Brittain Womack 1828 Land Grant, Moore County, North Carolina

Britton or Brittain Womack Jr, born circa 1767, lived in Moore Co, NC, and was there for the federal censuses from 1800 through 1840.

NC Land Grant File No 2759, Moore County, to Brittain Wommack, 25 acres, Grant No 2722, Issued 30 Sep 1828, Entry 2251, Entered 20 Oct 1826, Book 137, Page No 404, Location: On Dannellys Creek.

See this map of old Moore County, NC.  The area Brittain Womack lived in is now Lee County, near the Harnett Co border.  In the upper right corner of the map, notice 'Danieley's Creek', called 'Dannellys Creek' on Brittain Womack's land grant, and called 'Daniels Creek' on modern maps.  Although not shown in the map at the link above, a small branch of Daniels Creek flows from Lee County into Harnett.

The survey shows that the 25 acres on Danellys Creek joined Brittain Wammack's other land, as well as the land of John McNeill.  Surveyor Malcolm Shaw made the survey on 20 Oct 1826, with Wm Wammack and Jno McNeill as chain bearers.

The William Womack who helped survey Brittain's land grant was almost certainly his son.  William married Elizabeth Sheppard, daughter of John Sheppard Sr.  Another William Womack, likely the first cousin of the William who married Elizabeth Sheppard, married Elizabeth's sister Nancy Sheppard.  By the 1850 federal census, both William Womacks were in Marion Co, GA.

The 1830 federal census of Moore Co, NC shows 'Wm Wamac', and the composition of his family matches what we know of the family of William Womack and Elizabeth Sheppard:

• Male 0-4: Robert Andrew Womack, born 24 Oct 1827
• Male 5-9: Elijah John Womack, born 4 Apr 1824
• Male 20-29: William Womack, born circa 1802
• Female 0-4: Nelly Womack, born circa 1829
• Female 0-4: Nancy Milla Womack, born circa 1825
• Female 20-29: Elizabeth Sheppard Womack, born 15 Apr 1805
• Female 20-29: unknown

Note that in the 1830 census, 'Wm Wamac' is listed immediately before father 'Briton Wamac' (indexed as 'Burton Wamac').  Right before William Womack is John Sheppherd Esq, William's brother-in-law, and Wm Thomas, married to William's sister-in-law, Mary Sheppard Thomas.  Nine lines before William Womack is John Sheppherd Sen, William's father-in-law.

As I detailed in another blog post, William Womack who married Elizabeth Sheppard was NOT William Allen Womack, son of John Womack by his common-law wife Susannah Allen for the simple reason that William Womack who married Elizabeth Sheppard was too young to have been named executor of John Womack's will.  Also, William Womack who married Elizabeth Sheppard has other records tying him to Brittain Womack as his probable father.

Note that John Sheppard's 1842 will mentioned daughter Mary Thomas, and Asa Sheppard's 1836 will mention "two children named after him".  In the 1850 census of Marion Co, GA, it appears Mary Sheppard Thomas has died, and Wm B Thomas (age 54, born in NC) is listed with several children, all listed as born in GA, but later censuses show at least his daughter Sarah (age 24 in 1850) was born in NC (Sarah apparently never married and was listed with her father in the 1880 census of Chattahoochee Co, GA as his daughter).  Son Asa Thomas was 21 in 1850.  Along with Asa Womack, son of William Womack & Nancy Sheppard, Asa Thomas was the other child named after Asa Sheppard.