| Notes |
- Information from Shanna Palmer, the wife of Mark Alexander Palmer.
xandria50@hotmail.com
According to Charles and Virginia Alexander in "Alexander Kin" a
family of seven brothers and two sisters came to America by about
1680. A previous Alexander had come to Nova Scotia, son of Sir William
Alexander Earl of Stirling who was born in 1580 and died in London in
1640, buried in Stirling. Most Alexander genealogists believe that
Rev. James Alexander born about 1628 (wife, Mary Maxwell of Raphoe,
Ulster, Ireland, died in Raphoe, Ireland 17 Nov. 1704) was the father
of the seven brothers Alexander who came early to America. Norris
Preyer in his book, Hezekiah and the Revolution in the Backcountry
states that William, not Rev. James was the father and that this
William came to Northampton County, Va and married and with grown sons
moved to Maryland.
He states that this William was probably a brother or cousin to
Rev. James John Alexander, born abt. 1603/4 in Stirling, Scotland was
fourth son of the Earl of Stirling, William Alexander. His wife was
either Chloe Vershoyle-Greene born in Tassagart, Saggart, Co Dublin,
Ireland. (Her father was I. K. Vershoyle-Campbell born in Tassagart,
Saggart, Dublin, Ireland) or Agnes Graham, born between 1623 and 1627
in Tassagart;, Saggart Co Dublin, Ireland, dau of Robert of Dartmore
Graham. John Alexander had sons named: Robert b. about 1600-1610 in
Stirling, Scotland-wife-Mary Hamilton born abt 1600 in Bughall
Scotland, William, Phillip, John, Archibald and Andrew (DD who was
born about 1630 in Colerain Ireland.). John b. 1603, died in Eridy,
Donegal Ireland. Robert is supposedly the father of Rev. James
Alexander who was born abt. 1630 and d. 1704. James, a member of the
Laggan Presbytery in Raphoe was imprisoned there in 1680, which may
have induced the brothers to flee to America. Another writer suggests
that a William Alexander found on Hearth Roll taxes in Raphoe in ___
was father to both Rev. James and William who came to Somerset.
In the year 1688 a group of seven brothers Alexander fled the
cruelties inflicted by James II upon his Scottish subjects in Ireland,
carrying aboard their preacher who had come to the dock to administer
services. This company landed in Manhattan Island (New York). Their
descendants of these families went into Pennsylvania and North
Carolina (Foote's Sketches of NC). One source says this family was
known as the Manhattan Alexanders. Our line of Alexanders have been
called the Somerset Maryland Alexanders, and probably in America
before 1665. Originally from Scotland this family of Alexanders was
supposedly in Ireland about 1610. But their grievances increasing a
few years preceding the Revolution of 1688, their ministers imprisoned
for holding fasts , Fellow ministers, David Brown, Thomas Wilson and
William Traile also came to America.
One Stephen Horsey lead a group of settlers from the Eastern
Shore of Virginia, then called Accomac and now Accomac and Northampton
Counties and settled between the Little and Big Annemessex Rivers in
what is now Somerset County Maryland between 1665 and 1670. . Maryland
had made overtures to the dissenters and Quakers, so they moved across
the line into Maryland. As early as 1665 some settlers named Alexander
began to purchase land in the most southern county of Eastern Shore of
Maryland-on the Annemessex and Pocomoke Rivers of Somerset Co. Md.
Stephen Horsey died there in 1722. About 1675 William Alexander Sr.
and Junior were engaged in buying and selling land there. Rev. Francis
McKemie was sent from the Barbados and established the first
Presbyterian Church on American soil. McKemie lived over the line in
Accomac Va, but his labors included these folks. Dr Stafford states
that this family Alexander was the first group of Alexanders to settle
in the United States. Andrew, William, Samuel, James, Francis and John
Alexander were early found in Somerset County. Early Presbyterian
Churches in Somerset County were Rehobeth, Manokin, Wicomico and Snow
Hill. We know that the first members of Manokin Church were
Alexanders, Browns, Wallaces, Polks and others. There is documentary
proof that all had settled in Maryland between the years 1677 and
1714. Probably some of them were there before 1677. (Stafford) A
William Alexander named his land Raphoe in Somerset County. He also
owned "Hunting Quarter" and "Hogg Quarter". His son, William Alexander
jr. married Catherine Wallace. Andrew has children born named Abigail
and Elias. in Somerset in 1677 and 1679 respectively. Elias married
Sophia, dau of Joseph ( the tanner). Elias is found in Cecil County in
1714.
In the year 1714 James Stephenson, gentleman of Bucks Co. Pa
appointed John McKnitt of Back Creek, Cecil Co. Md. his attorney to
sell a tract of land in the NC corner of Cecil Co. called "New
Munster".
This tract of some 6000 acres began where the Sure Creek enters
the Big Elk and with a breadth of two miles tan North six miles up the
Elk river until it entered some distance within the present
Pennsylvania line in Chester Co. Edward Odine had first patented these
lands from King Charles and Odine sold them to Daniel Taos. Daniel
Taos willed them to his son John and he, having run into debt to
Robert Roberts, the colonial Legislature granted 4500 acres to Roberts
to satisfy his claim against Taos who had absconded. Robert Roberts
then sold 407 acres to Daniel Pearce of Kent Co for 6000 pounds of
tobacco, deed for which is dated the 4th of Sept 1713. This 407 acres
was located in the southwest corner of New Munster" and contained the
site of the mill near the mouth of the Shure now owned by Howard
Scott. Roberts also sold to Thomas Stephenson of Bucks County Pa
nearly three thousand acres of the same tract, a large part of which
was east of the Big Elk for sum of £300 current money of Maryland The
deed from Roberts to Stephenson is dated April 1 1714.
On the 8th of May following Stephenson sold the track on the east
side of the Big Elk containing upwards of 1100 acres through John
McKnitt acres to a company consisting of James Alexander, farmer;
Arthur Alexander, farmer; David and James Alexander, weavers; Joseph
Alexander, tanner and his son James.; and Mathias (Matthew) Wallace.
It was noted that they had already worked the land for some years so
their settlement was prior to 1714. Johnston states that there is no
doubt that these were part of the "15 other Irishmen" mentioned in the
certificate of survey and that they located upon New Munster many
years prior to the time at which they obtained the deed to their
farms.
In accordance with a covenant that the grantor Stephenson would
make them another and better deed if they demanded it any time during
the next seven years after the date of the first deed. By eight deeds,
each of which is dated August 15th 1718 (recorded in Cecil Co Deed
Book 3) Stephenson reconveyed his interest in nine hundred and three
acres of the New Munster" tract to Joseph, James, David, Arthur,
Elijah and Mary Alexander (widow of James the farmer who died in 1717
and was son of Samuel and later known as the carpenter) Also John
Gillespie and Mathias Wallace jr. received deeds. This land conveyed
to the Alexanders embraced the northeast part of the New Munster"
tract and extended from a short distance north of Cowantown to the
extreme northern boundary of New Munster" which was about a mile north
of the State line and was located by Mason and Dixon fifty years
afterward. It was bounded on the west by the big Elk and the west
branch of Christiana flowed through it for about a mile near the NE
corner of that part of it that is now in Maryland.
James the farmer was located south toward the Elk; Arthur was
east of James toward the Christiana; David was north of both James and
Arthur; James the weaver and his son Moses were north of David; Elias
east of James and Moses. Near these John Alexander bought land in
1718. Afterwards others of the same name came and settled along the
borders of Pa. and Md. from Munster" to Nottingham. (Arthur may be
another son of James the weaver). In 1718 Stephenson gave them
individually deeds to each one for that part on which hey had settled
and improved. These lands lay on the East side of the Elk and between
that a river and Christiana Creek and were close to the borders of
Pennsylvania and Delaware.
In 1680 George Talbot cousin of the third Lord Baltimore was
granted a large tract of land which lay between the Delaware and
Susquehanna Rivers and known as Susquehanna Manor. He later christened
this land New Connnaught and is now Cecil County. In 1683 George
Talbot issued the following certificate" Surveyed for Edwin ODwire and
15 other Irishmen-a certain tract of land called New Munster". (Mostly
Alexanders and Wallaces).(See photo of New Munster" sign).
Samuel Alexander with his sons Andrew and Francis bought lands in
1723 in the southern part of Cecil county called "Sligo" and
"Alexandria" tracts. In the same year Samuel and others bought a lot
of land for a Presbyterian church in Bohemia in the same county. In
the same year Robert Alexander from city of Glasgow, Scotland then a
merchant of Annapolis had lands in the same part of Cecil County with
in 1737 he left to his cousin, William Alexander of North Britain,
(Scotland). This William became a large land-holder in the vicinity of
Elkton, Md. In 1741 he and Araminta his wife deeded a lot in Elkton
for the erection of the first Presbyterian Church in that town.
His lands descended to a second Robert who went off to England at
the Revolutionary war and never returned. His lands were confiscated
but after the war one-third and one-half his Negroes were restored to
his wife Isabell and his six children,-- William, Lawson, Araminta,
Henry, Andrew and Roberts. Of these William settled on the lands near
Elkton while the rest of the family seem to have remained in
Baltimore. The son of this William, Robert succeeded his father on the
homestead, but finally sold it and became a hardware merchant in New
York city.
Nearly all of these Alexanders of Cecil county seem to have been
related and came either direct from Ireland and Scotland or else from
the older colony in Somerset county, Md. (Rev. J. Alexander)
From the History of Cecil County by George Johnston we learn that
in 1723 many of the inhabitants of Milford Hundred which then embraced
the northeastern part of the county, petitioned the court for a road
from the New Munster road at David Alexander's, across the main fresh
of Elk River at Stephen Hollingsworth's mill (which was the mill on
Big Elk west of Cowantown) to the church at North East. A few months
afterwards they presented another petition stating that the "road was
difficult, dangerous and troublesome to maintain by reason of crossing
the east branch of North East twice and that it was only intended for
a bridle path and that a cart road was much needed and mighty be make
by a much nearer route and Etc This petition was granted and Stephen
Hollingsworth was ordered to see the road laid out so that it would
not damnify any of the inhabitants of said Hundred.
Of the original Alexanders of the New Munster" purchase, David
sold to John Alexander of Chester county; Pa. David himself removed to
Chester county and died there after which his widow married a Mr
Dobins and removed with her husband to the Cape Fear river, NC where
her daughter Anne Alexander married Gilbert Clark, the first elder of
the first Presbyterian church which was gathered in that region under
the ministry of the Rev. Mr. Campbell in 1765. Several other Alexander
families removed from Chester County to North Carolina with Dobins and
his wife and settled in Mecklenburg county. This was in 1749. David
Alexander's son Aaron removed from the Munster settlement and settled
in Sherman's Valley Pa in 1748.(Stafford) Aaron, son of David was
found in Lancaster Co. Pa. and Petersburg Twp, Cumberland County and
went to Sherman's Valley. He was a farmer. In Cecil Co. deeds 7:12, 15
Nov. 1749 he sells to John Alexander of Chester Co. farmer part of New
Munster which was his father David's. In 7:121 he appoints friend
James Alexander tanner and has sold to John 1749 7:270 1751 he
appoints friend Moses of Milford Hundred to sell part of New Munster
which was David's. 7: 271, the same.
Preyer states on pg. 30 of Hezekiah and the Revolution that the
Sample party settled in a lovely part of the Valley which today is
Peters Township in Franklin County, then known as Conococheague
Stettlement after the creek where Hezekiah married Mary Sample. Pg 31
states: "By 1752 large numbers of Scotch-Irish had moved into the
Conocheague Settlement. In addition to Alexander and his
father-in-law, 160 other families were now on the tax lists. Others
who had come from Cecil County were Arthur and David Alexander and
members of the Harris, Patton, Rees, and Wallace families.
A year later they had a Presbyterian minister when Rev. James
Steele left the West Nottingham Church in Cecil County and immigrated
to Conococheague.. Also settled in the community were the Campbell,
Flanaghin (Flenniken), McCellan, McCoy, Morison and Rankin families.
Members of all these families will later migrate to Mecklenburg Co.
NC. Indian raids began to occur in which many inhabitants were killed.
Reverend Steele reported to the governor that "since McCords' Fort has
been taken and the men defeated and pursued, our country is in the
utmost confusion. Great numbers have left the country and many are
preparing to follow". The Governor Robert Morris advised them to
evacuate. The community's minister, Rev. James Steele abandoned Fort
Steele to Carlisle. Some returned to York while others moved back to
Maryland or went to North Carolina." (Preyer)
The Alexanders came to Mecklenburg in such numbers between 1749
and 1760's so that the Alexanders were the most numbered people of one
name in Mecklenburg county and they with the Harrises formed one-third
of the population. They were among the earliest founders, members and
elders of the seven Presbyterian churches of Mecklenburg. In the year
1755 the Rev. Mc. McAden went from the New Castle Presbytery on a
missionary tour through that part of North Carolina. We find in his
journal that he preached at that time in the houses of William and
James Alexander on Sugar Creek and in that of Justice Alexander on
Rocky River, NC. (William and James are very likely brothers to
Ezekiel Sr.)
In 1793 Hezekiah, William, Thomas Elijah, Isaac and Thomas
Alexander were all elders in the Sugar Creek church and John McKnitt
and Ezekiel his brother were elders in Hopewell church. * Ezekiel is
buried in Sugaw Creek and another grandshire of my husband's. (there
are two Ezekiel's Sr. and Jr.)
Much has been written of the family descended from Joseph and
Abigail (McKnitt) Alexander, son James who fathered Hezekiah and John
McKnitt as well as an Ezekiel born 1754 in Cecil County and was
granted land on Long Creek by his father about _____.
From "Alexander Kin" who are primarily concerned with the
descendants of James the weaver we learn the following about James (pg
8,9): They had not connected our David to this line. "One source says
that James Alexander the weaver, transported to Somerset in
1678.(Tompkins). James Alexander disappears from the records about
1740. His wife must have died before 1714. James's children were:
Moses, James jr, David and Mary. James Jr. was on the rent roll in New
Munster in 1738. Moses's wife was Mary. (Wallace?) Deed book 5 p 97
Cecil Co Md. dated April 1 1735 records: "James Alexander and son
Moses and Mary wife of ye said Moses" selling part of their New
Munster tract to William Sample of Chester Co.Pa. Pg. 235 of same
book: James Alexander gentleman of Milford Hundred, New Munster,
releases to his son Moses the remainder of the tract jointly purchased
by them from Thomas Stevenson." Mary and David are other children now
known as children of James the weaver. Moses was born about 1690 in
Cecil Co. Md d. 1762 in Cecil Co. Wife, Mary d. Oct 25 1758, tombstone
in Head of Christiana Church cemetery. * Still stands and is
celebrating it's 300 year anniversary.
Birth dates of the seven brothers as stated by "Alexander Kin"
are as follows:
l. William 1646, 2. Andrew 1648, 3. James 1652, 4.Francis 1654,5.
Samuel 1657, 6. Joseph 1660 and 7. John 1662. Their sister Elizabeth
was said to be the wife of Matthew Wallace and sister Jane the wife of
John McKnitt. William's wife was Ann Liston, his son Wm Jr. was
married to Catherine Wallace. Wiliam's cattle mark was regestered in
March 1687. On Nov. 12 he was deeded land know as "Hunting Quarter"
between the heads of Wicomico and Manokin Rivers. April 25 1689 Wm.
bought a tract called "Hogg Quarter" adjoining his other land. William
Sr and Jr are found on the document dated Nov 28 1689 declaring for
William and Mary along with other Somerset inhabitants.
(2) Andrew was married to Ann Taylor, dau of George and Comfort Taylor
in Somerset Co. Md. He died before 1700.Their children, Abigail, 1677
and Elias, 1679 were born in Somerset Md.
3)Francis found in Somerset probably died before 1712 and Henry
Alexander is receiving title to land Francis bought from George and
Comfort Taylor. Rebecca Alexander administered the estate of Francis
in 1701 with Henry as surety. Henry's will was probated in 1727 by
Rachel Alexander. They probably had a son named Henry.
(4 Samuel died in Cecil Co. Md in 1733, wife Mary lived in Broad Creek
area. Children: James d. 1717 in New Castle Del., Martin b. 1687, d.
1751, Francis, Mary Craig and Lowry, Andrew (wives-Jean, Lewey, and
Sarah)and Samuel jr.
5) Joseph was the father of James who was the father of Hezekiah and
John McKnitt Alexander. Joseph and James were both tanners and lived
in New Munster and found in Head of Christiana Church.
6) John was married to Barbara (Barbary) and had Ester in 1693. He
possibly moved to Cecil Co.
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Abt 1630 - 1704 (~ 74 years)