Michael Broyles (1740 - 1837)

Born Jun 1740 in Orange County, Virginia

Ancestors

Husband of Elizabeth (Klug) Broyles — married about 1764 in Culpeper County, Virginia

Descendants

Died 3 Jul 1837 at age 97 in Horse Creek, Greene County, Tennessee, USA

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Biography

Michael Broyles was a son of Jacob Broyles and was born in June 1740 in Orange County, Virginia, according to his Revolutionary War pension application. His death date is uncertain though it is universally acknowledged that he made, or almost made, the century mark. One source has his death as sometime after January 18, 1839, but a deed of sale in 1837 refers to him as deceased. See below for discussion.

Michael married Elizabeth Klug and they raised a large family, not all of whom are known with certainty. Elizabeth was the daughter of Rev. Samuel Klug, the second pastor of the Hebron Lutheran Church in Madison County, Virginia. It's the oldest Lutheran Church in the U.S. and served the community of German immigrants who were brought by Gov. Spotswood to Germanna in 1717.

Their children:

1. Aaron, b. c. 1767, m. Nancy Davis
2. Susanna, b. c. 1769, m. John Massie
3. Samuel, b. c. 1773, m. Matilda French
4. Andrew, b. c. 1775, m. Anne Glaze
5. Michael, b. 1777, m. Margaret Newberry
6. Elizabeth, b. 1783, m. Horace Medcalf
7. Anne, b. c. 1790, m. George Miller
8. William Simon, b. c. 1794, m. Margaret Green

Michael and Elizabeth might have been the earliest members of the Broyles Family into what is now East Tennessee, in 1778. They made their home at the head of Horse Creek in Greene County, Tenn., on the line with Washington County. Nearby were Michael's brothers Matthias and Jacob. The house stood for almost 200 years, finally being torn down in 1967 at which time it was being used for grading tobacco. It was two story construction with an overhanging second floor. A steep stairway led to the second story from a first floor closet entrance. The base and chimney were made of beautiful hand-hewn limestone blocks. Wide plank construction with sheep's wool insulation in the mortar apparently protected the wood from the elements. The original roof was believed to be shingles but was tin at the time it was torn down. Across the road was a small cool cave where they stored provisions. A second house was located only 75 or 100 feet away.^[1] (Anyone with a photo of the house is encouraged to add it to this profile!)

Military Service

In his Revolutionary War pension application Michael states that he was born in June of 1740 in Culpeper County, Virginia,^[2] and that he enlisted May 1, 1776, and served as a private in Capt. Russell’s company of militia and was discharged Jan. 1, 1777; that he was called out the same month to guard the prisoners taken at the battle of Princeton in which duty he served until March, 1777; that in the fall of 1778 he was again called up but "hired a man by the name of Hawkins to go & perform a tour, for which he gave him a horse & the same fall he removed from Virginia to the western part of North Carolina" (now Tennessee) where his house on the Nolachucky was a fort or station against the Cherokees and that "he spied, forted, and guarded the frontier" to the end of the war; and that he also served under Col. Sevier in the North Carolina militia for three months and served fourteen months altogether.^[3]

19 May 1763 - His father Jacob Broil's will is probated in Culpeper County, Virginia. It lists Michael as the sixth son and he inherits "one hundred acres of land, a beast, a cow and calf and a bed and a pot and a pan, the said hundred acres to be taken off of a tract of four hundred acres of land to be taken off with a cross line."^[4]

c. 1764 - Michael and Elizabeth marry in Culpeper County.^[5]

21 Jan 1772 - Adam Broile and wife Mary sell 116 acres to Michael Broile.^[6]

18 Sep 1775 - The will of Rev. George Samuel Klug mentions son-in-law Michael Broile. Michael receives 1/9 of 2/3 of the estate because he "intermarried with the daughters of the dec'd".^[7]

1775 to 1777 - He is on the communion rolls of Hebron Church, in Culpeper Co., Va.^[8]

16 Jun 1776 - Michael and Elizabeth sell 116 acres to John Deer Jr.^[8]

1778 - As noted above, he moved to Washington Co., N.C., at this time, however, son John says he was born in Virginia in 1785. See also the 1781 entry that suggests he was still in Virginia.

1780 - Michael enters (claims) 400 acres on the Licking R., in Jefferson Co., Ky. ^[9] He does not seem to have followed up with a survey.

Jan 1781 - Michael Broyle is a member of class #76, liable for military duty, though he was not drafted.^[10]

1787 - Michael Broyls is taxed for 1 free poll, Washington Co., N.C.^[11]

7 Feb 1791 - For £100, Michael buys 150 acres from Charles Robertson of Washington Co., N.C., the land "lying or being in Washington County or threw which the line passeth Between said and Greene" Counties, on the dry fork of Horse Creek.^[12]

12 Jul 1794 - By North Carolina Grant Nos. 1265 and 1236, Michael Bryles gets 200 acres of land, on the watery fork of Horse Creek, adjoining Miller.^[13]

1796 - Tennessee is admitted to the union.

May 1796 - Michael is named to a road committee in Greene Co.^[14]

10 Jan 1801 - In Madison Co., Va., Michael Broyles and wife Elizabeth, Matthias Broyles and wife Eve, all of Greene Co., Tenn. Said Elizabeth and Eve Klug (sic) being heirs of Susanna Medley formerly Susanna Klug, dec'd, appoint William Lotspeck of Stafford Co., Va., as attorney.^[8]

14 Nov 1801 - Michael Broyles Sr. is named sole executor of Peter Miller's will. Michael and Elizabeth Broyles witness the will, along with Felix Earnest. ^[15]

1792 to 1825 - He is taxed for 350 to 460 acres on Horse Creek, Greene Co., Tenn.^[8]

16 Feb 182? - Michael presents inventory of Peter Miller, Washington Co., Tenn.^[8]

13 Feb 1824 - He enters 50 acres adjoining the above & Jacob Miller. ^[8]

1830 - Michael is listed on the Greene Co., Tenn. census rolls with his wife, both aged 80-90, and two sons aged 50-60.^[16]

8 Nov 1833 - He applies for a pension for Revolutionary War service. Washington Co., Tenn. For reasons of "age and bodily infirmity" he was unable to attend Court to make his declaration as required by law, so the Justice of the Peace apparently took a deposition at Michael's home. Wit: Brooks Bell, Samuel Mauk.^[3]

13 Dec 1833 - He is issued a pension valued at $20 per year for, and retroactive payments are made.^[3]

12 Feb 1834 - As executor of Peter Miller, Michael Broyles Sr. sells land to Simon W. Broyles, 25 acres. ^[8]. He was 94 years old!

13 Feb 1834 - Michael Sr. sells to Michael Jr. 150 acres, apparently the acreage bought in 1791.^[8]

3 Jul 1837 - A deed of sale from Simon W. Broyles to Michael Broyles, Jr. for 25 acres (see 1834 entry) on the headwaters of Horse Creek in Washington Co., Tenn., makes reference to Michael Broyls, Senr Dec^d several times. The land adjoins "the lands of Michael Broyls Junr & Simon William Broyls formerly the lands of Michael Broyls Senr Dec^d." ^[17]

18 Jan 1839 - Keith^[8] says "Michael Broyles Sr. sold to Michael Broyles Jr." this date, but an examination of the deed book indexes in 1984 failed to locate this deed. Additional attempt should be made to locate this deed.

Sources

1. ↑ Recollection of Jim Bitner who used to play in the building as a lad. Told to Stephen H. Broyles, 27 Jul 1982
2. ↑ A small error. Culpeper was created out of Orange County in 1749.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} Revolutionary War pension application of Michael Broyles, National Archives file S3052. Easy to read transcript
4. ↑ Culpeper Co., Will Book A, p284
5. ↑ Estimate based on the births of the children
6. ↑ Keith, id#6
7. ↑ Wulfeck, Culpeper Co., Va., Will Books B & C
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 8.7 8.8} Keith, Michael Broyles, id#11
9. ↑ Jillson, Willard, Old Kentucky Entries and Deeds, Filson Club, Louisville, Ky,, 1926, p178
10. ↑ Blankenbaker, John, The Culpeper Classes, Chadds Ford, Pa., 1999
11. ↑ East Tennessee Historical Publication, periodical, 35:113
12. ↑ Greene Co., Tenn., Deed Book 2:148
13. ↑ Burgner, Goldene Fillers, North Carolina Land Grants Recorded in Greene Co., Tenn., Greene Co., Tenn., Deed Book 3:431,432
14. ↑ Burgner, Goldene Fillers, Greene Co., Tenn., Minutes of the Court of Common Pleas 1783-1795, Southern Historical Press, 1982, p233
15. ↑ Burgner, Goldene Fillers, Washington Co., Tenn., Wills 1777-1872, Southern Historical Press, 1983, p22
16. ↑ "United States Census, 1830," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHP9-CS1 : 7 September 2017), Michael Broyles, Greene, Tennessee, United States; citing 199, NARA microfilm publication M19, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 180; FHL microfilm 24,538.
17. ↑ Deed owned by a Mrs. Shanks, Greene Co., Tenn. The deed was decoupaged onto the top of a small table. Copied August 1984 by Stephen H. Broyles.

• Keith, Prof. Arthur Leslie, The Broyles Family, c. 1940, typescript
• Find a Grave, database and images (accessed 26 September 2021), memorial page for Michael Broyles (6 Jun 1740–18 Jan 1839), Find A Grave: Memorial #27455663, citing Broyles Cemetery, Washington County, Tennessee, USA ; Maintained by civilwarbuff (contributor 47049540) .