Frederick County, MD., on June 23, 1767: "I, Mark Whitaker formerly of Frederick County, MD., but now of Rowan County, North Carolina, give full power and authority to John Cary." Whitaker's were early pioneers in Rowan County, North Carolina. There are many Whitaker's listed in an early tax list for Rowan County in 1768. In 1768 Rowan County, NC., included a much larger area than the present boundaries today. All the surrounding counties from Rowan to the west and north were created from Rowan County, NC. Early new counties created were: Burke County in 1777 Iredell County in 1788 Surry County, in 1770. Surry County was also much larger when created than today. From Surry County were created: Stokes County in 1789 Wilkes County in 1777 In the 1768 Rowan County, NC. Tax List are listed: James Whitaker (1) James Whitaker (2) John Whitaker Joshua Whitaker Mack Whitaker Mark Whitaker (1) Mark Whitaker (2) Mark Whitaker Jr. Pittir Whitaker Thomas Whitaker (1) Thomas Whitaker (2) William Whitaker The (x) are noted to indicate these are not duplicates but different men with the same name. A large part of this group is documented as part of the family of children and grandchildren of Joshua Whitaker, a Quaker from England who died probably between 1715 and 1719 in a religious incident on the Isle of Man, between western England and Ireland. Joshua's widow and children moved to SE PA about 1719 and then most of the clan moved to Rowan County, NC. in the 1750's. I compared the Whitaker's of the Quaker Joshua group in Bruce Whitaker's book "Whitaker, Reed, Harper, Wright" whom he documented as being of taxable age and in Rowan County, NC. in 1768 and I find the following: In the 1768 Rowan County Tax List are listed: Quaker Joshua group noted with dates James Whitaker (1) James Whitaker (2) John Whitaker Joshua Whitaker Yes: age about 33 in 1768 Mack Whitaker Mark Whitaker (1) Mark Whitaker (2) Yes: age about 42 in 1768 Mark Whitaker Jr. Yes, age about 18 in 1768 Pittir Whitaker Yes, age about 35 in 1768 Thomas Whitaker (1) Thomas Whitaker (2) William Whitaker Yes, age about 36 in 1768 Removing these documented Quaker Joshua Whitaker family members from the list were are left with: 1768 Rowan County Tax List Whitakers not documented in Quaker Joshua Line Bruce Whitaker book: James Whitaker (1) James Whitaker (2) John Whitaker Mack Whitaker Mark Whitaker (1) Thomas Whitaker (1) Thomas Whitaker (2) Now compare many of these names to the names of the sons of Mark Whitaker who died in Baltimore County, MD. May 1, 1729 who are listed in the St. George's Parish Register of Baltimore County, MD: Thomas Whitaker, born June 13, 1712 (by Mark Sr.'s wife Catherine Teag or Teague who died Nov. 15, 1717) Mark Whitaker, born February 15, 1716 James Whitaker, born February 8, 1721 (by Mark Sr.'s second wife Elizabeth Empson) Empson Whitaker, born September 30, 1724 Seems clear this is the same family in Rowan County, NC in 1768. All these men would have been old enough to have adult sons in 1768 accounting for the additional names. The sons of Mark Whitaker Sr. disappear from Baltimore County, MD records in the 1730's. Thomas appears for a while in Prince George's County MD (see my previous post on "Surry NC Whitaker's Maryland Connections"). Most of the famly seems to have stopped off in Frederick County, MD., between Baltimore County, MD and Rowan County, NC. Frederick County, MD marriage records contains a marriage of Mark Whitaker to Abigal Johnson on February 6, 1743. Other Frederick County, MD. records for Whitaker's include: Deed Nov. 18, 1760 in which Mark Whitaker buys from William Johnson, 50 acres in Frederick County, MD., called "Exchanged". William might be the Father-in-Law of Mark who married Abigal Johnson. Could this be a start up piece of land to William's Johnson's grandson, Mark Jr., who might have been about 17 years old at this time? Deed May 1, 1758 in which James Whetaker of Frederick County, MD., sells 270 acres, part of a tract called "Stoney Batter" to Beale Owings of Baltimore County, MD., James' wife Prudence releases her dower. Is James already moving to NC.? Mark appears to move later. A brief court record for recovered tobacco on June 22, 1757 names a John Whitacre. Could this be the John Whitaker listed in Rowan County NC tax list of 1768. Probably a son of Thomas b: 1712. A mortgage record is recorded in Frederick County, MD., on August 18, 1768 in which land laid out for a Thomas Whitaker now occupied by a Nicholas Fink is described. This places a Thomas Whitaker in Frederick MD and shows him gone by date Thomas's show up in Rowan NC. A power of attorney is recorded in Frederick County, MD., on June 23, 1767: "I, Mark Whitaker formerly of Frederick County, MD., but now of Rowan County, North Carolina, give full power and authority to John Cary." signed by mark: Mark Whitaker, before Thomas Price and Henry Johnson. Many Whitaker lines who were very early pioneers of Tenn, Ky, and beyond have frustrated researchers who have tried without much success to connect them to documented Whitaker lines of Quaker Joshua, Robert of Halifax NC., or John of Baltimore County, MD. It appears that the answer for many of these unconnected Whitaker branches may lie in this connection to the family of Mark Whitaker of early 1700's Baltimore County, MD. I hope you find this helpful or at least interesting. Thanks, Rich Fulton, rfulton@us.ibm.com World Wide Mid-Market Sales Executive, S/390 SW, SWG IBM, home office 1420 West Main Street, Apt. 1008 Lewisville, TX. 75067 USA Phone: 972-434-1033, t/l 450-8996 Fax: 817-962-8780, t/l 522-8780