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JOHN2, WILLIAM AND GEORGE PEGRAM, SONS OF GEORGE1

JOHN PEGRAM2

JOHN PEGRAM2 (George1), may have been the eldest of George's sons. Sarah, the wife of Daniel Pegram, John's brother, died in 1727, the year after Daniel's death. Her will was recorded in York County 19 June 1727, and Sarah names John Pegram as her executor (11). This was no doubt her husband's brother.

There appeared in York County Court records, Orders, Wills, Deeds 17, 316, the following: September 18, 1732, "Action upon the case by John Lilly against John Pegram, former order continued to next court" (6). On 21 January 1754 the personal estate of John Pegram deceased, was appraised (6, 12, 13, 154). He probably died shortly before that date. Nothing is known of his family. In 1725 the death of John Pegram, a child, was recorded in the Bruton Parish Church Records (13). This might have been a son of John's.

WILLIAM PEGRAM2

WILLIAM PEGRAM2 (George1), was likely born in York County, Virginia, prior to 1693. He was mentioned in court records of York County in 1713:

Action upon the case by Claude Rouvier and Eliza, his wife, Executors &c of Joseph Chermeson, deceased, against William Pegram, Confession of judgement by defendant for 2 s. 10 by account. Execution issued August 16, 1714.

January 18, 1713, case against William Pegram, action of debt by Daniel Pegram against Charles Holdworth (6).

William purchased a house and lot, number 323 in Williamsburg, from Matthew Shields on 28 January 1744/45 for 60 pounds, and sold it 16 May 1745. Since he owned it for less than four months he probably never lived in it (14). B. and S. deed was made by William Pegram, brick layer, Bruton Parish, York County, and Sarah his wife, to William Young, carpenter, conveying lot 323 on platt of City of Williamsburg, Figure 2. On 20 May 1745 William Pegram and Sarah, his wife, acknowledged their bond with receipt endorsed by James Wray. The original house is still extant, 1980. It is at 303 Prince George Street, near the Governor's Mansion. It was built by William Timson about 1715-1717 (14). The present occupant, 1984, is Mrs. Rutherfoord Goodwin, former Research Associate of Colonial Williamsburg, and daughter-in-law of the Reverend William Archer Rutherfoord Goodwin, who wrote a historical sketch of Bruton Church, Williamsburg, Virginia. Dr. Goodwin was rector of Bruton Church from 1907 to 1909, and again from 1926 to 1937. It was during this period that he interested the Rockefeller Foundation in the restoration of Colonial Williamsburg.

Sarah Pegram, wife of William, is mentioned twice in the records of York County, as follows: May 17, 1731, complaint of Sarah Pegram against Dudley Digges, Martin Conner and William Hunt; Diggs and Conner not appearing, Hunt ordered to answer for misdemeanor at next general court. Ten pounds bond of Sarah Pegram to prosecute him (15). December 8, 1732: Information of riot exhibited by Sarah Pegram against William Taylor and others. Dismissed for failure of informer to prosecute (6, 16).

Sarah Pegram died in 1748 (13), and William died in York County sometime after 1751 (13). Nothing is known of the family of William and Sarah Pegram, except that John Pegram, born in York County prior to 1734, is said to have been the son of William, and is so considered in subsequent

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treatment, although no incontestable proof is known. The evidence for this is given under John Pegram1, following:

JOHN PEGRAM3 (William2, George1 ). A copy of a letter of 17 May 1880, written by George Washington Pegram5, grandson of John Pegram3, to someone whose name is not stated, has John Pegram coming from England. We now believe that this is incorrect. William Howell Pegram6 of Trinity College, now Duke University, was born in 1846 and died in 1928 (6, 7, 17, p. 366). He subsequent to his father's letter, compiled his apparent correct lineage, as he viewed it (18) He lists John3 as the son of William2, of York County, Virginia. In his letter George Washington Pegram5 stated that he had often heard his father William4 state that his father John3, was a first cousin of General Edward Pegram3 of Dinwiddie County, Virginia. This would be correct since their fathers were brothers, i.e., William2, and Daniel2 father of Edward3 of Dinwiddie. No records have been found that show any Pegram that could be the father of third generation John except the sons of George1. William appears to be the most likely, although there is no proof that would definitely rule out William's brother John, except the affirmative, but unsubstantiated information given by William Howell Pegram, a well educated professor and college vice President. There is evidence that John and William's apparently younger brother George2 left York County, and therefore would not be a likely parent of John3.

John3, presumed son of William2 and his wife Sarah, was born in York County prior to 1734. He died in James City County and left a will that was inventoried in 1769 (18, 19).

Tax and Tithable records (133, 134) show John Pegram, James City County, 1768 with three titheables. Elizabeth Pegrum of James City, County is shown with one tithe in 1769. John would probably be the son of William. No other Pegram is known, since John2, the son of George1 presumably died in 1753, and the estate of John Pegram was appraised on 21 January 1754. John Pegram's3 will was inventoried in 1769. He probably died that year. He married a Miss Richardson. Could her name have been Elizabeth, who was showing one tithe in 1769, perhaps shortly after John1s death? Note that John and Elizabeth's name was spelled Pegrum in Woodson's record (134). This is not deemed of any significance, since they were at the right place at the right time, and the spelling is not unusual in early records.

It is of interest that John Pegram3 was named in Samuel Dyer's will.

Samuel Dyer of York County. Will was proved 21 March 1757. It names Francis Rhodes, Sarah & Rebecca Rhodes, children of Clifton Rhodes; Sarah and Leonard, children of Richardson Henley, John Wright, James Harfield, son of Mathew Harfield; John Pegram; William Rhodes of Lunenberg; (William Pegram4 married Agnes Rhodes of Lunenberg); uncle Robert Dyer; legacy to William and Elizabeth Mahone, son and daughter of Daniel Mahone. (20, p. 204).

John Pegram, named in Samuel Dyer's will was the father of William Pegram4, who married Agnes Rhodes, and it is most probable that Agnes was a granddaughter of Samuel Dyer.

It is probably significant that James Harfield, son of Mathew Harfield was also in Dyer's will. As will be shown later, Mathew Harfield was the person to whom Edward Pegram3 was apprenticed in 1737, and a Hartfield, probably the same as Harfield, paid rent on a plantation belonging to Sarah Pegram, wife of Daniel2, brother of John2 (to settle her estate, following her death.) It is thus obvious that there was a family relationship between Samuel Dyer, the Harfields and the Pegrams. This is added evidence that John Pegram3 was the grandson of George1, and most likely the son of William2.

John Pegram3 was married to Richardson, and they had two sons and two daughters. Names of the latter are not known. The sons follow:

WILLIAM4, b. York Co., Va. 1754, m. Agnes Rhodes.
RICHARDSON, b. York Co., Va.; d. ca. 1805 in Chatham Co., N.C. Never married.

WILLIAM PEGRAM4 (John3, William2, George1), was born in York County Virginia in 1754 (18, 19). He and Agnes were married 29 January 1779, in Lunenburg County, Virginia (21, 104). They had two known daughters, and perhaps other children. The daughters were ANNA5 and SUSAN.

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The 1782 Mecklenburg County, Virginia, tax list showed William4 with six whites and four blacks. Some of his relatives must have been counted in his household, since he and Agnes had been married for only four years. William and his brother RICHARDSON moved to North Carolina. The 1790 census showed them in Cumberland County. William had one male over 16, two males under 16, four females, and one slave. Since William is shown in Virginia in 1782 and in North Carolina in 1790, he thus moved there during this interval. William's brother Richardson was listed in the 1790 Cumberland County census with one male over 16 and four slaves. He was listed as single, and apparently never married. William administered the estate of his brother in 1805, in Chatham County, North Carolina (7).

William's wife Agnes Rhodes must have died early, since he married Tabitha Ann Stephenson in 1809. Tabitha was born in 1775 and died in 1871. She was the daughter of David Stephenson of Wake County, North Carolina, which was formed from Cumberland, Johnson and Orange Counties in 1771 (7, 19, 22). There were three known children of this marriage:

GEORGE WASHINGTON5, b. N.C. 1809; m. Sarah McKinnie.
JAMES W., b. N.C.; m. Henrietta Adams.
STEPHEN STEPHENSON, b. N.C.; m. Caroline Adams.

GEORGE WASHINGTON PEGRAM5 (William4, John3, William2, GEORGE1) was born 8 December 1809, likely in Cumberland County, North Carolina. He married Sarah Elizabeth McKinnie, born October 1812 in Cumberland County and died in 1876. George Washington died in Harnett County, North Carolina, 30 March 1884. George and Sarah had four children: TABITHA ANN6, WILLIAM HOWELL, JOHN DAVID and SARAH E., to be discussed in this order, each followed by his or her descendants, where known.

TABITHA ANN PEGRAM6, was born 29 November 1841. She married John Covington*, who was born in 1838, and died 18 August 1904. Tabitha Ann died 24 April 1912. There were children of this marriage, but their identities are not known.

WILLIAM HOWELL PEGRAM6, son of George Washington Pegram5 and Sarah Elizabeth McKinnie, was born 18 August 1846, in Harnett County, North Carolina. He graduated from Trinity College, now Duke University, North Carolina, in 1873. He served in the Second Batallion of North Carolina troops in 1864-65. He later was Professor of Chemistry, and then Chairman of the faculty of Trinity. In this position he served in all instances of the absence of the President. William Howell married Emma Lenora Craven, who was born 4 December 1845. She died 4 January 1904, and William Howell died 9 April 1928 (24). They had five children: GEORGE BRAXTON7, ANNIE McKINNIE, JOHN EDWARD, IRENE CRAVEN and WILLIAM HOWELL, JR. each treated below.

GEORGE BRAXTON PEGRAM7 (William Howell6, George Washington5, William4, John3, William2, George1) was born in Trinity, North Carolina, 24 October 1876. He was one of America's foremost scientists. He graduated with an A. B. degree from Trinity College in 1895. His maternal grandfather, Braxton Craven, was the founder and first president of Trinity, later to become Duke University. George Braxton obtained a Ph.D. from Columbia University, in New York City, in 1903. He was a physicist, and after his graduation from Columbia he studied at the University of Berlin in Germany and at Cambridge in England. Following his studies abroad he returned to Columbia. He progressed from assistant professor of physics to professor, then dean of the faculty of applied science, and then dean of the School of Mines, Engineering and Chemistry. In 1937 he became Dean of the Graduate Faculties, and then Vice President of the University. He retired from Columbia as Vice President Emeritus in 1950. After retirement he served on many advisory boards and commissions for the university, the federal government and other institutions.

George Braxton's Ph.D. dissertation in 1895 was one of the earliest studies on radioactivity in the country. The work that he did in connection with neutrons and nuclear changes led him to bring to Columbia in the 1930s the group of scientists that resulted in the development of the atomic bomb. Among these were Enrico Fermi, John R. Dunning, and a number of prominent British scientists. On

*This should read John Harrington [ND]

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25 January 1939 Pegram and his associates demonstrated uranium fission for the first time in the United States. Dr. Pegram advised the Chief of Naval Operations that uranium had explosive possibilities with a million times the energy per pound as any known explosive. By 1941 they were successful in building an atomic pile. The Manhattan project was formed and placed on the grounds of the University of Chicago, where the first self sustaining nuclear chain reaction was achieved, on 2 December 1942. George Braxton remained at Columbia but served as Vice Chairman of the Central Advisory Committee to the Manhattan Engineering District. He was Chairman of the University's Committee on War Research, and Government Aided Research. He was a member of the first Board of Directors of the Oak Ridge Institute of Nuclear Studies. He aided in the establishment of the Brookhaven National Laboratory at Upton, New York. He was National President of Sigma Xi, 1949-1951. George Braxton Pegram was a Methodist, a political independent, and enjoyed doing cabinet work as a hobby.

George Braxton7 was the recipient of too many honors, honorary degrees, and lauditory citations to include here. His biography appears in many places, including Who's Who in America. A good resume of his life, and work, including a portrait, Figure 1, can be found in the National Cyclopedia of American Biography, from which most of the foregoing was taken (23).

George Braxton Pegram was married in West Newton, Massachusetts 3 June 1909, to Florence Bement, daughter of Frank Bement of Philadelphia. Dr. Pegram died at Swarthmore, Pennsylvania on 12 August 1958. He was the father of two sons:

WILLIAM BRAXTON8, b. 1910.
JOHN BEMENT, b. 1916.

ANNIE McKINNIE PEGRAM7, daughter of William Howell Pegram and Emma Lenora Craven, never married. No additional information is available.

JOHN EDWARD PEGRAM7, son of William Howell Pegram and Emma Lenora Craven, was born in Trinity, Randolph County, North Carolina, on 4 September 1880. He was graduated with an A. B. degree from Trinity College in 1900. He also obtained a law degree from the same institution, and was admitted to the bar of North Carolina in 1907. He practiced law in Durham, North Carolina. He was the chief promoter and organizer of the North Carolina Joint Stock Land Bank, organized in 1923 to do business in North Carolina and Virginia. He later was Territorial Representative of Investors Syndicate. He was Judge of the Durham Recorders Court, Chairman of the Durham County Board of Election in 1911-12, and Representative in the North Carolina Legislature for two terms, 1915 and 1917. He was a member of the Durham County Democratic Executive Committee. John Edward was a Methodist. He never married. He died in Durham 9 July 1951. His biography appears in the National Cyclopedia of American Biography, page 256, from which the foregoing was taken (25).

IRENE CRAVEN PEGRAM7, daughter of William Howell Pegram and Emma Craven, was probably born at Trinity, Randolph County, North Carolina. No further information is available.

WILLIAM HOWELL PEGRAM, JR.7 was the son of William Howell Pegram and Emma Lenora Craven.

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JOHN DAVID PEGRAM6 was the son of George Washington Pegram5 and Sarah Elizabeth McKinnie. He first married M. J. Flora Byrd, and they had six children: GEORGE7, (died in infancy), IDA, SALLIE, WILLIAM ROBERT, MAMIE AVA and EMMA.

John David's second wife was Annie Worthy, and they had two children: WORTHY7 and JOHN DAVID, JR.

SARAH E. PEGRAM6, daughter of George Washington Pegram and Sarah McKinnie, married William H. Stephenson.

JAMES W. PEGRAM5, son of William Pegram and Tabitha Ann Stephenson, was probably born in Cumberland County, North Carolina. He married Henrietta Adams (19).

STEPHENSON PEGRAM5, son of William Pegram and Tabitha Ann Stephenson, was born in Cumberland County, North Carolina. He married Caroline Adams.

GEORGE PEGRAM2

GEORGE PEGRAM2 (George1). The only record of George Pegram2, son of George the progenitor and Miss Hunt, is an important one. This involves his apprenticeship as a Joyner, as follows:

George Pegram, son of George Pegram of Bruton Parish, York County, deceased, with the consent of his unkell Robt. Hunt of ye same parish and county, freely put and bound himself Apprentice to Daniel Duvall of Ware Parish in ye County of Gloucester, Joyner, to serve in ye Art of a Joyner from 24 June 1704 to 30 October 1711 (26, 27).

The indenture between Daniel Duvall and George Pegram was recorded at a court held for York County on 24 June 1704.

Daniel Duvall his indenture bearing date this present Instant from George Pegram was this day personally Acknowledged in court by Ye Said Pegram and Robert Hunt his uncle to Ye said Daniel Duvall and is ordered to be committed to record.

George Pegram his indenture bearing Date this present Instant from Daniel Duvall was this day in Court Acknowledged by Ye said Daniel Duvall to Ye said George Pegram and is ordered to be committed to record, (14, 27, p. 213-214).

This indenture clearly states that George Pegram2 was the son of George Pegram, deceased, of Bruton Parish, York County, and that Robert Hunt, who approved the apprenticeship, was his uncle. This would indicate that George Pegram1, father of George2, the apprentice, married the sister of Robert Hunt. Unfortunately a Robert Hunt of that period has not been found in the fragmentary records of Bruton Parish, which have survived.

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