Elijah Bass

Other Events:

• Reference Number: 2857

Notes:

Elijah2 Bass (Frederick1, William3, John2, William1, John1), born say 1775, was head of an Anson County household of 3 "other free" in 1800 [NC:204]. He may have been the Elijah Bass who was counted in Robeson County that same year, head of a household of 5 "other free" in 1800 [NC:362] and 6 in Robeson County in 1810 [NC:237]. He was granted administration on the Robeson County estate of (his brother?) Frederick Bass on 200 pounds security on 9 April 1801 [Minutes 1797-1806, 149]. He was one of the freeholders of Robeson County ordered to work on a road with Breton Barnes on the first Monday in July 1807 [Minutes 1806-13, 38] but was not mentioned again in Robeson County records. He may have been the same Elijah Bass who was head of a Kershaw District, South Carolina household of 6 "other free" and 2 slaves in 1810 [SC:433]. He wrote a 28 December 1839 Kershaw County will, recorded on 16 June 1854, describing himself as a "freeman of Color." He mentioned but did not name his children and lent his wife Milbury Eliza 500 acres "on waters of Beaver Dam and Bell Branch, waters of Twenty Five mile Creek of the Wateree river in Kershaw" which was conveyed to him on 10 February 1809. And he suggested that "my wife may desire to return to North Carolina. Elijah Bass" (signing) [WB A:231]. In August 1846 a grandchild of Elijah Bass named Mrs. White sued a South Carolina tax collector for attempting to collect from her the "free Negro" capitation tax. She testified that her grandmother was a "mulatto," her grandfather a Revolutionary soldier, her father Elijah Bass a "dark quadroon if he was one," and her brother an "ordinary white sandhill boy" [Catterall, Judicial Cases Concerning American Slavery, II:400-1]. Elijah may have been the father off

i. Frederick3, born say 1795, purchased 103 acres in Robeson County on the east side of Bay Branch on 6 May 1820 [DB S:275].

ii. Joseph4, born after 1776, head of a Robeson County household of 7 "free colored" in 1820 [NC:300].

Elijah married Eliza Matilda Milbury. Eliza was born 1775, North Carolina, USA; died 1802, Marion, Marion, South Carolina, USA. [Group Sheet]

1. Benjamin Elijah Bass was born 1809, Robeson, North Carolina, USA; died Aft 1880, Vernon, Wisconsin, USA.

Elijah married Elizabeth Timmons. Elizabeth was born 1778, North Carolina, USA; died 1802, Marion, Marion, South Carolina, USA. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Reference Number: 887

Frederick married Olive Stewart. Olive was born 1753, North Carolina, USA; died Sep 1777, North Carolina, USA. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Reference Number: 2854

Other Events:

• Ethnicity: Native American
• Reference Number: 869

Notes:

William3 Bass (John2, William1, John1), born say 1712, sold the land he inherited in Northampton County to John Bass on 30 December 1742 [DB 2:185]. He was one of the first members of the Bass family in Granville County where he was taxed in the list of Jonathan White in 1749. In 1761 he was taxable with his son Thomas in Oxford District. On 19 November 1762 he purchased 200 acres on the south side of Cedar Creek near the Beaver Dam Branch from Thomas Huland (Huelin) [DB F:441]. He was a "Black" taxable in Granville County in John Pope's list for St. John's Parish, Bare Swamp District, in 1762. Bute County was formed from this part of Granville County in 1764, and in 1771 he was a Bute County taxable in the list of Philemon Hawkins on 5 "Black" tithes: himself, his wife, daughter "Honner," and sons Ben and John [CR 015.70001, p.12]. He may have been the William Bass who appeared in Granville County court on 7 April 1770 as the "next Friend" of Olive Bass when she sued Jean Tylor, alias Mitchell [Minutes 1754-70, 202]. William sold 100 acres on the south side of Cedar Creek to Sampson Bass on 26 January 1771 and another 100 acres adjoining this on 17 September 1771 [Warren County DB 3:224; 4:263]. His children were

i. ?Simon1, not identified as William's son, but listed adjacent to him in Philemon Hawkins' Bute County list of taxables, taxed on 4 "Black" tithes for himself, his unnamed wife, son James, and (daughter?) Elizabeth.

ii. Thomas4, born about 1749 since he was taxable in 1761 in his father's Oxford District household. He was an overseer, taxable in Nathan Thomas's household in the 1771 Bute County list of Philemon Hawkins [CR 015.70001, p.4].

iii. ?Frederick1, born say 1750.

iv. Honor1, born say 1752, taxable in 1771 in Bute County.

v. Benjamin2, born say 1754, taxable in 1771 in Bute County.

vi. John8, born before 1760, taxable in 1771 in Bute County.

Other Events:

• Ethnicity: Native American
• Tribe: Nansemond
• Reference Number: 717

Notes:

John2 Bass (William1, John1), born 4 December 1673, was living in Norfolk County on 15 October 1701 when a case against him brought by Thomas Hodges, Surveyor, for being delinquent "from the high wayes" was dismissed on his paying costs [DB 6:220]. He was not mentioned in his father's will because he predeceased him. His marriage was recorded in Perquimans Precinct, North Carolina:

John Bas and Love Harris was Married ye 8th day of Janewary 1696 both of Nanse Mum County and Nanse Mum Parresh by Mager Samuel Swann Esqr. [Haun, Old Albemarle County North Carolina, 62].

Love Harris was living in Norfolk County on 19 May 1693 when the court acquitted Ann Harris, Love Harris, and Elizabeth Jennett of any wilful neglect in the death of a 5 week old child of Ann Harris. This was probably the same Ann Harris, widow of Richard Harris, who bound her daughter Jean Harris to Malachy Thruston in Norfolk County court that same day. Four days prior to this she bound her son John Harris to James Lowry, and two months later on 18 July 1693 she presented an inventory of "what little estate Richard Harris died seized of" in Norfolk County court [DB 5, pt. 2, 287, 292-3, 298]. On 30 January 1720/1 John Bass bought 200 acres in Chowan Precinct near the head of Horsepool Swamp [DB C-1:115]. A year later on 16 July 1722 he was in that part of Bertie County which became Northampton County where he bought 200 acres adjoining Urahaw Swamp [DB A:105]. Between 1722 and 1729 he purchased 5 tracts of land including a patent for 460 acres, accumulating a total of 1,060 acres adjoining Urahaw Swamp [DB A:129; C:126, 135; Hoffman, Province of North Carolina Land Patents, 225]. His 18 January 1732 Bertie County will named his children, gave his wife Mary "the liberty of the plantation ... for bringing up my small children," referred to "my sd last wife's children," and left 50 acres to his friend, Daniel Wharten Burbegg [SS 876/3:305]. Norfolk County Bass family papers record his death in the year 1732 at the age of fifty-eight. Mary remarried and as "Mary Staples widow and relict of John Bass, Sr." she sold her one third interest in the plantation where she was living on 21 November 1748 [Northampton DB 1:356].

John married Love Harris 8 Jan 1695/96, Perquimans, North Carolina, USA. Love (daughter of William Harris and Alice Stewart) was born 4 Dec 1673, Nansemond, Virginia, USA; died 18 Jan 1731, Bertie, North Carolina, USA. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Reference Number: 718