Janet and Robert Wolfe Genealogy --- Go to Genealogy Page for James Pickett --- Go to Genealogy Page for Martha Terry

Notes for James Pickett and Martha Terry

1775 William Terry of Anson County, North Carolina, died with daughter Martha Pickett, perhaps this Martha. Anson County, North Carolina, Will Bk.1, p.37--Will of William Terry. Dated: 6 Sept 1775, Proven: December 1782, Wife: Mary (Rayford), dau., Martha Pickett--one negro "Tom", son, James Terry--all my lands and my negro man "Bob", dau., Mourning Coleman--one negro boy "Sharper", dau., Margaret Smith--one negro girl "Jude", to Elizabeth Hellams--one cow & calf, one feather bed & furniture. Wit: John Coleman, William Roberts. [1] [2]

Research Notes:

There is uncertainty about the ancestry of James Pickett, married to Martha Terry. We show him as the son of James Pickett and Elizabeth Raiford, with little evidence,but other parents have been named: James Pickett and Martha Reynolds, James Pickett and Hannah Reynolds, James Pickett and Mary Heathcoate. We do not know which, if any, is correct and we seek further information.

"Colonel Pickett was born in Anson county, North Carolina upon the Pedee river, where his parents, James Pickett and Martha Terry, had removed sometime before the revolutionary war, from their place of nativity, near Bolling Green, in Caroline county, Virginia. Their ancestors, whose extraction was Scotch, English, and French, were among the earliest colonists of Virginia." [3]

1791 James Pickett was the representative to the House of Commons from Anson County, North Carolina. [4]

1794-95 James Pickett was a senator from Anson County, North Carolina. [5]

1795 James Pickett conveyed land to sons Joseph, Martin, and William R and daughter Frankey Hanes. [6]

1796 James Pickett Sr, perhaps this one, was named by the North Carolina Senate as the representative from Kichmond (Richmond?) to improve inland navigation. [7]

c 1797 James Pickett died. "1795/1798 - Anson County, NC. Will of James Pickett, Anson County, North Carolina, 1795 / 1798 [8] [9] [10]

State No Carolina -- 15 Sept. 1795 Anson County --In the Name of God Amen. I James Pickett of the County aforesaid being weak in Body but of sound mind & memory thanks be to Allmighty God for the same, but calling to mind that it is apointed once for all man kind to die, Do make and ordain this to be my Last Will and Testament.

[Illegible] and first of all I give [three illegible words] and commit my soul to God who gave it me and my body to the earth from where it came, and as to my worldly property I dispose of them in the manner and form following

--First I lend to my loving wife Martha Pickett two hundred acres of land being the upper part including the plantation where Wm Roberd now lives also (those?) my 2 Negroes named (Candass?) & Jacob to be by her enjoyd during her natural life and at her death the said Jacob to descend to my son Martin Pickett and Candus to be disposed of as my wife should think proper.

--2nd I give to my daughter Mary Robards this my negro girl [illegible] Anny to her my sd daughter and to the heirs of her body forever and in case she should die leaving no issue then the said negro Any to descend to my daughter Franky Hannah Pickett and to the heirs of her body forever.

--3ly I give to my son Martin Pickett those my 3 Negroes named David, Milly & Jane which said negros are at this time in his possession to be by him Injoyd forever.

--4ly I give to my son Joseph Pickett those my 4 Negroes named Suckey and her 3 children Sam Jane & Ralph to be by him Injoyd forever.

--5ly I give to my son Wm. R Pickett those my 3 Negroes named [illegible] and her 2 children (Iube - - er ?) & Frank to by him injoyd forever.

--6ly I give to my daughter Franky H Pickett those my 2 Negros name Amy & (Ennys?) to her the said Franky Hannah and to the heirs of hir body forever.

--7ly I give to my 3 sons Martin Joseph & Wm R Pickett all my lands to be equally divided amongst them in quantity and [illegible].Brought over

--8ly I give all my stock of every kind together with my house hold furniture of every kind, to be equally divided between my wife Martha Pickett and my 3 children to wit Joseph Wm R & Franky Hannah Pickett and to be by them enjoyed forever. I [illegible] I give to my 3 sons Martin Joseph & Wm R Pickett One Negro man named Ned a black smith by trade together with the tools and that the profits arising from said negro be equally divided amongst them.

--9ly I give all the residue of my property that has not been mentioned above to my 5 children Mary Robards, Martin, Joseph, Wm Raiford Pickett and daughter Frank H Pickett to be equally divided amongst them.

--10ly I do ordain constitute and appoint my loving wife Martha Pickett my Executrix and my son Joseph Pickett and Martin Pickett & James Terry my brother in law executors to this my Last will and Testament.

Jas Pickett [seal]
Signed Seald & acknoledged in the presents of Gilbert Gibson (Jurate?) (Martha? Martine?) her M mark Gibson

Anson July Court (of?) [98?] then this will was duly proven by Gilbert Gibson a witness thereto & orderd to be recorded. Test Wm Johnson Clk [Back of page]Jas Pickett Will [illegible] of the first martin" [11]

1803 On May 25, Martha Terry Pickett dated her will in Anson County, North Carolina [12]:

In the name of God Amen - I Martha Pickett of Richd County in the State of North Carolina being in Common state of health and sound mind & memory do make & ordain this this [sic] my last will & Testament in manner & form following that is to say Imprimo I give and bequeath to my well beloved daughter Polly Robards my Negroe Woman Candace during her natural life and at my daughters death and the said Negroe Woman Candace is to have her freedom forever. And lastly I give and bequeath to my four beloved children Martin Pickett, Joseph Pickett William R. Pickett & Frances H DeJernett the whole balance of my estate without any reservation whatever to be equally divided by my executors share and share alike. I constitute and appoint Martin Pickett Joseph Pickett & William Pickett Executors to this my last will and Testament revoking all others heretofore by me made Martha Pickett [seal] Signd Seald and acknowledged in Presence of the subscribing witness and at the request of the Testatrix this 25th of May 1803. Gilbert Gibson, Mourning (her M mark) Gibson, Mathw Covington". Probate in the Anson County January Court, 1809. Then the within will was exhibited in open court & provd by the oaths of Gilbert Gibson and Mourning Gibson witness hereto and ordered to be recorded.

1805-1812 Joseph Pickett and Wm R Pickett, perhaps James' sons, served in the House of Commons for Anson County. [13]

1828 Sons Joseph and Martin were active supporters of Andrew Jackson.


1828 Joseph and Martin Pickett supported Andrew Jackson.
Western Carolinian, Salisbury, North Carolina, March 4, 1828. [14]

Research Notes:

Nathaniel and Marmaduke (Kimbrough?) have been named as brothers of James. An account of the Robinson family is given: Cornelins Robinson, a man of" wealth in Anson county, North Carolina, married Elisabeth, daughter of James Pickett, Sr. In 1797 [he devised land to James Kimbrough, son of John Kimbrough. William Pickett, of Anson, was delegate to the Provisional Congress at Hillsborough, 20th Aug. 1775; was captain in 1st regiment of North Carolina Continentals, commanded by James Moore; was also member of House of Commons, 1777. There was a James Pickett, sheriff of Anson county prior to 1795, and member of the Legislature 1791-4-5; and there was a James Pickett, Jr. In 1795 James Pickett conveyed property to Joseph, Martin and Wm. R., sons, and to Frankey Hanes Pickett, daughter.. In Sept. 5th, 1796, James Pickett devised negroes to brothers Marmaduke, John, Nathaniel, and Jamea Kimbrough, also to Ann Kimbrough. After this the name of James Pickett disappears from the county records. Joseph Pickett died April, 1825. Martin Pickett died Oct., 1834. Flora Pickett died April, 1835. William R. Pickett became sheriff, and in 1818 removed to Alabama and settled in Autauga county. His son Albert James, born 1810, was the historian of Alabama, and married Mary Harris, granddaughter of Col. Philip Alston, of Moore county. Note - Of Wm. Raiford's sisters, one married Robinson, one married Pickett, one married Terry, and one married DeJarnette. Cornelius and Elizabeth (Pickett) Robinson both died in North Carolina and had issue. [15]


Footnotes:

[1] Brent H. Holcomb, Anson County, North Carolina Deed Abstracts, 1749-1766, Abstracts of Wills & Estates, 1749-1795 (Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1980), [AncestryImage].

[2] USGenWeb Archives, [USGenWeb].

[3] Albert James Pickett, History of Alabama: and incidentally of Georgia and Mississippi, Volume 2 (Charleston: Walker and James, 1851), 439, [HathiTrust].

[4] John H. Wheeler, Historical Sketches of North Carolina from 1584 to 1851, Vol. 1 (1851), 25, [InternetArchive].

[5] John H. Wheeler, Historical Sketches of North Carolina from 1584 to 1851, Vol. 1 (1851), 25, [InternetArchive].

[6] Joseph Asbury Groves, The Alstons and Allstons of North and South Carolina (Atlanta, GA: Franklin Printing, 1901), 418, [GoogleBooks].

[7] Newspaper, North-Carolina Journal (Halifax, North Carolina), March 28, 1796, page 4, column 2, Readex: America's Historical Newspapers.

[8] USGenWeb Archives, Will transcription, Sarah Sharpless, [USGenWeb].

[9] Thornton W. Mitchell, North Carolina Wills: A Testator Index, 1665-1900 (1992).

[10] Fred A. Olds, An abstract of North Carolina wills from about 1760 to about 1800 (Oxford, NC: 1925), 10, [HathiTrust].

[11] USGenWeb Archives, Will transcription, Sarah Sharpless, [USGenWeb].

[12] North Carolina Probate Records, 1735-1970, Anson, 2-127, [FamilySearchImage].

[13] John H. Wheeler, Historical Sketches of North Carolina from 1584 to 1851, Vol. 1 (1851), 25, [InternetArchive].

[14] Western Carolinian, Salisbury, North Carolina, March 4, 1828, page 1, [NewspapersClip].

[15] Joseph Asbury Groves, The Alstons and Allstons of North and South Carolina (Atlanta, GA: Franklin Printing, 1901), 418, [GoogleBooks].