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I’ve tried to find information on-line about the Chowan Indian tribe that lived around Bennett’s Creek in North Carolina. I have several ancestors that I suspect could have been members of this tribe. I have a Epaphroditus Benton,
who moved to Bennett’s Creek in 1713 — I have found his land grant. Yet I hear that the area was still inhabited by Chowan Indians. He came from Nansemond County, Virginia and lived in Chowan County the rest of his life. His wife was named Elizabeth ____ and her maiden name possibly could have been Moore. I suspect she was the Chowan, but I have no proof. William Freedman who I have been told was part Indian and part African American, was apparently a neighbor and friend of Epaphroditus, as he appears as a witness on some documents.
What I’m wanting to know is basically ANYTHING on the Chowan Indians living around Bennett’s Spring. Is there any tradition of any members of the tribe marrying into Benton families? I have seen a transcript of Epaphroditus’ will that names his wife and children. Epaphroditus even appears in the book “The Shorter Secret History of the Line.” by William Byrd written between 1728-1736 , page 157:
“We hurry’d away the Surveyors, who cou’d run no more than 6 Miles because of the Uneven Grounds near Roanoke-River. We did not follow with the Baggage til 10, being staid to christen 6 Children, & to discourse a very civil Old Fellow, who brought us 2 fat Shoats for a present. The Name of our Benefactor was Epaphroditus Bainton, who is Young enough at 60 Years of Age, to keep a Concubine, & to Walk 25 miles in a day. He has forsworn ever getting on a Horse back, being once in Danger of breaking his Neck by a fall. He spends most of his time in hunting & ranging the Woods, killing generally more than 100 Deer in a Year. He pretends to Skill in the Virtues of many Plants, but I cou’d learn nothing of that kind from him. This Man was our Guide to Maj. Mumford’s Plantation, under the Care of Miles Riley, where we were regaled with Milk, Butter, & many other Refreshmets. The Maj’. had order’d some Wine to be lodged here for us, & a fat Steer to be at our Service; but the last we refus’d with a great many thanks. From hence we continu’d our Journey to the Canoe-Landing upon Roanoke River, where Young Mumford & M’ Walker met us. Here we ferry’d over our Baggage & our Persons, ordering the men with the Horses to the Ford near a mile higher, which leads to the Trading Path”.
This account is on-line at: http://www.webroots.org/library/usahist/tcotos03.htm
Any information on the Chowan (and are they known as “Chowan Indians” or is there another name for the tribe?) would be greatly appreciated.
My e-mail address is: ec21davis@gmail.com
Eddie Davis
Hi, I never heard of them, but I did a google search and the Chowanoc tribe that lived on the Chowan river came up from NE NC. I bet thats them? Jeff in STL
Eddie, I’ve never heard of Epaphroditus Benton, nor of the “Chowan Indians” or Chowanoc tribe. I’d sure love to learn more about them though, because it may be the general name given to the tribes in NC. My ndn family were called Blackfoot Indians. My ancestors (originally from Edgecombe Co.) moved to Chowan NC. If you want, you can enter MAYO into the search area for my info. Here’s some of it:
My Blackfoot Indian family were MAYOs….who lived in Chowan Co. NC – in the Edenton area, right off the Chowan River. My gg-grandfather was Samuel MAYO who later m. Lizzie HOLMES (of VA). Sam’s parents were Richard “Ned” MAYO who m. Mary “Agy” ROSS/ROYE/VOYCE? His grandson married a MOORE woman.
I’ve come across another family of MAYOs recently who married into the BEASLEY, VOYCE/BOYCE, and the ROUN(D)TREE families. These families seemed to be localized around the Cannon’s Ferry Rd., Green Rd. and Icaria roads group, all off of NC Rt. 32. These people are very, very dark-skinned individuals whose ancestors had straight ndn black hair. They tend to be tall and built individuals. There are a lot of descendants who’ve moved up into the Smithfield VA area. I’m still trying to connect all of the families together.
None of this may involve you and I wish I could be of more help, but your Chowan people may be clue to my area, too. And you may end up finding out that maybe your “Chowan Indian” is really a “Blackfoot Indian”.
That’s a treasure to have an account of your ancestor in Byrd’s journal. He sounds like quite an amazing fellow. I don’t have an atlas handy and don’t know where Chowan county is. The account of Byrd talking about the Roanoke and Mumford’s plantation sounds like Mecklenburg County to me. I’m assuming those are the same Mumfords who had a family member who wrote a play “The Candidates” about local politics in Mecklenburg county. I helped produce and direct it years back. It was the first time it was ever produced and I was told his grave is located somewhere near Kerr Lake, I believe on or near the present Hundley lands near Boydton.
When I read Byrd’s account I know I assumed that was the locale. The Trading Path cut through the Roanoke at Clarksville, VA.
Not sure if this is any of your surnames, but, got this in email this morning about a new book in the NC Archives. And this is a great resource, I have ordered several books from them (makes good gifts).
NEW BOOK ON HAYES PLANTATION IN CHOWAN COUNTY
In the nineteenth century Hayes Plantation in Chowan County, east of Edenton, featured as its focal point a distinctive home that became famous throughout North Carolina. The house, designed by British architect William Nichols, was built by James Cathcart Johnston (1782-1865), one of the state’s most innovative and prosperous planters. A handsome new book published by the N.C. Office of Archives and History describes life at Hayes Plantation and discusses the Johnston and Wood families who have lived there.
Written by John G. Zehmer Jr., “Hayes: The Plantation, Its People, and Their Papers” contains extensive excerpts from James Cathcart Johnston’s correspondence and other papers in the Hayes Collection housed in the Southern Historical Collection at UNC-Chapel Hill. Other revealing first-person sources include portions of letters of the Johnston and Wood families and letters and reports from slaves and freed persons.
Excerpts from James C. Johnston’s papers shed light on slavery practices on his plantations. Among other topics explored are Johnston’s intense interest in new farming techniques, his admiration for Henry Clay, his monetary generosity to various family members, and genealogical information about the Johnstons, the Woods, and related families. Of particular interest is a chapter about James C. Johnston’s contested will in which he left his vast landholdings to three friends rather than to family members and about the sensational trial that upheld the will.
“Hayes: The Plantation, Its People, and Their Papers” is a fascinating portrayal of a handsome, timeless house and of the people associated with it. The volume is lavishly illustrated with striking pictures, many in color by photographer John O. Peters, of the interior and exterior of the house and of those people connected with Hayes. It will appeal to local and state historians, architectural historians, genealogists, and anyone interested in the Albemarle region of North Carolina during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
http://store.yahoo.com/nc-historical-publications/.
Becky
Since my post two years ago, I have continued to search for the Chowanoke Indians of Northeastern North Carolina (around Gates and Chowan Counties) and southeastern Virginia (Nansemond County). I actually have several families in my ancestry that lived next door to the reservation set up by the British off of Bennett’s and Catherine’s creeks. Epaphroditus Benton and his family lived all around the reservation, which is mentioned in some of his land grants.
One of his descendants (and how she descends we have not yet quite determined) was Fereby Benton. The given name of “Fereby” was common around the area, partly because of Pherebee Savage, the wife of Francis Pugh which was an important man in the area. The name in various forms (Fereby, Pherebee, Fairaby, etc) was passed down in the southeastern VA and northeastern NC area for several generations. I suspect that is where my Fereby Benton got her name. She was born sometime around 1750 in North Carolina and married William Vaughan about 1772. They later lived in Russell County, VA, then in Hawkins Co., TN then moved west, where they finally ended up in Madison County, AR. Fereby died there in May of 1850, which is where I got her place of birth from — the 1850 Madison County death schedule.
Anyway, there was a very strong, persistent rumor in my family that she was a Cherokee Indian. Her grandkids all tried to get citizenship in the Cherokee Nation and failed due to lack of evidence. I have all of the citizenship applications, nearly 100 pages worth of documents, but they provide no clues. I think Fereby was not Cherokee at all but a descendant of the Chowanoke Indians of NC. I honestly have no proof, it is merely a gut feeling, but I know the Bentons lived near the Bennett’s Creek area and were neighbors with the Freemans, Parkers, Pughs and others of the area. I suspect the Bentons married into one of the remaining Chownoke families before the tribe “disappeared”. Hundreds of hours researching old records and census records by many of her descendants have not turned up anything that could prove — or disprove– this theory.
I also have another line — the Lassiters– that lived in the same area. Robert Lassiter, born about 1635, was married to a Prudance _____ that was said to be “A Cherokee Indian of the Nottoway tribe”. I think she was actually either a Nottoway Indian or a Chowanoke Indian. Her husband Robert owned land that bordered the Chowanoke tribe’s reservation, and the Indians kept using his land as part of their hunting grounds. In March of 1702 Robert and some neighbors sent a petition to the government to stop this (spelling not corrected):
Petetion to President Council – March 28, 1702 – March 28, 1702 North Carolina scilicet. To the Honorable President and Council – The petetion on Benjamin Blanshard, John Campbell, Thomas Spivey, Francis Roundtree, Robert Laciter, George Laciter and Nicholas Stallings in an humility. –
Complaineth – Wheras every of Your Honours petetioners hath a lawful right in and to considerable tracts of land lying and being within the Provience and bounding upon Bennet’s Creyke and a Creyke now known by the name of of Garet’s Creyke as by your Honours petioners patents under the seale of the Provience and other grants and conveyances more at large doth and may appeare. And forasmuch as the Chowan Indians haveing their hunteing quarters Upon Some of your petioners lands aforesaid therefore doe pretend the said lands to be theirs not withstanding the patents and grants aforesaid minaceing and threating your Honours petetioners by destroying their stocks burneing their houses and other hostilities under the pretence they are unlder your Honours protection. And no Englishman ought to Seate within four miles of their Towne, the which your Honours petetioners well knowing that by an order of the Honorable Council no Seatment ought to be made within the Space of four miles aforesaid any wise to the prejudice of the Said Indians neither hath your honours petetioners taken any land witingly witin that distance, yet to continue peace and tranquility, with Said Indians you Honours petetioners hath offered to purchase their right (if any) to the land held as aforesaid by you Honours petetioners which
they refuse and deneyth any Seatement to be made thereon for prevention whereof and that you Honours petetioners may have a peaceable enjoyment in their and every of their afore said lands humbly implores that the Said Indians land may be laid out to them according to aforesaid order of Council. And if any of your Honours petetioners hapen to hold any land within the aforesaid limited bounds it Shall be by your petetioners diserted and left out to Said Indians use that they as well as your Honours petetioners in their capacity may be found tru and faithfull Subjects. And that your Honours petetioners may enjoy their Said Lands in peace and Safty And as in all duty bound Shall ever pray etc
. – Benjamin Blanshard, John Campbell, Thomas Spivey (his mark), Francis Rowntre, Robert Rowntre, Robert Laciter, George Laciter, Nicholes Stallings – (endorsed) Petetion Benjamin Blanshard etc. and the Marshal Abraham Hobbs – June (illegible)
I suspect Prudance was a local girl, or from one of the neighboring tribes. Again, I haven’t been able to find any proof. Still, this seems a strong possibility. I update my research each month on my blog at http://www.tretower.com. If anyone has any information, please e-mail me at ec21davis@gmail.com.
Eddie Davis
Simple French to English translation. The answer is staring you right in the face, as-it-were. The spelling of “Chowanoc” comes from the French
Chowanoc is pronounced Shawan-oh in French. Shawanoe = Shawnee.
More and more researchers are finally picking up on this. The “CH” is pronounced “SH” in the French language. The “C” at the end is not pronounced at all…is silent.
Steve-O
Is the geography right for Shawnee? I thought they were more northwesterly. I don’t recall any references to Shawnee in eastern NC or VA.
From what I was told by noted historians, authors, researchers, etc. (who I am in contact with), dealing with the Shawnee and otherwise, the Shawnee covered a large mass of area historically at differing times, and can be found (historically) from around the New England area, through Virginia and North Carolina, and all areas from there across to the Mississippi. Evidence they have told me clearly shows that they were once in the eastern section of North Carolina (not just when Tecumseh visited) and they most definitely were in Virginia amongst the Powhatan.
I am not the one who was first to suggest that Chowanoc = Shawnee… a simple online search shows this being presented by someone else…who’s name escapes me… as well. I did do research the French language, and what is stated above are my findings. When talking to those mentioned, along with what they know about where the Shawnee were throughout history, they agreed that the French were documenting, as it were, the Shawnee.
Steve-O
I’m looking at a map from a reprint of Thomas Harriet’s A Briefe and True Report of the New Found Land of Virginia, from 1590. The map shows a tribe called Chawanook in NE North Carolina. I know Spaniards reached that area before the English, but I don’t believe the French did.
I’m descended from Mariah Bennett born in 1782, married James Huggins in NC. Another Bennett woman married Jame’s brother. I haven’t researched this branch of my family, but may Huggins family does have Lumbee and African from their Ivey family, also Creek and Jewish from their Weldon family.
Yes, but Chawanook may not be French in origin and could have been translated into French at a latter date…when they occupied the area. Yet is still very close to Shawanoe, is close to Chowanoc, but there could be a difference in origin. Chawanook is new to me, but upon reading your post it states in a book about Sir Walter Raleigh, that the Chawanook were Algonquin, again native tongue of the Shawnee, and too close to Shawanoe to dismiss at this time.
I will pass this on and see what others have to say about it that are more versed in this sort of thing than I am. I deal more in genealogies than historical locations and native histories. They would have a better grasp on this than I do.
Steve-O
Here is what I was told…
1524 – Verrazano explores the Atlantic coast from FL to New England for France
1534 – Cartier enters the St. Lawarence and later to the Great Lakes
1562 – French establish a colony in Florida
I was told that the French could have morphed Chawanook into their own Chowanoc as well. The people I talked to still say they were Shawnee.
Hello Eddie,
Just getting back on here after a long time away. Catching up. I am a direct descendant of the Chowanoc Indians through my Mothers line on the Bennett’s line. I also know several others that are directly descendant from the Chowanoc including the Robbins family. Some of the Chowanocs were absorded into surrounding tribes, some were listed as free people of color and fought in the revolutionary war while others migrated further south down into Anson county with Indian Trading white families of similar surname and wound up as Indentured servants, farmers or midwives on plantations. Some further down into the Pee Dee area such as my ancestors intermingling with other Indians who where in the company off or living with Indian traders. I have someone of the Benton Line that can possibly give you some information on this. If you want to see some photos of the Chowanocs descendants look at my photo album on my profile.
Shoshone
There are various spellings for The Chowanoc. Yes they were Algonkian in Origins. Many were decimated, Killed or run off our lands by Whites in retaliation for Killing off some of the early settlers who tried to occupy the area where our people lived.
Shoshone
Thank you Shoshone for your reply. Tracing down these Chowanoke ancestors is nearly impossible. My lines moved further west and seemed to like to stay hidden from public records. All we really have is a few vague family stories, but the persistence of them lingers. Fereby Benton only shows up twice in records — one when she and her husband William Vaughan sold land in Virginia, and then on the 1850 Madison County, AR Death Schedule. We’ve searched hundreds of records looking for her or for a solid confirmation who her parents were, but nothing ever comes up. Instead, her legend seems to haunt her descendants. The more I research the region around Bennett’s Creek and Catherine Creek in North Carolina, the more convinced I am that she was somehow connected to the Chowanoke — or a neighboring tribe– in that region. We know she was not a full-blood Indian, as her Mitochondrial DNA (which we tested through several descendants) was type “H” which is the most common Northern European type. And at least one son, Daniel, had blue eyes, which would have been impossible if his mother had been a pure blood Indian.
I think she was about 1/4th Indian. I think her family lived the rugged wilderness life that many today call “Mountain Men”, and that her family was more like the Indians then white, as they all practiced hunting more than they farmed. That is one reason Fereby and her husband William always lived on the very fringe of civilization, at least until they were in their mid 70s. And when your ancestor lives “on the fringe” there is little information about them, as census records and other public documents are seldom found.
Eddie Davis
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