Anna De Castro

Notes:

Wynema McGrew wrote that Anna was baptized 25 Jan 1801 and the baptism was recorded on page 76-a, Bapt. Rcds, Bk #2, Archdiocese of Mobile. She was recorded as the daughter of Julien and Isabelle Migrou De Castro.

She further notes that on 3 Oct 1833 (after the death of Zadoc) Ann was made guardian of three sons, John, Turner, and William. She was listed as head of household in the 1840 Sumter County, Alabama census. The family included one female between the age of 30 and 40, one male between the age of 20 and 30, one mail between 15 and 20, two males betwen the age of 5 and 10, and one female less than five years old.

McGrew also states that John, Turner and William are not found on the 1850 census enumerations for Alabama, Mississippi or Georgia.

Anna married Zadoc Brashears on 22 Aug 1826 in Marengo, Clarke County, Alabama. Zadoc was born before 1801 in Mississippi Territory; died on 19 Aug 1833. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Married:
Robert Goodwin served as Security for their marriage.

THE SOUTHERN McGREWS GREW says that Anna de Castro ws born ca 1799 in AL and married Zadoc Brashears (who was much older) on 22 August 1826 in Marengo County, AL. Zadoc deeded something to a son, Jesse Brashears (likely from a previous marriage) on 12 March 1830. He died by 19 August 1833 and on 3 October 1833 Ann was made guardian of 3 sons: John, Turner, and William. She was shown on the 1840 Sumter Co AL census with 5 children. Wynema McGrew, in her book, indicated that none of the three sons for whom Anna was name guardian was found in the 1850 Alabama, Mississippi or Georgia census enumerations. In 1860 a William Brasher, born 1821 so too old to be a son of Zadoc and Anna (unless his age was in error) was found in Marengo County, Alabama. Additionally, the only Alabama-born John [J.] Brasher found in 1860 also lived in Marengo county. He was a teacher, had real and personal property with the values of $600 and $200 and was born ca 1831, so his mother may have been Anna de Castro. He was married to a Milly, born 1833 in Tennessee, and they had two sons, James born ca 1858 and Hendricks bonr ca Mar 1860.

Notes:

Wynema McGrew writes that Julien and Elizabeth's birth dates were based on data give in the 1797 San Estevan De Tombecbe District Census (done in 1796). She was 22 and he 40. His nationality was shown as Spanish. Allye Moody speculated he was part French and part Indian.

Per the book THE SOUTHERN McGREWS GREW Julian DeCastro had land along the west bank of the Tombigbee River amongst all the McGrew and stated that he came to the area circa 1787. He signed a petition to Congress in 1799 and a memorial to Washington in 1803. The last mention of Julian was on a tax list of 1810. Elizabeth was on the 1830 Marengo County AL census. They had six children.

Wynema McGrew noted he could be found on the Washington County, Mississippi Territory tax roll of 1803, 1805, and finally in 1810.

Julien married Elizabeth McGrew. Elizabeth (daughter of James McGrew and Constance Tillett) was born about 1774 in South Carolina; died between 1830 and 1840. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

According to Feldman's ANGLO-AMERICANS IN SPANISH ARCHIVES (p 27) he and John McGrew were American residents of Mobile on January 1, 1786.

Wynema McGrew writes (p. 7) that he may also have been a royalist and left the Carolinas in the late 1770s of early 1780s, moving to area that became the Mississippi Territory, as had his older brother John. He received a Spanish land grant in 1788.

The following information is courtesy of Ester McGrew Hardin, and was originally prepared by Robert Lee McGrew of Pearland, Texas in December 1986. Some additional information has been added to his work from loose papers owned by Mrs. Hardin and from the book THE SOUTHERN McGREWS GREW by Everette L. McGrew, 2106 Freeland Way, Dallas TX 75228.

James witnessed the sale of property on March 30, 1770 in Tyrone County, North/South Carolina by Alexander Kilpatrick on both sides of the Pacelot River. This is near where his brother, John, had bought land October 9, 1770. The brothers left Tyrone County in 1778, with their wives and children, and settled in Mississippi.

James settled, however, in the area of St. Stephens, Alabama, on the banks of the Tombigbee River. This was a remote area with few settlers. The boundaries of Washington County at that time were the Chattahooche River on the east, Pearl River on the west, the 31st parallel on the south, and 32 degrees, 28 minutes on the north. From this 25,000 square miles, 26 counties in Mississippi and Alabama were later formed.

Many of these early settlers from the Carolinas and Georgia were in the territory as early as 1775, and as such were subject to the laws of the ruling Spanish Government. In keeping with Spanish regulations, the commandant of the Alabama Fort of San Esteban de Tombecbe compiled in 1797 a census of the settlers of the district. This list contained fifty-one (51) families; two of which were those of John and James McGrew. They became leaders of their settlement and were successful planters living on large plantations and active in early territory politics. James's brother, John McGrew, Sr., became on of the wealthiest planters in the south, owning approximately 4000 acres. On the 1808 tax rolls, he paid a tax of $25.05 on 29 slaves and a 640 acre section.

Mrs. Hardin had in her papers a copy of a letter from The Catholic Center, Archdiocese of Mobile, Mobile, Alabama dated January 27, 1982. It showed the following baptism's:

Ana (Nancy), Maria Casia (Keziah), Guillermo (William), Juan (John), children of Santiago (James) and Constancia Tibbett (Constance Tillet) Magrew, (Protestants). Dated 17 Nov 1788. Recorded Page 31, Bapt. Rcds. Bk #2.

Under Spanish regulations all residents were required to have their children baptized by a Catholic priest, even if they were not Catholic.

JAMES McGREW, had died in 1797 at the age of 57. According to THE SOUTHERN McGREWS GREW a James McGrew of St. Stephen's obtained a passport to go to Georgia on 8 January 1797. Possibly James died while on this trip?

James's widow, Constance, and children petitioned the Congress of the United States of American for title to his land, since the original title had been a Spanish grant, and as of 1799 the territory had been taken over by the United States. John also petitioned for his land. Many letters were written to President Thomas Jefferson, and to the Congress of the United States. These were signed by John Flood McGrew, William McGrew, John McGrew, Sr, and John McGrew, Jr. [Col. John Flood McGrew was a member of the Territorial Council, and friend of Chief Pushmataha, chief of the Choctaw tribe]. These petitions were granted and full titles to the lands in question were given to the two McGrew families. John and his children prospered during the next few years, as did Constance McGrew and her grown children. Constance tried to also obtain a grant for an additional 604 acres of land, but was denied. She and her children later sold the 400 acres of their land to Wm. and John Pierce.

Below, from the AMERICAN STATE PAPERS Volume 1, p. 686, is the summary of the hearing related to the land grant of James and Constantia McGrew in the Mississippi territory:

The heirs of James McGREW, case no. 53 on the docket of the Board, and no. 73 on the books of the Register. Claim--Of 400 acres, by virtue of a Spanish warrant of survey, under the first section of the act. The claimants presented their claim, together with a surveyor's plot of the land claimed, in the following words and figures, to wit: To the Commissioners appointed in pursuance of the act of Congress passed the 3rd day of March, 1803, to receive and adjust claims of lands east of Pearl River. Please take notice, that the following tract of land, situated on the west side of the river Tombigbee, butting and bounded as follows: beginning on a corner cotton tree, above Reams's line and lands claimed by Young Gains, &c, about two miles below Fort St. Stephen's, (supposed;) thence, running south, eighteen degrees west, one hundred and twenty-six chains fifty links, to a corner red oak; ...... thence, down the meanders of the river to the first mentioned station; .....is claimed by James McGrew, or by his heirs, to wit: Peggy McGrew, Eliza McGrew or Eliza De Castro, Alexander McGrew, Giles McGrew, James McGrew, Jane McGrew, Nancy McGrew, Keziah McGrew, John McGrew, and Wm. McGrew, children of said James McGrew, under and by virtue of a Spanish warrant or order of survey, granted unto him, the said James McGrew, on the day of; and the said claimant did, on the 27th day of October, 1795, inhabit and cultivate the tract herein specified, agreeably to the requistions of the first section of an act of Congress, entitled an act, and the same does not appear to be claimed by any preceding provision of the act, and now exhibited to the Register of the Land Office, established east of Pearl river, to be recorded as is directed by said act. To all which they beg leave to refer, as also to the plot hereto fixed, &c, &c. Presented February 29th, 1804, by Elizabeth De Castro, her X mark. Witness, Edwin Lewis. Surveyed in February, 1804, by Robert Ligon. Chain carriers, Young Gains, Dawson Grimes.

In support of this claim, a Spanish warrant of survey was exhibited in the following words and figures, to wit: Don Estevan Miro, Colonel of the royal army, Governor civil and military of the city and province of Louisiana,&c.,&c. Mobile, 12th January, 1788. James McGrew, inhabitant of this jurisdiction of Mobile, with the greatest respect to your excellency, represents and says, that there is on the Tombigee river ten acres of vacant land, which until now, has never been claimed by any proprietor; he begs your excellency to grant him, with the profounder customery, with papers of titles necessary from the Secretary of Government, that may correspond witht he concession; for which favor he will be forever thankful. (signed) James McGrew. Certified by Vicent Folch.
.
Both Wynema McGrew, the author of a book about the Descendants of James McGrew, and G.E. McGrew, 132 Lausanne Drive, Camden, SC 29020 suggest that the McGrews of South Carolina are from Omagh, County Tyrone, Ireland, and landed in Charleston SC in May, 1773. See LDS Alm(?) 874714, at the Orangeburg Historical Society in South Carolina.

Esther McGrew Hardin instead speculates that the McGrew's might be descended from Quaker families originally from Pennsylvania. Many McGrew's can be found in Orange County, North Carolina records. Additionally, in the corner of Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware, many members of the Blackburn, Means and McGrew families were all kin, a pattern of intermarriage between these families that continued for many generations. It is possible they came to Pennyslvania from Omagh.

James married Constance Tillett before 1774 in South Carolina. Constance was born about 1752; died between 1805 and 1808 in St. Stephens, Mississippi Territory. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Constance Tillett was likely a daughter of Giles Tillett of Virginia, who was an early settler of Georgia. In 1773, he can be living with his wife and 4 sons and 3 daughters on 500 ares of land at the fork of Broad river (Georgia), where he built a cabin. During the American Revolution, he was purportedly an unrepentant loyalist. On 12 October 1774, in response to the Boston Tea Party, the settlers of Kyoka (Kiokee) and Broad River signed a protest "against any resolutions expressive of disloyalty to our most gracious King and the Lords and Commons of Great Britian." Everette McGrew notes that he was a member of the South Carolina Dragoons, Capt. John Harrison's Company, South Carolina Light Dragoons, St. Augustine, FL, 25 Apr 1783, along with George and James Tillett.

Notes:

Wynema McGrew, in her book titled THE JAMES MCGREW FAMILY, 1744-1797(Second Edition, 1999, Hattiesburg, MS), writes that she had made the following TENTATIVE conclusions about Alexander and Margaret McGrew and their offspring, using data collected from a variety of sources (some of which may be considered factual and some speculative).

Alexander and Margaret McGrew may have married in Ireland, and appear to have been the parents of six children, places of birth unknown. They were probably from in or near Omagh City, County Tyrone, Ireland, the McGrew family having come to Omagh City from Scotland before the mid-fifteenth centery. The name McGrew probably originated form the sept of MacGrewar or MacGruer of the Clan Gregor.

Esther McGrew Hardin instead suggested that the family descended from Quaker families originally from Pennsylvania. Many McGrew's can be found in Orange County, North Carolina records. Additionally, in the corner of Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware, many members of the Blackburn, Means and McGrew families were all kin.

James Mims, on his online "Digging the Roots of the Mims Family Tree" has a third theory, showing him as Alexander MacGRUER, born 7 Oct 1706 in Iverness, Scotland, and married to Margaret TATE, also of Inverness. Both were shown as dying in South Carolina.

Wynema lists the probable children of Alexander and Margaret are:

1) Mary McGrew b. ca 1737 d. bef. 1776, married Grove YOUNG. [Note: Janice McAlpine (mcalpage@cox.net) emailed that Mary's husband was actually named Legros Young, and that he died on 5 Mar 1878 in Cambden District, South Carolina].
2) John McGrew b. ca 1739 d. ca 1818, married Elizabeth CLARK
3) James McGrew b. ca 1744 d. ca 1797, married Constantia (Constance) TILLET
4) Peter Alexander McGrew b. ca 1745 d. ca 1792, married Margaret McCLAIN
5) Margaret McGrew b. bet 1746-1749 d. ca 1805
6) William McGrew b. 23 Apr 1752 D. 1815, appears to have wed Mary GOODWYN

She noted that on 4 July 1755, Alexander McGrew petitioned for 550 acres of land in South Carolina, and had 11 persons in his household. On 5 August of that same year, a plat for 350 acres of middle ground between Broad and Wateree Rivers was found with a certificate dated 10 Oct 1755.

In his Will, dated 11 Oct 1776, he names five children--four by relationship, James, Peter, William and Margaret, one by implication of relationship, John--and also his own wife Margaret. His will was probated 7 Feb 1977 in Craven District, SC. Alexander does not name Mary as a child. Wynema cites Caroline T. Moore, comp "Abstracts of the Wills of the State of South Carolina 1760-1784" Privately Published, 1969), pg. 292, as her source for this information.

(pp. 2-7)

Alexander married Margaret ???. Margaret was born after 1715; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]