Womble Land Records in Edgecombe County, North Carolina

Today I viewed the microfilm I had ordered from the Family History Center in Annandale, VA.  I had ordered a Grantor and Grantee index along with another roll which contained deeds vol. 21-22 1833-1841.  In an earlier post, I mentioned that I'm looking for land records that will give me some insight into what led my paternal grandmother's ancestors to migrate to southwestern Tennessee from Edgecombe County, North Carolina.  Her family's last name was Womble and I spent a few hours searching microfilm for any land records that might explain this.  I'm also looking for information to tell me something of their life in Edgecombe County, maybe who was the father of my grandmother's great-great grandfather, John Womble.  What doesn't help in researching this family line is that it seems as if every male ancestor in her direct line is named John.

I found a lot of interesting land records pertaining to the Womble line.  I may have even discovered the reason behind their move to southwestern Tennessee and further solidifying that the family did indeed migrate there as a group of 21-22 people.

My research into the holdings of Shelby County tells me that there aren't any death records available at that time, so I believe that this is the only record that I will ever find which gives his birth and death dates.  Additionally, it tells me the year when he moved from NC to TN.  After finding this, I believe I'm ready to move my research focus from TN to Edgecombe County, NC this is where the trail of Womble family members becomes the end of the line in my research.

Right now there seems to be plenty to research, but I'm assuming that once I exhaust all documents pertaining to John Womble, his wife Catharine Green(e), and their relatives that this will be my brick wall. Unless of course, I'm able to find obvious proof of who John Womble's father could be.

Today while looking at the Grantor and Grantee index, I found 29 deeds of interest.  11 of these were on the second roll of microfilm that I ordered.  I also found a different spelling of the Womble last name.  It's Wombell; this spelling is similar to a John Wombel that I found listed on a 1790 Edgecombe County, NC federal census schedule, so maybe that person is kin after all?  Also there's a Wombwell family listed in this index, so that's something to look into as well.

My main focus was explaining the family's move to TN.  What motivated them to pack up and move westward?  The other odd thing was that it seemed as though they had possibly moved together, because I found them living in NC in one census and then in another census year they were living in TN.  I know that the censuses are taken every 10 years and it's possible that they migrated west incrementally, but after what I think I just found--I don't think so!

In 1820 or 1821 John Womble died.  In 1835, apparently his widow Catharine Green(e) Womble had her dower given to her from her husband's estate.  I have no idea why it took so long to settle his estate.  From reading the dower, it seems as though the people from the court came out to her property and marked off the land that was allotted to her from the estate that she could live on the rest of her life.

It seems that the various Womble children of John and Catharine had sold possibly what was their share of the land that they'd inherited from their father's estate.  They each sold their land to one man, Weeks Parker.  This went on from 1833-1834.  It's unclear to me if this land that Mr. Parker purchased from the various Womble kids was eventually sold by public auction, but that's something to look into another time.

In February 1836 Warren Womble and another man paid Weeks Parker $120 as bond on the land that should be inherited to the two minor children of John Womble. These children are John Washington Womble and his sister Catherine. They were both under the age of 21 at that time.  John Washington Womble was my grandmother's grandfather.  Based on my research I don't think that the youngest child, Catherine ever traveled to TN with the family.  She may have died in NC or on the move to TN.  I'm not sure what happened with the bond or trust for the two minor Womble children.  It's possible that John Washington Womble sold the land through Mr. Parker or one of his brothers before or after he moved.

On 23 May 1836, Catharine Green(e) Womble sold her land to Weeks Parker by sheriff's auction.  From what I've read about such sales, it may be that she couldn't pay her taxes on the land and was forced to sell it.  Because Catharine was left essentially homeless, it’s my belief that her eldest son, Warren took her in.  When he was sent or offered the minister job in Tennessee then she went with his family.  Possibly, their leaving the area influenced the other family members to move with them. 

Based on my cursory look at these documents, it's my belief that the most of the Womble children sold their inherited land to Weeks Parker and traveled with their brother, Warren to TN.  I also believe that John Washington Womble, the youngest son traveled with his family to TN.  He would've been 20 years old at that time and it's possible that he could’ve added protection and helped in hunting down food for the group.