Joseph Biggs

Abt 1720 - 1784  (~ 64 years)

• Name	Joseph Biggs  [1, 2]
  Birth	Abt 1720	Portsmouth, Norfolk, Virginia   [1]
  Gender	Male
  Burial	Nov 1784	Williamston, Martin, North Carolina
  Death	20 Nov 1784	Williamston, Martin, North Carolina   [1]
  Notes	From original on microfilm. WILL OF JOSEPH Biggs, SR., undated. Recorded in 1798 in Martin County Will Book 1, page 352. In the name of God, Amen. I, JOSEPH Biggs, Sr., of the State of North Carolina and County of Martin, being weak in body but in perfect mind, sense and memory, and calling to mind that it is appointed for all men once to die, do make and ordain this to be my last will and testament in manner and form following, viz.: First, I recommend my soul into the hands of that God Who first gave it, and my body to be buried in a decent Christian like manner at the discretion of my executors hereinafter mentioned. Item, I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife, SARAH Biggs, all the property of every kind that is now in being and has never been disposed of that I had by my said wife, SARAH, likewise I give her one small bull yearling, one sow and pigs, and one ewe and lamb to her and her heirs forever. Item, I give and bequeath unto my son James Biggs' two* daughters five shillings apiece, to them and to their heirs. Item, my will and desire is that all the remainder of my property of every kind and denomination be equally divided between my other five children, viz.: Kedar Biggs, William Biggs, Joseph Biggs, Salley Ward and Mourning Cherry, to them and to their heirs forever. Lastly, I nominate and appoint my sons WILLIAM Biggs and JOSEPH Biggs executors to this, my last will and testament, and hereby revoke and disannul all other wills which have been before made by me, and acknowledge this to be my last will and testament. /s/JOSEPH Biggs {seal} Signed, sealed and delivered in presence of: John Ferrill Mary Price bJoseph Biggs/b, was of English ancestry. He lived at an early date near Portsmouth, VA, and married Margaret Eastwood. They moved to that part of Tyrrell Co, NC which became a part of Martin Co in 1774, and settled about three miles from the present site of Williamston. His plantation was along the Washington road. Joseph left an undated Martin Co will (Book 1, page 352; the prior and following wills have 1796 and 1798 probate dates (recheck this will) in which he named his present wife Sarah, and children: son James Biggs who had two daughters; sons Kedar Biggs, William Biggs, and Joseph Biggs; and daughters Sally Ward and Mourning Cherry. "Loving friend Jesse Cherry" was named as an executor of James Biggs' will. The other executor was James' brother William. The 1800 Martin Co census shows all the Biggs families, including widow Mrs Jemima Cherry Biggs, living close to each other (pages 384 and 385), probably in or very close to Williamston since we know from the 1787 state census that in 1787 Jemima did live in Williamston. Joseph Biggs' family consisted of Joseph and his wife, both born by 1727, and children- 1. Sarah Biggs, married John Ward by the 1780s. John and Sarah lived in or near Williamston in 1787, next to Jesse Cherry, and had ten children. Her line is continued under his name, on page 691. 2. Cader Biggs, born 13 August 1749, was married by 1787 to Hannah Davis. She was born 14 October 1751. The 1800 census shows their ages at 45 or older. Kedar lived near Williamston, where he died on 7 March 1815. His will was proven that month. Hannah died on 28 November 1826. 3. Mourning Biggs, daughter of Joseph Biggs and Margaret Eastwood, married Wright Cherry by 1789 (see page 511). Edgecombe Co Deed book 16, page 228, on 3 November 1818, shows that Mourning Burkitt, wife of William Burkitt, was previously the widow of Wright Cherry deceased. And Deed book 17, pages 431 & 432, on 15 February 1822, are of Polly Cherry selling her half interest in land she received upon the death of Mourning Burkitt, and the sale of her half interest in the Obed Cherry tract. (86,5z) 4. James Biggs, born in 24 February 1753, married Jemima Cherry and had six children. He died soon prior to September 1789 in Martin Co. See Jemima Cherry on page 221. 5. William Biggs, born 1 April 1756, had married Milly Ward by 1787. See page 692. Milly was born 4 September 1758, daughter of William Ward and Elizabeth _____, and was still living on 25 September 1815 when William's will was written; it was probated in Martin Co in June 1817. It named his wife Milly, children, and some grandchildren; the order of birth is probably incorrect, and the birth dates were from an extrapolation of census records prior to 1810. Some of the birth dates 6. Joseph Biggs II, born 12 November 1766, was married and had a daughter by 1787 (state census); he had the same numbers of people in his household in 1790. In 1800 he was still in Martin Co with a larger family. Because of the ages of the children in 1800, some of them could easily be his nephews and nieces, children of his late brother James, or children of his second wife. He first married Elizabeth Gregory of Camden Co on 27 August 1784 when he was not yet 18 years old; she died on 9 October 1786. Joseph then married Ann Phillips of Beaufort Co on 20 February 1787; she died on 25 October 1807. On 4 February 1808 Joseph married Chloe Daniel of Martin Co. She died in 1845. Joseph had two children from the first marriage, eight from the second, and five children from the last. Joseph Biggs II was an elder in the Primitive Baptist Church of Martin Co, having been ordained in 1796, and was pastor of the church at Skewarky for 38 years. He was also one of the organizers of the Academy in Williamston, was the county tax collector, postmaster, principal assessor, 1800 census taker, etc. Joseph was called Joseph Biggs Sr when he wrote his will in Martin Co on 16 September 1837. He died in Martin Co on 31 May 1844.From census records, his will, and other sources, Joseph's children were (birth dates may be for wrong child)- a. Daniel Biggs, b 1785-1787, died by September 1837. He was named in his father's will. (91) b. dau Biggs, b 1785-1787 c. Martin Biggs, b 1787-1790 d. Harry Biggs, b 1790s e. Sally Biggs, b 1790s, married Abijah Peele, son of Thomas Peele and Sarah _____. They had at least three children. (81,91) f. child Biggs g. child Biggs h. child Biggs i. child Biggs j. child Biggs k. William Biggs, moved to MS. He was named in his father's September 1837 will. (91) m. Joseph Daniel Biggs, b 29 May 1808 in Martin Co, died there on 18 May 1889. He married Elizabeth Davis, daughter of Colonel Durham Davis, and later married Sarah Frances Crawford. From both marriages there were children. Joseph was named in his father's September 1837 will. (91) n. Asa Biggs, born 4 February 1811 in Williamston, married Martha Elizabeth Andrews in Bertie Co on 26 June 1832. Their biographies are continued on page 14. p. Kedar Biggs, was named in his father's September 1837 will. He married Lucy Ann ____, had three children, and died after 3 January 1884 when his will was written. (81) q. Louisa F Biggs, never married, and was named in her father's September 1837 will. (81,91) (59,68,81,91, 1a)iThomas Beach Senr of Martin Co named Joseph Biggs Junr as the executor of his 29 September 1792 will. The will named only three children, all with Beach as a family name: son Thomas, and daughters Hannah & Elizabeth./i (59,65,68,81,1ape)
  Person ID	I18666	McKenzie Genealogy
  Last Modified	17 Jan 2012

  
  

  Father	John Biggs,   b. 1690, Norfolk, Virginia d. 1747, Norfolk, Virginia (Age 57 years)
  Relationship	natural
  Mother	Sarah Etheridge,   b. Abt 1690, Virginia d. Abt 1750, Virginia (Age ~ 60 years)
  Relationship	natural
  Family ID	F08654	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Margaret Eastwood,   b. 15 Feb 1729, Tyrell, Beaufort, North Carolina d. 1768, Williamston, Martin, North Carolina (Age 38 years)
  Marriage	Abt 1748	Portsmouth, Norfolk, Virginia   [3]
  Children	1. Thomas Kadar Biggs,   b. 13 Aug 1749, Williamston, Martin, North Carolina d. 7 Mar 1815, Williamston, Martin, North Carolina (Age 65 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   2. James Biggs,   b. 21 Feb 1753, , Beaufort, North Carolina d. Sep 1789, Martin, North Carolina (Age 36 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   3. Mourning Biggs,   b. 1755, North Carolina d. 1822, North Carolina (Age 67 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   4. William Biggs,   b. 1 Apr 1756, Martin, North Carolina d. 28 Sep 1815, Martin, North Carolina (Age 59 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   5. Sarah Biggs,   b. 17 Sep 1758, Tyrrell, North Carolina d. UNKNOWN  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   6. Joseph Willis Biggs,   b. 12 Nov 1766, Edgecombe, Edgecombe, North Carolina d. 31 May 1844, Lewiston, Bertie, North Carolina (Age 77 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
  Family ID	F08653	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	5 Jul 2011

  
  

• Sources

  [S006658] Hagmann, Biggs Family Tree, www.ancestry.com. QUAY 3 [S005780] Edmund West, comp., Family Data Collection - Individual Records, (Name: Name: Name: Provo, UT: The Generations Network, Inc., 2000;;;). [S004013] nicolebiggs_1, Biggsyoung, (May 2000, Ancestry.com).