The following are Secretary of State Land Grants issued in the name of Salathiel Clifton and Gideon Green. Benjamin Thomas first appeared in Anson County associated with these two people as chainbearer for their land grants. The land was very close to each other and the transactions occurred at nearly the same time. Much effort has been placed in trying to find the ancestor of Gideon Green. At this time there are no concrete links. As for Salathiel Clifton, maybe a search of his life record will provide a glimpse as to the life of our Benjamin Thomas?
Grant #4281, Anson NC, to Salathiel Clifton. Ent 19 May 1778, Sur 15 Jun 1779, Iss 24 Oct 1782. The warrant for survey by David Love was for 100 acres "Beginning at the mouth of the Gourdvine Branch , on the south side of Richardsons Creek, extending from the Sd. Creek for Quantity-----". The survey matched the requested land entry. Chainers were Benjamin Thomas and Gideon Green.Salathiel's land grant # 4070 included Sampson Oneal's improvement on Swon's Branch of Browns Creek. Sampson Oneal received a grant as follows:Grant #4070, Anson NC, to Salathiel Clifton. Ent 10 Jul 1778, Sur 26 Nov 1778, Iss 3 Sep 1779. On 10 Jul 1778, David Love, the entry Officer of Anson County wrote a warrant for a survey of this grant. He described the entry as "one hundred acres on Swons Branch of Brown's Creek including Sampson Oneals improvement". The actual survey by Geo. Davison was for 200 acres. The chainers were Sampson Oneal and John Presler.
Grant #4324, Anson NC, to Gideon Green. Ent 15 Jun 1779, Sur 15 Jun 1779, Iss 11 Oct 1783. For 150 acres south of Rocky River and situated on both sides of Richardson's Creek. One of the lines of this survey follows the courses of Walnut tree Branch. Chainers were Salathiel Clifton and Benjamin Thomas.
Grant # 4629, Anson NC, to Gideon Green. Ent 15 Jun 1779, Sur 15 Jun 1779, Iss 14 Oct 1783. For 50 acres lying on the south side of Richardson's Creek. Chainers were Salathiel Clifton and Benjamin Thomas.
Grant # 4065, Anson NC, to Sampson Oneals. Ent 10 Sep 1778, Sur 25 Nov 1778, Iss 3 Sep 1779. For 100 acres on both sides of Lanes Creek and adjoining John Preslar land. The chain bearers were John Preslar and Salathiel Clifton. Dated 10 Feb 1786, Sampson Oneal now of "Montgomery County NC" sold his grant to Richard Hanks also of Montgomery (H-241, Anson). Witnesses were Thomas Megginson and John Hill.The Montgomery Courthouse burned and destroyed nearly all of the early records were destoyed. From the state level land grant records and a few remaining deeds, we know that Sampson was active in Montgomery County prior to his selling of land in Anson. Dated 3 Oct 1785, Sampson Oneal and Alexr Smith were chain bearers for Thomas Megginson's Montgomery County land grant # 365. The land adjoined James Butler land and Clark's Creek. In Montgomery Grant # 410 for Thomas Megginson, John Hill was listed as chain bearer. This land was also located on Clark's Creek which is situated in Montgomery County between the Yadkin River and Mt. Gilead. Who was Thomas Megginson? Note that Sampson was involved in Montgomery County land transactions involving the chain bearers for his own Anson County grant # 4065. Sampson was also involved with Salathiel clifton as chainbearer for his grant. Who was Sampson Oneal?
Montgomery County was formed from Anson in 1779. The early Anson County records provide more information on Sampson's life in what is now Montgomery County. In the "1763 Anson County List of Taxables", Sampson Oneal and William Crittenden are enumerated together. The list names "William Crittenden & Sampson Oneal ----2[poles]". Dated 25 May 1757, William Crittenton received Anson grant numbers 431 and 2201 situated on the northeast side of the Pee Dee on the north side of Little River on the Banks of Dyson's Creek. Dyson's Creek crosses Hwy-731 about five miles east of Mt Gilead and near Town Creek Indian Burial Mound. Dated 6 Jan 1776, a merchant from St. David's Parrish S. C. by the name of John Mitchell sold land (7-294, Anson) on the west side of Little River of the Pee Dee River. The land adjoined a Patent Line between William Crittenden and William Stone. The deed mentions that Crittenton "holds the other 100 acres" being the land where Samuel Swearingen once lived. Another transaction, Christopher Christian sold on 15 Jan 1775. Situated on Dyson's Creek of Little River, the land adjoined one of Wm Critteden's lines that he was "then" in possession of. This land was granted first to Joseph Wilkens, and then passed through the hands of Robert Mills, William Stone, Humphries, "Said Crittendon" and finally to Joseph Mills who sold it on 9 Mar 1765 to Christopher Christian. Of interest, the son of Stephen Thomas named John married Milly Clark. She is the grand-daughter of this William Stone. Milly's mother is Christian Stone Clark, wife of Francis.
On 1 Jan 1761, Benjamin Smith of Anson sold to William Crittenden 100 acres (6-1, Anson NC) on the south west side of the Pee Dee adjoining lands of Youngs, Robert Parks, Thomas George, and William Yearly. Witnesses were Robert Lee, William Yearly and Zachariah Phillips. Robert Lee wrote his last will and testament on 29 Nov 1766. He mentioned daughter Sarah Crittenden. From the earlier deed, it appears Sarah married William Crittenden. At this point, the facts get hazy for me. It has been written that Sarah Lee, the daughter of Robert, married Thomas Presley Senr. In his 1808 last will and testament, Thomas Presley [Sr] mentioned his wife Sarah Presley. In the closing paragraph of this 1808 will, Thomas Presley appoints "my true and trusty friend William Crittendon & my son Richard Presley Executors and my beloved wife Sarah Presley Executrix to this my last will and testament". Was Sarah the second wife of Thomas Presley, and was this William Crittenden a stepson? This younger William Crttendon appears in the 1810 Montgomery County Census as 26-45 years old. He purchased land in Montgomery County from William Brooks Senr. The witness was J. Smith. Conveyed 17 Sep 1794, the land was likely close to the Rocky River in now Stanly County. Dated 5 Jan 1795, a non-descript survey was made for 25 acres granted to a William Crittendon. The land was situated on the Rocky River in Anson County. Chainers were Richard Smizs and Briant McClendon. On 14 Dec 1815, Wm. Crittendon of Montgomery County sold to Thomas Van Senr, of Anson County 56 acres on Richardson's Creek (R-142, Anson NC). This land was part of an undivided tract formerly the property of Charles Harrington Deceased. Witnesses were Benjamin Oneal and Thomas Vann. Note that Thomas Vann owned land adjoining that of Benjamin and Ezekiel Thomas. Who is Benjamin Oneal?
From the land records, it appears that Sampson Oneal was in now Montgomery County NC by 1765 and interacted with William Crittendon. Sampson moved to the Burnsville District of Anson County ca. 1778. It appears he did not stay long. Sampson maintained involvement in Montgomery County through his involvement with Thomas Megginson. In 1787, Sampson Oneal is mentioned in the Anson County land grant of Isham Oneal. The record for his grant is as follows:
Grant # ????, Anson NC, to Isham Oneal. Ent 20 Oct 178_, Sur 19 Sep 1787, Iss 16 Nov 1790. "Surveyed for Isham Oneal son of Samson Oneal", 100 acres adjoining Anthony Preslar land on Swon's Branch. Chain bearers were Josiah and Zachariah White.Sampson Oneal did not appear in the 1790 census and possibly died by that time.
In 1779, Salathiel Clifton received a land grant in which John Preslar was chain bearer. Twenty years later, a land grant intoduces us to a person named "Salathiel Presley". Is there a relation between the Presley and Clifton families? The descriptions of Salathiel Presley's land grants are as follows:
Grant # 5426, Anson NC, to Salathiel Presley. Ent. 30 Aug 1798, Sur. 24 May 1799, Iss. 6 Dec 1799. For 20 acres on Swon's branch beginning at Clifton's corner and adjoining Oneals Corner. Chain bearers were Joseph Smith and Richard Manus. Since there is no record of Salathiel Clifton or Sampson Oneal in the 1790 or 1800 census, it is likely these metes and bounds of this grant refer to old lines.The name of Salathiel ran in Clifton and Presley families and would later be used by the Helms family. Salathiel Clifton never again appears in record. He is missing from the census and further conveyance of his land failed to be recorded in the deed books. But as for the name Clifton, there was another of that name that entered land in Anson County. The description of this person's grants are as follows:Grant # 5426, Anson NC, to Salathiel Presley. Ent. 23 Apr 1800, Sur. 29 Oct 1801, Iss. 22 Nov 1804. For 180 acres, this land adjoined John Preslar land. For some reason, there are three separate surveys issued for this land. In two of which, John Preslar and Joshua Preslar appear as chain bearers. In the third, chain bearers are John Preslar and Elias Preslar.
Grant # 4306, Anson NC, to John Clifton. Ent 24 Jul 1780, Sur ???, and Iss 24 Oct 1782. The warrant for survey issued by David Love was for " one hundrdred and fifty acres of land in Anson County lying on the two fork of Negro Head Creek". Chainers were John Clifton and Thos Lacey.Deed (4-25, Anson NC). Lost from the records of state land grants, John's second entry is known by its recording in the Anson County deed book. Issued 3 Sep 1779, and on the same day as Salathiel Clifton's land, John received 100 acres on both sides of Cribbs Creek. Dated 21 Mar 1789, Arthur Davis of Anson sold to Josias Randle 150 acres on Cribbs Creek (B2-118, Anson NC). The deed states the land was originally surveyed for John Clifton. Witnesses were Joshua Williams and Buckner Kimbrell. Who is Buckner Kimbrell?
Dated 14 Feb 1806, a John Clifton made out a will in Wake County NC. He first mentioned wife Winney . He then mentioned daughter Jackbinah and son Azel C. Clifton. John also bequeaths five dollars to John Johnes (son of Sarah Johnes) for his education. Axel C. Clifton is named executor and the witness of this will was George Nance.
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