William Franklin Moran

Notes:

The transcription of the Moran-Loving Cemetery shows that he was enlisted in Co. C. Texas Cavalry, CSA.

(Research):

Census Listings:

1870 Census
Texas, Sabine County, Beat No. 5, PO Milam
Enumerated 20 July 1870
Page 14
288-288
Moran, W. F. 30 M W Farmer $--- $400 Ala
Moran, Melissa J 37 F W Keeping House Ga
Moran, Bill 10 m W La
Moran, Robert E 1 m W Tx
289-289
Loving, Eliza 65 F W Keeping House 400 100 Ga

William married Malissa Jane Loving on 10 May 1865. Malissa (daughter of Manuel Walton Loving, Sr. and Elizabeth "Eliza" Jane Chiles) was born on 4 Oct 1832 in Georgia; died on 24 Jun 1903; was buried in Moran-Loving Cemetery, Sabine County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Married:
They lived on the Loving homestead, near Moran Ferry, from the day they were married until death. He has a civil war marker at his grave. (White and Toole, p 35).

1. Robert Emmett Moran was born on 28 Feb 1869 in Texas; died on 17 Aug 1873; was buried in Moran-Loving Cemetery, Sabine County, Texas.
2. Alice Leona Moran was born on 15 Mar 1871 in Texas; died on 25 May 1961; was buried in Moran-Loving Cemetery, Sabine County, Texas.
3. Mary P. Moran was born on 4 Oct 1873; died on 9 Oct 1880; was buried in Moran-Loving Cemetery, Sabine County, Texas.

Notes:

(Research):

Census Listings:

1850 Census
Texas, Shelby County
Enumerated 27 Sept 1850
250-250
Jno. J. Moran 51 M Farmer NC
Elizabeth Moran 45 F Ala
John H Moran 14 M Ala
Wm. F. Moran 10 Ala

John married Elizabeth De Castro on 23 Jan 1834 in Sumter County, Alabama. Elizabeth (daughter of Julien De Castro and Elizabeth McGrew) was born about 1801 in St. Stephens, Washington County, Alabama; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Wynema McGrew writes that "Isabelle DeCastro's baptism in 1801 was recorded on page 76-a, Bapt. Rcds, Bk. #2, Archdiocese of Mobile. She was listed as the daughter of Julien and Isabelle Migrou de Castro."

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.