Probably the finest genealogical record ever compiled on the people of ancient Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, this work consists of extensive source records and documented family sketches. Collectively, what is presented here is a veritable history of a people--a "tribe" of people--who settled in the valley between the Yadkin and Catawba rivers more than two hundred years ago. The object of the book is to show where these people originated and what became of them and their descendants. Included among the source records are the various lists of the Signers of the Mecklenburg Declaration; Abstracts of Some Ancient Items from Mecklenburg County Records; Marriage Records and Relationships of Mecklenburg People; List of Public Officials of Mecklenburg County, 1775-1785; First U.S. Census of 1790 by Districts; Tombstone Inscriptions; and Sketches of the Mecklenburg Signers. The work concludes with indexes of subjects and places, as well as a name index of 5,000 persons. (Part III of "Lost Tribes of North Carolina.")

The family history and descendants of Robert Martin, Sr. (1750-1822) of Rockingham County, North Carolina and his brother Samuel Martin, Esq. (1748-1790) of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, and the allied families of Settle, Douglas, Broach, Napier, Jarratt, Lawson and Scales.

Describes the history of the Bryson families of North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas, starting with Scotch-Irish immigration to the US in the 1700s, through to Davis and Gladys Bryson in the 20th century. Includes extensive photos of original documents, illustrations of life during each generation, discussions of what life was like for each family, and coverage of many different branches of the family. The author writes of the old photographs, letters, clippings, and historic information that he and two of his cousins collected: "I realized that many of these items resided with a single individual and might soon be gone. The idea of a way to make this information available to a wider range of friends and relatives started to form. .... Thus, I felt inspired to write this book." "It was surprising to me to see the large number of our ancestors who in every sense of the word were true pioneers and moved to the very edge of a new frontier. Hence, the title of this book: The Bryson Ancestors--On the Edge of New Frontiers."

Excerpt from The Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence: May 20, 1775 and Lives of Its Signers Since this address was first presented to the Scotch Irish Society, a number of writers, usually news paper contributors, have copied freely from it and displayed their productions in the press without either quotation marks or any acknowledgment whatever as to the source Of their information. The reader that desires to examine the authorities cited in this paper will find in the appendix a tran script of the Davie copy of the Mecklenburg Declara tion, so much of the preface to Martin's History as is pertinent to our subject, and a copy of the pam phlet issued by the Legislature Of North Carolina in 1831, containing Mr. Jefferson's letter to John Adams, and the testimony of spectators and delegates to the. Twentieth of May convention, as well as other interesting data germane to this question. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Charlotte was a hotbed of Revolutionary activity well before the fervency of revolt reached its boiling point in New England. Considered a wild frontier region at the time, Mecklenburg County welcomed the Reverend Alexander Craighead with ready hands for battle. Craighead's fiery rhetoric inspired the people of the region to action. What resulted was the creation of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence, the first such document in the nation, and although the county had less than 3 percent of the colony's population, its Patriots accounted for over one-quarter of North Carolina's Revolutionary troops. Join author Richard P. Plumer as he reveals how the Queen City played an integral role in the formation of a proud and free America.

This is a comprehensive history of one of the greatest mysteries in American history--did Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, declare independence from Great Britain more than a year before anyone else? According to local legend, on May 20, 1775, in a log court house in the remote backcountry two dozen local militia leaders met to discuss the deteriorating state of affairs in the American colonies. As they met, a horseman arrived bringing news of the battles of Lexington and Concord. Enraged, they unanimously declared Mecklenburg County "free and independent" from Great Britain. It was known as the "Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence" ("MecDec" for short). A local tavern owner named James Jack delivered the MecDec to the Continental Congress, who found it "premature." All of this occurred more than a year before the national Declaration of Independence. But is the story true? The evidence is mixed. John Adams believed the MecDec represented "the genuine sense of America" while Thomas Jefferson believed the story was "spurious." This book sets out all of the evidence, pro and con.