We begin Chapter IX with the history of the fourth son of Nicholas, Sr., Barnaby Baggett. Barnaby's name appears on several deeds in the second half of the eighteenth century. John and Joseph Baggett also witnessed deeds, but Benjamin is not found in records other than his father's Will.

A list of taxables taken for the year 1757 in Bertie County shows Thomas and Hardy Baggett, so these two are still living near the old homestead. A list in Bladen County for the year 1763 shows Joseph Baggett. Apparently his homestead named in his Will in Robeson County is the same one listed in Bladen County.

It appears that the earliest record of Barnaby Baggett is found in 1750, three years before he appears in his father's will in 1753. His name appears as a witness in the last Will and Testament of James Wood on 25 June 1751 in Northampton County.

The next time we find Barnaby is 26 February 1752 when we find his name in the deed from Nicholas Baggett II of Bertie County to his son Abraham Baggett I of Northampton County. On 9 May 1752 we find where he sold his sister, Elizabeth Wood, land on Cattawisky (or Catawhiskey) Creek.

According to the information I have, he is still in Northampton County in 1759 when he is shown as a resident petitioner in a petition to form Hertford County. The next time we find him he is on the 1768 tax list of Bertie County with one free white servant and no Negroes. He is found as witness in two deeds in Edgecombe County in the early 1770s. He signs one with an (X) and another with a (b).

Apparently Barnaby Baggett settled in the area around Swift Creek in the early 1770s. A short time later this area became Nash County. The deed that he granted to his sister Elizabeth Wood in May of 1752 is apparently the last deed on which his name appears in Northampton County, NC there in the area of Cattawisky Creek.

According to several pieces of evidence, Barnaby Baggett received a Land Grant containing five hundred and forty acres on Swift Creek in the County of Nash in April of 1780. A copy of the original grant is shown below. It was entered in April of 1780, patented in 1784, and then recorded in the Register's Office by W. L. Martin, Registrar, in 1793. A copy showing the patent for this land on Swift Creek is shown also.

According to the information I have, Barnaby Baggett had two sons, Grandberry and Nicholas, and Elizabeth is presumed to be the name of his wife. Her maiden name was probably Grandberry. There are people by that name connected with the Baggett family. It is obvious that Barnaby never made a will. There is no evidence that there are other children, although he may have had more than one daughter.

It appears that Barnaby Baggett was granted land when he was middle-aged, but he had owned land for several years before in Northampton County, which he sold to his sister Elizabeth Wood.

A document recording to a 1782 Tax List for Nash County is shown with an Elizabeth Baggett owning 500 acres there in Captain Battles District, and the writer speculates that this probably is Barnaby's wife owning this land, since he is not found after the 1780 Land Grant. There is an Elizabeth Baggett in a document with Nicholas Baggett when he gives Grandberry a deed for one hundred acres there on the north side of Swift Creek in Nash County, which is apparently a part of the land Barnaby received in the grant and which Nicholas Baggett had inherited from his father.

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
 Nash County, Deed Book 5, Page 104

To all to whom these presents shall come. I, Nicholas Bagget, of Nash County in the said county and province send greeting:

Know ye that the said Nicholas Bagget for and in consideration of the sum of five shillings currency money in my hand paid by Grandberry Bagget of North Carolina, the receipt whereof I do hereby acknowledge myself fully satisfied . . . have granted, bargained, sold, conveyed, and confirmed unto the said Grandberry Bagget a tract or parcel of land containing one hundred acres, more or less, situated in the County of Nash, in said province of, on the north side of Swift Creek.

Beginning at a white oak in Nicholas Bagget's line, running . . . to William Hackney's line, thence along . . . to Cooper's line, thence . . . to the first station, together with all woods, underwoods, waters, profits, commodities & appurtenances . . . to the said land, . . . I, Nicholas Bagget, my heirs, Exec. of Adm., do covenant and agree . . . that Grandberry Bagget and his heirs may at all times forever hereafter peaceably and quietly have, hold, occupy, use, possess, and enjoy one hundred acres of land with all appurtenances. I, Nicholas Bagget, have hereunto set my hand this the 25th day of July, 1790. Signed: Nicholas Bagget and Elizabeth (X) Bagget. Witnesses: Ralph (X) Mason and Daniel Powell.

Although some of the data on Barnaby Baggett needs to be shown clearly as conjectural, we believe Nicholas and Grandberry were the two sons of Barnaby Baggett and Elizabeth Grandberry. According to census records, Nicholas Baggett was born ca. 1762, and Grandberry was born in 1765 and died in 1843. The latter is according to Grandberry's Family Bible.

Mrs. Ruth Moudy Park, who resides in Springfield, TN sent me information on a Family Bible belonging to Grandberry Baggett. It appears among several pages of material which pertains to Barnaby Baggett. The material was researched by John A. Baggett of Laceys Spring, AL. His name appears at the end of the document. He noted that this Bible was in the possession of Misses Marie and Jo Mason of Springfield, TN. In parenthesis he states: "This Bible was printed by M. Carey at 122 Market St., Philadelphia, PA in 1812. The Grandberry Family Bible is one hundred eighty years old."

Found in the document is text from the original Bible with the following information: (Perhaps Grandberry wrote the first part himself.) It states: "Grandberry Baggett was born 10 September 1765. His wife Eliza [Jones] Baggett was born 15 April 1767. Grandberry Baggett was married to Eliza Jones on 1 December 1788. My wife lived with me 53 years and 6 months and 2 days and died the 17th day of June, 1842."

Grandberry recorded the names of the slaves that belonged to him and when they were born. Apparently the Negro man and his wife were born in 1808. One they called Boy was born in 1810. Apparently the following were born to the man and wife: One called Jim was born in 1829; Moll was born in 1832; Suck was born in 1835; Dina was born in 1837; Isaac was born in 1837; and Winny was born in 1843.

There is much more important information recorded in this Bible. It lists the names of Grandberry's children and his grandchildren and who each of his children married.

A document prepared by John Aubrey Baggett illustrates that Nicholas moved to the State of Georgia, but that Grandberry didn't. It shows the tax digests in Jefferson County, GA and proves a Nicholas Baggett was there in this section of Georgia from 1799 to 1808. A Jesse Baggett, perceived to be his son, was there in 1816 on the same land that his father owned in Jefferson County in 1808.

JEFFERSON COUNTY, GEORGIA TAX DIGEST ABSTRACTS
Microfilm Roll Number 22-73, State Archives, Atlanta, Georgia

Year *******Taxpayer******* Land  Location *****Adj. Owner*****  Land Grant

1799---------Nicholas Bagett------200 ac.William's Sw. ------ Dewitt Dees-------  Banks
1800: ---------Missing ---
1801--------Nicholas Bagott-------200 ac.Williamson's Sw. --- Drury Dees-------  Banks
1802--------Nicholas Baggett------200 ac.Williamson's Sw. --- James Dees-------  Banks
1803--------Nicholas Baggett------200 ac.Williamson's Sw. --- James Dees-------  Banks
1804--------Nicholas Baggett------200 ac.Williamson's Sw. --- James Dees-------  Banks
1805--------Nicholas Braggett-----200 ac.Williamson's Sw. --- James Dees-------  Banks
1806--------Nicholas Baggett------200 ac.Williamson's Sw. --- James Dees-------  Banks
1807--------Nicholas Baggett------200 ac.Williamson's Sw. --- James Dees-------  Banks
1808--------Nicholas Baggett------200 ac.Williamson's Sw. --- James Dees ------- Banks
1809:---------No Baggetts listed--
1816--------Jesse Baggett---------200 ac.Williamson's Sw. --- James Dees-----  BAGOT
1817 & 1818:----------- No Baggetts listed--
In 1814 -----Jacob and William Goodwin appear.
In 1815-16-17---------- Jacob Godown is shown. In 1818 No Godwins listed.

The census of Nash County in 1790 is the last entry of Nicholas Baggett in that State. Grandberry Baggett is found there in Nash County as late as 1812 when he appears on a list of subscribers to purchase a book, General History of the Baptist Denomination. He does not appear anywhere in the 1820 census of North Carolina. He is found in Robertson County, TN, where he lived until his death in 1843. The 1840 census of Robertson County shows him and his family, and his descendants are well documented there and remains to be one of the major Baggett lines in that region of Tennessee.

The writer gives an analysis of why he believes that Nicholas Grandberry and Jesse Baggett are the children of Nicholas, son of Barnaby. He emphasizes that Jesse was probably a son of Nicholas rather than of Grandberry, because Grandberry and Elizabeth later had a son whose name was Jesse Jones Baggett. There is good reason to believe that they would not name two sons Jesse, and because there was proof that Grandberry Baggett stayed in North Carolina and never went to Georgia, as he showed that Nicholas Baggett did by the tax digest shown above.

In a document prepared by John A. Baggett, we quote: "Nicholas Baggett, son of Barnaby and Elizabeth Baggett of Nash County, is not shown again in either North or South Carolina in census records after the 1795 entry shown above [meaning the deed]. I have found no other record of him there since that date, although a thorough search in all Nash County records from 1790 to 1799 in the North Carolina State Archives might turn up something more. I feel sure that I have seen all the records of Nash County that have been published to date and this paper includes all there is from that source plus the land grant above which I got in Raleigh many years ago and which as far as I know has never been published."

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
LAND GRANT NUMBER 305
Entered April, 1780, Entry Number 200
Entry Book Number 57, Page 326

Edward Horns, Entry Officer of claims for land in the County of Nash, North Carolina.

To the Surveyor of said County of Nash, Greeting:--

As soon as it may be possible to lay off and survey for Barnebe Baget a tract or parcel of land containing five hundred and forty acres being in the county aforesaid on the north side of Swift Creek where he now lives, . . . and joining the said creek, to . . . Ralph Mason's line . . . Wilson Hackney's line . . . the Pine Log Swamp . . . Matthews, and Charles Powell . . . the act . . . made and provided for. Prepare two just and fair plans of such survey with a proper certificate annexed . . . you are to transmit with this warrant to the Secretary's Office without delay, given under my hand this the      of April, 1780.

 A drawn sketch of the Grant was sent along with the Land Grant and delivered to the Officers.

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
LAND GRANT NUMBER 305
Deed Book 2, Page 100

To all whom these presents shall come, greeting: Know ye that we, for and in consideration of the sum of fifty shillings for every hundred acres hereby granted, paid into treasury by Barnabe Bagget, have given and granted, and by these presents do give and grant unto the said Barnabe Bagget a tract of land containing 500 acres.

Lying and being in our County of Nash on the north side of Swift Creek beginning at Thomas Wilson's corner, running along Mason's line east one hundred & fifty-eight poles to a corner; thence along said Mason's other line North one hundred eight poles to the creek; thence along said Mason's other line north thirty degrees east two hundred fourteen poles to the center of these lines; thence along his other line south sixty degrees east one hundred & ninety-four poles to a corner pine; thence along Peter Robertson's line north thirty degrees east twenty poles to a red oak; thence along his other line east one hundred sixteen poles to Dorthe's corner white oak; thence along Dorthe's line north one hundred seventy-two poles to a black oak; thence along Wilson Hackney's line west three hundred thirty-five poles to a corner pine; thence along north line eighty poles; thence west sixty poles to a white oak; thence to and along Wilson's line to the beginning as by the plat hereunto affixed doth appear; together with all woods, waters, minerals, mines, hereditaments, and appurtenances, to the said land belonging or appertaining: To hold to said Barnabe Bagget, his heirs and assigns forever:

Yielding and paying to us and ours of money, yearly, or otherwise, as our General Assembly from time to time may direct, and provided that the said Barnabe Bagget shall always cause this grant to be registered in the Register's Office of our said County of Nash within twelve months from the date hereof, otherwise the same shall be void and of no effect.

In testimony whereof we have caused these our Letters to be made patent and our Great Seal to be hereunto affixed.

Witness: Alexander Martin, Esquire, our Governor, Captain General and Commander in Chief at Northern, on this the fourth day of November and in the ninth year of our Independence, and being in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty four (1784).

 Recorded in the Secretary's Office and the Register's Office. W. L. Martin, Regr., 1793.

"There is only one other explanation for his Nicholas Baggett’s disappearance from the records in North and South Carolina that I can reasonably and plausibly assign. That is, he is the same Nicholas Baggett who appears on the 1799 tax list in Jefferson County, GA, unless this Nicholas Baggett of Nash County died young. By the way, this 1799 reference is the earliest record that I have seen of any Baggett or Baggett family being in the State of Georgia."

You need to remember that the law of primogeniture is still in effect in the 1780s in America. With this in effect, it was good evidence that Nicholas had inherited his father's estate. Nicholas (who apparently was the eldest son and inherited his father's estate) let Grandberry have the one hundred acres for five shillings.

I would at this time like to say that some of the things we have written about the family is not to be construed as fact. Some are conjectural, but I believe that there is sufficient evidence to prove that Nicholas and Grandberry are the sons of Barnaby. I'm convinced that Jesse and Nicholas (given name Grandberry) are the sons of Nicholas. Grandberry had recorded the names of his children and his grandchildren in his Bible, and I'm certain that we can accept that which is written in the family Bible as fact.

I am equally satisfied that the Nicholas Baggett found in the Jefferson County, GA records is the same Nicholas Baggett that is recorded as selling land in Nash County, NC in the late 1790s, a son of Barnaby.

We'll now present more about Jesse Baggett son of Nicholas, son of Barnaby Baggett, which I received from Ruth Moudy Park. I will quote several paragraphs from John Aubrey Baggett's finding: "It has been determined that he (Jesse) is the Jesse Baggett of Castleberry (Conecuh County), AL, who was born on 19 September 1790 (according to tombstone) in North Carolina (according to the 1850 census of Conecuh County, AL). On the 24th day of June 1812, in Jefferson County, GA, Jesse married Zilla T. Godwin (according to court records of said county). He moved from Georgia to Conecuh County in about 1817 (based on a record of the birth of his son Richard Thomas Baggett on 30 March 1817 in Conecuh County). Jesse Baggett died in Conecuh County in May of 1867 (according to [the engravings on his] tombstone).

Jesse Baggett's second son, Jesse Granberry Baggett, was born in April of 1819 in Conecuh County, AL and died 1859.  He married Mary Ann Weaver, daughter of John Weaver and Maria Price.  Mary Ann was born 21 October 1826, and died 30 December 1912.

Their son, William Ashley Baggett (grandson of Jesse and Zilla), was born in 1858 in Conecuh County, AL and died between 1895 and 1897.  He met Nancy E. Lucas, daughter of Jackson Lucas and Lucille Browning. She was born 4 July 1860 in Conecuh County, AL and died 4 September 1934.

Their son, William Herbert Baggett, was born 18 June 1883 in Castleberry (Conecuh County), AL and died 20 December 1955 in Brewton (Escambia County), AL, buried Ft. Crawfort Cemetery.  He met Maggie Mae Johns 7 August 1910, daughter of James Johns and Sara Stephens.  She was born 25 January 1893 in Brewton (Escambia County), AL and died June 14, 1966 in Brewton, Escambia County, AL, buried Ft. Crawfort Cemetery. They were the grandparents of Sandy Smith, who supplied the above infomation from Jesse Granberry Baggett, son of Jesse and Zilla, down.

Quote continued from John A. Baggett, "There is absolute proof that Jesse, born 1790, is the same Jesse Baggett that had married Zilla T. Godwin in 1812 in Jefferson County, GA. In about the year 1817, he moved to Conecuh County, AL. There is no doubt but that he is the same Jesse Baggett who is shown in the 1816 tax list of Jefferson County living on the 200 acres on Williamson's Swamp. This is the same 200 acres of land joining James Dees owned and occupied by Nicholas Baggett [who was no doubt his father] from 1799 to 1808. This Jesse Baggett is the only young man of record named Jesse in Georgia at that time period. And was definitely the same man that is found drafted in Capt. James Willis' Company of the Georgia Militia in the War of 1812 in neighboring Washington County, GA, going with this unit to St. Johns in East Florida in 1812 and 1813.” Some information on Jesse and Zilla Baggett was researched by John A. Baggett:

No records are found on his father Nicholas after his lucky draw of land in Wilkinson County in the 1807 Georgia Land Lottery, except the entry above in 1808. In 1808, Jesse would have been age 18 and his brother Grandberry Baggett, born 1 February 1794, died 6 August 1820 in Conecuh County, AL, would have been age 16. Nicholas may have sold the land in Wilkinson County and never gone there as many of the winners of lotteries did, but apparently he died before the family is found again in Jefferson County in 1816. The death records of Nicholas will probably be found in central Georgia.

The only Nicholas Baggett of record in the Wilkinson County area of Georgia was born in 1789 in North Carolina. He can be eliminated because the above Nicholas was born in 1762, and not only on that basis, but by the many later records located in Florida where the younger Nicholas Baggett settled. The personal affidavit for bounty land based on militia service in the Creek and Indian War shows this Florida Nicholas to be born 20 December 1789. He died in the 1860s in Walton County, FL leaving no children. He is always shown living with a Lewis Baggett, born 1794 in South Carolina, believed to be his brother. These two appear in the early Pulaski County, GA records living close to Baggett's Creek on the Ocmulgee River.

The records show that Nicholas (son of Barnaby) sold his land in Nash County, NC and bought land in Jefferson County, GA, but there is no evidence that Grandberry ever lived in Georgia. Grandberry bought two hundred fifty acres of the land Nicholas inherited from his father in Nash County, NC. He then bought a hundred acres in 1790 from his brother Nicholas for five shillings and one hundred fifty acres from James Conway in 1798 (who had bought a part of Barbaby's land from Nicholas). He then bought thirty-three acres from Jennings Hackney later in 1811.

In 1815 Grandberry sold the entire two hundred eighty-three acres on Swift Creek to his neighbor, Jonathan Whitehead, for one thousand and two dollars. He left the State of North Carolina and the next time we find Grandberry, he is living in Robertson County, TN. He is found on the census there in 1820. The following year he bought land in Robertson County on the Red River, and there are documents showing a large number of his descendants in the State of Tennessee.

We've attempted to present a logical and coherent analysis of these difficult lost lines of the family. And we have tried to eliminate all improbabilities so that we might be successful in establishing a true lineage. The information on the families of Barnaby, Joseph, and Nicholas Baggett III is very scarce, intricate elements scattered in large areas and it must be analyzed with great care. But all the data gathered from the several States presented thus far will reveal, we believe, plausible evidence, and will be instrumental in uncovering some of the mysteries of these lost lines.

HISTORY 1 | HISTORY 1b | HISTORY 1ba | HISTORY 1bb | HISTORY 1c | HISTORY 2 | HISTORY 2b
HISTORY 3 | HISTORY 4 | HISTORY 5 | HISTORY 6 | HISTORY 6b | HISTORY 7 | HISTORY 8