Colonel Augustus Alexander

Notes:

Will of Col. Augustus Alexander
Mecklenburg County
North Carolina
Written 1846

In the Name of God, Amen. I Augustus Alexander of the County of Mecklenburg, State of North Carolina. . . Do make and ordain this my last Will and Testament--

Item 1 I commend my Soul to Almighty God from whom I received it and my body to be buried in a decent manner.

Item 2 My Executors will pay off all my debts and funeral expenses out of the first monies that may come into their hand.

Item 3 I give to my beloved wife Sarah all the property of every kind that she brought with her after our marriage or an equivalent to dispose of as she may think proper. . .

Item 4 I also give and bequeath to her during her life or widowhood the Plantation whereon I now live with the improvements, likewise a negro man John & negro woman named Dinah with her child Sarah & also 2 mules Dick and Jack one two horse plow & 1 horse plow & hogs as my Executors may think necessary, I also give her my Carry All & Cupboard with the necessary implements & 1 clock --I also will that there be paid off to her out of my Estate provisions as much as may be necessary for the support of her & family for twelve months after my Death. My granddaughter Dorcas Caroline is to have her home with my wife until she arrives to the age of Twenty one or marries at which time she is to have a bed & furniture.

Item 5 I give to my Daughter Sarah Jane a negro girls named Myra & her increase during her life & at her death to go to her children likewise a bureau bed & bedstead--

Item 6 I will my Grand children Olivia, Dorcas, Nancy, Mary & John a child part of my Estate to equally divided between them.

Item 7 I will to my Grand children (Children of my Daughter Margaret) a Negro woman named Caty & her offspring those children she now has & those that she may have now in possession of my son in law Jno Elloms & I will that he said Elloms retain them during his life & at his death to be equally divided amongst my Grandchildren named in this item, likewise a Childs share - -

Item 8 I will that my Grand Daughter Sarah Jane have a childs part of my Estate when she arrives to the age of Eighteen if she should die before she arrives to that age then her part is to fall into my estate & divided as herein after named.

Item 9 At the Death of my wife or in case she Marries the property named to her in the fourth Item is to be sold or equally divided amongst my Children hereafter named - of the whole residue of my Estate-my Grand Children by Cyrus & Margaret having a childs part of the whole residue of my estate.

Item 10 I will that all my property not herein named by sold & divided equally between my seven Children - To wit - Maria, Hannah, Eliza, John, Susan, Caroline, & Jane, My Grand Children to have a Child share as above stated to be divided equally between them.

Item 11 I hereby constitute and appoint my worthy Friend & Son in Law Cyrus Williamson Executor to all intents & purposes to execute this my last will & Testament according to the true intent and meaning of the same or every part & clause thereof- - - In witness whereof I the said Augs Alexander have here upon set my hand & affixed by seal this tenth day of January In the year one thousand eight hundred & Forty Six - - -

Signed, Sealed, & declared in the presence of us

Test
S.H. Elliott
Aug. Alexander
W.H. Waddell
State of North Carolina
Mecklenburg County

October Term 1849

I certify that the execution of the above will was duly proved in open court and the Executor therein named duly qualified.
B. Oates c.c.c.

Augustus married Dorcas Culp ca 1800, Mecklenburg Co. NC. Dorcas was born 11 Feb 1779, Mecklenburg Co. NC; died 20 Sep 1836, Mecklenburg Co. NC. [Group Sheet]

1. Hannah Alexander was born , Mecklenburg Co. NC.
2. Eliza Alexander was born , Mecklenburg Co. NC.
3. John Alexander was born , Mecklenburg Co. NC.
4. Susan Alexander was born , Mecklenburg Co. NC.
5. Caroline Alexander was born , Mecklenburg Co. NC.
6. Jane Alexander was born , Mecklenburg Co. NC.
7. Maria Margaretha Alexander was born , Mecklenburg Co. NC.

Notes:

Ezra Alexander was a signer of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence.

Ezra married Mary Polk Mecklenburg Co. NC. Mary was born ca 1740, Mecklenburg Co. NC; died 08 Sep 1814, Mecklenburg Co. NC. [Group Sheet]

Elias married Sophia Alexander 1709, Somerset Co. MD. Sophia (daughter of Joseph Alexander and Abigail McKnitt) was born ca 1692, Somerset Co. MD; died ca 1726, Cecil Co. MD. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Sophia was named in her father's will, dated Dec 13, 1726, Cecil County, Maryland.

Notes:

Immigrated from Raphoe, Donegal, Ireland to Manokin, Somerset County, MD on the ship "Welcome" arriving September 21, 1670.

Andrew married Ann Anderston Taylor. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Immigrated from Raphoe, Donegal, Ireland to Manokin, Somerset County, MD on the ship "Welcome" arriving September 21, 1670.

Information from the Mint Museum of History in Charlotte, North Carolina:

Joseph Alexander was a tanner. Tradition has it that he arrived in America, the colonies, in the 1670's aboard the ship "Welcome", which anchored in the Delaware River, however to date there is no confirming evidence. The first documentary evidence of Joseph Alexander's presence in Maryland is in a deed dated May 18, 1714. Joseph Alexander, Tanner and his son, James were members of the group of Alexanders and other men of Cecil County, Maryland who in 1714 purchased from Thomas Stevenson a large tract of land on the Big Elk River. This land was part of a tract called "New Munster" which had been surveyed by George Talbot, Surveyor General in 1683, for "a certain Edwin O'Dwire and fifteen other Irishmen". It lay on both sides of the Elk River in the northeastern corner of Maryland and extended over into Chester County, Pennsylvania, for a short distance above the Mason-Dixon Line.

It is supposed that Joseph had been in the colonies for several years before his land purchase in 1714 and it is possible that he could have been one of the "fifteen other Irishmen" for whom Talbot surveyed the land in 1683. In the deeds Stevenson stated that the land had "for some years past been possessed and improved by them, and had been by them divided among themselves, each man according to his holden, and that he, the said Stevenson, being mind to sell the said tract of land, thought it most equitable, honest and right, that they, the said possessors thereof, should have the first offer to buy or purchase each man his holden or division of ye same."

From Joseph's will written December 13, 1726, we learn the names of several of his children, including, Sophia, the wife of Elias Alexander, who is referred to in the will as a son-in-law, Francis, Jane Mackey (her married name), Abigail Clapham (her married name) and James. Joseph left most of his estate to his son, James, as well as making him the executor of his will which was probated March 9, 1730. Joseph did not mention his wife in his will, so
it is presumed that she had died before 1726.

From Findagrave.comIn 1673 Joseph immigrated to Armaugh County, Ireland to gain religious freedom. In Ireland, the King, in an effort to subugate the Irish, divided the counties into parishes. He appointed Clergy of the Church of England and entrusted in them both civil and ecclestiastical authority to govern the people. The Presbyterian ministers were persecuted by the State Clergy and they retaliated by persuading their congregations to immigrate to America with them, where religious freedom was assured.

In 1676 Joseph Alexander and seven of his brothers sailed from Ireland on the "Good Ship Welcome" for America. They anchored in the Delaware River, off shore from the town of New Castle. They then migrated to the established Presbyterian settlement at "New Castle", now known as Christianna Hundred, in the American colony in 1714. Lord Cecil had received from the King of England, a land grand of several thousands acres in Maryland colony. Land speculators had purchased approximately 6,000 acres of Lord Cecil's tract, one part of which was located on the Big Elk River, which the early settlers named "New Munster".

Joseph Alexander and his brothers purchased land in New Munster and established the first homes of the Alexanders in America. The actual location of Joseph Alexander's first home is not known, however, a few of the houses have been restored and they are built of field stone and logs mortared with clay. The original land grant to Lord Cecil and Joseph Alexander's deeds can be seen at the Maryland Historical Library at Annapolis, Maryland. Approxiamately [sic], two hundred years later William DuPont purchased several hundred acres of the original Lord Cecil grant, including a portion of "New Munster" and built his estate "Fair Hill". He restored the old Presbyterian Church (now known as Christianna Hundred) and a few of the old houses. In the graveyard of the Church are buried many of the Alexander immigrants and their descendants.

Joseph Alexander's will was filed at Elkton, Maryland on March 9, 1726 which gives the names of his children and his bequests to them.

Children of JOSEPH ALEXANDER:

1. Sophie Alexander
2. Jane Alexander
3. Abigail Alexander
4. Francis Alexander
5. Abraham Alexander
6. James Alexander


Information of Find A Grave:

Joseph Alexander died in 1726 at New Munster, in the colony of Maryland.

In 1673 Joseph immigrated to Armaugh County, Ireland to gain religious freedom. In Ireland, the King, in an effort to subugate the Irish, divided the counties into parishes. He appointed Clergy of the Church of England and entrusted in them both civil and ecclestiastical authority to govern the people. The Presbyterian ministers were persecuted by the State Clergy and they retaliated by persuading their congregations to immigrate to America with them, where religious freedom was assured.

In 1676 Joseph Alexander and seven of his brothers sailed from Ireland on the "Good Ship Welcome" for America. They anchored in the Delaware River, off shore from the town of New Castle. They then migrated to the established Presbyterian settlement at "New Castle", now known as Christianna Hundred, in the American colony in 1714. Lord Cecil had received from the King of England, a land grand of several thousands acres in Maryland colony. Land speculators had purchased approximately 6,000 acres of Lord Cecil's tract, one part of which was located on the Big Elk River, which the early settlers named "New Munster".

Joseph Alexander and his brothers purchased land in New Munster and established the first homes of the Alexanders in America. The actual location of Joseph Alexander's first home is not known, however, a few of the houses have been restored and they are built of field stone and logs mortared with clay. The original land grant to Lord Cecil and Joseph Alexander's deeds can be seen at the Maryland Historical Library at Annapolis, Maryland. Approxiamately [sic], two hundred years later William DuPont purchased several hundred acres of the original Lord Cecil grant, including a portion of "New Munster" and built his estate "Fair Hill". He restored the old Presbyterian Church (now known as Christianna Hundred) and a few of the old houses. In the graveyard of the Church are buried many of the Alexander immigrants and their descendants.

Joseph Alexander's will was filed at Elkton, Maryland on March 9, 1726 which gives the names of his children and his bequests to them.

Children of JOSEPH ALEXANDER:

1. Sophie Alexander
2. Jane Alexander
3. Abigail Alexander
4. Francis Alexander
5. Abraham Alexander
6. James Alexander

Buried:
Grave location
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=52843621

Joseph married Abigail McKnitt ca 1686, Somerset Co. MD. Abigail (daughter of John McKnitt, Sr. and Elizabeth Wallace) was born 1667, Manokin, Somerset Co. MD; died 23 Dec 1714, Cecil Co. MD. [Group Sheet]