North Carolina in 1749 showing
the location of Benjamin Clements in Johnston County and his brother George
Clements in Bertie County
The second son of George Clements did not stay in Bertie
County. Benjamin Clements moved inland
and was in western Johnston County in 1749.
He petitioned for a 400 acre land warrant and was granted that warrant
the following year in 1750. The land was
on or near New Hope Creek, a branch of the Haw River. Later grants mention improvements previously
made by Benjamin Clements on Walnut Branch, a smaller branch of New Hope River
with an unknown present day location.
There is no question Benjamin Clements had been to western
Johnston County by the early 1750s. But
the question was, did he live there.
Quit rent tax lists from 1750 and 1751 Johnston County do not include
Benjamin Clements or any other Clement.
They do reveal other interesting information. One is that the large Johnston County region
was populated by less than 100 families during this time. And, of those families, several were members
of the Herring clan who had a history in Bertie County. Just a few years earlier (1746), Benjamin
Clements’ brother George Clements sold land to John Herring Jr. in Bertie
County. And it appears that this same
John Herring Jr. was connected to Johnston County through deed and tax records
of the early 1750s. Could Benjamin
Clements have been living with another a Herring family, or another family? Possibly a father-in-law or some other
kinfolk? He was only in his 20s and
likely newly married or a bachelor who would soon be married. Or maybe, he was not taxed as he did not own
land yet. No record of sale has been found
for the 400 acre grant of 1750 on New Hope Creek in Johnston County. Many of those grants went unclaimed so maybe
he never actually owned the land.
For me, there are only two real possibilities: 1) he
received the grant of 400 acres but lived somewhere else or 2) he received the 400
acre grant and did not make the tax list because he was missed or temporarily
away. Over the next decade, Benjamin was
living in the same area as the 400 acre grant and it was likely the location of
his home.
In 1753, Benjamin Clements arranged to have 210 acres on New
Hope Creek at Bush Creek surveyed. This
area had become Orange County in 1752.
Clements received the grant in 1755 and the following year, divided the
tract into two equal parts, selling 105 acres to both Luke Bynum and John
Hatley (Hadley). So, he was probably
living there at New Hope Creek, but on what land? Was it the original 1750 grant on Walnut
Branch of New Hope Creek? Or was he
living on some other land?
North Carolina in 1752 showing the
approximate location of Benjamin Clements in Orange County
Again Benjamin Clements acquired land on the north side of
Haw River, presumably on or near the New Hope Creek. The land came to Benjamin in the form of a
land grant, officially issued in 1758, and was located in Orange County. Once again, he sold the sold in what appears
to be two land transactions with a year of receiving the grant. In 1759, Benjamin Clements sold an 80 acre
tract to John Edwards and a 406 acre tract to Joseph Copeland (who held the
chains with the 486 acre when the grant was surveyed in 1756). We can only assume the Benjamin Clements was
still living on the land he arrived at in or before the early 1750s.
While Benjamin Clements had bought and sold two tracts of
land in Orange County located in or around New Hope Creek and Haw River, he was
living in the same location. According
to a 1760 Orange County deed, an Edward Tatum sold James Kirby 350 acres on
Great Bush Creek (presumably Bush Creek) adjoining Benjamin Clements and John
Hatley (the same Clements and Hatley adjoined Edward Tatum’s 1761 grant of 640
acres on Bush Creek). This is the same
John Hatley who Benjamin Clements sold 105 acres to in 1756. Which could mean that the land he had
retained for possibly the last ten years was on Bush Creek (since both tracts
he had purchased appeared to have been sold).
James Kirby, who had purchased land on Great Bush Creek, sold the land
in 1761 which was then described as Bush Creek and adjoining William Bynum.
In 1761, Benjamin Clements, who was identified as “of Orange
County,” purchased a tract in Johnston County from William Bynum (also “of
Orange County” and there since at least 1752), who was a land holder at Bush
Creek and probably Clements neighbor.
The tract was identified as consisting of 334 acres on Middle Creek, a
branch of Neuse River. The land from
Bynum was received through a 659 acre grant for land on Middle Creek dated 9
January 1761.
According to a short biography of Luke Bynum, who settled on
Haw River about 1750, he was a Methodist minister. The barn on his Haw River farm was used by
Methodists to hold quarterly meetings.
This western region of North Carolina bordered Native American
lands. Luke Bynum’s relatives report
that Native Americans were inhabitants in and around Orange County. The colonial North Carolina settlers and the
Native Americans at this time lived under peace.
Benjamin Clements remained in Orange County at his home on
the waters of New Hope Creek and Haw River.
A Benjamin Clements of Orange County was connected to Cumberland County
that adjoined Orange County on its southern border. This Benjamin Clements was on the 1767
Cumberland County tax records. He may
have been Benjamin Clements Jr. as Benjamin Clements Sr. and Benjamin Clements
Jr. were both listed in a Cumberland County deed.
1770 marked an Orange County division which then placed
Benjamin Clements Sr. in Chatham County.
Neither Benjamin seemed to have maintained residence in Cumberland
County. In 1771, Benjamin Clements Sr.
and Jr. were found in a Chatham County record with Reuben Clements.
A militia muster was conducted on 23 September 1772 by
Chatham County militia captain Isaiah Hogan.
This large militia muster included ensign William Clements who could
have been Benjamin Clements nephew (no Chatham County – William Clements
connections are found in any other records).
Also mustered were Benjamin Clements, Benjamin Clements Jr., and Reuben
Clements. Other men connected to the
Clements were also mustered in Hogan’s company – John Hatley, William Bynum,
John Bynum, John Oldham, Charles Stewart, Edward Tatum, James Kirby, and John
Fearrington. Luke Bynum’s relatives
report Chatham County militia was normally mustered at John Fearrington’s (the
Chatham County Post Office). Leading up
to the Revolutionary War, the area around Fearrington’s was known as a strong
Tory section and the muster site for
this region was changed to New Hope, a section of the county more supportive of
the patriot cause.
The North Carolina county records seem to indicate that
Benjamin Clements moved from his Haw River land between 1772 and 1773. The last deed observed in which Benjamin
Clements was found in Chatham County was 1765. Then in 1773, Benjamin Clements was listed in
a Cumberland County deed as “of Wake County.”
Within three years, Clements sold 108 acres (1774) and 243 acres (1776) on
Haw River (New Hope Creek) which may have been the remainder of his land
holdings in that county (no other records have been found). The records for those transactions have only
been observed as abstracts and whether Benjamin Clements is identified as “of
Wake County” is yet to be positively determined. The 1776 sale in 243 acres was confusing –
the land deed stated this was half of Clements’ 486 acre grant he received in
1758. That grant was seemingly sold in
1759, one tract consisting of 406 acres.
It was sold to Joseph Copeland, passed to family, and then sold out of
the Copeland family. No explanation is
known for this deed anomaly at this time.
However, quite a few 243 acre tracts were sold on New Hope Creek during
this time.
Swift Creek and Middle Creek,
branches of the Neuse River, North Carolina in 1773. The head waters of both creeks are in Wake
County and enter the Neuse River in Johnston County.
Why did Benjamin Clements move to Wake County by 1773 and
where was he located? Records indicate
associations with Middle Creek and Swift Creek, branches of the Neuse
River. Swift and Middle Creeks enter
Neuse River at the same location in present-day Johnston County. The question is…did Benjamin Clements
purchase land on Middle Creek in 1761, hold that land, and then move there
about 1772 or 1773? No record of sale
for that Middle Creek land totaling 334 acres has been located. At the time of purchase in 1761, the Middle
Creek land was in Johnston County which could have been either Wake County or
Johnston County after 1770 (since Johnston County was split in 1770 and Wake
County was born). We know for certain
that Benjamin Clements was in Wake County by 1773, just not specifically
where. He purchased land on Swift Creek,
Johnston County in 1775 while a permanent resident of Wake County but then sold
that land in 1776. Until any further
records are found, it would appear that Benjamin Clements was living on part or
all of his 1761 Middle Creek land by 1773 and that the specific location must
have been closer to the headwaters of Middle Creek (Wake County) as opposed to
the area where it emptied into the Neuse River (Johnston County).
In 1779, Benjamin Clements was still living in Wake
County. According to a deed found in
Cumberland County, Benjamin Clements “of Wake County” sold land in Cumberland
County. I do not have the details of
that deed but assume it was part or all of the land he purchased in Cumberland
County six years before in 1773.
The last document in which both Benjamin Clements Sr. and
Jr. were mentioned together was in 1772.
After that date, identifying one Benjamin from another was
difficult. In my opinion, Benjamin
Clements Sr. was in Wake County and was alive until at least 1779. No other Clements activity has been found in
Wake County after 1779 (once again, that does not mean there was not any, I
just have not seen it!). Clements family
members appear to have frequented Johnston County and Cumberland County after
1779. Sons Benjamin Jr. and James
Clements appear to have been in Cumberland County by 1782, possibly on or near
Black Creek. Son Reuben Clements was in
Cumberland County by 1782. Son Charles Clements
was in Johnston County by 1783. Son Culliver Clements is thought to have been
in Rutherford County and then Ninety Six District prior to 1781. Were these children self-established, were
they gifted land from their father (who had land in nearly all the location
they were in), or did they receive land from their father after he passed
away? These questions would certainly be
answered if we had a Benjamin Clements will but no will is available. So, we are left to make our best guess about
their activities.
Very little is known of Benjamin Clements Sr.’s spouse. Two documents, in 1774 and 1776, reveal the
name of Benjamin Clement’s wife as Hannah; which has been found spelled as
Hanna or Hannea. I think Hannah was
Benjamin Clements Sr.’s wife from a point prior to 1774 until at least 1776 and
then she must have died. Now this is
just a complete guess…he may have married Eleonor, surname unknown. An Eleonor Clements is a widow in the 1790
census. If Eleonor was the widow of
Benjamin Clements Sr., then I believe he died between 1779 and 1790 and his
wife Eleonor had not remarried and was still alive in 1790.