Joseph Helm (abt. 1705 - aft. 1795)

Born about 1705 in Goosnargh, Lancashire, England

Ancestors

Descendants

Died after 1795 after about age 90 in Frederick County, Virginia

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Biography

Will of Leonard Helm mentions his son Joseph:

In the name of God Amen. ye Twentie fifth day of September 1745. I, LEONARD HELM, in ye Parish and County of Frederick, a Colony of Virginia, being very sick and weak in body, but of perfect mind and memory, thanks to God...

Item, I Give and Bequeath to my son JOSEPH HELM Forty Shillings Current Money of Virginia...

From Shenandoah Families, Helm by Bessie T Conkwright ^[1]

Leonard Helm (ca. 1660/1665-1745) immigrated from England to Essex County, Virginia before 1720, moving later to Spotsylvania County and then to Frederick County, Virginia. Descendants lived in Virginia, Maryland, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Iowa and elsewhere.

Joseph HELM, probable son of Leonard Helm, the immigrant, and William TIDWELL, both, bought land in Frederick County, Virginia, in 1744 from Joseph Funk.

Joseph Helm and his wife Ann sold this land in 1755.

1758 - When William Pruit's plat for 250 acres on the Wateree River was made on 23 Jan 1758, Joseph Helms was shown as one of the border properties.^[2]

According to Tidwell researchers, Joseph's daughter Rachel married Richard Tidwell, and the families migrated from Frederick County, Virginia, to South Carolina before 1765.

Joseph Helm received a royal land grant of 250 acres in Craven County, SC in 1762.

1763 - Joseph Helms is listed as a border property on the 5 Aug 1763 plat for 150 acres made to Richard Tidwell.^[3]

1767 - William Janes's plat for 150 acres in Craven County on Wateree Creek, made 9 Nov 1767, shows Joseph Helms as one of the border properties.^[4]

1771 - Augustus Prestwood's plat for 150 acres in Craven County Wateree River mentions Joseph Helloms as one of the border properties. It also shows Helloms Creek on the plat.^[5]

1773 - Joseph Helems is listed as a border property on an unrecorded plat for land not granted to William Gladan.^[6]

In 1776, both Joseph Helms and Mayberry Helms witnessed the sale of land belonging to John Splawn - land that had been granted to John in 1765.^{[citation needed]} John's son Stephen Splon/Splawn was believed to be married to Joseph Helm's daughter. [Citation needed - cannot locate a 1776 sale of land 1776 by John Splawn in SC deeds Charleston or Fairfield deeds. Was this a sheriff's sale? Who was seller? Who was buyer?]

In 1778, Joseph Elms [Helms] and his wife Ann sold their 250 acres to Henry Rugeley (listed in Camden District then). Mawbrey Helms was a witness.^[7]

In 1785 Joseph and Mayberry Helms both received compensation for services rendered during the American Revolution, though they had earlier been listed on a Loyalist payroll. They reportedly served under Capt. Charles Lewis in 1782.

In 1788, Mayberry Helms patented 250 acres of land adjacent to the Henry Rugely.

A Joseph Hellims [Helms] was listed in the 1790 Fairfield County, South Carolina, census records with two males over 16, two males under 16 and 5 females living in his household. Margret Hellims, in a separate household, had one male over 16, one under 16, and five females. Mayberry Helm was not listed. However, a Mayberry Holmes[??] was living in Prince Georges Parish with one male over 16, three males under sixteen and three females.

Joseph and Mayberry Helms were listed as taxpayers in Fairfield County, SC, in 1791 and 1792.

In 1794, Joseph Helms was one of the appraisers of the property of Peter Crossity, with Jesse Gladden and John Goodrum.^[8]

Between the years 1793 and 1795, Joseph Helms, Mayberry Helms and several members of the Tidwell family served as jurors in Fairfield County. SC.

21 Jul 1731 Prince William Co, Virginia wit for Tedwell
Pages 61-67. May 17, 1731. Richard Tedwell of Hamilton Parish to John Homes of said county....1600 lb. of Tob....on south side of Occaquan on branch called Johns branch....corner to tract Tedwell sold to Rich'd. Todd of Stafford....370 a....said Todd hath sold the above interest and title to John Homes....line of Thos. Harrison and Thos. Whitledge....to include 100 a. on both sides of said branch... Conveying said 100 a. being part of grant of 570 and 3/4 a. granted Richard Tedwell by Proprietors
dated March 6/7, 1726. Deed of lease and release.
Richard Tedwell
Wit: Valentine Peyton, Joseph Davis, and Tho. Whitledge Jr.

At court July 21, 1731. Richard Tedwell acknowledged this release and receipt. Richard Tedwell by Power of Attorney from Sebina wife of said Richard relinquished her right of Dower.
Pages 67-68. Sebrinia Tedwell wife of Richard appointed Richard. Tidwell my husband lawfull attorney and hath power to convey all my right of dowrey to tract of land on John branch containing 100 a. Sebrinia (her mark) Tidwell.
Wit: Josephe (X) Helms, Richard (I) Tedwell Jr., Tho. Whitledge Jr., Tho. Helm, and John Madden.

Died Aft 1745 Frederick Co, Virginia

Research Notes

Father Leonard Helm, (Immigrant), b. Abt 1660, Goosnargh, Lancashire, England , d. Bef 6 Nov 1745, Frederick Co, Virginia (will) (Age ~ 85 years)

Mother Elizabeth* Greenwald, (Immigrant), b. Abt 1670, of, Goosnargh, Lancashire, England , d. Bef Sep 1745, Virginia (Age ~ 75 years) Married 23 Nov 1687 Bolton Le Sands, near Goosnargh, Lancashire, England marriage of an Leonard Helme to an Elizabeth Greenwald on 23 Nov 1687 in Bolton Le Sands. It might be nothing, but we also found the following: "Burial 10 Jun 1687 _ Jane wife of Leonard Helme. Baptism 8 Jun 1687 Thomas son of Leonard Helme (of Churchtown)" Both Churchtown and Bolton Le Sands are in the area of Goosnargh. If these records are of our Leonard , he married quickly after the death of first wife but he would have needed a mother for his baby.

I have a gap between the years of 1762 and 1776 - in the time period my ancestor, Meredith Helm, was born. Therefore, I don't know if he was the son of Joseph Helm and Ann, or whether he was a son of Mayberry Helm and his wife Mary. It is also possible that Joseph had another son, Joseph Jr., and that he was the father of my Meredith. Although the history of Fairfield county states that Joseph Helm and Richard Tidwell lived to be 100 years old, I would think that Ann was past child-bearing age and that my ancestor, Meredith Helm, was most likely one of their grandsons.

There is a lot of information out there that is not proven which is listed on the net and elsewhere as if it was. For instance I have seen in multiple places that Leonard Helm Sr. was married to Elizabeth Meredith. He was married to Elizabeth, but her last name has never been proven. Some researchers I know have guessed that her surname MIGHT have been Meredith since Leonard's eldest son was named Meredith and because there was a Meredith family in the same area of Virginia that Leonard Sr. lived in. In the beginning they made it clear that it was just a guess, but in the intervening time other people have picked it up and repeated it as if it were fact. Truth is, many of us have looked for a marriage of a Leonard Helm to an Elizabeth Meredith in England around the Goosnargh area and elsewhere but have never found one. we couldn't even find a Meredith family in the Goosnargh area in that time period.

m1. Elizabeth Ann (..) Helm, b. Abt 1719, d. Aft 1755, of, Frederick Co, Virginia (Age ~ 37 years) Married Abt 1739

Children:

+ 1. Sebrina (Sebrey, Sebara) Helm (Helms), b. Abt 1751, Frederick Co, Virginia , d. Aft 1800, Fairfield Co, South Carolina (Age ~ 50 years)

+ 2. Rachel Helm, b. Abt 1740, Frederick Co, Virginia , d. Aft 1800, of, Orange Co, Virginia (Age ~ 61 years)

3. Mayberry Helm, b. Abt 1750, Frederick Co, Virginia , d. Aft 1815, of, Charleston District, South Carolina (Age ~ 66 years)

4. Joseph Helm, II, b. Abt 1753, Frederick Co, Virginia, d. 22 Jan 1822, Lillard Co, Missouri (Age ~ 69 years)

Sources

1. ↑ "Shenandoah families, Helm" by Bessie Taul Conkwright - 3 editions published between 1936 and 1983.
2. ↑ Colonial Plat Books Series S213184, Vol 6 p 325
3. ↑ Colonial Plat Books Series S213184, Vol 11 p 431
4. ↑ Colonial Plat Books Series S213184, Vol 9 p 190
5. ↑ Colonial Plat Books Series S213184, Vol 19 p 266
6. ↑ Unrecorded Plats for Land Not Granted, Series S213197, Box 2 No. 456
7. ↑ Charleston SC Deed Book X4 p 195
8. ↑ Fairfield Co/Dist Estate Records 1792-1800, page 62