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Hi All:
Is anyone familiar with the history of Sawra Town or Upper Sawra Town in NC?? When did the Sawra Tribe reside there? I’m particularly interested in the approx. year or years that most of the Tribe left that area. I know they were supposed to have migrated south to join the Catabaws and down into SC. I know little about this area or the Tribe but my Williams Fam. lived there bef. 1776 and our DNA suggests Melungeon blood and I know we had NA blood very early on and more recent times as well.
This area must have been a pretty desolate area as my Ambrose Williams signed a 1776 petition with others that indicates they couldn’t get to the courthouse for musters and other necessary legal matters required by the King and wanted a new county. Consequently, Ambrose’ son, John, was hung by the Tories sometime after 1776. Another son was killed and his son, Sherrod Williams, stole away with his Indian brother, Harden Williams, and ended up in Franklin Co., TN by 1800. I believe all of this occurred very near or among the Sawra Tribe.
Any help appreciated.
Hi Clydene,
Would have to look up which counties were where back then, but Upper and Lower Saura Town are said to be in present day Stokes and Rockingham Counties (which happen to be 2 of the “Goinstown Indian” counties). Here is some info for ya:
http://www.freestateofpatrick.com/nah.htm
http://www.freestateofpatrick.com/nah.htm
Hi Beeleaf:
Thanks for the help. This research in the Orange Co. area is in the year 1776. One of the records (Petition Ambrose signed) mentions on the corner of the “Granville line”. That might make the actual place they lived a little further east than Sawra Town but since I know, from the Nancy Williams Fam., that they claimed Cherokee blood, it’s a little confusing. Although, we know tribes intermarried with one another and it’s not unthinkable they were somehow connected with the Sawra Tribe since they were very near to them.
Jurisdictions in these early times is so difficult. Orange Co. was created in 1752 and Stokes was created in 1789. Ambrose was living in Orange Co. in 1776. What county did the Sawra Tribe live in in 1776? I guess that’s the question. I have an old map and it suggests Upper Sawra Town was in Orange Co. but this map has no exact boundary lines on it so it’s questionable.
I’ll keep slugging way at this one and post any findings.
Thanks for the help.
Thanks, Sue! Nancy Williams IS a descendant of Harden; his father Harden; his father, Sherrod; his unknown father and his father, the probable brother of my Ambrose Williams b 1725-30. The unknown father or unproven father of Sherrod (supposedly killed by Indians) is related to Ambrose through the Williams DNA Project – we just can’t figure out if he was John or Phillip but DNA is proof positive of this, our family line. I also know positively that Ambrose was in Orange Co. in 1776 with others elsewhere. Our kin jumped around like fleas on a hot skillet….ha ha.
Beeleaf provided a site with Saura Tribal History. After reading it carefully, the description of the Sauras living on the Dan River, NC places them on the Granville Co. line in NC (the description of the land in question on the 1776 Petition Ambrose signed states “on the Granville Co. line”). Therefore, in 1776 Ambrose lived on the same exact land where the Suaras also lived in NC early on. Upper Saura Town appears to be further west of the Dan River. The more discoveries – the more questions arise.
The Hist. of the Saura Tribe suggests the majority of the Sawras left that area before 1776. But, this is a general history and does not account for every member of the Saura Tribe. Some may have returned or never really left?
You gals are good! You answered both my original questions of where the Sauras lived and when they migrated out of the area of Orange Co. on the Granville Co. line. You’ve been a great help!
Thanks much!
What county did the Sawra Tribe live in in 1776?
Not sure. Might have lived in many places besides Upper and Lower Sauratown. Note in the link I posted, there were other villages.
The part of Orange Co NC that would have been near Granville Co. is not near Stokes and Rockingham, so I am confused. While part of the Dan River does dip into northern NC around modern Caswell Co., am pretty sure the info at freestateofpatrick is not talking about that area. It would be referring to the Dan River to the south of the Smith and Mayo (Dan is a long river that flows every which way, but the Mayo & Smith are not).
From article, “To the south on the Dan River were the historic Saura villages of Upper Sauratown (Stokes County) and Lower Sauratown (Rockingham County). Upper Sauratown , the Mayo River village site, and the Philpott Archaeological Site were all located on the Tutelo-Saura Path, an Indian trail running from the Valley of Virginia to the Carolina Piedmont.”
Here is a map that shows kinda where these rivers are:
http://www.danriver.org/Maps/WatershedMap-Large.htm
Info about Sauratown mountains here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sauratown_Mountains
The author also mentions following the Tutelo-Saura path. That path is along present day Highway 220 between Roanoke and Greensboro.
My neck of the woods, so to speak.
This might be a good place to add this info, since this is SaponiTown, and a known Saponi village was also near the Sauratowns:
http://www.victorianvilla.com/sims-mitchell/local/native/index.htm
Referring to the map of the Dan River basin, the Saponi marker would be kinda near the text “Pittsylvania County”. (It’s right at where HWy 29 connects to 58)
Some pdf maps here, if you’d like to follow the Dan more better:
http://www.huntfishva.com/fishing/waterbodies/display.asp?id=148§ion=maps
Hello Clydene, I’m curious if your Cannon surname has any connections to all this. Felicia, on this forum, is a Cannon.
Hey Linda:
That’s my husband’s name! I haven’t done a lot of research on his line but I do know they were in NC early on. There was a William Cannon in the mix there. I’ll pull what I have and give some names and dates. They migrated to TN and then to FL as I recall. His family does speak of being NA through the intermarried Slaughter Family – porbably Seminole after they arrived in FL??
Sue:
I am familiar with that. Nancy is reported to be a descendant of one of our Williams’ – Sherrod Williams b. 1776 unknown where. He said his father was killed by the Indians while working in the fields but Sherrod’s son, Harden, by his 1st wife was also NA. This event has caused us all a lot of searching because we just can’t figure out where his father was killed or who he was. (DNA has proved we are definitely related) Sherrod showed up in Franklin Co., TN abt. 1801 with his son, Harden, and second wife Polly Looney probably married in Maury or Hawkins Co., TN.
Hi Beeleaf:
Here some conclusions I’ve gathered with your help from resources you sent.
It appears at this moment that my Ambrose Williams lived right where Byrd reported to have come upon cornfields of the Sawra Tribe on the southeast side of the Dan River just across the VA line into NC. The closest town is probably Milton,, NC of today. I appreciate your sources as they really helped a lot.
Ambrose b, 1725ca married Mary More – no doubt of English descent but his son John and Harden would have been of marriageable age in 1776 when they lived there. John’s wife is unknown. Also possible husbands to NA in the area are Ambrose’ brothers, Harden and John. You can see how our family passed down the names of Ambrose, Harden and John for forever…..very cornfusing at times…..ha ha. And then there’s Sherrod b. 1776, a known ancestor by DNA, who had a NA son named Harden who is the grandfather of Nancy Williams Ridgetop Shawnee website….whee.
That’s where I’m at. Now I’m checking the Caswell Co., records and do find a Tax List as well a Guardianship record on index. Now I need a copy of both. Will post followup if and when I find more.
Bless all for your input!
To search for Saura Indians you may find some interesting things in Stokes County east of Walnut Cove. (Hwy 311 area has a marker). Also search for Pilot Mountain, N.C.
Here is a link for you.
http://www.visitstokesnc.com/Default.aspx?tabid=55
Collins – Thanks! I was just going to post this and it goes along with the site you provided.
“(John) Lederer’s Expedition lead him through Sara where the Sara Indians dwelt…referred to as the Saura Indians of Saura Town Mountain. Lederer noted “From Sara Town I kept a SW course until 25th of June (1670) and then reached Wisarchy…the 26th of June, having crossed the Fresh River which runs into Lake Ushery (Usheroos). I came to the town, which was more populous than any I have seen before in my march.” (History of Surry Co. or Annals of NW North Carolina by J. G. Holingsworth, 1935, p.,13)
I have found that my Ambrose Williams actually lived on the land where a Sara town or village was located and that a family closely tied to my Ambrose Williams – the Ussery’ – were there also. This was in 1776 probably after many of the Sara had left the area. However, I feel the name Ussery is a variant of “Ushery”, the name mentioned by Lederer.
There are many Usserys who eventaully became enrolled in OK as Cherokees and Choctaws. I feel there is a connection between the location of Ushery Lake in NC and the eventual Cherokee/Choctaw Usserys surname on the Dawes Rolls.
Very interesting research and a possible connection for Ussery Families!!! Do we have any Usserys on our site?
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