Puckett - Surry County, North Carolina Land Entries

From the book, SURRY COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA LAND ENTRIES 1778 —1781 by JOSEPH WINSTON, at FamilySearch books.

#1208.  SAMUEL HUMPHRIS enters 100 acres of land in Surry Co. on the FLATT SHOLE CREEK above the main road including ISHAM PUCKETT's improvement for quantity —December 31, 1778. [Warrant granted]

#1243.  JOSEPH WILLIAMS enters 220 acres of land in Surry Co. on FLATT SHOLE CREEK including THOMAS PUCKETT'S improvement for quantity —January 2, 1779. [Warrant granted]

#2165.  REUBEN MATTHIAS enters 100 acres on the waters of FLAT SHOLE CREEK, including PAGE PUCKET'S improvement —July 13, 1781. [Warrant issued to THOS. WORD November 12, 1802 by J. W., C. C.]

Isham Puckett, Thomas Puckett and Page Puckett all believed to be sons of Isham Puckett Sr and his wife, Martha LNU.

Isham Puckett Jr moved north into Henry Co, VA by 1785 (tax lists), the part of Henry which later became Patrick County in 1791.

Page Puckett moved to Union Co, SC by the 1790 Census.

Thomas Puckett stayed in Surry Co, NC, though he also has records in Grayson Co, VA.  Thomas Puckett and his descendants were Quakers.

The 'FLAT SHOLE CREEK' in these records believed to the modern Flat Shoal Creek in modern Surry Co, NC, flows under I-74 near Long Hill, and flows into Ararat River.  There is another 'Flat Shoals Creek' in modern Stoke Co, NC, near Stokes Early College; this Flat Shoals Creek flows into the Dan River.  Some Puckett researchers have confused these creeks, since Stokes Co, NC is right next to Surry Co, NC, and Stokes was formed from Surry in 1789.

It was common for settlers to 'squat' on land and start improving it - clearing some if it, planting crops, building houses.  The squatter was in good position to get a land entry, which led to a grant from the state of North Carolina.  Sometimes the squatters sold the right to an entry to someone else.  That appears to be the case with the Puckett men.  Though Isham and Page moved on, Thomas stayed and eventually got a NC land grant in Surry Co, NC.

Boaz Puckett - rough notes

Boaz Puckett appears to have been a son of Womack Puckett Sr and Mabel Walthall.  His first name spelled variously in records as Bows, Bose, Booz, etc.

Bows Puckett listed as a tithe (white male over 16) in household of father Womack Puckett Sr in the 1752 partial tax list of Chesterfield Co, VA:  https://sites.google.com/site/womackgen/puckett-family/colonial-tax-lists

The death of Womack Puckett Sr set off litigation until Ephraim Puckett, who was evidently the eldest son and had inherited his father's land by primogeniture, gifted that land to Womack Puckett Jr by deed.

• Chesterfield OB 2:317 img 477 - June 1757 Womack Puckett deceased more than 3 months, sheriff to administer
• Chesterfield OB 2:378 img 508 - Jan 1758 - Bows Puckett vs Womack Puckett
• Chesterfield OB 2:385 img 511 - Mar 1758 - Deed Ephraim Puckett to Womack Puckett
• Chesterfield OB 2:387 img 512 - Mar 1758 - Suit brought by Womack Puckett against Ephraim Bose & Mabil Puckett dismissed being agreed

The records don't say what the litigation was about.  Note that these records also show that Mable Walthall Puckett was alive in March 1758.  Notably, Isham Puckett, son of Womack Puckett Sr & Mable Walthall, is not mentioned; he had probably already moved away, and shows up in Lunenburg Co, VA by 1762.

Boaz had to be 16 or older in 1752 to be a tithe, and he had to be 21 or older in 1758 to sue in court.

Boaz next appears buying land in Mecklenburg Co, VA in 1777:

Mecklenburg Co, VA DB 5:112 (007895939:82) - 9 Sep 1777, John Brown Jr of MC to Booz [?] Puckett of MC, S side Avens Creek, Floyd’s line, 25 acres.  Wit:  Henry Pennington, Thomas Fowler, Philip Pennington.  Court 10 Nov 1777 ack by John Brown Jr. [OB 4:377/212]

From Deed Mapper, John Brown had a VA land patent near Pennington land patents, and within a couple miles of Isham Puckett's 1762 grant (VPB 35:55).  

Avens Creek is now called Evans Creek, a tributary of Meherrin River in Mecklenburg Co, VA:  https://maps.app.goo.gl/W6HSc6fjgSpAroV87 

Note it is near Taylors Creek, where Isham Puckett's land patent was, and near Interstate 85, Exit 12 interchange with US Route 58,   On the west side of I-85, and south of the town of South Hill is Flat Creek, where Thomas Taylor had a patent; Thomas Taylor's patent just west of Isham Puckett's patent.

Next records for Boaz Puckett are from Mecklenburg Co, VA order books:

OB 6:57 img 48 - June 1784 - Boaz Puckett exempt from levies, being old and infirm

OB 6:553 img 286 - July 1786 - Bannister Puckett orphan of Boaz Puckett deceased to be bound out.  Boaz Puckett died intestate with small estate which no person will administer, sheriff ordered to dispose of estate.

There are a couple other Mecklenburg records that might be related to Boaz Puckett.  

OB 6:4 img 22 - May 1784 - Grief Puckett apprentice to Stephen Mabry bound out

OB 7:72 img 432 - Aug 1787 - Susannah Puckett vs Senior Douglass

Note that Grief Puckett was bound out before Boaz Puckett died, but sometimes children were taken from homes where parents could not provide.  Grief Puckett may be the son of Boaz.  More on Grief Puckett:  https://sites.google.com/site/womackgen/puckett-family/chester-county-south-carolina

Susannah Puckett was possibly the widow of Boaz Puckett.  This was a "quiet period" for Puckett activity in Mecklenburg Co, VA.  Ephraim Puckett and Isham Puckett had left.  Shippy Allen Puckett had moved away as well, but just across the state line in what is now Warren Co, NC, though some of his daughters married in Mecklenburg.  It is possible Susannah Puckett was somehow related to Shippy Allen Puckett.  Later, around 1800, Abraham Puckett would move from Chesterfield Co, VA and buy land in Mecklenburg Co; Bannister Puckett has been mistakenly attributed as Abraham's son.

Note that William Smith Puckett's mother was supposedly Susannah Smith, married to an unknown Puckett.  William Smith Puckett seems somehow related to Grief Puckett, see link above.

If this Susannah Puckett was the widow of Boaz Puckett and the mother of William Smith Puckett, then she had William Smith Puckett out of wedlock, since he was born circa 1795 in SC.

I will do a future post on Bannister Puckett, son of Boaz Puckett.

David Puckett, Frances Butler - rough notes

Working mostly off memory, so probably a few mistakes -  David Puckett married Frances Butler in Prince Edward Co, VA in 1771, she the daughter of Aaron Butler, mentioned in his will.  David Puckett had at least 2 daughters, both married McDearman men in PE Co, VA (see PE marriage records), before David left.

David Puckett had a son and grandsons  named Douglas, but unsure if he was the son or nephew of the original Douglass Puckett.

Tax records show David in PE Co, VA to about 1806, near Aaron Puckett and Edmund Puckett, his sons.  Other Pucketts in PE in late 1700s/early 1800s include Peter Puckett (son of original Douglass, moved to Wilkes Co, GA by late 1780s), James & Joel Puckett (sons of Thomas Hobby Puckett of Lunenburg Co, VA).

David likely moved to Georgia since his sons were there.  There was a PE Co, VA chancery case trying to sue David Puckett (1808-007) and Edmund Puckett, but it appears they had already left Virginia.  David possibly the David Puckett with 1825 land grant in Franklin Co, GA.

Sons of David Puckett & Frances Butler:

Edmund Butler Puckett married Betsey Gray, 1812, Putnam Co, GA.  1830 census Jasper Co, GA.  1841 administrator bond, Stewart Co, GA for estate of Edmund Puckett by Elizabeth Puckett and David G Puckett.

Aaron Butler Puckett married Sarah H LNU, records in Pulaski Co, GA.  Won land in Gwinnett Co, GA in one of the GA land lotteries.  Widow Sarah on 1830 census Gwinnet Co, GA, next to son Edmund D[ouglass?] Puckett, one of several confusing Puckett lines in Gwinnett/Hall Co area.  Edmund D Puckett had married Nancy Pulliam in Franklin Co, GA.  Widow Sarah married next William Richardson 1848 in Gwinnett.  By 1870, listed in Bartow Co, GA as Sarah H R Puckett, age 83, born in VA with son Ed[mund] D Puckett, age 60, GA.  Sarah interred in Puckett Cemetery (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8752677/sarah-richardson), along with grandson Edmund Douglass Puckett Jr and others of this family.

John H Puckett married Tabitha Richards in Greene Co, GA, 1811.  Family bible lists birthdates of 9 kids, who by their names are obviously descendants of David Puckett & Frances Butler.  Bible link at ancestry (2 pages).  Tabitha buried in Rockdale Co, GA (formed from Newton).  John H Puckett on 1860 census of Newton Co, GA, then moved to Camp Co, TX where he died: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/43305509/john-h.-pucket 

Douglass Puckett moved to Alabama.  In the Rev War Pension Application for Edmund Butler of Monroe Co, AL for naval service, Douglass Puckett signed a statement in 1829 saying he had known Edmund Butler for 40 years.  Douglass Puckett had BLM land grants in Dallas Co, AL, which he sold, one to a John B Butler.  Apparently then moved to Newton (later Rockdale) Co, GA, near brother John H Puckett.  Douglass Puckett apparently never married or had children.  Buried in same cemetery as sister-in-law Tabitha Richards Puckett, and mistakenly attributed as her husband on find-a-grave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/31756320/douglas-puckett 

In several GA counties where these Pucketts lived, other Puckett lines wee in the same county, making it hard to separate these lines.  The descendants of David Puckett & Frances Butler are a significant portion of the early Puckett records in Georgia.

Slowly documenting this here:  https://sites.google.com/site/womackgen/puckett-family

This is just rough notes, but maybe enough for another researcher to follow.

Book 'Pucketts and Their Kin' - Some Serious Mistakes

The book 'Pucketts and Their Kin' is on Internet Archives here:  https://archive.org/details/somepuckettsthei00garr.

This book was privately compiled and published by Hester Elizabeth Garrett in 1960.  It certainly has some great research, but in double-checking the records cited, there are some serious mistakes which have thrown off Puckett researchers for decades.

I will eventually try to make a full list of the mistakes, but a few in particular are the most egregious.

Page 2 - Marriage of James Westbrook and Elizabeth Westbrook did NOT happen ca 1678-9.  Garret cites the wrong record book, but correct page number.  The record is in record book Henrico Co, VA Wills, Deeds, etc. (which I abbreviate WD) 1697-1704, page 96.  My full abbreviation is Henrico Co, VA WD 1697-1704:96.  This book is sometimes erroneously called WD 1697-1699, but that is just the 1892 copy, which only copied records before 1700 (In the late 1800s, genealogy was becoming popular, and the old record books were falling apart from being handled so much, so Virginia had many of the pre-1700 records hand-copied.  The copies of Henrico records were made in 1892.)

The marriage record of James Westbrook and Elizabeth Westbrook is in Henrico Co, VA WD 1697-1704:96.  FamilySearch has images of the original (digitized film 007645094:51) and the 1892 copy (007676115:171).  The original is too difficult to read, partially due to the original record fading, and partially due to poor microfilm photography.  The 1892 copy is legible.  There is a list of probates and marriage licenses under the heading 'An Acct of Probat admcon Returned to Mr Sectys office Aprill ye 13th 1698' (An Account of Probate Administration Returned to Mr Secretary's office 13 Apr 1698).  One of the lines below that heading is for a marriage license:

Jany 3rd 97 James West Brook with Eliz. Puckett

This license was granted 3 Jan 1798 the way we reckon dates now.  See my article on Old Style Dates for why it was written as 3 Jan 1797.  James Westbrook and Elizabeth Puckett may have married the same day the license was granted, but likely the wedding was a few days later.

Note that Garret also says the marriage of Thomas Jefferson with Mary Field was in 1678-9 on the same page as the James Westbook & Elizabeth Puckett marriage.  However, the marriage license for Thomas Jefferson & Mary Field was granted 20 Nov 1697, which is a well-known fact given these were the grandparents of President Thomas Jefferson.  In the 1892 copy, the marriage license is recorded 3 lines above the Westbrook license with date '9br ye 20th 1697'.  9br was an old abbreviation for November.

Page 23 - Reported record for "Tyree Puckett" was actually for Gyll Furkett (Gill Fuquett).  Garret cites Henrico Co, VA WD  1672-1692:70, which is a bad citation, because the book is actually WD 1677-1692.  Garret must have got her notes confused, because she says the record is something about Tyree Puckett being a neighbor of Abraham Womecke (Womack) and Richard Kennon, dated 9 Mar 1678.  

This was actually a list of people accused of various infractions by sheriff Samuel Knibb; these infractions occurred at various times in 1678 and early 1679.  Many of the people were accused of public drunkenness, including Abraham Womack.  One of the lines in the list says "Aprill ye 21st [1678] Gyll Furkett told me that he was drunke" (007645093:18, 1892 Copy: 007642295:21).  I guess Garret misread this as Tyree Puckett.  

The pre-1700 records of Henrico Co, VA have mostly been fully indexed.  There are a few other references to Gill Fuquett or Gyll Furquett.  This appears to be a French name, and there were many French Huguenot refugees in Henrico Co, VA.  In old handwriting of the time, F at the beginning of a word was often written as a double-f, so it looks like "ffurkett" which looks kind of similar to Puckett.  However, this was not a Puckett reference, and there was no 'Tyree Puckett'.

Page 23 and Page 7 - William Puckett did NOT have a will dated 20 Nov 1682.  This stems from a badly abstracted deed record, Chesterfield Co, VA DB 1:534 (008578886:272, note you need to go to the Tools button and adjust the image contrast and brightness to read it).  In the deed, Lewis Puckett of Amelia Co, VA sells land to William Walthall on 17 Feb 1753.  The deed states “which said tract of 108 acres of land was given to the said Lewis Pucket by the last will and testament of his father William Pucket as more fully appears by one patent bearing date 20 Nov 1682”.  This does NOT say that William Puckett's will was dated 20 Nov 1682.  It says there was a patent dated 20 Nov 1682, meaning the land in the deed was part of that patent.

This was a reference to VPB (Virginia Patent Book) 7:200 (008570201:205), dated 20 Nov 1682 for 757 acres to William and Thomas Puckett.  A close reading shows that 500 acres was from the patent to John Puckett (father of William and Thomas), VPB 5:482 (008570200:780), copy in VPB 5 (Copy):589 (008570199:595); patent in 1665.  The other 257 acres was new land.  

It was quite common to reaffirm old patents when getting new patents as a way to remind the colonial government that one had legal title to the land.  An agreement contract between William Puckett and Thomas Puckett in Henrico Co, VA WD 1688-1697:3, dated 12 Oct 1688, states that Thomas and William inherited the 500 acres by the will of their father, John Puckett.  The will itself is lost, but is mentioned in Henrico Co, VA court records.

Anyhow, Lewis Puckett was the son of William Puckett Jr, son of William Puckett who, along with brother Thomas, had the 1682 patent.  Lewis Puckett was merely stating that the 108 acres he inherited from his father William Puckett (Jr) was part of the 1682 patent granted to Lewis's grandfather, William Puckett Sr, and great-uncle, Thomas Puckett.  William Puckett (Jr) died in Henrico Co, VA in June 1739 (see Chesterfield Co, VA Chancery Case Case 1764-002, William Walthall vs Thomas Pucket).  William Puckett (Jr) made a will which is mentioned in a few records, but the record book with the actual will is lost.  In any case, his will was not dated in 1682.