Mildred (Ballard) Searcy Sr. (abt. 1745 - 1827)

Born about 1745 in Spotsylvania County, Virginia

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 28 Aug 1827 at about age 82 in Rutherford County, North Carolina

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Biography

Part of Essex Co. VA. became Spotsylvania Co. VA. which bordered Louisa Co. VA. Part of Louisa Co. became Albemarle Co. VA. Thomas Ballard was in Spotsylvania Co. VA. by 1725. His son John Ballard first appears in Spotsylvania Co. VA. in 1755 on "Pike Run". He moves to adjoining Louisa Co. VA. by 1756. In a deed dated Sep. 28, 1756 Saml. Redd conveyed to John Ballard a tract on Naked Creek (land already in his possession) in what is now Albemarle Co. VA. above Free Union, VA.

John Ballard left a will dated June 11, 1779 as found in Albemarle Co. VA. Will Book 2, p. 388. The will names wife Ann, and children, Mildred, Elizabeth, Susannah, Thomas, Anna, John, David, Samuel, William, and Bland.

Milly Ballard married Robert Scercy as proven by the original Mormon St. George Temple Endowments for the Dead, Book B, page 358, #6073, dated Nov. 16, 1877. This is from the Temple application of Milly's granddaughter Sarah (Searcy) Miller who md. a James J. Miller in 1831. One Mormon record in the file indicated that Milly Ballard and Robert Searcy had gotten divorced. Sarah Miller later md. a John H. Bleazard and moved near Council Bluffs, IA.

Milley Sercey is listed on the 1796 tax list of Burke Co. NC. She then appears with her apparent sons on the 1800 census of Rutherford Co. NC. Their place of early residence there seems to be Mountain Creek because on that census they are near John Sorrells. The 1800 census p.144 lists Millie Searcy, Richard Searcy, Reuben Scarcy, William Scarcy. They were in Rutherford Co. NC by Oct. 1798 when William Searcy was a chain-bearer for William Hill's State Grant in Rutherford Co. on Piney Creek at Cove Rd., Grant No. 1729. His name is spelled in the land records as both "Scearcy", "Searcy" & Sercy". William Searcy's land adjoined John Deavenport and kinsman Thomas Ballard on the north side of Main Broad River at Rocky Branch, according to, "Abstracts of Land Entries: Rutherford Co. NC 1804-1826", by Pruitt. This tract would today be the area where Rock Branch Rd. joins Hwy. 64/74 at the river. This is the locality where Milly would have been living in 1798. According to Rutherford Co. NC Deed Book 24, p. 278, Sep. 1805, John Dalton conveyed to William Searcy 100 ac. on the north side of Broad River "including the island". This island can still be seen in the middle of this narrow river. It's all the same part of the river.

In Oct. 1812 an Edw. Reavis sold to Milley Searcy 100 ac. on both sides of Broad River, to Davenport's line, Rutherford Co. NC Deed Book 41-42, p. 20-21. Her tract also bordered the land of John Davenport. The old Davenport graveyard is located on a hill at what is now the intersection of Hwy. 64/74 & Bill's Creek Rd. Sometimes her first name is mistranscribed as "Willie". Milly Searcy was a member of Bill's Creek Bap. Church. The church minutes record her passing. The entry reads: "Mildred Searcy, Sr. died 28 Aug." The memo does not record the year of death but the entry seems to be in the column for 1827 and burial was thought to have been in the churchyard. She would have been in her 70's. Milly was the only woman listed as a grantee in a Rutherford Co. Deed Book for her period (1812) as far as I know. Her granddaughter Milly Searcy died young on Aug. 17, 1830. Her death notice is found in the newspaper and transcribed in the booklet, "North Carolina Spectator and Western Advertiser (1830-1835) Rutherford County, North Carolina Abstracts", by Lu & Neumann. It reads, "Died--on Main Broad River, on the 17th inst. Miss Milley Searcy, daughter of Mr. Reuben Searcy, aged about 25." The above written and sources given by Dennis Stewart (16676).

BURIAL

Find A Grave: Memorial #42933272

Sources

• "Virginia County Records", vol. I, by Crozier.
• Spotsylvania Co. VA. Deed Book E.
• Book, "Forgotten Companions", by Felder.
• Book, "Thirty Ye Olde Tyme Families", by Stewart, located in genealogy area of library in Ellijay, GA. See the books Ballard section. There are some dating errors.
• Book, "Bill's Creek Baptist Church Two Hundred Year History 1782-1982", by Lu.