I am trying to trace my roots to their earliest discoverable origin. I think I have worked back clearly to SC in 1784, when Solomon Owens (b c1740) purchased by patent 100 acres of land in Orangeburg District, later Barnwell District, SC. These patents in Orangeburg/Barnwell were frequently by settlers from VA or NC. I found a Solomon Owens in Craven County, NC in 1769, 1770, and 1775. Maybe he's the one. Maybe not. I have the will of Stephen Owens, son of old Solomon, both original copy and a transcript. Also have a copy of an original deed in which Stephen's son Solomon and wife Sarah in 1823 sell 100 acres which Solomon and Sarah clearly received from Stephen at their wedding, according to Stephen's will and the deed description as well as the earlier deed when Stephen originally bought the 340 acre tract. This document is my fullest proof, though not conclusive, that my GGGgrandfather Solomon A. Owens was one and the same as Solomon the son of Stephen. Both men were married to women named Sarah, both born in SC about 1795. I have a theory in which there was a big dispersal of Stephen's estate as well as his family after his death in 1824. The above mentioned sale seems to coincide either with the writing of Stephen's will in 1823 or his death. There were two or three migrations of the family from Barnwell Dist, SC to Gadsden county, Fl between 1826 and 1830. I have gotten names from Seminole War muster rolls which suggest that two of Solomon's younger brothers (one not mentioned in Stephen's will, a good reason to leave SC) and two of his sons (one my GGgrandfather) for whom I have requested military, bounty land warrent applications, pension applications. I have had good success with these documents gaining information leading to family relations during this time. A cousin who had been researching the family from the early 1970's had provided me with copies of some wills from Barnwell county, SC, which is where she had guessed we came from but never even got a connection there. These included the wills of STephen's brother William (who had sued Stephen's widow for his estate) and father Solomon ("old Solomon," whom I think came from NC, at least I found a Solomon Owens in the 1769 Census of Craven Couonty, NC, and got a 1775 deed from that place wherein Solomon conveys 100 acres to a creditor. The deed describes the property as having been obtained by Solomon in 1770 by patent. However, none of the online Owens researchers in this or surrounding counties of NC know anything about Solomon. Here is my line as I feel pretty confident about: Descendants of Solomon Owens I Generation No. 1 1. SOLOMON1 OWENS I1 was born Abt. 1740 in North Carolina?1, and died December 1818 in Barnwell District, South Carolina. He married MARGARET M.?1 Abt. 1760. She was born Abt. 17401, and died WFT Est. 1768-18351. Children of SOLOMON OWENS and MARGARET M.? are: 2. i. WILLIAM2 OWENS I, b. Abt. 1761; d. March 1836, Barnwell District, South Carolina. ii. MARTHA OWENS1, b. WFT Est. 1761-17901; d. WFT Est. 1777-18721; m. JOHN RIGDON1, WFT Est. 1777-18231; b. WFT Est. 1751-17881; d. WFT Est. 1777-18661. iii. SUSANAH OWENS1, b. WFT Est. 1761-17901; d. WFT Est. 1777-18721; m. WILLIAM HAREGROVES1, WFT Est. 1777-18231; b. WFT Est. 1751-17881; d. WFT Est. 1777-18661. 3. iv. STEPHEN OWENS I, b. Abt. 1763; d. 1823, Barnwell District, South Carolina. 4. v. JOHN OWENS I, b. Abt. 1765; d. November 1836, Barnwell District, South Carolina. Generation No. 2 2. WILLIAM2 OWENS I (SOLOMON1)1 was born Abt. 17611, and died March 1836 in Barnwell District, South Carolina1. He married SARAH OVERSTREET1 Abt. 1785 in Barnwell District, South Carolina1, daughter of JAMES OVERSTREET I. She was born Abt. 17651, and died WFT Est. 1778-18611. Children of WILLIAM OWENS and SARAH OVERSTREET are: 5. i. JOHN A.3 OWENS, b. December 20, 1791, Barnwell District, South Carolina; d. December 12, 1831, Beaufort District, South Carolina. ii. MARY OWENS, b. Abt. 1796, Barnwell District, South Carolina. 6. iii. EDMUND T. OWENS, b. 1806, Barnwell District, South Carolina. 7. iv. JAMES G. OWENS I, b. August 13, 1810, Barnwell District, South Carolina; d. May 1842, Barnwell District, South Carolina. 3. STEPHEN2 OWENS I (SOLOMON1)1 was born Abt. 17631, and died 1823 in Barnwell District, South Carolina. He married ELIZABETH1 Abt. 1785 in Barnwell District, South Carolina. She was born Abt. 1765, and died Abt. 1833 in Barnwell District, South Carolina1. Children of STEPHEN OWENS and ELIZABETH are: i. JANE3 OWENS, b. Abt. 1788, Barnwell District, South Carolina. 8. ii. SOLOMON A. OWENS, b. 1794, South Carolina; d. Abt. 1875, Gadsden County, Florida. iii. BRANWICK OWENS, b. October 8, 1800, Barnwell District, South Carolina; d. Beaufort County, South Carolina. iv. MARGARET ANN OWENS, b. Abt. 1803, Barnwell District, South Carolina; m. GEORGE W. ALLEN. v. THOMAS OWENS, b. Abt. 1805. 9. vi. JOSHUA A. OWENS, b. 1807, South Carolina; d. Abt. 1875, Gadsden County, Florida. vii. STEPHEN WESLEY OWENS, b. Abt. 1809, Barnwell District, South Carolina; d. Abt. 1849, Gadsden County, Florida. viii. ELIZA OWENS, b. Abt. 1810; m. DRURY CADLE. ix. MARY MAHALA OWENS, b. Abt. 1812; m. WILLIAM WEEKS; b. Abt. 1810. 4. JOHN2 OWENS I (SOLOMON1)1 was born Abt. 17651, and died November 1836 in Barnwell District, South Carolina1. He married ELIZABETH1 WFT Est. 1781-18131. She was born Abt. 17651, and died WFT Est. 1803-18601. Child of JOHN OWENS and ELIZABETH is: i. PRESTON3 OWENS, b. Abt. 1790. Generation No. 3 5. JOHN A.3 OWENS (WILLIAM2, SOLOMON1) was born December 20, 1791 in Barnwell District, South Carolina, and died December 12, 1831 in Beaufort District, South Carolina. He married MARY W. OVERSTREET Abt. 1811 in Barnwell District, South Carolina, daughter of JAMES OVERSTREET and ELIZA BOWEN. She was born Abt. 1793 in Barnwell District, South Carolina, and died March 21, 1836 in Barnwell District, South Carolina. Children of JOHN OWENS and MARY OVERSTREET are: i. WILLIAM AIKEN4 OWENS. ii. EDWIN OWENS, d. August 1840, Barnwell District, South Carolina. iii. SARAH ELIZABETH OWENS, m. JOHN E. TOBIN. 6. EDMUND T.3 OWENS (WILLIAM2, SOLOMON1) was born 1806 in Barnwell District, South Carolina. He married ELIZA ALLEN. Children of EDMUND OWENS and ELIZA ALLEN are: i. HANSFORD R.4 OWENS, b. Abt. 1835. ii. JOHN A. OWENS II. 7. JAMES G.3 OWENS I (WILLIAM2, SOLOMON1) was born August 13, 1810 in Barnwell District, South Carolina, and died May 1842 in Barnwell District, South Carolina. He married ELIZA CAROLINE OVERSTREET Abt. 1829 in Barnwell District, South Carolina, daughter of JAMES OVERSTREET and ELIZA BOWEN. She was born Abt. 1797. Children of JAMES OWENS and ELIZA OVERSTREET are: i. OCTAVIOUS B.4 OWENS, b. 1830, Barnwell District, South Carolina. ii. MARY ELIZA OWENS, b. 1833, Barnwell District, South Carolina; m. SAMUEL JACKSON HARTZOG. iii. ANNIE WALTON OWENS, b. 1836, Barnwell District, South Carolina; m. WILLIAM BROWN CALHOUN. 8. SOLOMON A.3 OWENS (STEPHEN2, SOLOMON1)2 was born 1794 in South Carolina, and died Abt. 1875 in Gadsden County, Florida. He married SARAH Abt. 1817 in South Carolina. She was born 1796 in North Carolina, and died Abt. 1867 in Gadsden County, Florida. Children of SOLOMON OWENS and SARAH are: 10. i. JAMES G.4 OWENS II, b. August 1819, South Carolina; d. December 23, 1902, Walton County, Florida. ii. UNKNOWN SON OWENS, b. Abt. 1822, South Carolina. 11. iii. ANNIE ELIZABETH OWENS, b. January 8, 1825, South Carolina; d. April 6, 1901, Gadsden County, Florida. 12. iv. JOHN MILES OWENS I, b. July 14, 1829, Gadsden County, Florida; d. April 11, 1903, Gadsden County, Florida. v. MARY OWENS, b. 1832, Gadsden County, Florida. 13. vi. CALVIN S. OWENS, b. 1834, Gadsden County, Florida; d. October 30, 1862, Winchester, Virginia. 14. vii. LAFAYETTE SOLOMON OWENS, b. July 15, 1838, Gadsden County, Florida; d. September 17, 1909, Gadsden County, Florida. 9. JOSHUA A.3 OWENS (STEPHEN2, SOLOMON1) was born 1807 in South Carolina3, and died Abt. 1875 in Gadsden County, Florida. He married SUSAN OWENS Abt. 1836 in Gadsden County, Florida. She was born 1816 in Georgia, and died in Gadsden County, Florida. Children of JOSHUA OWENS and SUSAN OWENS are: 15. i. SILAS S.4 OWENS, b. 1839, Gadsden County, Florida. 16. ii. WILLIAM D. OWENS, b. 1842, Gadsden County, Florida. iii. REBECCA OWENS, b. 1845, Gadsden County, Florida. iv. ANDREW M. OWENS, b. November 1, 1849, Gadsden County, Florida; d. September 13, 1921, Gadsden County, Florida; m. IDA; b. 1860. v. MARY OWENS, b. 1852, Gadsden County, Florida. Still trying to see if Joshua really is a brother of Solomon and son of Stephen as a family tradition in descendents of both maintains. Hope military, bounty land, and pension records can help. He served breifly with my GGgrandfather, James G. Owens, in 1839 in a Florida militia unit. Do any of these names ring a bell in your research in NC Owens? Recently got records of a Stephen Owens being promoted from Ensign (lowest Rev War Army officer grade, a very young officer) to 2nd Lt. in Nov 1777 in the 8th NC regiment. My Stephen, if they were in NC then, would be 17 or 18 in 1777. MIGHT be the one. Would like your feedback on any possible connections with my line. Scott Owens 5254 B Lott Road Eight Mile, AL 36613 fax 334-649-5506