James Hendricks (abt. 1729 - abt. 1788)

Born about 1729 in York, Province of Pennsylvania

Ancestors

Descendants

Died about Nov 1788 at about age 59 in Rowan, North Carolina, USA

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Biography

James Hendrick, born about 1729 in York County, Pennsylvania, was the son of Henry Hendricks.

He married first before 1746 to an unidentified woman and had three sons:

1. John Hendricks Sr., born about 1746, died 1807; married first to Mary Welty; married second to Catherine Welty
2. Daniel Hendricks, born before 1755, died about 1804; married Mary Roland
3. Peter Hendricks, born about 1768

Elder James married a second time, to Christiana Roland, and had children:

1. William Hendricks
2. Henry Hendricks

Known as "Elder James", he was an active member of the Dunkard community in the Crane Creek area of Rowan County NC.^[1]

From Davenport, Frontier Hendricks^[2]: James Hendricks c1729-1787, millwright, wife Christiana - likely apprenticed with Ulrich Wissler; obtained first land in Frederick Co., Md, but home place by 1761 was a half-mile south of Ulrich Wissler's mill on the West Fork of Gunpowder in Baltimore Co. Possibly operated the Wissler mill - Ulrich died in 1761 - and labored as a turner and millwright until he moved to North Carolina in 1772-73; listed by Morgan Edwards, the Baptist historian, as an exhorter (unordained preacher) of the Little Conewago Dunker congregation (centered five-or-so miles due north of James - in Pa.) in 1772; in North Carolina first settled in Uwharrie Dunker congregation (Guilford, now Randolph Co.) but shortly moved to Crane Creek congregation (Rowan Co., near Salisbury) where he was one of the ministers; identifed as a Dunker during the Revolution; died 1787 on Crane Creek, Rowan Co. N.C., owning both a grist mill and a saw mill. Issue: sons John, Daniel, Peter, William and Henry -- possibly several daughters.

[Note: DNA analysis casts doubt on some of the conclusions drawn in this book.^[3] However, the information on his settlement in NC is probably correct.]

He died in Nov 1788.^[4]

Rowan Co. records^[5]:

5 May 1789, court order: on petition of the heirs of James Hendricks, deceased, who died intestate (namely Daniel Hendricks, Peter Hendricks, John Hendricks, William Hendricks and Henry Hendricks), ordered that Michael Brown, Jacob Born, Matthew Troy, and John Getchey be commissioners to apportion and divide the land of said James. David Woodson to Survey. Rowan Co. minutes 5:218, quoted in Frontier Hendricks p. 132

8 Aug 1789, ordered the report of the commissioners to divide the lands of James Hendricks, decd., be adopted, to wit: Daniel Hendricks, the tract whereupon he lives, 170a; Peter Hendricks, the tract whereupon he lives, 157 a; William Hendricks, the tract on which the Saw Mill stands, 79a; John Hendricks, four lots (nos. 29, 30, 21, 22) in SE square of Salisbury; Henry Hendricks, unimproved tract joining Daniel Hendricks and Henry Carson, 100a. Rowan Co. minutes 5:253, quoted in Frontier Hendricks p. 132

Guilford Co. deeds 1:282, Michael Ricter to James Hendricks, both of Guilford County, £200, 200 A on both sides of Uary Creek, including an improvement known as "Sally's Place" on both sides of the Richland Fork [of Uwharrie River], being the same land conveyed to Ricter by Henry Eustace McCulloth, 5 May 1767.

Davenport identifies this as Elder James, and the land was less than a mile east of the Rowan CO. line in the Uwharrie Dunker congregation area (eventually Randolph county). The land was sold prior to August 1794 by Hendricks' executors.

from Susan Avery's updated Hendricks file, posted on Hendricks MyFamily site October 2006

50. JAMES M.4 HENDRICKS (HENRY3, TOBIAS2, ALBERTUS (HENRIXSON)1) was born Abt. 1729 in PA, and died Abt. 1788 in Crane Creek, Rowan Co. NC. He married CHRISTIANA ROLAND, daughter of CASPAR ROLAND and MARY HUNSAKER. She died Bef. 1796.

Notes for JAMES M. HENDRICKS: Pacifist, refused to take Oath of Allegiance to the United States Aug. 8, 1778 being branded therefore a traitor or a tory. He lived in Capt. Little's District in the Crane Creek area running from the Salisbury Town limits north to the Yadkin and including all three forks of Crane Creek. He was listed on the 160 person list of "Tories" in Rowan Co. on Feb. 8, 1783. James purchased 157 acres adjoining his land on Cane Creek on Nov. 6, 1780 from Jacob Wiant. He purchased 162 acres from Charles Bucy on July 24, 1787, and 4 lots in Salisbury in 1788. He had a sawmill on Crane Creek. Joseph Roland and John Hendricks administered his estate when he died. 170 acres went to his son Daniel, 159 acres on Crane Creek to son Peter, 79 acres on Saw Mill tract to son William, 4 lots in Salisbury to son John, 100 acres unimproved adjoining Daniel to son Henry. Total amount woth $589, estate completed probate May 7, 1791 He may have been the James Henricks who was granted 189 acres in Manchester Twp. of York Co. PA on June 6, 1738 the land was adjacent to Jacob Welty - the Welty family also came to Rowan Co. NC. and intermarried with this Hendricks line. From other land deeds it appears he then moved to Frederick Co. and then Baltimore Co., MD for several years. He was a turner and wheelwright. He had 100 acres on Isreal's Creek in Baltimore Co. called "Hendrick's First Choice" - the Brethren church had formed a church on Israel Creek in Frederick Co. MD by 1747. However it appears he moved back to York Co. PA because he was serving as minister of the Little Conewago Dunker congregation in 1770. In 1773 he settled in Rowan Co., NC and served as minister of the Uwharrie Dunker Congregation. On Nov. 3, 1774 in Rowan court he had an orphan named George Adams bound to him to learn the trade of wheelwright and turner. He purchased 349 acres on the middle fork of Crane Creek from the Peter Smith estate, a Brethren.

Notes

Note N1412"The following was furnished by Bailey F. Davis, who at the time was Pastor of the First Baptist Church at Franklin, Ky., and now Pastor in Amherst, Va. He is also a genealogist"

"HENDRICKS FAMILY: I have several Hendricks in my church and one of them secured the ancient Bible for me to copy. There are several old letters stuck in it and one of them has an Indiana conection. It was written by John L. Hendricks of Dempsey, Idaho, Nov. 2, 1912 to William Hendricks of Franklin, Ky. And menions that William had talked to Milo Hendricks of Pocatello, Idaho about the family. John L. says that his grandfather was named Emerson Hendricks and he was born in 1833. He think that he was the son of David and that his father was William Hendricks but of these two generations he is not sure. William came somewhere in Kentucky to Indiana.

On a chart enclosed in the Bible is that of Laban Hendricks. He descends from Peter Hendricks who married Lucinda Hendricks. Peter was born in Simpson Co. Ky., July 22, 1793, and married Lucinda on Feb. 4, 1818. Laban descends through their son Josiah, but he doest not give any other children by name.

In the Bible Lucinda Hendricks marriage date is given as June 4, 1818. Her birth date is given as August 14, 1799. There is a William Hendricks given as having been born July 22, 1797. So he may be the one who went to Indiana. Lucinda’s death date is given as March 10, 1844.

Lucinda was the daughter of Daniel Hendricks who is shown in the Bible to have been born Sept. 6, 1771. (This is in a chart which was apparently written much later). Daniel was born in Rowan Co. N.C. and married on June 22, 1791, to Mary S (or L)ibbina Krans (or Kraus) who was born in N.C. about 1773, and died in Simpson Co. Ky., Dec. 16, 1816. Daniel was the son of John Hendricks and Mary Weldy. He was the son of James M. Hendricks and she was the child of Abraham Weldy. James M. Hendricks was the son of Albertis Quaker Hendricks and Catherine Woolf."

James Hendricks of Crane Creek was said to be born to Albert "Quaker" Hendricks and his wife Catherine Woolf according to a family bible of a his grandson Daniel Hendricks. Research has failed to produce evidence of such a marriage.

Although a prominent researcher determined that James Hendricks of Rowan County, N.C. was the son of Henry Hendricks and Ann Linville and a grandson of Tobias Hendricks, DNA research in 2008 show there definitely is no connection between the two families. James Hendricks is not connected to the "Frontier Hendricks" family which includes Tobias.

There are several references to a man named James Hendricks, which based on their geographic location, may well be to this James. Probably the earliest possible record of James Hendricks comes on June 6, 1738, when a man by that name was granted 189 acres in Manchester Township of York County, Pennsylvania. The land when sold later to Frederick Day, adjoined that of a Jacob Welty. The Weltys intermarried with the family of James Hendricks which is a clue that this may be James Hendricks of Crane Creek.

The movements of James Hendricks can be best determined by the land he acquired in Maryland between 1755-1771. Here are the transactions in that state as well as probate records which are almost certainly connected with James Hendricks of Crane Creek:

May 17, 1755 James Henrick granted 62 acres in Frederick County, Maryland. This land was known as "What You Will" on the eastside of a branch that descended into Lingan Creek.

May 7, 1761 James Hendricks appointed executor of will of Ulerick Wosler, Baltimore Co. Md.

May 20, 1761 James Hendrick was granted 17 acres in Baltimore County, Maryland known as "Mount Pleasant".

December 14, 1761 in Frederick County, Maryland, Charles Carroll of Annapolis sold land on the Great Pipe Creek to Michael Pfautz of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. James Hendricks witnessed this deed. [Michael Pfautz served as elder of Great Swatara Congregation, East Conewego, Pa., 1752-56]

December 30, 1761 James Hendricks, witness to will of Ulerick Ekler, Baltimore Co.

1763 Tax List of Pipe Creek Hundred, Saint Thomas Parish, Baltimore County, Maryland: James Hendrick

January 11, 1763 James Henrick witness to administration account of William Nicholson, Baltimore County, Maryland.

February 24, 1764 James Hendricks, witness to will of Andrew Magill, Baltimore Co.

February 9, 1765 James Hendricks witnessed the will of Conrat Broust in Baltimore County

1765 James Hendricks purchased 14 acres in Baltimore County, Maryland from John Showers, the tract being known as "John’s Abode".

June 23, 1768 James Hendricks "of Baltimore Co., Wheelwright", sold for 25 lbs. the 62 acre "What You Will" tract in Baltimore County, on Linganore Creek to Margaret Nusbaum on June 23, 1768. L-371

October 3, 1769 James Hendricks patented 48 acres in Baltimore County, Maryland known as "Mount Hendrick".

October 16, 1769 James Hendricks of Baltimore County, a turner, and his wife Christina, sold 100 acres called Hendrick’s First Choice, for 75 lbs., to Adam Smith. The land was located on Isreal’s Creek. The signature on this deed is identical to the signature made by James Hendricks of Crane Creek, Rowan County, North Carolina in 1776. The Church of the Brethren formed a church on Isreal’s Creek of Frederick County, Maryland by 1747.

"Hendricks First Choice and "What You Will" were located very close together if not adjacent to each other.

Based on the fact that there is a wide spread between the birth of his first son, John (about 1740) and his last son Henry (about 1775), Christina, wife of James Hendricks would likely be his 2nd wife. According to research by members of the Roland family, his wife was Christina Roland, born about 1754 (in Pennsylvania?) to Gasper Roland and Mary Meyer Hunsaker. This may well be true as Gasper Roland (1721-1810) had close dealings with the Hendricks family most of his life. Because of the way his life and the Hendricks were intertwined, it’s important to give a short biography of Casper Roland.

Casper Roland, born in 1721, married Mary Hunsaker, daughter of Hartman Hunsacker. On October 12, 1741, Casper Roland, age 20, arrived in Philadelphia on the Friendship. He owned land in Barwick Township, York County, Pennsylvania, 1757. On September 6, 1761 Casper Roland baptized Andrew Roadrock, Congregation of the Dunkers. He purchased 113 acres in Frederick County, Maryland, May 15, 1762 from David Fouts. He baptized two men in Frederick County, Maryland on August 8, 1762.

On June 20, 1766, Gasper Roland sold his 113 acre tract to Abraham Welty.

Gasper Roland appears in Capt. Reed’s District of Rowan County, N.C., 1778. His daughter Mary married Daniel Hendricks (son of James Hendricks). Gasper bought 152 acres from Daniel Hendricks on February 2, 1788 located on Bartleson’s Creek in Rowan County. He ordained John Hendricks and Joseph Rowland in North Carolina, April 1, 1800. Gasper died in Warren County, Kentucky, 1810.

A man named James Hendrich/James Hendricks was serving as the minister of the Little Conewago Dunker Congregation in York County, Pennsylvania 1770. York County adjoined Baltimore County, Maryland to the north. According to J.M. Henry in the "Brethren in Maryland, p.39, this James Hendrick, who was the minister of the Little Conewago congregation, of which Michael Tanner was a member in 1770, was formerly a Quaker and the close neighbor of Michael Tanner."

James Hendricks of Baltimore County, Maryland on January 18, 1771 witnessed the will of Philip Heir. On August 8th he was listed as a creditor of George Meyer. The last reference to him in Maryland came in the Maryland General Assembly on July 3, 1773, when they passed an act confirming to James Hendricks of Baltimore sundry lands therein mentioned. It stated that James Hendricks of Baltimore County purchased from Peter Hariman, late of the city of Philadelphia, a tract known as Winchester Lot, containing 50 acres, also about 116 acres, part of a tract of land called McGills Choice, both lying in St. Thomas Parish of Baltimore County, for 200 lbs. Current money. Now, Peter Harman is dead without heirs, the petitioner having paid the money to the executors of Harman. The General Assembly ruled that James Hendricks were entitled to both tracts of land.

In 1773, James Hendricks settled in Rowan County, North Carolina, where he is said by one source to have served as minister of the Uwharrie Dunker Congregation. On November 3, 1774 in Rowan County court, James had an orphan named George Adams bound to him to learn the trade of wheelwright and also that of a turner. A wheelwright made wagon wheels and repaired vehicles. A turner worked with a lathe to fashion objects from wood. This is another clue, which ties James Hendricks of Crane Creek to James Hendricks of Isreal Creek. Both were identified as being skilled in the art of a wheelwright and turner. Both men also had a wife named Christina listed on a deed.

James Hendricks purchased land from Peter Smith in Rowan County, paying 300 pounds of Virginia money. Shortly afterward, Peter Smith died. On February 7, 1775, James Hendricks, wheelwright, purchased 349 acres on the middle fork of Crane Creek from the executors of Peter Smith. This was done to follow the terms of the original deed. The following research on Peter Smith, who was a Brethren elder, gives some indication that James Hendricks was a member of the Brethren, and possibly an elder himself.

"Crane Creek (1758), which Edwards called "Yadkin on the Atkin" was located near the town limits of Salisbury, the county seat of Rowan, and included Brethren who resided in the town. Crane Creek is a fan-shaped network of draughts that forms into one creek a mile or so before entering the Yadkin River from the west. The Dunker congregation was established on the Middle Fork of Crane Creek in 1756-59 by refugees from Dunker Bottom on New River, Virginia. The elder of the congregation appears to have been Peter Smith, likely the same Peter Smith who was baptized by Conrad Beissel at Ephrata on April 9 1748. Initially Crane Creek was patriarchial in blood as sectarianism, for Peter Smith's sons George, Peter, and John, stepson Richard Walton, sons-in-law John Adams and Herman Hartman were all settled adjacent or near to Elder Smith by 1781." In February 1775, George Smith and Richard Walton, both identified Dunkers, both sons and executors of Peter Smith, deceased, appeared in Rowan Court, proved the Elders death and obtained probate authority. On the same day they sold Elder Smith’s estate in it’s entirety, to Elder James Hendricks."

James Hendricks witnessed a deed where Joseph and Mary Hughes of Rowan Co. N.C. sold 320 acres in fork of Yadkin River on both sides of Bear Creek, to Valentine Huff, a "Cart-Wright" of Frederick Co. Maryland, on June 12, 1776. [Valentine Huff, identified as son-in-law of Gasper Roland, Brethren elder]

During the American Revolution, James Hendricks, like most members of the Brethren, was a pacifist, refusing to fight on either side. He refused to take the Oath of Allegiance to the United States of America on August 8, 1778, being branded therefore as a traitor or tory. He lived in Captain Little’s District at that time. Captain Little’s District was in the Crane Creek area, running from the Salisbury Town limits north, to the Yadkin and including all three forks of Crane Creek.

Gasper Roland served as minister of the Dutchmans Creek Church in Rowan County, 1778. While attempts were made to confiscate their land as provided by law, no such attempt was made against the land owned by James Hendricks. James Hendricks purchased 157 acres adjoining his land on Crane Creek on November 6, 1780 from Jacob Wiant. In Rowan County Inferior Court on February 8, 1783 was recorded a list of 160 "Tories". Among this list was the name of James Hendricks.

Mark Whitaker gave James Hendricks power of attorney on September 10, 1786 in Rowan County. James purchased 162 acres from Charles Bucy on July 24, 1787, which was witnessed by Jacob Crouse. James purchased 4 lots in the town of Salisbury, N.C. in 1788. James died in Rowan County between August and November of 1788. The administration of the estate of James Hendricks, deceased was granted to John Hendricks and Joseph Roland, who gave bond along with Mathew Troy and John Wyant. He left a sawmill on Crane Creek. On August 8, 1789, the real estate of James Hendricks, deceased was divided as follows: 170 acres on Crane Creek to son Daniel, 159 acrse on Crane Creek to son Peter, 79 acres on Saw Mill tract to son William, 4 lots in Salisbury to son John, 100 acres unimproved adjoining Daniel, to son Henry. The administration of the James Hendricks estate was completed on May 7, 1791. At the final distribution of the proceeds of the estate, the total amount was 9.

Research Note

When placing James Hendrick in Lancaster and York Counties, Pennsylvania or in Maryland, please remember that when he was living in Pennsylvania, Maryland claimed part of Lancaster/York county, Pennsylvania [York formed 1749 from Lancaster] because the boundary as provided in the Pennsylvania charter was "a Circle drawne at twelve miles distance from New Castle [Delaware] Northward and Westward unto the beginning of the fortieth degree of Northern Latitude, and then by a streight Line Westward to the Limitt of Longitude above-mentioned." The 40th parallel was north of Philadelphia. Pennsylvania claimed part of Maryland, proposing a boundary near 39 36', creating a 28-mile (45 km) wide strip of disputed territory. Cresap's War [also known as the Conjocular War] was a bloody eight-year conflict over the city of Philadelphia and surrounding area which broke out in 1730, and some Hendrick land lay in the disputed area. The Mason-Dixon line established the current border between Pennsylvania and Maryland in 1767.^[6]

Sources

1. ↑ Davenport, John Scott, The Frontier Hendricks Volume 1, Wildes Printing, White Plains, Maryland, 1992, page 215
2. ↑ http://www.worldcat.org/title/frontier-hendricks-being-a-quest-to-identify-and-define-the-descendants-of-albertus-hendrickson-carpenter-a-dutch-emigrant-to-america-before-1670-who-died-in-chester-county-province-of-pennsylvania-in-1716/oclc/31014093
3. ↑ http://www.momslookups.com/generations/hendricks.html
4. ↑ Wills and Estate Papers (Rowan County), 1663-1978; Author: North Carolina. Division of Archives and History (Raleigh, North Carolina); Probate Place: Rowan, North Carolina
5. ↑ wills and loose estates papers, NC State Archives, Raleigh NC
6. ↑ Kerns, Margaret Ann (Kepner), 729 NW 1101 Road, Urich, Missouri 64788-8121, research, analysis and conclusions

• Source: S341 Ancestry.com North Carolina, Wills and Probate Records, 1665-1998 Publication: Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2015;

• Source: S7 Godfrey Memorial Library, comp. American Genealogical-Biographical Index (AGBI) Publication: Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 1999;

Acknowledgments

This person was created on 31 October 2010 through the import of Pioneer Stock.GED.

Please see http://www.momslookups.com/generations/hendricks.html for more information on this family.