John Devane, Jr. - Revolutionary War Soldier

While researching my maternal 4th great grandmother Ann Davis for a 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks post last year, I came across a Revolutionary War pension record for her husband, my 4th great grandfather John Devane, Jr. I not only learned from these records where he served and what he did but that he was held prisoner for a short while by the British.

John and his brother James were living in New Hanover County, North Carolina, when they enlisted as minutemen in November 1775. John was almost 20 years old, and James was 18. They both served six months in a company commanded by their father John Devane, Sr. that was attached to a regiment under the command of Col. Lillington.

New Hanover County, North Carolina as of 1760 (map from www.randymajors.com)

While serving this tour, they marched from Black River Chapel to Wilmington. From there they went northwest to Rockfish west of Fayetteville (then called Cross Creek) in Cumberland County. They then marched back south to Elizabethtown in Bladen County and boated down the Cape Fear River until they reached the Black River. They went up the Black River to its junction with Bear Branch where they disembarked and marched to Long Creek bridge. They were ordered to Moores Creek bridge and then to Corbett’s ferry. They got as far as Colvins Creek and were ordered back to Moores Creek bridge where the battle took place against the British on February 27, 1776. John was part of a reconnoitering party during the battle.

Some of the locations John Devane went before the battle of Moores Creek bridge
(Google maps. Labels added)

The location of Moores Creek Battlefield, southwest of Currie, North Carolina (Google Earth)

After a few days’ furlough, the regiment marched to Wilmington and patrolled up and down the Cape Fear River in the vicinity of Wilmington until the end of their six-month tour. John and James were discharged in June 1776. Shortly after, they joined up again in New Hanover under Captain Thomas Devane (probably their uncle). They marched to Wilmington and stayed until they were discharged after serving one month in the Fall of 1776.

John entered the service again the following year in the Fall of 1777 as a 1st Lieutenant with a company under the command of Captain Ellis stationed at Fort Johnston. As part of his duties, he was sometimes sent out to obtain additional troops. He had served at the fort for three years when he was taken prisoner by the British in July 1780.

Location of Fort Johnston in Southport, North Carolina, southwest of Wilmington (Google Earth)

A British ship had arrived outside of Fort Johnston disguised as an American ship—it was flying the American flag. The commander came on shore and had dinner at the fort. He invited John to go back to his ship with him. Once on board, John realized his mistake. The British took his commission (a document signed by the governor stating his rank) and the cockade from his hat. They let him go after a few days and sent him back to shore. He made his way to Wilmington but was turned away.

John contracted small pox while on the ship, so fearing it would spread among them, the people of Wilmington wouldn’t let him stay in town. James Devane testified that John was sent to Halfway Bluff on Long Creek. Francis Davis said that John was sent to Oak Island. John’s father had a slave named Frank go to him to nurse him back to health. He recovered a short time later and returned home.

Francis Davis said in his testimony that in 1781, John served as a captain of a company of New Hanover cavalry. However, James said John served as a private in a New Hanover cavalry commanded by William Wright and marched over the counties of Hanover and Duplin. Both Francis and James agree on the time frame of this service of about three months. (Keep in mind that these testimonies were given many decades after the events happened.)

After the war ended, John married Ann Davis in 1785, and by the 1790 census, they were living in Bladen County, North Carolina. They had seven children. John died of a fever in Wilmington in June 1802, six months before his 47th birthday. 

Piecing together John's military service during the American Revolution was eye opening. Instead of just a name in my family tree, John Devane became a young, flesh and blood soldier fighting for American Independence against the British.

Catherine

-----

References:

"Case Files of Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Applications Based on Revolutionary War Service, compiled ca. 1800 - ca. 1912, documenting the period ca. 1775 - ca. 1900," digital images, fold3.com (http://www.fold3.com), entry for John Devane and Ann Julan Devane, Pension Number W3961.

"Case Files of Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Applications Based on Revolutionary War Service, compiled ca. 1800 - ca. 1912, documenting the period ca. 1775 - ca. 1900," digital images, fold3.com (http://www.fold3.com), entry for Francis Davis, Pension Number S8290.

"Case Files of Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Applications Based on Revolutionary War Service, compiled ca. 1800 - ca. 1912, documenting the period ca. 1775 - ca. 1900," digital images, fold3.com (http://www.fold3.com), entry for James Devane, Pension Number S8317.

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - #51 Ann Larkins

Ann Larkins (or Larkin) was my maternal 5th great grandmother. She was born sometime around 1730 to 1735 possibly in New Hanover, North Carolina. I don't have parents listed for her but some family trees on ancestry.com have her mother as Tobitha Jenkins, Canty, or Jones and her father as John Larkins. The Devane genealogy book that my mother has says Ann's name was Ann Robinson rather than Larkins.[1] One family tree notes that her mother Tobitha remarried in 1738 after the death of John Larkins. This family tree gives Ann's birth year as 1740 and her parents as James Robinson and Tobitha Jenkins.

Ann married John Devane, Sr., possibly in 1752 or 1753 and gave birth to nine children: Ann, George, Margaret, Rebecca, William, John (1755-1802, my 4th great grandfather), James (1757-1840), Thomas (1762-1831), and Tobitha (1764-1815). Her husband and several sons fought in the Revolutionary War.

New Hanover County, North Carolina, as of 1760 (map from randymajors.com)

Both John and Ann died in Wilmington, New Hanover County, North Carolina. John died around 1806. Ann died about 1818. According to the Devane book, they are both buried under St. James Episcopal Church in Wilmington where John was vestryman.[2] This church was torn down in 1839 and rebuilt, but I don't know if it was rebuilt in the same location or what might have happened to the burials under the church. According to an article by StarNews reporter Ben Steelman, some of the burials at St. James Episcopal Church were moved to Oakdale Cemetery which was established in 1852.[3]

My descent from Ann Larkins:

Ann Larkins and John Devane Sr.
Ann Davis and John Devane Jr.
Francis Devane and Frances Giddens
Margaret Devane and William Roberts
John Taylor Roberts and Catherine Young
Leona Roberts and William L. Redles
Leona Redles and Albert S. Pendleton Jr.
Catherine Pendleton (me)


Catherine

This post is part of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge by genealogist Amy Crow at No Story Too Small.

---
[1] Devanes 1798-1975, published by Kissam P. DeVane, Gilbert O. Maulsby, Woodrow W. Hancock, and Robert P. Jolley, n.d.

[2] See footnote 1

[3] Ben Steelman. "Where are the bodies buried?" StarNews. Electronic document, http://www.myreporter.com/2009/04/the-bodies-buried/, accessed December 22, 2014.

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - #47 Frances Giddens

Born around 1797 in North Carolina, Frances Giddens was my maternal 3rd great grandmother. Her father was Thomas Giddens. She may have been born in New Hanover County, North Carolina. I found her father there in the 1790 census. I have Frances' mother as Mary Baker, but now I believe that's incorrect. I found a marriage record index on ancestry.com for a Thomas Giddens and a Mary Baker dated 1824 in Bulloch County, Georgia. If this is the correct Thomas Giddens, then Mary Baker isn't Frances' mother. On a Sons of the American Revolution application, Mary Baker is noted as Thomas' second wife. The name of the first wife isn't given on the application, but it says she died sometime between 1810 and 1820. So far, I only have two siblings listed for Frances: a full brother named Thomas Giddens and a half brother named Jimpsey Giddens. In Folks Huxford's Pioneers of Wiregrass Georgia, Volume I, he notes that Frances moved with her parents to Georgia, and they lived in Bulloch and Tattnall counties.

Bulloch County, Georgia as of 1816  (from randymajors.com)

Tattnall County, Georgia, as of 1810 (from randymajors.com)

Frances married Francis Devane sometime before 1816 as that's the year I have for the birth of their first child Priscilla. The other children I have listed are Tabitha (b. 1822), Thomas (b. 1824), Margaret (b. 1826, my 2nd great grandmother), Rebecca Jane (b. 1831), Patrick (b. 1834), Benjamin (b. 1835), and William (b. 1838). There's a large gap between the birth of the first and second children. Huxford has the birth year for Tabitha as 1817. This would also leave a large gap but between the second and third children. Frances may have given birth to a child or two or three who died or either the dates are incorrect.

I thought Frances and Francis may have married in Bulloch County, but I couldn't find a marriage record on Georgia's Virtual Vault. The records for Bulloch aren't indexed, so I could have missed it. (Although, while searching page by page, I found a record for another ancestor!) I looked in the Bulloch records through the year 1823. Tattnall County marriage records on Georgia's Virtual Vault only go back to 1832. The Devane genealogy book that my mom has says the first four children were born in Bulloch County.

The family moved in about 1831 to the part of Lowndes County, Georgia, that later became part of Berrien County.

Lowndes County, Georgia, in 1830 (from randymajors.com)

Berrien and Lowndes counties as of 1860 (from randymajors.com)

Frances died on August 28, 1864, and her husband Francis died on March 8, 1868. They are both buried in Pleasant Cemetery in Ray City, Georgia. One of these days, I'll go to the cemetery. It's not far from here, and I promised my sister I wouldn't pick the hottest day of the year like I did the last time we visited some cemeteries.

My descent from Frances Giddens:

Frances Giddens and Francis Devane
Margaret Devane and William Roberts
John Taylor Roberts and Catherine Young
Leona Roberts and William L. Redles
Leona Redles and Albert S. Pendleton Jr.
Catherine Pendleton (me)

Catherine

This post is part of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge by genealogist Amy Crow at No Story Too Small.

---
Records consulted:

Folks Huxford, Pioneers of Wiregrass Georgia, Volume I. Cooper Press Inc., Jacksonville, Florida, 1966, 66.

Devanes 1798-1975, published by Kissam P. DeVane, Gilbert O. Maulsby, Woodrow W. Hancock, and Robert P. Jolley, n.d.

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - #46 Ann Davis

My maternal 4th great grandmother was Ann Davis. I've seen her middle name written as Julia, Julian, and Julan. She was born on June 30, 1768, probably in South Carolina. I don't have parents listed for her, but I have one brother, Francis Davis. Several family trees on ancestry.com have Ann's parents as Zion Davis and Sarah Ann Graves. Another one notes that she is Francis's half sister and that her father was an Evans. I found Francis' Revolutionary War pension record on fold3.com but he didn't mention his parents' names. He said he was born in 1756 in Brittons Neck, Georgetown District, South Carolina, which where he was still living when he enlisted in 1777. This could also be where Ann was born. (Click on the images for a larger view.)

Brittons Neck, South Carolina (from mapquest.com)

When Francis gave his testimony for Ann in 1840 when she applied for her husband John Devane's pension, he said that Ann was a widow when she married John Devane Jr. (my 4th great grandfather) and he gave her name as Ann Julan Evans (see below).

A portion of Francis Davis' testimony for his sister Ann Davis (Devane)

Here is a transcription of the above: "This affiant was present and witnessed the marriage between said John Devane [Junior] and his widow then Ann Julan Evans (a widow) that said Ann Julan has not intermarried since the death of the said John and is still a widow." I added the red boxes to highlight where Ann's name is given as "Ann Julan Evans (a widow)" and Francis's name. However, Francis didn't say if Evans was her maiden name or married name.

Ann married John Devane Jr. on October 25, 1785. I have seven children listed for them: Ann J., John, Rebecca, William, Nancy Ann (b. 1792), Benjamin (b. 1796), and Francis (b. 1798, my 3rd great grandfather). At the time of the 1790 census, they were living in Bladen County, North Carolina, and they had 11 slaves. John's father John Sr. is listed right above John Jr. and Ann's brother Francis is listed one line down from John Jr. indicating they lived in close proximity to each other:

A portion of the 1790 Bladen County, North Carolina, census.
for John Devane Jr. and Francis Davis.
John Devane Sr. is above John Jr.

Bladen County, North Carolina, as of 1789 (Map from randymajors.com)

Military pension records are a wealth of information. They give birth, marriage, and death dates and sometimes names of parents. I also noticed while reading through the Revolutionary War pension records how families tie in to each other. Ann's brother Francis served with James Devane, John's brother. James and John Devane both served under a Thomas Devane. I'm not sure if this is their brother Thomas as I haven't finished reading through the files. They also served under their father John Devane, Sr. In Francis' testimony for his sister Ann about John's Revolutionary War service, he mentions another of John's brothers, William Devane. (Francis was married to John's sister Tobitha Devane.) I saw on Francis Davis' pension record the names George Larkins and Benjamin Evans. I wonder if Benjamin Evans is related to Ann's first husband (if her first husband was an Evans). The name Larkins is familiar, too. John Devane Jr.'s mother was Ann Larkin or Larkins. Unfortunately, several pages of Francis Davis' pension are barely legible.

Ann's husband John died quite young (in my opinion!) at the age of 47 in 1802. Ann lived another 43 years and died on February 13, 1845, at the age of 77 in New Hanover County, North Carolina. She was probably living with one of her children, maybe her daughter Ann Devane (married to J. C. Devane) or daughter Rebecca Devane Holloway. They filed a petition together in New Hanover County in 1856 for money they thought was owned for their father's pension.

Here is my descent from Ann Davis:

Ann Davis and John Devane
Francis Devane and Frances Giddens
Margaret Devane and William Roberts
John Taylor Roberts and Catherine Young
Leona Roberts and William L. Redles
Leona Redles and Albert S. Pendleton Jr.
Catherine Pendleton (me)


Catherine

This post is part of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge by genealogist Amy Crow at No Story Too Small.

---
Records consulted:

"Case Files of Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Applications Based on Revolutionary War Service, compiled ca. 1800 - ca. 1912, documenting the period ca. 1775 - ca. 1900," digital images, fold3.com (http://www.fold3.com), entry for John Devane and Ann Julan Devane, Pension Number W3961.

"Case Files of Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Applications Based on Revolutionary War Service, compiled ca. 1800 - ca. 1912, documenting the period ca. 1775 - ca. 1900," digital images, fold3.com (http://www.fold3.com), entry for Francis Davis, Pension Number S8290.

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - #8 Margaret DeVane

My maternal second great grandmother Margaret DeVane was born September 26, 1826, in Bulloch County, Georgia, to Francis Devane and Frances Giddens (yes, her parents have the same name). Margaret was one of at least eight children. Her siblings were Priscilla Ann (1816-1904), Tabitha (1822-1897), Thomas (1824-1902), Rebecca Jane (1831-1859), Patrick (1834-1862), Benjamin Mitchell (1835-1912), and William (1838-1909).

Around 1831, Margaret's parents moved the family to the fertile lands and pine forests of north Lowndes County, Georgia, an area that later became part of Berrien County. This must be where Margaret met her future husband William Roberts. William's parents, William P. Roberts and Sarah Knight, were among the early setters in Lowndes County and were living here by 1825. William was born here three years later. This part of Georgia was being settled quickly during this time, with many new settlers moving in carving out their land and building new homes. Native Americans were seen on occasion, and they sometimes fought with the encroaching white settlers. (The maps below are from http://randymajors.com/p/maps.html with labels added.)

Lowndes County, Georgia, in 1830. It was formed from Irwin County in 1825.

Lowndes and Berrien counties in 1860. Berrien was formed from part of Lowndes County in 1856.

Margaret married William in Lowndes County on June 30, 1845, when she was nearly 19 years old. She gave birth to nine children: Priscilla Ann (1847-1920), Rebecca Jane (1849-1849), John Taylor (1850-1920, my maternal great grandfather), Elizabeth (1853-1936), William Patrick (1855-1922), Benjamin Hill (1858-1936), Francis (1860-1915), Martha Leona (1864-1900, for whom my grandmother was named), and Margaret Beulah (1867-1946).

Margaret and William eventually moved to the town of Valdosta, the county seat in Lowndes County, where several of their children were living. Margaret died August 18, 1893, and William died in 1903. Both are buried in Sunset Hill Cemetery in Valdosta near several of their children.

Catherine

This post is part of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge by genealogist Amy Crow at No Story Too Small.

---
Sources:

Folks Huxford. Pioneers of Wiregrass Georgia, Volume V.  Self published, 1967. Second Printing, 1970, 366-367.

General James Jackson Chapter, NSDAR, History of Lowndes County, Georgia 1825-1941 (1942; Reprint, General James Jackson Chapter, NSDAR, 1995), 1-6

J. T. Roberts Family Photo ID—Request for Help

This past March when I was visiting Valdosta (before I moved), I scanned all of the family photos that were in my grandmother Leona Roberts Redles’ desk at my mom’s house. Included was a small box/envelope with the unlabeled photographs below. I’m hoping that some Roberts relatives can help me identify these men. I’m pretty sure the man wearing the hat is my great grandfather John Taylor Roberts (1850-1920). Isn’t he handsome?! I recognize that icy, blue-eyed stare from other known photographs of him, but I’d like to know for sure. John had three brothers, William Patrick (1855-1922), Benjamin Hill (1857-1936), and Francis DeVane (1860-1915). Their father was also named William (1828-1903), and their mother was Margaret DeVane (1826-1882).  These five men would account for the five photographs.

Since the photographs were in this box/enveloped addressed to J. T. Roberts, I assume these are photographs of him, his brothers, and their father. The back of the box says “D. J. Ryan’s” “Art Gallery” “Savannah, GA”

I believe this photo is of my great grandfather, John Taylor (J. T. as he was commonly called) Roberts. This is the only tintype in the box. Love his “I’m handsome and I know it” countenance!

Possibly one of my great grandfather J. T. Roberts’s brothers. The back of the photo says “Ryan” “Savannah, GA”



Another brother of J. T. Roberts? The back of this photo says “Brown’s Gallery” “Thomasville, GA”



There isn’t anything on the back of this photo to indicate where it was taken.  This man looks very much like William Patrick Roberts whose photograph is in DeVanes 1798-1975, although the photograph in the book was taken when William was older.



Could this photograph be of their father William Roberts? He looks older than the men in the other photos, but since I don’t know when any of the photographs were taken, this is just a guess.  There is also nothing on the back of this photo about the photographer.

After William Roberts and Margaret DeVane were married, they lived in the part of Lowndes County, Georgia, that later became Berrian County, and that is where their children were born.  Later, several of the Roberts clan moved to Valdosta, Georgia. Any help with the identification of these men in the photographs would be much appreciated!

Catherine