The Squire, Danieal, and John Boone Families in Davie, NCIF]
Sc�uire,-Da-niet, axu� �oiiri.�oone.�ilies
AVn
X -vie, coo in -Rt, j No tk Ca.,,-ott-rLa-,
YjUjk iri Cgm-45
Xo
sus
v Thi{i o-nat
d6-mes te. c►�
en �-n1d. acrd. �
4 r�
Sure Boole
c�ra
t
• �oPPQ Cemetery
•)1ocj(svi11e-
jomk&r
-, '$oo-ne
a to
'�oane
A
9
o�
4
90 A7H•CAP 0 L INA.
l
THOMAS CHILD, and FRANCIS
CORRIN, Efgrs. 4gents and Commifon- ';•
err of the Rig& Honourable the Earl Oran-
r.z._:
Ville, U C&
e-,
4
"T O U are orthwith to admeafure.and lay out, unto
f[ �, a Plantation, containing
Q/ �"�'"4D"�+�7o Acres of Land, lying in �n�or� —
County, ur�mrz„/v^�y%i� /;yy/� 6 �%� '
Obferving our Inilru&ions for running out Lands i Three Plats
�naz� and Certificates. whereof youare to return' to us, within Six
nth from the Date hereof: Or this Warrant to be void.
Dated and Signed the Vs,.xrr�o&&IA-Day of Oc%
I
' 1
Excerpts from History of Davie County by James W. Wall, pp. 25-35,
and documented primary source information in
The Squire, Daniel, and John Boone Families in Davie County, N.C.
compiled by Howell Boone, Flossie Martin, and James W. Wall
The Boone family was among the earliest settlers to area - came ca 1752.
Squire Boone - a true given name. Born England 1696, came to Pennsylvania ca 1713 -
married Sara Morgan - eleven children 1724-1746. Daniel, sixth, Nov. 12,1734. Pros-
perous, well-established Quaker family.
To North Carolina and Davie County ca 1752 - in part because Sara and Israel "married
out" to non -Quakers - to be with friends, the Bryans and others - all interested in cheap
and fertile land.
No records to substantiate the tradition of their having lived at Boone's Cave on the
Yadkin River in Davidson County.
Squire prominent in Rowan Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions - met in Salisbury, 20
miles away - was court and government then. Rowan covered vast land area of
Piedmont and western N.C. Boones farmed, of course, but better known for hunting
expertise.
Squire applied for Land Warrant for survey of a 640 -acre tract on today's Elisha Creek,
dated Oct. 1750.
Acquired first 640 -acre tract, April 30, 1753, near confluence of Elisha and Dutchman
creeks. Purchased 640 -acre Bear Creek tract, Dec. 292 1753. Believed built house there
in early 1754.
H. H. Helper born years later at the Bear Creek site wrote Lyman C. Draper, renowned
Boone researcher, in 1883
a very detailed description of the Squire
Boone house, standing in ruins when he was a boy. He states
that it was one story, eighteen by twenty-two feet in size, and
built of twelve by eighteen -inch faced logs. The roof was on a
sixty degree slope, and there was only one door. The entire
house, including the roof shingles, was pegged together. The
heavy plank door, hung on wood hinges, had about eighteen
handmade nails in it. The floor was of heavy oak boards adzed
smooth. Helper says that the chimney was seven feet wide in
front and six feet wide behind with a very deep fireplace and
built of soapstone rocks and wood chinked with mud. A small-
er log building, twelve by fourteen feet with a hard smooth
dirt floor and built of round post oak logs, stood near the
house.' Squire Boone's house would have been typical of the bet-
ter frontier cabins of the mid -1700's.
'J/
Dangers of French and Indian War years - and unrest of Regulator Movement (civil and
military strife between Piedmont and eastern North Carolina) led Squire and Sara to sell
Elisha Creek site to Squire Jr., Oct. 12, 1759, and Bear Creek site to Daniel and Rebecca
Dec. 122 1759, and move to Maryland. Squire Boone, Jr. later moved to Kentucky, late
1760s, hunter and pioneer preacher.
Squire and Sara returned to Davie County, Spring 1762, probably to Bear Creek site..
Squire's gravesite, Jan. 2, 1765, in nearby Joppa Cemetery, then known as "Burying
Ground Ridge," Mocksville, Highway 601 North. Oldest known grave in Davie County.
Moravian Records, Volumns I and II, tell of Soelle, a Moravian circuit -riding minister,
seeing "... at William Bryan's Old Mother Boone who was a Quaker...." She was a
devout Quaker who brought her church letter "... to Friends in Virginia, Carolina, and
elsewhere" with her. She died 1777 at age 77, buried at Joppa Cemetery. Both
grave markers said to have come from Bear Creek farm. Iron stakes at base of
encasement.
Moravian Records also tell of Squire's son Israel going to Salem for medical
treatment. Israel - "consumption", died June 26, 1756 - buried near Mocksville - site
not known. Some ten other references to Boones.
Daniel about 17 when family came. Great hunter from boyhood - said late in life the
forks of Yadkin best hunting area he ever saw. Nut trees, salt licks, broad bottom lands
and creeks attracted bear and other game. With companion to help skin, could kill 30
deer a day - hides to Salisbury for men's pants. He was with British General Braddock,
French and Indian War - at ambush near Pittsburgh - cut horse harness and escaped.
Daniel, age 22, married Rebecca Bryan, age 17, Aug. 14, 1756. Squire, Justice of Peace,
performed ceremony. Tradition says they first lived in a cabin at Squire Boone house
site. A very old small log structure there was pulled down about 1925.
It is believed that Daniel and Rebecca lived for about eight years in fork of Sugartree (or
Sugar) Creek in northeastern Davie County. Site near Bryan families, owners of some
16,000 acres in county. May have been Bryan land - no record of purchase. First two
sons, James and Israel, born here.
On August 21, 1884, Dr. James McGuire, of
Mocksville, wrote Lyman C. Draper that he had visited the
place said to be the site of Daniel and Rebecca's cabin but found
only stones of what appeared to be a chimney base and some
foundation corners.' This house would have no doubt been
typical of the frontier one -room log cabin of that period.
Daniel was away hunting and exploring much of the time,
and Rebecca had to provide food and protection for the family.
Numerous fantastic legends and stories are told of her prowess
with a rifle. One such legend claims that she on one occasion
killed five or seven deer and her own horse with one shot. This
would have been an impossible feat, but it would be logical to
assume that she was a capable and resourceful provider and that
she shot deer at the nearby salt licks to provide meat for the
family.
3
Danielnot a successful farmer - just liked hunting and exploring too well. Was paid
bounties for killing wolves, wild cats, and panthers. Justice in Rowan County Court of
Pleas and Quarter Sessions, Oct. 1759.
In part because of dangers of French and Indian War, Daniel and Rebecca and three
children moved to Culpepper, Virginia, probably in late 1759 after they had bought Bear
Creek farm - they intended to return - he worked as a waggoner there. He and family
returned in October 1762, perhaps to Sugartree Creek site. Unsuccessful and unhappy as
a farmer. Bought land in Pensacola, Florida, but Rebecca refused to move there. Always
in debt - sued in court for small debts for powder and shot, etc.
Family left Davie County summer or fall 1766 - to Wilkes County (west toward
mountains) - perhaps in part to escape suits for debts. Numerous efforts to find passes
through mountains. Moved family to Kentucky, Sept 25, 1775. and settled
Boonesborough. Bryans moved also, Bryan Station near Lexington. Mass migrations to
Kentucky 1779 of Boones, Bryans. and other families. - some Bryans returned o Davie
County. Rebecca died March 18, 1813, age 74. Daniel, Sept. 26, 1825, age 86.
Daniel lost land to very inaccurate surveys and to overlapping claims - his lands declared
to be illegal holdings (so did Bryans and others). He is said to have been much pleased
by being able to pay off his debts though left with 50 cents ($20,000 of other people's
money stolen from him on one occasion).
Daniel and Rebecca's burial site most appropriate - high eminence overlooking the
winding Kentucky River.
While the name Daniel Boone is associated generally with
Kentucky and the West, we should also realize that this same
Daniel Boone, who led in opening the land across the Appala-
chians to settlement and paved the way for the rapid develop-
ment of that region, also lived in Davie County, in the Forks
of the Yadkin, for most of thirteen years. From boyhood
through manhood, he acquired in Davie County the experience,
fortitude, courage, endurance, resourcefulness, and expertness
with the rifle which enabled him to succeed in his great under- bav'►e Luufl l puplic 1�brary
taking. Mo*sA1e; NC
John Boone, Squire Boone's nephew, acquired 630 -acre tract on Hunting Creek, Dec.
21,1753 - about one mile west of Squire's homesite - successful farmer - nine children -
became Baptist - said to have been physically very strong. Died ca 1803 - said to be
buried at Joppa - site unknown - children sold last of John Boone land 1813. After this
date no known record of any land in Davie County owned by anyone by name of Boone.
Inscriptions: Squire and Sarah Morgan Boone gravestones, Joppa Cemetery:
SQUIRE BOONE DEPARTED THIS LIFE THEY
SIXTY-NME YEAR OF HIS AGE IN THAY
YEAR OF OUR LORD 1769 GENEIARY THA 2
SAH+ BOONE DEPARTED THIS LIFE 1777 AGED 77 YEARS