Our Cargile family originated in Scotland. The surname is a place name derived from the ancient lands of Cargill, lying in the present Parish of Cargill in Perthshire, Scotland.
The ancient people of Scotland were of Celtic descent. They were given the name Pict by the Romans because of their custom of painting their skin. The fierce Pictish tribes fought the Romans for many years. Because Scotland and England shared an island, the Romans built a long wall on the English-Scottish border to control the Picts and keep them out of England. In the 500's a tribe of Celts, called the Scots from Northern Ireland, settled in Scotland and eventually converted the fierce Picts to Christianity.
The Scottish Clans began around the year 1000. They grew out of a similar system formed in Celtic Ireland, from whence the Scots originated. The Clan system was an effective way of government in the Scottish Highlands. These clans were organized under the rule of a chief. The chief was head of the whole family or clan in Scotland. Chieftains were heads of branches of the family name. Each Clan had its own tartan, and members of each Clan were recognized by the tartan they wore.
In the late 1200's Scotland was again invaded by the English. The Scots suffered terrible oppression and brutality at the hands of the English. This gave rise to such famous leaders as William Wallace and Robert Bruce. Wars continued with England into the 1500's. When James V of Scotland died in 1542, his one week old daughter, Mary, was proclaimed Queen of Scotland. She was sent to France to be educated and did not return to Scotland until 1561.
Before 1560, the Roman Catholic Church was the official church of Scotland. Many Scottish leaders resented the power of the church and in the late 1550's drove out many Catholic officials and soldiers. When Mary Queen of Scots returned to Scotland in 1561, Scotland was in the process of establishing a Protestant Church. In 1567, Mary was forced to give up the throne, in part because she was Catholic. She escaped to England in 1568, but was captured and imprisoned. She was executed in 1587.
Mary Queen of Scots' infant son, James VI, was made King of Scotland in 1567. He was reared as a Protestant, and the Presbyterian Church became firmly established in Scotland. James inherited the English throne and ruled both England and Scotland as James I of England.
We found many records of Cargile immigration to America in the early 1700's. Many of these early immigrants settled on the fertile farming land of Virginia.
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Much of the following material is from Cargill/Cargile/Cargal of the South and Southwest, Descendants of Cornelius Cargill of Virginia, John Cargile of Virginia & North Carolina, John Cargile of Virginia & Georgia, Andrew J. & John Cargal of South Carolina & Georgia, by Patty Barthell Myers, copyright 1995, printed by Penobscot Press, Rockport, Maine, pages 19, 23, 26, 46-47, 53, 69-70. This material is not verbatim, but paraphrased. My sincere appreciation to Patty for permitting me to use her material here.
Our 6th great grandfather, Cornelius
Cargill, was born about 1680. It is unknown exactly when he
immigrated to America. He first appeared in Virginia records about
1712. Cornelius was married several times, and produced children by
at least two of his wives. He married our 6th great grandmother, Mrs.
Mary (Lucy) Anderson, widow of Thomas Anderson, before
July 8, 1712, in Virginia. Mary Lucy was the daughter of Robert Lucy
and Sarah (Barker) Taylor. Mary died about 1718. Cornelius
was, among other things, a planter. He received ten different land
patents from King George II between 1728 and 1755, totaling over 3000
acres. Cornelius and Mary had two children: John, born about
1714, and Mary born about 1718, who married Thomas Dendy.
Cornelius married several times after Mary's death. He died between
June 10, 1763 and February 21, 1764, in Halifax County, Virginia.
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Our 5th great grandfather, John Cargill, was born about 1714, in Surry County, Virginia, the son of Cornelius Cargill and Mrs. Mary (Lucy) Anderson. John married our 5th great grandmother, Rachel Tinsley. Rachel was the daughter of John Tinsley and Susannah Chiles. John and Rachel had at least eleven children: (1) John; (2) Clary, married William Dendy; (3) Sarah, married Tandy Walker, Jr.; (4) Cornelius, married Sarah Wilson; (5) Elizabeth, married Wettenhall Warner; (6) Thomas, married Elizabeth (last name unknown); (7) Mary, married Sherwood Allen and Wilson Woodruff; (8) Daniel; (9) Clement, married Martha (last name unknown); (10) Keziah, married John Nail and George Miller; and (11) Lucy. John moved to South Carolina about 1763. He received about 1100 acres in land grants in South Carolina. John died in 1777, in Craven County, South Carolina.
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Our 4th great grandfather, John Cargill, II, was born about 1740, in Brunswick County, Virginia. He was the eldest child of John Cargill and Rachel Tinsley.
About 1764, John's father moved his family from Halifax County, Virginia to South Carolina. They settled along the Saluda River in what is now Laurens County, South Carolina.
On March 1, 1768, John, II received a warrant for 300 acres in Berkeley County, South Carolina. The land was situated on a branch of the Little River "where he now lives", with vacant land on all sides.
John, II married our 4th great grandmother, Keziah (last name unknown) prior to 1770, possibly in Berkeley County, South Carolina. Keziah was probably born about 1750.
John was mentioned in his father's will dated Apr 9, 1777 to receive "fifty pounds South Carolina currency."
On March 25, 1770, John Cargill and wife Keziah sold to Thomas Dendy, for 200 pounds, the 300 acres John had received a warrant for in 1768.
Prior to 1790, John and Keziah moved to Laurens District of South Carolina, where they appear on the 1790 Laurens District, South Carolina census. The census shows three males 16 and over (b. 1774 & bef), one male under 16 (b. 1775-1790) and four females.
The 1800 Laurens District, South Carolina census shows him as John Cargill, Sr., a male 45 & over (b. 1755 & bef), one male 16-25 (b. 1775-1784) and one female 45 & over (b. 1755 & bef). John's brother, Thomas Cargill was listed beside John on the 1800 Laurens District census. The census shows Thomas Cargill as a male 45 & over (b. 1755 or bef); one male 16-25 (b. 1775-1784); one female 26-44 (b. 1756-1774) and one female 16-25 (b. 1775-1784).
We did not locate John or Keziah on the 1810 census. We believe they died prior to 1810, probably in Laurens District, South Carolina.
We are unsure how many children were born to John and Keziah. Census indicates they had at least three sons and three daughters. Their children included: (1) John Cargill, III, born abt 1771, SC (our line); (2) William Cargile, born abt 1772, SC, married Margaret Lewis (dau. of Alexander F. Lewis and Elizabeth ___); (3) Unknown Son Cargile, born abt 1775, SC; (4) Unknown Daughter Cargill, b. abt 1780, SC; (5) Nancy Cargill, b. abt 1787, SC, married William Plant (they settled in AR) and (6) Sarah Cargill, b. abt 1789, SC, married Charles Plant.
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The following material is from our book, The History of Our Family, privately published in 1991, which covers the McClure, Cargile, Jones, Hess, Branham and Gloden families.
Our 3rd great grandfather, John Cargill, III, was born about 1771, probably in Berkeley County, South Carolina. He was the eldest of six children born to John Cargill, II and Keziah (last name unknown).
John, III appears on the 1790 Laurens District, South Carolina census with his parents and siblings. He is shown to be a male 16 and over (b. 1774 & before).
John, III married (unknown) about 1793, probably in Laurens District, South Carolina. We have no information on his first wife. We know that John and his first wife had three children.
Prior to 1799, John moved his family from South Carolina, to Christian County, Kentucky.
John appears on the 1799 Christian County, Kentucky Tax List in Livingston, District 2. He paid taxes on a white male over 21, three horses, mares and cattle.
John's first wife died in Christian County, Kentucky about 1803, possibly in childbirth with their youngest child.
John married our 3rd great grandmother, Nancy Elizabeth Lewis, on November 27, 1803, in Christian County, Kentucky. Elizabeth Lewis was born about 1785, the daughter of Alexander F. Lewis (b. abt 1750-55, VA; d. 1807, Christian Co, KY) and Elizabeth (last name unknown) (b. abt 1754).
John and Elizabeth appear on the 1810 Christian County, Kentucky census. The census shows John Cargil a male 26-44; one male 10-15 (Daniel, John's son by 1st wife); three males under 10 (John's unknown son by 1st wife, Edward & Nenion) ; one female 26-44 (Nancy Elizabeth); one female 10-15 (John's unknown dau. by 1st wife) and two females under 10 (unknown dau. & Keziah).
John's family appears on the 1820 Hopkins Co, Kentucky. The cenus shows John Cargle a male 45 & over; one male 16-18 (unknown son by 1st wife who also appears in the 16-25 year old column); 3 males 10-15 (Edward, Nenion & Delemore); 3 males under 10 (Robert, Thomas & unknown); one female 26-44 (Nancy Elizabeth); one female 10-15 (Keziah) and one female under 10 (Martha).
The family moved to Graves County, Kentucky prior to 1830. The 1830 Graves County census shows John Cargil a male 50-59; one male 20-29 (Edward); 2 males 15-19 (Nenion & Delemore); one male 10-14 (Robert) ; one male 5-9 (Thomas); one male under 5 (William); one female 40-49 (Nancy Elizabeth); one female 10-14 (Martha); one female 5-9 (Sabra) and one female under 5 (Nancy Jane).
About 1837, John and Elizabeth moved their family to Arkansas. John appears on the 1839 tax records of Johnson County, Arkansas.
John paid taxes in Searcy County, Arkansas in 1840 and again in 1841.
John appears on the 1840 Searcy County census. The census shows John, age 60-69; one male 15-19 (William); one female 50-59 (Elizabeth); one female 15-19 (Sabra) and one female 10-14 (Nancy Jane). Living near John was his daughter and son-in-law, Keziah and Benjamin Palmer, Jr., and his son Nenion Cargile. John's son Robert Lewis Cargile was also living in Searcy County. Two more sons, Delemore B. and Robert L. were living in Conway County, Arkansas.
We believe John died in late 1841 or early 1842, in Searcy County.
Tax records show that Elizabeth (listed as Nancy Cargile on the tax list) paid taxes in Searcy County in 1842. She would not have paid taxes in her name unless John was deceased.
Nancy Elizabeth died between 1843 and 1848, in either Searcy County or Conway County, Arkansas. Nenion Cargile moved from Searcy County to Conway County in 1843, making him the last of John and Nancy Elizabeth's children to leave Searcy County. He may have taken his mother with him into Conway County or he may have left Searcy County when his mother died.
(It should be noted that some of the Cargill children spelled their name Cargile.)
Children of John Cargill, III and Unknown
1. Daniel Chesley Cargill was born abt 1795, in Laurens Co, SC. He married Margaret Givens on Oct 21, 1819, in Hopkins Co, KY. Margaret was born abt 1802, in VA. Daniel appears on the 1810 Christian Co, KY census with his family as a male 10-15 years old. Daniel and Margaret settled in Hopkins Co, KY and appear on the 1820, 1830, 1840 and 1850 Hopkins Co census.
2. Unknown Daughter Cargill was born abt 1798. She appears on the 1810 Christian Co, KY census with her family as a female 10-15 years old.
3. Unknown Son Cargill was born abt 1802-1803, in Christian Co, KY. He appears on the 1810 Christian Co, KY census with his family as a male under 10 years old. He appears on the 1820 Christian Co census with his family as a male 16-18 years old.
Children of John Cargill, III and Elizabeth Lewis
4. Unknown Daughter Cargill was born abt 1805, in Christian Co, KY. She appears on the 1810 Christian Co, KY census with her family as a female under 10 years old. She either died or married prior to 1820.
5. Keziah Frances Cargill was born Feb 22, 1807, in Christian Co, KY.
6. Edward Pearson Cargile was born 1808, in Christian Co, KY.
7. Nenion Elijah Cargile was born 1810, in Christian Co, KY. (our line)
8. Delemore Burvel Cargile was born 1812, in Christian Co, KY.
9. Robert Lewis Cargile was born Dec 7, 1814, in Christian Co, KY.
10. Thomas H. Cargill was born abt 1816, in Christian Co, KY.
11. Unknown Son Cargill was born abt 1818, in Christian Co, KY. He appears on the 1820 Christian Co, Ky census with his family as a male under 10 years old. He died before 1830.
12. Martha P. Cargile was born abt 1820, in Christian Co, KY.
13. William W. Cargile was born abt 1825, in Christian Co, KY.
14. Sabra Cargill was born abt 1826, in Christian Co, KY. She appears on the 1830 Graves Co, KY census with her family as a female 5-9 years old. She appears on the 1840 Searcy Co, AR census with her family as a female 15-19 years old.
15. Nancy Jane Cargile was born abt 1829, in Christian Co, KY.
I am not a professional genealogist and although I have researched much of the information found at this site, some of it was given to me by other researchers and may not have been documented. Each bit of information found here should be carefully researched and proved or disproved by you, the researcher. Researchers may copy information found at this site for their own personal use and to share with other researchers or genealogical organizations. Any commercial use or distribution without the written consent of this author is prohibited.
Others researching the Cargile
family include:
Ken
Ward (descendant of Cornelius Cargile, b. abt 1771,
SC, and Anne Cornelius)
Wayne
Wise (descendant of John Cargile, b. abt 1719, VA,
and Catherine Reneau/Renno)
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