S>S. XVIII, Recordkeeping (Misc.): Tax Lists: Box 2, MARS 12.97 (North Carolina Digital Collections).
- ↑ Lester, Alldredge-Aldridge, 16.
- ↑ Tax Lists, Caswell County, 1777. State Archives of North Carolina, Call Number S.S. XVIII, Recordkeeping (Misc.): Tax Lists, Box 1, MARS 12.97 (North Carolina Digital Collections).
- ↑ Franklin Rudolph Aldridge, Aldridge Records, vol. 2 (Nashville: self-published, 1975), 58 (Ancestry, FamilySearch). Memory Aldridge Lester also notes these Tryon records, stating "this is not our Nathan" (Lester, Alldredge-Alldridge, 11, Ancestry, Internet Archive).
- ↑ "Regulators' Advertisement No. 9." In Colonial and State Records of North Carolina, vol. 7, pp. 733-737, at 736. Available on Documenting the American South.
- ↑ Lester, Alldredge-Aldridge, 8 (Ancestry, Internet Archive).
- ↑ Payroll for David Hart's company of the Orange County Militia." In Colonial and State Records of North Carolina, vol. 22, pp. 418-419. (Documenting the American South [accessed 3 Jul 2023], scan of original at North Carolina Digital Collections [accessed 3 Jul 2023]).
- ↑ Thomas McAdory Owen, History of Alabama and Dictionary of Alabama Biography, vol. 3 (Chicago: S. J. Clarke, 1921), 22 ([Internet Archive https://archive.org/details/history-of-alabama-owen-v3/page/n23/mode/2up]).
- ↑ Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783, Maryland, Various Organizations, page 19 (National Archives Publication M246, NAID 602384, Record Group 93, Roll 0034) (Fold3, Ancestry).
- ↑ Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in the American Army During the Revolutionary War, Maryland, Continental Troops, Miscellaneous (National Archives Publication M881, NAID 570910, Record Group 93, Roll 0154), records of Nathan Aldridge (Fold3) and Nathan Albridge (Fold3).
- ↑ Ibid., Sarer's Company (Washington County), Militia, record of Nathan Aldridge (Fold3).