Mary J. Stokes

John married Mary Stewart about 1830 in Cumberland Co., North Carolina. Mary (daughter of George Stewart and Rebecca Utley) was born in 1805 in Cumberland Co., North Carolina. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

George married Rebecca Utley on 20 Jan 1789 in Cumberland Co., North Carolina. Rebecca (daughter of John Utley and Mary Cook) was born between 1756 and 1767 in Wake Co., North Carolina; died in Dec 1841 in Tuscaloosa Co., Alabama. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

[Mark Valsame]
a descendant of Joseph Stewart, and an archivist for the state of North Carolina

... says that Charles Stewart was probably born in Scotland in about 1728. Mark says that the idea of Charles being the son of James Stewart originated from an 1879 book entitled "HISTORIC MEMORIAL OF THE STEWARTS OF FOTHERGILL" by Charles Stewart (not this Charles).

Mark says that our Charles was a ship Captain trading in Africa. Family tradition states that Charles Stewart migrated from Scotland to Virginia about 1750, when he was about 23 years old. He settled first in "Isle of Wight" County, Virginia, just west of the city of Norfolk, where he was indentured. After the completion of his servitude, he migrated to Cumberland County, North Carolina, the county in
which the city of Fayetteville is located.

Charles and his wife Johanna are buried in unmarked graves near Kennebec, North Carolina, which is the present site of the Fuquay-Angier airfield.

The "WILL" of Charles Stewart follows:

Source: G.S. Film 20024 - Wake County Deeds, p. 278, 279
Original handwritten and almost illegible
This is from a negative electrostatic copy at NC Archives

Charles Stewart to his youngest son James Stewart

"This indenture made this seventh day of May in the year of Christ One Thousand Eight Hundred and five between Charles Stewart, of the State of North Carolina and County of Wake, of the One part, and his Son, James Stewart, of the same state and county, of the other part. Witnesseth that for, and in consideration of the natural love, good will and affection which the said Charles Stewart hath, and doth bear unto his said Son James, and also for his Advancement in this life, doth give and grant and by these presents doth give and grant Alien Estoppel and confirm unto the said James Stewart forever those certain tracts of land lying ..... the State, County, aforesaid, on the waters of Black Creek joining the line that divides the Counties of Wake and Cumberland and is bounded as follows, to wit: One said tract which the said Charles Stewart now dwells on that contains One hundred Acres. Begins at a pine, Mack Wyatt's corner, thence South forty poles to pointers in Wheelers line, formerly, thence with said line West 46 poles to a hickory, thence South forty poles to a pine, thence West 40 poles to a Black Oak, thence south 40 poles to a pine, thence west 82 poles to a pine, thence North 130 poles to a pine in said Wyatt's line, thence along the same to the beginning. One other tract that contains One Hundred Acres: Arising, the above said, first at a hickory, 46 poles west of Dickerson's Corner portions, thence South 50 poles to a pine, thence west 40 poles to a Black Oak, thence South 80 poles to a pine, thence East 140 poles to a hickory and Black Oak, thence North 130 poles to a pine on said Dickerson's line, thence to the Beginning. The other ..... tract which joins the other said tract and contains Eighty-three acres: Begins at a pine, David Wheeler's corner in Cumberland County line, thence north Wheeler's line for the 110 poles to a small Hickory in his own line, thence with his own line West 54 poles to a pine, thence North 40 poles to pine, Ezekiel Smith's corner, then with his own line west 80 poles to a pine, thence south 100 poles to said County line, thence along the same to the Beginning. To have and to hold, use .... enjoy the same with every part and parcel thereof to the only proper use and .... of him, the said James Stewart, and to his heirs and assignees forever, only reserving the use of all the above said land, with the improvements therein, unto them, the said Charles Stewart, and to his wife Hannah, in and during his and her said Natural lives. And the said Charles Stewart doth warrant, and by these presents forever and ever, the above assignees forever, from any lawful claim, as can be laid to the same, by any person or persons what so ever, only to be subject to the above limitations.

In witness thereof the said Charles Stewart doth hereto set his hand and seal,
the day and year above written

In presence of:
Saml. Worthington
Joseph Stewart
John (X) Stewart, his Mark, Wake County (Signature of Charles Stewart)
February ----, 1808

Gift was in open court and duly proven by the oath of John Stewart, a subscribing witness and is ordered to be registered.

(Signature of Wm. Hill, Clerk)

Registered in the Registrar's office of Wake County in Book U and pages 278 & 279 this 8th day of March, 1808.

(Signature of Edward H. Parish)

NOTE: a pole = one rod in linear measure or one square rod in square measure; a rod = 16-1/2 feet, or 5-1/2 yards, a square rod = 30-1/4 square yards. Source: G.S. Film 20024 - Wake County, p. 280

To all people to whom these presents shall ... come ... Charles Stewart, of the State of North Carolina and County of Wake, saith Greetings.

Know ye that of the said Charles Stewart, for and in consideration of the natural love, good will and affection which I have and doth bear unto my son, James Stewart, and also for his advancement in this life, doth give, grant Alien estoppel, and confirm unto my said son, James, and to his heirs and assignees forever, all my whole estate, Consisting of one negro woman named Cloe, all my stock of any kind, all my household furniture and working tools and every other kind of property that belongs to me at the time of my decease, only reserving all the above said premises, and the use thereof unto myself and to my wife, Hannah, for and during of, both our natural lives, and the said Charles Stewart doth warrant by these presents forever, defend all the above said premises unto my said son, James, and to his heirs and assignees forever from any lawful claim as can be laid to the same, or my part thereof by any person or persons, whatsoever, only reserving the use of the same as above limited. In witness whereof, the said Charles Stewart doth hereunto set his hand and seal, this 7th day of May 1805.

In presence of:

Intestined before assignee with these words, one negro woman named
(signature Cloe)

(signature Saml. Worthington)

(signature Joseph Stewart)

(signature John Stewart, his (X) mark (----)

(Signature Charles Stewart)
Wake County ... Term of 1808

The execution of this Deed of Gift was in Open Court and duly proven by the oath of John Stewart, a subscribing Witness thereto, and ordered to be Registered."

NOTE: The above information was provided to Lee Stewart by Louie Williams.

Notes for HANNAH (JOHANNAH?) KIRK:
Family lore has it that Hannah may have been from Wales, despite her Scottish name.

There is also a legend that Hannah was "so mean" that her parents were going to send her back to Europe. She married Charles before they could do so.

Charles may have fought in the battle for Scotland's independence at Culloden against the British. That could be the reason he had to leave his homeland. Many Scots did come to America for that reason. There were other reasons such as the fact that the clan system was decaying, and their way of life was changing rapidly.
One of the traditions / oral stories about Charles Stewart (m. Johanna/Hannah Kirk) was that he came over from Scotland and worked for or otherwise indentured himself to a man named Spotsford, I believe. He subsequently (years?) moved to North Carolina and there started the trail of Charles and Johanna Stewart in Wake County / Cumberland County etc. No one has ever been able to prove who or where they came from in Scotland

Charles married Hannah Kirk about 1748. Hannah was born about 1732 in Wales; died on 1 Jan 1823 in Kennebec, Wake Co., North Carolina. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

John married Mary Cook in 1759. Mary (daughter of Arthur Cook and Martha Unknown) was born in 1742 in Wake Co., North Carolina; died in 1807. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]