William Heritage Descendants  

Contributed by Clair Hadley donandclair@verizon.net

First Generation

1. William HERITAGE died in 1769.

Colonial lawyer, planter and political. from 1738 until his death, he served as clerk of the general assembly, an influential post.  In 1762 he got the North Carolina General assembly to establish the town of Kingston on his lands. He bought 4 lots from the Trustees of Kingston. These lots included the site of Harmony Hall. He left these lots as part of the inheritance of his youngest child Elizabeth, then a minor. Gov. Caswell studied law under him and was admitted to the bar April 1, 1759. Caswell's 2nd wife was William's daughter Sarah. There is some evidence that William Heritage married twice, (1) Susannah Frank, (2) Susannah Moore, but this needs to be checked.

William married (1) Susannah MOORE.

They had the following children:

2 F  i.   Sarah HERITAGE was born in 1740. She died in 1794.

SOURCE: 1790 census- Sarah Caswell has two males over 16, two boys under 16, and 3 females (including herself) and 21 slaves.

*Note-Richard Caswell(died 1789) and his second wife Sarah took in their grandson Richard William after Caswell's son (by first wife Mary Mcllwean) William'sdeath (Jan.6, 1785) and wife Gatsey's death(1785). They also raised Sarah Richard, dau. of his son Richard, jr (d.Dec. 27,1784) and wife Mary McIlwean. Mary remarried Benejah White by 1788.

They also reared Richard Francis McIlwean(b.1784) and his 2 sisters Sarah and Elizabeth, children ofhis daughter Sarah (d.1787) and her husband John Sturgis McIlwean(d.(d.1788). In addition, he appears to have taken in William and Elizabeth Lovick, nephew & niece of his wife Sarah. They were the children of Sarah's sister Ann and George P. Lovick.

Sarah married Governor Richard CASWELL, son of Richard CASWELL Sr. and Christian DALLAM, on 20 Jun 1758. Richard was born on 3 Aug 1729 in Joppa, Md. (Mulberry Point). He died on 10 Nov 1789 in Fayetteville, NC and was buried in Kinston, NC.

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*Note-Richard Caswell and his second wife Sarah raised their grandson Richard William after Caswell's son (by first wife Mary Mcllwean) William's death (Jan.6, 1785) and wife Gatsey's death (1785) They also raised Sarah Richard, dau. of his son Richard,jr (d. Dec. 27, 1784) and Mary McIlwean Mary married Benejah White shortly after Gov. Caswell's death (c.1790) so it is unclear where Sarah Richard was by 1790 census. They also reared Richard Francis McIlwean and his 2 sisters Sarah and Elizabeth, children of his daughter Sarah (d.1787) and her husband John Sturgis McIlwean (d.1788). In addition, he appears to have taken in William and Elizabeth Lovick,nephew & niece of his wife Sarah. Sarah also took in Benjamin John Caswell (b. c1793) following John Caswell's death in 1795. SOURCE: 1790 census- Sarah Caswell has two males over 16, two boys under 16, and 3 females (including herself) and 21 slaves.

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3 F ii.   Elizabeth HERITAGE was born in 1752. She died in 1820.

Elizabeth married Jesse COBB in 1772 in Kinston, NC. Jesse was born in 1746. He died in 1807.

The couple built HARMONY HALL for their residence in or about 1772. Their son, John Cobb,(1776-1834) is quoted by onof his daughters as saying he was born in this house in 1776. Jesse was a captain in the dobbs County militia and one of the Minute men at Moore's Creek Bridge. He left Harmony Hall to serve against the British in the Continental Army and endured the bitter winter at Valley forge. His mercantile business languished and his family moved to harrow, the plantation of Elizabeth's brother, Capt. John Heritage, near Woodington, a few miles south of Kinston. During the war years, the house was occuoied by Sec. of State James Glasgow and housed the official records, but was never owned by the State. Richard Caswell purchased it from Jesse Cobb and continued to own it until 1782 when he gave it and as adjoining lot to his second oldest son, Richard Caswell, jr. about the time of his marriage in 1782. Richard jr lived there until his death in 1784; Jesse was in the mercantile business with Gov. Caswell's son Richard, jr. Source: LCC Library Harmony Hall LH 08288-2 by Charles R. Holloman; exerpts from a paper entitled " Harmony Hall and Some of its Tenants"

4 F iii.   Ann HERITAGE.

Ann married George P. LOVICK.

SOURCE: Francis Hodges by email: Gov. Caswell and Sarah also raised Sarah's niece and nephew, Elizabeth and William Lovick, who were the children of Sarah's sister,  Ann Heritage, and George P. Lovick.  Both Elizabeth and William Lovick married children of Capt. Simon Bright, Jr and Mary Graves.

5 M   iv.   Capt. John HERITAGE.

Capt. John Herittage lived on a plantation named harrow, near Woodington.

William also married (2) Susannah FRANK marriage not proved.

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