Betty, A child could be called an orphan when only one parent was deceased, more so when the father was deceased. You said you are working backwards in the court records. When a man died and left a widow, there should be mention in the court records of a years allowance being set off for the widow. If in your case the mother of the "orphan" Abner Pace was still living you should find this record of a years allowance being set off for her. Rick Saunders Salt Lake City, UT

The following is from the Pension application of John Paisley/Pastley, nephew of Lt. Col. John Paisley, second-in-command of the Guilford Militia: "[John Paisley] states that in the month following, for service [he] left of Guilford County, North Carolina, for three months under Captain George Stuart, Lieutenants George Nicks [sp?], 1st Lieutenant, and George Denny, 2nd Lieutenant, and was marched near Fayetteville to what was called the Raft Swamp against a [band] of Tories which were infesting that section of country. He remained at that place some time until they were marched in pursuit of Colonel Fanning, a Tory commander, whose company was dispersed, and returned home, after having served a total of three months. He states he was [actively recalled that January] shortly after his return home to Guilford County, North Carolina, under Captain Forbes and General Greene to go against Lord Cornwallis whose army at that time was in Guilford County, North Carolina. He was then marched to Guilford Courthouse where the American Army fought a battle with the British. The Americans were commanded by General Greene in which we were defeated. He again rendezvoused at [Wilcoxen's] Ironworks on Troublesome Creek [on] the fork of the Haw River where he was discharged after having served a tour of six weeks. He states that his said Captain Forbes was wounded in said battle, who afterward died of his wound, but previous to his death, he received his [gospel] from him. He states that he was in allied [service] during the Revolutionary War seventeen months and one week, exclusive of the time he was on furlow, which was six months, which in all would make twenty-three months and one week." The Battle of Guilford Courthouse took place in March, 1781, and this Arthur Forbis, by all accounts died then. The following is taken from Rev. S. M. Rankin, History of Buffalo Presbyterian Church and Her People, pp. 37-38: "Arthur Forbis secured a grant from Earl Granville for 640 acres on Hunting Creek in 1764, and that same year he married Mrs. Lydia Rankin, widow of George. Their children were Jennet, Elizabeth, Anne and Lydia. Jennet married Hance McCain in 1787 and they reared a family of ten children. Lydia married George Donnell, son of Robert, 2nd, and they reared a family of five children. Arthur Forbis was a ruling elder. He died in 1789, and his stepsons, John and robert Rankin, were executors of his will." So, we have Capt. Arthur Forbis of Alamance congregation, and Elder Arthur Forbis of Buffalo congregation. My guess is that the Elder Arthur was the father of the Capt. Arthur. I have found several cross-overs between Buffalo and Alamance, including my own ancestor, William Paisley, Sr., elder of Alamance, who married Margaret Denny, sister of the Denny brothers that founded Buffalo with the Nottingham Company. These churches shared ministers over the years, but Buffalo was "Old Style", while Alamance was "New Light", that is, evangelical.

Betty A. Pace wrote: > > I found in the court minutes the apprenticing of my Abner Pace as an > orphan in 1837, and also a court order that he was to be brought into > court to be apprenticed. This was in Guilford County.. The question in > my mind is where was he that he had to be brought into court? Can anyone > explain where orphans or poor > families might have been cared for until the children reached an age that > > they could be apprenticed out. Abner was 16 when apprenticed, but some > of the other Paces were as young as 11, females for housework I would > assume though that is not stated in the apprentice bonds. None of these > court orders gave the name of the parents and it is possible that only > the father was dead. > > I have noticed in these court papers the assignment of guardians for > children of deceased parents, even when one parent is still alive > (especially if it is the mother who has survived). Was a guardian always > assigned in the case of the children where one or both parents were > deceased. It appears to me that the guardian bonds were quite high > ($250-500), and that suggests to me that this was done only in the case > of wealthy children, or children from wealthy families at least. Of > course, I have only read through several years of Guilford court records > and it may be pure chance that the ones entered in that period tended to > be those for wealthy families. But I have noticed none where the > guardian bond was under $250. I might add that I have yet to find > guardian bonds for my Abner and the other Paces, but I am still going > backward in time on the court minutes. > > I have yet to find the parents' names of my orphan Paces, and any > guidance anyone could give would be appreciated. I do not know whether > one or both parents were deceased, although my Abner and the other Paces > (siblings or cousins) were called orphans. > > Betty Pace - Norfolk, VA > > ___________________________________________________________________ > You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. > Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com/getjuno.html > or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] Betty, Here is what little I know about guardian bonds in North Carolina. A guardian was appointed to one or several children in a family when their father had deceased, their function was to look after the proportionate share of the estate of each child. This did not happen in the case where the mother died, because the wifes property became her husband when they married. In some cases the father is appointed guardian to his own children usually because of legacy from a grandparent or other relative. Guardian bonds were required by law to be renewed every year. This was often overlooked. Some times single bonds were made for reach child in a family but usually there were several minor children grouped together. As a child became of legal age, he or she was omitted from the return. Guardians appointd by the court were required to have two persons sign the bond. The amount of the bond was determined by the value of the property belonging to the orphan. NOTE: THE WORD INFANT, WHICH OCCURS FREQUENTLY IS USED AS A LEGAL TERM TO DENOTE A PERSON UNDER THE AGE OF TWENTY-ONE YEARS, A MINOR. cINDY

Well, he's not "mine" but I collected a lot of records and printed material before I was able to distinguish between the two Arthur Forbis. For those wanting more of the legend of Arthur Forbis, hero of Guilford Courthouse, you might want to find: "The Guilford Genealogist," Spring 1982, Vol. 9, No. 3, November 17, p. pp. 17-21. This one deals with the Shoemaker legend. "The Guilford Genealogist," Winter 1984, Vol. 8, No. 2, November 13, pp. 5-7. This one deals mainly with, Elizabeth, the widow of Arthur Forbis. For what it's worth I don't find either of the above two articles to be particularly factual, but they do add to the legend. Now, getting back to the more serious business of whether the two Arthur Forbis were related, I found the following record to be particularly thought-provoking. A William Forbis left a will dated 8 Dec 1771, proved in 1772 in which he names his sister Ann Forbis, and BROTHERS John and Arthur. Executors were BROTHERS John and Arthur Forbis. I didn't think that a legatee could also be an executor, but that seems to have occurred in this case. But which Arthur Forbis was the brother of William? If I had to guess, I'd guess that this Arthur was the one of Guilford Courthouse fame. Interestingly, from the wills of both Arthur Forbis, only the one who died at the battle of Guilford Courthouse had sons John and Arthur. But the other, non-military, Arthur Forbis did have a daughter named Anne (he apparently had no sons as none were named, though his two step-sons -- sons of Lydia Rankin, widow of George Rankin -- were). The more I study these two men, and even though I now know that they were different men, I keep finding little clues that suggest they were probably related. I keep wondering if Arthur, the non-military man, was the uncle (or even the father) of the one who was killed at Guilford Courthouse. Lou Poole

I found in the court minutes the apprenticing of my Abner Pace as an orphan in 1837, and also a court order that he was to be brought into court to be apprenticed. This was in Guilford County.. The question in my mind is where was he that he had to be brought into court? Can anyone explain where orphans or poor families might have been cared for until the children reached an age that they could be apprenticed out. Abner was 16 when apprenticed, but some of the other Paces were as young as 11, females for housework I would assume though that is not stated in the apprentice bonds. None of these court orders gave the name of the parents and it is possible that only the father was dead. I have noticed in these court papers the assignment of guardians for children of deceased parents, even when one parent is still alive (especially if it is the mother who has survived). Was a guardian always assigned in the case of the children where one or both parents were deceased. It appears to me that the guardian bonds were quite high ($250-500), and that suggests to me that this was done only in the case of wealthy children, or children from wealthy families at least. Of course, I have only read through several years of Guilford court records and it may be pure chance that the ones entered in that period tended to be those for wealthy families. But I have noticed none where the guardian bond was under $250. I might add that I have yet to find guardian bonds for my Abner and the other Paces, but I am still going backward in time on the court minutes. I have yet to find the parents' names of my orphan Paces, and any guidance anyone could give would be appreciated. I do not know whether one or both parents were deceased, although my Abner and the other Paces (siblings or cousins) were called orphans. Betty Pace - Norfolk, VA ___________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com/getjuno.html or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]

RE Elizabeth Wiley Forbis Very few of those who toiled and suffered in the cause of independence, whether in the field, in the council chamber, or in the halls of legislation, have been duly honored, and the female portion of the Whig community, many of whom were, in their sphere, as patriotic, suffered as many privations and hardships, and made as resolute a resistance to oppression as the men, have been entirely neglected. It would take a volume to record their noble deeds; and all that the writer of the present work designs is merely to notice a few womenand show what may be done, or what abundant materials there are in the country, that others, who are more competent, may be excited to undertake the task and do the work to better purpose. Among the many who deserved to be remembered for their sufferings and their patriotic devotion to their country, for their fortitude in danger and their determined resistance to oppression, was Mrs. Elizabeth Forbis, wife of Colonel Arthur Forbis who was as brave a man as the country afforded and was mortally wounded in the Guilford battle. Her maiden name was Wiley, and she was a sister of Thomas Wiley, a brave and resolute Whig, who was under the command of Col . Forbis, and was wounded at the same time. We shall not undertake to detail her trials and sufferings, which were severe and protracted, but merely relate one incident as illustrative of her character. Two or three days after the Guilford battle, two British horses came to the house of Thomas Morgan, who lived about a mile and a half, in a west direction, from Colonel Forbis', and he took them up, judging that, as the British and Tories had taken so many horses as well as other things of value from the Whigs, Whigs had a perfect right to any thing of theirs they could get. He knew that they were British horses from the fact that they had short tails, and that they were smaller than the horses of our army. It is said that the British horses all had what were called "bobbed tails," and that they were thus distinguished from the horses belonging to the American cavalry which had long tails. In the battle the British, of course, lost a good many horses by having them shot under them, or by their breaking away when the rider was dismounted, and when a man on horseback was killed the horse made their escape, and these horses went at random over the country. Mrs. Forbis was now in very destitute and trying circumstances. Her horses, except perhaps a colt that was unfit for work, her provisions, grain, cattle and almost every thing on the plantation had been taken from her by the Tories; her husband was now dead or dying of his wounds, and her oldest son, a lad about thirteen or fourteen years of age, just large enough to drive a plough with a gentle horse, was her only dependence for making a crop. As Mr. Morgan was aware of her situation he took one of the horses down to her next morning, and told her if she would accept of it the horse should be hers, for he considered that we had a perfect right to any thing of theirs we could get, and he had no idea that the owner, if alive, would ever know where it was, or think of looking for him In that direction. In fact, very few if any of their horses could get away on the day of battle unless the rider was killed. She told him that she would accept his offer very thankfully; for the time of year had come for putting in a crop, and she had no horse fit for the plough. The horse was left, and she immediately put him to work. Next day, her little son had the horse in the plough drawing furrows for corn, and she 'was dropping her seeds after the plough and covering it with her hoe, when two young looking men came up to them on foot and wanted the horse, one of them saying the horse was his and he must have him; but she told him she had as good a right to the horse as he had, and she should not give him up. She had no idea that the men belonged to the British army; for, at that time, it could not be less than thirty or forty miles south on its way to Wilmington. Probably they were Tories who had been employed by the British to procure as many horses as they needed and were directed to take them wherever they could find them. When wandering over the country in search of horses they had accidentally come to Forbis' and knowing the horse to be a British horse, from his bobbed tail, they laid claim to him, but she refused to give him up. After the Their command and the refusal had been repeated two or three times, he ordered the boy to take the horse out of the ?? irs; for he meant to have him; but she forbid him to do any such thing. The boy stood for some time, looking first at one and then at the other as if he hardly knew what he ought to do; for though he respected his mother, he feared the men; but his regard for his mother proved to be the strongest feeling The man seeing this, stepped up to the horse for the purpose of loosing the traces himself; but she moved right in front of him, with her hoe raised over her head; and, with a firm countenance and an earnest demeanor, told him if he touched the horse she would split his head with the hoe. Whether overawed by her dignified and earnest manner, or touched with compassion for her afflicted and destitute condition, we know not, but they left her with the horse and she was no more troubled. She lived to see the independence of the country established, and to share for many years in the general prosperity and happiness. When the writer first became acquainted with her she was very old, but a more cheerful and warmhearted Christian was not to be found; and she will be held in long remembrance on earth, though she has been for many years enjoying in heaven a much richer inheritance than earth can afford.

Sometime back someone sent me selected pages from The Old North State In 1776, Volumes I and II with Index, written by the Rev Eli W. Caruthers, D.D., 1854 and 1856. This publication was reprinted by the Guilford County Genealogical Society in 1985 and it is apparent that I need to order this publication for myself. <g> I have scanned the pages with my brand new, <patting myself on back> but in a few places they did not scan exactly. I have inserted ?? where I could not make out from scanned copy or the original copy. Regarding Arthur Forbis: He and his little company all belonged to the Alamance congregation, in which he was a ruling elder of the church, and was highly esteemed as a man and a Christian. Some years ago, his daughter, who well recollected the time and had often heard her mother and neighbors talking about it for long years after, told me that, two or three days before the battle, her father called his company together and after making known his intentions, gave them their choice either to stay or go with him. About half made excuses. The other half, about twenty-five, volunteered to go. He was as brave a man as walked the ground; but he had not been tried. No one in the regiment, except his own company knew whether he had more firmness or a better judgment than any other militia captain; and it was not to be expected that the whole regiment would have the same confidence in him that they would have had in the proper officer, or that they would pay the same deference to his authority; for we all know that when the regular officer is killed or removed in battle, it has a discouraging influence even upon veteran soldiers. Ramsay, in his History of the Revolution, says, 'It,' meaning the North Carolina line, "gave way while the adversaries were at the distance of one hundred and forty yards, and he lays the blame of it on the misconduct of a Colonel, who, on the advance of the enemy, called Out to an officer at some distance, 'that he would be surrounded,' which, according to him, caused a panic among the men, and they all fled. There was, perhaps, some truth in this statement, for the British were making every exertion to surround or outflank them. The announcement of the fact which might have been the cause of their retreat, was calculated to excite a panic, and the imprudence of the Colonel, which was owing to his inexperience, consisted in his manner of making it known, but that the line as a whole, or generally, gave way when the enemy were at the distance of hundred and forty yards, is at variance with the British authorities, as we have shown, and with all the testimony I have had from men who were in Butler's brigade on that day. It is certain that the company of Captain Forbis, with many others, fired twice, and that he and some of his men did not give way until the British were within a few steps. He and two of his neighbors were then wounded, Thomas Wiley and William Paisley, father of the Rev. Samuel Paisley, who is yet living. Nathaniel Slade of Caswell, told me that he fired once, and commenced loading to fire again, when he broke his ramrod. He then borrowed one from the man on his right hand, and was ramming down his bullet, but had not got ready to fire, when the men all broke and fled. On looking forward, the British were within a few rods. Had it not been for the accident of breaking his ramrod, which was a loss of some minutes, he would have fired twice; and he said many of the men on both sides of him did give two ??es; but we call attention to the fact that, according to his testimony, the line did not generally give way until the enemy were within a few rods. Captain Forbis said before he died, that if all the men uner his command, meaning the regiment, I suppose, had shown as much firmness as William Montgomery, ?? Law, John Allison, and William Paisley, he would have kept that part of the British line back in spite of everything. But the relative proportion of the killed and wounded ought not to be overlooked, and as the basis of a comparative estimate, we take the official return of the adjutant-general, Colonel Williams. The return, as a whole, was very imperfect; for it was impossible to ascertain in that length of time, the second day after the battle, when the return was made, the precise number of killed and wounded, especially in the ranks of the militia. Besides, he made out his statement from the reports not of the general field officers, who returned to the Iron Works; but all the field officers had not then returned to ???. Moreover, there was one regiment, a whole regiment of North Carolina militia, of which whose officers had made no report, and it would be strange, if not one man in it was killed or wounded. The return, as a whole, was, therefore, imperfect, and, owing to their peculiar circumstances, was especially deficient in regard to the North Carolina militia, but we shall have more to say about that before we are done, and for the present take the return of Williams as the basis of comparison. Of the whole Virginia militia, one thousand six hundred and ninety-three, only twelve were reported as killed; if you divide one thousand six hundred and ninety-three by twelve, it will give you one in one hundred and forty-one and a half. Of the whole North Carolina militia, one thousand and sixty, six were listed as killed; and if you divide one thousand and sixty by six, it will give one in one hundred seventy-six and two-thirds. This is not such a great disparity, yet it is unfavorable, and we must look for other facts; but there was one whole regiment of North Carolina militia, of which the Field Officers had then made no report! and what of that? Did they never make a report? or, if they did not, it follow that there was nothing good to report of them? Had they disappeared like ghosts at the end of day? Or were they like the man's flea, when they went to look for them, they "warn't there?" ?? hason and those who have copied after him seem to have taken this for granted; but was that the fact? It does not follow'. and Williams gives no such intimation. He merely says that the field officers had 1 made no report of it; and if that was the regiment which was left to the command of Captain Forbis, which there can be very little doubt, the mystery is explained and the question settled. I do not report that the regiment of which no report had then been received was the one commanded by Forbis, but write the facts and leave the reader to draw his own conclusions. Certainly the most natural Inference is it was not reported because it had no field officer to make a report, and that was probably the ?? with no other regiment on the ground. That the command of the regiment in question was, on that morning, given to Captain Forbis, by Green's order or sanction Is well known, and does not admit of a doubt; but there were more of our militia killed and wounded than the field officers reported or could have known at the time. We will take a few cases which have accidentally come to my knowledge, and let the reader judge. There was a man killed by the name of Pinkerton who, I think1was a volunteer, and from what was then Orange county. He was under Forbis' immediate command, and was killed by the last cannonball, supposed to be a six-pounder, thrown from the British artillery while occupying its first position on the high ground to the west. Butler's brigade commenced at the road in which the American artillery was planted, and extended south, along the fence, and beyond it as far as necessary. Pinkerton was in a corner of the fence only a few steps from the road, with his gun pointing through a crack, and waiting until the British, who were then a little below Hoskins' house, would come within rifle shot. The ball struck him in the head, and as he was probably resting on one knee to keep himself more steady, which made his posture coincide with the parabolic curve of the descending ball, it tore out the spine the whole length of the body, there where the mere fragments of what, only a moment before had been a man, and one who, in common phrase, "had a soul." The fragments lay there among the leaves and bushes for two days, and his death was probably known to any field officer on the ground. On the afternoon of the second day after the British had all left, a great many came in from the surrounding country; some to gratify their curiosity in looking over the ground, and others in search of friends, whose fate was yet unknown. Two women who were going about looking for friends, first discovered the mangled body of Pinkerton, and called the attention of the men, who came and buried his remains. That he was overlooked for two days is not strange, when Capt. Forbis, who was only wounded, was overlooked the same length of time. Mr. Slade told me that when he was retreating through the woods, he passed a man who was so desperately wounded that he thought he could not possibly live to the close of the battle. At the same instant a certain Major came along on horseback, and the wounded man begged that he would just let him ride his horse till he got beyond the reach of the guns; but the Major, who was making very good use of his locomotive powers, never turned his head in that direction. I have asked two or three physicians with whom I happy to get in conversation on this subject, about the case, and they said that the wound was not necessarily mortal, but that, as some considerable arteries were cut, he must very soon bleed to death without aid, which was then and there out of the question. As he never heard of the man again, Slade had no doubt that he had crawled off into the woods, where he lay down and bled to death without any one knowing what had become of him, and yet, if reported at all, it could be only as wounded or missing. There was a young man killed by the name of Toliafero, who was from Surry county, and came down as, volunteer with Jesse Franklin, late Governor of the State. In what part of the army they were engaged, I have not learned, but from circumstances I infer that they were on the left, either with Butlers brigade or with Campbell's riflemen. They rode down, but tied their horses in the woods at some distance from scene of conflict. At the close, when Tarleton was sent with his dragoons to extricate the Hessians, Lee had left with his cavalry, he soon scattered them, killing some, and wounding others. When all flying for safety, these two young men ran towards their horses, and were pursued by some dragoons. ?? lin by cutting his bridle, barely made his escape; but Tollafero, who undertook to untie his bridle, was cut down by the sword of a dragoon when in the act of mounting. Franklin, afterwards, when the Brigade left the neighborhood, returned to the place, buried his friend, and carried back his armor to his family. In that merciless onslaught of the dragoons, several must have been killed, and more wounded, as Ta?? intimates in his history; but scattered, as they were, through the woods in every direction, Virgininans, North Carolinians together, they could not possibly be all found and reported at the Iron Works by the second day after the battle. If the reader chooses to add Pinkerton, Toliafero and the other man, or only two of them, to the Number reported as killed, and then divide as before, he will be a little surprised to find what a difference it will make in the relative proportion. It was impossible that Williams or any body else could then what execution was done by the front line, or how much it suffered in the action; for we know that some were wounded and probably some killed after the field officers had all left. They retreated, every one them, with the mass, some of them leading the way, and left portions of their men still engaged with enemy. Captain Forbis was wounded and two of his neighbors, Thomas Wiley and William Paisley, after field officers had all left and were beyond the reach of danger. Forbis was mortally wounded and lay till the afternoon of the second day, forty-eight hours, when he was found by some of his neighbors and taken home. There may have been others, but these have incidentally come to my knowledge from having a good part of my life among their descendants, many of whom have been, ever since, most valuable members of the Alamance church. The men under the immediate command of Forbis were probably the most firm and efficient part of line, and, if we are right in supposing that the regiment of which Williams had received no report was one which was left under his command, it will give a different aspect to the whole affair. It will ?? the difficulties. In the official return of Williams; it will confirm the statements of the British historians and of Capt. Stuart, all of whom were actors in the scene, and it will accord with the testimony substantial and reliable men of this region, who were in the battle.

In a message dated 1/26/99 11:48:46 PM Eastern Standard Time, rmmcw@effingham.net writes: << This may have been discussed before and if so, I apologize as I must have missed it. Were there any Tax Lists in Guilford Co for the years 1803 - 1807? If so, where could I locate them to do some research? Thank you. Marsha McWilliams >> In 1991 a cousin and myself were researching in Rockingham and Guilford Co, NC. We did not check in Guilford but did in Rockingham Co for tax records. When I went into the tax office and ask to look at the old tax records, they looked at me like I was crazy. Later, I would learn that only one year had been saved of the tax records. I wonder if this is same case would not be found in Guilford. I would like to know the answer to your question, so hope anyone knowing the answer will put it on the list.

This may have been discussed before and if so, I apologize as I must have missed it. Were there any Tax Lists in Guilford Co for the years 1803 - 1807? If so, where could I locate them to do some research? Thank you. Marsha McWilliams

A recent post cited the legendary murder of Capt. Arthur FORBIS by Conrad SHOEMAKER, and the latter's execution for the deed. Although a couple of variations of this legend have been published, notably by David Schenck and Fred Hughes, I have found almost nothing in historical records to substantiate it. In fact, there is considerable evidence to suggest that the legend is at least partly untrue, and that Forbis died of British-inflicted wounds two to three weeks after the battle. The irony of this legend is that some years later the Shoemaker and Forbis families would become indirectly related. Elizabeth WILEY, who married Arthur Forbis, was apparently a GGAunt of Mary Ann WILEY, who married my ancestor, Jesse Shoemaker in 1834. Jesse was Conrad Shoemaker's grandson. It is also worth noting that at least two members of the Wiley family served in Captain Forbis' militia company at the Battle of Guilford Court House. It is true that Conrad Shoemaker signed the Regulator petition and that Arthur Forbis did not. However, I doubt that this is a reliable indicator of their subsequent activities in the Revolution. For example, some of the Wileys also signed the Regulator petition and, as noted above, became active participants against the King in the Revolution. By the way, The Colonial Records of North Carolina indicate that Forbis' rank was that of a captain in the militia. There is no indication he was promoted above that rank before his death. My research of this incident is not yet complete, though I expect to finish it this year. If anyone has seen some first-hand documentation of this legend, please let me know. Thanks, Dave Shoemaker

With the help of Mark Ulmer's explanation (especially) and a re-review of all my notes, I now know where I came up with the MISTAKEN idea that there were two Buffalo Presbyterian Churches in Guilford. An old map that I was consulting showed the location of Alamance Presbyterian Church to the southeast of Guilford Court House. Buffalo Creek, which is between the two was labeled as such on this map almost on top of the Alamance Presbyterian Church location. So in my not-too-careful reading of this map, and general ignorance of the lay-of-the-land, I transposed the name of the creek with the church. Sorry for causing all the confusion on this point. But I do disagree that there was only one Arthur Forbis/Forbes in the area before the American Revolution. I can prove that there were two. In Rev. Rankin's "History of the Buffalo Presbyterian Church and Her People" he positively identifies the non-soldier Arthur Forbis as a ruling elder of the church, having received a land grant in the area in 1764 on Hunting Creek. A careful analysis of the deeds relating to the two is one way to prove it. But perhaps the easiest way to see this is that Arthur Forbis, the soldier ("Capt." in official state records, but "Col." in a lot printed material -- I think he may have been "promoted" after he was killed <grin>), obviously died in the Battle of Guilford Court House. The other Arthur Forbis, whose land was always described as being on Hunting or Burch Creek "at fork of Richland Creek" as in: "27 Jan 1764. William Robinson to Arthur Forbus weaver for £70 N.C. Money, 466 acres on Hunting Creek at fork of Richland Creek the Reedy Fork of Haw R. adj. Samuel Scott. John McKnight, James McCuiston, Jr. Prvd Mar. Court 1764." and [18 November 1788] "Arthur Forbis to Hance McCane, both of Guilford County .. £120 .. a certain plantation or piece of land containing 116½ acres lying .. in the County of Guilford .. on both sides of Hunting Creek a fork of Richland Creek waters of Reedy fork of Haw River being a part of tract conveyed by Wm Robinson to Arthur Forbis in 1764 .." left his will in Guilford dated 10 April 1789; proved 1794. Capt./Col. Forbis dated his will 2 Jul 1780, and it was proved in August 1781. Two very different men, both contemporaries. Lou

Let me unscramble some of the Forbes/Buffalo Presbyterian Church confusion: To my knowledge, there was only one Arthur Forbes (also spelled Forbis) in the Guilford Co., NC, area prior to the American Revolution. He was a neighbor of Lt. Col. John Paisley and was one of the Captains of the Guilford Militia under Lt. Col. Paisley and Col. James Martin. His company was made up of men from the local Presbyterian churches, of which there were two: the Buffalo congregation and the Alamance congregation. Buffalo is now within Greensboro and Alamance is a few miles to the southeast. Arthur Forbis belonged to the Alamance congregation and is buried in the cemetary of that church (I've seen the headstone); as someone else pointed out, he died of his wounds at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse (well documented by Rev. Eli Carruthers). William Paisley, the brother of one of my ancestors (Robert Paisley) was with him when he was wounded; another Paisley, John (not the Lt. Col., but a cousin) helped carry Capt. Forbes from the battlefield two days after the fighting. Arthur died at home (this is in the pension application of John Paisley/Pastley). Arthur Forbes' home was about 7 miles southeast of the battlefield and 3 or 4 miles northeast of Alamance Presbyterian Church. My opinion is that neither Arthur Forbes, the Paisley's, nor any other Alamance man was a Regulator. Their minister, the famous Rev. David Caldwell, did his best to talk his people out of the following the Regulators and tried to talk Gov. Tryon out of the fight the day of the Battle of Alamance, to no avail. He left the field before fighting started. Additionally, Gov. Tryon required all of the Regulators to pledge an oath not to bear arms against King George III after the Regulation was defeated at the Battle of Alamance and, unlike today, an oath meant something then. It is well documented that most of the Regulators (many of whom were in the Deep River settlement) either remained neutral or became Tories when the American Revolution reached the Carolinas. The McLeans that someone wrote about in connection with Forbes emigrated from Co. Tyrone, Ulster, Ireland, in 1736/7 with William Paisley, Sr., and his brother, John. William is my ancestor, as is John McLean, Sr. whose daughter, Eleanor, married William Paisley. They all settled 20 miles up the Schulkyl River near present-day Norristown in what was then Lower Providence Township, Philadelphia Co., PA. In the 1760s William Paisley and John McLean, Jr., moved to Orange Co., NC, with their families. This part of Orange Co. was split off and joined with part of Rowan Co. in 1771 to form Guilford Co. Gov. Tryon had created Guilford Co. in a failed attempt to stifle the Regulation, but that's another story. The McLeans and Paisleys intermarried over several generations and I think I recall seeing a Forbes or two in there as well. It is possible that the Forbes family was also from Co. Tyrone and Philadelphia Co., PA. I'd like to hear from anyone with a PAISLEY, McLEAN, MAJOR or HAMILTON connection. Mark Ulmer msulmer@ix.netcom.com

Lou Poole wrote: > My Hance McCain and Arthur Forbis/Forbes were members of the Buffalo > Presbyterian Church (now in the northern suburbs of Greensboro, but at > one time was called Martinsville). > > In my research of the two men named Arthur Forbis I learned that there > was another Buffalo Presbyterian Church in the southeastern part of > the county. I think Col. Arthur Forbis belonged to this latter one. > (Somewhere I got the impression that the northern-most church was > founded by Scots-Irish from Pennsylvania, while the southern one was > founded by Scots-Irish who came up from SC. I'm fuzzy on this, > though). > > Does anyone know why there were two Presbyterian Churches named > "Buffalo" in the same county? And what was with the name "Buffalo" > and the Scots-Irish? I've seen other Buffalo Presbyterian Churches in > other early Scots-Irish communities, as well as Buffalo Creeks, etc. > > Just curious if anyone has better insight... > > Lou Poole -- This may help clear this up, in the book "Buffal Prebyterian Church and Cemetery, Greensboro, NC The first building, a log hut, was named "North Buffalo Creek Presbyterian Church". The name was appropriate because of the large number of woods buffalo which ramed the area. The site was at the northwest corner of the present cemetery. At a later time a more suitable building was erected in the southwest corner of the present cemetery. It is estimated that the new frame building would seat 1000 people. It was completed close to the end of the Revolutionary War. The land held by the congregation was estimated to cover 18 square miles at the time the second church was completed. Jannine Coble Gregory 7937 Jester Blvd Austin, Texas 78750 512-346-0232 512-346-0234 FAX

Lou Poole wrote: > > My Hance McCain and Arthur Forbis/Forbes were members of the Buffalo > Presbyterian Church (now in the northern suburbs of Greensboro, but at > one time was called Martinsville). > > In my research of the two men named Arthur Forbis I learned that there > was another Buffalo Presbyterian Church in the southeastern part of > the county. I think Col. Arthur Forbis belonged to this latter one. > (Somewhere I got the impression that the northern-most church was > founded by Scots-Irish from Pennsylvania, while the southern one was > founded by Scots-Irish who came up from SC. I'm fuzzy on this, > though). > > Does anyone know why there were two Presbyterian Churches named > "Buffalo" in the same county? And what was with the name "Buffalo" > and the Scots-Irish? I've seen other Buffalo Presbyterian Churches in > other early Scots-Irish communities, as well as Buffalo Creeks, etc. > > Just curious if anyone has better insight... > > Lou Poole Lou, I lived in Guilford County for 50 Years and I am unaware of two Buffalo Presbyterian Churches in that county. The only Buffalo Presbyterian I know of is the one in Greensboro, formed in about 1757. The telephone number is 336 375-3380 they may be able to help you. Perhaps they could point you in the direction of their central conference which oversees all the Presbyterian Churches. Cindy

Richard P. Hudson wrote: > > Pardon my injecting something at this point of discussion, but did the > NC Militia officer, Arthur Forbis attain the rank of Colonel? My > knowledge, and I don't want to give odds on it, is that he was a Captain > in Colonel Paisley's Regiment of the NC Militia at the Battle of > Guilford Courthouse. Please clarify this; I'm getting quite confused. > > Thank you, > > Dick Hudson Dick, If you will call the Guilford Courthouse Military Park in Greensboro and ask to speak with the Historian, I think his name is Mr. Baker. He is usually in Monday=Wednesday. It is best to call after 2:00 p.m as he has school groups in the morning. They will be happy to answer your questions. If the historian is not in, some of the park rangers are also very knowledgeable. The number is 336 288-1776. Cindy Thomasville NC

I regret I must stop doing lookups, the response is too great. I will complete the ones I received as of yesterday. Cindy

Alicia, Guilford Co, NC, Marriage Bonds show Courtney LEWIS married John WOOTTERS(sic) 20 Mar 1837 (not 1847); surety, Larkin SMITH; wit, W.W. Woodburn, C.C.C. I found an Ira LEWIS m. Ellen LOVETT; bond issued 8 Jan 1857, m. 8 Jan 1857 by W. S. RANKIN, J.P.; surety, Noah BENSON; wit, H. C. Willis, but found no other marriages for the names listed. I realize the above is not the info you're looking for, but here it is just in case you don't already have it. Elaine -----Original Message----- From: TSULAUSDI@aol.com <TSULAUSDI@aol.com> To: NCGUILFO-L@rootsweb.com <NCGUILFO-L@rootsweb.com> Date: Sunday, January 24, 1999 12:50 PM Subject: [NCGUILFO-L] LEWIS, William and Courtney, Guilford Co., NC >Have hit a brick wall and need assistance. Looking for William LEWIS, >birthdate and age at death unknown, resided in Guilford County, NC at death, >wil probated in 1830/31. Later census a son says William was born in Mass. >Married to Courtney >________, b. circa 1800, several censuses list her birthplace as Currituck and >Beaufort Cos, NC, and Virginia. Died 12 Apr. 1880. > Children: Lawrence LEWIS b.? d.? > Orlando LEWIS b.? d.? > Ira Rodolphus LEWIS b. 4 Sept. 1825 Guil.Co., d. 29 >Jan.1907 Guil.Co > Ethalinda LEWIS b. 18 Apr. 1819 d. 12 Aug. ? (tombstone >broken) > Elivima LEWIS b. 3 Dec. 1820 d. 2 May 1875 > Ofice LEWIS b. 22 Aug. 1823 d. 14 Mar. ? (tombstone >broken) > Courtney Lewis (the mother) married second husband John Wooters in 1847. >I have no idea where William LEWIS came from, his parentage, or Courtney's >maiden name. Am hoping to connect with someone who recognizes these unusual >names in their own family. Thanks for any help. >Sincerely, >Alicia Fox > >______________________________

Betty, I have the book, but there is no additional data given. I'm sorry. Elaine -----Original Message----- From: Betty A. Pace <bapace2@juno.com> To: NCGUILFO-L@rootsweb.com <NCGUILFO-L@rootsweb.com> Date: Sunday, January 24, 1999 1:30 AM Subject: [NCGUILFO-L] PACE, ABNER & REED, JULIA ANN - MARRIED GUILFORD 1843 >The Guilford County Genealogical Society has published a book by Ruth >Thompson and Louise Hartgrave entitled ABSTRACTS OF MARRIAGE BONDS AND >ADDITIONAL DATA, GUILFORD COUNTY, NC. VOL. II, 1841-1868. > >My gggrandparents were ABNER PACE (1821-1900ROWAN) and JULIA ANN REED >(1825-1911GUILFORD), and they received a marriage bond on 3 Aug. 1843 in >Guilford County. On the NC Marriage bond, Abner spelled his name PASE in >error, for the family went by PACE in all later generations. This is >from the LDS fiche of NC marriage bonds. My gggrandparents are >apparently entered in the record: >046(for Guilford), 02, 340. Witnesses were Richard MINER and John M. >LOGAN. The marriage bond number is 000058572. > >If anyone has this book in their possession, I would certainly appreciate >a lookup to determine if their parents' names are given in annotations. > >Abner Pace was an orphan and apprenticed in 1837 in Guilford, but no >parents are given on the apprentice bond. I have been trying to find >their parents' names for years without success. They had only one child, >and he had only two children. Consequently this family has left few >footprints. > >Betty Pace - Norfolk, VA > >___________________________________________________________________ >You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. >Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com/getjuno.html >or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] > >______________________________

My husband and I will be hosting the 12th biennial BURROW reunion in Branson, Missouri, June 23-25, 2000. This notice may seem premature, but because of commitments near the time the first mailing will be made, we are beginning early. There were BURROW families living in the area of Orange/Guilford/Randolph counties before and after 1800. There may be descendants on this list interested in attending. This is not a reunion of any one particular BURROW family, but for all with that background. If you would like more information about this reunion, please e-mail me privately at the address below. Imogene Bennett Springfield, MO ibennett@mail.orion.org

This is a very good question, and I stand red-faced. I should have been more careful in my use of titles. One of the earlier messages referred to him as Colonel, and I just used that title without thinking (just grasping for something to distinguish one Arthur Forbis/Forbes from the other). Actually, Colonel seems to be a pretty high rank for a local militiaman. I really don't know. Lou Poole -----Original Message----- From: Richard P. Hudson [mailto:dick@therapist.net] Sent: Sunday, January 24, 1999 9:28 PM To: Lou Poole; NCGUILFO-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [NCGUILFO-L] General interest question Pardon my injecting something at this point of discussion, but did the NC Militia officer, Arthur Forbis attain the rank of Colonel? My knowledge, and I don't want to give odds on it, is that he was a Captain in Colonel Paisley's Regiment of the NC Militia at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. Please clarify this; I'm getting quite confused. Thank you, Dick Hudson