Sampson Dees is first recorded in the 1783 Early Census of Duplin Co NC.1166 Sampson Co was formed from Duplin in 1784 and Sampson was recorded in the 1784-86 North Carolina State census, living in Sampson Co. He was reported to have no acerage and his listing consisted of one white person and no black persons.

He is next listed in the 1790 Federal census of Sampson Co NC with a family of 1 male over 16, 3 males under 16, 2 females, 1 slave. Listed next in the census is William Dees, presumably brother of Sampson Dees.

From the foregoing census information, we can conclude that Sampson married in Sampson Co NC around 1786 (he was single in 1786 but had three children by 1790),

Sampson was apparently in Sampson County by 1784, as shown by a 1792 deed1167 which conveyed “One messauge or tract of land situate, lying and being in Sampson County On the West side of Little Coharie adjoining of Absolm Porter & John Williams line.  Beginning at a cypress on Little Cahara Alsolem Porter’s barn and then along his line 154 poles to a stake then North 140 poles to afore Williams land then East along Williams line 160 poles to a water Oak in little Cohara thence down Little Cohara to the beginning, being date the 10th day of November in the year of our Lord 1784.”

Sampson Dees is recorded in the 1800 census of Sampson Co NC with a family consisting of 2 males under 10, 1 male 10-15, 1 male 16-25, 1 male 26-44, 2 females under 10, 1 female 10-15, 1 female 16-25, 1 female 26-44, and 5 slaves. In nearby Richmond Co NC there is also a listing in 1800 for another Sampson Dees, a single person entry for a male 16-25. This Sampson Dees, born between 1775 and 1784, could possibly been a son of the elder Sampson Dees.

In 1804 there is another deed in which Sampson Dees sold a 100-acre tract to Thomas Holland:1168 One certain messauge or parcel of land in the county and state aforesaid on the East side of Little Cohara, beginning at a ??? oak at the head of a small Juniper Branch, thence East 127 poles to a white oak, thence So 127 poles to a stake by a branch, thence west 127 poles to a stake, thence to the beginning, containing 100 acres. It is believed that this land was part of a grant that Sampson Dees obtained in the early 1780s, perhaps a land bounty for service in the Revolutionary War.

In 1805, Sampson Dees sold the land that he had bought from Samuel Porter in 1793 to Robert Butler, who was listed as his next-door neighbor in the 1800 census.1169 Shortly after this transaction, Sampson Dees appears to have moved West to Montgomery Co TN. In 1808, John Stewart, acting as Attorney for Sampson Dees, of Montgomery Co TN, sold a parcel of land to Thomas Holland.1170

Montgomery Co TN lies along the northern border of the state and borders Christian Co KY. When the boundary line between Tennessee and Kentucky was first surveyed, the original border was intended to be 36°30' but the original surveyors made a mistake and the original survey line, known as the Walker Line, was too far North.  Thorndale and Dollarhide say that "some settlers in the disputed strip were uncertain in which state they lived.  The dispute was not settled until 1820. Although the 1808 deed described Sampson Dees as being “of Montgomery Co TN”, due to the uncertainty of where the Tennessee-Kentucky border actually lay, we can’t be sure that Sampson actually did live in Tennessee.

Sampson Dees is next found in the 1810 census of Hopkinsville, Christian Co KY with the following count: 1 male under 10, 1 male 10-15, 1 male 16-25, 1 male over 45, 1 female under 10, 1 female 10-15, 1 female 16-25, and 5 slaves. This entry suggests that Sampson’s first wife may have died before 1810, since the oldest woman in his family was born between 1785 and 1794 and his known children were born as early as 1781.

Neighbors of Sampson Dees in the 1810 Hopkinsville census were Frederick Arick (possibly father of Elizabeth Arick, who married Luke Dees) and John Potts (possibly father of Ruth Potts, who married Sampson in 1814). A neighbor found on page 587 of the Hopkinsville census of 1810 was Elijah Fisher, who was probably married at that time to Elizabeth Dees.

Sampson Dees married Ruthy Potts in Christian Co KY in 1814, so his migration to Warren Co MS presumably occured between that time and his death in 1817.

Sampson Dees died in Warren Co MS in about 1817 and his estate was probated on Sept. 23, 18171171:

Dees, Sampson.
Probated Sept. 23, 1817. Of Christian County, Kentucky.
Wife: Ruth, to have household goods and 2 negroes.
Children: son Samuel (youngest) to have negro, horse, saddle and bridle, feather bed and household furniture; dau. Polly Dees, to have negro, horse and saddle; step-dau. Altezes Woolf, to have negro, horse and saddle; sons William, Danson (Denson), Luke; daus. Elizabeth Fisher and Sally Jones. Exr: wife
Wit: John Clark, John Polls, John Mancy, David Mancy.

Probated Oct 25, 1819. Ruth Dees administrator surcurities Francis
Griffin, Andrew Glass and Henry Downs $800.

Following is his will, as transcribed by David Tharp on 5 August 2008:

Sampson Dees
Last Will &
Testament

In the name of God, Amen. I Sampson Dees of the County of Christian and State of Kentucky, being now of Sound Mind & Memory but knowing that all men are born to Die do make and Ordain this my last Will & Testament in Words and Figures following to wit:

1st    It is my will that my youngest son Samuel Dees Shall have a Good Horse Bridle and Saddle, feather Bed and furniture and a negro boy named Simon

2ndly    Its my will that my Daughter Polly Dees shall have a good Horse Saddle Bridle, feather Bed and Furniture

3rdly    It is my Will that my Step Daughter Altazera Woolf Shall have a Good Horse Saddle Bridle feather Bed and furniture

4thly    It is my will that my Beloved Wife Ruth Dees Shall Have my negro Peter & negro girl Lila as long as she lives Single and also all my Horses House Hold and Kitchen Furniture not otherwise provided for And that my said negro Peter and Lila at the death of my said wife to belong to my Son Sam'l Dees and my Daughter Polly Dees to be equally divided between them according to their value. In case I shall buy land, It is my will that my said Wife Ruth Dees shall have it during her widowhood.

5thly    It is my will that my Negro Woman Peg and Tom Shall be sold and the amount of the Sale to be equally divided among my children William Dees, Denson Dees, Luke Dees & my Daughters Elizabeth Fisher & Sally Jones

6thly and lastly of all I do hereby appoint my Beloved wife Ruth Dees my whole & Sole Executive of this my last Will and Testament, and it is also my will that She shall not be compelled to give Security as Executive Hereby Revoking all other will or Wills by me heretofore made and do declare this to be my last will & Testament

In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and Seal this 23 day of September 1817.

Ruth Dees was in Warren Co MS for at least two more years, as shown by the following entry from the Mississippi Court Records [p.127] WARREN COUNTY page 130

Dees, Sampson.
October 25, 1819. Admr: Ruth Dees. Bondsmen: Francis Griffin, Andrew Glass, Henry Downs. (Bond $800.)

Finally, there is an “internet myth” that Sampson Dees died in Montgomery Co TN in 1808. The origin of this myth seems to be the 1808 Sampson Co NC deed wherein John Stewart, acting as Attorney for Sampson Dees of Montgomery Co TN, sold land belonging to Sampson Dees to Thomas Holland. It seems that some have erroneously taken this proxy sale, which was not at all uncommon when a landowner moved to another location, as evidence that Sampson Dees had actually died in Montgomery Co TN. As shown above, Sampson Dees was certainly alive at the time of the 1810 census of nearby Hopkinsville KY, he was alive when he married Ruthy Potts in Christian Co KY in 1814, and he lived until 1817 when he finally did die and his will was probated in Warren Co MS.

Four deeds pertaining to Sampson Dees have been found in Sampson Co NC records.

Book 9, page 327: Samuel Porter to Sampson Dees, 1793

This deed conveyed “One messauge or tract of land situate, lying and being in Sampson County On the West side of Little Coharie adjoining of Absalum Porterr & John Williams line.  Beginning at a ? ? on ? Cahara Alsolem Porter’s barn and then along his line 154 poles to a stake then North 140 poles to afore Williams land then East along Williams line 160 poles to a water Oak in little Cohara thence down Little Cohara to the beginning, being date the 10th day of November in the year of our Lord 1784.”

Book 13, page 277: Sampson Dees to Robert Butler, 28 July 1805

Sold the land bought from Samuel Porter in 1793. “One certain messauge of tract of land in the county and state aforesaid on the west side (?) of Little Cohara joining John Williams land beginning at a ??? Absolum Porter’s corner and then along his line 154 poles to a pine thence North 140 poles to a pine, William’s Corner thence E(???) line 160 poles to a water oak in Little Cohara, thence down Cohara to the beginning.”

Book 13, page 29: Sampson Dees to Thomas Holland, 29 October 1804

One certain messauge or parcel of land in the county and state aforesaid on the East side of Little Cohara, beginning at a ??? oak at the head of a small Juniper Branch, thence East 127 poles to a white oak, thence So 127 poles to a stake by a branch, thence west 127 poles to a stake, thence to the beginning, containing 100 acres.
 
[Note:  A rod, a perch, and a pole are the same—16.5 feet (1/320 of a statue mile).  The dimensions of this land were 2095 feet by 2095 feet, which is almost exactly 100 acres.]

Book 14, page 498. John Stewart, Attorney, on behalf of Sampson Dees to Thomas Holland, 1808
 
One certain tract or parcel of  land lying and being in the County of Sampson affording ??? as follows, on the East side of Little Coharie beginning on Said Dees ??? line by a warrant of 1802 bearing date of 15 Feby 1804.  Beginning at a stake on the north side of Porter’s Branch Catharine Williams corner thence So 55 Et 7 ?? to a stake in said Branch his corner of 100 ??? Survey thence the given line of said Survey So x Et 127 pole to a large red oak  his corner thence So 44 W 57 ??? to a stake  thence ??? ?? ?? ?? to a stake near a small slash thence No 12 Et 74 pole to a stake.  Thence No 22 Et 20 pole to a pine thence So 28 Wt 70 pole to a post oak.  Thence No 40 Et 50 pole to a Short leaf pine.  Thence So 46 Et 15 pole to a post oak her corner, thence to the beginning and containing 50 acres.

In many geneaolgy files found on the web, Elizabeth Williams, wife of Sampson Dees, is reported to have been the daughter of Captain John “She” Williams. AS IS EXPLAINED BELOW, THIS IS CERTAINLY INCORRECT.

It has been reported in several places1649,445 that Elizabeth Williams died in Sampson Co NC in 1824. However, Sampson Dees is listed in the 1810 census of Christian Co KY and married Ruthy Potts there in 1814. Therefore, the report of the date of Elizabeth Williams Dees death is wrong or else this is a case of divorce, which has not yet been documented.

Likewise, her date of birth, reported as 17741649,1650,445 is too late for her to have been the mother of most of Sampson Dees children, who were born starting in 1781.

Furthermore, it has been reported that Elizabeth Williams, daughter of Captain John (She) Williams married Robert Butler and was the mother with him of nine children, born between 1790 and 1811.1651

Therefore, this must be considered a tenuous and possibly incorrect assignment of who was the wife of Sampson Dees.

Nevertheless, there does exist strong circumstantial evidence that links Captain Williams with Sampson Dees. In 1784, Sampson Dees bought land in Sampson Co NC, east of the Little Coharie Creek, adjoining the Williams land. An 1804 deed pertaining to Sampson’s land referred again to it lying along John Williams line, and an 1808 deed pertaining to the land refers to it as adjoining Catherine Williams land (Catherine was the widow of Captain John Williams, who died around 1800).

A letter by Professor John Thomas Alderman to the Editor of the Sampson County Democrat, published on 13 January 1921, is the source of the statement that Elizabeth Williams was married first to Sampson Dees and second to Charles Butler. In listing the children of Captain John Williams, he wrote: “Betsy, who married Sampson Dees first, then Charles Butler.” This letter was reprinted in Chapter 2 of the book “COHARIE TO CAPE FEAR - The Descendants of John Williams and Katherine Galbreth of Sampson and Cumberland Counties in North Carolina 1740-1990,” written by John C. Rosser, Jr. of Godwin, North Carolina.1652

It is possible that Professor Alderman was confused, as other sources say that Elizabeth Williams married Robert Butler, son of Charles and Elizabeth Butler.1652

Because of these uncertainties, we cannot know who was Sampson Dees’ wife. It certainly was not Elizabeth Williams, daughter of Captain John Williams. There seems to be general agreement that Elizabeth Williams was married to Rober Butler. Robert Butler was apparently born about 1771 and was therefore contemporary with Elizabeth Williams, who was born about 1774.  Robert Butler was listed in the 1800 census with four children and a wife of the right age to have been born in 1774.  Sampson Dees lived next door with six children and a wife of the same age group.  There is no way that Sampson and Robert were ever married to the same person!

My guess is that Sampson Dees did marry a Williams but not Elizabeth.  And whoever he married did not go to Kentucky/Tennessee with him (or did and she died before 1810).  Maybe it was another daughter of John Williams and the relationship was mangled by time before Professor Alderman wrote his letter in 1921?