John Whitaker Cotten (1812 - 1845)

Born 1812 in Tarboro, Edgecombe County, North Carolina

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 16 May 1845 at about age 33 in Tarboro, Edgecombe County, North Carolina

Problems/Questions Profile manager: William Cheshire [send private message]

Biography

John Whitaker Cotten was born in 1812 in North Carolina, the son of Margaret and Spencer Cotten.

In the 1830 census John was in District 16, Edgecombe, North Carolina.^[1]

John married Laura P. Clark on 19 December 1832 in North Carolina.^[2]

By 1840, the Cotten family was living in Leon County, Florida Territory.^[3]

John Cotten was the owner of Cotton Land Plantation in Leon County, Florida.^[4]

Sometime before his death, the family returned to North Carolina, buying land in Raleigh.

John passed away in 1845. Burial was in the Calvary Church Cemetery, Tarboro, Edgecombe County, North Carolina.^[5]

John's estate passed probate on 1 August 1845.^[6] His brother, Frederick Cotten, and brother-in-law, Henry T Clarke, were named his executors. Frederick administered his brother's estate from 1845-1857. His will written in Florida was also filed in North Carolina as he and his family had moved to Raleigh and bought property there.^[7]

Slaves

John owned a plantation called Cotten Land in Leon County, Florida. When he passed away, his brother Frederick handled the estate and eventually purchased the property and slaves (number unknown).

"Fred R. Cotten administered his deceased brother's estate until 1857. His accountings show that shipments of cotton went regularly via St. Marks to New York from John W. Cotten's plantation and the proceeds were credited to his estate. Meantime, he [Fred] was becoming one of the largest owners of land and slaves in Florida. Accountings show that, in 1857, much of his deceased brother's plantation was being sold at public auction and Fred R. Cotten was the buyer! By 1860, his property holdings were valued at $375,000, and he owned 274 slaves."^[8]

In 1830, John was enumerated in Edgecombe County, North Carolina. He had 5 slaves at the time.^[1]

By the 1840 census, John was enumerated as owner of 89 slaves in Leon County, Florida.^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} 1830 Census: "1830 United States Federal Census"
   Year: 1830; Census Place: District 16, Edgecombe, North Carolina; Series: M19; Roll: 120; Page: 313; Family History Library Film: 0018086
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 8058 #197822 (accessed 28 August 2022)
   John Cotten in District 16, Edgecombe, North Carolina.
2. ↑ Marriage: "North Carolina, U.S., Marriage Index, 1741-2004"
   Data Source: County Court Records - FHL # 0296815-0296817
   Ancestry Record 8909 #2715762 (accessed 28 August 2022)
   John W Cotten marriage to Laura P. Clark on 19 Dec 1832 in North Carolina.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} 1840 Census: "1840 United States Federal Census"
   Year: 1840; Census Place: Leon, Florida Territory; Roll: 36; Page: 69; Family History Library Film: 0006712
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 8057 #1635149 (accessed 28 August 2022)
   John Cotton in Leon, Florida Territory.
4. ↑ Florida Plantations Misc
5. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/95770809/john-whitaker-cotten: accessed 28 August 2022), memorial page for John Whitaker Cotten (1812–16 May 1845), Find A Grave: Memorial #95770809, citing Calvary Church Cemetery, Tarboro, Edgecombe County, North Carolina, USA; Maintained by Carolyn McVicker (contributor 47545070).
6. ↑ Probate: "Florida, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1827-1950"
   Probate Records, 1827-1887, Index to Estates, 1831-1974; Author: Florida. County Judge's Court (Leon County); Probate Place: Leon, Florida
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 8993 #425678 (accessed 28 August 2022)
   John W Cotton probate on 1 Aug 1845.
7. ↑ Probate: "North Carolina, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1665-1998"
   Wills and Estate Papers (Wake County), 1663-1978; Author: North Carolina. Division of Archives and History; Probate Place: Wake, North Carolina
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 9061 #875544 (accessed 28 August 2022)
   John W Cotten probate in 1845.
8. ↑ Slavery and Plantation Growth in Antebellum Florida: 1821-1860, by Julia Floyd Smith, p 136

• Find a Grave, database and images (www.findagrave.com/memorial/95770809/john-whitaker-cotten : accessed 04 June 2021), memorial page for John Whitaker Cotten (1812–16 May 1845), Find A Grave: Memorial #95770809, citing Calvary Church Cemetery, Tarboro, Edgecombe County, North Carolina, USA ; Maintained by Carolyn McVicker (contributor 47545070) .
• Slavery and Plantation Growth in Antebellum Florida: 1821-1860
• Genealogy of the Clark Family names among the children of James West Clark, born 1769, died 1845, and Arabella E. Toole, born 1781, died 1860, (daughter of Henry I. Toole, of Edgecombe): "Laura Placidia, born 1816, died 1864; married, 1832, John W. Cotten, and left Margaret E., married J. A. Engelhard; Arabella C., married Wm. D. Barnes; Florida, married Wm. L. Saunders, and John W., married Elizabeth Frick." Wheeler, John Hill. Reminiscences and Memoirs of North Carolina and Eminent North Carolinians. Columbus, OH: 1884, p. lxii. Archived at [1]
• John Whitaker Cotten is buried at Calvary Church Cemetery, Tarborough, North Carolina, Quadrant 4. [2]
• John W. Cotten of Tarboro, North Carolina, died May 16, 1845, aged 33 years. Tarboro Press (Tarboro, North Carolina), Saturday, May 24, 1845, p. 3.
• Death certificate of his son, John Whitaker Cotton, records his birthplace as Tarboro, N.C.