UNTANGLING THE TERRY OF BOTETOURT CO., VA

 Several decades ago I recall joining my brother Dennis Terry in the family history search. He interviewed, surveyed cemeteries, communicated with people far and wide.

At the time, several people were busy collecting primary document information from sources in Montgomery and Botetourt Co., Va. Snippets of old letters (1850's and collected by Jed Terry into The Terry Family Letters found in major research libraries) gave us clues to connections, travels, kin and etc. 

As they all combined many discoveries were made and many assumptions as to relationships. Now, as DNA presents additional information, some of those assumptions will need to shift.

Recently some bad data has flooded the Terry lines, and just about any line from the regions, as people attempt to "connect" their dead ends and brick walls.

I suggest that we take everything back to the beginning. Start at those brick walls, gather all the data, and then look at things from a different perspective.

Looking at Virginia as a whole, with its revolving county development that confuses "newbies", it is clear that the coastal area developed first and fastest. Ships came to ports, sailed down the coast, and used the massive rivers dumping into the sea as highways deeper in country. Most of that region was settled by English, Scots-Irish and people migrating into the area from New Jersey as land was opened or awarded. Some came down from New York and the New England regions, following the shore or using the King's Highway.

TERRY AREA  1

The areas of Pittsylvania, Halifax, Orange, Louden, Fairfax, Essex, Spotsylvania, Lunenburg. etc. was home to a large group of Terry. Most trees cite their start in the area with one James Terry, b 1666, Lunenburg Co., VA (however, Lunenburg did not exist then so it was probably Charles City or the future such location since it was formed as the original location from which Lunenburg would later emerge.).  This man would have a son Benjamin Terry (see a tree with a collection of notes associated with it at James TERRY 1666-1744 (objgenealogy.com).

James Terry 1666-1744

sons:

1. James 1690-1767  (lives and dies in Va)
2. Benjamin  1700-1771
3. Stephen 1702- d.1769, South Carolina
4. Joseph 1707-1785 (Va)
5. Champness 1720 Pittsylvania Co., Va. d. 1758 Louisa Co., Va
6. Nathaniel 1725-1778 Halifax Co., Va.

*Benjamin 1700-1771 had children: Joseph b in Halifax; Nathaniel b 1724 ; Sarah b 1730; Benjamin M. b 1730;a Levinia b. 1740?

Benjamin's son Nathaniel , ca 1724 died in 1780 and had son Robert, b 1776 in Halifax Co., Va.

Many of the children of the James Terry 1666-1744 drifted into South Carolina, North Carolina in the same way a later generation would drift into Kentucky, Alabama, or other southern locations.

From results of various Terry men a large number of Terrys in those areas appear to show a large number are members of DNA Haplogroup I-01. 

Now, combined with careful evidence building, and research, it is possible that a more precise tree for the Terry's of Eastern and Central Virginia, and elsewhere, might be constructed. As more of this group track and add their DNA to ongoing studies great leaps may be possible and truth found.

TERRY AREA 2

Augusta County in Virginia began as this huge area that encompassed regions now identified with about three states. As people settled these areas, smaller sections appeared.  Into the general region of Botetourt County in 1744 appeared two men never listed on records in the region until then (along with many others of course). What brought Jasper Terry and William Terry to the estate sale on the Monahan place is a guess. 

Jasper Terry, believed to be a cousin of William Terry based on one theory and a father or brother in another end up sticking around the region. They remain, from documentary evidence of early records, in the area of Botetourt Co. and the future Montgomery Co. until William dies in about 1792 (based on a court document).

A word about the theories. One theory suggests that Jasper Terry was a cousin. This merges with a Jasper Terry, b c1715 in Bucks Co., Va who married in 1736 there a Mary Hart. Note, the Jasper left in Bucks Co. Pa is a probable uncle of this Jasper Hart. Mary Hart came from a historic and active Quaker family.  Shortly after their marriage Jasper Terry, along with his in-laws including Thomas, Miles, Aaron, Silas, and John Hart lived and worked in the area (road building, surveying, etc.). Since Mary Hart Terry's father, and several brothers?, migrated to Union Co., South Carolina where it is believed Thomas Hart died c 1790's, it is possible that Jasper and Mary Hart Terry migrated that was as well. Since it is believed that this Jasper and Mary Hart Terry had only one son, Joseph, who was raised by his Uncle John Terry in Bucks Co., PA, it is also possible they may have died in Virginia and that would have resulted in his son being sent back to relatives to be raised or fostered. What is known is that the largest cluster of Terry's in Bucks Co., PA fall into the DNA haplogroup of I-02. There is an earlier Jasper there as well and many of the names familiar to later Terry's can be found as well. An interesting essay or two can be found on them at "Five Generations of Terry's of Buck Co., PA" at 29deadpeople.com, as well that explores the descendances of the line of that Bucks Co. Thomas Terry to Southold, Long Island and the arrival of three Terry me (relatives) from England in 1635.

Aligned with this theory is that , as cousins, William might be the William Terry who married in 1756 in Philadelphia one Eleanor Holmes. She is mentioned, always as Eleanor Terry (wife of William) in Quaker records of the time in Pennsylvania. There is a later mention of a William Terry but it is in the early 1800's and may constitute a son. William (spouse of Eleanor), seemingly disappears, and while divorce was uncommon it did happen. I do not believe this is the same man, but another "cousin?" He appears to have disappeared about 1760 (as Eleanor turns up as the only figure in records in 1760-1761). If, however, the William Terry who married a Rachel Manson in 1759 at Christ Church in Philadelphia is the same man in Botetourt Co., Va (and in over thirty years of people searching a William and Rachel to match the Botetourt couple mentioned in court documents, no one has found a marriage matching the names to suggest otherwise) then he married Eleanor in 1756 (fathered Wm and another child) and then married Rachel in 1759. Note, both marriages are outside the Quaker Meeting model and held in Presbyterian churches too. Also, if Eleanor did not die, then the children joining William in Virginia becomes harder to explain. So, for those reasons I suspect this is yet another cousin amid the larger Bucks Co., Pa group.

A timeline of William's life as recorded in early records of the area indicate that in 

1744 - Appeared at an Estate sale with Jasper Terry

1750- Named a constable for the area of Botetourt

1753 - Named as a neighbor in relations to a will being probated

24 Nov 1753 - busy "Surveying and building roads" in the area of Augusta, Virginia, British Colonial America.   Along with Jasper Terry, Miles Hart, Aaron Hart, Wm Graham, etc.

c 1755- [Assumed birth date of son William Jr]

c1756 - Marriage of a William Terry and Eleanor Holmes in Philadelphia]

1759 -  Marriage of a William Terry and a Rachel Mansion in Philadelphia

1760's - Children born in Botetourt Co., Va

-Jasper Terry who married a "Ruth" but probably not the one who married a Margaret Snidow (see Terry Unknowns below)

-John Terry b c 1760 md Esther Brown + See DNA note

-Susannah Terry md Thomas Brown (brother of Esther Brown)

-Rachel Terry md John Martin

-Miles Terry md Hannah Horton

-Mercy Terry md Jonathan Harrison

-Jemima Terry md Ezekiel Boucher in 1796 but died before he remarried in 1797.

1779 - Court orders team to inspect road and report back. Botetourt, Virginia, United States

Wm Terry, Jasper Terry and Leonard Huff

1780 - Age 56 (average age for death was around 40 in this time) William Terry Exempted from paying taxes due to "Age" Note, the mention of a William Terry in this time period probably refers to his son Wm Jr. whose wife was Patience Cooper (identified as wife of Wm Terry in  her father's will and her nieces inherit in Wm Jr's will of 1810). 

1791 - Age 67, The Whiskey Rebellion occurred. A tax protest in the early 1790s was caused by the first tax imposed by the government on the American people after the United States became its own country. 

 1792 - Court documents of February 1793 referred to William Terry "deceased" and his widow Rachel and name several children. Other children will be named and identified after the death of Rachel around 1803.

1793 - A William Terry, likely the son of this William, granted a license to keep an ordinary in his house at Christianburg, Montgomery Co., Va. An ordinary could be an inn, pub or both; a crucial service in the time of long journeys.  (Nov. 5, 1793). There is also a William Terry listed as potential son in the will of a Jasper Terry who left a widow named Margaret (Elijah, Silas, Jonathan,William, Keziah (Mrs Graham), Karen-Happuch (Mrs. Rose) and Jemima (Mrs. Deweese). The actual parent of this Jasper is unsure (he may connect to the G-02 group ;simply unknown to date).  

It is clear that except for two possible trips to Philadelphia for marriage, William Sr. stayed in Botetourt Co., area of the state.  The gaps in his time line are brief and his behavior suggests a man who, although actively involved in building his community (constable, surveyor of roads, and member of the local militia) he did not actively engage in conflict or similar activities (another link to roots in the early Friends?).

Also of note, is a trace that indicates in those early Quaker records regarding Eleanor that perhaps she married outside the society (and its processes);  that often meant a spouse was not an adherent. 

Intriguingly, there are several lines (one is the Clement Terry line of Bucks Co., Pa) that indicates at the time William b1724 would have been seeking a wife, others before him in Terry groups had stepped outside the "proper" order of things to marry in "public" or in a civil ceremony. Thus, there is record of some weddings at the historic Presbyterian churches of Philadelphia of those who, as in one case in particular, two months after the civil ceremony at another church they had a proper Quaker one at the local meeting house. An important element in accepting Eleanor Holmes as the first wife of this William would be to discover how Quakers viewed divorce. If a woman did not marry in the Meeting House is it possible her marriage could be overlooked or set aside (something the Catholic Church does) if she herself was upstanding and faithful to the tenets of the Meeting? There appears to be some indication of this in records.

Also, note on the DNA related to this grouping. Several descendants of John Terry who married Esther Brown have had their DNA tested and the results place them in that same I-02 haplogroup.  See an informative article on the Y-DNA of the Buck's Co., Pa group related to Virginia at Addendum 1. Analysis of Y-DNA markers – 29deadpeople  and explore the links provided to names at the Terry Family DNA results at Test Results at Terry - Results | FamilyTreeDNA and the classic chart at FamilyTreeDNA - TERRY Y-Chromosome DNA Surname Project

TERRY UNKNOWNS

A. In that central and SW Virginia area of Wm Terry and Rachel can be found another Jasper Terry. (Or the same and no familiar connection between Wm and Jasper of 1744).  This one is identified by the presumed name of his spouse as "Jasper and Mary Morrison Terry.

They had at least one son Josiah who married a Mary Lloyd. 

This Josiah had children (more but these are the only ones I am listing) Jasper Morrison Terry and Aaron Burr Terry.

This family group, from the previously mentioned sources, had haplogroups in opposition to those of the other groups - a G-02. Other research indicates this group too may have come out of New Jersey very early but more data is needed to be sure of migration; not enough have added their DNA to the mix to determine more.

B. The "Two Jasper Terry's". Many trees have added these two together to be either the son of William and Rachel Terry I-02 or part of the Jasper Terry G-02 group of Terry-Morrison. Lately, some trees show they are connecting people and lines identified from I-01, I-02 and G-02!

Here is my take on the situation. Most trees say that this Jasper Terry who died in 1819 in Montgomery Co., Va had two wives and the first was named "Ruth" and the second "Margaret" (presumed Snidow married name). This is based on land records of the 1793 to 1804 mentioning a "Jasper and wife Ruth." The will of this man, however, merely says "Margaret Terry" and calls his step-daughter Susannah Snidow/Snido (from that it has been assumed that was Margaret's married name but it could also be Susannah's married name! A large group of that name are in the same area). So a pre-marriage name of Margaret Snidow is an assumption until documentary evidence appears to clarify the situation and the dates.

The major problem is that for this man to be the same husband to both Ruth and Margaret, the time line does not line up based on working assumptions.  For "Jasper Terry and wife Ruth" to be together as couple in 1793-1809 time period, Ruth had to die before 1819. The will of 1819 of Jasper Terry appears to imply the wife would survive him.

No death or cemetery has been found related to his or her death or that of a first wife.  At that late date, a record seems expected if he had mothered Elisha, Silas, Jonathan, William, Karon-Happuck, Keziah, and Jemima and then remarried Margaret and then died in 1819. The children were grown and married. Yet no marriage records survive just as no death records survive to verify any of that.

Two, given the names of the three daughters - blessings after a time of trial- (the loss of a beloved first wife?) it seems probable that Margaret was the mother of the girls (born after hardship of war, loss of a spouse, something else? Some dark night of the soul?) and a first wife mother of the boys. Only as records or DNA from those who hail from the genes of Silas, Elijah, Jonathan and William is analyzed can an answer be suggested.

I assume that this Jasper-Margaret may link to the G-02 group and that any descendants of the "Jasper and Ruth" may prove to be of the I-02 group. Thus proving these are two distinct family units.

Who knows?   The presumed descendants of this Jasper (Elisha , Silas, Jonathan, William ) should be encouraged to have their DNA done and thus help to clarify the lines of tangled tree called TERRY.

Hopefully, this will encourage people to begin a new discussion about what they assume to know or claim about the Terry Trees in Virginia. Each one played strong roles in the formation of the state, the nation and the family groups they birthed. May we do as much in the lives we are given.

Happy hunting!

Problems with the Terry Tree

Two wrinkles have arisen concerning origins for the man my family line identifies as William Terry (1724-1793) and wife Rachel Manson(c1730-1803) of Botetourt County, Va. Family trees, family histories, family letters along with family lore and official documentation- and now DNA- have all established that this man had a son John Terry who married Esther Brown.

PROBLEMS OF EVIDENCE AND LOCATION:

The man many family trees identify as  a) William Terry, b) William "Trapper" Terry and ,3) "William Terriy", often has a birthdate ranging from 1700-1724, my line believes the 1724 is correct based on activities. 

Some claim he was born at "Elmwood Plantation, Roanoke, Botetourt Co, Va" and others "Terry's Run, Orange Co., Va".  The last is interesting because according to sources consulted Orange Co was created in about 1734 from Spotsylvania Co. His death has been - since about the 1970's fixed at circa 1803 based on dating from various legal documents that mention his children. A legal action by his son Miles Terry named Rachel as William's widow and several children were named in the document dated February 1793. Then an earlier court document filed by his son Jasper (with wife Ruth) to serve as administrator was filed Dec 11 1792.  This appears to mean that William was already dead (hence his wife named a widow).

Some claim and have added that to the FindaGrave record that he died in Surry Co., North Carolina and they describe him as Wm "Trapper" Terry who married a Cherokee woman they label a "Princess" Elizabeth or Esther Harris Terry Parker Sanders (all my Native American friends confirm are probably shaking their heads at the princess business; most concur they had no such title). The one revised FIndAGrave has William as an elderly man up and traveling to Surry Co., NC and there dying and being buried in a Terry Family Cemetery. I have no doubt there might be a Wm Terry buried there but feel confident he will turn out to be one of the eastern VA Terry group with a Haplogroup of I-01. They had several Williams fighting in Native conflicts, fighting in the Revolution, and they made have made their living trapping and using the coastal waterways for trade.  Some of the this group may require a vast new database of DNA before they are satisfied with any tree. 

Others hold to a death in Botetourt County, Virginia, United States.  That is most likely since he died probably October or November of 1792 in Botetourt Co., Virginia. No grave has been documented as his in Botetourt County, Va or elsewhere. 

Note: Here is where some DNA would really be useful to untangle the line of this alleged "Wm "Trapper" Terry who married the Native American Woman in  North Carolina. I can accept "A" William Terry may have done just that, but there were several large clusters of Terry's, including one group that landed in Virginia, one that trickled down from Pa and NJ and another that may have drifted in from NC.  

The DNA will be helpful to see if this group belongs to the G Haplogroup of Jasper Terry and Mary Morrison or the I-02 Haplogroup of Wm and Rachel Manson Terry, Jasper Terry and Mary Hart and John and Ester Brown Terry.

SOME OTHER PROBLEMS NOTED:

A marriage between a  William Tirrey, and Keziah (Hale) Tirrey. This gets repeated -ad nauseum -  but there is no evidence provided when it is shared. Where does the information come from? A family Bible? A public or church record? There has to be some proof before this can be accepted in any manner whatsoever.

The Boteoturt Co,, VA Wm Terry's wife was a "Rachel Moredock". Again, absolutely no evidence or documentation is offered to support this. There, however a marriage record at the historical Christ Church in Philadelphia of a 1759 marriage between a William Terry and a Rachel Manson. If this was a second union for William, as some birthdates suggest, the first marriage was made when he was young.

The same is true for a marriage of a Thomas BROWN and a Mary TERRY. It keeps getting listed but the records I have seen show no place, no date and without those the claim there relate to the parents of Esther Brown Terry mean nothing.

For some odd reason, again no supporting evidence, Wm's son, father of my ggggrandfather William Terry who married Barbara Ennis, John /Esther Brown Terry has had "Burris" slipped into his name. No evidence, no proof and an apparent story that may have had its genesis in the marital line of a descendent of John's younger son. In fact, the only Burris connection is through the son of Josiah, son of John and Esther, whose first marriage produced two sons (William and Joseph). Joseph married a woman whose grandmother was a Burris. Absolutely no connection to John Terry son of William Terry.

The next data is full of details but empty of references or cited sources:  The claim is that William Terry (pick which one) had the occupation as a Fur Trader and he was a Roanoke/Southern Tuscororan Soldier.    Some claim either he or just his alleged first wife or both had an ethnicity of Tuscorora; and Old Cheraw . Others have fleshed out the information - again  no source - that his was named William John Terry, fur trapper/trader, surveyor, soldier.  Given land right, by the late 1700's, the old Terry Plantation was made up close to 1,000 acres. The property located where Roanoke, Virginia was later established. His farm was named Elmwood.

A little about "ELMWOOD":

A 2010 article from my old blog "Family Face", "ELMWOOD: TERRY HOME OF BOTETOURT CO., VIRGINIA"

"According to many researchers this house was the home of the Terry's in what is now Roanoke, VA. It served as the recreation offices of the city in 1944 and later the main library but was demolished in 1964 as the and the libraries grew ( public library). The area is known as Elmwood Park. The last Terry to reside there on South Jefferson Street was the town's first millionaire, Peyton L. Terry. According to one source, Peyton acquired "Elmwood" in 1868 after the Civil War. Other sources indicate he was the son of a Stephen Terry and there had been a "Elmwood" in Pittsylvania Co.. Continuing research will clarify the connection as valid or just a really good story.

Peyton Leftwich Terry of the Pittsylvania Co. Va area, was the descendent of Steven (1805-), son of William (1777-1815), son of Stephen (1750-1802), son of Zachariah (1725-1767 and all in the same Pittsylvania Co., Va area) who may have been the son of a James Terry (dates and location unknown). His wife, Mary Terry, wrote a book, "Big Lick Homefront: 1861-1865" written in 1898.

Although connection to this home is still possible due to many unanswered family history questions. from the information about the last Terry resident (who may or may not have named it), it would appear that there is no clear connection to the Peyton L. Terry of Elmwood and the line of this page."

The group that built Elmwood was apparently from Pittsylvania Co., Va. 

Terry's Run, Orange Co., Virginia:

The Tierry/Terry theory runs rampant with the claim that William Terry father of William/Rachel Terry line was born in 1700 in "Terry's Run" in Orange County, Virginia, the son of a "gentleman" and physician born in London. Records indicate that Orange County was created in 1734 from Spotsylvania co., Va.

Between 1781 and 1792 three male Terry's marry and are recorded in the book Annals of Southwest Virginia, p. 525 (available free to view online HathiTrust).  In 1781 John Terry marries Esther Brown, in 1782 his brother Miles Terry marries Hannah Horton. In 1782 a Stepen (Stephen) Terry marries an Alice Biggs.  This last group , I believe, represent a family that migrated into the are from about 1760 but more seriously about the time the line of William Terry-Rachel Manson Terry are migrated outward to other counties and territories (KY, TN, IND, etc.). The information on this page, I believe, describes their line. See: Terry Families of VA - Botetou - Genealogy.com

A family of Terry are in North Carolina and Halifax Co., VA with names Stephen, Matthew, Champs, etc. and they, from will information, represent another group.

The Annals mentions a William Terry with a wife Elizabeth in 1798 (April 6) who sold land to Isaac Renfro on the Little River in Botetourt Co., Va.

AGAIN - the DNA will be incredibly important in untangling these lines. Having my father's DNA return with the I-02 haplogroup was incredibly enlightening since others have done theirs and the link is proven from my father to John and Esther and upheld with Wm and Rachel. Others with the same haplogroup include a line going up into Pennsylvania and New York. Still some untangling to do but the DNA is a guide.

Further, I have had no "hits" on my own DNA information related to any group claiming the "Trapper " William Terry story.

So, look for the evidence, or add a statement as to why your link should be accepted because others will not be as discerning or questioning.