Added July 24, 1998
Fishin...
How many times have we sat in front of a microfilm reader, taking notes from original records that don't directly pertain to our objectives. They are just too fascinating to pass up. The same goes for courthouse searching jotting away from the big books. The unpolished notes barely get to disk, and we wonder from time to time if there is something on there that is the very link someone needs? So, here is one of my old disks, labeled "Old Mecklenburg Stuff." Some of it has been converted from Kaypro II CP/M Perfect Writer to Word Star CP//M. Then from CP/M to Word Star DOS. Then from Word Star to Word Perfect 4.0, then to 5.0 and now to 6.1. That they have survived to tell the tale, is more than a miracle. If I took the time to polish them, they would never get to this page. So, I offer them "as is" and guarantee nothing! Except something possibly to recheck, if anything relates to your lines.
There is not much you can do, except run a search for your surname of interest, and then keep in mind the various spellings.
Feel free to send your like notes to include--notes that, because of brevity or such, are not suitable for the Archives. Of course, we are speaking of notes from original records or from copies of them, not from published resources.
We will try this for awhile and see if others can add to it. Just my own research in Mecklenburg has not been broad enough to be of interest to the public as a whole. Thanks. Let me hear from you on this. JoLee Spears
Added July 24, 1998
Re Children of John Couch who remarried to Susanna Smith Oct 1799.
1820 Census John Couch:
Males: Females:
1 b. 1775 or before (45+) 1 b. 1775 or before (45+) (Susanna Smith)
1 b. 1795-1804 2 b. 1776-1794
(John S. Couch b. 1805) (Julia b. 1790 &
?)
2 b. 1795-1804
Note: Letty b. 1776-1794 b. before the 1799 remarriage was already m. to Robert S.
Gregory.
The son John S. Couch was b. after the 1799 remarriage.
Daughters Julia and ? were b. before the 1799 remarriage.
The youngest two daughters could have been born before or after the 1799 remarriage, or
one before and one after.
It appears that by 1830, Mecklenburg Co., Va., all of the daughters of John Couch had
married or moved out of the home and his young married son (John S.) and wife and infant
daughter were in the home.
The youngest 2 of the 1820 daughters would have been ages 46-55 (or 56) in 1850.
My book:
Endnote #17: Mecklenburg Co., Va. Will Book 9, p. 453. Aside from Letty and Julia
Couch, it was not determined which children of John Couch were born before his 2nd
marriage to Susanna Smith. The illegibility of film of the 1850 Census of Mecklenburg left
the ages of the unmarried female Couch daughters inconclusive. It did appear that Elizabeth
Couch listed with Silas M. Gregory and Ellen Couch listed with Robert S. Gregory were in
their 40's, in which case they would not be of the seemingly same children named in the
1796 Orange Co., N.C. will of Mary Patterson, who devised to the surviving children of
John Couch and Betsey his wife deceased: Mary Couch, Letitia Couch, July Couch, Elenor
Couch and Elizabeth Couch, all under 18 years of age. [Orange Co., N.C. Will Book C, p.
79.]
It still seems strange to me that all of the children named in the will of John Couch in
Mecklenburg Co., Va. are in the same order and like names of those named in the will
of Mary Patterson, except the two who were married: Letty (who was b. of John Couch's
earlier marriage to ?, and John S. Couch who was b. of the 2nd marriage.
I have a copy of the original (undated) will of Mary Patterson, recorded May 1796.
Executors were Robt. Campbell, Roger Daniel and John Couch. John Couch qualified as
Exor. and the other two testified.
Among Orange Co., NC Estate papers of John T. Patterson 1783 is a small piece of paper
with the signature of apparently this particular John Couch (should it ever be needed):
"Twelve months after date We or either of us promise to pay or cause to be paid unto John
G. Rencher admr Bona Definiti of the estate of Jno Patterson, or his assigns the just sum of
Twenty two pounds Ten Shillings for value recd as witness our hands & seals this 1?st day
of Jan. 1790."
Sig: Mary (X) Patterson and John Couch. Teste: William Rhodes?
(To save me, I cannot relate any of this to the Couches who settled in Mecklenburg Co., Va.,
except the names of the children of John Couch and Betsy dec'd. Neither can I figure how
Mary Patterson fit in with John Couch of Orange nor his wife Betsy.)
Other Orange Co.:
Will of John Tarpley Patterson 10 Feb. 1781, rec. by oaths of Joseph Barbee & Jno
Patterson on Nov. 1781; names:
Wife Sarah Patterson
Son Mann Patterson
Only daughter Milly Patterson
Son Pagg (or Page?) Patterson
Exec: Beloved wife and my only & beloved brother Mark Patterson.
Sig: Jno T. Patterson
Wit: Jos Barbee, John Patterson, Baxter Boling
Will of Nathaniel Patterson 1789 difficult to read.
Estate file of William Patterson 1796 paper shows Mary Patterson (no mark) was widow of
William Patterson dec'd.
Orange Co. Wills (originals)
Will of John Patterson Senior; 10 July 1790; rec p. 128 or 178; no date.
Wife Margaret
Two sons: Davis & Ham?
Daughter Jean
Son William, tract sd William now lives on.
Son James, plantation he now lives on.
Son David
Son John
Daughter Margaret
Daughter Mary Patterson
Daughter Agnes
Exec: Wife Margaret & son David
Though I didn't write out all of the legacies, seems I would surely have noted anything
that might have help solve my puzzle, such as whether son John was dec'd, etc.
I checked for "Couch" original wills. I made note that there were only 2 and they were too
late for this purpose. Couch original Estate Papers has paper of one Elijah Couch (maybe
the one mentioned in Couch article in my book):
Elijah Couch
John D. Lipscomb Endorsee, plaintiff ag John A. Cole & Polly Couch as executrix of
Elijah Couch. Judgement docketed 3 Nov. 1869 & sum of 555.05. There was a
paper dated 1857 with signature of Elijah Couch, and a paper showing Polly Couch
signed with mark.
The recorded will of Elijah Couch is on film, Orange Co., NC
Will Book G:449
Elijah Couch of co. of Orange; 9 July 1864; Aug Term 1864
Wife Polly
Ten chil:
David H.? Couch
Chesley P. Couch
Thomas J. Couch
Mary H. Couch
Nancy J. Couch
Louisa E. Couch
Louise? C. Couch
Syntha E. Couch (Syntha was the name of the Couch, d/o Thomas Couch, who m.
Roderick R. Gregory of my line)
Norwood E. Couch
Susan G. Couch
Wit: William W._____? & William C. Granard
Seems to be too many unmarried females for this Elijah Couch to be old enough for one
who m. in Halifax Co., VA. 1813 to Mary Clark.
I have lost my very old Orange Co. Couch deed notes. As well as I recall, there were Johns
& Thomases, but did not seem to be the same I was trying to pinpoint.
I cannot tell you why I (from time to time) get hung up on the Couch name.
I, six or seven years ago, met a Mr. Couch in Raleigh who stemmed from Chapel Hill
(Orange Co.). I have a note that he referred me to Mrs. Robert L. Terrell, Woodbury Rd.,
Durham, NC, but I never pursued it.
JoLee
I don't have time for library searching right now, but my mind frequently roams to the stacks
of papers that I have overflowing everywhere.
Meck. DB 2:76,77 10 June 1768
Grantor: William Evans of Amelia County
Grantee: Henry Williams of Mecklenburg
Cons: 25 pd
Acres: 200
In co. of Meck. on south side of Meherrin
River beginning at Henry Williams corner
Hickory on the River at the mouth of a small
branch thence up sd branch to a white oak on
the same
N 79 W 70 p. to a beach on Washing Run
S 5 E 72 p. to a red oak in Evans's old
line, thence along same
S 87 E 30 p. to Tanners corner pointers,
thence along his line
N 73 E 170 p. to a Hickory in sd Williams
line, thence along same
N 9 E 140 p. to the beg.
Sig: William Evans
(The above appears to be a part of the
420-acre tract Joseph Gregory pur. fr. Henry
Williams 1772 - DB 3:370-374. The Gregory
deed refers to "new lines" [measurements
insufficient to draw a plat]; "beg. at a
maple on the south side Moherayon River at the
mouth of a small branch"; "Washing Run";
"Evans old line"; "Tanners line" . . .)
"Washing Run" appears on old map, very near
Charlotte line, branching southwest from South
Meherrin River.
===
1783
Lun DB 13:550;551
Rec 9 Oct 1783 Bond
John Evans of co. of Amelia bound unto
Benjamin Evans of Co. of Lunenburg in one
thousand pounds Vir. Currency
Dated 19 Mar 1783
John Evans doth allow the said Benjamin Evans
to take all the land in Lunenburg County on
the South Meherrin River that remains unsold
by their late father William Evans and that
the sd Benjamin Evans to cross the sd Meherrin
into Mecklenburg County and make up his
complimens to the quantity of six hundred
acres including the quantity that he has in
Lunenburg and what remains of the old patent
in Mecklenburg Co. is the amount of six
hundred acres and the said John Evans his
heirs and assigns further agrees never
hereafter to lay any claim right or title to
the said land. Sig:
===
Meck. DB 7:304,305 8 Sep. 1788
Grantor: John Evans of county of Amelia
Grantee: Mack Goode & John Snead of Co. of
Charlotte
Cons: 15 pd
Acres: 30
Situate & lying & being in the co. of Meck. on
the west side of the south fork of Meherrin
River . . . "(being part of a large tract
formerly the property of William Evans dec'd)"
. . . Benjamin Evans line to Joseph Gregory's
corner, thence along his line to a small
branch, thence down the same as it meanders to
the aforesaid River & thence up same as it
meanders to the beg.
Sig: John Evans
-----
Misc.
On list of tithables taken by Richard Witton,
Gente, in St. James Parish, Lunenburg County,
for the year 1764
Evans, Morris 1 - acres
" Robert 1 - 425 acres
Evans, Stephen, Senr.
William Evans
Warner Tucker 8 - 2208 acres
Evans, Stephen, Junr 1 - 1241 acres
" Thomas 2