Family Tree Maker's Genealogy Site: User Home Page Book: Norfleet, Campbell, Mayfield and Mortier Ancestors of Philip C. Norfleet: NGS Quarterly Report of Thomas Northfleete

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Descendants of Thomas Northfleete

76. Marmaduke⁵ Norfleet (Reuben⁴, Marmaduke³, Thomas², Thomas¹ Northfleete) was born 12 July, 1766 in Bertie County NC, and died 13 June, 1818 in Halifax County NC. He married Hannah Ruffin 1786, daughter of William Ruffin and Sarah Hill.

Notes for Marmaduke Norfleet:

MARMADUKE NORFLEET (1766-1818)

This younger Marmaduke was the son of Reuben Norfleet by his first wife Lucy Smith, and the grandson of the first Marmaduke. Marmaduke became a prosperous planter, having substantial property on the west side of the Roanoke River, in Halifax County, near the modern town of Scotland Neck. He was elected to the North Carolina House of Commons from Halifax County in 1789. He also represented Halifax at the Convention held at Fayetteville NC to consider the adoption of the Federal Constitution.

In 1786, Marmaduke married Hannah Ruffin and had six (6) children. In 1802, his eldest daughter, Lucy, eloped with John Drew. John was the brother of William Drew, who, in 1816, would become the Attorney General of North Carolina. Lucy was only 15 at the time and the elopement was violently opposed by her father. Marmaduke immediately made out his will and disinherited his daughter with these words:

"To Lucy Norfleet, otherwise Lucy Drew, for the purpose of preventing her from inheriting any other part of my estate, I give the sum of five shillings paper money; I here insert this article as a standing memorial and to perpetuate to my descendants my abhorence of her late union, that she has been to me an ungrateful and the most undutiful child; that when I am no more should she fall into any distress my children will I hope unrelentingly see the distress as just and that she is only reaping the due reward of her ingratitude to the kindest and most indulgent parents……….to Lucy Smith Drew proofs of daily ingratitude occur to determine & I hereby provide that she in no case shall inherit one shilling more, in any case of death, than the five shillings above given to cut her off; ………Providing in all cases that Lucy Drew shall never inherit one shilling in the case of the death of either the above children or wife.……."

The amateur antiquarian and genealogist, Stuart Hall Hill, when he recorded the above words in his genealogical work concerning the Hill and allied families, remarked: "Plain talk that!"

Marmaduke later became reconciled to Lucy, who died in his house in 1805, from complications due to childbirth. In the three years following the writing of his will, Marmaduke had two additional children and Lucy Drew had one child. (b. 1805). However, he never rewrote or rescinded his 1802 will. Several years later, in January 1810, Marmaduke became insane and continued in this state until his death on 13 May 1818. His 1802 will was contested in court by his heirs and the matter was not resolved until 1826. His only son, also named Marmaduke, died in 1830 sans progeny.

Children of Marmaduke Norfleet and Hannah Ruffin are:

+	190	i.	Lucy⁶ Norfleet, born 03 May, 1787; died 1805.
+	191	ii.	Louisa Norfleet, born 28 February, 1789 in Halifax County NC; died 04 January, 1828 in Scotland Neck NC.
	192	iii.	Anne (Nancy) Norfleet, born 12 December, 1790 in Halifax County NC; died 1837. She married (1) Dr. Pleasant Hall. She married (2) Dr. Alexander S. Johnston 29 March, 1812 in Edgecombe County NC.
	193	iv.	Elizabeth Norfleet, born 1792; died 1794.
	194	v.	Sarah Hill Norfleet, born July 1795 in Halifax County NC; died 12 January, 1796 in Halifax County NC.
	195	vi.	Olivia Norfleet, born 10 September, 1800; died Aft. 1845 in TN. She married Thomas Cox 15 February, 1820 in Scotland Neck NC.
	196	vii.	Rebecca Hill Norfleet, born 1802 in Halifax County NC; died 06 March, 1808 in Halifax County NC.
	197	viii.	Sallie Norfleet, born 10 September, 1804 in Halifax County NC; died 12 October, 1804 in Halifax County NC.
	198	ix.	Lucy Smith Norfleet, born 24 November, 1805 in Halifax County NC; died 03 May, 1892. She married Weldon Nathaniel Edwards 25 June, 1823.
	199	x.	Marmaduke Norfleet, born 27 December, 1807 in Halifax County NC; died 10 January, 1830 in Halifax County NC.

78. Rebecca⁵ Norfleet (Reuben⁴, Marmaduke³, Thomas², Thomas¹ Northfleete) was born 28 January, 1783 in Bertie County NC, and died 19 May, 1845 in Halifax County NC. She married Thomas Blunt Hill 26 November, 1799, son of Whitmel Hill and Winifred Blount.

Child of Rebecca Norfleet and Thomas Hill is:

200

Whitmel John⁶ Hill, born 17 July, 1804 in Halifax County NC; died 1873 in Halifax County NC.

80. Thomas Figures⁵ Norfleet (Reuben⁴, Marmaduke³, Thomas², Thomas¹ Northfleete) was born 02 April, 1787 in Bertie County NC, and died 11 January, 1838 in Bertie County NC. He married Margaret Williams Andrews 1808, daughter of Stephen Andrews and Celia Tyler.

Children of Thomas Norfleet and Margaret Andrews are:

	201	i.	Rebecca⁶ Norfleet, born 1809; died 1864. She married Dr. Richard Urquart.
	202	ii.	James Norfleet.
	203	iii.	Reuben Norfleet.
	204	iv.	Eliza Gordon Norfleet, born 10 October, 1811 in Bertie County NC; died 24 January, 1812 in Bertie County NC.
	205	v.	Abelaide Norfleet.
	206	vi.	Louise Norfleet, born 1819; died 1892. She married James Burwell Urquhart.
+	207	vii.	Stephen Andrews Norfleet, born 28 September, 1822 in Bertie County NC; died 02 July, 1910 in Bertie County NC.
	208	viii.	Margaret Andrews Norfleet, born 1829. She married Ellis Carr Hines.
	209	ix.	Frances Norfleet. She married Whitmal Hill Urquhart.
	210	x.	Thomas Figures Norfleet, died Abt. 1852.

81. John⁵ Norfleet (Reuben⁴, Marmaduke³, Thomas², Thomas¹ Northfleete) was born 1773. He married Mary Granberry, daughter of James Granberry.

Children of John Norfleet and Mary Granberry are:

	211	i.		Antoinette E.⁶ Norfleet. She married David J. Milliken 07 July, 1829 in Halifax County NC.
+	212	ii.		John Norfleet.

83. Absilla⁵ Norfleet (Marmaduke⁴, Marmaduke³, Thomas², Thomas¹ Northfleete) was born Abt. 1754, and died Bef. 1795. She married (1) Benjamin Bell 02 July, 1768 in Bertie County NC, son of Arthur Bell and Sarah _____. She married (2) Dolphin Drew Young August 1776 in Bertie County NC.

Children of Absilla Norfleet and Benjamin Bell are:

+	213	i.	Sarah⁶ Bell, born Abt. 1769 in North Carolina; died 1786 in Edgecombe County NC.
+	214	ii.	Marmaduke Bell, born Abt. 1771; died 1797.
	215	iii.	Arthur Bell, born Abt. 1774; died 1818.

102. Isaac⁵ Norfleet (Abraham⁴, John³, John², Thomas¹ Northfleete) was born Abt. 1780 in Gates County NC, and died 05 November, 1844 in Philadelphia PA. He married (1) Mary Scull 15 January, 1806 in Hertford County NC. He married (2) Christiana Ward 1807 in Bertie County NC.

Children of Isaac Norfleet and Christiana Ward are:

+	216	i.	Emily⁶ Norfleet, died Bef. 1853.
	217	ii.	James Norfleet, born Abt. 1811; died 03 June, 1832 in Edgecombe County NC.
	218	iii.	Margaret Norfleet. She married Jesse Mercer 19 June, 1844 in Edgecombe County NC.
	219	iv.	Sarah Elizabeth Norfleet, born 1832; died 17 March, 1852 in Edgecomb County NC.
	220	v.	Thomas Norfleet. He married Azula Mehegan 01 September, 1858 in Edgecombe County NC.
	221	vi.	William Norfleet, born 1815; died 1871 in Edgecombe County NC.
+	222	vii.	Robert Norfleet, born 21 February, 1816; died 14 September, 1871 in Edgecombe County NC.
	223	viii.	John Norfleet, born 1820; died Abt. 1880 in Edgecombe County NC.
	224	ix.	Benjamin Norfleet, born 1828; died 1896 in Edgecomb County NC.
	225	x.	Joseph Norfleet, born 1830; died 07 September, 1859 in Philadelphia PA.

105. Elisha⁵ Norfleet (Abraham⁴, John³, John², Thomas¹ Northfleete) was born Abt. 1759 in Chowan County NC, and died 29 October, 1811 in Chowan County NC. He married Ann Evans 24 November, 1787 in Chowan County NC.

Notes for Elisha Norfleet:

Elisha was a successful merchant with stores in Edenton, Princeton and Murfreesboro, North Carolina. For several years his business partner was John Washington, a distant kinsman of George Washington, who, in later years, became a wealthy merchant in New Bern, North Carolina. Elisha's agent in Murfreesboro was James Cryer, a nephew of the Revolutionary War hero, Colonel Hardy Murfree. Elisha resided in the town of Edenton, where he was Clerk of the Chowan County Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions from 1794-1811. His house in Edenton still stands but is privately owned and is not open to the public. In 1787, Elisha married Ann Evans, the widow of Captain Joseph Evans; Elisha and Ann had a total of nine children. Two of Elisha's sons, James and William, were the Clerks of the Chowan Court from 1811-1815 and 1815-1820, respectively. His Daughter Sarah married James Wills, the Editor of the Edenton Gazette. For a time, after her husband's death in 1826, Sarah edited the paper herself and thus was the first woman newspaper editor in the history of North Carolina.

Children of Elisha Norfleet and Ann Evans are:

	226	i.	Mary Cox⁶ Norfleet.
	227	ii.	Sarah (Sally) Norfleet, born 20 October, 1788. She married James Wills 07 May, 1815 in Chowan County NC.
+	228	iii.	James Norfleet, born 01 May, 1790; died 23 March, 1815 in Chowan County NC.
	229	iv.	Thomas Norfleet, born 30 January, 1792.
	230	v.	William Norfleet, born 04 June, 1794.
	231	vi.	Nancy Norfleet, born 21 February, 1796.
	232	vii.	John Palmer Norfleet, born 04 July, 1798.
	233	viii.	Elisha Benett Norfleet, born 27 January, 1801 in Chowan County NC; died December 1837 in Hertford County NC.
	234	ix.	Elizabeth Norfleet, born 27 January, 1801.

      108. Henry⁵ Norfleet (John⁴, John³, John², Thomas¹ Northfleete) was born 03 June, 1762 in Nansemond County VA, and died Abt. 1804 in Nansemond County VA. He married Elizabeth Everett April 1785 in Gates County NC.

Notes for Henry Norfleet:

We know, from the Bible record of Henry's son, John Norfleet (1786-1873) of Pulaski County, Kentucky that Henry Norfleet was born in the year 1762. Henry's wife was Elizabeth Everett of Gates County, North Carolina. Their Gates County marriage bond was dated 16 September 1785; Israel Beeman was the bondsman, with James Rise and Law Baker as the witnesses.

By conjecture, I have concluded that Henry was the older brother of both James Norfleet (1767-1849) and David Norfleet (c. 1770-1824) based on the following rationale:

1. Naming Conventions: It was the custom of most Virginia families to name their first born son after the paternal grandfather. Henry's firstborn son was named John, which would imply that the Grandfather was also named John. Also, Henry's son, John, settled very close to David Norfleet when he arrived in Kentucky in about the year 1820, on White Oak Creek. It is therefore probable that John was a close relative of David, i. e., his nephew.

2. State Census Data: Further evidence supporting the conjecture that Henry was a son of John Norfleet (d. 1812) is provided by the Virginia State Census enumerations for 1783 and 1784. We know that Henry Norfleet had acquired land by 1782, as he is carried on the Nansemond County land tax lists as owning 200 acres in both 1782 and 1783. He does not appear in the VA State Census for 1783 as a separate householder; however, he is listed in the 1784 census. Probably he was omitted from the 1783 census because he was still serving in the Continental Army (see the section on Henry's Revolutionary War Service below) and was away from home. It should be noted that the only other Norfleet in his census district for the year 1784 was John Norfleet (d. 1812). Also, in his census district were many Holland households, including Brittain (Albridgton?) Holland, John Holland, Jesse Holland and William (Willis?) Holland. These are the same names, as the young men who enlisted with Henry in the Royal North Carolina Regiment in June-July 1781 (see below).

3. The Holland Connection: Mr. Bobbie Jones of Suffolk, a descendent of Job Holland, in a letter published in the newsletter of the Thomas Norfleet: 1666 Society (pages 145-147), provides the following information:

" … In his will, probated in 1829, my ancestor Job Holland made the following bequest:

' … 2nd I give and bequeath to my daughter Elizabeth Barnes the tract of land which I purchased of Henry Norfleet containing two hundred and fifty-two acres, more or less, together with the mill situated thereon, … '

"This tract of land lies immediately to the northwest of the village of Holland, separated from the Holland land by a branch of the Kingsale Swamp formerly known as Captain John's Swamp. The old mill dam, referred to in the will, still extends out from either side of the main branch of the swamp - possibly dating back as far as Henry Norfleet's time. Henry Norfleet appears as a land owner on the land tax lists in 1782 and continues up to 1803/04 when a portion of his land appears to have been acquired by Job Holland whose holdings increased by 252 acres at that time - at the same time Henry Norfleet's name disappears….. In 1821 James Barnes acquired 108 acres from John Norfleet of Henry which was adjacent to Job Holland's land.

"I think Job Holland and Henry Norfleet probably married sisters as Job Holland's wife was also an Everett (Mary I think). Job Holland had two daughters - Mary and Elizabeth. Elizabeth first married John Holland (the Tory?) who owned the farm on which the village of Holland later developed - just across the swamp from Henry Norfleet. After John Holland's death (c. 1817) Elizabeth married James Barnes … The Henry Norfleet land was located at the extreme eastern end of Processioning Precinct 17 … "

I believe the above information from Mr. Jones is accurate. It clearly establishes that Henry sold 252 acres of land to Job Holland in the 1803/04 time frame. Presumably, Henry died soon thereafter as he last appears in the Nansemond County tax lists for the year 1803. The Gates County, North Carolina marriage records indicate that Henry married Elizabeth Everett on 16 September 1785. Job Holland was a grandson of Henry Holland and, thus, was probably a second cousin of Henry Norfleet. The Vestry Minutes for the Upper Parish of Nansemond County state that Henry's farm was in Land Processioning District 17.

REVOLUTIONARY WAR SERVICE AS A LOYALIST

Henry is commonly known among Norfleet family historians as the "Henry the Tory"! Although a loyalist, Henry was one of only three Norfleets known to have fought in the American Revolution. From the Virginia State Court records, the Papers of the Virginia Legislature, notices contained in the principal Virginia newspaper of the time, The Virginia Gazette and from British Army Muster Rolls, the story of "Henry the Tory" can be reconstructed.

In late May, 1781, Lieutenant-General, Earl Cornwallis and his Army crossed the border from North Carolina into Virginia. From a review of his correspondence, it is evident that Cornwallis and most of his forces were encamped near Suffolk, Virginia from 12 through 21 July. Henry enlisted as a Private in Cornwallis's Army (with the Royal North Carolina Regiment, Captain William Chandler's Company) at Suffolk on 14 July 1781. Several other young men of the area, probably all friends/acquaintances of Henry, also enlisted at the same time; their names included: John Holland, Jesse Holland, John Harrison, Levy Moore and William Hamblin. Several other Hollands had previously enlisted, on 14 June 1781, namely, Brittain (Albridgton?) Holland, Isaac Holland and Willis Holland. Henry's mother, Judath, was probably a Holland, thus the Holland men were probably all relatives of Henry Norfleet.

Henry's career as a British soldier was short lived; he was taken prisoner at Yorktown, Virginia on 19 October 1781. As a loyalist in the British Army, he was not automatically subject to treatment as a prisoner of war (POW) as were the regular British troops. When the surrender terms were being negotiated, Cornwallis tried to include a provision guaranteeing the safety of the loyalist forces. However, Washington would not agree, saying that the disposition of the loyalist troops was a matter for the civil authorities, not the Continental Army.

After the surrender, Earl Cornwallis and most of his officers were immediately paroled and were permitted, a few days later, to embarque by sea for New York, where the main British force under Sir Henry Clinton was located. Some of the British Officers and almost all the enlisted men were sent off to POW camps in Virginia, Maryland or Pennsylvania. Henry Norfleet's regiment was marched off to an internment camp near Lancaster, Pennsylvania. On the way, at Fredericksburgh, Virginia, Henry was taken ill and left in that city. Subsequently, he and several other young men from Nansemond County (Levy Moore, Albridgton Holland, John Holland and Demsey Butler) were tried in the General Court at Richmond, Virginia for treason, found guilty and, on 26 October 1782, sentenced to be hanged!

Fortunately for Henry, the extremely hostile public feeling against the Virginia loyalists had significantly abated by the Autumn of 1782. On 11 November 1782, a petition for clemency was presented to the Virginia House of Delegates (Number B3813 on file at the Virginia State Library in Richmond):

"To the honorable Speaker and Gentlemen of the House of Delegates

"The petition of John Holland, Albritton Holland, Dempsey Butler, Henry Norfleet, and Levi Moore, humbly shew that they are under sentence of death on a charge of Treason against the State from the County of Nansemond; that they do not complain of this sentence from a consciousness of their guilty misconduct, which they were fully sensible of long before they were apprehended on this charge, as evidently appears by their after conduct, prior to their being apprehended, to wit, their returning from the enemy, some of them almost immediately, and others long before there was an apparent probability of the capture of the British Army, at York, and their engaging again in the services of their country by taking up Armes against the enemy in defence thereof; these circumstances, added to those of the enemy being in possession of all the country below them on the south side of the James River and a general despondency prevailed in the minds of the people in these parts, especially among the weak and ignorant part of them, among whom the petitioners' situations and circumstances in life unfortunately placed them. Your petitioners also are all very young men and flatter themselves, could their lives be spared, would yet be good and useful members of society, and in such case, it is their determined resolution to atone for their past misconduct, by their future good behavior, in every instance of their lives, a specimen of which they hope they have given, by their voluntary return from the enemy and taking up arms against them; Your Petitioners therefore, humbly beg leave to lay their cases before you, and pray that Your honorable House will be graciously pleased to take them under consideration, and also beg leave to hope, that, after considering them all under all the various circumstances that attend them, that these are the first offenses with which they were ever charged, that their characters are unexceptionable in every other instance of their lives; the proofs that they have given their early and timely repentance; their subsequent friendly disposition to their Country, which are proofs that nothing cou'd tempt them to attempt another injury to it, together with their youth and inexperience, and the frailty of human nature, you will graciously be pleased to pardon their offenses and Your Petitioners as in duty bound will ever pray &c."

The Virginia Assembly subsequently passed an act pardoning Henry (and his Nansemond County colleagues Albridgton (Albritton) Holland, John Holland and Levi Moore), but stipulated that he was required to serve in the American Army for the duration of the War. On 3 September 1783, the Treaty of Versailles went into effect and the Revolutionary War was officially at an end. Sometime in late 1782 or early 1783, Henry was discharged and was able to return to civilian life.

As previously mentioned, Henry is believed to be a son of Judith Holland. It is interesting to note that many members of the Holland family supported the Loyalist cause during the revolution.

HOLLAND LOYALISTS IN THE REVOLUTION

The following table identifies several Holland men who enlisted in the Royal North Carolina Regiment (Captain William Chandler's Company) in the summer of 1781, when British forces under Lord Cornwallis were encamped in the Suffolk area. It should be noted that this is the same company and regiment that Henry Norfleet joined, as a Private, on 14 July 1781.

NAME            RANK      DATE OF ENLISTMENT
Britain Holland      Private      14 June 1781
Isaac Holland      Private      14 June 1781
Wills Holland      Private      14 June 1781
Abraham Holland      Private      14 July 1781
Joseph Holland      Private      14 July 1781
Jesse Holland      Corporal      14 July 1781
John Holland      Corporal      14 July 1781

The Company muster roll indicates that Joseph Holland was killed on 20 September 1781, presumably at the siege of Yorktown. Like Henry Norfleet (see page 73 of this book), all of the other above named Holland men were taken prisoner by the Continental Army on 19 October 1781. John Holland and Britain (Albritton) Holland, along with Henry Norfleet, were sentenced to death by the General Court at Richmond on 26 October 1782. However, both John and Albritton Holland (like Henry Norfleet) were subsequently pardoned by the Virginia House of Delegates.


Child of Henry Norfleet and Elizabeth Everett is:

235

John⁶ Norfleet, born 11 October, 1786 in Nansemond County VA; died 19 April, 1873 in Pulaski County KY.

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