A brief Thomas-M^cCorkle Excursus.

 

  I. Jacob Thomas m. Elizabeth Brevard (Thomas)--Rowan Co., NC, from which Iredell Co. was carved in 1788;

II. William Thomas m. Elizabeth Purviance (Thomas);

III. Jane Maxwell Thomas m. Edwin Alexander McCorkle....

 

 One William Thomas (son of Jacob Thomas & wife Margaret Brevard Thomas), was originally of Rowan County, NC (later Iredell County as carved off in 1788), then of Wilson County, Tennessee, in or near Lebanon.  This William Thomas was the father of, inter alia, Jane Maxwell Thomas McCorkle.  This William Thomas was, as mentioned,  a son of the Jacob Thomas who married Margaret Brevard (Thomas).  There is evidence of a Jacob Thomas's living in Wilson County, Tennessee (Lebanon), and I think this would have been a son of the Jacob Thomas who m. Margaret Brevard (Thomas), not the father Jacob Thomas; but I'm just guessing about this Jacob Thomas who left tracks in legal documents of Wilson County, Middle Tennessee.

 

Margaret Brevard (Mrs. Jacob Thomas) was somehow kin to the man who is alleged to have written the alleged Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence in NC.  If authentic, the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence predated the declaration of Thomas Jefferson, who hotly contested the historicity of the Mecklenburg Declaration. --Is All Life always just about good Public Relations? -- William Thomas, with his wife Elizabeth Purviance Thomas, in his last three years removed from Lebanon, Wilson County, Tennessee, to Dyer County, Tennessee, evidently to be with his McCorkle daughter Jane Maxwell Thomas McCorkle, and he lived in Dyer County only some three years before his death.  Two of his brothers --Henry Thomas and James Thomas--wrote applications for Revolutionary War pensions from Dyer County in West Tennessee.

 

It was from Dyer County that William Thomas' widow Elizabeth Purviance Thomas applied for a Revolutionary War widow’s pension.  Elizabeth's son-in-law Edwin Alexander McCorkle lent his aid to her application.  It’s pretty clear that William & Elizabeth Purviance Thomas moved to Dyer County in order to be with their daughter Jane Maxwell Thomas McCorkle (Mrs. Edwin Alexander McCorkle) & other Thomas children who had migrated to the newly opened western district of Tennessee. --JAMES THOMAS, one of William Thomas's brothers by that time residing in Gibson County, acted as witness and supporter of his brother's widow's cause in seeking a Revolutionary  War pension.  -- I wonder if Colonel Hugh Brevard might have been a brother to James Thomas' mother (née Margaret Brevard)

 

The following pension application is gratefully reproduced from: Southern Campaign American Revolution Pension Statements on the web at http://southerncampaign.org/pen/s6233.pdf  with gratitude to Will Graves for his transcription:

"Pension application of James Thomas S6233   

Transcribed by Will Graves   State of Tennessee Wilson County

On this 25th day of September 1832 personally appeared in open Court, before the justices of theCourt of pleas & Quarter Sessions for said County of Wilkes, now sitting, James Thomas Senior a resident of the County of Wilson & State of Tennessee, aged 76 years, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on his Oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7, 1832.

That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated.

He volunteered his services in the cause of liberty, as well as he can now recollect in the Spring of the year 1780, for three months in the Company Commanded by Captain Francis Cunningham in the regiment of North Carolina State troops commanded by Colonel Hugh Brevard; at the time he volunteered his services he resided in Rowan County North Carolina he was mustered into the service at Sherrill's Ford on the Catawba River – marched down to a little town called Charlotte in Mecklenburg County North Carolina and joined the troops under the command of General Griffith Rutherford commanding officer of the North Carolina Troops – was with the troops under General Rutherford on our way to Camden when we heard that the Tories had embodied themselves at Ramsour's Mills [Ramseur's?] , about 900 in number, General Rutherford turned his course for that point to unite with Colonel Brevard in suppressing them – before we reached the Mills, Brevard had attacked them & put them to flight and when we arrived at the Battle ground the victors were burying the dead. General Rutherford left the Company to which he belonged as Rangers for that section of Country to suppress the Tories – we remained about 8 miles above Sherill's Ford on the Catawba at an encampment perhaps as long as six weeks or two months, when his term of service expired and he returned home.

He did not remain at home along before he volunteered his services again in the same Company Commanded by Captain Cunningham for nine months, the Project for which we were called out was to keep down the Tories who were very troublesome in that part of North Carolina – we ranged through the Counties of Burke (now Lincoln), Rowan & Mecklenburg in the State of North Carolina – was not in any battle during the tour of nine months service at the termination of the time for which he had volunteered to serve he was regularly discharged in writing by his Captain. He knew whilst he was in the service of his Country, General Smallwood of the Regular Army, General Butler & General Morgan   – he saw Colonel Washington & General [Nathaniel] Greene several times during the Revolutionary War.

After the service as above set forth, he returned home to Rowan County North Carolina, where he continued to reside until he moved to this State & has been now a resident of Wilson County about 30 years – he brought his discharges with him to this County and had them in his possession about three years since – but never expecting them to be of any use or value did not take that particular care of them which otherwise he would have done – but since the passage of the act of Congress of 7th June  1832 he has made search for his discharges but could not find them.

He has no documentary evidence, and knows of no person by whom he can prove his services.  He is well acquainted with Colonel George Smith, Joseph Johnson Esq., Colonel James Michie, & Reverend Joshua Lester Citizens of this County, some of whom he expects he can get to testify as to his character for veracity, and their belief of his Services as a soldier of the Revolution.

He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present, and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the Agency of any State.

Sworn to and subscribed the day & year aforesaid.

/s/ James Thomas, X his mark  "

[End of Application of James Thomas, Snr., for Revolutionary War Pension.  A son of Jacob Thomas & Margaret Brevard Thomas of Rowan-Iredell County, NC.  Now to the application of James Thomas Snr's brother HENRY THOMAS:]

Southern Campaign American Revolution Pension Statements 

Pension application of Henry Thomas S1596

Transcribed by Will Graves

State of Tennessee Dyer County

On this 5th day of November A.D. 1832 personally appeared in open court before the Honorable Joshua Haskell, one of the Circuit Judges of Law and Equity for said State:  Henry Thomas aged about 74 years as well as he can recollect having no record of his age, a resident of the County of Dyer and State aforesaid, who first being sworn according to Law, doth on his oath take the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June 7th 1832.

This declarant states that he was born in the then County of Rowan in the State of North Carolina on the 4th day of March A.D. 1758, where he continued to reside until the close of the Revolutionary War.

This declarant states that he entered the service of the United States and served under the following named officers as herein stated.

This declarant states that sometime in the year 1780 he was drafted to go into South Carolina to serve against the British and the Tories for three months, the company to which this declarant belonged was commanded by Captain James Purvines [James PURVIANCE], his Lieutenant was by the name of Abel Armstrong, and in the same company their Ensign was named John Lucky, they rendezvoused at Salisbury in North Carolina, where the command of the Regiment to which this declarant belonged was assumed by Colonel Martin Armstrong. Here the troops joined General Rutherford, who was lying there at the time. The declarant states that they remained here, until all the troops rendezvoused when they marched to the Yadkin [River], which they crossed at the mouth of Rocky River, and from thence to the Cheraw hills in South Carolina and from thence to Rugeley's Mills with General Gates' Army where they lay two days and on the next night on their march they met a body of British, within a few miles of Camden, when the battle took place, which resulted in their defeat. Here this declarant states General Rutherford was taken prisoner. After this took place, declarant returned home to North Carolina, his term of service not being out he was called out under General Davidson; they were marched to Mecklenburg in North Carolina; shortly after which this declarant states his term of service, was expired, and he received a discharge from Major John Johnson which has since been lost, when declarant returned home.

This declarant further states, that, afterwards in the year 1781, he was again drafted to serve another tour of three months, to go to Wilmington against the British and Tories; the Captain who commanded the company to which this declarant belonged was by the name of Abel Armstrong, who was afterwards succeeded by Lieutenant Thomas Morrison. The Colonel who commanded the Regiment to which declarant belonged was by the name of __ [blank in original] Lofton, all again under the command of General Rutherford. This declarant states that they were marched from Salisbury North Carolina down towards Wilmington previous to their arriving in its neighborhood, he was detached, to the infantry under Captain Hugh Hall's Company under the command of General Charles McDowell; where they were engaged scouting after Tories and British for some time, when this declarant was taken sick where he remained so until his term of service expired and being verbally discharged at Salisbury, by his officers, he returned home.

This declarant states he remained in North Carolina, County of Iredell until the year 1798 when he removed to Sumner County, State of Tennessee, where he remained one year, then he resided in the County of Wilson and State aforesaid until the year 1830, when he removed to this [Dyer]  County where he has continued to reside ever since. This declarant states that he has no documentary evidence by which he can prove his service; and except one tour of three months under Colonel Lofton and General Rutherford, by the affidavit of William Leech, one of his messmates, to whom his service was fully known, and which is hereunto annexed. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present, and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any State.

Sworn to and subscribed in open court this 6th day of November 1832.

/s/ M. Mitchell, Clerk             /s/ Henry Thomas

Questions

1st: When and in what year were you born?

Ans. In the County of Rowan North Carolina in the year 1758 on the fourth day of March.

2nd Have you any record of you age and if so, where is it?

Ans. I have had a record but it is lost but from the records of my Brothers both older and younger, than me I know my statement to be correct.

3rd Where were you living when called into service? Where have you lived since the Revolutionary War and where do you now live?

Ans. Near the Catawba Rowan County (since struck off into Iredell) I remained in Iredell until the year 1798 then removed into Sumner County Tennessee where I remained one year I then removed into the County of Wilkes [North Carolina] and where I remained until the year 1830; I then removed into dire [sic: DYER] County Tennessee where I now reside.

4th How were you called into service; were you drafted; did you volunteer, or were you a substitute and if so for whom did you substitute?

Ans I was drafted twice and served three months each tour.

5th State the names of some of the Regular Officers who were with the troops where you served, such Continental and Militia Regiments as you can recollect and the general circumstances of your service.

Ans. Regular officers at Gates & De Kalb – Colonel Armstrong & Colonel Lofton were of the Militia officers which I served under. Captain[s] Purviance; Morrison &c. the above Declaration which this is attached to gives all the names of officers and other circumstances which I can recollect.

6th Did you ever receive a discharge from the service; and if so by whom was it given; and what has become of it?

Ans. I received a discharge for the first tour of three months from Major John Johnston which has since been lost. -- for the second tour I was verbally discharged at Salisbury by Captain Morrison.

7th State the names of persons to whom you are known in your present neighborhood, and who can testify to your character for veracity and good behavior and your services as a Soldier of the Revolution.

Answer:   John Rutherford Esq.  & Ridley Jones whose names are attached to the above declaration

 and Robert Reed Esq.     Col. Samuel J. Williams,

Major J. M. McCorkle [JEHIEL MORRISON McCORKLE],

Reverend Samuel Y. Thomas   and my Brother James Thomas who can testify to my services.

State of Tennessee Dyer County, July 29th, 1833

I do hereby certify that Henry Thomas my Brother performed the services as stated in his declaration given under my hand the day and date above written.

/s/ James Thomas

I do hereby certify that the above statements contained in this supplement annexed to the Declaration are true to the best of my knowledge and recollection.

/s/ Henry Thomas {Seal}

[attested by] /s/ Edwin A. McCorkle, JP

[Edwin Alexander McCorkle  in Wilson County, Tennessee, married  Jane Maxwell Thomas, and Jane McCorkle was niece to applicant Henry Thomas.]

 

[And below is the application of a JOHN THOMAS of Iredell County, North Carolina-- There would have been lots of John Thomas-es, and I'm just not sure if this is "our" JOHN THOMAS who was another son of Jacob Thomas & wife Margaret Brevard (Thomas).   I don't really think this is "our" John Thomas because I recognize no names....

Southern Campaign American Revolution Pension Statements

Pension application of John Thomas W6274 [fn35]

Transcribed by Will Graves

North Carolina, Iredell County

On the 20th day of November 1832 personally appeared in open Court before the W orshipful County Court of Iredell County, now sitting, John Thomas, a resident of Iredell County, North Carolina, Aged Seventy years, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath, make the following declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June 7th 1832.

That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers & served as herein stated. That the said John Thomas entered the service of the United States as a drafted Militia soldier in the month of January 1781 for the period of three months in the County of Halifax, State of Virginia, in the Company commanded by Capt Charles Wall in the Regiment afterward Commanded by Maj. Jones & Col. Fleming; that they marched from Halifax County aforesaid to Petersburgh, Virginia, from thence to a place called Cabin Point in Surry County about twenty eight miles below Petersburgh; at Cabin Point the Regiment under Major Jones remained for about a month; from thence they marched to Suffolk where they met with General Mughlinburgh [sic, Muhlenberg], the British having burnt & destroyed Suffolk before the arrival of the American Troops at that place, he with the other Troops were ordered from Suffolk to Portsmouth; at Portsmouth the American Troops took the Picket Guard of the enemy; that the Guard being in Portsmouth & confining themselves to that point; the American troops returned to Suffolk, their head quarters at that time; that having marched backward & forward between Portsmouth & Suffolk several times, the troops on the expiration of their term of Service, were discharged above Suffolk at a place called Black Water Bridge in the State of Virginia.

And the said John Thomas further states that he again entered the service of the United States as a drafted Militia soldier about the first of September 1781 for the period of three months; that he marched from Halifax County, Virginia under the Command of Capt John Faulkner, that they marched from Halifax County aforesaid to Petersburgh, Virginia from thence to Rewsom's [?] Spring below Cabin Point; from thence to Old Williamsburgh [sic] & on to the Siege of York Town in Virginia; that he remained in service at York Town till the surrender of Lord Cornwallis; that not long after the surrender he was discharged, as well as he now recollects in the beginning of November 1781 - that he has no documentary evidence to offer, that he received a written discharge for the first tour from Capt Charles Wall & for the second tour from Capt John Faulkner which discharges were both destroyed by the burning of his dwelling house in Halifax County Virginia in the year 1822, that he now resides in Iredell County North Carolina one hundred & forty or fifty miles from where he resided at the time of service which r enders it very difficult for him to procure the testimony of his old fellow Soldiers. But notwithstanding he has procured the evidence of Moses Epps1 of Halifax County aforesaid, who served in the War of the Revolution with him & whose Affidavit will accompany this declaration.

Answering to interrogations by the Court,

1 FPA S6822

1. I was born in Amelia County, Virginia May 8th 1762.

2. I have a family record, there is no public one that I know of

3. I were living in Halifax County, Virginia where I continued to reside until the year 1823 when I removed to Iredell County, N. Carolina where I now reside

4. I was called into service by draft

5. I Received a written discharge for the first tour from Capt Charles Wall & for the  second tour from Capt John Faulkner which discharges were destroyed by the burning of his dwelling house in Halifax Virginia in the year 1822

6. He knew General Muhlenberg in his first tour, also Major Jones & Col Fleming & in the second tour he knew Col Rogers & Col Dick or Dix as he believes the name to be. Likewise he knew Genl Washington, the Commander in Chief, when he saw him at York Town.

7. I refer to John Carlton formerly of Halifax County, Virginia, & now my neighbor in N. Carolina for corroborating evidence, in respects my services as a Soldier of the Revolutionary War. I also refer to said Carlton & to Basil Gaither also my neighbor in Iredell County, N. Carolina to certify to my character &c.      

He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present, & declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any State or Territory.

Sworn to & subscribed in open court this 20th day of November 1832.

/s/ John Thomas

I John Carlton residing in the County of Iredell N. Carolina, hereby certify that I have been well acquainted with John Thomas for more than twenty years, that I knew him when he resided in Halifax County, Virginia, that I believe him to be seventy years of age, that he was reputed & believed in the neighborhood where he resided to have been a Soldier of the Revolution & that I concur in that opinion & I do also certify that said John Thomas has always been considered a man of strict veracity since my acquaintance with him.

Sworn to & subscribed the day & year aforesaid.

/s/ John Carlton

I, Basil Gaither, residing in the County of Iredell North Carolina do hereby certify that I have been acquainted with John Thomas who has subscribed & sworn to the above declaration for several years, that I believe him to be a man of veracity that I believe him to be seventy years of age; that he is reputed & believed in the neighborhood where he resides to be a Soldier of the Revolution, & that I concur in that opinion.

Sworn to in open court & subscribed the day & year aforesaid.

S/ Basil Gaither, X his mark

[William Holt, clerk of Halifax County, Va., gives an affidavit of the marriage of John

Thomas to Sally Younger by Leonard Baker on December 4, 1793.]

Virginia, Halifax County

This day personally appeared before me John S. Lewellen one of the commonwealth's justices of the peace for the County aforesaid Moses Epps, now a citizen of said County, and made oath that John Thomas marched from the County aforesaid under the command of Captain Charles Wall to Portsmouth, and served a three month tour of duty as a soldier in the Revolutionary War, and there placed under the command of Colo. Fleming - and after the expiration of said tour the said John Thomas was discharged to the best of his Knowledge and returned home, that in the ensuing fall the said John Thomas marched again in Captain John Faulkner's company of Militia, to little York and served another tour in the said War of three months with the affiant , under the command of Colo. Peter Rogers - that the said John Thomas left the army with this affiant and that the said affiant had a written discharge -

Given under my hand & seal this 19th day Sept 1832

/s/ Jno S Lewellen {Seal}

 

 

Alongside Jane Maxwell Thomas McCorkle (Mrs. Edwin Alexander McCorkle), another one of the children of William & Elizabeth Purviance Thomas was this David Thomas, 1795-1836.  Evidently David Thomas went straight from Middle Tennessee to Tejas/Texas. (He may have gone from Wilson County, Middle Tennessee, for a brief time to West Tennessee, but I don’t think so.) Nor do I think another of William & Elizabeth Purviance Thomas’ sons (Jane Thomas McCorkle & David Thomas’ brother), Dr. Hiram Jacob Thomas, went to live in West Tennessee.  Rather, Hiram Jacob Thomas, M.D., removed from Wilson County in Middle Tennessee down to Mississippi—Jasper County, Miss., & then to Yazoo, Mississippi. Dr. H J Thomas had no children, as his wife died pretty soon after the marriage.  ( Please see my Wikipedia (online encyclopedia) entry on this David Thomas.)

--   I wish I could find where “our” David Thomas “read law.” Perhaps, though, he studied under a preceptor.  [We should check Queen’s College near Charlotte, NC, where Andrew Jackson is supposed to have read law; and check Maryville College in eastern Tennessee.]  History records that Sam Houston himself read law at Maryville College near Knoxville in eastern Tennessee, but I’ve so far found no record for David Thomas.

--  [The Isaac J. Thomas who married Asenath Houston (supra) would have been a first cousin to David Thomas, 1795-1836, David Thomas having been the first attorney general ad interim of the Republic of Texas, and acting Secretary of War just before his untimely death from a musket ball wound in 1836.  He signed the Texas Declaration of Independence and some sources indicate he may have been its principal drafter.  He is buried in a hero’s grave in the de Zavala Cemetery at the San Jacinto Battle State Shrine (State of Texas) outside Houston, Texas.  I'm in possession now of the quilt his Tennessee family made for him; it's framed for preservation, and I hope to pass it on to some family member who will cherish and preserve it.]

To sum up:  Jacob Thomas & Margaret Brevard Thomas had one daughter named Ann Thomas, according to the father's will; and one daughter named Elizabeth Thomas Sherrill, & five sons, viz., John Thomas who m. Mary Jetton; Henry Thomas who m. ___ McKnight; James Thomas whose life ended in Gibson County, Tennessee; and [my ancestor] William Thomas who married Elizabeth Purviance (living in Dyer County at the end).  According to the father's will, there was another, fifth, son, named Jacob Thomas after the paternal grandfather.  [There is a good bit of information about these Thomas-es in the history room of the Iredell County Public Library in Statesville, NC.  One researcher speculates that the father of Margaret Brevard (Mrs. Jacob Thomas) was a Zebulon Brevard; others disagree. I myself do not know.]

 

My great-aunt Katie Pearl McCorkle (Fox), who died in very old age about 1962, had dutifully copied by hand a long SHERRILL genealogical section of births, marriages, and deaths; and at some point she wrote in obvious frustration, “I don’t understand all of this.”  After ponderous reflection on the Thomas line, I think Aunt Kate didn’t understand that a Thomas woman (Elizabeth Thomas Sherrill, a daughter of Jacob Thomas & wife Margaret Brevard Thomas) who married a Sherrill man (Elizabeth Thomas SHERRILL), was a sister to Aunt Kate’s great-grandfather,  William Thomas, who was the father of Aunt Kate’s paternal grandmother,  Jane Maxwell Thomas McCorkle (Mrs. Edwin Alexander McCorkle).  Aunt Kate didn’t have the Internet to help her; nor did her older sister who long pre-deceased her, Ora Alice McCorkle Huie, have modern-day genealogical aids.  --N.B. A Sherrill's Ford is situate in the Piedmont of NC.

 

It is believed that William and Elizabeth Purviance Thomas are buried in Dyer County, Tennessee.  But where?

 

…  …  …  …  End of Thomas-Brevard Excursus …  …  …  …  …  …  …