Andersons of Colonial N. Carolina

This Fort book is witty and well done… well worth the read. The authors are very thorough and resourceful.

There may be a better source online but this one will do in a pinch… it is cumbersome and slow on my computer.

On page 216 or so can be found this reference to the Andersons and Boons I am interested in…

Of particular interest is a listing of the Thomas Boon family of Isle of Wight of which he cites Mrs. Louise Apperson of Newport News, Virginia. It is in bold below. I leave it in context because his throw away lines have me glued to my computer screen.

Alice Fort and The Clerk. The will of Elizabeth Anderson, Bertie Precinct,
North Carolina, made November 5, 1732 and recorded August Court, 1733,
was witnessed by “Elias Fortt” and what appears to be “Eaker Fort.”
Thinking this latter a variation of “Eliezer,” the authors ransacked counties
in North Carolina looking for this lost Fort. Hugh B. Johnston, Jr., of Wilson,
North Carolina, then suggested that the name might be “Alice.” Study of
the photostat shows that the Bertie clerk had a habit of putting an
unnecessary curlicue on his final “e”, and that the name is actually “Ealce.”
The person was a woman: “her mark.”
Phillis Fort. The name in George’s 1719 will is “Fybash.” Robert Simms’
will in Bertie Precinct, February Court of 1729, lists among others “John
Fybash.” William Boon, Elias Ford (Fort), and Nathaniel Cooper were
witnesses. Mourn1ng Barnes, daughter of Edward and Sarah (Pope) Barnes,
had married a John Fiveash prior to 1761; because of the name’s rarity we
can assume this was Phillis’s son. The authors do not know if there were
descendants by this marriage, but at least one branch of the Fiveash family
is known to be living in Georgia. A Georgia local history-the “Coweta
County Chronicles”-contains a sketch on the Simms family and mentions
that Phillis married Rowland Williams as her third husband. No other source
for this marriage is known, so the authors cannot put it in the category
of “Proved.” Abstracts of Northampton County, Virginia, deeds in the period
17 41-1759 show many deeds in which Rowland and Phillis are parties. Some
show ties to the Simms and Boon families, but none prove the wife had been ·
Phillis Fort. The last of the Williams abstracts in Northampton is in 1754-c
The Fort-Boon Mystery: There is no known direct proof of a Fort-Boon
marriage, but the number and kind of documents coupling the families make
it seem likely. William and Nicholas (“Niccolis”) Boon were witnesses to
George’s 1719 will. Elias and Benjamin had lands joining William Boon. Boon
was a witness to Elizabeth Anderson’s 1732 will along with Elias. William
Boon and Elias Fort witnessed the will of Robert Simms in 1729. Thomas
Boon, father of William, witnessed a sale of land to Elias by Samuel Canady
in 1723; in 1728 he witnessed another sale to Elias, this time by his son,
Thomas, Jr. Most persuasive, however, is the power of attorney given by
Elizabeth Boon, to “my trusty and well beloved friend Elias Fort . . . to
relinquish my right of Dower . . . in a Parcell of Land sold by aforesaid
Husband to John Bryan … 15th day of July, 1720,” Witnessed by Samuel
Peacock and John Bryan. (Chowan County, Deed Bk. F, Pg. 54) N9nnally
in those days powers of attorney were given only to relatives. The authors
think it probable, therefore, that Elizabeth Boon was the daughter of George
Fort. They are indebted to Mrs. Louise Apperson of Newport News, Virginia,

for this listing of the children of Thomas Boon of Isle of Wight County,
Virginia, who married Ziltha (:): William ( who is believed to have married
Elizabeth Fort); Mary (married Joseph Boon); Martha (married Mr. Gay);
Lela (married Mr. Wheeler); Nicholas (married Susannah Edmunds);
James; John; Jesse; Thomas, Jr.; Henry. There are Fort-Boon documents in
the records of Northampton County, North Carolina, at later dates.

This genealogy breaks down thusly:

Thomas Boon m. Ziltha

William m. Elizabeth Fort

Joseph m. Mary

Nicholas m. Susannah Edmunds

James, John, Jesse, Thomas Jr. and Henry

Mr. Gay m. Martha

Mr Wheeler m. Lela

Hopeless sceptic that I am, I am not sold on this scenario. For instance, I think the Thomas married Ziltha “may” be the son of Thomas Boon who married Elizabeth Strickland.

William Boon who married Elizabeth may be the daughter of George Fort.

And since I am of a theorizing nature, I think it possible Elizabeth Anderson d. 1732 may be a sister of George Fort. I just threw that in to stir the pot a bit. If one is not thinkin’ one is sitting on one’s brain. Prove me wrong.