Oroondates Davis Alston Plantation, Chatham County, North Carolina

Date: About 1789 [unknown]
Location: Chatham, North Carolina, United States
Surnames/tags: Alston Slavery

Alston Plantations in North Carolina

"Oroondates, or Oron D. as some have also called him, inherited his father's plantation, described as being on Sellers Creek in his father's 1789 will, and a slave boy named Will. He and his siblings also were to receive the remainder of his Slaves and property, as they each reached their ages of majority. Oroondates oldest brother, John Joseph Alston (1771-1816), died fairly young, leaving a widow and three young children, one of which was Nathaniel Jones Alston. Oroon became his guardian.

• Oroondates D. Alston was married to Mariam McDaniel (1787-1855), to whom he left his entire estate during her lifetime, and which was to go to his 4 nephews after her death. He also left his wife 10 Slaves of her own, to do with as she wished, since the couple did not have any children. Miriam died 4 years later, and in her will which was probated in Randolph County, she made provisions for her Executor to remove the Slaves she had been given to a free State, where they would then be emancipated. Her executor followed through with her wishes, and her estate file contains many receipts and accountings for distribution of the funds to both those who helped as well as money given to the men, women and children who were emancipated. Extensive research done many years ago by genealogists Sue Ashby & Sharon Lytle shows that these families all were moved to Delaware County, Ohio, of which you can read more about here: Marium Alston and the Alston Freed Slaves

• Both Oroondates D. Alston and his wife, Miriam P. McDaniel, are buried on what is called the Oroon Alston Cemetery in Matthews Township, as listed on Cemetery Census, which indicates that this was the land which his nephews had inherited from Alston as he had bequeathed them in his will, and passed down through several different owners. The original house burned down in 1954. The Cemetery listing includes several images of the site as well as close ups of the burial place of the couple."^[1]