Chapter 11: English Penitone to American Pennington

Levi Pennington's Family

Levi Pennington was born between 1714 and 1720, probably in New Jersey. He was educated and owned land. He married Martha Mendenhall (although there is still uncertainty about her maiden name) in 1749 in Guilford/Randolph County. We know that Martha was born on June 17, 1714 (because her birthdate was recorded in the Quaker Center Monthly Meeting when she died). Martha was a Quaker and Levi married into her Quaker faith. They had five children: Isaac (1751), Rachel (1753), Mary (1755), Levi Jr. (1757), and Elizabeth (1761). A terrific collection of information on Levi can be found on the Pennington Research Group 6 website.

Levi first appears on a tax list for Rowan County, NC in 1759. On April 6, 1762, Levi bought 231 1/2 acres of land on a branch of the north fork the Deep River in Rowan County (now Guilford) from John Mills for 30 pounds. The deed described the land as:  "... On branch of the North fork of Deep River, beginning at a white oak and runs thence west 20 chains to a black oak, then north 10 chains to a white oak, then west 4 chains and 40 links to a black oak, then north one chain and 50 links to a black oak, then east 13 chains and 40 links to a hickory, then north 2 chains to a white oak, then west 11 chains to a white oak, then north 5 chains to a white oak, then west 5 chains to a white oak, then north 5 chains to a white oak, then west 5 chains to a black oak, then north 5 chains to a white oak, then 15 chains to a black oak, then north 20 chains to a hickory, then east 80 chains to Thomas Mills' corner, then south 50 chains to the place of beginning containing in the whole two hundred and thirty one and a half acres." One acre is 10 square chains; there are 100 links in a chain and a chain is equal to 66 feet. John Mills had originally been granted the land by the Earl of Granvill's agents in 1759. It is likely that Levi established a mill on this land. January 4, 1765, Levi sold his first parcel of land (231 1/2 acres) to John Mendenhall for 46 pounds--only 16 pounds more than he paid but a 50% profit.

Before the sale of the first parcel of land, on March 25, 1764, Levi bought another 300 acres on Deep River from William Hall for 100 pounds in VA money. The land had been granted to Hall by the Earl of Granvill in 1758. Levi may not have actually paid cash for the land, he may have owed money to Hall. On September 26, 1765, Levy sold this second plot of land (300 acres) to John Frohock for 116.15.6 pounds. It seems that he had until September 1768 to either pay for the land from Hall (with interest), to sell it, or he would forfeit it. This second sale of land lists Levi Pennington as being a "planter".

On July 20, 1771, Levi bought 200 acres on the Richland Creek branch of McClendon's Creek in Cumberland County from Nathan Smith for 45 pounds. This is in present day Moore County, North Carolina about 18 miles south of the Randolph County line. It flows into McLendons Creek which flows into the Deep River and crosses highway 24/27 halfway between Robbins and Carthage, NC. On December 4, 1772, he sold this 200 acres to John McCloud for 50 pounds. The deed mentions that Levi is a "planter" and the land has a "plantation" where he is living.

In 1778, Levi registered 150 acres on Buffaloe Creek. It is not clear when he purchased this land. On the 1779 tax list, Levi is listed as having 6 acres of improved land, 150 acres of land, 4 cattle, 1 horse, 16 pounds in money on hand, bonds, notes and royal interest, stocks in trade - total 925 pds.  Levi also was on the list for not taking the Oath of Allegiance to the new government. Quakers were not allowed to take the Oath nor to pay any taxes towards the war. Though no longer part of the Quaker Monthly Meetings, this may have been the reason.

In 1782, the state granted Levi 100 acres on both sides of the Deep River. It may be this same land he sold when he sold 150 acres to Thomas Dugan two years later for 200 pounds current money. The land was described in the deed as: "lying and being on both Sides of Deep River in the county of Randolph. Beginning at a white oak at James Dougan, dec'd Turn West North 120 poles crossing Deep River to a white oak  Then East 200 poles to a port oak then South 120 poles To a white oak Then West 200 poles crossing Deep River to the place of Beginning." The land is adjacent to James Dougan and Levi is selling it to Dougan's son, probably shortly after his father's death.

In the 1785 tax list for Randoph County, Levi has 300 acres. He sold 100 acres just one week before, perhaps to avoid paying taxes on it. He bought and sold over 400 acres of land over the next decade.

Levi attempted to live within the required Quaker lifestyle but found it at times too constraining. The New Garden Monthly Meeting records show that he was admonished on several occassions (1761 for "strong drink", 1762 for "fought with neighbor and used bad language", 1763 "strong drink", 1766 "strong drink", 1771 "singing and dancing") before he was dropped from the Quaker records during 1771. In June of that year, Martha and four of their children transfered to the Quaker Cane Creek Monthly Meeting but Levi did not. Their oldest son Isaac had attempted to transfer at the same time but would not be accepted until four years later. Martha would transfer again to the Quaker Center Monthly Meeting in 1780.

Levi also signed several petitions in support of outlawed Regulators. His Excellency Josiah Martin Esquire Governor and Commander in Chief in and over the Province of North Carolina had appointed all the court officials including the sheriffs. These officials collected exorbitant taxes from the people of North Carolina. The people petitioned the Governor for help but he wouldn't do anything because he was getting a cut of the taxes. Finally, men calling themselves the Regulators took up arms against the officials of the court and refused to pay their taxes. They charged that it was government without representation--the same reason that brought about the American Revolution five years later. The forces of the Governor defeated the Regulators May 13, 1771 on Alamance Creek. Some of the Regulator ring leaders were captured and hung, but others escaped. They were declared outlaws and remained on the run, unable to help their families. The petitions to the Governor that Levi signed stated that some of these Regulators were good and honorable and law abiding men who were coorced into joining the Regulators by others and who were married and had little children needing their father's support. Incidentally, Quakers were not allowed to join the fighting though they were allowed to sign petitions.

Levi wrote his will December 5, 1789 and it was probated June 1790 (Will Book 1, page 79). Levi died between 1790-1796 in Guilford/Randolph, North Carolina and is buried in the Center Monthly Meeting Quaker Cemetery in Randolph County. When Levi died he left 100 acres to Martha and Elizabeth and 110 acres to Levi Jr. The rest of his estate was to be divided evenly between his wife and children. Martha died November 27, 1800 and is buried in the Center Cemetery with Levi.

Isaac Pennington, Levi and Martha's oldest son, was born in 1751 in Guilford/Randolph County, North Carolina. On 27 Apr 1771, Isaac's request to have his certificate transferred to the Quaker Cane Creek Monthly Meeting was denied. It was accepted four years later on 4 Feb 1775, but within four months after being accepted to Cane Creek, Isaac was disowned for marrying out of unity (written as "mou"). He was living in Cumberland County, North Carolina on about 500 acres on both sides fo the Deep River above mouth of White Lick Branch. He married an unknown wife, perhaps Sarah Burns. He had at least on child named Mary (1781). Isaac made several trips to Virginia to buy and sell land. He was granted more land in 1787 on Richland Creek, Randolph County, North Carolina which he sold a few years later. By 1790 he had 100 acres on the tax list. He died about 1832.

Rachel Pennington was born in 1753 in Guilford/Randolph County, North Carolina. She married a man with the last name of Perry in 1770 in Guilford/Randoph County, North Carolina. She was disowned by the Quakers for marrying out of unity.

Mary Pennington was born in 1755 in Guilford/Randoph County, North Carolina. She married a man with the last name of Graves in 1779. She was disowned by the Quakers for marrying out of unity.

Because of his continued importance, we'll come back to the fourth child, Levi Pennington, Jr., in the next chapter.

Elizabeth Pennington was born in 1760 in North Carolina. She married Asahel "Sail" Beeson around 1780. He was born on February 22, 1766 in Guilford County, North Carolina to Captain Benjamin Beeson and Bethia Lamb. On May 5, 1781 Elizabeth is disowned from the Quarker Center Monthly Meeting. No was reason given. It could be because she married Asahel, though he seems to be a Quaker, or because of something else. They had four children: Levi (1780), Rachel (1782), John (1784), Asahel (1786).

The Journal of the North Carolina Genealogical Society, Vol XIX, No. 2, May 1993 quotes: "Beeson, Elizabeth and Azael. Petition of Elizabeth Beeson of Randolph County North Carolina, states that she once had a husband who lived with her several years and bore him four children. He then deserted his family and moved to the state of South Carolina and married another woman. The petitioner has supported the said children for fourteen years through her own care and industry and had acquired some property which greatly assisted her in maintaining her family She further stated that her age, hardships, and infirmities made her unable to transact business as formerly, and she has had difficulty in recovering monies due her because she can not bring suit in her situation. She prays the General Assembly to secure such property as she now has or may hereafter acquire and grant her the privilege in her own name to buy, sell, and sue as if she had never been married, her prayer is granted, and the General Assembly passes an act in response." She was granted a divorce and the right to handle her own affairs.

If the 1804 petition of Elizabeth is accurate in claiming that she had cared for her children alone for fourteen years, it would mean that Sail had departed sometime before 1790, and it seems from the census information as given that he lost no time in establishing a new household and a new family in South Carolina. On more than one count it seems likely that two of the males in Sail's household in 1800 were children of his first marriage. It will be remembered that although Elizabeth's petition says she bore four children, her father's will names only two Beason grandchildren, and the other two may have been with their father in Spartanburg. Asahel died on June 12, 1840 in Spartanburg County, South Carolina.

Continue