NOTES FROM LULA: Some Notes from A Partial History of William Terry and his descendents 1724-1981.

 This work is one the most cited early works related to Terry Family research. The book is largely a look at the extended family of John Terry who married Esther Brown. It is the first few chapters that have significance for more general researchers.  The line of John and Esther is my own line through their older son William Terry and his wife Barbara Ennis Terry. Subsequent DNA tests by three of John's older children (Josiah, William and John Jr.) have proved a link and identified them in the Haplogroup I-02 (my brother was a I-2a2).

A letter from the Roanoke Public Library fated 3 August 1966 to Mrs. Elliot in Clayton, New Mexico proved the information that "The Terry family was an outstanding family here at one time. The home has quite a history. "  They went on to inform her of the fact the old house had once served as the library and then the Roanoke Council Garden Club before being demolished due to age.

The library also noted "there are many references to the Terrys, Bedford, Campbell and as you will note, especially Pittsylvania, Old records and the 1790 census list several Johns." I believe the library was identifying counties here.

And it is here that the research is firmly directed toward eastern Virginia and Orange County. "The History of Pittsylvania County by Clement has a footnote on page 172 in connection with Revolutionary history as follows:

"A deed of 1780 shows that Stephen Terry was "the son of Zachariah Terry, heir-in-law of James Terry, deceased." who about 1755 moved from the section of Orange Co., NC.  Stephen Terry's will was proved October 16, 1797, naming wife Sarah Terry: sons, Nathanial, James, William and John; daughters, Ann, Elizabeth, and Rhoda."

I believe one of the driving forces of women researching families in this general time (1950-1970's) was a desire to join one of the patriotic groups such as the Daughters of the American Revolution. Hence, the focus on American Revolutionary records.

Recent DNA studies have indicated that the people named in this letter fall into the I-01 Haplogroup.

This reveals that these two groups - the descendants of John Terry-Esther Brown and those of the James, Zachariah, Champness, Benjamin, and Nathaniel Terry's of eastern VA and NC - are related but not closely.  Strangely, that I-02 appears to link to a large and longtime group of Terrys who came down from NY (c1635) and then into Bucks Co., Pa. 

These were facts that were unavailable when Lulu or her genealogist researcher worked in the early 1960's.

Family Groups for William and Rachel showed that in 1966 the line was identified as (I have insert updates in parentheses):

William Terry b ca 1724

married 2 Feb 1759 (Christ Church, Philadelphia, PA)

died 1803 (this has now been shown to be incorrect and reflect Rachel's death)

married to Rachel Manson

Children:

William Jr. b. ca 1755, Botetourt Co., Va (Local will of 1825 identifies his wife as Patience, he leaves the son of Miles Terry (Isaac) money and his two nieces by his wife's relative Washington Cooper funds)

Jasper b. Botetourt with wife Ruth  (only couple apparently associated with William Terry and may not be the same as the Jasper Terry and Margaret of a 1819 Montgomery Co., VA will; this Jasper may have left with relatives when they headed out to KY and TN. NO graves or marriage records found for any of them)

John ca 1760 Botetourt Co., Va md 2-2-1781,, Botetourt Co. Esther Brown d.7-12-182 Perry Co., Indiana

Susannah b   md 21 Jan 1783  Thomas Brown

Miles b. Botetourt Co., md Hannah Horton 1782, Botetourt Co., Va  (From family records Miles and Hannah left with John and Esther and others circa 1810 when they headed to TN and KY)

Mercy or Marcy b Botetourt Co.,  md Jonathan Harrison (Believe they went to Claiborne, KY)

Jemima md Ezekiel Boucher in 1796 (subsequent searches show him remarrying the next year so she must have died late 1796 or early 1797; also her portion of father's estate was sold to Jasper Terry by Boucher)

JOHN TERRY

was born about 1760 to William and Rachel Manson Terry. He married 2 Feb 1781 in Botetourt Co. a marriage bond was issued for "fifty pounds" (marriage bonds could be very expensive in the 1700's perhaps explaining some missing documentation? In NC I found some for 1,000 pounds in the 1750's). The wintess and surety was Thomas Brown, assumed to be the brother of Esther Brown.