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- From the research of Steve Carson: carson@gscassociates.com
I have been researching the Melson family that lived in northern Lincoln County, TN in the early 1800s. I have traced Peter Melson
back to Accomack County, VA. My present theory is that Peter Melson was born in Accomack County, VA between 1765 and 1769 and was the son of Robert Melson. Another son of Robert Melson was likely Abraham Melson (who appears in Burke County, NC records and dies in Blount County, TN about 1836). Robert Melson's father may have been Isaac Melson.
I have worked Peter Melson from middle TN (after 1813) back to Cumberland County, KY (1803) back through Burke County, NC (1790s - 1802) and Randolph County, NC (late 1780s - 1790) to Accomack County, VA (1784). I now need to connect him into a Melson family there. Peter Melson named one of his sons Robert. Peter Melson appears as a witness to the will of Ezekiel Young on 20 March 1784 in Accomack County, VA. Ezekiel Young was a shipwright who lived in Guilford, VA. Robert Melson also shows up in several Accomack County, VA records including tax lists and estate records. These are:
1) 1783 Personal Property tax list (Edmund and "Udah" Melson are on the same page - I think they are children of William Melson who dies by 1781)
2) As a debtor in the Settlement of the Administration Accounts of Dr. John Montgomery, Deceased Estate, September 27, 1787
By 1790, Peter Melson is in Randolph County, NC. He is associated with a "Melson" who had a land claim in there -- but there is no first name in any records we have found so far. Trying to figure out which Melson had a land claim and an "improvement" in Randolph County, NC is another focus of my present research. I suspect it is Robert Melson.
From the book: Abstracts of Land Warrants, Randolph County, NC, 1778-1948, Part I, by Dr A B. Pruitt, 2001
360 (290). John Steed for 100 ac; warrant #1493 issued Apr. 7, 1779 by Ralph Gorrell, Guilford Co entry taker, to Charles "Munholland" for 100 ac on N side of Little R, joins Melson's land claim, & includes his improvement; [on back of warrant] warrant sold Sept. 30, 1781 by Charles Munhollen to Benjamin Boling (signed) Charles Munhollen (witness) Saml Millikan & Joseph Hudson and sold Mar. 14, 1785 [Quaker style date] by Ben "Bolin" to John Steed (signed) "Ben bolin" (witness) Sam Millikan; 100 ac surveyed Sept. 30, 1784 [Quaker style date] by Sam Millikan; Joseph Hutson & William Graves, chain carriers; grant #345 issued Jul. 24, 1786.
692 (622). John Derm 100 ac; warrant #338 issued Jun. 12, 1789 [Quaker style date] by Sam Millikan to John Conner for 100 ac on Little R waters, Kings Cr, & entered Mar. 11, 1789; [on back of warrant] warrant sold Apr. 13, 1791 by John "Connor" to John "Derem" (signed) Jhn. Connor (witness) Sam Millikan; 100 ac surveyed Apr. 13, 1791 [Quaker style date] by Sam Millikan; Peter Melson & Thomas King, chain carriers; grant #658 issued Nov. 28, 1792.
In Burke County, NC from 1794 to 1815, Peter Melson is associated with both Robert Melson and Abraham Melson. They pay taxes on what seems to be the same 200 acres in different years. Abraham Melson is in the 1820 census of Burke, NC. By 1830 he has moved to Blount County, TN. He named his two oldest sons Isaac and Robert.
Robert Melson was born before 1755, probably in Accomack County, VA. The two records above place him in Accomack County, VA in 1783 and 1787. By 1790, Robert Melson is in Richmond County, NC. Between 1794 and 1797 I can place him in Burke County, NC. Between 1800 and 1804 he was in Wilkes County, NC. I lose track of him after that.
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