Glaittli

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Langston/Merritts

There has been some interest lately in some of the Langstons and the
Merritts, who were associated with my Rose and Washington families of the colonial
era of Granville Co..

These families were mostly of the Knap or Nap of Reeds area near the Tar
River. I have collected some information on various individuals of this group,
as they were intermarried. They possibly may have migrated together from the
Surry Co.-Isle of Wight area of Virginia, but much more study has to be
conducted. Please share your findings.

Frederick Rose, whose mother was the former Amy Langston, and Rose's
father-in-law Rev. William Washington (a Baptist minister) migrated after the
Revolution to Georgia. (These were the poor Washingtons, not the ones from
Northern Neck Virginia. They were probably more closely related in England.)

By the way, I have lost among my photocopies the title page of the 1780 land
grant for Joseph Langston, cited below. It is probably from one of the many
books of Margaret M. Hofmann. If you have this citation, will you please
share with me--and the rootsweb group???

E.W.Wallace
with several colonial Granville Co. lines

JOSEPH LANGSTON. (d. aft 1783, Granville Co., NC) He is related to Amy
Langston, who m. 1st William Rose of Granville Co. We do not know the degree of
relationship, however. He was one of the witnesses to the will of Ellis
Drury, dated 17 Jan 1779, who was one of the husbands of Amy Langston.

>From a section entitled "Mills Built in the County [Granville Co.]

May 4, 1777. Joseph Langston leave for water grist mill on Tar river 'at
Ephraim Merrits old Mill place." This is an excerpt of a court order.

(Thomas McAdory Owen, HISTORY AND GENEALOGIES OLD GRANVILLE COUNTY, NORTH
CAROLINA, 1746-1800, [Greenville, SC: Southern Historical Press, Inc., 1993]
p. 162)

Another court entry:

Feby 1, 1779. Joseph Langston pet'n. for grist mill on Cub Creek;laid over.
Aug 3, 1779 Granted. (Owen, p. 162)

It is noted a couple of neighbors, Stephen Merrit and Howel Rose petitions
for grist mills in subsequent years, during the American Revolution.


Langston could qualify as a patriot because he was granted land by the State
of North Carolina during the Revolution, signifying that he had taken an
oath of allegiance to the new State Government.

No. 62 - Governor Richard Caswell to Joseph Langston, 24 September 1779, 50
shillings for every 100 acres granted, a tract of land containing 640 acres in
Granville County on waters of the Nap of Read, Merit's, & Cub Creek;
Beginning at a Red Oak in Meadows' line, running thence crossing Sherman's Road
West 418 poles to a White Oak, thence North 293 poles to a White Oak & Red Oak
in Langston's line, then crossing said road by said Langston's line East 198
poles to a White Oak in Merit's line, thence by his line South 84 poles to a
Pine, thence his line East 200 poles to a Hickory in Meadows' corner, thence by
his line South to the beginning. Rd Caswell. Wm Sheppard D Sec Truly Reg
Pr M Satterwhite PR


(Timothy W. Rackley, GRANVILLE COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA DEEDS 1755-1782
[Kernersville, NC: Timothy W. Rackley, 2002], p. 34)
(See 151 in Rackley's Deeds p. 34 for another grant the same date.)

Furthermore, Langston received another grant from the governor of North
Carolina during the Revolution:

State of North Carolina (Richard Caswell, Governor) (James Glasgow,
Secretary of State), Grant Book 35

Granville County
p. 150 Joseph Langston 3 Mar 1780 760 acres on both sides of two forks of
Cup [sic] Creek, joining Langstons own corner, the County line, Merits line,
Philpots line, Wills line, and the sd. Cub [sic] Creek

(Source: Margaret M. Hofmann ???


Langston's name appears in the following Road Order, Granville Co., NC.

Feby 3, 1783 "The following persons are appointed to lay out a Road the
best & most convenient way from near Shermons meeting house to a Road laid out
from Caswell Court house to Granville County line viz't. John Washington
William Philpot, James Meadows, Jacob Slaughter William Allin Philip Lewis,
Rich'd Fowle Miles Wells Stephen Merrit, Jo's. Langston, Thomas Person Ja.'s
Daniel Tho's. Goss George Roberts John Williams Ephra Frazier William Kennon
William Gill & that John Washington, with the hands of Ja's. Daniel Ja's. Hester
Jo's. Langston, Miles Wills William Oakley Tho's. Oakley Hezekiah Habgood
Harrison Duncan William Philpot William Cocke, Person's hands at his Mill, open &
keep the same in repair."

(Thomas McAdory Owen, HISTORY AND GENEALOGIES OF OLD GRANVILLE COUNTY, NORTH
CAROLINA, 1746-1800 [Greenville, SC: Southern Historical Press, 1993], p.
131)

E-mail from Christina Hunt 10/28-00 quoting from a Langston Book called The
Langston Family, 500 years of Research"

Joseph Langston m. 2nd Agnes Ragland Merritt, widow of Ephraim Merritt
Agnes & husband Ephraim Merritt had Benjamin, Stephen, Mary and Elizabeth.
Stephen m. Winifred Rose and Elizabeth m. William Rose

In Rev War petition Elizabeth [not identified, but probably Elizabeth Rose]
said that Joseph Langston was her stepfather.

Submitted by E.W.Wallace

http://searches2.rootsweb.com/th/read/NCGRANVI/2007-08/1186946098

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