Joseph Cowan York (abt. 1734 - 1809)

Born about 1734 in Frederick County, Colonial Virginia

Ancestors

Husband of Martha B. (Spinks) York — married about 1751 in Terrapin Neck, Frederick County, Virginia

Husband of Jemima (Burrow) York — married 1779 in Randolph Co., North Carolina

Descendants

Died 8 Oct 1809 at about age 75 in Limestone, Madison County, Alabama, United States

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Sue Schirott [send private message] and Eddie Pike [send private message]

Biography

Joseph C York I is the eleventh child of twelve children born to Jeremiah York. Researchers now believe Jeremiah's second wife was Elizabeth (The Quaker), and the mother of his six youngest children. ^[1]He was born on in 1734 in in the beautiful Terrapin Neck, Frederick County, Virginia (now Jefferson County, West Virginia) where he grew up and married his first of three wives.

Joseph was born in 1734 in Virginia. He passed away 8 Oct 1809 in Alabama. His name was either John Joseph York or Joseph York, not to be confused with his son Joseph C York (1752-1810). Very few contemporary records in regard to him are available. He appears to have been born in Terrapin Neck, Frederick County, Virginia (now Jefferson County, West Virginia, United States) or the Pipe Creek settlement near Keymar, Carroll County, Maryland. The 1790 United States Census shows him living in Randolph County, North Carolina, near several other Yorks. He appears to have lived in that area since the 1750's.

Joseph C York I age seventeen first married Martha Spinks age seventeen in 1751 in Terrapin Neck, Frederick County, Virginia (now Jefferson County, West Virginia).

The ten Children of Joseph C York I and Martha Spinks are:

1. Joseph C. York, II, b. 1752 VA; d. 1829 TN
2. Mary York, b. 1752 VA
3. Sarah Martha Jane, b. 1753 VA
4. Rebecca York, b. 1754 VA
5. William York, Captain, b. 1755 NC; d. 1837 GA
(Perhaps Adopted because the YDNA of his descendants do not match the YDNA profile of this Joseph York family Group)
6. Taylor York, b. 1756 NC; d. 1761 NC
7. Aaron York, b. 1758 NC; d. 1840 NC
8. William York II, b. 1760 NC; d. 1839 GA
9. Jesse James York, b. 1763 NC; d. 1830 NC
10. Thomas York, b. 1765 NC; d. 1820 GA

The Joseph C York I family was part of the migration in 1755 from Virginia to North Carolina. Jeremiah York I and his family of six sons including Joseph and on son, two daughters along with their minister Rev Shubal Stearns migrated in a wagon train down the Great Wagon Road through the Shenandoah Valley. They broke through the Appalachian Mountains at Roanoke, Virginia then continued into Colonial Orange County, North Carolina by the fall of 1755 to the Sandy Creek Settlement. This was following the great unrest that was caused by Indians after the French and Indian War in July 1755.

The first wife Martha Spinks died in 1769, most likely from child birth, in Colonial Orange (Randolph) County, North Carolina. This left Joseph C York I with ten young children without a mother. Immediately Joseph married in 1770 a second wife, Cynthia Leah Bryson, age eighteen in Colonial Guilford (now Randolph) County, North Carolina.

The four known children of Joseph C York I and his second wife Cynthia Leah Bryson are:

1. Agnes "Annie" York, b. 1770 NC; d. 1810 GA
2. William 'Jeremiah' York, b. 1772 NC; d. 1843 KY
3. Jonathan York, b. 1774 NC; d. 1830 TN
4. William York, b. 1779 NC; 1859 KY

Cynthia Leah Bryson most likely died in 1779 age twenty seven from complications at child birth of her last child. Now Joseph had fourteen children with an overwhelming need for a new wife and mother.

So Joseph C York I age forty-eight married a third time in 1781 to a neighbor, nineteen-year-old Jemima Burrow in Randolph County, North Carolina. Following the events and disturbances of the Revolutionary War Battle at the Guilford courthouse in 1781, British General Cornwallis marched his Red Coat Troops through Randolph County. Joseph York decided to leave Randolph County to start a more peaceful new life elsewhere. Some of his older children had married and started life in Randolph County. Some elected to remain in North Carolina. Joseph C York I with his young wife and other children most likely joined a wagon train in 1782 heading to the Madison/Lauderdale County area in the newly opened northern Mississippi Territory. This area is now Limestone County, Alabama.

The seven additional children of Joseph C York I and Jemima Borrow were born in western North Carolina and Lauderdale County, Alabama are:

1. Moses Alexander York, b. 1785 NC; d. 1840 TN
2. Susannah "Susan" York, b. 1786 AL; d. 1857 MO
3. Uriah York, b. 1788 AL; d. 1835 AL
4. Giddeon York, b. 1790 AL; d. 1840 AL
5. Jemima York, b. 1791 AL; d. 1828 AL
6. John York, b. 1792 AL; d. 1865 AR
7. Solomon "Sol" York, b. 1799 AL; d. 1860 TX

Joseph C York I endured a lot of tragedy and no doubt much grief but a very full life with three wives and twenty one children. After seventy five years Joseph C. York I died on 8 October 1809 in Limestone County, Alabama, previously Madison County, Mississippi Territory. Joseph C York I is most likely buried in an undiscovered cemetery in Limestone County, Alabama.

A big thank you to those descendants of this large family who have contacted me about their branch of the Joseph York family. These new inputs of descendants I had not previously discovered are most appreciated. Please contact me for any needed edits or additions to improve the accuracy of this family group. I want to thank especially Diane Stark Sanfilippo for her years of diligent research in pursuit of the ancestor of her ancestry Captain William York.

Glad to see that marker I ordered for my 3rd great-grandfather, Captain William York is on this site - however the rest of the data, except for Josiah is incorrect! Our group of Yorks participated in the York DNA program and our YDNA is not anywhere close to that of Joseph or any other known York family! I believe William was the son of a widow who married Joseph, but he is NOT Joseph's son. We have no idea of the names of any but Joseph's last wife - no other can be proven and I believe in prove it or don't claim it! - Diane Stark Sanfilippo Added: Mar. 16, 2016

I Agree with Diane Stark Sanfilippo that Captain William York 1755 is NOT the biological son of Joseph York. The YDNA testing of three of his descendants proves by the genetics they are not connected. The first two wives of Joseph C York most likely died at child birth. I suggest a probable scenario is that this William York 1755 was adopted as an infant by Joseph York and his first wife. It is suggested as a likely scenario that this William York born in 1755 in old Fredrick County, Virginia was a surviving infant from an unknown couple who were killed by the aggressive pursuing Indians in the French and Indian War in the summer of 1755. Perhaps this is a question we will will have answered when we arrive in heaven? - Dennis York Added: Apr. 9, 2017

Family links:
Parents:
Jeremiah York (1683 - 1765)
Sarah Ann Wilson York (1695 - 1752)

Spouses:
Martha Spinks York (1734 - 1769)
Cynith Leah Bryson York (1752 - 1779)*
Jemima Burrow York (1762 - 1830)*

Children:
Joseph C York (1752 - 1829)*
John William York (1757 - 1820)*
Aaron York (1758 - 1835)*
Jesse James York (1765 - 1830)*
Jeremiah York (1772 - 1843)*

Siblings:
John York (1708 - 1781)**
Richard York (1715 - 1767)**
Hannah Jane York Routh (1722 - 1787)*
Elijah York (1723 - 1779)*
Jesse York (1724 - 1810)*
David York (1725 - 1775)*
Elizabeth Ann York Diffee (1726 - 1790)*
Semore York (1727 - 1783)*
Thomas York (1729 - 1790)*
Jeremiah York (1730 - 1797)*
Henry York (1732 - 1817)*
Joseph C York (1734 - 1809)
Sarah Elizabeth York Allred (1735 - 1777)*
^[2]

Sources

1. ↑ York, Ronald E. and York III, James Earl: Summary of: A Revised Timeline of Jeremiah York, https://www.dropbox.com/s/ur0evhdi17mqoc6/Jeremiah%20I%20Summary.pdf?dl=0
2. ↑ [1] Findagrave

• https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LDPN-WVG
• 1790 U.S. Census - Randolph Co., NC; Series# M637, Roll# 7; p289; Image# 170; Family History Library Film: 0568147
• York, Joseph - data extract for 1779 (Randolph Co.) in Ancestry.com North Carolina Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1790-1890.

Note

His mother Sarah (Wilson) York (1695-abt.1725) listed on his Find A Grave: Memorial #148780228.

Acknowledgments

• Wood, Gilly - WikiTree msg. to George G. Stradtman, Jr. - 9 Aug 2014.
• York, Dennis - "Jeremiah York, I" FindAGrave Mem.# 147638396.
• York, Dennis - "Martha Spinks York" FindAGrave Mem.# 148786552
• York, Dennis - "Joseph C York II"; FindAGrave Mem.# 156626449 - https://tinyurl.com/45pefzfk.