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Poe and Herndon Family Connections

 

Family of William Herndon of Virginia (c1649 - c1722)

 

The Poe and Herndon families were closely associated in Caroline County, Virginia and later in Orange and Chatham Counties, North Carolina.

 

The Herndon Family of Virginia. Volume One. The First Three Generations, by John Goodwin Herndon. Privately Printed 1947.

 

William Herndon (c1649-c1722).  Married Catherine Digges, youngest daughter of Edward Digges, governor of Virginia in 1655.

Edward Herndon (1678-1758) m 1st Mary Waller, 2nd -- Leftwich.

James Herndon (c1683 - p 1744) m. Mary George.

born in New Kent County, VA. He married Mary George (probably oldest daughter of Robert George (1666-1734) and his wife Sarah Elliott (d. 1734) who were married  6 July 1687 in Middlesex County, VA --- see below, Ruth Herndon Shields). In 1692 King and Queen County was created out of New Kent. In the Quit Rent Roll for King and Queen County, 1704, James Herndon was charged with ownership of 100 acres of land (probably part of original grant made in 1673/4 to his father William Herndon). Children:

William Herndon (c. 1706-1773) married Sarah Poe (daughter of Simon Poe SR, son of Samuel Poe) and lived in Chatham County, NC . Descendants moved  to Logan County, Ky. Served as constable in Caroline County from 1749 to 1753. He gave information "concerning Simon Poe for tending seconds", and Zachery Lewis was directed to prosecute the case against Poe. Certification was later made that William Herndon had discharged his duties as constable for 1751, 1752, and 1753. It is interesting to note that again at court 9 November 1752 Simon Poe had not mended his was, for then a minute was adopted, reading: On the information of William Herndon constable Ordered the Kings Attorney prosecute Simon Poe, John Smith, Thomas Pitman, Mordecai Abraham, William Deshaza, James Masters and Titus Stevens for tending seconds." It is not known whether the Simon Poe mentioned was William Herndon's father-in-law or his brother-in-law. Sarah Herndon removed the family to Chatham County, NC at least as early as 12 October 1779. Her son Stephen Herndon had gone there by July 1777; her sons George and James were there by 1779. Her son John lived just north of the Chatham border, in Orange County, NC. Her daughters were nearby with there husbands and children. Some of the slaves mentioned in the Caroline County Court minute (August 1781) had been given away by Sarah in October 1779 to her son George and to her grandchildren "Joseph Herndon and Martha, children of John Herndon [who is] still living, whose other children are Lewis, Mary, Sarah, Patience and Rhoady." Four years later she gave a slave to her grandson "George Herndon, common laborer" [son of her son Captain James], in a deed witnessed by two of the sons of the said Captain James, Elisha and Cornelius Herndon.

Mary Herndon (c. 1731 - --- ) m . Elisha Dismukes; said to have settled in Chatham or Orange Co. NC

Joseph Herndon (c1733/1763) unmarried. His brother James was given administration of Joseph's estate by the Caroline court 14 August 1763. Reverberations of this estate settlement were felt in the Court of Chatham County, NC (see book in section on John Herndon)

Daughter (c1735 - ---) m. John Booker, of Chatham and Orange Counties, NC

James Herndon (c1737-1811) m Isabella Thompson

George Herndon (c1740 - 1816 in Georgia  -see Ruth Herndon Shields) m Frances Merramon

John Herndon (c1742-1827) m 1st Sarah Wingfield; 2nd Catherine Nelson

Daughter (c 1744 - -- ) m. Brig. Gen'l Ambrose Ramsey, of Chatham County, ND; had issue

Stephen Herndon (c1746 - --) m. Sophia Poe (see Ruth Herndon Shields below: Sophia Poe, widow of Simon Poe, Jr, son of Simon Poe Sr son of Samuel Poe)

 

Edward Herndon (c.1709-p 1743 m. Ann Collins

Joseph Herndon (c.1716 - c 1757) m. Mary Boswell

John Herndon (c 1718 - 1769) m. Jane ----

 

William Herndon (c1685-1759) m 1st -- --; 2nd Mrs. Sarah (----) Leftwich. On 14 July 1738 William Herndon was "appointed constable of the precinct where William Harrison was then serving."  Children by first wife, name unknown:

Philip Herndon (c1715-p 1760) of Caroline County filed certificate in Essex County in 1759 transferring to his brother James certain slaves which had come to him from the estate of their father William, and Benjamin Atkins, of Lunenburg, did the same with regard to the slaves which his father-in-law, William Herndon, had left to him.

Daughter m. Benjamin Atkins, who in 1760 was of Lunenburg County when he sold "to his brother-in-law James Herndon of Essex County negroes formerly belonging to his father William Herndon, being the remainder of his father-in-law's estate due him."

James Herndon (c 1720-1767 m Hannah ---

Edward Herndon (c1722 - 1806) m --------

 

The Descendants of William and Sarah (Poe) Herndon of Caroline County, Virginia and Chatham County, North Carolina by Ruth Herndon Shields. Privately Printed 1956

 

page V. Book is a continuation of The Herndon Family of Virginia, by Dr. John Goodwin Herndon of Haverford, PA 5 volumes

 

James Herndon (c 1678-1758) married 1st Mary George and had several children, among them was William Herndon, the subject of this book.

 

Continued research has shown that Mary George was the daughter of Sara (unknown) and Thomas Elliott, of the Elliott family of Chipping Ogur, of Essex County, England. Thomas Elliott was buried 4 March 1686. Mary Elliott was baptized 27 Feb 1686 "at Ye Upper Chapel," Middlesex County, VA.

 

Sarah Elliott m. 2nd, 6 July 1687 Gen. Robert George (b. 1666), whose Will was proved 21 Jan 1733 in Middlesex County, VA. Sara (Elliott) George d. 14 April 1734. Mary Elliott seems to have been always known as Mary George.

 

Stephen Herndon (c1746 - --) m. Sophia Poe, widow of Simon Poe who died in 1777 (actually it was 1773). Two items in the Minutes of the Chatham County Court of Nov 1777 follow:

"Ordered that Jeduthan Harper, Mial Scurlock, and Isaac Brooks be appointed to lay off and assign to Sophia Herndon, late the widow of Simon Poe, deceased, the dower of the lands of which the said Poe died possessed, according to law."

 

"Deed from Stephen Herndon and Sophia Herndon, administratrix of Simon Poe, to Richard Kennon proved and registered."

 

The Minutes of the Feb 1778 term of Court have this item:

"David Poe, orphan of Simon Poe, dec'd came into court and made choice of James Massey as his guardian, who entered into bond with George Herndon and William Howard in pounds 1000."

 

Stephen Herndon was granted 59 acres in Chatham County 31 March 1780. Two years later he was mentioned as one of the hands directed to work on the road under Richard Straughan (his stepfather).

 

 

The Descendants of William And Sarah (Poe) Herndon of Caroline County, Virginia and Chatham County, North Carolina. Ruth Herndon Shields. Privately Printed 1956

 

Book is a continuation of The Herndon Family of Virginia by Dr. John Goodwin Herndon of Havorford, PA 5 volumes.

 

Correction to #80, page 4-5

 

Stephen Herndon was not the son of William Herndon A reference to him, found after the publication of The Herndon Family of Virginia, The First Three Generations, establishes his age and his parentage. In the Minutes of Orange County, N.C. Court of 12 August 1765 "Stephen Herndon .... (see above)". Stephen Poe was probably an uncle to the boy. An analysis of the WILL of Simon Poe .... show that his daughter Lucy married Richard Straughan, and died before 1793, as she is mentioned as deceased in the WILL. We assume that Lucy Poe married first a younger brother of William Herndon, who died prior to 12 August 1765, probably in Caroline County, VA, and that the widowed Lucy came with her father's family to Chatham (at that time part of Orange) County, N.C. . . . .Stephen Herndon married Sophia Poe, widow of Simon Poe who died in 1777*

 

* Actually, he died in 1773, the same year as Captain Stephen Poe. Shields Note this record:

Chatham County, North Carolina Abstracts of Court Minutes 1774-1778 10 May 1774 Page 4 An Inventory of the Estate of Simon Poe Junr. deceased returned on oath by Sophia Poe and ordered to be recorded. The perishable Estate of Simon Poe, Jrn. dec'd be sold by the Sheriff.