THE CAUDLES OF ANSON COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA

FATHER OF ABSALOM CAUDLE, SR.

Born: around 1730 in Brunswick County, Virginia.

Married: Mary Elizabeth Adams

Died: around 1776

MARY ELIZABETH ADAMS

Born: around 1734

Died: after 1790 in Anson County, N.C.

Benjamin’s father, Stephen Caudill, migrated from Scotland to America with his wife, Mary Elizabeth (Betsy) Fields. He first settled in Surry County, Virginia; then, moved to Brunswick County, Virginia where most of his children were born, including Benjamin.

Benjamin purchased land in Sussex County, Virginia where his three oldest children were born. By1757, Benjamin must be migrating southwestward as evidenced by the fact that Absalom, Sr. was born in Halifax County, Virginia. According to Dr. William Caudle of Tampa, Florida, Benjamin enlisted in the Revolutionary Army in Chatham County, N.C.

A history of Chatham County, by Walter D. Siler, does reveal the Regulator Movement was active in that county prior to 1776. Unrest was rampant regarding taxes, confiscation of property, and corrupt officials within the royal government. Those persons seeking reforms adopted the name "Regulators." According to Howard Zinn in his A PEOPLE’S HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES, the Regulator Movement had strong support in three additional counties: Orange, Anson, and Rowan. 6,000 of the 7,000 white taxable population of these counties supported the Regulators. In May 1771 the royal government determined to crush the Regulators militarily. A decisive battle ensued in which several thousand untrained, ill-equipped Regulators were defeated by the well-trained royal militia using cannons. Six Regulators were hanged. (pages 64-65)

We do not know how Benjamin died; however, as a member of the Revolutionary Army (i.e. Regulators), Benjamin fought for the reforms prior to the colonies’ actual declaration of independence in 1776—"We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness…. When a long Train of Abuses and Usurpations, pursuing a Design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their Right, it is their Duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future Security."

Quote from: The Declaration of Independence, 1776

Elizabeth Caudle is listed as Head of Household in the 1790 U.S. Federal Census for Anson County, N.C., living with one male over 16 years of age. Her son, Absalom, Sr., is listed separately as Head of Household with three females living in the home. They are the only Caudles listed in the 1790 U.S. Federal Census for Anson County. This would confirm that Benjamin is deceased prior to 1790.

NOTE: The list below was drawn from various sites at RootsWeb.com. They are difficult to verify as children of Benjamin and Mary Elizabeth Adams Caudill because there was no census before 1790. Most likely, the majority of the information came from family Bibles, personal military records, and cemeteries. As always with genealogical research, further verification is needed.

Born: around 1752 in Sussex County, Virginia

Married: John Hobbs Adams, Jr. (born around 1747 in Fairfax, Virginia) on 8/10/1768

in Leesburg, Loudoun County, Virginia

Died: around 1785 in Wilkes County, N.C.

Nancy was John Hobbs Adams, Jr.’s 2^nd wife. Their 1^st daughter was born in Loudoun County, Virginia. Then, Nancy & John migrated southwestward to Wilkes County. Nancy is buried at Roaring River in Wilkes County, N.C. John died 1/29/1815 in what is now Letcher County, Kentucky. Letcher County is just over the Kentucky/Virginia border. The major resource is the coal mines, although I found no indication that any of the Caudill family engaged in coal mining.

Born: around 1753 in Sussex County, Virginia

Married: Benjamin Adams around 1774 in Leesbury, Loudoun County, Virginia.

Benjamin Adams appears with the Caudle family in several Wilkes County, N.C. deeds.

Deed Book G&H, Page 338 – 3/10/1812 – David Caudle to Benjamin Adams … 50 acres adjoining James Caudle.

Deed Book M, Page 40 – 12/7/1821 – Benjamin Adams to Abner Caudill … 208 acres … middle fork of Roaring River. Thomas Joines, who married Henrietta’s sister, lives nearby.

Deed Book M, Page 38 – 2/17/1827 – Abner Caudill appears to selling the same 208 acres purchased from Benjamin Adams in 1821 (although the Deed Page # precedes the one above). Thomas’ father, Ezekiel Joines, served as a Witness.

Later, Henrietta & Benjamin may have migrated to Letcher County, Kentucky. Their daughter’s tombstone (Sarah Adams Caudill) is found in the Watty Caudill Cemetery in Letcher County, Kentucky.

Tombstone in the Watty Caudill Cemetery in Letcher County, Kentucky.

Born: around 1754 in Sussex County, Virginia

Married: Thomas Joines

Died: ______ likely in Wilkes County, where she lived with her husband.

Thomas Joines was born in Wilkes County, the son of Ezekiel Joines from Scotland. Thomas fought in the Revolutionary War. He died in 2/1835 in Wilkes County, N.C.

We see evidence of Thomas in some of the Caudill family related deeds in Wilkes County:

Deed Book C-1, Page 242 – 2/23/1795 – Thomas (X) Jines (Joines?) served as a

Witness.

Deed Book C-1, Page 243 – 2/23/1795 – Thomas (X) Jines (Joines?) served as a

Witness.

Born: 10/7/1757 in Halifax County, Virginia

Married: Elizabeth Maness on 3/22/1787 in Bladen County, N.C.

Died: 3/7/1846 in Anson County, N.C.

Buried: Absalom Caudle Cemetery, Burnsville, N.C.

Absalom is the only member of the Caudle family to settle in Anson County. The rest of his family-of-origin migrated westward to Wilkes County, N.C. and some members on to Letcher County, Kentucky. His mother, Mary Elizabeth, moved to Anson County after the death of her husband, Benjamin.

Dr. William Caudle, of Tampa, Florida states that he verified Absalom as the son of Benjamin Caudill.

Born: March 1761

Died: December 1843 in Butler, Alabama

Dr. William Caudle, of Tampa, Florida states that he verified Stephen as the son of Benjamin Caudill.

I see no Caudill/Caudle/Cordell listed in the 1840 U.S. Federal Census for Butler County, Alabama. Evidently Stephen, at age 82 was living with a daughter when he returned to spirit. A Stephen Caudle is listed in the 1830 U.S. Federal Census for Butler County, Alabama, although the census report shows him 10 years younger (between 50-60 yrs.) than he would be in 1830. He is living with a female in her 40s with 4 children under the age of 15. Stephen is listed as head of household, so perhaps his daughter is widowed and living with him. This appears to be the case in 1810 when Stephen and B. Smith are listed as Heads of the same Household in Wilkes County, N.C.

Page 5 of the 1810 U.S. Federal Census for Wilkes County, N.C.

VII. JESSE CAUDILL

Deed Book M, Page 355 – 5/4/1829 – is interesting in that the Sheriff of Wilkes County is transferring land that belonged to Jeremiah Caudle to Jesse Caudill "due to lion." We can only surmise the meaning of "due to lion." Perhaps, Jeremiah insisted on keeping a lion as a pet and his neighbors took legal action.

Married: Abigail Pennington

Benjamin Caudill, Jr. appears on the 1810 U.S. Federal Census for Wilkes County, N.C. as being Head of Household with wife and two daughters under age 10. This is the year a cluster of Caudills are found living in Wilkes County.

Deed Book C-1, Pages 512-513 – 7/30/1803 in Wilkes County – between John Adams and Benjamin Caudill … 40 lbs. for 100 acres … Brushy Fork Roaring River … connecting line between Adams and Caudill … made in presence of Samuel Simpson and Spencer Adams … Benjamin Hammons’ line. Witnesses: Samuel Simpson, Elizah Arnns (?). Signed: John Adams.

Back