This totally undocumented line has been inserted into trees all over, laying claim to first William Terry of Botetourt Co., Va and then his son Miles Terry. It has also found its way into diverse and unrelated trees as well.
Let me look at the story, accepting that there is truth that a man named Terry acquired a wife who fits this description, and offer a different set of possibilities.
The claim is that one Native American woman named Cheepoake Harris b. c 1710, Surry Co., NC and died before 1759 same place was the first wife of William who later married Rachel Manson and lived in Botetourt Co., with their children.
The story claims that William was the son of a William Terry and a Keziah Sarah Hale (but it can be often found as Rachel Sarah or Rachel Keziah or Keziah Rachel Hale) born c 1700. Note: This line and this woman are totally UNPROVEN. No evidence has ever come to light that proves this relationship. No marriage record has ever been found linking a TERRY to a HALE or a Keziah in this time period. (Keziah was a Biblical name so not that unusual in the time).
This William married this woman ca 1740 and fathered several children.
Their children, it is claimed, are
- Easter 1740-1830 who married in Surry Co., NC in 1758 a man named BURRIS.
- Stephen
- Isabell
and then sometimes the other children of Wm and Rachel get tossed in for good measure.
Someone even inserted into the son of Wm and Rachel, John Terry, the middle name "Burris" with no proof and nobody ever having heard of it before (and John had a LARGE family).
Again, the major issue with this line is its total lack of any real evidence shared to prove their case.
With recent DNA results, however, the Terry's who were in NC, SC and deeper south have tended to be connected with a line that came down from NJ and elsewhere and feature the name Stephen. Are they, both through DNA and historical evidence, a better fit?
In 1755, a solder under Capt. Joseph Fox with the Lewis Expedition against the "Indians", awarded in Pittsylvania Co. March 21, 1780. Also settled in that region was a Joseph Terry, Sergt under Capt. Wm Philips under Col. Andrew Lewis in the same expedition against the "Indians." Date was 1763 and awarded with land bounty March 21, 1780 (Virginia Colonial Militia 1651-1776. Crozier. 1854, pg. 47). In the same source, was a Private Nathaniel Terry, Halifax CO., VA (1758) and a Stephen Terry same place (1763). Another source has a "Tory" William Terry (one who opposed colonial independence) and a William Terry fighting against the Shawnee in SE Va ca 1740's.
Thus, we can see an entirely different group of TERRY in these eastern or central regions with descendants in NC, SC, and other locations. Note too, the timeline suggests that there were Terry's in Central and SE Virginia and NC who better fit the line suggested by those who advance the CHEEPOAKE HARRIS - WILLIAM TERRY (although some lines had a fluidity as to potential mate for her). One of the strongest arguments is why, if he had a wife living in Botetourt Co., Va when he died was he buried in Bedford Co., NC (or Surry CO., NC as some claim)? Legal records indicate his widow Rachel Terry was in Botetourt, along with some of his children at his death in 1792
.
Now, add to that that a large group of those central and southeast Terry's had a DNA haplogroup of I-01 there is a way to untangle the whole mess. I encourage any males of this alleged line to have their DNA done and submit it to someplace such as Ancestry (for a blended male and female line DNA) and Terry Family at Terry - Overview | FamilyTreeDNA or even 23andMe. Family Tree DNA has an ongoing project of charting these connections so if you have had yours done you can submit your information to them (see their instructions).
If this connection is proved through any records, documents, etc. please share those so others can evaluate the evidence and maybe make even more connections from your contribution!
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