General Notes

Another source says Jeremiah was born in Yorkshire, England.

The following excerpts were found on the internet, titled "Ratliff - Smith Genealogy" by (I believe) Lydia York.

"Jeremiah appears on the tax records of West Nottingham Township, Chester Co, PA between the years 1718-1729. 

In 1722 Jeremiah was devised personal property in the will of John Wilson of Cecil Co, MD which borders West Nottingham Township, Chester Co, PA.

It appears that Jeremiah and his family moved from Chester Co, PA to the Pipe Creek area of Prince George Co, MD (later Frederick County, MD) in about 1729-1730.  It is believed that he moved on to Jefferson Co, West Virginia ( "old" Frederick County, VA) before 1733.

Jeremiah was certainly living in "old" Frederick County, on part of a 1200 acre tract of land called "Terrapin Neck", by 25 October 1736.  The "Terrapin Neck tract had been purchased by John Browning from Jost Hite who had James Wood make a survey on 10 November 1735.  Hite, one of the Palatine Germans, had moved into this area of "old" Frederick county, VA sometime between 21 October 1731 and 28 November 1732 and acquired large tracts on condition that he induces settlers to come and take up land there.  It is not unlikely that Yorke was one such settler.  Most probably, Jeremiah Yorke moved into this area in late 1732 or early 1733.  After the death of Browning, this 1200 acre tract was cut into three parts and conveyed to the following men - Jeremiah Yorke Sr, Vachel Medcalfe and Van Swearingen. 

Later Jeremiah received a Fairfax grant for 323 acres of the NE most part of the Browning tract.  This was on 7 June 1751.  Called "Jeremiah Yorke Sr", he sold this 323 acres to William Chapline on 4 July 1753.  The chain carriers on the survey were Thomas Yorke and Davis Yorke who were almost certainly Jeremiah's sons.  The name John Yorke also appears in the records of "old" Frederick County, VA when he and Thomas Yorke were chain carriers in a survey of a tract on Opeckon Creek made in 1763.  His son, Jeremiah York Jr was living on an adjacent tract on 13 July 1773 when Joseph Mitchell received a Fairfax grant "on Great Cacepehon" which is a river in what is now Hampshire County, West Virginia.  It is possible that Jeremiah Sr moved to NC about the time he sold his land to William Chapline.  It is possible Jeremiah Sr was in his 60's, possibly older, when he sold his land."

The York's Settle in Randolph County, North Carolina



The York pioneers were among the first settlers to the North Carolina colony.  They came to the Piedmont area with other families:  Adridges, Allreds, Julians, Lindermans, Pughs, Trogdons, Whites and others.  They walked south in the wilderness on the Wagon Road for weeks or months, following their possessions loaded on the wagon and horse.  They brought with them animals to stock their new farms.  The North Carolina Piedmont area offered safety from Indian attacks, a mild climate, and cheap farm land or land grants to those arriving and seeking a better living for their families.  those who came as farmers, blacksmiths, carpenters, and tradesmen were self-reliant, independent, and hardworking.

Their route will be traced south on the Great Wagon Road as they migrated from Pennsylvania, some stopping in Virginia for a while, then forced to flee the Indian massacres and wars to North Carolina.  The numerous families of Englishmen, Irishmen, Scotsmen andGermans intermarried.  The language barrier was overcome, but they were divided mainly into two groups that had clashing beliefs which led to the Revolutionary war:  The Patriots, many of whom were Scotch Irish and favored independence from Great Britain and the Crown; the Loyalists, many of whom were Scotch Highlanders and were loyal to England.

Jeremiah York's sons had settled as early as 1750 on land at Sandy Creek, North Carolina in an area of Orange County that was later split into Randolph County.  Jeremiah arrived later, perhaps as early as 1753.  Many families of Yorks' descended from this man.  Some sons and grandchildren of Jeremiah lived and died in North Carolina while others crossed the Blue Ridge Mountains into Tennessee and Kentucky and others migrated to Illinois and Indiana.  Jeremiah, the progenitor of the York line in Randolph County, North Carolina died there after having lived in Pennsylvania, Maryland and west Virginia.  Newly uncovered information that he was in West Virginia was found in the well documented book, PIONEERS O OLD FREDERICK County, VIRGINIA (1995).  That confirmed the theory that Jeremiah, after living in Pennsylvania and Maryland, was in Great Cacapon, Virginia (now West Virginia) before moving to North Carolina where he lived and died on his son Semore's plantation."