Benjamin Franklin Greer (1746 - 1816)

Born 9 Feb 1746 in Albemarle, Virginia [uncertain]

Ancestors

Husband of Sarah (Atkinson) Greer — married 26 Apr 1791 in Wilkes County, North Carolina, United States

Descendants

Died 23 Oct 1816 at age 70 in Green River, Green, Kentucky, United States

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This profile is part of the Greer Name Study.

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Biography

Capt. Benjamin Greer served with Civil Service, North Carolina during the American Revolution.

NAME: Grier, Benjamin

Service: N. Carolina Rank : CIVIL SERVICE,

CAPTAIN

SAR

PENSION OF AMOS CHURCH, *S8191;

DRAPER, KINGS MOUNTAIN AND ITS HEROES, PP 425, 441, 442;

NC REV WAR ARMY ACCTS, BOOK A, PP 202, 203, ROLL #S.115.45;

HAYES, LAND OF WILKES, PP 29, 31

Service Description:

1. COL BENJAMIN CLEVELAND; CONSTABLE, 1778; PAID FOR SERVICES RENDERED

11) Spouse: Nancy Wilcoxson

2) Sarah Atkinson

Benjamin is fifth Great Grandfather to Lillian Porter

The birth and death of Benjamine Grear and Nancy Grear his wife the daughter of John Wilcockson and Sary.

Benjamine Grear, the son of John Grear and Sarah was born febuary the 9 in the year 1746.

Deceased this life October the 23 in the year 1816 and Nancy Grear his wife was born May 17 in the year 1745 and Deceassed this life October the 31 1790.

1. Racheael Greer the daughter of the a foresaid was born January 16, 1770
   
2. William Grear was born Jan 21 1772
   
3. Benjamin Grear was born Feb 14 1774
   
4. Anna Grear was born April 26-1776
   
5. Jessee Grear was born Nov 17 1778 and departed this life Sep 20, 1869
   
6. David Grear was born Feb 2 1781
   
7. James Grear was born Sep 17, 1782
   
8. Samuel Grear was born Nove 28, 1875
   
9. Joshua Gear was born April 8, 1788
   

^[1]

1790 Wilkes, North Carolina

Enumeration: April 19, 1791

Name Ben Greer Esquire

Free White Males: over 16= 3 / -16=6

All Females: 1

Page 158

Citing this Record: "United States Census, 1790," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHKB-RHD : accessed 6 April 2018), Ben Greer Esquire, Wilkes, North Carolina, United States; citing p. 158, NARA microfilm publication M637, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 7; FHL microfilm 568,147.

John Greer (Grier) and his son Benjamin Greer (Grier). When the Wilkes County NC court first met in March of 1778 John was appointed one of the first Justices of the Peace. John served in this capacity for over a year. He swore allegiance to the State of North Carolina the first day the court met. His designation is as a “Civil Servant”.

John’s son Benjamin was appointed as the first Constable of the Moravian Creek (now Moravian Falls) community of Wilkes County. This appointment and his swearing the oath of allegiance to North Carolina was done on that same day. In addition to serving as a “Civil Servant” in Wilkes County, Benjamin Greer also served in the North Carolina Infantry and the Wilkes County Militia. Ben attained the rank of Captain in the Wilkes Militia, serving under Col. Benjamin Cleveland. Benjamin Greer has two RW Patriot designations, both as a “Civil Servant” and a “Soldier”. I won’t go into Ben’s exploits in the rescued of Col. Cleveland or the famous “Greer Hint”. Cousin Glenn Holliman has covered those in previous articles.

Ben Greer, my 5th great grandfather, was an Indian fighter also, as was his kinsman of the same time period, Daniel Boone. This dramatic picture interprets an episode in the long and exciting life of our ancestor. GNH The fifth Patriot Ancestor some of you may share with me is Joseph Cartwright. Joseph was the father of Hannah Cartwright and the grandfather of Fanny Greer. There is little information available about Joseph Cartwright and his wife Eve Miller. Eve apparently died in 1777 and Joseph died in 1778, leaving Hannah and her brother Joseph M. Cartwright orphaned. Hannah was six and Joseph was five. Joseph Cartwright served in the Wilkes County Militia under Capt. William Lenoir. His designation is that of a “Soldier”.

For those of you interested in these five Patriot Ancestors, I have documentation proving their service and my blood line to each of them. Some of this documentation comes from the records of the SAR and DAR. At least one person has successfully filed applications to one of these organizations through their direct blood line to one or more of them.

I successfully filed applications to the SAR under both Sarah Boone Wilcoxson and her husband John Wilcoxson. I have an application (supplemental) for John Greer (Grier) that is being reviewed by the SAR at the National level. It has already been reviewed and approved at the State (Virginia) level. I presently serve as the Chaplain of the Thomas Nelson Jr. Chapter of the SAR in Newport News Virginia. I know some of our cousins are members of the DAR. Maybe it’s time more cousin joined the SAR or DAR, Hint-Hint. And that’s not a “Greer Hint” I won’t hit any cousin, even if they steal my tobacco.

A Daniel Boone portrait of a man perhaps age 35 to 40, lean and hardy from years as a hunter, explorer and soldier.

When I started my research I was fortunate to get in contact with the senior genealogist of The Boone Society, Dorthy Grissom Mack. Cousin Dorthy is a direct descendant of Sarah Boone Wilcoxon’s younger brother Edward Boone. Cousin Dorthy had a lot of research information on our family and she also created some family line documents just for me.

Gary O. Hodges Boone/Wilcoxson/Greer/Wilcox families

Our thanks to Gary for his full and factual presentation of some important family history. For information on Gary Hodges' email address, write me at <removed disallowed email>. GNH, seventh great grandson of Squire and Sara Morgan Boone.

Conflicts

• Marriage date for both marriages.^[2]

*It seems the Wilcoxen marriage date is probably wrong.

• Fact: Residence (Aft 1746) Grew up in Albemarle County, Virginia, United States Franklin, Albemarle, Virginia, United States
• Fact: Alt. Birth (9 Feb 1746) Augusta, Albemarle, Virginia, United States
• Fact: Military Service (Aft 1761) A soldier of the Revolution, Patriot, under the command of Col. Ben Cleveland
• Fact: Residence (Abt 1762) , Rowan, North Carolina, United States
• Fact: Taxes (1771) , Surry, North Carolina, United States
• Fact: Land (4 Mar 1778) , Wilkes, North Carolina, United States
• Fact: Occupation (Mar 1778) Constable , Wilkes, North Carolina, United States
• Fact: Military Service (Apr 1781) Wilkes County Militia Meat Camp, Watauga, North Carolina, United States
• Fact: Military Service (1781) Battle of Kings Mountain, Patriot , , South Carolina, United States
• Fact: Land (1781) , , North Carolina, United States
• Fact: Residence (1787) 1787 /1790 /1800 , Wilkes, North Carolina, United States
• Fact: Land (1789) , , North Carolina, United States
• Fact: Land (3 Aug 1778-17 Oct 1800) , Ashe, North Carolina, United States
• Fact: Residence (1790) Wilkes, North Carolina, United States
• Fact: Religion (1790-1800) Three Forks Baptist Church North Carolina, United States
• Fact: Residence (1799) , Ashe, North Carolina, United States
• Fact: Residence (1800) Morgan, Ashe, North Carolina, United States
• Fact: Residence (1803) , Green, Kentucky, United States
• Fact: Land (Aug 1803) , Ashe, North Carolina, United States
• Fact: Burial (Oct 1816) Green River, Logan, Kentucky, United States
• Fact: Will (25 Nov 1816) Will probated in Kentucky (Virginia) , Green, Kentucky, United States
• Fact: Residence , Albemarle, Virginia, United States
• Fact: Travel He traveled with Daniel Boone and married Daniel's neice.

Sources

1. ↑ [A Gathering of Greers, page 9, by Mary Floy Katzman] Please see John Greer
2. ↑ A Wilkes County marriage bond in the State Archives in Raleigh, NC, dated 4/26/1791 lists Benjamin Greer and Sarah Jones as married. This would be Mrs. Sallie Atkinson Jones, widow of Thomas Jones who died from a Revolutionary War wound. She reared children by both husbands.

1. [Research papers for Benjamin Greer Family

• O'Quin, Bertie. The Descendants of Aquilla Greer, Sr. 1719-1790 (August 2005)
• Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com: accessed 9 April 2018), memorial page for Benjamin Greer (9 Feb 1746–23 Oct 1816), Find A Grave: Memorial #102744698, ; Maintained by D. Burton-Porter (contributor 47520617) Unknown, who reports a Buried in Green Co., KY.

See Also:

• "Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : modified 30 December 2018, 21:24), entry for Benjamin Greer(PID https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:LVXY-9Z3); contributed by various users.

• History of Watauga County (North Carolina), John Preston Arthur, 1915