Washington County, Virginia was formed from Fincastle County in 1777. It originally contained Sullivan County, Tennessee.
Early European settlers in the American colonies were mostly farmers and craftsmen. They had to work hard to provide daily neccesities for themselves.
Fincastle County, Virginia was created in 1772 from Botetourt County and abolished in 1776. It was divided into Montgomery, Washington and Kentucky Counties.
John Cawood was born about 1720. His father was John Cawood.
John's first wife was named Elizabeth. Their children probably included:
John Cawood, Jr. (1745, married Rachel),
Charity Cawood (married Joseph Sevier),
Ann Cawood (married William Pemberton),
Thomas Cawood,
Mary Cawood Smallwood,
Elizabeth Cawood (married Stephen Majors), and
Rebecca Cawood (married George Smith).
John's second wife was named Agatha. Their children probably included:
Joshua Brown Cawood (1790, married Eleanor Haynes),
Benjamin Smallwood Cawood, (1791, married Sarah Talbert),
Stephen Berry Cawood (1793, married Rebecca Blevins),
Jeremiah Cawood (1795; married Sarah Davis), and
James Cawood (1798, married Sarah Acre and Elizabeth).
On October 13, 1745, John bought Nutwell in Charles County, Maryland from his father.
John and Elizabeth sold Nutwell on February 17, 1751 to Humphrey Berry.
In 1754 they were in Frederick County, Virginia with his father and brothers, Stephen and Moses.
In 1755, John and Moses Cawood were on Captain Richard Morgan's muster roll.
The family moved Sullivan County, Tennessee on the northwest side of the Holston River. They were close to the border of Washington County, Virginia and appear in the records there.
In 1773, when John Sevier moved to the Holston country he first lived in the Cawood settlement.
On May 2, 1775, John bought 840 acres in Fincastle County, Virginia on the Holston River from William and Ann Christian. Fincasle County was divided in 1776.
John Cawood, Sr., John Cawood, Jr., and Thomas Cawood signed the 1777 petition of Holston men.
In 1779 the Washington County, Virginia Court
ordered that the Clerk give certificate to John Keewood of his acknowledged power of Attorney to his Son John Keewood to transact his Business in Barkley County.
John Cawood died in Sullivan County, Tennessee in 1803. On August 2, 1803, Agatha Cawood and William Dulaney, acting executors of John Cawood's will, sold an enslaved man to Stephen Majors.
On February 21, 1806, Agatha sold William Blevins her right to the 740 acres she inherited from her husband, John.
Washington County 1806
Abstract: The minor heirs of John Keywood ask the court to set aside the sale of five estate slaves, who were fraudulently sold for $1000 by their mother, Agatha. The petitioners declare that their father died in 1803 and that his will directed that all the residue of his estate should be the property of his wife during her lifetime and that
after the death of the said Agatha ... the whole of his property real & personal should be equally divided amongst your Orators his children.
The Keywood children charge that their mother and others have colluded "to cheat and defraud your orators" out of their remainder interest in said slaves by procuring a pretended bill of sale, executed by the said Agatha to one William Blevins. They also charge that the defendants knew "no consideration was paid for said negroes, and that by the will of said John Keywood your Orators had a reversion in the same." Believing that "there is great probability" that the defendants "will run the said negroes beyond the reach of your Orators & this honourable court," they pray that said bill of sale "may be decreed to be given up & cancelled;" that the defendants be kept from removing said slaves from the county; and that the slaves be put in the sheriff's custody and hired out.
The Holston River flows from Kingsport to Knoxville.
map by Kmusser
Slavery is an immoral system of forced labor where people are treated as property to be bought and sold. It was legal in the American Colonies and the United States until the Civil War.
John Cawood was born about 1745. He was the son of John and Elizabeth Cawood.
His wife was named Rachel. Their children included:
John Cawood (1765, Abigail (Happy) Blevins),
Rachel Cawood (married Samuel Haskins),
Rebecca Cawood (married Painton Charlton),
son Cawood (married Sarah),
Charity Cawood (married Joseph Sevier son of Gov. John),
Elizabeth Cawood (married Joseph Sevier brother of Gov. John),
Ann Cawood, and
Mary Polly Cawood (married William R. Blevins).
He is probably the John Keywood who served in the American Revolution from Sullivan County.
John Cawood of Sullivan County deposed on February 22, 1823, that he had known John Sevier for more than 40 years and he appeared in John Sevier's diary:
May 20, 1790: Lodged all night at Mr. John Keewoods.
Left this place at 10 o'clock. Rec’d of Mr. John Keewood 950 (or 9500 ?) Dollars Virginia paper money, called the
forty-for-one money, which I am to endeavor to exchange for Hard money.
Feb. 2, 1794: Son Jo wife and Sally Keewood came here.
Feb. 5, 1794: Self, wife, Jos. wife, Miss Sally Keewood, Mary Ann and Ruth went to Jonesboro and came home at night.
May 15, 1800: Set out for John Keewoods and lodged there that night.
May 16, 1800: Stayed at Mr. Keywoods.
April 3, 1802: Lodged at Jno. Keewoods.
May 18, 1802: Set out for Mr. Keewoods to meet the Commissioners. Left with Mr. Keewood 10 dollars for him to give unto my bro. Jos. Sevier.
Wed., Oct. 13: Went up to William King's in company with Mrs. Nancy Keewood and returned in evening
Fri., Oct. 15: Returned to Mr. Keewood's. Sat., Oct. 16: Myself, Mrs. Keewood and Chatty (Charity Keewood) Sevier dined with the widow Harris and returned to Mr. Keewood's.
Mon., Oct. 18: Set out from Mr. Keewood’s to meet the Commissioners. Left with Mr. John Keewood ten dollars for him to give unto my brother Joseph Sevier and for him to give the same to Mr. David Deadrick.
Nov. 4: Tarried all night at Mr. John Keewood's.
Nov. 6: Returned to Mr. Keewood's.
John died in 1828.
The 1830 census of Sullivan County listed Ann Cawood. She was between 50 and 60 years old. she was living with her mother, Rachel who was between 80 and 90 years old.
Stephen Cawood was born in 1724 in Charles County, Maryland. His father was John Cawood.
He married Esther Berry. Esther was born about 1729 in Prince George's County, Maryland. She was the daughter of William Berry and Esther Wakefield.
Berry Cawood (1747, married Nancy Scott),
Moses Cawood (1749),
John Cawood (1751),
Benjamin Cawood (1755, married Polly Poston),
Joseph Cawood,
Stephen Cawood (1765, married Sarah Keller),
Priscilla Cawood (1772, married James (?) Cochrane),
Esther Cawood (1774, married John Walker),
Elizabeth Cawood (1773, married John Berry),
Mary Ann Cawood (1776),
Thomas Cawood (married Sally Scott)
A John and Moses Cawood signed the 1777 petition of Holston men.
Stephen hosted the so-called Keywood Methodist Conference attended by Bishop Asbury in 1788.
Berry Cawood was was born about 1748. His parents were Stephen Cawood and Esther Berry.
He married Nancy Ann Scott
Moses Cawood (1782, married Tabitha McNew),
Delia Caywood (married Edward McNew),
Esther Caywood (married Matthew Tolbur),
John Caywood (married Nancy Turner), and
Nancy Caywood (married John Sturgeon).
He entered 120 acres in Washington County, Virginia in 1782.
Moses Caywood was born on April 6, 1782.
He married Tabitha McNew on January 29, 1807 in Washington County, Virginia.
Delia Caywood (1817, married William Clark),
Stephen Cawood (1819, married Nancy McNew),
Bettie Caywood (1807, married Joel Meadows), Moses Caywood (1822, married Harriett Scott),
John M. Caywood (married Lucy Dishmon),
Margaret Caywood (1827, married Samuel Sturgeon), and
Berry Caywood (1833, married Mary Crabtree).
