Henry Stephenson (STEVENSON) was born 1698 in Ricolton, Roxburgshire, Scotland, and died BEF 1740 in Vashi Cem.Stephenson Cem..

Marriage 1 Ann CURLETT

• Married: 2 JUN 1720 in County Down, Ireland
  
  Marriage 1 Ann CURLETT
  • Married: 2 JUN 1720 in County Down, Ireland
  Children
  1. James Stephenson (STEVENSON) b: 1721 in Ireland, died 1820 Hiddenite, NC
     Father: Henry Stephenson (STEVENSON) b: 1698 in Ricolton, Roxburgshire, Scotland
     Mother: Ann CURLETT
     
     

     James was born in either 1720 or 1721 in North Belfast, Ireland.  James Stevenson immigrated to Maryland and married Sarah Kelly there.  Sarah was also born in Ireland and is said to be the daughter of John Kelly.  In the 1770s, James and Sarah Stevenson moved to the Rowan/Iredell County, North Carolina area.  There is evidence that James Stevenson (born 1721) may have had two brothers, John Stevenson and William Stevenson and that his mother married a Mr. White after the death of James’ father.  The Stevenson manuscript by Marvin A. McLain refers to a book entitled, “White Family History.”  According to this book (not in possession of the author): “James’ father had died and their widowed mother had remarried to a man by the name of White.  The White family now consisted of three sons, James, John and William Stevenson, their mother and step-father.  William Stevenson was bound out to a tailor in Belfast for seven years to learn the trade and when the family left Ireland for America, the tailor would not release him, so he was left behind to catch up with them later.”

     This account of the Stevenson widow who married a Mr. White is supported by the first edition of the book, “A History and Genealogical Record of the Stevenson Family, From 1748 to 1898.”  This 1900 book states that William Stevenson’s mother married a Mr. White and that other siblings of William Stevenson were with this new White family household.  This book does not mention either John or James Stevenson by name and mentions no Maryland connections.  This book stated that “William Stevenson, my great grandfather, was of Scotch-Irish descent, born and raised in the north of Ireland, perhaps Antrim county.  He came to America in 1748 and stopped in what is now Washington county, Pennsylvania, at the home of his mother, who, after the death of his father, had married again, and with her second husband, Mr. White, and the rest of her Stevenson children, had emigrated to America several years before her son William could come.  He had been bound to a tailor in Ireland for seven years to learn the tailor’s trade, and his master would not give him up to come with the rest of the family when they came to America.”

     This 1900 book later states: “Not long after that he (William Stevenson) married Miss Mary McLelland, of a Scotch-Irish family, who, perhaps, had come from Ireland to America at, or about the same time his mother and her family came and settled in the same neighborhood.  In the spring of 1761, probably, and perhaps earlier, he visited the country between Catawba and South Yadkin rivers in North Carolina, as proved by the grant of land he received from Lord Granville, which bears date, April 4th, 1761.  In the fall of 1763, he removed with his family from Pennsylvania to North Carolina, and settled on this grant of land in what is now Iredell county, North Carolina.  Two of his brothers, and perhaps several of his wife’s kinfolks, went with them and settled near them.  He lived, raised his family and died, and was buried in Fourth Creek Presbyterian church burying ground.”  James and Sarah Stevenson were the parents of eight children.

     Sarah (Kelly) Stevenson died prior to July, 1817 because she was not mentioned in the will that was signed by James Stevenson in July, 1817 in Iredell County, North Carolina.  James Stevenson, Sr. died after July, 1817 when he signed his will and before May, 1820 when an administrator was appointed to his estate.  James Stevenson and Sarah (Kelly) Stevenson are supposed to be buried in the old Vashti Cemetery in Hiddenite, North Carolona.  The three sons of James Stevenson, Sr. adopted the spelling of Stephenson but the will of James Stevenson, Sr. used the spelling of Stevenson in three places.

     Much of the earlier Stevenson family history appears to be based on short sketch of the earlier Stevenson families written in 1892 by a grandchild of James Stevenson (b. 1760).  It states:  “Altho our forefathers came to America from Belfast, Ireland they were doubtless originally from Scotland as they were all Presbyterians.  James Stevenson, my great-grandfather was born in Belfast, Ireland.  He was fully six feet tall and a man of the finest form.  His early life was spent in the English Navy.  When he came to America he settled on the Eastern Shore of Maryland where he married Sally Kelly, an Irish lady, and between 1755 and 60 he came to North Carolina and settled in the upper valley of the South Yadkin (now Alexander County) where he entered 640 acres of land, the full amount allowed by the Government.  He made a fine selection.  The land was very fertile and the surrounding mountains furnished fine range.  He found ready sale for all products of the farm and stock, as immigrants were constantly coming in and settling around him.  These immigrants had sold out and moved from other states and brought with them but little except the cash realized from such sales.  He invested most of his money in negroes, who were at the time brought into this country by northern men for sale.  He died in 1820 aged 99 years, 9 months.  My great-grandmother died a few months later.”

     This sketch continues:  “They had eight children, six daughters and two sons.  The daughters:  Mary married Airington, Jane married Bertram, Sarah married David Milligan, Nancy m. William Lackey, Annie m. George Lackey, Margaret m. Thomas Lackey, hence the thousand and one Lackeys.  They all raised large families and were intelligent useful women in their day and generation.  The sons:  James Stephenson was our grandfather and the second son, William, was the youngest child.  They were both large & portly men.  William married Mary Milligan and had no children.  He died in 1858 leaving a large estate, principally of negroes.  James Stephenson, our grandfather, married Jane Stevenson who lived near where Statesville N. C. now stands.  Her mother’s name was Thompson.  I know little about the family as they moved to Georgia soon after the Revolutionary War.  Our grandmother Stephenson had a brother, John, who was a member of our grandfather’s light horse company in the Revolutionary War.  He was killed near Charlotte, N. C.  Grandfather had ten children:  six sons and four daughters.” Source: http://www.rcasey.net/steven/stejame1.htm

     James' Marriage 1 Sarah O'KELLY

     Children
     1. Nancy Agnes Stephenson (STEVENSON) b: 1757 in Baltimore Maryland Death: ABT 1824 in Vashti Cem. Alexander Co. NC. AGNES NANCY STEVENSON (71.3) is the daughter of James Stevenson and Sarah (Kelly) Stevenson.  Nancy was born in 1758 in Maryland.  On November 14, 1775, Agnes Nancy Stevenson married William Lackey in Rowan County, North Carolina.  William was born in 1746 in Belfast, Ireland.  William Lackey served in the Revolutionary War.  Two of William’s brothers married two of Nancy’s sisters.  
        Marriage 1 William LACKEY b: 1746 in Ireland to USA 1772
        • Married: 14 NOV 1775
        Children
        1. Martha LACKEY b: 1785
        2. William II LACKEY b: 1776
        3. James LACKEY b: 1778 in Patrick Co. Virginia
        4. Moses LACKEY b: 22 MAR 1780
        5. Mary LACKEY b: 1783
        6. Alexander LACKEY b: 17 JUN 1785
        7. Amos LACKEY b: 1787
        8. George Hamilton LACKEY b: 1790
        9. David LACKEY b: 1795
        10. Eneas LACKEY b: 1797
        
        
        
     2. James (STEVENSON) b: 1760
        Marriage 1 JANE
        
     3. Margaret (STEVENSON) b: 1755 in Baltimore Maryland
        Marriage 1 Thomas LACKEY
        
     4. Mary (STEVENSON)
        Marriage 1 John ARRINGTON b: BET 1760 AND 1762 in London England
        
     5. Sarah (STEVENSON)
        Marriage 1 David MILLIGAN
        
        
     6. Jane (STEVENSON)
        Marriage 1 John BUTTRAM
        
        
     7. William (STEVENSON) b: 1768
        Marriage 1 Mary MILLIGAN
        
     8. Anna (STEVENSON) b: 1764
        Marriage 1 George LACKEY b: 14 SEP 1759 in Antrim Co. Ireland
        
        

        Sarah Stevenson married David Milligan.  Sarah married a second time to a Mr. Clary.  Jane Stevenson married John Buttram.  On December 23, 1783, Mary Stevenson married John Arrington, both direct ancestors of the authors.  For additional information on the descendants of John and Mary Arrington, see the sketch of John Arrington (31).  William Stephenson married Mary Milligan.  William Stephenson married a second time to Mrs. Miranda (Williams) Sharpe.  In 1840, William Stephenson was living in Iredell County, North Carolina.  In 1850, William and Mary Stephenson were living in Alexander County, North Carolina.

        References:  1)  1840 Census, Iredell County, North Carolina;  2)  1850 Census, Alexander County, North Carolina;  3)  Memoirs of the Stevenson Family of North Carolina, Statesville, North Carolina, July 15, 1892, by grandchild of James Stevenson, II;  4) “A History and Genealogical Record of the Stevenson Family, From 1748 to 1898,” by Reverend Samuel Harris Stevenson, 1900;  5) “History of Iredell County, North Carolina,” Pages 205, 206 and 499;  6)  “History of Alexander County, North Carolina,” Pages 514 and 515, 1986;  7)  Abstract of Will Book of Iredell County, North Carolina, Page 59;  8)  Family Group Sheet by Bobbie Jean (Rachels) Zylstra, September, 1989;  9)  Stevenson Manuscript, by Marvin A. McLain, September, 1996

        MARGARET STEVENSON (71.1) is the daughter of James Stevenson and Sarah (Kelly) Stevenson.  Margaret was born in  1756 in Maryland.  On September 7, 1775, Margaret Stevenson married Thomas Lackey in Rowan County, North Carolina.  Thomas was born in 1744 in Ireland and is the son of John William Lackey.  Thomas and Margaret Lackey were the parents of four children:

             Thomas Lackey, Jr. (71.1.1), November 12, 1780, Iredell County, North Carolina
             James Silas Lackey, b. 1776
             William Lackey, b. 1778
             Elizabeth Jane Lackey, b. 1782, Iredell County, North Carolina

        Thomas Lackey, Sr. Died on April 30, 1842 in Iredell County, North Carolina.  In 1850, Margaret (Stevenson) Lackey was living alone in Alexander County, North Carolina.  In 1802, Elizabeth Lackey married John McClelland, Jr. in Iredell County, North Carolina.  John was born in 1770 in Rowan County, North Carolina.  John McClelland, Jr. died on October 28, 1829 in Iredell County, North Carolina.

        References:  1)  1850 Census, Alexander County, North Carolina;  2)  “A History of the Lackey Family, by Mrs. Jay Lackey and Mrs. H. G. Duncan,” Page 21, 1962; 3)  World Family Tree, Volume 7, File 2409

        THOMAS LACKEY, JR. (71.1.1) is the son of Thomas Lackey and Margaret (Stevenson) Lackey.  Thomas Lackey was born on November 12, 1780 in Iredell County, North Carolina.  On June 12, 1803, Thomas Lackey married Elizabeth Barker (born 1784).  Thomas and Elizabeth Lackey were the parents of at least one son:

             Pheneas S. Lackey (71.1.1.1), b. 1820, North Carolina

        Thomas Lackey, Jr. died on May 24, 1849 in Pulaski, Illinois. Source: http://www.rcasey.net/steven/stejame1.htm

     
     
  2. John Stephenson (STEVENSON)
     Father: Henry Stephenson (STEVENSON) b: 1698 in Ricolton, Roxburgshire, Scotland
     Mother: Ann CURLETT
     
     Marriage 1 Jean MCCLELLAND
     
     
     
     
  3. Robert (STEVENSON) b: ABT 1726 in County Antrim Ireland
     
     Father: Henry Stephenson (STEVENSON) b: 1698 in Ricolton, Roxburgshire, Scotland
     Mother: Ann CURLETT
     
     Marriage 1 Agnes MCCLELLAND
  
  Credit: Thanks to James Adams and Ritter Blankenship Adams of North Carolina