John (?) Bennett

Other Events and Attributes:

• Property: 1792, Martin Co, North Carolina

Notes:

Both William Bennett (d 1801) and James Bennett (d 1807) left wills in Martin County with daughters named Nancy Bennett. It is possible, though unlikely, that was the Nancy who m. John Griffin. Neither mentioned a married name for their Nancy, or if they were married or not. However, their brother John Bennett is most likely to be this Nancy's father in my view.

John Bennett did not leave a will, and due to the courthouse fire of 1884, estate and civil court records have not survived which might tell the exact year of his death and his heirs. John Bennett was probably Thomas Bennett's oldest son. He appeared on a grand jury in Tyrrell County in March 1752, implying that he was at least 21 by that date. John appeared regularly in court, deed, and will records in Tyrrell County after 1752 and in Martin County deed and wills after Martin County's creation in 1774, into the 1790s. In Tyrrell County's Deed Book 4, #49, 1761, John Bennett bought land from James Mizell, which was witnessed by John Griffin. In Deed Book 4, #374, 1765, Martha Griffin sold land adjoining John Bennett's Branch (Martin Griffin was mentioned also.) John Bennett appeared in the 1790 Census, but was deceased by the 1800 Census, though he was alive as late as January 12, 1795 when his father Thomas made his will. John Bennett had 11 slaves in the 1790 Census. He apparently was married previously, and had at least one son by this marriage --- Robert Bennett.

John Bennett apparently married (Martin County marriage records for this era have not survived) Amy, widow of Samuel Turner EVERITT after Everitt's death in 1780, see Will Book 1, p77. JOHN GRIFFIN was an executor of this will. Samuel Turner Everitt married Amy -------- perhaps as early as 1755 or 1760. Per Samuel's will they had one child, a son James Everitt. A deed book 5, # 33 entry of 1768 of Samuel Turner Everitt was witnessed by John Bennett. John Bennett's line adjoined John Everett/Everitt's line (brother of Samuel Turner) in 1770s and 1780s deeds. William Everett, nephew of Samuel Turner Everitt, deceased, in 1792 sold John Bennett 2 tracts of land totaling 260 acres that formerly belonged to William's father James Everett, deceased, (Deed Book C, #630.) [Samuel Turner Everitt, 1st husband of Amy, was the son of William Everitt, Sr., who died testate in Martin County in 1775.]

John Bennett did not appear in the 1800 Census, but Amy Bennett did (aged 45+.) She had 2 females aged 10, but not 16, and one male under 10 in her household. In 1802, Am[e]y Bennett died, leaving a will (Book 1, p 409) in which she named daughters NANCY BENNETT and Betsey Bennett, a son William Bennett, and a son James EVERITT. (She also mentioned a sister: Annie Long.) For Amy Bennett to still have children as late as 1790, one would think her birth date must not have preceded 1745 or so by much.

The above show that John Bennett lived near, even adjoining the Griffins and Everitts. It showed that there were real estate conveyances amongst them as well. It shows that John Bennett was alive in the 1790 Census, but not in the 1800 Census---when Amy Bennett became head of a household. It showed that Amy married some Bennett male and had 3 children by him. [I think it is worth pointing out that whichever Bennett was Amy's husband it must have been a "mature" one, because Amy was in her mid to late 30s at least when she married for the 2nd time. John Bennett fits in this category. In fact he is the only Martin County Bennett who who cannot be accounted for by a will of his own in this time period.] It does not, however, show that John Bennett married Amy Everitt, or that Amy's daughter Nancy was John Griffin's wife.

These three records, I think, do STRONGLY point to the conclusion that John Bennett was Amy Everitt's 2nd husband and father of the Nancy Bennett who married John Griffin in 1802:

* Martin County Deed Book D, #187, March 9 1804 --- Henry Slade, Jr. to JOHN GRIFFIN 130 acres for 150 pounds, lying on the south side of Mill Swamp, being half of 2 tracts of land conveyed by William Everett (son of James) to JOHN BENNETT containing 130 acres. Signed: Henry Slade, ELIZABETH Slade. Elizabeth Slade was examined as to her willingness to sell this land by Jesse Cherry and Starling Rogers.

* Martin County Deed Book E, #135, October 18, 1806 --- John & Ann GRIFFIN to William Hines 160 acres--land being on the south side of Mill Swamp and it being part of a tract of land granted to William Everitt, deceased & it being part of land formerly belonged to James Everitt, deceased. Beginning at a dividing line between John Everitt, Sr. and William Everitt then along various courses to Mill Swamp to Dickey Jones corner back to the beginning. Another parcel of land beginning at a corner
of the other part of land containing 100 acres. Signed: JOHN GRIFFIN, NANCY GRIFFIN. Witness: E. Slade.

* Martin County Deed Book , 1818 --- Henry B. and Elizabeth Slade sold 3/4 acre of land to William R. Bennett which is the remainder of the land descended from James Everitt, formerly Samuel T. Everitt's land. (This is a rough abstract that I made by pen years ago---the other deed records are from the Martin County Deed Abstracts published by the Martin County Historical Society which only are up to 1810 at this time.) William R. Bennett moved to Mississippi in the 1840s and died in 1854.

I think these deeds are the closest thing to a "smoking gun" that one is likely to find given the courthouse fire of 1884, unless one had a family Bible entry, which specifically gave Nancy's parentage.

My interpretation is that the 1804 deed was for the other half of the 260 acres that John Bennett bought from William Everitt in 1792, Nancy and John Griffin already possessing one half through Nancy's inheritance from her mother, Amy. (Amy's 1802 will may have more on this land, but I only have the abstract.) Further, Elizabeth Slade, wife of Henry, must be the "Betsey" referred to in Amy's will. The 1806 deed is for the whole 260 acres, though the deed abstract was poorly worded. "Ann" is used interchangeably with Nancy as a given name. When she signed this deed, she signed "Nancy." The "E. Slade" who witnessed the deed was doubtless her sister. After the Revolution (until 1868) females were not required to sign deeds if they were married, UNLESS the land being sold was their land by inheritance. They had to give their assent to this type of land being sold for the deed to be valid. This land appears to have been northwest of Williamston, toward Oak City, not close at all to where the Griffins and Bennetts originally lived. (Of course both families spread all over the county in time.)

In summary, I would say that John Bennett was born about 1730, probably in Chowan County. I would place his date of death at about 1798 in Martin County. Amy was probably born about 1740-45, and died in 1802 in Martin County. Additional research might reveal Amy's maiden name. It seems highly appropriate that John Bennett Griffin's grandfather was most likely --- JOHN BENNETT.

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Property:
William Everett, nephew of Samuel Turner Everitt, deceased, in 1792 sold John Bennett 2 tracts of land totaling 260 acres that formerly belonged to William's father James Everett, deceased, (Deed Book C, #630.)

Martin County Deed Book D, #187, March 9 1804 --- Henry Slade, Jr. to JOHN GRIFFIN 130 acres for 150 pounds, lying on the south side of Mill Swamp, being half of 2 tracts of land conveyed by William Everett (son of James) to JOHN BENNETT containing 130 acres. Signed: Henry Slade, ELIZABETH Slade. Elizabeth Slade was examined as to her willingness to sell this land by Jesse Cherry and Starling Rogers.

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John married Mrs. Amy (..) Everitt after 1780 in Martin Co, North Carolina. Amy was born about 1745; died after 1802 in of, Martin Co, North Carolina. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Nancy married John Griffin, Jr. on 3 Oct 1802 in Martin Co, North Carolina. John (son of John Griffin and Polly Slade) was born about 1780 in Southampton Co, Virginia; died on 10 Apr 1827 in Martin Co, North Carolina. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

It was several years after Noah F. Hinton's departure from the area that the former Hinton lands were acquired by Griffin.

John B. Griffin was born in neighboring Martin County on 1 August 1804, the son of planter John Griffin and hiswife Nancy. Already by 1830 young Griffin had acquired ownership of thirty-five slaves on his Martin County plantation. By 1840 the number of his slaves had increased . It was apparently in the mid-1840s that Griffin took to wife the former Sarah E. Williams, daughter of Samuel Williams of Martin County. Their union would produce six children. In 1838, prior to his departure for Mississippi, Noah B. Hinton author ized William Slade of Martin County to sell a
1,155 acre tract of land in Bertie County. Ten years later, on 14 December 1848, Slade conveyed this land to Griffin at the request of Hinton's wife (the former Chloe Ann Slade) for a recited consideration of $12,000. It is apparent that the land was extensively improved at the time of Griffin's purchase; and it is quite possible that Griffin soon came to reside in a dwelling house which had long stood on the property. The deed of conveyance described the lands as including those which had "descended from William Hinton Jr. to Noah B. Hinton and William Hinton as well as the lands purchased by William Hinton the younger from John Robbins." On 14 December of the same year Hinton sold to Griffin three additional tracts of land totaling 478 acres. The recited
consideration for these tracts was $4,000, again reflecting con siderable improvements. The property description, moreover, made refer ence to a 'mill Road," indicating that a mill existed on the property at the time of Griffin's purchase--quite possibly the mill erected by Aaron Ellis nearly a century earlier. In February of 1849 Griffin sold the 1,155 acre plantation tract to his father-in-law Samuel Williams for $10,000; but Williams immediately transferred ownership to his daughter in a deed of gift, with the under- standing that it be considered equivalent to $10,000 in her future share of his estate. By the summer of 1849 John B. Griffin had removed from Martin County and had taken up residence on the newly acquired Bertie County plantation.

Following his move, Griffin continued to enjoy conspicuous success as a planter. In 1850 he owned some fifty-seven slaves; and by 1860 the number of his slaves had increased to sixty-eight.15 Not unexpectedly, the value and production of Griffin's Quarter were correspondingly high. In 1850 the plantation included 600 acres under cultivation anil 1,800 acres which were unimproved. The cash value of the plantation was put at $21,000. Some 6,000 bushels of corn had been produced during the previous year, together with considerable quantities of oats, peas, beans, and sweet potatoes. Livestock included horses, mules, cotrs, o~en, cattle, and swine. By 1860 Griffin's improved acreage had increased to 1,000, with unimproved land now comprising 1,531 acres. The cash value of the plantation was put at $27,000. Again, the principal crop was , with 6,500 bushels having been
produced during the corn preceding year. Other crops included oats, peas, beans, and sweet potatoes as before, but with the addition now of cotton and Irish potatoes. Live- stock holdings remained roughly equivalent to their levels of a decade earlier, but with larger numbers of both cattle and swine. The value of Griffin's personal estate in 1860 was estimated to be $61,300.17

A Confederate tax census of 1862 reveals that Griffin's acreage and slave holdings had remained virtually unchanged after the first year of the Civil War. Additional information in this census discloses that Griffin owned a pleasure carriage, one or more gold watches, a piano, and other household and kitchen furniture valued at $650. A Confederate drawn in April of 18Q3, indicates the presence of approximately six structures at "Griffin's Qrs [i.e., Quarters]." It also indicates the location of "Griffin's Mill" near the mouth of Flag Run Creek.

John B. Griffin did not live to see the end of the Civil War. He died intestate on 13 November 1862 in the fifty-ninth year of his age (from self inflicted gunshot wound). In addition to his slaves and large plantation, Griffin's estate included numerous shares of various stocks and considerable holdings in Confederate bonds. Much of his personal property was sold at public auction on 23 December 1863. The dower of his widow Sarah included large quantities of crops and provisions, twelve slaves, and he whole of the tract of land near Woodville on which the mansion House is situated and also all the land on the south side of the mill run including the mill seat.

Sarah E. Griffin did not remarry and apparently continued to reside at Griffin's Quarter for the remainder of her life. In August of 1894, persuant to special proceedings in the Superior Court of Bertie County, she was granted deeds in fee simple to the home place and mill tract which she had held in her possession since the death of her husband more than three decades earlier. These two properties were described as being Situated in Woodville Township, Bertie County, adjoining the Watson, Smith and Johnson Tracts containing one hundred and five acres more or less and land known as the Griffin Mansion House tract and also the mill tract ... containing three hundred acres more or less and adjoining the Thompson, Smith and Clark tracts--both being the lands upon which Mrs. S.E. Griffin now dowers.

Mrs. Griffin passed away less than a year after the conclusion of these legal, proceedings, dying on 6 May 1895 at the age of seventy. The homeplace and mill property were subsequently
purchased at public auction by her daughter Virginia, wife of William C. Thompson, on 6 Aug- The
recited consideration for "the Mansion House tract" of 105 acres was $3,000; and that for the 300-acre "mill Tract," $1,000.

William C. Thompson died on 24 November 1895, only three months after his wife's purchase of the old Griffin homeplace and mill. Virginia A. Thompson survived her husband by a decade, dying on 6 June1905. Their marriage had produced three sons: W. C., Lewis W, and John S. Thompson. It was
apparently to these sons that the Griffin homeplace and mill eventually descended following the
death of their mother.

The Griffin's Quarter Plantation area, once comprising some 2,500 acres, is now owned and leased by several individuals and corporations. Portions of the former plantation are still being cultivated, while others remain undeveloped forest land for the use of hunters. Perdue Inc. operates a poultry farm in the area, and the Dickerson Group Inc. has recently developed a series of borrow pits for the purpose of obtaining sand for road construction and other projects. It was in connection with these borrow pits that archaeological investigations and historical research were conducted.

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