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Notes and Scraps

A gallimaufry of notes, scribbles and scraps for follow-up and eventual inclusion elsewhere.

1. A will is recorded for PRESSLEY BLAND in Edgefield County SC (Box 3, p. 125). We have not yet secured a copy.

2. The published version of an old DAR membership application makes reference to John Darwin (1755-1834) as of 'Maryland' as well as 'Virginia.' There are a few other scraps, from an earlier generation of family researchers, to 'Maryland' (including an unlikely claim that John Darwin and Jane Bland were married in Maryland); what is the source for this association with Maryland, and is there any substance to it, or is it another red herring?

3. "False" Darwins

A number of supposed 'Darwins' are occasionally found in secondary sources which, when the underlying primary source is examined, turn out not to be Darwins at all. Notable (and recurring) examples:

• Ephraim Darwin of Connecticut (1647-1725): Christopher B. Darwin has carefully examined this case and concluded the individual was most likely a 'Durham.' His descendents, in New England, have a wide range of variants of the name, such as 'Dorwin.' No connection to William Darwin of Louisa County, Virginia.

• Nicholas Darwin of Amelia County, Virginia. Reported in the William and Mary College Quarterly, Vol. 19 (1910-11), under the heading of Amelia County Marriage Bonds 1735-1755; another publication (Butley) transcribes the name as "Durnin." In the same county of Amelia, a later will is recorded: "1823-26 Dearin, William Senior" (Amelia County Will Book 10, p. 662). It would appear that an Amelia County family by the valid name of Dearin is the source for these 'Darwin' sightings.

4. Family of Mary Cowan (1746-ca.1818)

Some secondary sources suggest the father of Mary Cowan was one 'George Cowan', of York District SC. We have found a source Anson County Microfilm No. S 108.399 (Warrants, Surveys, and Related Documents 1-909, Secretary of State, Land Grant Office, North Carolina State Archives, Raleigh, NC) which includes:

5. We have, from our own old notes, the following transcribed entry from the York County SC Deed Book:

This is probably 'John M. Darwin' (as John B. Darwin was only 16, and living at home), but we have no record of a previous purchase by John M., and wonder if we have mistranscribed 'Jr.' for 'Sr.'? The original needs to be checked, and a search made for previous missed deeds whereby John M. may have acquired property (perhaps not recorded?)

6. From notes we made from a transcription in the early 1990's, the 1830 Census also appears to present a small puzzle in enumerating a "James Darwin Jr.", for James W. Darwin is enummerated in Louisiana in 1830, and James Adams Darwin in Rhea County, Tennessee. We suspect the transcription we were using (no longer to hand) is in error, but the 126 pages of the York SC 1830 census need to be checked page by page (ughh!)