The Revolutionary Rose Family of Halifax County, North Carolina

Howell
by Don Taylor

One of my wife’s third great-grandmothers was Elizabeth (Rose) Vincent.

I have been unsuccessful in discovering a document that provides evidence for Elizabeth’s parents. Looking at other individual’s trees about 75% of other researchers suggest that her parents were William Rose (1759-1801) and Sarah Crawley (1752-1863).  Twenty percent suggest that Elizabeth’s parents were Elisha Rose Sr. (1753-1795) and Hannah Sellers (1758-1812). The final 5% suggest her parents were Elisha Rose and Pheroby Powell. A quick look at these other researcher’s trees failed to reveal a document that would provide evidence regarding Elizabeth’s parents. I’ll take a look at these possible parents for Elizabeth and try to determine what I believe to be correct. But first, I need to confirm what I think I know.

The 1850 Census finds Elizabeth Vincent as the 64-year-old head of household in Halifax, North Carolina. Living with her is her 25-year-old daughter, Nancy. Next door is John, one of her sons.

The 1840 Census shows Burkett Vincent as the head of the household. In the household is a female from 50 to 59 years old who I assume to be Elizabeth.

Likewise, the 1830 Census shows Burkett Vincent as the head of the household. In the household is a female aged 40 to 49 years old who I assume to be Elizabeth.

The 1820 Census Census shows “Perkit” (Burkett) Vincent as the head of the household consisting of a female age 45 and over. Elizabeth should have been about 34 years old, so I believe that Burkett had a first wife, who was the mother of his children enumerated in the 1820 Census.  This included

• Two males under 10,
• Two females under 10,
• One female between 10 and 15 years old.

Other records indicate that Burkett had three boys born before 1920, William, John, and James.

That plus three previously unknown girls in the family suggest to me that Burkett had a first wife.

The Roses of Halifax County

The 1790 Census[i] All four reside in Edgecombe, Halifax, North Carolina.

• Elisha Rose                 2 2 5-0-8
• Wormley Rose           1-1-2-0-5
• William Rose              1-2-3-0-6
• Thomas Rose              1-1-2-0-0

The third number in the 1790 Census is, “Free white females including heads of families.” In 1790 Elizabeth Rose would have been about 4 years old. So, she would have fit into any of these four rose families.

During November 1786, Wormly Rose was charged with “begetting a baseborn child on the body of Francis Tyar.” Wormly was ordered to pay Francis the sum of 7 pounds “for the lying in expenses” and 5 pounds per year for the next 7 years.[ii]

Is it possible that this child was born in 1785 and was named Elizabeth?

The 1784 listing of Halifax County Taxables[iii] indicates there were 3 property owners with the Rose surname in Halifax County.

Name                          Acres

• Elisha Rose                 230
• Wm. Rose                   230
• Wm. Rose Junr.          248

Next, it appears that the Rose family of Halifax County, North Carolina, was very involved with the Revolutionary War. There were at least seven involved according to

Revolutionary Pay Vouchers.[iv]

Whenever I see someone with a connection to the Revolutionary War, I immediately think of the Daughters of the American Revolution.  Searching the DAR Database for the surname “Rose” and North Carolina yielded nine matches.  Four of the matches related to four William Roses. Two of those had notes. Both indicated that the line couldn’t be used for DAR purposes due to problems in the line or with the service of the individual. That left two William Roses, one Junior and one Senior.

William Rose, Sr. DAR Ancestor #A206765

• Birth Ante 1733
• Death: Post 1785 – Halifax Co., North Carolina
• CLARK, STATE RECS OF NC, VOL 15, PP 493, 664; PENSION OF ISAAC CARPENTER, *S8168; NC REV WAR PAY VOUCHERS ##180, 2506, #8424, ROLL #S.115.121
• Service Description:    1) WAGON MASTER
• 2) REIMBURSED FOR SERVICES RENDERED

William Rose, Jr. DAR Ancestor A206187

• Birth Ante 1759
  Death Ante 2-13-1801 Warren Co. Georgia
• Service Source: NC REV WAR PAY VOUCHERS #2507, ROLL #S.115.121
• Service Description:    1) PAID FOR SERVICES RENDERED
• 1^st wife Sarah Crowley b. ____; d 2 June 1808 at Warren Co. GA

I was very surprised to not see the other five people I found in revolutionary pay vouchers not a patriot in the DAR database.

That said, the DAR Database gave me hints and suggestions regarding 13 individuals, some of whom were potential parents for Elizabeth. However, nothing in the DAR trees provided clear parentage for Elizabeth. From what I’ve found, her parents could still be any of the three suspected parental sets.

• William Rose (1759-1801) and Sarah Crawley (1775-1863),
• Elisha Rose Sr. (1753-1795) and Hannah Sellers (1758-1812), or
• Elisha Rose and Pheroby Powell (died 1794).

Followup

Next time I’ll search for other aspects of the 18^th Century Rose Family of Halifax County, North Carolina.

ENDNOTES

[i] The State Records of North Carolina: Published Under the Supervision of the Trustees of the Public Libraries, By Order of the General Assembly. Collected and Edited by Walter Clark, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of N. C. – VOL. XXVI, CENSUS 1790 – Names of Heads of Families – Nash Brothers, Book and Job Printers, Goldsboro, N. C. 1905 – Pages 602 and 615.

[ii] “Halifax County Bastardy Records, 1784-1787”, NC Gen Web, Wormly Rose – 1786 – Baseborn Child with Francis Tyar. Accessed 15 Nov 2019. https://www.ncgenweb.us/halifax/court/bas-rec.htm.

[iii] “Halifax County Taxables-1784”. 2019. Ncgenweb.Us. Accessed November 16, 2019. https://www.ncgenweb.us/halifax/misc/haltax1784.htm

[iv] “North Carolina Revolutionary Pay Vouchers, 1779-1782,” database with images, FamilySearch https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/1498361 accessed 24 November 2019).