John Easley (abt. 1741 - bef. 1784)

Born about 1741 in Virginia

Ancestors

Husband of Ann (Gowan) Easley — married [date unknown] in District 96, South Carolina, United States [uncertain]

Descendants

Died before 29 Jun 1784 before about age 43 in District 96, South Carolina, United States

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Biography

John Easley served with Roebuck's Regiment, South Carolina Militia during the American Revolution.

John Easley was a South Carolina colonist.

John Easley was a North Carolina colonist.

John Easley was a Virginia colonist.

John Easley is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A035593.

John was born before 1741 in Virginia, probably in Goochland County. ^{[1] [2] [3]} Tax records confirm that by 1764, he was living in Granville Co NC, along with his Gowen in-laws, including his father-in-law William Gowen and his brothers-in-law Joseph Gowen and William Gowen Jr. John's brother Millington appeared in those records in 1766.^[4] On 17 Feb 1767, James Wofford certified for John a plat for 250 acres on the north side of the Tyger River in Ninety Six Dist SC. The land was located next to land claimed by Joseph Gowen ^[5] and was likely in modern-day Spartanburg Co SC, given where he served during the revolutionary war. John passed away before 29 Jun 1784, possibly during the war. This is confirmed by the fact that his widow Ann Easley got land surveyed in her own name on this date on the Reedy River in Greenville Dist SC.^[6]

Military

John served in the SC Militia during the Revolutionary War:

• Lieutenant under his brother-in-law Capt. John Gowen during a 1777 campaign against the Cherokees. ^[7]
• Lieutenant in Col Benjamin Roebuck's battalion of the Spartan Regiment after the Fall of Charleston in 1780. ^{[8] [9] [10]}

Children

Verified by DAR:

• ELIZABETH [1] WILLIAM ANDERSON
• WILLIAM [1] SARAH X
• ANN NANCY [1] THOMAS BARTON

Not verified by DAR:

• John Easley Jr. and William Easley have been established by indirect evidence. The 1790 US Census for Greenville District SC shows that Ann Gowen Easley had two males in her household, one over the age of 16 and one under the age of 16. ^[11] When she deeded a slave to her daughters Mary Easley Grayham and Ann "Nancy" Easley Barton in 1801, the deed was witnessed by John and William Easley. ^[12] Ann Gowan Easley had inherited land on the Sink Hole Fork of the Middle Tyger River from her father William Gowen when he died in 1792. ^[13] Per an 1818 deed executed by Street Thurston in Greenville Dist SC, he sold land on the Sink Hole Fork that was part of a tract originally granted to William Gowen then conveyed to Ann Easley. Per the deed, Ann Easley then conveyed it to John and William Easley (presumably her sons) who then conveyed it to her brother John Gowen. ^[14] There is no deed showing the transfer of ownership from Ann Easley to John and William Easley. The 1800 US Census for Greenville Dist SC shows John Easley Jr and William Easley living next door to each other. A woman over the age of 45 was in the household of John Easley Jr. ^[15]Historian and long-time Easley researcher Dr. Virginia Easley DeMarce contends that this female was Ann, given that she was still living and not accounted for elsewhere in the census that year. ^[16]
• Daughter Mary Easley Grayham is proven through a deed executed by his wife Ann Gowen Easley to her daughters Ann Barton and Mary Grayham.^[17] The identity of Mary's husband and possible children are unknown.

Research Notes

Birthplace: The birthplace in the NSDAR database is clearly incorrect. John's parents were born in the Colony of Virginia and died in the Colony of Virginia.^{[18] [19] [20] [21]}The younger John and his siblings are mentioned in several court records in Goochland County, Colony of Virginia following their father's death. ^{[22] [23] [24]} This John Easley's grandparents were born in the Colony of Virginia and died in the Colony of Virginia. ^{[25] [26]} His great-grandfather Robert Easley migrated to Henrico County, Colony of Virginia about 1675 and died there in 1711. ^[27] While this John Easley is found in Granville Co NC records in the mid 1760s with his Gowen in-laws, ^[28] there is nothing in records to suggest he was born there. Although no birth record has been found for John, all extant records confirm his parents were in the Colony of Virginia at the time of his birth. Turner-44718 15:33, 1 September 2023 (UTC)

NSDAR Ancestor Database: EASLEY, JOHN

• Ancestor #: A035593
• Service: SOUTH CAROLINA Rank(s): PATRIOTIC SERVICE, LIEUTENANT
• Birth: ANTE 1741 NORTH CAROLINA
• Death: ANTE 5-24-1786 NINETY SIX DIST SOUTH CAROLINA
• Service Source: SC ARCH, ACCTS AUD #2143, ROLL# 333; SALLEY & WATES, STUB *ENTRIES TO INDENTS, BOOK X, P 145, LIBER X, #3478
• Service Description:
• 1) COL ROEBUCK, MILITIA
• 2) FURNISHED BAY MARE FOR PUBLIC USE Spouse 1)
• ANN GOWEN

Sources

1. ↑ John Easley will, Goochland Co VA, Will Book 5, p. 159. Note: names wife Joyce, children Samuel, John, William, Robert, Judith, and Millington.
2. ↑ DiMarce, Virginia Easley, "A Tentative Outline of US Easley Lines Primarily before 1800, 1974, Chapter III, Section A, pp. 31-37. These pages outline the records showing John's father in Virginia throughout his lifetime.
3. ↑ John Easley orphan guardianship, Goochland Co VA, Court Order Book 6, p. 492, FHL Roll #7898186.
4. ↑ 1764, Granville Tax List includes John Easley, William Gowen and his son Joseph Gowen, Granville Co NC Tax Lists, 1755-1935, FHL#8132497.
5. ↑ John Easeley, SC Colonial Plat Books, Series S213184 Volume 0015 Page 00020 Item 02, SC Dept of Archives and History.
6. ↑ Ann Easeley, State Plat Books, Charleston Series, S213190, Vol. 5, p. 285, SC Dept. of Archives and History.
7. ↑ John Brown, widow Jincey, W5905, Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Applications, Fold3. Note John Gowen's name is misspelled in this record as "Goyne." John Brown served under him and John Easley, and Col. Roebuck during a campaign against the Cherokee for 6 months in 1777.
8. ↑ John Easley, Accounts Audited of Claims Growing Out of the Revolution, S108092, Reel 39, Frame 304. "Please to send me by Capt. John Gowan indents for the amount of the account of John Easley and Millington Easley against the publick (sic) of S. Carolina, they being both deceased and I being the administratrix of their estates, being the widow of John Easley and mother of Millington Easley..." 24 May 1786.
9. ↑ Salley & Wates, Stub Entries to Indents, Book X, p. 145, Liber X #3478
10. ↑ https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Category:Roebuck%27s_Regiment%2C_South_Carolina_Militia%2C_American_Revolution
11. ↑ Ann Easley household, 1790 US Census, Greenville Dist SC, p. 102, line 3, Series M637, Roll 11.
12. ↑ Greenville Co SC Deed Book F, pp. 251-252.
13. ↑ William Gowen estate, File 1093, Spartanburg Co SC Estate Papers, 1787-1900, FHL#008623908 [1]
14. ↑ Greenville Co SC Deed Book K, p. 201.
15. ↑ John Easley Jr. and William Easley households, 1800 US Census, Greenville Dist SC, p. 257, families 544 and 545, Series M32, Roll 47.
16. ↑ IDiMarce, Virginia Easley, "A Tentative Outline of US Easley Lines Primarily before 1800, 1974, Chapter III, Section A, pp. 44-45.
17. ↑ Greenville County, South Carolina, Deed Book F, pp. 251-252, [2]
18. ↑ John Easley will, Goochland Co VA, Will Book 5, p. 159.
19. ↑ Joyce Allen, "The Parish Register, of St. Peter's, New Kent Co VA, from 1680-1787, p. 75.
20. ↑ Easley-25|John Easley
21. ↑ Allen-1140|Joyce Allen Easley Chandler
22. ↑ Goochland Co VA, Will Book 5, p. 159.
23. ↑ Goochland Co VA, Order Book 6, 1744 -1749, Aug Court 1747, p. 487; Sept Court 1747, p. 492.
24. ↑ Cumberland Co VA, Order Book, 1752 -1758, Sept Court 1753, p. 139.
25. ↑ Easley-72|John Easley
26. ↑ Benskin-3|Mary Benskin
27. ↑ Easley-53|Robert Easley
28. ↑ 1764, Granville Tax List includes John Easley, William Gowen and his son Joseph Gowen, Granville Co NC Tax Lists, 1755-1935, FHL#8132497.

• DiMarce, Virginia Easley, "A Tentative Outline of US Easley Lines Primarily before 1800, 1974, Chapter III, Section A, pp. 31-37. These pages outline the records showing John's father in Virginia throughout his lifetime.
• John Easley orphan guardianship, Goochland Co VA, Court Order Book 6, p. 492, FHL Roll #7898186.
• 1764, Granville Tax List includes John Easley, William Gowen and his son Joseph Gowen, Granville Co NC Tax Lists, 1755-1935, FHL#8132497.
• SC Colonial Plat Books, S213184, Vol. 15, p. 20, SC Dept. of Archives and History
• Union Co SC DB B, pp. 183-186. Deed witness by John Easley. Land on Tyger River, probably in modern-day Spartanburg Co, originally thought to be part of Old Tryon Co NC because of a border dispute.
• DAR Ancestor #: A035593
• South Carolina Formation Maps
• John Easley will, Goochland Co VA, Will Book 5, p. 159. Note: names wife Joyce, children Samuel, John, William, Robert, Judith, and Millington.
• Joyce Allen, "The Parish Register, of St. Peter's, New Kent Co VA, from 1680-1787, p. 75.
• Ann Easeley, State Plat Books, Charleston Series, S213190, Vol. 5, p. 285, SC Dept. of Archives and History.