Research by Jane Stubbs Bailey
JOSHUA GERKIN; PROBABLY OLDEST SON OF ZACHARIAH GERKIN & HANNAH GERKIN, BORN ca 1723. DIED BY 1772 MARRIED BY 1756 ANN __?_ DIED BY APRIL 1795
CHILDREN OF ANN AND JOSHUA GERKIN
John Gerkin Joshua Gerkin Hannah Gerkin Other daughters? Jeremiah Gerkin?
Joshua Gerkin is the first of the second generation of Gerkins to appear in deed and court records. He and his mother sold his father's land in March 1756, two years after the death of Zachariah Gerkin. As eldest son he would have inherited the 60 acre tract.
North Carolina laws permitted males to witness deeds at the age of 14. Males could buy land before the age of 21. To sell land, a male or female needed to be 21. Before the Revolutionary War a male on the tax list could be as young as 16. 16 was the age when militia duty was required.
Joshua's first appearance is as a witness to a deed. From this we know that he was at least 14. Since Zachariah and Hannah Gerkin were married by 1718, it is probable that Joshua was born sooner than 1728, the year he would have been born in order to witness the 1742 deed below.
1742/3 Feb 11. Thomas Lee, Tyrrell, to John Airs of Bertie. £150. 300 acres on NW side of Rose Beaver Dam beg at the mouth of the Beaver Dam Branch thence along the sd Branch to Yousing Swamp Pocoson then along the sd pocoson to a Branch running out of the sd pocoson then along the sd Branch to the head of the Folley Branch then down the sd Branch to the Beaver Dam then along the Beaver Dam to the mouth of the Beaver Dam Branch which is the 1st station. Wit: Thomas Bedford, Richard (R) Fagan. Elizabeth Lee, wife of sd Thomas Lee assigned her dower rights to sd Airs, this dated 10 Feb 1742/3 and witnessed by Joshua Gerkin and Ann X Mitchell. June Court 1743. [From Tyr DB 1, 213-14, Roll 19984 filmed by Gen Soc, Salt Lake City, Utah]
In 1747 all three sons of Zachariah Gerkin and Hannah Gerkin were listed in the militia. This would indicate that the youngest, probably Benjamin, was born at least by 1731, perhaps earlier.
Joshua Girken. Private. Muster Roll of Captain Evan Jones' Company of Soldiers from Tyrrel County, North Carolina, for the district between the Bark Poplar Swamp and Welches Creek, Jan 17, 1747. [page 648, Clark, Colonial Soldiers of the South]
1751 Nov 13. Thomas Everit. 490 acres in Tyrrell Co on the S side of Everits line, joining the Dismal. Wits: James Campbell, Nath Everitt. surveyed 23 January 1750 SCC: Joshua Girkin, Jon Everett, Samuell Durrance Dp Surveyor [Hofmann, Granville District of NC 1748-1753, vol 2, from Pat Bk 12, #2345, p 74] SCC equals sworn chain carrier.
1755. Joshua Girking on Tyrrell County Tax List. [Ratcliffe, NC Taxpayers 1701-1786 p. 77] His brother Zachia Girking on same tax list
1755 Aug 8. Granville Grant to Benjamin Blount planter. 142 acres in St. Andrews Parish called Oakey Ridge on NW side of the Great Swamp, Ready Grounds. Chain carriers, Jacob Blount, Joshua Gerkin. Surveyed 8 May 1753 by Samuel Durrance. [Bradley, Tyr Deeds 1735-60 #525 from Tyr DB 2, 231] Benjamin Blount Joshua Gerkin's cousin
1756 March. John Hardison to Joseph Hardison. £20. proc. 200 acres on W side of Welches Creek joining Benjamin Cory Jr, Corprews land or Hornets Branch, Corys Branch. Wit: Benjamin Blount, James Jones, Joshua Gerkin. Reg 19 Feb 1757 by Fr Ward P Reg. [Bradley, Tyr Deeds 1735-60 #528 from Tyr DB 2, 236]
1756 March. We Joshua Gerken, Tyrrel Co in the province of NC, planter &
Ann his wife for £21 6 shillings & 8 pence to Benjamin Blount. A tract of
land lying in a Fork of the Haw Branch in the county aforesaid & is part of
a Larger Tract pisymon neck & was conveyed to Zachariah Girkin late of the
said county deceased by Deed bearing date the 25 of March 1718 containing by
estimation 60 acres...it also joins the other Land of the said Benjamin &
the Lands Called Steeleys...& Hannah Gerkin the widow & trust of the
aforementioned Zachariah Gerkin & in consideration of the sum of £3 4
shillings proclamation money doth surrender her right of dowry & power of
thirds of in & to the said messuage. In witness whereof we have the sd
Joshua & Ann & the said Hannah have hereunto set our hands & seals
this ___day of March 1756.
Joshua Gerkin,
Hannah (H) Gerkin. [Ann didn't sign]
Wit: John Hardison, William Harrison. Reg 8 Jan 1757 by Fr Ward P Reg. [From Tyr
DB 2, 225-227, microfilm 19984 filmed by Gen Soc, Salt Lake City, Utah]
1756 March Court. Ack a deed of sale of land from Joshua Girking and Hanah Girking to Benjamin Blount and on motion ordered to be recorded. [Burr, Tyr Ct Min, Bk 2, #28] settlement of his father's estate
1758 May 25. Joshua Girkin records for his proper brand...Fr. Ward, C. C. [Burr, Tyr Ct Min, Bk 2 #138]
1759 Feb 12. Jonathan Davis, planter to Mary Ackerman, widow. no amount no acres. joining Fork Swamp. Wit: Joshua Girkin, Fr. Ward. March Ct 1762 Fr Ward clerk [Bradley, Tyr Deeds 1760-70 #157 from Tyr DB 4, pt 1, 212]
1761 Jan 23. Granville Grant to Joshua Gerkins, planter. 141 acres in Parish of St. Andrews. Davis's Island. Beg at a pine running thence W 80 P to a pine then W 60 N 320 P to a gum on the swamp thence E 80 P to a gum then E 60 S 320 P to 1st station. December 1761 Court proved by Frances Ward, subscribing witness. Test: Fr Ward, Clerk. Reg 10 Feb 1762. [Tyr DB 4 Pt 1, 132-133. Roll 19985 filmed by Gen Soc, Salt Lake City, Utah] land seems to be towards the Scuppernong River area
Between 1761 and 1772 Joshua Gerkin seems to have died. His widow, Ann, was left with the 141 or 140 acre grant in a 1782 tax list. Below is the court item referring to the widow Gerkin. Benjamin Gerkin and his wife Mary are alive at this time. The only other possible widow might be the widow of Zachariah Gerkin, son of Zachariah and Hannah Gerkin. The fact that Ann Gurkin was head of household and had the same approximate acreage as Joshua's 1761 grant makes me believe that she is the widow referred to in the court record.
February Court 1772. The petition of John Blount in court by Jasper Charlton. Ordered the same to next court & that Widow Girkins be summoned to show cause if any she hath against Blount. [Microfilm C.096.30001, Tyrrell County Minutes of Court of Pleas & Quarter Sessions, 1770-1778, p 22]
1782. Anne Girkin. 140 Acres. 1 Horse. 1 cow. [List of Taxables, Tyrrell County, NC 1782. Stack File #C.R.96.701.1] The list of names before and after Ann Girkin's names are Wm Blount, Hezekiah Young, Michael Stealey, Joseph Swift, Thomas Stubbs Jr, Arthur Stubbs(Archibald?), Arthur Twiner for orphans of J. Young, Anne Girkin, John Leary Jr, Cornelius Leary, Thomas Stealey. [From "List of Taxables, Tyrrell Co., NC-1782" by Ransom McBride, NCGSJ, November 1984, page 244]
1789 May 18. State Grant #383 to Andrew Long. 200 acres S side Alb Sound beginning at a gum his own corner tree on the marked poplar swamp then along the swamp his own line N 75 degrees E 200 and 80 poles to his own corner tree near the pocoson then along the pocosin N 45 degrees W 115 poles then N 75 degrees E 160 poles to Ann Gerkins line then along her line S 45 degrees E 155 to Joshua Leary's line then S 75 degrees W 430 poles then N 45 degrees W 50 poles to 1st station. [Tyr DB 10, p 518-19, #383]
1790 Census Tyrrell County
Name
males over 16 males under
16 females
Joshua Girkin
1
0
0
John Girkin
1
0
0
Anne Girkin
0
0
4
April Court 1795. Ordered that John Gurkin have leave to administer the estate of Ann Gurkin dec'd & give bond in the sum of £500. Stephen Swain and Jon Spruel Securities. [Microfilm C.096.30002, Tyrrell County Minutes of Court of Pleas & Quarter Sessions, 1794-1798, p 85]
April 27, 1795. Bond for John (X) Gurkin to administer estate of Ann Gurkin. Bondsmen: Stephen Swain, Jon (X) Spruill. [Bradley, Tyr Estates, #166] Copies of this bond from the NC Archives show that the marks were actually X marks. The NC Archives document spells John's name Guerkin and Gurkin.
October Court 1795. Ordered that Jesse Lewis, Stephen Swain & Samuel Chesson be appointed to divide the estate of Ann Gurkin dec'd & make return to next court. [Microfilm C.096.30002, 1794- 1798, page 122]
John Gurkin administered the estates of both Ann and Joshua Gerkin in 1795 and 1796. I believe that John and Joshua were sons of Joshua and Ann Gerkin. John Gerkin seemed to have the 141 acre parcel of land in the 1784 tax list. In the 1790 Tyrrell County Census Anne Girkin was a female head of household with 3 other females. John and Joshua were male heads of household with no other members. In 1800 John Girkin, now listed in Washington County, showing that he and his family had formerly lived in the part of Tyrrell County that became Washington County in 1799, was the male head of household, age 45 and up. He would have been born by 1755, a possibility since a 1756 deed show that Joshua and Ann were married by 1756 and could have been married earlier. In John's household are 3 females. Are they the same 3 females who were listed with Ann Gerken in the 1790 census. Probably so. One female in John's household is listed as 16-26. Two females are listed as 26-45. Though one may be his wife, there may be 3 sisters living with him. In 1810 John does not appear in the Washington County Census. A female head of household, Hanah Gerken, possibly the daughter of Ann and Joshua Gerkin, is listed as 45 and up and she has one female in the household with her listed as 45 and up.
Copyright 1998-2004. Jane Stubbs Bailey. All Rights Reserved.