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Return to profile Katherine (Hunnicutt) Peacock

Research Note

Taking a fresh look at one of Katherine Hunnicutt's offspring possiblities:

According to the explanatory pages in Surry County Virginia Tithables, 1668-1703

These were lists of parishoners that were subject to tithes in the various county parishes. This included all landowners male or female, and all those above the age of sixteen that worked for the landowner.

That being said, Augustine Hunnicutt is listed in 1674 next to Jno Kindred In 1675 August Hunnicutt is listed along with his son August Hunnicut.. what this means is August Hunnicut, Jr. had to be sixteen years old that year, since he was not listed the previous year. That means he was born 1659.

When Samuel Crowell dies Katherine is bound as executrix in 1683. Assuming she is at least 21 in order to be executrix, puts her year of birth at 1662. That puts her old enough to be mother of Samuel Crowell, Jr. born around 1679. Katherine would be 17 years old. Samuel Crowell, Jr. marries Sarah (Tooke) at some point. She is mentioned as wife in his will.

Will of Samuel Cornwell, Jr. 14 Mar 1717/8-20 Aug 1718, FHL #34102, Bk 7 p 143. The extract that I find on this will mentions sons: Samuel, Jacob, Aaron, John, and Moses, Eldest daughter, brother-in-law Samuel Hargrove, son-in-law Samuel Seebrell. So this means one of his daughters was already married to Samuel Seebrell. Assuming she is 15-17 she was born ca 1700-1702. That puts Samuel Crowell, Jr. a father at age 21. So all that works out.

Samuel Cornwell, Jr. marries Sarah (Tooke ?)and dies by 1718; he can be ruled out as Samuel Peacock.

Further information on Samuel Cornwell, Jr. - He is a close friend to Robert and Mary Lacey. Robert Lacey names Samuel Cornwell as trustee for his estate in 1702. Samuel Cornwell is listed as 'weaver, of Lawne's Creek parish' Will Book 5 page 246

Mary Lacey dies by 1716 and names Friend Samuel Cornwell executor.( I wonder if that indicates he is Quaker?) The probate date is December 1716. So he maintains his name into his majority and expires the next year as per the will above.

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So we still don't know if Samuel Cornwell, Jr. is Katherine's son. Augustine Hunnicutt's will of 1708 (This is Augustine, Jr.) has Samuel Cornwell as a witness.

John Kindred listed as head of household in tithables list 1674 cannot be John Kindred born 1662. He would only be 12 years old and not even listed as tithable. So it must be the elder John Kindred with wife Mary. He was dead by 1677.

Wills and Administrations of Surry County, Virginia, 1671-1750

John Kindred estate paid to widow and three orphans.. June 15, 1681 one of the orphans being Samuel Kindred, who receives a bed from a Samuel Mason. The key question here is, are we talking about John Kindred, Sr. or John Kindred Jr.?

Well two years later, Katherine Hunnicutt Cornwell is busy as executrix of Samuel Cornwell in 1683. I am thinking that she does not marry John Kindred until what, later that year at the earliest? But let's be safe and say she does not marry John Kindred until after the court date for settlement of Cornwell's estate, making it later in the year of 1683.This means John Kindred Sr. had a son named Samuel Kindred, along with John, Jr. and one other.

John Kindred, Jr. Will was written in 1702 and probated 1703. Names son Samuel Kindred not yet age 18 and other children. So in order to be under 18 in 1702, son Samuel had to be born 1685 or later. That put's him solidly in the danger zone for Katherine Hunnicutt Cornwell Kindred to be his mother.

Katherine is married to William Peacock by 1704, as she is named so during final settlement of Kindred estate.

So the question here is, why would a 17 year old son set to come into his own the next year abandon his father's name and take on the name of his stepfather? He could certainly be induced to do it for some financial gain, or baring that, he was actually younger than 17 when his father died. Still not answered.

So where are we?

1. Samuel Cornwell, Jr. is he son of Katherine Hunnicutt or an unnamed 1st wife? It would make a difference regarding (#3)

2. Samuel Kindred ( born by 1681) was a son of John Kindred, Sr.

3. Samuel Kindred ( born 1685 or later) was a son of John Kindred, Jr.

4. Samuel Kindred ( John, Jr.) could be son of Katherine Hunnicutt, but if so, it is more likely he is a few years younger and born around 1688, maybe? That makes an adoption a bit more palatable to me, but of course, nothing is ruled out.

5. Samuel Peacock, I. - All the combined information has his birth around 1668. If that is the case, then he would not appear on a Tithable record until about 1684. Still have to check these. Also, if this is so, then he is not Samuel Kindred (#3) because he is too old. He is not (#1) because that one is established to have stayed Samuel Cornwell.

6. There is the persistent hint that Samuel Peacock married a Stringfellow. Now we know that a female Stringfellow that is the same age cohort existed, and lived close to the Peacocks. Also that William Peacock gave gifts to her and her brother Richard Stringfellow in 1686. If the 1668 year of birth is close to correct, it is not a big stretch of the imagination to think the Peacock/Stringfellow couple were an item and perhaps left the area near this time.

7. Samuel Peacock appears in the records in North Carolina in 1721. Update: He witnessed a deed in 1720 in North Carolina.

8. While it is not unreasonable to think Samuel Peacock would father children at age 48, it would be unusual for him to do so without first having another set earlier in life. I am still open to the idea that Samuel Peacock ( born 1668) would have a Samuel Peacock (born ca 1690) and that because the names are the same they are possibly forever intangled.

9. Samuel Peacock (will dated 1793) is obvious son of one of the above (#8)

Yet to be determined:

1. Was Samuel Peacock (#5) born in the 1668 time frame? What happened to him then? Need to check Surry County deeds, etc. He could have gone into North Carolina by 1688 or sometime. That is just speculative of course, but possible. He would be tithable by 1684,or thereabouts, and legal age by 1687. Where was he for the next 33 years? Well maybe he was not born in 1668 and the whole Peacock/ Stringfellow connection is just a supposition conjured up by an early researcher almost 40 years ago? There is enough circumstantial evidence to follow their thinking. If that is the case, then when was he born? He is independent in NC by 1720 so at the latest, 1699.

He could be an immigrant himself. At least we can soon conclude this research into Samuel Peacock with a short list of possibilities.

2. What happened to Samuel Kindred (born 1685 or later)? Does he appear in any record as an adult?

Answered

Samuel Kindred married Mary ________( according to some Mary Edwards, but not yet verified here). The two of them moved to Isle of Wight County and raised a family. He died in 1729.

1729: Isle of Wight Co. estate of Samuel Kindred appraised by Martin Middleton, John Rochel, Samuel Atkinson. Rec. 22 Dec. 1729. Will Book 3, p.187.

Blanche Adams Chapman, Wills and Administrations of Isle of Wight County, Virginia 1647-1800, p. 108.

Samuel Kindred's 1729 will: Legatees: wife Mary, son John (land on Reedy Branch and Blunt's Swamp), son Samuel (received land adj. Charles Porter and James Braswell) daughters Sarah and Faithe (the land on which Mathew Delk lives), daughter Jane, daughter Mary, daughter Catherine, daughter Elizabeth. wit: Samuel Adkins, James Braswell rec. 23 June, 1729.

He mentions land (where Delk lives)in Surry County above, and that one last bit to track down. Otherwise my thinking is that Samuel Kindred is not Samuel Peacock.

see: http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=markfreeman&id=I313671

3. Did Samuel Cornwell, Sr have an earlier marriage?

Research notes Written by Trudy Roach Feb. 20 , 2017

Some of the issues with the incorrect information on the People associated with Katherine Hunnicutt are very badly sourced site and online trees that confuse family members who carry the same name. The Hunnicutts in almost every generation for many years had extensive Augustine's , Johns , Roberts and Williams for the men . Many Katherines , Anns and Marys.

One such source is a " A Hargrove Family Study" written by Betty and Del Meischen. The site is confusing I believe it is written by them. There is at that site a letter from Nancy Royce. In that letter Nancy confuses the Augustine Hunnicutts , and their daughters named Katherine.

In this letter she states. " Samuel Cornwell had a wife named Katherine who married by 1683 Edward Rowell. She then states Samuel Cornwell's wife was not Katherine Hunnicutt. Nancy Royce has confused Samuel Cornwell's wife Katherine Hunnicutt the daughter of Augustine Hunnicutt born 1625 , with the daughter of Augustine Hunnicutt who is the brother of Samuel Cornwell well 's wife. There are other mistakes involving the younger Katherine that I won't address here.

Nancy Royce also states " Will of Samuel Cornwell dated 14 Mar. 1717 names Sarah Cornwell and eldest son to to take the plantation where Charles Pitt now lives. Witnesses by Augustine Berryman and Charles Pitt". Charles Pitt was married to another Katherine Hunnicutt , Augustine Berryman married to Her sister Ann Hunnicut. ( Hunnicutt- HeirsandRoots.com )

Nancy Royce also mentions a Samuel Cornell Gary who is most likely Gray not Gary as the Grays were neighbors of the Hunnicutts and cousins of Mary Carter Hunnicutts father William Carter4290. Concluded