General Notes

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1. Rev. Henry Ledbetter, b 19 Nov 1721 in Bristol Parish, Prince George
Co, Va, d 1785 Caswell Co, N.C.
Christian Albert Ledbetter, Greensboro, N.C., who died in 1938, says in
his unpublished book No. 2 arranged in loose-leaf form:
"Henry Ledbetter was born in Brunswick County, Virginia November 19,
1721. Was a son of John or Frances Ledbetter (undetermined) ."
Francis and John, who were granted 300 acres of land in Charles City Co,
Bristol Parish, Va 20 Apr 1674, each would be too old to be the father of
Rev. Henry Ledbetter. Francis probably died in 1730. His wife, whose
given name is unknown, died in 1756 in Bristol Parish, Prince George
County, while living with her known son William, who was born about 1696
and died in 1775 in Brunswick Co, Va. John, Sr. and wife Mary had a son
Richard born about 1690, died 1767. It is possible that Rev. Henry was a
son of John, Jr. and wife Francis Ledbetter, who had a son William born
19 Feb 1720. It is possible, and even probable, that Rev. Henry was the
son of another John whose wife's given name is nowhere mentioned, but who
had a son John baptized 23 July 1720 in Bristol Parish, Prince George
County, Va.
Henry removed before 1748 from Prince George (could be Brunswick at
this time because in 1720 Brunswick was created from Prince George but
did not operate until 1732) to Granville County, N. C. which was
organized on the northern boundary of that state in 1746. Orange County
was organized from Granville in 1752. From the northern part of Orange
County there was created
Caswell County in 1777. In 1748 he joined the Upper Fishing Creek
(Baptist) Church on Reedy's Creek in the east central portion of present
Warren County, in which he was ordained to preach in 1750. "Becoming in a
few months a Calvinist he went to South Carolina and became a preacher at
Lynch's Creek" in Craven County. (As per Christian Albert Ledbetter of
Greensboro, N. C. in a letter in 1935 to J. R. Moll.) "He returned to
North Carolina in 1761 for the remainder of his life."
Before 1748 Henry acquired 120 acres on the north side of Fishing
Creek in Granville County, N. C. On 30 Jan 1748 Henry gave a deed to John
for this 120 acres (Book A Deed Records, Granville Co, N. C.) On 17 Oct
1752 John of Granville County sold this land. In March 1752 Henry
Ledbetter sold 80 acres of land on Gunters Creek in Granville County, N.
C. On 7 Oct 1766 a John Ledbetter of Granville County, N. C. sold 240
acres in that county. "This is the same Henry that turned preacher, went
to S. C. and returned to N. C. later for the remainder of his life."
(Christian Albert Ledbetter in letter dated 31 Mar 1935 to J. R. Moll.)
The distinguished genealogist and author Clayton Torrence, 3318
Hanover Ave., Richmond, Va, wrote William Logan Martin that the land was
in the present Persons County formed in 1791 from the east half of
Caswell. He advised that up to 1935 he had not been able to determine the
relationship between Henry (the Calvinist Baptist preacher) and the other
Ledbetters mentioned in the records.
There was a Kehukee Association of Primitive Baptists organized in
1765. Certain churches divided into "Regulars" and "Separates" in 1775.
In August 1777 at Elder James Bell's Meetinghouse Sapponey, in Sussex
County, Virginia the ten churches settled their trouble and became known
as "United Baptist." One of the six "Regulars" thus united was "The
Church in Granville County, North Carolina, under the care of Elder Henry
Ledbetter – 70 members." (P. 698 History of the Church of God from
creation to 1885 by Edgar Cushings Hassell, published by Gilbert Beebe's
Sons, Publishers, Middleton, Orange County, N.Y. 1886.)
In History of North Carolina Baptists by George Washington Paschal,
Vol. 1, covering the years 1663 to 1803, printed 1930 by Edwards &
Broughton Company, Raleigh, N. C. and found in the Kirby Library,
Southern Me