ILFRANKL-L Archives

From:
Subject: Re: Edward Sullivan family
Date: Fri, 11 Jul 2003 21:55:44 EDT

Nathan:

I have two Daniel's, father and son. The father is the Revolutionary War
Daniel, I have his father as Florence. The John you mention may be his brother
(see below).

I've been working lately with the later Sullivan's, you have opened up some
sources I will be looking into.

Here is the narrative I promised. I have transcripts of the wills, etc, if
you would like them.

Jack from Kansas City.

SULLIVAN
Maryland

In the early 1700s, several families with the name of Sullivan appeared on
the Eastern Shore of Maryland in Dorchester County. The name was spelled in a
variety of ways - Sullivan, Sulivane, Sullivant, etc., but they all seem to have
descended from the same person. It is generally thought that they were all
descendants of a Major James O'Sulivane who came to Maryland following the
defeat of the Irish armies of James II at the Battle of Boyne in 1690. James is
said to have left Ireland, first went to France and then on to Maryland in the
American Colonies.

Sullivan families in the early 1700s were headed by Darby Sullivan, John
Sullivan, Owen Sullivan, Daniel Sullivan and Florence Sullivan. They may have all
been brothers, being sons of James Sullivan named above.

Our Sullivan line has been determined to descend from Florence Sullivan who
has been documented as the ancestor of the Sullivans in Southern Illinois.

Florence Sullivan first appears in Dorchester County land records in an entry
dated November 11, 1747. His age is given as 49, thus born about 1698.

In a deposition given by Florence Sullivan on July 13, 1758, his age is given
as 61 - this would indicate that he was born in 1697, close enough to be the
same Florence Sullivan in the 1747 entry. In this deposition, Florence's son,
John, is mentioned, as well as his brother-in-law, Cornelius Johnson. Thus,
Florence's wife was a Johnson.

In the 1760s, a religious sect grew up in Dorchester County which was called
"Nicholites" after their founder, Joseph Nichols. The beliefs and type of
service which they practiced were almost identical to that of the Quakers. Later,
in 1773, Caroline County was formed out of Dorchester County and the
Nicholites and their members happened to be located in that part of Dorchester County
which became Caroline County. Thus, most of the records for the Nicholites
after 1773 can be found in Caroline County records.

Florence Sullivan and his family joined the Nicholite group and their names
appeared in the parish records. These records are available on microfilm in the
Maryland Historical Society located in Baltimore.

One entry in the Nicholite records of particular significance is that which
follows dated January 28, 1770:

"This may certify all persons, whom it may concern, that Daniel Sullivan and
Margaret Melvin, both single persons of Dorchester County in the province of
Maryland, having publickly made known their intention of marriage and no lawful
objection being made did on the 28th day of the first month anno dommi 1770
at the house of Henry Swigett in
publick congregation of people did acknowledge their marriage engagement each
to the other, the man taking the woman to be his lawful wedded wife and the
woman taking the man to be her lawful wedded husband in consequence where the
woman thereafter accepts the sirname of the man. In testimony thereof we have
subscribed our names the day and year above written. Signed: Daniel Sullivan
and Margaret Sullivan (her mark). Witnesses included Florence Sullivan, Sr."

Five years later, in 1775, Florence Sullivan prepared his will. It was proved
in Court in 1776, thus he would have been in his late 70s when he died.

A copy of Florence's will is attached which includes his wife, Sarah (nee
Johnson); and sons, John, Daniel, Florence, Jr., Solomon, Darby and Abraham.

Florence's son, Daniel, continued as a member of the Nicholite church after
his father's death and the parish records record the births of eight children
to Daniel and Margaret. They are as follows:

1. Joseph - born January 13, 1771
2. Owen - born March 4, 1772
3. Daniel - born November 11, 1773
4. Mary - born December 27, 1775
5. Sarah - born January 7, 1777
6. Margaret - born November 24, 1779
7. Isaac - born October 29, 1781
8. John - born December 24, 1783.

In the 1780s, the Nicholites thought it would be of mutual advantage to merge
with the Society of Friends (Quakers). Agreement was reached and the
Nicholites were received into the Friends membership.

At about the same time as the merger was being considered, new lands opened
up in North Carolina and Daniel and Margaret Sullivan, with their family, moved
to Orange County, North Carolina.

Many of the previous Nicholite members also moved to North Carolina. Many of
them affiliated with the Quakers in North Carolina while others became
Methodists. Later, the Sullivans were staunch Methodists so it is probable that Daniel
joined the Methodist Church after they arrived in Orange County.


North Carolina

At about the time of their move, Margaret gave birth to their ninth child,
Edmund. He seems to have been born in North Carolina in about 1?84 or 1785.

Although no deed has been located, Daneil Sullivan acquired 400 acres of land
in what was called the Chatham District of Orange County near the Yaw River.

Of significance to us, at about the same time of Daniel Sullivan's arrival in
North Carolina, a Thomas Smothers and his family also arrived and he acquired
320 acres from Thomas Doane, also in the Chatham District. Attached is a copy
of the deed evidencing Thomas Smothers' land purchase.

Shortly thereafter, Thomas Smothers' oldest son, William, acquired 230 acres
of land. The 1790 Land Poll for the Chatham District of Orange County, North
Carolina, indicated the following land ownership all adjoining one another:

1. Daniel Sullivan - 400 acres
2. Thomas Smothers - 320 acres
3. William Smothers - 230 acres.

In February 1792, Daniel Sullivan died. In his will (copy attached) he named
his wife, Margaret; sons, Joseph (noted as oldest), Owen, Daniel, Isaac, John
and Edmund (noted as youngest); and daughters, Mary, Sarah and Margaret.

The names of his wife and children in Daniel's will are identical to those in
the Nicholites' records in Maryland, so there is no question but that this is
the same family.

Of significance is that Daniel Sullivan's will was witnessed by John Melvin
and Edmond Melvin. It seems that some of Margaret's kinfolks moved to North
Carolina also.

In his will, Daniel dispensed his 400 acres of land by giving 100 acres to
Margaret, his wife; 100 acres to son Joseph; 100 acres to son Daniel; and 100
acres to son Edmund. Daniel's son, Owen, was to receive the 100 acres given to
his mother after her death. Both Joseph and Daniel were about 20 years old when
their father died, but Edmund was only about eight years old. Why he was
willed 100 acres and his two older brothers, Isaac and John, left out, is not
clear.

In August 1795, Thomas Smothers died. In his will (copy attached), he named
his wife, Susannah; sons, William, John, James and Thomas; plus daughters,
Sarah Smothers, Rebecca Summers and Elizabeth Pickerel.

Of interest is that his daughter, Rebecca, had married a Summers. Alexander
Summers was appointed by Thomas Smothers to be the Executor of his will. Thus,
the Sullivan, Smothers and Summers families are intertwined for several
generations. While it appears that Alexander Summers was probably the husband of
Rebecca Smothers, there is also the possibility that the wife of Thomas Smothers,
namely, Susannah, may also have been a Summers. In that case, we would have
Summers' ancestors.

There is recorded in Orange County a marriage between Susannah Smothers and
Parish Hatchett in August 1803. It seems that probably Susannah, widow of
Thomas Smothers, married for a second time. The Hatchetts were neighbors of the
Smothers and several land transactions were witnessed by members of the Hatchett
family. The Hatchetts are another family who mingle with the Sullivans,
Smothers and Summers from North Carolina to Illinois. In fact, in 1902 Doris Sullivan
, son of Thomas Sullivan and Mary Elizabeth Forrester, married Iva Hatchett.
Thus, their son, Joseph, now living in Benton, Illinois, would be descended
from the Hatchetts.

Shortly after his father's death, William Smothers divested himself of his
230 acres of land. In September 1794, William sold 100 acres to his brother,
John Smothers, and 130 acres to his neighbor, Joseph Sullivan, oldest son of
Daniel Sullivan. Copies of these land sales are attached.

Since William Smothers appears in Sumner County, Tennessee, in 1796, he
appears to have been preparing for the move when he sold his land in North Carolina.

Since Joseph Sullivan inherited 100 acres when his father died, he owned 230
acres after he acquired the 130 acres from William Smothers.

In 1798, Joseph Sullivan divested himself of his land holdings - he sold 130
acres to Isaac Pyle and sold 100 acres to John Hicks. Copies of these land
transactions are attached. Joseph Sullivan, therefore, must have left North
Carolina for Tennessee in 1798.

Tennessee

Beginnlng in 1799, Sumner County, Tennessee, tax lists include Joseph
Sullivan, Daniel Sullivan and Owen Sullivan. This would indicate that most all of
Daniel Sullivan's family moved to Tennessee a few short years after his death.

Family sources have always maintained that Edward Sullivan who moved to
Illinois in 1818, was the son of Joseph Sullivan and his wife, Susan. Edward
Sullivan was born in North Carolina in 1795 and married Sarah Smothers in Tennessee
shortly before 1818. These dates and movements are consistent with those of
Joseph Sullivan. The source of the idea that Edward was the son of Joseph seems
to be from the family Bible belonging to John Sullivan, son of Edward, who
died in 1899. This entry was placed in the Mormon records in Salt Lake City in
the early l900s.

There is one intriguing entry in a January 1801 court proceedings in Sumner
County, Tennessee, which has to do with an estate settlement of a John
Hargrove. Purchasers of the estate included Joseph Sullivan, Thomas Dillon and Joseph
Eubanks. Thomas Dillon was the likely father of William B. Dillon and Joseph
Eubanks the likely father of Margaret Eubanks who married William B. Dillon
after they moved to Franklin County, Illinois. William B. and Margaret Dillon had
eight children and he is the prime candidate for being the father of Thomas
Sullivan, son of Nancy Sullivan. This places the Sullivans and Dillons together
in Tennessee and provides a possible means of tracing our Dillon ancestry.

Sarah Smothers, wife of Edward Sullivan, was born in North Carolina in 1796
and moved with her family to Tennessee where she married Edward Family sources
and Franklin County Histories indicate that Edward and Sarah knew each other
as small children in North Carolina and liver near one another in Tennessee.
Edward and Sarah would not have beer more than four years old when they left
North Carolina.

The father of Sarah Smothers is most likely Thomas Smothers, son of Thomas
and Susannah Smothers. His brother, William, who sold land to Joseph Sullivan is
eliminated as her possible father since he left North Carolina before she was
born.

Thomas Smothers appears in both the 1820 and 1830 censuses for Franklin
County, Illinois. It is reasonable to conclude that he moved to Illinois at the
same time as his daughter, Sarah (Smothers) Sullivan. Thomas' other brothers,
William, James and John, are all listed in the 1820 census in Sumner County and
probably never left Tennessee.

Because of the number of Joseph Sullivans and Thomas Sullivans in later
generations, it follows that they were named after their ancestors, Joseph Sullivan
and Thomas Smothers. Jchn Sullivan, son of Edward, named his first two sons,
Thomas and Joseph. Nancy, his sister, may very well have named her son, Thomas
Sullivan, after his grandfather, Thomas Smothers.

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