Joseph McClain's estate record Page 29 Rockingham Co. NC, May 4 1804, probate May 1805; Wife Nancy, daus; Nancy, Mary, Betsey, sons; Charles, Thomas Mccain, George, Joseph, exrs; wife Nancy McClain, friend and neighbor Joseph Scott. Wit; John Lynn, Thornton Lynn, Young Lovelas. In addition to land where he lived, a lot in Georgetown Maryland is mentioned.
We have thought that Joseph married a daughter of John Powell named Nancy. I think now that this Joseph is closer to John Powell's age than his children's age and I think Nancy McClain was likely Nancy Whalebone, John Powell's half sister. I found references to the above Maryland records on the net that say Joseph McClain's father John McClain (Patsy will like this) once owned a farm in Maryland called The Gleanings, inn 1739 he purchased in a part of Prince George's County that subsequently became Montgomery County and is now down town Washington DC near the White House (Ref 3,4). When the real estate deal was put together to form the District of Columbia the brokers secured options to buy much of the land involved. John McClain had executed two bonds to sell The Gleanings but he died in 1790 (Ref 5)before the deal was consummated (Ref 3. In his will (Ref 5) he left most of his property to his children who were unnamed. The investors had to track down each of the children and purchase their interest in the
estate.
Joseph McClain was one of John's sons that went to Maryland to sign documents relating to this land. You can read my notes here:
And, I think that Peter Powell was likely a son of Charles Powell and Rebecca. We know John had sons named John, James, and Charles. Peter Powell was born in 1779 so it is not likely he was John's son, more likely a grandson. Robert Lyon, who was likely Peter Powell's stepfather, died in 1804 leaving a wife Rebecca and several Lyon children. There are stories in the Peter Powell family that his mother was known as Granny Lyon.
I have found records that James Powell died in the 1840 and I have found records for the son John that would eliminate him as Peter's dead father, but I have not found any record that I can identify as Charles son of John after John's death. Peter had a brother named Charles. I think it is likely that Charles, son of John was Peter's father.
Anyway, I did find that Peter Powell and Robert Lyon lived on Moon Creek in Caswell County. John Powell and the Whalebones lived on Hogans Creek. On the map below, you can see these two creeks are very close together.
