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Chapter VII: Joseph Thomas migrates to North Carolina

Very few records exist pertaining to the early days of Nansemond County, Virginia, thus more than one researcher has hit a blank attempting to trace his family line through that particular county. The Thomas line is no exception.

The first disaster was in 1734 when the house of Christopher Jackson, the county clerk “was burned where the records of said county were kept.”1 Another fire in 1866 destroyed most of those from 1734 to that date, thus data on John Thomas or his son Joseph — deeds, wills, marriage bonds—are not available. Fragments of records have been found in some church books and a few items have turned up in Virginia Company records in England,2 but scarcely enough for use as documentary proof.

Joseph Thomas first patented land in the Upper Parish of Nansemond County on January 16, 1714.3 Patentees in addition to Joseph Thomas, were his wife Elizabeth, and Michael Thomas and his wife.4

After the death of his first wife, Elizabeth, Joseph Thomas married Alice Spivey. She was the daughter of either George, James or Thomas Spivey, the families of whom lived in the general area of where Joseph Thomas lived. These three Spiveys were on the Quit Rent roll of Nansemond County in 1704.5 Later some of the Spivey families moved into Chowan and Bertie counties, North Carolina, just south of the state line and in the same area as did the Joseph Thomas family.

About 1727, possibly earlier, Joseph Thomas left Nansemond County, Virginia, and moved south to Chowan County, North Carolina, a distance of some 50 miles. On March 23, 1729, Joseph Thomas purchased 200 acres of land on the south side of the Kesai (Cashie) Swamp in Bertie County, North Carolina, from Samuel Bass, for which he paid 36 pounds current money. The property was adjoining that of William Williams.6

On that same date it was recorded7 in adjoining Chowan County, that Joseph Thomas sold to Samuel Bass, 6,000 pounds of tobacco and 175 acres of land on the south side of Oropeak Swamp, plus 14 acres on nearby Sand Hill Swamp, that Joseph had purchased from Elizabeth Parker and her son John. Anderson Sugg and John Perry witnessed both transactions.

From these two land deals it may be safely assumed that Joseph Thomas had been in Chowan County for at least a year in order to produce his tobacco crop, cure and prepare it for market.

With these land transfers, Joseph Thomas moved from Chowan County, North Carolina, to the property he had purchased on the south side of the Cashie Swamp in Bertie County, where he lived for the remainder of his life.

Joseph Thomas and Alice (Spivey) Thomas had eight children probably all of whom were born in Virginia. They were:

  1. Joseph Jr., wife’s name was Ann. He died Bertie County 1758.
  2. Michael, married twice. First wife’s name unknown; second wife was Elizabeth Station, married 1792. Died in Virginia, 1802.
  3. Luke, never married. Died in July, 1751, Edgecombe County, N.C.
  4. James I, born about 1714. Married Sarah Barnes. Died Bertie County, N. C. The Trigg County line descends through him.
  5. Jacob, moved to Edgecombe County, N. C. Died there.
  6. Jonas, no data.
  7. Charity, no data.
  8. Mary, no data.

The area south of the Cashie (pronounced Cash-i) Swamp (now called Cashie River) where Joseph Thomas settled, lies between that stream and the Roanoke River. The site is southeast of Windsor, seat of Bertie County. In that area and in a sector on the north side of the Cashie, also lived the Barnes, Spivey, Standley, Pugh, Sholar, Eason and other families prominent in early Bertie County history. All except the Pugh and Eason families intermarried with the Thomas family. Some of these names are familiar today in Tennessee and Kentucky where descendants of these families migrated after the Revolutionary War.

Two trails led from Windsor to that area along the Cashie, one south of the river and one north of it. Today two paved roads lead along the site of the same trails. In those days however, most travel to the county seat was done by boat along the Cashie.

Joseph Thomas’ original plantation consisted of 200 acres of land he had purchased from Samuel Bass. Six years later, May 12, 1735, he paid 92 pounds, 2 shillings continental money for an additional 640 acres of land on the north side of the Roanoke River adjoining property of John Blount, Thomas Busby and Richard Melton.8 This was purchased from Henry Avery and his wife Mary. Likely this property was adjacent to property he already owned on the south side of the Cashie.

About six months after this transaction, Joseph Thomas, Sr., died. He had made his will December 10, 1735, and it was probated February 6, 1736.9

Copy of Joseph Thomas’ will, hand written and recorded in ink in the Bertie County will book, reads, with original spelling unchanged:

“In the name of God, amen, I Joseph Tomas of North Carolina of Bertie pre sink being very sick and weake in body but of proper mind and memory thanks be to God for it knowing it is apernted for all men once to die doe make this my last will and testament. First I commend my body to the Earth to be buryed in a christian like manor and my sole into the Hand Almighty God that gave it. I give and bequeath as follows:

Item — I give and bequeath to my well beloved wife Eales (Alice) Tomas my plantation that I now live upon at her own disposal during her life and like wise all my stock and moveables.

Item — I give and bequeath to my son Josepth Tomas the above mentioned plantation after my wife’s de cease and the previldge of sum part of it in her lifetime provided he does not trouble her upon any ac (account).

Item—I give and bequeath to my son Mikell Tomas and my son Luke Tomas and my son James Tomas one tract of land six hundred and forty acirs lying upon to be equilyly devided amontgh the three and my son Mikell to have the first choice.

And likewise if my wife doeth by a negro woman with the estate and she bred for them, to be one to Jacob Tomas and one to Jonas Tomas and if the said negro woman has any more children besides these two to the next children corse and likewise after my wifes decase, of the two negroes I give my son Mikell his choice of the two him and his heirs and if Joseph Tomas or Luke Tomas or James Tomas should die, ether one of them without heirs, I dr that the land that I left them shall be to Jacob and Jonas and like wise after my wife decase all the estate to be equally devided amongst my children. One shilling I leave to my datter Charity Tomas and likewise I appoint my son Mikell Tomas and John Spivey to be my sole extrs of this my last will and testament as witness Hand. Desemberthe 10th 1735 Francis Hobson, Wm. Summers, jurats.”

On the opposite side of the document was this inscription:

“Bertie Prect. so Febry Court, 1735. The written will of Joseph Thomas was proved by the oaths of Francis Hobson and William Summers. The two subscribing witnesses thereto and heir Michael Thomas one of the Extrs therein named took the oath of an extr by law required. Test John Wynns. Recorded February 6, 1736.”

The John Spivey mentioned as executor was probably a brother of Joseph’s wife Alice.

  1. Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 56, page 130.↩︎

  2. “English Duplicates of Lost Virginia Records,” by Louis des Cognets, Jr., 1958, contains some information on Quit Rent rolls in Nansemond County.↩︎

  3. Virginia Land patents, Book No. 10, page 140.↩︎

  4. Worth S. Ray in his book “Old Albemarle and Its Absentee Landlords,” page 631, Indicates that the Michael Thomas and his wife listed as patentee with Joseph Thomas and his first wife, Elizabeth, was the son of William Thomas, Joseph’s brother. He also mentions that “one writer says this Michael was the son of Joseph Thomas.” Hugh Johnston, genealogist, Wilson, North Carolina, says he sees our Thomas line circumstantially proven to Michael Thomas who patented land in Nansemond County, Virginia, in 1686, and who was born obviously before 1665. He also says this Michael apparently is the father of Michael Thomas who died in 1730 in Chowan County, and of Joseph Thomas, ancestor of the Thomases of Trigg County. This differs, of course, from that arrived at in this book.↩︎

  5. Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 29, page 402.↩︎

  6. Bertie County deed book C, page 212.↩︎

  7. Chowan County, N. C., deed book H, page 15.↩︎

  8. Bertie County deed book D, page 191.↩︎

  9. Bertie County will book G; State Archives, Raleigh, N. C., Wills, Vol. XXXI, page 53.↩︎