Andersons of Colonial N. Carolina

Elias Fort abt.1690s d.1761 Edgecombe Co. NC

1719 From the will of George Fort of Chowan Co, NC:

Item I Give and bequeth to my Loving Son Elias fortt the plantation wheron he now dwelleth [some?]

one hundred Acres more or less of Land Adjoyning bounded as followeth (viz) beginning att the

mouth of Suscahanah branch in round hill Swamp in the Isle of weight County in virginia

So up the Sd branch to the first branch thatt is such out of the before sd branch and

up that to the Line and down the line to the main Swamp and down the Swamp to sd begining

to him the Said Elias fort and his heirs forever—–

Item I Give and bequeth to my Loving Son George ffort the Residew of my Land att round hill

adjoyning to his brother itt being one hundred Acres more or Less to him and his heirs forever

I **** **** Give to my Said Son George fort A yong mayer of three years old & et Cow and Calfe

and two Sows and pigs

Item I Give and bequeath to my beloved Son Benjamin fort the Land and plantation wheron I now

dwell to him and his heirs forever and one yong Cow and Calfe one mayer and two Sows and pigs

Executor: ELIAS FORT. Witnesses: WILLIAM BOON, NICCOLIS BOON.

(The will was recorded in Chowan 1719…Elias seems to be residing in IOW…Benjamin received the property in NC which seems to be where George was residing, being as the Boons were witnesses) (The VA property mentioned is some miles north of present Franklin VA and just west of the Blackwater R….. the Round Hill Swamp area)

1720 15 July Elizabeth Boon of Chowan Prect., wife of William Boon to Elias Fort power of attorney to relinquish my Dower in Land sold by my husband to John Bryan, being 100 acres Wit: Samuel Peacock, John Bryan

(This POA “suggests” a close relationship with William Boon)

1720 472 16 Jul William Boon of Chowan to John Bryant of Isle of Wight VA, 8P 100 a NS Meherrin Riv, joining Mathew Rushing, the second branch and the river, now in the actual possession of John Bryan…part of 640 a granted to William Browne 29 Nov 1706. Wit: Benjamin Foreman, Elias Fort, Prov 3rd Tues July 1720.

Will of William Brown 15 Dec 1718 – recorded 21 July 1719 [SS 341 p 84 NC wills “My hold desire is for my wife to have ye remaining part of my estate to be equally divided between her and my seven children excepting one hundred acres of land to William Boon a brother.”

IOW BK 4 (1729-1736)

(p.183) 23 Jun 1732….Philip Pearce and wife, Sarah Pearce, of Bartee Precinct in North Carolina to William Ashburn of the lower parish of Isle of Wight…. 160 acres on Cypress swamp (being part of a tract formerly granted George Pearce for 2100 acres in 1674) and bounded by Dirty Branch, John Pearce and Sarah Pearce(?)).

Wit: Thomas Green, Richard (X) Pearce, Sarah (X) Pearce and John Pearce.

Rec: 24 Jul 1732 Philip (X) Pearce

Sarah (X) Pearce

(p.184) 23 Nov 1731…. Philip Pearce and wife, Sarah Pearce, (see preceeding deed) to John Pearce of the lower

parish of Isle of Wight…. -?- acres (being part of a patent for 2500 acres) adjoining the Great Branch and Honey Tree Branch.

Wit: William Rayford, George (X) Pearce and William (X) Boon.

Rec: 24 Jul 1732 Philip (X) Pearce

Sarah (X) Pearce

(this William Boon is who I suspect is the father in law to Carolus Anderson…this is the only reference for a William Boon in the Isle of Wight deeds by Hopkins) (as a caveat, it is reputed this Boon died bef Feb 1731/32…the Boons of this time period are difficult to analyze)

13 May 1728 [B 406] William Boon to Carolus Anderson for “valuable consideration in hand” 200 acres part of 423 acre tract granted to Boon on 3 Dec 1720 on (M)eherrin River at the Great Gutt. Wit: Richard Bayly, Natha Cooper May Ct 1728

1721 William Edwards of Surry to Alexander Young of IOW… adjoining Peter Vaser, Elias Fort and Susannah Branch. ISLE OF WIGHT DEEDS, WILLS.. GREAT BOOK VOL.2 1715-1726 (p.499)

1721 6 Feb… William Edwards of Surry County to Elias Fort of Isle of Wight County… 200 acres on Round Hill Swamp adjoining Alexander Young. ISLE OF WIGHT DEEDS, WILLS.. GREAT BOOK VOL.2 1715-1726 (p.499)

(This is the only reference that I have found to Elias in IOW abstracts by Hopkins…his father George is not found)

Chowan Precinct North Carolina 1696 to 1723″ abst. by Margaret M Hofmann

Colonial Bertie County North Carolina Deed Books A-H 1720-1757″abst. by Mary Best Bell.

1721 15 July William Boon of Chowan Prect. and Elizabeth my wife to Benjamin Fort of ye Pect afrsd. 5£ 40 acres more or less on the south side of Maherrin River, joining ye mouth of ye Deep Gutt, a swamp, Long Branch and ye River all houses, orchards etc. now in the actual possession of the sd. Fort part of a Pattent for 423 acres dated 3 Dec 1720 Wit: John Dew Sr, John Dew Jr, Robert Hicks.

1723 [A 210] 6 Nov Samuel Canady & wife Mary to Elias Fort 15£ for 100 acres on SS Meherrin River purchased of William Boon on 15 July 1721 now in actual possession of Elias Fort. 
Wit: Thomas Boon, Isaac Sterling, Robert Scott. Feb Ct 1723

1728 Thomas Boon, Junr to Elias Fort, Sen.-150 AC on S/S Meherring Riv., Adj. William Boon, John Bryan, being “part and parcel” of a deed from William Bennett dated 1724. Part of 600 Ac granted Bennett on April 1, 1723. C-P 69 Nov. 9

(This reference to Elias Fort “SENIOR” is not necessarily in reference to a son… I am also cognizant of the usual disclaimers of genealogists concerning the Sr/Jr usage in colonial times… the simple fact is that there was another Elias Fort (son of John Fort) also living in this ” extended” Bertie Precinct… he lived in modern Halifax County and left records there.)

1733 Witnessed will of Elizabeth Anderson (mother of Carolus Anderson) “on the South Side of Meherig River, In Bertie Precinct”

Elias EF Fort (his mark) Jurat

Ealen Fort (her mark) Elisebeth (her mark) Anderson

Hen. Crompton (signed)

Bertie Precinct August Court 1733

The Afore Written will was Proved by the Oath of Elias Fort One of the Evidences thereto.

(Possible wife Ealen (Ellen? my personal opinion)….the transcription as Ealcor is, to me, ludicrous…. see the image I have posted and draw your own conclusion.)

1736 – November 18-19, Elias Fort of North Carolina, to John Exum of Isle of Wight, for 5 pounds, about 100 acres on the south side of Round Hill Swamp in Isle of Wight and bounded by said John Exum’s old line, Suscohannah Branch, the old field branch. The land is described in a deed to said Fort. Signed: Elias (E.F his mark) Fort. Wit: John Dunkley, Jos (his mark) Strickling, Harmon (his mark) Strickling. Lease & Release. Recorded Nov 22, 1736 (IOW CO., VA DB 5 Pg 72)

(Elias begins selling his property, evidently planning his move to Edgecombe Co.)

1739 Oct. 17, Nicholas Boon to Arthur Stevenson, 125 A S/S Meherrin Riv adj. Carolus Anderson, Elias Fort, Joseph Strickland, Wm. Eldridge, Robert Cobb, Arthur Stevenson, pat. Dec 3, 1720

1739 E-550 Oct. 23, Elias Fort to Abraham Stephenson- for 5 pds., 150 AC on S/S Meherring Riv adj. William Boon, John Bryant, _____Bennett- “one hundred and fifty acres of woodland ground” bought of Thomas Boon by deed Nov 9, 1728. Part of a patent to William Bennet for 600 AC dated April 1, 1723. Wts: Arthur Williams, Richard Washington, James Washington, Nov Crt, 1739

History of Edgecombe County, North Carolina By Joseph Kelly Turner, John Luther Bridgers

By 1740… the greatest increase of immigrants reached Edgecombe. Marmaduke Norfleet, William Kinchen, Sam Sessums, Edward Jones, Joseph Howe, Richard Braswell, Elias Fort, William Watson, Josiah Jones, George Suggs, Robert Hines, Andrew Irwin, and Richard Sessums, men who afterward achieved great honor by defending the political and civic rights of their county, came into the precinct, bought and also received by grant much land. During the meeting of the Assembly for this year over fifty thousand acres of land were distributed among the settlers.

1742 reference: John GOSNEY of Edgcombe Co to Daniel WOODARD of same. 17 Feb 1769. 5 pounds proclamation. 85 acres which was a patent to Elias FORT dated 1742, joining Farewell Branch, the river. Wit: Robart COLEMAN, John(x) BALEY. Aug Ct 1769 Jas HALL CC • Edgecombe County, North Carolina Deeds Volume 2: 1768-1778, Abstracted by Dr. Stephen E. Bradley

At a Council held at Edenton the 27th day of July 1743 (NC Archives)

Present His Excellency the Governour

Member(s) of Council…

Read the following Petitions for Warrants for Land Vizt

,,,Edgcombe, Elias Fort 200… Granted.

1748 http://digital.lib.ecu.edu/historyfiction/document/tuh/entire.html

The first authentic account of a church being erected in the parish is in 1748. This church was designated by a reference in a division of the parish, as a “Chapell” near Elias Fort’s on Tar River. There is substantial evidence that this is the church which was located about seven miles northwest of Tarboro on the southeast side of Tar River, near a small spring at Teat’s bridge.1 Clement Hall, who for some time prior to 1744 had been a lay leader in Edenton, was ordained in 1744 and made occasional visits to Edgecombe County.

(This property is just south of the William Anderson and Elizabeth Pitman grants near the Tar River in 1749 and 1752/60)


Fort, Elias, will date 14 Jan 1761, proved (Mar Ct 1761);

In the name of God Amen… I Elias Fort of Edgecombe County… being sick and weak in body but of perfect sound sence and memory thanks be given to the almighty God for it…recommend my soul into the hands of God that gave it me and secondly I give my body to the dust from which it came to be buried in a decent Christian manner at the discretion of my exors…

imprimis I give and bequeath to my loving wife (Cathron Fort) one feather bed and furniture, also I lend her all my whole and sole estate of what ever kind (soever it by), my land and water mill only (excepted) during her widowhood and after the end of her widowhood; I give and dispose of as follows,

item I give and bequeath ( ) to my loving son Joseph Fort my Negro boy called Harry and my Negro girl called (Moly);

item I give and bequeath to my loving son William Fort 100 acres of land lying on Tar River, beginning on the river at the (Chappell ?) to a beach running from there to the road near the head of a ( ) then across the mill swamp to his own corner and fro thence down to the river above the (Sain Place) and my Negro boy called Tobe and my Negro girl called Patience also one hundred and ( ) acres of land on the north side of the river oposit to the other; item I give and bequeath to my loving son Elias Fort the plantation whereon I now live and all my land there joyning that I have not before given and my Negro boy Peter and my Negro girls (Nanner) & ( ) and my cyder still;

item I give and bequeath to my loving daughter Sarah Wimberly my Negro girls Rachell & Patt;

item I give and bequeath to my grandson Jacob Dickenson one cow & calf; item all the rest of my estate whatsoever kind to be divided equally between my three sons, Joseph Fort, William Fort and Eliza Fort at the end of their others death or widowhood; I also appoint and ordain my two sons, William Fort & Elias Fort my whole & sole executors of my estate;

signed Ellias Fort (I),

wit (Benja Hart), (? Cotton), ( ). Proved in open court by the oath of Benja Hart, Esq & Amos Cotton, two of subscribing witnesses and at the same time the executors qualified. Will Book A, page 27.

Abstracted 3-13-06, NCA film C.037.80001, CTC.

Son of Elias above:

History of Edgecombe County, North Carolina By Joseph Kelly Turner, John Luther Bridgers

Immediately after the Revolution the Baptist churches throughout North Carolina extended their influence. Most numerous among these were the Baptists who were then exceptionally strong in Edgecombe County. Men from Edgecombe began to migrate, diffusing the gospel in other sections. A good illustration of this was in 1789. In this year Elias Fort and wife, Sarah, with his sons, William, Josiah, and Sugg Fort, emigrated from Edgecombe County, seeking home in the then unsettled far West.1

The emigrant company, when they reached Knoxville, employed General Andrew Jackson to guard and protect them from the Indians across the Cumberland Mountains and as far as Nashville. Elias Fort and his family passed Nashville and finally settled on the waters of Red River, near the mouth of Sulphur Fork Creek, where the village of Port Royal now stands. They entered large tracts of land which descended from father to son to the present time. A lasting friendship sprang up between the Fort family and Andrew Jackson, and later in 1796 William Fort and General Jackson met as members of the “First Constitutional Convention of Tennessee.” The friendship was so endeared that William Fort made his will, naming General Andrew Jackson as his executor.

Elias Fort was one of the chartered members of the Kehukee Baptist Association. He, with William Horn and Elisha Battle, were delegates from the church at Tar River.

Compiled by Marc Anderson, Jul 2009