Family History by Robert Monroe Fleming (Sr.)
Notes on Fanily History by Iva Causey Fleming
(Part 2)
Transcribed by Robert M. Fleming Jr.
I -- Another series of notes on family history by Iva Jennings Causey Fleming.
JOHN ADAMS - Came to this country in the first year of his mature manhood. From one of the provinces or states of the Republic of Holland. He was born about the year 1700. His parents and their parents were Protestants of Calvinistic Faith. They had suffered much in their persons and their estates from persecution by the Papists. When our preserved reliable traditions first mention him his mother was a widow with two children. The other child being a daughter named Catherine. Wether younger or older than John Adams we are not informed. His mother owned or permanently held a small farm on which she had a vineyard and also grew flax. Her home was situated about forty miles from a populous seaport. The persecutors of the family had John to be seized and forced into the army. To which service he was not then legally liable. During some movements of the troops in very hard weather in the winter, John escaped and made his way to his Mother's cottage where he remained in hiding until Spring. With Spring came to the neighboring seaport a ship seeking a cargo of immigrants for America. Tidings there of reached the widows cottage, was discussed in the family and it was decided that John was to go. The ship had asuccessful passage. Entered the Delaware River, discharged her passengers. And John Adams found his home among his countrymen and men of his own religious Faith, in New Jersey. Afterwards his sister joined him in New Jersey. Our preserved tradition makes no other mention of her. In due time he married taking to wife one born in his native land. They reared a family of six children, three sons named John, Peter, and Jacob, and three daughters named Mary, Hannah, and Catherine. In the beginning of the disagreements between the colonies and the mother country he warmly espoused the American cause. And though past the age of three score and ten when actual war began, he ardently advocated and supported the Declaration of Independence.
In the winter of1776, when Lord Cornwallis over ran New Jersey, John Adams moved his family into Pennsylvania or into Virginia. The tradition is not definite. Probably just into Pennsylvania. And the next Spring into Virginia where they sojourned until the close of the war, year 1777. Then arrived in Rowan County, N Carolina, the first of Jan. 1778. Early in this year of sojourn his daughter Catherine married Andrew McCormick, G.G.F. of Calvin Emery Causey, (Iva Causey Fleming's Father). He was born Andrew McCormick in the Province of Ulster, in Ireland. His parents were Scotch-Irish Presbyterians.
When John Adams with his family settled in Rowan County in the fall of 1777 he was entering the fourth quarter of his century of life. His eye was dim, other wise hisnatural force was not abated. He was an ernest Whig and conbtinued to espouse the cause of American Independence.
On Nov. 10, 1782, Andrew McCormick bought of John Lawerance and Abraham Lawerance, executors of the will of Joseph Lawerance three hundred and three acres of land situated on Lyle's Creek in Lincoln County, N Carolina, the same being a part of a tract granted to Joseph Lawerance by Earl Granville on Aug. 28, 1762. On this three hundred and three acres, Andrew McCormickand his wife Catherine made their home and resided during the remainder of their joint lives. (G.G.Father & Mother of Calvin E. Causey). On it he operated a farm and grew fine horses and milk cattle. He also carried on extensive work shop, making and repairing house hold furniture and impements of wood and iron for farm and road uses.
John Adams survived until the first year of this century, 1800. He was totally blind for several years preceeding his death. During these latter years of helpless blindness he lived with his daughter, Catherine McCormick, and died in her house on Lyle's Creek. In which his son-in-law, Andrew McCormick, had died about three years earlier, 1797. The beloved wife Catherine continued a widow as long as she lived.
Catherine McCormick survived her husband twelve years. He had been in feeble health for several. And the active management of the family, the farm and the shops had devolved on his wife and their sonsJoseph and Andrew. Upon their Father's death, Joseph, then not quite twenty years of age, Assumed the duties of the male head of the family. Which he continued to discharge as long as his Mother lived, remaining unmarried, and devoting this twelve years of his life in aiding her in raising and educating her younger children.
Andrew had attained his majority in 1801, and had married in 1803. Between these dates the land had been measured and valued and allotted as provided in the Father's will. Joseph taking the lesser acrage on the side of the creek on which the dwelling and the other home buildings were situated, and Andrew the other on which he was about to plant his roof tree.
Not far from this McCormick farm, but probably across that Catawba River, in Iredell County, lived Mortimer Steele, who had commanded a company of Whigs in the War of Independence. And who was known far and near as Captain Steele. He was Scotch-Irish Presbyterian. His wife was a native of Wales. They had at least fice children, three sons and two daughters. Of whom I have heard my parents make mention. The sons were named John, William and Henry. And the daughters were Sarah and Rebecca. Of John and William I have been able to learn only their names. And that they lived to become men of family and moved from N Carolina to some point in the then West in the early years of this century. Of Henry and Rebecca some further mention will be made as we proceed in this chapter.
Sarah Steele, who was born in N Carolina in 1774, became the wife of Andrew McCormick in 1803. These are my Grandparents. The sister Rebecca married Robert Stevenson, who was my Mother's Uncle and a Great Uncle of Vice-President Adlai E. Stevenson.
The impulse now became epidemic in the Catawba County to go West and take up land. In 1807 Andrew McCormick, Robert Stevenson, and William Sloan (who had married Jane Stevenson, sister of Robert), left N Carolina for the necessary preliminary pioneer expedition to that portion of Mr. Jefferson's purchase now embossed in the State of Missouri. They passed through Tennessee, and in July 1808 the family of Andrew McCormick was in Christian County, Kentucky. By the summer of 1808 they had selected for their permanent settlement a place on the left bank of Big River. After wards in the bounds of Washington County, and one mile west of the present town of Irondale, Missouri.
In Sept. the main body of this colony was ready to set out on their journey to the West. They started on the sixteenth day of the month. The way had been carefully surveyed and well chosen, and the goodly company reached their destination with out casualty or detention. They arrived about the first day of November. the widow Catherine McCormick, and all her unmarried children, Joseph, John, David, Mary and Catherine were of this company. It also included Robert Sloan, a brother of William Sloan, with his wife Martha, whose maiden name Harris, and the widow Alexander and John Price Alexander. Here we first meet among those nearly related to us, persons who bear two Christian names. Very few families in the Yadkin and Catawba bore the name Alexander. In Meedlenbury County they were more numerous than any other family connection. The Harris family was next in number and at the time of the Revolution these two families and their connections constituted one third of the population of the County. Exhaustless as it seemed to be in men and patriotism.
At arriving at their new home the pious company organized themselves into a church congregation. They chose a site for a meeting house and burying ground. Built the house for prayer, enclosed it's adjoining, "God's Acre", and as soon as a minister could come with authority to ordain and install elders, the Bellevue church was organized with Reverend Salmon Giddings, August 3, 1816.
Here in the first year of the new settlement was deposited the dust of Catherine McCormick. And close by it now sleeps the dust of her two daughters, Mary and Catherine; and of their husbands, the brothers Alexander, and of her oldest son, the son and son-in-law, two, having been ruling elders of the Bellevue Church.
ANDREW MCCORMICK - Andrew was the second child born to Andrew and Catherine McCormick. Who has been mentioned as the first to marry and leave the parental roof and the first to leave his native heath to seek a new Elysium and El Dorado in the West. He and his helpmate established their frontier home in Missouri on early on the fall of 1808. Thus filled it with abundance of good cheer and dispensed an unconventional hospitality that was attractive to all latecomers. And the Host's and Hostess's many friends.
In this home Catherine the youngest sister was, in 1812, united in marriage with John Price Alexander. The dwelling house in which this marriage was celebrated was still standing in 1843.
At the close of the year 1813 Andrew McCormick moved his home to Christian County, Kentucky. Where his family had sojourned during the year 1808. He bought a farm on "Little River, and made his home on it. At a point near, "Blue Water", about eight miles from the site of the present town of Lafayette, or "Flat Lick", as it and the settlement immediately around it was called. And about eight miles from Hopkinsville. ( It might have five miles, not eight, from Hopkinsville). The new home soon took on all the attractive features of the home which had been left in Missouri.
The mansion house on the Little River farm became the resort of sedate and pious elders and of frisky youth on all holiday occasions, such as neighborhood meetings, then the sum of ordinary social refreshment. About this time a considerable colony from Iredell and the adjoining counties in N Carolina began to come into Christian County. And a number of worthy people whom my grandparents had known from childhoood, settle within easy writing distance, from "Blue Water".
At first, and for three years, they had no organized Presbyterian Church in their immediate vicinity. But Reverend R Cushman, a very able Minister, was located in Hopkinsville in 1817. And in the fall of that year organized the Little River Church, with Mr. McCormick as it's first ruling elder. He (the Elder) had a fine voice, knew the songs ofZion then and there in common use, Was skilled to carry any of the parts of the favorite sacred airs, acted as clerk ( pronounced as Clark), standing up to line the hymn and lead the singing when ever the minister was present and the congregation was set to hear preaching. At all times he conducted the services. Mr Cushman acted as pastor of this Little River Church for a number of years. But he other like charges, at Hopkinsville and else where, so that there were considerable intervals between his stated appointments to preach at this little country church.
The congregation how ever met on every "Lords Day" for public worship by the eldership. The place of worship for the Little River Presbyterian Church was after wards moved to Lafayette. And many years later was again moved to Bennetts Town where the congregation have a beautiful, "House of Prayer", which bear the name of McKenzie Kirk, in honor of William Washington McKenzie, who was ordained and installed as ruling elder in this church in 1830. And continued in active service till his death, 19, March 1844.
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©2009 Robert M. Fleming Jr.
This page was last revised on 29 August 2009.