General Notes

From Douglas Colbert's booklet:  "Thomas, believed to have been born in Pipe Creek Settlement, Carroll County, Maryland, is another possible son of Jeremiah York.  He wrote a will dated 11 October 1784, witnessed by Nathan and William Alldredge.  The will is probated in Randolph County, N.C. in September 1790.  Thomas and Ellinor identified the following children in their wills (below).

There are several documents that link the family of Thomas with the other York's in Randolph County.  Semore York and Jeremiah York (the latter probably is the son of Semore), witnessed a deed in 1771 transferring land in Guilford County (now Randolph) from John Crabtree, Sr. to his son, John Jr.  The senior John was the husband of Lyde York.  In May 1795, Jeremiah York proved a deed transferring 170 acres from William and John York, sons of Thomas and Elinor, to Adam White.  According to the deed, this land was part of a grant to Thomas on 2 November 1785 and later willed to his wife, Elinor.  In 1779, Thomas York appeared on the Randolph Tax List with property valued at 332 English pounds, including 230 acres, 10 cattle, 2 horses and 12 pounds, 10 shillings in cash.  Thomas wrote a will dated 11 Oct 1784, witnessed by Nathan and William Alldredge.  The will, identifying 7 children and 2 grandchildren was probated in Randolph County in September 1790.  Thomas and James Jr., minor sons of James Sr., are listed in their Grandpa Thomas York's will.

It appears that James Sr., as well as his wife, died before 1790 and that their two children were being raised by the grandparents.  A James York, probably the son of Thomas, appeared on the 1779 Randolph Tax List, therefore his death would have been between 1779 and 1790.  Thomas bequeathed 100 acres of land, part of the parcel where he then lived, to his two grandsons.  To each of his named children, he gave the sum of 10 shillings and the remainder of his estate was inherited by his wife, Elinor.

Elinor left a will signed on 22 November 1790, and probated in 1795.  She named Henry York and Jonathan McCollum to be executors of her will.  Like her husband, she also gave 10 shillings to each of the above surviving children and divided the remaining estate equally.   In addition, she gave 5 shillings to her granddaughter, Elizabeth, the daughter of her deceased son, James.  She did not mention her grandsons, Thomas and James, Jr., who had been given 100 acres in their grandpa's will five years earlier.

Some children of Thomas and Elinor York moved out of Randolph county.  They moved to several locations including Rutherford County of western N. C., Tennessee, Kentucky and Posey County, Indiana."

Will of Thomas York, father of Lydia York above. Note: The blanks were
unreadable words.
In the name of God, Amen. I, Thomas York, of the county of Randolph, the eleventh day of October, one thousand seven hundred and eighty four, being weak in body but of perfect mind and memory, blessed by God for it and knowing that his appointed for all men once to die do make this my last will and testament. First of all, I will to bequeath my soul to God who gave it and my body I remind to the earth to be buried in a Christian liked decent manner. Nothing doubting but I shall by the Almighty power of God receive the same again at the general resurrection as touching such worldly good where with God hath blest. He within this life gives. It is my will in the first place that all my just debts and funeral charges be paid. ______I give and bequeath unto my son John York the sum of ten shillings and his heirs. ________I give unto my son William York the sum of ten shillings and to his heirs. ______I give and bequeath unto my daughter Susannah, wife of John Pain the sum of ten shillings and to her heirs. _____I give and bequeath unto my daughter Lettesch?, wife of Joab Jackson the sum of ten shillings and her heirs. ________I give and bequeath unto my daughter Lydithe, wife of John Crabtree the sum of ten shillings and to her heirs. ________I give and bequeath unto my daughter, Elinor, wife of Jonathan McCollum the sum of ten shillings and to her heirs._______I give and bequeath to my grandchildren, the sons of James York (dec’d), Thomas and James one hundred acres of land, part of the tract or parcel of land whereon I now dwell beginning at Aadalnot my most northernmost westernmost ________ _________ on John Welborn’s most southernmost line thence running south so far as to lay the before mentioned hundred acres of land to the others and if they should both die before they come to the age of twenty one years. I order that the deed of the said hundred acres of land be made by my hereafter executors be made to my well beloved wife, Elinor, and her heir and if either of the said sons, both of the said children, should come to the age of twenty one years that my executors do make a deed of conveyance to the before mentioned Thomas and James York and to their heirs. _________and the remainder of my estate both real and personal I give and bequeath to my well beloved wife Elinor and to her heirs and that my hereafter executors do in one year after my death make a deed to the remainder of all my land unto my well beloved wife and deliver the remainder of my personal estate after paying the before mentioned ledgers and I do hereby ordain and appoint and constitute my son in laws John Pain and Jonathan McCollum to be the executors of this my last will and testament and utterly disallow, revoke, and disannul all and every other former will and testament legacies and executors at any time before this time names. Ratifying and confirming this and no other I have here unto set my hand and seal the day and year above written. Signed, sealed, published, pronounced and declared by the said Thomas York as his last will and testament in the presence of us the subscribers. Isaac McCollum, Nathan Alldredge, William Alldredge John died abt 1798 in Randolph Co., NC.

Note: The copy was very hard to read, so I'm sure there are some minor
mistakes in this transcription, but the names of the children are accurate.