James Crow

My 3rd great grandfather James Crow was born about 1786, in Chatham County, North Carolina.     He was the son of John Crow and Sarah (last name unknown).

James appears with his family on the 1790 Chatham County census as one of four males under the age of 16 years (b. 1774-1790).     

The 1800 Chatham County census shows James as a male 10-15 (b. 1785-1790), with his parents and siblings. 

The 1810 Chatham County census shows James as a male 26-44 (b. 1766-1784).    He was still living with his parents and siblings.

  James served in the War of 1812, in the Chatham County Militia.

James was named in his father's will in 1815.    He was to receive an equal number of negros, along with his brothers Reuben and John.    James was also to receive a 320 acre tract of land lying in Rutherford County, on Hickory Creek, plus one feather bed and furniture.     In addition, he was to receive an equal share of the remainder of the property, except the land, upon the death of his mother.   James and his brother, Reuben, were named executors of his father's will.    James was also appointed trustee of his sister, Elizabeth, after the death of their mother.    It appears Elizabeth was either physically or mentally handicapped, and needed someone to care for her.

The 1820 Chatham County census shows James Crow, a male age 26-44 (b. 1776-1794), living alone on his farm not far from his widowed mother, Sarah.    He was shown to have eight slaves. Census shows that five people were engaged in agriculture.    His brothers Jesse and Reuben, with their families, were living a short distance from James.       

James married my 3rd great grandmother Diana McClanahan on May 1, 1821, probably in Chatham County.    Diana McClanahan was born about 1797, in North Carolina.   

  We have been unable to identify Diana's parents.     The 1820 census shows few McClanahan families living in North Carolina.     Although we found two McClanahan's who had daughters the right age to have been Diana,  have no way of knowing which, if either, of them was her family.     Diana's family may have moved to North Carolina after the 1820 census.    The two possible families we did find in North Carolina in 1820 are John McClenahan living in Granville County and Alexander McClenahan living in Iredell County.    Both of them had a daughter of the appropriate age to be Diana.    (Note: John McClenahan had a son, Spencer McClenahan, who appears on the 1830 Chatham County census.    We have been exploring the possibility that Diana was John's daughter, and a sister to Spencer.)

The 1820 Chatham County census shows only one McClanahan (spelled McClennon on the census).     Philip McClennon, a male 45 & over (b. 1775 & before), and one female 45 & over (b. 1775 & before).     Philip and his wife were living in the same general area of James Crow.     While no children appear on the census with Philip, it is possible that Diana was related to him and in visiting him she had come into contact with James Crow.    Philip was the right age to be a brother to John McClenahan who was living in Granville County.    We are exploring that possibility also.    

James' brother, Johnson Crow, who was shown on the 1820 census with his mother, married Adelia (last name unknown) about 1824 and produced one son.    Johnson died about 1826, in Chatham County, and Adelia died about the same time, leaving their infant child an orphan.      James took the infant into his home to raise.    About the same time, James' mother Sarah, his sister Elizabeth, also moved into the household with James and his family.        

The 1830 Chatham County census, Pittsboro District, shows James Crow, a male 40-49 (b. 1781-1790); one female (his mother Sarah) 70-79 (b. 1751-1760); two females (Diana & his sister Elizabeth) 30-39 (b. 1791-1800); one female (Sarah) 5-9 (b. 1821-1825); two males (son John & nephew James) under 5 (b. 1826-1830); and one female (Eliza) under 5 (b. 1826-1830).     James had 12 slaves. 

  The 1830 Chatham County census, Town of Pittsboro, shows Spencer McClanahan, a male 30-39 (b. 1791-1800); one female 15-19 (b. 1811-1815) and one female under 5 (b. 1826-1830).   Spencer was the right age to have been Diana's brother.     We are exploring that idea.

   James' mother, Sarah, died about 1831-1833 in Chatham County.   

Around 1834, after the death of his mother, James moved his family, includind his sister, Elizabeth, and his nephew, to Guilford County, North Carolina.   

The 1840 Guilford County census shows James Crow, a male 50-59 (b. 1781-1790); one female (Diana) 40-49 (b. 1791-1800); one female (sister Elizabeth) 30-39 (b. 1801-1810); one male (John) 10-14 (b. 1826-1830); one female (Sarah) 10-14 (b. 1826-1830); one male (nephew James) 5-9 (b. 1831-1835); one female (Eliza) 5-9 (b. 1831-1835); one male (William) under 5 (b. 1836-1840); and two females (Sina & unknown) under 5 (b. 1836-1840).     James had 2 slaves.

Diana died between the time of the census in June 1840, and about 1849, in Guilford County.    James and Diana's youngest child was probably born about the time of the 1840 census and probably died within a few days or weeks.    Diana may have died about the same time.  

James' two oldest children, Sarah and John, both married about 1845, and James gave land to both of them when they married.    When his daughter, Eliza, married in 1849, James also gave her a section of land in Guilford County.

An article written on December 6, 1849, and published in the Georgia Journal and Messenger, on December 26, 1849, listed James as an heir of John Crow who was residing in Guilford County.    Other heirs listed were Jesse, Ruben, John, Gabriel, Johnson, Sarah, Rachel and Elizabeth.

James' sister Elizabeth died between the time the newspaper article was written on December 6, 1849, and the time the census was taken in October 1850.   

The 1850 Guilford County census shows James Crow, age 63, a farmer, with real estate valued at $500, born in Chatham County; Sina, age 14, born in Guilford County and William, age 12, born in Guilford County.

James Crow married again between November 1850 and about 1856.    He married Sarah (last name unknown).

James made a will which he signed March 3, 1857.     In the will he named his wife Sarah, and his children John, James W., Eliza, and Sina, and his grandchildren by his daughter Sarah, who was deceased.

James died about July 1859, in Guilford County.    His will was executed in the August 1859 term of the Guilford County Court.

Children of James Crow and Diana McClanahan