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Biographical Sketch for:
Benjamin Noles (1765 - 1845)
by: R. B. Noles
INTRODUCTION
WAKE COUNTY
NORTH CAROLINA LAND GRANTS and DEEDS
OGLETHORPE and JACKSON COUNTY GEORGIA
OGLETHORPE
and JACKSON COUNTY GEORGIA TAX LISTS, DEEDS
and other official documents
LINCOLN
COUNTY, TENNESSEE LAND GRANTS
WILL for BENJAMIN NOLES
THE CHILDREN of BENJAMIN and ANNA NOLES WERE:
INTRODUCTION
Benjamin Noles
was living alone as an adult in Wake County, North Carolina, at the
time of the 1790 Census. Benjamin received a land Grant from
the State of North Carolina on November 28, 1792, in Wake County.
Benjamin sold this Wake County land to O.D. Rowland in 1793, and
removed shortly thereafter to Georgia and settled in Oglethorpe
County, where Benjamin and and his wife, Anna started a family.
The Census and these North Carolina documents are the earliest
evidence of Benjamin Noles produced so far.
There were many Knowles and Noles families (apparently unrelated) in
eastern North Carolina before the Revolutionary War.
Researchers have been trying to connect Benjamin to one of these
Knowles or Noles families for many years, without much success;
speculation and best guesses are all we have had to go on.
My first educated guess,
made many years ago, was that Benjamin was a descendant of the well
known Edmund
"Old Silverhead" Knowles (1685-1762) (DE Pro #01) line
from Delaware. "Old Silverhead's" youngest son, Edmund
Knowles, Jr. was said to be in North Carolina at the time "Old
Silverhead" died in 1762 (based on his estate settlement). An
Edward or Edmund Knowles (aka Noles) was referenced on a number of
land transactions in the mid 1700s in Johnston County, North
Carolina, not far from the location of the land granted to Benjamin
in Wake County in 1792. However, Y-DNA test results have
proven that Benjamin was NOT a descendant of "Old Silverhead."
Perhaps, the aforementioned Edward Knowles wasn't the son of "OSH"
either.
The other major candidates for a family connection for Benjamin in
North Carolina were (are):
1)
William Noles (c 1731- 1794)
- a Knowles (aka Noles) family from the old Bute
County, North Carolina area (now Warren County) headed by
William Noles (c 1731-1794) and his wife, Susannah Knowles
(1735-1814); the parents of Butler
Noles (1769 - 1861) (NC Pro #30)
and Corbin Noles
(1771 - c 1823) (NC Pro #31). Benjamin could be an
undocumented brother (or cousin) of Butler and Corbin Noles.
2)
Robert Knowles, R.S. (1726 - 1792)
(NC Pro #10) - a large
Knowles family from Duplin County, North Carolina headed by
Robert
Knowles, R.S. and his wife Elizabeth Williams.
Elizabeth Williams was much younger (perhaps 40 years younger)
than Robert. Benjamin could have been a product of
Robert's first wife, if any, and who as yet remains
unidentified.
Both of these Knowles
families were in North Carolina before or just after 1700. Up
until now, no one has discovered a paper trail (for Benjamin)
leading to either of these Knowles families nor have I had any Y-DNA
test results for these two North Carolina Knowles families.
NOTE: A Y-DNA test Kit was
recently delivered to the lab for a descendant of the Old Bute
County Knowles / Noles family. This family is the most
likely connection for Benjamin in North Carolina, if there is to
be one. Test results for this family should be available
before the end of 2007.
In the meantime, I have discovered a Y-DNA match for
Benjamin Noles with the
Peter
Knowles (aka Nowels) (b 1716) line out of
Baltimore, Maryland. The known (documented) descendants
of Peter Nowels migrated west from Baltimore through Pennsylvania to
Ohio, Indiana and Iowa; starting before 1780. Based on
the DNA test results (but with no documentation as yet), it would
appear that Benjamin Noles and/or his father broke off from the
Baltimore family and traveled south to North Carolina to seek their
fortune, sometime before 1780 (perhaps much earlier).
DNA Test Results for Benjamin Noles
So, if I am right (and
DNA doesn't lie), we are looking for Benjamin's father to be a son
or nephew of said
Peter Nowels. It's also
possible that the William Noles
and Susannah Knowles line identified above have connections back to
Peter Nowels or ancestors of Peter Nowels. The upcoming Y-DNA
test results may have some answers to these questions.
Stay tuned for future developments!
Return to the Top of Biographical Sketch
WAKE COUNTY
NORTH CAROLINA LAND GRANTS and DEEDS
North Carolina Land Grant #1219 was issued to
Benjamin Noles on
November 28, 1792, for a tract of 229 acres at the
junction of Middle Creek & Terrible Creek. North Carolina Land
Grant #1194 was issued to Etheldred Jones November 28, 1792, for a tract of 220 acres
adjacent to
Benjamin Noles. Benjamin's land via North Carolina Grant
#1219 can be pinpointed on a modern map of North Carolina that shows
the two creeks. Benjamin's land would be just to the south of
the runway at the little Triple W Air Park just off US-401, west of
Raleigh where the two creeks join up.
Other land owners (and the dates of their land grants) adjacent to or
near Benjamin's tract of 229 acres were:
Nathan Rowland
(1785),
William Rowland
(1792),
Mark Myatt
(1790),
Isaac Hudson
(1792),
William Partin
(1799) and
John Richardson
(1787). Research so far has not identified Benjamin's
possible connection to any of the families from these adjacent land
owners; however, Benjamin's wife, Anna is likely to have been
a daughter of one of these land owners. There also seems to be
a connection between the
William Noles
(c 1731- 1794) line mentioned above and
the Ethelred Jones family.
In
1793, a Wake County deed was recorded for Benjamin Noles (Grantee) to O.D.
Rowland for one tract of 229 acres in the junction of Middle Creek &
Terrible Creek.
FROM: "Wake County North
Carolina County Court Minutes, 1793 thru 1796", Book #3 (pages 68 and
70):
State of North Carolina: At a County Court of pleas and quarter
Sessions begun and held.
Wake County for the County of Wake at the Court House in Wake the
third
Monday in March A.D. 1795 and in the 19th year of our Independence.
Present Joel LANE, Esquire.
The Court adjourned 'til Tuesday 9 o'clock.
The Court met according to adjournment. Present The Worshipful Joel
LANE, Theophilus HUNTER, Britain SANDERS, Esquires.
Item:
206-37
A Deed from Benjamin
NOLES to Pearson BROWN was proved
by the Oath of Josiah BROWN a witness thereto and Ordered to be
registered.
Benjamin Noles
apparently removed from North Carolina shortly after selling his
land in Wake County with or still without his bride, Anna.
Benjamin probably followed the historic Fall Line Road that
followed the "fall line" from Richmond, Richmond Co., Virginia, thru
Raleigh (Wake Co., North Carolina), Columbia, South Carolina,
Augusta, Georgia to Macon, Georgia. The "fall line" is a geographic
feature which acts as a separation line between the river tidelands
and inland elevations on the Atlantic Coast. Caused by erosion, the
fall line defines an east and west division between "upper" and
"lower" elevations stretching from Maryland to Georgia. By about
1735, the Fall Line Road cut off at Fredericksburg from the King's
Highway and continued to points south following the fall line; the
first interior route into Virginia, the Carolinas, and as far south
as the Georgia Line (On a modern road map, the fall line road can be
approximated by following U.S. Highway 1).
MAP of
COLONIAL ROADS c 1735
Return to the Top of Biographical Sketch
OGLETHORPE and
JACKSON COUNTY GEORGIA
Many NOLES families can be
identified in various records for Georgia counties in the region
just west and northwest of Augusta, Georgia, where Benjamin and
other Knowles family members probably entered Georgia. Knowles family
members have been noted in Warren, Jefferson, Hancock, Greene,
Jackson, and Jasper counties in records covering the last decade of
the 18th century and the first
two decades of the 19th century. The descendants of
Edmund "Old
Silverhead" Knowles were prominent in Greene County,
Georgia, the county just to the south of Oglethorpe County where
Benjamin settled and started a family. Benjamin, his wife and
two children are noted in the 1800 Census for Oglethorpe County.
A
Benjamin Noles applied for the 1805 Georgia Land Lottery, but
received no land as a result of the lottery. The application
was for Oglethorpe County, Georgia, which is northeast of Greene
County where
Benjamin Noles lived from roughly 1795 until about 1816
to 1818.
Benjamin also had property in Jackson County, Georgia starting about
1818. Abstracts from the January 9, 1821, Georgia Journal
(Milledgeville Newspaper), report a Tax Collector's Sale of 100
acres in Sandy Creek, Jackson County. The property taken was
the property of
Benjamin Noles.
The tax due was $2.40. A Martha Noles, probably Benjamin's
daughter, was married in Jasper Co., Georgia in 1818. A Judith
Noles (father unknown, but quite possibly a niece to Benjamin) was
married to Timothy Johnson in Hancock Co., Georgia in 1817.
Return to the Top of Biographical Sketch
OGLETHORPE and
JACKSON COUNTY GEORGIA TAX LISTS, DEEDS
and other official documents
After removing from Wake County, North Carolina in or about 1793,
Benjamin Noles
settled in Oglethorpe County, Georgia, and
subsequently in Jackson County, Georgia. The following deeds
document the various land records in Oglethorpe County involving
Benjamin from 1793 through 1815 and in Jackson County between 1818
and 1821.
1793, Benjamin NOX
(Noles); 1793 Wilkes County Georgia Tax List, Col.
William Baley Regiment, Capt. William Johnston Company; James
Spraten (Spratley or Pratley) is listed for 500 acres (other acreage
for James Spraten is also listed) adjoining
Benjamin Nox (assumed to
be Noles) on Clouds Creek (water course) in Oglethorpe County. The
tax seems to based on the number of white males, slaves, stock in
trade, wheel carriages, etc. (as reported in "Wilkes County, Georgia
Tax Records, 1785 - 1805", compiled & published by Frank Parker
Hudson - copied at the Huxford Genealogical Society Library in Homerville, Georgia
in September 1999)
1794, Benjamin NOCKS; 1794 Wilkes County Georgia Tax List, Col.
William Baley Regiment, Capt. William Johnston Company; James
Spraten (Spratley or Pratley) is listed for 500 acres (other acreage
for James Spraten is also listed) adjoining Benjamin Nocks (assumed
to be Noles) on Clouds Creek (water course) in Oglethorpe County.
The tax seems to based on the number of white males, slaves, stock
in trade, wheel carriages, etc. (as reported in "Some Early Tax
Digests of Georgia" collected & edited by Ruth Blair, state
Historian & Director The Georgia Department of Archives & History,
published 1926, page #296 - copied at the Huxford G. S. Library in
Homerville, Georgia and in "Wilkes County, Georgia Tax Records, 1785
- 1805", compiled & published by Frank Parker Hudson - copied at the
Huxford Genealogical Society Library in Homerville, Georgia in
September 1999)
1794, Benjamin NOX; 1794 Wilkes County
Georgia Tax List, Col. William Baley Regiment, Capt. Henry Josey
Company; Johnathan Thurman is listed for 100 acres (other acreage
for Thurman is also listed) adjoining Benjamin Nox (assumed to be
Noles) on Clouds Creek (water course) in Oglethorpe County. The tax
seems to based on the number of white males, slaves, stock in trade,
wheel carriages, etc. Other surnames in the vicinity were: Bedingfield, McFalls, Roberson, Stovall, & Webb (as reported in
"Some Early Tax Digests of Georgia" collected & edited by Ruth
Blair, state Historian & Director The Georgia Department of Archives
& History, published 1926, page #296 - copied at the Huxford G. S.
Library in Homerville, Georgia in 1999 and in "Wilkes County,
Georgia Tax Records, 1785 - 1805", compiled & published by Frank
Parker Hudson - copied at the Huxford Genealogical Society Library in Homerville,
Georgia in September 1999)
1796, December 3, Benjamin NOLES; Oglethorpe County, Georgia Deed
Book E, 1806- 1809, Page 80, as reviewed by R. B. Noles in the
Oglethorpe County Courthouse [see 1804,
August 30, Benjamin NOLES].
1796, December 31, Benjamin NAILS; Oglethorpe County, Georgia Deed
Book C, 1798- 1800, Page 126, Richard Wright & Sarah, his wife, to
Mathew Hail, all of Oglethorpe County, for $400, on South side of
South Fork of Broad River in said county, adjacent to Stephen
Gardner, Avington McElroy, Richard Roberts, deceased, George Wright
& Elijah Clark, 200 acres. (signed) Richard Wright. Wit: James
Hails,
Benjamin Nails (sic), Richard Hartsfield. (As reported in
"Oglethorpe County, Georgia Deed Books A - E, 1794 - 1809", by Michael Martin Farmer, 1999, Page #106)
1797, Benjamin NOX; 1797 Wilkes County Georgia Tax List, Col.
William Baley Regiment, Capt. William Johnston Company; James
Spraten (Spratley or Pratley) is listed for 500 acres (other acreage
for James Spraten is also listed) adjoining
Benjamin Nox (assumed to
be Noles) on Clouds Creek (water course) in Oglethorpe County. (as
reported in "Wilkes County, Georgia Tax Records, 1785 - 1805",
compiled & published by Frank Parker Hudson - copied at the Huxford
Genealogical Society Library in Homerville, Georgia in September 1999).
1797, June, Benjamin NOLES;
Benjamin Noles listed on an Account of
Sales of Estate for William Rowland, deceased. The year recorded was
June 1797, with year deceased listed as 1794. On the same page
a Martin NOLES is listed as having purchased hymn books.
Benjamin Noles
purchased hay and hoes. No Noles or Knowles listed in
index, so probably no wills by them during this time period (as
reported in "Wake County, North Carolina Wills & Inventories
1771 - 1797", LDS microfilm, as reported by Bettie Bishop on
October 1, 1999).
1803, February 10, Benjamin NOLES;
Oglethorpe County, Georgia Deed D, 1800-1806, William Lawrence to
Thomas W. Scott, both of said county, for $336, on Clouds Creek
waters in said county, adjacent to
Benjamin Noles & William Black,
beginning with pine corner, N45W 54 ch. To stake, S45W 20 ch. To
stake, S40E 6o ch. To pine to beginning on William Black's line, 140
acres, is in part of 400 acres granted to John H. Johnson & sold by
Johnson to Anthony Olive & sold by Olive to Richard Roberts (now
deceased), then sold by William Lawrence as administer of said
Roberts at public sale & John Holmes bid off land as agent or
trustee for Lawrence individually by instrument given by Holmes to
Lawrence ack. His agency. (signed) William Lawrence. Wit: Joel
Barnett, George Moore, James D. Cole, J.P. (As reported in
"Oglethorpe County, Georgia Deed Books A - E, 1794 - 1809", by
Michael Martin Farmer, 1999, Page #223).
1804, August 30, Benjamin NOLES; Oglethorpe County, Georgia Deed
Book E, 1806- 1809, Page 80, James Haile, Sr. of said county,
administer & Jane Haile, admrx., of Matthew Haile, deceased, to
Benjamin Noles of said county. Matthew Haile, deceased in his
lifetime, 3 December 1796, with
Benjamin Noles as joint copartner,
entered into an agreement with Johnson Clark, then a citizen of said
county, for a tract in said county on South Broad River waters,
adjacent to Stephen Gardner, Avington McRoy, Richard Roberts,
deceased, George Wright & Elizabeth Clark, 200 acres, for $400
jointly paid by Mathew Hailes &
Benjamin Noles & special deed given
by Richard Wright & Sarah his wife, to Mathew Haile whom the rights
then lay for land. Mathew Haile was to make titles to Benjamin Noles
for ½ of land, the part on South side of branch through tract.
Mathew Haile didn't make titles agreeable to his contract in his
lifetime. Since his decease, Benjamin Noles has brought bill in
equity against James Haile, Sr. & Jane Haile, administrators of
Mathew Haile, deceased for titles & obtained decree from Superior
Court, March 1804, compelling administrator James Haile, Sr. & Jane
Haile, admrx. to make titles. James Haile & Jane Haile,
administrators, sell to
Benjamin Noles the tract agreeable to deed
from Richard Wright to Mathew Haile. (signed) James Haile, Sr. Wit.:
Thomas W. Scott, James (X) Haile, Jr. Proven 24 November 1804 before
Fleming Jordan, J.P. Recorded 28 August 1806. (As reported in
"Oglethorpe County, Georgia Deed Books A - E, 1794 - 1809", by
Michael Martin Farmer, 1999, Page #314).
1808, March 3, Mathew HAILES, deceased; Oglethorpe County, Georgia
Deed Book E, 1806- 1809, Page 432, John Hailes & Elizabeth, his
wife, to Groves Howard, all of Oglethorpe County, for $800, on South
Broad River in said county, originally granted to John Smith, 170
acres, adjacent to General Clark, Mathew Hailes, deceased, & South
River, granted 31 December 1787. Also, another tract adjacent to
above granted 29 July 1805 to John Hailes, 13 acres, in fee simple.
(Signed) John (X) Hailes, Elizabeth (X) Hailes. Wit.: William Green,
James Olive, Clement Glenn, J.P. Recorded 8 April 1809. (As reported
in "Oglethorpe County, Georgia Deed Books A - E, 1794 - 1809", by
Michael Martin Farmer, 1999, Page #404)
1808, March 30, Benjamin NOLES; Oglethorpe County, Georgia Deed Book
E, 1806- 1809, Page 425, Thomas W. Scott to Thompson Pittard, both
of Oglethorpe county, for $675, on main Clouds Creek in said county,
170 acres, beginning on Isaac McElroy, S45W 20 ch. to corner, S40E
60 ch. to pine, N45E to James Hales, Jr., N4E 28 ch. to stake, S56
½W 18.50 to white oak, N45W 35.50 to beginning. Adjacent to James
Hales, Jr.,
Benjamin Noles & others. (Signed) Thomas W. Scott. Wit.:
James Olive, Robert Smithwick, Alexander McEwen, J.P. Recorded 7
April 1809. (As reported in "Oglethorpe County, Georgia Deed Books A
- E, 1794 - 1809", by Michael Martin Farmer, 1999, Page #402)
1808, March 13, Benjamin NOLES; Oglethorpe County, Georgia Deed Book
E, 1806- 1809, Page 440, James Haile, Jr. to Thomas W. Scott, both
of Oglethorpe County, for $50, on North side of Clouds Creek in said
county, 21 3/4/acres, beginning on James Haile's and
Benjamin Noles'
line, S41W 24.6 to corner, S44E, 10 ch. to corner on line between
Haile & Scott to beginning, is part of tract which James Haile
bought from William Black. (Signed) James (X) Haile,Jr. Wit.: James
Olive, Robert Smithwick. Ack. Before Asa Ragan, J.P. Recorded 17
April 1809.
1818,
June, Benjamin NOLES; Apparent deed for
Benjamin Noles
in Jackson County, Georgia. This deed copied from microfilm is
hard to read and needs to be analyzed, but may be for land
Benjamin had while in Jackson county, Georgia in the 1815-1821
time frame.
FROM: "GENEALOGICAL ABSTRACTS FROM THE
GEORGIA JOURNAL (MILLEDGEVILLE) NEWSPAPER, 1809-1840, Volume 2 (1810
- 1823),
pages 420-421: "Collector's Sale. Will be sold on the 1st Tuesday in
March next, in the town of Jefferson, Jackson County...the following
property, or as much thereof, as will satisfy the tax for the year
1818; and cost--to wit: (lists many names, then:) 100 acres of
land...Jackson County, Sandy Creek, taken as the property of
BENJAMIN NOLES...tax due $2.40 (lists a few more names, then:)
(Signed) John Holland, T.C., J.C.
FROM: JACKSON COUNTY DEEDS ABSTRACTS by
Faye Poss (2nd Deed Book) - A deed issued to Benjamin Noles for 100
acres on the branches of Sandy Creek dated 9/19/1815.
Note by R. B.
Noles: Because of the deeds recorded in Oglethorpe
County Georgia co-owned by Matthew Haile and
Benjamin Noles, it
has long been assumed that Benjamin's wife, Anna, was a sister
of Matthew Haile. Subsequent genealogical
research for the Haile (Hale) families in Oglethorpe County have
failed to identify a daughter named Anna. The Haile (Hale)
family migrated to Georgia from Isle of Wight, Virginia and
North Carolina, and was possibly in the Wake County area before
migrating to Oglethorpe Georgia between 1780 and 1790.
Benjamin and Anna named one of their three sons Matthew.
Return to the Top of Biographical Sketch
LINCOLN
COUNTY, TENNESSEE LAND GRANTS
After
Benjamin Noles
and family lost (or abandoned) their land in Jackson County, Georgia
in 1821, they removed to Lincoln Co., Tennessee.
Benjamin Noles received a series of Land Grants in Lincoln County
from the state of Tennessee in 1824 through 1828. These
grants were apparently in Tax District #5, described as follows:
Beginning at the North West
corner of No. 4 running southwardly with the West boundary of the
same to the mouth of Tuckers Creek, thence down the river with the
meanders thence, to the mouth of Mulberry Creek, thence up the creek
to where the Fayetteville Road crossed the same, thence northwardly
with said to where Doctor Henderson formally lived, thence
eastwardly with the South boundary of No. 3 to the beginning. Election ground located at Henry Bennegars Stephen's Creek.
The Grants received by
Benjamin Noles in Lincoln County were as follows:
1) Grant #8420 -
June 25, 1824 - 50 acres in Lincoln Co., Tennessee (on
the headwater of the second creek above the mouth of Mulberry on the
north side of Elk River).
The State of Tennessee #8420 - To all to whom these presents shall
come...Greeting; Know Ye, That for, and in consideration of twelve
and a half cents per acre, paid into the office of the Entry-Taker
of Lincoln county, and entered on the 25th day of June 1824 pursuant
to the provisions of an Act of the General Assembly of said state,
passed on the twenty second day of November, one thousand, eight
hundred and twenty three, by no. 178, there is granted by the said
State of Tennessee, unto
Benjamin Noles assignee of William Berry, a
certain Tract of Land, containing Fifty Acres by survey bearing date
the 16th day of July 1824 lying in said county, on the head waters
of the second creek above the mouth of Mulberry on the north side of
Elk River and bounded as follows to wit beginning at a hickory and
poplar running south one hundred & twenty five poles to a hickory
and
dogwood thence east sixty four poles to a beech thence north one
hundred and twenty five poles to two dogwoods and a hickory thence
west sixty four poles to the beginning.
With the hereditaments and appurtenances. To have and to hold, the
said Tract or Parcel of Land, with its appurtenances, to the said
Benjamin Noles and his heirs forever. In witness whereof,
Samuel
Houston Governor of the State of Tennessee, hath hereto set his
hand, and caused the great seal of the state to be affixed, at
Nashville on the 11th day of August in the year of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and twenty eight, and of the independence of
the United States the fifty third.
BY THE GOVERNOR: signed
Sam Houston
2)
Grant #8412 - March 3, 1825 - 50 acres in Lincoln
Co., Tennessee (on the west boundary of existing
Benjamin Noles
tract and north boundary of the Thomas H. William tract).
The State of Tennessee #8412 - To all to whom these presents shall
come...Greeting; Know Ye, That for, and in consideration of twelve
and a half cents per acre, paid into the office of the Entry-Taker
of Lincoln county, and entered on the 3rd day of March 1825 pursuant
to the provisions of an Act of the General Assembly of said state,
passed on the twenty second day of November, one thousand, eight
hundred and twenty three, by no. 763, there is granted by the said
State of Tennessee, unto Benjamin Noles a certain Tract of Land,
containing Fifty Acres by survey bearing date the ninth day of March
1825, lying in said county on the waters of Stephens Creek and
bounded as follows to wit, beginning at a hickory & dogwood on the
west boundary of said Noles tract of 50 acres and in the north
boundary of Thomas H. Williams tract of 140 acres running thence
west with Williams line crossed the Fayetteville road at thirty four
poles in all eighty poles to a black gum thence north crossed the
Fayetteville road at sixty eight poles in all one hundred poles to a
white walnut thence east eighty poles to a Birch and hickory thence
south one hundred poles to the beginning.
With the hereditaments and appurtenances. To have and to hold, the
said Tract or Parcel of Land, with its appurtenances, to the said
Benjamin Noles and his heirs forever. In witness whereof,
Samuel
Houston Governor of the State of Tennessee, hath hereto set his
hand, and caused the great seal of the state to be affixed, at
Nashville on the 11th day of August in the year of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and twenty eight, and of the independence of
the United States the fifty third.
By THE GOVERNOR: signed
Sam Houston
3)
Grant #8425 - before 8/28/1828 - 50 acres in Lincoln Co., Tennessee
The State of Tennessee #8425 - To all to whom these presents shall
come...Greeting; Know Ye, That for, and in consideration of twelve
and a half cents per acre, paid into the office of the Entry-Taker
of Lincoln county, and entered on the 5th day of July 1824 pursuant
to the provisions of an Act of the General Assembly of said state,
passed on the twenty second day of November, one thousand, eight
hundred and twenty three, by no. 355, there is granted by the said
State of Tennessee, unto Benjamin Noles a certain Tract of Land,
containing Fifty Acres by survey bearing date the 20th day of July
1824, lying in said county on Noahs Creek a north branch of Elk
River and bounded as follows to wit, beginning at a hickory and
beech the South east corner of Robert Stephens track of 30 acres
running thence East forty eight poles to a beech thence North one
hundred and forty five poles to two elms, thence West eighty eight
poles to a birch, thence South forty poles to a hickory & dogwood,
thence East fifty four poles to a white walnut Stephens comes,
thence South and hundred poles to the beginning.
By THE GOVERNOR: signed
Sam Houston
4) Grant #8426 - before 08/28/1828 - 50 acres
in Lincoln Co., Tennessee
The State of Tennessee #8426 - To all to whom these presents shall
come...Greeting; Know Ye, That for, and in consideration of twelve
and a half cents per acre, paid into the office of the Entry-Taker
of Lincoln county, and entered on the 24th day of November 1824
pursuant to the provisions of an Act of the General Assembly of said
state, passed on the twenty second day of November, one thousand,
eight hundred and twenty three, by no. 687, there is granted by the
said State of Tennessee, unto Benjamin Noles a certain Tract of
Land, containing Fifty Acres by survey bearing date the sixth day of
December 1825, lying in said county On the waters of Stephens Creek
and bounded as follows to wit beginning at beech on the South corner
of said Noles tract of 50 acres, turning thence East forty-six poles
to a hickory on John Warren's West Boundary, thence North with his
line one hundred and Sixty-three poles to a stake thence West
forty-six poles to a stake thence South one hundred & seventy-three
poles to the beginning.
By THE GOVERNOR: signed
Sam Houston
Return to the Top of Biographical Sketch
WILL for BENJAMIN NOLES
July 25, 1845
I,
Benjamin Knowles,
of the County of Lincoln and State of Tennessee, being old and
infirm and in (fair) state of health but of sound mind, do this day
make and ordain this my last will and testament.
1st, I consign my body to the earth to be buried in a decent and
Christian-like manner and my soul to God who gave it and in relation
to my earthly property, it is my will that it should be left to my
beloved wife and children in the following manner after my executors
shall make sale of so much of my perishable property as may be
necessary to defray the expense of my funeral and discharge all the
just debts which I may in any way be owing to any person or persons
whatsoever.
2nd, I give and bequeath to my beloved wife
Ann Knowles
to be hers for the use of herself and for the support of my two
daughters now living with us, while said daughters shall remain
single and are disposed to live peaceably with their mother ,
all and singular my lands and tenements household and kitchen furniture, one horse of
her own choice, all cattle, all my hogs and sheep and of my stock or
article which may not be herein mentioned after the sale of my
executors as above mentioned to her and to the only proper use of
her during her natural life or widowhood and at her death said lands
and tenements to be disposed of in the following manner.
3rd,
To wit I give and bequeath unto my two daughters
Martha Knowles
and Elizabeth Knowles all the lands and tenements above mentioned to
be equally divided between them to be theirs and to their only
proper use for themselves and their heirs forever.
4th, I give and bequeath to my eldest son
Jesse Knowles one dollar out
of my estate when collected by my executors over and above what he
has heretofore received of me in token of the love I have to him.
5th, I give and bequeath to my eldest daughter
Rebecca wife of
Joseph
Campbell one dollar if she is living to be paid by my said executors
out of my estate over and above the property she has heretofore
received of me in testimony of the love I have for her.
6th,
I give and bequeath to my beloved daughters
Nancy wife of
William Thompson
one dollar to be paid by my executors out of my estate when
collected over and above the bed and furniture which she
received of me when she was first married and left my house in
testimony of the love I have for her.
7th, I give and bequeath to my daughter
Mary
wife of
Shelton
one cow and calf or other property of the stock in
the farm to the amount of ten dollars which property shall be paid
by my executors to said Mary Shelton previous to the sale above
mentioned in testimony of my love to her.
8th, I give and bequeath to my daughter
Cynthia
wife of
Matthew W. Carter
ten dollars to be raised out of my estate and paid over to her
in place of the land which I sold to
Matthew Knowles out of his
share of the said land.
9th, I appoint and ordain my two trusty friends
Crofford Carter
and my son Matthew Knowles
executors of this my last will and testament in Testimony
whereof I hereunto set my name and affix my seal the day and
date above written.
his
Benjamin
X Knowles
mark
Test: James Hague
A. Pleslick
Proven and Recorded in
Lincoln Co., Tennessee, September 15, 1845
Note by R. B. Noles:
The Will for Benjamin Noles was obviously prepared and filed by
a lawyer. Since Benjamin did not read or write, he was
basically unaware that his Will used the 'Knowles' spelling for
his surname. This, of course, was a common occurrence for
documents created before the 20th century and the primary reason
for some families to have their surname spelled KNOWLES from the
common English spelling of the surname, while others used NOLES,
the Americanization of the surname.
In Benjamin's case,
all of the documents for him, other than his Will, used the
NOLES spelling for his surname. All of Benjamin's
descendants have continued to use the NOLES spelling.
Should the spelling
of this family's surname be NOLES, KNOWLES or perhaps NOWELS?
Time will tell.
Return to the Top of Biographical Sketch
THE
CHILDREN of BENJAMIN and ANNA NOLES WERE:
1.
Rebecca Noles, born c
1798 in Oglethorpe Co., Georgia, married
Joseph Campbell September
10, 1823 in Lincoln Co., Tennessee; Rebecca died before 1855 in
Lincoln Co., Tennessee.
2.
Jessey Noles, born 1799
in Oglethorpe Co., Georgia, married Rhoda Pulley c 1828 in Lincoln or
Marshall Co., Tennessee; Jessey died in 1859 in Trigg Co., Kentucky.
(Jessey is the 2nd great grandfather of Robert B. Noles)
3.
Elizabeth Noles, born
1799 in Oglethorpe Co., Georgia; Elizabeth never marred;
Elizabeth died after 1880 in Lincoln Co., Tennessee.
4.
Nancy Noles, born 1803 in
Oglethorpe Co., Georgia, married William
Thompson c 1825 in Lincoln Co., Tennessee;
Nancy died after July 1870 in Lincoln Co., Tennessee.
5.
Martha Noles, born 1805
in Oglethorpe Co., Georgia, married James Kennon January 11, 1818 in Jasper
Co., Tennessee*; Martha died after 1860 in Lincoln Co., Tennessee.
(* not verified that the Martha who married James
Kennon was Benjamin's daughter. The Census records for 1830, 1840,
1850 and 1860 indicate Martha was living at home and was not married).
6.
Matthew Noles, born 1810
in Oglethorpe Co., Georgia, married Mariah
(maiden name unknown) c 1832 in Lincoln Co.,
Tennessee; Matthew died before September 29, 1873 in Lincoln Co.,
Tennessee. 7.
Alsey Noles, born 1812 in
Oglethorpe Co., Georgia, married Charity
(maiden name unknown) c 1830 in Lincoln Co.,
Tennessee; Alsey died in 1865.
8. Mary
Noles, born 1814 in Oglethorpe Co., Georgia,
married Joshua Shelton
in 1836 in Lincoln Co., Tennessee; Mary died April 20, 1872.
9. Cynthia
Noles, born 1818 in Oglethorpe Co., Georgia,
married Matthew W. Carter January 2, 1842 in Lincoln Co., Tennessee;
Cynthia died after July 1880.
Please provide
additions and corrections to
rbnoles@bellsouth.net
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Sketches
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