Love's Chapel United Methodist Church
Born 22 March 1779, Jonah is the son of James and Mary Elizabeth Ingram Love. He was likely born in Brunswick, Charlotte, or Halifax Counties, Virginia. As a boy, Jonah and family moved through Stokes County NC and settled land in Wilkes County before moving to Mecklenburg / Cabarrus ca. 1790. On 4 May 1803, in Cabarrus County NC, Jonah Love married Mary “Polly” Garmon. Born 23 Nov 1787, she is the daughter of Michael and Sally Pinion Garmon. Of interest, the Pinion Family is found earlier in both Stokes and Wilkes Counties NC.
Prior to his marriage, and being twenty-two years of age, Jonah appears first in record as chain bearer on an 1801 survey for land in Cabarrus County issued to his father. Jonah carried the chains used by the surveyor for a land grant issued to his father James Love. This practice provided the dual purpose of assisting the surveyor and providing witness as to the land boundaries. James Love acquired numerous tracts of land on the east side of Rocky River situated in the first major bend above where present day Highway 24-27 crosses the river. But finding no listing for son Jonah in the Cabarrus County Grantor/Grantee index, we are left speculating as to whether he ever actually owned land in the county.
Jonah’s father wrote a last will and testament before passing on in 1822. Likely destroyed by fire at the Cabarrus County Courthouse, only a few bits and pieces of the will and ensuing estate settlement survive by way of court entries. And even though we know James Love owned a sizable amount of land, only the distribution of a small portion is clearly accounted for in later deeds. Knowing roughly where he lived, both the lands belonging to James Love and that adjoining his were platted and put back together. Also searching backward from present day landowners, snapshots of the lands and surrounding community prove valuable. Gold speculators William Bedford Nathaniel Morton from Baltimore purchased lands from James Little adjoining our James Love’s land to the east. James Little then moved down below present day Love’s Grove. Just after the death of James Love, these men went bankrupt and their holdings were divided. At that time (after the death of James Love), Jonah was appointed as one of three men to make the fair division. And in this particular deed, this same adjoining land was legally described as then adjoining that of Jonah Love. So it appears that at least up until and during the estate settlement of his father, Jonah lived on land settled by his father in the first bend of Rocky River above where highway 24-27 crosses. Also located on this land is the Love family cemetery and grounds James Love donated for the founding of now defunct Mount Moriah Methodist Church.
Beginning in 1810, Jonah Love is enumerated in Cabarrus County Census through 1830. On 15 Nov 1833, Jonah Love of Cabarrus County purchased 280 acres (1-209, Stanly NC) from James Hagler of then Montgomery County. Situated on Rocky River by the mill on Camp Branch, the land adjoined that of James Little Sr, Silas Shinn, Hillkia Weatherford, and Stansill’s spring. J. W. Little witnessed the transaction. This land appears to be part of or near James Love’s 460-acre Land Grant # 083 entered in 1800. Note that James Hagler is the son of Mary Love Hagler and therefore Jonah’s nephew. The Executor of the estate of James Love, dec’d. later deeded the same tract to James Hagler. On 1 Sep 1834, Jonah Love of Cabarrus County purchased from Thomas Crayton, 684 acres (1-210, Stanly NC) on Rock Hole Creek in then Montgomery County NC. This land is situated around what is now the town of Stanfield NC. James and Margaret Little witnessed the deed. One last deed of interest, on 10 Apr 1844, Jonah Love purchased 240 acres (1-214, Stanly NC) from John S. Turner. Situated on Rock Hole Creek, the land adjoined that belonging to Zebulan Little and Thomas W. Pinion. John Little and John A. Love witnessed the transaction. In 1841, Stanly County was created from the western portion of Montgomery County NC. The new county was bounded by Rocky River to the south and Cabarrus County near the Rocky River to the west. Note that these three acquisitions of land occurred before the formation of Stanly County. However, they were all recorded in the Stanly County deed book record in 1844. So it appears that Jonah Love moved over to Montgomery County where he may have first lived on lands his father purchased there.
And like his father, Jonah Love was a man of faith. On “17 day of __ 1849,” Jonah Love and wife Mary sold two acres (2-255, Stanly NC) situated on Rock Hole Creek beside the Cheraw Road. For one cent, Jonah and his wife deeded the land to Duncan Tucker, Solomon Hartsell, George Reed, T. P. Reed, Thomas Love, Sr. Henry Reed, Jonathan Hartsell who were trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church South. The deed reads:
“…for the use of the members of the M. E. Church South and in further trust and confidence that they shall at all times for ever here after permit such ministries and preachers belonging to sd. Church south or shall be sent by the annual conference to preach & expound God’s Holy word therin.”
In the 1850 Stanly County census, Jonah Love is enumerated in Furr Township in Stanly County NC. He is listed as 70 years of age and born in “Virginia.” His wife Mary is listed as 62 years of age. Their children are of age and now living with their own families nearby.
On 14 Sep 1858, Jonah Love deeded an “estate right” for two more acres (9-618, Stanly NC) to be held by the trustees of “Love’s Chapel Methodist Church. I believe this is where the upper cemetery and present day church is located. Jonah Love wrote his last will and testament on 23 Mar 1859. Probated November 1865 (Will Book 1-page 274, Stanly NC) the original document has not survived. Written before the civil war. Jonah’s will names slaves who were set free before the will was probated. Also, and reflecting the settlement of the estate of Jonah Love, the estate right of two acres deeded to the Methodist Church was not recorded until 3 May 1875. Looking through the loose estate records for Jonah Love, deceased, I found very little that adds to the story of who he was. Jonah Love passed from this world on 3 Sep 1865. He rests in the upper cemetery at Love’s Chapel UMC. His wife Mary lived until 23 Jun 1880. She is buried beside her husband. The children of Jonah and Mary Garmon Love are:
Martha Love
Born 1804, Martha married John Petrey and moved to Arkansas.Mary Love
Born 1806, Mary married Lewis Tucker and moved to Arkansas.Elizabeth Love
Born 1808, Elizabeth married George W. Petray and moved to Arkansas.Margaret J. Love
Born 1810, Margaret married Jacob W. Little.Nancy Love
Born 1812, Nancy married first a Mr. Green. She married second Labon Little.John Asbury Love
Born 1814,John A. married Mary H. McEachin and moved to Arkansas.Jonah Love
Born 1816Sarah Love
Born 1818, married Andrew HartsellHester Love
Born 1820, married Josiah Hartsell.Michael Garmon Love
Born 1823, Michael G. married Pheobe Love.Jonah Askew Love
Born 1825, Jonah A. married first Margaret Tyson Palmer and second Elizabeth Taylor.James Wade Love
Born 1828, James married first Malinda Louvenia Furr, second Emeline Jenkins and third Hester Osborne.Melinda Love
Born 1831, Melinda married Doctor F. Mann.
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