William Berry, Sr. of Maryland and Burke County, North Carolina

By John V. Berry

This is a synopsis of materials which I have been able to find over the years regarding one of my ancestors, William Berry, Sr., my fifth great grandfather, who is believed to have been born in Cecil County, MD or Rowan County, NC between the years of 1729 and 1738. The exact location of his birth has been the source of much speculation by myself, but I believe that he was born in Maryland due to the number of Berry lines and common names originating from that area. 

I have always found it fascinating that there were 4 Barry brothers that left Cecil County, Maryland: Richard, Andrew, John, Hugh and William Barry and ended up in Mecklenburg, Spartanburg and it is believed what is now Burke. This Barry/Berry family seems well enough off in Maryland to afford the amount of land that was being by William Berry, Sr.  Furthermore, one of the earliest maps shows the word Barry on top of the lands owned by William Berry, Sr.  My working theory is that William Berry was from Cecil County, Maryland and born there, but if anyone can shed light or disprove this theory I would greatly appreciate the information.

Genetically, this Berry line relates to a number of individuals in Burke, Hyde and Spartanburg counties, along with individuals in Georgia.  The Author has had his DNA tested and it appears that our line comes originally from the Devonshire, England area. I am ID #105.  On the page linked above, it shows other genetically matched Berry members. I relate to a Donald Berry whose family is from Swimbridge, in the County of Devon and whose family tree goes back to one Wilhelmus de Berry, born in 1160.

The following is the timeline that I have been able to establish, thus far, of William Berry, Sr.'s life.  

1729-1738 He was born between the years of 1729 and 1738, most likely, according to most researchers, in the State of Maryland. He may have also been born, however, in Rowan County, NC. The majority of evidence that this researcher has seen over the last decade shows a high degree of probability, although not strict proof, that he was from Maryland, likely on the border between Maryland and Pennsylvania in Cecil County or nearby. It is believed by the Author that William Berry, Sr. took the Great Wagon Road down to North Carolina in the late 1750s. Ironically, the land where my grandfather Gilmer Connelly Berry was raised on in Icard, North Carolina is one of the ends of that very trail.  

I speculate that he was part of the family of 3 brothers that moved to the area, with William staying mostly in Burke County and his other potential brothers moving to Spartanburg County, but there is no proof for that proposition as of yet. I believe that he is related to Richard Barry (Berry) (signed of the Mecklenburg Declaration) and Andrew Barry (Berry), but have no proof save for these two and their brother William Barry (Berry) traveled from Cecil County, Maryland to North Carolina and then to Spartanburg, SC.  

1752 - Marriage to Elizabeth Montgomery in Maryland. I have no strict proof for this contention.  It has been on the Internet for at least 15 years, but I have yet to be able to track down the marriage certificate. Elizabeth Berry is one of William Berry’s Executors for his Estate (promissory note) dated 15 Mar 1781 and Michael Montgomery is listed on the document as well, leading one to believe that this is the case.  

1755 - Birth of son, Joseph Berry, born sometime prior to 1755 and who died after 13 Jan 1831.

1755 - Birth of son, William Berry, Jr., born sometime prior to 1755 and who died before Aug 1824.

1757 - Birth of daughter, Abigail Berry, who later married one David Hunter in 1775.  

1758 - Birth of daughter, Ann Berry that married James S. Young on 15 June 1775, with bondsmen William Brandon and John Cooper. Consent from William Berry, Sr., her father, for the marriage was obtained a few days earlier on 12 June 1775. See Brent H. Holcomb, Marriages of Rowan County, N.C. 1753-1868, p.203 (Genealogical Pub. Balt. MD 1981). Ann Berry Young appears to have been a daughter of William Berry, Sr. “an early settler of old Burke, and his wife, Elizabeth who was probably a Montgomery.” Nov. 22, 1994 Letter from Lawrence E. Wood to C.B. Berry, at 1.

1994 Letter Re Ann Berry

1760 - Birth of son, Ezekiel Berry, who was a chain carrier on his father’s property in 1778, and who may have died with his father at the Battle of King’s Mountain in 1780.  

1760 - 1765 - Birth of son, James Malcolm Berry, Sr. in MD between 1761 and 1765. From MD to Rowan Co., NC before 1770. 

11 Dec 1763 - Birth of son, Enoch Berry, who served in the Revolutionary War, fought and witnesses his father and brother Ezekiel die at the Battle of King’s Mountain in 1780. Enoch Berry received a pension from the Government for his service and died 3 Oct 1832 in Warren County, TN.

1761 – 1765 - Birth of son, Lott Berry, in Virginia, who died before 30 Mar 1831 in Burke County, NC.

1761 – 1770 - Birth of daughter, Lucy Berry, who died after 26 Apr 1831.

1767 - Based on a map in 1767, the name Barry, which was often confused with Berry in the records, is listed in the same location where Henderson Berry's farm (the Author's great grandfather) existed in the early 1900s.  A side by side map is listed, contrasting a map made in 2009 with the one from 1767.

1767 / 2009 Map Contrast

Another map, made a few years ago by another descendant of William Berry, Steve Church, shows his comparison of Henderson Berry's (1865-1935) farm (he was personally familiar with the land) to the land of William Berry, Sr. It is shown below:

Diagram of Steve Church - Re: Henderson Berry land

29 Nov 1768 - North Carolina Governor Tryon exempts William Berry from paying taxes.  

1770 - William Berry appears on the 1770 List of Taxables, entitled "List of Taxables on ye Upper parts of ye Catawba River". NC Archives, Box CRX244. Quaker Meadows. William Berry is living in that part of Rowan County that becomes part of Burke County, NC in 1777.

1772 - William Berry has a land survey conduct and dated December 1, 1772 (1778?) in Burke County on the Catawba River of 381 acres.  

Land Survey for William Berry, Sr. for 381 acres

1774 - Birth of son, John Berry, born prior to 1774 in North Carolina, and who died before July 1798. 

14 Jun 1775 – William Berry, Sr., gives his consent for daughter Abigail Berry to marry David Hunter in Rowan County, NC.

1775 Consent of William Berry, Sr. to her marriage to David Hunter

7 Feb 1777 - "Abraham Scott in room of William Berrey to Hunt'g Creek." Rowan County, NC Court Book 3, p 328.

2 Feb 1778 – 350 acres on the North Side of the Catawba River, beginning at Beaties, below the mouth of the Linville River at Beaties Corner, down the North side for complement. Burke County, NC Land Records, 1778, Vol. I, Abstracted, Compiled and Indexed by Edith Warren Huggins, c. 1977, Carolina Copy Center, page 9, # 96.

4 Feb 1778 - Andrew Blanchard receives a land grant for 320 acres on Pigeon River above where the road cross to the Cherokee Nation, "joining entry by William Berry."  

18 Feb 1778 – 300 acres on the Pigeon River, including the mouth of the creek called the lower meadow creek, the second creek below the long gap of Hominy Creek Mountain. Burke County, NC Land Records, 1778, Vol. I, Abstracted, Compiled and Indexed by Edith Warren Huggins, c. 1977, Carolina Copy Center, page 82, #244.

18 Feb 1778 - 400 acres on the West Fork of the Pigeon River, beginning at a white oak marked up river for complement. Burke County, NC Land Records, 1778, Vol. I, Abstracted, Compiled and Indexed by Edith Warren Huggins, c. 1977, Carolina Copy Center, page 82, # 245.

6 June 1778 - NC Land Grant #926, Burke Co., NC - 350 acres to William Berry at the location that he had settled on in 1770. (Found in NC Land Grant Office, book titled "Burke: The History of a North Carolina Country, 1777-1920" by Edward W. Phifer, Jr.). Grant 0084, Item # 431

1778 Land Grant

1 Sept 1778 - NC Land Grant #819 for 300 acres on the North Side of the Catawba River included the mouth of the Linville River going WIlliam Berry to Baty's Branch, transferred to Thomas Montgomery.

16 Oct 1778 - NC Land Grant # 533, Burke Co., NC - 640 acres to William Berry on both sides of Drowning Creek. The Chain bearers listed on the Plat that accompanies the Plat were John Ervin and Zekiel Berry (likely Ezekiel Berry, a son).

Survey of 640 Acres - 1780

16 Jan 1779 - Land grant officer Charles McDowell, in No. 926 required a survey of six hundred and forty acres lying on both sides of the Drownding (Drowning) Creek for William Berry, Sr.

1779 Land Survey Order

25 Feb 1780 - William Berry, Sr. is provided payment for corn provided for revolutionary efforts.  

Corn Payment Voucher

8 Oct 1780 - William Berry, Sr., died at the Battle of King's Mountain, fighting with the colonial forces against the British.  

Before 15 Mar 1781 - William Berry’s death. Appears to have been killed at the Battle of King's Mountain, SC in the Rev War on 7 Oct 1780. Rev War Pension record # 8128, Enoch Berry, dated 3 Oct 1832. "The declarant, his father, and brother were all engaged in the battle, his father was killed, and his brother wounded, who died of his wounds shortly after he returned home."DEATH: Before 15 Mar 1781. "Burke Co., NC, Miscellaneous Papers, Promissory Notes and Bills of Sale, 1780-1800." 

Charles O'Neill Affidavit of Service for Enoch Berry

Before 15 Mar 1781 - William Berry, Sr. was documented as having been killed by British troops during the Battle of King’s Mountain by Draper contained in the Wisconsin State Historical Society’s Calendar of the Tennessee and King’s Mountain Papers of the Draper Collection of Manuscripts. See Calendar of the Tennessee and King's Mountain Papers of the Draper Collection of Manuscripts", pp. 314-15 ---"Huckk's Defeat Celebration ... Toasts to the Memory of ... , William Berry."

15 Mar 1781 - Estate of William Berry: "Elizabeth Berry" is one of the "executors" [sic] of the Estate of William Berry, [promissory note] dated 15 Mar 1781. Promissory Note to Estate of William Berry In the NC Archives. Promissory note from David Vance to William Moore and Elizabeth Berry, executors of William Berry. Burke Co., NC, Miscellaneous Papers, Promissory Notes and Bills of Sale, 1780-1800.

As the note states:

We, or either of us, our Heirs, Executors, Administrators or Assigns do Hereby promise to pay or Cause to be paid to William Moore & Elizabeth Berry Executors of the Estate of William Berry, Deceased or their Certain Attorney, Heirs, Executors, Administrators or Assignees the just and full sum of two-thousand six hundred and sixty six pounds current and lawful money of the State of North Carolina, to be paid twelve months after the Date hereof for value received by them. Witness our hands & seals this 15th of March 1781. Signed John Montgomery and David Vance, attested to by Michael Montgomery.

1781 Promissory Note

9 Nov 1781 – A Revolutionary War Voucher for William Berry was issued: "This is to certify . . . William Moore, Executor of the Estate of William Berry, deceased, was allowed thirty-two pounds, thirteen shillings for sundry supplies furnished." Dated 9 Nov 1781.

1781 Revolutionary War Voucher

7 Aug 1787 - Land grant 1015, Adj Entry 1708, recorded 7 Aug 1787 and dated 13 Jan 1779 from Book 65, p389. This entry references two owners, Joseph Patton and Reuben Perkins (believed to be related to the Berry family, on Drowning Creek, both sides. The property is located next to Widow Richey, and witnessed by James Moore and George Houk. The grant references the property being adjacent to the Widow Berry on the South Line of the property.  This would have been Elizabeth Berry, the widow of William Berry, Sr. 

Apr 1788 - Land Entry record for a Washington McGomery (Montgomery) for 100 a acres on the North Bank of he Catawba River "William Berry's corner" to David Montgomery's line with his line to the mouth of the Linville River.

The line of descent of this writer goes from William Berry, Sr. to Lott Berry to John Berry to William Martin “Billy” Berry to Henderson Berry to Gilmer Connelly Berry to John W. Berry.

William Berry, Sr - Post Revolutionary War Benefit

By John Berry

Attached above are documents found in the North Carolina Archives which demonstrate William Berry, Sr.'s efforts in the Revolutionary War.  The document is dated March 15, 1781. The document is signed by David Vance and Michael Montgomery, presumably after the passing of William Berry, Sr.

The text reads as follows:

We, or either of us, our, Heirs, Execrs' Admin. or assignees hereby promise to pay or cause to be paid to William Moore & Elizabeth Berry Executors of the Estate of William Berry, Dec'd or their certain attorney, heirs, executors, admit., or assigns the just and full sum of two thousand six hundred & sixty six pounds current and lawful money of the State of North Carolina, to be paid twelve months after the date hereof for value record of them. Witness our hands of seals this 15th of March 1781.
                                                                              John Montgomery
Test Michael Montgomery                                   David Vance

The Descendants and Ancestors of William Berry, Sr.

by John V. Berry

William Berry, Sr. is believed to have been born in the State of Maryland around the year 1738 and the available evidence shows that he died on October 7, 1780 while fighting the British and local Tories at the Battle of King’s Mountain in South Carolina.  I am a descendant of this Berry family line and I believe that William Berry, Sr. was my 5th great grandfather.  The original immigrant from England who moved to these newly expanding American Colonies has not yet been determined, but based upon DNA connections, it is believed that the ancestor that immigrated was most likely a descendant of one of the Berry clans from the County of Devonshire, England, in the United Kingdom.  

The Berry family from Little River, South Carolina, by way of Gilmer Connelly Berry (1890-1964) originally came from the larger Berry clan in Burke County, North Carolina. Genealogical DNA testing of the Y-DNA of males with the Surname Berry has revealed that this Berry line also relates to Berry families in Hyde County, North Carolina, York & Spartanburg Counties, in South Carolina, Blount County, Alabama and various other counties in Georgia and Maryland.  

History of the Berry Family

The County of Devon is located in the Southwest most part of England near the Southwestern most part of England.  While there were a number of Berry immigrants from different families that eventually traveled to Colonial America in the early period of immigration between the years of 1587 and 1800, the subject of this article is the Berry line that left Devon for either a direct trip to the new American Colonies or with a short stop first to Ulster, and then to the colonies, most likely at some point between the years of 1620 and 1725, eventually leading this article to the last known traceable American ancestor at present, William Berry, Sr. who lived between Circa 1738 to 1780.

                                                                 

While the original Berry Immigrant from this line has not yet been determined, the writer does not doubt that these ancestors will be hopefully discovered in the near future, completing this line’s genealogy, it is hoped, from the year 1100 to present day.  While on the edge of proof, this author believes that the Berry Family started out in the area near Cecil County, Maryland which at the time also ran into areas of Pennsylvania, eventually moving South by way of the Great Wagon Road. It is in Devon, England where it is believed that this Berry line, for the most part, lived for approximately 500 years or more, prior to part of the line's decision to leave England for the New World.  It is believed, and hopefully some day will be proven, that this Berry line first immigrated to England from France following the Battle of Hastings in 1066, where they fought with William the Conqueror against the then Saxon King of England, Harold.  

This Berry line, it is believed, came to North America, perhaps during the first expeditions, including that of Sir Walter Raleigh to Roanoke.  Richard and Henry Berrye (Berry, Barry), were from Devon, along with most of the other settlers, and had been presumed lost when no evidence of them could be found.  However, there is new evidence leading many researchers to believe that they survived by merging with local indian tribes, later assimilating fully back into the general population.  Other Berry members of this particular line came from Devon in the 1630s to the Chesapeake Bay area, either staying in Maryland, or moving South to the Carolinas. William Berry, Sr. may have descended from them.   

History of the Berry Name

The meaning of the Berry name, for this line comes from England and France.  In England, Berry was a  habitational name from any of several places named with Old English byrig, dative case of burh ‘fortified manor house’, ‘stronghold’, such as Berry in Devon or Bury in Cambridgeshire, Greater Manchester, Suffolk, and West Sussex. The name also refers to a locality in France, which was known as Berri, France. 

The Berry Coat of Arms                  

It is quite fitting the slogan of this Berry line, which means "nothing without work."

  

NIHIL SINE LABORE   “Nothing Without Work”

DNA Evidence Provides Clues to the Origins of the Berry Line 

The origins of this particular Berry line are believed by this writer to be based upon the knowledge and research obtained thus far, as well as significant DNA evidence, which would lend to the theory that this Berry Line descends from Normans, on the male side, prior to their time in England. 

In particular, as DNA testing of the Y Chromosome has become more sophisticated in very recent times, it has become easier not only to track direct relatives from centuries ago, and those to which you may be related to today, but also even likely locations where your past ancestors lived or even the origin of one's family.  It looks very likely, given recent reclassifications of this writer’s DNA Haplogroup, currently known as R1b1b2a1a1 (or U-198 in shorthand) that the Burke, NC Berry line hails from where my written research had previously indicated, first Devon, England within the United Kingdom, and before that from France as Normans.  To give the reader an idea as to just how fast the technology in family-based DNA research is moving, the writer’s DNA haplogroup classification has changed a total of more than 3 times over the past year, each time getting more specific as to my family's origin.

A recent analysis, seems to indicate that while this type of DNA Haplogroup exists in southern England and Germany (the Rhine Valley & Stuttgart) in the region previously inhabited by the Saxons, it is unknown if this marker arrived in England with the Anglo-Saxons in the 5th Century.  It is considered to be a less common DNA type, with evidence of similar markers over a wide area that besides England (1.4%) and Germany (1.8%), includes the Netherlands (maximum value 2.1%), Denmark (0.9%) and Russia (1.8%). The age of U-198 is approximately 2,000 - 3,000 years.The information above would correlate with the belief that this was the Berry line which were granted significant estates in Devon by King William, following 1066.  In addition, this writer’s DNA has matched a number of other, not personally known individuals in the United States with the surname Berry, but also an individual who lives and whose family has lived in Swimbridge, Devon, UK for hundreds of years, one Donald Berry,  who has a family pedigree that goes back to the 1100s, which based on his family tree appears to be part of the original Norman Berry line.                                                        

Donald Berry’s line in the Devonshire area traces itself back to a man named Galfredus De Berry, born in 1219 and there are English records which exist showing that this family is related to the line of the Berry family associated with Berry Pomeroy Castle in Devonshire.  Good English records were kept in the Devonshire area and there exists a family tree from the early days of the Berry family’s appearance in the Devonshire area at the end of the Norman Invasion by William the Conqueror, until the present.  The only remaining hurdle, which should eventually be solved, is to determine which person in the Berry family tree was the original immigrant from the Devon Berry line.  

Possible Immigration Points for this Berry Line

The writer was contacted by the Lost Colony Project, as it appears that two of the individuals that had previously thought lost on Roanoke Island in the late 1500s, were from the Berry family in Devon, UK.  Additionally, another possibility is that this line relates to the Berry family members from Devon who came to Maryland early in the 1600s.  Some additional difficulties have involved the fact that the common usage of William and John within the Berry line.  It seems as if nearly every William Berry had a son named John Berry who then had a son named William Berry.  Additionally, in older records the use of middle names were recorded as first names.  One other difficulty has been that when a father and son share the same first and last name, the father would be referred often times as “Sr.” and the son as “Jr.”  However, when the father passed on, the son would assume the “Sr.” title, dropping “Jr.”

Other common first names for the Berry family have continued to be present through the line, including several “Ezekiel” Berrys in our line, several Bart or Bartholemew Berrys, and three or more Berry family members with the middle name “Vance,” most likely named after close family or friend David Vance, the grandfather of Governor Zebulon Vance of North Carolina during the Civil War period. With that said, here is what the research has shown thus far as to our line.  The first generation listed below is not the first generation of Berry family members in the United States is barring any new findings, not the Original Berry immigrant.  

The testing standards are fairly strict, leaving little chance for error.  The writer stumbled upon the Berry DNA Project website run by Jim Berry and Carol Vass, whose goal has been to help all of the different Berry lines establish their heritage.  Their kind efforts for Berry DNA project have enabled this writer to dig deep into this line’s family past to the extent possible.  This Article would also not be possible without access to over 3 decades worth of research done by the writer’s late uncle, Connelly Burgin Berry and the kindness of his wife and the writer’s Aunt, Dallas Wallace Berry in helping me gain access to his nearly 2,000 pages of genealogy research on the Berry line, in addition to other associated families. 

There is a lot of information to add, and additions, corrections and any other related information is welcomed by the writer as this is a work in progress, but for now I will get started with the first ancestor that I can identify with written proof in the United States, William Berry, Sr., who is the author's Great Great Great Great Great Grandfather.  Anyone with additional information about this line is encourage to contact the author through this website.  What was started and paused in 2011 will begin again.  Since I last hosted a website, I have gathered additional information that may be of use to others in tracing their family lines. I hope to add this information as this website develops.