Hosiah Hathcock529
The earliest record of
Hosiah Hathcock is a Poll List of Montgomery County, North Carolina in 1779. It is noted that Thomas Hathcock, son of Edward Hathcock, was also living in Montgomery County in October 1779, and where, later or perhaps at the same time, Benjamine Hathcock (born 1742) lived. Fifty acres of land in Montgomery County was granted to Jesse Wooten or Wooden in 1779 describing neighbors as being
Ozey Hathcock and Mr. Collins. Benjamine moved to Montgomery County after or during the Revolutionary War (1775-1781) from Chatham County, North Carolina.
Thomas is known to have lived in Northampton County, North Carolina in the 1750's and 1760's and later moved to Richmond county, North Carolina where he died in 1818 at the age of 125 years.
Hosiah Hathcock was a Private in the Militia during the Revolutionary War and a Pay Claim dated 6 September 1782 of 2 lbs. 5 s. was paid for this service in the Salisbury District of North Carolina. These facts suggest that
Hosiah may have been the son of Thomas Hathcock of Northampton County, North Carolina where he was probably born in the 1750's. From an examination of other early records, some closely related Hathcock families moved from Northampton county to Montgomery and Chatham Counties, some settling along the Haw River near the town of Bynam in Chatham County and others (Thomas) settling near Fayetteville in Richmond County.
There is also some evidence of movements back and forth from Chatham to Richmond Counties. Some families of Chatham County, North Carolina and Kershaw County, South Carolina removed to Elbert and Burke counties of Georgia between 1802 and 1803.
Chatham County Deed records indicate that
Hosiah Hathcock (sometimes spelled
Hosea, Oazey, or Ozy, etc.) lived on the north side of the Haw River near the head of Pinetree Creek in Chatham County.
Hosiah Hathcock was first enumerated on the 1790 Census of Chatham County along with William Hathcock (with two heads of household), John Hathcock and James Hathcock.
Hosiah's household consisted of one male over 16 years (himself); 4 males under 16 years and no females. It could be speculated that these sons were: John about 16 years, Dancy about 15 years, Denson about 12 years, and James.
Chatham County land transactions found pertaining to
Hosiah Hathcock are all dated after 1790, the earliest of which is dated in 1793 where in Book G, page 82, James Sellers, Sr. sold 100 acres of land to
Hosiah Hathcock 27 May 1793 located north of Haw River near the head of Pinetree Creek. The deed was witnessed by David Sellers and Jacob Lasetor (Jacob Lasetor is mentioned in several Hathcock records before and after 1793).
The next deed mentioning
Hosiah's name was six years later in 1799 when James Hathcock received a warrant for land from David Sellars for 150 acres of land on the east side of the Haw River near Isaac Hathcock's land. The survey, however, describes it as near
Hosea Hathcock's land and the survey dated 19 February 1799 shows that the Surveyor's chain carriers were
Hosea Hathcock and James Hathcock, Jr. A careful examination of this transaction seems to indicate that James Hathcock originally owned the warrant as a result of Revolutionary Service but sold or assigned it to David Sellars and later bought it back. Clearly this record places
Hosiah, James and Isaac Hathcock living adjacent to each other suggesting that they were brothers. It is known that James was a Revolutionary soldier born in 1742 who enlisted in Northampton County and who later moved to Chatham County. It is also known that one Isaac Heathcock obtained a Colonial land grant in Fairfield County, South Carolina at the same time as did Thomas Heathcock in 1772.
Isaac Heathcock later appears in the records of Sumter County, South Carolina where he purchased goods from the estate of Joseph Hathcock in 1817. His Will was written 24 May 1815 and probated 19 October 1817 (Book A, page 273) Greenville District, leaving his military warrants to his wife Mary. The Will states that he was a member of the Army. Another purchaser of the goods of the estate of Joseph Hathcock was one Mark Johnson who had been listed as a chain carrier in the survey of land for Thomas Hathcock in Anson, later Montgomery County, North Carolina.
This all suggests a connection between the South Carolina Hathcock and the Chatham County and Montgomery County, North Carolina Hathcocks, and that
Hosiah Hathcock was one of this group of Hathcocks, some of whom moved to Georgia, some of whom moved to South Carolina and some of whom remained in Chatham County, North Carolina.
Hosiah Hathcock must have removed from Chatham County to Elbert County, Georgia in 1800 for an Elbert County deed in Book U at page 96 indicates that Hosiah received 200 acres of land from Charles Sun in the year 1800.
Hosiah had been listed as a chain carrier in Chatham County on 19 February 1799 and Chatham County deeds show that
Ozien Hathcock sold land to Isom Johnson on 12 November 1799 (Book L, page 41). Elbert County Deed records also show that the next earliest Elbert County record was in 1802 when William Hathcock bought 150 acres of land on Davis Creek from George Greenwood in that year (Book J, page 57).
With regard to this William Hathcock, it is necessary to digress to a family tradition tale to speculate on the relationship of William to
Hosiah Hathcock. Family tradition in the descendents of Patrick Hathcock born 1777 of Chatham County, North Carolina relates that one of the brothers of Patrick's father named William moved to Georgia, and that there was another brother whose name was not remembered but was a biblical name. The account, however, does not indicate that this brother went to Georgia, only that it was known that William moved to Georgia. It is speculated then that William and
Hosiah were both brothers of Patrick's father. As to the name of Patrick's father, it must have been James because of the recurring use of the name James throughout the generations of Patrick's descendents. Patrick's age on the 1810 Census of Chatham County is given as 26-45 years, consistent with later census records indicating he was about 33 years of age in 1810. However, he does not appear on the 1800 census record whereas a James Hathcock does appear with a son age 16-26. Patrick would have been 23 years of ege in 1800. The only other Hathcock in the 1800 Census of Chatham County was one John Hathcock age 26-45 years with no sons over age 16 years of age. This John quite possibly may have been an uncle or an older brother of Patrick, for John was born between 1755-1765. With this tenuous speculation it is possible to link James, William and
Hosiah together as brothers. James, William and
Hosiah Hathcock are all listed as being Revolutionary Veterans in the North Carolina records. Confusion exists, however, because there were more than one James and more than one William Hathcock in the early North Carolina records.
Recalling the Thomas Hathcock above who lived in Montgomery County, North Carolina at the same time as did Hosiah in 1779, it is fairly certain that this Thomas later moved to Richmond County, North Carolina and died there. His Obituary states that he had two sons living in Georgia when he died in 1818. The Elbert County, Georgia land deeds indicate that a John, James, William and
Hosiah were probably the only Hathcocks living in Elbert County in 1818-although there was also Hubert, James, and orphans of William, who appear in land lotteries in Elbert County between 1805 and 1807. The James Hathcock is believed to be the James Hathcock, Jr. of earlier records and the son of Hosiah.
In addition to the 1800 deed pertaining to Hosiah Hathcock there are several others recorded in Elbert County.
EARLY LAND TRANSACTIONS IN ELBERT COUNTY,
Grantor
Oziah Hathcock Samuel Bentley Q? 24 5 Aug 1816 46A Deep Creek
Oziah Hathcock William Penn W 15 1831 80A Deep Creek
Oziah Hathcock Robert Smith ? 144 1833 Estate
Oziah Hathcock William Hayens X 59 28 Mar 1836 130A Fall Creek
Charles Sun?
Oziah Hathcock U 96 1800 200A State
Edward Shaughn
Oziah Hathcock Q 97 10 Nov 1810 110A Deep Creek
James Regan
Oziah Hathcock 0 5 20 Jan 1812 130A Deep Creek
R. Washington?
Oziah Hathcock T? 95 1821
Christian (J.P.)
Oziah Hathcock U 95 1826 27A
William Jordan
Oziah Hathcock V 189 169A Deep Creek
It is clear from the description of these lands that
Hosiah Hathcock lived on the waters of Deep Creek and a Grist Mill near William Trammell, William P. Christian and Samuel Bentley. Similar records indicate that John Hathcock lived on Wahatchee Creek and that William Hathcock lived on Davis Creek.
The 1800 and 1810 Census of Georgia has not survived but
Hosiah Hathcock appears on the Land Lotteries in 1805, 1806 and 1807, and appears on the Census of Elbert County in 1820 at age over 45 years along with a Nancy Hasscock (sic) also over age of 45 years. The Inferior Court Records of Elbert County (1791-1830) show that Patsy Roberts, age 13, child of Nare Roberts was bound over to
Hosey Hathcock in March of 1826 in Elbert County. He appears on the 1830 Census of Elbert County at page 131 along with James Hathcock on page 120.
In 1840 the Elbert County Census enumerated Hosea Hathcock age 70-80 years, James Hathcock and a William R. Hathcock. Hosiah Hathcock does not appear in the 1850 Census of Georgia suggesting that he died between 1840 and 1850 in Elbert County.*Examining the Northampton County, North Carolina Tax List of 1786, there is a William Hathcock, Sr., a William Hathcock, Jr., a John Hathcock and a Norman Hathcock in Captain Williams Military District. The John Hathcock had two sons under 21 years of age who could have later been John Hathcock (Sr.) (b. 1774) and Denton Hathcock (b. 1778) of Madison County, Alabama. It is also possible that both William Jr. and John Hathcock of the 1786 Northampton County Tax List are sons of the William Hathcock, Sr. There is good evidence if not proof that William Sr. was the son of Joseph Hathcock, Brunswick County, Virginia. For example, William and Nancy Hathcock sold property inherited from his father in 1787. Later the Will of Nancy Hathcock dated 1795 in Chatham County, North Carolina list her son William and his daughter Nancy; and a William appears in the 1790 Chatham County Census along with Hosea, John and a James Hathcock who enlisted in the Revolutionary War in Northampton County. There is no evidence to indicate that all four of these men were brothers; however, the evidence presented thus far would indicate that James and William were brothers and that it is likely that John was a brother also.
The above fragmented information pertaining to
Hosiah Hathcock does not reveal much as to family relationships and does not establish his parents or his children. It does, however, establish the basis for reasonable speculation in an effort to provide some background and introduction to the discussion on the Hathcock families of North Alabama beginning with John Hathcock, Sr. who is believed to be the son of
Hosiah Hathcock. Indeed, there were several other Elbert County Hathcock men who could have been sons of
Hosiah including Denson, Dancy, Asboth, Isaac and James. Denson, John Sr., Dancy and Asboth removed to Madison County in North Alabama during the earliest days of the county's formation. It is also noted that the given name
Hosea is later found among the Central Alabama Hathcock families.
*This statement appears to be a mistake. On 19 June 2008, Clayton Heathcock searched the entire 1840 Elbert Co GA census, line by line, and did not find a listing for Hosea Hathcock or James Hathcock. There is a listing for Wm. R. Hathcock in Dist 201, but he was 20-30 years of age and therefore born 1810-1820. The census searched is online at Ancestry.com. However, there is also a USGenWeb alphabetical listing of the 1840 Elbert County census and this also does not include the names of Hosiah or James Hathcock.530 In actuality, it was the 1830 census that listed Hosea Hathcock as 70-80. He was still alive on 28 April 1836 (see foregoing land transaction) and presumably died between then and June 1840, when the census was recorded.
By the late 1700s, Hathcock families had established themselves in the Hillsboro District of central North Carolina. Sometime between 1790 and 1800 a part of the family migrated to Northeast Georgia and settled in Elbert and Franklin Counties. Early Elbert County land lotteries show that there were several Hathcocks there as early as 1800, including Hosiah (Hosea) Hathcock
89,531 and his son John Hathcock, Sr., who was born in North Carolina in about 1774. The following are listed:
532 (a) 1804-05 Land Lottery of Georgia (Elbert County); Roziah Hathcock, William Hathcock, John Hathcock, Widfred Hathcock (Widow), John Hathcock, James Hathcock.
(b) 1806 Land Lottery of Georgia (Elbert County); Oziah Hathcock, William Hathcock, Herbert Hathcock, Orphans of William Hathcock.
A 1795 voters list of Elbert County shows that John Hathcock was there as early as 1795. The approximate time of the move is shown by the fact that many of the Hathcocks who appeared in Elbert County around 1800 had been enumerated in Chatham County, North Carolina in the 1790 census.
91 Hosea Hathcock lived in Elbert County until at least 1836.
92 He is thought to be a brother of James Hathcock, born in Northampton County, North Carolina in 1743, also a Revolutionary War veteran.
Hosea Hathcock's entire family is not known, but there were several Georgia Hathcocks who may have been his sons (William, Isaac, James). He also may have been the father of several other Hathcocks who lived in Elbert County in the early nineteenth century and who migrated shortly thereafter into northern Alabama (Denson, Dancy, Asboth, John, Sr).