| Notes |
- Thomas first appears on the 1767 list of titheables in Pittsylvania Co. VA, This indicates a birthdate of 1746 or before. Hannah Goad wasonly 14 at this time. It is unlikely that Hannah is the mother of Thomas. The mother of Thomas is probably Mary Humphreys. William Bennett, father of Thomas, first appears in the tax list for Lunenburg Co.,in what is now Bedford Co., in 1748. If Thomas was born before this date, he was not born in what is now Pittsylvania Co. He would have been a young child when he moved there though.
By 1780, Thomas is living in Montgomery Co. Va. On 25 Aug 1780, Thomas Bennett of Montgomery Co. and Brian Ward Nowlin of Pittsylvania Co.sold 100 acres of land to William Mitchell (Pittsylvania Co. DB 6:70).
Thomas served in the militia during the Revelutionary War. In 1782 he is listed in the Montgomery Co. militia in the company of Capt. William Bobbit. James, his brother, and Elijah, his son, are also in thesame company. Benjamin Bennett is in the company of Capt. Sanders.A large percentage of this company is made up of men from Pittsylvania Co. including Wm. Bobbitt, Ruben Dalton, James Goad, Tobias Phillips, Ruben Lawson, William Dalton and the Bennetts. Many of the others may also be from Pittsylvania, but I haven't researched them all. Those are just the names I recognize off the top of my head.
The 1782 tax list of Montgomery also shows the Bennetts living there. It appears that William Bennett, sons James, Thomas and Benjamin, and grandson Elijah are all living in Montgomery Co. in 1782.
1782 Tax List - Montgomery Co., VA
William Bennett, Sr. 0
James Bennett 1 (had land)
Thomas Bennett 1
Benjamin Bennett
James Bobbett
Also note, that all these people are missing from the 1782 tax list of Pittsylvania Co.
Most of the people living in Montgomery Co. moved back to Pittsylvania. This includes the Bobbitts, Goads, Daltons and others. I understand this was due to trouble with the native population, but I don't have any documentation of this fact. All the Bennetts, except William, appear in later Pittsylvania Co. Tax Lists. The 1782 Tax list is the last record I have of William; he would have been 79 at that time. I wonder if William died there and his children moved back?
Thomas moved from Montgomery Co., VA back to Pittsylvania Co., VA where he appears on the 1787 tax list. In 1797 Thomas purchased land in Greenville Co., SC. in a deed witnesses by Bryant Ward Nowlin. (Greenville Co., SC Book D, Page 353) In 1801 Thomas Bennett of Greenville Co., SC sold land in Pittsylvania Co., VA to James Bennett. (Pittsylvania Co., VA Deed Book 12, pg. 329)
Two of Thomas's sons married Joneses. Nathan married Rebecca Jones and Larkin married Dorothy Jones. It is likely that these marriages occured in Greenville Co., SC. The Jones were neighbors of Thomas Bennett in Greenville Co. In a 1791 deed, Andrew & Elizabeth Jones sold land to Thomas Townsend. (DB B:270) Bryan Ward Nowlin was a witness to this deed. Andrew and Elizabeth are good candidates for parents of Dorothy. I believe they moved to Kentucky with the Bennetts.
In 1797, Light Townsend (probably related to Thomas Townsend above) sold 168 acres to Thomas Bennett with Bryan Ward Nowlin as witness to the deed (DB D:353) There is also a Pittsylvania Co. deed (another oneI can't find right now) where Thomas Bennett of Greenville Co., SC sells land. These deeds provide solid evidence that Thomas of Greenville is from Pittsylvania County.
In 1801 Elijah Bennett purchases land from David Tranum (DB F:286). This land is adjacent to Joseph Laws and Thomas Bennett. Joseph Laws is found frequently with the Bennetts in Pittsylvania County. The 1775 tax list of William Witcher has Thomas Bennet paying 3 tithes, for himself, Joseph Laws and John Laws. In 1773 Joseph Laws' tax was paidby Stephen Bennett. An 1803 deed from Thomas Bennett to Lewis Sullivant (DB G:92) is witness by Daniel Crider, Thomas' son-in-law. Also in 1803 Daniel Crider sells land to Jesse Parker (DB G:90). It appears that everyone is selling out about 1803. This may be about the time they all moved to Kentucky.
Thomas's son Stephen, is also living in South Carolina at this time.He married Lucy Nowlin, daughter of Bryan Ward Nowlin, and they livedin the Pendleton District right next door to Greenville County. Peyton Nowlin, son of Bryan Ward Nowlin can also be found there.
From the Book 'History and Families of Crittendon County,Ky, 1842-1991 Vol 1,on page 42. ' it states : Thomas Bennett son of William and Hannah (born 1742 in Pittsylvania CO, Virginia) was first of family to come to Kentucky. where he died in Livingston Co in 1809 .
Lastly, in 1817 Oswell Brown and Elijah Bennett of Livingston Co., KYsold land to Hewitt Sullivan. (DB K:227). This shows that at least Elijah moved to Kentucky. I haven't traced this line any further, butI believe all most of the Bennetts moved to Kentucky. It seems likeI have seen something about Caldwell Co., but I don't have any documentation beyond Greenville Co.
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1742 - Bef 1809 (< 67 years)
Children