M y current theory is that Isaac Sullivant's parents were Charles and Rachel Sullivant. Charles Sullivant left the deed records listed in Table I from Brunswick County, Virginia during the period between 1763 and 1779. Charles Sullivan and Rachel (last name unknown) are definitely proven as husband and wife in a deed in Brunswick Co. shown in Deed Book 13 page 317 . He is listed in the Brunswick Co. Deeds, as Charles Sullivant of Meherrin Parish, which was south of the Meherrin River in Virginia.

An analysis of the deeds involving Charles Sullivant in Brunswick County, Virginia, shown in Table I, shows that one deed is unaccounted for. This is the deed involving land from an original Yarbrough patent (research showed that it was an original Massie Patent that was sold to Richard Yarbrough-see Table II). Research on the land and deeds that Charles sold is shown in Table II. The 250 acre tract goes from William Massie to Richard Yarbrough . Richard sells 125 acres to John Yarbrough and 125 acres to William Massie Jr. Then Thomas Griggs Yarbrough buys the 125 acres from John Yarbrough then buys an additional 25 from William Massie for a total of 150 acres. Somehow 125 acres of the land must transfer from Thomas Griggs Yarbrough (William Massie now has only 100 acres) to Charles Sullivant between 1763 and 1779 but I have found no record of the transfer. I have contacted Yarbrough researchers to see if there is a connection between the Yarbroughs and Sullivants but have found no connection to date. My theory is that Rachel Sullivant may have been a Yarbrough and inherited the land through the Yarbroughs. However, to date I have been unable to find a Yarbrough will or death that could account for the land transfer. Yarbrough researchers have told me that the name Rachel shows up in the Yarbrough family although no Rachel Yarbrough has been found that fits. The other theory I have on Rachel's family is that she could have been a Gibbs, as that is the first land transaction for Charles Sullivant and the Gibbs, Yarbrough and Sullivants lived together on adjoining farms for a period of thime.

1. Table of Deeds concerning Charles Sullivant of Meherrin Parish, Brunswick County, Virginia

Seller	Buyer	Date	Deed Book	Description
John Gibbs	Charles Sullivant	28 Feb. 1763	7-222	250 acres which was part of a patent to sd. John Gibbs 16 Jun. 1756, joining the mouth of Meadow Branch
John Gibbs	Charles Sullivant	28 Mar. 1763	7-265	200 acres which was part of a patent to John Gibbs 16 Jun. 1756, on the south side of Hayes Creek joining James Wright, Steep Branch; Elizabeth the wife of said. John Gibbs relinquished her right of dower.
Charles Sullivant	Charles Hays	28 July 1764	7-519	Sold land described in 7-265 above
Charles Sullivant	William Bailey	25 May 1767	8-532	Sold land described in 7-222 above
Daniel & Sarah Williams	Charles Sullivant	26 Jan. 1767	8-534	100 acres in Meherin Parish which was part of a patent to said Daniel A. Sullivan Williams 20 Aug. 1760, joining Gibbs, Ravenscraft, a creek, Yarbrough.
Charles Sullivant	Daniel Williams	2 Mar. 1769	9-510	Sold land described in 8-534 above
George Wray	Charles Sullivant	18 Jan. 1774	11-209	Part of a patent to George Wray dated 1771, joining the south side of Quarrell Swamp at the mouth of Piney Slash Branch, Warrin, Celley, Kelley, Wolcey, Wray
Charles Sullivant	Richard Moore	20 Feb. 1776	12-59	Sold land described in 11-209 above
Charles Sullivant	William Pierson	8 Apr. 1779	13-52	125 acres which was part of a patent to Richard Yarbrough, joining Aron Smith, Allin, John Yarbrough. Wit: Ishom Williams, Henry House, John Gibbs. Prove 28 Jun 1779.
William & Agathy Bailey	Robert Powel	8 May 1779	13-315 & 317	Bailey sells the Charles Sullivant land to Powell; pg. 317 is order to examine Rachel Sullivant wife of Charles Sullivant

 

 

2. Table of Deeds Tracing Land 125 acres Sold by Charles Sullivant in Deed Book 13, page 52.

After the 1770's, Charles' name next shows up in the 1780s in the tax records of Warren County ( Tax Lists Warren County, North Carolina 1779-1790 Volume 1 by David B. Gammon). A Charles Sullivant is in court records of Warren County for an estate sale in 1802 and Rachel Sullivant is in the court records of Warren County in 1801 for an estate sale ( Warren County NC Records Volume 2 by Kerr).

From Gardner High's Revolutionary War Pension Papers, Isaac Sullivant left an afadavit where he says he was in Brunswick County, VA, at the start of the Revolutionary War, and witnessed a wedding between Gardner High and Rachel Gibbs.

One other interesting connection is that a subpoena was issued to Isaac Sullivant in 1800 from Warren County Court to Halifax County to prove a deed from Benjamin Elllis and John Ballard to David Towns (The "Lost" Warren Co. N. C. Deeds, 1800-1803 by Hariette Harris Riggs from the NCGSJ in May, 1980). In the estate sales mentioned previously, Charles Sullivant is at the estate sale of David Towns and Rachel Sullivant is at the estate sale of Benjamin Ellis. From the descriptions left in the Ellis and Towns deeds and wills, it seems likely that these Sullivants lived together in North Central Warren County in the Hawtree Creek area.

Another record is the , Will of Rachal Sullivant probated in 1806 in Caswell County, N. C. I can't prove that this Rachel is the same Rachel in Warren & Brunswick County but I've never found any other Rachel Sullivants in this area in this time period. In that will she names Isaac as a beneficiary along with Drury, Russell, Jesse, Jordan, Patsey and Nancy.

Looking at the North Carolina Marriage Bonds issued for Warren & Caswell Counties, Jesse Sullivant and Russell Sullivant are both married in Warren Counties in 1791 and 1792 respectively. Susannah Sullivant and Jordan Sullivant are married in Caswell in 1799 and 1805 respectively. Again, this would indicate that the Sullivants moved from Warren to Caswell in around 1799. (The dates from the estate sales mentioned earlier are when they were recorded in the court house not the actual dates they occurred.)

To summarize, it seems probable that Charles and Rachel Sullivant settled in Brunswick Co in the Quarrel Swamp (Quarrel Creek?) area. and had the following children: Drury, Isaac, Jesse, Patsy, Russell, Jordan and Nancy. They moved to Warren Co., NC around 1781 and in 1791 and 1792 Jesse and Russell got married. Around 1799, Charles Sullivant may have died, and at least part of the family, Rachel, Jordan and Nancy, moved to Caswell where Rachel Sullivant died and left a will.

I am still looking for more proof to support this theory. Other circumstantial evidence is that Merritts (Isaac Sullivant married a Merritt), Highs and Gibbs were also present in Warren County which are all names associated with the Sullivan family. There is also an Isaac Hunter in Warren County and Isaac named his first son Isaac Hunter Sulllivant. I am currently collecting all the information on pre-1800 Sullivans in NC and Virginia that I can find in order to find more proof and understand the relationships between the various Sullivan families.

Thanks goes to Thomas Nathan Clark author of Adam's Ancestors with helping me with the information shown above. His book helped my family get started on our Sullivant research.

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