Captain John Fielder, Junior, and Wife, Nancy Ridge, of Surry Co., NC and Wilkes, Greene, Baldwin and Walton Co., GA
Background
Captain John Fielder of Surry County, North Carolina, and Walton County, Georgia, has been of interest to researchers of the Fielder family. In the IGI and in a compilation of the family by Herbert Fielder (1), John's wife has been given the name Nancy Hawkins or Sally Hawkins. Deed records in Wilkes County, Georgia, clearly call her Nancy and Ann (another form of Nancy). As yet, no primary documentation has been uncovered to corroborate her surname as Hawkins- only circumstantial evidence such as i) she named a son James Hawkins Fielder, and b) an Nicholas Hawkins was a close neighbor in Georgia.
Recent study of the estate file of William Ridge, Tory, of Surry County, North Carolina, documents Nancy Fielder's maiden name as Nancy Ridge (2), daughter of William. This information lay unnoticed for nearly two hundred years in the Archives of the State of North Carolina to Fielder researchers since it was filed under Rowan County, the seat of the Superior Court of Law and Equity for Salisbury District, which included Surry County, and since no one has indexed this large file.
The vast majority of the surviving records in the estate file of William Ridge, and there are over 300 pages, were those pertaining to a lawsuit by William Ridge's orphans brought in Surry County, North Carolina and which was appealed to the Court of Equity and Law in Salibury District, Rowan County, North Carolina. Most of the records were those of the defendant, William Terrell Lewis, Jr. Only a handful of records were from the plaintiffs, and it has been difficult to reconstructing the underlying problems between the participants.
William T. Lewis, Jr. was a respected man in Surry and Wilkes Counties, North Carolina, a Justice of the Peace and a Captain in the militia. He was not only the guardian of William Ridge's orphans, but was also the guardian of President Andrew Jackson's son in later life when William T. Lewis, Jr. lived in Davidson County, Tennessee. He was related to several of the deponants in the Ridge lawsuit. William Terrell Lewis was a brother of Elizabeth Lewis Benge Fielder (wife of John Fielder, Sr.), Anna Lewis McConnall (wife of John P. McConnall), Lieut. James Martin Lewis, and Capt. Joel Martin Lewis, a signer of the Tennessee Constitution. William T. Lewis Jr. was the uncle of Obadiah Martin Benge, son of Elizabeth Lewis Benge Fielder.
William T Lewis was also an opportunist- he tried to illegally acquire William Ridge's estate and the underage children fought back. Most of the depositions that William T. Lewis, Jr. recorded used the same language- many read verbatim or had similar sentence structure and organization. And many of the deponents were members of his family. Did he ask his family to lie? Most of the deponents did not know first hand about the issues he used to discredit the plaintiff's witnesses- the murders, thievery, or bastardy- but the wording was typically "I was told that...." or "I understood that..", in other words, much in these depositions was hearsay. William T. Lewis lost the lawsuit. With that as a background, any and all statements in the deposition require independent corroboration.
Captain John Fielder, Jr., was a central player in the law suit,
unfortunately his depositions, or those of his brother, James Fielder or his wife, Nancy
Fielder, have not survived, if they indeed were ever taken. John was accused of helping
Winneford Ridge, wife of William Ridge, deceased in 1780, and William T. Lewis to
illegally dispose of property to defy the Confiscation Act, whereby the General Assembly
authorized the seizure of all property of known Tories. The properties in question were
William Ridge's slaves- namely Nan and Sal, who John Fielder, Godfrey Ridge, his
brother-in-law, and Winny Ridge sold to William T. Lewis, and also slaves Cate and her son
Jim, who ended up in William T. Lewis' possession, through a more convoluted route through
the Thomas Ayers family. In addition, some of William Ridge's slaves were taken directly
by Captain John Fielder without any payment to the estate.
Nancy/Sally Hawkins or Nancy Ridge?
The earliest Fielder that this compiler has identified in Surry County, North Carolina, is that of James Fielder, purportedly a brother of Capt. John Fielder, in 1775 (3):
1775 Tax List of Richard Murphy
p. 1
James Felder 1
p. 5
John Fidler 1
The name John Fidler is also found in Surry County records, and there is no reason to believe he was a Fielder. To add more complexity, there was also John Fielder, Sr., husband of Elizabeth Lewis, sister of William T. Lewis, Jr., in Surry County at the same time. For these reasons, it is not always possible to unambiguously identify Capt. John Fielder, Jr. in the extant records.
1778-1781 Land Entry (no date) Joseph Pruit, 150 acres on Camp Creek, the waters of Mitchell's River, adjoining John Fielder's entry including William Cody's improvement (Warrant issued to H. Speer Dec 17, 1803, transferred).
1778-1781 Land Entry (no date) John Fielder, 250 acres on Camp Creek on the west side of Cody's improvement
1781 January 16 Surry Co, NC WB2:23. Winney Ridge, Godfrey Ridge and John Fielder to William Lewis 2 negro girls of mulatto complexion, Sall, 14, & Nana, 12. Witnesses: Jo. W. [James M.] Lewis, Samuel Crutchfield. Rec. Feb Ct. 1781. (Surry Co NC Will Abstracts, Jo White Linn)
Camp Creek is a tributary of Mitchell River. John Fielder, Jr., was in Surry County, North Carolina, in 1782 identified as a single man .
1782 Tax List of Capt. Sheppard's District
p.26 James Fielder 3 tithes, 5 slaves, 450 acres Mitchels River
p. 27 John Fielder 5 tithes, 8 slaves, 100 acres Mitchels River1782 Tax List of Capt. Martin's District
John Fielder 3 tithes, 9 slaves, 350 acres, Camp Creek
Winney Ridge 1 tithe, 4 slaves
In 1784, a John Fielder was living in Surry County, although in the court record to probabe the estate of William Ridge held in February, the wording suggested that Capt. John Fielder had moved away from Surry County, North Carolina.
1784 Tax List, Capt. Lewis' District
John Fielder, 350 acres, 1 WP
Winneford Ridge, 100 acres 1WP 2BP1784 February Court, Surry County, North Carolina Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions, Will Book 2, p. 24a. Inventory of the Estate of William Ridge dec,d. 9 negroes, 4 in possession of Wm. Lewis, 2 carried away by John Fielder, two horses taken by Capt. Meredith, twelve head of cattle, all destroyed or lost but 1, 8 head of sheep, 2 of which I sold, 2 of which I have, the rest lost, 2 feather beds the furniture all destroyed… 2 iron poles, one I have the other lost, two plows, one lost, two hoes lost. Returned by Winnyfret Ridge, Admin. Rec.
By 1785 Capt. John Fielder, Jr. had moved to Georgia and was listed on tax records in Wilkes County (from which Greene County was later established) (4):
1785 Captain Autrey's District, Wilkes County, Georgia
John Fielder, Wilkes County, 600 acres 2nd value land, 2 slaves
The two slaves were named Hannah and Phyllis who were taken by John Fielder from the estate of William Ridge. William Ridge's wife, Winneford Combs had remarried Nathan Allen when she filed the estate inventory in August 1786 (5):
"Whereas Winnyford Allen heretofore known by the name of Winnyford Ridge Admin. of the goods and chattals of William Ridge, Dec'd have never made any sale of s'd goods &c, Therefore hath been cited together with her Securities (to wit) Abraham Creson, James Jones, John Allen Hon. & Rezia Jervis to render an acc't of sd Estate & according to her return on oath by the Inventory is as follows (to wit) nine negro's, four of which at that time in her Possession (to wit) Jack, Cate, James, & Kezia. Three in the possession of Wm T. Lewis (to wit) Sal, Nan & Tilley, Two carried away by John Fielder (to wit) Hannah & Phillis (which Negros Hannah sd Winniford confessed she sold to sd Fielder for the sum of fifty pounds specie.) ...."
John Fielder was married between 1782 and 1786, as his wife, Nancy, was named in the following deed in Wilkes County, Georgia, in 1786 (6):
1786 July 17 Wilkes County, Georgia, John Fielder and Nancey his wife, to Benjamin Blake, for £3500, 30 acres, granted Fielder 13 August 1785, in fee simple. Signed: John Fielder, Nancey (her x mark) Fielder. Witnesses: James Hutchinson, Martin Nall, Henry Hill. Proved by Henry Hill, Jr., 2 April 1786, Holman Freeman, J. P.
By 1790 John's plantation was in the newly carved Greene County, and he sold a portion of his land that remained in Wilkes County (7):
1790 February 2 Wilkes County, Georgia, John Fielder of Greene County, Georgia to Paul Patrick, Senr of Wilkes County, Georgia, for £3100, land in Wilkes County. On branch called Troublesome of Long Creek, 300 acres, adjoining vacant land on all sides when surveyed, granted 16 February 1787. Signed: John Fielder. Witnesses; Jas. McCamon, Wm. McCree. Proved in Wilkes County, by McCree & McCamon, 3 October 1791, Josiah Cole, J.P. Registered 16 April 1792
The next deed shows a Nicholas Hawkins buying land adjacent to John Fielder (8):
1789 December 23 Wilkes County, Georgia, Alexander Patrick and Elizabeth, his wife, to Nicholas Hawkins, all of Wilkes County, for £200, on Saffolds Fork of Long Creek, 200 acres, adjoining on northwest by John Fielder, southwest by Burwell Brewer, other sides by unknown, granted to Patrick 7 April 1789. Signed: Alexander Patrick, Elizabeth (her x mark) Patrick. Witnesses: Geo. Swain, J.P., Reuben (his mark) Radford, Caroline (her x mark) Swain. Registered 1 September 1791
The following records identified John Fielder's wife as Ann, which is another form of Nancy, and also identified him as a Captain in the militia (9, 10):
Greene County, Georgia On 19 September 1792, personally appeared before me, Henry Karr, Esq., who saith that Capt. John Fielder came to his house in July or August 1791 with a chestnut sorrell mare who declared and said animal a stray, caught over the Oconee River, and believed to be an Indian's creature. An advertisement was set up at Greensborough for owner of said animal. Witnesses: O. Porter, J. P. Recorded 134 September 1792
Greene County, GA, John Fielder of Greene County and Ann, his wife, sold to John Conner of Wilkes County on 11 January 1796 for the sum of £60 sterling, 145 acres of land in Greene County, bounded by William Billingsley, Alexander Autrey and Robert Slavin. Witness: Samuel Harper. Recorded 14 March 1797.
Nancy Fielder, wife of John Fielder, Jr, was a daughter of William Ridge, as stated by the deponents for William T. Lewis. Some deponents said she was a bastard daughter, others name two bastard daughters- Nancy, wife of John Fielder, and ___ Ridge (unknown), wife of Biram Combs. Nancy Ridge was born prior to the marriage of William Ridge and Winneford Combs, which was approximately in 1770, although no record survives. Her brother, Godfrey Ridge, was born prior to William's marriage to Winny Combs. William T. Lewis himself did not use the term bastard, nor did he mention other bastard daughters (11):
William Terrell Lewis, Jr., Surry County, North Carolina, 1792:
"...he admits that William Ridge father of Complainants departed this life about the time in the Bill ___ intestate leaving a widow & the complainant his children, but not his only children for besides the complainants, he left a son called Godfey who died in or about the year 1789 leaving a widow & a child or children who are yet living as this defendent believes. He also left a daughter named Nancy now the wife of John Fielder".
David Allen, Davidson County, Tennessee, 1802
: "Question 3d Do you know of any other children of William Ridge's... Answer I do. There was Godfrey Ridge his eldest son and Nancy Ridge his daughter now the wife of John Fielder."Isabell Bacon, Hawkins County, Tennessee, 1804: "Question 2d. do you know of any other children than is mentioned in the Complainants Bill... Answered I do, there was Godfre Ridge and Nancy now the wife of John Fielder in the State of Georgia."
Michael Bacon, Hawkins County, Tennessee, 1804
: Question 2d. Do you know any thing of any other children of William Ridges than is mentioned... Answer I do know there was Godfrey Ridge and Nancy Ridge two elder Children of William Ridge.Zenos Baldwin, Davidson County, Tennessee, 1804: "Question the 3rd. Do you know of any other children of Wm Ridge then is said to be in the complainants said Bill of Complaint. Answered I do well remember Godfre Ridge, Wm Ridges eldest son and his daughter Nancy claimed or acknowledged by him said Ridge as his children."
Obadiah Martin Benge, Davidson County, Tennessee, 1804: "Question 2d...do you know of any other children of William Ridges... Answer I understand that Godfrey Ridge and Nancey are not mentioned in the complainants bill, but they were called the children of William Ridge..."
John Fielder Sr, Robertson County, Tennessee, 1802: "Deposeth and saidth that he hath lived in the neighbourhood where Wm T. Lewis and Wm Ridge lived in Surry County North Carolina about twenty years and that Wm Ridge had a son by the name of Godfre Ridge..Question the 2nt asked in behalf of the Defendants do you know any other children of Wm Ridges then is in the complaints... Answered I was well acquainted with Wm Ridges son Godfe Ridge and his daughter Nansey."
Elizabeth Benge Lewis Fielder, Robertson County, Tennessee, 1802: "This deponent further sayeth that she is well acquainted with two other children of William Ridges that is not named in the complainants Bill (viz.) Godfrey Ridge & Nancy his eldest children..."This deponant sayeth that she lived a near neighbour to William Ridge & William T. Lewis... Question the 2nd by the defendants, do you know of Willliam Ridge having any other children than what is mentioned in the Complainants Bill of Complaint, Ans'd I was acquainted with his son Godfrey Ridge & his daughter called Nancy that was always considered his children, & by him treated as such Question the 2rd by the defendants was not your Husband John Fielder robbed by Nicholas Combs, John Goings & others. Ans'd He was "
John Jones, Jefferson County, Tennessee, 1804: "Question 2d. Asked the deponant Do you know any thing of any other Children of William Ridges... Answer I do there was Godfey Ridge and Nancy Ridge wife of John Fielder."
Patience Jones, Jefferson County, Tennessee, 1804: "Question 2d...do you know of any other Children of William Ridges... Answer I do. there was Godfrey Ridge and Nancy Ridge now the wife of John Feilder in the State of Georgia."
Captain Salathiel Martin, Claiborne County, Tennessee, 1806: "Question the 4th. Do you know of any other children of William Ridges that now is mentioned in the complainants Bill. Answer. I do there was two of the oldest children of William Ridge that was not mentioned in the Complainants Bill of Complante to wit Godfrey Ride and Nancy Ridge and some others said all to be base begotten children that is not begotten in wedlock."
John P. McConnell, Davidson County, Tennessee, 1804: "Quest. 4th. Do you know of any other children of William Ridge than is mentioned in the complainants bill of complaint. Ansr. I do. There was two of the elder children of William Ridge that is not mentioned...(to wit) Godfree Ridge & Nancy Ridge & two others that was said to be William Ridges base begotten children to wit the before mentioned Thomas Ridge and the wife of Biram COMBS."
Thomas Ridge (aka Thomas Ridge McGee), Davidson County, Tennessee, 1804: "This deponent further saith that he is a half brother to the deceased William Ridge and that before the war with America and Great Britain that he this deponent lived with his brother & that Godfrey Ridge & Nancy Ridge now the wife of John Fielder Junr. was then living with their father William Ridge, and always called by him his children and them as brothers and sisters... "
William T Lewis did a good job documenting the whereabouts of Captain John Fielder, Junior and wife Nancy Ridge Fielder in Georgia.- William Terrell Lewis filed notices with the court and with the plaintiffs on his travels to obtain depositions (or was this just a delaying tactic?). He also mentioned John's brother, James Fielder, and Micajah Benge, their half-brother:
"I shall also atttend at Jackson Court House in the County of Jackson and State of Georgia on the 2nd & 3rd days of March 1802 in order to take the depositions of John Fielder James Fielder and others...Yours &, Wm T. Lewis filed November 1801"
"I shall also attend at the house of James Fielder in Green County in the State of Georgia on the 29th-30th-&31st days of August next say 1804 in order to take the depositions of said James Fielder, Captn. John Fielder, Nansey Fielder, Micajah Benge Esqr and others...I am, Wm T. Lewis March 1804"
"I shall also attend at the house of Micajah L. Benge in Jackson County in the State of Georgia on the 6th day of February next say 1806 in order to take the deposition of said Micajah L. Benge, John Fielder, James Fielder, Nansey Fielder and purhaps others, but should I not be able to Take there depositions on the 6th day of February 1806, I shall attend on the 7th & 8th days of said month for that purpose at said Benges, which testamony when taken as afoursaid and then shall be read as evidence in the suite now defending in the Court of Equity held for the District of Salibsury... I am yours, Wm T. Lewis Served 22nd day of October 1805"
"Mr. Jonathan Haines, next friend of Ridge's orphans,...I..Shall also attend at the house of Captain Alexander Gardner on the thirteenth and fourteenth days of March next in Oglethorpe County and State of Georgia to take the depositions of said Alexander Gardner, Capt. John Fielder James Fielder & others...Yours & Wm T. Lewis 11 Feb 1806"
"Mr. Jonathan Haines,...You will please to take notice that I shall attend at the House of John Fielder in Baldwin County in the State of Georgia on Monday the 21st day of March 1808 in order to take the depositions of Micajah L. Benge, John Fielder, James Fielder, and Nancy Fielder... I am yours & Wm T. Lewis 10 Feb 1808"
"I shall also attend at the house of John Fielder in Baldwin County in the State of Georgia on the 13th day of September next say 1808 in order to take the depositions of Micajah L. Benge, John Fielder, James Fielder and Nancy Fielder. ..I am yours &c, Wm. T. Lewis July the 2nd, 1808"
State of North Carolina)
To William Dixon and Ebenezer Tolson, Esqrs Greeting: We reposing especial trust and confidence in your fidelity and integrity, do authorize and empower you, or any two of you, to cause Micajah L. Benge Esqr. Capt. John Feilder, Mr. James Feilder and Mrs. Nancy Feilder to appear befor you on such certain day and place as you shall appoint and they being duly sworn, to examine of and concerning such matters and things as they shall know, in a certrain matter of controversy in our court of Equity held for the district of Salisbury, depending between Jonathan Hains as the next friend of William Ridges orphans coplainants and William T. Lewis and others defendants, as well on behalf of the complainants as the defendants, and their deposition so taken in writing under your, or any two of your hands and feats to return before our Judges of our said court, at Salisbury, on the ninteenth day of March next together with this writ.
Witness, Maxwell Chambers, Clerk and Master in our said court, at office the ninteenth day of September Anno Domini 1805 and in the XXXth year of our Independence. Maxwell Chambers CM Eq.
Unfortunately, the estate file does not contain any depositions from Capt. John Fielder, James Fielder, Micajah L. Benge or Nancy Fielder. And the depositions of John and Elizabeth Lewis Benge Fielder, Sr., do not add any information as to the familial relationship between these two Fielder lineages.
In Greene County, Georgia, there are additional deeds which name Robert, Lewis and James Fielder (12-15):
Greene County, Georgia, William Melton of Greene County sold to Robert Fielder of Greene County on 7 February 1807 for the sum of $800, 247 acres of land in Greene County. Recorded 13 August 1807.
Greene County, Georgia, Fields Kennedy of Baldwin County sold to Lewis Fielder of Greene County on 14 March 1807 for the sum of $700, 247 acres of land in Greene County. Witnesses: George Stovall, J. P., Isham Jackson, and Stephen Bishop. Recorded 13 August 1807.
Greene County, Georgia, James Fielder of Greene County sold to Jeremiah Moon of Hancock County on 7 March 1808 for the sum of $3000, 400 acres of land in Greene County. Recorded 30 April 1808.
Greene County, Georgia, William Melton of Greene County sold to James Fielder of Greene County on 31 January 1808 for the sum of $72.50, 24 acres of land in Greene County, part of a land grant to David Tomlinson and James Fielder. Witness: Lewis Fielder. Recorded 13 September 1808.
Summary. The above records clearly point to Nancy Ridge as the wife of Captain John Fielder of Georgia. Nancy was the daughter of William Ridge, one of the many Loyalists who took up arms for Great Britian during the American Revolutionary War.
References Cited
1. Fielder, Herbert (1857) A Family Record Of Facts Connected With The Fielder Family, Publ: Masons Book and Job Office, Rome, GA.
2. North Carolina State Library and Archives, CR085.508.136, Estate Records, Rowan County, North Carolina, Folder: William Ridge (1785)
3. Taylor, R. J., B. Scates, M. R. McKinley (1974), 1782 Tax List of Surry County North Carolina, Cimarron, KS.
4. Wilkes County, Georgia Tax Records 1785 - 1805.
5. North Carolina State Library and Archives, CR085.508.136, Estate Records, Rowan County, North Carolina, Folder: William Ridge (1785)
6. Wilkes County, Georgia Deed Book CC, p. 17 [July 1786], In: Farmer, M. M. (1996), Wilkes County, Georgia Deed Books A-VV 1784-1806, Farmer Genealogy Company, Dallas, TX, p. 48.
7. Wilkes County, Georgia Deed Book GG, p. 472 [2 February 1790], In: Farmer, M. M. (1996) Wilkes County, Georgia Deed Books A-VV 1784-1806, Farmer Genealogy Company, Dallas, TX, p. 182.
8. Wilkes County, Georgia Deed Book HH, p. 311 [23 December 1789], In: Farmer, M. M. (1996) Wilkes County, Georgia Deed Books A-VV 1784-1806, Farmer Genealogy Company, Dallas, TX, p. 227.
9. Greene County, Georgia Deed Book E, p. 728 [19 September 1792], In: Turner, F.P. (1997) Greene County, Georgia Land Records Deeds 1785-1810, Wolfe Publishing Co., Fenandina Beach, FL, p. 134.
10. Greene County, Georgia Deed Book F, p. 281 [14 March 1797], In: Turner, F.P. (1997) Greene County, Georgia Land Records Deeds 1785-1810, Wolfe Publishing Co., Fenandina Beach, FL, p. 182.
11. North Carolina State Library and Archives, CR085.508.136, Estate Records, Rowan County, North Carolina, Folder: William Ridge (1785)
12. Greene County, Georgia Deed Book AA, p. 562 [13 August 1807], In: Turner, F.P. (1997) Greene County, Georgia Land Records Deeds 1785-1810, Wolfe Publishing Co., Fenandina Beach, FL, p. 462.
13. Greene County, Georgia Deed Book AA, p. 463 [13 August 1807], In: Turner, F.P. (1997) Greene County, Georgia Land Records Deeds 1785-1810, Wolfe Publishing Co., Fenandina Beach, FL, p. 462.
14. Greene County, Georgia Deed Book BB [30 April 1808], In: Turner, F.P. (1997) Greene County, Georgia Land Records Deeds 1785-1810, Wolfe Publishing Co., Fenandina Beach, FL, p. 483.
15. Greene County, Georgia Deed Book BB, p. 32. [13 September],
In: Turner, F.P. (1997) Greene County, Georgia Land Records Deeds 1785-1810, Wolfe
Publishing Co., Fenandina Beach, FL, pp. 492-493.
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