Bedsaul/Bledsoe family history

Many years ago, when I was at an empasse, trying to know where to go beyond 
John Lowry BLEDSOE, to find who his parents were, I wrote to Banks 
McLaurin, a noted author for the BLEDSOE family of America.  He's a man up 
in his 70's and has written several volumes on the BLEDSOES.  He wrote back 
to say that he had researched John Lowry BLEDSOE out, and proven him to be 
a BEDSAUL, and he gave me copies of his original collection of census 
records.  At the time, I had stashed away an article on the BEDSAULS of 
Grayson/Carroll Counties of VA, which a lady who was then the librarian for 
Virginia Polytechnical Institute, and a friend of an author named John 
Perry Alderman.  Mr. Alderman had written a book titled, "Carroll 1765-1815 
The Settlements".  He has since died, but was a respected historian and 
author regarding Carroll County, VA and its inhabitants.  Here's what was 
written regarding the BEDSUALS by Mr. Alderman:

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         LOWER CHESTNUT CREEK      303


ELISHA BEDSAUL SR.


The old scriveners could never decide how to spell his name so BEDSOLT was 
commonly used and BEDSOL, BADSOW and other variations are also found in the 
records.  He came to Chestnut Creek in 1771 and settled on a tract which 
later was the homeplace for Flower SWIFT.  It was in the Iron Ridge/Hebron 
area of Carroll, and apparently he lived there for some years before moving 
to another tract which today is in East Galax.  His first tract he assigned 
to Flower SWIFT (who may have been his son-in-law), and the second one he 
acquired from John PRICE(Kegley, Adventurers,II, pp.106, 113).  The PRICE 
settlement was on both sides of Chestnut Creek, partly adjoined and partly 
was inside the old BUCHANAN grant; it had been settled by Price in 1771, 
and Bedsaul had 172 acres of it surveyed in 1774 (Fincastle, Survey A-135).

Elisha was taxed in 1773, was in Flower SWIFT'S militia company, and in 
1782 had paid tax on a slave, four horses and twelve cattle, indicating 
considerable prosperity.  The 1782 record is the only one found of his 
slaveholding days; the later tax lists only charge him with horses and cattle.

He was connected with the Quaker Church, but apparently some of his church 
records are missing.  There is a record in the Cane Creek minutes of the 
marriage of John "BEDSALT" of Fincastle County, Virginia and and one Sara 
BROWN; the record plainly indicates that John's parents were Elisha and 
Mary (1 Hinshaw 374).  The tidbits of evidence that remain make it clear 
that Elisha had come to Virginia from some of the Quaker settlements in 
North Carolina.  He was not active in Quaker affairs on Chestnut Creek.

He acquired a considerable amount of land, but it is difficult now to 
ascertain its precise boundaries.  Part of it was on the west side of 
Chestnut, but most of it was on the east side of that stream and probably 
nearly all of it is now inside the boundaries of the City of  Galax.  There 
were three grants, and in addition he bought 100 acres from Jacob 
CUMMINS(Grayson, D.B. 1-304).  Much of it he lost when it was discovered 
that it lay inside the Buchanan grant, but he deeded his grandson and 
namesake a tract of it (Grayson, D.B. 1-530) and died owning the rest.

There are a few records of old Elisha in the Grayson minutes.  He was 
designated in 1793 to view the road from Moses FOLEY'S to the Carolina 
line; he was summoned as a grand juror in March 1794, did not attend and 
had to appear in May to make the proper excuse in order to have his eight 
dollar fine remitted; and finally in 1794 he registered his stock mark in 
1794: a crop off the right ear and two slips cut in the same 
(Grayson,orders 1793-1794).


It is not clear when he died. He was living in March 1803 when he deeded 
the 150 acres to his grandson, and he was dead by 1805 when George MARTIN 
sold Amey MARTIN'S interest In his land (Grayson, D.B. 1-530; D.B. 
2-116).  Except for the Quaker record, which gives her name as Mary, 
nothing is known of his wife.

George MARTIN and his wife Amey in 1805 sold her one-fourth interest in 
Elisha BEDSAUL'S land to George CURRIN.  The deed describes the land as 640 
acres on both sides of Chestnut Creek, adjoining Elisha BEDSAUL, and 
clearly recites that the MARTINS are conveying "my legacy of the estate of 
Elisha BEDSAL, Sr.". The MARTINS had moved to Grainger County, Tennessee 
(Grayson, D.B. 2-116).  Since old Elisha does not seem to have left a will 
(neither was there any administration of his estate), it would follow that 
there were four children who had equally inherited the estate.  One of the 
four was obviously Amey Bedsaul MARTIN, and another was John BEDSAUL, whose 
paternity is proven by his marriage from the Quaker records.  It is not so 
clear who were the other two children.

There was a second deed made by the BEDSAUL heirs  In 1808.  The MARTINS 
did not sign this one (they had already sold their interest to Currin 
anyhow); it was made by John "BEDSAL" of Buncombe County, North Carolina, 
and a Jesse COX of Grayson (Grayson, D.B. 2-419).  They conveyed


304 CARROLL 1765-1815

to the younger Elisha all of their right, title and interest to 150 acres 
of Elisha BEDSAUL Sr.'s three tracts on Chestnut Creek.  The clear 
inference is that Jesse COX, like George MARTIN, had married one of the 
BEDSAUL girls and this assumption is confirmed by the fact that Jesse named 
one of his sons Elisha.  The given name of Jesse COX'S wife is not found in 
the Grayson records. If three of the children were John BEDSAUL, George 
MARTIN'S wife, and Jesse COX'S wife, then who was the fourth?  One 
possibility is that the fourth was Mary Bedsaul SWIFT, wife of Flower 
SWIFT(Nuckolls, Pioneer Settlers,p.98), and another is that errant Ann 
Bedsaul REDDICK, wife of Solomon REDDICK was the old man's daughter. A 
final judgment cannot be made without additional evidence, but the writer's 
hunch would be that Mary SWIFT was the fourth.


JOHN BEDSAUL

The first known record of John is his marriage on June 9,1774 to Sarah 
BROWN, as found in the Cane Creek minutes (I Hinshaw 374); the bride was 
the daughter of Daniel and Grace BROWN of Guilford County, North Carolina, 
and she was dismissed from the Quaker Church in 1775 for some reason not 
stated in the Cane Creek records.  Through the Loyal Company, John acquired 
the rights to 187 acres on Chestnut Creek (Kegley, Adventurers,l, p. 34), 
and he had it surveyed Dec.30,1774 (Fincastle, Survey A-131).  The land was 
near his father's first settlement, towards Iron Ridge.  John eventually 
sold his rights to Benjamin HARTGROVE, and finally Matthew DICKEY took the 
grant.  Later it was part of the BLAIR farm.

John moved to part of his father's farm and apparently lived there until 
1799 when he was dropped from the Grayson tax rolls.  The tract upon which 
John lived was the same tract which old Elisha deeded to John's son, the 
younger Elisha, in 1803 for the deed refers to it as the tract where John 
resided "when he moved out of this country" (Grayson, D.B. 1-530).  By 1808 
John was living in Buncombe County, North Carolina, and there is no further 
mention of him in the Grayson records (Grayson, D.B. 2-419).  Earlier there 
were a few records of John in the Grayson minutes.  In 1793 he was charged 
with an illegal dalliance with a Blevins girl who lived on Chestnut Creek, 
and in 1794 he was made surveyor of the road in place of his brother-in-law 
George Martin (Grayson, Orders 1793-1794).

Not much can be established about John's family.  It is known that the 
younger Elisha Bedsaul was one of his sons (the 1811 land tax rolls so 
identify him), and probably Daniel Bedsaul (who would have been named for 
his grandfather Brown) was another.  It may be that Sarah Bedsaul who 
married Jonathan Bentley in 1795 in Grayson was another, along with the 
David Bedsaul who was surety on Sarah's marriage bond.


DANIEL BEDSAUL


For the reasons stated, it is likely that Daniel Bedsaul was John's 
son.  He appears in the Grayson tax lists from 1799 to 1808, which is 
likely the span of his adult life on Chestnut Creek. He had been summoned 
to court twice to answer charges, but at least one of them was dismissed 
(Grayson, Orders 1806-1811).  There is no record as to who his wife may 
have been but apparently Daniel had three small children.  In 1808 the 
Grayson Court entered two orders, placing the custody of Daniel's children: 
Sarah and John were placed with John Green, and Mary (likely just a baby) 
was placed with Isaac Edwards.  The order (Jan.26,1808) does not indicate 
why the action was taken, one possibility would be that Daniel's wife had 
died and he was unable to raise the children.  The order was later modified 
as to the son John (Grayson Orders 1806-1811), and by 1809 John Bedsaul was 
gone from the county.  The baby Mary was raised by Edwards and married 
William Farmer in 1828.


                      LOWER CHESTNUT CREEK 305

ELISHA BEDSAUL JR.

Of course the records made while his grandfather was living refer to him as 
Elisha Jr. and those made later in his life when he had a grown son of the 
same name refer to him as Elisha Sr.  He was born in the 1770's and since 
he married in 1794, it can be assumed that he was the eldest child of John 
and Sarah Bedsaul.  He married Margaret Edwards (the marriage bond is dated 
August 5,1794), and the bride was the daughter of Isaac and Catherine 
Edwards of Little Reed, born April l. 18,1774.


As related, young Elisha was deeded part of his grandfather's Chestnut 
Creek property in 1803, and more particularly it was the land upon which 
his father John had resided (Grayson, D.B. 1-530).  There are not many 
records of Elisha in the courthouse for he lived a quiet life and in 
contrast to his father and brother did not go to court.  He seems to have 
made some provision for his children as they married and left home, and it 
was his offspring who settled on Coal Creek and made homesites in that 
community.  There was a large group of children, probably eleven of them in 
all, although the records cannot be found to prove the parentage of some of 
them.  It is fairly clear that he died in 1845, after Carroll was formed, 
for his estate was inventoried in June of that year (Carroll, W.B. 1-83); 
he did not have much of an estate for he had given almost all he had to his 
children.  It is not so clear when Margaret Edwards Bedsaul died for while 
the older census records seemingly list a wife, the age given In the census 
is too young for Margaret.  It may be he was married twice, and if so, the 
last two children would seem to have been by the second wife.

The eleven children: (1) John Bedsaul, born about 1797, is thought to have 
been Elisha's son and not the John, son of Daniel.  This John married 
Delilah Carrico in 1818 and had eight children.  They were in Grayson until 
the 1830's when they moved to Wythe where they lived for several 
years.  They returned to Carroll in the 1850's and John died in the county 
in 1872 and Delilah in 1883 (Bedsaul Bible). (2) Sarah Bedsaul, born about 
1802, married William Melton in 1823 and they raised sixteen children.  She 
died in 1879, and her death certificate proves her parentage. (3) Elisha 
Bedsaul, the third of the name, was born about 1803.  He married first 
Nancy Roten in Grayson in 1829, and after her death he remarried a Mary 
Williams in 1861 in Surry County, North Carolina; his second marriage 
record proves his parentage.  He died in 1875. (4) David Bedsaul, born 
about 1807, married first Sarah Ward in 1831 and then remarried Emaline 
Padgett in 1872.  His second marriage record also proves his parentage.  He 
died in 1894. (5) Mary Bedsaul, born about 1801, married Amos Lundy; the 
Lundy records list her as one of Elisha's children, but do not give a birth 
or death date for her. (6) Isaac Bedsaul, born in 1810, died In 1881, 
married Jane Davis in 1832.Elisha deeded him a tract of land the year he 
died (Carroll, D.B. 1-390). (7) Nancy Bedsaul, birthdate unknown, married 
Jesse Newman in 1830, and her marriage bond proves that she is one of the 
children.  She died in the late 1840's, survived by six children. (8) 
Martha Bedsaul, born in 1815, died In 1888, married Allen Melton in 1834; 
Elisha Bedsaul consented to the marriage. (9) Katherine Bedsaul, birthdate 
unknown, married Jonathan Surratt in 1842; again the marriage bond proves 
tier parentage. (10) Hugh Bedsaul (1821-1898) married Amelia Dowling in 
1845. (11) Braselton Bedsaul (1824-1907) married Ruth Davis in 1843.  No 
record is found to prove the parentage of either Hugh or Braselton, and the 
gap in the known birthdates-of them and the older children hint at a second 
marriage for old Elisha.
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With the information shared with me by Banks McLauren and what I had above, 
I was able to move forward from there.  Although, I don't know the details 
regarding what all happened to young John Lowry BEDSAUL from the time that 
his father Daniel took him to live with him, until he showed up in 
Washington County, TN on the 1830 census.  He may have been there earlier, 
but I don't have census records for Washington County, TN in 1820.

John Lowry was the young John mentioned in the portion of the book where 
John Perry Alderman says,

" The order was later modified as to the son John (Grayson Orders 
1806-1811), and by 1809 John Bedsaul was gone from the county.  The baby 
Mary was raised by Edwards and married William Farmer in 1828."

I have been told that Daniel had moved to TN and was leading a scouting 
party to find Indians when he and the group were ambushed, and he was 
killed.  He also had an older son named Isaac BEDSAUL, b. Dec 24, 1799, who 
migrated west, not mentioned in John P. Alderman's book.

Here's the progression of Census Information from 1830 on:

1830 Washington County, TN Census shows John L. with two sons under 10 yrs, 
1 son 10-16, and 1 woman 16-26 (Mary), and 1 woman over 45

Note:

They possibly attended The Old Dutch Meeting House (Immanuel Lutheran 
Church) located near the Nolichucky River, between the Cherokee Baptist 
Church and the New Victory community.  Five miles so. of Jonesboro, 
TN.   There were BEDSAULS listed on the church rolls there.

The Mary listed in the 1830 Census was Mary C. BACON, b. 1807, Washington 
County, TN.  John Lowry and Mary C. were married on October 27,1827, in 
Washington County, TN.  Here are actual prints off the marriage cd for 
Washington County, TN:

Marriage Index: KY, NC, TN, VA, WV, 1728-1850 

Bedsalls, John Lowry Spouse : Bacon, Mary
Marriage date : Oct 27, 1827
Bedsauls, John Spouse : Jones, Polly
Marriage date : Apr 10, 1823

As you can see, John L. was married in 1823 to a Polly JONES.  It would 
appear that she died sometime between 1823 & 1827, when he then married 
Mary C. BACON.  It is my belief that Polly may have died in childbirth, and 
that the firstborn son of John L., Isaac BLEDSOE, your line, may have been 
Polly's child.  I am basing that upon the census records, but it's not 
written in stone, and he could be Mary's son.

The History of Jonesborough
          In 1781 the British were overrunning the Carolinas.  Washington 
County volunteers had long been involved in protecting the south, and now 
they participated in the Battle of Kings Mountain, what has since been 
looked upon as a major turning point in the Revolutionary War.  Among the 
volunteers in the campaign were six men who had been purchasers at the 
first sale of lots in Jonesborough:  Nathaniel Evans, Charles, Holloway, 
David Hughes, Robert Sevier, Christopher Taylor, and Jesse Walton. Robert 
Sevier, brother of Col. John Sevier, was mortally wounded in the battle and 
never had a chance to claim his property in the town of Jonesborough.

         According to the 1834 Tennessee Gazetteer, in 1833 Jonesborough 
"contained a population of about 500 inhabitants; eleven lawyers, four 
physicians, two clergymen, two churches, two academies, four schools, one 
printing office, four carpenters, three cabinet makers, two bricklayers, 
one blacksmith, four taverns, two hatters, four tailors, four shoemakers, 
one silversmith, two wagonmakers and one mill."

         The town experienced a boom during the early 1840s when many of 
the existing Federal style brick structures were built.

     The first local post office was established in 1796 with John Waddell 
as postmaster.  Around 1800 a post route was started and mail was carried 
by horseback twice a week.  Increasing demands of passenger travel and mail 
delivery resulted in more stage lines which increased from once a week in 
1825 to three times a week in 1834.

Jonesborough was the county seat for the 4th Civil District, where John 
Lowry BEDSAUL lived.

John Lowry BEDSAUL was still in Washington County in 1840:

Census Index: U.S. Selected Counties, 1840

Bedsall, John State : TN
County : Washington Co.
Year : 1840
Page # : 24

By 1850 John had moved with his family to Madison County, AR, Prairie Twp:

John (Lowry) Bledsoe  50. TN, Mary 42 TN, Isaac 22, Charles, Callie
Mae (Catherine) 18, Rebecca 16, Hannah 12, Mary 10, John G 9, Sarah 7,
Margaret 5, Narcissa 2, Hale 6/12 AR (only one b. AR).

They moved by 1860 to Crooked Creek, Carroll County, AR:

l860 Carroll Co, AR:

John L. Bledsoe 63 VA, Mary 54 TN, Harriet B. 20, Mary l8, John L.
16, Sarah M. 15, Margaret V. 13, Narcissa A ll, Franklin M. l0.  Isaac
Bledsoe 30 TN, Susan 24, Eliza 2, Benjamin 1  Charles 27, Deletha 26,
John 6, Mary G., William l.

Around 1866, the family made a final move to Christian County, MO.  All 
except for son Charles, who must have lived right across the county line 
into Greene County, MO.

1870 Christian County, MO:

51

BLEADSOE JOHN       70   FARMER    VIRGINIA
               MARY  62   TENNESSEE
               NARCIS     30   TENNESSEE
               HALE     2      TENNESSEE
              THOMAS        11      TEXAS

By 1875, John and Mary were both dead, and here's the application for 
admnistration of Mary's estate:
==================================================================
Application of Administration for Mary Bacon BLEDSOE'S estate

This day personally appeared before me, the Judge of the Probate Court for 
the County of Christian the undersigned L.C. Faught who being by me duly 
sworn, upon his oath says that to the best of his knowledge there are the 
following named heirs of Mary Bldoe (mispelled)deceased, now in being; to-wit:

Charles Bledsoe in Greene Co. and Isaac Bledsoe, H.F. Bledsoe, Sarah 
Bevearge, Margarett Slay, Ann Ginger, H.B. Holderby, Nancy Ann and H. F. 
Bledsoe Christian Co., MO., Mary Guy, Wright Co., Mo., Catharine Upton, 
Boone Co., Ark. and the heirs of Rebecca Ellingsworth in ILL.  And that, to 
the best of his knowledge, the said deceased died without a will, so far as 
the estate of the deceased Mary Bledsoe and pay the debts as far as the 
assets will extend and the law direct, and account for and pay all assets 
which shall come to his possession or knowledge.

Sworn to and subscribed by me, this 24th day of August 1875.

Signed

L.C. Faught

Carroll Neville Judge
===================================================================
l880 Christian Co,M0:

Isaac Bledsaw 54 TN VA TN, Susan 44 TN TN TN, Mallicie l7 AR TN TN,
Isaac W. 14, Wm. E 10, Hale F, Jr. 7, Jas. W. 2.

Hale F. Bledsaw 29 AR, Nancy A. 27 mo, Hattie A. 8 MO, Mary E. 7 MO, Addie 
B, 4 MO, Hale F. 12 AR nephew.   Wm Sanders 66 KY, Louisa C. 66 TN (wife), 
Nancy A Bledsaw
13 MO TN AR.

l900 Franklin Co, AR:

Isaac b, 1826, Susan, b. l836.
Wilson I. b. Jan l866, Susan A b. May l866, Mennie B Nov l886, Pearl
March l889, Samuel March l89l, Freddie b. May l895.

James l882, Lollie l885, Charlrs May l860 brother, Annie b. l866 s.i.l., 
Ella May l889, Evert Oct l886 nephew, Frank Jan l873.

l9l0 Christian Co., MO

Hale 40 AR, Sarah L. 29, John 17, Verlie M. 15 daughter.

LaFlore Co., OK

William 38 MO, Minnie 32 TN, Eules 6, Melvin 4 Ula dau. b. l908.

Frank H. 33 MO, Ouise l9 (wife) l9 AR, Alvin 3, Essie 2.

Charles R. 52 AR, Annie E. 42 wife, Everett J 22 MO


Except for AGES THINGS FIT TOGETHER PRETTY WELL

Banks

(The 1880-1910 census information above was sent to me by Banks McLaurin as 
you can tell by the note at the end of the message).

My 2nd gr grandmother, Sarah M. BLEDSOE was the sister to Isaac BLEDSOE, 
Isaac Wilson BLEDSOE'S father.  I have been blessed to have made contact 
with someone from many of the descendants of each of John Lowry's 
children.  I still have a ways to go, but feel that it's slowly coming 
together.

Jean Cuevas