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Source: "Hightowers" by C. E. Hightower, Jr.spouse: Charnold, Elinore (*1668 - >1734)
pg. 6
The earliest reference to [Joshua Hightower] and the surname Hightower inAmerica are found in the March 1698 Court Minutes of Richmond County,Virginia. In this court case charges were made against Joshua Hightowerby Giles and James Webb "executors of John Webb deceased". How or fromwhere Joshua Hightower came to Richmond County, Virginia is not known.However he was residing in Richmond County during March 1698 andcontinued to live there until his death in 1726.
Very little evidence shedding light on Joshua Hightower's life hasremained extant. There are eight entries bearing his name in the RichmondCounty Court Minutes between 1698 and 1716. Seven entries are law suitsbrought against Joshua Hightower. Every fine or penalty resulting fromthese suits was paid in "good sweet scented tobacco". The other entryrecords that Joshua Hightower appeared in court as a witness and was paidexpenses for his days of court attendance.
Joshua's will was written on April 14, 1726. [It is recorded in Will Book5 page 14, Richmond County, Virginia records.] In the will he named hiswife, Elinore, executrix. (The first mention of Elinore Hightower's nameappears in the Estate Papers of Mr. Thomas Woodyates, Richmond County,Virginia 1708. Apparently Mr. Woodyates lent money to many smallborrowers. Among those owing him money upon his demise in 1708 was one"Elinore" Hightower. CEH) The two sons named in [Joshua's] will, Charnalland Thomas, were for many years assumed to be the only children ever tobe known by name. It has now been learned, by the combined work of manyHightower genealogy enthusiasts, that the legatees referred to in thewill as "my other four children" were older sons John, Joshua, Joseph,and Austin.
Joshua Hightower [Sr.] died in the summer of 1726. His property wasinventoried on August 3, 1726. A comparison of the estates settled inRichmond County, Virginia during that year indicate that Joshua Hightowerowned a normal amount of property and livestock. The list of hisindividual property items is quite varied and yields many cluesconcerning the person who owned it and their lifestyle.
Elinore Hightower survived her husband in 1726. Her name continues toappear in various Richmond County records until 1734. Her fate after thatyear is not known. Unfortuately her maiden name has never been learned.
After Joshua's death, all of his sons remained in Richmond County. Thebirths, marriages, and some deaths among the children of Joshua andElinore Hightower are recorded in the North Farnham Parish Churchregister.
The year 1746 marked the beginning of a migration that by 1755 woo removeevery Hightower family from Richmond County. Austin Hightower left thearea early. He was a registered voter in Brunswick County, Virginia in1746. The grants of land given to Lord Granville by King George andsubsequently sold to American families lured Austin to Orange County,North Carolina in 1762. He purchased 700 acres on Morgan's Creek in thatyear and prospered well until his death in 1784. His sons were all moversand became pioneers of Georgia, Tennessee and Kentucky.
John Hightower and Joshua Hightower were the next sons to seek theirfortunes outside Richmond County. Both brothers moved their familiesbetween 1748 and 1750. They settled very near one another in AmeliaCounty, Virginia; John on Tommahitton Swamp and Joshua on HurricaneCreek. Joshua's land was near the Amelia/Brunswick County line not farfrom where his brother Austin settled in 1746. (Today this area islocated in Nottoway County, Virginia near the city of Blackstone. -- CEH)
John Hightower's sons always left good genealogical tracks. Most of hischildren remained in Virginia or neighboring North Carolina and were verysuccessful during their lives. Joshua Hightower's children were quitedifferent. Their appearance in records is usually required by law, taxpayments, court suits, etc. With only two sons as the exceptions eachchild of Joshua and even their children are very difficult to tracegenealogically.
Charnall Hightower (Sometimes spelled Charnell, Charnel, Charnot. -- CEH)left Richmond County, Virginia by 1755. He settled in Brunswick County,Virginia only a stone's throw from his brother, Austin. Charnall's familywas much like his brother Joshua Hightower in nature. They very seldomappear in records, and interestingly seemed to be fond of taking oneanother to court. One of Charnall's sons however is a recognizedRevolutionary War veteran who died in 1841 in Marengo County, Alabama atage 102.
Thomas Hightower was actually the first to leave Richmond County,Virginia although he didn't travel far. In 1738, he was living inNorthumberland County, Virginia, the eastern county of Richmond County.His residence, as described in the Richmond County, Virginia courtminutes, was "forty miles one way from the Richmond County Courthouse".Thomas Hightower was a taxpayer in Luneburg County, Virginia in 1751 and1752. Tax records show that he resided in the northeastern section ofLunenburg County. Interestingly enouth this section bordered both Ameliaand Brunswick Counties near the land of his brothers, Austin and Joshua.
Thus by 1755 the Hightower families of Richmond County, Virginia hadtaken the first steps of many in a larg migration southward and westward.From Richmond County They settled heavily in the "southside" Virginiacounties of Brunswick, Amelia (present day Nottoway), and Lunenburg.Eventually the third and fourth generations traveled to Kentucky,Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.
Source: "Hightowers" by C.E. Hightower, Jr.spouse: Newbern, William Crawford (1808 - 1868)
pg. 40
Susanna moved with her parents to Lowndes County, Georgia in 1828.
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Susanna Hightower Newbern moved to Lowndes County after her husband'sdeath. She was living with her mother Sarah Byrd Hightower in LowndesCounty in 1870. By 1880, Susannah had returned to Bradford County,Florida. She appears on the 1880 United States Census of that county as amember of the household of her son-in-law, Henry Croft. The exact date ofher death is not known.
Source: "Hightowers" by C. E. Hightower, Jr.spouse: ?, Frances (*1715 - 1733)
pg. 12
Thomas Hightower was born March 20, 1712 in Richmond County, Virginia. Hewas the youngest son of Joshua and Elinore Hightower.
The first reference to Thomas, besides his birth record is the will ofJoseph Palmer dated February 25, 1732 Richmond County, Virginia. Thomaswas a witness to Joseph Palmer's will.
Thomas married Frances ( ) prior to 1733. Proof of this first marriage isobtained from the Court Order Books of Richmond County, Virginia. InMarch 1733, a summons was issued for "Thomas Hightower and his wifeFrances" to appear in court as witnesses. Frances died later in 1733. Herdeath is recorded in the North Farnham Parish register.
Thomas continues to appear in the court minutes of Richmond County untilAugust 1734. His second marriage to Kindness ( ) is not recorded, but onFebruary 5, 1736 the North Farnham Parish register noted the birth of"Thomas Hightower, son of Thomas and Kindness Hightower". Therefore, byFebruary 1736 Thomas had remarried and started a family. Whether therewere children by his first wife Frances is not known.
By October 1738 Thomas and family were living in Northumberland County,Virginia. A summons from the Richmond County, Virginia court not onlyconfirms his Northumberland County, Virginia residency but also revealsthat Thomas' home was forty miles one way from the Richmond CountyCourthouse. Thomas had moved to Lunenburg County, Virginia by 1751. Heappears on the tax lists of that county in 1751 and 1752. He lived in Mr.Hugh Lawson's tax collection district which was the northeastern cornerof Lunenburg County.
Exactly when Thomas moved to Lunenburg County is not known, however hehad left the area by 1758. During that year he paid for a survey of 400acres of land in Anson County, North Carolina. The land was described as"on the southwest side of the Great Pee Dee River and east of WilliamsCreek".
Thomas sold 150 of these 400 acres on December 21, 1760 to John Morris.Sometime between this date and November 21, 1763, Thomas Hightower died.A deed dated November 21, 1763, Thomas Hightower to William Morris, seemsto contradict the previous sentence. This deed, however, which recordedthe sale of "100 acres of an original tract of 400 acres granted 1758 toThomas Hightower" was transacted by Thomas, the son of Thomas Hightower.The name and mark of Kindness Hightower, referred to in the deed as " thewidow Hightower", confirms that Thomas, Sr. was dead by this date.Kindness fails to appear in any records after 1763.
Source: "Hightowers" by C. E. Hightower, Jr.spouse: ?, Susannah (*1743 - )
pg. 14
Thomas Hightower (38.3) was born March 20, 1736 inRichmond
Co., Va. His parents were Thomas (7.2) and Kindness
Hightower. Very little is known about Thomas' (38.3)early years.
A deed dated November 21, 1763 in Anson Co., N.C. is thesecond
existing reference to this man. The first reference washis birth
record. This deed records the sale of 100 acres of a 400acre tract
purchased by Thomas' (38.3) father in 1758. AnsonCounty tax
records show that Thomas (38.3) and his brother John (39.3)paid
one poll tax each in 1763.
Thomas (38.3) sold the remaining part of his father's400 acre
grant in 1767. Kindness, his mother, was most likely deadby this
date. The deed was witnessed by Thomas' (38.3) brother John
(39.3). Also acknowledging the deed in accordance with theDower
Right Law was Susanna Hightower. Therefore, theacknowledgement
by Susanna in 1767 proves that Thomas (38.3) had married by thatyear.
On March 26, 1772 Thomas (38. 3) entered 160 acres ofland in
Tryon Co., N.C. (Today this land lies in Cleveland Co., N.C.-- CEH).
His brother John (39.3) had entered land nearby in1769.Thomas (38.3) sold
his 160 acres to George Morgan on January 27, 1775. Shortlyafter
this 1775 sale of land Thomas (38.3) moved his familysouthwest
across the Broad River into South Carolina. The area hebegan to
pioneer was then called District 96 and covered a veryextensive
portion of present day South Carolina. The northernpart of District
96, present day Greenville, Spartanburg, and Cherokeecounties, had
been ceded by the Cherokee Indians in 1769. The newIndian
boundary line was very close to where Thomas (38.3) decidedto
settle. It is not known whether Thomas (38.3) purchased landin
District 96 prior to the Revolutionary War or if he simplyhomesteaded
and lived off the land. Many records pertaining to theearly years of
settlement in this area have been lost. His presencefrom 1780
onward however may be proven. In 1786 Thomas (38.3) filed aclaim
to receive back pay for militia service during theRevolutionary War.
He was paid for his miltia service in Roebuck's Regiment"since the
fall of Charleston". The nature of Roebuck's Regiment andmost
other militia units in this area was "Minute Man" style.Very often
volunteers would serve several weeks, return home, and laterjoin
their former group or even another regiment.
Because Thomas Hightower (38.3) did serve in the areamilitia
and because he and his brother were the only two Hightowersin this
area of South Carolina during the Revolutionary War, thestory
contained in (Historican Collections of the JosephHabersham Chapter,
Daughters American Revolution. Volume 1, page 233) very likely refers
to Thomas' (38.3) wife Susanna. From this story Susanna would have
been killed ca. 1781. This plus the fact that Thomas (38.3)remarried
ca. 1787 also lends creedance to the story being attributable to hisfirst
wife Susanna.
Further evidence of the residency of Thomas Hightower(38.3) in
this area of South Carolina appears in 1785. He entered 640acres of
land on "the south side of Tygar River" in that year. Theland was
granted on December 14, 1787. Thomas (38.3) as mentionedearlier
had remarried ca. 1787. His second wife's name was Jane ().
His name appears in the court minutes of Spartanburg County
between the years 1785 and 1795. The 1790 United StatesCensus of
Spartanburg County lists his family as follows: ThomasHightower,
head of household, white male over sixteen years, two whitemales
under 16 years, three white females, no slaves.
Thomas (38.3) sold his land in Spartanburg County inJanuary
1795. Sometime after 1795 and before September 1798 hefollowed his
brother John's (39.3) lead and moved his family to WarrenCounty,
Ky. Warren County records show that on September 23, 1798Thomas
Hightower (38.3) granted 200 acres of land on the BigBarren River.
His brother John (39.3) had granted land nearby in July1796 and
continued his profession as a well known Baptist minister.
The tax records of Warren County, Ky. record that Thomas
(38. 3) paid taxes on 200 acres of land for the last timein 1807. The
following year the taxes were paid in the name of JaneHightower. It
is reasonable to assume therefore that Thomas (38.3) diedca. 1807 or
1808. Jane Hightower continued paying taxes in Warren Co.,Ky.
until 1831. During that same year she moved with herchildren's
families to Izard Co., Arkansas. Descendants of Thomas(38.3) and
Jane Hightower still reside in this area of Arkansas.
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