1790 Sam'l Ashe esquire our Governor Captain General and Commander in Chief at Raleigh, acting for the treasury of North Carolina, granted 100 acres of land in Rutherford County, North Carolina to John Cockrum [John Sr or John Jr?], on December 23. The tract was on White Oak Creek, by Michael Hawkins corner and Ruckers corner. [1]
1803 John Cochran, of Greenville County, South Carolina, granted power of attorney to brother Robert Cochran, of Rutherford County, North Carolina, regarding their father's estate, specifically claims from Henry Slinkard. Dated September 1. [2] [3]
1828 John Cockram dated his will on April 20, in Greenville, South Carolina. The probate date was September 28, 1829. The will named wife Nancy, daughter Lucy Cockram, Aggy Cockram, Nancy Waldrop, Matthew Cockram, and Biddy Herrell. George Russell executor. Witnesses: George Russell, Mitton Ponder, Samuel Page. [4]
A biosketch reports: [http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/5801399/person/-1392075883/story/283cc7e1-3ae8-4058-b355-7a2620c59400]
2nd Generation - John of Pacolet The second generation of our line of Cochrans begins with John Cochran Jr., when American Independence was less than 25 years old. Most of the young nation's population still clung to the eastern seaboard, and 80 percent of all Americans still worked on a farm.John Cockram Jr. (as spelled in reference documents) moved from probably Lincoln County, North Carolina to Greenville County, South Carolina. He was probably married about 1780, and his wife accompanied him to South Carolina, but his wife's name is unknown. It is unknown exactly when he moved from North Carolina, and it is unknown whether he moved directly to Greenville County. He is first located in Greenville County with a land deed in March of 1804, and he was listed on the Greenville County Census as being over 45 years old in 1810.
John Cochran Jr., born between 1745 and 1765. John Cochran Jr. was probably born in Pennsylvania, and it is assumed that he moved with his family to Rowan County, and later Lincoln County, North Carolina. He married, and moved to the area of Greenville County, South Carolina, sometime prior to 1804. He raised a family of at least five children there, and passed away in 1829. John's first wife is unknown. His second wife Nancy, (maiden name unknown) was from Virginia.
… John's Cochran Jr.'s children were:
Matthew Cochran, born between 1780 and 1794: Matthew apparently moved out of the Greenville, SC, area once he was grown, as he was never counted on a Greenville County census as an adult. In 1835, however, he received his share of his father's inheritance in Greenville, so it is probable that he lived within a reasonable traveling distance of Greenville.
Nancy Cochran, born about 1784 in South Carolina: Nancy married Daniel Waldroup, and they resided in Rutherford County, North Carolina until at least 1810. Between 1810 and 1830, they moved to Greenville, South Carolina, and were noted there as of the 1840 census. Agnes "Aggey" Cochran, born between 1784 and 1794 Aggey married John Mockson Cochran. They had at least seven children in Greenville.
Lucy Cochran, born between 1784 and 1790: Lucy apparently never married, and lived in Greenville County for the remainder of her life. She probably passed away about 1845. Biddey Cochran, born between 1794 and 1800 Biddey married (first name unknown) Herrill (Also seen spelled as Harrel/Herel/Herrell) sometime before August of 1814.
John Cochran's first land deed in Greenville County, SC, was on 13 March 1804, when he bought 150 acres on Motlow Creek, just south of present day Landrum, South Carolina.
In 1809, he purchased 108 acres near Hogback Mountain, about seven miles from Motlow Creek, due west of Landrum, South Carolina.In 1813, he purchased 159 acres on Rocky Spur Mountain, just north of Hogback Mountain, along Vaughn's Creek of the North Pacolet River. Also in 1813, he bought 40 acres along the South Pacolet River at a Sheriff's sale. In 1818, John bought 109 acres on Jamison Mill Creek and the South Pacolet River. On February 7, 1818 John gave 198 acres along the Pacolet River to his son Matthew, including the plantation mansion in which he was currently residing. It is presumed that John's first wife passed away between 1810 and 1818, prior to his giving his plantation to his son Matthew. Otherwise, giving the family home to one of their children would be unusual. What is known is that John's first wife, the mother of his children, is listed on the 1810 census, but is not on the 1820 census. In December 1820, Matthew apparently sold this land, including the plantation mansion, to Silas R. Witten - reason unknown. In September 1818, John sold 109 acres, along Jamison Mill Creek and the South Pacolet River, to William Hooker.In March 1819, John sold his son-in-law, "John Cochram Jr.", 40 acres along the Pacolet River "among nobs of Hogback Mountain". This was land he bought at the sheriff's sale. John sold this land to William Turner in November of 1820.
In 1820, John bought a little more than 100 acres south of the South Tyger River, about twelve miles southwest of his original plantation, and moved there. Today, this land is on the outskirts of the city of Greer, SC. [5]
On the 1820 census, John is remarried to his second wife, Nancy (maiden name unknown), and residing on 100 acres along the south side of the South Tyger River, in Greenville County. John didn't purchase this property until 1819, so it is assumed that his second marriage occurred about this time. John's second wife, Nancy, was born in 1780 and her family was originally from Virginia. Nancy Cochran is noted on the 1850 Greenville County census, living with Carolyn Dills - thought to be her daughter from a marriage prior to John. After John moved to his property, south of the South Tyger River, he apparently purchased 175 acres on Beaver's Dam Creek and the Middle Tyger River, as this land was later deeded to his daughter, Lucy. John Cochran Jr. passed away in Greenville County in 1829. In his will, he left half of his remaining property to his daughter Lucy, along with half of his livestock and half of his furniture. The other half of his property and possessions, he left to his wife Nancy. This property was to revert to his daughter Lucy, upon Nancy's death or her remarriage.
On December 16, 1837, Nancy deeded 175 acres, to Lucy Cochran for $1.00. In February 1842, Lucy sold most of this land to James W. Ponder. In his will, John selected one slave, named Tom, to be sold, along with one old mare and one colt, to pay off any remaining debts. The slave, Tom, was sold for $170.00, the mare was sold for $1.50, and the Colt was sold for $15.00. Any money left over was to be divided between his children - "Aggy Cockrum, Nancy Waldrop, Matthew Cockrum, and Biddy Herrell". John Jr. wrote his will in 1828, and passed away in 1829. Aggey was mentioned in his will in 1828, but did not claim her share of the inheritance when the will was probated in 1831. Her children received her share in her stead.
[http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/5801399/person/-1392075885/media/1?pgnum=1&pg=0&pgpl=pid%7cpgNum]
[1] Rutherford County, North Carolina, Deed 15-227, [FamilySearchImage], [FHLCatalog].
[2] North Carolina Probate Records, 1735-1970, Rutherford, C-50, transcript page 116, [FamilySearchImage].
[3] North Carolina, Wills and Probate Records, 1665-1998, [AncestryImage].
[4] South Carolina Probate Records, Bound Volumes, 1671-1977, Greenville, B-108, [FamilySearchImage].
[5] Henry Mouzon, An accurate map of North and South Carolina (London, Printed for Robt. Sayer and J: Bennett, 1775), [LibraryOfCongress Map], [LibraryOfCongress].