John Champness Austin (aft. 1692 - abt. 1760)

Born after 1692 in New Kent County, Virginia [uncertain]

Ancestors

Descendants

Died about 5 Feb 1760 before about age 68 in Cornwall Parish, Lunenburg County, Virginia

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Kathie Forbes [send private message] and Ona Sidlinger [send private message]

Disputed Origins

The following inaccurate and undocumented statement is repeated endlessly on the Internet: "INDIAN ANCESTRY: John, Jr identified himself as a Saponi at a court hearing in Surry County. Valentine was also identified as an Indian at a court hearing in Surry County. Later, it was discovered the Richard (son) and Joseph were identified by the state of Virginia as Melungeons (Not of pure European blood). Since four of the five known children have been identified as "mixed blood" it is felt that there was only one mother for all the known children. Charles Edwin Austin”

Facts: The "John Auston" who was a Saponi Indian was a member of a peace delegation travelling from Pennsylvania in 1755. He and the other members of the delegation requested permission from the court in Rowan County, North Carolina, to pass over the colony on their way to the Catawba Nation.

The word "melungeon" did not come into use until the 19th century.

Richard and John Austin are listed as white on the 1749 list of tithables in Lunenburg, p. 307 ^[1] Joseph Austin, Wm. and John Astin all appear on the first list of tithables in Pittsylvania County, VA, 1767, listed as white.^[2]

Biography

BIRTH: Between 1692 and 1700 based on the fact that he was charged with one Tithe in 1752 in Lunenburg Co., VA. This indicated that he was age 60 yrs. or younger. See Research Notes for competing theories of parents.

MARRIAGE AND CHILDREN: John's 1758 will named wife Hannah and five children, all sons; John, Valentine, Stephen, Richard and Joseph. John and his brother are the only Austins listed on the 1747 list of Lunenburg tithables. The birth dates of the children are unknown. A road order from June, 1749 lists John Sr and John Jr as tithables, so John Jr must have been born before 1733. A 1752 order also names son Valentine. A 1753 order names "John Austin and his sons," without names. ^[3] Both John, Jr. and Valentine were married by 1758 when John, Sr. made his will, so birthdates in the early 1730's make sense.

OCCUPATION: Constable of Lunenburg Co., VA in 1749 as stated in the book "Sunlight on the Southside", p 187, by L. Bell, a history of Lunenburg Co.

LAND: 1736 is in Louisa County, south of the North Anna River (69D5); 15 Mar 1735/36 400 acres Hanover Co., both sides of Corn Swamp (just south of Lake Louisa)

LAND: John Austin owned at least 1000 acres of land in the part of Lunenburg Co., VA, which later became Charlotte, Halifax, and Pittsylvania counties. A land grant to John Austin by King George I I of England for 400 acres of land in Lunenburg Co, is dated 10 Aug 1750.

RESIDENCES: Brunswick Co., VA Order Book 1, p 345. TEXT: "On the motion of John Austin, Jr. , it is ordered that he be added to the list of tithables" dated Thursday September 4, 1740 in the 14th year of King George II reign.". Brunswick Co., VA was formed in 1732 from Prince George Co., VA. The first tithable listing was made in 1740, and it lists both John Austin, Jr., and his brother Richard Austin in Brunswick Co., VA. They probably had recently moved into the area from elsewhere. One or both of them may be listed on the tithable list of a more easterly county. This analysis is supported by the comment made in the book "Charlotte County VA", by Timothy S. Ailsworth , and published by the Charlotte Co., VA Board of Supervisors, p 50. TEXT: "Other settlers in the Cub Creek area but higher up the creek than the Caldwell Settlement came from lower counties of Virginia. They were English in origin and members of an established Church." Among those settlers named in the book was Richard Austin. Lunenburg Co., VA was formed from Brunswick Co., VA in 1746 and Charlotte Co., VA was formed from Lunenburg County VA in 1765. The area in which the Austins were residing in Lunenburg Co., became Charlotte Co. in 1765. Thus the Austins could have been listed in Brunswick Co. before 1746 and Lunenburg Co. after 1746 without having changed residences.

LAND: Deed dated 25 Jul 1753, and recorded 5 Mar 1754 in Lunenburg Co. VA Deed Book 3, pp 434 -436. TEXT: "John Austin of Cumberland Parish in Lunenburg Co., VA to Joseph Austin of the same parish and county in trust for use and behoof of Hannah Austin; quit claim given for items noted and anything she may hereafter earn or purchase; Negro woman named Phillis; Negro woman named Janney; Negro girl named Hannah; large bay horse branded with three dots; side saddle; furniture now by her used; feather bed & furniture she bought and now uses; 2 trunks and warming jug pan given her heretofore; case of bottles given her by Mrs. Cocks; a puter (pewter ?) tea pott; 2 iron potts; use and occupation of 10 acres, part of land belonging to said John Austin adjoining the Falling River or Cole's road in the same parish near where the said John Austin now lives; permission to build at her own expense a house to dwell in on said land during her natural life, including a spring." Signed: John Austin. Witnesses: William Holt and Richard Austin. MARRIAGE-CHILDREN: Tithable's of Brunswick Co., VA, Order Book 1, p 345.

LAND-MARRIAGE: Deed dated 29 Mar 1754 and recorded 2 Apr 1754 in Lunenburg Co., VA Deed Book 3, pp 451-453. TEXT: "John Austin of Lunenburg Co., VA to John Pleasants of Henrico Co., VA , 250 pounds; 203 acres in Lunenburg Co., VA on the north side of Wards Fork, by patent dated 15 Jun 1744." Signed: John Austin. Witnesses: Robert Pleasants, T. Pleasants Jr., Robert Gordon, Thomas Storts, and William Tosset. NOTE: Hannah, wife of John Austin, relinquished her dower right.

DEATH: Between 29 Sep 1758, the date of his will, and 5 Feb 1760, the date that his will was recorded.

PROBATE-SPOUSE-CHILDREN: Will, dated 29 Sep 1758, recorded 5 Feb 1760 on p 308 of Will Book 1, Lunenburg County, VA. Abstracted as follows: John Austin of the Parish of Cornwall, County of Lunenburg, VA . Wife Hannah Austin, son John Austin, Jr. and Valentine Austin, 400 acres on Leatherwood Creek located in Halifax Co. (now Henry Co.), VA. Son Stephen Austin, 370 acres on Sandy River , located in Halifax Co. (now Pittsylvania Co.), VA. Son Richard Austin, and son Joseph Austin. To wife Hannah during her natural life (the) plantation at head of Sandy River in Halifax Co. VA, and at her death to Richard Austin. To wife Hannah all the rest of my estate, both real and personal, for life then to son Joseph Austin. Whereas, my sons Joseph, Richard and Stephen are not married, if either dies unmarried his part to go (to) the others. Executors : Wife Hannah and son Richard Austin. Signed: John Austin. Witnesses: George Carrington, Isham Talbot, and Thomas Read. Hannah Austin relinquished her right of execution and Richard Austin qualified as executor, with Paul Carrington and Clement Read, Jr., his securities.(end).

Research Notes

Competing Theory of Parentage: Proposed parents James Austin and Sarah Adams These profiles have no source that ties them to an American Austin family, nor travel to the Colonies. They lived and died in England. They had a child named John born in Kent, England in 1701.

Baptism - First name(s) John. Last name Austin. Baptism date 27 Mar 1701. Place Pembury, St Peter. Father's first name(s) James. Mother's first name(s) Sarah. Mother's last name [blank]. County Kent. Country England. Archive Kent History & Library Centre. Archive reference P286/1/A/2. Register type Baptisms, marriages & burials 1654-1730. Record set Kent Baptisms. Category Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records. Subcategory Parish Baptisms. Collections from England, Great Britain .^[4] This line goes back John Sr., James, James, James, John, Richard. Although the English part of this line seems well-documented, the link to this John Austin is not shown or documented.

There was a FindAGrave memorial for this proposed father, James Austin, but there is no cemetery record nor location on the "memorial". This John Austin has been attached as a son of James on the memorial. (Also no cemetery location nor photo.) This note is posted: When this was posted, the information on this page was taken from a relatives family records and has not been verified. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/141679293/john-champness-austin I.E. This is an unsourced memorial.

No additional supporting documentation provided for these "alternate" parents.

Brown-13495 11:48, 3 November 2019 (UTC) There is no evidence of a middle name Champness so I have deleted it.

McReynolds-216 22:00, 27 January 2021 (UTC) : Support for his birth location in Virginia is his marriage record which was transcribed and no image available.

The Austin Family Association of America web site contains the following statement: "Thomas Austin of New Kent Co., Virginia Thomas Austin with an unnamed wife and two sons arrived in America by 1642. ^[5] He was born in England about 1600, and died testate in New Kent Co., VA before 1668, bequeathing 300 acres to his sons Richard and John. Richard repatented the same 300 acre tract in 1668 being the sole survivor, his brother John having died without issue previously. Richard Austin's sons included Richard and John, who left New Kent Co. and migrated to Southside Virginia in Amelia Co. by 1738, then on to Brunswick Co., VA by 1740." ^[6] Land patent, 1668 reads in part: 300 acres on the south side of the York River seven miles up the narrows adjoining the land of Thomas Valelx, Lewis Burwell and Thomas Broughton... Granted to Francis Flood in 1648 who sold to Thomas Austen, father of above named who bequeathed to sd. Richard and John, his brother, and now due sd Richd, entirely as survivor." ^[7]

A 1961 article in The Virginia Genealogist ^[8] and a family history written in 1995 ^[9] appear to be the sources for most of the factual information on the John and Richard Austin The Internet is peppered with direct - unattributed - quotes from both. Both articles state that the origins of this family are unknown and the first appearance in records of the two men is in 1740. There is no mention of any Saponi connection in either article.

Sources

1. ↑ Section: Lunenburg County Tithable List Taken by William Caldwell in 1749, p. 275 Virginia Tax Records from the Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, The William and Mary College Quarterly, and Tyler's Quarterly, Genealogical Publishing Co., Baltimore, MD. 1983. Digitized at Ancestry.com
2. ↑ Section: First List of Tithables of Pittsylvania County, Year 1767, see above
3. ↑ Pawlett, Nathaniel and Boyd, Tyler. Lunenburg County Road Orders 1746-1764. Virginia Transportation Research Council, January 1993. Digitized at road
4. ↑ FindMyPast.co.uk
5. ↑ Nugent, Nell. Cavaliers and Pioneers. Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants, 1623-1666, Vol. I, Patent Book I, Part 2. p. 135.
6. ↑ Austin Families web site Austin
7. ↑ land patent, image at: Richard
8. ↑ Curtis, Janet Austin. "Southside Virginia Austins," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 5, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1961):147-154. Digital version at American Ancestors
9. ↑ Sutherland, William Hubert, Hetty Swindall Sutherland, Elihu Jasper Sutherland, and Thora McElrath Sutherland. Swindall and Austin Families of Virginia and North Carolina: and Related Families... Digitized at FamilySearch Austin

• See also:
• 1749 Lunenburg Co., VA Order Book 2, p 253.
• Pittsylvania Co., VA Land Tax Record , VA State Library. 6)
• Pittsylvania Co., VA Order Book 5, pp 64, 71, 342.
• Find A Grave: Memorial #141679293 Unsourced with no cemetery record nor cemetery location nor photo.
• Michael Hollifield