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Thomas Mullins-Indentured Immigrant 1714-1775 (Recent research has not proved or disproved whether our ancestor - Thomas Mullins - came over as an Indentured Immigrant. What is a fact is that Bud Mullins {b. 1748} named his children with very similar names. This would indicated that Thomas and Bud were related. Thomas Mullins, immigrant, came to "his Majesties Plantation in America", as written on his indenture paper, around 1733 or shortly thereafter. Why did Thomas do this? Obviously the clues lie back in England where the records of the time exist. While researching this, I came across a listing of wills from Kent, England. Maidstone is the Administrative Headquarters for the County of Kent in the southeastern area of England bordering on the Thames River, where Gravesend is also located, the city where Thomas resided. In there was a reference to Edward Mullins who died February, 1833. (Folio #54). He was the only Mullins listed, during that period. Edward was also listed as a clerke (sic) in 1714 in the Maidstone, Kent County, Freeman Purchase Index. This purchase index represented people, indentured, that could for a £15 fee, purchase their freedom. This freedom by purchase ended in 1771. Whether this Edward was Thomas' father or not may never be known, but the similarities are compelling: 1) Both are from Kent, England; 2) Both were indentured at one time in their life; 3) Edward dies in early 1733, and Thomas signs on for shipment to the Colonies in late 1733. THOMAS IN LONDON, ENGLAND Thomas, at this time in 1733, is 19 years old, single, educated - he can read and write, and has a skill - he is a blacksmith. Probably taking the tools of his trade with him, he travels to London. The British Parliament had introduced emigration restrictions, to stop factory workers going to North America in 1731. But there were no restrictions on indentured service, and Thomas signs up. The following document was found in The Corporation of London, Records Office: sp?) or his Assigns Four Years in South Carolina (his Majesties Plantation In America) and did thereby declare himself to be then of the Age of Nineteen Years, a single Person, and no Covenant , or Contracted Servant to any other Person or Persons. And the said Master did thereby Covenant at his own Cost, to send his said Servant to the said Plantation; and at the like Costs to find him all necessary Cloaths, Meat, Drink, Washing, and Lodging, as other Servants in such Cases are equally provided for, and allowed. Thomas Mullins (this appeared to be his signature, as it is in a different handwriting, and quite legible) Acknowledged 13th September 1733. Before me W Beller (sp?) What we learn from this document, some of which has already been stated, is that Thomas is 19 years of age, educated, was a freeman, a (black)smith, from Gravesend in Kent, and will be indentured for 4 years in "South Carolina". Peter Simpson of London was the "Victuler". A victualer is a supplier, and Peter Simpson's name appears on numerous documents in the Complete Book of Emigrants, where he is obviously a supplier of labor for the Colonies.
THOMAS ARRIVES IN THE CAROLINAS? Where Thomas sailed from we are not sure, just as we are not sure where he landed in the Colonies. We believe the year was late 1733 or in 1734. The indenture paper states his destination as South Carolina. The colony, named Carolina after King Charles I, was divided in 1710 into South Carolina and North Carolina. Settlers from the British Isles, France, and other parts of Europe built plantations throughout the coastal low country, growing profitable crops of rice and indigo. African slaves were brought into the colony in large numbers to provide labor for the plantations, and by 1720 they formed the majority of the population. The port city of Charleston became an important center of commerce and culture. A variety of restrictions on the conduct of servants were passed over the course of the 1600s. In many cases, they were simply treated as children: the masters and mistresses were mandated to take care of them, and the servants were ordered to obey them. Masters too were limited by law in their dealings with their servants. Masters were ordered to provide them with food, clothing, and shelter, were not allowed to treat them cruelly, and were liable to the courts if they were found to improperly treat their servants. At a certain point, somewhere in the mid-seventeenth century, distinctions between black, or Negro, and white, or Christian, servants were made more clear and defined. The white servants were undoubtedly seen as more important and worthy of protection in the eyes of the government than were blacks or Indians, whether slave or free. Where Thomas went in South Carolina is unknown, nor do we know if he served out his agreement for the full 4 years. It was not uncommon for a servant such as Thomas to simply walk away. But I do not believe Thomas did so. He would have had to carry his tools with him, and a blacksmith has many tools including a heavy anvil.
THOMAS IN VIRGINIA In any case, I believe he did end up in Virginia, the southern portion, in Surry County. This area, at that time around 1738- 1740, was known as the Crown Colony of Virginia and Albemarle Parish was created from those parts of Lawne's Creek and Southwark parishes that lay southwest of Blackwater River. The entire area of Albemarle Parish was incorporated into Sussex County when it was formed from the southwestern end of Surry County in 1754. Earlier there in the Albermarle Parish area Thomas Mullins met and married Anne Malone. Anne, the daughter of William Malone was born in Surry County around 1714. The Malone's had lived in the area for some time and owned a plantation with over 1000 acres, part of which was a swamp. We now know that a swamp was not healthy in those days. Thomas Mullins was recorded in Virginia in a reconstructed census record of 17401. He is the only Mullins in Surry County, and he is the only Thomas recorded in Virginia that year. Also recorded there that year was Anne Malone Thomas and Anne had two children: Thomas, Jr. born in 1741 and John born in 1743 in Surry County. We know this from the records of Albermarle Parish, Surry County which exist today. They were also godparents to Anne's sister Amy's child in October of 1743, just as Amy was one of the godparents to Thomas and Ann's son Thomas, Jr. earlier in September of 1741. William Malone's will, dated May 3, 1736 was proved on October 16, 1745. In it he leaves Anne and her heirs a cow and a calf and a brass kettle. William left the majority of his land to his son John, with a portion to another son William Jr. John did not live with his father on the property, as about the same time as the will was being probated, John Malone and his wife Elizabeth "of Bath Parish in Prince George Co." deeded his inherited land to his brother William Jr. There has been another theory about Thomas Mullins' wife(s). Living in Surry County, Virginia at that time was Anne Clement. According to Dr. George Mullins notes she was a descendant of Jeremiah Clement “who had come out to Virginia in 1640. He was a stockholder in the old Virginia Company and settled in Surry County which is adjacent to the easternmost tier of modern North Carolina counties”. Dr. George Mullins continues on: “Thomas named one son Jeremiah and another Clement. This is what the genealogists call a 'deduction', and one can take it for what it's worth. Not much as history”. There is absolutely no proof, nor is it likely that Thomas Mullins married Anne Clement. At this time there were many people emigrating from Virginia to the newly acquired lands in the south. John and Elizabeth Malone, Thomas and Anne Mullins and others decided to acquire their own free land just across the border from Virginia in North Carolina. THOMAS IN NORTH CAROLINA In 1629 King Charles I split off part of the Virginia colony to form a new colony, called Carolana, and in 1663 King Charles II changed the name to Carolina, granting the land to eight lords known as the lords proprietors. After administrative changes in 1689, sections of the Carolina colony acquired the names North Carolina and South Carolina. By 1729 North Carolina's estimated settler population was 35,000. The colony's politics were marked by sectional controversies, with the east dominating the colony. Lord Granville was Lord Proprietor over the area in which Thomas and Anne Mullins settled, St. John's Parish on Wolf Pit Creek, later to become the town of Lewisburg, Franklin County. I have not researched this but I believe John & Elizabeth Malone lived near them. Research in North Carolina is quite difficult because of the changing names and boundaries of its counties. In looking at the documents one would think that the families moved quite often, but that is not the case. County organization was very active during this time. Formation of North Carolina Counties of interest:2
Extensive research by Dr. George Mullins of Logan, West Virginia, confirmed that Thomas Mullins was the first person in that area to spell his name Mullins, and there were no others prior to 1758. We are confident that he could read and write, so the spelling of his name in official documents, that he witnessed, would be correct. Unfortunately we cannot say the same for his children. We believe Thomas and Ann arrived in North Carolina around 1747. At that time the area was Granville County. The first record of him there was in 1754 when he was a member of the local militia, and in November of 1754 when he signed his name as a witness to a will. Then he was on the tax list of 1755, which means he owned property in Granville County. The next year he bought from Osborn Jefferys 200 acres on Cedar Creek for £12 where “Thomas Mullins house now stands”. Evidently he had built on the land before he purchased it. In March of 1760 he received a grant from Lord Granville of 642 acres on Wolf Pit Branch, St. John Parish, in Jefferys’ line. This means that he was adding to his property contingent land. Later in 1762 he sold to Daniel Wyat (sic) for £15, 400 acres that was part of his original grant from Lord Granville. This acreage was described as “...between Tar River and Cedar Creek on both sides of the Wolf Pit fork Containing by Estimation about four hundred acres…”. Osborn Jefferies was a witness to this deed transaction. The most important part of this particular deed is that it identifies Thomas Mullin (sic) as a blacksmith. This is a sure sign that we have followed the right Thomas Mullins from Virginia to North Carolina. Wolf Pit Branch, now known as Wolfpen Branch and Cedar Creek are both south of the present town of Louisburg, Franklin County. At their closest point they appear to be no more than 3/4 of a mile apart. They both flow east into the Tar River. In 1764 Bute County came into existence and the court records of the time reflect that in 1771 Thomas is required, by the court, to “provide hands to build a road from Cedar Creek to St. John's Chapel under overseer James Perry”. Later in that same year Thomas and James Perry are appointed "processioners" by the court. Evidently the road building was not going as well as the powers expected. On the tax list from 1771 Thomas Mullins had accumulated more than 1000 acres, and two male negro slaves above the age of 16. Thomas had not enough of road building after that, because in November, 1772, Thomas and Clement were required by court order to provide hands in building another road, one from William Massey's road to Cedar Creek. This reference is most likely to the brothers Thomas and Clement, and not the father. Thomas certainly had a reputation. He was sued by a man named Gibson in 1773 and his friend who came with him from Virginia, John Melone (sic), as well as a Thomas Smith provided bail. In 1775 he won the verdict. Two years seems like a long time to settle a problem back then. Thomas Mullins got into an argument with Jacob Gibson again in 1779. This time Gibson sued him twice, once for trespass, assault, and battery and the second for "words". Probably slander. Jury found non-suit for Thomas. I believe this might be his son Thomas Jr., continuing a family feud with the Gibson Clan. That was the last we heard of Thomas Mullins I, the possible former indentured servant, blacksmith and father of many sons. He died without a will, and sometime in the early 1770's, before the war for independence from his former homeland.
1. Virginia in 1740: A Reconstructed Census, T.L.C. Genealogy, Miami Beach, Florida, 1992 2. Gordon DenBoer, Compiler, North Carolina, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries, Simon & Schuster Prentice Hall International, 1998© |
