Alexander Stephens

• General Notes
  • La famille était originaire des Lowlands, mais d'origine anglaise et non écossaise. Fuit l'Écosse peu après, avec sa tête mise  à prix pour avoir soutenu le prince Charles, battu à la bataille de Culloden moor (prinptemps1746). Cependant certains membres de la famille se trouvaient aux États Unis dès 1737. On trouve un Alexander Stephens sur la Jumiata river en Pensylvanie, qui était sans doute un parent. La court de Grande Bretagne proscrit Alexander Stephens de Leith pour avoir transporté
    de la poudre aux rebelles Stuarts en 1746. De toute façon, Alexander Stephens était originellement jacobite. Aux USA, il vécut une vie de coureur des bois avec les indiens Shawnee du Nord. Il combatit dans la guerre Franco Indienne de 1754 sous les ordres du général Edward Braddock, dans la campagne contre fort Duquesne. Plus tard, il combattit lors de la Révolution américaine, sous les ordres de Washington. Peu avant la Révolution, lui ou son frère Andrew, faisait marcher un ferry-boat sur la Jumiata, non loin de Duncannon (Pn). C'est là où qu'il connut James Baskins qui avait un ferry sur la Jumiata également, là où elle se joint à la Susquehanna. Et il épousa sa fille malgrè l'opposition de son père. Celui-ci n'aimait pas la manière de vivre de son gendre. Il laissa "five pounds lawful money of Pensylvennia".  Il émigra en Georgie d'abord dans le comté d'Elbert, puis dans celui de Wilkes. Naturalisé le 1er février 1788, comme citoyen de Géorgie, par acte de la législature de Ga. Après 1814, vivait à Kettle creek où il y louait des terres. En plus des enfants cités, deux enfants morts en bas âge.
    
    C'est lui qui a reconnu le fils de William Baskins au Canada, son cousin "Timothy Murphy" Baskins et le convainquit de venir en Georgie retrouver sa famille.
    
    Another source says 1726. One source of date of birth: Loudie S. Moffett says he was born in 1763. This can't be. He married his second wife in 1766. Alexander became engaged in the Indian trade, and joined Bouquet during the French and Indian War. The Stephens and Baskins were acquainted prior to the Indian raid in 1756, when William and Francis Baskin were killed and two of Williams wife and two children, Peggy, and the boy of three, were abducted. Peggy (another report says her name was Margaret age seven and she remained in captivity until November 15, 1764, when in accordance with a treaty after Bouquet's victory, she was returned) was found by Bouquet in November 1764, and the boy was not found until Alexander recognized him in Detroit (by a peculiar mark on his head) where he as known by the name of Timothy Murphy, a name given to him by his adopted father. He recalled nothing of his birth family, but Alexander persuaded him to return to Pennsylvania for a visit with his still living mother and other family members. In Stephens Family Genealogies, 1940, it states that Alexander served under Washington and was present at Braddock's defeat. He served with distinction during the Revolutionary War, rising to the rank of Captain. He settled in 1766 near James Baskins, and while crossing the Baskin's ferry at the mouth of the Juniata River, got a glimpse of the ferryman's daughter and became infatuated. When military duties no longer claimed his attention, he came back and again resided near the Baskins ferry. He wooed the fair maiden and tradition says "not with the consent of her father who refused to sanction the marriage and disinherited her for that reason". (Apparently James Baskins must of changed his mind because James Baskins will dated 30 Jan 1788, on record in the Clerk's Office at Carlisle, Pennsylvania, (Book E, page 117), shows that his daughter, Catherine Stephens inherited along with the other children. Alexander Stephens and his wife Catherine Baskins settled in the vicinity of Duncannon in what is now Perry County, Pennsylvania. In 1794 he removed, with his family, to Georgia and settled first in Elbert, then in Wilkes County on a plantation that afterwards was included in Taliaferro County. His wife died in Wilkes County, Georgia in 1794. He died at his home near Crawfordville Georgia on 15 March 1813 at the age of 87 years.
    CATEGORY:Stephens

Details of Alexander's family with Catherine Baskins