Today is a new day and that means new documents to read. Recently I found what may have been a connection between the Rainey and Morris family of Brunswick, Virginia and the Morris family of Granville, North Carolina. I thought that connection was through William Rainey Jr., the son of William Rainey Sr. and Mary Morris but after digging deeper into the Virginia deed records, I found that not to be case. Right now, I seem to be heading in the direction that William Rainey Jr. married Rebecca Abernathy, daughter of James Abernathy and not Rebecca White, daughter of Blumer White, although she did marry a William Rainey (Raney) as well. These two couples look to be confused.
More record reading this morning has led me to discover William Morris and Frances Rainey. I found them recently signing as witnesses to a deed between William Rainey Sr. of Sussex County, Virginia and Elizabeth Edwards of Brunswick County, Virginia. I am now of the belief that William Morris is the son of Henry Morris Sr. ofSmoky Ordinary, Brunswick, Virginia and he married Frances Rainey, daughter of William Rainey Sr. of Sussex, Virginia. While I do believe there is some connection between the Rainey family of Sussex County and the Rainey family of Brunswick County, I do not yet know what it is. William Rainey Sr. of Sussex County did have a son named William Rainey, and William Morris’s sister, Mary Morris, did marry a man named William Rainey, I am not sure if they are two different men or the same.
I had also originally thought that William Morris may have moved to Orange County, North Carolina about 1755 with his brother, Henry, but the evidence seems to show that William remained in Brunswick, Virginia. In 1765, Ralph Hubbard, the nephew of William and Richard Morris and nephew-in-law of William Rainey was charged with “begetting a bastard child upon the body of Martha Young.”
In 1749, Henry Morris for natural love and affection deeded to his loving son William Morris a tract of land containing 422 acres on both sides of Lloyd’s Run. The same being part of 1842 acres granted to Henry Morris in 1740. That deed was witnessed by Lewis Parham, Thomas Lloyd (he, along with Henry Morris Jr, went to Granville / Orange County, North Carolina in the 1750s), and Sterling Clack.
In 1793, Frances Morris, wife of William Morris, deceased, relinquished her right of dower in the land sold by William Morris in his lifetime to Lewis Brown. So, it looks like William Morris died before 1793 in Brunswick, Virginia
Frances Morris lived until about 1805. Her son, Henry Morris administered her estate, and a court document is found showing Henry Morris against Nathaniel Morris (who may be his brother) “By consent of parties all mattes in difference between them is deferred to Joseph Percival and Thomas Lundie…”
Frances is named in the 1765 will of her father, William Rainey (Raney) Sr. of Sussex, Virginia along with her siblings, William, Nathaniel, Elizabeth, Mary, and Amy. Witnesses to the will were George Randall, James Cain, Isham Cain, and Burwell Green. The will was probated in 1769.
It was at this point that I had to stop and do a double take because my mtDNA matches include a Randall (Randle) and Cain family as well as a Clack and Stone family. It seems that later generations of these families left Brunswick, Virginia and made their way for Tennessee where they settled in Sevierville. This is quite an interesting turn of events.
The second most interesting thing that has happened is finding that Nathaniel Rainey, brother of Frances Rainey Morris, married Phebe Wynn (sometimes seen as Wynne and Winn). She is the daughter of Thomas Wynn and Martha Wingfield (sometimes seen as Winfield). Some of the Wingfield family came to Anson County, North Carolina, those parts that became Montgomery County in 1779 and Stanly County in 1841.
In a very round about way, this family has a connection to Orange County, North Carolina to the Lloyd’s and Brewer’s, Warren’s and Marriott’s and to Henry Morris Jr, the son of Henry Morris Sr. of Smoky Ordinary, Brunswick, Virginia.
Phebe Wynn’s first cousin, John Wynn, son of her uncle Colonel William Wynn had a son named Mourning Wynn. In 1795, Mecklenburg County, Virginia, Mourning Wynn was appointed guardian of John Morris. Several other children were also appointed guardians, Lewis Griffin to Robert Yancey, Robert Griffin to John Vaughan, Lewis Herridine to James Griffin.
I need to know who this John Morris is!
Mourning Wynn, John Vaughan, the Griffin family all lived on and around Buffalo Creek, Mecklenburg, Virginia, less than 10 miles from what became known as Clarksville in 1818. These families had dealings with the Royster and Sizemore family.
In 1807, John Morris and Daniel Sizemore were in court to answer a plea of debt to Speed Wilson & Co.
I need to know who this John Morris is!
There is no more information that I can find on John Morris. He seems to have disappeared from Mecklenburg, Virginia after this 1807 court appearance. I wonder if he might be the orphan who Mourning Wynn was appointed guardian of.
I also wonder if he is my John Jacky Morris, who was born in Mecklenburg County, Virginia about 1785 and came to Montgomery County, North Carolina about 1805 (give or take a year or two) according to my family legend.
